Finland

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We visited Oulu, Turku, Rauma, and Helsinki. Oulu is one of the northernmost cities in the world, and was our launching point to cross the Arctic Circle. Turku, located in the Southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of Aura River, came into … Continue reading →

Lapland

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Lapland is the northern area of Finland.  Randy and I met Santa Claus while we were there.  We had to cross into the Arctic Circle to do so.  Santa’s hometown is Rovaniemi, which is where some of these pictures are from. And if … Continue reading →

Olavinlinna Castle

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Olavinlinna Castle, or St. Olaf’s castle, is a Medieval castle located on a picturesque island, linked to the mainland in the area of Savonlinna which is located in the southeast of Finland.  The city was founded in 1639 around the castle St. Olaf, … Continue reading →

Hermitage

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The State Hermitage is a museum of art and culture in Saint Petersburg, Russia. One of the largest and oldest museums of the world, it was founded in 1764 by Catherine the Great and has been opened to the public since 1852. Its collections, of which only a small … Continue reading →

St. Petersburg

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Saint Petersburg, located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea, used to be called Petrograd (from 1914) and Leningrad (in 1924) and back to Saint Petersburg in 1991. Saint Petersburg was founded by Tsar Peter the Great in 1703. From 1713 to … Continue reading →

Peterhof

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Peterhof Palace is a series of palaces and gardens located in Saint Petersburg, Russia.  It was built at the request of Peter the Great. If you have seen Versailles and thought that it was amazing, wait until you see Peterhof Palace. This is a UNESCO World … Continue reading →

Moscow

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The featured picture, the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, was demolished during the Soviet period, and later reconstructed from 1990–2000.  The rest of the photos were equally thought provoking and brought me back to a time when I was young and … Continue reading →

Glacier National Park

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Glacier National Park is located in the U.S. state of Montana, bordering the Canadian provinces of Alberta and British Columbia. Soon after the establishment of the park on May 11, 1910, a number of hotels and chalets were constructed by the Great Northern Railway. These historic … Continue reading →