Shetland Seabirds Experience by Boat with ZamsZanyTravels.com

 

What a wonderful excursion! We docked in Lerwick Scotland and joined Seabirds-and-seals.com for a thrilling adventure into the land of seabirds. ​⁠ @VikingCruises offered this excursion on their British Isles Explorer itinerary. 

We started our journey from Victoria Pier where we boarded the boat. There were nine of us on this excursion which made for a delightful time and easy viewing of the wildlife and landscapes. Stunning backdrop of the Noss cliffs, this cruise took us around Noss and Breslau where we enjoyed the Shetland’s numerous seabirds. We saw a few seals and the scenic geological views were fascinating.

Our guide, Julie, and the boat tour guides Maria and Brian were very informative. I highly recommend this tour.

Enjoy our adventure and see these beautiful birds in flight. We even spotted a Puffin in the water. Watch for it closely. 

Happy and safe travels to all,

~ Cindy

#myvikingstory 

Braveheart Country: Stirling Castle & Bannockburn Heritage Center with ZamsZanyTravels.com

 

Stirling Castle and Bannockburn Heritage Center are two great stops while in Edinburgh. Viking’s British Isles Explorer itinerary features a seven hour excursion to these two very historic spots.

Braveheart Country: Stirling Castle & Bannockburn Heritage Center was a very worthwhile excursion. Our guide was very informative and while there is a bit of a bus ride to and from the ship, there were some interesting features along the way.

Stirling Castle was home to the Stuart kings and birthplace of James II. It has controlled one of the main routes between the Scottish Highlands and Lowlands for centuries. It sets upon beautiful volcanic rock about the Forth River. We learned about the bloody past and its place in Scottish history.

There is a nice cafe there where you can have sandwiches, quiche, and pastries. It made for a nice break. We had three hours to explore the castle and have a lunch on our own.

Following our time at the castle, we traveled about 15 minutes to Bannockburn Heritage Center near where the 1314 battle in which the Scots under King of Scots Robert the Bruce defeated the English army of King Edward II during the First War of Scottish Independence. The docent shared information about the battle and strategies in their interactive museum. 

I spoke with him after the presentation and mentioned that I was the 7th great granddaughter of the 4th Earl of Argyle - Archibald. He told me that Archibald’s grandfather, I believe it was,  helped Robert the Bruce during this battle. I have to continue my research on Ancestry.com. It’s fascinating to hear these stories and learning of your connection through family with them.

Highly recommend this tour!

Happy and safe travels to all,

~ Cindy

#MyVikingStory

Scenic Assynt Ullapool Scotland with ZamsZanyTravels.com

 

Our visit to Ullapool Scotland was very picturesque and we were able to view remnants of several historic features along the way. Beautiful and dramatic mountain landscapes and coastal scenery of the North West Highlands Geopark were a highlight.

As we continued further north, the terrain became more rugged and we watched for wild red deer and other animals. We stopped for pictures at the ruins of the Calda House and Ardvreck Castle and continued on to the small village of Lochinver.

We had a nice stop at their local cafe for pastries and drinks. Several shops were open, but the port was not really busy. It was a lovely day and our guide was very informative. 

One other guide in Lochinver had a map of the clan locations. I told her about my Scottish ancestry with the Campbells and saw their area of the country. It’s been a fascinating journey as I discover a bit more about my Welsh and Scottish connections. 

This excursion is with @Viking’s British Isles Explorer itinerary and is called Scenic Assynt.

The majority of the time was on the bus and it was about 4 hours. 

Happy and safe travels to all,

~Cindy

#myVikingStory 

Historic Belfast City with ZamsZanyTravels.com

 

Belfast Northern Ireland has a rich history and Viking’s British Isles Explorer itinerary takes us on a panorama included excursion of the its main sights. The Grand Opera House, Albert Memorial Clock, Queen’s University and Botanic Gardens are just a few of the locations viewed. Watch for the Titanic Memorial erected  to commemorate the 1912 sinking of the RMS Titanic. There are a number of political murals which provide a unique cultural touch.

Justin took this tour and here are some photos of his experience. 

Happy and safe travels to all,

~ Cindy

#myvikingstory

Belfast Food Tour with Zamszanytravels.com

 

Viking Neptune docked in Belfast Northern Ireland under mostly sunny skies. The temperatures were in the low 60’s for most of the day. A lovely combination for our Belfast Food Trail with Rae, our local guide. We walked through historic neighborhoods and sampled Champ (like our mashed potatoes) and hard and non-alcoholic apple cider. 

We also stopped at a local specialty food store, Sawers. It was quite a unique place and they provided samples of their cheeses and smoked salmon on a hearty bread along with drinks and specialty jams. I purchased some specialty tea and chocolate.

Our third stop was at Daisies where we sampled delicious hot chocolate that has won many awards. This was a fun shopping experience as we sampled a few liquor filled truffles. 

Born and Bread was a quick stop to check out novelty items.Two Irish tea towels will now be in my kitchen. 

Our last stop was at Morning Star. This neighborhood pub and restaurant featured some delicious seafood chowder and Irish Lamb Stew. Guinness was a favorite beverage by many.

If you’re seeking a very special food tour with an engaging guide, try Viking’s Belfast Food Trail.

Viking Neptune is our ship and our itinerary is British Isles Explorer from London to Bergen.

Happy and safe travels to all,

~ Cindy

#MyVikingStory

Port Sunlight with ZamsZanyTravels.com

 

Port Sunlight is a delightful community founded by the “Soap King” W. H. Lever in 1888. The village is surrounded by beautiful parklands and has all the charm of a Victorian village. Lever needed housing for his 10,000 employees and created a safe and unique opportunity for his employees. He built housing for them and even today some are still occupied by descendants of the workers or their families.

This portion of the tour was a panoramic tour and our guide was very knowledgeable. We drove all around the village and learned of his vision. He even created a hospital and work days included an hour for lunch for men, and an hour and ten minutes for women because they had further to walk to eat lunch. I seem to recall they had an 8 hour workday. 

The village housing has been listed as a #2 in the UK and historical restoration must be maintained. No double paned windows, must keep wood trim, etc. It can be a costly expense for those that inhabit these homes. 

This is the Port Sunlight & Ness Botanic Gardens excursion with Viking’s British Isles Explorer itinerary. Highly recommend!

Happy and safe travels,

~Cindy 

#MyVikingStory

Ness Botanic Gardens with ZamsZanyTravels.com

 

Ness Botanic Gardens is a stunning collection of a variety of landscapes. Ness was created by Arthur Kipling Bulley who was a wealthy cotton merchant who had a passion for plants. He died in 1942 and his daughter has continued to follow his aspirations to make the gardens available to all. Ness Botanic works with the University of Liverpool and the Royal Horticultural Society in order to maintain its upkeep. This facility is an approved center for education. 

It would be easy to spend hours here and the staff are so friendly and informative. Justin and I came across two gardeners tending to the grounds and had a few questions for them. You could tell they were very passionate about their jobs and enjoyed sharing their knowledge. 

This is a very worthwhile excursion with Viking on their British Isles itinerary. Port Sunlight & Ness Botanic Gardens is highly recommended.

Happy and safe travels to all,

~ Cindy

#MyvikingStory 

Caernarfon Castle with ZamsZanyTravels.com

 

Holyhead, Wales was one place that I did not want to miss. Ancestry.com has really given me much insight into my heritage and when I learned I was 30% Welsh, well, this was a no brainer. 

Our Viking excursion choice was Caernarfon Castle. I highly recommend Caernarfon Castle with ​⁠their British Isles itinerary. Viking Neptune docks in Holyhead, Wales and this excursion was a fascinating exploration of the fortress which is dated back to 1283. This castle was one of four castles built by King Edward I. The guide was very knowledgeable and gave us lots of free time to explore. Enjoy!

Happy and safe travels to all!

~ Cindy

#MyVikingStory

In & About Holyhead, Wales with ZamsZanyTravels

 

ZamsZanyTravels is cruising on the Viking Neptune and we arrived in Holyhead, Wales which is located on Holy Island. British Isles is our itinerary and we had mostly clear skies and temperate weather which works very well for me. 

This region has a strong Roman Empire presence and there is a great concentration of ancient burial chambers and standing stone in Britain which suggest that prehistoric settlements thrived here. 

Holyhead is contained in a three-walled Roman fort and is protected on the fourth side by the sea. Justin took a little walkabout prior to our excursion and here are some photos in and around Holyhead.

Happy and safe travels to all,

 Cindy

#MyVikingStory

Cooking School with Catherine Fulvio: Viking Neptune British Isles

 

The Viking Neptune tendered into Dublin under somewhat rough seas and fortunately we were able to visit with Catherine Fulvio of Ballyknocken fame. 

Catherine is a delightful and very personable young woman who has a TV show in Dublin/UK and appears on Hoda and Jenna on NBC on St. Patrick’s Day as well as VikingTV. She mentioned they often request her to make Corned beef and hash which Catherine insists is not an Irish dish, but an American-Irish one. 

Her cookbooks look amazing and we chose two (Italian cooking & A Taste of Home at Ballyknocken along with two small little books). Her energy was infectious and tips for creating soda bread and sweet scones were so helpful. I think her personality will shine through this brief video.

I highly recommend this excursion: Ballyknocken Farmhouse Baking with @Viking on their British Isles itinerary. 

Happy and safe travels to all,

Cindy

#MyVikingStory

Viking Neptune Cooking School: Italian Luncheon

 

Cooking school aboard the Viking Neptune featured an Italian meal during our British Isles cruise.  We created Wild Mushroom risotto, Saltimbocca Romana Style, and Tiramisu! Delicious and very interactive. And very delicious. 

Highly recommend but you have to sign up immediately when you get on board down in Guest Services. They offer this experience on sail days and limited to 12 guests in the Kitchen. The cost for us this time was $59pp. 

Enjoy and safe travels to all!

Cindy

#MyVikingStory

Viking Cruises: Britain at War Excursion Highlights

 

Britain at War was our excursion in Dover, England. We visited the front lines of WWII, including the Battle of Britain. Our first stop was at the Spitfire & Hurricane Memorial Museum at the RAF Manston. We took a self-guided tour of this free museum and saw the Spitfire and Hurricane fighter planes used in the war. We had one hour here, which in my estimation 30 minutes would have been enough. It’s a very small museum. 

Then we traveled to Ramsgate Harbor and spoke with locals in the tunnels during their 10 year reunion. Lots of historical information given. 60,000 Brits and others were housed in the tunnels during the war. 4200 “Little Ships” departed from this harbor to rescue Allied Troops who were stranded in Dunkirk. 

Our next stop was at JackDax for a delicious fish & chips lunch with apple crumble for dessert. Very nice service and they used haddock for their fish. Worth a stop!

By far the best part of this excursion was the Battle of Britain Memorial in the village of Capel-le-Feme. This is a very well done immersive and interactive museum. There was a 5 minute video portraying the “Scramble Experience” where we could get a better of idea of what life was like during the war. 

This excursion could use some fine-tuning, IMHO, especially given the price of it.

Enjoy and happy and safe travels to all!

Cindy

#MyVikingStory

Viking’s British Isles Cruise: Shakespeare’s Globe Theater Excursion

 

British Isles Viking cruise is our latest adventure. We cruised with the Viking Neptune and had a great private tour of Shakespeare’s Globe Theater.

Our first tour was a private of Shakespeare’s Globe Theater. The original theater was build in Southwark in 1599, however a fire destroyed it in 1644.  Reconstruction and reopening began in 1997 and continues the same theatrical traditions of Shakespeare’s productions. 

It has the only thatched roof in London. Sprinklers are there to preserve it since the original had a fire which destroyed the building. Our guide was a great storyteller. She is actually deaf and had a sign reader with her relaying questions. A new play had just arrived the night before and there was a lot of building scenery still going on. 

Very entertaining and informative and highly recommend. 

#MyVikingStory