Russia/Finland/Norway

St. Petersburg, Russia - Smolny Cathedral

St. Petersburg, St. Isaac's Cathedral

St. Petersburg, Russia - Ceiling of the dome in St. Isaac's Cathedral

St. Petersburg, Russia - Interior of St. Isaac's Cathedral (2)

St. Petersburg, Russia - Ceiling of the dome of St. Isaac's Cathedral

St. Petersburg, Russia - Marble column inside St. Isaac's Cathedral

St. Petersburg, Russia - Bust of A. Montferrand, French architect of St. Isaac's Cathedral

St. Petersburg, Russia - Statue of the writer Alexander Pushkin, in front of the Russian museum

St. Petersburg, Russia - Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood

St. Petersburg, Russia - Inside the Winter Palace(1)

St. Petersburg, Russia - Inside the Winter Palace(2)

St. Petersburg, Russia - Inside the Winter Palace(3)

St. Petersburg, Russia -  Inside the Winter Palace(4)

St. Petersburg, Russia - Painting of Catherine the Great at the Hermitage Museum

St. Petersburg, Russia - Inside the Winter Palace, Throne of Peter the Great (1)

St. Petersburg, Russia - Inlaid floors in the Winter Palace reception rooms (1)

St. Petersburg, Russia - Reception rooms in the Winter Palace (1)

St. Petersburg, Russia - Inside the Winter Palace, Throne of Peter the Great (2)

St. Petersburg, Russia - Inside the Winter Palace, Throne of Peter the Great (2)

St. Petersburg, Russia - Inside the Winter Palace(4)

St. Petersburg, Russia - Inside the Winter Palace(5)

St. Petersburg, Russia - Inside the Winter Palace(6)

St. Petersburg, Russia - Inside the Winter Palace(7)

St. Petersburg, Russia -  Inside the Winter Palace(6)

St. Petersburg, Russia - Eternal Spring sculpture by Rodin

St. Petersburg, Russia - The Palace Square and Statue of Alexander I from the Winter Palace (6)

St. Petersburg, Russia - Peter and Paul cathedral(1)

St. Petersburg, Russia - Peter and Paul cathedral(2)

St. Petersburg, Russia - Peter and Paul cathedral(3)

St. Petersburg, Russia - Contemporary sculpture of Peter the Great

St. Petersburg, The Winter Palace from one of the bridges over the Neva River.

St. Petersburg, Russia - Artistic dessert for lunch at the Tchaikovsky Restaurant

St. Petersburg, Russia - Peter and Paul cathedral(4)

St. Petersburg, Russia - Poster for Swan Lake with the Jacobson Ballet, at the Mikhailovsky theater

St. Petersburg, Russia - The banks of the Neva and canals (1)

St. Petersburg, Russia - The banks of the Neva and canals (2)

St. Petersburg, Russia - The banks of the Neva and canals (3)

St. Petersburg, Russia - Peter and Paul fortress and church

St. Petersburg, Russia - The banks of the Neva and canals (4)

St. Petersburg, Russia - Statue of Nicholas I on St. Isaac's square

St. Petersburg, Russia - Soviet-era subway from the 1950s(2)

Peterhof, Russia - Peter the Great's Summer Palace and Gardens (1)

Peterhof, Russia - Peter the Great's Summer Palace and Gardens (2)

Peterhof, Russia - Catherine the Great's own Summer House

Peterhof, Russia - Peter the Great's Summer Palace and Gardens (3)

Peterhof, Russia - Peter the Great's Summer Palace and Gardens (4)

Helsinki, Finland - Bikes are as common as in Holland (here at a train station)

Helsinki, Finland - Parliament Bldg

Helsinki, Finland - Lutheran Cathedral

Helsinki, Finland - Temppeliaukio Church (1)

Helsinki, Finland - Temppeliaukio Church (2)

Helsinki, Finland - Temppeliaukio Church (3)

Helsinki, Finland - Temppeliaukio Church (4)

Helsinki, Finland - Sculpture dedicated to Jean Sibelius

In memory of the Finnish long-distance runner medalist at 1952 Olympics

Helsinki, Finland - Kauppatori, open air market in Helsinki

Helsinki, Finland - Kauppatori, open air market in Helsinki

Inari, Finland - SIIDA Museum of the Sami, in Lapland

Inari, Finland - Open-air museum of the Sami Culture at the SIIDA (1)

Another lovely village along the coast of Norway

Inari, Finland - Open-air museum of the Sami Culture at the SIIDA (3)

Ivalo, Finland - A reindeer farm outside of Ivalo

Ivalo, Finland - Home-hosted dinner with the local family owning the deer farm

Norway - One of numerous lovely spots down the coast of Norway, on our Hurtigruten cruise (1)

Hammerfest, Norway - Visitor Center

Norway - One of numerous lovely spots sailing south along the Norwegian Coast - 422 (8)

Hammerfest, Norway - Home of the worldwide Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society, born in 1963

Tromso, Norway - Midnight concert at the cathedral

Norway - One of numerous lovely spots down the coast of Norway, sailing south on our Hurtigruten cruise (2)

Norway - One of numerous lovely spots down the coast of Norway, sailing south on our Hurtigruten cruise (3)

Norway - One of the bridges connecting islands off the coast of Norway, sailing south on our Hurtigruten cruise (4)

Norway - One of numerous lovely spots down the coast of Norway, sailing south on our Hurtigruten cruise (5)

Norway - Sailing down the Trollfjord(1)

Norway - Sailing down the Trollfjord(3)

Norway - Sailing down the Trollfjord(4)

Norway - Sailing down the Trollfjord (6)

Norway - The Lofoten Islands (2)

Norway - Svolvaer, Lofoten Islands (1)

Norway - Our Hurtigruten ship, the Kong Harald

Norway - Svolvaer, Lofoten Islands (2)

Norway - Svolvaer, Lofoten Islands (3)

Norway - The Lofoten Islands (1)

Norway - Sailing down the Trollfjord(1)

Area of the Seven Sisters Mountains - 541 (8)

Norway, Rorvik- The Performing Arts Center (1)

Sailing down the Gulvangen Fjord

Norway - Stave church on the way to Oslo

Norway, Trondheim - Commemorative site for the Norwegian soldiers shot at that spot by the Germans

Norway, Trondheim - City streets (2)

Norway, Trondheim -  The Cathedral (2)

Norway, Trondheim - Statue of Leif Erickson

Norway - Sailing into Bergen  (1)

Norway, Bergen - One of King Harold's summer residence

Norway, Bergen - The Waterfront in old Bergen  (1)

Norway, Bergen - The Old City

Norway, Bergen - Sunset on the Waterfront in old Bergen  (1)

Norway, Bergen - Sunset on the Waterfront in old Bergen  (2)

Norway - More lovely spots, on the way to Oygarden  (2)

Norway, Bergen - More lovely spots by the water (1)

Norway, Bergen - Downtown (2)

Norway, Bergen - Downtown, Save the Children monument

Norway, Gudvangen - Sculptures at the cruise boat terminal (1)

Norway, Gudvangen - The cruise boat terminal

Norway - Sailing the Gudvangen Fjord (1)

Norway, Gudvangen - Sculptures at the cruise boat terminal (3)

Norway - Train ride from Flam (2)

Norway - Train ride from Flam (3)

Norway, Oslo - Flower memorials for the murdered children at the Cathedral (2)

North Pole marker along the Norway coast