tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79561537280993008912024-03-05T00:14:13.741-05:00Northern European Capitals - 2010After a few days in London, we are setting sail for a 12-night cruise of the Northern European Capitals onboard the Disney Magic.Cindy D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04398426148029193574noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7956153728099300891.post-21880687576622896192010-08-17T18:43:00.000-04:002010-08-17T18:49:23.956-04:00Not abandoned<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I've not abandoned this blog; just not had a chance to post more about the places we were able to visit on our cruise. So bear with us.</FONT></DIV>Cindy D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04398426148029193574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7956153728099300891.post-24454823917947058192010-08-03T22:09:00.000-04:002010-08-03T22:09:43.964-04:00Norsk Maritimt MuseumThe <a href="http://www.norsk-sjofartsmuseum.no/">Norsk Maritimt Museum</a> is a celebration of Norway's seafaring past and present. This museum is located on Bygdoynes right next to the Fram and the Kon-Tiki museums making it a convenient location for touring all three.<br />
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This museum was the second of three on our excursion for the day. We began by watching the panoramia film "The Ocean: A Way of Life" that was a tribute to the sea and the life and liveliehood that it brings to the people of Norway. There is a similar film shown at the Norway pavilion at Disney's EPCOT; we often just walk right through the area after riding Maelstrom, but having now been to Norway, we will make a point of watching the film the next time we're at EPCOT.<br />
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We only had a limited amount of time at this museum, but here are a few pictures. The first one is of the Disney Magic as seen across the fjord, docked for the day. <br />
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The next two are from items within the museum.<br />
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This next picture is a display of ships in bottles. My great-grandfather, who was Finnish, made ships in bottles himself. I just had to take a picture of these as they are absolutely beautiful.<br />
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The museum has a decent gift shop and also a cafe, including free wireless internet access. A previous blog entry or two came courtesy of the wifi here.<br />
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These last pictures are from the area outside the Maritime Museum.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8YwxxvGMN23OrjQYd3Sw7-yXMFxKkdDyA0ntxxWokO3QVxc9rh6pkeotyv92AQfO1WriEE59jxUnQCMxZ1hrRsPf1Bs-77xJeNSHHEax87NevxXTjI6NohOf891WUjC2vxJroY11Dchrl/s1600/July+2010+Vacation+574.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8YwxxvGMN23OrjQYd3Sw7-yXMFxKkdDyA0ntxxWokO3QVxc9rh6pkeotyv92AQfO1WriEE59jxUnQCMxZ1hrRsPf1Bs-77xJeNSHHEax87NevxXTjI6NohOf891WUjC2vxJroY11Dchrl/s320/July+2010+Vacation+574.jpg" /></a></div><br />
And just an hour later, see how the weather has changed.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTPUETj9DigoC9BTdgiVeQFXyKSNUziNBkzEsHjvOX4TG_ZYA9Yi6SnqIxMHLofY_YxuNmhhSbkps9sbMZtJXOULZ0P_YueHO-RK4iDmdks4KDF_99eI4b0cxmOJ_FUpjxgt75Pk6mkbHx/s1600/July+2010+Vacation+603.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTPUETj9DigoC9BTdgiVeQFXyKSNUziNBkzEsHjvOX4TG_ZYA9Yi6SnqIxMHLofY_YxuNmhhSbkps9sbMZtJXOULZ0P_YueHO-RK4iDmdks4KDF_99eI4b0cxmOJ_FUpjxgt75Pk6mkbHx/s320/July+2010+Vacation+603.jpg" /></a></div>Cindy D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04398426148029193574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7956153728099300891.post-67995201035060520072010-07-29T19:34:00.000-04:002010-07-29T19:34:00.266-04:00Vikingskipshuset, or the Viking Ship Museum in Oslo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuAuh2eS9Mc9C-IsTC49qrhurSDB-H8Er_sILJrgkmA-ba598CkGkY0i_7e20Olkz3TVFAUOJPhPJfqk5LU570lGKPTiUaNTScfiIlvB3FlD3yTVTE-7oAKAfmrByWuq_-FdgF1q4slm3o/s1600/July+2010+Vacation+514.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuAuh2eS9Mc9C-IsTC49qrhurSDB-H8Er_sILJrgkmA-ba598CkGkY0i_7e20Olkz3TVFAUOJPhPJfqk5LU570lGKPTiUaNTScfiIlvB3FlD3yTVTE-7oAKAfmrByWuq_-FdgF1q4slm3o/s320/July+2010+Vacation+514.jpg" /></a></div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">After a day and a half at sea, we arrived at our first port of call, Oslo, Norway. Oslo dates back to the Viking age and has a rich nautical history. The Oslo Harbour is the busiest in Norway with industry, trade, and tourism. We were not the only cruiseship in port that day.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsgBqWhoH87hakj_ahA3xaSuNfd1Av5MQYMJkhCGWrs7EMxPQ_Lytq8L6i6GcDMr29U3n3Rbyg4LZCOFTqeOMw7J66ymclwhrPK5F8sroG2evbcIew2cnvUPmIxXQEMRG1twvDap_d7ZAZ/s1600/July+2010+Vacation+518.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsgBqWhoH87hakj_ahA3xaSuNfd1Av5MQYMJkhCGWrs7EMxPQ_Lytq8L6i6GcDMr29U3n3Rbyg4LZCOFTqeOMw7J66ymclwhrPK5F8sroG2evbcIew2cnvUPmIxXQEMRG1twvDap_d7ZAZ/s320/July+2010+Vacation+518.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">For our shore excursion, we chose one titled Norwegian Adventure because it would take us through Oslo as well as to visit three museums: the Viking Ship Museum, the Maritime Museum, and the Kon-Tiki Museum. Our first stop was the Vikingshipshuset, or the Viking Ship Museum.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXPqSig3Q5GZG_rnj68insIIPyNJ776ih882DHgPlxxsLJjR4hfm3qJzY1cXNWN9i8UnLwUsRuQIOZgi65VMYraoJINMVrsTDGE6DrdVUDBQTwLyefuJCWmY9GzCQKChV-SnMEOdZQAJLA/s1600/July+2010+Vacation+538.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXPqSig3Q5GZG_rnj68insIIPyNJ776ih882DHgPlxxsLJjR4hfm3qJzY1cXNWN9i8UnLwUsRuQIOZgi65VMYraoJINMVrsTDGE6DrdVUDBQTwLyefuJCWmY9GzCQKChV-SnMEOdZQAJLA/s320/July+2010+Vacation+538.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">The Viking Ship Museum is a small venue, almost too small for the number of tourists visiting the day we were there. However, it's not small when you consider that it houses three large Viking ships and various items that are related to the Vikings and their nautical ways. The building has a few places in the corners of each room where you can get a birdseye view of the ships and see inside them better than from the floor level.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcTwTRzInjquS-skdmaT2qTmf5CGCLJgr_BSHN62nH0icWYU11P0v3KxFXdjbUoyGAkz-Y7-2D7i7tU-BKiznIP7ZTVXBUWPxC3OVcoVuh6hi6cpzbx-oNI2pmAK-R1wuqQEv6xiPTLjx4/s1600/July+2010+Vacation+556.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcTwTRzInjquS-skdmaT2qTmf5CGCLJgr_BSHN62nH0icWYU11P0v3KxFXdjbUoyGAkz-Y7-2D7i7tU-BKiznIP7ZTVXBUWPxC3OVcoVuh6hi6cpzbx-oNI2pmAK-R1wuqQEv6xiPTLjx4/s320/July+2010+Vacation+556.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">The ships themselves were fascinating and well preserved, even the intricate patterns carved into the wood.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0yNahhtwKwPgH3R6bpiClsKynPmcD50apFl8XmZnztucsOvqvUqy6_svP3VpxEl-Qpv-2Bv7YW2bgQVNr-sr1FG0gk72o6wY_fCGA4M8XzHCan5xPiavLwvavKXYwlXIyLJEP0pqjRRUi/s1600/July+2010+Vacation+560.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0yNahhtwKwPgH3R6bpiClsKynPmcD50apFl8XmZnztucsOvqvUqy6_svP3VpxEl-Qpv-2Bv7YW2bgQVNr-sr1FG0gk72o6wY_fCGA4M8XzHCan5xPiavLwvavKXYwlXIyLJEP0pqjRRUi/s320/July+2010+Vacation+560.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFLiIPoIGgtrYAx1GHN2gziBj5b1YtlTxMhxPvvROWD2igcVHCoE98c6NRvmVrNmEqJ-eqFJKaGYDhKJEc3DRum4nvwVg99nWhqhs888CoDIkbJpZQprSbSYB2yZt6w8-ZPLHTxjemKalv/s1600/July+2010+Vacation+541.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFLiIPoIGgtrYAx1GHN2gziBj5b1YtlTxMhxPvvROWD2igcVHCoE98c6NRvmVrNmEqJ-eqFJKaGYDhKJEc3DRum4nvwVg99nWhqhs888CoDIkbJpZQprSbSYB2yZt6w8-ZPLHTxjemKalv/s320/July+2010+Vacation+541.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">If you go, here's <a href="http://www.norway.com/directories/d_company.asp?id=671">information you'll want to know</a> about hours, how to get there, and how much it costs. There's a giftship in the front of the museum that is small and open, before you go through the turnstile entrance. Restrooms are on the lower level just behind where you purchase your tickets. If you're touring with an excursion, it's best to scope out your souvenirs and use the restroom first; you'll still have time to explore the museum without being delayed by lines in either place.</span>Cindy D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04398426148029193574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7956153728099300891.post-28354264965498184332010-07-28T23:01:00.000-04:002010-07-28T23:01:07.167-04:00Barbie goes to London<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Several months ago, one of my coworkers gave me a Barbie from McDonald's Happy Meal. Barbie's top had London emblazoned across it, so I kept her on my desk as a reminder that I was working and saving our money so we could make this fabulous trip to London and places beyond. I told my coworker then that I would take Barbie with me when we went, and so I did. See what Barbie was up to on her tour of London.</span></div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Of course Barbie's first stop had to be at a McDonald's. After all, that's her heritage ~ well, at least this edition of Barbie has her heritage from McDonald's. This particular McDonald's is on High Holborn, just across and over from the Holborn Underground station. It is also just across and over from the Renaissance Chancery Court Hotel where we stayed for three nights pre-cruise and two nights post-cruise. And where we grabbed free wi-fi to post the earlier blog entries from London.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0oQiRVaeMYNZiksu0ufEdRHowhQh-2QOTCh3trpcI4zpSFcxW_QRgUfk7RnJswVer9ulSugKWGDN0SB0koIAKxaVim1JRR1HKo3MiPB1JPybEGo-6OKWXn40_wmBY5OBVOpv2DA1AGpIe/s1600/July+2010+Vacation+009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0oQiRVaeMYNZiksu0ufEdRHowhQh-2QOTCh3trpcI4zpSFcxW_QRgUfk7RnJswVer9ulSugKWGDN0SB0koIAKxaVim1JRR1HKo3MiPB1JPybEGo-6OKWXn40_wmBY5OBVOpv2DA1AGpIe/s320/July+2010+Vacation+009.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Speaking of the London Underground, we used the tube to get around to the sites for the first two days we were in London, and of course Barbie needed her own seat.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHiPn3lV40xZqVXFzzFt9DFDg83CoEWJFJ6mhcf9TDfK61SHaCp9NqoNVt3ubozMsIYP55Lu810AZjXNE-b3iTLYH8UdNDini4UFhdfjOU5VwyD0aKXJ9ApqiCRpaioTGW4qhFBHAlwZp9/s1600/July+2010+Vacation+011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHiPn3lV40xZqVXFzzFt9DFDg83CoEWJFJ6mhcf9TDfK61SHaCp9NqoNVt3ubozMsIYP55Lu810AZjXNE-b3iTLYH8UdNDini4UFhdfjOU5VwyD0aKXJ9ApqiCRpaioTGW4qhFBHAlwZp9/s320/July+2010+Vacation+011.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Our first London attraction was the London Eye. We had a bit of a wait in the queue line, so Barbie thought she'd pose for a picture.</span><br />
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</div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Obviously, a girl's gotta eat, so Barbie enjoyed her second meal in London at My Old Dutch pancake house.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikCszwPO606AukNr9xS8gN6_O75efi3CC-jlBo0UlQbcLD_Pnb8mxTiv-0MHPj5bz-ZpD6hGmc6k_zaxCu_PH2JpAb7VikEnpDXxUPx_PJQl91b2nIReeDeoRg7D-IzIkJufFzWkSNlZ8e/s1600/July+2010+Vacation+077.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikCszwPO606AukNr9xS8gN6_O75efi3CC-jlBo0UlQbcLD_Pnb8mxTiv-0MHPj5bz-ZpD6hGmc6k_zaxCu_PH2JpAb7VikEnpDXxUPx_PJQl91b2nIReeDeoRg7D-IzIkJufFzWkSNlZ8e/s320/July+2010+Vacation+077.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Barbie's second day in London found her doing one of the required activities for all first-time visitors touring London - riding on a double-decker bus.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">She also enjoyed the boat tour on the River Thames where she posed for pictures with backgrounds such as the Tower Bridge, the London Eye from the Embankment, and Big Ben.</span><br />
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</div><span style="font-family: Georgia;">All the touring around London took its toll on Barbie so she had a good long rest while we enjoyed the cruise portion of our vacation. But as soon as she heard we were going to Stonehenge, she got herself together so she, too, could be there.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Barbie, this trip wouldn't have been the same without you. I was surrounded by boys. It was nice to have some girl-power.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">And to my coworker - you know who you are - thanks for sending her my way!</span>Cindy D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04398426148029193574noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7956153728099300891.post-71354805214081219832010-07-27T21:59:00.000-04:002010-07-27T21:59:58.293-04:00Bad Doberan, GermanyWhen I first read that our excursion in Germany would take us to Bad Doberan, I did a double take to make sure we weren't going to an animal shelter for bad dobermans.<br />
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Bad Doberan is a town in the Mecklenburg region in the northern part of what used to be East Germany, not too many miles from where we ported at Warnemunde. Just outside Bad Doberan is a monastery that originated in the Middle Ages, completed in the late 1360s. There are still original bricks and some original stained glass windows. The building is a beautiful piece of architecture and is still in use today. The monks made the bricks that were originally used, a process which took four to twelve months per brick to make. Hearing about their brick-making reminded me of the Israelites during their time in Egypt when they were forced to make bricks yet not given the straw they needed. <br />
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So here are some photos both outside and in from the Minster at Bad Doberan. If you're in the Mecklenburg region, it is worth the visit, and if you have a guide to tell you the stories of the monastery and subsequent history, then that's even better!<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoTjk8sYtDSOB-rEbNCykN4FQjcrT4PN39Fmun0lc1T_v6TRpka43J7VpHYFb5dB4II4YrST9f0YKvBABcNzBF7MgSZKjVNuaxKLGqi8kFnIwbQ-FiEtbuGW6sQSFgk-HXalz_g6kWQuc4/s1600/July+2010+Vacation+956.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoTjk8sYtDSOB-rEbNCykN4FQjcrT4PN39Fmun0lc1T_v6TRpka43J7VpHYFb5dB4II4YrST9f0YKvBABcNzBF7MgSZKjVNuaxKLGqi8kFnIwbQ-FiEtbuGW6sQSFgk-HXalz_g6kWQuc4/s320/July+2010+Vacation+956.jpg" /></a></div>Cindy D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04398426148029193574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7956153728099300891.post-65944214046596183772010-07-26T23:35:00.000-04:002010-07-26T23:35:02.444-04:00Church of the Spilled Blood<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">When we were planning our cruise, one of the pictures on the Disney Cruise Line website was of Mickey Mouse standing outside the Church of the Spilled Blood in St. Petersburg, Russia. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The church is officially known as the Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood as it was built on the spot where Emperor Alexander II was assassinated in March 1881. You can read more about it </span><a href="http://www.saint-petersburg.com/virtual-tour/church-of-savior.asp"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">here</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This striking building is an icon in St. Petersburg and a must-see (at least from the outside if you don't have time to go in) for any visit to the city. We had some time on our afternoon shopping excursion to walk from St. Isaac's Square over to the Church for some pictures.</span> <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP5oSpgl-rQ8GV7TnQZhBnvEe48kvjTexMhIKsO_z7-JbwFKE-SSbxOKFA12n9SrzQnkTy6rp2fGxp70IYQydr123TDYui9-AIQWle3YM85BSScUCqX1lYXtbWOc1cT8LFcQONwjS2bDh-/s320/July+2010+Vacation+1254.jpg" /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAoPIbiQA1muNhc4HVmJ9U6iRvV47HZKxXDWGGJ4ivndVoRjmAs1-LI6RQL_ILFrstRaVQ57fElcpYaWyTyTFnOFywJpyPCTmNh9PzFx7DpcqEYSXtmwS7QCx4LVPiRUnQCnyJTLEG7Ewz/s1600/July+2010+Vacation+1262.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAoPIbiQA1muNhc4HVmJ9U6iRvV47HZKxXDWGGJ4ivndVoRjmAs1-LI6RQL_ILFrstRaVQ57fElcpYaWyTyTFnOFywJpyPCTmNh9PzFx7DpcqEYSXtmwS7QCx4LVPiRUnQCnyJTLEG7Ewz/s320/July+2010+Vacation+1262.jpg" /></a><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFDMlPSjTQmjeCQ6zIuwgv2rT6kVV6ii2fRG97ZO6l6DYPw7c1PaMmMsoFfqPA99an_wKnhK80r4hDBQOYdFyhyphenhyphenVyQKu2YyY6Hce6cPBI_4oBTmNw_koopC3tLV63c1ulfhj19Tgqq6UR4/s1600/July+2010+Vacation+1263.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFDMlPSjTQmjeCQ6zIuwgv2rT6kVV6ii2fRG97ZO6l6DYPw7c1PaMmMsoFfqPA99an_wKnhK80r4hDBQOYdFyhyphenhyphenVyQKu2YyY6Hce6cPBI_4oBTmNw_koopC3tLV63c1ulfhj19Tgqq6UR4/s320/July+2010+Vacation+1263.jpg" /></a><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWe3wbj0t6lTDeKWPZ_Ty2Vdv0MgZ2SnSzxFGsIInKqfyyBjtAXiN0FNL5Zu7Am2XvTQjODS_C7jGyqrbfUaIyZ4lXjgIxgsPni441r6Fahx4veGB8TcXSHGlL8wSWkoOPKnRyCByILaGm/s1600/July+2010+Vacation+1265.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWe3wbj0t6lTDeKWPZ_Ty2Vdv0MgZ2SnSzxFGsIInKqfyyBjtAXiN0FNL5Zu7Am2XvTQjODS_C7jGyqrbfUaIyZ4lXjgIxgsPni441r6Fahx4veGB8TcXSHGlL8wSWkoOPKnRyCByILaGm/s320/July+2010+Vacation+1265.jpg" /></a><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBKx72I2p63iQTRsnVP_b6PuPYuZbCVJo32pSy4_KAhIyOZY0nIv9PSIQCndZY8L05qedTr4Ba2Zf05Km_QQ6GMeSGP791fLBJEIL-IzhT0sZaDIY2Pfs71zLlNepq4raP4iMuTwnKqF8P/s1600/July+2010+Vacation+1266.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBKx72I2p63iQTRsnVP_b6PuPYuZbCVJo32pSy4_KAhIyOZY0nIv9PSIQCndZY8L05qedTr4Ba2Zf05Km_QQ6GMeSGP791fLBJEIL-IzhT0sZaDIY2Pfs71zLlNepq4raP4iMuTwnKqF8P/s320/July+2010+Vacation+1266.jpg" /></a><p><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyikhEIPC4ylcO-SYgENIeN9ajRTSWfHx1lTptyW0NpKpcfO1t4vNYoLhOhq26HSFmGbC2MqLHRQs3wjKC4mcQvF1oM0YnVbIeq73UI9RaoyPoZOi2udL8PJ5e1oxTBB1z2Ojix_o4d_w1/s1600/July+2010+Vacation+1267.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyikhEIPC4ylcO-SYgENIeN9ajRTSWfHx1lTptyW0NpKpcfO1t4vNYoLhOhq26HSFmGbC2MqLHRQs3wjKC4mcQvF1oM0YnVbIeq73UI9RaoyPoZOi2udL8PJ5e1oxTBB1z2Ojix_o4d_w1/s320/July+2010+Vacation+1267.jpg" /></a><br />
<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg9ZSTZ7tHvRJi3CsGXUChic2z3kABADh_kivK9VKRNaGZVzv0PxPQXKlY0uFyPnowj8J8a3f7nvhiHs_02t1VS6EWPl5EdS5JfQbf1MEIGp9Rjoll8QGfZk1cpkCS9cQiuCh4fJF-AlBv/s1600/July+2010+Vacation+1276.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg9ZSTZ7tHvRJi3CsGXUChic2z3kABADh_kivK9VKRNaGZVzv0PxPQXKlY0uFyPnowj8J8a3f7nvhiHs_02t1VS6EWPl5EdS5JfQbf1MEIGp9Rjoll8QGfZk1cpkCS9cQiuCh4fJF-AlBv/s320/July+2010+Vacation+1276.jpg" /></a><br />
</div>Cindy D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04398426148029193574noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7956153728099300891.post-26688261563243661452010-07-24T17:29:00.000-04:002010-07-24T17:29:42.659-04:00Beatles Walking Tour, London<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">As mentioned in a previous post, one of the tours we took while in London was a Beatles walking tour. We met the tour guide, Richard Porter, by the Tottenham Court Road Underground Station (exit 3). The tour is 8GBP for adults, children under 15 accompanied by a parent are free. You don't make a reservation; just show up on the designated day at the designated time (</span><a href="http://www.walks.com/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">www.walks.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> for more information).</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnw-t1lwxS0ZHR4qR3-gFeyxQt2v-h-Vkft4HGZ3pdXdjAM2DiYvvLIrOvrBQUv88vjaXfOoKzcSDfBGEYl36PJqYl_0_bNcAuXiSWw4MJA-zX7d-4hUKz6ieMbrTNRnFFkdRW3TiFT-FB/s1600/July+2010+Vacation+083.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnw-t1lwxS0ZHR4qR3-gFeyxQt2v-h-Vkft4HGZ3pdXdjAM2DiYvvLIrOvrBQUv88vjaXfOoKzcSDfBGEYl36PJqYl_0_bNcAuXiSWw4MJA-zX7d-4hUKz6ieMbrTNRnFFkdRW3TiFT-FB/s320/July+2010+Vacation+083.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Our first stop on the tour was Paul McCartney's offices, MPL Communications, LTD. MPL stands for McCartney Productions Limited but evolved into MPL Communications, LTD over time. Just a few blocks away is Trident Studios where the Beatles recorded <em>Hey Jude</em> among others.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLZe5TNQfuX_52MnCNfVPvxLo90KSNyzxYzquLNEx77JcrdDMsyAe2dSXQV6Lg47QHV7xFaz615fcn8-QFfgtv5F0BuNL6d80gIaJFbWV2P98sD-UoEY5yDjCFiFAlmjE747fH1CAVej7W/s1600/July+2010+Vacation+086.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLZe5TNQfuX_52MnCNfVPvxLo90KSNyzxYzquLNEx77JcrdDMsyAe2dSXQV6Lg47QHV7xFaz615fcn8-QFfgtv5F0BuNL6d80gIaJFbWV2P98sD-UoEY5yDjCFiFAlmjE747fH1CAVej7W/s320/July+2010+Vacation+086.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Not far from here was a "mystery" stop - where the Gentlemen's restroom on Broadwick Street was the significant Beatles landmark! In November 1966, John Lennon was in a skit with Peter Cook and Dudley Moore playing the doorman for the exclusive "Gentlemen's Club." This was also where John Lennon started wearing his famous round glasses in public.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT2pHdtNzWXFPjw_FkwEESdwW13CzZSoBaqUPDNMe7eqGOv2N1M0yuUmXuIpQQpk4qgaWLUNbemgKBpR8kVsOfnRlrNvw5D5wYPI5CLfApRhmRH0vdzDnY8206i0sI23Gn9n16wm_FUcIi/s1600/July+2010+Vacation+090.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT2pHdtNzWXFPjw_FkwEESdwW13CzZSoBaqUPDNMe7eqGOv2N1M0yuUmXuIpQQpk4qgaWLUNbemgKBpR8kVsOfnRlrNvw5D5wYPI5CLfApRhmRH0vdzDnY8206i0sI23Gn9n16wm_FUcIi/s320/July+2010+Vacation+090.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">As we continued on, we paused by this mural in Soho that was inspired by the Beatles' album cover from their Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg57riRnFMGulxu7A42boKRLdvC5hMZJJ_g4wimczQ_PTrthwgZn_AanbX8gImu-caUQA8bnD6u0obc_INb_msp4uk1RBL76C20-7vkwkd-KCg_OwrrRSpvVQh8vr4OFIqqPNSI_v6X8Pew/s1600/July+2010+Vacation+093.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg57riRnFMGulxu7A42boKRLdvC5hMZJJ_g4wimczQ_PTrthwgZn_AanbX8gImu-caUQA8bnD6u0obc_INb_msp4uk1RBL76C20-7vkwkd-KCg_OwrrRSpvVQh8vr4OFIqqPNSI_v6X8Pew/s320/July+2010+Vacation+093.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">We strolled down Carnaby Street which was the "happeningist" street in London in the late 1960s during the height of Beatlemania. Now it's mostly cashing in on nostalgia and memorabilia although some effort is being made to return to the high-end fashion that it was known for decades ago.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyZUHf3oyXmI_UvC8R_uhmf5t0JSZLzeyt1lunF9LSrsdrQaq4onm9Pkd1B-CKK0SKEF6csquzV-Ss-eFyM_Ab5i13EWveeu1LSxqACkN2AdHp76rD2pJPe6tYO7_hgCVk_1SqxLW-PTN8/s1600/July+2010+Vacation+097.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyZUHf3oyXmI_UvC8R_uhmf5t0JSZLzeyt1lunF9LSrsdrQaq4onm9Pkd1B-CKK0SKEF6csquzV-Ss-eFyM_Ab5i13EWveeu1LSxqACkN2AdHp76rD2pJPe6tYO7_hgCVk_1SqxLW-PTN8/s320/July+2010+Vacation+097.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Until the Beatles had their first performance at the London Palladium, the British newspapers hadn't given them much coverage. However, the thousands of screaming fans gathered outside the Palladium on October 13, 1963 became newsworthy, and this event is said to be the beginning of "Beatlemania" in London. The Palladium is still in use and is currently the scene for Sister Act. Although the singing nuns don't get quite the attention that the Beatles did.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeBvEDVtJvs42rB_lh6PQeZ6V2ikLk7M8wcTfQTC8Sn0nEaWbPriIt_7w5jFTwtkaEDnqQSgVboOPXhUijXpJmvgsHLJYJ0IRGtldLwxGzRzLnaH_Oq8hPbm1RKQZmqpkDVQ1TSYMQ8eBU/s1600/July+2010+Vacation+104.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeBvEDVtJvs42rB_lh6PQeZ6V2ikLk7M8wcTfQTC8Sn0nEaWbPriIt_7w5jFTwtkaEDnqQSgVboOPXhUijXpJmvgsHLJYJ0IRGtldLwxGzRzLnaH_Oq8hPbm1RKQZmqpkDVQ1TSYMQ8eBU/s320/July+2010+Vacation+104.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">The next stop on our tour took us to the site of the Beatles' last performance - 3 Savile Row, home of the Apple Offices, where they ultimately had a recording session on the rooftop January 30, 1969.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinLVsRvWnfODuAiK1c2knxt_z-9bzSzykWxyP95sg5hXexf_cWjlAnXqG7vMmbweG6Zbo9K7yjMQ1_JneH6ZjsfBLJJyCd7q963vp1UUILR8wHpbRN8D7Bs3PX4bmIbjNumKFeTb9deZ0w/s1600/July+2010+Vacation+117.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinLVsRvWnfODuAiK1c2knxt_z-9bzSzykWxyP95sg5hXexf_cWjlAnXqG7vMmbweG6Zbo9K7yjMQ1_JneH6ZjsfBLJJyCd7q963vp1UUILR8wHpbRN8D7Bs3PX4bmIbjNumKFeTb9deZ0w/s320/July+2010+Vacation+117.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Another site on the tour was the Indica Art Gallery, significant because this is where John Lennon and Yoko Ono first met. Paul McCartney was a benefactor of the art gallery, and Yoko Ono was having an exhibit there. Paul invited John to come with him pre-opening and while there, the two met.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoFJdPbmln5Z1WFvEpp4JLZWG-4M8hvR0LIYQr4kB0hnL6EvxJRyoRtiMOReCoCBIjHIRCzMdBbZEQupIjuBWk4ILCmdbzQ2MZWkm2-6qb39YUZ5sGmzGjsEaL1eO2IcqARlYUhGmcSUga/s1600/July+2010+Vacation+121.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoFJdPbmln5Z1WFvEpp4JLZWG-4M8hvR0LIYQr4kB0hnL6EvxJRyoRtiMOReCoCBIjHIRCzMdBbZEQupIjuBWk4ILCmdbzQ2MZWkm2-6qb39YUZ5sGmzGjsEaL1eO2IcqARlYUhGmcSUga/s320/July+2010+Vacation+121.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">No Beatles tour would be complete without a visit to Abbey Road, so we hopped on the tube from the Green Park station and went to St. John's Wood station which is a two block walk from Abbey Road. You wouldn't know you were at Abbey Road without a map because the street sign is very rarely there; it's usually stolen by a fan every time it's replaced.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">At Abbey Road, you can take your life in your hands to get a picture of yourself in the crosswalk, or you can be safe like us and just take a picture of the crosswalk. This is a busy street in a residential area, and the crosswalk is actually right around a curve so it's difficult to watch for traffic. You can also see the Abbey Road Studios here.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhuyfg9iNu1eWB4t1UHvvGote5m_3pAjU3WrUy4fqIwklDW45HAZxZ8mz7d1n5fANM_-TG_ok4hvF2CO2FgDLFTtKeubcOxrSnT0qUrTBxIPjWl3EZK5NVNllFd4qClUsmmet-DiUE61Vq/s1600/July+2010+Vacation+126.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhuyfg9iNu1eWB4t1UHvvGote5m_3pAjU3WrUy4fqIwklDW45HAZxZ8mz7d1n5fANM_-TG_ok4hvF2CO2FgDLFTtKeubcOxrSnT0qUrTBxIPjWl3EZK5NVNllFd4qClUsmmet-DiUE61Vq/s320/July+2010+Vacation+126.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjukIhAsLNI5K9GPREwkfDE-bbfJYul2aFRFiOyJIlH0NlooGCuF0b3W8RyJMaY_im6fHHzPdbNxDhkEOEvlmGMVwUW88gxDkTIF2QzTyKYaC5iaNVmMWh0bY3ej0Td13wELcUjmCpcr6Rg/s1600/July+2010+Vacation+134.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjukIhAsLNI5K9GPREwkfDE-bbfJYul2aFRFiOyJIlH0NlooGCuF0b3W8RyJMaY_im6fHHzPdbNxDhkEOEvlmGMVwUW88gxDkTIF2QzTyKYaC5iaNVmMWh0bY3ej0Td13wELcUjmCpcr6Rg/s320/July+2010+Vacation+134.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">There are several Beatles tours offered by tour companies in London. We picked this one because it got excellent reviews on <a href="http://tripadvisor.com/">TripAdvisor.com</a> and we were not disappointed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Our tour guide is also the author of the book Guide to the Beatles' London (ISBN: 0 953875903) and, as it turns out, the owner of the Beatles Coffee Shop where you can buy souvenirs, located at the St. John's Wood underground station.</span>Cindy D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04398426148029193574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7956153728099300891.post-15470778196600624062010-07-23T08:30:00.000-04:002010-07-23T08:30:23.749-04:00Pictures from Stonehenge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Stonehenge. A mystical formation in the middle of a field. A wonder that draws thousands of people weekly to stand in amazement at this formation and think about the people who built it, who lived there, who used it for whatever its true purpose was. </div><br />
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<div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbt8Fam-vVmhOA_mNBFKapD36f3TpRQan0_pT6TCaFoUR6-A16DHXiYV2_ph8Ml0qoH5m-G-UOOlfWURNkkakkBCowunG20RcrAzHjS7SiuIw74rL2CmeMYNf78cUhqibYO2foyTSU7eou/s1600/July+2010+Vacation+2834.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbt8Fam-vVmhOA_mNBFKapD36f3TpRQan0_pT6TCaFoUR6-A16DHXiYV2_ph8Ml0qoH5m-G-UOOlfWURNkkakkBCowunG20RcrAzHjS7SiuIw74rL2CmeMYNf78cUhqibYO2foyTSU7eou/s320/July+2010+Vacation+2834.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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We've all seen pictures of Stonehenge. It's a readily identifiable structure that is one of those things that you just recognize. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-z5bngapBik8k9Iz8FlH7IF3gmwS0JBasaNQQD34J5faA8SQvHV8ZK3NSMOgP-OlA8CIMUAgFDfFTH-onqqZ0T_QOFraL-DDkon6ME1p0Lfut_c4wtrBfXxndOoS7GY98c_PhrJRhGxz/s1600/July+2010+Vacation+2824.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-z5bngapBik8k9Iz8FlH7IF3gmwS0JBasaNQQD34J5faA8SQvHV8ZK3NSMOgP-OlA8CIMUAgFDfFTH-onqqZ0T_QOFraL-DDkon6ME1p0Lfut_c4wtrBfXxndOoS7GY98c_PhrJRhGxz/s320/July+2010+Vacation+2824.jpg" /></a></div><br />
But when you see it in context, literally in the middle of a field, you wonder how it survived, standing tall, for all these centuries.<br />
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Yes, those are cows out in the field around the Stonehenge site.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And this is a view from Stonehenge to the highway. In spite of its proximity, Stonehenge is so much more than a "roadside attraction."</div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It's truly a splendor.<br />
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For more information about Stonehenge, visit the website at <a href="http://www.stonehenge.co.uk/">www.stonehenge.co.uk</a>.Cindy D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04398426148029193574noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7956153728099300891.post-38153170911951828652010-07-22T21:47:00.000-04:002010-07-22T21:47:13.546-04:00From the London EyeWe have nearly 3,000 photos from our trip, so as we get them reviewed and sorted, I'll be posting some of them here in hopes of sharing visually some of the sights and sites we saw.<br />
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Our number one thing we wanted to do while in London was the London Eye (<a href="http://londoneye.com/">londoneye.com</a>) - or as the locals called it, the Wheel. The London Eye was built for the year 2000 and became so popular that it has remained a leading attraction in the London area since then. The London Eye is located right along the River Thames, just a short walk from the Waterloo station. We took a chance and booked our tickets online using the Flexi- option which allowed us to pick our day but not lock in our time for our "flight" on the Eye. If we had picked both day and time, we could've saved a few GBPs but because we weren't certain of our plans for that day, we opted to use the Flexi-option.<br />
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If you're planning to visit the London Eye, be sure to make your ticket reservation online to save yourself time in the queue. There is a separate line for picking up pre-ordered tickets and it was quite a bit quicker than the queue for those purchasing their tickets right then. You just bring your confirmation and whatever you used for payment when you pick up your tickets.<br />
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The ride itself is a slow moving one; in fact, it rarely stops - they load it while still in motion, so you just walk on. About 20 people or so per capsule and it takes about 30 minutes to go all the way around. The views from the top are amazing. You can see much of the greater London area which is a great way to get your bearings if you're new to the area.<br />
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So here are a few pictures from our half-hour on the London Eye.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR7rozeoz7NY6jkN50jt86gXD-N_jGoOIeuW9yqTbZKBzZs3h8jG7seAiC7_FEmQdi4axesr317UDWj0dwnajyVCaN-EMo7JJJXVbSwALNAbnNYZM_5MKB9Fecr6abooyNt2cQuhgcz9T1/s1600/July+2010+Vacation+025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR7rozeoz7NY6jkN50jt86gXD-N_jGoOIeuW9yqTbZKBzZs3h8jG7seAiC7_FEmQdi4axesr317UDWj0dwnajyVCaN-EMo7JJJXVbSwALNAbnNYZM_5MKB9Fecr6abooyNt2cQuhgcz9T1/s320/July+2010+Vacation+025.jpg" /></a></div>Cindy D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04398426148029193574noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7956153728099300891.post-18111549820489660632010-07-19T10:34:00.000-04:002010-07-19T14:38:51.050-04:00Stonehenge, or what to do on an unexpected day in EnglandThe morning dawned with our only plans being to have breakfast <br>(included with our room) and return for another trip through history <br>at the British Museum. Our planned tour of Canterbury and Leeds Castle <br>had been cancelled, and we had "seen and done" all of the highlights <br>that had made our list. So while the boys were still sleeping, I went <br>for a chat with Steve, the wonderful concierge.<p>I had a fleeting thought about a matinee at a theater but of course <br>the theaters are closed until the evening. I knew the boys would not <br>endure a whole day at the British Museum even though DH could. <br>Besides, we had spent time there yesterday and by my count were over <br>two hours already there.<p>The concierge gave me a few suggestions and offered a tour booklet to <br>see if that sparked anything for me. It fell open to an afternoon tour <br>of Stonehenge... we had both the time and the funds (thanks to the <br>refund for the cancelled tour), so Steve checked the availability and <br>was able to make all the arrangements for us!<p>DH was delighted that one of the pickup points for the tour was at the <br>Royal National Hotel, just a three minute walk from the British <br>Museum, so on the way, we dashed through the European rooms and <br>brought our collective time to past the three hour mark. Which is what <br>we had negotiated for a time limit so as not to only see the British <br>Museum on our visit to London.<p>Our Stonehenge Express tour is through Evan Evans tours. They were <br>prompt with the pickup times and surprisingly, the motorcoach was full <br>after our last pickup. It is a warm day, hitting about 80, and <br>thankfully the air conditioner is working. We didn't always have that <br>experience on our other tours throughout this journey.<p>So Stonehenge. Wow. What an amazing site. No way is this just an <br>ordinary pile of rocks. About seventy miles southwest of the greater <br>London area through the rolling hills and wide opened fields, this <br>wonder sits in what seems to be the middle of nowhere. But what a rich <br>and mysterious history this place has. Stonehenge is an English <br>Heritage site. They have an audio tour that takes about 45 minutes if <br>you listen to all the components and explains the site as you stroll <br>the path around it.Cindy D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04398426148029193574noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7956153728099300891.post-15312191791298080752010-07-18T13:04:00.000-04:002010-07-18T13:15:17.801-04:00Photos from Helsinki<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUSOdaBa6u7d_iOo4FPwAvfq_oPSGkMWTnwu21hyu7g-R0FeI3bh7iUn7Jr8ilWSW21oK98zOOGAhCTrvaZEyWyhPSr901P0n0QGptaYpnFpW6wqB8yQKNgRi-3O0caW8-3HV0y5xysuJo/s1600/P1060520-717802.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUSOdaBa6u7d_iOo4FPwAvfq_oPSGkMWTnwu21hyu7g-R0FeI3bh7iUn7Jr8ilWSW21oK98zOOGAhCTrvaZEyWyhPSr901P0n0QGptaYpnFpW6wqB8yQKNgRi-3O0caW8-3HV0y5xysuJo/s320/P1060520-717802.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495296057928584114" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirHwKsALbD4fTA5ankbrDpCuRFURJ_Z1Sid4rght6Sgcns2kvzRS6iak4M9kMpvNeKFYt_Ok2glB2-vy_VDVC2raRuPC3aK1Tr_N4LPot__cIeufLm023aawYQWxGg5WJsdDiPp7gaXJsi/s1600/P1060523-720649.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirHwKsALbD4fTA5ankbrDpCuRFURJ_Z1Sid4rght6Sgcns2kvzRS6iak4M9kMpvNeKFYt_Ok2glB2-vy_VDVC2raRuPC3aK1Tr_N4LPot__cIeufLm023aawYQWxGg5WJsdDiPp7gaXJsi/s320/P1060523-720649.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495296072397222338" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf-F2RgjVXtWeg7XncYSI1rK2R21lFSjSrADhDnCU1-w4AoiWfceW88RBh9mA1mdMqvdon8nEa5jLpWpxKaKr0-DNb0U5niUI_0uQ5X_bXcCtZJqzs18xjR9Hde2P5NsTTWRlBJFspMGyj/s1600/P1060526-723092.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf-F2RgjVXtWeg7XncYSI1rK2R21lFSjSrADhDnCU1-w4AoiWfceW88RBh9mA1mdMqvdon8nEa5jLpWpxKaKr0-DNb0U5niUI_0uQ5X_bXcCtZJqzs18xjR9Hde2P5NsTTWRlBJFspMGyj/s320/P1060526-723092.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495296079671864210" /></a></p>> I don't know if these pictures will post via an email update to the <br>> blog, so consider this a test.<p><br>> Here are three pictures of us taken by my third-cousin in Helsinki.Cindy D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04398426148029193574noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7956153728099300891.post-76097654714049061372010-07-18T12:59:00.000-04:002010-07-18T13:14:51.102-04:00Covent Garden, or what to do on a free afternoon in LondonWe knew we would have to get off the ship eventually, so the <br>expectation of an afternoon in London filled that hollow feeling I <br>always get on the last morning of a cruise.<p>We had booked a post-cruise excursion to Canterbury and Leeds Castle <br>for Monday, but it was cancelled, so we found ourselves with more time <br>in London than we originally were expecting.<p>So we ditched plans to spend the whole afternoon at the British <br>Museum. Instead, we trekked the ten minute walk to Covent Garden. <br>There are lots of shops and an open market, several restaurants, and <br>throngs of people to watch. We found a Disney Store which was a <br>wonderful surprise, so of course we had to go in!<p>Today started out overcast in London but by the time we were at Covent <br>Garden, the skies had cleared. The temperature was mild, much milder <br>than when we were here two weeks ago. It was a perfect day to people <br>watch. DH said it had the feel of New Orleans and I agreed.Cindy D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04398426148029193574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7956153728099300891.post-67238315366088714952010-07-18T00:51:00.000-04:002010-07-18T07:23:04.745-04:00Days at SeaOur 12 night Northern European Capitals cruise included seven days in <br>ports and four full days at sea. The sea days on this itinerary were <br>spaced out in such a way as to provide a day of rest and relaxation <br>between intensive port days.<p>The first day at sea was the day after boarding. As many guests had <br>been traveling several days prior to embarkation, as we had, we were <br>glad for a day to get settled in. For those who arrived the day we <br>left or just before, it was a much needed day to get through their <br>jetlag.<p>The second day at sea came between our day in Germany when many people <br>spent five to six hours traveling to and from Berlin and our days in <br>St. Petersburg.<p>Our third and fourth days at sea have come at the end, just in time <br>for resting and relaxing before the chore of packing.<p>Days at sea offer plenty of activites as well as the opportunity to do <br>absolutely nothing. The youth programs are scheduled in such a way as <br>to keep the children occupied giving parents time for their own <br>pursuits. There are movies, including the just released The Sorceror's <br>Apprentice, Toy Story 3, The Prince of Persia, and Alice in <br>Wonderland. While we had seen two of these in the local theater, we <br>had not seen them in 3D so we were able to experience that. They <br>showed the more recent releases on the big screen in the Walt Disney <br>Theater which had good attendance. Other movies, like When in Rome, <br>were shown in the Buena Vista theater.<p>In addition to movies, there were entertainment classes, port <br>lectures, art auctions, shopping guides, and game shows such as Who <br>Wants to be a Mouseketeer? and Mickey Mania.<p>Dinners each evening were themed and had a decent variety of food, <br>usually with a choice of fish, chicken, beef, or vegetarian entrees. <br>If you didn't want to eat in the main dining rooms (you rotated <br>between the three each day), you could still get table service in <br>Topsiders with mostly the same menu that was served elsewhere. A <br>couple of nights, Topsiders was opened as a buffet, but usually it is <br>not a buffet in the evenings, although many people have put that on <br>their comment card to offer a buffet at night.<p>The Disney ships have self-service laundry rooms on board so this <br>makes packing easier. However, they can get really busy on a sea day. <br>I lucked out and woke up early enough two sea mornings to get ours <br>done without a wait. You can meet some wonderful people in the laundry <br>room, especially on the first day or two when people are arriving with <br>a suitcase full of dirty laundry from pre-cruise travel. Of course the <br>cruiseline also offers a laundry service.<p>Our first two sea days were beautiful and most guests were outdoors. <br>The third one was a bit cooler so a few less people braved the <br>weather, and our last day at sea was chilly and had a strong wind that <br>could easily toss a small child around. There was a rainshower too <br>that drove everyone indoors. You could tell that we had left the <br>Baltic region with its record-breaking temperatures for the more <br>normal temperatures of the North Sea.Cindy D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04398426148029193574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7956153728099300891.post-74006492342239696482010-07-15T09:58:00.000-04:002010-07-15T12:24:25.788-04:00Re: Stockholm and Sigtuna> This is our last port day and we got an early start on our tour of <br>> Stockholm and Sigtuna. We rode around the main areas of Stockholm <br>> and, after a photo stop at the "balcony" where we had a beautiful <br>> view of eight of the 14 islands that Stockholm is situated on, we <br>> went to Old Town which was interesting.<br>><br>> Next we boarded the bus for the ride out to Sigtuna. It was a 45 <br>> minute drive to the small town that is several centuries old. We <br>> took a 20 minute guided walk through the town and searched for <br>> runes. We visited St. Olaf's church which was very cool.<p>> We had a group lunch at Stora Brannbo which is a bed and breakfast <br>> near Sigtuna. We had a chicken lunch that was very good. Then we <br>> made our way back to the ship.<p>After we set sail, a local guide from the archipelago preservation <br>society narrated our passage through the fjorden.<p>Next stop, Dover on Sunday. This will be my last post from onboard but <br>I will have more on Sunday after we are back in London. We still have <br>a tour of Canterbury and Leeds Castle.Cindy D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04398426148029193574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7956153728099300891.post-35100745371617359842010-07-14T14:06:00.000-04:002010-07-14T14:24:26.415-04:00Our day in HelsinkiAs you may remember, I was most excited about our stop in Helsinki as <br>my third cousin lives there and we had plans to meet him and his family.<p>After being in St. Petersburg for two long and hot days, it was nice <br>to have a bit of sea before porting again. We arrived near Helsinki <br>around 8 AM when the pilot came aboard to guide us in. I happened to <br>be on the verandah and watched him literally walk into the side of the <br>ship. That was so cool.<p>We agreed to meet around 9:45 as that is what tome our ashore time was <br>set for. We got off the ship a little earlier than that and waited for <br>him to arrive. The parking area was small and it became apparent that <br>it was not easy for anyone to get to where we were without experience <br>in getting there. We met a woman and her children who were there to <br>catch a glimpse of characters and she offered to let me call with her <br>phone. He was very near so that was nice. I had a pair of new DVC <br>caps in my bag so I gave them to her kids.<p>We took the shuttle into town and then walked through a central park <br>and up to the Senate Square. We bought our souvenirs and then went up <br>to see the large Lutheran church that was there and afforded a nice <br>view. Then we met his wife for lunch at a lovely restaurant where the <br>boys had chocolate cake for lunch while DH had a salmon soup ad did my <br>cousin, and his wife and I had Caesar salad with shrimp. They also <br>have an adorable son who is two and very sweet.<p>After lunch we walked her to her tram / streetcar stop and then back <br>to the shuttle. We so enjoyed meeting them and are very glad we were <br>able to. This was definitely the highlight of our trip. Or one of the <br>top ones anyway.<p>We had a brief rest and then were out again for the afternoon for a <br>bus trip around Helsinki. We saw some of the same things as before but <br>with additional but less personal information. We saw many of the <br>important sites in Helsinki.<p>They said yesterday hit a record high at 93.5 degres farenheit. <br>Highest in 76 years. Today was a bit milder and thankfully there was <br>enough breeze to keep it bearable. It reminded us of home.<p>When we got back to the ship, the family from this morning had cone <br>back for sailaway so we talked to them and thanked her again for <br>letting us use her phone. They stayed until the ship left. They spied <br>us on Deck 10 (well it was easy because we were waving at them) and <br>that was fun.<p>Tonight is Pirate night onboard and also at 10:45, they are premearing <br>the Sorcerors Apprentice. We have an early day in Stockholm so no late <br>movies for us.Cindy D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04398426148029193574noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7956153728099300891.post-61108013680286076042010-07-13T12:58:00.000-04:002010-07-13T13:29:53.599-04:00St. Petersburg, Day 2Our second day in st. Petersburg started off early. Especially felt <br>early as we have moved our clocks ahead an hour each of the last two <br>nights and are now eight hours ahead of home.<p>We had lunch at a place called Sadko. Salad, soup, bread, some weird <br>chicken dish, and apple cake. Afterwards we did a two hour tour of the <br>Hermitage. Good thing we had our tour guide to tell us what we were <br>looking at and keep us from getting lost among the hundreds of rooms. <br>We saw works of Rembrandt, Renoir, diVinci, van Gogh, Matisse and many <br>others. Just as impressive as the collection was were the rooms <br>themselves. They were ornately ornate.<p>The coolest thing was watching DS14 recognizing icons from some of his <br>war games and getting it that St. Petersburg is the same as the <br>Leningrad of his games.<p>It was pushing past 90 degrees again today and the only place with air <br>conditioning was the bus. And there are five ships in port bringing a <br>record 10,000 passengers in to tour on the same day. Good thing there <br>are lots of places to tour.<p>Tomorrow is Helsinki.Cindy D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04398426148029193574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7956153728099300891.post-89242809822549805932010-07-13T09:03:00.000-04:002010-07-13T13:29:26.528-04:00St. Petersburg, Day 1St. Petersburg is our only port with an overnight stay, and we, like <br>many others, filled up as much time as possible with port excursions.<p>But before we could embark on our first one, we had to go through <br>immigration. That meant a bazillion people going through at once and <br>each person's identification information being scrutinized carefully. <br>Which took quite a while. The cruiseline sent us out in groups but <br>there was still a backup. But we made it through and we now have <br>Russian stamps in our passports.<p>Our afternoon excursion was a tour of the city on the way to the <br>souvenir shop. We were on the shopping excursion tour since we wanted <br>to be sure to get some specific things. We got a beautiful matryoshka <br>doll as well as a thimble and spoon for the boys.<p>We were done quickly and had time to walk around. We were at St. <br>Isaac's Square which is a shaded, grassy area which was much welcomed <br>after the temperature reached over 90 degrees which is almost unheard <br>of in St. Petersburg. We were only a ten minute walk away from the <br>Church of the Spilt Blood so we went to see it and then up to Nevsky <br>Prospekt because I wanted to walk along it having read about it on a <br>travel guide.<p>Traffic was bad both going and coming. There are only seven bridges <br>crossing the Neva River so there isn't much choice in which way to go. <br>We were supposed to be back at the ship by 4:45 but didn't get back <br>til 5:15 and then were another 15 minutes in line getting through <br>immigration. There were several groups leaving out for the ballet and <br>the ball while there were several busloads coming back from a variety <br>of tours.<p>We hurried dinner a bit as we had an evening excursion that wad a city <br>tour from the canals and river. It was a little less chaotic leaving <br>as most people had already gotten their passports stamped.<p>On the boat, there was a trio performing folk music for us. It was <br>good to hear it and DS12 particularly enjoyed it.<p>We were back on board after a half hour souvenir stop.Cindy D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04398426148029193574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7956153728099300891.post-89648546839816831792010-07-12T02:48:00.000-04:002010-07-12T02:58:50.210-04:00Arriving in St. Petersburg10:30 AM Monday. We are arriving in St. Petersburg for what looks like <br>will be a hot day, a predicted high temperature of 91 degrees.<p>We passed Czars Island earlier which now serves as a Russian naval <br>academy. There were a couple of submarines visible this morning.<p>Our approach is extremely slow because it is shallow here and lots of <br>silt. But we have two pilots from the area who are guiding us in.<p>In order to disembark today, we have to fill out a landing card. As we <br>leave, they will take one side; when we return, they will take the <br>second half and stamp our passports. When the cruise director <br>announced last night that we would get stamps in our passports, the <br>entire theater broke into applause.<p>We are doing a shopping excursion today and a canal boat tour this <br>evening.Cindy D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04398426148029193574noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7956153728099300891.post-970993514657553942010-07-11T15:40:00.000-04:002010-07-12T02:57:54.820-04:00Somewhere between Germany and Russia in the Baltic SeaWe had our second day at sea while making our way to St. Petersburg. I <br>am writing this at 10:36 PM having just come from the Villians Ball <br>and meeting the Queen of Hearts who is my inner villian. The sunset is <br>beautiful although I think it will rise again before it fully sets.<p>It was a gorgeous day; clear skies, mild temperatures, plenty of <br>things to do or not do onboard the ship. A perfect way to relax before <br>two jampacked days in Russia.Cindy D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04398426148029193574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7956153728099300891.post-44717373774648473582010-07-11T03:33:00.000-04:002010-07-12T02:58:20.163-04:00From what used to be Eastern GermanyWe ported in Warnemunde, Germany on Saturday morning. Many of the <br>guests on board took the early early train to Berlin while the rest of <br>us stayed in the Mecklenburg area. Mecklenburg is the federal state <br>where Warnemunde is which is actually considered part of Rostock.<p>We opted to tour in the area. We began with a bus ride to Bad Doberan <br>to visit the 14th century Cistercian abbey. It is a beautiful building <br>and has survived much. <a href="http://www.muenster-doberan.com">www.muenster-doberan.com</a> the stained glass <br>windows were spectacular.<p>Next we took a short ride on a narrow guage steam train known as the <br>Molli. It has been running since 1886. For any train fans, the track <br>is 900 mm wide. <a href="http://www.molli-bahn.de">www.molli-bahn.de</a> has more information. We rode from <br>Bad Doberan to Heiligendamm through the scenic countryside.<p>We got back on the bus to go to Kuhlungsborn which is a beautiful, <br>upscale seaside village. We had a dessert at the Wilhelm restaurant <br>located at the Neptun hotel and then had an hour for shopping or <br>whatever. We walked to the beach and down the pier. It was our first <br>time to say Hey! We are really at the Baltic Sea. If we had taken <br>towels to wipe our feet off afterwards, we would have ventured to the <br>water's edge.<p>During the bus ride back to the shop, our guide shared her memories of <br>when the borders opened between East and West Germany as well as what <br>she remembered from before and after. She turned 12 the day before the <br>borders opened.<p>We had a quick lunch back on the ship and then walked into town to do <br>our souvenir shopping. They were having a festival of sorts so it was <br>busier than I would have expected. The beach was wall to wall people <br>(well, there was a wall on one side but you couldn't see the other).<p>Instead of going to dinner, we saw the Prince of Persia in the Walt <br>Disney Theater which was enjoyable. Then waited for sailaway which <br>ended up being over an hour late because the second train from Berlin <br>was delayed. But what a sailaway it was! The port is a busy one with <br>ferries and sightseeing boats plus there were three cruiseships. We <br>had to go about a mile further into the port to be able to turn <br>around. All the shops were blowing their horns, and because of the <br>festival, there were lots of people lined up around the edge of the <br>piers. There were fireworks as we were leaving.<p>It was a great day in Warnemunde... we have a sea day on Sunday and <br>arrive in St. Petersburg on Monday.<br>>>Cindy D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04398426148029193574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7956153728099300891.post-75087580908388217642010-07-10T14:42:00.001-04:002010-07-10T14:42:19.774-04:00Copenhagen<div style='font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; color: #000000'><P>Friday - July 9th. It was a much warmer day in Denmark than it was in Oslo. The sun was out early and the clouds burned off my midmorning. </P> <P> </P> <P>Before going ashore for our City and Harbor tour, we were entertained by the Boys Guard marching band performing alongside the ship.</P> <P> </P> <P>Our excursion took us on a narrated motorcoach tour to see the sites in Copenhagen including the palaces, the old navy shipyard, and where the Little Mermaid usually rests. We saw gardens, parks, and lots of streets and stores. The canal boat tour gave us a close look at the Opera house and the city from the canal. We noticed a lot of people having their lunch on benches alongside the canal. Our guide told us that it was the beginning of an exceptional weekend weatherwise so we guessed they were all enjoying their Friday lunch outdoors.</P> <P> </P> <P>Copenhagen is a beautiful city that seemed easy to navigate. They have city bikes that you can use like they did in Oslo. The rest of the day we spent on board watching a movie (me), taking a nap (DH), or participatign in youth activities. Dinner was in Animators Palate and our server again fetched me a piece of creme brulee cheesecake from Parrot Cay.</P> <P> </P> <P>Around 12:20 AM, we passed under the world's second largest bridge which connects Denmark and Sweden. It was amazing to watch us go through - we had seen footage of the Oasis barely making it. We are much smaller than the Oasis but being at night and without the benefit of depth perception, it was quite an exciting experience. Many of our fellow passengers missed this event as they had plans to catch the early early train to Berlin.<BR></P></div>Cindy D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04398426148029193574noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7956153728099300891.post-6113222390151042632010-07-08T15:52:00.000-04:002010-07-09T06:49:29.445-04:00Oslo day, part deuxOur tour through Oslo took us by the Opera House and the Nobel Prize <br>Center as well as other buildings important to Norway. As I mentioned <br>in my last post, the museums today were interesting albeit busy with <br>three cruise ships in port. While I was most interested in Kon Tiki <br>museum, DH enjoyed the Viking ships while DS14 was most interested in <br>the Maritime museum. We bought our requisite souvenirs at the museum <br>shop and found later that was a good decision as we saved a few NOK.<p>Upon return to the ship we had lunch and sent the boys to their <br>activities. We have not seen much of them except at mealtime. They are <br>enjoying a new-to-us youth program called Out and About for the ten to <br>fourteen year olds. They've been playing dodgeball, doing scavenger <br>hunts, and making their own pizzas at eleven o'clock at night as part <br>of this.<p>I wandered around the ship a bit this afternoon and got some pictures <br>of and with several characters. For those who know me, you know I am a <br>bit OCD about things so it will come as no surprise that I am on a <br>quest to get a picture of Minnie Mouse in each of her outfits. I got <br>one at the sailaway party this afternoon and then tonight when I was <br>getting my photo made with her in her Norwegian costume, she told me <br>that she remembered me from earlier. That was so fun for me.<p>It was show night in the restaurants tonight so that means creme <br>brûlée cheesecake is available from Parrot Cay. We were in lumieres <br>but Leo brought me not one, but two slices for dessert. Good thing I <br>had the salad for dinner and that DH was there to help me eat it.<p>It is now nearly 10:00 PM on Thursday. It is nearly 4:00 PM at home. <br>For those of you counting, this marks the 1/3 point.<p>I'll send this as soon as we get a wifi connection. We will be in <br>Copenhagen on Friday.Cindy D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04398426148029193574noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7956153728099300891.post-40765443200643599112010-07-08T06:48:00.001-04:002010-07-08T06:48:13.389-04:00Oslo - a morning of museumsI was able to get Internet access at the maritime museum's cafe so the <br>last two days have posted. Our bus leaves here in ten minutes so this <br>will be quick.<p>We woke to overcast skies. Thankfully the cruiseline provided ponchos <br>in our stateroom last night ad we needed them when our tour was <br>heading out at 10:00. We had a drive through the city and then on to <br>the Viking, Maritime, and Kon-Tiki museums. Kon-Toki was my favorite <br>but also most crowded. The Maritime museum afforded a lively view of <br>the Magic in port.<p>I will update more when I can.Cindy D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04398426148029193574noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7956153728099300891.post-80425151367572206462010-07-07T16:04:00.000-04:002010-07-08T05:52:33.614-04:00A day at seaWednesday was a day at sea which began with us sleeping until my <br>wakeup call at 9:45. To put it in perspective, we moved the clocks <br>ahead an hour and are now six hours ahead of home. So by the time we <br>made it to bed on Tuesday it was already Wednesday.<p>I joined other DISBoarders for brunch in Palo which is the adults-only <br>restaurant on board. Then it was time for the Disney Vacation Club <br>meeting where we won a daybag. We had a gathering with the disboarders <br>and then spent the rest of the afternoon just hanging out... like a <br>day at sea should be.<p>It was formal night so we skipped it and met some friends for dinner <br>at Topsiders. I was pretty tired so I went back to the cabin to watch <br>a movie. It is now after 10 PM and the sun still hasn't set.Cindy D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04398426148029193574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7956153728099300891.post-8626285404208352832010-07-07T15:44:00.000-04:002010-07-08T05:52:17.727-04:00All aboard and by the White Cliffs of DoverWe so enjoyed our days in London but were very glad to be able to head <br>to Dover to board the Disney Magic. We had booked our transportation <br>from the hotel to the port through the cruiseline, so all we had to do <br>was board the bus for the two hour drive.<p>Getting through port security was a breeze and soon we were admiring <br>the white cliffs of Dover from our cabin's verandah. We had a quick <br>lunch and then waited for our luggage. DS14's first comment was that <br>he didn't remember the ceiling being so low.<p>The boys went to the sailaway party; DH and I skipped it but made our <br>way to deck 10 in time to see us pulling out of port. The captain gave <br>us some sightseeing information about the area we were seeing.<p>The sun didn't set until way after 10 PM so after a leisurely dinner, <br>we had plenty of time to take a leisurely stroll. Of course we had to <br>get the laundry done along with half the guests on board.Cindy D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04398426148029193574noreply@blogger.com0