Norway in a Nutshell Part I: Heading to Flåm
Jet lag can be rough, and when you spend hours awake in the middle of the night, the alarm in the morning is not a welcomed sound! But the day awaits with part 1 of our “Norway in a Nutshell” … Read More
Viking Ships, Nudity & Ski Jumping
One of the key recommendations of all guides to Norway is to eat breakfast at the hotel (when included) since food is pretty expensive up here. After we gobble up another big buffet breakfast we head out once more to … Read More
A Walking Tour of Oslo, Norway
A good day starts with a good breakfast and the one at the hotel offers plenty. We have a slow start to the morning, trying to get out of jet lag and into sightseeing mode. Ribeke, one of Kirk’s internet … Read More
Off to Scandinavia!
Another year, another adventure! When winter just doesn’t get cold enough in the Bay Area, we head north. Well east, then north … to Norway, the first country of our Scandinavia adventure! My parents have come all the way from … Read More
Alaska Day 15 – A Bus Tour of Vancouver Before Heading to San Francisco
It’s just after 6am when the MS Noordam passes under the Lions Bridge and officially arrives in Vancouver. Docking at Canada Place makes for a spectacular finish to our cruise and the disembarkation process is surprisingly efficient. I guess they … Read More
Alaska Day 14 – Cruisin’ the Inside Passage
Soon after leaving Ketchikan we are crossing into Canada, and with that set our clocks an hour ahead overnight. The sea gets a little rough at times, but we have a beautiful sunrise anyways. Thereafter however clouds take over and … Read More
Alaska Day 13 – Flightseeing Misty Fjords National Monument
Beautiful sunshine welcomes us as we cruise towards Ketchikan, today’s destination. From our cabins’ balconies we watch as the ship docks in the harbor, and soon after we disembark for our excursion, the Misty Fjords Flightseeing trip! Joined by a … Read More
Alaska Day 12 – Exploring Juneau
After leaving Haines just before 9pm last night, our ship has reached Juneau just before 8am this morning. Forecast calls for another day of rain, so the gear remains at hand. The extremely high water levels (flood stage) and strong … Read More
Alaska Day 11 – A Wet Ride Searching for Bald Eagles
Official arrival time for our ship here in Haines is 6:30am, but when I look out the window at 6am, we’re already tied up to the dock. It’s chilly, blustery and a little rainy again this morning, but we’re still … Read More
Alaska Day 10 – Glacier Bay National Park
Tidewater glaciers are great rivers of ice that flow to the sea and calve large chunks of ice into the ocean. The bay boasts seven such tidewater glaciers, including famous Margerie Glacier – one of Alaska’s most photographed features and … Read More