Finland Russia Baltic Day 16

Day 16 - October 18, 2008 - Saturday – Flight to Frankfurt, Germany then to Denver, Colorado - Home

Our long day began early, very early, when our alarm clock went off at 4:30. The hotel provided us with a light breakfast before our departure.

There were six of us on the early shuttle to the Helsinki airport. Nikolai loaded and unloaded our luggage for the last time. We left the hotel at 5:50 and there was no traffic this early in the morning.

We arrived at the airport, said goodbye to everyone, and thanked Xavier and Nikolai one more time. Our flight to Frankfurt, Germany was scheduled to board at 8:30. We had plenty of time to go through security and then relax a bit in the business lounge.

The flight was full - almost all seats were taken on the A 320-200 Air Bus. We settled in with our books for the 2 hour and 15 minute flight on the first leg of our journey today.

The fog was heavy over the sea, but when we made our approach to Frankfurt, the sun was bright on the red, orange, yellow, and green trees below. With a fog in some of the valleys, it was the most beautiful sight we have seen of the German countryside. It was another beautiful October-fest season in Germany.

The airport in Frankfurt is one of the busiest terminals in Europe. Once here one can get anywhere in the Eastern Hemisphere very easily. We saw aircraft from all over the world.

There were no gates open so we parked on the tarmac and then rode the shuttle bus to the B Terminal. We had a long hike to Terminal A and our gate.

We were the first ones to go through passport control to get our mandatory Frankfurt EU stamp. Once we had cleared we had about 3 hours to wait for our next flight so we found the nearest business lounge to relax and wait.

When our flight was called we walked to the gate only to find a logjam of people trying to go through the jetway stairs. There was a hold-up as we had to ride a shuttle bus to the tarmac. We boarded the Air Bus A-340 for our flight over the northern route, crossing the North Sea, Iceland and then Greenland.

Our view of the snow and glacier covered mountains of Greenland was incredible. Many of us on the right side of the aircraft took photos of the white land mass glistening in the sun. Breathtaking!

Our continuing flight over Canada and then to Colorado was smooth. It was a long flight; almost 11 hours, but worth the effort to see Finland, Russia, Belarus and the three Baltic countries we visited.

Going through customs in Denver was a breeze and shortly after we were on the Pikes Peak Shuttle to the long term parking. After getting our Honda CR-V and paying our bill for the past 16 days, we turned south towards Monument Hill and the Palmer Divide.

Our two Siamese cats, Kwai and Buddha greeted us at the door. It was great to be home again. We started the laundry, got ourselves a cup of hot tea, and then went to sleep after our 26 hour day!

I would be remiss if I did not finish with a few comments about what we noticed from this trip. First, how much fun it is to travel with other nationalities. One gets some very different perspectives from the Aussies, Canadians, Irish, South Africans, and Americans from all parts of the country.

The people in the six countries we visited and our fellow travelers had a healthy interest in the upcoming election for President of the US. There was quite a bit of discussion on this.

We also found the older people from the Soviet era are very reserved, were reluctant to smile, or make eye contact. Ingrained behavior is very difficult to change. The young people would gladly smile, try to talk, and pose for an OGWC (old guy with camera).

Another aspect that continues to make me wonder is how people from other countries stay in touch all over the world with their cell phones. The USA is so far behind and we pay outlandish fees for very poor service.

Accommodations: HOME - - - Meal: B, L, D

A CD OF EACH TRIP IS AVAILABLE.

These CDs are compilations of slide presentations of each day (pictures of the events during the day) accompanied by music reflective of the nation and day.

On most CDs there are presentations on the people of the country, people traveling with the group, flowers, and panoramas.

On more recent trips, short videos have been included on the web pages and these videos are also available in the CD.

The CD is available for $20 US. Shipping and handling is included for US addresses. Slightly higher for overseas shipping.

To view an example of the presentations Click Here

As it is an 8:13 presentation, give yourself time to see it in its entirety.

Please contact garciatrips@gmail.com for more specific information and a screen capture of the CD menu.

Hi! greetings from Australia. Happy new year! Russia & the Baltics sure was an interesting trip.

Hi there Vic and Gennie just a very quick thank you from the heart for sharing the memories with us in such a great way - hope you two made it home safely. I am in Winnepeg about to set sail for the polar bears and will be in contact again after that - going to work on "operation Garcia to Oz!" my very best wishes for now Christine

It was fun for us to follow your trip. Can't wait to see you on your walk so we can chat.

Interesting trip and your comments at the end were a nice perspective. Enjoyed your views of Finland, et. al. Where to next?

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Day 13: Azores & Madeira: Portugal's Unspoiled Archipelagos

Day 13 - Saturday, April 22, 2022 - Depart for U.S.

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