June 30- Ny Alesund, Norway

In the early evening last night, the 29th,  we went to a Bond 007 Martini Party. The event included clips from James Bond movies, any kind of martini anyone could want, and presentations by the Orchestra, singer and dancers of music from Bond movies. Do like this cruise line where everything is included. So nice to call and order a bottle of wine, it is delivered,opened, and there is no ticket to sign for the wine. Now we did pay a lot in the beginning, but this feels really good to us!

Later in the evening we had a wonderful dinner at Signatures restaurant, one of the specialty restaurants on this ship. Had another grand meal and an even grander desert presentation. This was a great anniversary celebration!

The sailing this morning was spectacular. Rugged mountains covered in snow, golden sky, birds flying by- what a sight! Last evenings sailing was a bit on the rough side but we slept like babies in a hammock being gently rocked. 

This morning we went to a lecture about the life of Hans Christian Andersen. She did a great job of telling a story that made his life come alive...however it was a sad life. We planned to hear the next lecture but it was so very, very cold in the Constellation Theater that we got coffee at the Coffee Corner and went to the cabin to read.

Today we sailed into the town- 35 citizens- that has the northern most post office in the world. This is part of the island group called Svalbard that is part of Norway but is way north of the mainland of Norway and very north of the Arctic Circle. Mostly this is a spot for weather researchers. At the present Norway, the Netherlands, Germany, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Japan, South Korea, and China all maintain research stations at Ny Alesund...although they are not all inhabited all year. Cannot imagine what this place would be like in the winter.

Our next pause was in Magdalenefjord. During the 1600s whale boats by the hundreds could be seen bobbing about in this area. Tonight the Captain honored the request of the Governor who believes that the playing of music and serving of alcohol conflicts with concerns of respect that apply to Gravnesodden where many whales died, many whalers died and were buried and long before people figured out that there in care of the environment but not much!. On the Pool Deck while we are in that area there will be no music and no alcohol served. All of this, according to the law, is not to diminish the general public's experience of Svalbard's wilderness.

This is a beautiful and remote area of the world!

June 29- At Sea

Today has been a lazy, lazy day. We are plowing through the waters to reach the northernmost city in the world, Ny Alensund. We are beyond the 66 degrees of the Arctic Circle as we head toward the group of islands called Svalbardt. In 1533 William Barents discovered these islands and named the islands as well as the Barents Sea.

We slept late and ate a quick breakfast at the Coffee Corner before going to the theater to hear a lecture entitled Beyond the Arctic Circle. He was interesting as he told about the history, the life style, the animals and the plants of this area. When Barents discovered this area there were so many whales of many different kinds so a huge whaling industry began- major whaling and major waste as not much of each whale was used. 

He talked about polar bears and their struggle in this time of melting ice. It is difficult for the bears to get around on the fewer and fewer pieces of ice to get food. Life is very fragile here for animals and for plants. He showed some beautiful arctic flowers but cautioned a step on a plant in this area would leave a footprint and do damage that would last for years and years. 

We learned about Arctic Terns- big black birds- that hatch here and then for the winter season fly all the way to the South Pole. That is quite a migration!

Bear Island that we will sail by today was named by Barents to remember their first encounter with a polar bear.  He told us lots about our port in a few days-Longyearbyen. Hopefully when we have some photos I will add that information.

We also heard a great historical lecture by Sandra Bowren about the Vikings. The history and culture of the Scandinavian countries are intertwined. She said Denmark (population of 5 million people and made up of 500 little islands,) Sweden (9 million people,) Finland (3 million people with 1/3 of the area above the Arctic Circle,  Norway (4.5 million people and 1/4 of them live in Oslo), and Iceland (300,000 people.)

The myth that she debunked was that a Viking helmet always had horns on it. Rather she said the helmets were conical shaped and had a nose guard as a face protection. 

Today is our anniversary . When we returned from lunch the doorbell rang and we were presented champagne and a small mousse cake. Plus we got a card from the Captain. Who would have thought 46 years ago we would be sailing in the Arctic Sea on this special day for us. 

Saturday- June 28- Crossed the Arctic Circle

We got up early this morning and went to the Observatory Lounge to watch us sail into the Inside Passage. The captain came on at about 10:00 to tell us we would be late. He said he "played around too much yesterday when we were in the Geiranger Fjord." At the waterfall we sailed close to the Seven Sisters Waterfall- closer than I have ever been on any cruise ship to anything on land. It was great. You could feel the spray from the waterfall.

So we sailed into the Inside Passage at about 11:30. The scenery was beautiful- high mountain peaks, snow, water than was bright blue, small settlements of folks, and a few boats. We sailed by another Seven Sisters- a seven peaked mountain. We also sailed by an island with the largest Puffin Colony in Norway. They had just arrived for their summer season. 

The lecturer told us this area had been inhabited sine the 1200's. Sure can't imagine living like this. Did see one community that appeared to have electricity but it is a remote and rugged way to live. .

We had fun in the Observatory Lounge- developed a fun community of folks speculating which direction our ship would go at each turn. We were most often wrong in these narrow passages. Good thing navigation is NOT by committee.

At about 1:30 we crossed the Arctic Circle. To the amazement of us all there was a monument of an open globe made from stainless steel on the tiny island and marking the spot. So we are really at the top of the world or on the way. They tell us the internet will not work very well for the next day or two, but I will keep trying.

We sailed by the Black Glacier- which was huge but not black. The view was lovely and many folks came out from the few houses we could see to stare at our ship. Some school children on bikes passed by. 

After we left the Black Glacier we couldn't figure out where we were sailing. Then the horn tooted. The Captain came on the PA and said he hoped it was OK, he took a detour and sailed by the home of his Mother. She was on the balcony and he blew the horn for her. Pretty cool!!!!

The rest of this day will be spent sailing along. 

The Captain said this is the land of the Midnight Sun and for the next 7 days the sun will not drop below the horizon. There is a party tonight at midnight to see the sun. Right now at 9:35 PM the sun is as bright on the balcony as it was any other time in the day.  

Geiranger- June 27

Early this morning I got up and watched us as we sailed into the small town of Hellesylt to let some passengers off for a trekking excursion. It was a sail through a narrow channel and snow could be seen on the surrounding mountain tops. Birds were chirping as the green trees and mountains glided by. I keep using the word "amazing" because it is amazing around every turn.

After dropping people off at about 6:30 for a hiking/trekking tour,  we sailed along to Geiranger- arriving at about 8:00. The reflections in the water were just unbelievable. This town has 240 citizens and in the 3 month season 600,000 tourists come this way for kayaking, hiking, camping and cruising. We were the only cruise ship in port today and that was great. Tomorrow the Queen Mary II with 3000 passengers will be there. Can't imagine! 

Many farmers are no longer farming but are now involved in tourist related businesses. 

In the town the doctor visits on Wednesday and any medical emergencies require waiting 2 hours for the ambulance to come to drive you 2 hours back to the hospital OR taking a helicopter. All banking transactions are made via ATM. Interesting life style. 

We were tendered into Geiranger and met by buses that began our journey up to the 5000 foot peak of Mount Dalsnibba. The road was curvy and finally became a dirt road to the top of the mountain. Our driver was excellent and a really funny man. He told us the bus had a bathroom but only women could use it. OR men could go but they had to promise to sit down. Guess he had to clean the bathroom. 

Much of the road we traveled is closed in the winter because it is covered in 40-50 feet of snow. The Deep Lake we passed was beginning to melt and the water was blue for lack of oxygen. We saw lots of small cabins that are not accessible when the road is closed- some second home!  The cabins looked pretty remote to me anyway. Clearly not a spot for a house swap.

We did see four reindeer heading up into the mountains. The reindeer are white in the winter to blend in with the snow and light brown the rest of the year. These were in the midst of changing colors. Animals native to the area are also moose, white foxes, deer and lemmings. 

Lemmings, these rodent like creatures, multiple so fast that every 4-5 years there is such a shortage of food that the creatures throw themselves off a cliff....thus the term" following like lemmings to the sea."

We stopped several times for "amazing" views and after the summit we came back down to a hotel and had a wonderful coffee and cake snack. All around the summit and up the road we saw piles of ricks. The tradition is that if you make a pile of rocks of at least 4 rocks you will come back to this area next year.  Sure saw lots of piles f rocks that make you think folks believe this idea and want to come back. It was a very beautiful place.

When we got back to the ship we rested a moment and went to the 11th deck to watch a Norwegian choir from the area brought on board just to sing as we saild away. Perfect ending to a perfect day!!!

Had a great dinner and at 10:15 PM when we are headed to bed it is bright outside. The sun is in the sky. Strange!

Bergen- June 26

Early this morning we sailed into the harbor of the 2nd largest city in Norway, Bergen. The population is 245,000 people. The city area is quite large- 365 square kilometers- expanded about 20 years ago in order to maintain  the status of being the 2nd largest city in Norway. Trondheim was gaining in size and the mayor of Bergen didn't want to fall in rank. Lots of buildings are built on reclaimed land, and there was much building going on currently on reclaimed land from the harbor area.

Today was a typical day- rain and mist and a bit of a chill in the air.

Bergen was granted town status in 1070 and was, at the time, the largest city in the country and was the capital of an area that also included Iceland, Greenland, and parts of Scotland. 

In this town; fish, fishing, and selling dried fish is KING.  Dried cod fish made this town prosperous during the Hanseatic League trading company. Ships came twice a year and traded corn and other grains for the salted, dried cod. The fish was salted and dried by air. The process of learning to do this was a 6 year long apprenticeship. The young men who came from other parts of Europe to learn this trade were not allowed to associate with the local girls. In fact if one of these men got a local girl pregnant the penalty was to buy a barrel of beer for the other young men. Didn't seem too concerned about the girl.

In the mid 1800's ropery was the main industry. Ropes were made then from hemp and tar and the process was a terrific fire hazard. Because of the danger of fire, the roperies were located far outside the town. 

The Fish Market was lively, and there were even tanks selling live fish and crabs to assure you of getting really fresh fish. Our guide said even when the stalls are closed and the fish gone, the place smells like fish. But the locals  say "fish smells like money" so they don't care.

In 1349, rats from the many shipping vessels brought the plague to the area. In that year 80% of the people in Bergen and across Norway died from the plague. Because of so many ships in and out of these port, the plague was spread easily.  Currently 10% of the world's shipping is Norwegian. That is a large proportion of shipping compared to the population of the country.  

We saw the former movie theater building where during the German occupation in World War II, the Germans stored hay for their horses. After World War II, people in the area were starving and the people of Denmark sent food to save them. 

In addition to skis, Norwegians invented the paper clip and the milk carton- among other things. 

In Norway, a person is enrolled in the Lutheran Church at birth; therefore 83% of the people are Lutheran. BUT most do not attend church. You have to ask to be be removed from the rolls of the Lutheran Church.

The most famous Norwegian artist was Edward Monk, whose painting "The Scream" was stolen, returned damaged and sold again for 90 million Kroner (about $12 million.)

Ole Bull, the famous violinist, was from Bergen and he actually discovered Edvard Grieg. Ole Bull was said to be so handsome and popular that women fainted when they saw him and clever people bottled his bath water and sold it to the public. 

We visited Troldhaugen- Troll's Hill- the home of Edvard and Nina Grieg just outside of Bergen.  Grieg was born in Bergen and attended the conservatory here from ages 15-19. He went to Copenhagen and met again his second cousin, Nina. She was an excellent pianist and had a wonderful voice. They fell in love and decided to get married. Both families were opposed to the marriage so neither family came to the wedding. Grieg's father said as a musician, Edvard couldn't afford to have a wife. Nina's mother said Grieg was too short(4'11") and would never amount to anything. At first he had to teach  and conduct to make a living, but then in 1931 he received a grant and was able to compose. Apparently the parents were both wrong because Edvard Grieg was successful and he and Nina had a happy relationship. 

In Norway, education is compulsory for children ages 6-16. After 16 most youth pay and go to a different school until they are 19 and then they are off to college. 

Our guide said sometimes it is hard to figure out Norway- in places lakes are called fjords and fjords are called lakes. All I know is the scenery is lovely.

Norwegians say there is no such thing as "bad weather"  just "bad clothing." A story told is of some tourists who asked a 12 year old boy if it always rained in Bergen and he said, "I don't know I am only 12 years old." At least our ship had lots and big umbrellas by the doorway to the outside so we all paddled around having fun. 

First Sea Day-June 25

We survived another boat drill. This time we did have to go to the deck where the boats would come, but is was all done quickly. We discovered that getting a life jacket on when one is wearing a sling is a challenge. Actually met our next door neighbors, Lynn and Ken from Toronto at the boat drill.

Here is our ship- the Voyager. Carries 700 passengers and all the staterooms have balconies. Flowers are everywhere on the ship. Having an internet connection in our stateroom is wonderful and now we have sailed with Regent enough days to get free internet- yeah!

Dinner in the Compass Rose Dining Room was shared with Heather and Neil, a couple from Bath in England. They both were originally from Scotland and had traveled a great deal. Jim had spaghetti and I had pork loin with wonderful risotto for our main courses. The food was very good.

After dinner we went to the stateroom at about 9:45- which became 10:45 by the clock because we had to move ahead one hour. We were in bed and asleep fairly quickly. AND WE SLEPT LIKE LOGS!

After breakfast in the dining room we went to hear two lectures. First was deliver by Sandra Bowern and was a look at modern day Norway. She was a very informative lecturer. 

We learned the following things.....among other things 

1- Norway has a population of 4.5 million people and 10% of them live in Oslo.

2- In addition to the land mass we think of as Norway,  Norway has 50,000 islands. 

3- 40% of the export from Norway consists of oil  

4- The land of Norway has one section of lakes and rivers and one long section of mountains. The lakes and mountains are as a result of the Ice Age and some of the lakes are the deepest in Europe.

5- The names of Norwegians were not made legal until 1925. Until then people went by their first name given at birth, a name that indicated some relationship (Erickson....son of Erick) and then a last name indicating the town where they lived. If a person moved their last name changed.

6- Norwegians, they say, were born on skis. The slalom skiing (skiing down a marked course) and the ski jump were invented in Norway.

7- In the winter there is hardly any daylight and in the summer this is called the Land of the Midnight Sun which we are about to experience.

8-Stave churches- seen everywhere in Norway- are unique because they are constructed without the use of nails or pegs. The wooden panels are slipped into slots on the posts of staves to create the walls.

We heard a second lecture by a man named Brad Koltveit, who just retired as the Director of Research at the Maritime Museum in Oslo. His "talk" explained a Maritime View of Norway- an artist's viewpoint. The most interesting thing was that in 1891 in Chicago an exhibition was held as part of a big celebration of the discovery of America by Columbia. It was clear that there were many people from Norway- Vikings- already in America in 1492. Several of the paintings he showed to us depicted sailors from Norway landing in America.

After lunch I expect a nap will call us. 

Leaving London and Getting Onboard

Jack and his friend Philip had quite a spread for their "tea" on Monday afternoon. The boys had fun playing together with Michael and Ethan. 

This morning we had a fun time playing Clue. I won one game by default (both Michael and Katherine guessed wrong-yeah!) and Katherine won the second game. 

Ethan was so funny running around with his underwear on his head....or someone else's underwear. He even asked to have his picture taken. Ethan is developing his own personality and style in this family of people with very unique personalities and styles.

Our car picked us up a little early and Michael helped us down with the luggage. They all came down and waved good by and we were off for a flying- as in fast in a car- trip to the Port of Dover.

Except for walking through a long maze of tunnels we were onboard the Voyager easily. The check-in for the ship was complete with champagne served  in the theater and 8 people waiting to check us in SO THERE WAS NO WAITING!!!. Our cabin- 815- is very nice. It has a tub and a separate shower, a large sofa, two comfy chairs, a desk chair and a stool at the dressing table. Also has a walk-in closet.

We checked out the balcony and the view of the White Cliffs of Dover- nice! We sail at 5:00 for Norway...after the boat drill- and here is the Captain now.

Off to School and the Hospital

Sunday was a beautiful day with blue skies, sunshine, and lots of breeze. We all slept late- especially since the little guys went to bed so late. We had a great relaxing time together. Bill is rejoicing because he has had one whole day with no emergency phone calls from work. 

Jim hurt his hand somehow as we traveled on Thursday. He walked down to the Boots Pharmacy and got an ACE-type bandage and wrapped it. Doesn't seem to be getting any better. 

Michael, Jack, Bill, Katherine and 

I played a rousing game of Clue-

 which naturally Michael won. We had a good time together. Jim and Ethan played and read. What a great day!

The boys played in the garden while Katherine and Bill walked around the neighborhood. Jim and I napped. I think we are both about adjusted to this time zone- just in time to change on the first day on our cruise to one hour later.

Monday Jack was off to school in his wool uniform. He also has a set with long pants and a long sleeve shirt. He has a friend coming over this afternoon for a "Play Date" which in British tradition also includes serving "tea".....and that means dinner for little people. We decided the little people return home, go to bed, and the adults get to have a nice adult dinner. Language and traditions are really different. The learning for me is a clothes pin in England is a "peg." Sure makes it tough for Jack to learn to spell simple household and clothing words.

After Katherine returned from walking Jack to school, Bill, Katherine and Jim went off to find an Urgent Care place. Katherine hurt her little finger and Jim has his hand injury  to be checked out. Bill and Katherine decided they needed to know where the closest Urgent Care place was anyway....... just in case and "for future reference." Ethan and I played and Michael read. The walking wounded troop was gone from home about an hour and a half. We certainly got an opinion about FREE British medical care- even for this bunch of Americans. 

The taxi driver encouraged them to go to the Royal Free Hospital which was very nearby. Katherine decided not to have her finger checked out. They really checked Jim's hand. The doctor poked and twisted and then they x-rayed his hand. Turns out his hand is sprained. He returned home with a splint and a sling. The opinion of all three is medical care in Britain is excellent. They only gave their names and addresses. There was no worry about insurance cards or request for a proof of identity. Sure wouldn't happen like this in the US.

Saturday Fun

The afternoon on the rainy Saturday was spent playing a new computer game- Mystery in London- with Michael and Jack. It is an investigation into the legend surrounding Jack the Ripper. We had fun and we learned many fun facts about various locations in London. We are having great fun doing just what I hoped we would do- have a good catch-up visit and also play games. 

The babysitter came about 5:30. Actually in England they are called "child minder" and Evitte from Hungary was the child minder for Ethan and Jack. Our mini-van arrived shortly after and the 5 of us were off to the West End for a fun evening out. We raced through the wild streets of London being very thankful that Joao, our driver from Portugal, was driving and not any one of us. 

We ate dinner at The Chinese Experience. We had found the restaurant on the internet and were thrilled to see how close it was to the theater and how relatively reasonable the menu was. It was a very upscale Chinese restaurant. We shared some starters and also some of Bill's Hot and Sour Soup. All of it was tasty. Then we shared our main dishes. The food was great and we finished just in time to go to the Palace Theater for Spamalot.

The play we saw is a musical based on the Monty Python movie "In Search of the Holy Grail" and also several jokes, gags and music from other movies. We laughed, clapped, and sang our way through the play. The spoof of Camelot was too funny! The lead actor, playing King Arthur, had been in The West Wing and in 24 TV series. He also had been in one Star Trek.  He made a funny King Arthur. Our picture looks like we have 4 bodies and only 3 heads. Jim is there behind Bill. So much for my late night photography .

We ended the evening singing along with the cast about keeping our mind and eye on the bright side of life....and that is just what we were doing.

When we got home the boys were still awake, but it wasn't long before we all headed for bed.

A Day With the Barnetts

In the afternoon we had a wonderful visit together. Michael and Jack went off to play in the "garden" with two French children that live in this apartment building. They had a great time together. Michael says he is learning both French from these two children and German from two other children who live nearby.  What a great experience!

Jack did have an accident in on the swing set and loosened one of his teeth. An emergency call to a dentist said give him Tylenol and make a morning appointment. 

Last evening we had a wonderful dinner and an even yummier dessert-chocolate pie. 

Ethan especially liked the chocolate pie- as you can tell.

Jim and I were in bed  by 8:00 and slept for 12 hours. Felt good to sleep soundly. Katherine and Bill however, had a late night because the sink in the kitchen began to leak because a pipe was falling apart. They called and a plumber came at about 11:30 PM and fixed it. Can you imagine finding a plumber who works 24 hours a day. 

After breakfast Bill, Katherine and Jack headed out for the dentist. They returned with groceries, but Jack had one tooth less. It was a baby tooth that got hit by the swing,  and the dentist said no problem. He said the tooth would come out in a week or so. On  the way home the tooth fell out.

Bill and Katherine have done such a great job planning for the furniture in this flat. They are using the space so wisely.  The books and toys they brought for the boys seem to be just the right ones. Bill's job is not going as smoothly as he wishes it would so he is working very long hours. But they all are enjoying living in London and we are enjoying visiting with them. 

Here We Are in London

The flights went great with the exception of the train being broken in Atlanta and the moving sidewalks NOT moving. So we walked and walked. We also noticed that, as airlines have begun to cut back, Delta now does not provide envelops for boarding passes and baggage claim tickets and also the special lounge for Business travelers is no more. But we had good food on the flight to London, I watched two movies, The Bucket List and 27 Dresses, and we arrived right on time.

Almost had a miss with our driver but we finally got connected. He was a great guy!

We got to the flat on Fitzjohns Avenue and Michael came down the stairs to help us with luggage. It was so good to see his smiling face. Their flat is large, spacious and sunny! Here is Michael in his tiny room and Ethan drawing a picture on his easel. Katherine had a snack for us and then fixed a tasty lunch. 

Jack will be home from school soon and Bill will be home from work. It is great to see them and share a few days together.

Here We Go

Here we are with Hernando DeSoto at the Sarasota Bradenton Airport. Hernando will be staying-watching over the telephone and the restrooms as he does so faithfully, but we will be flying away in about 45 minutes to Atlanta and then onto London. Both our checked bags got "heavy" tags but we didn't have to pay for the bags being over-weight.

We will be in Atlanta for about 4 hours and then on another plane for 8 hours and 35 minutes. Then watch out London.

We Are On The Move Again

Tomorrow morning we leave for 3 1/2 weeks of travel by air, sea and land. Our bags are packed and weighed. We fly to Atlanta and then to London Gatwick. 

We will arrive in London Friday morning at 7:00AM. Hopefully all the luggage gets there along with us.  A car will meet us and take us to the flat and temporary home of Bill, Katherine, Michael, Jack and Ethan. 

We have had fun collecting some supplies that Bill and Katherine and their boys needed in London- hand soap, shampoo, oven mitts, and shoes for Jack. Stuff is very expensive in England so they sent a small shopping list.

We are both looking forward to a time to visit and play games with the part of our family living across the big pond. 

We'll be in London until June 24 and  then we are off to the Fjords of Norway.