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s’est rendu dans 10 pays. En savoir plus Hamilton, Canada
  • VoyageurThe Land of the Vikings
    1
    Jour 8

    Geiranger, The World UNESCO Fjord

    27 mai, Norvège ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    I wake to see mountains outside my window. These ones are green with vegetation and terns flying through the sky. It is milder here as well. Geiranger is a small town at the end of the Fjord with a population of 200. Yes, 200 people, no typo. This is a very long fjord. It is 15 km (9.3 mi) long and 1.5 km (0.93 mi) wide. There are several fjords that branch off of it and Geiranger. The mountains are high at 800 meters, and the average depth is 260 meters. There are waterfalls everywhere you look. The mountains are lush with trees, and it is just beautiful to look at. Every now and then, there are houses and farms up on a slope. I have no idea how they get in and out because I don't see any roads. We finally make it to the town of Geiranger. It is at the very end of the fjord and is rather small. There is a hotel, grocery store with a post office, several tourist shops and restaurants, as well as plenty of tourism activities. An interesting thing to note here is that this fjord will be closed to all vessels that are not zero carbon in the future. They have an expandable dock here that unfolds to meet the ship after the ship has moored to the floating bouys.

    Today, we are doing the ride up the mountain to the sky walk. The mountain is called Dalsnibba Mountain, and it is 1,476 meters high. Our guide is very enthusiastic about the area and points out many interesting things. It seems that everywhere we turn, there is another waterfall coming down the mountain side. The sounds of the water pounding down in torrents are deafening. Our guide has told us that we are very fortunate because we have hit the perfect time for the snow melt. Another week or two, and the waterfalls will be nothing more than a trickle. We make our first stop at a scenic point, where we can get pictures of the fjord and the ship. It gives you a good perspective of how high the mountain walls are that enclose the fjord. We then keep climbing up. We see plateaus where people have set up farms for sheep and goats. We climb higher until we reach the tree line at about 1000 meters. After this there are no more trees and just mosses on the ground. There is a lake that is still mostly frozen up here. Our guide said another 2 weeks, and it should thaw. We finally make it to the top. There is still snow up here, and the mountains are barren rock and snow. The view is amazing from up here. On our way down, we stop at a cultural museum to see the fjord in all four seasons and see how people lived back in the day. Not for the faint-hearted.

    There are two waterfalls that are famous in this Fjord. One is called the 'Seven Sisters' and the one opposite it is 'The Suitor'. On our way out of the fjord, the Captain stopped and did a 360 with the ship to let everyone get pictures of both. Isn't he a nice man?

    Back down the mountain, we have to head back for another delicious meal.    En savoir plus

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  • VoyageurThe Land of the Vikings
    Jour 7

    Day At Sea

    26 mai, Norwegian Sea ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    I have had a stomach bug for the last few days. Today is the day that I cave and head to medical. It's a good thing that it is a sea day and I can lounge around the room. I head down there, and the doctor gives me a once over. Tells me I'm grounded for 24 hours from the last bout loose bowels. That was last night at 8:00 PM. I take the pills and electrolytes and head back to my room. Laura went down for breakfast, but I'm not very hungry.

    We had a tour booked for 'behind the scenes' of the ship. This takes you through the laundry, kitchens, the back of the theatre, the I95 (main through fare for all things crew related), and the bridge. I had to bail on this one since I was grounded, but Laura had a good time.

    I have had some room service delivered (dry toast and grilled chicken with jello, not even picture worthy). Thank goodness I have a balcony. We have been going in and out of fog banks, but the sound of the ocean is soothing. I take a nap and am feeling a little better. I haven't had any episodes, so I'm freed by 8:00 PM.

    I have wondered around the ship a bit. I'm thoroughly enamored with the light fixtures on board. They are so intricate and just beautiful. The ship is very light and airy. I have tried to take pictures when a loung is closed so that I can capture the way it actually looks while being sensitive to peoples privacy. I'm probably going to bore you with pictures of light fixtures, but you can skip through those.

    I also haven't written about the food on board. The thing I like about this ship is that you can eat whenever you like. There are six dining areas open at various times of the day. You are not pinned down to one place for lunch or breakfast. They have the buffet, but since Laura is celiac, we eat in the dining rooms. Laura pre-orders her meals the day before, and then the chef has a heads up of what needs to be cooked. They have made her a very happy foodie. They have pancakes, waffles, toast, eggs benedict, hamburgs, and so much more. Laura's meal every night looks scrumptious. Seeing the smile on her face while she eats is worth a thousand thank yous to the staff. The ship is obviously clean as a whistle, and there is no wear and tear of any of the finishes. I'll post some pictures of the lounges that are dotted around the ship.    En savoir plus

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  • VoyageurThe Land of the Vikings
    11
    Jour 6

    Santa's Here

    25 mai, Islande ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    This morning, we get to sleep in. We have a tour in the afternoon. We have breakfast in the Hudson today. Laura can get a gluten-free meal prepared just for her. Today is bacon, eggs, breakfast potatoes, and toast. They have a system here where you can order your specialty meals the day before so the chef has some warning of what to prepare. Laura is quite happy that she can have basically whatever she wants gluten-free and cooked to perfection. I think she ordered Eggs Benedict for tomorrow. So we have breakfast and head back to the room to finish booking our excursions for the trip.

    Today, we are in Akureyri. Akureyri is a large town with a population of 20,000. That is huge for Iceland. They have all the modern amenities from outdoor swimming pools (geothermally heated) to hospital, police, high school, and university. A booming place! The sun is shining and it is really warm out, 17 celcius. We head off at noon for a trip to a botanical garden, Santa's house, and a local museum. Spring has not really sprung here yet, so there are not many flowers out. Apparently, this garden was started by some of the local ariticratic women back in the 1950s. It was later taken over by the town. It is a nice walk, and many locals are here getting some sun. Next up is the highlight of the tour. It is a little Santa Village created by one of the locals. It has three little stores with everything from candy apples, sweets, cookies, and Christmas ornaments to tea towels, homemade soaps, jams, and knit wear. They have done a wonderful job in creating the area, and their products are very nice. After a few purchases, we head on to the museum. Here, we learn a little about the settlers of the area and how they lived. They started off in peat houses and then moved to wood houses. After a few fires, they were outlawed, and all houses were made from cement after that. The houses are heated geothermally. They have large pipelines that run along the side of the road carrying hot water from holes that they drill into towns. Genius! If their homes can't be heated by geothermal methods, then they have electric heat, which is created by waterfalls all over the island.

    We head back to the ship in time to leave by 4 PM. The sun never really sets here, so when we leave, we the sun is still shining on the mountains.    En savoir plus

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  • VoyageurThe Land of the Vikings
    1
    112
    Jour 5

    Let's Go See Some Foxes...

    24 mai, Islande ⋅ 🌧 3 °C

    Today is our first port. We have arrived in Isafjordur in the north of Iceland. This small town (which is the largest in the north) has a population of 2,700 people. Yes, this is the largest town up here. It has a police force, hospital, university, and apparently the only grocery store in the north. We woke up this morning to find us gliding through the fjord on our way to the dock. We are the only ship in town today. Today, we head up for a very rushed breakfast and then down to the theater to catch our tour. We are heading out to see an avalanche site and artic foxes with some local music at a stolen church thrown in.

    First was the memorial to the avalanche victims in Sudavik. On January 16, 1995, an avalanche hit the town at 6:00 AM, killing 14 people, 8 of which were children. They have built a memorial to this disaster. The town only holds 200 people, so losing 14 residents would have been devastating. You can actually see the path where the avalanche came through when you look towards the water and see the spaces between the buildings.

    Our next stop was a church that was actually stolen from another town. One of the remote towns was gifted a church by Norway. This other town was shut down because it was too remote. The church leaders decided to move the little church to another town instead of building a new one. Here, we heard a nice gentleman give us a quick description of the church and how they barged it down the fjord to it's current spot. He then gave us a little concert in his native Icelandic language. He was quite good and the music was very enjoyable.

    Our last stop was the Artic Fox rescue center. Here, they help injured foxes and release them back into the wild . They have two foxes that are permanent residents. They were hand raised from babies and can not be released back into the wild. Since today was a rainy day, the foxes didn't want to come out of their den. However, the lady from the center brought out some dried fish, and one fox (Fryda) decided it was worth braving the rain. They are small and normally shy in the wild. They are also capable of killing a sheep. This is why they were hunted in the past by the farmers here in Iceland.

    Our ride back to the ship is quick, and we board with no problems. Laura and I headed up to the Hudson for a late lunch. They staff here are absolutely amazing in handling Laura's food allergies. Laura was able to get a cheeseburger and fries specially prepared by the chef for her requirements. I did the Italian wedding soup and Cobb salad. We both came back for a nap so we can prepare for tonights escapades.    En savoir plus

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  • VoyageurThe Land of the Vikings
    Jour 4

    Today is Boarding Day

    23 mai, Greenland Sea ⋅ 🌬 8 °C

    This morning has started slow for me, I have a bad headache, and my stomach is not behaving. I'm not sure if I picked up a bug on the airplane/airport or something I ate. Laura is on her own for todays adventures. This is not a problem for Laura, who likes to shop and browse. I haven't mentioned much about our hotel but I will now. We have stayed at the Midtown Hotel. It is very centrally located to all the touristy stuff. The room is very clean and bright. However, this is a self check-in hotel. That means that you get a code the day before for use while you are there. This is much easier for travelers who come at odd hours and have to check out at night, I guess. All communications are done by e-mail or through the Booking app. I do prefer to have a real person to talk to. There is no one at the front desk to ask for restaurant suggestions, etc. Communicating through e-mail is not timely and impersonal. I needed to get late check out because I wasn't feeling good, so trying to negotiate this over email was tedious. They also charged an arm and a leg between the early check-in and late check out.

    We finally got to go to the ship to board. The weather is overcast but not railing yet. The ship is huge! So is the line to get in. We did book a time slot for boarding, but I don't think it made a difference. I think next time I will board later around 3 pm. We are boarding the Norweigian Prima. It is a new ship in NCL's newest class of ship.. It has 18 floors, with a water slide that goes over the side of the ship and then comes back in. Other than waiting in line for security, our boarding goes off nicely. You enter the atrium and are greeted with elagance and subdued sofistication. The colours are shades of creams and beige. The lighting is in gold metal in different patterns. Our room is on the 15th floor, closer to the front of the ship. We have a balcony so that we can see the fjords as we come in and out. This type of trip where the scenery is the destination means that you just have to have a balcony to enjoy the views. Our cabin is very spacious with more than enough storage. It is always amazing how these ships can pack so much into so little. We grab something to eat up on deck 17. The weather has turned a bit and we now have a light rain. We then head back to our cabin to see if our luggage has arrived. We unpack and gather ourselves before heading out for dinner.

    We have dinner in The Commodore restaurant for dinner. Laura has celiac disease (no wheat, rye, or barley), so it is safer for her to eat in restaurants as opposed to the buffets where cross contamination can occur. I had the French onion soup with the talapia. Laura had the ceasar salad and roast chicken. Both were delicious. Afterward, I headed back to the cabin to make it an early night. While Laura headed down to the main atrium for some music. We have a tour tomorrow morning, so it is off to bed for me.    En savoir plus

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  • VoyageurThe Land of the Vikings
    1
    Jour 3

    A Day At The Spa

    22 mai, Islande ⋅ 🌬 8 °C

    This morning, we had crepes at a nice little restaurant. Then we went shopping. They have a Christmas store here, so we just had to check that out. They had so many cute things in there, and they ship to Canada. Yes, please! This way, we don"t have to worry about ornaments breaking or taking up luggage space.

    We had an appointment with the spa at the Sky Lagoon (https://www.skylagoon.com/) A marvelous way to while away 3 or 4 hours. We had the The Ritual. First off, you go in and have a shower and change into your bathing suits. Then you wallow (no other word) around in geothermal heated fresh water. No sulfur smell or effects. Just warm water with an infinity edge that overlooks the bay. We met some cool ladies from the states Donna and Patty. They are going to be on our cruise as well. We just make friends anywhere we go! We talked with them for a while and enjoyed the warm soothing water. Then you plunge into a cold pool next. if you're Laura, you walk down the steps and walk right back up. I think explisives were involved as well. Then you go into a dry sauna. This sauna has an entire wall of glass overlooking the bay as well. It was quite warm so we only lasted 5 - 7 minutes. Then you have a cool mist shower (Laura, not a fan of this either) before heading into the steam sauna. They give you a salt and almond scrub prior to entering the steam shower. This was more brutal than the dry sauna because the steam made it difficult to breathe and very hot. The next step is to shower off and go back to the warm pool for as long as you like. Our new kept following us and we had a very enjoyable time. We even ended up sharing a cab back into the city.

    I'm a bit jet lagged, so I have stayed back at the hotel while Laura has gone off to visit the Penis Museum. Yes, you read that right.

    Laura learned a lot about penis today at the museum. She learned the difference between human and other species penis. The hamster has the smalles, and the largest is the sperms whale.

    We had another wonderful meal. Laura went to a bar, and I came back to write this.

    Tomorrow is our last day in Reykjavik, and tomorrow we board the ship.    En savoir plus

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  • VoyageurThe Land of the Vikings
    Jour 2–4

    Another Birthday, 4 Different Countries

    21 mai, Islande ⋅ 🌬 8 °C

    We have begun our trip. Our limo picked us up at my place. It was a nice Lexus with plenty of leg room. We had some light rain on the way to the airport but we should be good for take off. This is an overnight flight; we are taking off at 11 PM and arriving at 8 AM Icelandic time. We are flying Icelandair for the first time. We are flying Premium Saga class. This sort of a cross between premium economy and business class. The flight is only 5 hours but we have a 4 hour time change.

    We made it to the airport and through security pretty quickly. I'm impressed. Next up is the lounge. We have access to the Premium Plaza lounge in Toronto. I have never been to this one. It is very busy but nice. The food is good but not overly special. Laura is celiac, and we did find something for her to eat.

    The boarding process was painless. Our seats are wonderful. They are 20" wide and will recline 40°. We had an amenities bag, a pillow, and a nice blanket waiting for us on our seats. We took off on time, and the flight time is 4 hours and 55 minutes. They started me off with si e crispy bread and a nice sparkling rose from Endland. Oh, and you know you're in Saga class when you actually get real glasses and not plastic. The drive ks menu has a Gin library. Yeah 7 different types of gin. I'm not a gin drinker, but I guess I could learn.

    I chose the lamb for dinner. That was marvelous. Kudos to Icelandair. The lamb was tender and flavourful. The gravy was rich and tasty, the chocolate mousse and cake divine. Unfortunately, Laura was not impressed with her gluten-free offering. It was bland and just not delicious. Well, time for a nap...I hope.

    Kitten slept on the plane, but I didn't. We land and head to customs. Through customs in 5 minutes. Then we catch the Fly Bus into Reykjavik. It is about 40 minutes from the airport. This is a good way to check out the landscape. The landscape here looks very barren. There are not many trees, and the ground looks like volcanic rock.

    We get to the central bus station where you catch another bus to the different parts of the city. Reykjavik is the largest city in Iceland. It looks like your typical European city so far. Modern with good roads. Our driver is a very pleasant young man and he lets us know where to get off. There are a few apps that I always travel with on my phone. One of them is Google Maps. We plug in our address and Laura navigates us to our hotel. The streets are narrow and uphill (typical Europe, although Iceland is pretty flat!). We are only about 6 blocks from where are bus let us off. The streets are lined with shops and Laura's eyes are bright!

    The hotel is the Midtown Hotel. As with everything these days, it is a self check in place. Our codes work, and we get to our room. It is clean and bright with twin beds. (I had enough of sleeping with Laura when she was small!) It has everything we need for a couple of days. I take a nap, and Laura goes out to explore (aka shop).

    We start out walking g down towards the water. There are sooo many shops to check out. There is a lot of Icelanic knit sweaters, hats, etc. Along with sheep rugs, typical tourist stuff. There are many jewelry stores as well that feature volcanic stone. There are many artisan stores with uniquely designed jewelry. We walk all the way down to a harbour area. It looks like a place to get tour boats as well as fishing boats.

    We stop at a place by the water to get some baked chard and vegies. (Yes, there are food shots) Then we make our way back to the hotel.

    The natural beauty of Iceland comes through with every corner that you turn . All of a sudden there is a street with a backdrop of mountains in behind. Another thing to note is that we don't have sunset until 11 PM here, and apparently, sunrise is going to be around 4 AM. Our sleep may be a little messed up.    En savoir plus

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  • VoyageurA Whole Bunch of Firsts
    Jour 6

    I'll Be Back

    5 février, États Unis ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    The last morning on board. I was up at 5:30 AM. Finished packing, returned the extension cord, and left our rooms for the last time. We went up to the buffet for some much-needed coffee. Since we have kept our luggage, we can get off whenever we want to.

    We have a coffee or two and then start on breakfast. I have confirmed our car for the morning, so it looks like we are all set.

    Disembarkation goes as smoothly as embarkation. It has just started to rain a bit here in Miami, hopefully we can find our car easily. Yep, there he is! A nice black suburban all for us. Off we go to the airport. Traffic looks terrible, but Arnie, our driver, says one-half an hour. He is right.

    Hopefully, the airport is good.

    Yeah, the airport sucks! We get here at 10 AM and don't get through security until 11:30! Then we trek to our gate and get there at 12 noon. We settled in for a couple of hours waiting to board. We grabbed some sandwiches for the plane. Boarding is called, and we get on board.

    We make it to our seats, store our luggage, and sit down. We have 3 children about 3 - 7 years old. The parents sit across the aisle with a 6-month old who is not happy. You know that high-pitched squeal? The flight is 2 hours and 44 minutes. As we taxi away from the terminal, the pilot says that flights are grounded due to weather. They are trying to reroute us, and we will be delayed for a bit. Finally, at 2:42, we are up. Only 45 minutes late.

    We're in the air, and we stay in the air, yeah! The kids in front of us are typical misbehaving kids. The baby screams, one torments the other. The parents don't have control. Seat belts are optional in that row as well. Why do people think that it is okay for other people to be inconvenienced by their kids? It is going to be a long flight. We picked up some sandwiches and cake from the terminal and had those on the way home.

    Once home, we have to go through customs. In Toronto, which means using a machine to declare. Then we show the receipt not once, not twice but three different times as you make your way through to the exit. Talk about government redundancy! Once through customs, we then have to walk another kilometer to get to our door for the car we hired to pick us up. Apparently, Pearson Airport will only allow pickup at one door, which is the farthest from where you exit customs. Ken and Gabi are toast by this time, and I'm fuming.

    The ride home is okay. The driver has to slam in the brakes hard a couple of times, which scares the daylights out of me. Finally, I'm home safe and sound. In the quiet. Where's the scotch?    En savoir plus

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  • VoyageurA Whole Bunch of Firsts
    Jour 5

    Last Full Day On Board

    4 février, Bahamas ⋅ 🌬 23 °C

    This is our last full day on board. I think everyone had a good time. Freeport is more an industrial port. Not as pretty as Nassau. The weather is threatening to rain, but we are staying on board again. The temp is about 70 F or 23 C. There are some port shops, but they are mostly just clothing and restaurants. No beaches here to walk to.

    I have managed to get us a car to the airport tomorrow. Haven't been able to get our boarding passes yet, though.

    Ken and I do our usual hot tub routine. Then we headed in for some lunch. The buffet has been quite good. The food is varied, hot/cold, visually appealing, and very tasty. I can't fault the food on board. The decor is a little dated but clean. The bathrooms are always clean and well stocked. The communal areas are clean and sparkling. My cabin has been very well looked after by Luis and his crew.

    I finally got our boarding passes, thank goodness. I have a car picking us up at the cruise terminal tomorrow, so I'm hoping things end better than how they started. We head back and pack up our stuff for tomorrow.

    We head down for a drink in the smoking lounge before dinner. Dinner was also very good, and the wait staff in the dining room has been very good as well. All and all this has been a very nice cruise for a budget cruise line. Ken and Gabi have enjoyed their first cruise immensely, and I'm very happy for them.

    Tomorrow, we are back home, but the memories will last forever.    En savoir plus

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  • VoyageurA Whole Bunch of Firsts
    Jour 4

    First Port Day

    3 février, Bahamas ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Today, we arrive on Nassau, which is the capital of the Bahamas. We don't dock until 9:00 AM. I'm always amazed at the skill of the captain who gas to dock these huge beasts without hitting anything. It's absolutely amazing. A Carnival ship is already docked, and a Royal Caribbean ship is also here. After we dock, a Disney ship comes in. I'm glad we are staying on board. There are 4 ships here today. The port is going to be crazy.

    We all meet for breakfast and enjoy the fact that half the people are not here. I can't imagine what the port is like with 12,000 + people there. There are no crowds at the buffet, no problem finding a seat. Yes!

    After breakfast, we head down to deck 5 to check out some of the ship while it is empty. There is a nice central staircase where Gabi and I have some fun with poses. We found the cigar lounge on deck 6. This is a quiet, cozy place where Ken can have a smoke inside.

    We then headed up to deck 14 for some hot tub fun. We meet a nice couple and chat about the differences between the USA and Canada. Then I show them the blogs and talk about travel.

    All three of us head to the hot tub and enjoy a soak. Then, back to the deck for a bit.

    After a quick lunch, we had a drink, and I head back for a nap. One more trip to the hot tub, and then it's time for a shower before dinner. We could get used to this daily routine.

    Another successful dinner. I had the snapper, Gabi had Cajun shrimp, and Ken had the sirloin steak. We all enjoyed our meal. Afterward, we headed to the cigar lounge for our night cap of Jack and Coke. Gabi joined us for wine as well. Another port day tomorrow, so we should have some peace and quiet again.    En savoir plus

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