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📍 Anglia Czytaj więcej Hamilton, Canada
  • PodróżnikThe Land of the Vikings
    Dzień 14

    London's Next

    Wczoraj, Anglia ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Today is sad because we have to disembark the ship. Now, who's going to cook? Who's going to provide fresh towels and make my bed? Ah, the luxuries of cruising. We are all packed up and looking forward to London. We dock I Southampton, UK. It is a beautiful day in Southampton, I'm hoping for the same in London. We have to catch a train and then the tube to our hotel. Wish us luck!

    We have breakfast and make it off the ship. I already have 2500 steps in at 9:00 AM. I hired a ride to get to the train station in Southampton. They use Bolt app over here. We get our tickets and the train arrives 15 minutes later. We take the train to London Waterloo and then we catch a Tube to Paddington. This is a 109 km or 68-mile trip. So that is a ship, a car, a train, and then an underground all before noon. I think I'm going to need a nap!

    We found our hotel after navigating the rail and tube. Our room is quite small but it is London. That means you pay a fortune for a small room. However, we won't be in it for long. We drop our bags and head down to grab a bite to eat. There is a nice Italian restaurant across the street from our hotel. Yes, please! After dome food we head to the Tower of London. Laura must see the Crown jewels. We do the tour with a very nice Beefeater named Gary. He gave us a brief history of the tower, and then we went I to see the tower. There are 292 steps up ( and another 292 down) . There are many exhibits ranging from the horse statues to weaponry. After I kill myself in the tower, we head over to the Crown Jewels exhibit. When I was here 10 years ago, they had many more jewels on display. However, Laura got her fill of bling. (She snuck through twice)

    We head back to Paddington and find a Mexican restaurant called Wahaca.     Czytaj więcej

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  • PodróżnikThe Land of the Vikings
    Dzień 13

    Brugge - Last Full Day

    1 czerwca, Belgia ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    Today is a gloomy, windy day out, with a temperature of 14 C. I am signed up for a 1.5-hour walking tour with a 30-minute canal boat ride. They call it the Romantic Brugge tour. Not unless I can find someone with a lot of body heat to snuggle up to! Laura is not feeling well, so I'm going solo.

    Brugge is an UNESCO World Heritage site. The population is 19,000 and is surrounded by a water ring. There are many canals that work their through the city.

    Our tour was marvelous, with many of the buildings explained. Brugge is known as the Venice of the North. Another influence in Brugges was the French. This is a very international city.

    We did a walking tour first and then a boat tour. We had some spare time to eat and shop. I did find some gluten-free chocolate.

    Tonight, we pack because tomorrow we disembark and head to London.     Czytaj więcej

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  • PodróżnikThe Land of the Vikings
    Dzień 12–13

    Amsterdam Is But A Dream

    31 maja, Belgia ⋅ 🌬 16 °C

    We were supposed to be sailing into Amsterdam today. However, the weather is not behaving. We have to go through a lock, and the weather is too rough. Hence, we move on. Laura was soooo looking forward to Amsterdam. Amsterdam has legalized marijuana. Laura has been pot free since we left Canada. Needless to say, she was like a two year with her blankie in the dryer during the announcement (leg kicks and everything). The Captain arranged for an overnight stay in Brugges. We are going to be dockong around 2:30 PM, and we have no curfew tonight.

    Laura and I have lunch at a new restaurant today called Indulge. This is a group of street food carts that you can order from. You have tapas, Thai food, Shwarma, Coco deserts, etc. Laura had pre-ordered Pad Thai, and I ordered a noodle salad. I also got the goat cheese and apple tapas. Desert was, of course, a chocolate éclair.

    We dock around 3:00 PM and get off the ship at 4:00 PM. We are in a small town, and we have to figure out how to get to Brugge. After checking out a church, we follow the crowd to the local Spar and get a train/bus ticket. We wait for the train into Blankenberge and then catch a bus into Brugge.

    We made it into town and to the old city center. Unfortunately, most of the stores are closed. We can still walk the streets and see the amazing architecture. The trek back took about an hour and 20 minutes. We made it back just in time for dinner.

    Dinner was the usual wonderful fare of potato and cheese soup, turkey with gnocchi, and some mango cake for desert. Wine was included as well.     Czytaj więcej

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  • PodróżnikThe Land of the Vikings
    Dzień 11

    Last Day At Sea

    30 maja, North Sea ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Today is our second day at sea. Laura had a late night, so I let her sleep. I head down for breakfast and then find a spot to look out the window at the north sea. I then start a new pair of socks. I got so e new needles and wool in Alesund.

    Today, they are doing a pre-immigration for when we dusembark on Southampton, UK. It is a great way to do customs check on board instead of trying g to process 3000 people when we dock. I've never done this before, so we will see how easy it is.

    Today, the weather is overcast with periods of rain. It may be an inside day of reading knitting and getting more shots of the ship.

    We have a slow day, and there is nothing wrong with that. Constantly being on the go gets a little tiring. We have a nice dinner tonight. I hit the casino to lose some money and then head back for some sleep.     Czytaj więcej

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  • PodróżnikThe Land of the Vikings
    Dzień 10

    Happy Birthday To Me

    29 maja, Norwegia ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    Today is my 63rd birthday. This is how I like to celebrate, somewhere different. I have Laura with me this year. Last year was the East Coast of Canada. Today, we are in Bergen, our last port in Norway. Bergen is a burning metropolis compared to our previous ports. We don't have a tour booked today. We are just going to 'wing it'. So out of my comfort zone.

    The weather is rainy when I wake up, but it is starting to clear. Apparently, Bergen has over 200 days of rain a year. We are fortunate that the rain has stopped.

    When we get off the ship, we get tickets for the hop-on hop-off bus. This will take us everywhere we want to go. We hop off first at a park by the university. It is a beautiful place area. The trees and flowers are all in bloom down this far. As we walk in, there is a pond with ducks and a water fountain. There is a little bridge to walk over the water to get to the main part of the park. The lilac bushes are still blooming here, so I can bury my nose in for a good sniff! We follow a path to another section where it opens up to a large fountain with kids run I g and playing. It looks like a school class is having lunch here. There are also other families with their children and older adults enjoying the beautiful day. The sun is out now, and we have shed our jackets.

    We catch the bus again and head to the fish market. The one here is not the chaotic crowded wharf type that I have seen in other countries. This on is in a nice building and has more of a farmers market type feel. There are plenty of fish and other things from the sea to buy. They even have sea urchins that you apparently slice open clean and eat some part that is like caviar. Um, no, thank you.

    Next up is the funicular up to the mountain top. At the top, we can see a large portion of Bergen and the cruise port. Yep, the ship is still here. The day has turned out great and we can get some really nice pictures.

    Back down the mountain, we waited for the bus again to get us back to the ship. We have a short day in port today and have to be back on board by 4:30 PM. I'm starting to get nervous because the bus is taking g a really long time. We do make it back with 10 minutes to spare.

    Tonight, we have booked the Onda restaurant for dinner. It is the Italian restaurant tucked away in the corner of the ship. In all honesty, it wasn't that great. We both had the salmon, and the portions were large but nothing special. Laura did, however, plan for a birthday cake, and the staff did sing Happy Birthday to me. This is a nice ending to the day.     Czytaj więcej

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  • PodróżnikThe Land of the Vikings
    Dzień 9

    Another Day, Another Town

    28 maja, Norwegia ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    We wake up in Alesund today. This is a much bigger city, with a population of 67,000 people. It's much bigger than Geiranger. The port looks a little more industrial than the scenery we have seen the past few ports. This port is actually at the entrance of the Geirngerfjord, where we were yesterday. There are many shops within walking distance that we take in after our tour. Alesund is actually made up of 3 different islands connected by bridges.

    Today we are going to an ocean park. Our tour starts with a drive-through town. There was a fire in 1904 that devastated a large part of town. It started in a fish factory and spread quickly since the buildings were made of wood. After this time, all the buildings had to be made of stone or cement. There are beautiful views from everywhere and i can't image a house without a view of the mountains or water. Spring is in full bloom here, with many colourful flowers and trees. The buildings are interesting with their norse emblems and facades. Many of the buildings have the date of when they were built up on the top. We see more of this when we walk through the town. The ocean park doesn't disappoint. They have many natural tanks of various fish and crustaceans inside the main building. Outside, they have two areas; one large one for the seals and a smaller one for the otters. The day is a little overcast, making it hard to get good pictures, but I try.

    Back in town, we are left to walk around on our own. There are many shops that catch our eye. One of which is an antique store. The owner is very nice and speaks very fluent English. (Thank goodness because my Norweigian is definitely lacking!) He has many little spoon collections and jewelery from the past. The best part was the paintings. His father was a painter, and he showed us how his and other painters used a technique that changed the painting with lighting. If you look at the painting in full light, it is a nice landscape, but when the light is lowered, the painting seems to have a light coming from within. It was amazing! This is why I like to travel because you discover things in the real world that books can describe, but experiencing them is so much better.

    We walk farther into town and check out the buildings and winding streets. When we boarded the ship, my wooden knitting needles were broken in the luggage. This, of course, means that the socks that I was knitting had to be put on hold. Today, however, I found a wool store! They didn't have the same size needles, but I did manage to pick up some more needles and wool to start another pair. After this, I leave Laura to her shopping and make it back to the ship. My poor little feet aren't as young as hers.     Czytaj więcej

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  • PodróżnikThe Land of the Vikings
    1
    Dzień 8

    Geiranger, The World UNESCO Fjord

    27 maja, Norwegia ⋅ ☁️ 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.     Czytaj więcej

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  • PodróżnikThe Land of the Vikings
    Dzień 7

    Day At Sea

    26 maja, 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.     Czytaj więcej

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  • PodróżnikThe Land of the Vikings
    11
    Dzień 6

    Santa's Here

    25 maja, Islandia ⋅ ☀️ 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.     Czytaj więcej

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  • PodróżnikThe Land of the Vikings
    1
    112
    Dzień 5

    Let's Go See Some Foxes...

    24 maja, Islandia ⋅ 🌧 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.     Czytaj więcej

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