As you can see, I’ve been hosting the parents on the ship. They were on for a twelve-day Baltic cruise, and are staying in Amsterdam for a few days. (Fortunately for me, their hotel has breakfast and wi-fi…)

One of the perks of a Baltic cruise is that most people in those countries speak English, but Mom did pull out her high school German to get us some lunch. 🙂

The second postcard is from Tallinn, Estonia. It’s the port on this itinerary that no-one’s heard of–the other stops are Amsterdam, Stockholm, Berlin, Helsinki, St. Petersburg, and Copenhagen!–but in its own way, it’s the coolest port. The Old Town (old, like medieval) is a 20-minute walk from the ship, boasting a ridiculously cute town square, interesting handicrafts, live music, winding alleys to explore, and of course, lotsa beer.

This third postcard is from Stockholm. When we were there, we were confused by truckloads of partying teenagers circling around town. When we got back to the ship, a Swedish coworker explained that they were celebrating graduation day, their last day of mandatory schooling EVER. He called it “the happiest day in a young Swede’s life.” I’m glad we got an explanation for that one.