thefouramigosblog

Our day was planned with a trip to Uppsala to visit my niece and her family.  It was sunny and on the warmer side with a promise to get up to 65 degrees.  We took the early morning ferry to Stockholm Central Station.  We passed a castle as we rode the ferry.

The boats and buildings were alive with color in the brilliant sunshine.

 

We arrived in Uppsala where my lovely niece greeted us.

Jessica took us for a tour through the streets of Uppsala.  We went to the Central Square.

 

Many people love to ride bikes – they even have a bike parking lot.

There was a rushing river where college boys have boat races every year.

 

We met up with Martin, Jessica’s partner, and her adorable daughter, my grand niece, Cleo.

We found our way to a restaurant for brunch where I had Swedish pancakes with lingonberries.

Cleo played hide and seek behind her mom.  We were working on warming up.

Cleo wasnt sure if she wanted to eat what was on her plate.

The many faces of Cleo.  Is she warming up?

After brunch we walked to a beautiful old church.

 

Cleo had more fun playing outside.

 

We walked around the university.

 

We then walked to a castle.  Bruce took pictures of some cannons.

 

Then he caught Jessica and I taking a break.

On our way to their apartment we stopped at a bakery, where they picked up Swedish Braid or what my father called Saturday Special.  They had lots of goodies in the bakery.

We spent some time at their apartment and then headed back to Stockholm.

Walking back to the ferry I took a picture of Bruce with his new car.  A Lamborghini!  Only joking.

Lots of beautiful buildings.

What a great day with my niece and her family!

 

 

 

 

After spending two very worthwhile days in southern Sweden, we were off to Stockholm, the birthplace of my mother’s father, or in Swedish Mor Far.  To his Grandchildren he was Little Baga.  We opted for first class train tickets when we changed trains in Hassleholm for the 4 hour ride.  It was only $20 more and well worth it.

We had comfy seats, a private bathroom for first class, free coffee and snacks.  Very nice.

The landscape was dotted again with barn red houses, mustard gold buildings, and many lakes.  We diligently scanned the landscape for moose but did not see a one.

We arrived in Stockholm with only a minor delay.  We caught a cab that took us to our hotel, Elite Hotel Marina Tower.  It turned out to be a great place to stay.

It it is right on the water and a ferry can pick us up to take us to the museums.  We bought our tickets and even was able to get the senior rate.

We had dinner in the hotel restaurant.  It was quite pricey but good.  We both had fish dishes.  And we both had dessert.

In the morning we had a buffet breakfast that was included with our room.  Swedish breakfast includes cheeses, ham, salami, fruits, salads, yogurts, eggs, bacon, sausage and many different breads.  And of course a good cup of coffee.

After breakfast we hopped the ferry to the Vasa Museum.  The Vasa ship was a war ship that went down in Stockholm harbor on its maiden voyage in 1628

The ship was resurrected from the sea floor in 1961 and the preservation has continued to this day.

There are many carvings that were salvaged.  This is due to the fact that the waters of the Baltic do not have wood eating worms that waters in warmer climates have which would have destroyed the wood under water for over 300 years.

The size of this ship and the preservation methods were very interesting.  The Vasa Museum is one of the most visited museums in Stockholm.

 

We visited the Nordic Museum next, which highlighted furnishings and clothing from 18th century to present.

Just going into the building was a treat.  I thought it was a church at first but the museum had been established in 1873.  The building was completed in 1907.

We stopped for a coffee and pastry in the museum after we hit the 4 mile mark.

From the street, we could see the beautiful buildings.  The canals were as lovely as those in Copenhagen and we saw many beautiful wooden sailing vessels.

We were in Stockholm at just the right time.  The cherry blossoms were in bloom and they were beautiful.  Everyone was out enjoying the warmer air (55 degrees) and sunnier weather.

There is also a Stockholm Tivoli here to amuse the people of this area.  This is called Grona Lund.

We had a light dinner at Cafe Albert.  I had a shrimp salad and Bruce had lasagna.

 

Then we took the ferry back to the hotel and called it a day!  5 miles!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When I decided to extend our trip to Sweden, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do and where I was going to go.  All I knew was we were going to stay in a small sea coast town in Southern Sweden near where my grandmothers were born.

Our first challenge was getting out of Copenhagen and getting on the right train.  Luckily, the people were so helpful and most spoke some English.  Bruce and I could not muster a word.  Our train came and we climbed aboard.  It was a lovely, comfortable train.

We waited for a customs inspector to check our passports after we crossed over the border but nobody showed up.  We crossed a large body of water with windmills.

The countryside had many farms.  In Sweden many homes are barn red or a mustard yellow.

We were almost halfway to Karlshamn when the conductor came to get our tickets.   It turned out we were sitting in first class.  We asked how much more and we were going to buy the upgrade and he said, “don’t worry about it.”  So now I know why the train was so nice and not crowded.

Our B&B in Karlshamn is adorable.  We have a lovely room with an ensuite bath.

The house has several old fireplaces, and a cozy outside sitting area where you can watch the birds.

We walked to town and came upon a May Day parade.  This is a very popular holiday in Sweden and a lot of places were closed.

The Karlshamn Square has a fountain, benches to sit on and also has market days.

The Carl Gustafson Kyrka (church) was built in 1702 and stands on the north side of the square.

Our full day in Karlshamn was an amazing day.  We began by walking to the harbor, where we gazed upon the emigrant’s monument.  I was standing on the grounds where my grandmothers had stood over 100 years ago.

I gazed out on the Harbor wondering what their thoughts and dreams were, wishing I could ask them the million questions going through my mind.  It felt like hallowed ground, only knowing that they were here so very long ago.

We walked to what is known as the rose garden to see the statue of Lila Maja in memorial of Alice Tegner.

We walked down the cobblestone lanes feeling the history of this quaint little city.

The Hoppet Hotel” was the Hotel of the emigrants.  I am not sure, but my grandmothers may have stayed here before they made the crossing to America.

 

We had walked quite a bit so we decided to take a coffee break and found a cute little bakery called Rocko’s.

My mother’s mother, who we called Mor Mor, was born in Asarum which was 5 minutes outside of Karlshamn.  My father’s mother, Nany, was born in Brakne Hoby which was about 20 minutes away.  We decided to get a cab to take us to Asarum.  I don’t know what I expected to see or find.  The taxi driver pointed out the church.  Bruce and I went to the church.

Bruce and I started looking at the gravestones.  It was like looking for a needle in a haystack.  But then I found it.  My great grandmother.  It has to be her.  The dates fit. I knew her name because my daughter was thinking of naming her daughter Olivia.  It looks as though someone takes care of the grave.  But I was ecstatic that coming to this small town lead to a discovery.

It was an exciting, eventful day.  I felt like we had accomplished something by coming to Southern Sweden.

For dinner we had a nice Thai dinner.  Yes, I said Thai!  It seems to be very popular in Sweden.

Tomorrow we are off to Stockholm!

Our voyage across the Atlantic ended with some sweet memories.  We made a few friends during the past two weeks that we felt like we knew for years.  So farewells were bittersweet but we all hoped we’d meet again on another voyage.  It was a foggy morning and from our side of the ship we couldn’t see anything for awhile.  But then the sun suddenly appeared.

It was a chaotic trip off the ship and we took a shuttle to Central Station in Copenhagen.  It was the sick ward with people hacking away with uncovered mouths.  We avoided any shipboard sickness so we put napkins over our faces and made sure we didn’t touch anything on the way off.  Once in Copenhagen, the bus unceremoniously dumped us all on the street.  We loaded Maps.me and found our way to our hotel.  It wasn’t very far but Bruce stopped to puff on his cigar while I rested my back.

Our hotel room wouldn’t be ready until 3 but they had a place to store our bags.  Now we had time to explore Copenhagen but of course I needed a cup of coffee first.

This was a cute little cafe with good coffee.  I also had granola and Greek yogurt.  Yummy!

Our first order of business was to go to the train station and find out about the train to Sweden.  It was an interesting old station.

They even had a Dunkin Donuts.  Made me feel like home.

The train ail station is across the street from Tivoli Gardens, the second oldest amusement park in the world.

City Hall is centrally located across the street from Tivoli Gardens.  The facade of the building is ornate with gilded ornamentation as well as sculptures.

In the City Hall Plaza stands the Dragon Fountain, as well as a sculpture of Hans Christian Anderson, the writer of fairy tales.

We stopped at the hotel to check in and change our clothes.  We have a cute room with a window looking out on the street.  We can also see the City Hall clock tower from our room.

Christiansborg Palace was built from 1907 to 1928.  It is used as the seat for Danish Parliament and the Prime Ministers Office.

The Royal Family doesn’t reside here but they do use the Royal Stables, Palace Chapel and Royal Reception Rooms.

The Royal Library is also on the grounds.

The grounds were quite grandiose and due to time constraints didn’t go inside for a tour but did go into the gift shop, which had sculptures and paintings.

We exited the palace on the other side and came upon the Royal Naval Church.  This church dates back to the 1600s.

The carved piece is dated to the 1600s and is made of oak.  The organ has 4300 pipes and was originally built in the 1700s.  It was last rebuilt in 1956.

After we left the church we saw that there was no wait line for the canal boat rides.  There had been long waits all day so we decided to go for a ride.  It was great!  It was right across the street from the old stock exchange building with the three tailed dragon sculpture.

Our tour guide spoke in 3 languages and he was great.  It was amazing to see the old architecture mixed in with the new.  We rode under low bridges.

The theatre is a modern architecture where people can sit outside and enjoy the sunny days.

The opera house, another modern building, has 14 floors, 5 of them underground.  They also use the flat top roof for cliff diving events.

One of the most interesting and colorful places we went was Nyhavn, a 17th century waterfront canal district.

It was a former red light district in the 1600s and there may still be a few remnants of that today.

But mostly it is colorful buildings, beautiful old boats, and tourists.

We also saw the Little Mermaid, unfortunately only from the back.

According to our guide, the poor mermaid has been decapitated and mutilated and spray painted over the years.

For dinner we ate at Tight.  It was good but pricey.  I had pasta with prawns, Bruce had it without.

For dessert we went to Bertels Salon for cheesecake.  Very good!

Today we went to Tivoli Gardens.  On our way over to the park, we saw the press gathering.  It turns out Caro, the World No. 2 Danish tennis player was going to be here.  However, it was not for another half hour so we didn’t hang around.

We decided not to go on rides but just to go to take pictures and get a feel for the place.  Walking in, you can feel the age of the place although the rides are very modern.

 

One terrifying ride called vertigo went so fast, spinning I was wondering how people were when they got off.  I noticed only teenage boys and girls went on this ride.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen a ride at this speed before.

There is a roller coaster which is supposedly the oldest wooden roller coasters built in 1914.  The bumper cars and Ferris wheel are very old as well.  The tilt a whirl are Viking ships and the carousel has exotic animals.

There is a hotel inside the park with restaurants Nimb Bar and Grill.  This place looks like it’s in India.

A pirate ship is actually a family restaurant.

Bruce and I had pastry at Tivolis Kaffebar.  I had a macaroon and Bruce had rhubarb pie.

We spent quite a few hours walking the park and here are some random shots from the day.

We returned in the evening to catch Tivoli under the lights.

 

 

 

I love tulips.  They are happy flowers facing up at the sun smiling.  They are bright, cheerful and colorful.  But until I went to Keukenhof Gardens, I didn’t know  how many variations of tulips there are.

At Keukenhof there are 8 million tulip bulbs planted by hand each year on 70 landscaped acres.

The park is only open from mid March until Mid May but during that time they have nearly 65,000 visitors each day.

There are beautiful red tulips in different sizes and styles.

Pointed tip tulips in a variety of colors or multi colored tulips dotted the gardens.

I even saw a green and pink tulip that looked like a cabbage.

Vibrant colors everywhere.

Beautiful calla lilies in shades of yellows and pinks graced the lovely gardens.

Daffodils were in bloom and grew amongst the tulips.

There were many varieties of daffodils and they were at the peak of their bloom.

The reflection pools with shimmering colors soothing the soul as you gaze upon them.

A marvelous blue river of the Muscari Armeniacum flower flowing upward and spiraling around a bend.

Rhododendrons in bloom enhanced the beauty of the gardens.

Women dressed in period wardrobes sold seeds and provided maps of the park.

The park had an extensive orchid garden with many varieties of orchids.

The blue orchids are created by adding blue dye to the water.

We climbed the windmill in the park and looked out upon the fields of tulips.

Our tour guide, Ronald with Dutch Travel Advisor, was very informative.  After several hours at the gardens he took us to his home for lunch, where we met his lovely family.

After a delicious lunch of soup, salads and sandwiches, we were off to the Delft Pottery place where we learned about how they make their beautiful pieces, all hand painted.

To know if it’s true Delftware, the logo should be on the bottom.

A little canal ran across the street from the pottery place and there was a water tower that was not used any longer.

Along the roads we could see the giant windmills in all their splendor.  According to Ronald, there are 1200 remaining and they are protected against destroying or changing them from their historical significance.

The city of Delft is a smaller, quainter Amsterdam because of its canals and medieval churches.  It turned out our visit corresponded with King’s Day, the King’s Birthday.  All over the Netherlands people were dressed in orange and parties were going on including in Delft.  Everyone gets the day off.

King’s Day is the only day of the year that people can sell their stuff – like we sell our stuff at yard sales in the US.

I remember they had outside urinals similar to the ones they had in Amsterdam.  They were getting a lot of use because the beer was flowing heavily.

The Old Church was closed today.  This church was built in 1240.

The New Church, and yes that is it’s name, was built in the 1300s. It was open so we were able to get a brief tour.

The William of Orange mausoleum was quite impressive.  He was the first person interred in the New Church.  The Royal Family members have been interred there as well but there is no access to the public.

The church also has an organ with 3,000 pipes which was finished in 1839.

The Church also has many stained glass windows but one stood out because it was an abstract, by artist Annemiek Punt.

We did so much today we almost didn’t make it back to the boat on time.  An amazing day!

 

It was a cold morning for our trip to Bruges but I was dressed warm in my sheep fur lined jacket and gloves.

For a moment I thought we might have been in Disney World.  The bustling crowds, the quaint village so pristine it almost seemed unreal, and shops hawking their wares everywhere.

From what I know, Bruges was once the main port in Belgium but due to the canals drying up in the 14th century Brussels became the bustling center of commerce for Belgium.  The canals are now full and flowing and boats provide tours one after the other.

Windmills were whirling in the wind providing a space aged look to the landscape.

As we walked over the bridge entering this medieval village, I could smell the sweet sugary odor of the famous Belgium waffle.  I knew I was going to have to eat one of those today.

On the other side of the bridge we found a lovely tulip garden.

We walked the cobblestone streets and came upon a monastery where signs displayed asked for silence.

Swans were everywhere.  In the canals and resting on the banks.  It was also mating season so some of them were a little feisty.

Finally it was time to have our delicious treats.  We stopped at an outside cafe and had yummy Belgium waffles.

It was a great day in Bruges!

D-Day – June 6, 1944 is a day of remembrance, especially on the northern coast of France. We arrived in Cherbourg, France today and had arranged a ship tour to Some of the WWII Sites.  From the tour bus we could see a fort out on the water.

The countryside was lovely with centuries old buildings with slated roofs and whitewashed brick along with 13th century churches and cemeteries.

We arrived at the Azeville Gun Battery with winds howling but the sun shining.  It was very cold.  The gun battery was a subterranean network and complete defense system created by the Germans during the war.

During the war, the German camouflaged the buildings to look like houses to the Allied forces flying over the country.

Walking through the underground network was a little claustrophobic, especially since there were so many people going through.

Utah Beach was our next stop.  We arrived at low tide.

There was a US assault landing craft on display which was called a Higgins Boat.

Approximately 22,000 were constructed during WWII and used in The Normandy invasion.

There were several monuments to the sailors and soldiers who came ashore at Utah Beach.

Our final stop on the tour was the town of Sainte-Mere Eglise which was made famous in the movie the Longest Day.  The  famous church where Red Buttons landed his parachute in the movie still has a parachute and mannequin hanging from the rafters.

The church which was built in the 12th and 13th centuries had beautiful stained glass, which was not from that time period.

It was a beautiful church.

We went through a WWII museum in the town which had air planes from the war.

A group of children were dressed in WWII costume at the museum learning about French history in the war.

After our tour of the museum, Bruce and I went to a Cafe for some coffee and pastries.

For dinner we ate at Alfredo’s on the ship and then went to see a great show.

What a great day!

Last night we fell asleep, a restless sleep in anticipation of arriving in Ponta Delgada. The Azores as Americans say it or how they say it in Portuguese, Acores with a little s in the c.  From our balcony we gazed upon luxury yachts surrounded by a quaint city with mountains, whose peaks were hidden behind thick gray clouds.

I had booked a trip through the cruise critic site with 3 other couples and I knew we would be protected from the elements in a mini tour van.

We met up in the lobby of the ship and disembarked together.  We found our driver waiting at the gate- a very informative man who spoke English well.

Our first observation was what an amazingly clean island it is.  The roads are excellent and there was no debris on the sides of the roads.  Just lovely flowers. They do have an abundance of hydrangeas but unfortunately they were not in bloom.  Plants were everywhere. There were also many azaleas in bloom.

Our first view was an overlook at a whale watching site.  The fog and clouds were very thick and the ocean faded in and out below.

We drove to the sea where there were giant boulders in the ocean.  These had been deposited there from s volcanic eruption centuries ago.

According to our tour guide the country was under a dictatorship for years and buildings had to be painted white.  In 1986 that changed and now colorful dwellings are found all around the island.

We stopped for a coffee break.  I had a cup of coffee and we watched a local parade.

There was a beautiful church in this town and there are churches in every village.

The weather wasn’t fully cooperating but we were hoping to see the two lakes- one blue; one green at Sete Cidades.  But the best vantage point is at the top of the mountain.  We watched as the clouds and fog parted and revealed the lakes.

At one point we were all taking pictures and another van stopped but by the time they came over the view was behind the clouds.  They waited for about five minutes and then gave up. As soon as they  were gone the clouds parted and the lakes appeared.  It was a vanishing act.

Santiago Lake was quite beautiful as well.

Our last stop around the countryside was at a 500 year old aqueduct.  It was quite amazing covered in moss over the centuries.

Since visiting bakeries in foreign countries has become part of our travels, I couldn’t resist going into this place before boarding the ship.

Bruce had the donut which was filled with cream.  Mine was a coconut filling.  Both were fresh and delicious and all for a cost of 2.85 euro.

The streets were cobblestone and arranged in an elaborate pattern.

There wasn’t enough time to explore this quaint little city since we had to be back on the ship by 1:30.  But we did walk a few blocks and I was able to capture the flavor of the city.

We really fell in love with this little island and would not mind returning to spend some more time.

 

Six days of seafull bliss.  Nothing to do but to relax, unwind, and indulge.  We have had really beautiful weather; weather I don’t think most were prepared for.  The chaise lounges are readily available at all times of day.

 

The Regal Princess also has the adults only Sanctuary, hardly necessary on this Transatlantic trip since I have only seen about four children and one teenager.

Bruce and I have now dined three times in the dining room.  One night we were seated with a couple from Toronto and another from Florida.  I had cherries jubilee for dessert.

We spend an hour each day in the spa and we discovered the perfect time when the crowds are low.  We usually use the tiled beds than the jacuzzi followed by The saunas.  We leave there feeling very relaxed.

Time changes are challenging.  Almost every night we push the clocks ahead an hour.  We have coffee delivered at 8. But then roll over and go back to sleep.  We missed working out yesterday.  So I spent some time walking the track in the afternoon.

We also found an outdoor putting green and Bruce also played in an indoor laser shooting gallery.

Last night was formal night and lobster was on the menu.  We dressed up for the occasion.

We sat with a couple from Australia, a couple from Philadelphia, and a couple from California.  We had a fun time with this group.

The show tonight was excellent.  It was all about dancing from many of the great Broadway musicals.  It was a packed house.  I have found the entertainment has been better in this ship then either Royal Caribbean or Celebrity.  We have been quite impressed.

Today was very quiet.  Our last sea day before we hit the Azores.  We went to the gym and then went to seminars on pirates  and on navigation.  I was so sleepy from clocks being pushed forward.

Tonight we went to another great show.  The violinist, Chris Watkins and a singer Andrew Diessner.  It was fabulous.

Off to bed and then up early to see the Azores!

 

Company is all gone and we had several days to wind down in Antigua.  Unfortunately, Bruce and I had colds so our last few days were uneventful.  After Keith left, we hung around the apartment reading and relaxing.  I even cooked the one and only time during our trip.  I made a spinach, tomato and cheese omelet.

Sunday we went to Cafe Barista for our morning coffee.  We stayed there a few hours  talking with some people we knew.

 

On Sunday nights a group of women meet on the corner of 6 and 6.  We meet up for Sunday supper.  Deet Lewis, a resident of Antigua, has been bringing women together for Sunday supper for many years.  It was a nice time at the Rainbow Cafe.

Afterwards, I met up with Bruce at Central Park and then headed home.

Monday we had lunch at the Porto Hotel.  It’s a lovely setting and I am always tempted to jump in the pool.

 

We met up with Elba who just completed a runner for me.  She had the cutest little granddaughter.

 

Later that day we had coffee with friends and said our goodbyes to those we wouldn’t see again.

Tuesday, we met our friends, Patty and Chris for breakfast at San Martin.

 

After we ate we all went to the rooftop to see the volcanoes.

 

At the park we said our goodbyes to Clara.

 

We met up with our favorite peanut man, Manuel.  His mom, Christina and brother Carlos were there.  Carlos saw us and shouted out, “mi amigos.”

On Wednesday, we went to the park and met up with Ruth.  We said our goodbyes to Ruth and Oscar.

We had lunch at Luna de Miel, our favorite crepe place.

We could see Fuego from there but it was pretty quiet.

I had coffee with my friend Adrianna and then we said our goodbyes until next year unless I decide to go to Malaga.

For dinner we ate at our favorite little restaurant, Mamas.  I had spanakopita and Bruce had pasta.

We had a lot to pack.  I hate that about going away.  Packing up dirty clothes ykkk!

Alexandro picked us up in the morning and finally headed back to the states!

See you next year Antigua!