Day 1 - Flight to Copenhagen
We departed ATL for JFK early Friday morning, May 17th. We had a six-hour layover at JFK. Ugh! Then we flew SAS to Copenhagen for the start of our 14-Day North Cape and Midnight Sun Cruise. Zach's sister Julie and her husband Doug were cruising with us. They arrived the day before.We arrived at 7am the next morning. When we met the HAL bus, they surprised us with a city tour because it was too early to go to the terminal. It was totally unexpected, but we made the most of it. The bus took us too more places than we could remember. Some of the more notable were:
The windmills, which provides 15% of the power for the local area.
Christiansborg Palace.
Naval vessels.
Rosenberg Castle.
Naval Barracks, all yellow.
Our ship the Nieuw Statendam..
The Little Mermaid.
After the tour we went to the ship after a day plus of travelling and little sleep. When we departed port we traveled along the Swedish coast, which for a while was very close to Denmark. After a couple hours we broke into the North Sea.
Day 2 - Sea Day
Windy day at sea! What's new! We made it through a 3-mile deck-walk with the wind obstacle, 3 laps on the Promenade Deck equals 1 mile.
We played 2 games of trivia. Over 100 people for both games. We did well, but not enough to win. The rest of the day was dressy dinner and the evening entertainment of song and dance.
Day 3 - Alesund, Norway
The gateway to the Geirangerfjord, Alesund spans several islands that reach into the Atlantic Ocean. The town is known for its art nouveau architecture. The whole town was burned to the ground in 1904 except for 3 buildings. Today was a holiday, which we didn't know, so most everything was closed.
We started the day with a climb up the 408 steps plus to the top of Aksla Viewpoint. Many great pictures along the way.
Our ship from the Viewpoint.
The top!
After descending the steps, we went to the art deco district for some more pictures.
Then to Fisherman's Museum, also closed.
After that we went to Alsund Church, closed as well.
Then back to the ship for lunch. After lunch, we climbed up Sugarlump Mountain. It was a much more technical climb than we expected, especially after Aksla Viewpoint in the am. We got some good pictures from there, as well,
The steps to the top of the Viewpoint from top of Sugarlump.
Day 4 - Trondheim
Straddling the River Nid on the Trondheim Fjord, Trondheim is the third-largest city in Norway. Dating to 997, the city's rich history is evident in sites like Nidaros Cathedral, built over the tomb of Norway's patron saint, St. Olav.
Our deck walk was nicer weather than we had expected.
We played trivia and other games, dinner, music and shows as we do every night.
Dressy Night at dinner.
Midnight.
1am.
Walking toward the globe we passed these 2 markers. Who would go on a hike like that?
Straddling the River Nid on the Trondheim Fjord, Trondheim is the third-largest city in Norway. Dating to 997, the city's rich history is evident in sites like Nidaros Cathedral, built over the tomb of Norway's patron saint, St. Olav.
Some sights on the way to the Cathedral.
From there we went to the Old Town Bridge area.
From there it was a climb up to the Kristiansten Fortress. Built in the 1600s it was used to defend the area from Sweden and was occupied by the Germans in WW2.
The gate.
The well.
River Nid.
View of our ship from the fortress.
Boots to wear over regular boots.
Memorial to patriots executed during WW2. Shot on this very spot.
Strange tree.
That afternoon we won Trivia, only missed one! Another midnight sun.
Day 5 - Sea Day
At 445 am we crossed into the Artic Circle. The ship stayed within eyesight of the coast as we cruised through the Norwegian Sea towards Honningsvag.
Nidaros Cathedral, the world's northernmost cathedral serves as the traditional coronation place for the monarchy and many Norwegians partake in a pilgrimage to St. Olav's shrine.
The Archbishop's Palace is next door to the Cathedral.
At 445 am we crossed into the Artic Circle. The ship stayed within eyesight of the coast as we cruised through the Norwegian Sea towards Honningsvag.
Since we crossed the Artic Circle, there was a polar bear plunge for anyone willing to jump into the outdoor pool. A lot of volunteers, but not us.
Dressy Night at dinner.
Stayed up to take pictures of the midnight sun.
10pm.
10pm.
11pm.
Midnight.
Day 6 - Honningsvag and North Cape Cruising
Folks have been flocking to Honningsvag's most popular attraction, the North Cape, since 1664. Just 4 days ago there was a blizzard, and the roads were closed. Today mid 50s. We bring good weather wherever we travel. Honningsvag is the northernmost city in the world. This time of year, this plateau delivers almost 24-hour daylight courtesy of the midnight sun.
Folks have been flocking to Honningsvag's most popular attraction, the North Cape, since 1664. Just 4 days ago there was a blizzard, and the roads were closed. Today mid 50s. We bring good weather wherever we travel. Honningsvag is the northernmost city in the world. This time of year, this plateau delivers almost 24-hour daylight courtesy of the midnight sun.
On the way to the North Cape.
and enjoyed the views from one of Europe's northernmost points.
On the way back to Honningsvag, we saw lots of reindeer and fishing boats. Fishing, reindeer and tourism are the 3 big industries here.
Day 7 - Harstad
Harstad, the pearl of northern Norway, is a beautiful town on the island of Hinnoya surrounded by snowcapped mountains. In summertime, visitors flock to see the midnight sun, a phenomenon where the sun doesn't sink below the horizon for months at a time.
Harstad, the pearl of northern Norway, is a beautiful town on the island of Hinnoya surrounded by snowcapped mountains. In summertime, visitors flock to see the midnight sun, a phenomenon where the sun doesn't sink below the horizon for months at a time.
We walked the Path Along the Sea.
At the Trondenes Historical Center, we visited the 1200s at the Medieval Farm and Museum and learned about the area's Viking lore and other area history.
Our last stop was the Trondenes church. it was closed to us but the grounds were open.
From there we walked the Path Along the Sea back to the ship, logging more than 20k steps for the day.
Day 8 - Bodø
The municipality of Bodø just north of the Arctic Circle and is the second largest city in North Norway. The midnight sun is visible in Bodø for more than a month every summer and the opposite in winter, no sun, due to the town's northern location. It is also one of Norway's windiest cities. Wind wasn't bad that day. Bodø is the 2024 European Center of Culture, primarily for all of its street art. We saw a lot walking around.
The municipality of Bodø just north of the Arctic Circle and is the second largest city in North Norway. The midnight sun is visible in Bodø for more than a month every summer and the opposite in winter, no sun, due to the town's northern location. It is also one of Norway's windiest cities. Wind wasn't bad that day. Bodø is the 2024 European Center of Culture, primarily for all of its street art. We saw a lot walking around.
When we went to the city center, we happened upon this car show.
Maelstrom from other side of the river.
That night was the Orange Party on the ship.
The day was definitely one of the highlights of our trip.
Zach participated in the Secret Identities game night. Fun time!
That night we stayed up to see the sunset at 1258pm. Not to worry, sunrise was at 204am. We didn't stay up for that.
Zach participated in the Secret Identities game night. Fun time!
That night we stayed up to see the sunset at 1258pm. Not to worry, sunrise was at 204am. We didn't stay up for that.
Day 9 - Sea Day
Another windy day at sea! We played more trivia. Over 100 people for both games. We did good, not enough to win. The rest of the day was dinner and the evening entertainment of magic and comedy. Good show!
Day 10 - Lerwick, Shelton Islands, Scotland
The Shetland Islands are Great Britain's most northerly islands, situated nearly 50 miles northeast of the Orkneys. Lerwick is the capital of the principal island of Mainland and is Scotland's most northerly town.
This was the 1st time we used the tenders on this trip. The process was very efficient.
Town features include the old harbor with a giant buoy and a Viking ship.
Cemeteries.
Shetland Ponies.
That night Zach's team won Game Night!
Day 11 - Kirkwall, Scotland
The Orkney Island archipelago lies just off the mainland of Scotland, and of its 67 islands, only 29 are inhabited. The capital of these sandstone islands is Kirkwall, situated on Mainland Island, the largest in the group. For hundreds of years, the Norwegians occupied the islands, and many of the towns' names are Scandinavian in origin.
The Orkney Island archipelago lies just off the mainland of Scotland, and of its 67 islands, only 29 are inhabited. The capital of these sandstone islands is Kirkwall, situated on Mainland Island, the largest in the group. For hundreds of years, the Norwegians occupied the islands, and many of the towns' names are Scandinavian in origin.
We decided on a walk to the beach, since we didn't have enough time to do anything else before our noon tour. It was a nice walk on the Grantit Trail a country trail with flowers.
Quail.
Horses.
By the time we got to the beach, it was time to go back to town.
Our afternoon tour was a detailed tour of downtown Kirkwall. It started at the old grainy which was built in 1600s.
Scottish parliament from 1600s.
We had several stops before arriving at St Magnus Cathedral. Building started in 1213 and took over 300 years to complete. It was once a Catholic Church, now owned by the city and used for weddings and funerals.
From there we went to the ruins of the Bishop's Palace.
Day 12 - Edinburgh, Scotland
South Queensferry is the port for the legendary city of Edinburgh. We rode the tenders to the dock. These was our official greeters!
Interesting bridge design.
After the 30-minute ride on the tenders to South Queensferry we then had a 40-minute bus ride to Edinburgh. Fortunately, we didn't have to be back to the ship till 10pm.
Edinburg, famed for its architecture and design. The finest architects of the 18th century created this city of majestic buildings and elegant squares and streets. Way too many photo opportunities.
We rode the hop-on-hop-off bus, a good way to get an introduction to the city. We started the hop-on-hop-off at St Andrew Square.
Victoria Street. Harry Potter!
Rub the dog's nose for luck!
We got back on hop-on-hop-off before the rain started. We made an entire loop hoping the rain would stop. It didn't and we couldn't take pictures from bus in rain. We went to where we started and took the other bus back to the ship. Then it was wait in rain for tender to return to the ship. Only little bit of rain the impacted our days the entire cruise.
Day 13 - Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England
Today we hired a taxi right off the dock. It was a much better option than taking the bus to Tyne and then a train to Newcastle. Our driver Ama, a refugee from Afghanistan was great and had a very interesting life story.
This vibrant city on the Tyne River has a vast range of shops, museums, restaurants, galleries and attractions. It's known as a "pub crawl" city and is home to Newcastle beer. It does have 2 universities!
Our 1st stop was Hadrian's Wall. Kind of disappointing. Not much left of it. Some of it's the walls are part people's yards. We were expecting more. Nothing like the Great Wall.
Our next stop was the Gateshead Millennium Bridge.
Right next door was the medieval Newcastle Cathedral with its lantern tower.
From there we went to the Norman built Newcastle Castle, after which the city was named. We did the tour of the Castle, which was very interesting. Lots of stair climbing. Lots of artifacts.
The impressive Georgian and Victorian buildings in the are full of architectural grandeur and 19th-century elegance.
Walking, some rain and games.
Day 15 - Return to Copenhagen and Flight Home
Day 15 - Return to Copenhagen and Flight Home
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