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USA, UK and Norway
  • Rosie Marzouk
ago – ott 2019

USA, UK and Norway

We start with a week in San Diego visiting Michael’s family. We fly to London and spend 6 days there, then north to spend time with Omnia and Gill and Bob. Next the 12 day walk along Hadrian’s Wall and then Norway and a boat up the coast and fjords Leggi altro
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  • Rosie MarzoukUSA, UK and NorwayViaggiatore

    A wet walk day

    29 settembre 2019, Inghilterra ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    Today we walked 13 kms and it was grey and sort of rainy all day. Not heavy penetrating rain, but constant enough that we needed to wear rain gear, but didn’t get wet through so it wasn’t bad. But I did get sick of climbing over stiles with a billowing poncho. And we did have our share of mud today, though not as much as yesterday! The water just doesn’t seem to sink into the earth - I think it is clay - so it stays in enormous puddles, and muddies the pathways.

    Anyway, not a lot to say today. The scenery wasn’t spectacular like yesterday, just pleasant pasture land and animals, and we are going now fairly straight next to the road - the site of the old Roman military road - and I think it will be like that to Newcastle. Tomorrow we reach the outskirts of Newcastle and Tuesday arrive at the end - Wallsend.

    Not many photos today - I did take one of some mud - have to confess it wasn’t a field that we had to walk through, but it was a good example of the problem! Now we are happily installed at tonight’s B and B. A lovely little place in Corbridge which is quite a town - bigger than we have seen for a few days, and we have booked at the Indian restaurant here which is supposed to be very good. Just 5 minutes walk from where we are staying. We were taxied here from the path, and will be taxied back to resume walking in the morning. All very efficient and our accommodations without exception have been excellent.    Leggi altro

  • Rosie MarzoukUSA, UK and NorwayViaggiatore
    Birthday portrait
    Tonight's lodging

    A lovely sunny walk

    30 settembre 2019, Inghilterra ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    It was a lovely sunny day, and Amr’s birthday!! We had a 17 km walk to Newburn. Carole and John were feeling the wear and tear from walking in the mud and uneven surfaces so they opted to take a bus to Heddon-on-the-Wall which was the first 10 kms, and we all met up there and walked the last 7 together to Newburn, which is a small town but on the outskirts of Newcastle- only 11 miles away - and right on the river Tyne. This was a happy arrangement as it was good for us all. We are staying at a lovely stone pub sort of place, not in the town but in a lovely park like area near the river.

    So this morning Amr and I set, after a sustaining breakfast of a feta and mushroom omelette (plus fruit and yogurt) off along paths, not quite as muddy as before, beside this very straight Military road, built on top of the Wall. Occasionally we were routed round farms, but it was quite beautiful, and mostly grain growing fields now, with stubble or ploughed ground. We got to Heddon-on-the-Wall by about 12.30, had a drink at the pub there, a sweet little town on a hill, then resumed with Carole and John, our path leading us down and down to the river, through very pretty woods. Much more civilised now, mainly on paths, no pastures, and virtually no mud!

    We got to Newburn and found our instructions to find our lodgings not very clear...luckily ran into an Australian couple from Brisbane who were walking in the other direction, but were staying in the same place, so we followed the instructions they had, which retraced a bit of where we’d walked and found this great place. All cleaned up, and I have ceremoniously cleaned and packed up my sticks as tomorrow will be more or less city walking into Newcastle and Wallsend, the end of the Wall!! We are actually staying tomorrow at a place on the coast - Whitley Bay just to see the other side of England!! But we get a metro from Wallsend to there!! Lots of fun, and only one more day of walking.

    Now about to have dinner here - a birthday celebration!    Leggi altro

  • Rosie MarzoukUSA, UK and NorwayViaggiatore
    Surf, but very cold water
    Mouth of the Tyne

    Last day of Hadrian's Wall

    1 ottobre 2019, Inghilterra ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    As predicted, it did rain all night, and was still rainy this morning so we made the unanimous decision to forego the 17 km walk and take a bus to Wallsend, the final destination and the eastern end of the Wall. And as we had the 50 minute ride on the bus, which wended it’s winding way with many stops, we were so glad of the plan - we went through almost entirely industrial areas which would have been tedious to walk through even on a warm sunny day. The walk for some part would have taken us along the river Tyne, but that would not have made up for it. Even the book said it was acceptable to do it!

    So we arrived at Wallsend, still a little wet and made our way to Segedunum - “where Rome’s great frontier begins”. This is the site of the end of the wall and there is a museum there which we visited, and the site of a Roman fort, which had been covered over and built on over the centuries, but was unearthed when they demolished the old shipbuilders’ houses and we going to build high rise apartments when they discovered the Roman ruins underneath.

    So we ticked the end of our walking ad Hadrian experience, and found the metro nearby, and took it here to Whitley Bay, a seaside resort suburb of Newcastle and very pleasant. Amr and I thought it was a bit reminiscent of Brighton (maybe all English seaside towns) with its row of houses with bay windows and to us rather charming. Many guest houses and we are staying at a lovely B and B, just up from the waterfront. This is the last one organised by the walk people, and have to say that each one has been faultless, and all different with their individual quirks. But all charming, with delightful hosts, and good rooms.

    We arrived earlier than usual check in time, but Paul, our host, was fine with that, our bags had arrived, and our rooms were ready! So all was perfect. Paul had also agreed to do some washing for us, so we have handed him all our muddy smelly walking clothes and will have a clean start for Norway!

    The 4 of us set off to check out Whitley Bay, it had stopped raining by now, and we found a place for a sort of lunch break. Then we had a wander along the waterfront. By now it was sunny (!), though quite cold and very windy. There was a visible wind farm out in the sea...Amr and I continued walking, quite a walk but our dose for today, along down the coast past Cullercoats, Tynemouth and towards North Shields till we came to a ruined abbey and castle and the mouth of the Tyne. Lovely in the sun (it is about 10° I think) and even the wind was invigorating. Just back now, having a quiet time till we all meet for dinner at a recommended Italian restaurant down the road at 7 o’clock.

    From now on our bags are our responsibility....they have always arrived perfectly at our accommodations, but tomorrow we lug them ourselves on the metro to central station where we catch the train to Edinburgh.    Leggi altro

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  • Rosie MarzoukUSA, UK and NorwayViaggiatore
    Dinner tonight

    Last day in the UK

    2 ottobre 2019, Scozia ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    We are now in Edinburgh, but first I have to mention last night. We went to dinner at the Italian restaurant down the road from where we were staying, along the waterfront. It had been a fine afternoon and the reports remained fine so we set off, no umbrellas, full of optimism. When we got to the waterfront we found it was blowing an amazing gale off the North Sea, plus it was high tide and the water was splashing up against the seawall and right across the road - like walking round to Shelly Beach times 10!! So we got battered by wind and spray getting there, but had a great meal....then going home, the wind had dropped a little, but suddenly out of the blue it rained...only lasted a short while, had stopped by the time we arrived back, but what fickle weather.

    Anyway, this morning there wasn’t a cloud in the sky and it was sunny, which was great for us wheeling our bags to the metro stop (now responsible for our own bags) to get to central station to catch the train to Edinburgh. All worked perfectly, we had good coffee at the station while we waited. The train was late but didn’t matter at all to us having no deadline or connection, and we got to Edinburgh about 1.30.

    John and Carole had been at the hotel when they arrived from Seattle, so they knew the drill and we got a tram on Princes street which took us to our Novotel (not an Ibis this time!) and the tram continues from this stop on to the airport. Extremely handy for tomorrow when we fly to Bergen...this was the plan, but it has worked perfectly. Quite a fancy hotel - we even have bathrobes and a huge room!

    So after checking in, we all set off back to the city in the tram and wandered round. A lovely sunny day here too, and we always love Edinburgh...beautiful city. Found a restaurant where we all met for dinner, and had the most perfect farewell to the UK dinner. We had a Ramon Bilbao Rioja wine (Paul note) and I had scallops and mussels...so I was in heaven. It was the sort of old fashioned restaurant when you could talk, a live pianist playing old favourites in the background, excellent food - just right.

    Now we are back at the hotel having our complimentary drink ( being such faithful Accor patrons) watching a soccer match on TV between Liverpool and Salzburg....actually they are watching and I am writing this...    Leggi altro

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  • Rosie MarzoukUSA, UK and NorwayViaggiatore
    Are they not sure?

    A new adventure - now in Norway

    3 ottobre 2019, Scozia ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C

    It’s already 9.30 (8.30 in the UK) and I haven’t written anything yet...so will quickly recount our day. Woke in our very perfectly handy to the airport hotel in Edinburgh, and we about to get the tram the one stop to the airport when the checkout person said it was cheaper to get a taxi - £12 for the taxi, and £6 per person for the tram!! Good advice - there is airport surcharge, like Sydney, for the airport tram.....anyway, we got to the airport and caught our Loganair flight, in a small 40 passenger jet with a tartan tail, to Bergen. Arrived about 2.30 and got the light rail into the city after negotiating the ticket machine - Amr is always a whiz at that - and also he found which stop to get off at as his SIM works in Norway as well as UK and he could google it....and we alighted and immediately actually saw the hotel about 300 metres away...perfect when you arrive in a strange place and are illiterate in their language (though they aren’t in ours...).

    Anyway, great hotel, very Scandinavian - clean and well designed, and central. We are here for 2 nights, then leave on our boat on Saturday. Our impression as we arrived was that everything looked new and clean - no immediately visible old historic type buildings that you associate with European towns. Very picturesque and of course Bergen is surrounded with high hills/mountains and the trees are very prettily changing colour. We all walked round the town a bit after depositing bags in rooms etc, and it is as attractive a town as it is reputed to be...

    We walked to where the Hertigruten boats leave, and decided it was rather a long way to lug bags when we leave, but it was an easy walk, and then we walked more looking for places to eat dinner, and have a glass of wine. Rather surprisingly there aren’t all that many places - I mean lots of eateries, be except for Italian and Asian restaurants they appear ridiculously expensive.. we knew this, but the most extreme was a place that certainly wasn’t fine dining which had a menu outside which listed hamburgers at $AU 100!! - but it included French fries!! They weren’t all like that of course, but not may cheap and cheerful places that appealed. We ended up at a buzzing nice Italian place, but even that was a lot...I won’t go on and on about cost, this is life in Norway and we knew this, but I do find it so contrasting to other places - makes the UK seem so reasonable, and as for France and Spain....

    So after we had quite an early dinner, as we found we were hungry having not had lunch as we were travelling then and sort of forgot, Carole and John wandered back to the hotel, and we walked round a bit more (which was when we did some checking of the eateries) - it was so beautiful in the setting sunlight . And everyone is extremely friendly and helpful and English-speaking.

    So I think we are going to enjoy our Scandinavian sojourn!    Leggi altro

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  • Rosie MarzoukUSA, UK and NorwayViaggiatore
    View from the topIn Grieg's house1Grieg's composing hut

    A Glorious sunny day in Bergen

    4 ottobre 2019, Norvegia ⋅ ⛅ 3 °C

    A really almost perfect day. First I have to correct a gross error from yesterday when we weren’t properly orientated - the $100 hamburger was a misreading of the menu! When scrutinised today we found it was item 600 on the menu, not 600 kroner, and actually was a fairly normal price!! So I apologise for giving the totally wrong impression.

    So now for today - it started with breakfast, which is included with the room - and it was a massive buffet. Not a simple continental breakfast, but every choice you could conceive of - all the usual eggs, bacon, croissants, amazing bread, baked beans, but also couscous, radishes, salads, caviar, and also for us the pièce de resistance - an orange squeezing machine!!! And even the coffee machine produced good coffee. So that was an excellent start, and kept us going till dinner.

    It was a beautiful day - sunny and sparkling. Our first objective was to ascend the mountain looking down on the city - we took the funicular up, admired the breathtaking view from the top, and then walked back down on the zigzag path. Amazing views all the way. Then we took a break in a coffee shop and decided to spend the afternoon going to Grieg’s house, a little way out of the city. We got the light rail back towards the airport and alighted at a station called Hop, and walked about 20 minutes following the signs. Spent a lovely couple of hours there. There is his actual house, a museum, and a small house by the water where he composed. Looking out from there you can imagine how he was inspired to compose his music. Very good and very manageable. Got the tram back. I had a short visit back to the hotel and Amr had time looking at shops and a general wander. We all met up with C and J at a wine bar we had found this morning.

    Also this morning on our initial reconnoiter we had found a wonderful place which we had totally missed last night. A building which is the information upstairs is a sort of fish market below. Not the open fish market which is also nearby, but a series of shops which sell fish (caught that day) and all have restaurants attached to them. Just perfect for what we were looking for, so we had booked a table for 6.30, and when we came we were glad we had. We were not the only people who liked to dine there!

    And we had the BEST meal. I had halibut baked with butter and chervil, with vegs and salad, just perfect. And Amr and I each had a glass of Alberiño. We were all totally satisfied.

    Bergen is just lovely. Everything works. No dilapidated houses or buildings. And SO picturesque. Maybe because of their long dark winters everything is designed to allow light. All the walls are glass (I keep having trouble finding the door and trying to enter through a window)...the breakfast room which is huge, and spread round a whole floor, feels so light and not crowded because of this light. And our hotel room, though fairly small, makes used of the space so cleverly that we feel almost spacious. The shower is two glass doors that magnetise together to make a square shower recess. But they can rotate back to the wall and that square becomes part of the bathroom space.

    Also, a very comfy bed. And unlike many European beds which are two beds pushed together, with double sheets over all, but with a crack in the middle that you can’t sleep on...this bed is one double mattress but with 2 doonas (each neatly folded German style), far preferable! So we have had a wonderful day, corrected our first impressions as novices, and wonder how people, who have been brought up here all their childhood, feel when they visit other countries and realise that all the world is not as beautiful as Norway! (Maybe Switzerland would qualify)...

    Anyway, we are very much looking forward to our 12 days, starting tomorrow, on the Hurtigruten boat...we can drop our bags there at 12.30, and then come back at 3.30 to check in. I think we sail at about 9 pm. So new adventure, and I have no idea of the wifi situation so if nothing published for a while it is because of the lack of wifi. But Amr says I can use his hot spot from his phone with the European SIM! (If he has reception)...anyway, we’ll see how it goes. I will write up each day, as particularly on the boat they may merge in my mind. Have plenty of books on my kindle to read as we float up the fjords!    Leggi altro

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  • Rosie MarzoukUSA, UK and NorwayViaggiatore
    Cabin without bedsCabin with beds

    Now on the Hurtigruten boat Nordlys

    5 ottobre 2019, Norvegia ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C

    Today is an exciting day as we are now on the boat that we will live on for the next 12 days. This morning, after our sumptuous breakfast we packed up and checked out of the hotel at midday. Got a taxi to the terminal where we could leave our bags (which would be taken to our cabins) and then we were free for a few hours as check in to the boat wasn’t till 3, boarding at 4 and cabins ready at 6!

    So Amr and I went to an exhibition of Edvard Munch paintings...really good - he is so famous for the Scream that I hadn’t realised he did so many others and it was really good. Another building had the permanent exhibits - more Munch and other Norwegian artists, and some modern art - Picasso, Bracht, Klee....so that took the time till we could check in and board our ship.....

    And here we are snugly in our cabin. Now writing a bit later as we had a briefing before when I was writing - about the ship and excursions and meeting the crew etc...a sort of routine as on all ships I guess, like we did on the river cruises. I think there are about 350 passengers...but people come and go at the various ports. We found our cabin and are amazed at how spacious a small space can be! Had expected to be more cramped...there is a luggage room where we can put suitcases, but we probably won’t bother as they can be put aside easily. When we arrived the beds were put away. One was a couch and one pulled down from the wall. But we pulled them into their bed formation and don’t think we’ll put them back, as plenty of room with them down, and we won’t be in here much except to sleep. Bathroom small but all works perfectly, and there are shelves and spaces to put things everywhere. We have completely unpacked - luxury!

    Carole and John booked a posher cabin than us, and with their package they get free wifi, and can log on 5 devices each! so John has very kindly let me log on my iPad, and the wifi seems good, so I think I can do the blog. We have been allotted dinner sittings and we are at 8pm which is good. C and J have been put at a 6.30 sitting and may change to coincide with us at the same table, but I think they actually prefer earlier, so we’ll see. Dinner tonight was a buffet free for all, delicious food but I can see why they regulate the times, tables and sittings as it was chaotic and people who didn’t get in early had to wait for quite a long time.

    Anyway, we left at 9.30 pm and I was out on the deck well rugged up as it was cold. Amr found it too cld and sought a warmer vantage point, but it was such fun seeing the lights of Bergen receding...just beautiful, and a huge, low, almost half moon low on the horizon. Gorgeous. Now clean and tucked in...there is even a pull out clothes line in the bathroom, and a heated floor (the bathroom floor was heated in the hotel too)...I guess Norwegians know all about cold. Now 11pm and will try to sleep, but rather excited!    Leggi altro

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  • Rosie MarzoukUSA, UK and NorwayViaggiatore

    Update!!

    5 ottobre 2019, Norvegia ⋅ 🌙 8 °C

    Wow! It s almost midnight, and we have just seen the Northern lights!! In our briefing we were told that we can press a button on our cabin phone to allow announcements at any time (only to see the northern lights would be after 10pm)...and there we were, I was still reading in bed, and Amr wasn’t yet asleep, when the announcement came....it is possible any time from October on, but the stars have to align, and they did. It is a beautifully clear night, the sky is full of stars and there was the light patch ahead of us, almost green...so special. People can go on a whole 2 weeks and never see them...it was amazing how many people were up there on deck, roused from their comfy beds...great excitement! No photos, couldn’t be captured - you just had to be there...Leggi altro

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  • Rosie MarzoukUSA, UK and NorwayViaggiatore
    1
    11Ålesund at sunset

    First full day on Nordlys

    6 ottobre 2019, Norvegia ⋅ ⛅ -1 °C

    All tucked warmly into bed after a hot shower...We had a fabulous day. First of all, this boat trip is much more upmarket than I had imagined. It is a working ship delivering things and taking on cargo etc, but as passengers we have everything we could possibly want very comfortably. Food is delicious, and almost exclusively specialities of Norway. Just come back from a superb dinner...orderly tonight at proper times and tables, delicious fish, lamb and dessert...We all have a key card that is necessary all the time - key to cabin, used to disembark and embark, to go to meals, to buy wine or beer...so we have it round our necks tied in a shoelace (most people have it tied to them!). It all works very well.

    Today we went through the most beautiful scenery that I think I have ever seen....but I know there will be more to come. Quite early we docked at a very small town where quite a few people left the ship to go on excursions. Carole and John did and said it was wonderful - they were bussed, went on ferries and eventually ended up back at the ship where we next stopped. We didn’t do the day excursion, but had signed up for an art nouveau walk through a small town, Ålesund, which had been razed by a fire in 1904 and was rebuilt in art nouveau style. Interesting and beautiful. That was at the end of the day as the sun was setting. Photos will show how beautiful. Also the amazing picture postcard scenery of fjords and mountains. So spectacular and totally different from our also beautiful Australian countryside.

    I think we will enjoy these 12 days. Tomorrow morning we arrive at Trondheim and there are many excursions. We are going on a nature walk into the hills (mountains!) with the boat expedition guides, and C and J are going kayaking on the river through the city which looks spectacular. Sounds like a good day. We stop at Trondheim on the way back south when we will have a chance to walk through the city then. It already feels cold....have been wearing many layers, but hope I have enough to add when we reach the Arctic Circle!! What a life!    Leggi altro

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  • Rosie MarzoukUSA, UK and NorwayViaggiatore
    1

    A stop at Trondheim

    7 ottobre 2019, Norvegia ⋅ ⛅ 7 °C

    Another magnificent day. It’s 6pm and dinner not till 8 (we did manage to sort out dinner with C and J together at 8!), so perfect opportunity to write what I can remember of the day. I keep forgetting little gems when I actually get down to writing...so here goes. We are at present jus cruising up the coast from Trondheim but just had a dramatic few moments when we made a right angle turn and through a very narrow passage...they only do this slight diversion when conditions are good, so again lucky.

    We docked at Trondheim at about 10 this morning, and we assembled to do the nature hike up in the hills. C and J went off to their kayaking. There were only 5 of us doing the hike, and 2 guides (not local guides, but 2 of our ship people which was fun as we are now getting to know them - Sven (who is actually German) and Nikolas. This hike turned out to be quite strenuous. We got driven out of the cry and up to the hills (Trondheim is quite flat, and the hills surrounding it are not called mountains). From there we walked uphill along an uneven and often muddy track, with many roots to trip over! It was beautiful, and we could do it easily, but certainly had to watch each step. Sometimes the water was icy so that was another hazard but I actually got hot - guess it was the work of walking, but I had prepared for the cold, and didn’t need my gloves or hat (but I did wear it in case I lost it), and tied my down jacket round my waist. The view from the top down to Trondheim was stunning of course, and we had hot drinks and chocolate up there to restore our strength. A great morning. One thing, when we first set out on the path we came across a group of kindergarten children - they must have been about 3 - all rugged up in jackets, hats, gloves and carrying backpacks and thermoses, also setting off for a hike. They were being introduced to nature and learning to be good Norwegian trekkers!

    Got back to the ship in time for lunch, and relaxing this afternoon. Watching the passing islands - just rocks poking up often, and so many of them. We passed a very old and famous octagonal lighthouse - you must certainly need guidance through all these hazards. Amr has been washing - there was a queue for the washing machine, but he does love to organise this! He is now at a talk about how to get your camera to take photos of the northern lights. They can pick up colours that are harder for the eye to see, but I doubt if my iPhone camera can do it very well...

    Tomorrow is a big day - we cross the Arctic Circle! This is almost as much of an occasion as crossing the equator is (or used to be when you did it in ships)! It will be between 7.30 and 8.30 am.    Leggi altro

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  • Rosie MarzoukUSA, UK and NorwayViaggiatore

    A P.S from Monday

    7 ottobre 2019, Norvegia ⋅ ⛅ 0 °C

    Just have to add that it is now 10.15pm and all cosy in bed, but at dinner (again a delicious meal, 3 courses beautifully presented, no choices, one always featuring fish, and just the right amount!) they announced that the northern lights were again visible, so we went out and again you could see them, more dramatically than last time! It’s hard to see vibrant colour, more just light and a hint of green to the naked eye, but still pretty thrilling. I put on both jackets at once and found that this works well in the cold!! Aren’t we lucky....the weather has so far been so kind, and there are predictions for more of it tomorrow. Glad to see the lights before going to bed and having to drag on clothes over nightie to go up on deck at midnight to watch!!! We have just docked somewhere for 30 minutes to offload and load cargo, and we have about 3 short stops during the night - about 2,4 and 5 am...so you get used to the boat noises during the night. There was a small amount of boat rocking now we are in the open sea for a while, very mild - in the fjords it is so calm. Off to read and sleep.Leggi altro

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  • Rosie MarzoukUSA, UK and NorwayViaggiatore
    Marker of the Arctic Circle
    Autumn colours1Amr is pointing to our portholes

    Across the Arctic Circle

    8 ottobre 2019, Norvegia ⋅ ☀️ 4 °C

    Now we are officially in the Arctic. We crossed the “line” at 8.03 this morning, and you pass an island with a globe on a stand that is the marker! Everyone out with cameras. We are again amazingly lucky with the weather, and so far our Arctic experience has been a beautiful sunny day, and not all that cold (when you’re in the sun, or not in the wind!). We keep passing stunning rocky crags, and mountainsides covered in autumn colours, just stunning and not possible to capture in photos.

    There were many stops during the night, but the first one where people could disembark was Bodø, a small town and not cute and historic as it had been bombed and burnt down in WWII and rebuilt in the 50s and 60s. However, not as ugly buildings as some from that time! We didn’t go on any of the excursion but had a walk to the town, had a coffee and hot chocolate, and came back to the ship and tried the jacuzzi! Lovely to be in the hot steaming bubbling water when the air outside is so cold...we sat in it till we pulled out of port and watched Bodø recede!

    Now having the quiet time before out 8 o’clock dinner, watched the sunset and passing islands. It is getting quite rocking as we go into the open sea for a while. When going down to our cabin a little while ago it was hard walking steadily along the corridor...hopefully not enough to get seasick...all Part of the adventure.    Leggi altro

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  • Rosie MarzoukUSA, UK and NorwayViaggiatore
    21Tromsø

    Another Arctic Day

    9 ottobre 2019, Norvegia ⋅ ⛅ 2 °C

    We are getting very accustomed to this shipboard life. Last night I was late to bed as there was a special very narrow fjord that we entered at about 11.30pm. Carole and John retired fairly early, and Amr gave in and went off to sleep but I really didn’t want to miss it so managed to last, and put on many layers of clothes and watched as we squeezed into this very small fjord - the Trollfjord - and there are many legends about it. We just went in and turned round, very tight navigation, and went out again, but it was fun - they turned on some floodlights to light up the sheer rocky cliffs on each side. Then I stayed out a bit longer to see the northern lights. These clear nights they are usually visible, but I have not seen it as a bright colourful sky, just a lightness and vaguely green.

    Anyway, this morning we had leisurely breakfast. Breakfast and lunch are buffets and no set time or table and it usually works fine. There are so many choices of wonderful arrays of food, it takes discipline to choose wisely and not pig out!! Abundance of smoked salmon and many fish options always, every form of salad and hot options. Not to mention sweet choices. At dinner we sit in our set tables and are served dinner - no choice, but usually very delicious and artistically presented small servings of a 3 course meal, featuring Norwegian specialties. So this morning we found favourite places to sit and read and watch the passing scenery as there was no disembarking until 2.15. We went through such a passage of gorgeous snow topped mountains, small towns perched along the waterfront here and there. Stopped to unload cargo at a couple of places, and finally arrived at Tromsø.

    We did not go on any of the very expensive excursions (if you are thinking in Australian dollars) - we choose these very judiciously! But we walked round the town, very pretty and surrounded by mountains. Being October some museums are closed (from Sept 30), and some shops and cafes close by 4 pm, but we had fun walking and being yet another fine day it was not unbearably cold. We did buy Amr a beanie (found a bargain for 49 kroner as opposed to the crazily expensive ones for sale on the boat.). I was worried about his head and ears getting frozen and he hadn’t brought a beanie with him, just his Tilley walking hat - not exactly suitable in the Arctic! And we finally found a bar open and had a wine and coffee before getting back to the ship. Carole and John had also wound their way back to the same bar, so that was fun! Now back and relaxing before dinner, and about to depart Tromsø.    Leggi altro

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  • Rosie MarzoukUSA, UK and NorwayViaggiatore
    Rainy view from the stern this morning
    Honningsvåg

    Reaching our northernmost point

    10 ottobre 2019, Norvegia ⋅ ☁️ 4 °C

    A fairly quiet day today. After breakfast Amr went for his ritual sauna and walk round the deck. On deck 5 you can walk right round the ship - he says 5 laps is just over a km! It is always nice to get out there and watch if it’s not too cold or breezy! At 11.15 we docked at Honningsvåg which is where some people went on an excursion to the North Cape marker. We contented ourselves with a wander through the town which did not take long...we did go into the North Cape museum though which was interesting and well displayed. This place, like so much of the coast of Norway, was burnt to the ground by the Germans when retreating, so it also is rebuilt, and quite pretty and neat. Of course, it is basically just a fishing town. We are way above the tree line now, and the land we see is just rocky crags. Any trees in the town were planted, and probably have trouble thriving.

    Since leaving Honningsvåg we have been going out in the open sea and have to take care walking around, quite rocking! And I think this will continue as looking at the map we are out in the Norwegian Sea till we reach Kirkenes tomorrow morning. At the moment we have just pulled in to a fjord so it’s relatively calm, but we’ll be out in the open again soon, and continuing north till we reach our northernmost point before turning southeast to reach Kirkenes. There will be a few offload stops during the night, but for passengers that is the next port.

    Kirkenes is the end of the voyage for quite a few people who just do the northern journey, though quite a lot of people are, like us, continuing on the southward journey back to Bergen. So tomorrow there will be the bustle of people disembarking and others embarking.

    And today we did see rain for the first time!! There wasn’t much, and although it is quite cold, it wasn’t snow, so not that cold. By the time we walked around the town this morning it was quite bright, and though clouds are about there is also quite a lot of clear sky. I looked up the weather for tomorrow in Kirkenes and supposedly there will be snow overnight, but cloudy and little chance of precipitation in the daytime. That is so good as we have signed up for a walk to the Russian border! We do go part of the way in a bus, but then have a 4 km hike, which they have already warned will be wet underfoot. Glad I haven’t cleaned the mud off my shoes since the last muddy walk!

    Now sitting quietly - Amr got us prime position chairs at the front - which is good for now. There are many sitting places and chairs and it is usually easy to find a cosy place to sit and read etc. with a view looking out at the passing spectacular scenery. It is getting too cold to sit outside for too long, although there is one outside place that has heaters and is partially glassed in. There are 2 “public” decks where you can find places to relax - 4 and 7. The other decks are just cabins. 4 and 7 have bars, the dining room, lots of room for everyone, although I don’t think we are filled to capacity. Let’s hope for anther fine day tomorrow.    Leggi altro

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  • Rosie MarzoukUSA, UK and NorwayViaggiatore
    1Northern lights
    Looming cloud this morning1Border postsCleared border line opposite, and camera tower

    Kirkenes, a beautiful walk in the snow

    11 ottobre 2019, Norvegia ⋅ ☁️ 3 °C

    This morning we arrived at Kirkenes at about 9am. During the night there was quite a swell and rocking of the ship in the Barents Sea, but rather than feeling queasy we slept well. On arrival at Kirkenes there was an enormous low grey cloud hanging on one side, and semi brightness on the other...we feared the worst, but amazingly we were lucky again. The rain was actually a dusting of snow, and it had obviously been snowing overnight, but when we disembarked it was fine and remained bright for our hike to the Russian border.

    We were so glad to do this hike. Partly because it’s so nice to get off the ship to exercise, and also we now know the guides a bit, and they are funny, informative and friendly...and helpful if anyone needs it walking in the sometimes tricky conditions. The small amount of snow made it easier walking in a way - it firmed up what would have been sloshy mud, though there were many hazardous parts, but not any steep climb, just a bit of gradual uphill.

    We were taken by bus (about 15 of us this time) for a short distance, then walked along a mountain track to the border. But this was not the part of the border that another group who took a totally bus tour - they went where there are tourist shops and an official border area. We got to a high point, and there was a yellow post which marked the end of Norway, and another green and red post a metre or so further on, and if you went beyond that post you would get fined (better than shot!)...there was no barrier and nothing to stop you walking right into Russia. But they showed us a tower on the opposite mountain that has a camera and it watches the border, and people straying actually get identified and fined!! So that was lots of fun and we didn’t stray, and got back to the ship before it left at 12.30.

    There was something funny about the time as the photos I took (till my phone’s battery died, it is in a serious condition) had a time that was an hour ahead, and I think we strayed into the next time zone. The ship didn’t change time, and I find it hard that a small section of Norway would have a different time, but we are far East. In fact, after we left Kirkenes and started the return journey we stopped briefly at Vardø which is the easternmost town in Norway, and is further east than St Petersburg and Istanbul. Weird to think about.

    I am going to post a photo of the northern lights we saw last night (again - we have been so lucky, and they say tomorrow night is another good possibility). The photo was taken by someone else with a new iPhone with a better camera that you can adjust, and it shows the green that is hard to see with the naked eye. At least it confirmed that I was looking at the right thing, but it looked like a light part of the sky, not really colourful.

    So now cruising and relaxing till dinner, sipping a Portuguese wine. And I think it’s reindeer for dinner tonight!    Leggi altro

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  • Rosie MarzoukUSA, UK and NorwayViaggiatore

    Hammerfest, the northernmost town

    12 ottobre 2019, Norvegia ⋅ ⛅ 2 °C

    I am very slack today...it is 10pm and am just getting to remembering the day. This is partly because this afternoon Carole suggested we do one of the jigsaw puzzles that they have (and games etc) and we chose one with 1000 pieces, and of course got obsessed (and have succeeded in doing just a very small amount...but that was the time I would usually be writing. So am going to be quick as tomorrow we have an early start...we are off on an excursion at 8am, first on a bus, then a ferry, then a 5 km walk...then we get back on the boat at the next stop...

    Anyway, today has been fairly leisurely. We are now back round the top of Norway and the first stop long enough for getting off was Hammerfest, the northernmost town in the world. It said 2° there but it felt icy. It is equal in latitude to northern Siberia. And it felt like it, and this is only October, not even winter. We had a walk round, and like most of the towns, it is fun to walk round but not very exciting. They look very pretty as you sail in and the houses are all very rectangular and neat, and often colourful, but at this time of year not much is open - cafes etc. there are often very modern and beautiful churches. A far cry from the huge medieval ones we see on the Camino! And it is all very friendly and easy, but usually we come back to the ship before too long. All these towns along the coast were bombed or burnt down during the war, and so almost all the houses are built in similar practical style which is why they look so uniform (except the art nouveau town we visited on the second day). Today we got back before the excursion people would be back and leapt up to the jacuzzi and were in a lovely bubbly hot tub as we left port!! Felt very decadent!

    Hammerfest is the richest town in the area because of oil. It has a big LPG plant where they freeze the oil and liquefy it so that it can be exported. The plant actually was made in Spain and then brought to Norway and set up here!

    So this afternoon we cruised along and all the big craggy mountains we had seen before now have a dusting of snow on top and look even more like postcards. I realised as I was doing the puzzle that I was doing it and not looking at Norway, so maybe we will never finish it!! Tonight we had dinner of pollack, another very favourite fish here (after cod and salmon)...very delicious white and firm. The cod however is famous and joked about. It is the livelihood of many Norwegians and Amr tells me he heard it has now replaced someone famous and is on the 200 kroner note! There are many funny cod songs!! I went out on deck after dinner, really to look at the full moon, and there were the northern lights again! I spotted them before they announced it, we are getting so used to seeing it almost every night - because of the clear sky.    Leggi altro

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  • Rosie MarzoukUSA, UK and NorwayViaggiatore
    View from our hikeTrollfjord

    Sunday, more magic

    13 ottobre 2019, Norwegian Sea ⋅ ☁️ 2 °C

    It is Sunday, but we are dayless. We woke early today as we were booked to go on an excursion leaving at 8am. We got into a minibus at Harstad and were driven through the ever beautiful countryside, crossed on a ferry, and were taken to the start of a fabulous hike up a mountain - just a fairly gradual walk on a proper track, so not too arduous, and it was seriously cold and any potential mud was frozen! And very little ice to slip on, lots of frost...we were well rugged up, and with the walking felt comfortable. Magnificent views looking down, and the autumn leaves are even more colourful. At the top they always give us a drink of hot black currant drink...just delicious, and chocolate...rejoined the bus and were driven to the ship’s next stop.

    Then we went through the most spectacular scenery ever - all this we had passed at night on the way up. Just more high rocky crags, snow covered, dotted with coloured trees. And we went again into the very small Trollfjord which we saw late in the evening on the way up. That had been fun, but to see it in daylight was magnificent.

    So we continue on our way south. Tomorrow we again cross the Arctic Circle line, and will be back in more “normal” climes. This return journey is nothing like a repeat of our northward one, so glad we are doing it. When we stop at small places for half an hour or less, and even at the bigger places, we are surprised at how many people use this as a ferry. They go to the different towns, maybe visit friends or relatives...who knows, but people seem to come and go all the time. And if it is overnight, they don’t have to book a cabin, but can sleep in one of the lounges. Not many do this, but you see many families with kids coming for short distances. For us it is now home, and we will be sad to leave on Wednesday!    Leggi altro

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  • Rosie MarzoukUSA, UK and NorwayViaggiatore
    1Folk dancing!!Sunset leaving Brønnøysund

    Monday - no longer within Arctic Circle

    14 ottobre 2019, Norvegia ⋅ ⛅ 5 °C

    Sitting sipping a wine glass of Tempranillo before dinner, trying to remember what happened today while watching an amazing sunset. Each day is so memorable, but all I can say is we passed yet more glorious scenery. No serious ports till 3 pm, but a few stops during the day when the usual handful of people got on and off and goods were loaded and unloaded. These stops range from 10 minutes to half an hour. During the morning there was a leaving the Arctic ceremony, and later there was a Norwegian folk dancing lesson. I didn’t think I’d participate, but couldn’t help myself - it was such fun, and our guides/leaders Nicklas and Sven are so funny and it was irresistible! Amr gave up after the first one, but I stayed on for the 3 different moves we learned. It is all a group thing, either in a circle holding hands, or one complicated one was in groups of 3. Anyway, lots of fun, but you probably had to be here!!

    Then we had lunch, and arrived at Brønnøysund at about 3. We didn’t go on a tour, but had a walk around the town. It is another perfect cloudless day....can’t believe it! The notable thing we saw was that the houses are not the rectangular shapes that we have got so used to - these ones had extra gables, a wing out to the side, and most noticeably they often had verandas or balconies. Also some of the leaves on the trees are still green and just getting their autumn colour. Obviously we have reached a more temperate climate, and in fact it was pleasant walking round without gloves or hat. We did however suddenly find we were walking down a shaded road that turned out to be icy, and VERY slippery. So not totally warm! But we had a nice wander. This town is the mid spot in Norway from north to south, and there is a stone proclaiming it.

    Will finish the day’s account after dinner. It is the second last night, but they are having a special farewell one, probably as tomorrow they will be getting all ready for the big departure of everyone and the turnaround or the ship at Bergen. We hear it has been raining all week at Bergen! Our luck continues.

    ...Just back from dinner. Dinners are always special, almost fine dining of special Norwegian ingredients, delicate portions - which is just as well after buffet breakfast and lunch. Tonight we had a pea soup, cod with fried kale, beetroot risotto and cloudberries, and an ice cream cake with meringue. All the staff lined up and they made a speech in Norwegian, English and German, a complimentary glass of bubbly (that is special, very little is complimentary in Norway!) and it was lovely. We have got very fond of these people...they are a team who work and live together - the same people make up the rooms (if you put a sign that you would like it done), wait on tables, and generally do many things, and the expedition team not only lead excursions but do a lot of entertainment and talks and general factotum stuff. This will be the end of a wonderful 12 days (but we still have one full day left!).    Leggi altro

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  • Rosie MarzoukUSA, UK and NorwayViaggiatore
    Early morning in Trondheim

    Wednesday morning

    16 ottobre 2019, Norvegia ⋅ 🌙 6 °C

    I totally forgot to write anything yesterday!! There wasn’t lots to say, but as we were sipping wine before dinner watching a beautiful sunset would have been the ideal time. Oh well, it’s now early Wednesday morning - and we leave the ship this afternoon.

    But first, yesterday we had an early start as we arrived at Trondheim at about 6.30. This is one place that we had stopped at for a visit on the way north, but we had gone on a hike and not walked around the city, so we had early breakfast and left at 7.30 - we had till 9.45 when the ship left. It was absolutely freezing so early, just getting light with a big almost full moon, and had to be careful not to slip on icy paths. We walked as far as the cathedral with its very famous carved facade, and walked around for a bit. This is a big city, cars and traffic lights, and people off to work....it still felt very Arctic at that time of day.

    After that we had an uneventful day, just cruising along, stopping here and there, had a lecture on the Vikings, stood on the deck for a group photo and generally relaxed. Another cloudless day, and much warmer by the time the sun was up! It is good not to wear longjohns all the time, and so many layers...getting dressed and undressed is so time consuming!

    Had our last dinner - salmon pastrami (salmon cured like pastrami is - delicious) and pork shanks.

    Now packed up almost. We have to vacate the cabins at 10am, even though we don’t dock in Bergen till 2.30pm. Quite a business getting everyone off, and new people arriving, and ready to sail off again this evening. Will give another episode tonight, when we will be back in our Bergen hotel for the night.    Leggi altro

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  • Rosie MarzoukUSA, UK and NorwayViaggiatore
    Going through the rocks - very windy!
    Bergen alleyCod carving

    Wednesday continued

    16 ottobre 2019, Norvegia ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    Well here we are, back in Bergen at the Scandic hotel we stayed at before we left. What an amazing 12 days we had, and we are now recovering from it all being over! This morning was a little weird...we had breakfast and then had to vacate the cabins by 10. Which was not a problem, all the bags were left out in the corridor and were taken away by magic and we had to claim them when we disembarked. All is so well organised, Norwegians are a bit like Swiss and Germans, everything is worked out and runs like clockwork. After 12 days, we arrived back at Bergen at exactly 2.30pm! And we disembarked deck by deck....very orderly.

    Our journey this morning was through more interesting and scenic views - we had not seen this before as it had been nighttime as we left Bergen at 9pm. So wonderful to go through these straits of thousands of rock islands - requires excellent navigation skills and knowledge, as many submerge at high tide. As we approached Bergen we saw a very low cloud, and it obviously was raining...oh well, we thought, i has been so perfect for 12 days, we can’t complain, but by the time we actually got there, it had cleared up and we felt so good that we wheeled our bags back to the hotel rather than indulge in a taxi - we are now familiar with Bergen and there was no time constraint... and the weather has continued cloudy bright for the afternoon!

    After checking in and showering Amr and I had a lovely walk through the little streets that we hadn’t explored before and the ended up meeting Carole and John at the fish restaurant where we had had a lovely dinner before we left. Again a lovely dinner - I had mussels and scallops. Yum.

    Now back at hotel for a fairly early night as we leave by train at 7.57am for the train to Oslo. So looking forward to this train trip, reputed to be one of the most beautiful train rides in the world. The sun rises at 8.20 so I think we have maximised the daylight. Get to Oslo about 3pm. And luckily breakfast at the hotel starts at 6.30, so we can eat and leave - the train station is only about 3 minutes walk from the hotel...perfect! Tomorrow a new adventure, we spend 2 nights in Oslo, then fly to Copenhagen and have 3 nights there before heading home.    Leggi altro

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  • Rosie MarzoukUSA, UK and NorwayViaggiatore

    Thursday and in Oslo

    17 ottobre 2019, Norvegia ⋅ ⛅ 2 °C

    A big day today. Up early for breakfast (the huge hotel buffet - almost as much choice as on the ship)...and then sad farewell to Carole and John who had come down early for coffee to say goodbye. Then we walked the very short distance to the train station. The train left as scheduled at exactly 7.57, and arrived at Oslo at exactly 14.45. It was a beautiful rail journey as reputed to be. Thinking about it, I think it would be better to do it in the opposite direction as you would leave the big city, go trough the usual industrial boring bit round a city, then get into the pretty flatter, then undulating countryside and farming land that gradually turns into mountains and ending in spectacular scenery as you get to Bergen! Of course, I don’t wish we had done that because it wouldn’t have worked for us, but after 2 weeks of such amazing and spectacular scenery, it did get a bit less as we approached Oslo. And 7 hours is quite a long ride. I am still feeling the shuddering movement of the train whenever I am still...very off putting! But I don’t think I’ve done justice to the train ride. It was amazing - we climbed (though you didn’t realise it as we went) up high into the mountains beautiful panoramas, then it was very snowy and quite whited out for a while, then that gradually lessened as we descended and came into obviously more moderate terrain where there were fields, ploughed and soggy looking, and grazing animals. Very different from the totally rocky crags and water of the last 2 weeks.

    So here we are in the big city. And we have had our first - almost - Scandinavian rain. We found our hotel, very near the central station, and went walking round getting our bearings. Walked along the main pedestrian road that leads to the royal palace, surrounded by beautiful gardens, and it did start to sprinkle a little...so eventually we went back to get umbrellas and coats, but it never became heavy, just very light drops, but you’d get damp if you didn’t have some protection. We did then go to inspect the opera house that is nearby. And it is magnificent! Very modern and angular..sloping and you can walk up the slope on the roof...very hard to describe and neither of us had our phones to take photos, and anyway the sky was all grey and it wouldn’t have been a good photo...will take some tomorrow.

    We have great plans for tomorrow - the Viking museum, the resistance museum, the Nobel museum and the sculpture gardens. Hope it is not too grey a day. We are again facing the extremely high prices here - had been insulated rather on the boat not having to buy meals etc...but we drew the line when to go to the loo at the station cost 6 kroner - that is equivalent to $3.50 - just for a pee! So we decided it was time to have a glass of wine, and use the loo there.

    We had dinner at an Italian restaurant - Olivia - the same chain where we had our first meal in Bergen! We loved the Norwegian food on the boat, but suddenly couldn’t face more fish and felt like pasta. I had ravioli with fungi and truffles, yum, and a delicious salad.

    Will put a couple of photos from the train, but not good through a window when moving...and there were many tunnels during the most spectacular times, and I took several photos of tunnel interiors, missing the moment of view! Hope I feel more normal after a night’s sleep.    Leggi altro

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  • Rosie MarzoukUSA, UK and NorwayViaggiatore
    1
    Attractive Oslo streetsOslo opera houseWalking up the sloping roofInside opera house

    One great full day in Oslo

    18 ottobre 2019, Norvegia ⋅ ⛅ 6 °C

    Today was much better. The jiggling feeling after the train ride was gone and after a night’s sleep I found I could face a new city. We had spied a good breakfast place yesterday and had coffee and a yum pastry, then set off to achieve all the things we had planned. We took umbrellas as an insurance against rain, and were happy we did as when we set off it had obviously been raining during the night - wet pavements and puddles everywhere, but again we were lucky as it didn’t rain at all today - just grey skies, and even a break of blue by late afternoon.

    First of all we walked to the sculpture garden - a big attraction here, beautiful gardens, specially now with their autumn glory, and with many sculptures by a famous person whose name I can’t remember, who must have spent his whole life making so many works, or had a workshop of helpers...figures of men, women children in all forms and contortions, in granite...there is a lot of stone here! Anyway, that was fun. Many school children and tourist groups there too.

    Then we walked back and found the Nobel Peace museum which was good, and then on to the Resistance museum, which we found was within the fortress and castle complex which was interesting in itself. The Resistance museum we really enjoyed - not the right word really, but was interesting especially as it filled in what we had learned about during talks and visiting towns during the cruise up the coast where the towns felt the main brunt of the nazi occupation.

    After that we had a break and sandwich and then found that we were too late for the Viking museum -it was 3.40 and it closed at 4 in October, so we went on to look at the opera house again while the weather was good and before it started to get dark. It is such an amazing building, and I have tried to take photos, but it is difficult to capture. We then returned to the hotel - Amr had a short outing to look at some shops - but a little down time till we set off for dinner.

    We had planned to go to a Spanish place that had a sister restaurant we had noticed in Bergen, but when we went there - along a string of restaurants, rather like Barangaroo, alongside the harbour, with ferries, it was too busy, so we gave in and went to Olivia again...I just had salad, and we had a glass of wine. Didn’t feel like much after late lunch. So now back and ready to pack up and fly to Copenhagen tomorrow. Amr’s Apple Watch says that we walked 22 kms today, so that is good!

    I am bracing for another unknown city to explore, but everyone says how good Copenhagen is, so hope it won’t be too daunting! We have already found out where to go on the metro from the airport to get to our hotel so that is a good start! We spend 3 nights there, then start the journey home on Tuesday.    Leggi altro

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  • Rosie MarzoukUSA, UK and NorwayViaggiatore

    Saturday in Copenhagen

    19 ottobre 2019, Danimarca ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    We have left Norway. Woke this morning to a grey drizzly morning, and were very thankful for the lovely rain-free day we had yesterday exploring Oslo. So after breakfast and leisurely packing up we went to the airport, as no point hanging round, and getting wet. Oslo airport very organised and not to large. We did have one drama though - Amr, very unusually, made a crazy mistake....we were at the self-serve bag drop, had had boarding passes and bag tags printed, and Amr put his bag up before he tagged it, then scanned the tag (which was still in his hand) and off went the bag away on the belt before he could catch it!! General panic (by us) but SAS are very efficient, and assured him that they would catch it and tag it before it got any further....but it was a moment of horror, and we didn’t feel totally secure until it came out, actually one of the first! at Copenhagen.

    So all was well, and it was SO easy to get into the city from the airport - the metro goes right to the airport and took us to right near our hotel. We knew which stop, and it is quite in the centre with many shops, restaurants and hotels nearby. So easy, and even cheap by Norwegian standards! About equivalent to $15 for the 2 of us. The train to Oslo airport, which was very handy and easy also, was about 4 times the price, and even had seniors from 67, so Amr just missed out!!

    Our hotel is great. It is another of these Scandinavian modern minimalist hotels. Small spotless rooms, everything works, everything fits, no nonsense! If there are 2 people there is a second doona, pillow and set of towels in a drawer under the bed (you always get a doona each here it seems). And amazingly great wifi in all the hotels, and even on the boat.

    So, once we had dumped the bags we went out to get a feel of the city. It is flat...no mountains in Denmark. Also, just remembered, we saw what I think was “the Bridge” as we flew in! We had left the clouds over Oslo, and it was even sunny here, though has descended into rain this evening. Reasonable forecast for tomorrow though. We can’t help noticing all the absolutely beautiful young Scandinavian girls...they all have perfect skin, and are remarkably gorgeous - maybe from lack of sun!

    We walked around, it was Saturday afternoon, and a clear day, so everyone was out and about, walking in the cobbled pedestrian streets. Saw the royal palace (slot, which I realise is a Schloss)..but am not sure if this is the royal residence, or just a show place, as there were no visible guards like Buckingham Palace, but maybe the Danes are more casual!! Will find out more...Amr plans to find the Danish design museum tomorrow, and also we found another Viking museum here which should be good! So if it gets rainy there is plenty of inside stuff to do. Had dinner at a restaurant along a canal were there are many eateries. It was lovely...I actually had a very nice steak, and Amr had Danish meatballs. Cold by then. We had come south, and when we arrived felt too hot in thick jackets, but it certainly cooled off. Not much photo taking this afternoon.    Leggi altro

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  • Rosie MarzoukUSA, UK and NorwayViaggiatore
    Opera house
    In the design museum - not part of the art!RosenborgBotanical gardensBotanical gardens

    Exploring Copenhagen

    20 ottobre 2019, Danimarca ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    Today is Sunday. Much quieter than Saturday, though when we went out for coffee this morning there was quite a lot of evidence of post Saturday night debris. This was in contrast to Norway (but we didn’t inspect on Sunday morning is Oslo) but there was litter, broken glass and vomit...not the perfect behaviour of such people so conscious of planet, sustainability and happiness!!

    We have had a good day, and quite busy. First we walked along the water to the Opera House. A huge and very fine building right on the water. Quite a long walk, obviously you can drive there as there was parking, and I think you can get a ferry. Then Amr navigated us to the Danish Design Museum which was a highlight for him. It was fun, and we saw many chairs by famous designers - Hans Wegner and Arne Jacobsen to name 2 I remember and liked. Besides chairs there was a lot of Bauhaus stuff (which we had seen a lot of in Germany). Anyway, we enjoyed that and then we went to see some nearby churches - a Russian orthodox with very Russian domes (and where I had to put my scarf over my head), and the Marble Church, very important looking and rather beautiful which we found is Church of Denmark - the national religion, evangelical Lutheran.

    Stopped for a shared sandwich and coffee then walked to the little mermaid just because it is a thing to see here. Many people taking photos etc, and busloads of Asians, but it was a very nice walk through parks. We have sorted out the royal residence situation! Found another Slot - the Amelienborg (I think that’s right) which is an octagonal ring of palaces where all the royals live in various buildings. We even happened to be there when they were changing the guard, all marching round in busbies (?sp) like at Buckingham Palace. The one yesterday - Christiansborg -I think is used as the parliament (that’s what the informative man at the Amelienborg said) and there is yet another castle - the Rosenborg which has Crown Jewels, thrones etc) and we going to look at those 2 tomorrow. We found this on our way to have a walk in the botanical gardens which was beautiful with autumn colours.

    On our way back, we stopped for a drink outside by a heater, watching the passing parade, then Amr dragged me into another department store but this one was really fun. It was purely a Danish design store - and we had such fun in the 2 floors of furniture- these beautiful chairs that we had seen in the museum we could now sit on and try - they were so comfortable and attractive (mostly) and it was actually more fun than the museum. They shut at 6 so we went back to the hotel (which has these style of chairs in the foyer) before setting out again for dinner. Found a perfect place where I had soup and mussels, and Amr had salad and herring. All happy.    Leggi altro

  • Rosie MarzoukUSA, UK and NorwayViaggiatore

    Last day in Copenhagen, and in Europe

    21 ottobre 2019, Danimarca ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    Today was good, but not quite as we had planned. First we went for breakfast at a Hartley recommended place - called Sonny, like our Sonny! - and it was very good. Excellent coffee, fresh seedy bread, tasty cheese, soft boiled egg! And a great juice - green colour with apple, ginger, tumeric and something whose name I didn’t know ...anyway, it was tangy and delicious. So that was a good start, and then we set off to go to the National Museum with the Viking exhibition. We had seen it was open every day, but hadn’t read the next line which said from October to May open Tuesday to Sunday...so again we missed the Vikings!! But we had heard quite a lot in Norway, so we cut our losses and headed for the royal palaces.

    First to the Rosenborg palace, which houses the thrones, crown jewels, and exhibits the rooms of the palace as lived in by Christian IV (I think, there are many Christians and Frederiks)...and that was excellent. Spent quite a while there, and then moved on to the Marienborg which is where the residence of the current royals is, but there are several palaces round in an octagon, and one is on show. Also excellent, furniture as lived in by Christian IX who was the “father-in-law of Europe” as most of his children married royalty - one being Alexandra who married Edward VII of Great Britain.

    So that took us through to about 3 o’clock when we had a coffee break, and I have a slight complaint. We cannot find what we call Danish pastries. It is like looking for what we call Sicilian olives in Sicily. They don’t exist. I just love the pastries with vanilla cream inside, with fruit, almond croissants, pain au raisins etc, and thought this would be the home of them, and the very best. We find them in France, Italy, Spain, Sydney...but here every bakery just has croissants, and nice bread, and cake things rather like muffins, and cinnamon rolls. Anyway, our hunt was fruitless. We did finally see some more like what we were looking for when later we came to the markets where there was a French chain - Brioche d’Orée - but in France we would never go there as there are so many better ones.

    As usual we took umbrellas as it threatened to rain, but never actually did! It does rain at night, as it was wet each morning. Anyway again lucky as it is miserable to walk squelching along and getting dripping, and we did a fair bit of walking. These palaces, and the museum are quite a ways apart.

    We had planned to go to a restaurant for dinner that we had seen. Amr had spied the bouillabaisse and it looked good...but when wandering later, after drifting into yet more furniture stores and sitting on their chairs and sofas, we found the market. Lovely market, you can buy things to take home and cook, and you can eat and drink at some stalls, and we found a tapas bar which just beckoned us. So we ate there instead. It had all our favourite food, and it all felt right, and it was so good just to order what you wanted as you ate it...I think we have had so many meals that it makes you lose your appetite. Anyway, this was just lovely, and we got back quite early and have packed up as much as possible and will set off tomorrow morning. First the flight to London, then connecting to the air New Zealand flight to Los Angeles. This is the thing - will we and the bags make the connection successfully as they are non related tickets! Hopefully all will work out. We stay and draw breath at LAX hotel for 2 nights before taking the flight to Sydney.    Leggi altro