• Wayne Stollery

Scandinavia

Et 37-dagers eventyr av Wayne Les mer
  • Reisens start
    8. mai 2025

    Auckland to Dubai

    8. mai, De forente arabiske emirater ⋅ 🌬 34 °C

    We headed off from Morrinsville about 11.30 am and met up with Mum, Wendy and Jeff for lunch at Summerset. We left the car at Wendy's and she took us to the airport in the rain. We were checked in, through immigration and in the Strata Lounge in 20 minutes flat. Spent a very pleasant two or three hours there relaxing in anticipation of an epic 33 hours of travel to Helsinki. The Strata Lounge is well worth the cost at $65 each. Our flight was scheduled to depart at 8.30 pm but the plane was about 45 minutes late taking off, however we caught that up and arrived in Dubai on time at 5.30 am. We both slept pretty well and arrived in pretty good shape. Leg one completed.Les mer

  • Dubai to Helsinki

    9. mai, Finland ⋅ ☁️ 6 °C

    We only had a couple of hours in transit in Dubai so by the time we got through immigration and found the gate for our next flight to Heathrow it was nearly boarding time. It was nice to have a daytime flight to see the different terrain from the desert of Northern Africa to the lush pastures of Europe. The flight was 7 hours long and we arrived at Heathrow about 30 minutes late but not concerned as we had about 4 hours in transit ahead of us. After all the immigration stuff we grabbed a beer and settled down to wait for our Finnair flight to Helsinki.
    The flight to Helsinki was a probably nearly a step too far. We were in economy in a very small plane with uncomfortable seats and were both pretty tired by this stage. However on arrival at the beautiful new airport in Helsinki we zipped through immigration and picked up our bags which had somehow arrived without us having seen them since Auckland and were out to be met by our transfer guy in his nice new Mercedes EV. Half an hour later we were in the hotel and ready for a shower and a good night's sleep. It was still light at 10 pm and I did wonder briefly whether there might be some Aurora action as the sky was clear but parked that thought pretty quickly in favour of sleep.
    Les mer

  • Helsinki

    10. mai, Finland ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    I woke about 6 am. It looked to be getting light about 3 am. We had breakfast in the hotel and then headed out walking. The temperature was about 8 degrees but a beautiful blue sky morning. After exploring the beautiful park over the road from the hotel we carried on down to the local port area passing the university, the cathedral and checking out the market area. After an outstanding coffee from a guy operating from a rickshaw type set up we walked around the marina area and up to the cathedral which is an unusual red brick construction with Russian style domes. It turned out to be the Russian Orthodox Church. Helsinki has an interesting mix of old character heritage buildings mixed with some really interesting modern architecture.
    We then summoned up the courage to take a ride on the Helsinki Skywheel. We have talked about doing this since we saw the London Eye last year and as it was such a nice day we took the plunge. The view from the top was amazing although I don't think that Gaye took inn too much of it. There was a public sauna next door and we could see the people coming out to plunge into the sea after their sauna. Bugger that!
    After 3 laps on the wheel we then returned to the ground for a beer/wine to steady our nerves and wandered back to the hotel for a bit of a rest in anticipation of meeting up with our tour party for dinner.
    We met up with the remaining members of our tour for a drink before dinner after they had been delayed getting through the airport following their flight from Doha. At dinner we sat next to Geoff & Karen from Rangiora and came to the realisation that Geoff had a few behaviour issues. It transpired that he was on the autism spectrum. We weren't offended when he disappeared when dessert was served and quickly moved on to making friends with Brian who is the husband of our tour guide Linzi and the rest of the group who had got to know each other in Doha.
    Les mer

  • Helsinki

    11. mai, Finland ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    Another beautiful crisp morning. I managed a quick run before breakfast and then we all met up at 11 am for a tour of Helsinki. The tour included the Senate Square, the Russian Orthodox Church, the Helsinki Cathedral, the church in the rock, the Olympic stadium and the sculpture in honour of the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius. Helsinki is the northern most city to have hosted the summer Olympics in 1952.
    We had lunch at the library which is a stunning modern 3 storey building. Dinner was at a lovely restaurant close to the hotel.
    Les mer

  • Helsinki

    12. mai, Finland ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    Yet another beautiful morning and another leisurely start. We all met up at 11 am to transfer to the port for our ferry ride to Suomenlinna Island which is fortress built by Sweden at the entrance to Helsinki Harbour to protect Sweden fron an attack by Russia. St Petersburg is only 300 kilometres from Helsinki and at the time was the capital of Russia. The fort was built in the 18th century. As recently as the 1980s you catch a bus to the island in winter as the sea was frozen solid. Global warming has apparently put paid to that. We had a beautiful lunch at a restaurant on the island and then had a guided walk of the island to try and correct the excesses of lunch.
    We caught the ferry back to Helsinki late afternoon and walked around the oldest market in the city before enjoying a drink outside a beautiful old restaurant. It was then back to the hotel where Gaye and I joined Brian and Russell for a beer and chips to finish the day
    Les mer

  • Helsinki to Stockholm

    13. mai, Sverige ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    We had another relaxed start to the day so I headed out for a couple of laps of Central Park over the road from the hotel. After breakfast we packed our bags and headed down to meet up with the rest of the group before heading out for a wander to a local market for lunch which consisted of the local delicacy salmon soup. Very nice. Gaye and I then wandered into the main city area and I bought a pair of jeans for 36 euros. It was then back to the hotel where we were transferred to the Viking line ship Cinderella for our overnight cruise to Stockholm.
    Our cabin was so small we had to leave the cat outside as there was no room for swinging it. The best solution was to put my suitcase in the shower.
    We had dinner as a group which was fun and included wine on tap.
    It was then back to the cabin and off to bed.
    Les mer

  • Stockholm

    14. mai, New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    We woke at 4 am when the ship docked at an island briefly. We were then up early and down to breakfast. I then spent an hour up on deck taking photos as we made our way through the thousands of islands making up the Swedish Archipelago. Stunning scenery. We arrived in Stockholm and disembarked about 10 am where we then boarded our bus.
    Our sightseeing tour featured City Hall, where the Nobel Prize Banquets are held, the Royal Palace including the changing of the guards and a visit to the Vasa Galleon Warship, the most expensive and ornamented ship built in 1628. The ship was designed with an extra storey of cannons making it top heavy. It's maiden voyage lasted a total of 1,300 metres before it capsized and sank into the mud in the harbour where it remained until being refloated in the 1960s. It is preserved in amazing condition and is a spectacular sight.
    We finally checked into our hotel about 5 pm where there was time for a quick shower before heading out for a very nice dinner. A big day.
    Les mer

  • Stockholm

    15. mai, New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    After a great night's sleep and breakfast we headed off about 11am and walked to the docks for a cruise around the harbor and the city taking in the fifteen bridges and the 14 islands on which Stockholm is located. We also saw the locks connecting the Baltic Sea and Lake Malaren.
    We then walked to a local market for a late lunch before our guide Tilo took us for a walk through the old town which was lovely. It was then back to the hotel for beer and chips with Brian which is fast becoming a popular informal gathering for the group before we joined several of the group at a loval jazz club which was great although we left at the interval as we had an early start the next day.
    Les mer

  • Stockholm to Copenhagen

    16. mai, Danmark ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    We were up at 6 am this morning and down for an early breakfast before meeting at 8.15 to walk around the corner to the Stockholm central train station. We boarded our train to Copenhagen about 9.30 am and settled in for the ride down Sweden and across the Oresund bridge to Denmark. The bridge is an 8km suspension bridge whch then descends to an artificial island and under the sea for a further 4 kilometres. The toll to drive over the bridge is $115 so you probably wouldn't pop over for dinner.
    Copenhagen sits on the coastal islands of Zealand & Amager and is consistently ranked as one of the happiest cities in the world. It would appear that there is a direct correlation between happiness and the number of bars.
    On arriving in Copenhagen we were met and taken to a restaurant for a late lunch which was an entree of Herring and a huge main course of pork that we all struggled to finish.
    After checking in to our hotel we walked up to the centre of the city passing all of the bars with people being happy in the sunshine. It has got considerably warmer as we have traveled further south.
    We finished the evening with a drink in the hotel bar and called it a day.
    Les mer

  • Copenhagen

    17. mai, New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    Up early and out for a short run to help move yesterday's pork along. After breakfast we boarded our bus
    to travel to the island of Fyn, and the city of Odense which was the childhood home of Hans Christian Anderson, the world-famous Danish author, novelist and poet most known for many fairy tales such as The Ugly Duckling, The Princess & The Pea, The Little Mermaid, plus many more. I didn't have high expectations for today but the museum for Hans Christian Andersen was excellent with a story of his life and extracts from his books included in the interactive exhibits. The bus ride was 2 hours each way and crossed the bridge which is a 13 kilometre long suspension bridge.
    We got back to the hotel about 4.30 pm and headed off to a local laundromat with Heather to catch up on the laundry before a very nice dinner with the team in the hotel.
    Les mer

  • Copenhagen

    18. mai, New Zealand ⋅ 🌧 13 °C

    A leisurely start to our Sunday. We boarded our bus at 10 am and drove to see the home of the Danish Parliament and the opera house before heading down to the new harbour which was developed in the 1600s. This is a beautiful area but packed with tourists. We then traveled to the Rosenborg Palace which has a very original interior and is home to the crown jewels. After our tour of the palace we grabbed a quick bite to eat at a 7 Eleven before viewing the Cathedral which is quite unique as it is completely round
    From there it was a quick visit to see Hans Christian Andersens Little Mermaid before returning to the hotel
    Where Gaye immediately fell into the deepest of sleeps. At 5 pm we all met up again for a short walk to the Tivoli Gardens which is a beautiful amusement park in the centre of Copenhagen. We had some free time to wander around the park before enjoying a beautiful dinner in a restaurant in the park. On the way back to the hotel it was raining lightly but we have been blessed with the weather so far. I stopped to buy the world's most expensive tee shirt on the way back and then it was time to hit the sack ahead of a big travel day tomorrow to Hamburg.
    Les mer

  • Hamburg

    19. mai, Danmark ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    After a good night's sleep I managed a run before breakfast and then it was time to pack the suitcases and get on the bus for our day traveling to Germany. Another day another country a different beer.
    The journey was uneventful with a couple of comfort stops along the way. We did pass over a shipping canal which links the North and Baltic Seas. It is over 100 kilometres long and saves ships about 400 kilometres. Very impressive. Work is underway at present on a tunnel to link Denmark and Germany which will be about 30 kilometres long.
    We arrived in Hamburg at about 4.30 pm.
    First stop was a local market for a very late lunch or a very early dinner. It was very nice as have all of the meals on the tour been.
    We then proceeded to our hotel to check in and then headed out on an evening walking tour with our guide Tilo which lasted a couple of hours. Two Hamburg women's football teams had won today and been promoted in their leagues so the celebrations were continuing into the evening. The town square was knee deep in rubbish and broken bottles. We visited the remains of St cathedral which had been largely destroyed by British bombing in WW 2 leaving the steeple as a poignant reminder to everyone of the destructive force of war.
    Les mer

  • Hamburg

    20. mai, Tyskland ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    A reasonably early start at 9 am this morning. We began what was going to be a 3 hour walking tour with a visit to St Michael's church next to the hotel. The interior is far more impressive than the outside. We then wandered down to the harbour. Hamburg is situated on the river Elbe and is almost 100 kilometres from the open sea. Despite this the port is massive. We decided to postpone the rest of the walking tour and to take a 2 hour boat trip while the tide was high meaning that we could sail through the former warehouse district. The cruise was excellent despite the commentary being in German.
    After the cruise we visited the tunnel under the river which is serviced by lifts on each side. Each lift can take 2 cars although pedestrians and cyclists seem to be the biggest users these days.
    We then had a wander through the red light district to a club where The Beatles played for 10 weeks in 1962 before becoming famous.
    It was then back to the hotel for a bit of a rest.
    At 5.30 we all met up and went to the top of the steeple pf St Michael's. It is way higher than it looks from the ground and the view is very impressive. Gaye and I then had a light dinner at a local restaurant before calling it a day.
    Les mer

  • Bremen

    21. mai, Tyskland ⋅ 🌬 19 °C

    Getting used to these leisurely starts. On the bus at 10 am heading for Brenan in Germany. Not a lot of traffic heading out of Hamburg but thousands of trucks crawling along the autobahn heading for the port of Hamburg.
    The traffic built up as we got closer to Bremen and by the time the bus stopped I was first off and looking for a bathroom. Nothing available in the hotel lobby so I charged out the back door and found a restaurant that was good enough to let me use the toilet without buying anything. I think that there may have been a look of desperation on my face. By the time I got back to the hotel all of the luggage was unloaded and in storage so we headed off on our walking tour. Bremen has a beautiful old town with buildings dating back to the 15th century. We had lunch in a local restaurant and then headed back to the hotel to check in.
    Gaye and I then wandered around the shops for a while and enjoyed an Aperol Spritz sitting in the square in the sunshine and listening to a busker playing his 4 Ed Sheran songs. Later we joined up with Linzi, Brian, Russ and Karen for another drink in the square before joining Heather and Suzanne for a bite in my restaurant at the back of hotel. It was nice to repay their kindness and we all had a very funny and enjoyable evening.
    Les mer

  • Amsterdam

    22. mai, Tyskland ⋅ 🌬 14 °C

    We were on the road at 9 am for our 5 hour journey to Amsterdam. We had a couple of stops along the way and finally arrived in Amsterdam at about 3 pm. After checking in we bundled through some washing to hang in the shower before heading out for an hours walk with our guide Tilo.
    Later we all met up for a drink in the hotel bar followed by exceptional dinner.
    Les mer

  • Amsterdam

    23. mai, Nederland ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    After a brilliant run of weather with only a few spots of rain in Copenhagen today dawned cloudy and cold. We all formed up at 10 am and walked into the heart of the city. It rained on and off and there was even a little hail but nothing to detract from the walk. Amsterdam didn't really grab us this time around having been here in the summer of 2015 after our Rhine River cruise. We saw the Royal Palace and Anne Frank's house and in the afternoon took a canal cruise. We were left to our own devices for the evening so had a very nice Nasi Goring at an Indonesian restaurant with Russ, Heather and Suzanne before retiring for the night. Looking forward to boarding our ship tomorrow for our Norwegian cruise.Les mer

  • Rotterdam

    24. mai, North Sea ⋅ 🌧 11 °C

    We boarded our bus for our transfer to Rotterdam at 11am which was also when the rain arrived. The bus took about one and a half hours to get to the cruise terminal and by then the rain had set in. On arrival it was clear that chaos reigned supreme. There had been a gastro outbreak on the previous cruise and they were undertaking a deep clean of the ship. We had been allocated a boarding time of 1 pm but the queues were several hundred metres long including a part out in the rain and we didn't get to our cabin until nearly 3 pm. A definite black mark for big ship cruising.
    Once on board we ripped the top off of a complimentary bottle of bubbles and unpacked. Our cabin is great and we were able to enjoy our departure from Rotterdam with our bubbles out on our balcony. We met up with the rest of our group at 7 pm for a drink and an excellent dinner before catching the end of a show in the theatre which was a guy playing the saxophone. It was then time for bed.
    Les mer

  • The North Sea

    25. mai, North Sea ⋅ 🌬 12 °C

    We slept in a bit and awoke to a drizzly morning. We had a nice breakfast and I met up with Brian to the Pickle Ball court for an introduction to Pickle Ball. Unfortunately the courts are on the top of the top deck and were unplayable because of the rain so we only learnt the rules, got quite wet and retired undefeated to our rooms.
    We then went and found a young person to load the ship's app onto Gaye's phone because we couldn't download it from the app store because of the age of her phone and then grabbed a quick coffee before attending a talk on Norway and the ports we would be visiting which was very entertaining.
    By then the sun had come out and Gaye was off to a Woman's Wellness talk while I caught up with Find Penguins.
    The afternoon passed with a John Grisham book from the ship's library.
    Maher Tours had arranged cocktails in the Crows Nest on deck 12 which everyone enjoyed immensely and after that we scored another free drink at the Captains welcome before noisily staggering our way to another beautiful dinner. After dinner we took in some live music in a couple of the bars before returning to our room at 10 pm to find that we were passing some islands and that a pilot was coming on board. We witnessed a lovely sunset at 10.30 pm.
    Les mer

  • Eijford

    26. mai, Norge ⋅ 🌧 8 °C

    After going to bed at 11 we were awake at 3.30 am with the sensor light in the cabin coming on every time Gaye moved. By then it was getting light so we dressed and went back up to the Crows Nest on the 12 th deck to watch the ship go under the Hardanger Bridge. We only have 2 metres of clearance so it is a spectcular sight. Both ends of the bridge come out of tunnels emerging from towering cliff faces. There is snow on some of the higher peaks but the outside temperature is not too bad at 7 degrees.
    After breakfast we met up with 4 others from our group to go ashore in the little town of Eijford which has a population of about 300 people. The fjord is about 100 kilometres long.
    We had a wander around the town and bought a cinnamon roll which is allegedly the best in the world. From there we firstly walked along the foreshore and then climbed up the hill behind the town to get a view of the boat. From there we continued inland to a lake passing a Viking burial site before following the river back to town. 15,000 steps done before lunch. Boom.
    We then boarded the ship again for lunch and a bit of a nap.
    At 3 pm we went back up to the 10th deck to see the ship depart and to have a drink before returning to our cabin for a read. At 7 pm we met up with the rest of the group for drinks and dinner before heading off to bed.
    Les mer

  • Alesund

    27. mai, Norge ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    It got a bit rock n roll in the night as we headed back out into the North Sea and headed north towards Alesund. As we lost cell phone coverage for some unknown reason my phone reset the time to France time which is an hour behind. The French Esim may be the probelm. The flow on effect was that my watch also changed and we didn't get out of bed until 9.30 am as we were docking in Alesund. We decided not to rush and told the rest of our group that we would do our own thing today and meet for drinks later. Breakfast was packed for some reason but we got a seat by the window and enjoyed our leisurely start to the day before heading ashore. Alesund was destroyed by fire in 1904 and was rebuilt in the Art Nouveau style with some lovely buildings. The town was very quiet given that it's population had nearly trebled with the arrival of our ship. I think that a lot of people may have headed off on excursions out of town Troll hunting. We enjoyed a nice coffee at a bakery and wandered the streets before I climbed up the hill behind the town for a photo op. We wandered a bit more and I bought my customary tee shirt before it started to drizzle and we returned to the ship at 2 pm for a late lunch.
    We had a quiet afternoon on board catching up on a few emails and reading and joined out team for drinks at 7 pm and dinner at 7.30. After dinner Linzi tried to organise everyone to go to a line dancing lesson. Margaret turned out to be the only starter and I took the opportunity to enlist Brian and Russell in an expedition to the bar for a whiskey.
    The ship didn't depart Alesund until 10 pm and Gaye and I watched on from our cabin until 11pm. It was still light.
    Les mer

  • Nordfjord

    28. mai, Norge ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    Not wanting a repeat of the previous morning we set the alarm for 7 am and had breakfast in the main dining room which was a nice change from the organised chaos of the Lido deck.
    The ship had docked alongside a floating dock and we met with Russ at 10 am for a wander around the town. We went to the Viking Museum and saw a replica of a viking ship which was very interesting. From there we went for a wander around town but it started to rain so we made the call to return to the ship for a coffee and a late lunch.
    We passed the afternoon reading and resting up and Gaye went for a massage before dinner.
    By the time we got to dinner the ship was heading back out into the north sea and there was a significant swell rolling in that was enough to make everyone moving around the ship look like drunks whether they had been drinking or not. I was dispatched to get the Sealegs in anticipation of a bumpy night. After dinner we went to a cabaret show and by the time we were going to bed the sea had calmed down quite a bit
    Les mer

  • Bergen

    29. mai, Norge ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    We both slept well and were up at 7 am before the ship docked in Bergen. Bergen is the second largest city in Norway and also one of the wetest so we ventured ashore on our own today carrying a pack with wet weather pants and wearing our waterproof jackets and shoes. The plan worked brilliantly and the rain stayed away all day. It was about a 20 minute walk into the old centre of Bergen which we navigated successfully and caught the funicular up to the lookout above the city. We beat the crowds and had a good look around but nearly got ambushed by a bunch of ugly trolls hiding in the woods. On returning to the bottom of the hill the queue for the funicular was huge. We then walked around the old warehouse area which is very pretty and had a coffee. We wandered around some more and then returned to the boat for a late lunch and a quiet remainder of the afternoon. Tonight was the Orange Party on board in celebration of the Dutch heritage of the Holland America line. We dressed accordingly but after dinner called it a night.Les mer

  • At Sea

    30. mai, North Sea ⋅ 🌬 14 °C

    Today the ship was at sea as we make our way back to Rotterdam arriving tomorrow morning which will mark the end of the first leg of our cruise. Gaye is suffering from a bit of a bad back which has slowly gotten worse over the last couple of weeks and is not helped by all of the walking, standing and stairs we have been doing. Hopefully an easier day will benefit her.
    We had breakfast delivered to our room this morning which was a nice change. We had intended to go to a talk this morning on what it takes to keep the ship functioning but there was standing room only when we got there 15 minutes before it was due to start so we went up to the Crows Nest for a coffee instead which was very nice. Other than a couple of ships and several oil rigs there is not a lot to see. We are meeting up with the rest of our group at 6.30 tonight in the Crows Nest to drink the remaining bottles of bubbly that were in our cabins when we first boarded. Needless to say we will not be contributing other than to help finish off the bottles.
    Les mer

  • Rotterdam

    31. mai, North Sea ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    We woke early to find that the ship was already tied up at its home port of Rotterdam. After the usual scrimmage that is breakfast in the Lido restaurant we got ready to head ashore for a look around. If I get through the next week without getting into a fight with some loud mouthed yank pushing in it will be amazing.
    Half the passengers were disembarking for good and we had to make our way off the boat with them which was a bit of an ordeal but we managed. On the way out one of the Holland America guys gave us a map and drew a suggested walking tour on it to incorporate a lot of the city sights. We followed his suggestion over the red bridge into the city centre, passing some interesting buildings until we got to the markets. The indoor markets are located in an amazing building with a beautiful mural on the ceiling. We had a great coffee and then carried on with our walk eventually coming to the which an art gallery with a mirrored facade. Very cool. Finally we made our way back to the ship over the new suspension bridge in time for a late lunch. A new influx of passengers were streaming on board for the next part of our cruise.
    Linzi, as only she can had arranged for our evening dinners this week to be at the prime table in the restaurant with a view out over the wake of the ship and for our waiters from last week to come with us.
    After dinner we took in a show which was a Dutch guitarist Mart Hillen. He was brilliant and everyone enjoyed the show. It was 24 degrees today which was in contrast to the high temperatures in Norway over the last few days of 10 or 11 degrees.
    Les mer

  • At Sea Again

    1. juni, North Sea ⋅ 🌬 11 °C

    Of our group of 13 there are only 3 of us that haven't succumbed to a cold-like bug that is nasty enough to put most people out of commission for several days. I developed a bit of a cough last night but otherwise feel okay today and even managed a bit of time on the treadmill. Gaye has avoided the bug so far but is still dealing with a sore back. After breakfast in our cabin we went to a presentation on the places we will be visiting this week. Gaye then had a water painting class before we had a late lunch at 2.15 pm followed by happy hour at 4 pm. It's a tough life. We had a read in our cabin while watching a drag race between our ship and another cruise ship on a parallel course. Not sure who won as we may have dozed off.Les mer