Traveling the world has been a dream of mine ever since I can remember. Thirteen years ago I retired from teaching and began my journey to destinations I never imagined I would see. My husband, Justin, and I decided we wanted to explore smaller ships. That's when we found Viking River & Viking Ocean. We do enjoy our road trips and you'll find those adventures featured here as well. Enjoy the road less traveled and adventure onward!
More terrific weather has greeted us in Bergen. During our trip abroad we seem to be bringing the sunshine and good weather with us. Enjoy a few moments of Bergen...a city where meandering can bring you the most beautiful and unexpected sites.
Stunning views awaited us this morning in Bergen. We took the Funicular to the top of Mt. Floyen and witnessed breathtaking views of the city. Sky was clear and the weather was perfect. Be sure to go early to avoid the crowds and purchase your tickets online. Another beautiful day in Bergen.
Leaving Amsterdam was definitely a brighter day than when we arrived in the morning. The sun was shining as we cruised out of the harbor for over an hour before we hit the high seas. Enjoy a few highlights from our sail-away from Amsterdam.
We had some fun today onboard the Viking Sky. Crew members participated in a rousing display of cooking expertise and the green peppers competed against the red peppers. Always something interesting happening on board. Enjoy!
Arriving into Amsterdam by sea provides you with a variety of scenic views. River ships literally stacked on top of each other adorn the shoreline. Vistas in the distance give way for new exploration. Several bicycle depots along the shore gave way to hundreds of bikes awaiting their riders. Enjoy our entry into Amsterdam aboard the Viking Sky with their “Trade Routes of the Middle Ages.”
Return to Honfleur ...a long awaited return to a charming city filled with so much history. Our excursion this time took us to the medieval side where we learned more about how the people lived during harsher times as you’ll see in the video. Enjoy our backstage tour of Honfleur and the beauty it holds.
It was a lovely day as we journeyed to Stonehenge with our guide from Viking Ocean Cruises. The New Forest was incredibly scenic and the ponies had free range. Enjoy a few moments of our bus trip.
Stonehenge holds many mysteries. It seems to have had three main purposes. A temple as a place for ceremony, burial, and for celebration. Our visit was on a Sunday and their were great crowds awaiting a bus to take us to the stones. But once we got there and began meandering around the stones, the crowds thinned out. Enjoy a few moments of our adventure to Stonehenge.
During our Viking Ocean Cruise “Trade Routes of the Middle Ages,” brought us to Salisbury Cathedral, one of England’s great spiritual mysteries and marvels. Its spire soars 404 feet and we witnessed the best preserved original copy of the Magna Carta dating to 1215 AD. Beautiful day in Salisbury. My great great grandfather was a Salisbury as was his son and my grandmother. A little bit of history here, I think. Happy Travels, ~ Cindy
It’s a beautiful day in Falmouth England as we set out for the Lost Gardens of Heligan. 200 Acres of Garden History, Mystery and romance greeted us in this unique setting of secret and mysterious gardens. The Lost Gardens are said to be the largest garden restoration in Europe. This was the perfect time to visit as the rhododendrons were in full bloom and were many of the spring plants. Enjoy a few moments of our trip and the beauty around us.
This was a wonderful Viking excursion from our Trade Routes of the Middle Ages cruise.
Viking Sky offered Cooking Classes during our voyage. We took advantage of a California Cooking Class today and thoroughly enjoyed it. We started out as two and two more members joined us halfway through the process. Our menu consisted of Ojai Mandarin parfait, Pan Roasted Halibut, and Crab Cakes. Our Chefs were wonderful and we learned many new tricks that will be easy to try at home. Enjoy a few moments of our cooking class and try one out next time you are aboard a Viking Ocean vessel!
The Best of Porto: Fado, Vistas & More was our Viking excursion in Porto, Portugal. Our guide shared her beautiful city with us. We even had a live presentation of Fado with two terrific instrumentalists and a male and female singer. The day would not be complete without a taste of Porto. The UNESCO World Heritage Site district of Ribeira is a must-see. Traveling down the Douro River in a rabelo gave us a new perspective of the city from the river standpoint. Lovely day!
Malaga, Spain is a beautiful seaside Andalusian city. Key sites are the Gibraltar Castle and Alcazaba Palace. It’s also the birthplace of Pablo Picasso and many Roman ruins can be found. Enjoy a quick look at a few of Malaga’s famous sites.
If traveling with Viking Ocean Cruises, be sure to ask the cruise or excursion director about your tour guide. Guides seem to be varying deeply in experience and ability to grasp the English language and ability to relay historical information about the area which is supposed to be a key element of the tour(s).
Viking Ocean Cruises offers a nice Tapas and Wine City Tour. We strolled through Cartagena and stopped at three tapas locations and enjoyed some interesting Tapas and delicious wines and Sangria-like beverages. The city has some Roman ruins and digs going on and it was interesting to see how the city handles “remodels.” Enjoy a few moments of our walking tour and this lovely city. #MyVikingStory #Cartagena #TapasWineCityTour
During our time in Barcelona aboard the Viking Sky, we visited the Picasso Museum on our own and it was an incredible experience to see all his works. Fortunately, it put us back in the El Born area of Spain and we found ourselves walking over familiar territory. There is a dig going on right there and it was nice to see some progress had been made since our last visit. Definitely a worthwhile experience for all ages.
Our first excursion with Viking was to an evening of amazing Flamenco dancing and tasty Tapas in Barcelona. A very festive evening filled with good food, new friends, and intriguing dancers.
Dancers ranged in age from 16 and up. All were very passionate about their performances and everyone was enthralled with their expertise and interpretation. Our guide mentioned on the tour bus that they often improvise. This was a professional group that tours and is well known.
It was a fun evening and we’re looking forward to more exciting excursions.
La Predrera, sometimes nicknamed “The Quarry” is one of Gaudi’s trademark works. Casa Mila was built as a residence and apartments. Definitely purchase your tickets online and opt for the Premium guide. You will skip all the lines otherwise expect a lengthy wait. Better headphones plus immediate access to the rooftop on the elevator are very welcome.
If you’re in Barcelona be sure to visit La Sagrada de la Familia. This was our second visit to this beautiful Basilica. We saw more construction and parts of the facade that have been finished since our last visit two years ago. Be sure to get your tickets online before you go. It really saves time and quick entry. Their audio guide is very helpful and available in many languages. They even have a senior rate. The audio tour Senior rate is 17E.
