Disembark - Copenhagen, Denmark

We are currently docked at Copenhagen, waiting for our group to be called to disembark. We are the last ones to leave as our group has the least time sensitivity.

Yesterday we were at sea for the day. Dane and I specially requested them to play Star Trek again so we cuddled in bed and watched that and The Soloist. It was a great way to spend the last day at sea, especially since it was rainy and windy. I got my hair done one last time and then we went to the Pinnacle Grill (the fancy place) and got to drink the champagne we won then some officers ordered 2 espresso martinis to our table but the drinks were delivered to the wrong table. The people at that table didn't want the drinks so they gave them to us as our true espresso martinis were delivered to us so we were all set for drinks. We were hoping for an epic last night on the Rotterdam but ended up getting tired and both of us started thinking about all the stuff we have to do when we get back Stateside - what with the house and work and moving and blah blah blah. Money is another thing - we've gone ridiculously over budget on this trip, artwork aside even. Oh well. What can you do.

We still have two nights in Copenhagen though so the vacation isn't over yet. It's rainy today in the city so I'm not sure how much walking around we will do. We are tired anyway. Hopefully it's not like tomorrow so we can go to our amusement park.

So not much to update on. Still no word from the Water for People folks - not sure if that's good or bad, I'm not really going to take sides one way or another.

I really miss my cats. Apparently Dane left some garbage in the apartment and it cultivated 100's of flies (per Melanie) and so she had to let them all out, clean out the garbage can (and maggots - poor Melanie) and lay fly strips all over. I'm sure the flies kept Willy busy for hours though.

I miss work, I miss my friends, I miss my car, I miss fresh steamed vegetables, I miss a lot of stuff. I'll definitely be back to Nutrisystem hard core after this trip. I'm sure I gained about 10 pounds on this trip. Gross.

That's all for now. I can't wait to come home!

Helsinki, Finland and Stockholm, Sweden

Yesterday we pulled into Helsinki, Finland in the late morning and got to sleep in a little before we went on our High Speed Helsinki tour. It was on a rigid inflatable boat (think military or Google C-Trek) with two large outboard motors, or in other words it was like sitting on a leaf with bottle rockets attached. We sped all over the bay and stopped at some spots for sight seeing, Dane was in the front of the boat and I was in the back. We even got to see a fleet of icebreakers and get a short lesson on how they work. There were ships from the 60's, 70's, 80's and a modern one and I guess they are nuclear powered or something like that. And then they have things in the back which can tow another boat, so the icebreaker goes destroying all ice and tugs the other boat behind. Fun. Dane says he was expecting something special in how they worked but they are just tough and weigh a lot. They break the ice just by sheer weight and can break up to a yard of ice at full speed (15 knots) or a maximum of 12 feet at slower speeds. Then we sped off to an island and ate a nice snack of sausage, salad and beer. On the way back to our boat, the driver did about 100 figure eights right next to our ship at mach 1 - it was awesome. And let me tell you - those Fins - they sure do love their saunas. EVERYONE has not one but two saunas - an electric one and another one but I couldn't hear what. The driver said that it is literally possible for the entire population to be in their saunas all at once, should they call such an occasion. Crazy. Our driver was funny. But his nose hair was longer than his moustache. :-s

After that we went to town and went shopping and found some more clothes for me and a dress. Not my favorite - I found a dress by Guess that I really wanted but Dane vetoed it. Instead he approved a mumu. Just kidding. We found a fun dress and were able to walk around town in the process. We went to the bow of the ship to watch us depart Helsinki, which was awesome! It's really LOUD when the Captain blows the horn, which he does...A LOT! Then we lazily ate dinner and got ready for the Indonesian show but we ended up staying in the bar all night long talking to another young person named Hal who is literally going through the same situation we are as far as closing on a house at sea and all the complications that go with that. Hal was a great guy and we enjoyed telling stories till 1 am. We were all sad because we were missing the "Dirty Disney" party that was going on in the OB for one of the officer's birthday. Stoopid liability issues with guests in the crew area. Lame.

We got to sleep in this morning, which was awesome!! In fact, we slept in so late it was lunch time by the time we ate. We were in Stockholm, Sweden so it was our day for the ice bar tour. Once at the bar we were given special coats with hoods and gloves and led into a bar that is kept at 23 degrees. Cold! But so fun - good music, fun lights and great drinks. We were able to get two down before it was time to leave. Good times. Then we walked around Old Town Stockholm and even got to see the changing of the guard. We got some drinks at a sidewalk cafe and munched on a Swedish cheese plate which was awesome. Before we knew it, it was time to go back to the ship where we went to the bow again to watch us leave Stockholm, which I guess is about a million islands - an archipelago (sp?) so it took about 4 hours for us to get out to sea. After the bow got cold we resumed watching the ship weave through the islands in the spa. I love that spa. Then we got dinner and now here we are blogging. After this we will go to the Dessert Extravaganza which we hear is awesome.

Tomorrow I have another detox session, then we get to watch Star Trek because we talked them into playing it another day since we were disposed the other day when it was on, then we will get ready for our last night on ship, which I hope is fun. We have to pack tomorrow which is lame. But we still have another two days in Copenhagen, so it's not so bad. Once we get off the ship in Copenhagen around 8am on Tuesday we will go on a tour before arriving at our hotel. Dane and I decided to just walk around and chill out on Tuesday and scout out a fun place for Wednesday night. Wednesday we will visit Tivoli Gardens then find one last place to whoop it up before spending all day Thursday flying back home.

First thing I'm doing when I get home is ordering a Pagliacci pizza.

St Petersburg - Day 2

This day was a long and exhausting day. It was interesting, but I don't love Russia like I love Egypt so the exhaustion got to me more. We visited to Czar's palaces which were the biggest, most extravagant, guilded gold things I've ever seen. Too many people to much to look at and absorb and we went through everything too fast to really have time to stop and appreciate it all. But I don't want to sound like I'm complaining - I just wish I'd had more time. The Amber Room at Catherine's palace was absolutely amazing - I could spend a whole day in that room alone. Our lunch was good - mushroom soup and beef stroganoff. Very fun.

Once we got back to the room we decided to go to the spa for departure again. It was nice to rest my tootsies after all that walking. Then we went to a Sommelier's Dinner - Sommelier is a French word which really has no translation (so I'm told) except that maybe it means head wine master. The wine master, Frank (I spoke about him in prior posts), is a hysterical German who really knows his business about wine. He is not liking Prosseco. :-) Anyway - we ate the most amazing 7 course meal paired with fantastic wines from all over the world - France, Chile, Portugal, Italy and even home - Washington State. After the dinner Dane and I went to the Crow's Nest where I had hopped to catch the Captain and beg him for another ball. He wasn't up there but our happy waiter told us he was in the Ocean Bar so I told Dane I was going to go beg for a ball. Found the Captain, but he was busy so I couldn't ask. Then, later, he was up in the Crow's Nest and as he was leaving I was able to run him down in the hall (of course by now I'm nice and toasty from the wine and my after dinner drink) and ask him for another ball. He said he could not do it or that I'd have to speak with the hotel manager. But he did say he was going to be around in case I wanted another dance. I asked one more time to get to the OB and he just laughed at me. Even Frank the Sommelier said that there was no way. Even if I made it to the OB, the other officer's would have to report me or risk losing their jobs so they don't mess around with that one bit.

Dane and I have been having a great time though. No fighting, not even minor bickering. Just laughing and joking. He's made some pretty good jokes - all "you had to be there" type jokes, but really good ones. We are just so happy and so lucky and blessed. We keep thanking God everyday for the opportunities we get and our house and the debt relief and everything. Amazing. Our realtor emailed us today. He has the keys. The house is ours. Ours ours ours. Unbelievable.

I miss my cats. I'm getting worried about work and coming back to a lot of work to do in a very short amount of time. I forget if I was supposed to prioritize the budget or the monthend close so it's giving me anxiety. I'm not looking forward to the jet lag, especially if it was anything like the first part of this trip (though I'm sure my Amsterdam stint did nothing to help the lag). I am looking forward to seeing my Seattle friends again and for the last time really. Well, last time for a long time. It will be a good month. No word from Water for People but I'm not too worried. Whatever is meant to be will happen in due time. What with Dane's debt relief, the pressure for me to find work immediately has been lifted.

Well I'm rambling on at this point. I'll post our Helsinki notes later today.

St Petersburg, Russia - Day 1

I had the most wonderful girls night out last night! Yes, I have already made friends with all the late 20's, early 30's crew members on deck and we all went to the Pinnacle Grill last night for dinner, drinks and dessert. It was great talking with them, hearing what they love about Holland America and working for a cruise ship and hearing their complaints. There were two lady officers, the internet cafe gal, the children's group leader, the art director, the party planner and a GOB - which apparently means "girlfriend on board." We had such a good time. The girls are going to try to get me into the OB (Officer's Bar) on the last night. We'll see. I already asked the Captain - indeed those were my first words to him "How do I get on the OB?" And he laughed at me and said it was not possible. But the girls are going to try anyway. That would be fun!

We woke up early this morning and went to the Hermitage in St. Petersburg. It was big and huge and overwhelming. Full of art and gold and stuff. Our guide (Dane is laughing at my description of the Hermitage - he feels I should elaborate and say there were Picasso's, Rembrant's, Monet's, Da Vinci's, etc. etc.) was great - just the most hysterical Russian gal. Great humor, knowledgable and just plain fun. She always says we are having. We are having a difficulity. We are having a look. We are having a new flower. So fun.

After the Hermitage we went back to the ship, inhaled some food and grabbed a nap before going back to town for a folklore show which was a lot of fun. Extravagent costumes, great singing, dancing and music. Lots of fun. We never did get to go to a Russian dance club but I'm honestly not sure I've recovered from the Officer's Ball. It is already 11pm here and we are ready for bed.

I've gained at least, at the very least, 5 pounds. And I'm upset that I didn't bring a few extra dresses. I waffled on it and decided not to overpack and now I regret it. Good thing we are walking all over creation tomorrow, maybe I can burn off the calories of the bedtime cookies I'm about to eat. :-)

At Sea (yesterday) and Tallinn, Estonia (today)

Yesterday we slept in and enjoyed a lazy breakfast then ran off to play the $100,000 Jackpot Bingo. We didn't win $100K but Dane did win a bingo game and won $63. Which pretty much paid for the bingo cards with $13 to spare but it was still a good time. After that we went to the spa then an art auction. I've been eyeing several pieces of art the last week or so and finally decided to go to the auction. I bid on the two pieces I liked and was able to purchase them for the reserve price of $385 and $465 - amazing. The pieces are huge. Not as big as my Temple of Isis piece, but they are very nice. After the art show we went wine tasting and the head wine attendant was the most wonderful, humorous German. He was great. Frank - that's his name. Anyway we tasted all sorts of wine from all over, including Washington, and tried the wine with different foods like apricots, Thai shrimps, pate, chocolate, strawberries - it was great fun and we learned a lot about wine. I guess Frank lost about 200 wine glasses on the rough day at sea we had at the beginning of the Baltic Tour portion.

After the wine tasting we had just enough time to change for Alan's cocktail party. So by now I was having a good afternoon since I had champagne (for FREE) at the art auction, the wine tasting and now the cocktail party. We chatted with a nice couple for an hour then it was time to get ready for the Officer's Ball, which I had to look my best for so I could woo the Captain. We went to our scheduled fancy dinner at the Pinnacle and just barely made it up to the Crow's Nest for the beginning of the ball. I danced with the Culinary Director and Frank (I won a bottle of champagne from that dance since Frank had the particular winning envelope - some game they play) and Scott - the Canadian "have fun" guy. I'm not really sure what his title is. Then I got to dance with the Captain!! He told me to find him for the last dance but some other gal elbowed me out of the way so of course she got the grand prize, which I guess was a shirt and some other stuff. After the 5 Officer dances some of the crew stayed dancing, including the Captain who danced with me. I chatted his ear off about stuff, especially boat questions till Dane muscled his way in and took over flirting with the Captain. They talked ship for a long time - so long that I finally gave up trying to woo the Captain and resigned to dancing with the ship's girl crew members. We had a good time and I'm sure I was three sheets to the wind, which Dane says is real bad in a ship with no sails. :-) After my 8th Grey Goose vodka-soda I was dancing with the Captain and we were making small talk. He asked about Dane and how long we have been married and if we were planning on having kids. I ended up telling briefly that I was not planning on having kids but that today (August 4th) would have been my daughter's 9th birthday. He asked about that and I told him about her. He was shocked and actually said "But you are so bubbly?!" I didn't really have an answer for that. He said he was sorry and offered his condolences. Then, as he was leaving he said something to Dane that made Dane light up like a Christmas tree. I asked what the hubaloo was about and the Captain said that Dane would tell me then he left. I asked Dane what could be so exciting, aside from the Captain asking me to his quarters, and Dane said that the Captain invited us to the Bridge the next evening to watch the departure from Tallinn! We couldn't believe our luck! We even confirmed it with the front desk. Excited like kids we danced the night away and didn't get to bed till 3 am!!

Woke up this morning at 7 am and thought for sure we wouldn't make it on our tour. But we rallied and slept on the bus. We drove about 1.5 hours outside of Tallinn to a small countryside town where we went to a museum, tried some local vodka (well, Dane did - I am vodkaed out) and went to an old medieval fortress and played around all afternoon. Then we went back to Tallinn and walked around town. It was fun. Nothing too exciting to write home about. Once back on the ship we had just enough time to change and get up to the Bridge where we took a thousand pictures and watched the Officer's pull away from port and listen to the calls and stand on the glass floor. The Captain even let me blow the ship's giant foghorn whistle. THREE TIMES!!!!! It was amazing - what a treat. I can't believe how lucky we are. Dane got to ask the Captain a million more questions - so many that Dane says he truly does not have any more questions. After spending time on the Bridge the Captain showed us his room so now I can honestly say that I made it to the Captain's quarters! But, so did Dane so the reality didn't quite play out like my fantasy. Just kidding. Dane is right here snorting/laughing next to me. We had a great time with the Captain and I almost want to book another cruise just to hang out with him again. He really likes Dane too - he must if he gave us passage to the Navigation Bridge. Dane is still in shock. He wants to be a captain. :-)

Now we are going to enjoy coffee and dessert and then I'm going to go out with the girls - the crew member girls I met last night, so that should be fun. I'm kinda tired from last night's excursions but I can't pass up the opportunity to spend some girl time on the boat.

Tomorrow is St. Petersburg - a day and evening excursion so it there will be a lot to do and blog about. I miss everyone. It sure is fun out here but I miss the States. I miss home. I did find a MacDonalds and mowed down a large fry. It was awesome.

Berlin, Germany - Yesterday

Today we woke up pretty spankin' early to get out to Berlin. We docked in Warnemunde, Germany - sort of on the northeast side of the German coastline. We took a 3 hour bus ride in to Berlin and then raced all over jumping out at various hotspots to take pictures and soak in whatever culture we could in 10 minutes or less. We stopped at a beautiful church, the Brandenburg Gate (the old gate between East and West Berlin), the city center with all the embassies (?, embassys, I don't know) and there was a protest and a Starbucks. We had just enough time to participate in both. Then we went to the Holocaust Museum, though only the outside - we didn't have time for the inside which bummed me out. The HM was interesting. The American architecht built the outside with 2711 concrete columns each of a different size. He didn't explain the meaning but rather wanted each person to come to their own conclusions about what it meant. Very powerful, I thought. After that we visited the Berlin Wall, including the part that has been preserved (of sorts) and painted on from over 20 different artists from around the world. I would have liked more time here too but all we got was 10 minutes. Then we went to lunch and had authentic German food: potato soup, pork schnitzel, some weird fried potatoes that I have to Dane, veggies, and a berries and cream dessert. YUM!!! After lunch we went to Checkpoint Charlie then to the mall. I looked in the Chanel, Fendi, Prada, Louis Vutton, and Tiffany stores and could not find anything that I liked and or could afford. It was a very sad shopping trip. It is just not meant to be for me to find something that I love here. After shopping it was time to head back to the boat, which was fine - we were all tired and slept most of the way.

I did find the most AWESOME Ritter Sport chocolates - it's milk chocolate with cornflakes!!!! Sooooo good. Anyway, once we got on the boat I had just enough time to blog and research Water for People a bit more before my 15 minute phone interview. I sat on our patio and watched the sunset as WFP called me. I feel the interview went well, I did most of the talking - talking about my history in nonprofit, how I became an accountant and what I feel I do well as an accountant. They were very interested in my experience at Treehouse in regards to the RE/FE integration. Seems they are integrating RE and NetSuite and the WFP Director was looking for someone with integration experience. Sounds to me like looking for a candidate with integration was as important to her as finding someone who excels at audit is for Jim. They said they'd be getting back with candidates by the end of this week (even thought I didn't even ask) and they wanted to know all about how to get a hold of me while I'm still on vacation, when I'm coming back from vacation and when I'm moving to Denver for good. So - I'd say it went well enough for the first round. We'll see what happens. I don't even know much about this place and if it is even a good fit. I'll save those questions for the second round, if applicable.

I'll blog later tonight about our busy day at sea. We are going to the spa, playing jackpot bingo, going to a wine tasting lunch, cocktail party, formal fancy dinner, and then the Captain's Black & White Ball. I told Dane I need to look my best so I can flirt with our totally cute, and wiley, captain. He agrees. Take, for example, last nights tomfoolery. We are leaving Warnemunde - (oh, this is the best part!) and the port is playing music for us, including our wedding song (our favorite version even of Andre Bocelli and Sarah MacLaughlin singing Con ti Partio) so we danced on our patio in our robes and watched all the people - there were a TON of people, we don't even know why. But there were also 3 cruise boats leaving at once, so there was a lot to see. And as we are leaving - music is playing (Elvis's Wooden Heart), people are hootin' and hollerin', the Captain is honking his horn (3 toots means Peace Out!) and there are all these other smaller party boats that always return fire with honks of their own. So the Captain proceeds to get into a honking war with these boats. Then the other cruise boats have enough, so join in the fray - let me tell you how loud that was to have over 6 boats honking their horns in a horn battle. Hee-haw-larious. Then there was a fireworks show for no particular reason. Awesome. Best part of Germany.

It's going to be a fun night. I only have 10 min left for breakfast so I need to run!

Arhus, Denmark - Yesterday

Yesterday we docked in Arhus, Denmark at 10am. We lazily got ready and then went out on our own to explore the town. Luckily for us the shopping mall was open (only on the 1st Sunday of the month) so we walked to the mall and tried to find a dress for me. No such luck. However, we did realize that 1985 is totally back in style. I'm talking faded pastel jeans, the cotton tee-shirts with the torn ends and indian beads knotted on them, crazy colors, armbands, if it was from the 80's, it is back in style. Also everyone one in Arhus is pregant, has a child or both. It was scary how many pregnant women we saw. Uncanny.

After the disappointment at the mall we found a cafe called Bar Bar that actually served my favorite beer, Hoegaarden, on tap. So we drank beers, ordered lunch - I had a fabulous curry pasta. I would have never thought to put curry and pasta together, but it was delish. Dane even liked it more than his burger, which turned out to be a veggie burger. He said he liked it though. After we people watched for a while and drank more beer we decided to get back to the boat. Good thing too cause the rain came in as soon as we boarded. We read our books up in the Crow's Nest and then stayed a while longer as we left port and talked and talked about our past and future and all sorts of things. We ate dinner in our room and got to bed somewhat early since our next port was an early wake up call.

So I'll blog about Berlin after my phone interview in half an hour. I need to read up on the organization and arrange some thoughts/questions. Wish me luck!

Oslo, Norway

We did it! We stayed up past 10pm last night! After our second nice dinner at the fancy Pinnacle Grill we headed up to the Crow's Nest for dancing - unfortunately for us it was music from the 50's and that's not really our cup of tea but we enjoyed watching everyone else dance. It was especially nice when they did the waltz. I feel my generation has missed something by not learning these dances and then I cringe to think of how young people "dance" at the clubs these days. Moving on...

We stayed up till about midnight or so then went back to our cabin and read for a while on our patio - it was a beautiful night out and the waters had finally calmed down a bit.

We were up and docked in Oslo, Norway this morning by 7am. Dane and I ate a lazy breakfast and even fed some seagulls some bread - they took it right from Dane's hand! I have pics. We got ready for our vintage sailing cruise and headed out by 10am. The cruise was fun. We drank white wine and ate fresh prawns - that wasn't so nice. They were very fishy and we had to pull the heads and legs off (I HATE that) and one of the prawns was pregnant and spilled prawn eggs all over. Gross. We had more bread though so we fed more seagulls. The boat took us around Oslo and we got to look at all sorts of nice houses and stuff. After the cruise we were hungry and there wasn't really any sight seeing we could do with the time we had left in port so we ate lunch on the boat and took bread back to our room to feed the seagulls. We had over 20 birds at one point circling our patio, getting on our railing and grabbing bread from us. It was fun.

We decided to go to the thermal spa to watch us pull out of harbor. That ended up being a fantastic idea. We had the suite to ourselves and sat in the hot tub while we pulled away. When that got boring we sat on the heated ceramic lounges and watched the captain get mad and blow the horn at all the sailboats. Then we read our books for another hour.

Now we are getting ready to go to dinner. Tomorrow we will port at 10am in Arhus, Denmark. We don't have any excursions planned so we will wing it. Should be a fun day at port - we don't have to be back on the boat till 6:30pm.

We hope everyone is doing well. Norway is beautiful but I miss America. I'm tired of cruise boat food. I want McDonald's fries. And a fresh salad. And steamed veggies. I'd do anything for fresh, steamed veggies that aren't bathed in sodium.

At Sea

Let me rephrase - HOMEOWNERS at sea!!! That's right - we signed and closed on the house! That's a lie. Randall signed and closed on our house! We signed power of attorney over to him before we left and the poor guy had to sign all million of our home documents. Hats off to Randall!

Other than that things are going well at sea. It's been very rough waters - so rough they've closed the pools because they are sloshing out so much. We spent the morning in the thermal suite and are going back to the room for movie watching.

We ALMOST made it to 10:00pm last night. Almost. They had the "Young & Restless 20's & 30's" meet-n-greet at 10:30pm and we made it till 9pm but got bored and thought we'd "lay down for a minute." Next thing you know we are passed out in our Sunday best on the bed. We finally decided to give up and crawl into bed. But tonight's the night! I can feel it! We WILL stay up past 10pm!!

Flam, Norway

Today we woke up at 6am or so and enjoyed a light breakfast before leaving the ship bound and determined to get in a kayaking trip. Our trip through the ship was canceled due to lack of interest (which is really weird considering the company we keep here *sarcasm* - we are the youngest couple by 40 years...at least) so we found the local tourist office and begged till the kayak guide finally gave in and offered us a private tour. It was a great trip - our guide was a pretty, young Norwegian thing who told us all the folklore of the region while we kayaked through the fjord with virtually no boat traffic. It was amazing. She even told us a story of Huldra, a beautiful woman who would lure young Norwegian boys to the mountain tops and turn them into her slave. She says nowdays if a man calls his love his Huldra it has two meanings. #1 - she is the most beautiful woman in his eyes and #2 - she has the temperment of a troll. So you can imagine what Dane has been calling me of late. :-)

After kayaking we went on a railway tour to the top of the mountain and had traditional cold Norwegian waffles with jam and sour cream. It was a great trip and we must have seen 100 waterfalls. Then we sat in the Crow's Nest for some cocktails while the ship left the port and returned through the fjord. We made it all the way to 8:45 before calling it a night! We were pleased just to have made it through the day with no naps.

Today we've been at sea and have spent the day in bed reading and watching movies. We just spent 30 min with the ship's (cute) captain, engineer and hotel manager for a Q&A which was fun and informative. Now we are going to lounge around, maybe get fancied up for tonight's "master chef dinner" and cocktail party.

In other news, our stuff has made it to Denver safely despite a couple hiccups. Special thanks to Randall for making sure everything is in order. Thanks to Melanie as well for caring for our cats. I have a phone interview on Monday, August 3rd at 1:15pm Denver time, 9:15pm for me in Germany. I'll be somewhere between Warnemunde (sp?) and Berlin, on my way back from a day trip to Berlin. Wish me luck! It's for the Senior Accountant/Accounting Manager position at Denver nonprofit Water for People. It's the same exact position as I do for Treehouse. We'll see. The mission is great and it would be a fabulous opportunity to see and help people in very far reaching spots in the world. I will say the company seems pretty "big, corporate" minded for being as seemingly small as it is. Weird. More details after the interview.

Bergen, Norway

Well I'm half ashamed, half triumphant to admit that yesterday after our Stavanger excursion we went back to our room and slept the rest of the day and night with a few moments of being awake. We watched half of Valkyrie before falling asleep. Woke up as we left Stavanger and sat on our patio while we went through the fjord to Pulpit Rock. We even got to see some base jumpers. Then we ate a light dinner at the table seating restaurant and went back to our room - around 7pm or so. Fell asleep. Didn't wake up till midnight when we decided to order room service and watch The Boy in Striped Pajamas. Tear jerker. We finished that at about 3am and went to sleep all soggy-eyed thinking about WWII and what the Nazis did to the Jews. Sad.

This morning we woke up at about 6:45am naturally and got ready for our hike in Bergen. It was a great hike - good workout and we went up to 1800 feet with fantastic views. The funicular was fun too - it's a glass cable car that went up the mountainside. We got some great pictures and even managed another Facebook upload.

After the hike we were famished so we headed back to town for some authentic Norwegian food. I opted for the dried cod in tomatoes, onions and potatoes. Dane was too scared to get anything too Norwegian so he got the steak sandwich with fries. He did, however, get a side of bernaise sauce so he felt very pleased with his food adventure. Then we walked around town for a bit in the shopping mall and fish market. We just got back to the boat and are going to go for a swim and sit in the hot tub.

Dane just got some coffee with alcohol in it (it's not even 3pm) and gave me a sip. Now I'm drunk. Gross.

No plans tonight except maybe watch Taken and try to stay up as late as possible so we can kick this jet lag once and for all.

Our kayaking trip for tomorrow in Flam has been canceled, but we may try to do that on our own. Either way we are taking an afternoon train ride through Flam and the surrounding countryside to go see a waterfall and have some traditional Norwegian waffles (which means they are served cold with sour cream).

We hope everyone is doing well. We miss you! And our kitties. :-)

Stavanger, Norway

In retrospect we probably could have slept in longer, but we decided to get up at 6am and watch as the Rotterdam pulled into Stavanger. It was pretty cool. We ate a light breakfast on the patio (we upgraded to a verrandah suite at the last minute so we have a private patio...and free DVD rental) and watched the Norwegian countryside turn to city. Kinda. City for Norway anyway. We were the first off the boat at 7am and walked all over town. In 15 minutes. The town was dead - nothing open, no human in sight. Just beer bottles, vomit, hot dog wrappers - all the tell tale signs of a HUGE Saturday night party. I thought Amsterdam was a party, that was nothing compared to the aftermath we saw here. No wonder no one was awake. We walked all over town till about 10am when a cafe finally opened. We got some snacks and decided to head back to the ship since nothing was open and nothing was going to be open. Also because we have already spent $50 on a couple of pastries and coffees. EXPENSIVE!!

So we got Valkyrie and are going to go back to the room to hang out and watch it.

News on the Mac: it is indeed missing. No matter, we have insurance so it can be replaced. Just sucks. We are worried that there might be some crucial documents that might have accidently slipped in the Mac case by mistake. We are waiting to confirm that. That would suck, it might even prevent us from getting the house if our identities are stolen and fraud is committed. I tell you what - I am one of the most systematic, organized folks you will ever meet. Unfortunately when you take someone like that and distrupt their routine, mistakes happen. Two things I believe contributed to this Mac loss and potential crucial documents misplaced into said Mac case. #1 - we are moving, so our "home" copy of our crucial documents had to be removed from their normal spot and NOT packed as we knew we were going on this trip and the documents needed to be accessible in case of emergency. #2 - we were asked to put all our stuff that we needed for 2 days into our carryon and told we would NOT have access to our checked luggage till the cruise. Therefore, I opted to put clothing in my carryon over the Mac. Otherwise that baby is glued to my hip. However, the Mac makes for a poor skirt and or top. Hence choosing clothing over it. Had I known that we would have had access to our bags, even if only for 15 min (which we did at Shiphol Airport but I didn't check my bags as I needed nothing from them) I would have opted to stow my jacket in favor of keeping my Mac in my carryon. Oh well, lesson learned and nothing I can do now.

The rest of today we will relax. I have a scalp massage at 4pm. Tomorrow we port at Bergen and have a hiking tour. I am looking forward to it. I don't think I packed enough warm clothing though.

Oh - last night we had dinner at the nice restaurant and it was AWESOME! We each had a small appetizer and then Dane had the filet mignon and prawns and I had the lobster macaroni and cheese - yum!

So that's all for now. We will post again tomorrow after our port in Bergen.

Note: since we do not have the Mac, we cannot upload pictures. We will try to post pictures each day to our Facebook if you are interested. :-)

At Sea

Today we are at sea. After touring part of the ship yesterday after getting on board I got a traveler's tension massage which was awesome. I fell asleep at least 3 times while the lady massaged my feet. We ordered room service for dinner and watched the first 30 minutes of Bolt before we decided to go to bed. Woke up at 2:20 hungry and wide awake. So we decided to be bad and order more room service and finish Bolt. We got salmon, a cheese plate, an apple tart and a plate of cookies. I'm sure we've gained at least 5 pounds already.

This morning I woke up at 8 am and decided to go to the thermal room before breakfast was delivered to our room. I entered a raffle yesterday and when it was time to call the winner no one showed up due to a miscommunication. For our trouble, the spa gave Dane and I a free day at the thermal spa - an aromatherapy pool, heated tiled mosiac chaises, rain showers and steam room. Anyway - I went there in the morning and it was beautiful. I was the only one there and the thermal is in the very front of the boat. I grabbed some cucumber water and sat in the hot tub watching the water, listening to Enya and just enjoying some very peaceful solitude. I spent an hour in there and went back to the room for breakfast. After breakfast Dane and I took a tour of the kitchen on the boat - which was amazing! Then we walked a mile on the walkaround (actually we jogged one lap till we discovered jogging is against the rules - no wonder we got the stink eye). Then we explored some more, including the "teens only" oasis at the top of the boat in the back. We figured since we are probably the youngest couple on the boat, save any crew and staff, that age is relative and we qualified as hooligan teenagers.

We are still exploring the boat. I have a detox appointment at 2:00, I'm sure after my night in Amsterdam I will turn the detox pad black. We are eating dinner at the elegant Pinnacle Grill tonight, which conveniently coincides with the first formal night on the ship. Other than that, we have no plans.

Tomorrow we port in Stavanger, Norway at 7:00 am. We do not have a tour planned and are looking forward to exploring on our own.

In other news, I think my Mac laptop was stolen. I specifically remember packing it and it wasn't in my luggage when I unpacked yesterday. We are waiting to confirm that it is not at Mark and Angela's house but I have a vivid memory of packing it. I'm hoping I'm just being silly and it's there. Otherwise that sucks. We did get travel insurance and we do have renter's/homeowner's insurance so I should be covered all around. Luckily I didn't have anything that can't be replaced on that computer, like pictures or papers or stuff like that. Sucks, but what can you do? I find it funny because one of the very reasons I got that laptop was to travel with and what not and yet here I am using the internet cafe on board. :-)

Dane has nothing to say. BORING! Actually he does want to say that we saw a dutch fist fight on night one. Awesome.

That's all for now. We got an internet plan for the boat so we will probably be updating this blog daily to bore you with sappy details of our totally awesome and relaxing cruise.

OMG

Thank God we only have one night in Amsterdam. Dane and I had a really good time last night. We visited the RLD and meandered around for awhile then went back to Leideseplein (or however that is spelled) and danced the night away at "Amsterdamed." I'm pretty sure I will turn into a Heineken Beer.

The DJ played a lot of MJ songs so of course I rocked out to that. By about 2:30 Dane was ready to call it a night so we headed back to the hotel. All the cabs here are pimped out Mercedes, it's awesome.

So today we check out at 12:00 then head to Rotterdam to board the cruise boat at 5pm. I'm pretty sure I will die before then unless I get more water and aspirins.

Not much else to write home about - actually there is plenty to write about but Dane says it's classified so I guess what happens in Amsterdam stays in Amsterdam. I will say that wiggy-wiggy is not as fun without Angela. :-(

We're Here!

Hi gang! We arrived in Amsterdam early this morning after two nice flights. We spent the day touring the city including a few stops at a cheese and clog farm and driving all over getting familiar with the town. We ate lunch at my FAVORITE sandwich shop and then returned to our hotel for some much needed rest.

It's about 22:20 right now (no idea what time that is) and we just got done stuffing ourselves with a very good surf and turf dinner. We are at a coffeeshop slash internet cafe getting ready to visit the City Center and walk around the RDL. Not much else planned, we are kinda beat but we get to sleep in tomorrow so that's good.

So far I think the only tragedy is I forgot to pack my white vest.

Till next time! :-)

~Crystal

Ship Phone Number

If you need to call us for any reason you can reach us two different ways.

First way - call 1-866-425-7447. You will need to know the ship name (MS Rotterdam), party name (Ewers/Huish) and the stateroom number (I don't have that at press time).

Second way - call 011-871-764-663-213

Obviously this is for emergency use only, we get charged satellite rates which apparently are so expensive they aren't even listed in the brochure.

We will also have our phones on us, though they will not be turned on. We will turn them on periodically to check messages.

We will hop on the internet as often as we can and at least every other day to keep this site updated and let my mom know we are safe and sound.

Trip Itinerary

Alright! It's that time again - Dane and I are preparing to leave on vacation so we've set up a blog that details our trip itinerary. And as subscribers to this blog - you get the extra benefit of knowing what we are up to while in Europe as we post updates to this here blog. :-) We figure a one-stop-shop is easier than a blast email or emailing one by one. So, here it is, our itinerary:


July 22nd Travel to Amsterdam
Continental 1580 -leave SEA at 7:15am, arrive Newark at 3:28pm, leave Newark at 5:20pm on Continental 0102
July 23rd Amsterdam, Hotel Okura

Cruise

July 24th Day 0 Rotterdam, The Netherlands 05:00PM
July 25th Day 1 At Sea
July 26th Day 2 Stavanger, Norway 07:00AM 03:00PM
July 27th Day 3 Bergen, Norway 08:00AM 05:00PM
July 28th Day 4 Flam, Norway 07:00AM 05:00PM
July 29th Day 5 At Sea
July 30th Day 6 Rotterdam, The Netherlands 07:00AM 05:00PM
July 31th Day 7 At Sea
Aug 1st Day 8 Oslo, Norway 07:00AM 04:00PM
Aug 2nd Day 9 Arhus, Denmark 10:00AM 07:00PM
Aug 3rd Day 10 Berlin, Germany 06:00AM 11:00PM
Aug 4th Day 11 At Sea
Aug 5th Day 12 Tallinn, Estonia 08:00AM 05:00PM
Aug 6th Day 13 St. Petersburg, Russia 07:00AM
Aug 7th Day 14 St. Petersburg, Russia 06:00PM
Aug 8th Day 15 Helsinki, Finland 06:00AM 06:00PM
Aug 9th Day 16 Stockholm, Sweden 08:00AM 05:00PM
Aug 10th Day 17 At Sea
Aug 11th Day 18 Copenhagen, Denmark 07:00AM

Aug 12th Copenhagen, First Hotel Vesterbro
Aug 13th Travel to Seattle
Fly Continental 0123 - leave COP at 9:05am, arrive Newark at 11:55am, leave Newark at 2:15pm on Continental 1681, arrive SEA at 5:10pm same day



Sorry it is so sloppy, in Word it was in a nice table. Stoopid Blogger. Anyway, we also have the following excursions planned:


Bergen, Norway - Mt. Floien Hiking Tour

Walk with your guide along the Bryggen pier where the German office of the Hanseatic League of Merchants was once located and wooden warehouses stand impervious to the passage of time. Pass the famous Fish & Flower Market and board the funicular for an 8-minute ride to 1,200 feet above sea level. At the top of Mount Fløien, you will walk to Skomakerdiket Lake. The views of Bergen and its surroundings become increasingly spectacular! After approximately 45 minutes, you’ll reach Rundemannsvegen and the highest point at 1,800 feet, walking on dirt roads and paths. Walk back to the Fløibanen, take the funicular down to the center of Bergen and stroll back to the ship along the pier.


Flam, Norway - Kayaking on Aurlandsfjord

Kayaking is a very popular way to experience the nature, scenery and the tranquility of Aurlandsfjord and Flåm. As you paddle along the fjord you will see mountain farms that cling to the hillside, and farm animals such as goats and sheep that graze alarmingly close to the edge of the fjord! This is the perfect excursion for experienced and first-time kayakers, as it features beautiful scenery.


Oslo, Norway - Scenic Oslofjord by Vintage Norwegian Sailing Ship

This unique tour of Oslofjord commences with a short walk along the pier to one of the beautiful old sailing vessels of Norway. Fully restored to its former glory, the tall ship also features modern amenities to ensure your safety and comfort. Setting out from the pier under engine power (the ship’s sails are not used), you will head for the highlights of the fjord, including the ruins of an 1147 monastery on the island of Hovedøya, and the nearby Dyna Lighthouse. You will see the Bygdøy Peninsula, where many maritime museums are located, and the beaches of Oslo including Huk Bay. During your cruise, a buffet of shrimp, bread, butter, mayonnaise and a glass of wine or beer per person will be served. Following the coastline of the Nesodden Peninsula, you will see the suburbs where many people who work in Oslo live, just a short commute from town by ferry. At the end of the tour, you will return to Oslo and walk back to the ship.


Berlin, Germany - Berlin in a Nutshell

On arrival in Berlin, your first stop will be at Bebelplatz where, below ground level, lies the Empty Library--the city’s most original memorial to honor ostracized authors whose books were burned on this site by students and Nazis in 1933. Some of the other famous highlights that you will see are: remnants of the Berlin Wall; the Brandenburg Gate, which more than any other monument symbolizes the German and European unification and will always be known as the border between East and West Germany; and the Reichstag parliament building. Take advantage of a brief photo stop at the site of the former Checkpoint Charlie--the legendary border crossing where spies crossed between the American and Soviet sectors during the Cold War. Step inside the Berlin Cathedral with its neo-Baroque interior and massive dome. This enormous cathedral, built between 1894 and 1905, is a stunning example of the neo-Renaissance style of Berlin. During the Second World War, the building was hit by a firebomb which severely damaged most of the Cathedral, but it has now been restored in a simplified form, including the dismantling of the Hohenzollern mausoleum. Drive through the Kurfürstendamm--Berlin’s version of the Champs Elysées, and pass the impressive Charlottenburg Castle built in 1695. Pass the Gendarmenmarkt--the most harmonious square in Berlin--which constitutes an ensemble of the Theatre, the German Cathedral and the French Cathedral. Continue to the Pergamon Museum, showcasing a must-see collection of antiquities. The Pergamon Museum is one of the world’s major archeological museums and is a memorable inside visit. Return to Warnemünde via motorcoach after a truly fascinating day in Berlin.


Tallinn, Estonia - The Spirit of Medieval Estonia

Drive through the picturesque Estonian countryside to Rakvere, one of the oldest towns in Estonia, with its partially ruined 13th-century castle. You will also see the enormous sculpture of a bull high on the hill next to the castle. Pass Rakvere Distillery and visit the Exhibition House to learn of the history of producing spirits in Estonia and enjoy a vodka tasting. At the castle, step back in time as you enter the courtyard to see the typical medieval watchtower, stone-throwing machines and fully functioning canon. See a blacksmith at work and visit the Torture Chamber. Lunch will be served at the inn in the courtyard of Rakvere Castle. Spend some free time after lunch browsing in the courtyard and visiting the souvenir store. You also have a great opportunity to see the modern city center of Rakvere and visit the Citizens' Museum. From Rakvere you will drive back to Medieval Tallinn and walk up Toompea Hill to Palace Square. View the Baroque Toompea Palace, now the residence of the Estonian Parliament. Visit the lovely Russian Orthodox Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, home to numerous golden icons and mosaics, then continue along Tallinn's medieval streets to St. Mary's Cathedral. Inside the church there are more than 100 medieval coats of arms. Enjoy the view of the Lower Town from the terrace or browse in the small shops.


St Petersburg, Russia -

Day

This tour offers you an opportunity to explore the most remarkable sites of St. Petersburg. With a brief introduction to the history of St. Petersburg, your coach brings you to the city center, to the St. Isaac's Square where you will have a chance to take pictures of one of the largest cathedrals in Europe--the St. Isaac’s Cathedral. This modern double-decker bus is equipped with a high-quality 8-language sound system which will allow you to learn a lot about the places of interest of St. Petersburg. Next, you visit the Admiralty and Nevsky prospect. You’ll see the Vosstaniya Square (Uprising Square), fantastic Palace Bridge, the Spit of Vasilievsy Island, St. Peter and Paul Fortress, Russian Cruiser Aurora and Trinity Bridge. You will see the most beautiful and famous places of St. Petersburg. The final stop will give you a perfect chance to take pictures of one of the main landmarks of St. Petersburg--the Church on Spilled Blood which was built in 1907 on the spot where the Russian Tsar Alexander II was assassinated. After this fascinating tour you’ll have an opportunity to spend 3 hours as you wish. This free time is your exclusive chance to be deep in the atmosphere of Russian city and feel Russian. Walk along one of the main streets of St. Petersburg--Nevsky Prospect, do shopping in the best shops of the city or the flea market by the Church on the Spilled Blood, buy lovely souvenirs for your relatives and friends, have a lunch in a cozy cafe or restaurant in the very center of this unforgettable city! Return to the ship.


Evening

This is an evening of spectacular cultural value featuring the St. Petersburg Highlights folklore group. Embark on a fascinating, 90-minute musical journey through different regions of Russia, with acrobatic Siberian Cossack dances, Russian and Ukrainian choral singing, and a special Gypsy ensemble which includes the famous Russian folksong, The Dark Eyes, accompanied by live Balalaika music. Champagne and bottled water will be served during intermission.


Day 2

It is about a 50-minute drive from St. Petersburg to reach Catherine's Palace--truly an architectural masterpiece and a magnificent museum. Its 978-foot façade is an ornate masterpiece in white, gold and blue. Within the palace is a series of magnificent rooms, including the famous Picture Gallery and the Great Hall. You will also see the amazing Amber Room, stolen by the Nazis during the war, smuggled to Paraguay (legend holds) and lost forever. Now, Russian craftsmen have piece-by-piece reconstructed the dazzling panels of semi-precious stone, amassing a stunning, multi-hued collection designed to leave the observer breathless. The richly ornamented exterior of the palace is enhanced by splendid gardens and "small" pavilions. After lunch, you will enjoy a tour of Paul's Palace--a gift from Catherine the Great to her son Paul on the occasion of the birth of his son, Alexander. The palace's Grecian hall is adorned with green fluted Corinthian columns, making the ballroom the most elegant room of the Palace. Maria's rooms gave Pavlovsk a distinct charm rather than grandeur. Paul's rooms are richly adorned with mahogany and heavy gilding. Pavlovsk Park is one of the largest in Europe with ponds, valleys, waterfalls and statues.


Helsinki, Finland - High Speed Helsinki (a MUST for Dane)

Don a special all-in-one warming waterproof outfit and flotation device for a fast boat ride through the Finnish Archipelago. Board the special rubber boat with a fiberglass-reinforced hull and a powerful engine. You'll pass the center of the city, Embassy Park, Suomenlinna Island Fortress and the Open Air Market. Pass the giant icebreakers while heading toward the narrow straight, where you'll hit full throttle. Experience the scenic Finnish Archipelago at 40 knots, traveling over waves and past islands large and small. Pass Finnish summer homes, some dating back to the 19th century, then land at one of the rocky islands for some refreshments, Finnish style--sausages cooked on an open fire and a taste of Finnish beer. Speeding back to the city, you'll pass the new High-Tech Center, a residential area, and reappear next to the shipyard and your ship.


Later that day (a MUST for Crystal)

Explore Helsinki by Jopo--a Finnish-designed bike. Your biking guide will meet you directly at the ship and introduce you to your Jopo bike. Created in the 1960s and designed as a simple, practical transportation that could be adjusted to fit a wide range of people, this bike has become an important part of Finnish culture. Known as “everyone’s bicycle,” Jopos once were found in almost every Finnish family home and are now making a popular comeback. After making adjustments and listening to safety explanations, you will be ready to head off into the Finnish capital which, being relatively flat, is a wonderful city to explore by bike. You will pass along dedicated cycling paths, past city parks, waterfronts, residential and commercial areas, experiencing views of the city that many visitors don’t get to experience firsthand. Glide past a marina and a residential area before peddling along the scenic traffic-free waterfront area that leads to Helsinki’s main city beach, Hietaranta. Continue to Sibelius Park and visit the monument dedicated to Finland’s world-famous composer, Jean Sibelius. Back on the bikes, your guide will lead you through a residential district to Töölö Bay. See the new Opera House and the decorative wooden villas dating from the 19th century. You will also see in the distance Finlandia Hall, the National Museum and the Parliament building as you continue to the eastern side of the city passing more waterfront parks and mixed residential areas. At the Eastern Harbor snap a photo of Katajanokka Island, summer home to the Finnish icebreaker fleet and location of the Orthodox Uspenski Cathedral with its 13 golden onion domes. Dismount at Market Square and enjoy the colorful sights and sounds of the market. Note the varying architectural skyline of the city with the Lutheran Cathedral, City Hall, the Presidential Palace and the bustling harbor and the market in the foreground. Exclusive waterfront properties, including many embassies, and the popular Kaivopuisto Park are next on the agenda, as well as views across to the impressive Suomenlinna Island Fortress. You’ll also see a venue for the traditional springtime custom of carpet washing en route back to the ship.


Stockholm, Sweden - A Taste of Ice Cold Sweden

In Stockholm’s Old Town (Gamla Stan), you will stroll along the narrow, twisting alleys and cobblestone streets to see some of the city’s finest sights. Savor the Bohemian atmosphere among houses that date from the 16th to the 19th centuries--complete with Baroque doorways and regal coats of arms. As you wander through Stortorget (Great Square) in the hub of the Old Town, look for the old Stock Exchange, which now houses the Nobel Museum and the Swedish Academy. Your tour will include time to stroll in the atmosphere of Gamla Stan, which is indeed a living historical monument. At the Nordic Hotel, in the heart of the city, you’ll find the year-round “Ice Bar.” Inside, the temperature is a cool -5° C, and the entire interior (including the drinking glasses) is made of pure ice from the Torne River. Before entering, you’ll put on a warm fur poncho and mittens. A vodka drink in an ice glass will be served as the staff explain the concept of the bar and its construction.


Copenhagen, Denmark - City Tour and Tivoli Gardens (2 night stay)

A luxury coach will take you on the lovely tour through the streets of Copenhagen. As you travel through the city, you will pass the Stock Exchange, Christianborg Palace, the Danish Parliament, City Hall Square, the main shopping area, Stroeget and Rosenborg Castle. You will also see Copenhagen’s famous Gefion Fountain set amid the parkland of the Kastellet, depicting the Nordic legend of the goddess Gefion. Watch for Amalienborg Palace (exterior view only), the winter residence of the Royal Family, which consists of four equal-sized rococo palaces situated on one of the most beautiful squares in Europe. You will pass through the colorful and lively Nyhavn waterfront district--once the favorite haunt for sailors. Today the canal district is lined with 500-year-old gabled houses, sidewalk cafés and bars. Author Hans Christian Andersen lived at three different addresses along the Nyhavn Canal. From Nyhavn, you’ll head to Tivoli Gardens--at the top of everyone’s list of places to visit in Copenhagen. Founded in 1843, Tivoli is a beautiful, romantic park with lanterns in the trees that create a magical atmosphere. It has open-air stages for music and theatre, and a wealth of high-class restaurants. This magical park which is more than 160 years old has inspired many people: Hans Christian Andersen took the idea for his fairy tale about the Nightingale from Tivoli, and Walt Disney drew inspiration for Disneyland from the garden during several visits in the 1950s. Tivoli, with its unique world famous location in the center of Copenhagen, has something for everyone. Before exploring the park, enjoy a drink at Cafe Ketchup located near the Tivoli Lake. The interior is beautiful and very Scandinavian. Stroll around Tivoli Gardens to see the beautiful flowers and the amusements. Neon lights are banned here, and the lighting style at Tivoli has lent its name to the Christmas lights on Park Avenue in New York also known as “Tivoli Lights.” On your way back to your cruise ship, you will see the Little Mermaid sculpture modeled on the fairytale creation of Hans Christian Andersen.




Well that's about it for now. More information will be posted as it comes in. :-)