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Pictures from the city center Planters are used for protection instead of cement blockades.Memorial for the victims of the worst mass shooting in Norway. Gorgeous flowers for the garden club.

Vigeland Sculpture Garden exceeded our expectations. Do not miss it.

We booked an extraordinary 4 hour walking tour with Andrew from Tours by Locals, $475 for up to 10 people, we had 8 so $60pp. Opera house Saunas

Oslo: Sailing in for our 11am docking. The bow was open. These pictures are from our aft can.

The Scandinavian brunch was served on the second sea in the Main Dining Room only from 9:39-12:30. It was not served in Club Orange which had regular breakfast hours and menu.

A sunny day in Copenhagen! We were going to take public transportation but decided since there were four of us, we would share a cab $36 to Nyhavn, a canal with many old houses and sailships. Nyhavn is one of the oldest parts of the Copenhagen harbor and dates back to 1673. We used the Netto-bådene canal boat company; the tour was $9. All the sites below were seen from the boat on our one hour tour. Frederik's Church known as The Marble Church Our Saviour’s Church with the famous, twisted spire. The Little Mermaid, illustrating one of the fairy-tales written by the Danish fairy-tale writer Hans Christian Andersen. Opera House Nikolaj Kunsthall, a modern art gallery inside a former church. Circle Bridge for pedestrians & cyclists

We received an invitation onboard and did not make a reservation, just walked in. It was listed on the Daily.

Unfortunately, we are docking in Mandal ( not Kristiansand) a port that has not had cruise ships in the past and requires a 45 minute tender ride. I will report back after my experiences.

The officers

We went to the Old World wine tasting. Stephen was an excellent presenter.

Sea Day Daily

At the port talk this morning, we were told that we were the first cruise ship to ever visit Mandal. It is a tender port and will be a long ride. Here are the excursions available on our cruise.

I don’t know but all aboard was 2:30. They will be showing the race today.

In Copenhagen, we have decided to explore the city independently beginning with a canal cruise from Nyhavn. Our friends will be going to Tivoli but we are just going to relax at a waterfront restaurant or maybe go to the market In Oslo we have arranged a private Tour by Locals to the Vigeland Sculpture Park, the Fram and Kon-Tiki Museums In Gothenberg we are going to the Botanical Gardens. In Mandal (Kristiansand) we have no plans and are open to suggestions

*Mushroom soup- crab cakes are all filler *Halibut-only place you can get it on the ship. I always ask for it to be cooked”medium” since I feel they tend to overcook all the fish son the ship *Love asparagus , spinach and beets- ask for a half portion of each. Also the Aspatagus and mushroom risotto main dish is very good. We order a half portion for the table. * Chocolate soufflé- I can make key lime pie at home but never make soufflé s. Bon Voyage!

I brought a North Face fleece that I wear under my waterproof Columbia rain jacket when it is cold and wet. It really hasn’t been that cold, just very wet and windy. Layers are the best idea.

Awoke to a rainy turn around day in Rotterdam. Today we did a HAL tour The Windmills of Kinderdijk, built in the 1700s, collectively a UNESCO World Heritage Site for $139. The 19 windmills that remain intact today are lined up along the riverfront and were used to pump rising water to the canal and keep the village dry. Beautiful garden outside We were able to go inside inside one of them for an up-close appreciation of how these simple machines harness the power of the wind in order to work. ( Kept the video short to be sure it would post.) IMG_1389.mov It was interesting to watch the drawbridge to the windmill go up so a canal boat could pass through. The guide was good. There was a brief movie, a coffee shop and a gift shop. Looking forward to Sailaway and our next adventure.

@VMax1700Thanks for giving me something to research on my sea day. I’d love to go above the Arctic Circle and also see the Northern Lights. This photo is for you: Raisin Bread Pudding

Friday- Sea Day in the rainy North Sea as we journey back to Rotterdam. Really wish this was an actual 14 day cruise instead of a B2B. I don’t mind sea days but would prefer to see more Norwegian ports. We went to breakfast in CO at 9. There was already a line waiting for the Scandinavian Brunch which is from 9:30-12:30. Still a line when we left CO at 9:45. Here’s the menuOther activities schedule for this afternoon include The City at Sea, Cake Me Away, Royal Dutch Tea and Deal or No Deal game show along with the usual trivia and bingo. Happy to answer any questions about the ship or the ports. You’ll need to wait until tomorrow for more pictures.😉

Although it was raining everyone decided to go on the RIB Tour. It was $125 pp.Because of the weather it was a bit rough until we got into the Lysefjord. Once there, it was spectacular to get so close.

We are docked in Stavanger. It is pouring rain and very windy. My travel partners are reluctant to go on our RIB tour to Pulpit Rock this afternoon. They are afraid they will get seasick. We’ll see what the afternoon brings…

Voss In the way home in the coach

Flam is beautiful! We took an HAL excursion calledCoach &Train Express recommended by several on the board. Different views, described as explore the panoramic splendor of the fjord country by road and rail. We began our journey on the historic Flåm Railway and journey from sea level to 3000 feet on a 12-mile ride. Church from the 1600s Switch back roads The train stops at the 280-foot Kjosfossen Waterfall A hulder is a seductive forest creature found in Scandinavian folklore. She looks like a normal human woman except for her tail, which will give her away. She would lure men into the woods with her song and depending on their character would either kill them or marry them. She was neither good nor bad, instead she would respond to the intentions and actions of the person who encountered her. If a hunter was kind to her she would assist the hunt. On the way to Voss

Welcome to Flam!

Norway is gorgeous. I’m sorry I don’t have pictures of our sailaway from Bergen. It was beautiful despite the constant rain. We had dinner in the Pinnacle. There has been talk on the forum about a new entreeI decided to take one for the team.I ordered it without any sides so I cannot show you the actual presentationIt was as terrible. When the waiter asked about my meal, I told him I was disappointed. He offered to bring me another meal; I declined. I had ordered a half portion of the asparagus and mushroom risotto to replace my sides. The manager quickly arrived to my table. I told him that the legs were obviously frozen, the shells were bendable but the crab was dry. I also told him that eating with my hands was not the experience I expected in the Pinnacle. He stated that the managers of the Pinnacle across the HAL line were surprised about the addition too and he would relay my comments to the upper management. I was not charged.