Traveling the 60th Parallel

We turned 60. It's not a big deal. It is not as important as turning 16 or 21 or 65, but, still it makes you smile. So, to mark the milestone, we decided to travel the 60th parallel. This photo was taken on the ferryboat, Silja Symphony. We are about to cross that invisible black line 60 degrees above the equator. Surprisingly, a whole bunch of interesting places are either smack on the 60th parallel or just a fraction of a degree away. From west to east -- the route we took -- there is Oslo Norway, Stockholm and Uppsala Sweden, Helsinki Finland, Tallinn Estonia and St. Petersburg Russia.

Here's Where We Went Oslo, Norway We spent a lot of time in cafes claiming to be recovering from jet lag. We also visited the antique fire engine exhibit held on the waterfront, and the Nobel Peace Center. We strolled the fortress grounds and spent a sunny day with the Borgirs sightseeing around Oslo, and visiting the Technology Museum. Stockholm, Sweden We started out at the Ridderholmen church, which was fascinating. We visited the Nobel Museum, the Nobility House and its Linnaeus Exhibit, the Vasa Museum, City Hall, Drottningholms Slott (castle), and the Nordic Museum. Uppsala, Sweden In addition to our time enjoying coffee and pastries, and lunching in the sun at the outdoor cafe by the river, we visited the university and its main lecture hall, the cathedral, the Old Palace, its grounds and orangerie, and the University Bookstore. Helsinki, Finland We started at the Finnish Orthodox Church, and took in the street market, the Lutheran Church, the Helsinki Museum and design shops. And more design shops. We saw the Church in the Rock, the National Museum and killed a lot of time at the Fredrick Edvard Ekburg Cafe. Tallinn, Estonia We were in Tallinn only briefly, and spent our entire visit walking the cobble stoned streets of Old Town. We saw the memorial to the people lost on the Estonia, the Alexander Nevsky Chruch, the small 14th century Church of the Holy Ghost, and the Museum of Occupation. St. Petersburg, Russia We visited the church of "spilled blood", the Russian Navy Building, and the Hermitage.