I am writing this first entry to the journey in the middle of the Pacific at 38,000 feet – to be posted from Auckland. As I have said this is a different sort of journey – not our normal long cruise, but rather a long stay in New Zealand (the month of February) followed by […]
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While our previous journeys have been exclusively cruises, this one is a combined land and sea adventure. When we have visited New Zealand on two previous cruises, we wanted to stay longer than the 8 hours in each port that is the norm for cruises. We have been intrigued by the culture, the people, and […]
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Early this morning we sailed into our final port – New York, past the Statue of Liberty. Even early on a Saturday, the city is lit up. Perhaps the worst part of any cruise is the end – not just because it is over, but because the debarkation process is usually a pain. Maybe because […]
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After five days at sea we docked in Boston at was once a Navy facility, and is now being converted into office space. Five days at sea may seem like quite a long stretch, but they are great opportunities to rest, relax and recharge. Also, the ship changes its menu of on board of entertainment […]
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The small town of Cobh, serves as the port for Cork, which about 30 miles away. This is one of those ports that we can dock right in the center of town, making the logistics of getting on and off the ship quite nice. We walked around the town for a few minutes and then, […]
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Belfast is the capital of Northern Ireland (the part of Ireland that belongs to the U.K.). It was founded in the 17th century and prospered, becoming famous for its linens and shipyards. More recently, Belfast has rebounded from years of political strife known locally as the “troubles”. Though I am sure I am oversimplifying, the […]
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Our ship docked at Greenock, on the River Clyde, about 15 miles outside of Glasgow. After discussing both Glasgow and Edinburgh with Tina, who has been to both, we elected to take the two hour bus ride from our port, in Greenock, to Edinburgh to see the castle. We drove first through Paisley, Scotland, famous […]
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A couple hundred miles from Kristiansand, on the western coast of Norway, lies Bergen. Originally a Viking trading port, it was founded by Viking King Olaf Kyrre in 1070 A.D. The town grew as a trading port, and in 1360 it became part of the German Hanseatic League, a merchant guild that controlled all trade […]
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When I saw this port on the itinerary, grouped with Oslo, Stockholm, Glasgow, etc – I thought, “what is this place”? The only port which I had never heard of, turned out to be a charming little town, with lots of art work, a beautiful park on the seaside and a striking absence of shops […]
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We had a day at sea headed back to Copenhagen, where Kristina would join us. I tried all day to email and text her to arrange a meeting place and time, but got no response. By the morning, when we docked, I called her business partner Ru in Dallas to see if he had heard […]
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