Scandinavia
&
Optional Pre-Trip to Iceland
Iceland
For most of the group, our trip began with 6 days in Iceland. Our first stop was the Blue Lagoon with its geothermal spa. Afterwards we saw several sights in Reykjavik en route to our hotel, including the Perlan building with city views from the rooftop and Hallgrímskirkja Lutheran church. We spent subsequent days on the south shore, with our base at the lovely Hotel Ranga in Hella. We visited Skogafoss Waterfall, Gulfloss Waterfall and Geysir hot springs, a black volcanic beach with the wreckage of a DC-3 from 1973, Thingvellir National Park where 2 tectonic plates meet, Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon via boat, and Mýrdalsjökull glacier. We got more excitement than we bargained for on the glacier. The ice was thin on one patch and the rear tire of our vehicle went through, titling us to the side. Our fearless guide piled rocks into the rivulet below and eventually got enough traction to drive out. Another day we stopped to feed bread to (the diminutive) Icelandic horses on a farm and saw how tomatoes are grown in a hothouse. Rough seas prevented us from visiting the Westman Islands, so instead we went to Eyjafjallajökull Center, which chronicles one family's plight during the 2010 volcanic eruption that spewed ash all over Europe. We also toured Fakasel Icelandic Horse Park.
We were impressed with the friendliness and civic pride of Icelanders and their concern for the environment. (We even toured a busy recycling drop-off sight.) Almost all heating is geothermal and most materials are recycled. We were pleasantly surprised by the delicious food and the freshness of the fish. They even raise the lowly cod to new heights! A lot of us would like to return for a longer stay.
Copenhagen, Denmark
The rest of our group joined us in Copenhagen. Here we had a city tour that included the Little Mermaid, Gefion Fountain and the Church of Our Savior with its serpentine spire. We visited Rosenborg Castle, Christiansborg Palace, Amalienborg Palace, took a Stromma Canal cruise, and spent some time in Tivoli Gardens. Our wonderful guide Ursula also fit in a visit to the lovely Dragør fishing village south of Copenhagen, which was founded by Dutch settlers.
Norway
Our first destination was Oslo. We had a panoramic city tour and visited the impressive city hall, aka Rådhuset. We learned the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded here each year. We went to the Viking Ship Museum, Norwegian Open-Air Folk Museum and Frogner Park with its Vigeland Sculptures. We also saw the Holmenkollbakken ski jump in the middle of the city and had a lovely lunch overlooking the fjord. In the evening most of us went for drinks at the ice bar, clad in long, fur-lined coats and gloves. Benches, tables, bar and even glasses were made of ice. Fun.
We took the spectacular 6.5-hour train ride from Oslo to Bergen and enjoyed the varied scenery along the way. In Bergen, our walking tour included the Bryggen, UNESCO World Heritage Site, a row of 300-year old Hanseatic commercial buildings along the wharf. In the evening we took the funicular for city views at dusk. We also did a day-long Norway in a Nutshell tour that brought us to Flåm and a boat ride on Nærøyfjord and Aurlandsfjord.
Stockholm, Sweden
We started off with a walking tour of Gamla Stan, the charming old town. We visited the amazing Vasa Museum that houses the warship that sank and was found and salvaged after over 300 years. We also visited Skansen Open Air Museum, Drottningholm Palace and took a boat ride through the archipelago with its thousands of islands.
Helskinki, Finland
Our last stop on this journey of almost 3 weeks was Helsinki. Here we visited Temppeliaukio Rock Church and saw Uspenski and Helsinki Cathedrals. We toured the opera house, going totally behind the scenes to see how all parts of the productions come together. The actual opera house is quite stark, aiming to direct the viewer's attention to the stage. We learned Finland is quite classless--the head of the opera and the lowest-paid workers dine together. There are no special seats for royalty or dignitaries.
We learned from our various guides throughout Scandinavia that they largely don't mind paying high taxes because of all the services--education, health, social--that are provided. They enjoy American tourists because we are friendly, engaged and generous.
For most of the group, our trip began with 6 days in Iceland. Our first stop was the Blue Lagoon with its geothermal spa. Afterwards we saw several sights in Reykjavik en route to our hotel, including the Perlan building with city views from the rooftop and Hallgrímskirkja Lutheran church. We spent subsequent days on the south shore, with our base at the lovely Hotel Ranga in Hella. We visited Skogafoss Waterfall, Gulfloss Waterfall and Geysir hot springs, a black volcanic beach with the wreckage of a DC-3 from 1973, Thingvellir National Park where 2 tectonic plates meet, Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon via boat, and Mýrdalsjökull glacier. We got more excitement than we bargained for on the glacier. The ice was thin on one patch and the rear tire of our vehicle went through, titling us to the side. Our fearless guide piled rocks into the rivulet below and eventually got enough traction to drive out. Another day we stopped to feed bread to (the diminutive) Icelandic horses on a farm and saw how tomatoes are grown in a hothouse. Rough seas prevented us from visiting the Westman Islands, so instead we went to Eyjafjallajökull Center, which chronicles one family's plight during the 2010 volcanic eruption that spewed ash all over Europe. We also toured Fakasel Icelandic Horse Park.
We were impressed with the friendliness and civic pride of Icelanders and their concern for the environment. (We even toured a busy recycling drop-off sight.) Almost all heating is geothermal and most materials are recycled. We were pleasantly surprised by the delicious food and the freshness of the fish. They even raise the lowly cod to new heights! A lot of us would like to return for a longer stay.
Copenhagen, Denmark
The rest of our group joined us in Copenhagen. Here we had a city tour that included the Little Mermaid, Gefion Fountain and the Church of Our Savior with its serpentine spire. We visited Rosenborg Castle, Christiansborg Palace, Amalienborg Palace, took a Stromma Canal cruise, and spent some time in Tivoli Gardens. Our wonderful guide Ursula also fit in a visit to the lovely Dragør fishing village south of Copenhagen, which was founded by Dutch settlers.
Norway
Our first destination was Oslo. We had a panoramic city tour and visited the impressive city hall, aka Rådhuset. We learned the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded here each year. We went to the Viking Ship Museum, Norwegian Open-Air Folk Museum and Frogner Park with its Vigeland Sculptures. We also saw the Holmenkollbakken ski jump in the middle of the city and had a lovely lunch overlooking the fjord. In the evening most of us went for drinks at the ice bar, clad in long, fur-lined coats and gloves. Benches, tables, bar and even glasses were made of ice. Fun.
We took the spectacular 6.5-hour train ride from Oslo to Bergen and enjoyed the varied scenery along the way. In Bergen, our walking tour included the Bryggen, UNESCO World Heritage Site, a row of 300-year old Hanseatic commercial buildings along the wharf. In the evening we took the funicular for city views at dusk. We also did a day-long Norway in a Nutshell tour that brought us to Flåm and a boat ride on Nærøyfjord and Aurlandsfjord.
Stockholm, Sweden
We started off with a walking tour of Gamla Stan, the charming old town. We visited the amazing Vasa Museum that houses the warship that sank and was found and salvaged after over 300 years. We also visited Skansen Open Air Museum, Drottningholm Palace and took a boat ride through the archipelago with its thousands of islands.
Helskinki, Finland
Our last stop on this journey of almost 3 weeks was Helsinki. Here we visited Temppeliaukio Rock Church and saw Uspenski and Helsinki Cathedrals. We toured the opera house, going totally behind the scenes to see how all parts of the productions come together. The actual opera house is quite stark, aiming to direct the viewer's attention to the stage. We learned Finland is quite classless--the head of the opera and the lowest-paid workers dine together. There are no special seats for royalty or dignitaries.
We learned from our various guides throughout Scandinavia that they largely don't mind paying high taxes because of all the services--education, health, social--that are provided. They enjoy American tourists because we are friendly, engaged and generous.