by Ron Largent | Sep 21, 2017 | Alborg, Asian Travel, Bergen, Copenhagen, Cruise Line Deals, Denmark, Eidfjord, European Travel, Finland, Fjords, Gdansk, Germany, Helsinki, Iceland, Iceland Hiking, Iceland Tours, Icelandair, International Travel, Latvia, Northern Europe Cruise, Norway, Poland, Russia, Special Events Travel Deals, Special travel deals, St. Petersburg, Stockholm, Sweden, Tallin, The Fjords, Travel, Travel the World, Uncategorized, Viking Cruises, Vikings, Volcano Island, Warnemunde
Located in the middle of these giant mountains, the fjords, which are bodies of sea water that flows in to the inner part of Norway (kind of like our bays)….Eidfjord is a little tiny place literally dwarfed by the soaring mountains around it. Breathtaking is an understatement…. We have never seen anything like it, including the glacier areas of Alaska. The mountains soar 4000 feet almost straight up ….. With sheer cliffs coming down to the water. We went to the museum….saw a video, and then got one, as it is the best way to show this incredible area. Not many of the cruise ships come in here as they can only handle one at a time..but well worth it if only for the natural beauty.
A bit cloudy and colder today as we are getting closer to the North Pole…..but a great day to just enjoy this incredible beauty.
By the day, becoming more impressed with Norway. Very clean, …..very, very progressive, and very industrious…..which is so key to surviving in these cold areas. By the way, leading country in the world for electric cars…all over the place..and all models…
Off to Bergen…the 2nd largest city in Norway and former capital….more later.
Located in the middle of these giant mountains, the fjords, which are bodies of sea water that flows in to the inner part of Norway (kind of like our bays)….Eidfjord is a little tiny place literally dwarfed by the soaring mountains around it. Breathtaking is an understatement…. We have never seen anything like it, including the glacier areas of Alaska. The mountains soar 4000 feet almost straight up ….. With sheer cliffs coming down to the water. We went to the museum….saw a video, and then got one, as it is the best way to show this incredible area. Not many of the cruise ships come in here as they can only handle one at a time..but well worth it if only for the natural beauty.
A bit cloudy and colder today as we are getting closer to the North Pole…..but a great day to just enjoy this incredible beauty.
By the day, becoming more impressed with Norway. Very clean, …..very, very progressive, and very industrious…..which is so key to surviving in these cold areas. By the way, leading country in the world for electric cars…all over the place..and all models…
Off to Bergen…the 2nd largest city in Norway and former capital….more later.
Day 14–Bergen
The day in Bergen started out cold and windy and continued though the day…..we got on the mid day included excursion….guide was ok but not up to the par of the others….too young and inexperienced. But this was the Panoramic Bergen excursion…so we did get to see this gorgeous city built around the fjords, with the wharf area being the world showplace. The wooden houses in various colors are on the postcards in the Bryggen area right along the harbor, Marina, etc….and it was busy, in spite of the wind and rain. Bergen has over 250 days of rain a year…so thus was a normal day for the locals…in fact they said it was pretty mild. Oil and gas and the related industries are driving this area, and even with the high taxation, is frequently voted the happiest city in the world. After the tour we told a short walk from the hotel, which was the Radisson Blu right downtown..and this was a perfect location so we walked a few doors and had a great snack in a locally owned place…..very nice. We walked for a few minutes more then decided too nasty so returned to the ship ….Audy had a good rest and I decided to explore more….and went back out to see what we had not seen in the downtown area such as the fish markets and other shopping areas. Rain and wind off and on but got to see their main shopping and tourist areas….very impressive. The plan was to stay on the ship this night and then disembark the next morning….and go on another city tour…which we did and this one covers additional parts of the city..well done…and then to the hotel, as we were then on the Bergen to Oslo extension. After lunch locally we walked through the fish market areas and saw the sights as today the weather turned sunny and the area is so beautiful. Got to the food area and, along with the other thousand tourists got to have our Local pancake and ate it standing along the stores and shops….just enjoying the locals, Etc…
After a rest went down the street to a Brew and Bar…and clearly one of the most delicious hamburgers we have ever had, Norwegian style. Back to the hotel and prepared for the early departure from the hotel to the train to Oslo. 68 folks on the extension so we got on the train early for a good seat..so the start of a good day.
In Summary, Bergen is a must, and is a must for many of the Cruise lines…due to the history connections with the Vikings and with the historic trade of the area. Due to its critical location, it was a key player in the Hanseatic League….which established traders the primary reason for being . Bergen was the capital of Norway with the King living here…and being the center of the fishing trade…started out being a wealthy city..and then with the oil discovery in 1969….one very wealthy and affluent place. Well worth the time. Off to Oslo…
by Ron Largent | Sep 20, 2017 | Alborg, Asian Travel, Copenhagen, Cruise Line Deals, Denmark, European Travel, Finland, Gdansk, Germany, Helsinki, Iceland, Iceland Hiking, Iceland Tours, Icelandair, International Travel, Latvia, Poland, Russia, Special Events Travel Deals, Special travel deals, St. Petersburg, Stockholm, Sweden, Tallin, Travel, Travel the World, Uncategorized, Volcano Island, Warnemunde
Copenhagen…..and Denmark……what a place. A very full all day….and it was so impressive. Almost ready to move there…kind of place. Bikes galore…..industrious, super clean….and a lot to see. This is another 2 day minimum place…as there is so much to do and see. The city with its port and huge river and being on the ocean….is oriented around water…..and from the Little Mermaid to the magnificent Cathedral….this place is a must. We came within a few minutes of seeing the Queen off on her yacht….but did get to see the cars and the stuff getting getting ready for her trip. It is a major city, but very easy to walk around so we took the tour bus back to the ship then caught the shuttle back downtown to see the churches. More churches than any other European city we have ever seen….and wonderful organs, etc. It became a very hot day…so we were “bushed” when we got back to the ship. A wonderful city……must come back and spend more time….and we have some great stories to tell about the tour leader on the bus, etc…just a very enjoyable day.
Audy can tell you about getting back on ship….but a great day in a great city…we saw a lot in a short time.
by Ron Largent | Sep 15, 2017 | Alborg, Asian Travel, Cruise Line Deals, European Travel, Finland, Gdansk, Helsinki, Iceland, Iceland Hiking, Iceland Tours, Icelandair, International Travel, Latvia, Poland, Russia, Special Events Travel Deals, Special travel deals, St. Petersburg, Stockholm, Sweden, Tallin, Travel, Travel the World, Uncategorized, Volcano Island
Greetings all…..we are now in Alborg, Denmark…..and have had some great days. Needless to say, each day has been packed with tours and lectures, etc….here are some highlights….
1. Gdansk is a marvel, in that it was a heavily destroyed city during WW II……and has been completely rebuilt. Right on the water, it has always been a trading center….but now it is a very modern and progressive major shipping city. We walked the Old Town along the canal that was once the major loading area from the Baltic for all of Poland. This was on Saturday and was part of their 3 week period of independence…so on this day was their marathon race…and we were right in the middle if it. A gorgeous city thus is a must to see….
2. From Gdansk we sailed on to Warnemunde…..where we got off the ship and directly on to the train for the 3 hour ride into Berlin. The train was older but very fast and comfortable and we arrived into Berlin about 10:30 am….we then had an hour bus ride around the city…and then free time, which we used to ride the hop on hop off for about 2 hours.
3. Suffice it to say that both Audy and I were overwhelmed with what has happened in Berlin…primarily east Berlin. It is now a hug city with massive development, especially in east Berlin. We were very disappointed in that the old is largely gone…replaced by new and very modern. The city has spent millions to bring it to the point of leading cities of the world. The Hop On was not as god as usual …… Not as many stops, etc….and all in all….Probably will not go back to Berlin….just to big and so different that what we have seen in the past. We got back in the train and back to the ship by 8:30 pm…a long day. But, for someone that has not known Berlin in the past ……a good day tour and experience.
So, 2 busy days….and good days….Gdansk was the bright spot…..but Berlin has so much for a few hours….maybe 3 days minimum…..
by Ron Largent | Sep 12, 2017 | Asian Travel, Cruise Line Deals, European Travel, Iceland, Iceland Hiking, Iceland Tours, Icelandair, International Travel, Special Events Travel Deals, Special travel deals, Stockholm, Sweden, Travel, Travel the World, Uncategorized, Volcano Island
Today is our day at sea between Tallinn, Estonia and Gdansk, Poland ….so have a relaxing day with seminars, etc…and it is a beautiful day at sea…
We got a bit behind on my daily updates as we just got busy with excursions and they have been great …yesterday was in Tallinn in Estonia. Very impressed. The city has combined the ultimate in modern design surrounding the historic and totally restored Old Town….they are one of the most highly developed technology cities in the world, and is the seat of the NATO computer protection system. Kind of a Silicon Valley in Northern Europe….and Internet everywhere. The city mixes the old and new very well…and is obviously a very wealthy city and country……with luxury cars abounding. They have capitalized on the Cruise Ship business with 4 big ships in port yesterday….and same expected today. The setting right on the water is very impressive and with the Old Town built inside the wall you can look down from the higher ground, so views are spectacular .
Two days in St Petersburg was great. Just too much to put here…other than to say the Hermitage museum is clearly among the most impressive museums in the world. St Petersburg is very very tourist friendly…and as such the crowds are almost overwhelming. Both Audy and I said at about the same time….biggest crowds we have ever been in..as we were exiting the museum…then the lines outside were a block long. Kind of a Disneyland on steroids……in terms of crowds. We were also able to go to Peterhof Palace….and again…..magnificent.
The evening at Swan Lake was, as expected, superb. We were in row 7….literally the best seats in the house. Truly outstanding .
The city of St Petersburg is also very impressive combining the old and the new…the pre communist with the post…and then the past 20 years making the city a world class metro area. It is now not only the 2nd largest city in Russia but now a destination resort for Russians as it is right on the water with great access to Finland and Scandinavia. A great place to visit and stay for a few days to see all. Very modern and very convenient
Helsinki was a delight to visit and a place to go back to. The excursion was perfect as we got to see the city and what has made it and the country great. Very modern and progressive and very busy with a lot of building and development. Being the shipbuilding capital of the world we were also able to see the giant ice breaker ships …
So, the Cruise so far has been wonderful. Everything we expected and the some. Overall impression of this part of the world is much as what we found in the Mediterranean……..Europe is moving ahead of the US in many ways, in my opinion. Certainly equal if not exceeding metro city development….same with technology….same with education, emphasizing science and technology. Obviously the weather here in Northern Europe is somewhat limiting, as the winter days are short and cold….but they are doing so well to offset that by modern technology in building and metro development, such as indoor malls, etc.
On to Gdansk, Poland tomorrow…….a great time.
by Ron Largent | Sep 5, 2017 | Asian Travel, Cruise Line Deals, European Travel, Iceland, Iceland Hiking, Iceland Tours, Icelandair, International Travel, Special Events Travel Deals, Special travel deals, Stockholm, Sweden, Travel, Travel the World, Uncategorized, Volcano Island
Left the hotel at 4 am….very easy check in and relaxing wait til flight at 7:30…..flew a new 757 on Icelandia….got into Stockholm at 1…great 40 minute bus ride to ship in the harbor which is downtown….unpacked and resting. Dinner at 7… Gorgeous warm weather at about 75…more to
by Ron Largent | Aug 12, 2016 | Alaska, Alborg, Asian Travel, Bergen, Copenhagen, Cruise Line Deals, Denmark, Eidfjord, European Travel, Finland, Fjords, Gdansk, Germany, Glacier Bay, Glaciers, Helsinki, Holland America Cruise Lines, Iceland, Iceland Hiking, Iceland Tours, Icelandair, International Travel, Juneau, Latvia, Northern Europe Cruise, Norway, Poland, Russia, Sawyer, Sitka, South Sawyer Glacier, Special Events Travel Deals, Special travel deals, St. Petersburg, Stockholm, Sweden, Tallin, The Fjords, Tracy Arn Fjord, Travel, Travel the World, Uncategorized, Viking Cruises, Vikings, Volcano Island, Warnemunde
Monday was our day in Juneau and we arrived about 11:30am…..and disembarked about noon to find our excursion which is to the Tracy Arn Fjord and on to the South Sawyer Glacier and then back to the Sawyer Glacier. These are historic Glaciers that have become popular as they are not so massive that you cannot get up close to them but can actually get up to within a mile as we did. Tracy Arn Fjord runs south from Juneau and is about a 3 hour jet boat trip to the Glacier itself. Enroute we saw a couple of whales but nothing like our return where a couple of them decided to out on a show. At one pint in the return we just stopped, turned off the engines and watched. The boats are about 40 passenger tri hull style that sits about 2 feet in the water so as to go over the small ice patches easily. There is the captain in front in a small cabin then a covered and uncovered upper level and an enclosed seated area with small toilet and crew area for snacks Etc on the main level. These are older boats but quite safe and very functional for this kind of trip, and they have been doing this for years. All 3 crew members talk and explain what we are going through and one of the crew members, Ryan, really put on a show that the end. Very funny…talented guys. Very cute and a story in itself as I woke up laughing about them.
The Glaciers are so hard to describe as they are combinations of ancient ice, sediment, new rain that turns to snow and ice, and the natural elements. The result is the most unusual colors and configuration that one could imagine…see to believe kind of thing. At South Sawyer we got fairly close but the at Sawyer we got up real close and that is where Ryan went out on the side rail and scooped up ice that we then got a photo with. It was here that we went up to the captains area and spent about 30 minutes as he held the boat steady and we watched for the ice to calve, or fall, from the main Glacier. Small pieces kept falling off and all of the photographers were up on the top with their big cameras waiting for that big moment when the big piece would fall off. Well, finally it did…quite an event, as the guide told us that this was a rare occasion….and we were there.
The trip back was interrupted 3 or 4 times by stopping to watch the whales. At one point a whale was swimming with us about 1/4 mile from the boat…..doing his dives, etc and putting on quite a show.
Got back to the dock at 9 and caught the shuttle bus back the short distance to the ship area and back on the ship and to our room….a great day
