The shipyard where Lech Walesa worked

When in Poland one must have a Polish sausage!

We came across another familiar face while walking through the center of old town

Can you find a familiar face backed by a fountain and painted buildings reminiscent of our trip to Germany?

Shortly after arriving in Poland, we boarded a coach for a 45 minute ride to Gdansk. In 1980, a strike by 17,000 shipbuilders saw Solidarity, led by shipyard electrician, Lech Walesa, recognised as the first non-communist trade union in the then Soviet Eastern block. The move was one step that led to the eventual collapes of communism across Eastern Europe.

House of Blackheads (erected in the 14th century for the guild of unmarried German merchants)

The Latvian Red Riflemen in town center

The concert hall in the park

The city lies alongside a very tranquil park

We didn't research Riga so we didn't know what to expect, but discovered quickly that the architecture, both old and new, is beautiful. We aren't in the photos, but they're included in the blog just in case you're thinking about going to Latvia.

The cool American girls shed their shades to pose with the Russian flag

Even so, this young nipper was pretty tired!

We passed by the world-famous Hermitage Museum during the cruise. We wisely decided our kids would enjoy cruising by it rather than walking through it!

The cool American girls make a splash in Russia

The "High School Musical" jump on the park side of the palace

The "Great Hall" with the painted ceiling

In order to enter Russia without a visa we had to take a guided tour. We chose to visit St Catherine's Palace and take a cruise along the River Neva.

Dad and daughter in front of Helsinki Cathedral

The Olympics took place in 1952. The kids posed with Paavo Nurmi, the Flying Finn, who won nine gold medals and three silvers from 1920 to 1928.

We found an American kid who got stuck inside one of the pipes . . . .

We sailed during the night of July 25th and arrived in Helsinki the next morning. We stopped by the Sibelius Monument that honors Finland's most famous composer, Jean Sibelius.

We enjoyed 5 1/2 days of great weather before the rain came. Up until that time every evening had a beautiful sunset.

The kids shared an interior room so they sometimes stopped by to enjoy the view from our window. Very nice!

We dressed for two formal nights in the dining room and shared a table with guests from Norway

The youngest of our might wall climbers preparing for a climb at the stern of the ship

Al, trying to convert a farmer's tan to a full-body tan

On July 17, 2010 we flew from LHR to Stockholm, Sweden where we stayed overnight and boarded the Royal Caribbean International 'Vision of the Seas' for a 7-day cruise around the Baltic Sea. We visited Helsink, Finland; St Petersburg, Russia; Riga, Latvia; Gdansk, Poland; and Visby, Sweden before returning to Stockholm. We enjoyed the trip with 2221 other passengers and 700+ crew members.

During prize-giving, this young man was awarded the same prize received by his sister two years earlier. The plaque commemorates an alumnus who won an Olympic gold medal in the modern pentathlon. It's awarded to students who display sportsmanship and athletic excellence in a variety of sports.

The school year concluded with Sports Day which included the high jump, discus and long jump for the boys among other events. We weren't allowed to take photos earlier in the day when "Miss Sporty" (our youngest) competed in and won four field events.

. . . . and middle kids.

. . . . and "fancy-dress" affairs for the oldest . . . .

. . . . rounders . . . .

The month of June, 2010, brought house cricket matches . . . .

On the way back to London we stopped in a village to take a picture in front of a butcher shop owned by our brother, Bob (not!)

Fortunately, we have plenty of artwork that will remind us of this aspiring young artist

The youngest of the eight grandchildren was sad to say good-bye to the eldest of the eight

Lark and the kids left on June 6th following the driveway scooter race

. . . . however, Grandpa had reserve energy and continued the search

The search was exhausting and this young lady needed time to rest . . . .

We visited the nearby beach to assist the youngest Stewart in his search for rocks

Al's folks, Al & Nancy, visited at the end of May, just a week after the departure of Bill and Tess. Al's brother, Brett, and his wife, Lark, and their two kids also joined us for a weekend.

. . . . where they stopped to see the Tower Bridge

Diana and her folks took a tour bus around London the next day . . . .

The family took Bill and Tess up a local hill where Kobi found a "mine" that did not impress the young lady! The rape fields were in full bloom in the distance.

Tess, posing with the lavender . . .

Diana relaxing amongst her favorite flowers - bluebells

In the midst of the bluebells . . . . .

Diana, Bill and Tess visited Exbury Gardens in early May with friend, Corrie. The colors were amazing!