Aramayı sıfırla
CRUISING the BALTIC SEA 2019
  • Travel with the Wicks
  • Travel with the Wicks

CRUISING the BALTIC SEA 2019

We are heading to London; train to Southampton and board Oceania’s Marina for a Baltic Cruise.
It is a 12 day cruise visiting Russia, Finland, Norway, Estonia, Sweden, and Germany. Okumaya devam et
+2
Takip EtGenel BakışGenel BakışTakvimTakvimFotoğraflarFotoğraflarPaylaşPaylaşYapılacaklar listesi
En yenisi başta
  • Gezinin başlangıcı
    30 Mayıs 2019
    Travel with the WicksCRUISING the BALTIC SEA 2019Gezgin

    Leaving Calgary (we hope)

    30 Mayıs 2019, Kanada ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Here we go! Or so we thought; slight problem no captain for the plane! He is stuck in Vancouver on a flight that went mechanical. Tom thinks he can fly it but they won’t let him because it is a 787!
    So we are waiting....and waiting and waiting. Our Starbucks card is running out of money,
    Stay tuned    Okumaya devam et

  • Travel with the WicksCRUISING the BALTIC SEA 2019Gezgin
    Calling home...

    St John's Wood, London, UK

    31 Mayıs 2019, İngiltere ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    We made it! After a two hour delay, the pilot finally showed up. He had all the lame excuses covered, airplane went mechanical, slow ATC, sick passenger, you name it. I have used them all and could see right through it. Once Dave got on board we got moving pretty soon and we left the smoke filled skies of Calgary behind us.

    Dianne and I sat beside each other and over the course of our conversation she discovered that within the last year, I had lost the universal power adapter we bought on a previous trip. No problem, we could buy a new on from the on board duty free, just like last time. We can buy one, but not without being reminded of all the things I have lost over the past 40 years of flying. The list is long and Dianne rememberers every shirt, sweater, underwear, shoes, glasses, earphones, book, etc. 40 years is a long time and there are going to be some casualties.

    We spent the remainder of the day walking. St John’s Wood is a quaint English area. The buildings are old, many have the corner pub ( overflowing on a Friday evening). We walked through Regents Park ( one of Toms favourite walks). We walked down Oxford street sightseeing the high end stores. At the end of the day we had logged over 31,000 steps!

    Ladies; as you can see Dianne lost no time finding the elliptical machine to do her workout!    Okumaya devam et

    Çeviriyi gör
  • Travel with the WicksCRUISING the BALTIC SEA 2019Gezgin

    Morning coffee at Regents Park

    1 Haziran 2019, İngiltere ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    We went for a walk this morning around St John’s Wood and Regents Park and found a newly erected prison. It is to house a head of state visitor from the U.S. It is a large area, but it is still designed to hold someone incarcerated. Ironically the prison is situated between the zoo and the Grande Mosque of Regents Parker.

    Our next excursion is to Southampton via tube and train. Dianne doesn’t trust me to be able to gather all of our belongings before we check out so she is packing our stuff herself.    Okumaya devam et

    Çeviriyi gör
  • Travel with the WicksCRUISING the BALTIC SEA 2019Gezgin
    Southampton Castle

    Off to Southampton

    1 Haziran 2019, İngiltere ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Schlepping all my precious possessions from London to Southampton makes me appreciate not being homeless. Dianne being my equal and not one of my possessions means I have a partner in this endeavour. We make our way over road and sidewalk, curb and cobblestone, up and down stairs, in elevators, subways, and trains to our new abode by the sea. I booked the place and I knew that Dianne would critique the “Polygon Villas” eventuality. She started on the train ride by checking online reviews. The news, it seemed was not good. There was several reviews of the Polygon Guest House that rated the place as worse than crap! “Wouldn’t book my cat here”! Well Polygon Guest House is close in proximity to Polygon Villas, but it is an inferior establishment for sure. We have no cats here, a bathroom close by, albeit not in our room, and they are upgrading everything even as we speak. It’s not large but it is centrally located. We have been able to walk everywhere. Still though, Dianne is not entirely happy. Her main complaint is that our closet at home is larger than our room.Okumaya devam et

    Çeviriyi gör
  • Travel with the WicksCRUISING the BALTIC SEA 2019Gezgin

    Morning in Southampton

    2 Haziran 2019, İngiltere ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    We wake in our cozy little cubicle to the sounds of church bells close by and by party revellers of the night gone by. There of course is traffic noise that is somewhat soothing. We are sipping a cup of coffee preparing for the next adventure that befalls us.
    As we ready ourselves the wonderful aroma of our breakfast being prepared finds its way upstairs. We are new people today. No longer itinerant travellers seeking shelter where we can find it. We are the sheltered, who will be entertained and waited upon. It is easier to write about hard times than a pampered life. Hard times are a more interesting story. We’ll see how this develops.
    Our new status means we are taking a cab to the boat.    Okumaya devam et

    Çeviriyi gör
  • Travel with the WicksCRUISING the BALTIC SEA 2019Gezgin
    Boarding the MarinaOur floor, this should keep us in shape1

    Ms Marina

    2 Haziran 2019, İngiltere ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Our boarding was 12 noon. We came at 11 hoping to avoid some crowds. We did,however there were a couple hundred with the same thought. Everything went smooth, check in, security and finally boarding. We checked out the ship, pretty nice. Now we make our way to the restaurant for lunch.

    Well it is 5pm and we are off....wait a minute we have gone back to dock!
    In the mean time our room is lovely And we are settled in enjoying a beverage and cheese plate.

    I like it when there are problems with an operation that isn’t my responsibility. According to the Captain, the wind is too strong to leave the dock, although he did try. We now wait for a tugboat to assist our departure. I guess the aviation equivalent would be getting towed back to the gate because the taxiway is too slippery. Oh well it will soon be time for supper.    Okumaya devam et

    Çeviriyi gör
  • Travel with the WicksCRUISING the BALTIC SEA 2019Gezgin
    Dinner at JaquesDianne's hole in one!

    A day at sea

    3 Haziran 2019, North Sea ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    A day at sea! What to do? The internet doesn’t work well and it is chilly outside. We enjoyed a lazy breakfast in our room and then made our way to the gym. For an exciting afternoon we did laundry (Tom actually did it and I watched)
    We have watched many large ships pass us by, and could see the coast of The Netherlands in the distance.

    Tonight we are going to Jacques; the French restaurant on board. So we are dressing up and first going to the Captains welcome gathering and then for dinner!

    Tomorrow we are going to be in Kristiansand, Norway.    Okumaya devam et

    Çeviriyi gör
  • Travel with the WicksCRUISING the BALTIC SEA 2019Gezgin
    Entering the harbour
    Posebyen - Kristiansand Old Town

    Exploring Kristiansand, Norway

    4 Haziran 2019, Norveç ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    At 8am we had docked. We didn’t get ourselves off the boat until about 9:00 and the town centre is only a kilometre from our berth. Not much open early so we walked and saw the sights rather than shop. While looking at a map, a young lady approached and asked if we needed directions. We had no idea of even where we wanted to go but her accent sounded familiar and we asked where she was from. She is from Canada of course, and has lived here for the last 8 years. She gave us directions to the library where we could access free internet and also to a wool shop where we could get everything we needed to knit a sweater. Being courteous Canadians, we followed her to the wool shop.
    The town centres around the Kristiansand Cathedral. There is a large town square with sculptures, fountains and monuments. There are also food trucks and kiosks for every trinket you may want.
    Posebyen, Kristiansand’s Old Town is a residential area that has kept its charm intact. The homes are low, wooden houses characteristic of a past era.
    We went back to the boat for lunch and Dianne found a new way to get free wine. She asked to see the sommelier who provided a list of wine choices. She informed him she had a package, referring to the bottles of wine she purchased from Oceania at the beginning of the cruise. I’m pretty sure she winked at him. There was a rose’ in her bottles of wine, and she ordered a rose’. The sommelier thought the package was the daily drink package for basically unlimited drinks and he poured her a glass of wine without even asking her name. I think it was the wink.    Okumaya devam et

    Çeviriyi gör
  • Travel with the WicksCRUISING the BALTIC SEA 2019Gezgin
    Arriving at Oslo, NorwayOslo Cathedreal

    Wet beginnings in Oslo

    5 Haziran 2019, Norveç ⋅ 🌧 8 °C

    Ready to greet the day; both Tom and I slept well....slippers well placed to stop closet from rattling, the sea was calm, we drank our chamomile tea and were sound a sleep by 930pm. Jet lag should be dealt with.

    It is raining in Oslo, pouring. We are undaunted; coats, raincoats and umbrella in hand we leave the ship. Others watch from their staterooms. It is a good sized brolly and I hold it as it’s heavy. Dianne must stay close in order to keep dry but she complains that I’m either bumping into her or she’s getting wet. We are exploring more than a new city, we are exploring a new dynamic in our relationship.

    In our minds, (we are together on this thought) first stop is for coffee and planning! A kind local suggest the bus to the Viking museum! We took our picture of the cathedral first and headed to the bus stop. The new dynamic has us discussing what side of the street to catch the bus. Where to catch it was pretty much mutually agreed upon, but now what side of the street is not. I suggest we cross the street and our bus arrives, only going in the wrong direction. Our bus arrives on the other side of the street and we quickly cross but alas, too late. It comes again in 15 minutes. The rain has not let up and we’re relieved to be finally riding the bus.    Okumaya devam et

    Çeviriyi gör
  • Travel with the WicksCRUISING the BALTIC SEA 2019Gezgin
    Viking Museum
    Reed raft called Kon Tiki sailed across the Pacific 1947

    Oslo - Vikings

    5 Haziran 2019, Norveç ⋅ 🌧 9 °C

    Our destination is the Viking Ship Museum. We have a city map and get off our city bus just after three charter bus loads of tourists arrive at the museum. Piss me off. At least the rain is just a drizzle. We wind our way through the throngs of people, stash our backpacks, buy tickets.

    The Vikings made good ships, and the museum does an excellent portrayal of the Viking life. The Viking ship in the photo is the Oseberg Ship, built around 820. In 834 the ship used as a burial ship for 2 powerful women.

    The rain stopped so we walk to the Kon Tiki museum. It is a portrayal of a more modern day Viking, Thor Heyerdahl. Google him for more info.

    On the bus again. I listened to Dianne so we got on at the right spot first time. Off to the Nobel Peace Museum.    Okumaya devam et

    Çeviriyi gör
  • Travel with the WicksCRUISING the BALTIC SEA 2019Gezgin
    1It is 4pm! Tea time!
    Oslo opera houseStickmanWe are all the same

    Oslo - back to the ship

    5 Haziran 2019, Norveç ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    After walking through the fortress we were basically back at the pier.

    Two pieces of art interested us, The first being "Stickman"
    The 2nd being - “We are Still the Same”- some 1200 shirts that were worn by people in Oslo and Finland. Artist K. Kaikkonen “ in every shirt there is a story, because someone with a warm heart was wearing it. All kind of people are together here, but we are all the same, we are no wiser than fish. We still act like fish, always going off in a group, following each other in the same direction, like a shoal of fish. We are part of nature, and nature is within us.”Okumaya devam et

    Çeviriyi gör
  • Travel with the WicksCRUISING the BALTIC SEA 2019Gezgin
    Amalienborg Palace; The Royals residence
    morning walkThe Little MermaidParked at the portgarbage incinerator cum ski hill!

    We are in Denmark

    6 Haziran 2019, Danimarka ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Today, we booked a tour with SPB. Our guide Paul was just outside the ship as promised. The group was small, 20. It is a gorgeous day. Our first stop is in the harbour of The Little Mermaid. Paul gives us the details of the story but it ends badly.
    Our next stop is the canal. This we where we saw the Queens yacht and the special meeting spot for the family to to board the yacht. However the most interesting story here was the army jeeps decorated with vines, flowers and balloons. It is high school grad! The tradition is for the grads who have gone to school together ride to each other’s homes, drinking and partying and finally ending up in the town square to dance around the monument. Sadly this is a picture I missed!
    We next stopped at the Royal Family’s home. It is nice, maybe a little understated but then we weren’t invited inside. After that we put on blue booties and walked through another Royal residence; Christiansborg Palace and is where state dinners and meetings are attended. Magnificent, every room is decorated different but so elegant. The dining room table holds 52 people; imagine setting that table! The history of the Danish royals are depicted everywhere; tapestries, pictures, chandeliers and paintings.    Okumaya devam et

    Çeviriyi gör
  • Travel with the WicksCRUISING the BALTIC SEA 2019Gezgin
    Hojboro Square
    Tom goes for some ink!travelling coffee shop

    Free time in Copenhagen

    6 Haziran 2019, Danimarka ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    Left to our own devices for a while, we start by trying to locate a washroom that does not charge money to pee. It’s easy. We locate nearby a nice washroom in the heart of the city, that a homeless person would be pleased to make his or her permanent address. This speaks well of the Dutch.

    Walking through narrow cobblestone street for the next half hour, we hope to get the perfect picture to represent Copenhagen. Might have to buy a postcard.    Okumaya devam et

    Çeviriyi gör
  • Travel with the WicksCRUISING the BALTIC SEA 2019Gezgin
    eating Bratwurst in Germany!
    St Mary's Church (1230) Rostock largest church

    Hanging around Rostock

    7 Haziran 2019, Almanya ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    Turns out I’m glad Dianne got me going to Rostock. It is a very walkable walled city with at least five significant churches. It was in the Eastern Bloc before the fall of the wall and I’m surprised at how similar it is to German cities I’ve visited like Mainz and Heidelberg. Clean, organized, nice transportation system, I thought the differences would be more apparent.Okumaya devam et

    Çeviriyi gör
  • Travel with the WicksCRUISING the BALTIC SEA 2019Gezgin
    1The famed cookies

    Still Rostock

    7 Haziran 2019, Almanya ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    This is where Tom did the shopping. He wanted cookies, real bad. We went to many stores and he didn’t see what he wanted. So back at the open air market, he found the best selection, most delicious and most expensive cookies!
    It’s true, my cookies were expensive and that bummed me our for a while. I paid 10 euro for a small box. I thought I would get some change but he just pocketed my 10 and smiled. I’m over it now though, they are good cookies.    Okumaya devam et

    Çeviriyi gör
  • 2026© FindPenguins
  • Ana sayfa
  • Hakkımızda
  • Grup takibi
  • Basın
  • Hükümler
  • Gizlilik & Cookies
  • Yardım Merkezi
  • Damga