Blogs from Europe

From Interesting Facts: Travel opens our minds, exposing us to new cultures, cuisines, and breathtaking landscapes. But with countless “must-see” destinations heavily promoted in the media, it’s easy to get swept up in the hype, sometimes leading to disappointing or overpriced experiences. This list isn’t about bashing any place; it’s about encouraging a discerning mindset. Some of these destinations are beautiful, but it’s essential to manage expectations and be aware of potential pitfalls like crowds, inflated prices, or misrepresentation in that heavily filtered social media feed. Unfortunately, I have been to my share of over-hyped places. I will list just a few of theirs, along with my comments. The classic whitewashed villages, blue-domed churches, and dramatic sunsets are postcard-perfect. However, astronomical prices and battling Instagram crowds... read more

We got up Thursday and found a place to eat a light breakfast, then headed back to the hotel to pack up and relax a bit. We then checked out and got a taxi to the port. Oh my, the taxi pulled up and the driver didn’t get out to open the door or help us with our luggage. Her driving was horrible. Foot on the accelerator, foot off quickly so it was the constant rocking motion, accelerate – slow down. We got to the port and again no help. The check in for Viking was great and we tendered to the boat on an Uber boat. Once on board we went straight to the activities desk to make changes. We got most of what we wanted changed and are waitlisted on 2 items. Then we ... read more

After we left Lisbon we had a 2 day voyage to London. On the Friday most of the day was taken up by rehearsals and the final choir concert. We had had an extra practice after we had left Lisbon on the Thursday, so Friday morning at 11am we did the final rehearsal. We were not sounding too bad!! We did a sound check in the Palladium, then had lunch and at 2-30 were back for the show. As before, the Ukulele band went first. I liked their name, A Band on Ship!! Then we joined them to sing We'll meet again. Then it was our turn. I sat in the second row as the weather was not good and the ship was rolling. Overall we did well. The song we were most worried about, The ... read more

This morning, we headed towards Dublin’s Georgian District in the south-eastern quadrant of the city. As we meandered in that direction, we passed St Werburgh’s Church and Dublin Castle. We will visit the castle another day but took the opportunity to venture into the courtyard this morning to take some photos before lots of tourists were about. As Dame Street merged into College Green we admired the Bank of Ireland building. It was challenging trying to take photos with end-to-end double decker busses motoring along the street! Perseverance paid off and photos of Ireland’s original Parliament Building were eventually taken. The bank has occupied the building since 1803 with Ireland’s Parliament being incorporated into the British Parliament in 1801. From the building that was once Parliament House we ventured around to Kildare Street where Leinster House ... read more

I dag er solskin! ☀️ I wore sunscreen and still a little pink. The sun felt amazing. First we headed down to Nyhavn. It is one of the most famously photographed locations in Copenhagen with the colorful houses. There are a plethora of restaurants along the street in front and the water runs along the other side. I encountered an artist painting in watercolor and left with one. I love chance encounters and art! Across the water is a little park with a little cafe, and the Opera House. We walked over and on the way back stopped at Hart (cafe) and it was SO nice to sit in the sun. It was only mid to high 50s, but it felt so much warmer. Next up was The Church of Our Savior tower. First let me ... read more