Can’t “win ‘em all” as they say. Travel long enough and you’ll get rained on somewhere – the typically beautiful Lofoten’s were largely a washout for us, so due to the poor weather there we moved on quickly. The Lofoten ferry took us out through the short route, across the mouth of Vestfjorden to Bodo on the mainland. In Bodo, in just one day, we saw the weather change frequently ( usually for the worse ! ) but managed to salvage at least a delightful seaside evening out by the fjord. The bad weather days of course, have not all been in vain – we’ve learned from experience to use those productively as well, and typically spend them doing our laundry, grocery shopping or any other such endeavor that can be done equally easily no matter the conditions.
Camped here at Bodo. A beautiful evening and enjoyed a long seaside walk.Out for an evening walk by the fjord at Bodo catching the late afternoon sun.
It was quite a long ( but interesting ) run from Bodo down to Trondheim, our next area of interest. A few images below will tell the story. By Trondheim conditions had changed quite dramatically and we really felt that we were by then ( more or less anyway ) out of the snow zone. Warmer weather, greener fields, leaves starting to appear in trees – all a welcome relief !
Leaving Bodo and heading south we crossed the Arric Corcle again. And it felt like the Arctic !!!Stopped for a tea break and caught a guy “mushing” with his sled and dogs. This is a bank of Tesla electric charges near Trofors ( a small town )in Norway. They have one of the highest levels of electric vehicle ownership in the world ( and probably the highest ownership level of Tesla’s ! ).Among our stranger experiences in Norway. In the tiny ( and I mean TINY ) town of Trofors on a Sunday morning we were pulled over to do a breathalyzer test. Zero reading of course !
Trondheim turned on the best of days for us and most of the days south of Trondheim out into the western Fjords varied from at least reasonable to very good. Andalsnes, Alesund and ( what many consider to be Norway’s best fjord) Geiranger were all a sight to behold and in each of these places the weather held up nicely. The drive through this whole area was just spectacular – we had high expectations based on our 1985 travels and we were not disappointed. As an interesting aside for many of the days we spent in the area we ended up ( purely coincidentally ) tracking the great Cunard ahip, the Queen Mary 2 all around the Alesund and Olden area. Nothing like a giant Norwegian fjord to make a massive cruise ship look like little more than a toy !
Road scene near Vinjeora. Once around Trondheim we started getting back to lots of green in the scenery. A nice change from white !Spectacular Nidaros cathedral, a pilgrimage sight in Trondheim. First opened back in 1300.The “Old Town” bridge, Trondheim.Pretty waterfront buildings in Trondheim.Trondheim waterfront.Ski jumps, here near Trondheim. We’ve seen many in Norway, no wonder they win so many golds at the Winter Olympics !Sadly, leaving Trondheim we had hoped to drive the famous “Trollstigen” but it was closed for repair 😞😞
One of the benefits of being this far south again was that the snow was just on the very tops of the mountains and fields all around us were green – trees were even getting leaves, so the general scenery was much improved from farther north. One of the things that has not changed ( all over Norway ! ) is the number of “cottages” we see everywhere – it seems that every Norwegian family has a small cottage somewhere – up in the hills, down by the sea or nestled in by the fjords, anywhere there is a flat piece of land ! These places are all seasonal and as we travelled in these parts we could see that people were starting to open them up for the coming summer.
Isfjorden.Pretty waterfront at Andalsnes.
Pretty ( and very popular ) Alesund is a city with an interesting history. Completely destroyed by fire in 1904, the city was completely rebuilt in the ( then ) fashionable “Art Nouveau” style. It’s beautiful, distinctive and timeless. It reminded us in a way of Napier in New Zealand – destroyed by an earthquake in the 1930’s the politicians of the day had the wisdom to decree that all new building follow the Art Deco theme that was then all the rage. Like Alesund, Napier now has a unique style and beauty that continues to draw visitors from all over the world.
Alesund, typical art nouveau architecture. As we walked around we often remarked that the whole place looked like a film set!More of same.Ditto.Ditto.View across to Alesund from our park-up spot across the bay.A popular wild camp spot across the harbour from Alesund. We had it to ourselves- perfect tranquility. In 2 months it will be jam-packed.First bumped into the Queen Mary 2 at Alesund. We would cross paths again.The sheer walls of Geiranger fjord.Part of Geiranger fjord.View over Geiranger village and the fjord.Van parked at Olden, Innvikfjord, Queen Mary 2 moored nearby.QM2 up close !QM2 dwarfed by the fjord. At a distance it looked like a toy.Scenery near Eidsdal.Overlooking pretty Byrkjelo.
It must be said that the Norwegians have done a stunning job connecting this mountainous country all together with 1100 tunnels and hundreds of ferries to get you over ( or under !) the long fjords that run in from the coast. This was not an easy country to tame, but they have made traversing it extremely easy. Everything works, it’s all well kept, and it all runs on time- it’s a very easy place to love ( just ignore some of the highest fuel prices in the world and you’ll be fine – crazy, because they have lots of oil ! ). They make life easy here for campers which just adds to the allure- Norway ( and other Scandinavian countries ) are all a dream for wild camping due to a centuries old law known as “allemannsretten”, something we wish more countries would adopt. Sadly, in some parts of Europe the attitude is completely the opposite.
We’ve always considered this one of, if not, perhaps THE most beautiful countries in the world and we’ve not seen anything on this visit that would cause us to change that view. They don’t consistently rank at or near the top of global living standard rankings by accident.
In closing, here’s a little joke for the week – good reason not to wait too long to get some travelling in !
We’ll continue on next blog with the drive on to Bergen and on across the south of Norway to Oslo, wrapping up our stay in this beautiful country.
Inari ( Finland ) is only a short hop across Hwy 92 to the Norwegian border at Karasjok. From there it was only a 4 hour drive to the very top of Europe – to some a mystical place, to the Sami people of this region a place of spiritual significance, and to many others ( like us ) simply the remote and foreboding far northern extremity of the continent. We had waited decades for this moment, and here it was just a few hours ( mind you, some very nail biting hours ! ) drive away.
Our final day drive to the cape, from northern Finland.
If I’m entirely truthful, the magnitude of the moment was still a bit less than it should ( and could ) have been. Rather than starting in Canada ( as we did ) we should have been starting in Cape Town ( South Africa ) and completing the grand daddy of all overland treks, the “Cape To Cape”. Alas, a global pandemic and a few inconvenient African civil wars put paid to that ( it was to have followed our PanAm adventure back in 2020/21 ). Such is life. But hey, it’s been a heck of a ride from our home in Kelowna, to Baltimore, to Hamburg and on through mainland Europe and Scandinavia to get this far and we are truly excited about this day we’ve looked forward to for so long.
One of the Cape to Cape routes. This fellow did it on a bicycle, alone ( just before the pandemic ). Impressive !
By northern Finland we were already into heavy snow conditions, sub-zero temperatures, howling winds and we knew this last stretch would throw all that at us and more ( narrower roads, icier surfaces, and more challenging visibility) but with our 4×4 set up, good ground clearance, and heavy duty all- weather tires it should not present us any problems. And, with our inside creature comforts we’d be comfortable doing it. The fact that we were in the ONLY vehicle up here without studded winter tires was a tad disconcerting😳.
How it looked as we left Finland.
The run to the Norwegian border was uneventful and while we were not required to stop at the border ( a Schengen benefit ) we did pull up and take the time to talk to the very friendly Norwegian customs and immigration lady. Same question we had fired at the Finn’s when we arrived in Helsinki – was there any way that we could use Canada’s historic bilateral visa agreements with the Scandinavian countries to circumvent the limitations of the 90 day Schengen visa rules which all three of these countries now subscribed to ? In short, as polite as she was, she could not deliver the news we wanted. No, after 90 days in Europe, we had to exit one way or another. End of story. Hey, we tried.
”OK, but where’s ‘Norway’ ? “ 🤣🤣
Having somewhat anticipated this we had moved a little more quickly than we would’ve liked in this first month in order that we had a little more time up our sleeve at the back end and this last bit of bad news from the Norwegian’s only confirmed to us that the strategy had been a good one. At least it now left us with what should be enough time to do what we wanted to do in the first 90 days- if perhaps at the cost of arriving here in northern Norway just a bit sooner than would have been ideal. So far, no weather issues but this would be the tough stretch.
Norwegian town en route to Nordkapp.
The biggest difference between Finland and Norway is unquestionably the mountains. As in, Finland doesn’t have any and Norway is absolutely covered in them ! Big, beautiful, high rocky ones, some of which we had to cross to get to Nordkapp. That was one concern. The other was just the extreme latitude and remoteness ( hundreds of kilometres north of the nearest town of any size ) and of course now well above the Arctic Circle. Just how far ?
Lower on the E39 to Nordkapp.But the roads soon got like this, and much worse….
I googled Deadhorse, in Alaska, and Tuktoyuktuk, in Canada’s NWT – the former at approx. 70 degrees north and the latter at just over 69. At Nordkapp we’d be well over 71 degrees. So, way, way, north – officially farther north than we’d ever been in our lives. A few years back the BBC did a story on the E69 ( the road to Nordkapp ), an interesting read (here).
Pulled this off a website that covered the expedition of a couple of motorcyclists to each the worlds 3 most northerly driveable roads. Nordkapp coldest for us as well !
As we saw the terrain change once in Norway it started to actually feel more remote. Fewer vehicles, the roads narrowed, the roads were in parts completely snow-covered and of course we had long since stopped seeing any trees. It was, in places, almost lunar-like.
Nordkapp actually sits on the island of Mageroya which is connected to the mainland by a tunnel almost 7km long. It’s long, and DEEP – it actually goes under the seabed. Just another bit of eeriness to add to the moment. We passed the sheer sides of fjords, more ( shorter ) tunnels, some small remote settlements and then the last town of any size- Honningsvag. There were now countless reindeer warning signs ( but no more moose warning signs – they are smart enough not to come this far north it seems ! ).
As we went further north, moose warning signs gave way to reindeer signs.…and shortly thereafter we saw one.
Just outside Honningsvag is the turn-off for the final run to the top – and a warning that we may need to join a snowplough “convoy” which goes only twice a day. The road seemed ok at this point although snow was in places banked up almost 2m high on the road sides, at times making it seem like we were driving in a tunnel with no top. “Fortune favours the brave”, it’s said – we’d come this far without assistance, we’d go it alone.
Apart from some steep climbs and descents, some slippery ice here and there and fairly continuous snow drifts, the last 20kms was actually not too bad. Slow, very narrow in places, and with 4×4 engaged all the way to maximize traction, but at no point was it frightening. We had noticed as far back as Helsinki that almost all the vehicles here at this time of year have studded tires and certainly all vehicles this far north have them. We do not since they would be terribly impractical for the other 95% of our journey, but it does mean that we have to exercise. an extra degree of caution on the icy roads up here. Some of the campers did not have 4 x 4 but they ALL had studded tires – and frankly, in these conditions, the studded tires would offer a lot more safety and security than any 4 x 4 system.
Stopped for a break and noticed some very weird crystal formations on the rims – so perfectly symmetrical.
Just after lunch time we could see the unmistakable dome that marks the Nordkapp centre and we pulled in joining the dozen or so vehicles ( most were campers ) already there. We had made it – and I had won a bet. At one point a couple of days before Lois said, said “Jeff there’ll be no one up there at this time of year. There’s no one crazy enough to do it”. She agreed, reluctantly, that nine vehicles counted as just a few more than “no one”, and, like me, began to just soak in the moment – here we were, finally, certainly as far as “drivability” goes, pretty much on top of the world. It felt good, very, very good.
Pulling in to Nordkapp !Stopped for a selfie….…then went to the Nordkapp “globe” marking the northernmost point reachable by road in Europe.View west from Nordkapp.View east ( towards Russia ) from Nordkapp.The route we have taken through Europe.
So, you’re here now, you’ve made it to one of those milestone places you’ve long thought about – what’s to do ? Well, much more in summer than there is in early spring, but but there are various monuments to explore sculptures, a museum, a very nice restaurant, a cinema telling the story of North Cape, and lots of history around the place that speak to its early discovery and the many famous people who have come this far. Folks with any interest in World War II history will probably be aware that just off the north Cape a very famous battle was fought between the German and British Navy that resulted in the sinking of the great German battleship, the Scharnhost, and there is a gripping story of the cat and mouse naval manoeuvres that led to it.
A museum display detailing the Battle of North Cape and the sinking of the Scharnhorst.Seven of us stayed overnight. Every other vehicle was from Germany.A view to Nordkapp.
We had a full afternoon taking in all that and chatting with others, congratulating ourselves on the achieving of getting here. There was also one unexpected gem – a huge pod of whales passed the cape as we were taking our pictures. Conditions were bad, light was fading and snow was falling, and as we were up so high the whales were far far away. The still pictures just did not turn out as it was very difficult to focus on what looked like small objects on the ocean surface however, the short video I shot clearly shows a couple of the whales surfacing and the spouts of water they created. The holy grail is to be at Nordkapp at this time of year and observe a beautiful aurora borealis ( northern lights ) display – too much cloud on the night we stayed, so we missed that but took the whale sighting as a good consolation prize.
Ok, the worst quality video EVER ( blowing snow, strong wind and a very distant clip ), BUT, you can see two whales spouting just off Nordkapp.Nordkapp sits on a plateau about a thousand feet above sea level. Looking down to the Barents Sea.
Like most who make it up there in a camper vehicle we spent the night and toasted with a celebratory drink and dinner we’d prepared. Interesting sidebar – we were the only camper van there that wasn’t from Germany, Nordkapp obviously being very high on German travellers’ bucket lists. It then occurred to us that we may possibly have been the only Canadian campervan that’s ever been there !
So, now to head south – the days will get longer, the weather should get warmer and we still have so much of Norway’s beautiful coastline to explore. We are looking forward to it.
After the ( almost ) micro-states of the Baltics, Finland loomed large on the map of Europe. Like the Baltic countries, a place with its own distinctive culture and language ( and some incredibly long place names ! ) it has also been controlled by others over its history. The Swedes controlled it for centuries, the Russians for a period, and during WW2 the Germans even took control for a while. Finland’s geographic position means it’s always had to carefully balance relations with its neighbours but today it’s a rich, safe, clean and in many places very beautiful country. The only one of the Scandinavian countries we’d not visited before, there was much anticipation as the Viking Line ferry carefully navigated us into Helsinki harbour on a crisp but sunny Spring day. While the ferry entry to Finland is definitely scenic, the city itself ( in contrast to many others ) has a strikingly low profile. That surprised us, especially the real abscence of tall buildings common elsewhere.
Our Viking Line “ferry” – much more like a cruise ship, inside and out !It’s one of Helsinki’s popular attractions – just watching all the ships and ferry’s come and go through its narrow harbour opening.When we landed I asked the Finnish immigration folks if there was any chance of getting more time in Finland “outside “ the Schengen 90 day limit – a flat “No” !
Once off the ferry a park-up spot was located ( right by the harbour ) giving us a great base to explore the city. It was a Sunday, it was sunny, and the Finn’s were out in droves. Walking, hiking, shopping, with the dogs, sipping lattes in outdoor cafés, and just enjoying life ( apparently this was the first sun they’d seen in quite a while ).
Downtown Helsinki.Helsinki’s kauppatori, famous enclosed harbour front food market.
The day was spent doing the requisite exploration of downtown plaza’s, squares, churches and historic monuments – Suomenlinna, the historic fortress on a small island in the harbour, was a definite highlight. Just east of Helsinki lies the historic waterfront town of Porvoo, unusual among small towns in that it has an exceptionally well-preserved Old Town – well worth the extra day we spent there.
Suomenlinna Fort.Old Russian gun, Suomenlinna Fort.The historic fort was used in WW2 as a base for submarines.Porvoo.Porvoo Old TownPorvoo historic church.The outdoor cafe’s in Porvoo were great…!Porvoo
What most excited us about Finland (in contrast to the more densely populated countries we’ve been travelling in ) was the potential to get out into the country, among the lakes and forests, and do some remote camping. The kinds of places you might need a 4 x 4 to get to – after all, we had one ! That opportunity did present itself, and the potential camp spots are endless here, however, the fact that there was still much snow on the ground (and that most lakes were frozen over ) as soon as we moved north, limited some of the activities we could engage in – hiking, for example, became a challenge. We of course expected that in the north of the country, we were just surprised to see it not far north of Helsinki itself.
Yes, they have moose here. Such signs everywhere.
Finland provided us with one other big surprise – how flat it was. We had just imagined the place would’ve had more mountains and while there are hills here and there, certainly there were no mountains to speak of, and we drove all the way from Helsinki almost to the very top of the country before turning west in to Norway. It’s covered in forests, lots of birch, especially, and logging is a huge industry here, reminding us very much of British Columbia where we live.
Much like BC, where we live, logging is huge in Finland.
Travelling north took us through the Lakes District in the south, we swung out to the east towards the Russian border before continuing directly north through the castle town of Savonlinna. A prettier setting you couldn’t find and the castle just looked so picturesque on the lake, yet once again when we tried to enter, we found it was closed on the day we were there – another Monday ( getting to be a pattern here – note to self ! ).
Birch trees everywhere up here !Not far out of Helsinki and most lakes were still frozen over.Olavinlinna castle from the 15th century. Savonlinna.Ditto.Finland has famously long names – try pronouncing this !Oulu’s toripolliisi (fat policeman) statue. Scandinavia has a number of such unusual art works.A great “snowy” camp spot near a Finnish ski hill.
Probably the biggest highlight heading north, into what we often call Lapland, was crossing the Arctic circle, and spending a little time in Santa’s “hometown” of Rovaniemi. The Finn’s will have none of this “North Pole” nonsense, it’s firmly entrenched here that Santa’s hometown is the little village, just north of Rovaniemi, and a veritable cottage industry has been built around it. I’ll let the picture tell the story ( the place was absolutely packed with tourists from every corner of the globe so they have pitched it well !!).
The “Santa clause” brand is everywhere in Rovaniemi.Lois, downtown Rovaniemi.A typical Finn, out enjoying the cold. A foot on both sides of the Arctic Circle.Signpost, Santa Claus village.Letters to Santa.Getting a card off for Christmas delivery. We were shocked – there were tourists here from all over the world.Even had real reindeer !Pretty scene near sunset. Cold outside but we are always warm in the van !Nice scenery on our hike north of Rovaniemi.In colder weather the hiking trails offer “lean to’s” and firewood to keep you warm.Northern lights viewing requires clear skies and so far we have often had clouds. Best we have seen so far 😔.
Beyond Rovaniemi, lies the Sami ( Lapp ) village of Inari, the last Finnish town we visited before heading west to Norway. The town itself is rather non-descript but the museum depicting the Sami people‘s history and their integration into modern Finnish life was fascinating. Some interesting parallels with Canada’s own situation.
Was not aware the Sami were present in all 4 countries.Just an excellent museum in Inari.The only sign, or reference, we saw to the word “Lap”. Sami is the preferred word for the indigenous people of the far north.
Next blog we cross into Norway – we’ll head straight to Nordkapp ( North Cape ), and the very top of continental Europe.
Next blog, the drive to Nordkapp – the very top of Europe.
While Poland spent 45 years under the Soviet sphere of influence, the three Baltic states of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia were actually part of the Soviet union during that same period – an unwilling part mind you, but nonetheless an integral part of the former Soviet Union. Unlike Poland, each each of the three still has a significant percentage of ethnic Russians in their population. As such, we were very curious as to what we might find driving through each of these tiny countries.
Historic Trakai castle, near Vilnius. The first of several attractions we would visit, which were “closed” on Mondays.
Coming from the south ( Poland ) our first Baltic state was Lithuania and we headed towards the beautiful capital of Vilnius which nudges up close to Belorussia. Just prior Vilnius is the historic castle town of Trakai with its 13th century castle set on a very picturesque lake. A superb sunny Monday had us enthused to wander inside only to find on arrival that the castle ( undergoing renovations ) was closed on Mondays ( a situation we would encounter at another castle barely a week later – what is it with castles in Europe on Monday’s ? ). Enjoyed what was possible from the outside.
Trakai castle is on a most picturesque setting – could not go on so we walked the grounds as it was a gorgeous sunny day.
All three states have scenic capital cities with exceptionally beautiful old towns, and in normal circumstances, Vilnius, capital of Lithuania, is probably the pick of the three – but it was just a bitterly cold and windy day when we were there so the visit was shorter as a result.
Cobblestone street, Vilnius Old Town.Ditto.Vilnius CathedralDitto.
From Lithuania it’s just a short hop to Latvia – it was super easy driving, with great roads and it was easy to navigate our way to historic Riga, it’s capital right on the Baltic Sea. A much improved day gave us the opportunity to explore at a more leisurely pace. Again it was easy to park ( right on the waterfront in this case ) giving easy access to the heart of the city. As for Vilnius, plenty of historic sights and excellent cafe’s and patisserie’s which we took full advantage of ( easy to get hooked on that stuff in Europe ! ).
Lithuania was very flat ( like Holland )! We would soon discover it was true of most of the area of the Baltic states.. One of the more unusual overnight parking locations. A fuel station near Vilnius ( we were kind of stuck, and “any port in a storm” as they say ). Safe, flat, access to amenities and fast WIFi, just €3 per night. They saved us.House of the Black Heads, RigaHistoric St Peter’s Lutheran Church.View of Riga from St Peter’s Church spire.Wall with coat of arms of all Latvian cities and municipalitiesMuseum of the Occupation of Latvia details the period under German occupation in WW2. Another one we hit on a day it was closed – fortunately some of the material was displayed outside.Great parking in downtown Riga, right on the waterfront and just 10 minutes from the Old Town. Courtesy, Park4Night.
Most of our time in the Baltics, however, was spent in and around Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, the northernmost of the three Baltic states. For a few reasons, it was probably our favourite of the three – we enjoyed the best weather, found our favourite cafe in Europe so far ( 3 visits, no less ! ) and explored not just Tallinn, but a bit more of the area outside it, including scenic Lahemaa National Park. Beyond just the sights, though, it was in Tallinn that we had to arrange our ferry crossing to Helsinki ( Finland ), and a few other personal things so we just spent more time there and consequently got a better feel for the city. It definitely enchanted us.
A beautiful drive up the Baltic Sea coast from Riga to Tallinn – taking morning coffee break at a rest stop and soaking up the view.After Riga, destination Tallinn, in Estonia. Our last stop before shipping to Scandinavia.Tallinn Old TownOne of the entry gates to historic Tallinn Old Town.Same gate, from inside.A very frank and candid look at the methods of the KGB.Former KGB “interrogation” cells in Tallinn. Very interesting visit to see and hear what transpired inside.Inside the KGB interrogation cells.Beautiful old church inside the Old Town.Main square, Old Town.Main Square, Tallinn Old Town.Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, a beautiful Russian Orthodox Church, Tallinn Old Town.Needed a prescription filled and obtained it from Europe’s longest continuously operating pharmacy in Tallinn- dating back to 1422. Fascinating to check it all out.Lois insideWe’ve become quite addicted to our morning ritual and sampling some of Europe’s best. The cafe beside the Tourist Info office in Tallinn became our “regular” during the days we spent there. Simply delicious drinks !
In all three of the countries we took in their main museums and and explored their recent history- they only regained their independence in 1994, have fully embraced it and are all firmly now in the European camp. It’s like they never left ! These counties may be small, and probably deserved more time than we allotted to them ( certainly the first two anyway ) but one can’t spend forever in every country, especially with the new Schengen rules so after a week between the three we loaded our van on the Viking Line ferry and crossed the Baltic Sea to Helsinki. More on that in the coming blog !
Farewell Estonia – on board the Viking Line ferry. It was an excellent day for the crossing to Helsinki, sunny and calm.
Our only previous experience of Poland was in early 1986 when we ( very briefly ) transitted the country on a train from London to Shanghai. It was January, hence cold and dreary, and despite the early stirrings of “Solidarity”, Poland was still firmly in the “Eastern Bloc”. That would dramatically change a few short years later so we were anxious to experience a newer, modern, and very “Western” Poland. The country is amazing and did not disappoint. We were, in fact, very impressed by it.
After the rough back road we had taken across the Tatra’s and into Zakopane, things improved quickly and the roads soon resembled those we’d seen everyone else in Europe. Zakopane itself reminded us very much of Banff in Canada, the same kind of feel, the same “look”, although we were quite shocked by the lack of snow considering we were still well within what would’ve been considered the ski season. Directly north of Zakopane lies Krakow, probably Poland’s best preserved historic city. Unlike Warsaw ( flattened in WW2 ), stunning Krakow ( particularly its “old town” ) was left untouched. Its old town square is huge and contains the typical town halls, churches and other historic buildings, monuments and the ubiquitous cobblestone streets common to such old European cities. It was a great to be able to drive right into the heart of the city and camp just by the old town, giving us easy access to everything. Sadly, rainy weather and an inordinately long queue kept us away from the Oskar Schindler factory tour ( it’s in Krakow ), only getting to see it from the outside. That’s the “Schindler” from Schindlers List.
Rynek Glowny, the main square in Kraków’s old town.Old town main square at night.St Mary’s church, old town, Krakow.Krakow, old town.
The vibrant, resort feel of Zakopane and historic charm of Krakow soon gave way to the sombre, deathly vibe of our next destination, the nearby Polish town of Oswiecim – better known around the world by its German name, Auschwitz. It’s here one can see first-hand the horrors of this infamous Nazi murder factory, along with its sister camp, Birkenau. There are few, if any, places we have been where I would say that cold, foggy, rainy weather actually added to the experience but here it did. The whole place is incredibly impactful. We’d seen Dachau many years back, but it’s just not on the same scale as Auschwitz-Birkenau. The place sees over 2,000,000 visitors a year and recently celebrated 80 years since its liberation ( yes, survivors are still with us ). Warning, some of the following images are quite graphic.
Entry to the Auschwitz-Birkenau complex.Entry passageway to Birkenau, through which many walked.Typical rail cart/carriage into which millions were crammed for the journey to Auschwitz.Entry pathway to Birkenau.Section of electrified fence.Picture of inmates on the day Auschwitz was liberated. Note the quote – frightening to even consider it.Possibly the image most synonymous with Auschwitz and the Nazi’s biggest lie ( “work shall set you free”).Most who were marched through it ultimately died.Auschwitz guard tower.Inmates uniforms.Sleeping quarters.Sealed concrete bunker where inmates were gassed.Next door was the crematorium where the bodies were incinerated. An estimated 1,000,000 in total.
Warsaw is 5 hours north of Oswiecim and it was a quiet, uneventful drive – I think for most of the journey we both sat thinking about the experience of the day before – Auschwitz just has that kind of haunting feel about it. Getting into (and out of) Warsaw was easy – the highways and roads were easy to navigate and again we opted to drive right downtown. Fortunately we were tipped off to a great App ( Park4Night – the “bible” of European RV’ers ) that identifies suitable 24 hour overnight parking sites all over Europe and it has been an invaluable tool for us. iOverlander saved us in South America, Wikicamps in Oz and it’s been Park4Night so far in Europe- good for camp spots and a host of other essential services for those like us.
Highways were excellent in Poland with many Poles now driving exotic cars ( and they like to drive fast ! ). No more Lada’s or Polski Fiat’s in Poland ( that we saw, anyway )..!Warsaw’s beautifully rebuilt old town, which had been flattened in the war.Street scene near Warsaw’s old town.Warsaw old town.Main square, Warsaw old town. It was a beautiful sunny day, too.Poles enjoying the sun in the old town.More old town. So much to see, it was great getting lost in its cobblestones streets and alley’s.
In addition to Warsaw’s beautifully restored old town, there are a few other sites, including some great museums, two of which we saw – the more mundane Museum of Warsaw and the immensely interesting, if slightly eclectic Museum of Life Under Communism. Poland is a super interesting country with a complicated history but has developed in leaps and bounds in the past few decades. You’ve got to look hard now to see any evidence of the old days. This Museum takes a frank, and at times humorous, look at how difficult life was in Poland during the almost five decade long communist era.
Easy to miss – a rather non-descript entry to the museum, but it was fascinating.Samples of old Eastern bloc technology – back in the day little was imported from the “capitalist west”.Lenin and Brezhnev.The Soviet influence was pervasive in the communist era.Typical communist propaganda poster urging young workers to produce more for the state!
As we moved north in Europe, only the three tiny Baltic states lay between us and Scandinavia (our primary destination).. More on that in our coming blog.
Till next week….
PS: given the solemn nature of some of the images in the weekly video I thought a less upbeat and more philosophical tune might best capture the moment. Enjoy “Imagine” ( https://youtu.be/iJt3sbCuiEE?feature=shared )
From Celle we continued south-east towards Dresden, a cultural mecca which had for 45 Cold-War years been under the yolk of Soviet directed communism. One is reminded of that terrible era when driving to Dresden as you pass through the town of Marienborn, one of the places that was right on the former East/West frontier. The name definitely rang a bell and I remembered why shortly after we pulled up at the monument to that era. It was through this very place that we passed, back in 1985, when we drove our old Volkswagen Kombi across the former East Germany and into West Berlin. Many of the search light towers and military control buildings are still visible, but now all enclosed in a type of outdoor museum to an era that once was. Fascinating, as a student of history, to walk around it and think that we lived through it all. At the same time, hard to believe today, looking back 35 years, that there ever was once two Germany’s.
Marienborn memorial to a divided Germany.Display at the memorial.
We had some concerns coming to Europe that getting good overnight parking near the big cities might be a challenge but Hildesheim and Celle proved that fear to be unfounded. Dresden, much larger, might be tougher. Not at all, as it turned out, the city provided a huge parking area for campers right by the Elbe River (within minutes of the old city) that was very popular. Probably tough to get a spot here in the middle of summer, but right now, in March, there was plenty of space. An easy walk along the Elbe got us right into the middle of a busy Saturday afternoon in the old city and it was wonderful to walk the streets and admire the baroque architecture for which the city is justifiably famous. Especially so when one realizes that Dresden was practically obliterated during the final days of WW2, so much of what can be seen has actually been substantially rebuilt. Prior to the war it was called the “Florence of the Elbe” and considered one of the world’s most beautiful cities due to its architecture and art treasures.
There were probably 20 or 30 campers near us us, right by the Elbe, in the heart of Dresden.Old town, Dresden.DittoThe father of all Lutherans himself.Old town, Dresden.The Europeans love an outdoor cafe and the weather was perfect for it. People were out in droves.Dusk shot, Old Town roofline.Dresden, seen from a bridge on the Elbe.What we do late in the day – FaceTime to family and friends . Well, mostly to our granddaughter who is just waking up in Canada as we wrap up our daily sightseeing in Europe !
As wonderful as Dresden was, our next destination was one we had anxiously anticipated visiting for many years – Prague. While Dresden was a little bonus of sorts ( we did not initially plan on stopping there ), Prague was always high on our European agenda. Of all the cities we’d previously not seen in Europe, it was one we were really looking forward to.. Don’t know how many times we had heard from others ( who’d been ) just how beautiful it was, and it did not disappoint. An absolutely perfect couple of sunny days showed the city in all its historic glory and it was, unlike the other cities we’ve been to so far, absolutely jam-packed with tourists. Not so many that you couldn’t enjoy it, but certainly enough that it made you wonder what it must be like here in the middle of the summer high season. Taking in all the sights, using its Metro, sampling its famous beers, its unique ice-cream filled pastries, as well as simply soaking in the atmosphere occupied all our time there. It’s fairly compact so an easy city to walk – our high Prague expectations were definitely met !
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Wenceslaus.Some absolutely beautiful old hotels on Wenceslaus Square.Sipping a Pilsner, Prague !Looking down Wenceslaus Square to the National Museum They were serving these everywhere in Prague – “trdelniks”, a hot pastry-type cone with ice-cream. The pistachio flavour was divine. They are very famous here and the recipe goes back 200 years.Specialty shops prepared them.Astronomical clock, Old Town.Old Town scenes.DittoUs, on Charles Bridge.Church inside Prague Castle grounds. St Vitus Cathedral is home to the Czech crown jewels and burial place of many former kings.Trams give Prague a quintessential traditional European feel.Winding our way back from the steep climb to Prague Castle.The “John Lennon Wall”, which has become a magnet for tourists in Prague.
Prague was quite an assault on the senses- almost overwhelming in its attractions. We were not sure what could top it but a day later we would visit Cesky Krumlov – the second most visited place in Czechia, and it certainly gave Prague a run for its money.
En route to Cesky Krumlov we made a brief stop in Cesky Budejovice, ostensibly to see the famous “Budovar” or original Budweiser brewery. Missed the tour unfortunately, but enjoyed the town.
While Prague had all the offerings of a large, historic European capital city, Cesky Krumlov was the very definition of that small, traditional European town/village, with a castle, big protective wall, classic bridges, spires and delightful cobblestone streets and the most stunning traditional Bohemian architecture. The kind of place you could wander for hours just finding interesting side streets and boutique shops and stores. Unlike Prague we managed to avoid the worst of the crowds here which only added to its appeal. Easy to see why this place is so popular.
Entering Krumlov through what appeared to be aqueducts, above which was a covered entrance to the castle.The setting was almost fairytale-like.A village of many interesting and historic doors.Cesky’ Krumlov’s famous St. Vitas church, dating from the early 1400’s.Rooflines of Cesky Krumlov.The castle from the village.When one has a castle, one needs bears to guard it I guess !Coffee and hot chocolate has become a bit of a daily ritual, especially when the setting is so beautiful.Cesky , as seen from the castle.Another view.
As hard as it was to drag ourselves away from the picturesque setting of Cesky Krumlov, there was still a bit more we wanted to see in Central Europe before heading more or less directly north up through Poland and to the Baltic states. Poland could be approached from the west or the south and while it took a bit longer, the southern route gave us the chance to ( briefly ) explore the High Tatra’s ( mountains ) of western Slovakia and then enter Poland through its legendary ski area of Zakopane. That all seemed like a great idea ( and it was ) except that two consecutive days of cloudy ( and slightly rainy ) weather really put a bit of a damper ( excuse the pun ) on the experience. We saw enough to appreciate what a beautiful part of Slovakia and Poland it was ( or could be, in ideal conditions ) but the incredible weather we’d enjoyed so far just did not hold up.
One can easily miss crossing a border in Europe these days – no checks, no stopping – you have to look closely even to see the border sign. Here, entering Slovakia.On the south side of the Tatra’s, in Slovakia, was Stary Smokovec, a renowned winter playground. More snow than Zakopane, but still equally lousy weather for us. We moved on.Took somewhat of a backroad into Poland and were almost forced to turn back by a 3.0m height barrier. We just managed to clear it !Trendy Zakopane, just on the north side of the Tatra’s and Poland’s premier winter playground, reminded us of Banff. Sadly the area had very little snow, a trend that is happening in other European ski areas. Just very wet and foggy, too.
Coming in through Zakopane did have one other advantage – an easy drive on to historic Krakow, truly one of Poland’s highlights. More on that in our next edition.
There must have been quite the tailwind pushing us north as we departed Mauritius – our scheduled 12 hour flight to Frankfurt, Germany only took 11 hours. The hour saving really only translated into a longer layover in Frankfurt, though, as we still had the connection to Hamburg ahead of us. What was particularly notable, however, was the fact that after 12 hours in the air in total, we had absolutely no jet lag the next morning, a fact we put down to the route being pretty much north-south and us only moving three hours in time zones ( being a daylight flight helped, no doubt !).
A long but easy flight with no jet lag ( we crossed only 3 hours of time zones ).
Rather than pick up our van early the next day ( tempting as it was ! ), the gorgeous Spring day screamed out for a little sightseeing around Hamburg first. With our downtown hotel close to all the sights a walking tour made sense – Hamburg has a rich maritime history, is Germany’s major port, and it was really interesting to wander the canals, the warehouse district and the city’s thriving downtown. So nice to be back in Europe.
Hamburg’s beautiful Rathaus ( Town Hall ).Ornate traditional buildings everywhere in the old part of Hamburg.Warehouse and canal district, downtown.Almost like Venice in places.
The RoRo port terminal is close to downtown and the next day, with much anticipation, we headed to the port to collect our vehicle. For those interested in all the details of that process, I’ve added a segment at the end of this blog (but for those not interested it’s a skip).
Our plans for the first few days in Europe had been simple. See a bit of Hamburg, collect the van, then repack and reorganize everything and finally head towards Czechia. Repacking was quite the job since literally everything we carried in the van was moved into the garage area (so as to secure it ) just before we left Baltimore. This all had to be pulled out and placed back in its usual area in the living space of the van. A ton of cardboard boxes to recycle as well ! In any case, given that the van was picked up this time in perfect condition with nothing at all stolen, it was really a labour of love on this occasion. Fortunately, we identified a great place to pull up not too far south of Hamburg in the quaint town of Hildesheim. It offered a municipally provided area for campers to park, right by a pretty lake, on flat ground with the basic amenities nearby. Not only a great spot to get ourselves reestablished in the van, but we met up with a couple of fellow travellers in campervans who gave us some excellent tips on the ins and outs of free camping in Germany. Seems that may be a little easier than we had feared, which was nice to know.
Free municipal camping by the lake in Hildesheim.Time to reorganize !
Many years ago, I remember meeting a German fellow who told me if we ever got back to Germany and were in the area of Hanover, to be sure to visit Celle. To be quite honest I had forgotten about that advice until we were getting close to Hildesheim ( which is just outside Hanover ) and I saw “Celle” on a road sign – recognizing it as significant, a quick Google search brought up all the details and I then remembered why he said it was very much worth seeing. If you always wanted to get that classic picture of a traditional German village, you would look very hard to find a better a place to get it than Celle…! It contains one of Germany’s best preserved “old towns” (or Altstadt) many of the houses within it date from the 1500’s, almost all in excellent condition. As the town was not a military target nor a large population centre, it was more or less undamaged during the heavy bombing raids of World War II. Thus, much of its historic architecture is very well preserved. We loved the town and wandered around it for hours – a great place to sit, relax, soak in the atmosphere and engage in that most European of past-times, people watching !
Main square, CelleDittoCastle, Celle.By all accounts tough to get a table in summer. Nice to be here in Spring. Main Square, Celle.
Next week we’ll explore a bit more of historic Germany – both recent and not so recent, before heading south to Czechia ( Czech Republic ).
Till then……
Shipping- Collection:
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Anke from Sea-Bridge assured us the port was very organized and that things generally went smoothly with most customers on their way in less than 2 hours. A few days earlier she had emailed me a “port release”, a document that gives me permission to pick up my vehicle from the port, lists me as the owner and identifies the vehicle. All digital, I was not even required to have a paper copy. Sea-Bridge is recognized as one of THE preferred shipping agencies in the overland community, and they certainly know how to make things easy. They think of everything, provide super detailed guides re the process, and are super responsive via email at all times. Highly recommended !
Our van in Hamburg port. Exactly as we’d left it in Baltimore.
We actually had our vehicle, had all our documents reviewed and had cleared customs in just less than two hours so we were naturally thrilled – wonderful to be reunited with the rig after a full month apart and to see it undamaged with everything exactly as it was when we left it in Boston. Phew !
Found this wrapped around our windshield wiper – perhaps it helped !
In Hamburg, one arrives at the port, takes a ticket, waits to be called, shows ID and vehicle documents to the port staff, and then gets chauffeured to your waiting car inside the port. No paid escort required here but you are accompanied at all times. A quick perusal of the vehicle revealed all was well at which point we had to drive to customs to have the van inspected. This was fast, a voluntary declaration only, no physical inspection in our case and no special bio- regulations to deal with, thank god ! The Germans, to no-ones surprise, are extremely well organized and anticipate your every need. Could not have been easier – they even waived what should have been over €200 in storage fees since the vehicle had been in the port beyond the first free week. Happy to escape that, our first week off to a great start.
Lots of paperwork – wait here, go there, get this stamped, sit there, etc etc. That said, all very organized and it moved fast. No one, at any point, even looked inside our vehicle !Every vehicle gets a destination sticker once delivered to the port ( in Baltimore for us ). This tells the dock staff which ship to load it on and cross references the vehicles VIN number to ensure the right vehicle goes to the right place at the right time. Much like bay tags at an airport.Parked at Customs. Ironically in Hamburg, German Customs is outside the secured port area. We had to leave the port to see them and then return ( but port staff keep your passport or drivers licence to ensure you DO return ! ). The officer was far more interested in our journey than any goods we had. Very friendly and efficient ( becoming a theme in Germany ! ).
As I mentioned in the Baltimore “shipping” blog, there were no additional, separate, port charges in Europe since Sea-Bridge had built them into the original quote and I paid it when I paid Sea-Bridge for the freight. Incidentally this was done just after the ship left Baltimore once confirmation had been provided that we’d been successfully loaded. Wired the funds to Sea-Bridge direct, easy peasy. Once we got my licence back we were free to go – Europe awaits !
Turns out that Zanzibar ( a scheduled port visit that was skipped due to a local cholera outbreak ) was not to be the only scheduled port that the Norwegian Dawn would miss. While a public health risk was the culprit with Zanzibar, it would be the weather gods that wreaked havoc on our itinerary after Madagascar. There was to be one final stop prior to reaching Port Louis in Mauritius – the French island of Reunion ( which is very close to Mauritius ). Unfortunately Cyclone Garance had other plans. As we were departing Madagascar, the captain came over the PA system to advise that there was a dangerous cyclone just ahead of us ( it had all be so calm up until then ! ) and that, since Reunion had closed both its port and airport, we would take an extra “sea” day and navigate around the rough weather. This he managed to do and apart from one evening where we encountered larger than normal swells, the ship was unaffected by the cyclone. Reunion, though, was hit hard and very sadly at least 4 people were killed.
The cyclone we avoided was quite deadly.
The sea days were fine, always lots to do anyway, and the captain kindly threw us all a $100 on-board credit for the inconvenience – covered the cost of a few more cocktails to celebrate the imminent end of what has ( overall ) been a really wonderful cruise. We’d both had doubts about our ability to last for 17 days at sea but in reality it flew by. Norwegian did a spectacular job, the ship was great, the staff were outstanding and the ports ( mostly ) offered outstanding sightseeing options, if at times a bit rushed. Would we do it again ? Yes, in a heartbeat, although we don’t have any plans to do another for a few years. As mentioned before, this route ( and schedule ) just filled a very specific void in our larger “van” plans and we don’t think we could have found a better option to occupy the 3 weeks van transit time.
Our favourites – thanks to the captain for providing a few extra on the house !Cruise finale- the whole crew came up on stage and got a standing ovation ! They were outstanding.
Right on schedule the Norwegian Dawn pulled into Port Louis harbour in Mauritius. While most guests ( and a number of crew ) got off here, many sailed on to Cape Town and some even on to Lisbon, Portugal . We’d made some wonderful new friends and were sorry to say “au revoir” to them but at the same time we are looking forward to 4 days in Mauritius before flying on to Germany to pick up our van. Speaking of the van, I had been tracking its progress across the Atlantic- via Halifax, Liverpool and finally on to Hamburg where I could now see that it had been unloaded on to the dock.
The van is in Hamburg !Hardly surprising, I suppose, that the weather would initially be a bit ominous, arriving in Port Louis as we were, at the tail end of a cyclone. Fortunately it quickly improved, and 3 of our 4 days there provided clear, hot, sunny weather.Our hotel in Grand Baie, Mauritius. The roof- top terrace provided great views of the bay and beaches every morning at breakfast.View from the hotel.We did have a little drama one night. Lois slipped and fell getting some very nasty bruises on her chin and arms. An XRay revealed no breaks or fractures fortunately. Speedy and professional help from the medical clinic in Grand Baie.Downtown Grand Baie, where we spent most of our time.
First, Mauritius. Accommodations and stunning beaches virtually ring the entire island – ours was a little boutique hotel across from the beach in popular Grand Baie in the island’s northern west. Probably as nice a part of Mauritius as any if perhaps a little more “touristy” than some other areas. A two day car rental gave us ample time to sample most of the attractions, although a sudden downpour on our last day dashed any hopes of seeing the famous waterfall and “7 coloured hills” of Chamarel.
Typical scenery when driving across the island.
The west coast of Mauritius has more development and is home to Port Louis, where we arrived. Refreshing, after Mombasa and 2 Madagascan ports, to disembark in what one could honestly describe as a nice, historic and well maintained city. Throughout our time in Mauritius we mostly explored, driving all over the island, and when we came upon them sampled a selection of its famous beaches – Peyrebare, Flic en Flac and a few smaller east coast ones were our pick but a visitor would literally need weeks ( or months even ) to sample them all. Two things were consistent everywhere, the warmth of the water and the soft white sand.
Pretty La Cambuse beach near the airport.One of many wide open and almost deserted east coast beaches.A small east coast beach. A “fly in” beach obviously !Here at Flic en Flac beach.
Had a chance to sample traditional creole food and found it delicious, if perhaps a little spicy and also enjoyed some of their renowned craft beers. Some have said Mauritius is expensive – we didn’t find it to be at all, and would happily return here for a “sun and surf” vacation. Hot and humid, as one would expect, and although there are mosquitoes, the island is fortunately dengue and malaria free.
Mauritius is famously a country of many cultures, Indian, Chinese, Malay, African and European. Here one of many Indian temples.
All good things must end, as they say, and with our time here having quickly passed, we readied ourselves for the 12 hour flight to Germany. Fortunately it was a daylight one meaning we did not have to try to sleep sitting bolt upright. Hard to believe after a life of relative luxury on the high seas we will be back with our van in two days..!
We flew out on the German airline, Condor – quite the bold livery !
Day two in the stunning Seychelles took us to the nearby island of La Digue, famed for its especially white, sandy beaches and warm, turquoise waters. One of those beaches, Anse Source Argent, reportedly ranks among the world’s best by some rankings ( Lonely Planet, 2024 ) so much excitement accompanied our arrival there.
Main clock tower, Victoria, Seychelles. Supposedly a small replica of Big Ben.
Unlike our stop in Victoria ( the capital, on the main island of Mahe ) the previous day, the smaller island of La Digue had no port large enough to accommodate a cruise ship so we were tendered ashore using the ship’s lifeboats. An interesting process to watch as the lowering and lifting of them was all done with great speed and efficiency by the crew – in no time we were on the island and walking the track to Anse Source Argent.
It’s certainly a very beautiful, white, sandy beach, with beautiful warm water and some unique rock formations, which provide for a very picturesque setting and we enjoyed our day there. That said, I’m not sure I would rank it with the very best in the world – perhaps just a slightly enthusiastic piece of Seychelles’s tourism marketing. The snorkeling was not bad with some colorful fish but, like many areas of the world, the coral appears to be dying ( or perhaps we just were not in the best part for viewing it ). A memorable part of the La Digue visit was the La Nautique bar, set right on the beach overlooking our ship anchored in the bay. As is often on the case, it’s the people you meet that make the occasion and we enjoyed some wonderful conversation with fellow passengers from both the UK and US. While we will exit the cruise in Mauritius after 17 days, one of those couples will stay on through to Cape Town, and on all the way up the west coast of Africa to Lisbon, Portugal. Now, THAT is a long cruise !
Arrival in La Digue, Seychelles.Anse Source Argent, La Digue, Seychelles.La Union Estate, where vanilla is produced, and through which you walk to Anse Source Argent. On an extremely hot and humid day it was wonderful to be at a beach with shade, making it easy to move in and out of the sun.Yours truly…..Cold Heineken for me and a refreshing Gin and Tonic for Lois after lots of walking on La Digue. Really hit the spot !
Departing La Digue, the ship sailed due West for Mombasa, Kenya, our first African port. It was to be one of two African ports, the second being Zanzibar in Tanzania, just an overnight sail from Mombasa, but a cholera outbreak there meant we’d now be skipping Zanzibar. While very disappointing, everyone understood. Consequently the ship would now be making two stops in Madagascar, whereas the original itinerary called for just one.
The two days sailing between the Seychelles and Kenya passed quickly, filled with pool time during the day, along with lots of eating, reading, walking, before taking in some excellent shows in the evening. Must say, it’s a pretty easy life and one could very easily get used to this longer term ! Having. recently crossed the equator ( it’s just north of the Seychelles ) we noticed that the sink water was now draining in the opposite direction than it did just north of the equator, ( a phenomenon known as the Coriolis Effect, should you ever get the question in a trivia quiz ). I checked it in our room !
One receives a certificate as proof ( if any was needed ! ) of having made a surface crossing of the equator.No shortage of things to do on long “at sea” days.Occasionally we managed window seats when dining – but you had to be up early !
Had heard mixed reports about Mombasa – variously “interesting”, or “historic”, one even said “exotic”. While we certainly saw elements of all three, our general impression ( granted, from a very short stay ) would align more closely with the others who described it as “run down”, “dirty”, and generally somewhat “dangerous”. The cruise ship warnings ( prior to disembarking there ) probably didn’t help. It was a Sunday, lots of things were closed and there was generally an impression of lots of people standing around with little else to do. Also, a lot of street begging which we’d not seen anywhere else to date. It’s “historic” Old Town was a bit underwhelming compared to so many other such historic areas we’ve seen in other cities – run down, sketchy looking, and covered in litter. Less than impressive.
An “all electric” tuk-tuk. These were popular in Mombasa.The Mombasa Tusks, which commemorate the visit of Queen Elizabeth in 1952.Islamic influence, Old Town, Mombasa.Omani style historic doors, Old Town, Mombasa.
Mombasa has some great beaches but we’d had lots of that in the Seychelles so used the rest of our time exploring historic Fort Jesus ( a UNESCO historic site, dating from the Portuguese era in the 1600’s ). This was, despite pretty oppressive humidity and large crowds, well worth a visit and very interesting. Probably the highlight of the port call. No time, of course for any serious safari’s or the like.
Exploring Fort Jesus, Mombasa.Ditto.Ditto.Ditto.
Skipping Zanzibar meant we now had a day at sea before reaching our two Madagascan ports of call. Added to Antsiranana in the far north ( already on our scheduled itinerary, would now be the island of Nosy Be, famous for its wildlife, especially the lemurs and chameleons. Nosy Be would be the first of the two stops, and we enjoyed one of the most enjoyable and exciting days on the trip so far. Teamed up with a lady from Alberta and another from Florida and hired a driver/guide who took us to Lokobe National Park where the aforementioned animals (and a slew of others ) were to be found. Hot, sweaty, and muddy but it was fascinating to see boas, lemurs and chameleons in the wild.
Arriving in Nosy Be one runs the usual gauntlet of souvenir stalls, and pesky touts.Once in the park area it was extremely lush. Drove through beautiful forest/jungles to meet our boat.Arrived at the beach to see this boat waiting to make the 2km crossing. It must be ours………er, not quite. This was our “boat”, a still sturdy, but somewhat leaky outrigger. Bonus- we each got a paddle to help with the rowing, while the captain’s 12 year old son bailed water continuously to keep us afloat. We may have lacked the best boat but all agreed we had the best “adventure” !A chameleon.Up close. The colours are surreal.Hard to see, but look close and you’ll see the boa.Lemurs – impossibly cute !Ditto.
An easy overnight sail away was the northern Madagascan regional capital of Antsiranana. A fairly rundown place and rather than an attraction in itself, serves more as a base for for nearby sites ( including Nosy Be ). The people we met here were all super friendly and helpful, despite the grinding poverty and our tuk-tuk driver “Frankie” made sure we saw what there was to see. The unusual boab trees were probably the highlight, the filthy central market probably best avoided altogether ( sorry, but there’s just something super gross about seeing fly-covered raw meat sitting out on display in 30 degree heat and stifling humidity). Not what we’d call an “attraction” !!!
Frankie, our tuk tuk driver.We found the central market pretty filthy……and frighteningly unhygienic. Raw meat, sitting for sale in 30 degree heat!The unusually shaped Baob ( baobab ) trees. Of the 9 species in the world, 2 are in Africa, 6 are endemic to Madagascar’ and one in Australia.At every stop, mobbed by vendors.The French connection to Madagascar is everywhere- the language, building styles, and a lot of seriously old ( and heavily overworked) French cars still on the road!
And with that our two days in Madagascar was over. With only two days left in our cruise ( an “at sea” day and a day in Reunion ) we will soon be disembarking in Pot Louis , Mauritius, but more on that in the next edition.
More than anything our time in Doha had simply been a great chance to relax, the weeks preceding it being a time of continuous travelling – almost every night in a different place. There was an unexpected delight in simply resting in bed as long as we wanted, coming home to a freshly made up room every night and having someone (other than ourselves ) doing all the cooking. Our forthcoming cruise, fortunately, would offer more of the same.
Pulling out of the Port of Doha at night – quite the skyline !Live band playing as we boarded the Norwegian Dawn !
The cruise ship ( Norwegian Dawn ), now leaving Doha harbour, would be home for the next 17 days. We’d been on two previous cruises ( though long ago ), one ironically on the very same Norwegian Cruise Line we were travelling on this time. The check in was simple, and as scheduled by 8pm mooring lines were dropped and the ship pulled out into the Persian Gulf, destination Abu Dhabi, just an overnight away; along with Dubai, one of of two stops in the UAE.
Probably a bit lesser known than its flashier twin, Dubai, Abu Dhabi is nonetheless a strikingly impressive modern city- it seemed a little more spread out than Doha, necessitating a slew of Uber’s to reach the attractions we visited. The stop in Abu Dhabi offered a more modern ( though less impressive ) souk than that of Doha, allowed time for some downtown shopping and a visit to the impressive Founders Memorial, but little else. We quickly learned that sightseeing time on port stops was very limited indeed. Not a terribly “walking” friendly place ( Dubai, we were hoping, might offer better possibilities in this regard ), conscious as we were of the tendency to put on a few pounds by the end of any cruise.
First thing we saw in Abu Dhabi was what looked like a Russian oligarch’s personal motor yacht ( or perhaps it belonged to an Arab sheik …….) ! The city ooozes wealth.Driving through Abu Dhabi. The skyline was somewhat similar to Doha, seemingly on a smaller scale. Nonetheless some amazing buildings, all so modern.Founders Memorial ( Sheik Zaheed ), Abu Dhabi. Look closely and you can see the outline of his head in the hanging art piece.
Dubai also offered many more attractions than we could possibly squeeze into the “hours” ( not days ) permitted ashore. The world famous ( and world’s tallest ) building, the Burj Khalifa was seemingly on everyone’s list and the combination of February being high season and there being 3 large cruise ships in port meant that the line ups to visit it were incredibly long. It’s certainly an impressive building, the views are stunning 125 floors up, but I’m not sure with our limited time in port it was the best use of the time we had – what remained was barely enough to visit the Old Town ( souk ) and Dubai Creek, and then only briefly. Note to self: better time planning required with upcoming port visits !
Leaving the ship we figured it would be a busy day in Dubai ( we had no idea – sooooo many tourists ! ). By the time we returned to the ship we noticed a 3rd cruise ship had docked.One accesses the world’s tallest building ( Burj Khalifa ) from the opulent Dubai Mall. Lineups to the Burj were brutal ! Every imaginable famous brand is represented here…..and a well known Canadian icon !Surprised to see this Canadian institution in Dubai….!Outside Dubai Mall.The Burj Khalifa. Took the “To the Top” experience, very impressive.View from Burj Khalifa, 125 floors up.Lois, at the Burj lookout.View to below from Burj Khalifa, 125 floors up !The elevators are illuminated with the floor progress as you wait for them.
A full 180 from modern Dubai, here an entrance to the Old Town ( souk ).Ceramic ware, Old Town, Dubai.
The aforementioned next port visits, would however, be a bit down the track. Leaving Dubai, the ship exited the Persian Gulf through the Straits of Hormuz, hugged the Omani coastline and then began its longest “at sea” stretch – there would be no sighting of land now for over 4 days until we reached the Seychelles. Through the Gulf the sea was like glass with little wind and clear skies, and it continued this way all the way to the Seychelles, a great start to the trip. While we did have plenty of company early ( passing a continuous stream of large oil tankers in the Persian Gulf ), once out in the Indian Ocean there was only 1 other ship sighted in the next 4 days at sea. Heading further out beyond Oman, one passenger mused that we might (however briefly ) be in range of rockets from Yemeni Houthi rebels, and/or pirates from the Somali coast but a quick perusal of the local marine geography showed us to be far enough away from both coasts to be out of any danger. In any event they generally seek oil tankers, not cruise ships !!
One thing the cruise ships do well is keep you entertained ( and VERY well fed ), especially during the long continuous days at sea. Our 4 sea days passed by in no time helped along by beautiful 26-28 degree sunny weather and extremely calm seas. Days were spent lounging by the pools, reading, attending shows, regularly using the walking track ( the goal was at least 5kms every day ) and keeping our eyes peeled for the possibility of marine life or even other vessels. A highlight of the passage was crossing the equator, just north of the Seychelles, our first ocean crossing after two on land previously.
Poolside relaxing.Some stunning Indian Ocean sunsets.Selfie time……
Predictably perhaps, much excitement surrounded the ship’s arrival in Victoria, the Seychelles’ capital. The weather was great, hot and dry, and most guests were headed immediately for the renowned beaches and its famed botanical gardens. Managed to get to both and were not disappointed.
The port in the Seychelles was very different than those in the UAE. A very small island feel.The Seychelles architecture had a very South Pacific feel. Years of British influence were everywhere.Beau Vallon beach, Mahe. Warmest water, ever !A couple of exotic tropical plants.DittoGiant tortoises, Seychelles Botanical Gardens. Intriguing to watch – they move soooo slowly!
There would be 2 days in the Seychelles, the first in Mahe ( the main island ) and the second on La Digue, nearby, and reported to have the very best beaches in all of the Seychelles. Will report on La Digue next week, stay tuned !
The PanAm completed in April, 2022 and with the truck camper sold, we shipped our new Sprinter van to Australia in late 2022. We travelled there through all of 2023 and into 2024 before shipping it up to North East Asia where we travelled for 4 months between Korea and Japan, before shipping it back to North America. It’s our plan to continue exploring the world in 2025.
