Baltic Sea

WARSAW - Baltic, the adventurous dog who floated at least 75 miles on an ice floe, has a new owner: the seaman who rescued him. The decision was made after the dog rejected six people who claimed to be his original owner, Wojciech Pelczarski of the Sea Fisheries Institute in Gdynia said yesterday. The would-be owners were probably trying to be part of the media attention surrounding the dog’s dramatic rescue, he said. Pelczarski, whose institute co-owns the research ship “Baltica’’ that rescued the dog and named him, said Baltic is sociable, affectionate, and was getting his...

Emergency crews in Lithuania rescued around 200 fishermen stranded on an ice floe in a lagoon shared by the Baltic state and Russia. Two border patrol boats and a military helicopter were used in the operation Friday, and rescue coordinator Antanas Brencius said no one was injured. Brencius says a crack in the ice in the Curonian Lagoon was widened by the northern winds, to the extent that the fishermen could not cross it and return to shore. The freshwater lagoon is a popular fishing and holiday resort on the Baltic Sea.

SWINOUJSCIE, Poland -- There are few more bracing experiences than swimming in the Baltic Sea. Even on its most southerly shoreline in the height of summer, the water temperature was, to put it politely, "refreshing. " To my pale skin, the sea felt mentholated. However, I was surrounded by hardier souls who seemed more contented. Joyful yelps filled the salty air. Every summer and fall, German tourists swarm to this Polish resort town to enjoy its vast beach, renowned inland spa facilities, and party ambience.

The leaders of Germany and Russia are officially opening a euro7.4 billion ($10.2 billion) natural gas pipeline that directly links western Europe with Siberia's vast gas reserves. Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Dmitry Medvedev were meeting Tuesday in the village of Lubmin on Germany's Baltic Sea coast where the 1,200-kilometer (760-mile) Nord Stream underwater pipeline reaches land. French Prime Minister Francois Fillon and his Dutch counterpart Mark Rutte are also attending the ceremony in a sign of the political importance of Europe's newest energy link, meant to...

WARSAW - A frightened, shivering dog was rescued after floating 75 miles on an ice floe down Poland’s Vistula River and into the Baltic Sea, officials said yesterday. Now his saviors have to figure out who really owns him. Four people have tried to claim him, but rescuers say there has been no wagging tail of joy from the miracle dog they nicknamed “Baltic.’’ The dog’s frozen odyssey occurred as Poland suffers through a winter cold snap, with temperatures dipping to minus 4 degrees.

The leaders of Germany and Russia are officially opening a euro7.4 billion ($10.2 billion) natural gas pipeline that directly links western Europe with Siberia's vast gas reserves. Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Dmitry Medvedev were meeting Tuesday in the village of Lubmin on Germany's Baltic Sea coast where the 1,200-kilometer (760-mile) Nord Stream underwater pipeline reaches land. French Prime Minister Francois Fillon and his Dutch counterpart Mark Rutte are also attending the ceremony in a sign of the political importance of Europe's newest energy...

Emergency crews in Lithuania rescued around 200 fishermen stranded on an ice floe in a lagoon shared by the Baltic state and Russia. Two border patrol boats and a military helicopter were used in the operation Friday, and rescue coordinator Antanas Brencius said no one was injured. Brencius says a crack in the ice in the Curonian Lagoon was widened by the northern winds, to the extent that the fishermen could not cross it and return to shore. The freshwater lagoon is a popular fishing and holiday resort on the Baltic Sea.

STOCKHOLM - A gas company building an underwater pipeline in the Baltic Sea has found a dozen centuries-old shipwrecks - some of them unusually well preserved. The oldest wreck probably dates to medieval times and could be up to 800 years old, while the others may be from the 17th to 19th centuries, Peter Norman of Sweden’s National Heritage Board said yesterday. “They could be interesting, but we have only seen pictures of their exterior. Many of them are considered to be fully intact.

MARIEHAMN, Finland — An accent of mushrooms merged with sweet notes of honey in a sampling yesterday of what has been billed as the world’s oldest champagne, salvaged from a shipwreck in the Baltic Sea. An expert who tasted the vintage bubbly was lyrical, detecting hints of chanterelles and linden blossom. A reporter, who also sampled a bottle, found a slight fizz and flavors of yeast and honey. The champagne — of the brands Veuve Clicquot and the now defunct Juglar — was recovered from a shipwreck discovered in July near the Aland Islands, between Sweden and...

Split pea soup is just what you need when the chill goes right through your coat. In the port city of Hamburg last month, it was sunny but cold as I walked through the Isestrasse market in the center of town. German markets in winter boast stands brimming with every variety of cabbage and potato imaginable. There are mobile bakeries, butchers, fishmongers, sausage sellers, and among them, all kinds of eateries. These hearty folks aren't fair-weather vendors, I decided, so I wandered around until I found lunch.

MARIEHAMN, Finland — An accent of mushrooms merged with sweet notes of honey in a sampling yesterday of what has been billed as the world’s oldest champagne, salvaged from a shipwreck in the Baltic Sea. An expert who tasted the vintage bubbly was lyrical, detecting hints of chanterelles and linden blossom. A reporter, who also sampled a bottle, found a slight fizz and flavors of yeast and honey. The champagne — of the brands Veuve Clicquot and the now defunct Juglar — was recovered from a shipwreck discovered in July near the Aland Islands, between Sweden and Finland.

STOCKHOLM — Now that’s some vintage bubbly. Divers have discovered what is thought to be the world’s oldest drinkable champagne in a shipwreck in the Baltic Sea, one of the finders said yesterday. They tasted the one bottle they’ve brought up so far before reaching shore. Diving instructor Christian Ekstrom said the bottles are believed to be from the 1780s and probably were part of a cargo destined for Russia. “We brought up the bottle to be able to establish how old the wreck was,’’ he said.

STOCKHOLM - A gas company building an underwater pipeline in the Baltic Sea has found a dozen centuries-old shipwrecks - some of them unusually well preserved. The oldest wreck probably dates to medieval times and could be up to 800 years old, while the others may be from the 17th to 19th centuries, Peter Norman of Sweden’s National Heritage Board said yesterday. “They could be interesting, but we have only seen pictures of their exterior. Many of them are considered to be fully intact.

WARSAW - Baltic, the adventurous dog who floated at least 75 miles on an ice floe, has a new owner: the seaman who rescued him. The decision was made after the dog rejected six people who claimed to be his original owner, Wojciech Pelczarski of the Sea Fisheries Institute in Gdynia said yesterday. The would-be owners were probably trying to be part of the media attention surrounding the dog’s dramatic rescue, he said. Pelczarski, whose institute co-owns the research ship “Baltica’’ that rescued the dog and named him, said Baltic is sociable, affectionate, and...

WARSAW - A frightened, shivering dog was rescued after floating 75 miles on an ice floe down Poland’s Vistula River and into the Baltic Sea, officials said yesterday. Now his saviors have to figure out who really owns him. Four people have tried to claim him, but rescuers say there has been no wagging tail of joy from the miracle dog they nicknamed “Baltic.’’ The dog’s frozen odyssey occurred as Poland suffers through a winter cold snap, with temperatures dipping to minus 4 degrees.

SKAGEN, Denmark - Disembarking from the 30-minute flight from Copenhagen to Aalborg Airport in North Jutland province, I saw a wiry gent with white hair holding a sign with my name. I had splurged on the services of a driver for four hours on each of the two days I was to be at the northernmost tip of the country and Kaj (pronounced "ky") proved an able guide. As we made our way to Skagen, about 50 miles north, I asked him about "hygge" (pronounced "hue-ga"). "Well . . . it's the family, around the table, having wonderful conversation," Kaj said.

STOCKHOLM — Now that’s some vintage bubbly. Divers have discovered what is thought to be the world’s oldest drinkable champagne in a shipwreck in the Baltic Sea, one of the finders said yesterday. They tasted the one bottle they’ve brought up so far before reaching shore. Diving instructor Christian Ekstrom said the bottles are believed to be from the 1780s and probably were part of a cargo destined for Russia. “We brought up the bottle to be able to establish how old the wreck was,’’ he said.

WASHINGTON -- The number of oxygen-starved "dead zones" in the world's seas and oceans has risen more than a third in the past two years because of fertilizer, sewage, animal waste, and fossil-fuel burning, United Nations specialists said yesterday. Their number has jumped to about 200, according to new estimates released by UN marine specialists meeting in Beijing. In 2004, UN specialists put the estimate at 149 globally. The damage is caused by explosive blooms of tiny plants known as phytoplankton, which die and sink to the bottom, then are eaten by bacteria,...

Split pea soup is just what you need when the chill goes right through your coat. In the port city of Hamburg last month, it was sunny but cold as I walked through the Isestrasse market in the center of town. German markets in winter boast stands brimming with every variety of cabbage and potato imaginable. There are mobile bakeries, butchers, fishmongers, sausage sellers, and among them, all kinds of eateries. These hearty folks aren't fair-weather vendors, I decided, so I wandered around until I found lunch.

WASHINGTON -- The number of oxygen-starved "dead zones" in the world's seas and oceans has risen more than a third in the past two years because of fertilizer, sewage, animal waste, and fossil-fuel burning, United Nations specialists said yesterday. Their number has jumped to about 200, according to new estimates released by UN marine specialists meeting in Beijing. In 2004, UN specialists put the estimate at 149 globally. The damage is caused by explosive blooms of tiny plants known as phytoplankton, which die and sink to the bottom, then are eaten by bacteria, which use up...