FUN-photos: A&K Arctic Expedition

September 11, 2014 by · Comments Off on FUN-photos: A&K Arctic Expedition 

On August 6th we flew from Amsterdam to Oslo. Our A&K trip started on the 7th with a city walking tour and a cocktail reception at the Polar Ship Fram Museum. It houses the original arctic expedition ship and considered the world´s strongest wooden ship. On June 24th 1893 the Fram set out on her first expedition to reach the North Pole. The expedition ended in 1896 and  in 1898 the 2nd expedition sailed to survey northern Greenland and to explore and survey the unknown northeastern coast. They were supposed to return in 1901 but were surrounded by ice that never melted and finally returned in September 1902. The Fram made 2 remarkable pioneering expeditions.

We boarded Le Boreal in Longyearbyen, Svalbard and spent the first 4 days on excursions cruising around the archipelago in search of polar bears and wild life. And we got lucky! We found a mother and her cub on 2 different days. From there we cruised to Greenland spending 3 days of excursions and landings and ended in Iceland for 2 day stops touring on land before disembarking in Reykjavik.

Then we spent 4 days in Reykjavik which included taking the Golden Circle tour and dipping in the world famous Blue Lagoon. The Golden Circle is a 300 km loop that covers three main attractions; Pingvellir National Park, the waterfall Gullfoss (Golden Falls) & the erupting geyser Strokkur. And lucky for us we got out of Reykjavik just before the Bardarbunga volcano erupted! We ended in London where we spent our last full day at the Tower of London.

This trip lasted 57 days and included 12 countries,  11 zodiac excursions, 7 airline flights, 3 cruises and 2 car rentals covering 1330 miles. We are so glad to be home, and in our opinion, the best place in the whole world!

FUN-travel: Oslo, Norway to Longyearbyen, Svalbard – A&K Arctic Cruise Day 1

August 24, 2014 by · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Oslo, Norway to Longyearbyen, Svalbard – A&K Arctic Cruise Day 1 

Day 39 – Friday, August 8 – Oslo to Longyearbyen, Svalbard – A&K Arctic Cruise Day 1 – full sun w/high clouds – high 40’s – 24 hours daylight

Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway 2014 11

Coal Mining Towers

What I LIKE

  • 6:30 – get up
  • 7:40 – bus departs
  • 8:30 – arrive airport
  • SAS charter flight – get United points & lounge access
  • 9:15 – lounge has separate Star Alliance Gold
  • Lovely lady changes boarding pass to sit together
  • 9:45 – head to gate
  • 11:00 – takes off – has meal & beverage service @ no charge
  • – smoked salmon w/potato salad – brie & bleu cheeses
  • 2:00 – arrive Longyearbyen – take bus to cultural center
  • 2:45 – lunch – roast chicken & mashed potatoes
  • – w/movie about the small town life in all 4 seasons
  • 3:50 – bus to museum w/flora, fauna – see stuffed birds, polar bear, and seal from region
  • 4:30 – board ship Le Boreal
  • No satellite coverage or internet on ship
  • – just enjoy being present w/o any distraction
  • 5:00 – go to spa to book massage & manicure
  • Deck 3 lounge for champagne
  • 6:00 – safety drill

Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway 2014 8

  • 7:15 – welcome & meet expedition team
  • – Janni is same cruise director from Antarctica trip 2009
  • 8:15 – dinner deck 6 – opt for the self service buffet
  • – same food as deck 2 – more casual & you can control your portions
  • 11:00 – night night
  • It’s only cold the first day
  • – trip includes parkas & backpacks
Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway 2014 17

Polar Bear at Museum

What I DON’T LIKE

  • 5:15 – wake up
  • Standing in another long line snaking thru airport
  • – shouldn’t have to on A&K – seats not together either
  • – told we have to change at gate
  • 10:00 – supposed to board – more hurry up & wait
  • 5:00 – don’t do gel nails!
  • – now I’m screwed big time as I have no other options
  • No satellite coverage – no internet
  • – never let anyone know ahead of time & don’t want them to worry
  • – inbox will be jammed full – like to clean it up every day or two
  • Rubber boots not included – $80 rental fee or bring your own (requires extra luggage charge)

Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway 2014 18

FUN-fact – Svalbard is an archipelago run by Norway but considered international because 100 countries signed a treaty to do business under their jurisdiction. Longyearbyen is the city with an airport on Spitsbergen which is the biggest island.

 

FUN-travel: Oslo, Norway – Full Day – A&K Tour Start

August 24, 2014 by · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Oslo, Norway – Full Day – A&K Tour Start 

Day 38 – Thursday, August 7 – Oslo, Norway – Day 1 – A & K Arctic Tour – full sun w/high clouds – mid 70’s

What I LIKE

  •  8:45 – down for hot coffee
  • – breakfast included – thank god!
  • – typical big buffet & omelet station
  • – who knows the cost
  • – if typical buffet costs 24 Euro – in Oslo it must cost 40!
  • 12:00 – in room lunch w/leftovers & to go sandwich from breakfast

Oslo, Norway 2013 31

  • 2:00 – City walking tour – beginning part of A&K tour
  • 1st stop – Parliament Building
  • 2nd stop – Christiana Square – statue – founded Oslo
  • 3rd stop – Oslo Opera House – designed to look like ice berg/glacier
  • 4th stop – Grev Wedels Place
  • 5th stop – Akershus Fortress & Castle
  • 4:00 – end tour early – saw it last week
  • Spend last 20 Kroner @ grocery store = liter diet coke
  • 6:40 – bus to the Polar Ship Fram – museum w/original arctic expedition ship
  • 7:00 – cocktail reception – wine & buffet of typical Norwegian food – reindeer burgers, salmon, salads
  • 8:30 – bus back
Oslo, Norway 2013 32

Opera House

What I DON’T LIKE

  • Not enough cut fresh fruit variety
  • Hand held shower – unable to control height
  • – have to get on knees to wash hair!
  • 11:00 – need to go to sleep – have early morning

FUN-fact – Look very, very closely at this picture as the sculpture has a quite vivid depiction of a male body part that I don’t think you’d see in the US.

Not so FF –The Grand Hotel isn’t so Grand any more.

Oslo, Norway 2013 46

FUN-travel: Amsterdam to Oslo, Norway

August 23, 2014 by · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Amsterdam to Oslo, Norway 

Day 37 – Wednesday, August 6 – Amsterdam to Oslo, Norway – sunny & breezy w/periodic clouds – mid70’sOslo

 What I LIKEOslo, Norway 2013 56

  • 6:50 – really hot Americano – swinging out today
  • 7:45 – ready & checkout
  • Used all Hilton points for 5 free nights
  • – paid AAA rate of 139 Euro for 1 night – treated Cinzia to hers
  • 8:00 – taxi ordered not big enough for bags
  • – double checked flat rate 42.50 Euro
  • – hotel says no extra bag charges
  • 8:30 – arrive airport – no traffic
  • Pay 45 Euro after telling him flat rate
  • SAS to Oslo – star alliance partner – get two 23 kilo bags per person @ not charge
  • 9:00 – see gold check in desk – ask agent & she moves us to front of line
  • – get lounge access too!
  • *Very efficient & fast security – lots of lanes open
  • – typical liquids, laptops & now Ipads have to be out
  • Duty free – 2011 Boschendal Cab/Syrah blend = 25 Euro & 2012 Nederburg Reserve Cab = 15 Euro
  • 9:20 – Lounge 26 – decent cappuccino – crackers w/cheese spread & fruit cake like bread – full open bar
  • 10:20 – board – have exit row seat
  • 10:55 – push back & take off
Oslo, Norway 2013 37

Oslo

  • 1:00 – breeze thru customs

    Oslo, Norway 2013 36

    Akershus Fortress & Castle

  • A&K at airport for transfer to Grand Hotel waiting
  • 1:15 – board bus for 30 mile ride
  • 2:00 – arrive
  • Free internet & email working
  • 4:30 – beer break – sidewalk seating – too hot for inside
  • TGI Friday’s – 1 chicken quesadilla + 2 beers = 343 Kroner = $56
  • 7:45 – dinner @ Mehfel – TA highly rated Indian – short walk on Kirkegata

FUN-food – Lentil soup w/lime on house – Daal Makhni spiced black lentils – Chicken Tikka Murgh sauce of yogurt, curry, ginger, garlic – rice – garlic naan bread (not good) – 2009 Imperiale Duca di Barbanera Sicily – Chili Rose – German cordial on house too! 950 Kroner = $160 (have leftovers for lunch)

  • Got all of my spicy food fixes today
  • 10:30 – ready for bed – no nap today

What I DON’T LIKE

  • 5:00 – wake up
  • 6:00 – wake up
  • Starbuck’s doesn’t open until 6:30
  • taxi driver tries to charge meter rate of 58 Euro!
  • When confronted w/fixed rate tries to say its baggage charge – NOT!
  • SAS only has 4 agents – line snakes thru airport
  • – star alliance gold check in has no separate line
  • – makes no sense – very poor setup
  • *get pulled into secondary – hand search thru bags
  • SAS charges for everything on plane except tea & coffee
  • Hard to find outside table @ any restaurant except TGIF
  • Oslo just flat out expensive!
Amsterdam, Netherlands 2014 5

The City of Bicycles

FUN-fact – Amsterdam is “the city of bicycles.” You don’t watch for cars when crossing the street, its fear of getting hit by all the bicycles!

More FF from Wikipedia –The city had 490,000 fietsers (cyclists) take to the road to cycle 2 million kilometers every day according to statistics of the city council. This has caused some problems as, despite 35,000 kilometers of bicycle paths, the country’s 18 million bicycles (1.3 per citizen old enough to ride) were clogging Amsterdam’s streets at peak times and parked bicycles were overcrowding train stations and other areas

FUN-travel: Oslo, Norway – Day 10 – Princess Baltic Cruise

August 1, 2014 by · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Oslo, Norway – Day 10 – Princess Baltic Cruise 

Day 29 – Tuesday, July 29 – Oslo, Norway – Princess Cruise – Day 10 – morning haze gives way to full sun – high 70’s – sunrise 4:51 – sunset 9:54

What I LIKEOslo, Norway 2014 3

  • 7:15 – cappuccino/latte in room
  • 8:30 – back to Deck 5
  • – instruct them how I want my coffee
  • – Allan knows how to make real cappuccino!
  • 9:30 – fruit on 16 – mobbed & too many people
  • 10:00 – arrive in town port
  • – Akershus Fortress & Castle right next to pier
  • 10:20 – walk off – only short walk to city center
  • 1st site – City Hall – red brick, double towers
  • 2nd site – City Park flanked by…
  • 3rd site – the Royal Palace
  • 4th site – & the Parliament
  • 11:30 – find Grand Oslo Hotel (where we stay next week)
  • Deli across street has free wifi
  • – buy 1 tuna salad nicoise, 1 bag potato chips, 1 soda
  • 1:30 – take off
  • Lots of photo ops – statues & fountains on waterfront
  • TI – Tourist Info has free wifi (just up from City Hall) – my computer can’t find it (IT – imaging that!)
  • 5th site – Nobel Peace Center
Oslo, Norway 2014 22

Akershus Fortress & Castle

  • Find kids souvenirs @ 25% less – same main street as city hall facing harbor
  • – look for Stetson Hat sign on bldg
  • 2:30 – Pappabuene Restaurant – right on waterfront
  • – free wifi Chris’ Apple works (but of course my computer doesn’t work again)
  • – 2 Amundsen beers $174 k = $28 US
  • – nice sea breeze – just delightful to be off ship
  • 4:00 – board & up to Deck 16 for pizza
  • Check out next destination lecture on TV
  • 5:00 – little nappy
Oslo, Norway 2014 16

Parliament

  • 6:30 – sail away – lots of little islands – sailboats – light houses
  • 8:15 – dinner – black bean soup & spinach, mushroom quiche w/salad – VG
  • Grilled salmon (VG) is available every night
  • – Chris orders that again w/grilled calamari & fettuccini alfredo
  • – Ancient Peaks Paso Robles Merlot & Spellbound Napa Petite Syrah
  • – both $5 extra – best wines for price in our opinion
Oslo, Norway 2014 10

Royal Palace

What I DON’T LIKE

  • Elevator wait time unbelievable – have to go up to go down
  • – lunch costs $144 kroner = $24 US
  • Credit card doesn’t work – have to go to ATM
  • – minimal withdrawal 200 + $5 bank charge
  • Deli upstairs has no air flow & very hot
  • 2:00 am – 1st time I felt any movement from rough seas in middle of night

Oslo, Norway 2014 25

FUN-fact – Oslo is the oldest Scandinavian capital and Norway’s largest city.
More FF – It sits in a beautiful harbor wrapped around a fjord 60 miles from the sea. And is the land of trolls.

Oslo, Norway 2014 19

Nobel Peace Center