We are off to eat and drink around the world :)....

[PrincessInOz]

If it weren't for the fact that I get seasick at the sight of waves, I'd so be doing cruises!

Thanks for sharing. This is probably as close as I might ever get to doing a cruise.

 

[dgbg100106]

Everything is so different than in the US, I love all the old buildings, the quaint streets and the charm of the platz! Every time I read a TR that is not at DLR or WDW, I always scrutinze the area, wondering if we would be able to visit that place. With Fran in a scooter, there are a lot of things to consider in choosing vacation spots.

When we visited New Zealand she was still walking on one (maybe two canes). Her big truimph was to walk to the top of some vista point in Auckland which was 254 steps, up and back down because she counted each one. Those days are gone, but I do recall visiting many places in NZ which described themselves as "wheelchair accessible" even though we weren't using one at the time. Like this place, Hell's Gate, they told you to stay on the "path". These people are standing on the "wheelchair accessible path".

Which is why these pictures really made me chuckle:



The day at sea sounds so relaxing, a few beverages, some good eating, more beverages, more eating!

I can tell you that most of Tallinn would not work in wheelchair/scooter, but they had a Tram that would pick you up and take you to main area and it would still be fun and entertaining.

The days at sea are really wonderful... drinks, food, drink food and more drinks and food.

 

[dgbg100106]

Day 14.... Copenhagen, Denmark.

We woke up late to a dreary cold morning, it is raining and we are just not "in" to going out, we wait for most of the passengers to leave on theirs tours and then go up to the lounge to start the day with a few drinks. David and I getting to that point of over indulgence; where you have just had too much food, drink and entertainment. We need so down time guick or we may not make it...

This is the view from the pier, can you see all the windmills in the background?

We walked out of the port and it is raining harder now, I mostly have my camera covered in the rain, but I got this... this Angel stands just north of the Kastellet. She is a war memorial for all those who died in World War II. I just thought this was an incredibly beautiful and sad statue.

Kastellet is where David wanted to go and I was fine with going.
It is one of the best preserved fortifications in Northern Europe. It is constructed in the form of a pentagram with bastions at its corners. Kastellet was continuous with the ring of bastioned ramparts which used to encircle Copenhagen but of which only the ramparts themselves Christianshavn remain today.

A number of buildings are located within the grounds of Kastellet, including a church, as well as a windmill. The area houses various military activities but its mainly serves as a public park and a historic site.

Again it is raining off and on by the time we get there, there are guards all over as we approach, they don't say anything to us, but they watch us.

this is the moat surrounding the ramparts of the fort.

The entry way

as we arrive, there are quite a number of people here and TV crews and large tents. We had no idea what was going on, so David asked one of the Camera Crews what was happening, turns out the Queen was there to dedicate a new memorial, and here we were standing right int he middle of this.

I told David that there was no way you could just walk up on something like this in the US.

It was such a solemn occasion, I was unsure if I should take pictures, I did not want to offend anyone.

i was staying out of everyone way, and finally there were some soldiers there and I recognized that they were wearing American Jump Wings and knew that they had been to Fort Benning, so I made David go ask if it was ok if I took pictures, he also has jump wings...

The soldiers were very nice and walked up to me told me it was ok, they were surprised I recognized that they had been in the US and just started talking to us, They explained that the memorial was every lost life from every war that Denmark had participated in.

It is hard to tell with all the wetness but this is all of the names

We paid our respects and left the area and walked around the ramparts

this is the Bastion that we made it to first.

i love this windmill, it is the only "OLD" kind I saw on the whole trip.

Another Bastion

 

[dgbg100106]

Churchillparken is a public park, occupying a tract of land between Kastellet, a 17th century fortress, and the street Esplanaden. Located on the former esplanade which used to surround Kastellet, the area has a long history as a greenspace but received its current name in 1965 to commemorate Winston Churchill and the British assistance in the liberation of Denmark during World War II.

St. Alban's Church, locally often referred to simply as the English Church, is an Anglican church in Copenhagen, Denmark. It was built from 1885 to 1887 for the growing English congregation in the city. Designed by Arthur Blomfield as a traditional English parish church in the Gothic Revival style, it is in a peaceful park setting at the end of Amaliegade in the northern part of the city centre, next to the citadel Kastellet and the Gefion Fountain and Langelinie.

The church is part of Church of England's Diocese in Europe. It is dedicated to Saint Alban, the first martyr of Great Britain.This church seems to be sinking into the water.

Memorial to fallen Danish soldiers in the Allied Forces, which stands on Sjællands Ravelin, the ravelin in front of the main entrance to Kastellet. It depicts a soldier in English uniform.

I thought that this was an odd statue, but never figured out what it was...

The Gefion Fountain (Gefionspringvandet) is the largest monument in Copenhagen. The fountain is to Copenhagen what the Fontana di Trevi is to Rome, a wishing-well. The goddess Gefion is the fountain’s main figure.

The fountain was donated to the city of Copenhagen by the Carlsberg Foundation on the occasion of the brewery’s 50-year anniversary. The artist, Anders Bundgård, sculpted these huge naturalistic figures in 1897-99, and the fountain was inaugurated in 1908.

The Gefion Fountain in Copenhagen
The fountain is situated at the end of Amaliegade, near the Kastellet.
Long before the dawn of our civilizations the powerful goddess Gefion was given land by the Swedish king Gylfe. Well, not really given for nothing but involving hard work. King Gylfe told Gefion that she could plough up as much land as she could for one night and one day and it would all be hers to do with whatever she wanted.

Gefion turned her four sons into big strong oxen and plough they did! When time expired she put all the earth into the Øresund and created Zealand, the very island where Copenhagen is situated today.

The big hole which Gefion left in the ground, when her ploughing was done, is now the lake Vänern, north of Gothenburg, in Sweden. And if you don’t believe it just look at a map and you’ll find that Zealand and Vänern are shaped alike.

These next two were guarding the entrance to the docks.

I thought this light post was pretty cool.

Crown on a dome..

So I had read about the Polse, the famous Danish hotdog, sold in polsevogne (sausage wagons) throughout the city. Everything I had read, told me all the diferent ways you can order them but I had decided I wanted it grilled (ristet) and with the works (med det hele) and swaddled in bacon (svob). We spotted a wagon...

It was really good, but David and I neither one like the "mayo" it is more like salad dressing, very much like the stuff we found in Amsterdam, it is just to sweet... other than that the dog had an all natural casing that was wonderful it really snapped when you bite into it.

 

[dgbg100106]

As we continue to walk we find...

we decide to walk thru the Churchill park on our back to the pier.

Statue of King Frederik IX in Churchill Park, Copenhagen

Bust of princess Marie of Orléans (1865–1909)

Memorial on Ivar Huitfeldt, built to commemorate the death of Admiral Ivar Huitfeldt and his men in a naval battle off Stevns during the Great Northern War.

As the day was clearing I took another shot of the "Old" type of windmill.

The Little Mermaid statue was a present from brewer Carl Jacobsen (The Carlsberg Breweries) to the city of Copenhagen, made by a then little known sculptor called Edvard Erichsen. The Little Mermaid was unveiled at Langelinje in 1913, as part of a general trend in Copenhagen in those days, selecting classical and historical figures to be used as decorations in the city's parks and public areas.

In 1909, brewer Carl Jacobsen saw solo dancer Ellen Price dance in Fini Henriques' ballet "The Little Mermaid" at the Royal Theatre. He was so taken with her that he asked her if she would pose for a statue. She agreed in principle, but was not very interested in posing without any clothes on, when she found out just how public the statue would be. Instead sculptor Edvard Erichsen's wife stepped in and modeled for the body. On September 14, 1912, the Little Mermaid statue was first placed at a test location, and on August 23, 1913, at its current and permanent site. The statue's birthday is celebrated in various ways every year on August 23. Throughout the year, 75% of all tourists visiting Copenhagen go to see The Little Mermaid.

The Little Mermaid symbolizes the fairy tale by Danish author and poet Hans Christian Andersen, the story of a young mermaid who fell in love with a prince who lived on land, and often came up to the edge of the water to look for her love.

The sculpture pictures her as she sits and looks out over the water, after having gotten legs and come on land, never actually having married the prince, and reminiscing over her childhood and lost life in the sea, as a mermaid.

The ice bear monument was erected in 1937, and depicts an ice bear with its 2 cubs on an ice flake. It was a gift of the harbor authorities and symbolizes Greenland, Denmark's Northernmost part.

The Little Mermaid got a little sister, when Danish artist Bjørn Nørgaard presented his post-modern interpretation of her: The Genetically Modified Little Mermaid, only a few hundred feet from The Little Mermaid.

After this we head back to the ship and take a nap.... We even order food again from room service and stay in for the rest of the night.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Its been a long time since I've been to Copenhagen. So your pictures took me back to that time. Loved the hot dog pictures.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[Pinkocto]

Kastellet seems so peaceful. I'm sure it wasn't pleasant to be in the rain, but it adds a very beautiful quality to the photos.

That second Little Mermaid is quite busty!

 

[tiggrbaby]

Looks like you had a lovely day even with the rain!

 

[dgbg100106]

Its been a long time since I've been to Copenhagen. So your pictures took me back to that time. Loved the hot dog pictures.

Thanks for sharing.

we had a very short day, it was kind of cool and we were worn out, but i would like to go back again.

Kastellet seems so peaceful. I'm sure it wasn't pleasant to be in the rain, but it adds a very beautiful quality to the photos.

That second Little Mermaid is quite busty!

We were shooed away by some army guys, they were starting to do maneuvers, so we left, but any other day, i guess when the queen is not there you can roam as much as you want.

Looks like you had a lovely day even with the rain!

thanks

 

[franandaj]

The pictures were beautiful. I suppose all the windmills have been replaced with the modern type for the most part. We have lots of that type in the windy areas of California. I did think the old style one was more picturesque.

 

[dgbg100106]

The pictures were beautiful. I suppose all the windmills have been replaced with the modern type for the most part. We have lots of that type in the windy areas of California. I did think the old style one was more picturesque.

It seems more and more places we visit are becoming more and more modern. Out with old and in with the new.

I liked seeing to old version but it seemed there were way more of the new style.

 

[dgbg100106]

Day 15 - Day at sea...

Today was a lazy day, it is overcast and rainy. We are having about 10 foot swells and they have put the barf bags out for everyone.

We went to the lounge and had a couple of the Bellini’s and a cappuccino, we were talking with Ruth and Clare and then we heard an announcement from Sue on the intercom, saying she was speaking from the bridge and it reminded me that we had an appointment with the Captain on the bridge this morning at 9:55 and currently it was 9:45 so we had 10 minutes to make it there… no problem at all. We made it just in time. It was the very same presentation as before but the Captain did show up and said “Hi”, then he was gone. The waves were beating everyone around a good bit.

David and I decided to go to the computer lounge and use up our minutes. I cleaned out my email and did not have anytime important in there…
After that we went to the cabin and hung out for awhile and relax. That did not last long. We went to the boutique C and picked up our egg, we were shown how to pack it and have it ready for taking home. We brought it back to the cabin and got it in the safe and we felt better about it being put up. Next we went for lunch, we wanted to try the picnic of cultural foods but it had to be moved indoors since it was raining and that just made the crowd too big, so we ended up at the Aqua Spa Café and having the Salmon and Tuna, they were great.

Back to the cabin and writing up the questionnaire and comment cards.

Then we got ready for dinner and headed to the lounge.

 

[dgbg100106]

Dinner....

I started with.
Thai Marinated Beef Salad

David had... Braised Duck Leg.

I had the forest Mushroom Broth

David had the French onion Soup

I had the coconut shrimp

David had the peppercorn prime rib

They brought us a Anniversary cake to share with the table.

David had the sherbert of the day

Table mates

 

[PrincessInOz]

WOW! I'm loving the food porn and your shots of the table mates. Do you still keep in contact with them?

I think the best part of travel is if/when you make connections with other people and they want to keep in touch. Harder to do when your travel involves running around from place to place...but on a cruise, you have time to make friends.

 

[dgbg100106]

WOW! I'm loving the food porn and your shots of the table mates. Do you still keep in contact with them?

I think the best part of travel is if/when you make connections with other people and they want to keep in touch. Harder to do when your travel involves running around from place to place...but on a cruise, you have time to make friends.

yes we keep with some, others do not stay in contact. Later in this trip report when we go to Food and Wine, the friends that are meeting us there, we meet on a cruise in 2004 and they came to my wedding and we have vacationed in Spain together, in Disney and now we are meeting this year again Vegas.

 

[dgbg100106]

Day 16 - back in Amsterdam

last night at dinner there was mentions from the officers of the ship that we would be coming in late to Amsterdam for disembarkation. The weather was really bad and lots of people were having problems.

We were 8 hours late returning so we got to have breakfast, and lunch on the ship while waiting to come in. This is another reason that we never I mean NEVER have a early flight. We always have a late flight.

Everyone was running around trying to fix flights and get out of Europe.

We got off the ship, walked to the Tram, and made it to the station, to catch the Train back to the airport.

At the airport, we waited for our flight in the first class lounge, it was ok but no way near the level of the Boston airport.

At this point we board and head to Iceland....

We make it to Iceland and we have been eating and drinking too much in First Class. They take us to the lounge there and we have a food and drink there.

Then we board our plane back to Boston, and we eat and rink more and more. Good thing the hotel is there to pick us up.

Hampton Inn in Boston, it turns out to be a nice clean hotel, we are so sleepy and tired and about to fall down as it is.

We sleep all night and the next morning we take the shuttle back to the Airport and head back to BWI.... Home sweet home..

 

[dgbg100106]

September 11, 2011

Maryland Seafood Festival

David and I volunteered and helped out around the festival.

We had a wonderful time, we have been doing this since 2004.

 

[Pinkocto]

I can't believe the cruise is over, what a wonderful adventure you guys had!

I'm so glad you had a late flight so you didn't have to stress about changing things.

Thanks again for sharing

 

[dgbg100106]

I can't believe the cruise is over, what a wonderful adventure you guys had!

I'm so glad you had a late flight so you didn't have to stress about changing things.

Thanks again for sharing

Yea, the cruise is over but food and wine is coming up... I am only 3 months behind right now.

 

[franandaj]

What a nice cruise! Not that I'm glad it's over, but Yay for Food & Wine!