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UK, Baltic Capitals & Norway
  • Laura Folk
  • Laura Folk

UK, Baltic Capitals & Norway

A 30-day adventure by Laura Read more
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  • Trip start
    September 23, 2025
    Laura FolkUK, Baltic Capitals & NorwayTraveler

    On Our Way

    September 23, 2025 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    We went to DCA last night to pick up a rental car. Interestingly, it costs less to rent a car for drop-off at Dulles than to take a ride-share or taxi. I reserved a compact, realizing it would be a tad cramped with our luggage- surprise! I got a mini-van. It was the first time I drove a Hybrid. Learning something new every day.

    We left for the airport at 5:30 pm- very uneventful drive. I dropped Wayne and the bags at the terminal, and returned the rental car. I took the bus back, we tagged our bags, went to TSA Pre✓, then back to the United desk to get W's Global Entry number attached to his account.

    I had 2 complementary United Lounge passes, so we spent our pre-flight time enjoying that perk. (Good thing, because the Priority Pass only gives discount on food purchase in this terminal.)

    We boarded after a bit of a hike to the gate- C-3. The sign said C 1-14. I thought, "Great- it's right here!". Except that 14 ended up being the closest gate, rather than 1.

    Our seats were great- 22 F and K- last row in Premium Economy Plus, so we could recline with no one behind us. During boarding, there was some dispute over the seat in front of me. Apparently someone decided to switch seats. The original owner held her ground, respectfully, and the usurper went to her very similar seat on the other side of the plane.

    And up we went.    Read more

  • Laura FolkUK, Baltic Capitals & NorwayTraveler

    London-Arrival Day

    September 24, 2025 in England ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Our landing was the smoothest I recall. I think our Captain must have been Navy. Enough of the "Lady Driver" jokes!

    Immigration was so quick- scan the passport and that was that. We collected our bags, and purchased train tickets to Paddington (£20 ea- senior fare). We waited a very long time for an elevator to the train level. It's quite a hike from the airport to the Heathrow Express station. If we do it again, we might take advantage of the carts, although we did all right with our wheelie-bags.

    From Paddington we caught a taxi to our hotel (about £12) the DoubleTree Marble Arch.

    We were able to check in around 1 pm, got settled, and took naps. We had dinner at The Three Tuns pub across from the hotel. Of course, I didn't have my phone with me, so no pics of the pub. It was right out of the movies. We shared some calimari a hamburger, chips (fries) and a Guinness apiece.    Read more

  • Laura FolkUK, Baltic Capitals & NorwayTraveler

    London+ Greenwich

    September 25, 2025 in England ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    We had a nice breakfast in the hotel. Then back to the room to get sorted out for our trip to Greenwich. It was a short walk to the Bond Street station, past Marks & Spencer and Selfridge's. The London Underground is easy to manage- either tap on and off with a credit card, or purchase a reloadable Oyster Card.

    We took a taxi from Greenwich North Station to the Royal Naval Observatory where we got to stand on the Prime Meridian and experience true Zulu time. The Royal Astronomers did a lot of work to identify the Prime Meridian, with Halley and Bradley off the mark, and Airy finally pinning it down (as far as we know.)

    After absorbing history, science, and culture, we walked down to the Maritime Museum for a snack. Outside is the largest ship-in-a-bottle I've ever seen. I went to the Queen's house to visit the loo, and ended up going through the whole place first- it's just to the left of the entrance. But I got to see the beautiful Tulip Staircase- apparently the first free-standing staircase, with steps incorporated into the walls.

    Our walk to the Cutty Sark took us through the grounds of the Old Royal Naval College- on the site of the now-gone castle built by Henry VII where Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, and Mary were born. Then, Cutty Sark, and an Uber back to the station.

    Since we were going past Selfridge's, we decided to stop in, and downstairs found Harry Gordon's Spanish- themed bar. We enjoyed Charcuterie, Rioja sangria, and Diet Coke, and called it dinner.    Read more

  • Laura FolkUK, Baltic Capitals & NorwayTraveler

    Cotswolds

    September 26, 2025 in England ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    We had an early morning - breakfast then took an Uber to our day- trip meeting spot for The Cotswolds.

    We met our guide, Rob, and off we went for our visits to 4 towns.

    Burford was the first. I happened upon a clothing shop- picked up a couple of gifts & a sparkly poppy pin for me. We walked about, and went to St John the Baptist Anglican Church - a beautiful church started in 1125 and completed in 1500. There are scores of lovely needlepointed kneelers, and several impressive chapels.

    Bibury- Arlington Row, is probably the most photographed representation of The Cotswolds. Bibury was central to wool production until the Industrial Revolution. The wool was from Cotswold sheep which are rare now, since it's (sadly) not cost efficient to raise them for wool.

    Bourton on the Water- this really cute town is called "Venice of the Cotswolds." A bit of a stretch. There's a lovely clear river running through the middle with some quaint stone footbridges- but Venice? We had lunch at The Chippery- fish & chips and 1-3/4 beers for him (after part of one spilled whole being served), calimari and hot chocolate for me.

    Stow on the Wold- The "Yew Door" on St Edward's Church is said to be the inspiration for Tolkein's drawing of the Doors of Durin. (Or maybe someone just made it up.)
    We had Guinness at the Porch House - the Oldest Inn in England.

    On the way back we listened to Gerry Rafferty & The Proclaimers (I'm Gonna Be (500 miles)) who recorded in Chipping Norton which was a tiny village but has turned crazy expensive with all sorts of celebrities living there now.

    And back to Kensington Station, and a tube ride back to Bond Street. Stopped at Cosi to pick up an Americano, a Diet Coke and a tuna melt.    Read more

  • Laura FolkUK, Baltic Capitals & NorwayTraveler

    London to Southampton

    September 27, 2025 in England ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    We bade farewell to the lovely staff at Doubletree Marble Arch, and took a taxi to Waterloo Station. We got to see the sites again .. and noticed the fierce pokie-y fence topper on top of the Buckingham Palace fence.

    The train ride to Southampton Central was uneventful, as was the taxi to the Holiday Inn Express West.

    Dinner was at a pub/restaurant a short walk from the hotel. Wayne had a yummy steak & ale pie, while I had some chicken strips. And, of course, Guinness.    Read more

  • Laura FolkUK, Baltic Capitals & NorwayTraveler

    A Laid-back Day in Southampton

    September 28, 2025 in England ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    We slept late, and had the hotel breakfast. On the advice of a couple we met last night, we walked over to the restaurant and bought a bus day pass- £9 to cover both of us.

    The 17 bus goes through many, many neighborhoods and ends up downtown near Primark and the WestQuay Mall. We walked around and found my Flying Tiger- Copenhagen store. It moved from the last location we visited. Since my brand new pens hadn't worked, I got some new pens and clips, and some nut bars.

    Wayne needed a sit-down, so we found a secluded Cosi in a store, and enjoyed some quiet and bevs. I also picked up a tea cake (sort of like a cross between an English muffin and a hamburger bun, with raisins. I ate half and saved the rest in my ever-handy ziplock bag.

    I got some makeup at Boots, then we walked across the walking street which had trees welcoming Fall. Then through Primark, and back onto a 17 bus.

    We thought it was very convenient that the bus dropped us off at the restaurant - but discovered that reservations were needed for inside seating. It was a tad too cool for us to sit outside, so we went back to the hotel and had a bite in their dining room.    Read more

  • Laura FolkUK, Baltic Capitals & NorwayTraveler

    All Aboard

    September 29, 2025 in England ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    Breakfast in the hotel dining area- I had the other half of my "tea cake" from yesterday. I asked for my icepack, which I asked to go in the freezer last night. Apparently they put it in the fridge instead. The nice young man put it in front of the freezer blower, and I picked it up as we were leaving. Our Uber arrived to take us to our ship, NCL Star at the Horizon Terminal. Except that our parking space was occupied by a Disney ship. One of the security people told us that Star was at Queen Mary 2's berth (about a mile away). It took awhile, but we finally got there. I felt really badly for the people who were walking from the bus stop. I found out there were Quay shuttles - hope they were able to find them quickly. We dropped off our bags, and went to check in.

    It doesn't always happen, but our Latitudes actually had an express benefit. We checked in right away, then stood in a short security queue. Quick & easy. We boarded and went to our muster station, then to O'Sheehans where we had Chef salads and waited (at our server Jonathan's suggestion) until our stateroom was ready.

    We received a Diamond upgrade to balcony 11620- nice setup, decent sized balcony. The Bowcam channel was playing Hawaiian music. I was texting with Julianna who rightly noted that they should be playing ABBA.

    We had dinner at La Cucina- Wayne had pasta e fagioli and scaloppini al Marsala, with panna cotta for dessert. I ate the shrimp portion of pasta al gamberi. We watched The Five at Ten, set the clocks forward, and to sleep.    Read more

  • Laura FolkUK, Baltic Capitals & NorwayTraveler

    Sea Day- Meet & Greet

    September 30, 2025, North Sea ⋅ 🌬 13 °C

    Got a love a Sea Day. We had the Meet & Greet this morning in Le Bistro - met with some of the officers, and a lot of nice people.

    We had Mixology at SpiceH2O. Fun- they've reduced it to 4 tastes vice the previous 8 (which, to be fair, was a lot.) I went out to the aft Adults only area- very nice. I was able to nab a lounge chair. I took the opportunity to do some Italian lessons, and caught a nap.

    Dinner was at Aqua- brisket for me and bluefish for Wayne, topped off with shared strudel.

    It being September 30, I raised a Jamison (no Dalwhinnie available) in memory of the best Mom ever.    Read more

  • Laura FolkUK, Baltic Capitals & NorwayTraveler

    Gothenburg - Haga

    October 1, 2025 in Sweden ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    Grabbed a bite at the Garden Cafe, and went back to the room to watch the docking. Our excursion is at 1:15, so went down to Bliss for a sit before a chicken salad sandwich at O'Sheehans.

    We met our bus for a drive around Gothenburg. The city is only @400 years old, and has a rich Maritime history. We visited the Masthugg church- I discovered it's Church of Sweden- a Lutheran related denomination, which came about during the Swedish revolution. Great views from the area in front of the Church.

    We then went to Haga- an area of Gothenburg with lots of shops and cafes. Cinnamon buns are a thing, and all the cafes had them- so when in Haga... we did, too. These people take their cinnamon rolls seriously - the large ones are about 10" across. We shared a small one, and it was plenty.

    A drive around gave us some more scenic views, including statues of Poseidon and Gustavus Adolfus. Then return to the ship. We sat for awhile in O'Sheehans, listening to a string trio that made contemporary music sound classical.

    We rested a bit then popped up to the Garden Cafe - a little nosh and crepes.    Read more

  • Laura FolkUK, Baltic Capitals & NorwayTraveler

    Another Sea Day

    October 2, 2025 in Sweden ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

    We had a laid back Sea Day - lunch in Versailles. We sat by the aft windows. The last time I had that view, we were being towed to Melbourne.

    The Latitudes reception was a nice get-together, and we met some interesting people.

    We had dinner at Ginza- sushi for both, duck spring rolls, lo mein & mango/strawberry tapioca for him, spare ribs, scallop & shrimp, and lychee rolls for me.    Read more

  • Laura FolkUK, Baltic Capitals & NorwayTraveler

    Stockholm

    October 3, 2025 in Sweden ⋅ 🌙 5 °C

    We had a great day in Stockholm. We docked in Nynäshamn, and boarded our bus. Our tour guide did a good job of explaining the development of Stockholm, and the Maritime history.

    We went to the Vasa Museum, named for the ill- fated ship that traveled less than a mile after launching in 1628, before foundering and sinking. It was top-heavy, as there were two upper levels with cannon, and not enough ballast. There was a "breeze"- not even categorized as wind, that caused the ship to list. Then water entered the cannon holes, and down she went. The cold water preserved the ship for over 350 years, resulting in nearly 95% original structure being preserved.

    We had free time and found a nice little cafe for lunch.I had a spinach and cheese pie, while Wayne had a huge ham and cheese sandwich. We had time to walk around some more, and found an IKEA. I wished that we had thought to find it before we ate- could have had meatballs!

    While waiting for the bus, we saw soldiers marching in front of the Royal Palace for changing of the Guard.

    The Military Tribute was in the evening. Another nice get-together.    Read more

  • Laura FolkUK, Baltic Capitals & NorwayTraveler

    Tallinn, Estonia

    October 4, 2025 in Estonia ⋅ ☀️ 3 °C

    After a brief breakfast, we headed to the Stardust for our excursions. Wayne did a Medieval Estonia tour, while my choice was Jewish Heritage of Tallinn.

    Our group was fairly small. The tour guide was interesting and had a really good grasp of the impact of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. He also understood the political impacts on other religions.

    Since it was Saturday, we couldn't go into the Synagogue, which was completed in 2007, and was the first synagogue in Estonia since WWII. We did see the Rabbi and two of his children on their way to the synagogue.

    In Old Tallinn we visited the Roman Orthodox Church, and saw the old walls. We went to an overlook area where we could see the rooftops which looked like a storybook. I got a warm pair of mittens, and a cup of glögg along with some almonds.

    We then traveled to the Klooga camp, stopping along the way at a little tea shop. After using the facilities, I picked up some apple pastries to share with Wayne.

    The Klooga camp was a work camp that was in existence for about 2 years. There was a terrible massacre that killed some 2000 people in one day.

    We returned to the ship, and dinner at Cagney's.    Read more

  • Laura FolkUK, Baltic Capitals & NorwayTraveler

    Sea Day #3

    October 6, 2025, Baltic Sea ⋅ 🌬 14 °C

    It was a good day, but not much to document.

    We had breakfast with a very nice young lady and her Mom from near Windsor, and Pat and Arty who we had dinner with last night.

    We were supposed to go to a wine tasting this morning, but there was a mix-up since the date had been changed and a bunch of us weren't on the list. We could have waited, and I'm sure they would have arranged something, but we chose not to pursue it.

    I've got a cough and congestion - attacking with guaf, dm, and Sudafed. Better living through chemistry.    Read more

  • Laura FolkUK, Baltic Capitals & NorwayTraveler

    Copenhagen

    October 7, 2025 in Denmark ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    🎼🎵🎶Beautiful, Beautiful Copenhagen🎶🎵

    I first learned about Copenhagen as a kid while reading The Happy Hollisters and the Mystery of the Little Mermaid.

    Our excursion was very interesting. We saw the Little Mermaid, Nike - WWI Sailor memorial, Maersk headquarters. The Refuse disposal plant not only incinerates trash, it generates power, and there's a ski slope on top. And the smoke is apparently very clean.

    We saw houses where Hans Christian Andersen lived (red & orange houses) the Opera House where he worked, and across from Tivoli Gardens the Hans Christian Andersen Experience - colocated with Ripley's Believe it or Not - which tells the story of his life, and tells several of the stories he wrote. My favorite is The Little Match Girl. I remember Dad reading it to me. It still brings tears... Poor little match girl.

    Across from the Tivoli is a weather feature that tells the temperature and weather. There's a girl on a bike for fair weather. She carries an umbrella when it's raining.
    We saw several palaces. The Amelienborg Palace, where the King lives, had a lot of activity going on. We later saw the Christiansborg Palace where government takes place.

    Copenhagen is truly beautiful.    Read more

  • Laura FolkUK, Baltic Capitals & NorwayTraveler

    Sea Day #4

    October 8, 2025, Skagerrak ⋅ 🌬 13 °C

    I always love a Sea Day. I went to the Ginza restaurant where we can sit and read or whatever. I had some charting to work on, so I settled in and got a project finished.

    We had dinner at Le Bistro. Delicious as always, with good service.Read more

  • Laura FolkUK, Baltic Capitals & NorwayTraveler

    Ijmuiden -Amsterdam

    October 9, 2025 in the Netherlands ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    These are not the windmills you are looking for...

    We docked in Ijmuiden, which is about an hour's drive from Amsterdam.

    I did another Jewish Cultural tour. I am very interested in Judaism, as it is the basis of my faith. It was a packed short day, made shorter by traffic back up due to an accident.

    We started with a walking tour through the old Jewish Quarter, where our guide, Frank, gave a narrative about the typical life of community members. There are small metal plaques outside homes of people who were deported.

    The Sephardic (Spanish /Portuguese) and Ashkanazi (Eastern Europe) communities lived in the same area, but did not intermingle very much. The Sephardic Synagogue is huge and beautiful, built in the 1600s. Since it is so large, and has no electricity or heating, there is a Winter Synagogue in the complex. The interior is much cozier.

    We went to the Holocaust Memorial, which memorializes the 102,000 who were deported, most to Auschwitz and Sobibor. It is overwhelming to see all the bricks, each containing the name, birthdate, and age at death of a person. The walls zigzag through the memorial, and it's not possible to get the full impact in pictures. We saw Anne Frank's (Annelies Frank) and her sister Margot's bricks, as well as an unrelated Anna Frank- the names of my grandparents.

    The last stop was the Jewish Museum, built in 4 connected synagogues that are no longer active for worship. It highlighted worship, community , family, and social issues. I would have liked more time there, but we had a 1:15 all-aboard.

    The last spot we visited on our walk was a memorial to Auschwitz victims- 6 large cracked mirrors. Below the mirrors are some ashes of those memorialized.

    And, of course, stuff happens. We were back in time but the card reader was down, resulting in a line that went from the ship to the terminal, and a long wait.    Read more

  • Laura FolkUK, Baltic Capitals & NorwayTraveler

    Southampton - Turnaround Day

    October 10, 2025 in England ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Alarm went off at 6:15. We had our belongings packed up last night, so not too much to do this morning. We had to be out of the room by 7 am. We went down to the Atrium, and there weren't many people there.

    We hung around for awhile, since a) nothing was open and b) no one could get off the ship yet . When we were finally allowed to get off, we proceeded to the gangway. No sooner had we arrived, than we were directed to go back inside because they had to make adjustments. So we waited, and eventually everything was sorted.

    We walked to Boots, the CVS of Great Britain, to get some menthol cough drops. Then to IKEA. Interestingly, it wasn't open, but they unlocked within a couple of minutes. We went to the restaurant where I picked up a couple of cinnamon rolls, a coffee, and a Vintersaga drink for Wayne. We were checking watches, cellphones, and my hotspot - and the times were different. We asked the time of a man sitting behind us. We were an hour off. We missed a time change, and got up at 5:15!

    I picked up some snacks to give to the stewards, and on we went. We walked through the mall, and got a new battery in Wayne's spare watch. My Fitbit is not syncing, and I don't want to lose my steps, so I have a watch that tells the current time, as well as one that tells the time at home.

    We walked some more, and saw Yates Pub, where we ate a couple of years ago. Wayne had a Guinness, and then we took a taxi back to the ship. We were able to go to the head of the line, as back to back passengers.

    When the rooms were ready, we were glad to see that all our luggage had been moved, and we settled in.    Read more

  • Laura FolkUK, Baltic Capitals & NorwayTraveler

    Sea Day #2/1

    October 11, 2025, North Sea ⋅ 🌬 13 °C

    This morning we had our Meet & Greet for this cruise. We had a good showing, and lots of good tips were exchanged - not the least of which was my advice on how to open the butter packets.

    The officers shared their time with us.

    It was a laid- back day- Latitudes Reception, and then dinner at Moderno- the Brazilian Restaurant.    Read more

  • Laura FolkUK, Baltic Capitals & NorwayTraveler

    Stavanger, Norway

    October 12, 2025 in Norway ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    We took the Hop-on-Hop-Off bus around Stavanger. It's a beautiful town, with vistas and peaked houses, and charm all over.

    We decided to take a second run, sitting on the opposite side of the bus.

    Probably the most striking was the Sverd I Fjell- three massive swords in a rock to commemorate the unification of Norway in 872 by Harald Fairhair. The 3 swords symbolize Peace, Unity, and Freedom.

    Walking back toward the ship from the cathedral, we saw a statue of Alexander Kielland, a Norwegian author who was sporting a huge seagull on his top hat.

    We visited a couple of gift shops, where I saw a Viking rubber duck, and the cutest little dog who gave me a puppy fix.

    Admiral Thor Horve's statue was across from our ship. He was a WWII hero, capturing a German transport vessel and taking it to England. He spent most of the war in England as a commander and staff officer.

    The ship's crew welcomed us back with hot chicken soup -so good.    Read more

  • Laura FolkUK, Baltic Capitals & NorwayTraveler

    Ålesund, Norway

    October 13, 2025 in Norway ⋅ 🌧 11 °C

    We had a late arrival, so took the opportunity to sleep in. I peeked through the curtain, and saw that at least the starboard side looked like fjord- high sheer mountain. So we went to the Garden Cafe and saw beautiful islands and houses as we entered the port.

    It was another Hop-on-Hop-off day for us, with a trip around the peninsula. It was drizzling, so we opted to stay on the bus.

    When we got back to the port, we decided to walk through the town. I found a yarn store that also carried traditional Norwegian dress, handcrafted knits by local knitter's, and other items. I picked up a mittens kit and a wristlet/scarf kit.

    Then to a store that sold meats and cheeses. I picked up a piece of brown cheese, a slicer, and some oat crackers.

    Our next stop was a nice, quiet cafe where Wayne enjoyed a hot chocolate and a slice of chocolate torte. I had a cafe mocha and a sveler with brown cheese. We thoroughly enjoyed our choices.    Read more

  • Laura FolkUK, Baltic Capitals & NorwayTraveler

    Sea Day #2/2

    October 14, 2025, Norwegian Sea ⋅ 🌬 10 °C

    Another lazy Sea Day. I spent some time at the Ginza restaurant where we can hang out during the day. I worked on charting a prayer verse for the Nelly's sampler pattern.

    I spoke with a man who saw Northern Lights last night. Sadly, it looks like it will be cloudy tonight, and raining for the next couple of days. Then we were treated to a beautiful rainbow - unusual, because it is clear out now.

    Back in the room I did a test stitch of the charting I started.. It doesn't look bad, but I think I need to change the size a bit.

    We had dinner at La Cucina, and met a lovely couple from Brisbane who got engaged last week in Paris.    Read more

  • Laura FolkUK, Baltic Capitals & NorwayTraveler

    Tromsø

    October 15, 2025 in Norway ⋅ 🌧 8 °C

    What a rainy day. We had scheduled a 3-hour walking tour, but I misread the meeting point info. And since it was pouring out, I let them know that we wouldn't be joining.

    We sat in the Atrium and had a coffee and a chat with some nice Australians. We decided to take a taxi to the City Center. There are nice shops and a walking street. The shop on the square had a lovely assortment of local snacks, including sausages made from whale, reindeer, and moose. They tasted like sausages. There were Norwegian knits, ornaments, and typical souvenirs. Wayne got his typical ball cap, and I got a rain hat that does a great job.

    We stopped at a coffee shop for hot bevs and pastries.

    Back at the ship, we doffed the soggy duds and enjoyed a rest.

    Quick dinner at O'Sheehans, followed by a blueberry crepe in the Garden Cafe. We spoke with Tim & Lisa who we first met last winter on an excursion in Vietnam. I made a pseudo "medicine ball" since I'm still battling what I call "kennel cough."    Read more

  • Laura FolkUK, Baltic Capitals & NorwayTraveler

    Alta--oops, Fjord Day-Sea Day #2/3

    October 16, 2025 in Norway ⋅ 🌧 3 °C

    We woke up to a blustery day. The water looked a bit choppy, and I thought, "hmmm- gonna be interesting on the tender. We planned to take a tender, then a shuttle to the town. Upstairs at breakfast, the Captain came on the speaker and uncharacteristically, everyone was quiet and listened. He explained that a tender had been lowered and went ashore with a medical emergency. During the process they determined that due to the high winds and sea state, it would be too dangerous to carry out tendering. So- we had a pilot aboard, and spent the day traversing the fjords. It was beautiful, and an opportunity we wouldn't have had otherwise.

    I sat in Ginza and worked on the needlework charting, making a lot of progress.

    After a bite of lunch, I went to the room, and realized we had an additional specialty meal, so we decided to go to Ginza for dinner.

    So good- sushi, and a couple of shrimp dishes. We shared rice pudding with mango for dessert. I ended my evening by fixing another "medicine ball" to hopefully put an end to the "kennel cough."    Read more

  • Laura FolkUK, Baltic Capitals & NorwayTraveler

    Intentional Sea Day #2-3 (4)

    October 17, 2025, Norwegian Sea ⋅ 🌬 7 °C

    Spent time in Ginza, working on the pattern, and finished it! I had a nice view of Norway's coast.

    After lunch we rested, and then had dinner at Le Bistro.

    At about 10:30 we headed topside in hopes of seeing Northern Lights. It was a busy. I think it's the Norwegian gods' way of trying to make us come back. We were told that the Lights show up better through pictures. I have a bunch of black pictures, and one that is probably ship smoke.

    We had a hot bevs, and then to bed.    Read more

  • Laura FolkUK, Baltic Capitals & NorwayTraveler

    Kristiansund, Norway

    October 18, 2025 in Norway ⋅ 🌬 8 °C

    What a gem! This is a beautiful town with lots of interesting parks, statues, churches, shopping of all types, and lovely cafes. And all this on a Saturday when most everything is closed.

    The Klipfish woman statue is to commemorate the women who contributed so significantly to that industry.

    There were some Christmas shops, with lots of cute ornaments, nutcrackers, tree alternatives and great decorating ideas.

    A gift shop next door had legit foul weather gear, sweaters, handmade knits and tsoschkes. We walked further down the street to a grocery store, where I picked up some more snacks for our steward, and had fun looking at the different lutefisk- including lutefisk bacon.

    We found a cozy cafe- "Plan A" (I don't even want to ask...) where we had coffee, cocoa, and a pastry. We were joined by a couple of Australian ladies from Adelaide and had a nice chat.

    We then headed up the hill to see the Kirkenlandet Church. It's very modern- doesn't look at all like a church from the outside, but inside has lots of stained glass panels and an impressive organ. I gave an offering and lit a candle for everyone on my prayer list.

    Back at the ship we had another really nice Military Reception, staying after for a bit to see Venus and B-12. Dinner was at Versailles.    Read more

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