For many years, Viking Cruise Line has been known for the splendor of its river cruises. Fairly recently - 2015 to be precise, Viking expanded their expertise to include ocean adventures. In August we embarked on one of these excursions, entitled – The British Isles Explorer, on board the 6 month old VIKING SUN. Quite aside from the fact that the ship was new, Viking spared no expense in putting together a floating 5 Star Hotel. The amenities and the services were extraordinary, these to include spectacular meals in four (4) selective restaurants, a fitness center with all the latest equipment, a Spa designed exclusively for your comfort and enjoyment and last but not least entertainment at night - stage presentations, cinemas and of course a night club.
 The Shetland islands date back to the bronze age, roughly 3000 plus years ago. Little is known of the islands’ early inhabitants, however, the Vikings staked their claim and occupied the region for several hundred years, leaving a legacy of their world – footprints in the sands of Viking time. Scotland eventually acquired the Shetlands in late 15th century, as part of a dowry arrangement, and has been stewards from that point to the present. Home of the Shetland pony, its inhabitants struggled to make a living until the North Sea oil came ashore in the early 1950’s. Today they are economically comfortable and many have returned home. Our visual experience was one of tranquility and harmony among the residence – a novel idea in today’s cosmopolitan world. The Shetland pony has been on these islands for thousands of years. Small in stature, the little horse is extremely strong and capable of moving very heavy loads. Not much for riding, Shetlands were, nonetheless indispensable on the farm.   | Our adventure began in Norway. We landed in Oslo on Friday morning August 11th and after a short-hop flight, arrived in Bergen. Beautiful town, Bergen; was once the Capital of Norway and rich in Norwegian history. However, we were hung over with jet lag so an early dinner and off to bed. On Saturday morning we boarded the ship - greeted with champagne and a warm welcome from the crew. After lunch, we had a short guided tour of the city - not nearly enough to even scratch the surface of the historics and visual appeal but that was all the time we had. We walked the docks, watched the sail boats, as they cruised by then re-boarded for dinner. We set sail on Sunday night, destination Shetland Islands - First night at sea; hung out in the night club with another couple from California. Great band! Although we were in the north Atlantic, the ocean was surprisingly calm. The ship was equipped with roll stabilizers - as would be expected, but that said, there was absolutely no discernible motion. At 6:AM Monday morning we woke to the spectacular view of the islands of Scotland.   Touring the island, the absence of trees was very noticeable. Per our guide, this was due to persistent winds of over 100 MPH, laden with salt from the ocean, which severely retarded vegetation growth. Efforts are currently underway to improve/increase tree growth using modern technology; islanders are hopeful. Our departure from this region required the services of a tug. We passed out of the natural inlet, and observed the neat array of homes that dotted the shores and finally greeted with a spectacular sunset, a farewell present from the skies. And we were off to our next port. Back on board we grabbed some down time to relax on deck and enjoy tea.  |
Sailing through the night we arrived at our next stopping point, the Highlands of Scotland – Invergordon. This region is known for its production of Whisky, specifically Single Malt Scotch. We stopped at the Dalmore distillery and later purchased a bottle of 15 year. The landscape is dotted with several distilleries, all known for a high quality product. Interesting point of Trivia, for anyone interested in SMS. The prefix Glen, seen in front of most SM's - Glenlivet, etc. Well, the Glen refers to the geography in which the process is achieved - a V shaped slope, either created or naturally formed for conducting the flow of water from it's source into the distillation process. Samples of their product were not available, so we looked and walked out empty handed. Bummer!!
The main town, Inverness was picturesque and carried the same air of tranquility and friendliness, as noted in the Shetlands. This was the only day it actually rained but didn't seem to be a problem. We trekked around, through the raindrops, purchased Mr Dalmore in one of the whisky shops - they have these, y'know, expressly set up to market the product out of the distilleries just a few miles out of town. Visited the local hotel coffee bar - surprisingly it was a Best Western - comforts of home, had a cup then headed back to the bus for our trip back to the ship.
On board, later that evening, the entertainment crew put on a production, entitled - "Songs from the Sixties", performed by the Viking Sun Singers - 4 Brits, age range 25 - 35. Spectacular performance. And then on to the club.
On board, later that evening, the entertainment crew put on a production, entitled - "Songs from the Sixties", performed by the Viking Sun Singers - 4 Brits, age range 25 - 35. Spectacular performance. And then on to the club.
Edinburgh was our next stop and our first disappointment. At this point, the largest city – population approximately 500 thousand (All of Scotland is a shade over 5 million). As expected, for a city of this size, there was a lot more cultural and ethnic diversity – which was fine; what was not ok was the dirt and garbage - tons and loads of street activity - hawking, vendors, people selling tickets to sex shows and whatever else. Nonetheless, we were able to see the home of Robert Louis Stevens – author of Treasurer Island, the birth place of Sean Connery and Elephant House, the birth place of Harry Potter. To be sure, the city – home of the Royal Yacht Britannica, (for those not aware, that's the Queen's private yacht), has a lot of history and points of interest; the trash was a deterrent to what should have been a very enjoyable experience.
We arrived at the Orkney Islands on Thursday morning; another garden spot nestled in the Highlands of Scotland. First interesting point – No traffic lights; all intersections managed with “round-a-bouts”. As was the Shetland islands, Orkney was also devoid of trees – lots of grassland, no trees - much as it was on the Shetland islands. Winters are brutal but made even more so because of the wind that blows consistently, sometimes as high as 130 MPH. This is unimaginable!!
Two other points worthy of note -
1. Everyone’s aware of Stonehenge in England but here in Orkney there is a similar assembly of stones that predates Stonehenge by as much as 400 years. Named the Ring of Brodgar, this archeological treasure trove is truly an amazing visual.
Two other points worthy of note -
1. Everyone’s aware of Stonehenge in England but here in Orkney there is a similar assembly of stones that predates Stonehenge by as much as 400 years. Named the Ring of Brodgar, this archeological treasure trove is truly an amazing visual.
2. In 1939, just prior to the start of WWll, a German U boat snuck into the Scaba Flow bay and torpedoed the British battle ship HMS Royal Oak. A total of 834 souls were lost. The wreck was never salvaged and today still lies at the bottom of Scaba Flow bay.
The weather was not what we would call summer. High max’d out in the mid 60’s then slid into the low 50’s at night. That said, for as much daily rain as was forecasted, we were spared. A few drizzles from time to time but no major downpours. We just need to dress warmly. Stromness was a beautiful little seaport town, nestled on the tiny island of Orkney, north of the Scottish main land. We walked around for close to an hour, shopping and looking. Re-boarded the ship at 5:00 for another sumptuous dinner - we are eating way too much!
The weather was not what we would call summer. High max’d out in the mid 60’s then slid into the low 50’s at night. That said, for as much daily rain as was forecasted, we were spared. A few drizzles from time to time but no major downpours. We just need to dress warmly. Stromness was a beautiful little seaport town, nestled on the tiny island of Orkney, north of the Scottish main land. We walked around for close to an hour, shopping and looking. Re-boarded the ship at 5:00 for another sumptuous dinner - we are eating way too much!
We woke this morning on the shores of another small and quaint fishing village - Ullapool, our last stop in Scotland. No bus tours today, this was trek. Only needed 90 minutes to walk thru the entire town.
 | ... the morning was brisk, the guide was chirpy and the town delightful. We strolled thru the town - a group of approximately 8 people, stuck our noses into the collection of various shops along the way - Susan purchased a sweat shirt; she liked the name Ullapool so much. At the end of our trek we had tea, crumpets and warm beer in a local pub - probably the only pub in the village. Tea is tea but the beer - especially warm, was an acquired taste. At the docks there were two enterprising young girls performing Scottish dances to tunes played on a flute - complete with baskets for tips. Unfortunately we did not take a picture. Tour completed, we were back on the ship in time for lunch. That evening we departed Scotland and set sail for Ireland. |
... for anyone over the age of forty (40), the name Belfast has to be familiar. Situated in the north east quadrant of Ireland, this city was a hotbed of violence in the 1970's and 80's. No history lesson intended, here, however, the scars and the politics are still very visible, today, almost 20 years after hostilities ended and an agreement among Belfast, Dublin and England was concluded. The picture on left is Bobby Sands, a Northern Ireland Nationalist who died in prison, the result of a hunger strike. That picture is still emblazoned on walls throughout Belfast. And speaking of walls, here's how important that vision is to these Irish Nationalists.
The city is not a garden spot of Ireland but the residence appear to be contented with their environment, such as it is. The Union Jack flutters happily, along side the flag of the Irish Republic and no one seems to care. This was unheard of 30 years ago. For all the blood that was spilled over those horrible years, one can now conclude that the conflict appears to have achieved a reasonable ending - a novel idea for most conflicts. The fighting is over, the Irish Catholics appear to be co-existing with the Protestants and the Nationalists have their independence.
We visited City Hall, a relatively new structure and surprise, Hillary Clinton was one of the dignitaries who attended the building's inauguration. She was Sec/State at the time. Not on the list for a re-visit it was, nonetheless, a place worth seeing.
Back on the bus and returned to the ship.
We visited City Hall, a relatively new structure and surprise, Hillary Clinton was one of the dignitaries who attended the building's inauguration. She was Sec/State at the time. Not on the list for a re-visit it was, nonetheless, a place worth seeing.
Back on the bus and returned to the ship.
... Liverpool - birthplace of the Beatles; the Susan insert is a recent addition. A city worth a second visit; our tour guide covered all the high points but there was decidedly a lot more. As you might well imagine, the main focus was the Beatles. We cruised thru their neighborhood - essentially where they grew up, and for that, the focus was on John and Paul. Ringo and George's families were a little ( or maybe a lot) less wealthy so we did not go into their neighborhoods. The song, Penny Lane suddenly took on an entirely different meaning as we observed to markers that sparked the lyrics. There is, in fact a "Penny Lane" as well as the bank - "... the banker never wears a Mac..." and the barber shop - all there in the center of town. The statue on left resides at the Docks and appropriately so.
The city was founded in the 12th century and has been known as a major shipping port for all of the United Kingdom. In 1911, the Titanic, which was built in an Irish ship yard, launched from this dock. One year later, on its maiden voyage out of Southampton to New York … well, we all know what happened to the Titanic.
As would be expected, the city is rich in British history, replete with memorable buildings and plaques of the past. We made the best of our 90 minutes on shore. Beautiful day for walking
The city was founded in the 12th century and has been known as a major shipping port for all of the United Kingdom. In 1911, the Titanic, which was built in an Irish ship yard, launched from this dock. One year later, on its maiden voyage out of Southampton to New York … well, we all know what happened to the Titanic.
As would be expected, the city is rich in British history, replete with memorable buildings and plaques of the past. We made the best of our 90 minutes on shore. Beautiful day for walking
We departed Liverpool on Wednesday evening and sailed towards Greenwich, stopping in Dublin and Dover - interesting stops but side-stepped here to curtail length. We arrived in Greenwich on Saturday morning and disembarked - cruise was over. We checked in to Grosvenor House and spent the day walking around London - Trafalgar Sq, Hyde Park and China Town - there's always a China town. Later that evening we went to see Aladdin. On Sunday we prepared to meet with my cousin and her husband and a family friend from years back. We all met at the Four Seasons for brunch and spent the next 3 hours talking, laughing, drinking mimosa's and enjoying the sumptuous buffet laid out for us. In addition, it was Susan's birthday and the restaurant kicked in to help us celebrate her day - heck we had been celebrating everyday for the last 3 weeks!
At 4:00 PM we had to shut down because the restaurant was set to close, but not before we captured the moment in the lobby.
At 4:00 PM we had to shut down because the restaurant was set to close, but not before we captured the moment in the lobby.
... but we still had more partying to do, so we moved to the Concierge lounge to continue celebrating Susan's birthday. We had so much on which to catch up; Five hours later we brought the evening - actually the day, to a close.
On Monday morning we met for breakfast then headed off - first to the Churchill Museum - extraordinary slice of WWll history; and then to Buckingham Palace for the canned tour. Interesting, to be sure but very packaged and contained. Special thanks to my cousin and her husband for making the 5 hr trip to London. We always enjoy being with them - this time no less and look forward to meeting up again. We said our goodbyes on Monday evening, they headed back home and we were on a plane to the US bright and early Tuesday morning, exhausted but happy for the experiences of the prior three weeks
On Monday morning we met for breakfast then headed off - first to the Churchill Museum - extraordinary slice of WWll history; and then to Buckingham Palace for the canned tour. Interesting, to be sure but very packaged and contained. Special thanks to my cousin and her husband for making the 5 hr trip to London. We always enjoy being with them - this time no less and look forward to meeting up again. We said our goodbyes on Monday evening, they headed back home and we were on a plane to the US bright and early Tuesday morning, exhausted but happy for the experiences of the prior three weeks
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