Saturday September 13, 2025 Florence, Italy Iconic Ponte Vecchio. More information about this bridge is below. Yesterday (9/12) We went wine-tasting in the area east of Florence. We visited two wineries. Had fun at both. Bought more wine....Both wineries were interesting and had a long history in the area. At the first winery, Tenuta Bossi, we got lucky because the young man serving us really seemed to enjoy our knowledge of wine, and when we asked questions or made comm

September 11, 2025 Florence, Italy Fattoria del Teso, a winery outside of Lucca. Greetings from Florence, again!! We have had a wonderful few days here, and in the surrounding areas. The drives were breathtaking, the food is delicious, and the wine is outstanding. We drove to Lucca, a city in Italy near Florence, to look around and enjoy the local culture. It is an ancient walled city, with homes, shops, restaurants, and churches inside the walls. The wall still surrounds

September 9-14, 2025 Florence and surrounding areas Yummy Gelato!!! Fun Facts: Florence The city boasts the largest brick dome ever built, the Duomo. In 1339, Florence became the first city in Europe to have paved streets.  Birthplace of Opera:  The first standard opera, "Dafne" by Jacopo Peri, was written in Florence in 1598.  Gucci's Roots:  The famous fashion house Gucci was founded in Florence in 1921.  Ponte Vecchio's Survival:  The Ponte Vecchio is the only bridge in

Monday September 8, 2025 Bergen, Norway Bergen, Norway Fun Facts: Bergen Bergen averages 265 days of rain per year, making it the rainiest city in Europe, but no rain today! Yahoo! Bergen is the second largest city in Norway, after Oslo. The world's longest bike tunnel is in Bergen; it is 3 km long. In the middle of the tunnel, there are art installations, a digital sundial, and benches. Bergen was founded in 1070. The name comes from "Berg"which means 'mountains,' and vi

September 7, 2025 Eidfjord, Norway What is a fjord? The term fjord refers to a long, narrow sea inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by a glacier. Eidfjord, Norway. The town has a population of approximately 1000 people. Fun Facts: Eidfjord The area has been inhabited since the Iron Age, with Viking Age burial mounds located near the village center.  The Old Eidfjord Church, a white-stone church built around 1300, is a historical landmark dwarfed by the surrounding mou

September 6, 2025 Stavanger, Norway We are now in the small town of Stavanger in Norway. It is a beautiful day. Our tour is this afternoon, so we decided to take a walk into the town and look around...and go shopping! Walking back to the ship we were looking at the seabirds close by and we noticed something else in the water... A Lion's Mane Jellyfish This species of jellyfish is one of the largest in the world. They can grow to be 8 feet wide, with tentacles over 100 fee

September 4-5, 2025 Oslo, Norway We arrived in Oslo on September 4, and will be docked here for two days. If you are wondering why there wasn't a blog yesterday, that is the reason. We are combining the two days in Oslo into one blog. This is the Holmenkolllen Ski Junp. (More information below.) Fun Facts: Norway Norway is home to Europe's largest herd of wild reindeer.  Skiing originated in Norway, with evidence of its use dating back over 4,000 years.  Norway has won m

Wednesday - September 3, 2025 Aalborg, Denmark The town of Ålborg (or Aalborg) in Denmark. Fun Facts: The name Ålborg or Aalborg - “Å” or “Aa”: This part of the name refers to the Danish word for “river” or “stream.” In this context, it specifically represents the Limfjord, the body of water that flows through the city of Aalborg. “Borg”: This part of the name means “castle” or “fortified town.” It signifies the historical significance of Aalborg as a fortified settlement. Aa

Tuesday - September 2, 2025 Copenhagen, Denmark Copenhagen is a wonderful mix of the old and new, and of abundant natural spaces woven among buildings and cities. Fun Facts: Copenhagen Happy City:  Copenhagen consistently ranks as one of the happiest cities in the world.  Our guide today said she thinks content is a better description than happy. People feel safe and secure, and things are predictable. Copenhagen is the capital of D

Monday, September 1, 2025 Berlin, Germany The iconic Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. It was badly damaged during the war. After the Berlin Wall came down, the gate was rebuilt and restored in 1957. Today started bright and early (ugh), as we had to meet at 6:45am to get to the train for our 7:20 departure to Berlin. It was a beautiful day - no rain and not too hot. Turns out Viking had chartered a separate train for the ve

Sunday August 31, 2025 Bornholm, Denmark Starting today's blog by sharing pictures of Nancy's birthday dinner and the wonderful staff on Viking. Pictures of the amazing staff at the Chef's Table restaurant who helped make Nancy's birthday very special. Especially awesome was that there were two desserts, each served with its own beverage - Moscato d'Asti and a Champagne! One dessert was Chilled Mango Cream, and the other was a chocolate mousse cake. YUM! Please note that

Saturday August 30, 2025 Gdańsk, Poland We are beginning today's blog with a quick look at some highlights from our day at sea! Great day! Fun Facts about Gdańsk, Poland: In Poland, everyone has a special holiday for their name.  All Polish names are associated with a specific date of the year. When you look at a Polish calendar, each date has a male and female name associated with the date. Polish people celebrate these days as if they are birthdays and are often given gi

Thursday August 28, 2025 Tallinn, Estonia The Old and the New.: The current flag of Estonia flying on a tower built in the 1400s, right next to the current Parliament Building Fun Facts about Tallinn and Estonia: Estonia has five seasons.  Each year, Estonia experiences the “the fifth season” phenomenon between winter and spring. Created by a temporary rise in the water levels after the winter snow thaws, the season is characterized by annual flooding. More than one-fifth o

Stockholm, Sweden August 27, 2025 The Nobel Prize Museum honors the winners of the Nobel Prize, which is presented for contributions that have conferred the "greatest benefit on Mankind" in the areas of Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, Literature, Economics, and Peace. The prizes were established by Alfred Nobel, a Swedish scientist and inventor. The first prizes were awarded was in 1901, five years after his death. One of the fun things about the museum is that winners who hav

August 26 - September 9, 2025 Viking Homelands Cruise - The Baltic Sea area and parts of Scandinavia. September 9 - September 14    Florence, Italy So - Here we go! Planning for this trip was going smoothly, until last week when the Air Canada flight attendants went on strike, which meant the airline was cancelling all flights. Oh no! Our flights from San Diego to Stockholm were booked on Air Canada. Fortunately, after a couple of nail-biting days, the strike ended a