FUN-travel: Copenhagen, Denmark – Day 9 – Princess Baltic Cruise

July 31, 2014 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Copenhagen, Denmark – Day 9 – Princess Baltic Cruise

Day 28 – Monday, July 28 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Princess Cruise – Day 9 – morning haze gives way to full sun – high 70’s – sunrise 5:07 – sunset 9:23

Amalienborg Palace

What I LIKE

7:45 – hot cappuccino wake up
9:45 – walk out to find City Tour bus waiting
– brochure states “cruise ship shuttle included”
10:30 – drops us @ stop 13 – change buses & city tour begins
10:45 – stop #1 Gammel Strand – government buildings – tower of Borsen
– world’s oldest active stock exchange
11:15 – stop #3 Nyhavn – 350 yr old harbor – restaurants line canal on narrow streets
11:45 – stop # 4 Amalienborg Palace
– official royal residence
– changing of the guard @ 12 (don’t need to stand in a crowd to see it)
12:15 – stop #5 Gefion fountain – Toldboden Restaurant @ stop #5 has toilet – no charge
– nice seating on waterfront for dining or drinks
1:15 – stop #6 Little Mermaid – Hans Christian Anderson
– opt to get off bus instead of going full circle – would take another 1.5 hr
1:50 – call for taxi – share w/shipmates from Australia
– costs $21 – Princess shuttle to town $8 pp one way

Nyhavn

2:00 – back to ship
2:30 – nice cold beer w/shipmates from Australia
4:00 – snack on 16
7:30 – dinner w/ w/shipmates from Australia – bleu cheese & mushroom burger – grilled salmon – Silverado Sangiovese $6 extra – all VG

Little Mermaid

What I DON’T LIKE

Charged us $25 Euro ea for 48 hr rate not 24 hr
– never asked & knew full well ship was in port 1 day
– then claimed we got discount because no shuttle back to ship
– have to get taxi back
Seeing all the baggage in hallway & wishing I could get off too!
Fitful sleep night

FUN-fact – Copenhagen was founded in the 11th century and is called “the city of spires” because the skyline is speared with church bells and centuries-old castle towers.
More FF – The tower of Borsen features three green dragons with their tails twisted to create a thin, graceful spire.

Gammel Strand

Filed under: FUN-travel
Tagged: Copenhagen, Denmark, Princess Baltic Cruise

FUN-travel: At Sea – Day 8 – Princess Baltic Cruise

July 31, 2014 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: At Sea – Day 8 – Princess Baltic Cruise

Day 27 – Sunday, July 27 – At Sea – Princess Cruise – Day 8 – hazy w/high light clouds & sun – low 70’s – sunrise 4:13 – sunset 9:56

Tallinn, Estonia

What I LIKE

7:30 – hot cappuccino
Total R & R day
11:15 – breakfast Deck 16 – steak (from last night) & eggs w/hash browns
12:00 – open final lunch buffet
– waited to see if sushi & shrimp would appear like last sea day
12:15 – soft serve swirl cone @ pool
12:30 – nap
2:15 – shower for…
3:00 – wine tasting – $20 ea w/discount coupon – sit w/2 Canadian couples
– 6 glasses – champagne, sauvignon blanc, Silverado chardonnay, italian red – Simi Landslide cab – Mondavi Reserve Cab ($135 bottle)
4:15 – stroll thru atrium
6:30 – dinner @ Alfredo’s
– pizza, calzone, meat ravioli w/cream & cheese, minestrone & veggie antipasto
– pretty tasty – Australia McPherson 2012 Shiraz
7:30 – downpour (1st rain on this cruise)
Pass under the Great Belt Bridge
– huge expansion bridge
– costs $36 Euro ea way
Early night night

What I DON’T LIKE

Waited 30 mins for shrimp
– soggy & sauce needs more horseradish
– forgot to take wine description sheets
tired of dining room – need a change
– starting to get real bored w/food

Tallinn, Estonia

WKW (Who’s Kidding Who) – tired of being on this ship

Filed under: FUN-travel
Tagged: Princess Baltic Cruise

FUN-travel: Nynashamn, Sweden – Day 7 – Princess Baltic Cruise

July 31, 2014 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Nynashamn, Sweden – Day 7 – Princess Baltic Cruise

Day 26 – Saturday, July 26 – Nynashamn, Sweden – Princess Cruise – Day 7 – not a cloud in the sky – 70’s – sunrise 3:37 – sunset 9:59

What I LIKE

7:30 – wake up
No hurry
10:15 – take tender ashore
– nobody in line – only takes 15 mins
Decided not to take 1 hr bus ride to Stockholm @ $59 ea
(don’t need to see another big city)
Will enjoy small seaside resort town
Take laptops for fast, free wifi
10:45 – decide to not take local hop on, hop off bus @ $18 ea
– town just not big enough to justify cost
Take nice walk to harbor – 30 mins
(they have blue line painted on sidewalk so you can’t get lost)
– filled w/small shops & restaurants
– TI (Tourist Info) has free wifi but no place to sit

11:30 – walk up to city center
11:40 – only Subway sandwich shop has free wifi
– you have to sign up to MyCloud to get it
– buy sandwich, chips & 2 drinks = 88 kroner = $13 US
1:15 – internet not free anymore
Head back to TI on waterfront for fast wifi
– got 5 travel days posted

2:30 – take walk along waterfront
*2:56 – remember I took tender from ship
3:00 – board tender
3:40 – arrive back to ship
6:00 – sail away – small islands dot the sea – lots of sail boats
7:15 – happy hour martini’s – Wheelhouse bar
8:00 – dinner @ Crown Grill – costs $25 pp
– included in promo rate found on site in March
– scallops starters – spinach w/goat cheese & heirloom tomato salad
– 12 oz NY strip w/garlic fries (cooked perfectly) & sea bass – nice Carmenere $6 extra
10:30 – back to room

What I DON’T LIKE

Can’t get wifi @ Subway – takes 10 mins
*2:55 – Princess in harbor not @ pier!
– feel panic attack coming on!
– not supposed to leave until after 5:30
Crooner’s is only place to get a martini
– Wheelhouse bar shorter pour & no olive tray
Forgot my notepad

FUN-facts – I re-checked the Princess website in March and found the “3 for Free” promo rate. I got a lower cabin rate as well as a $50 shore excursion credit, $175 cabin credit and one meal in the premier dining room.

More FF – There are 296 kitchen staff members on board the ship.
Not so FF – Apparently everyone who got the promo dinner was signed up for tonight and the staff is overwhelmed.

Filed under: FUN-travel
Tagged: Nynashamn, Princess Baltic Cruise, Sweden

WOW Word-Of-the-Week #521: Laugh

July 31, 2014 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on WOW Word-Of-the-Week #521: Laugh

Laugh – to show or feel amusement or good humor.

How often do you laugh? Do you laugh every day? Do you ever laugh when you are all by yourself?

Thank you to everyone who gave such positive feedback on WOW #517 on self-awareness. This week I am sharing what Kim so eloquently responded by writing, “I found that if I laugh for no reason, other than to knock me out of my mood, it really helps.

Sometimes when I am driving and find myself worrying about all the things I need to do, didn’t do, want to do, have to do, etc… and I notice I am scowling or some such worrisome position, I start laughing really loud, until I feel the tension melt away, and then something funny pops into my head; or I find myself funny that I am worrying about things that I can’t do anything about at that moment and am wasting looking at the world in wonderment. Immediately I feel healing energy and cells flowing through me, and thinking, WOW, I was letting something trivial damage my well-being, health.

Then, I laugh, ha ha, not happening now! I am joyful and free and taking back over the command of my own destiny. I laugh because I am having fun in my life. Because if I am not enjoying and having fun with my life, there is no one to blame but myself!!

I make it a point to look for moments to laugh, much the same way people look for a way to validate their bad mood, I only want to validate a good mood, even when I think I am in a bad mood!

Instead of “I just know something is going to go wrong”, I think, “I just know something funny is going to happen!” Just knowing/thinking that brings a smile to my face in anticipation, and I notice that other folks might venture a smile when they see me smile.

This week’s focus is on how many times you laugh. Do you think you could laugh when you are worried about something? Do you remember the last time you had a really good belly laugh? Have you ever laughed so hard you cried? Do you remember how good that felt?

Filed under: Word Of the Week
Tagged: Laugh

FUN-travel: Helsinki, Finland – Day 6 – Princess Baltic Cruise

July 29, 2014 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Helsinki, Finland – Day 6 – Princess Baltic Cruise

Day 25 – Friday, July 25 – Helsinki, Finland – Princess Cruise – Day 6 – not a cloud in the sky – 80 – sunrise 3:57 – sunset 10:44

What I LIKE

7:30 – wake up
Fall back to sleep
9:30 – down for hot cappuccino
10:45 – head off ship for self tour
$12 shuttle to town – RT pp
11:20 – arrive
short walk thru Esplanade Park to…
– Market Square – next to harbor
– filled w/vendors selling food, fish, fresh veggies & fruit, clothing, souvenirs, lace, etc
– searching for good souvenir deal on grandkids stuff
– find nice man who does & another lady
Up to Senate Square – old buildings – University & St Nicholas cathedral
Looking for water & wine to take back to ship