Baltic Cruise

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you have never done a Baltic cruise, then put it on your list!! What an amazing region it is. Full of history and enchantment, and landscape , so different to Australia. The region has been on our list of "must visits" for some time, and now our dream has been fulfilled. As we sailed away from Amsterdam for the second time, still on board The Koningsdam, we were truly full of excitement for the exotic ports of call that lay ahead.

At Nyhavn Canal District Copenhagen

The Little Mermaid

After a full day and night of cruising, eating, drinking, music trivia, eating, drinking, eating and drinking, we arrived at our first Baltic port of call, wonderful, wonderful, Copenhagen! To our delight, we moored just a few hundred metres from Copenhagen's most famous resident, no, not Princess Mary, the Little Mermaid!!! We had a full day to see as much of the city as we could. We decided to do the Hop on Hop off (HoHo), and to find a canal cruise, so we would get to see the city from both land and water. 

Opera House Copenhagen.

Royal Palace Copenhagen.

Being early off the ship is a huge advantage and we again were on the first Ho Ho, and heading into town, whilst many were still tucking into their breakfast on board!! Copenhagen is quite large, so we decided to take the bus as far as the Nyhavn Canal District, where we would hopefully find a canal cruise. Being so early, we booked a cruise, but had to wait an hour for the first departure, so we found a nice cafe alongside the canal that had free wifi, and caught up with our emails and FB, whilst enjoying a coffee!! You know, when you see a city for the first time, it takes a while to sink in, just how different it is to home. The boats lining the canals, the cobblestone streets the old palaces and colourful buildings that seem everywhere. It is just so different!!

Copenhagen Canals.

Tivoli Gardens.

The canal cruise proved a great way to see much of Copenhagen. It also allowed us to identify the best places to see up close on foot after the cruise. The architecture, both old and new was incredible. Scandinavia is famous for design, and the buildings are a visual feast. We cruised past the Royal Palace, but Princess Mary was nowhere in sight! We passed by the Kastellet Fortress and the Little Mermaid, as well as many grand buildings like the new Opera House, built courtesy of the Maersk family. You might know that name from seeing it on those shipping containers. Apparently one in every eight of those billions of containers, belongs to Maersk!!

Refugee Life Jacket Display.

Carol with Uncle Hans Christian.

After the cruise, we headed off on foot, passing a museum with a most interesting collection. What seemed like lots of plastic bags jammed into window openings, was actually thousands of life jackets collected from the Greek Island of Lesvos, where hundreds of thousands of Syrian Refugees fled. Made quite the impression! We walked through the city centre and shopping district, and called by Tivoli Gardens, the second oldest amusement park in the world. We would have loved to go in, but time did not allow. We found time for a photo with uncle Hans Christian. In the City Square we walked into a military parade welcoming home troops from Iraq, and while lunching in another big city square, we inadvertently became part of a police operation at the Court House, where some gangster was on trial! They sure didn't want him to escape!

Military parade Copenhagen.

Royal Yacht of Copenhagen.
Now world's oldest Royal yacht.

We did a lot more walking than planned on the way back to the ship, as the Ho Ho bus had been forced to change routes due the military parade. Would have been good if they had sent staff to the impacted stops to tell them!! Still, we got back to the ship with plenty of time to spare, to find a thriving market that had sprung up on the dock next to the ship. No sign of that when we left that morning!! We were tired little tigers when we got back on board, after a full day of exploring.

Theo drawing maps in Berlin.

The Reichstag Berlin.

We sailed through the night and next morning were tied up by 6.30am in the port of Warnemunde in northern Germany. This, and the sister port of Rostock are the shipping gateways to Berlin. The shore excursions from the ship had all entailed a chartered train, to transport people into Berlin, a 3 hour journey, with prices starting at around US$350 per person!! We had booked a coach tour though Viatour, that entailed a 3 hour drive into Berlin with a private guide once we arrived, to show us the sights of the City. Our cost A$160 per person!! The bus driver, who was introduced as Mikhail who spoke no English, actually proved out to speak quite good English and gave us a good commentary all the way into Berlin!!

Brandenburg Gate Berlin.

Checkpoint Charlie Berlin.

In Berlin, we picked up our guide for the day, Theo, who hailed from Newcastle Australia, but had lived & worked in Berlin for 14 years, having followed the love of his life there!! Theo was a fantastic guide! He had maps and pictures to illustrate his commentary, and he drew maps in the dirt as well, to show the lay of the land. He was incredibly passionate about the renaissance that has taken place in Berlin since WW11. What is amazing about Berlin, is the fact that it was 80% destroyed by allied bombing during WW11, so everything you see has been rebuilt. What makes it even more amazing is that while Germany was East & West, the capital city was Bonn, so much of the restoration has only happened since the Berlin Wall came down in 1989!!

Memorial to the Jews of Europe.

Site of the old Gestapo Building.

Berlin is a haven for young people from all over the world, who come to live work and study. There is no attempt to hide the horrors of Hitler and the Nazis, and later the communists and the Wall. It is all there to see. The line of the Berlin Wall, has been recreated by a double brick line that snakes its way around Berlin. It disappears under buildings and reemerges on the other side, it crosses roads and parks and canals. It is quite amazing. There are a few small remaining pieces of the wall. The Bunker where Hitler died is now a car park and park, where our guide explained, that dog owners delighted in bringing their pets so they could piss on Hitler!! The Gestapo HQ is an empty lot covered in gravel!! Check Point Charlie is the most touristy spot in Berlin, but you have to go, and while in the area, try the local delicacy, a Currywust! Mine was ok, but I think the bun was baked by Adolf!! A touch stale!!

Berlin Wall Then.

Berlin Wall Now.

The restoration of the Reichstag Building is incredible, after you see the ruin that was left. We didn't have time to do a tour through this great building. Standing at the Brandenburg Gate is a real goose bump moment, standing in the footsteps of thousands of Nazi storm troopers, who marched through here in Hitler's parades of the late 1930's. The Memorial to the Jews is also very moving. It is a whole city block, made up of rectangular pieces of granite of all sizes, lined up in perfect rows. We made it into the square where Hitler's people burned all the books. If that had occurred during our visit, the project would have failed, as the heavens opened and we got a real drenching!! The short period remaining in our tour, was conducted from the bus, as the rain showed no sign of easing. 

The path of the Berlin Wall.

Yum, Currywurst!

We waved good bye to Theo as he stood huddled under his umbrella, and headed back to Warnemunde. All the way, the rain hammered down and the wind buffeted the bus. We made a comfort stop at one of the service centres along the autobahn, and eventually made it back to the ship right on schedule. It was still pouring down, and Mikhail drove the bus as close as possible to the terminal entry, from where we ran the gauntlet to the gangway, with a staff member trying desperately to hang onto an umbrella. A lot of umbrellas died that night!! The poor old train travellers were arriving in dribs and drabs, having had to endure the 800 metre walk from the station, without shelter, in the horrible conditions. They were all drenched to the skin!! It had been another long but very enjoyable day. We really liked Berlin and would love to come back. We met up with Pat and Steve, and compared stories over dinner, and retired to our cabin around 10.00pm, exhausted!!

Symbols of St Petersburg.

Our happy St Petersburg Tour Group.

We awoke next morning expecting to see the skyline of Tallin, in Estonia, our next port of call. Instead, we looked out on the familiar port of Warnemunde!! The rain had stopped, but it still looked threatening. We headed up for breakfast, and no one would tell us or anyone else what was going on!! The standard response was, "wait for the Captain to make an announcement." Around 10.00am the ship started to pull away, but still no announcement from our Captain. Once the ship had dropped off the pilot, the Captain finally made his long awaited announcement, calmly telling us that the harbour master had closed the port due to the weather conditions, preventing us from leaving. He then calmly announced that Tallin was no longer on the itinerary, and you could hear the collective groan all around the ship! It was full steam ahead for St Petersburg. We were very disappointed, but what could we say or do. 

Outside The Hermitage.

Ludmila with John.

After a day and night at sea, we woke bright and early in St Petersburg, Russia. This has been on my bucket list forever, and now we were here. Two whole days to explore the sights of this regal city with oh so much history. Again we had booked our own tour. My cousin Robert and wife Marie had used this company last year when they visited St Petersburg, and gave them great reviews. Way less than half the ship's tour costs. To go ashore in Russia you either have to have a visa, or be on a licensed tour. Our DenRus representative met us in the terminal and took us to our mini bus. To our delight, our tour group was only 12 people, with guide and driver. Our driver was a rare Russian guy, he actually smiled! Our guide was Ludmila, a retired University lecturer, and she was fantastic. Her English was excellent, and her wit was dry and cutting, and her patriotism could not be questioned, as an American couple found to their detriment!! They quickly found that the American view of Russia was very different from a Russian patriotic view!! It was entertaining to watch, as the Yanks just kept coming back for more!!

Inside Catherine's Palace.

So much gold.

Where does one start when talking about the treasures and history of St Petersburg? Like Berlin, it was seriously damaged by bombing in WW11. The Nazis lay siege to St Petersburg for 900 days, but they stalled 9 miles out and never made it. Most buildings have therefore undergone major restoration work. Treasures were buried during the war, then dug up and reinstated. But first back to the start! Peter the Great founded the city after defeating the king of Sweden in battle, thus providing Russia with a port on the Baltic. For his efforts, Czar Peter became Peter the Great. He loved the city and set about turning it into a grand European city, employing many of Europe's master craftsmen. The results are just incredible!

A ride on an ancient Hydrofoil.

In the garden at Peter Hof Palace.

Ludmila outlined our first day en route to our first stop Palace Square. It was Saturday morning and we were very surprised to see the square almost deserted. It is a huge space out front of the huge Hermitage Palace. We were really just filling in time, as we were waiting for our Hydrofoil to take us out to Peter Hof Palace and Gardens. Russian engineering will never win awards for beauty. Just bend the metal, put in a bolt or rivet and paint it!! The Hydrofoil coughed spluttered and rattled its way to the palace! We were all relieved when the 30 minute journey was successful!! On the way, I had asked Ludmila about unemployment in Russia. She told me that the official rate was around 5%, but that the government had many useless jobs to make it look that good!! I cracked up as she then proceeded for the next two days pointing out the "useless Jobs"! 

Peter Hof Palace.

Peter Hof Palace.

The Peterhof Palace and Gardens were huge and just stunning. There were lots of sign boards showing the before and after photos of the restoration. The gardens were right up there with Versailles and the exterior of the Palace was stunning. The water and music display was breathtaking. We had almost 3 hours enjoying this incredible place. From here we headed off to see Catherine's Palace, but on the way, we had a stop to take a lift to rooftop restaurant where we were afforded an incredible view of the surrounding district where there were many old palaces, churches and grand homes. On the way back down we stopped at the bar for a vodka tasting. Nice surprise doing vodka shots! Before the palace we stopped for lunch in an old converted carriage stable. It was a traditional lunch of cabbage soup, cabbage rolls and apple cake. Cabbage is big in Russia!!

Catherin's Palace.

Monument to Peter the Great.

Catherine's Palace was another beauty. Walking the hallways of this incredible building filled with priceless treasures, was something you could never forget. The palace is home to the world renowned Amber Room. Sadly, today it is all a replica, but nonetheless very impressive. An interesting aside from Ludmila, was that the German Chancellor presented Gorbachev with a present on his inauguration. It turned out to be one of the original panels from the Amber Room!! The other rooms in the palace are equally spectacular, with kilos of gold leaf, and priceless tapestries, artworks, china and sculptures.

Life size Maroyshka Dolls.

Catherine Palace Dining Room.

We finished the day at a high class souvenir shop, which looked more like a gallery than a shop. It was full of Maroyshka Dolls of all sizes, furs, gold, hand carved Christmas decorations and lots more, and it was expensive!! The highlight was the life size Maroyshka Dolls of Putin & Trump!!! On the way back we drove past countless old buildings, forts and palaces, huge monuments and churches. It is an amazing place. The thing you notice is how hardly anyone smiles!! It is as if there is a tax on smiles!! I guess a drive through some of the poorer areas where there a monoliths of grey brick housing, partly explains it, and Ludmila assured me that winter is very long and cold. So day one of our tour was over. It had not disappointed.

Subway Escalator.

Subway Station.

We were in the bus next morning at 7.30am and on our way. First stop was the St Petersburg subway, not because we were going somewhere, but because it is amazing and Ludmila thinks every visitor should see it! It is the deepest subway in the world. Standing at the top of the world's longest escalator was a sight just in itself. At the bottom of the escalator was a lady in a uniform sitting on a chair looking up at the escalator. Ludmila pointed and said Useless Job!!! The subway is lined with sculptures and mosaics, and not a piece of litter in sight. We were going just one stop, and when the train arrived it was spotlessly clean and new, but the design was 1950's!

Hermitage Stairway.

Costume Display at the Hermitage.

We next stopped at a quiet district in town with some great churches and old buildings. It was also an opportunity for a McDonald's toilet stop. No big golden arches in Russia, just subtle logos on the windows! From there we were back to the canal for a boat cruise through town, passing another of Peter the Greats palaces, which was surprisingly small, but situated right by the water in a lovely park. The canal gave us a great view of the city. We then went on to our allotted time at the Hermitage, the most incredible palace I have ever been inside. It is huge and full of treasures from all eras. You just walk from room to room going WOW after WOW! We were fortunate to have two different exhibitions on at the time of our visit. One was a costume exhibition showing actual costumes of Peter the Great and Catherine the Great, as well as many more from that era. As well, there was an exhibition of ceramic flowers that were so life like you wanted to water them!! We walked and walked, upstairs and downstairs. It just seems to go on forever.

Faberge Egg.

Ceramic Flower, Hermitage.

We took a break to have lunch. This turned out to be a real highlight. It was like we were at someones home rather than a restaurant. The meal was Borscht, followed by a delicious beef goulash and apple pie. After lunch it was off to the Church on Sacred Blood. It was a typical onion turret style church, very colourful on the outside and inside. It gets its funny name because it was built on the exact site where Emperor Alexander 11, was assassinated. The family funded the church construction. Ludmila explained that many of the churches in Russia, are not actually working churches. Like this one, they are in fact museums, owned by the Russian government. The mosaic work and colours inside the church were incredible, even over powering to the senses. Outside the church it was tourist central, with buskers, stall holders, and even a Cinderella coach that looked like a glass pumpkin!

Faberge Egg.

Church on Spilled Blood.

The big museums just kept coming. Off we went to the Faberge Museum. Everyone knows the famous Faberge eggs. Well 41 of 67 known eggs are here on display in this privately owned museum. They are magnificent works of art. Karl Faberge first made an egg as an Easter Gift for the Empress. She didn't like it!! But he persevered, and produced many more. Each egg is an outer shell containing a surprise. They are all masterpieces. In addition to the eggs, there are rooms full of other pieces made by Karl Faberge. Snuff boxes, cigarette cases, brush sets, jewellery, pill boxes, mirrors etc. 

Inside Peter & Paul Fortress.

Cinderella Coach.

Our last stop was at the Peter & Paul Fortress, the original walled fort built by Peter the Great to protect the city. It was used as military installation for many years, but is now a tourist attraction, with a huge church in the grounds. Outside the fort was a huge old Russian helicopter offering joy flights. What a misnomer!! How about suicide flights!! When they fired up the engine children cried!! Ludmila led us back to the ship. It had been an unbelievable two days, made all the more memorable by Ludmila's knowledge, passion and humour. And, Ludmila, I promise to look into those allegations of the Turks who shot down that Malaysian Flight causing the latest round of sanctions stopping you from getting good old Aussie beef!!

Meeting Simon & Jatta in Helsinki.

Senate Square, Helsinki.

St Petersburg had been our most easterly point in the Baltic, and we now headed back west only quite a short distance, to our next port of call, Helsinki in Finland. We were quite excited to visit Finland, as our nephew Simon is currently living there. Having completed his law degree, he has come to Finland to be with his Finnish girlfriend Jatta, who is completing her University studies in the nearby city of Turku. Simon has enrolled in a Finnish language course, which is a challenge. Finnish is an extremely difficult language, completely unrelated to other Scandinavian languages, and more close resembles Hungarian!! Don't ask me why!! Ain't love grand!! They were up very early to catch a bus to Helsinki to meet up with us for a few hours. We were very much looking forward to seeing them again. We met up opposite the lovely Esplanadin Park in the centre of town, and enjoyed a typical Finnish buffet breakfast at the Skandia Hotel, before setting off to see the sights of Helsinki. 

Carol, Simon & Jatta.

Helsinki Waterfront.

This was one of our shortest shore days, and we had to be back on board by 2.30pm!! We walked through the historical Senate Square up to the imposing white Lutheran Cathedral, which is the unofficial symbol of Helsinki. We had a look inside, and again noted how modest the decorations are in a Lutheran Church, compared to the Catholic Cathedrals of Europe! From there we walked past the Presidents Palace, who must have been in residence, as the guards were in place. We continued on around the harbour to the Uspenski Cathedral, the largest Orthodox Church in Western Europe, but it was closed on Mondays!! Must have had a big Sabbath!! 

Helsinki Markets.

So much to choose!!

We finished (no pun intended!!), at the Market Square, where the markets were in full swing. The array of fresh food was incredible, especially the berries and salmon, which looked delicious!! This was an excellent market, with lots of high class locally made things to choose from. Not your average tacky souvenirs here!! We picked up some nice mementos to bring home, and then wandered through the Main Market Hall, where there was a fantastic range of produce available. The locals shop here on a daily basis. There were also a number of cafes, selling the local delicacy of Salmon Soup. Ludmila,had told us that whenever she comes to Helsinki, she heads straight to the market to have the Fish Soup. Carolyn and I shared a bowl with crusty bread and it was delicious!! Simon and Jatta just watched on, as we devoured the soup. I think they had too much breakfast or should I say, too many of those Rye Bread Pastries smothered with egg butter, which were extremely good!!

Islands of Stockholm Archipelago.

Ferries everywhere!!

All too soon it was time to say goodbye. We had had a lovely time with Simon & Jatta, and really appreciated the extra long day they had given themselves to meet up with us. We set sail on time for Stockholm in Sweden. It was a lovely afternoon, and we enjoyed the sail out  through the Helsinki Archipelago, past hundreds of islands and several of the large Ferries that ply the Baltic, moving people, cars and cargo, efficiently and cheaply, from country to country. We would never have imagined how prolific these ferries were throughout the Baltic. 

The Swedish warshipVasa.

Vasa from below.

If we thought the Helsinki Archipelago was good, we were in for a real treat, as we sailed into Stockholm through the 23,000 islands that make up the Stockholm Archipelago. Many of these islands have holiday homes on them, and there is a system of small car ferries that link the islands, and there are small boats everywhere. Given the short summer that the region has, it seemed quite incredible to us. Being on a huge cruise ship, weaving in and out of the islands was simply mind blowing. There were also large ferries going in all directions. This was one of the highlights of our cruise, and most unexpected, and the best part was that we got to do it all over again that afternoon!!

With Steve & Pat in Stockholm.

Carol with ABBA.

When we docked in Stockholm, we again had a pretty short day, with departure scheduled for 3.30pm. We teamed up with Steve and Pat for the day, and decided to take the Ho Ho bus, and rather than try and do too much, we picked out two major sites to explore. Everyone was off the ship early today!! The Ho Ho bus queue was lengthy!! I spied a lone taxi driver, and after a quick discussion we decided to get a taxi to our first venue, the Vasa Museum. On the way, we started working on the taxi driver to see if he was happy to become our guide for the day at a reasonable fee!! He was dreaming, and we told him so!! We got out at the Vasa Museum and paid the fare.

The Parliament Building. 

Rear view of the Vasa.

The Vasa Museum is amazing. The Vasa was a huge Swedish Warship, that sank to the bottom of Stockholm Harbour on the day it was launched!! It sat on the bottom of the harbour for 333 years, before an Historian located it buried in the mud and incredibly well preserved, due to the low salinity & brackish nature of the water. Over five years, the Vasa was raised and would become a museum piece all of its own. No one knows why it sank. There are theories, but no real answer. When you see the size of this ship, it takes your breath away! The hull alone is seven stories high, and then there is all the rigging above. It is one of the greatest trips into history you will ever take. We spent a couple of hours, marvelling at this incredible sight.

City Hall Stockholm.

Mamma Mia!!!

From ancient history we headed for a dose of modern history, checking out one of Sweden's greatest exports, ABBA!! We first had a coffee in the ABBA Cafe, where who should turn up but our intrepid taxi driver!! We knew we had him now, and screwed down the deal for a sight seeing taxi trip once we were finished with ABBA. The museum was well done, but crazy expensive for what it was. It was four times the cost of the Vasa Museum!! Still, we enjoyed all the songs, the costumes and the interactive displays. We emerged from the museum to find our sullen driver, still complaining about the price he had agreed to!! He of course rejected our offer to let him out of the deal, and off we went.

Stockholm from the Tower.

Amazing architecture.

First stop was Telecommunication Tower, that gave us a great overall view of Stockholm, and there was not another person in sight! From there we headed downtown, but negotiating the traffic proved difficult, because today was the official opening of the Swedish Parliament, and lots of roads were closed because the King & Queen were in town! We drove through Gamla Stan, the old part of town, and would have loved to get out and explore, but time was against us. We passed the Royal Palace, and Stadhuset, the iconic City Hall, where the Nobel Prizes are awarded. With the traffic in turmoil, we decided we had better head for the port, and it was just as well we did. 

Pat & Steve joined us at a great outside spot above the Pool Deck, to enjoy the sail out, back through the Stockholm Archipelago. We were half an hour late because the Ho Ho buses got caught in the traffic, and those on board were complaining like mad, that all they had done was sit in traffic!! The Captain was relieved to cast off, because another half hour would have meant us staying overnight in Stockholm as the Pilots must be clear of the archipelago before dark, and that was three hours sailing away!! Wheww!!

Cruising the lakes in Schleswig-Holstein.

Quaint German Villages.

In the morning we arrived at the German port of Kiel. It has a rich maritime history, and had once been a huge ship building city. Not so much today. It is also famous for the Kiel Canal, a huge man made canal, that takes a shortcut from the Baltic Sea to the North Sea. Unfortunately, our ship is too large to sail the canal, so we will have to go the long way!! Most people on board were either heading into Hamburg for the day, or touring the countryside of the Schleswig-Holstein region of Germany's most northern state. We opted for the latter, and had booked a ship tour at the eleventh hour, only because I couldn't find a local tour operator on line!!

Axel Munster making Schnapps!

Grand old German homes.

In fairness, we had a lovely day, cruising across 5 lakes, visiting a distillery that made brandy and schnapps from apples and cherries, stopping in some quaint villages and towns, and seeing the rural scenery that the region is so famous for!! The distillery tour was very authentic!! Munsters, was a small family run concern, where no one spoke English, but as we all know, Alcohol is a universal language, so communication certainly was not a problem when the tasting began!! We bought a small bottle of hooch home to inflict on some unsuspecting Friends!! We also stopped at a couple of grand old homes to tour around from the outside. Lunch was the real highlight of the day, served at a restaurant on a lake. We had traditional Wiener Schnitzel and Apple Strudel, washed down with a local beer or wine. It was very good!

Den Gamble in Arhus.

Bakery of C Andersen.

Our last port of call, only a short sail up the coast, was the second largest city in Denmark, Arhus. No, it isn't a sneeze it's a city!! Having never heard of the place, we didn't have a clue what to do, so again teamed up with Pat & Steve to walk the city. We found Den Gamble (The Old City), and paid our entry fee and stepped back into old Denmark!  The town is a collection of 75 old buildings gathered from all over Denmark, and put together as an old town. There was every service represented, even finding a bakery owned by no other than C. Andersen!! After that, we walked back into the city centre. Arhus is a university town now, so there were lots of young people walking and cycling around. We found a nice cafe by the canal, and enjoyed a couple of drinks and a good local lunch. It was a cool day, and we decided we were all a bit cruised out, so headed slowly back to the ship.

Start of Kiel Canal.

Lunch in Arhus with Pat & Steve.

So all our ports were visited, and we now had a day at sea before we would be back in Amsterdam. That night, we sailed under the Oresund Bridge, which connects Denmark & Sweden. It is an engineering marvel being 8 kilometres long, before transitioning into a 4 kilometre tunnel to complete the journey. Carolyn set the alarm for 12.30am, so we would not miss it!! So there we were, dressed in our PJ's wrapped in our robes, freezing to death, sailing under the Oresund Bridge!! We had a lazy day on board for our last day. That night we dined with Pat and Steve, swapping contact details, and vowing to keep in touch. There is no doubt we will. We got on so well together.

We were in Amsterdam bright and early. We had booked a shuttle for 9.30am to take us out to the Schiphol International Airport for our 13 hour flight to Hong Kong. It had been an incredible cruise, visiting ports that we had longed to see, and would now be memories to keep forever. We had boarded with high expectations and left with all of them exceeded. What a wonderful part of the world.

Hong Kong Harbour.

View from The Peak.

We flew into Hong Kong in the early hours of the morning, and took a shuttle into Kowloon and our hotel, the Harbour Grand. Our room was on the 16th floor and overlooking Hong Kong Harbour. The hotel is a bit out of town, but there is a hotel shuttle that runs every 30 minutes into the Star Ferry Terminal, and we used that a lot. It was almost 30 years since we  were last in Hong Kong, and boy has it grown. The buildings, the shipping terminals, the entire skyline has just grown immensely. It was an eye opener!. The last time we had flown into town, it was on the kamikaze flight path through the high rise buildings. Now it is a huge airport out on an island, which itself has exploded with buildings and people!

Stanley Markets.

Ride on a Junk.

With a short stay, we again decided to use the Big Bus, Hong Kong's Ho Ho! It has routes on both the Kowloon and Hong Kong sides. We did it all. Out to Stanley and the Stanley Markets, where the stalls are now nestled under the high rise buildings rather than the trees!! I bumped into Robbie Farah, staring at the incredible prices in a real estate agent's  window! He wasn't expecting to be recognised, but laughed when I said he'd need a decent contract upgrade!! A stop at Aberdeen for a ride on a Junk around the harbour and the famous Floating Restaurant. A tram ride to The Peak, to see the panoramic view of Hong Kong. The Peak is now a shopping mall!! We explored the Mid Levels on the escalator system. We walked through the Ocean Terminal Shopping Precinct that goes for miles. 

Bustling Hong Kong.

Lazing in the pool.

We ate dinner at local places near our hotel, where the locals ate and not much English was spoken. The food was good and cheap. By the time our last day came, we were quite exhausted, and thankful for the late checkout, lazed around the roof top pool at our hotel. It was a hot day, so a lovely way to spend the last few hours of the holiday. The airport shuttle bus was very late, due to heavy traffic, which didn't impact us, but had some other passengers panicking! Aah, the joys of international travel!! We arrived at the airport in plenty of time, where I again bumped into Robbie Farah, and asked him if he put down a deposit! He just gave me that "who is that guy" look!! 

We lined up like sheep to board the plane, which as usual was full. All the code sharing these days pretty much ensures no empty seats. Our Cathay Pacific Flight had about six other flight numbers!! We settled in for the 9 hour flight home, and our holiday was at an end. What an incredible time we had!!

Noosaville, Our New Home.

Noosa River Front.

A lazy coffee with music by the river.

After almost seven years of travelling all over this wonderful country, as well as a few other parts of the planet, we have chosen, and purchased, a home without wheels! It was always likely that place would be on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, and in the end it was the laid back feeling, and lazy river lifestyle of Noosaville, that won our hearts. We have found a lovely two bedroom apartment in a small complex just metres away from the Noosa River, and the vibrant cafes and boutiques of Gympie Terrace. It is a five minute wander along the river to the Yacht Club, where we can indulge in happy hour and watch the sun set over the river. It is less than five minutes drive to the Hastings Street hub of Noosa Heads, and less than two minutes to the Noosa Village Shopping Centre, with supermarkets and specialty shops, to cater for our survival needs of food & wine!!

Cockleshell Sands, our new home.

Cosy balcony.

The previous owners of our apartment, had used it for holidays and holiday rentals, and when we purchased it, there were confirmed bookings all the way out until the end of March 2018. We decided to honour these bookings, and then take the apartment out of the rent pool from that date, by which time we will have a better idea of our longer term settling down plans. But in the meantime, there is plenty of travel left in this couple yet!! Believe it or not, there are some pockets of Australia we have yet to explore, and a few more we would like to see again, but even when we do settle down, we will keep a caravan as long as we can, as we love the lifestyle and we know so many great spots to visit!!

Apartment was fully furnished.

Pool and BBQ area.

Our apartment came fully furnished, and quite tastefully done at that. We have stayed there during rent free periods, which feels quite strange. We still feel more like tenants than owners!! Carolyn just can't wait to put her stamp on the place, but we know that as long as it is rented, there isn't much point in making any personal changes to decor and furniture. That will come soon enough!! The apartment is really quiet. The complex is very well maintained. The lawns, gardens and pool are all serviced weekly. There is a BBQ area beside the tropical pool, and it is just lovely to sit on our east facing balcony, overlooking the tropical scene.

Coming back from the markets.

Queensland Branded.

The past several weeks, we have based ourselves in the area, both at the apartment and in our caravan, at Coolum Beach Holiday Park. There is quite a lot of paperwork to be attended to when moving from one state to another!! Heaven forbid moving overseas!! State Government Depts, Federal Government Depts, plus all the services and agencies we use, have to be notified of our move. All of them move at varying speeds! Some seem hardly to move at all!! To break up

Cold drink after the Eumundi Markets.

Lunch at Secrets On The Lake
with Wayne and Debbie.

all the paperwork and running around, it was lovely to be able to have Wayne and Debbie come up and stay at the apartment for a few days. Having enjoyed their wonderful hospitality and friendship at Menai for almost six months of this year while John had his knee op and recovery, it was lovely to have them enjoying our hospitality for few days, that went all too quickly!! But they will be back. We got them hooked on Noosaville too!

So many great coffee spots.

So much good food.

The region has so much to offer, and the lifestyle is certainly us. Everything moves at a relaxed pace. Beaches, Cafes, Markets, Boutiques, Golf Courses, there is so much to see and do, all within easy reach. There are so many markets within a twenty minute drive. Our fresh food shopping will always be done at the markets, where the variety and the quality and flavours are just fantastic. The Hinterland is also just a 45 minute drive, where the quaint villages of Montville, Maleny, and Kenilworth will easily occupy hours of strolling. It would be hard to find a more unique spot for lunch or coffee than Secrets On The Lake, just out of Montville. Nestled in the treetops, it is such a relaxing spot!! Ask Wayne & Debbie!!

There is absolutely no doubt that we have picked a nice spot to settle down, one day!! Once we get settled in, all our friends and family will be welcome to come and stay, and experience the wonders of the region for themselves.

Norwegian Fjords.

The Koningsdam.

In Norway with Trolls.

We boarded the Koningsdam just after lunch on the Sunday. We had been given an upgrade to a Veranda Stateroom, which was very nice. The ship is the newest in the Holland America fleet, and at 99,500 tonnes, it is the largest. The facilities and amenities are first class. As we sail away from Amsterdam we are actually in a canal for over an hour, before entering a lock to make the transition to the North Sea. With sail away drinks in hand, we found a position out on an open deck, and watched the mostly industrial landscape, slide by. That first evening, we sailed past dozens of floating wind farms, and countless oil and gas rigs. As night fell, we could see the lights and flames burning on the oil rigs. We settled in for a casual dinner, before heading to our room to unpack and familiarise ourselves with the layout of the ship, and to check what was on for our first day, which would be at sea.

In Eidfjord.

Meeting the locals.

You can't believe what events are held on a ship of this size! The Captain told us that there are over 50 nationalities on the ship! Every taste is catered for. Dining options range from the formal dining room, to the Lido Buffet restaurant, a burger and hot dog bar, pizza and American sandwiches, the Grand Dutch Cafe, and specialty dining options that you pay extra for, and include the Fine Dining Pinnacle Grill, Canellotto the Italian, Sol de Mer a Seafood, and Tamarind an Asian. We sure won't be going hungry. Oh, and I almost forgot the Gelato Bar! It will be a challenge to do them all justice, but we will be doing our best! The food is good quality, but after a while there is a sameness about it, especially at breakfast. Still, we aren't complaining as they are doing all the cooking and all the washing up!!

Entering Eidfjord.

Traditional Sailing ship

Our first port of call was Eidfjord, in Norway, which is not part of the Euro Zone. Two referendums have kept them out! The population is a little over 5 million, and per capita, it is the world's second richest country! It produces oil, gas timber and seafood in large quantities, and has a rich maritime history, dating back to the dreaded Vikings, who ruled the seas from the 7th to 11th centuries. It has the longest coastline in Europe, and is famed for the magnificent fjords that can be as long as 300kms! 

Berry season.

Eidfjord.

Nothing can prepare you for the breathtaking beauty of the Fjords. We were due at the tiny village of Eidfjord at 7.00am, so we got up early as the sun rose, to watch our arrival. In a huge ship, we could almost touch the sheer cliffs, and feel the spray from the never ending waterfalls that cascade down the cliffs. In the narrow Fjord, it is like river cruising on a 95,500 tonne river boat!!!! Amazingly, we berthed right on the doorstep of the tiny village of Eidfjord, as the lights of the village began coming on, heralding a few hours of mayhem, as 2,500 visitors take over town for a few hours! They are quite used to it of course. Cruise ships bring around 500,000 visitors per year!!

Voringfossen Waterfall.

On Hardangar Mountain Plateau.

We had not booked any of the ships shore excursions, of which they have many available for each port. They are horrendously expensive for what you get!! I will only have the one big whinge about this!! We have booked our own tours, directly with third party local tour operators, in Berlin and St Petersberg, which are the two cities where big days and super expensive tour options are the go. The ships tours will be on coaches with 50 plus tourists, whilst we will be in small groups of 12 to 20, at 25-30% of the cost!! And they wonder why more and more people are doing their own thing!! Good old Google!! In the other ports we will simply leave the ship and walk into the Tourist Office, or the arms of the waiting local operators, eager to offer their own coach or walking tours, at a fraction of the cost!!

Tourist Train around Eidfjord.

The Koningsdam at Eidfjord.

And so it was in Eidfjord. We jumped into the Tourist Office and booked a 1.5 hour bus ride to the Voringfossen Waterfall, followed by a mini train ride around the village. The ride to the waterfall was amazing. Quaint little farms in the valleys, and mountains and cliffs cut by running streams and waterfalls, and of course, those pesky little Trolls hiding under bridges and behind fences everywhere, looking for unsuspecting victims!! The falls themselves were spectacular, falling 182 metres into the valley below. The surrounding plateau is known as Hardangar Mountain Plateau, and is part of northern Europe's largest national park. The hotel at the top of the falls provided us with a hot coffee, and there were the few stall sellers introducing us to the first of 1 squillion Troll souvenirs we would meet in Norway!!

Norwegian waffle with cream & jam.

Viking Burial Mound
from 10th Century

Back in town, we went in search of coffee and the local delicacy, waffles with cream and jam!! We successfully found a lovely little cafe, and enjoyed our first waffle, which Carolyn, who is not a waffle lover, had to admit, was deeeelicious!! So soft and smothered in home made berry jam and fresh cream!! Yumm!! We waddled out to catch the little train, which took us on a scenic tour of town. We headed high up on the mountain, to view the Viking Burial Mounds, one of the largest in Norway, and to see some of the farms . From there we found a great photo stop to get some incredible shots of our ship, nestled in the fjord. We descended back into town and ventured out to the Eidfjord Kirke, a stone church dating back to the 14th century, followed by a stop at a workshop where a guy still hand makes violins!! After that, there was still some time to do the shops over, all of which contained a wall or two of trolls!!

Eidfjord Kirke.

Sailing under Hardangar Bridge.

Sailing out of the fjord was another breathtaking event. Much of our sailing into Eidfjord was done in the dark, so now we got to see it all in the daylight. Passed the Seven Sisters Waterfall, then under the amazing Hardangar Bridge, only opened in 2014, and a larger version of the Golden Gate Bridge. The bridge joins tunnels on opposite sides of the Fjord, and our ship sailed under, with only one metre of clearance!! Very spectacular!!. It took us 5 hours to sail the length of the fjord back to the the North Sea, with one amazing view after another, around every bend. 

Souvenirs & Trolls in Alesund.

Alesund from Mt Aksla.

Our next stop was the lovely town of Alesund. We awoke to rainy skies but they soon cleared and we got to see Alesund in all its beauty. Situated in another fjord, the city is surrounded by water and islands. Fishing is a huge industry. We didn't book any tour here. we walked into town and found another tram doing city tours. We bought tickets for the 11.00am tour, then headed off on foot to explore for a couple of hours. The tour took us further afield than we were able to walk, including the spectacular panoramic view of the city from Mt. Aksla. A rain squall and freezing wind interrupted  our viewing at the mountain, but it quickly passed! Returning to town, we continued our exploring on foot and found a gorgeous little cafe, tucked away in a back lane, and warmed ourselves with a great coffee and house made tart! Back on board, we settled in with a glass of wine to watch the sights as we sailed back out into the North Sea.

Alesund Harbour.

We met Steve & Pat at Music Trivia.

On our second evening, we had headed down to one of the lounges, to watch "Music Trivia"! A couple asked us to join them, and so we met Steve and Pat. We would end up spending a lot of time with Steve and Pat over the duration of the cruise. A lovely couple from the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, who are also keen caravanners! Music Trivia became a nightly ritual, most nights followed by dinner together, then music in the Piano Bar, where the two pianists played fantastic music, most of which were requests. We were amazed at how wide their music knowledge. We Aussies stumped them some nights requesting Aussie songs, but they would come back the next night and play those songs!! We were most impressed, and became quite pally with Megan and Ted.

At anchor in Geiranger Fjord.

In Geiranger.

Next port of call was Geiranger Fjord. This was a place I had long wished to visit. Those famous photos taken from up high, showing cruise ships anchored at the end of the narrow fjord, had put Geiranger Fjord on my must see list. It did not disappoint!! We forewent breakfast and were among the first off the ship, so early in fact that most of the town had not yet opened! We found a little bakery, and bought a couple of the fresh pastries, then walked down to the caravan park, which was the only place in town open and selling coffee. We sat on a table in the caravan park drinking our hot coffee and eating our delicious pastries, feeling quite at home! The quiet, the soaring cliffs, the waterfalls, it was all so beautiful. We were lined up as the Tourist Office opened, and booked a bus ride up to the mountain top of  Dalsnibba, and a small boat ride on the fjord for the early afternoon.

The road to Dalsnibba.

Incredible scenery.

The bus trip up to Dalsnibba was incredible. We were in the front seat on a sealed but narrow road, that contained dozens of switchbacks, and had huge drop offs down into the valley below. It was just amazing, with huge snow capped mountains, and small mountain lakes nestled in between. Waterfalls tumbling down the mountainsides from everywhere, and us quickly climbing up the mountain to Dalsnibba Lookout. The view is one of those things you know you will remember for life, burned into your memory, never to be forgotten. There, 1500 metres below, was our cruise

Sod roofs keep houses warm!

View from Dalsnibba Lookout.

ship, completely dwarfed by the grandeur of natural wonder. We just stood and stared in all directions, taking our own digital memories, then climbed into the bus for the return journey, which proved even more spectacular than on the way up!! The quiet little boat ride around the fjord was anticlimactic, but nonetheless beautiful, as we passed many waterfalls and marvelled at the winding zig zag Eagles Road, that allows road access to Geiranger all year round. We stopped for a while to view the famous Seven Sisters Waterfall, with its seven streams of water. Back in town, we did the obligatory wander through the huge tourist shop, that sold everything from Expensive winter coats, to around a million varieties of Trolls!! Geiranger was one huge ticket of the Bucket List!!

Beautiful Bergen.

The colorful wooden houses
of Bergen.

The last stop on this first part of our cruise, was the delightful city of Bergen, second largest city in Norway and famous for its brightly coloured old wooden buildings that adorn the shoreline, and the fish market, which is right in the middle of town. We decided to do the Hop On Hop Off  red bus, (The HOHO). However the queue was huge, but we found a single decker open roofed Blue bus, that did the same thing, and included a ticket for the Funicular to take us to the Mount Floyen lookout above town. This proved a master

Reindeer Hot Dog.
Delicious!!

Sightseeing Bergen.

stroke, as the queue for tickets at the Funicular was huge, and we jumped straight to the front of the line!! We enjoyed Bergen very much. We dined on King Crab at the Fish Market, which was delicious, and at the other end of the scale, I dined on a Reindeer Hot Dog, to which Carolyn said she just couldn't eat Bambi, but soon changed her mind when I told her how good it was!! Poor old Bambi!! The view from Mount Floyen was spectacular, with Bergen laid out below. There are pet mountain goats roaming around the lookout. They are very tame, but you sure needed to watch where you stepped!!

Carol with on of the
goats at Mt Floyen.

Bergen's wooden houses.

The brightly coloured Wooden Houses are now a series of Cafes, Bars and shops. We had a lovely time walking in and around these homes. Some of the shops were very classy. The Scandinavian countries are famous for their designs. Fur is widely sold, there are beautiful hand made glass pieces and some of the wood work was incredible. Plenty of Christmas shops. Carolyn had a ball, and I must admit so did I, as the variety in the shops was so different! We headed back to the ship, with several shopping bags!! We joined Steve and Pat for Music Trivia, and a pre dinner drink, then we headed out to dinner at Tamarind, the Asian Specialty Restaurant on  board. The food there was just divine, offering food from most parts of Asia. It was a long, lovely dinner.

Seven Sisters Waterfall.

Sailing the Fjords.

Sailing out into the North Seas again, we now had a full day at sea, as we were on our way back to Amsterdam to drop off those passengers who had just taken the Fjords 7 Day Cruise, and to pick up new passengers doing the Baltic Cruise. We enjoyed a lazy day on lounges around the pool deck, reading our books, and taking turns to join in events that took our fancy around the ship. We had a big night with Steve and Pat, getting closer to a win at Music Trivia, having a lovely dinner in the main dining room,and rocking the night away in the Piano Bar, until retiring around 1.00am!! Our day in Amsterdam was quiet! We slept in, had a lazy late brekkie, then wandered into town for a couple of hours, before taking up our lays on the pool deck to enjoy a sunny sail out of Amsterdam for the second time!