June 14th: Arrived Copenhagen on BA from Heathrow. Taxi to Nimb at Tivoli Gardens (30 minutes, cost DKK 335 - about US$55 - all taxis take credit/debit cards). Note, taxis can't/won't park outside Nimb (especially when traffic is heavy) so we were dropped off across the street at Central Railway Station. Our room was in the new wing ( #30), overlooking the Japanese Theatre in Tivoli Gardens. Nice and spacious, lots of amenities. A stay at the Nimb includes free entry to Tivoli so after getting oriented we walked around the Gardens, had a ride on the Rutschebanen, built in 1914 and one of the oldest roller coasters in the World it may be tame by today's standards but a piece of history and still an exhilarating ride. Dinner was a shared pizza, beer & glass of wine at La Vecchia SIgnora in Tivoli (DKK 275). It is reported that Walt Disney designed Disneyland after a visit to Tivoli - and it is easy to draw comparisons, however Tivoli wins hands down when it comes to dining, with dozens of privately run restaurants, versus the fast food Disney fare.
June 15th: Breakfast was included in our room rate (continental plus 1 item off the a la carte), after which we set off to reacquaint ourselves with the city. We walked to Nyhavn - the old port, lined with restaurants; past the Amalienborg Palace, through the Rosenborg Have (Kings Gardens); back through the winding streets and past the Town Hall (Radhus) to the Nimb. Copenhagen is a great city for walkers or cyclists as it is very flat, although not easily navigable without a map, as the streets don't run in a simple grid pattern. As the World Cup had started dinner was burgers & drinks at Rosie McGee's, an Irish bar/restaurant near to the railway station (DKK 386.50). On Friday nights at 10 o'clock Tivoli puts on a free concert - it was well attended, we watched a little - the music was OK but the songs were in Danish & therefore, to us, incomprehensible. Time to turn in, although we could hear the concert in our room.
June 16th: Embarkation day. I got up early & walked to Nyhavn to get some pictures sans the crowds. After a late, leisurely breakfast we had plenty of time to get organised, and repacked ready for embarkation. The port was a 10 - 15 minute taxi ride (DKK 140) & embarkation was smooth & quick. Barely 45 minutes after leaving the hotel we were sipping champagne in the Colonnade while waiting for our suite to be readied. We had been upgraded to a Spa Suite (#1090), which, compared to the regular verandah suites, was palatial (interior 536 sq ft versus 300 sq ft, verandah 172 sq ft versus 65 sq ft). Caroline, our stewardess, was delightful and made us feel special although I am sure she treated all of her passengers to the same high level of service. After the obligatory muster & safety drill it was bon voyage Copenhagen, and on to Aalborg, Denmark.
June 17th: Aalborg, Denmark (8:00am - 5:00pm). The sun shone as we docked although the forecast was cloudy with rain-showers, high of 17C/62F. We planned to take the local bus to the Viking settlement and so after breakfast took the free shuttle into town. No sooner had we received directions to the bus stop the heavens opened and despite taking what shelter we could find, we got soaked. Gwyneth was wearing walking sandals and was soon shivering, so that plan was aborted & we took the shuttle back to the Quest. After lunch the rains abated so we headed into town for a walk around. Aalborg is Denmark's 4th largest city, and based on the abundance of bars, it is easy to see why Aalborg has the reputation of being the happiest city in the world!
June 18th: Kristiansand, Norway (8:00am - 4:00pm). A town on islands, it is the 5th largest city in Norway. The weather forecast was overcast/rain showers, with a high 15C/59F. We planned to walk around Odderoya, an island which was once a major military base, and decided to go for it despite the weather forecast. We got soaked once again! Tonight's dress code was Formal, and the Captain's Welcome Reception. However as it was England vs Tunisia we had room service. An England win - perfect!
June 19th: Rosendal, Norway (9:00am - 5:30pm). Located on the Hardangerfjord, second largest fjord in Norway. The forecast cloudy with rain showers did not disappoint! High 9C/50F. We had planned on doing the Malmanganutta hike, however (thankfully) the lady at the local tourist information office talked us out of it & recommended a shorter hike instead. It was a nice circular walk crossing over a waterfall & looping back through the rose gardens. Needless to say, we got wet yet again. 6:00pm was the Seabourn signature block party - champagne & caviar with the occupants of the other 3 spa suites.
June 20th: Ulvik (7:00am - 11:00am), and Eidfjord (2:00pm to 7:30pm). Forecast - partly cloudy, morning snow/showers, high 4C/39F. Situated at the end of Hardangerfjord, a bridge connects the 2 communities. It was a bit of a funny stop as not really enough time to visit both. We decided to skip Ulvik, go to yoga & have a late breakfast. We had lunch in the main restaurant (a first) and my day was made as the waitress managed to find some coconut ice-cream. After lunch we went ashore at Eidfjord. We took a walk to Lake Eidfjord and an iron age burial ground (about 2 hours), and despite one heavy shower (luckily we took an umbrella) it was a pleasant walk. Our stewardess, Caroline, hired an electric twizzy and said the countryside around was spectacular - maybe next time. Before dinner we enjoyed a show by a local dance troupe/hardanger fiddler - very entertaining. We had booked the Thomas Keller restaurant for dinner, the food was 'OK' but the service was so bad we were motivated to complain, and did not go back.
June 21st: Bergen, Norway (8:00am to 5:30pm). Forecast - cloudy, high 7C, 45F, however, despite one heavy but brief shower the weather was cool but pleasant. Bergen, Norways busiest port, is the second largest city in Norway and served as its capital in the 13th century. On our previous visit to Bergen we took the funicular to Mount Floien (recommended) so this time we explored the city. Bergen is an easy city to explore, not too big but large enough to surprise with several old sections worth exploring.
June 22nd: Skjolden, Norway (8:00am to 5:30pm). Forecast partly cloudy/rain showers, high 5C/40F. Skolden is a tiny village located at the innermost point of the Sognefjorden, Norway's longest fjord. The ship docked about a 10 minute walk to the village. We hired bikes and cycled into the Morkrid valley to Drivande waterfall - approx. 7 km bike ride followed by a steep 30-40 minute climb to the waterfall, providing fantastic views down the valley. There really isn't anything of interest in the village - it is all about hiking, biking and enjoying the stunning scenery.
June 24th: Runavik, Faroe Islands, Denmark (7:00am to 2:30pm). Forecast Rain showers, high 10C/51F. Runavik lies on the south side of the island of Eysturoy, the second largest island in the chain. There isn't a lot in Runavik so we opted for a 3 1/2 hour excursion to Gjogv (pop. 49), a small picturesque village at the north east tip of the island. Part of the journey was along a winding, hilly single track road, definitely not for the fainthearted. At Gjogv we were treated to pancakes and had an hour to wander around the village, before the bus ride back. Our guide was very informative about Faroese life & culture. The weather forecast was accurate and the streams running off the hilltops were in full flow. On returning to Runavik we took a quick walk around Lake Toftavatn (4km). Back in the village the locals in costume entertained us with a Faroese Chain Dance. There are more sheep (75,000) than people (pop. 50,000) on the Faroes, and they come in all colours - white, black, brown & a mix of each. Salmon farming & supplying the North Sea oil industry are the major activities.
June 25th: Lerwick, Shetland Islands, Scotland (10:00am to 10:30pm). Forecast partly cloudy, high 13C/56F. Lerwick is the main port of the Shetland islands and quite a large town. We had signed-up for an early morning zodiac tour of the Isle of Noss to view the bird cliffs but it was cancelled due to expected bad weather. Instead the ship sailed close to Noss to give us a view of the cliffs & myriad seabirds. All passengers had to undergo a face to face immigration inspection before being allowed ashore. The ship docked outside of town with a free shuttle bus to town centre. We opted for a bus tour/ferry ride to the Isle of Mousa to see the ancient 2,000 year old Iron Age Broch - the most complete structure of its kind in the World. Mousa is a designated Nature Reserve, has the largest breeding colony of storm petrels in the UK and is managed by the RSPB. Seals and many other seabirds are in abundance. Population of the Shetlands is approx. 23,000 with half living in or within 10 miles of Lerwick. The economy is based on fishing, energy industry & wool products.
June 26th: Kirkwall, Orkney Islands, Scotland (9:00am to 5:30pm). Forecast partly cludy, sunny spells high 1C/58F. The ship anchored in the bay with a short tender ride to the harbour in the centre of town. We opted for an excursion to Skara Brae, a 5,000 year old neolithic village; the Ring of Brodgar neolithic stone circle; and, Scapa Flow and the watery grave of 833 seaman killed on October 14th, 1939 when the battleship Royal Oak was sunk by a German U-boat. On returning to Kirkwall we visited St. Magnus Cathedral, a magnificent sandstone building, which houses the bell from the Royal Oak and a register of all 833 killed; and, the body of arctic explorer Dr. John Rae, who discovered the Northwest Passage & the fate of the Franklin expedition. The Orkney museum was also worth a visit with an interesting 'walk trough time' exhibition of artifacts from 5,000 years to the present day.
June 27th: Ullapool, Scotland (8:00am to 4:30pm). Forecast sunny, high 22C/72F. A glorious day! Ullapool is a small picturesque town of 1,500 inhabitants, on the east shore of Loch Broom in Cromarty Scottish Highlands. With no excursions booked we tendered into town to be greeted by 'the pipes' played by a young kilted piper. Hearing a lady asking about 'the local bus' we learned of the bus to Achiltibuie (Pds7.50 return, leaving at 10:50am) with a warning not to miss the return as there was no way back from 'the end of the earth'! In all 14 passengers from the ship, plus 5 locals and a dog took the bus - the most passengers they had all year. It was a 45 minute bus ride and we had about 90 minutes to walk around before catching the return. We were dropped off at the Pipers Cafe. After a pot of tea & the best lemon & lime cake ever, we had time to wander down to the coastline for a view of the Summer Isles. The return journey took a slightly different route. The scenery was stunning & well worth the fare.
June 29th: Newcastle upon Tyne, England (8:00am to 4:30pm). Forecast sunny, high 18C/63F. After a day at sea we docked at the Port of Tyne in North Shields, approx. 9 miles from Newcastle city centre. A free shuttle ran every 20 minutes to Tynemouth from where it was possible to catch a metro train into Newcastle (alternatively a taxi was about Pds15). Traditionally a major coal-mining & shipbuilding area, Newcastle today is a bustling university town, with a busy international airport. Ships tours included the Roman Wall, Northumberland Coast & Alnwick Castle. Being originally from Newcastle we had arranged for 3 family members to come aboard for lunch, so in the morning we took a short walk to an outlet shopping mall. The ship departed 30 minutes early to catch the tide.
June 30th: Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England (8:00am to 5:30pm). Forecast sunny, high 18C/65F. The Seabourn Quest was the first cruise ship to visit in 27 years, and the people of Great Yarmouth really rolled out the red carpet. We were met with a Brass Band, the Marine Corps Cadets, a host of local officials and a BBC TV crew. Yarmouth is a seaside resort situated at the mouth of the river Yare about 20 miles east of Norwich, and the gateway from the Norfolk Broads to the North Sea. Once a major fishing port dependent on the herring industry, it has clearly suffered some decline but is trying to rebrand itself with a major wind farm visible offshore. The pier still attracts popular British comedy & vocal acts and the seafront was packed with locals and holidaymakers making the most of the sunshine.
July 1st: Dover disembarkation, prearranged car to Gatwick & B.A. flight home.