Day 6 – Honningsvåg

Even though it was actually warmer here than back at home (we managed the reach 2 degrees!) the wind and the rain made sure it was one miserable day. This unfortunately meant out trip to the North Cape was cancelled 😥 on a positive note, this means we are going to have to return! Probably for the midnight sun next time.

Crampons were needed for this town as it was icy, however mine will only fit over my trainers which meant I spent half the time with freezing cold water sloshing around in my shoes.

As with most things in the north of Norway, they claim to be the northernmost; so we decided to pay a visit to the northernmost bakery in Europe. We had a lovely little pastry with creme pat and berries.

We got back on Richard quite early as we were cold, wet and tired (poor sleep last night due to the rough waters) so carried on our match of scrabble. Fortunately I won all three games!

Were both struggling with sickness tonight as it’s particularly rough. It was also a challenge at dinner because it was a fish buffet 🤢 but I soon sniffed out the cheese and meat section.

Here’s hoping for better weather and a better night sleep!

Day 5 – Tromsø

We arrived into Tromsø in the early afternoon so had the whole morning to potter around the ship. As much as I was desperate for a lie in after the 2am bedtime, I was still up at 8:30 😣

There was beautiful scenery this morning so spent a fair bit of time out on deck. The sun was shining, the sky was blue and the air was crisp. We even had time for a game of Scrabble whilst watching the world go by.

Tromsø is unfortunately another city that is undergoing transformation and therefore has lots of diggers, cranes and rubble about. We headed for the Fjellheisen cable car to get the best view of the city. The advice was to take the bus so obviously we decided to walk. I cannot describe the cold and the wind to you whilst walking over the bridge; it was beyond anything I have ever felt. The top of the mountain however was a light breeze so we were able to enjoy the views without being at risk of hypothermia. It was incredible and something I would 100% recommend if ever you come here. We even saw an Eagle in flight! The Arctic Cathedral is also very striking as the sun is going down.

It’s very cloudy tonight so I’m not holding out much help for another Aurora display like last night, but just in case the Nikon is all set up and ready to go.

Day 4 – Bodø

I’ll keep this short and sweet, like me 😉It’s 02:00 and I’ve been outside over 2 hours watching the greatest light show on Earth. I feel incredibly lucky.

This morning we crossed the Arctic Circle and we decided to join in with the ceremony to mark the occasion. This involves sitting patiently in front of everyone waiting for the captain or the troll to ladle freezing cold water and ice down your back!

In the afternoon we visited Saltsraumen; one of the strongest tidal currents in the world. Unfortunately this was an incredibly rushed experience, but one I won’t forget!

After an incredible sunset and tasty beefy dinner we enjoyed a hot Norwegian drink (no idea what it was but it was definitely alcoholic) and fresh fish cakes (and I must say it was delicious) out on deck. And this is when the show began!

I’m off to sleep now after the most fabulous day. Luckily I can have a lie in as we don’t arrive in Tromsø until 15:00

Day 3 – Trondheim

Woke up this morning to the white stuff, and lots of it! Luckily we packed our salopettes so were well prepared for today’s adventure. Hopefully lost at least a stone today, it’s hard work wading through snow that is at some points up to your knees!

Trondheim was extremely quiet, considering its meant to be a student town. I think they all looked at the window and thought sod that. That for us however meant we had the place to ourselves. We visited Gamble Bybro (old town bridge) which had plenty of pretty Norwegian buildings creating reflections in the water below. The Nidaros Cathedral, the largest medieval building in Scandinavia, was also specular against the falling snow. I decided to pretend to mess around with my camera so I could earwig on a nearby tour… Cheeky!

On our way back to Richard the sun decided to come out so we were able to capture the same photos, however this time with much better lighting.

On deck today was the tasting of local blue mussels. Anyone who knows me knows how much I hate fish, but decided to give it a go. I’ve had worse things my mouth (skips  😂) but it wasn’t as bad as I was expecting. I wouldn’t rush to have another anytime soon though.

Dinner tonight was Rudolph, sorry Santa 🎅

Day 2 – Ålesund

I survived my first night at sea! The beauty of being tight and having an inside cabin is there is no light whatsoever so I had a perfect sleep.

This morning we sailed to Ålesund which is (apparently) well known for its Art Nouveau architecture. We took the 418 steps to the Fjellstua viewpoint and although it was an absolute bitch of a climb, we were rewarded with some beautiful views across the city and the mountains.

Back down to ground level and we continued our walk and came across one of probably hundreds of churches we will see of this trip. We decided to check out another viewpoint, however when we got there it was being refurbished… Standard!

Back on board our floating home we were treated to more snow capped mountains as we left port for Molde.

Dinner tonight was of course fish 🐠 however we were able to change at least, so I was treated to a lovely bit of pork 🐷

Currently on our way to Trondheim which is one of the places I’m most looking forward to!

Goodnight… From my fold out bed!

The Norwegian adventure begins… Via the National Trust ⛴

What do you do when you’re 4 hours early for a flight? Find the local trust and have a mooch. Luckily for us there is one just round the corner from Manchester Airport! Quarry bank site is huge so one we will definitely return to, but probably in the summer as it was a little bit dead and crispy today.

So I’m currently sat in out little cabin, or ‘cell’ as I like to call it on my fold out bed and we’ve not long set sail. Luckily dinner tonight was a buffet so I managed to avoid the array of fishy fish. Tomorrow however is when the set menu starts, therefore operation loose a stone also begins.

Berlin – Day 3 🇩🇪

This morning we had a posh breakfast in the Käfer restaurant next to the Reischtag dome. A gorgeous 3 egg cheesy omelette to start the day, what could be better! The dome itself is a spectacular glass construction giving you fantastic views across the city.

Whilst in the area we also visited the slightly puzzling Holocaust Memorial, the suspiciously similar Homosexual memorial and the rather dead and crispy Tiergarten. We tried to hire one of the ‘Nextbikes’ however the app was slightly confusing, so to avoid another huge fine we locked it back and eventually worked out how to let the app know we had done this.

Ater warming up with a coffee (and sharing the back room with a huge tour group) we headed out to try and ride on the ‘Hi Flyer’. Unfortunately it was too windy but is definitely something we will try to so if we return.

As I wasn’t able to visit Spreepark (I have a weird love for abandoned things) we decided to visit the abandoned airport; Tempelhof Feld. For someone who spends rather a lot of time at airports, it was so exciting to be out on a runway, and something I definitely recommend doing whilst you are here as it’s so easy to get to.

This evening we had a look around the Topography of Terror. This museum is free and you could easily spend a whole day here reading everything, so make sure you put aside enough time. It is also opposite parts of the Berlin Wall.

As we have eaten food from every other cuisine we finally had some proper German food, and it was so so so good. An early night tonight (with a bottle of white) as we leave this wonderful city tomorrow.

Berlin – Day 2 🇩🇪

This morning we travelled to Potsdam. Big thanks to a very nice man who informed us the train decided to terminate and which new one to get on! The joys of having absolutely no understanding of the language. At least we looked touristy. Had our VALID tickets checked twice today; more than happy to show them this time 😉

The sun was out and the sky was blue which is always a winner when taking photos. Potsdam was very quiet which meant we pretty much had Sanssouci Park to ourselves. Unfortunately due to the time of year (this seems to be becoming a theme) the statues and fountains were boarded up and switched off, but the palaces still looked beautiful, especially against the blue sky.

Back in Berlin we headed for the East Side Gallery. We were rather ravenous by this point so decided to grab a burger at Burgermeister which used to be the local toilet. My first burger was unfortunately hairy, but it was soon replaced and it was absolutely delicious.

Bellies full we walked the length of the East Side Gallery, an absolute must if you are here. Some of the art was questionable, but really interesting to see it all.

We then headed over to Beliner Dom and used our discount card to head to the top. After another set of heart attack steps we made it to the top in time for sunset. The views were beautiful, especially over Alexanderplatz Christmas market. It’s just a shame the city is covered in cranes.

As we were right by the Alexanderplatz market, it was rude to not stop by and grab another Glühwein and festive snack; I really loved the atmosphere at this market. I also realised how awful I am at ice skating, but I eventually managed to let go of the sides!

 

 

Berlin – Day 1 🇩🇪

A very early start this morning (2am!) for an easy run to the airport. Oh no! Stuck on the delightful M5 for what felt like forever, and we hadn’t even got to Droitwich!

After a few technical issues with the plane (why can’t our trips ever run smoothly) we arrived in Berlin. We dumped our cases at the hotel and headed off for our first tourist attraction; Charlottenburg Palace. After reading the reviews on Trip Advisor we expected the gardens to be empty shells of trees and dried up water fountains, however we were pleasantly surprised. There was still lots of Autumn colours and beautiful reflection shots.

Following this we had an unexpected detour to the Olympic Stadium, built for the 1936 Summer Olympics. Unfortunately we didn’t have much time here as it was about to close, but it was amazing to have the stadium all to ourselves, even though we did get a bollocking for being in the wrong bit.

On our way back to the hotel for our first wee of the day we went through our first experience of a proper German market, and it was beautiful. So many people enjoying all the delicious food and drink on offer. We also stopped off at the Ritter Sports shop; a chocolate lovers haven and so so cheap! I have already scoffed a whole bar. Definitely worth a visit.

After a cheeky charge we headed back out to experience the markets at night. After doing some research we started at the Potsdamer Platz Market; however there wasn’t actually much atmosphere here and decided to quickly move on to the Gendarmenmarkt Christmas market. This will set you back a whole Euro, but is definitely worth it. Carol singers, Glühwein and Langos (which I discovered in Budapest and is one of the best things to put in your mouth) perfect end to a long but lovely day.

 

Jackson to Salt Lake City

Unfortunately the adventure has come to an end and today we’ve travelled back to the airport 😥

Along the way we were treated to our final lot of beautiful fall scenery. First stop was Afton (WY) with the World’s largest Elkhorn arch. We visited the local chocolate shop, however decided not to pay $16 for 2 bits of fudge!!

We stopped off at a view point of Bear Lake, also known as the Carribean of the Rockies. The photos don’t do the vivid blue of the water justice.

Final stop was in Logan for a posh sandwich before arriving in SLC airport. Hopefully the plane snacks will be as epic as the way out and I can finally finish Pretty Woman!

TTFN x

SANTA’S SESH 🎅

He’s found the airport pub (obvs) for a final IPA before the diet starts.