A Transatlantic Journey
We are now comfortably settled into our “home away from home” cabin on the “Royal Princess”—a 143,000 ton vessel which launched last year. To say that it is a behemoth is an understatement…IT”S MASSIVE! Before I get into our cruise journey, I must comment on our point of origin..Copenhagen.
We arrived in Copenhagen on the 8th of Sept…..a few days early to give us time to explore the city a little more and to visit with my cousin Stefanie who lives there. The city was as delightful as before…friendly people, good food (albeit expensive) and a general sense of happiness. I learned from Stef that there’s a commitment to families here…from employers and the overall population. With at least 6 weeks vacation, paid child money (i.e. money given by the government on an exponential scale for families with children), reasonable work hours (most offices are empty by 5 pm), free medical care, vastly subsidized education….what’s not to like.
So…even though Stef is American, she finds it much easier to raise her son in Denmark. Though consumer goods are definitely less expensive at home, the overall life/work balance issue seems easier to manage here. With having learned Danish and with having adapted to the long winters, there’s little she can’t have…especially with the internet and technology making it so easy to both communicate with relatives and friends and to stay abreast of all from the US.
We shopped along the Stroget…the longest shopping blvd. in Europe, explored the Nye Glypotek (a wonderful museum), ate far too much (and I had not yet made it to the cruise where life’s one big meal) and laughed a lot. Though this wasn’t our first time in Copenhagen, we certainly don’t plan for it to be our last. Scandanavian cities, in general, are clean and well-managed. Even though I really like Copenhagen, I like Stockholm and Oslo just as much! (btw, Helsinki is also really nice).
Ok…now we are on the ship. We’re now on day 3 of a 17 day journey and we’re having a really relaxing time of it. With only 6 ports of call our of 17 days, we actually have “lots” of days at sea…something I am really liking.
Today, for the 1st time in almost 30 years of marriage, David and I slept until about 11 am. With nothing pressing us to awaken, we slept…seemingly forever. Just what the doctor ordered! Hard to imagine that I slept through breakfast!!!! On a cruiseship!!!! Missed a meal!!! LOL
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So now it’s Sept. 21st and we have been on the ship for 11 days. It’s our 2nd sea day in a row and we have one more to go before we reach St. John’s, Newfoundland. So where have we been thus far? A bit about each place:
Kristiansand, Norway—-Ok….so here is the description of the tour that we took:
Along the way, view charming villages and tidy white houses that were once the homes of fishermen and are now popular vacation spots. Sit back and relax or take in the views from the open-air deck as the bustling pleasure boat scene that is so typical of this popular inland waterway creates a holiday atmosphere.
Arriving in port, you’ll transfer to your motorcoach to continue sightseeing to the charming little town of Lillesand. This picturesque village of some 9,000 inhabitants is one of the most popular seaside resorts in Norway. After a brief orientation, you’ll have free time to independently explore its narrow lanes lined with chic shops, galleries and cafés. Each one, from a real ironmonger to an award-winning butcher’s shop, is a delightful discovery.
THE REALITY: One of the most boring tours I’ve ever taken. Yes, the little fishing village was sort of cute but the other place, Lillesand, was a major BUST. Fortunately, we had fabulous weather and calm water so the boat trip was ok. Overall, not something that I would recommend ….perhaps it beats just staying on the ship but, hmmmnnn
2. Reykjavik, Iceland— Landed here with pretty bad weather….rainy, foggy, thought it would be hard to make a fair judgement! As it turns out, the “Blue Lagoon”, a man-made lagoon which is heated with natural mineral rich waters…FANTASTIC!!! Absolutely beautiful! Would have loved to have more time here. Volcanic rock surrounded the lagoon and the steamy water, juxtaposed against the overcast skies made this sort of eerie….but beautiful. Really loved this.
The rest of Reykjavik seemed sort of calm. As the capital of Iceland, the city has a population of about 300 K people. The name Iceland doesn’t describe this country as it’s actually very green and sort of warm. Rumor has it that the Vikings called this Iceland to deter people from coming here and Greenland (which is icy and desolate) was so named to attract explorers.
3. Greenock, Scotland—- Next to Glasgow, this port is the major port city in western Scotland and provides the waterway access point to the Scottish Highlands. We used this port to take a 1.5 hr. bus ride to Edinburgh, the capitol city.
WOW! Loved Edinburgh! From the phenomenal castle which overlooks the city to the museums to the shopping along Princes Street….was a lovely city! Am really looking forward to the opportunity to go back. Took a hop on/off tour to outline the whole city and wished we had more time there to explore in greater depth.
I’ve seen castles all over the world and even with this, I was amazed at the size and majesty of Edinburgh Castle. As a fortress, it was almost impenetrable. As an icon, it really makes the city’s skyline as memorable (in a different way) as the Sydney Opera house. Really worth exploring.
4. Belfast, Ireland—-Rather than visit the city, we opted to go to the countryside out to the Antrim Coast. This coastline is one of the prettiest in Britain and Ireland and we really enjoyed the views along the way to the “Giant’s Causeway”. This is a Unesco World heritage site which is considered to be the Eighth Wonder Of the World. (it’s also the only Unesco WHS in Northern Ireland). Google this place and you’ll see how unusual it is with both round, smooth giant stones and (of varying heights) and hexagonal columns….also of varying heights. Another WOW! A breathtaking coastal location which is sure to amaze you with its natural beauty!
5. Cobh, Ireland…pronounded “cove”—about a 15 minute drive to Cork, Ireland…the 2nd largest town in Southern Ireland (aka the Republic of Ireland)—An absolutely beautiful town. Really different from Edinburgh in its size but really charming. So….we visited both Cork and Cobh and loved both…would love to return. Cork has the size and feel to make it worthwhile for
lodging….Cobh has its own charm to make it worth visiting also.
For a town with only 3k residents, Cobh has an amazingly large and picturesque cathedral which is set at the top of the city overlooking the harbor. At first, I questioned whether I wanted to climb the steep (really steep) stairs leading to the cathedral. I was REALLY happy that I did when I saw the views…both of the cathedral from within and of the town from the cathedral’s vantage point. For sure, I will post some of the pictures from this port as I really loved it.
So now we are back on the ship with only 2 more ports left… St. John’s Newfoundland and Halifax, NOva Scotia. What makes me saddest about about approaching these ports is that our trip is ending all too fast. I have REALLY enjoyed the relaxation afforded by so many days at sea. Though I have continued to eat too much (smile), I have loved getting up at a leisurely pace, exercising, having massages, participating in different forms of entertainment…from zumba to rhumba to shows to line-dancing to casino (and more casino—you know me!) to eating fish and chips and having tea with my friend Barbara—have just enjoyed this to no end.
I’ve been surprised at how well I have adapted to doing things at such a slow pace. This is making me reluctant to reenter the real world.
I know that this sort of getaway isn’t for everyone. I imagine that some would find this boring and, in all honesty, I wondered whether I was wired to slow it down enough to do this. I’m happy that I have found a new way of enjoying life….my whole objective at this point.
More later!
Janice
PS…As the cruise wound down, we ended up not being able to visit St. John. We encountered incredibly strong winds because of a mid-atlantic hurricane and the port had to be closed. As a result, we ended up having an extra day at sea (4 in a row) and entered Halifax evening early rather than having a morning arrival.
Halifax was wonderful. We visited Peggy’s Cove (a quaint fishing village about an hour out) and later did a city tour. Clean, friendly, charming…..all words which describe Halifax.