We're Home!!!

We're finally home after 18 days away. To call this trip amazing doesn't do it justice. We truly had the time of our lives and every day was a new exciting experience.  We made so many new friends that we hope to vacation with again in the future. Otto discovered the kids club which allowed us a lot of time on our own.

The last two days at seas were spent relaxing and relishing our last few days of vacation. The highlight was when Otto (with a little help from dad) won the Mickey 200. This is a competition where you are given a potato, a carrot, and 4 wheels. You have 30 minutes to make a car. Otto was so excited every time his car won. What a hoot.

As soon as I sort through the 2000 pictures we took I will get some uploaded.

July 15 2010

Today was Stockholm Sweden and I have to say this was one of my favorite stops. The ship left port at 2:45 so our time in town was limited.

We toured on our own using public transportation which was easy and far less expensive than being on an excursion. Our first stop was the Vasa museum. The Vasa is a 350 year old war ship which sunk on her maiden voyage in Stockholm harbor since she was top heavy. She has been raised and preserved. This museum was the highlight of the day. The ship was awe inspiring and pictures do it no justice. We spent almost two hours at the museum.

From there we went on a ferry to Gamla Stan, the Old Town. It is filled with narrow streets and neat shops. We eventually made our way to the Royal Palace where we toured the treasury which holds the crown jewels and saw the changing of the guard.

There had been a royal wedding about a month prior and you could buy and souvenir emblazoned with the picture of the Prince and Princess. Magnet, shot glass, postcard. You name it and you can find it. They even sold pieces of silver used at the wedding in the palace gift shop. A little creepy if you ask me.

After that it was time to head back to the ship. We didn't even have time to visit the downtown area and would love to go back some day.

Coming up we have two days at sea followed by the trip home on Sunday. It is hard to believe this trip is almost over. It has been amazing to visit all of these places and to spend time with Pam and Otto without the worries of every day life looming. The internet is just too slow to upload pictures, so they will have to wait until we get back.

July 14th 2010

Today we spent the day in Helsinki Finland. Everyone said this would be the least interesting port and they were right. We did an excursion called Santa's Summer House. Basically, we drove an hour out of the city to visit Santa their were arts and crafts and games . This is the perfect excursion for the three to five set and Otto had a great time. After that we walked through town where there just isn't a lot to see. There was a nice outdoor market and that was about it. Just not a lot to do in town compared to the other stops. Tomorrow is Stockholm which should be great.

July 12th and 13th

Sorry the updates have been slow, but our Internet access was pretty hit or miss for several days. It seems to be working well today. I have almost 500 pictures to sort through for St Petersburg, so they will follow later.

All I can say about St Petersburg is WOW! What an amazing city. To visit St Petersburg you Need to be on a ship excursion, have a Russian visa which costs $450, or use a private tour company. Pam and I joined ten other DISers for a privately guided tour through Denrus. In my opinion we saw and experienced far more than anyone that took the ships tours. Since their were only 12 of us we moved much more quickly than a bus full of people and our motor coach was driven by a pro, Igor, who could teach NASCAR drivers a thing or two about squeezing into tight spaces. Our tour guide Nadia was great and did everything she could to keep us comfortable despite the record breaking heat. It was over 90 degrees both days in a city where the typical summer high is 68.

Needless to say our tour hit all the high points in the city: Catherine's Palace, Peter's Fortress, a ride on the canals and one on the subway (the stations are like museums), the fountains at Peterhof, the Church of Spilled Blood, the Hermitage, and St Isaacs Cathedral (plus any I forgot). Without a private tour we would have seen only half is much in our two days. The ships excursions weren't efficient since you had to return to the ship after pretty much each location. Plus this was less expensive than taking several of the ships tours.

I will not give a detailed description of each site, but they frequently went like this: here is a room full of Monets take a look around...thirty seconds later: please step into the next room which you will find filled with the work of Renoir. Your mind can only process so many gilded palaces and masterpieces in a day. To quote one of our tour companions "I am palaced out"

We're in the middle of what the locals refer to as the White Nights. Last night at midnight you could sit on the deck and read a book without any extra light. It never really get completely dark even though the sun goes just below the horizon for about four hours.

Last night at midnight there were people all over the deck and in the pools enjoying themselves like it was four in the afternoon.

I will upload the pictures as soon as I have a chance. Helsinki and a trip to Santa's Summer House tomorrow.

July 10th continued...

July 10th continued...

July 10th continued....

July 10th continued....

July 10th

July 9th Continued...

July 9th Continued....

July 9th Continued....

July 9th 2010

July 8th 2010

Today was are first port of call. Oslo Norway. This is a beautiful city with the people and prices to match. We started the day by taking the ferry over to the Bygdoy peninsula to visit the Viking Ship Museum and the Fram museum. The Viking Museum had three ships which had been used for burials and were unearthed. It is amazing to think that people would cross the ocean in such small vessels. Otto seemed less than impressed so we moved onto the Fram museum. The Fram is a wooden sailing ship built to explore the North and South Pole. The ship would append years at a time lodged in ice until freed. Otto loved this museum particularly the maps and the fact you could actually walk around the ship.

From there it was back on the ferry for a walk around Oslo. The city hall where the Nobel Prize is awarded was impressive. We did manage to find some yummy Norwegian pastry during our travels. I toyed with the idea of buying a beautiful Norwegian sweater until Pam reminded me I never wear sweaters. Imagine that...Pam being the practical one.

The moment we returned to the boat Otto wanted to play in the kids club, so we have a few minutes to spend at the adult pool.

Tomorrow is Copenhagen Denmark. We will be spending the day with our friend Bo, so we will have a knowledgable tour guide.  

July 6th continued...

July 6th

July 5th

Today we started out with a traditional English breakfast. How can you not love a country that has beans and mushrooms with their eggs. Then it was off the the Barbour outlet. For those of you that don't know Barbour is and English clothing manufacturer that makes high end clothing and they are best known for their waxed jackets which are practically indestructible. The outlet is probably the one true bargain in the UK. Pam picked up a jacket for less the a quarter of what it would have cost in the states. We then walked by the historic dockyard where a number of historic warships are berthed.

It was time to leave Portsmouth and head to Dover. By the time we made it to Dover there was just time to relax before heading to dinner with some of our DIS friends. Dinner was quite good, but the service left something to be desired. This seems to be a recurring theme on this trip.

Tomorrow we plan a trip to Dover Castle before boarding the Magic for the next twelve nights. Internet access on the boat is reportedly spotty, so my updates may be a little less regular for the rest of the trip, but I'll do my best.

Cheers!

July 4th

Happy 4th of July. Today I learned the Brits view the American Revolution much differently Than us Yanks. They refer to it as a conflict in their history books. Needless to say, no fireworks for our fourth this year.

We started our day by saying goodbye to our friends Dan and Liz who were gracious enough to allow the Shaw family to invade their home for a few days. after leaving Wheathempstead we headed off to see Windsor Castle. Unfortunately, there was a very long queu (that's a line for you Yanks) and Otto was was in no mood for waiting in such a long line. So we spent some time exploring the town. As we were walking into a park to have our picnic lunch what do we spot? A dog show of course!

So we paid a quick visit to the Royal Windsor Dog Show. We even managed to see several classes of Labradors being shown. I wish we had some time to shop since the vendors had an amazing assortment of merchandise. Luckily for my wallet we had to get back to the car before our time expired and we received a ticket.

From Windsor we headed of to see Stonehenge. Otto was particularly excited since Stonehenge figures into his favorite episode of Phineas and Ferb. Stonehenge was quite impressive and really worth the time it took to get there. It's amazing that people with no tools to speak of were able to build such an amazing structure.

After leaving Stonehenge we headed to Portsmouth where we are staying the night. Tomorrow may be the highlight of the trip for Pam as we visit the Barbour factory outlet store. I am looking forward to visiting the HMS Invincible. After shopping and playing tourist we'll be off to Dover for one last night in England before the cruise.

Otto Having Fun At The Splash Zone

July 3rd

Today we sent the day visiting a lovely park in St Albans. They had a huge splash are for the kids who had a blast. We had lunch at The Waffle House. No, not the Waffle House dive you find in the states, but this quaint restaurant where all sortsbof waffles are available. I had one with have, cheese sauce, and mushrooms and Pam had the banana. Both were great.

Tonight were planning dinner at home. Tomorrow the next leg of our adventure begins as we make our way to Portsmouth via Windsor Castle and Stonehenge. Wish me luck driving. Pam's job is to remind me to stay on the left side of the road whenever I turn.

We Made it to England!

Yesterday was a very long day. We left the house at 5:30am for Logan. Our flight

to Heathrow was uneventful and we landed few minutes early. Otto was quite well

behaved for a 3.5 year old forced to sit in an airplane seat for almost seven hours.

Customs at Heathrow was really busy and there was a huge line for non-EU citizens.

Once we were in line and had determined we were going no where fast I made a break

for the bathroom. Apparently Pam and Otto did a good job looking the right combination

of pathetic and unlikely to be a terrorist since as I returned they were pulled out of the

regular line and moved to the fast track lane which saved us a good hour.

After picking up our rental car we were on our way to Dan and Liz's home. The trusty

GPS (who we refer to as Raquelle) guided ably through to many round-abouts to count,

one wrong turn (my fault not hers), and a curb which magically appeared in front of the

car (I swear). We made it to our destination.

After a good nights sleep we spent the day hanging around the house while Otto and

Harry played in the back yard. Dinner was quite good Italian. No definite plans for

tomorrow yet. I am sure we'll have fun.

We Leave Tomorrow

It's hard to believe that we leave tomorrow morning after more than 18 months of planning. I will do my best to update the blog as we travel. Reportedly, internet on the ship can be challenging but I will do my best.

Had a bit of a scare today when we heard chicken pox is making its way around Dan and Liz's village, but Otto's doctor said not to worry since he had been vaccinated.

14 Days to Go!

I am procrastinating a bit, so I figured a blog about our European adventure seemed appropriate. We leave July 1st and return on the 18th. We'll spend the first five days with our friends Dan and Liz and their son Harry before boarding the Disney Magic for 12 days. Europe may never be the same!