What an island! Strategically placed between Africa and Europe, the east and the west, Sicily was home to successive waves of conquerors, and for our second day, we visited one of the conquering heroes’ settlements. The Phoenicians, originally from the area that is now Lebanon, were among the first waves.
But first, we took a close look at the commodity that gave us the word “salary”. Sal (salt) was once used by the Romans as currency. Unlike other parts of the world, where salt is mined, the salt here is extracted from the sea. The water evaporates from shallow beds, leaving behind a substance that is low in sodium, high in potassium and magnesium. The Trapani salt is practically a health food! The sea, the wind, the sun all work together, with a little help from human workers, to create this miracle ingredient. Doesn’t get more natural than that.
After learning more than I ever thought possible about salt, we boarded a boat for the little island of Mothya, where almost 3000 years ago, Phoenicians built a fortress and a settlement.
There’s not much left on Mothya, just some walls, (header photo) and a museum that once was the home of Giuseppe Whittaker. Whittaker, in fact, owned the entire island. Fortunately, he was interested in archaeology and history, left his home and property to the public.
The salt museum contained this rendition of what the settlement was imagined to be.
It’s not a big island; we were able to walk from one end to the other, working up an appetite for this amazing feast!
Our last stop was at the place the Arabs called “Marsa Allah”, the Port of God, now known as Marsala, for wine tasting. Check out the size of those barrels. That’s a whole lot of Chicken Marsala!
It is rare indeed that my wine glass is still full after a wine tasting. In fact, I would say that this was a first. To me, Marsala is way too sweet. Okay for cooking, but definitely not my choice for drinking.
Time to leave Palermo. Fortunately, I’m feeling much better. Unfortunately that was not true for Shirley and Owen, who had to stay behind. Believe it or not, the three of us had different ailments, with Shirley the worst off, suffering from a kind of flu.
We made the most of our drive to Mazara, first stopping at the lovely little hilltop town of Erice. This was definitely not a drive I would have wanted to attempt at night, or after having a glass or two of wine.
See that light brown squiggle ? It really IS the road. Check out those hair pin turns. Anyone prone to carsickness would be wise to bring along Dramamine. If you are not a sufferer, the views are great!
Erice’s castle (pictured in the header) supposedly was built atop Venus’ temple. Legend has it that this temple was the home of prostitutes. That seems fair, given that Venus was the goddess of love and fertility. Back in the day, I’ll bet a visit here was a lot more fun than visiting those vestal virgin temples in Rome!
In addition to the castle, Erice has the usual abundance of stone churches (more than one would expect the inhabitants would need, but that’s true of about every town in Italy), and lovely little alleys.
Here are Maxine and Sue, two of our three travelers from Portland Oregon, demonstrating that the alley ways are barely big enough for two people. (AND that cool girls wear purple!)
About our group–once again, we lucked out with great, congenial travelers. There are 16 of us–6 men and 10 women from all over the USA. We are four married couples, two sisters, two friends, and four solo travelers, all curious, friendly and open to adventure. But maybe that’s just the type of person who normally signs up for OAT trips.
Erice also has a wonderful attraction that Rick Steves highlighted on one of his shows (thank you, Janet C.) and that Daniel, our trip leader, made sure we experienced–the pastry shop of Maria Grammatico.
Maria, welcoming us to her shop
Here’s Maria’s story: her mother was unable to feed her 6 children, so at age 11, Maria was shipped off to the convent, where she was immediately put to work. During her 16 years there, she learned the trade, then set out on her own, duplicating the age old recipes.
It seems that the good sisters were not overly supportive of Maria’s efforts, but she persisted, and now has a very successful business, with great ratings on trip advisor.
After hitting all of Erice’s highlights, we hopped back on the bus for a fantastic lunch at this amazing location. All of the food and wine we enjoyed were from the farm, but what else made the location special was its proximity to Segesta’s temple.
If you are ever in the area, be sure to stop at Azienda Agrituristica. The food is incredible and the scenery is spectacular.
Unlike Venus’ temple, you can actually SEE this one, and what a sight it was! Most of the group viewed the temple on a hike from the Agritourismo to our bus. Some of us, however, decided to take the shuttle van back, stopping for a photo op along the way.
I leave it to you to decide which option I chose, but here’s a hint.
Enjoying the pool at the agritourismo with Maxine and Sue
What an incredible stay we had at Agriturismo Berlinger, a beautiful resort about 45 minutes from Mazara. As usual, the breakfasts and two dinners we enjoyed here featured all of the farm’s products.
Some of the group took advantage of the beautiful pool, but I wasn’t about to risk it with my cold. I was just content to wander around the property, enjoying being in the middle of a vineyard!
Our two days in Mazara were very active, starting with a guided tour through the kasbah, home to the city’s Tunisian community.
It didn’t take long for us to notice the beautiful ceramics scattered throughout–vases, tiles, wall plaques. Oznee, our 18 year old Tunisian guide, told us the mayor of Mazara, an artist, sponsored this ceramic extravaganza.
The kasbah is a labyrinth, intentionally designed to confuse the enemy. What looks like a straight path ends up being a dead end trap, where the invaders could be set upon by the home team.
Before our tour concluded, we met Oznee’s grandmother, who emigrated here from Tunisia with her husband and six children. Oznee’s parents divorced, leaving him with his grandmother when he was 11. Since then he has been working, recently supporting himself by giving these tours.
The town is rightfully proud of its treasure, the “Dancing Satyr,” a Greek bronze statue discovered by local fishermen in 1998. The statue is displayed in the former medival church of San Francesco, now repurposed as a museum.
Here’s a closer look:
After we left the museum, we were treated to several wonderful surprises.
First we met the mayor, looking very much like the artist he is.
The gentleman in the background, to the left, wearing jeans, is Antonio, who took us to the restored Garibaldi museum where he serenaded us with “Volare” and “New York, New York”. (He was magnificent!)
Finally, we met Captain Ciccio, whose fishing crew pulled up the satyr’s leg in their fishing net. They kept returning to the area in the hope that they would find the rest of him.
The captain told us that after they snagged this 6 foot statue, the crew gathered round, ridiculing the small size of his “joystick”. Suddenly the statue spoke to them, and this is what he said. “I’d like to see what YOURS would look like after being underwater for 2,000 years!”
So what did the captain get for discovering this priceless treasure?
Well, in addition to bragging rights and the satisfaction of doing something wonderful for his community, he was given sufficient money to marry off his three daughters. To him, the satyr is the son he never had!
We ended our day with a cooking class at a local restaurant. Our group divided into 4 teams, with each team contributing one dish. We had a bread ball appetizer, a wonderful baked eggplant dish, tomato pesto with home made pasta, and a delicious variation on tiramasu. It was the perfect ending for a great first day in Mazara.
Once again, my best laid plans have gone a bit astray. Somehow I managed to come down with a raging cold on the day we departed for Sicily. That undoubtedly earned me the hotly contested title of the flight’s Most Hated Passenger as I coughed my way across the Atlantic Ocean.
Ah well, one of the clear advantages of being older is you have learned to roll with whatever comes your way. Although, truth be told, there wasn’t much rolling, or any other kind of movement going on for the first two days we were in Palermo. I pretty much took to my bed, being unwilling to share whatever I had acquired with my fellow travelers. One definite advantage to group travel is Mike was able to enjoy sightseeing with the others while I rested up.
By day 3 (Saturday), I was able to venture forth, so we decided to strike out on our own.
Right by the opera house, we hopped aboard the free trolley, to one buggy driver’s disappointment. Pretty amazing that Palermo offers free transportation around the city to everyone!
Our first stop was what is now known as the Norman Castle, which started out as an Arab fortress. In the 1100’s it became King Roger 2’s humble abode. King Roger 2 was quite an impressive guy. This Norman ruler managed to pull off what current world leaders haven’t been able to accomplish: Christians, Jews and Muslims coexisted in harmony during his reign, melding together the best of their cultures.
The geometric designs in the ceiling of his bedroom have a definite Islamic flavor. This is one small section of a very elaborate design. I wonder if those gold mosaics glow in they dark. Does the beast in the center remind you of Maurice Sendak’s book ” Where the Wild Things Are”? I guess that’s one way to prevent your kids from crawling into bed with you. Now why didn’t WE think of that?
To get to that royal apartment, you had to climb up several massive staircases. I counted 100 steps! No gym membership required for Roger. But he didn’t have to travel far for church services. The Palatine Chapel is on the floor below, so he could roll out of bed and be at mass in less time than it took to place his crown on his head. Like the Royal Apartment, the chapel is shiny and bright, with Christian and Muslim motifs covering every surface.
At the start of our visit, we were approached by a woman who asked if we would like a free guided tour in English. Her students, these four young girls, were eager to practice their English on us and earn extra credit. What a nice idea!
The building has been remodeled multiple times over the years. The courtyard outside the chapel, for example, was redecorated around 1600.
Pay close attention to the portraits on the bottom. They form a border around the perimeter of the courtyard. These were notable saints…every last one of them male. So, either there were no women saints deemed worthy of a spot on the wall OR women’s virtue was so taken for granted that it didn’t seem they had to put any effort into attaining sainthood. So why make a big deal about it? You decide which explanation rings true to you.
Rather than go into culture overload, we decided not to overdo it, so headed back to rest up before dinner at Vino y Pomadoro, a wonderful restaurant close to our hotel. The menu had English “subtitles” so I was very relieved. I have this fear that I would accidentally order something that would horrify me, like pizza with rabbit and horseradish. Here’s what I got.
Mike and I stopped giving each other “stuff” years ago. We already have more than enough future yard sale items. No more birthday, anniversary, Valentine’s, Christmas or Groundhog’s Day presents for us. Instead, we mark life’s milestones by making memories, mostly through traveling. Refusing to succumb to the tyranny of the calendar, we are free to celebrate whatever we want, whenever we want. If we happen to be traveling during an anniversary or birthday month, well then, that’s just a bonus. THIS year is one of those bonus years.
We will be in Sicily during May, our anniversary month, hoisting our glasses to toast 41 years of wedded bliss. Okay, full disclosure. Those years haven’t ALL been blissful (my sisters would add ” especially for poor Mike” ) but on the whole, it’s been pretty darn great!
We will be embarking on an OAT (Overseas Adventure Travel) trip with our good friends, Shirley and Owen. Two years ago we spent two weeks wandering through Tuscany and the Amalfi coast with OAT’s sister company, Grand Circle. They had never been on an organized tour before, but had such a wonderful time, it was not difficult to persuade them to come along again. What’s especially exciting is that Shirley’s grandfather hails from a small village two hours from Palermo. She and Owen plan to make their way to the village on one of our “free” days.
This is what our OAT itinerary looks like. As you can see, we are covering quite a lot of ground.
We will be staying for three nights in four of the cities: Palermo, Mazara, Ragusa and Catania, with a single night in Piazza Armerina. At the end of the OAT tour, the four of us will head to Malta. From Catania, we will fly to Valetta and will use that as our base during our five days in Malta.
As usual, I’ve been learning the history of the places we’ll be visiting, and I have to tell you, theose poor inhabitants of Sicily did not have an easy time of it. Here’s the Cliff’s Note version: There was a lot of fighting and conquering going on–with Greeks, Romans, Carthaginians, Arabs, Normans, and Spaniards taking turns raping, pillaging, plundering and selling inhabitants into slavery. Sicily isn’t at the bottom of “the boot” for nothing. It sure got kicked around a lot!
Augustus, Hannibal, Constantine, Archimedes, and several Williams, Charles and Fredericks all had starring roles in Sicily’s narrative. (Don’t you just hate it when the rulers all have the same name and you need to remember their numbers? At least for the Williams there was William the Bad and William the Good.) Throw in a couple of popes, an emperor or two, some knights plus a couple of earthquakes and an active volcano and you are guaranteed some interesting stories with even better ruins.
What fascinates me more than the political history is the mythology. Unlike the kings, whose moms sorely lacked imagination when it came time to name their offspring, the mythological figures have double names: Zeus and Jupiter, Ulysses and Odysseus, Venus and Aphrodite. So confusing to an already confused American, but that’s what happens when Greek and Roman cultures share the same territory.
For now, that’s all you need to know about Sicily’s history. More will be forthcoming, and there’s always the possibility of a pop quiz or two.
Preview of coming attractions:
Lots of cathedrals, temples, palaces, amphitheaters plus a dancing satyr
Eye popping mosaics, fit for an emperor, like maybe Marcus Aurelius?
an educational encounter with a member of the Mafia
a cooking class (hope we do better than the last time we tried this!)
“Come with me to the kasbah, where we will make ” whatever they make there. (If you got that reference, you are probably as old as I am!)
wine tasting at a Marsala vineyard
a day in the life of a Sicilian dairy farm family
a visit to Mt Etna to watch the volcano do its thing
Please join us for some armchair traveling. I’ll be posting whenever wi-fi and my energy levels allow. But I have to warn you, I plan to be toasting those 41 years a whole LOT! Expect typos.
Oh yeah, about that photo at the top of this post. It’s actually Sorrento, from our 2015 trip. I just wanted a little visual to start us all off.
I am ending my Viking Ocean Cruise narrative the way I started it oh so many months ago, with a photo of Bergen’s colorful harbor houses.
What wasn’t apparent to me when I downloaded Viking’s promotional photo was that some of the facades were fake. See the red and tan canvas coverings draped over two of the building fronts? They are concealing extensive restoration work currently taking place. What an ingenious way to preserve the beauty of the waterfront!
We had decided to extend our stay in Bergen for two post-cruise days. Trip Advisor helped us find the Oleana, a wonderful little boutique hotel just a couple of blocks from the waterfront. It was compact, but very well designed. That area to the left of the refrigerator and bar, behind the colorful, abstract graphic, is the bathroom. The graphic hides the more interesting parts of your anatomy from any viewers in the room while you are showering, but you can still smile and wave.
In addition to the delicious free breakfast, The Oleana offers afternoon waffles. Wifi is free, the port is just a couple of blocks away, it is reasonably priced, and it has character, full of memorable art–see for yourself. What’s not to like?
Bergen is a lovely town, but I was unable to fully enjoy it because I was very concerned about my main man. He was badly bruised from the the spill he took coming down the mountain in Flam, however the worst part was what was unseen, and not discovered till we got home. He managed to crack three ribs when he fell, which made him quite uncomfortable–no only for our three days in Bergen, but also for the following several weeks. Although we DID manage to get out and about, we were not able to explore to the extent that we had in other ports.
Normally, we hit every possible overlook wherever we go. But not this time. We didn’t make it to the top of Mount Floyen on the Floibanen. Instead, we took short walks in the port area.
Notice the funicular at the top of the photo. Also notice how clean the streets are!
Fortunately, it is great place to hang out, full of little shops and restaurants, plus a huge outdoor market. There is something for just about every taste.
For those with less adventurous palates, not to worry. You can always dine in splendor at what our Danish guide called “the American embassy”.
Believe it or not, we passed up eating at Mickey D’s
We DID visit Starbucks. It provided the perfect shelter when we got caught in a brief cloudburst.
The outdoor market was quite colorful, with lots of flags and trolls. I wish I could have brought this guy home with me. I know two little girls that would have loved to have him in their back yard!
The side streets have stores with more traditional goods, just in case you are in the market for a new tractor.
Only kidding. This “super duper” store actually sells clothing. Sorry, I have NO idea why there is a tractor on their sign!
Just a few more photos from our rambles before we bring our Viking Adventure to a close.
Bergen’s public art pays tribute to an important source of the population’s livelihood.
Another lovely, clean side street in the port area.
The lake and park near the port
What better way to sign off, than with a photo of two of travel buddies modeling their St. Petersburg purchases at our last dinner on board the Viking Star?
Imagine waking up to THIS spectacular scenery! Ahhhh…
If you did, you would be just outside the little village of Flam. It is peaceful, majestic, quiet and breathtakingly beautiful.
There isn’t much in the center of town–just a few shops and a train station, where you can buy tickets for one of the most scenic rides on this planet.
Viking offered a combined bike/train experience for $179 per person. You take the train up the mountain and part way down, then get on a bike and glide the rest of the way into town.
I tried repeatedly to enroll us in that excursion, but the website consistently listed it as sold out. Damn, I was deeply disappointed. That disappointment lasted about 15 minutes. Then I decided to do something about it, so I took to the internet.
Eventually, after much hunting and more than a few pokes around Trip Advisor and Cruise Critic, I discovered Cafe Rallaren. Located in Myrdal, the last stop for the Flamsbana train, it not only supplies food (that’s the cafe part), but also offers bikes for rent. You can ride the 12.5 miles down the mountain, then leave the bike in town. No need to lock the bike, you just leave it there. In town. What a concept. Try THAT in Boston or San Francisco!
Total cost for the train ticket plus bike (and helmet) rental for both of us was $161.50. Sold!
A closer look at Flam
We chose the 11:05 departure, which gave us time to enjoy a leisurely breakfast on the ship, and wander through the town. We would arrive in Myrdal at noon, just in time for lunch at the cafe. We were the only ship in port that morning, so Flam wasn’t crowded at all. That was about to change.
When our train pulled into Flam, literally thousands of tourists came rushing off–perhaps heading for the bathrooms? To get a window seat on one of the tour buses in the parking lot? Who knows? It was a Chinese tour group, so we weren’t able to ask anyone why they were in such a hurry or where they were coming from.
The good news is OUR ride up the mountain wasn’t crowded at all, and we all had our choice of seats.
The train makes a stop at a waterfall, so the obligatory photos can be taken. That spray was COLD and powerful, so after about 10 seconds spent admiring the falls’ grandeur (and getting damp), I quickly reboarded the train to photograph the waterworks from the doorway. I know. I’m a wimp. I just hate discomfort of any kind. Especially when it is self inflicted.
What I didn’t see, but Mike (who is made of much stronger stuff) did, was the water nymph who appeared alongside the falls, waving her arms to the tourists. He took the next two photos.
Can you spot her?
How about now? Don’t you love a zoom lens?
Getting our bikes and helmet at the cafe was easy and uneventful. Not so for the rest of the trip. So how was it? It was incredibly beautiful.
It was incredibly steep, and rather rocky, for the first mile,
One of the many hairpin turns on our ride
We are smiling now, because we are standing on one of the flatter stretches during that first mile.
Check out the rocks and ruts. Hitting one of those the wrong way while hurtling down a steep slope could be quite uncomfortable. See the drop on the left side of the road?
Best strategy? Walk your bike down the steep sections of that first mile. Unfortunately, Mike didn’t, and took a bad spill. He injured himself enough to made him uncomfortable for the rest of the cruise. To make matters worse, shortly thereafter, his bike got a flat tire. He soldiered on, NOW walking the bike. What else could he do? You don’t see any cell towers in these photos, do you? No houses or cars either. Put it all together and you end up with no bloody way to get help. It was bad, but it would have undoubtedly have been far worse if the drama queen member of our duo had gone down. (That would be me. Mike, on the other hand, never complains…)
Eventually we reached a more inhabited area, where both Mike and the bike were rescued and given a ride back to the ship.
The ship sponsored bike trip started at the flatter, paved section, about half way down the mountain. That’s something to keep in mind for the less adventurous. Unfortunately, I can’t give future Flam visitors any information on how THEY could get in touch with that particular bike vendor. I just spotted a trailer by the side of the road, with lots of bikes loaded onto it, but no signs or identifying information.
Of course, if you decide to do it on your own from the top of the mountain, you DO have the option of walking your bike down and around the hairpin curves. That worked quite well for other bikers (such as me).
I was in a bit of a hurry to get back to the ship to make sure my guy was doing okay, so I didn’t take many more photos.
In the US, we have speed bumps. Here in Flam, they have speed goats.
Although we didn’t encounter any Trolls, we met more than three Billy Goats Gruff
This guy either took a shine to me, or thought I was the “other” character in the fairy tale. All I know is he was repeatedly butting against my leg and followed me a while!
Beautiful flowers and clean water along the way. The perfect photo for a happy ending
Yes, there was a happy ending. Mike visited the ship’s doctor, who after determining that nothing was broken, sent him on his way with some happy pills.
No, we are NOT still on that Viking cruise we embarked upon last July. I am just a very lazy blogger, who only puts fingers to keyboard when the spirit moves me, and there clearly hasn’t been much movement lately. But this epic narrative will end shortly. Only one more country — Norway — and three more ports left, starting with Stavanger.
This lovely town features a Maritime Museum which could possibly be spectacular. I have no idea whether it is or it isn’t, because we didn’t get around to visiting it.
The port area is very pleasant for strolling and people watching
The port of Stavanger as seen from town
Can you make out the white tents around the harbor in the above photos? They were booths for the food festival that was in full swing the day we were in port. Given the abundance and the quality of the food on the ship, eating was the last thing on our minds, so we didn’t experience THAT either. What we did instead was climb the hill into town to get a better view of the harbor (seen from above) and the tower (seen from below).
Every town needs a lookout tower.
Is this a sculpture? Or is it a loaner for anyone in need of transportation? I think the latter, given the lack of locks and another identical bike in the background.
As usual, Viking offered an array of excursions, including a free walking tour of the port. Our choice was one of the other options: cruising Lysefjord and seeing the famous Pulpit Rock.
I had briefly considered hiking up Pulpit Rock, but was dissuaded by the comments from bloggers that had gone before. And boy oh boy, I’m so grateful they convinced me to sit this one out. Take a look!
That rectangular outcropping? THAT is Pulpit Rock. And that sucker is WAY high!
My telephoto lens was able to confirm that there WERE some successful climbers
Here’s a tip for future cruisers visiting Stavanger. The Viking sponsored cruise to Pulpit Rock cost $149. per person. Instead, before leaving home, we booked directly with Rodne for $60 per person. (Clicking on the blue link will get you directly to their website). The ferries were identical, the routes were identical, only the price differed. I don’t mind a cruise line making a little money on the trips they put together, but this mark up seemed a bit excessive. I was a little concerned about the distance from our ship to the ferry, but the port is so small, it was a short distance to the boarding area, which was clearly marked.
We discovered we would have been able to buy a ticket at the Rodne office in the harbor, however even if I had known that, I probably would have bought the tickets in advance. We were only in Stavanger one day, so I wasn’t willing to take a chance that the time we wanted was sold out.
During our trip, we passed several Rodne ships identical to the one we were on. This photo gives you an idea of the ship’s size.
Get in line early if you want a seat on the top deck, or a prime spot for photography
Yet another advantage of cruising? You visit ports that you probably would not have found on your own. We had never heard of Aalborg before our Viking cruise.
Is Aalborg Europe’s happiest city? The tourist board certainly thinks so and after spending the morning with Jane, our cheerful–and informative– tour guide, I think it might just be.
Jane told us residents are happy because they feel safe and they have what they need. Although taxes are high, there is no charge for education, pensions are universal and health care is provided. University students live in cheap apartments, get a stipend and have free tuition. In Denmark, Jane told us, people are cared for.
What I found interesting is that although mothers get one year paid maternity leave, and families receive a per child payment, the average family size is less than two. Especially with those long winter nights…
Aalborg is a lovely little city, very clean, artistic, and orderly, with a nice mix of old, preserved buildings along more modern edifices.
The Jens Bang house (on the left) was built in 1624. Mr Bang was a very successful merchant, but unfortunately was never accepted by the power structure.
He took architectural revenge, however, by decorating the side facing city hall with these grimacing creatures, who are sticking their tongues out at the politicians of the day.
Here’s a closer look.
The rather irreverent Danish sense of humor continues to this day, as displayed in these figures found in a gift shop.
No, I didn’t buy any presents here.
Our tour included a visit to the monastery/nunnery, where proximity led to a flurry of construction. It seems that in the 1400’s, unplanned pregnancies were resolved by bricking up the nuns (into walls) where they (and their unborn children) were left to die.
What a difference a few centuries can make!
We also visited the local churches where we saw something rather novel: refreshments being offered in the church proper. They really ARE a very welcoming community!
Sign posted outside a church. I guess when you feel happy an cared for, that feeling can be extended to others that are less fortunate.
As with other Scandinavian churches, this one had a ship hanging from the ceiling, which we were told is meant to symbolize passage from this world into the next.
If you happen to visit Aalborg and have a hankering for some good ol’ American fare, not to worry. This wonderful town has you covered.
On our way back to the ship we were treated to a “reenactment”, something those of us in the northeast are all quite familiar with.
As the ship pulled out of port, residents gathered to bid us farewell, waving flags while loudspeakers broadcast Danish music.
Yep, they sure looked happy. And we were too, after spending the morning with them!
The great thing about cruising? You get to sample lots of different places without having to pack and unpack. The downside? Your stay in a fantastic country like Denmark is way too short. Not only that, but you are doing so much and seeing so much, your blogging gets delayed till you get home. Then, if you are me, months later you start looking at photos and trying to decipher your notes only to realize how much you have forgotten.
Our Viking itinerary included two stops in Denmark–a full day in Copenhagen and a half day in Alborg. For both stops, we opted to take the included Viking tours, and we were quite happy with our decision.
Of course, we knew we HAD to see the iconic Danish landmark, The Little Mermaid, which was within walking distance of our ship.
What was surprising to me was how close she is to the shore. It was possible to climb out to join her on the rock, an impulse our guide requested that we resist. Other tourists, however, did not feel so constrained. I’m thinking that I probably shouldn’t have waited till they cleared off to take my shot. It might have been a far more amusing photo to see them cavorting alongside her.
Our guide mentioned that the mermaid has a less famous sister down the road a bit, who is affectionately known as the “Dolly Parton version”. Hmmm, wonder why Walt Disney didn’t include HER in his movie?
Also alongside the harbor is the Opera House, a gift from Maersk Mc-Kinney Moeller, the Danish shipping magnate. The building design has been compared to a spaceship, the grill of a 55 Pontiac and a fly. Maersk Mc-Kinney Moeller’s response to suggestions for modifications? “I’m giving you a gift, not a gift certificate.”
The Danes are rightfully proud that the harbor is so clean that you can swim in it. In fact, someone used the roof of the opera house as a diving board to prove that very point. (Was it Maersk Mc-Kinney Moeller? Unfortunately, I don’t remember — but I DO remember that Maersk lived 98 years, so maybe. I certainly had fun envisioning the old guy balancing on the roof’s edge. )
Copenhagen is a lovely city with the requisite number of palaces, towers, forts, churches and statues. Here are just a few of the images from our city tour.
This horseman is surrounded by four identical buildings, all housing members of the royal family.
Notice the three crowns atop the tower. If my memory is accurate (and that is a pretty big “if”), they represent the three countries of Scandinavia.
A profound quote from our former president, is as relevant today as it was a half century ago.
We were getting close to experiencing sensory overload, so after the tour concluded, we returned to the ship for lunch. The fortress was within walking distance of the ship and was the perfect place to spend the rest of our time in port.
Who knew that a fortress could be so peaceful?
Another beautiful departure, as we headed for our next stop: Aalborg.
Destination NOW 