We’re Going Back to Europe!

While we were on our Viking Homelands cruise, we booked another cruise. I had read about the savings offered when booking a new cruise while on a cruise, so Tim and I had investigated possible itineraries earlier this year. We had decided on a river cruise, and I told Tim to pick one. France was his choice – perfect!

We met with Viking’s travel consultant onboard to look at options for “France’s Finest,” a 15-day cruise on the Rhone and Seine Rivers between Avignon and Paris. We wanted to travel in May before it got too hot and crowded, but late enough for at least some of the flowers to be blooming in Monet’s Giverny. We selected May 7, 2023, for a departure from Avignon.

France's Finest River Cruise Map

Unlike Viking’s Ocean ships, not all cabins on river ships have balconies. Some have French balconies, but the size of these rooms is even smaller than the cabins that are below the waterline and have windows high in the walls. I would be fine with a French balcony, but the room size was just too small, even for us. Unfortunately, that meant we would be paying a high premium for a cabin with a true balcony.

We bit the bullet and took a crowbar to our wallets, as Tim would say, and booked the cruise on May 23. We were pleasantly surprised that the future cruise voucher promised by Viking when our Viking Homelands itinerary was changed could be applied to this new cruise. Between that voucher, our onboard booking savings, and our past guest discount, we saved $1,600 each. Not too shabby!

While we were on the British Isles Explorer portion of our cruise, Tim and I debated whether to book another cruise. We were really enjoying our experience and looked forward to another one. We said, “Why not,” and on June 14, shortly before we disembarked, we booked the “Mediterranean Explorer and Crossing,” a 24-day cruise from Rome to Ft. Lauderdale.

Mediterranean Explorer and Crossing Ocean Cruise Map

That cruise starts in Rome on November 30, 2023, and stops in ports along the coasts of Italy, France, Spain, and Portugal before making a transatlantic crossing. We end in Ft. Lauderdale on December 23, just before Christmas. We were able to reserve our preferred DV6 cabin, and we were set to go.

Although we have been happy with our travel specialist, I had read in Cruise Critic about agencies that provide onboard credit (OBC) to their clients. After returning home, I reached out to a member, asked for the name of his agent, and contacted her to see what she could do for us. We were pleasantly surprised when Annette offered a $600 OBC for France’s Finest and $1,000 for Mediterranean Explorer and Crossing. We transferred our bookings to her today.

Making More Travel Plans for this Year

Just before we left for our cruise, Tim and I got together with my friends Noreen and Mike when they were traveling through Colorado. Tim had asked Noreen “to go with my wife on a trip somewhere this summer.” She and I agreed to think about options and talk when I returned from the cruise.

Noreen's only request had been for somewhere cool and not too crowded. She asked if there might be a place I’d like to return to, or a place I’ve wanted to visit but haven’t. Yesterday, I made several suggestions to Noreen – the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta (it’s on my bucket list), Santa Fe and Georgia O’Keeffe country (a place I’ve only partially visited), or a Maine national parks road trip (I still have a goal of visiting as many National Park Service units as possible). She immediately nixed the balloon fiesta but said she would think about the others.

In the end, the desire to go somewhere cool led us to pick Maine. Our friend Steve lives in Portland, and we could start the trip there. Noreen and Mike would drive up from Baltimore, so we would have a car to visit Acadia National Park and the other park units in Maine.

These Are the National Park Units that We Will Be Visiting (Map Courtesy of NPS)

I was put in charge of making the arrangements, deciding the route to take, and selecting the hotels. Since I love travel planning, that was a job I looked forward to. The plan was to leave in late-August for a one-week visit.

In the meantime, once Noreen decided against the balloon fiesta, I looked into the best way for me to attend. I had wanted to go last year, but it didn’t work out, so I was determined to make it happen this year. Since Tim had no interest in going, I decided a group tour would be the best option for me. The though of trying to deal with the hassle of driving and parking at such a huge event was not appealing, and most hotel rooms had been booked months ago.

I decided to try a Road Scholar program, and luckily a space was available. The program consisted of five days and four nights and included hotel, transportation, tickets, and most meals. I made a deposit and secured a spot in the program. Success!

My Road Scholar Program

Viking Cruise – Reflections

Now that I’ve been home for a few days, I’ve had time to reflect on our cruise and come up with a few observations and suggestions that I hope to follow next time. First and foremost, Tim and I loved our cruise, and we loved the Viking experience. Scandinavia and the British Isles are gorgeous parts of the world, with so much history and natural beauty, and this was a perfect destination for us.

We also loved the people we met ashore. Everyone was welcoming and seemed very glad to see us. People were friendly and helpful, including our guides, shopkeepers, hotel staff, and various residents. The kind and generous woman who drove us 45 minutes out of her way to make sure we got to the train station on our Norway in a Nutshell tour was in a category all by herself. It may have been a job for some of them, but their friendliness read as genuine.

We were so impressed with the fact that the people we met were so very proud of their countries and their heritage. Yes, this was certainly the case with our guides, but it meant even more coming from the young women we met in Denmark. We appreciated their wanting to share their pride with us.

Before leaving home, it’s important to research what to do in each port and to carefully read the description for each tour to make sure it’s what you envision. I would try to book private tours again, but Viking’s overview bus tours can also be a good option, especially if port visits are on the short side. On the other hand, if the ship remains in port overnight, an overview tour is useful to help get one’s bearings in a new destination. Although advance tour planning is important, always leave room for spontaneity. We had some of our best experiences that way.

In between all the tours, try to build in time to relax. When I was working, I always said I’d rest when I got home, and that seemed to work just fine. Unfortunately, the older we get, the more we do need to rest from time to time. Tim is much better about this than I am. Alas, I likely won’t heed my own advice since I want to see it all.

Tim and I both took way too many photographs and should have simply enjoyed what we were seeing with our own eyes, rather than through the lens of a camera. We also need to practice taking selfies of the two of us together; we can’t always rely on someone to do it for us. I’ve learned that photos of people are the images that will have the most meaning years from now when we can’t remember the name of that building we so carefully tried to capture.

Speaking of photographs, I learned that it’s really difficult to get decent photos from any moving vehicle, whether bus, train, or plane. One might think it would be easier in a car on a private tour, but those photos didn’t turn out much better.

This trip confirmed for me that it’s important for us to spend as many days as possible in the cities where we will embark and disembark our cruise. The obvious advantages include leaving a cushion for any flight delays or other mishap, as well as having time to recover from jet lag. After enduring the cost and discomfort of an overnight flight, it only makes sense to take advantage of being in that city to experience more fully what it has to offer and not be so rushed in getting to the ship.

As a corollary to the above flight reference, from now on, if at all possible, I will only fly in lie-flat business class for an overnight flight. I simply cannot rest sitting up, and the time to recover from the flight puts a damper on the first several days of the trip. That’s why I am playing the points and miles game so we can use airline miles to “pay” for the expensive seats. On the other hand, I have concluded that premium economy is fine for a daytime flight. I just never want to be stuck in a middle seat again.

In an earlier post, I covered what I loved about sailing with Viking. Everything we could have wanted was provided for us on the ship, and the staff couldn’t do enough for us. We also confirmed that Viking’s DV6 cabin is the perfect category for us. All DV categories have a balcony and are the same size, and I prefer a cabin on a lower deck. We liked the openness in the center of this level over the atrium, and its location was convenient to the Living Room. Tim and I tended to prefer the Living Room for coffee, rather than the Explorers’ Lounge for cocktails, since Tim doesn’t drink and I rarely do. It was also a good place to people-watch.

My final thought is to pack light. Although I did better than many people, hauling three rollaboards around before and after the cruise was a bit of a pain. We did ok, but we’re going to try and do better next time.

Flying Home to Colorado

Today was the day our vacation ended, and we would fly back to Colorado. Our British Airways flight was scheduled for 2:45 pm from Heathrow airport.

Yesterday evening, Tim and I learned that a rail strike had been announced for our departure date. To further complicate matters, the rail strike would coincide with a planned strike by workers on the London Underground. We couldn’t imagine the disruption this would cause for Londoners, and we were concerned about how we would get to the airport.

We spoke with the wonderful staff at our hotel, and they somehow arranged a taxi for us. We had to leave the hotel at 9:00 am, but we didn’t care so long as we could make it to Heathrow without a problem. We did make it just fine, and we managed to occupy our time at the airport.

Our flight left on time, and I found premium economy to be just fine for a daytime flight. We cleared customs quickly in Denver, we claimed our bags, and we caught a shuttle to our car. In less than an hour, we were home.

It was a grand trip.

London On My Own

After touring almost non-stop for more than a month, I think Tim had had it! He decided to take a break today, but I still had more of London that I wanted to see.

When I was researching excursions for our cruise, several people had highly recommended the Churchill War Rooms. I read a lot of historical fiction, and the occasional biography, and I had recently been engrossed with several novels set in London during World War II. So, the War Rooms held great appeal for me and seemed to be a perfect destination this morning.

The Churchill War Rooms house the underground nerve center where the British government directed World War II, as well as a museum devoted to the life and legacy of Winston Churchill.

The permanent exhibits focus on the reality of life in the bunker, and the 27 rooms show where the staff lived, worked, and slept for six years, completely hidden from the general public in a top-secret complex. We were given an audio guide to explain each room and provide first-person accounts of what happened here.

It was a fascinating to walk through the corridors, peer into each room, and realize how spartan they were. I could only imagine spending my working days and nights in this place. What these individuals accomplished here is truly remarkable.

Rooms Where They Worked - The Map Room Was My Favorite

Rooms Where They Slept (and Often Worked as Well)

Churchill's Bedroom, Dining Room, and Kitchen, and Mrs. Churchill's Bedroom

The Churchill Museum

I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to the Churchill War Rooms, but it was nice to see the sunshine and beautiful blue skies again. I wandered towards Whitehall and took several obligatory photographs of Big Ben. I debated my next stop and decided I would brave the crowds to see Westminster Abbey.

Big Ben

Westminster Abbey is said to be the greatest church in the English-speaking world, and all English kings and queens since 1066 have been crowned here. Westminster Abbey is also where services to mark significant national events, as well as royal weddings and funerals, are held. Many significant British writers, artists, politicians, and scientists are buried or memorialized here. This Gothic church is one of the most important icons in London.

Westminster Abbey

The Spectacular Interior of Westminster Abbey

Details of Westminster Abbey

I didn’t have a lot of time left in the day, but I still wanted to see more of London. I had considered taking a hop-on, hop-off bus tour and decided that would be the best use of my time. I caught a bus in front of the Horse Guards Parade, not knowing exactly which tour I’d be taking. All I knew is that we would drive by many of London’s famous sights. Once I sat down, I realized that I was taking Golden Tour’s Classic Tour, which was perfect. On the map below, the Classic Tour route is the blue line.

My Tour Route is in Blue

Since it was such a beautiful day, I was able to sit on the open air, upper deck and get my camera ready. We began by following a route I’d taken previously, and we passed by Trafalgar Square.

When we approached Piccadilly Circus and turned on Piccadilly, it was fun to look down the side streets with their interesting shops, and then to pass such landmarks as The Ritz London. We next drove by Hyde Park Corner with its famous Wellington Arch and Grand Entrance Screen on our way to Knightsbridge.

Around Piccadilly

Hyde Park Corner

Knightsbridge, an upscale retail and residential district, offered lots to see, from famous department stores like Harrods and Harvey Nichols, to cultural institutions like Royal Albert Hall and the Victoria and Albert Museum, to classic residential blocks. I think I’d like to stay in this neighborhood on our next visit to London and do a little exploring.

Knightsbridge

We made a detour to see the Marble Arch, London’s triumphal arch, and then headed back toward Westminster. Along the way, we saw Westminster Cathedral, a striped brick and stone church and the largest Catholic church in the UK (not to be confused with Westminster Abbey). A few minutes later, we had a great view of Westminster Abbey. We soon crossed Westminster Bridge where I had a good view of the Houses of Parliament. Just on the other side were the London Eye and County Hall.

Marble Arch and Westminster

We re-crossed the river into the West End and saw several of London’s theaters. The Royal Courts of Justice, or the Law Courts, came next, and I thought we were looking at a church. Gothic is not the typical style for a secular building.

The West End

The building I was most looking forward to seeing was St. Paul’s Cathedral. Designed by Christopher Wren after the former church was destroyed during the Great Fire of London of 1666, St. Paul’s is one of London’s most important landmarks. Famous for its 365-foot dome, the cathedral survived 57 nights of bombing during World War II and has become a symbol of Britain’s resilience. I had to restrain myself from getting off the bus and touring this magnificent structure, but the reality of how much time I had left made me come to my senses.

St. Paul's Cathedral

We passed the Monument to the Great Fire of London and then crossed the River Thames once more. As we crossed, we could see Tower Bridge and the HMS Belfast, a museum interpreting Britain’s wartime experience, in the distance. After making a quick loop, we crossed the river again, this time on Tower Bridge. We caught our first glimpse of the Tower of London and then circled the fortress. After following Victoria Embankment to Westminster, I was back where I started, and I hopped off the bus.

The Great Fire Monument, Tower Bridge, and the Tower of London

This was my first hop-on, hop-off tour, and I’d do one again. Only next time, I’d give myself most of a day so I could take advantage of the hop on and hop off opportunity.

A Walk Around Our London Neighborhood

Today, we decided to walk around our neighborhood and see some of the famous landmarks in Westminster and the Buckingham Palace area. We started in Trafalgar Square, London’s central square, which is just a few blocks from our hotel. A column topped by a statue of Lord Nelson marks the center, while the National Gallery and St. Martin-in-the-Fields Church surround the perimeter.

Trafalgar Square

The National Gallery and St. Martin-in-the-Fields Church

Sights Around Trafalgar Square

From there, we walked through the Admiralty Arch to The Mall, which leads to Buckingham Palace. Before we could reach the palace, however, we encountered a peaceful demonstration by supporters of the Khalistan movement, a Sikh separatist movement seeking to create a homeland for Sikhs by establishing a sovereign state in the Punjab region.

Demonstration on The Mall

We eventually reached the Victoria Memorial and Buckingham Palace. We had no intention of touring the palace, but Tim needed to see its famous façade. Deciding to escape the crowds, we wandered into St. James’s Park where we enjoyed the beautiful flowers and the much-loved pelicans.

Tim at Buckingham Palace

Sarah at Buckingham Palace

Scenes Around Buckingham Palace

Lovely and Peaceful St. James's Park

Flowers and Critters at St. James's Park

As we exited the park, we found ourselves by the Horse Guards Parade. We didn’t see the parade, but we did see the mounted cavalry troopers of The Queen’s Life Guard, who guard the building.

The Horse Guards Parade

We eventually made our way to Whitehall, the heart of British government. Here, we passed by #10 Downing Street, the traditional home of the prime minister, and the Monument to the Women of World War II.

Scenes Along Whitehall

In just another few blocks, we were back at our hotel. We really did pick a great location, especially for a first-time visit.

Treasures of the British Library and British Museum

I had been to London on several occasions, but it’s been ages since I last was here. This was Tim’s first visit, so we began our day with his two “must-sees” – the British Library and the British Museum. We started with the library and took a bus to get there.

We stopped to see the statue of Isaac Newton on our way into the library courtyard and moved to the Treasures of the British Library Gallery.

The British Library

Exploring this collection was an awe-inspiring experience for two lovers of history, books, and maps. Here, the history of 2,000 years of civilization is told through such literary masterpieces as the Gutenberg Bible, the Magna Carta, the notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci, the writings of Shakespeare, and even the handwritten notes of the Beatles.

The gallery is divided into several thematic displays, including Art and Science, Historical Documents, Maps and Views, Printing, Art of the Book, Sacred Texts, and the Magna Carta, and we eagerly gazed at all these literary treasures.

The lighting in the gallery is low to protect the priceless objects, and the reflections make taking photographs a challenge, but I’m including my favorite images even if they aren’t perfect.

Art and Science

Historical Documents

Maps and Views

Printing

Art of the Book

Sacred Texts

Magna Carta (With the Worst Reflections of All)

Tim in His Element

If the British Library offers a chronicle of civilization through its literary masterpieces, the British Museum tells a similar story through its spectacular objects, both large and small. We started with the Egyptian section, where we saw the Rosetta Stone, statues, and mummies, including mummies of cats. We also viewed part of the Assyrian section, with its massive human-headed winged bulls and other sculptures.

The British Museum

The Rosetta Stone and Other Objects from Egypt and Assyria

It was at this point that I started to feel a bit overheated and lightheaded, so I left Tim to continue his tour while I went in search of something to drink. I sat in the lobby for a while and enjoyed watching the crowd.

I soon felt much better and decided to visit the Parthenon Galleries, which was on my “must-see” list. The Parthenon Sculptures, formerly known as the Elgin Marbles, were removed from the Parthenon in Athens in the early 1800s. Their removal created a storm of controversy that continues to this day and exemplifies questions about the ownership of cultural artifacts and whether such items should be returned to their places of origin. 

Parthenon Galleries

Several respectful protestors holding the Greek flag and placards, were in the Parthenon Galleries today and were happy to engage with visitors and explain their point of view. Tim joined me in the gallery, and he and I both were in awe of these impressive works of art. The detail was amazing, and it was a special treat to be able to view them up close.

Protesters in the Parthenon Galleries

I was disappointed that I was only able to see a portion of the museum, but I was happy with what I did see. After soaking in so many thousands of years of culture, we made our way back to our hotel for a well-deserved rest.

Disembarking and Arriving in London

Our cruise came to a close this morning, and I plan to post reflections about our experience once we return to Colorado. Suffice it to say, we had a wonderful time, and disembarkation was bittersweet. We were sad to leave but looking forward to our time in London.

The End of the British Isles Explorer Portion of Our Cruise

A Sad Farwell to Viking Venus

There are several ways to get to London from Greenwich, but Tim and I had decided to take an Uber Boat, the fastest and most scenic option. Despite having to deal with three rollaboard suitcases, we did just fine, and I’d choose this alternative again.

An Uber Boat Transported Us to London

The cruise along the River Thames was very pleasant, and we were able to see many of London’s landmarks, both old and new. We got off the boat at the Embankment Pier and ended up walking to our hotel. We had originally planned to get a cab, but we didn’t see any, and the walk was easy enough, even with our luggage.

Columbia Wharf

Tower Bridge

Modern Landmarks

We are staying at the Great Scotland Yard Hotel, where we were able to use our Hyatt points. Although the hotel is located on Great Scotland Yard Road in Westminster, it never had any connection with Scotland Yard.  The hotel is lovely, our room is great, and it’s in a great location for sightseeing.

Great Scotland Yard Hotel

We walked around our neighborhood for a while, but we were happy to take a break. We’ll start touring tomorrow.

Our Neighborhood Landmarks