Cruise Norway: Heading Home

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We left London on a Thursday morning.

Jo and Charlie at our London spot — Baaria.

But not before one more meal at Baaria where we were clearly favorite patrons.  The chef came out from the kitchen and had remembered our joking conversation of the day before.  We bantered back and forth.

Our driver collected us right in front of the hotel.

Back at the hotel we had already packed our luggage and left it behind the front desk.  We waited for our driver to Heathrow Airport which had been arranged by the concierge.

Heathrow

Our driver was an excellent tour director teaching us all kinds of interesting bits about London and his own background. At the airport we waited for our direct flight back to Baltimore on British Air.

Dash spent almost 3 weeks with his friend from puppyhood, Rory.

At BWI we were picked up by our dear friend Sug who had been tending to Dash who was happy to go with us on our drive back to the Eastern Shore.

Jo

Cruise Norway: West End Theatre

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On our final day, a Wednesday, in London I was focused on getting in 2 more theatrical shows.

Bowler hat topiary at the entrance to the Waldorf Hilton London mimics the bowler donned doorman.

Of course on Wednesday many shows have 2 performances — matinee and evening.  I had purchased the tickets the day before at the TKTS booth in Leicester Square.

My treat at Ole & Steen was a Vanilla Festival Bun filled with vanilla cream and whipped cream, finished with a swirl of whipped cream, and white chocolate.

On our way to the matinee we stopped at Ole & Steen on The Strand near the Aldwych Theatre for some coffee and pastries.

The stage setting for Shadowlands at the Aldwych Theatre.

We saw Shadowlands starring Hugh Bonneville (yes, Downton Abbey‘s Earl of Grantham, Robert Crawley) as C.S. Lewis, a man who preached that one should approach suffering and loss with patience, which is not easy when the love of your life dies from a brutal illness.

Shadowlands explores grief with great depth. Both Charlie and I were deeply moved.

Charlie makes himself at home at Baaria.

After the matinee we walked back to our hotel then later headed up Charing Cross Road to our favorite little cafe Baaria before attending our final performance.

Grand drape at The Garrick Theatre before the opening number of The Producers.

The Producers is a schtick-filled musical with lots of energy and a crazy plot which we enjoyed. After the show our walk back to The Clermont was about 6 minutes.

The Garrick like other theatres in London is elegant and traditional.

I love seeing theatre in London because the quality is as good as (or better in some cases) than Broadway and the ticket prices are about one-third of those on the Great White Way. I could stay another week and see more shows however the next day we would be heading home.

Jo

Cruise Norway: Saint Patrick’s Day

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Our second day in London was Tuesday, Saint Patrick’s Day.

Saint Patrick’s Catholic Church Soho, London.

My plan had been to find some shamrocks to wear on our lapels (like the Princess of Wales) and celebrate in an Irish pub.

Fr Alexander Sherbrooke handing out blessed shamrocks on St. Patrick’s Day.

We started our day early (8 a.m mass) at St. Patrick’s Soho Catholic Church where the priest blessed boutonnières of live shamrocks and handed them out at the end of mass.

Freshly blessed shamrocks from St Patrick’s Soho in London.

The next planned task was to go to Leicester (pronounced Lester) Square to buy theatre tickets at TKTS which opened at 11 a.m.

Baaria Café on Charing Cross Road.

In the meantime I discovered a little café, Baaria Leicester Square, that advertised “Italian coffee” in red neon lights in the window.  I was ready for a good coffee.

Charlie’s cremino.

We had a wonderful waiter who suggested Charlie order a cremino — sort of a macchiato with pistachio creme. He loved it especially when the waiter brought a small pitcher of hot cream to clean every last bit out of the bottom. Baaria Italian Café –we returned many times and they always treated us well.

Charlie wanted a bite of Paddington’s marmalade sandwich in Leicester Square.

Sporting our shamrocks we headed to the TKTS booth in Leicester Square to buy more theatre tickets. I bought Oliver for Tuesday evening, Shadowlands for wednesday matinee, and The Producers for Wednesday evening.  We could have seen all the big popular shows but we had already seen most of them on Broadway.

Irish stew, mashed potatoes, and brown bread.

The next stop was The Porterhouse Irish pub in London where we both ordered the Irish stew special — a quart of stew, a side of mashed potatoes, and a brown bread roll.  All delicious and more than we could eat.

Oliver‘s grand drape.

That night we walked (13 minutes) from the hotel to the Gielgud Theatre to see Oliver! The Musical.

The Act curtain from the center of the stalls — great seats.

Oliver was really good with a talented cast and, of course, a happy ending. We walked back to the hotel after the show.  We had a green and happy Saint Patrick’s Day.

Jo

Cruise Norway: London

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Charlie and I had been to London for an extended stay in 2018 where we did the tourist thing visiting palaces, museums, churches, and other important sites in the city.

The Clermont Hotel

The purpose of our recent trip was to see some theatre in the West End.  Our hotel, The Clermont at Charing Cross, was chosen due to its proximity to the theatres — all the shows we saw were within walking distance.

St Martin-in-the-Fields was a block away from our hotel and a good landmark.

On our first day (Monday) in London after our Uber driver dropped us off at the hotel our room was not yet ready so we headed out for a bite to eat.

The Crypt is entered through a side building next to the church.

An elevator led down to the crypt.

About a block away was St. Martin-in-the-Fields Church (our landmark) which runs Café  in The Crypt.

There was quite an array of fresh, hot food in addition to an espresso bar and pastries.

One serving was easily enough for two.

We had a wonderful traditional fish and chips lunch (a single serving was enough for 2) among the grave markers that lined the floor.

The floor of The Crypt.

The Crypt gift shop was not in the least macabre.

There is also a nice gift shop with some unusual items if souvenirs are needed.

Entrance to the National Gallery which has no entrance fee.

Then we headed toward Trafalgar Square about half a block away to the National Gallery. I had planned to see 3 paintings.  Here they are from largest to smallest.

The Virgin of the Rocks by Leonardo 189.5 × 120 cm

The National Gallery website was very helpful in pointing me in the right direction.

Sunflowers by van Gogh 92.1 × 73 cm

Vincent has 7 paintings at the National Gallery.  I would have liked to have seen them all.

Perhaps the most famous painting in the museum is The Arnolfini Portrait by Jan van Eyck.  82.2 × 60 cm

Charlie’s not a big fan of art museums so he benched himself while I looked.

Our hotel room included a large bathroom with both a tub and separate shower.

We made our way back to the hotel where our room awaited.

We sat in the center of the “stalls” which in the US would be center orchestra.

I had prearranged theatre tickets online a few days before for the evening’s performance of The Devil Wears Prada starring Vanessa Williams.

We walked to the theatre 19 minutes away up Charing Cross Road at the corner of Tottenham Court.

I had done my research and found the Dominion Theater was open on Monday, a day that is traditionally dark on Broadway.

Don’t worry. We were invited to take this photo.

We had a grand time.

Jo

Cruise Norway: Docking at Tilbury

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The final port of call of our cruise from Bergen, Norway, is  London in the UK.

We docked at London Cruise Terminal at Tilbury.

Actually we docked not in London but in Tilbury which is a 45 minute drive from central London.  Most people who were ending their travel in London were transported by Viking to Heathrow Airport via motor coach.  Others who were staying in England on their own used prearranged car services or Uber.

The tower at Charing Cross station in front of the hotel is a 19th-century, 70-foot high replica of the medieval Eleanor Cross, designed by E.M. Barry in 1865.

Charlie and I used Uber to get from Tilbury to our hotel in Charing Cross, London, after a bit of a snafu.  I had arranged to be picked up at “Tilbury Docks” but in fact we disembarked at the nearby “London International Cruise Terminal”.  I’m guessing some others used the train in Tilbury but we weren’t sure we could manage our luggage even though we’re light packers.

The building with the flags is The Clermont.

Our Uber driver was very congenial with personal stories and pointing out landmarks and attractions.  He delivered us to The Clermont at Charing Cross and helped us with our luggage.

Vestibule of The Clermont.

We were ready for our 3-day London adventure.

Jo

Cruise Norway: Amsterdam

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Our penultimate port before disembarking in London was Amsterdam, Netherlands.

The glass-topped canal boat in Amsterdam.

We were only in port for 6 hours so we took the included tour on one of Amsterdam’s famous glass-topped canal boats.  This Dutch city is home to 165 canals that wind their way through the cityscape, spanning a total of 31 miles; 1,281 different bridges cross over the canals.

This house was being restored; not an easy job.

With a local guide,we saw some of Amsterdam’s oldest buildings, from narrow-fronted gabled houses to gilded manses adorned with riches during the height of Holland’s Golden Age.

Row houses lined both sides of the canal.

We passed a variety of vessels, including charming (and some not so charming) houseboats moored canal side.

The boat fit snugly under the bridges.

We enjoyed views from the Golden Bend to Overhoeks, the city’s newest quarter, and from the Music Building to the replica of the 18th-century ship Amsterdam moored outside the Maritime Museum. We also passed the wooden double drawbridge known locally as the “Skinny Bridge”.

Amsterdam neighborhoods are busy and vibrant especially on Sunday morning while we were there.

Before returning to the ship we were given some free roaming time in Amsterdam.  The traffic was brutal, especially the bicycles (including ebikes) that have their own lanes and stop for no one.

We saw many, many windmills all over northern Europe.

A bus took us back to the Neptune which was docked about 40 minutes away in Ijmuiden for our final sail from Amsterdam to London.

Jo

Cruise Norway: Order of the Blue Nose

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As we sailed north from Bergen to Alta up the Norwegian Inside Passage we crossed the Arctic Circle.

The Arctic Circle is a major circle of latitude at approximately 66°34’N
that marks the southernmost limit where the sun does not set on the summer solstice or rise on the winter solstice.

The “Order of the Blue Nose” is a naval tradition awarded to sailors who cross the Arctic Circle  (66°34’N), entering the realm of “Boreas Rex,” King of the North. It is a rite of passage involving initiation ceremonies, often including painting noses blue, to boost morale and foster camaraderie.

Order of the Blue Nose

Our Cruise Director, Philip Morgaman, gave us some background:  “Good afternoon Ladies & Gentlemen and welcome! We have entered through the Arctic Circle, and it is time to make our journey official by welcoming you to the Order of the Blue Nose!”

We sailed into the Arctic Circle (noted on the map with a dotted line).

First, a little history: The word “arctic” comes from the Greek word arktikos: “near the Bear, northern” The name refers to the constellation Ursa Major, the “Great Bear”, which is prominent in the northern sky.  The region north of the Circle, known as the “Arctic” covers roughly 4% of the Earth’s surface.

That’s ice on the top of my head — brrrr.

Then the Captain said, “Hear ye… hear ye…. Whereas by official consension, our most honorable and well-beloved Guests have completed successful passage through the Arctic Domain.

A ladle of ice is preferable to swimming through an icy pool which is what I thought the test would be.

Those of us who were game had a ladle of ice poured over our heads for which we were marked with a dab of blue icing on our noses.

I was dubbed an official Bluenose.

Finally we were rewarded with a shot of Aquavit to take the chill off.

Blue nose and aquavit signifying our trip across the Arctic Circle.

“This is to certify that you all have been formally and officially initiated into the Solemn Mysteries of the Ancient Order of the Chilly Deep, and should wear your blue noses proudly! With the order of myself, the Captain, I command all subjects to Honor and Respect those onboard Viking Neptune as one of our Trusty Blue Nose family.”

Charlie and I both received personalized certificates indicating our special participation.

We officially welcome you to the Blue Nose Order! Skol!

Jo

Kitchen Countertop Choices

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I’ve been planning on a new kitchen since last fall.

The new layout of the kitchen.

I’m taking a different direction on my kitchen countertops than I thought I might.

The stainless steel coffee bar in my former kitchen was one of my favorite features.

Originally I was thinking of having the sink counter stainless steel like the coffee bar in our former kitchen.

I found 3 samples that would go with all the elements — tile, cabinets, backsplash.

Instead I decided to use one counter throughout the kitchen — quartz.  Quartz countertops are engineered stone surfaces composed primarily of crushed quartz, one of the hardest minerals on Earth.  It’s expensive but hardy.

The finishes are pale blue (Upward), cream (Sandhill Crane), and a nameless deeper blue with accents of champagne bronze.

I carried my cabinet, floor, and backsplash color samples to 3 different stores to try and get a good match and a reasonable deal.

I wanted a subtle, clean quartz — nothing too dark or that looked like crumbs.

The first 2 stores had similar samples but none had exactly the same.  I found something I liked in each store but the sample in first store I visited was about $1,500 less expensive.

Calacatta Safyra

Finally I went to look at the samples where I bought the cabinets. The countertop I ultimately chose, Calacatta Safyra, was even $1200 less so I put down a deposit. The price for countertops includes the company sending their own employee to measure up, make a template, provide the countertop, and install it.

A bird’s eye view of the new layout.

The kitchen cabinets and appliances need to be in place before the measuring begins.  I eager to get started.

Jo

Cruise Norway: Northern Lights

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While Charlie and I had seen the northern lights in Iceland we were excited to see them again.

The lights are unpredictable.

And we weren’t disappointed.

The first night aboard ship was spectacular.

The aurora danced through the night sky on multiple nights.

The city in the distance gives an idea of just how vast the aurora can be.

At one point I stopped taking pictures and videos and just watched the ever-changing array of colors in the sky.

Moments later the above scene changed to this.

It is difficult to choose which photos to feature as they are all significant in different ways.

Jo

Cruise Norway: Organ Concert

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After spending the morning in Tromsø looking through some stores Charlie and I returned to the ship for lunch and dinner.

A special, surprise dessert was served to us at dinner while the entire restaurant room sang “Happy Birthday, dear Charlie”.

Since it was Charlie’s birthday I had arranged for a Viking privileged access evening organ concert in Tromsø’s most celebrated venue, the starkly beautiful Arctic Cathedral.

The triangular cathedral was even visible from the bus in the middle of the bridge.

A small group of us boarded a bus around 8 p.m. to cross Tromsø Bridge from Tromsø island to Tromsdalen, the part of the city built on the mainland.

Approaching the cathedral from the front.

Anchoring the skyline  is the Arctic Cathedral, an architectural masterpiece from the 1960s. During long winter nights, lights emanate from the enormous cathedral windows, which appear to emulate the aurora borealis.

The stained glass window is not very visible on the inside of the cathedral at night; outside it was glowing.

The cathedral’s simple, elegant interior is dominated by an exquisite stained glass window depicting the return of Christ.

The organist sat at the bright spot in the center of the photo.

After an introduction of the program by the organist, Thorsten Ahlrichs,  we enjoyed a recital of classical masterpieces spanning various eras, featuring renowned composers. The organ is at the rear of the sanctuary so we faced the front window while the organist faced away from us toward the back.

The stained glass of Tromso cathedral (in daylight) depicts the second coming of Christ.

Afterward, we had time to admire the cathedral which we would see in daylight on our tour the next morning.

Looking back across bridge from the ship a hint of aurora is visible above the church.

We returned to the ship after this birthday concert.

Jo