Scandinavian Capitals Land Tour

September 12 – 21, 2011

I was not able to post anything during the land part of the trip because I could not charge the battery on my computer.  I had brought my transformer and proper plugs that work in the countries that I was visiting, but I hadn’t noticed before I left that the transformer accepts only 2- bladed American plugs, and my computer has the third ground wire prong, so it wouldn’t fit.  Fortunately, I could charge my camera’s batteries and the cell phone because those have the two-pronged plugs.
I became sort of a charging service for several people who didn’t bring transformers or European plugs.  Although I was frustrated, I was glad that the equipment I brought benefited someone.  Now that I am on the ship, it is equipped with 110 volt sockets that accept three-pronged plugs.  So…I am back in business.

I will not attempt to recount each day of the land tour (aren’t you thankful?).  Even so, this is a long post because it would have been 10 instead of one. 

 Suffice it to say, I was in the bus for 7 of those 10 days; they were long travel days.  We drove approximately 2000 miles, from Copenhagen, Denmark to Bergen, Norway, and back again.  By the end of the trip, here’s what several of us looked like. 

Stockholm

First stop was Stockholm.  Beautiful city.  Probably the most interesting in Sweden.  Here are a few photos of it.

                                  Bird's Eye View

           Is this Lisbeth Salander?

That night we went to an elegant dinner at a beautiful restaurant in old town that was established in 1722.

Oslo

Next was Oslo. Not as beautiful as Stockholm, but interesting none the less. Very modern buildings. Lots of construction going on. We visited the Vigeland Sculphure Gardens.

Next went up to the ski jump.

From the ski jump, you get a grand view of the Oslo fjord. 

In the afternoon, I took a boat ride on the Oslo fjord. Each of the islands in the innermost part of the fjord has its own identity. Some are privately owned. 

We could get a good look at Oslo's Opera House and the interesting sculpure in front of it from the boat.

 

The college student who narrated this boat tour makes $30/hour.  This was a 2 hour tour, one of several that day, so she made a nice amount for talking maybe a total of 20 minutes during the tour.

 As you may know, college students here do not pay tuition.  Plus they are given a study stipend of about $1,000 per month.  If they take a student loan, they don’t have to pay interest.  Plus they make good wages doing this kind of work in the summer.  Not bad, huh?

We got back at evening as the late afternoon sun illuminated the Oslo waterfront.

And just in time to catch the next ferry....but we decided to have dinner instead.  This is where I paid $40 for a pizza and a beer.

Drive to Bergen

  I will say that the 8 hour transfer from Oslo to Bergen was the best.  It was a spectacular drive through the mountains and fjordlands.  We saw many beautiful farms, rushing rivers, waterfalls, and mountains along the way.  We were lucky to have a sunny day which illuminated the scenes beautifully.  We retracked this same drive back to Copenhagen in the rain.  The difference was amazing.

Norway in a Nutshell

Probably the most outstanding excursion I took was “Norway in a Nutshell” . We drove in our tour bus from Bergen to Vos (home of Knute Rockney).  This is a 2 hour drive.  Then we boarded a local sight-seeing bus which took us down Naero Valley via a twisting road that looked like the one in San Francisco called Stalheim Road.  On our way, we passed the Kjosfossen waterfall, one of the most visited travel destinations in Norway. 

 

Arriving at a dock, we embarked on a 2 hour sail through the Naeroyfjord. In 2005, this fjord was included on UNESCO’s World Heritage list. It is Norway’s longest and deepest fjord. It then joins the Aurlandsfjord which is a 17 km arm of the world’s second longest fjord, the Sognefjord (204 km). The surrounding mountains reach approximately 3000 feet, often sheer rock face that reminded me of El Capitan in Yosemite.

There were small farms on the edge of the water.

And a rare stave church.

Our cruise ended in Flam where we took the Flam Railway from Flam to Myrdal.  This railway took 20 years to build and is one the steepest of its kind in the world.  It is often compared to the White Pass Railway in Alaska that I rode on recently.  It passes by many waterfalls, through tunnels, above valleys. 

 

Off that train onto another that took us back to Vos where we picked up our bus to return to Bergen.  Nine hours of riding on six modes of transportation. It was well worth it.

Bergen

However, because we were on this all day optional tour, I missed the half-day tour of Bergen.  The little I did see made me think that this was probably the most interesting city on the tour, despite the architectural beauties of Stockholm and Copenhagen.

By far, Norway is the most beautiful of the three countries.  It is considered the National Park of Europe, at least that’s what the guides say.  I enjoyed my visit in the land of the Trolls and would like to explore it some more.



Back to Copenhagen

It took us two days to get back from Bergen to Copenhagen, a total of 20 brutal hours. Before we boarded the ship, we were scheduled to have a 7 hour tour of the city.  But, once on the bus, we were told that we may not be able to get into the Central City because there was an international bike tour going on and all streets entering the city had been blocked.  You could hear the groans. 

We were taken to see the new, ultra-modern opera house which was completed in 2005. It is built in the area of the old docks.

This is one of the lights in the main lobby

which gives the building a beautiful glow at night.

The opera house is built in alignment with the Queen's Palace  and The Marble Church, so that if one stands in the main entrance of the Opera, one can see the dome of the Marble Church behind Amalienborg (the name of the Palace).  Very convenient for the Queen when she wants to attend events at the Opera.

Then we were taken on a tour of the suburbs…around the airport…where we had been staying in hotels.  The driver drove very slowly, and the guide did his best to inform us of the community gardens and potatoes that people grow in these country communities . 

The night before I had happened to look out my hotel window and saw a couple working in their garden.  The man was using a hand-pushed lawn mower (which I haven’t seen in years), and his wife was sweeping and poking away at something. Neat little house and yard.  Here they are working on their tidy little plot:

On our way to a “quaint” fishing village,  we passed the newest hotel, the Bella, with 800 rooms, which was built just before the financial crash.  Poor timing. Lots of very modern apartment houses in this area which the guide said would be future slums. 

Notice the windmill in the background.  We saw many of these in Sweden and in Denmark. Also, I noticed that there was a man washing those crazy windows on the Bella.  Since we were stopped at a traffic light,  I was able to zoom in so you can see him better.

 The fishing village of Dragor (with a slash through the o) is quite a contrast with its thatched roof houses. 

While at the fishing village,  we got word that the race was still on, but some streets in the city were open and that we could take a  quick  tour to see some of Copenhagen.

The Stock Exchange

Nyhavn Canal

Lots more photos of this city, but I think you have had enough.  Must end with the little mermaid though.

We all knew that these countries would be expensive, but when you pay $15 for a bowl of soup, or $25 for a hamburger, or $40 for a pizza and a beer, you really begin to appreciate how relatively inexpensive the US is in comparison.  It doesn’t help to try to go to grocery stores to buy “supplies” to make your own. Food there was expensive, too.  For example, eggs were $8 a dozen. 

Fortunately breakfast was included in all of our hotels, and they were bountiful.  Since they included ham, cheese, fruit, nuts, hard boiled eggs, and other treats, most of us began to surreptitiously pack a lunch for the day which would save  anywhere from $15 to $25.

So after so much bus riding and schlepping our luggage from bus to room to bus again, and reluctantly paying so much for food and drink, all of us were ready for the cruise where we unpack once, eat what and when you want, enjoy the library, or entertainment, or lectures, or a quiet corner to read.

Scandinavian Trip

I may not be able to continue this blog because I just learned that my transformer doesn't have the right slots for the three-pronged plug American plug.  I went to a lot of trouble to get the right plugs for the countries I will be visiting....Grrr!  But here's a summary of what has transpired beginning in
Orlando on Saturday night, September 10.  I have photos to go with this, but don't have enough battery power left to post them.  I hope I can remedy this, but may not be able to until I board the SUN ship on September 20th.

A Rough Start
September 10-11, 2011

After taking about 3 weeks to get all the details done getting ready for almost a month of travel, I was finally ready to go.  Since I was going on an international flight,  I got the airport about 3 hours before the flight.  I surprised to find quite a long line already at the Air France desk.  Once in line, I found out that the flight was delayed 2 hours because there had been a security threat at  Charles DeGaulle  Airport where the flight orginates.  (It flies from Paris to Orlando, then turns around to return to Paris.)

This meant the we, like many others, were going to miss our connecting flight.  So the line moved very slowly…it took about an hour and half to get checked in…and I was near the front of the line.  I learned that I would have about an 8 hour lay-over in Paris and would not arrived in Copenhagen until 10 p.m. (the next night) where originally I was to arrive at 2:30 p.m.

The best thing I can say about this whole flight is that I didn’t have anyone sitting in the seat next to me.  That was great because I had a little more room to stretch out and move a little easier when trying to get some sleep.

We arrive the next day around noon Paris time.  Got our connection verified and a seat assignment, then spent 8 long hours waiting.  Believe me, CDG Airport is not Orlando International.  You walk for what seems like miles to get from one terminal to another, there are few places to get something to eat, and there is hardly any place to sit and wait.  The gate areas are small and huge crowds of people are milling back and forth, standing or rushing to get a plane, with their pull-along-luggage bumping into one another.

So, after three gate changes, the Air France flight to  Copenhagen finally arrives and gets us to Denmark. Again, we walk a long way to get our luggage (through what looks like a nice airport), go through customs, and go out to the terminal area where we (there were about 20 of us in the group I am travelling with) expected to see a representative of the company waiting for us with a bus to take us to the hotel.  Well…no one was there.  We looked at the paperwork and found it clearly stated that if a flight is delayed, they could not guarantee a pick-up.  Bear in mind it is now 11 p.m. and we have been on this trip since the day before…travelling for over 24 hours.  I was exhausted and thought I would collapse.

We did have the name and phone number for the Hotel, so one of the group called, and a bus was sent to get us.  We saw on the notice board that we had to have our luggage ready by 8 a.m. and ourselves ready to leave at 9 a.m.

I can’t tell you how wonderful that shower and bed felt after this ordeal.  My first impression of this tour was not good.

A Better Day—September 12, 2011

After a short but good night’s sleep, I was up at 6 a.m. and to breakfast…which was wonderful.  Got the luggage ready to go and learned that we had to schlep our own luggage to the bus.  (Usually on tours, you put your luggage outside your door, and it is picked up. )

The bus was there waiting for us.  It is a beautiful double decker.  There are 70 of us on this part of the tour of the Scandinavian capitals.  Again I am fortunate to have no one sitting next to me which gives me a lot of wiggle room.  This helps me get myself arranged so I can take pictures as we roll along.  As many of you know, so many of my travel photos are taken for the bus window, so it helps for me to be able to twist and turn.

Our tour guide’s name is Benedicta.  I think she is going to be a good one.  I writing this right now on the bus after lunch on our way to Stockholm.  It is 500 km to Stockholm—about an 8 hour trip.  The group seems friendly, mostly my age, and well-travelled.  As we drive along, some are playing cards, some are reading, others are napping, and I am blogging.  I hope I get a Wi-Fi connection tonight to get this posted.

 It’s a congenial group who took yesterday’s travel travails (for some of us) as just part of how things go.  We’re too old to let stuff like that bother us too much.

More later. 

P.S.  I am getting instructions and information from Blogger in Swedish!!  Gish!

Rome to Home, April 29 - May 2, 2009

We disembarked from the ship around 8:15 a.m. on Wednesday, April 29th, to a bus which took us to Rome. It is about an hour’s drive, depending on traffic. Whenever you talk about any distance in Rome (if you are not walking), you always add, “depending on traffic.”

Since we couldn’t check into our hotel until afternoon, a panoramic tour with a local guide had been arranged. We drove by and got as much as an explanation as possible in this type of driving tour of the many of the well-known monuments of Rome—Victor Emanuel’s monument (known as the “Wedding Cake” because of its very white and very ornately designed.) It is also the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. (Almost of these photos were from the bus, sometimes across the aisle and out the other window; hence, not as good as I like).

We also passed by the Roman Forum, Circus Maximus, and Capitol Hill with its famous steps.


Saint Angelo Castle and Bridge

We stopped for a photo shoot at the Coliseum


We then made our way to Vatican City. Since it was Wednesday, the Pope was holding an audience for the people. As a result, St. Peter’s Square was jammed with thousands of people. We had to time our tour to enter St. Peter’s Square after the Audience, so I didn’t get to see Pope Benedict, but thousands of people were still in the square while others were streaming out.



Before you can enter St. Peters Square, you must go through security checks and scanners. The same is true if you want to go into the Basilica. This is new since my last visit there. We didn’t go inside, but did get a good look again at the famous dome, façade, and front of the basilica.


We saw a bride and groom who had just been married there.

It is from the second window from the right which is on the first floor down from the roof at the Pope's residence where he often addresses the people.


From there, we made our way to our hotel and got checked it. It is a nice hotel near the Bourgese Gardens. We had the afternoon free, and I just walked around the neighborhood and looked in the windows admiring the beautiful clothing, especially the men’s clothing, the leather goods, and interesting things for sale in the equivalent to a hardware store.

April 30th

The next day, I shared a taxi with one of the other Vantage travelers to go the Pantheon. This is my favorite building in Rome, after St. Peter’s. This year it is celebrating its 1400th anniversary this year.


I rented one of those audio-tour phones to get a more detailed explanation of its history, construction, and the various niches, tombs, and altars. Victor Emanuel II, “the father of Italy”, is entombed here. So is Raphael.

The marble floor and walls are stunning, and the high altar is, too. It is still an active church. It is the best preserved monument in Rome.


But the dome is probably what it is most famous for with its ocular which lets in sun and rain. (The floor is slightly concave to allow the rain to drain into small holes.) Michelangelo designed the dome of St. Peters's based on this one.




After enjoying a cappuccino in the piazza in front of the Pantheon, I went on a personal walking tour though narrow streets and piazzas to the main Via Corso which led me to the Trevi Fountain


which is very close to this very fashionable shopping center called, "Galleria Alberto Sordi."


I passed by Marcus Aurelis’ Column with the history of many of the Roman wars on its spiralling freise. (It looks similar to Trajan’s column which has a spiral relief with Bible Stories)


Then I walked on to the Spanish Steps which were filled with people and flowers.


In front of these steps, is the Via Condotti (one of THE exclusive shopping streets in Rome). On this street is the Caffe Greco. When I am in Rome, I always go here to have lunch at Caffe Greco.

This café has been in existence since 1763, and many historically famous people have met and eaten here, like Buffalo Bill with Indians.


It has wonderful pastries and sandwiches.


You order from the bar and then sit and wait for a waiter who wears formal tails to serve you.


It’s expensive (about $20 for a glass of beer and a small sandwich), but I enjoyed it anyway. In fact, everything everywhere we have visited is very expensive.

I was tired after walking so much, so I hailed a taxi to go back to the hotel.

Friday, May 1

We left the hotel early to go to the airport. Since it was a national holiday, there was hardly any traffic. I have never seen so few cars and buses.

My suitcase was overweight (which I knew before I left home), but this time they were going to charge me $400!!!! I got rid of 3 kilos of weight and was still charged $150. I had to dispose of the things I took out of my suitcase because I didn’t have any room anywhere else.

The Rome airport was somewhat confusing to me. Very little signage, people shouting into the microphone so you couldn’t understand anything that was being said. Eventually we got on the plane for a 9.5 hour flight to Washington, D.C. Nine and half hours in a sitting position in little space qualifies for torture, doesn’t it?

Then the customs lines were very long, but I got through that okay. I hadn’t bought much. Next was a 3.5 hour lay-over at Dulles, then a 3 hour flight to Miami. Then schlepping the luggage to get a taxi to a nearby hotel. It was near mid-night here, which would have been 6 a.m. in Rome, when I finally got to me room. It had been a full 24 hour day.

Believe me, the only way to travel to continents is by ship. It is so refined, and hassle free, and enjoyable. Flying should, I repeat, qualify as torture…

May 2nd

I am in Miami staying at the Hampton Inn near the airport. I can see the Soffitel Hotel from my window where we had stayed just one month ago. I am writing this as I wait to leave for the airport. I will be home this afternoon. I have come full circle. With the exception of yesterday, it has been thirty days of exceptional pleasure, enjoyment, education, and relaxation.