Mosaics of the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis....a road trip "must see!"

Road trips can be filled with the unexpected and although I'd heard that the mosaics in the Saint Louis Cathedral Basilica was an extraordinary experience, I was not quite prepared for the splendor and awe of it all. The moment I walked in the side entrance by the Chapel, I was immediately caught up in the opulence of the Cathedral! The workmanship and intricacy of over 40 million mosaic pieces continued to capture my imagination.

The Docent tour is highly recommended. Our guide was "Carol" and she'd been doing tours for the last 20 years and was filled with knowledge. Our group was small and many had questions which she was able to answer. If you're in the area, be sure to put this on your "must-see" list. I assure you, you won't be disappointed.

I hope you enjoy the photos and here's to more road trips and special finds!

Adventures in France with the Zamirowski's!

Seine flooding...rolling worker strikes, countrywide refinery strikes...France was our dream vacation!

Extended travel time abroad has always been a dream of mine. Traveling for a couple of weeks to a far off destination was our norm, but May 2016 we stepped out of our comfort zone and planned a month long holiday in France!

The mainstay of our trip was with Viking River Cruise's "France's Finest." Fifteen days traveling from the south of France aboard the Viking Heimdal, beginning in Avignon and transferring in Lyon for a connection to Paris where we boarded the Viking Rinda. Let's just say it was a very unique and adventurous time to travel in France.

The Seine was flooding, worker strikes, refinery strikes, you name it...France was on a rolling strike countrywide. Fortunately, we were not impacted adversely with the strikes, but the flooded Seine did present some problems for cruising during the second half of our itinerary from Paris.

Viking took very good care of us and the adjustments to our itinerary and travel mode were taken in stride. 

We toured Avignon, Arles, Viviers, Tournon, Vienne, Lyon, and Macon aboard the Viking Heimdal during the first half of our trip. Took a high speed train to Paris to board the Viking Rinda, only to be transferred to the Viking Rolf the next day because the boat was unable to sail on the Seine due to flooding.

Aboard the Viking Rolf we were able to visit Giverny, Vernon, Rouen, which was where we were permanently moored because of flooding, and Honfleur before returning to Paris. Bus rides were the norm for this portion of our trip. Comfortable buses made the trips more palpable.

Following our cruise we had planned another couple of weeks to explore France on our own. Bayeux and Dinan were our home bases as we continued our France vacation. The Bayeux Tapestry, Normandy Beaches, and just plain enjoying the sites on our road trip made for a marvelous month in France.

Happy travels to all....and I hope you enjoy our Adventures in France! The pictures say it all!

~ Cindy

Blue Angels flying high at the Oshkosh Air Show!

Blue Angels, WWII historical planes, aerobatics extraordinaire! The Oshkosh Air Show had it all on my first visit to this prestigious air show on Saturday, July 29, 2017.

Suggestion.... if you're visiting the air show, park in the Blue Lot! We unfortunately chose the Grey Lot and it's quite a distance from the entrance. There was a shuttle, but the line waiting to board was quite long, so Justin encouraged me to walk. Fortunately, the weather was good and we had cooler temperatures earlier in the morning.

We'd made plans to meet our family later in the day and walked to our meeting place and found a lovely tree which provided shade for most of the day in front of the Gift Shoppe and Vintage Airplanes. You'll see the tree in a few of the photos.

The air show began around 2 PM to about 6 PM with the Blue Angels closing out the show in the last hour. The aerobatics of not only the Blue Angels but the smaller planes, including the Mustang, were quite spectacular.

People around us came from all over the US. One photographer was from Alaska and we had a nice conversation about the Iditarod and our interest in the mushers both well known and not so well known.

Another older couple was from New York and this was their 32nd and 36th visit. The older gentleman was recognizing different planes and the stunts they were doing. I think he must have been a pilot, perhaps in the war.

I hope you enjoy some of the moments I captured and as I do, feel the pride and appreciate the sacrifice of our Military and all of our Soldiers both present, past, and future! I couldn't help but think of all the Troops my Angels @ Cindysbakingangels.net have supported over the past 6 years.

Thanks for stopping by and here's to more happy travels!

~ Cindy

Which to choose? Viking River or Viking Ocean Cruise?

Cruising with Viking has been an adventure for us since 2014 with our first Viking River Cruise, "Cities of Lights." Once we experienced the unique opportunity for us to literally walk off the boat and into a town, and enjoy far fewer travelers, we knew this was the kind of cruising meant for us.

We'd enjoyed our first cruises on Princess, but the ships soon became too large and there wasn't the intimacy of a boutique-type ship that we realized we preferred after having cruised with Viking.

The Viking River Cruise Longships accommodates 100 to 198 passengers, depending on the itinerary and river from what we've experienced. Their Ocean vessels have room for 930 passengers. Depending on your preferences for travel each has its own charms. And I have to admit that it's often hard to choose which itinerary to book next!

We've had the opportunity to take four Viking River Cruises and two Viking Ocean, with another river cruise and three ocean trips planned over the next couple of years. I love planning ahead and Viking makes it easy to see down the road what their options are for travel.

I often get asked which I prefer. River or Ocean? That's a hard choice because each has its special draws.

River cruises often have better accessibility to the small towns. For those who like to meander on their own, walking straight off the boat and into the town is a big draw. Longer times in port are often available. Dining on board has its set times, too. Dinner seating is normally at 7 pm after the ship's daily briefing. We all gather upstairs in the bar area and listen to the cruise director give us the latest sailing news and what to expect the next day. It's a very congenial atmosphere.

Another plus, I think, for river cruising is getting to meet more people on a personable level. Since the ships are smaller in size, meeting new people is much easier and intimate. The crew and staff often know us by our first names which makes for a more friendly environment. Also, local talent is brought on board to entertain us and inform us about their culture and way of life.

Several things that river and ocean have in common are the level of professional and attentive care of their passengers. They go out of their way to make sure you have a comfortable trip and you always see smiles and feel welcome.

I've found that Viking has the best dining options and their meals are always consistently good. One evening aboard the the Viking Sky, I was looking for mashed potatoes to go with my Beef Wellington because they only had baked potatoes. I casually mentioned that I would have liked mashed potatoes. The chef quickly offered to make me mashed potatoes and they were delicious! Regardless of river or ocean cruise, be sure to try their Eggs Benedict! It's one of the highlights of my trips on Viking.

 

 

Whichever you choose, river or ocean, the itinerary will more than likely be the deciding factor. Try them both and see which you prefer. Or do like we do, enjoy them both and see the world knowing you are in good hands.

Happy travels to all! Thanks for stopping by and here's to more trips ahead!

~ Cindy 

The Bergen-Oslo Rail: A Norwegian High

Cruising the Norwegian shores with Viking Ocean aboard the Viking Sky would not be complete without a post-excursion on the Bergen-Oslo Rail. We'd heard all about it and how it shouldn't be missed. This railway adventure was seven hours through all kinds of weather, not to mention varying landscapes. Dizzying heights and over 190 tunnels were the theme of the day. 

Have you ever tried to take photos from a moving train through a window with an orange light shining at the top of the car? Luckily, my Canon G-15 was able to catch some shots without too much interference. You be the judge. I'm not a professional photographer by any means.

Weather went from gloomy and overcast to sunshine and alternated throughout the trip. Waterfalls were everywhere and some were quite spectacular. It was hard not to keep your eyes glued to the window.

Seating tip: sit on the left side of the train. That's where we sat and it seemed we had the better views for the majority of the trip.

Also, when you go through Finse, look at the lake on the right. That's where Star Wars' Ice Planet Hoth was filmed. I was able to get a zoom photo from my side of the train, but it was tough. 

We had two wonderful guides on this excursion. I think their names were Roman and Cass. Cass was very tall, 6'10" and had a good sense of humor. Roman was younger and was his assistant. They took good care of us and were very knowledgable and made the ride more fun.

The seats on the train were very comfortable with ample seating and leg area. Food on the train was actually pretty good. You'll see our lunch photos in the video. 

All in all, it was a wonderful day, but very long. After we arrived in Oslo, Viking took us on a three hour bus tour. More on that later. 

Taking a ride on the Bergen-Oslo Rail was a lovely experience and I'm glad we were able to go. Would I do it again? Probably not because of the length of the trip. Next year we'll be in the area again and we are sorting out plans for a different route to Oslo possibly via a Fjord Tours. That will take a bit of planning. 

Thanks for stopping by and happy travels to all!

~ Cindy 

Bergen, Norway...Dale of Norway, a Living Museum and More...

Beautiful day in Bergen....started out a bit overcast but cleared up later in the day to bright skies. Bergen is checkered with colorful buildings and has a very busy port. Our excursion today was to the Dale of Norway textile factory and store. This was one excursion that I wanted because I'd seen all the colorful sweaters and wanted to have one in my collection.

Although I don't wear wool....I know...what are you thinking? I was lucky to find a thin weave that was comfortable to wear. During the visit we took a tour of the factory with a charming young college student striving to become a teacher. She is a native of Dale and obviously very proud of their  town and industry. 

The workers were on required holiday. She said they loved working here so much that they didn't want to stop and the company made them all go on vacation. 

Enjoy a few moments of our day....and if you're into sweaters, this is the excursion for you! But beware, they are expensive! 

Happy travels and thanks for stopping by!

~Cindy 

Geiranger, Norway....Magnificient Fjords & Glaciers...

Breathtaking vistas peaked out behind the clouds, crashing waterfalls everywhere you looked, snow, ice, and glaciers were all part of the amazing scenery in Geiranger and vicinity. We're traveling on the Viking Sky's "Into the Midnight Sun" cruise and this destination has been the most scenic.

We opted for the Fjords and Glaciers optional excursion and were not disappointed. We arrived around 8 AM and were tendered into the port. On the way in to port, we saw massive waterfalls in the fjord cascading over the mountain top. Everywhere you looked you see a new breathtaking scene awaited you. My pictures don't do it justice. You must go there in person to witness the beauty and splendor!

Our tour was was about 7 hours and much of it was in a bus. We traveled on hairpin turn roads and had  a luncheon at one of the hotels in a nearby town. The lunch was okay, nothing spectacular. They loved to use a lot of mayonnaise in their salads. You will get your fill of fish while in Norway.

We stopped at various points to admire the view. One stop toward the end of the tour we experienced snow. Many times we were enveloped in clouds. It was an amazing trip and one I highly recommend. It was worth the price!

I'm going to miss Norway but am looking forward to returning next year!

Happy travels and thanks for stopping by!

~Cindy

Molde, Norway...and a Haholmen Viking Adventure...

Awakening to darkening skies and a threat of rain did not damper our spirits as we eagerly anticipated our Haholmen: A Viking Adventure. 

Molde is a coastal city that was built on timber and textiles. In fact, we noticed a Jarlsberg factory as we toured the city and its outskirts.  There are many shelter islands, stunning fjords, and forests. Molde is known as the gateway to the Atlantic Road, a scenic route tracing the gorgeous coastline to islands, medieval stave churches, and fishing villages.

Our excursion began with a bus ride where we boarded a replica Viking ship and all in the pouring rain. We rode across the inlet to Haholmen, a fishing village and home of Ragnar Thorseth. There we saw a very good documentary of Thorseth's adventures and voyages. We also had a nice luncheon.

Fortunately, the rain subsided and the bright skies opened up for our return ride from the island back to our bus. We traveled on to the "Atlantic Ocean Road" which was built in 1989 across islets and skerries, and is linked by eight bridges. This was a very scenic drive and a special walk was set up where you could view the ocean safely.

Our final destination for the day was in a small fishing village called Bud. Bud is the largest trading post between Bergen and Trondheim in the 16th century. Hitler's Atlantic Wall was constructed in Bud and we saw the remains of gun placements and a few artifacts. There is a museum there, but we did not have time to visit.

This was a very scenic tour, but there was a lot of bus riding on the 6 hour tour. The time in Haholmen was the highlight of the trip.

Happy travels....and thanks for stopping by!

#MyVikingStory #VikingSky #VikingCruises

Tromso, Norway...Portals to the Arctic....

Today we arrived in Tromso Norway. Our tour took us to the Polar Museum where we saw many artifacts about Leon Amundsen's polar expeditions. There were a number of rooms in this small building with many displays of life in Tromso during that time period. 

We also visited the Arctic Cathedral and heard an organist practicing for a concert.  It was beautiful. 

We even rode a gondola to the top of the mountain and had a marvelous panorama of the city and islands. 

This excursion left us a bit wanting. I think visiting the Husky centers might have been more rewarding. 

#MyVikingStory #VikingOceanCruises #IntotheMidnightSun

Honningsvag, Norway with a little King Crab Safari on the side....

What a splendid day in Honningsvag! We awakened to bright sunny skies with some light clouds. There was high anticipation for the day and our excursion with 71North and their Crab Safari! This by far has been one of the best excursions we have taken and I highly recommend it, especially if you love ribbed boats, like Zodiaks, and King Crab!

We jettisoned out on a 12 passenger ribbed boat sitting astride seats similar to a saddle in our float suits. Accessing the boat can be a bit awkward, but the crew are there to assist. I would not recommend this tour for anyone with severe mobility issues. 

As we zoomed toward the King Crab baskets the wind whipped in our faces. We sat behind the navigator so there was a nice wind block, which I would advise. On the return trip back to the boat we sat up front and the cold wind was a bit biting, but we were nice and toasty in our float suits.

Suggestion...don't over dress. Check the weather. We had beautiful weather and it was in the mid-60's.  I overdressed with a flannel/fleece L.L.BEAN shirt and a fleece jacket. I looked like a stuffed sausage in my float suit. In retrospect, I would have opted for a light weight shirt and light jacket. One gal on our excursion wore a tank top and was comfortable.

We rode for about 15 minutes to the King Crab traps and the two young crew hoisted the basket up onto the boat. There were about 15 huge crabs in the basket and we ended up taking 13 with us to shore. The other two were thrown back into the sea.

Once we got to shore and disembarked, most of us took off our float suits and left them on the pier for our return. Much more comfortable that way. Try taking your shoes off when donning or removing the suits. It's a whole lot easier.

Next, came the history and ultimate demise of our crabs. It was swift and humane. These King Crabs originally came from Russia and even though the crabs are now in Norwegian waters, the Russians still control the quota of crabs fished. Our tour company has a special exemption and whatever they catch they must use with the tour and any leftovers have to be thrown away. We made sure every single claw and leg was devoured.

I was surprised to see that we would be eating our crab in a teepee! A really huge teepee! Inside the wooden benches were strewn with reindeer hides and a big fire was going in the middle with a big black pot full of seawater. The tour guides cooked the crab in the pots and once done, prepared them for our feast.

The end result was amazing! So sweet you didn't need to add a thing. They also served pita type bread, lemon wedge, and a bit of mayonnaise. I just squeezed a bit of lemon over mine and all was  good.

After our amazing feast we got back into our float suits and climbing down aboard our boat and zoomed back to the Viking Sky. The driver of the boat did a little showboating and flew over the wake of the other boat and did some hairpin turns to our delight! I know a few of my friends who would love this ride not to mention the King crab!

It was a day worth remembering and it was all part of our cruise, Into the Midnight Sun, aboard the Viking Sky!

Happy travels to all....until next time! Thanks for stopping by!

~ Cindy

#MyVikingStory #VikingSky #IntotheMidnightSun  

Lofoten Islands, Norway: Panoramic Views & Magic Ice Gallery

Our Captain, aboard theViking Sky, promised us spectacular scenery and said the best part of the cruise is coming up. If Lofoten Islands is any indication of what's to come as we continue our journey northward into the Arctic Circle, then I'm going to be one very happy camper.

We had a marvelous day today in the Lofoten Islands. We docked in Leknes and boarded our tour bus first thing in the morning. Our tour guide was a young Italian gal, Christina, a transplant from Italy to the Canary Islands where she met her Norwegian husband and has been living on the island for seven years. 

Life in the islands relies heavy on the fishing industry with cod being its primary food source. From January to April the fishermen line up their boats so deep that Christina shared you could walk from one boat to another. Drying racks were seen all over the islands where the cod was dried and we even saw quite a few racks of fish heads! Apparently the fish heads are shipped to Italy and used for base soups. Vegetables are scarce on the island and have to be imported. 

I asked her about their education. She said that kids go to school on the islands until 8th grade and then go to a larger city like Oslo for high school. There are no colleges or universities on the islands. Larger cities are their main source for higher education. 

What struck me the most as we drove from one island to the next were the magnificent views. It was funny, but at various points Justin and I thought of our travels to Maine, Montana, and Alaska and the similarities in the regions. 

The weather turned out to be perfect. It had called for possible rain, but we managed to miss it and had beautiful skies with a few clouds. 

Our first stop was at the Magic Ice in Svolvaer. You'll see a number of photos I took at this artful ice gallery. It was really unusual and very cool in many respects! They even have ice galleries in Bergen, Oslo, and St. Thomas!

Then we traveled to a local restuarant with very scenic views....in fact there wasn't one place that wasn't scenic. We ate lunch and sampled some local delicacies. 

Our last main stop was at a Maritime Museum and saw a movie about the life and culture of the people who live on the islands. It was done very well and gave us a better feel for how hard their way of life could be especially in the winter.

We did have one little mishap, but fortunately it didn't impact our trip. Our bus hit a pothole and broke its suspension! I thought he'd blown a tire. They were able to procure a new bus at the time we had to leave the ice gallery. 

All in all, it was beautiful introduction to the fjords of Norway and there are more vistas to come! I hope you enjoy the video of our day in the Lofoten Islands.

Happy travels to all and thanks for stopping by!

 ~Cindy 

Kirkwall, Scotland and the Orkney's Wartime Legacy...

Greetings from Kirkwall, Orkney Islands! The Viking Sky made port early and we were serenaded by Scottish dancers and bagpipe players colorfully clad in their authentic dress as we left and returned to the ship later in the day.

The day was party cloudy with just a little drizzle and temperatures were in the low 50's F. We've really been blessed with good weather and haven't been impacted in any way with our excursions on our "Into the Midnight Sun" Viking Ocean Cruise.

Our excursion for the day was Orkney's Wartime Legacy. We toured the famous Ness Battery which played a vital defensive role in both World Wars. Scapa Flow was the main fleet base for the Royal Navy. You'll view the actual structures that were used in my video as well as the barrier ships that still remain in the waters. They never had the opportunity to fire in anger toward a vessel. However, they did send a few volley shots in front of the bow of several friendly ships that failed to observe proper call signs.

Another stop on our panoramic view of the island was the Italian Chapel. Italian POW's during WWII built this Chapel while they built the Churchill Barriers. The chapel was built using scrap material and still stands as a memorial to man's faith, ingenuity, and hope for peace in times of war.

The island has Black Angus, cows, sheep, and goats roaming everywhere! The wool and beef are a huge industry for them. Wind turbines are a big source of their power and unemployment is very low...around 2%. Twenty-one thousand people reside on the island and their population is growing. 

All in all, it was a lovely day and we had an excellent tour guide who is a geologist. His wife is the curator for the St. Magnus Cathedral. 

We did pass a couple of B & B's and heard that tourism is very big. I could see the draw for people to visit this area...laid back community....green pastures everywhere....and a real sense of history with 8,000 year old dwelling sites which reminded me of Stone Henge only older.

Thanks for stopping by and happy travels! 

~ Cindy 

Lerwick, Scotland Panoramas and Ponies...

Into the Midnight Sun with the Viking Sky

The Viking Sky has made port in Lerwick, Scotland. Today's included excursion was a panoramic drive around the island with several stops, including seeing the charming Shetland ponies. A new foal was there with its mother and the owner gave a brief explanation of the history of the ponies. The domesticated Shetland ponies have been on this island for over 4,000 years! 

The vistas are amazing on this island! As we're anchored in the new port which opened a few weeks ago, you can view five wind turbines generating power to the island. Over 250,000 sheep are on the island, far more than its residents. The sheep are marked with different color splotches that identify their owners. Their wool is much sought after. 

Our guide mentioned trout fishing was good in one of the Lochs. You should have seen Justin's ears perk up! I know he wished he had his fly rod with him. 

Beautiful day in Lerwick...enjoy the view! Thanks for stopping by!

#MyVikingStory