Tricia’s Travelogue

When I wrote early yesterday morning, we were headed to the airport to check our bags and get ready for our 10:00 a.m. flight to Houston.  We managed to find the Terminal E shuttle outside the hotel, and we arrived at that terminal about 5:20 a.m.  Since they'd rebooked us as a continuation of our flight from Heathrow, we didn't have boarding passes, so we went to the United desk. Thankfully, a seasoned staff member was working the desk, as she said she had to "go into the old system" to figure out how to give us boarding passes. We left the bags with her, and she told us we'd be leaving from Terminal D, on the same plane (but with different seats).  We debated whether to go on to Terminal D (where there is no United Club) or to head to Terminal E's United Club, where we could have breakfast and wait in comfort before heading over to Terminal D.  THANKFULLY, we elected the latter option.  When we checked into the club, the woman at the desk offered to look up ...

We had a morning flight from Heathrow to Houston, so we left the hotel and trundled our luggage trolley into the Queen’s Terminal (2).  There wasn’t a line to drop off our bags, and the Fast Track security line was very short.  We then had a very long walk, involving long escalators and a trek beneath a runway to get to our boarding area and the United Club.  The club was very nice, and we snagged two comfy spots out of the fray.  We had a little breakfast and I did my daily Duolingo lessons, then read. Our boarding time was 9:10, and that also went smoothly. We were seated in the business class “pods,” so plenty of comfortable and private space for the long flight.  After settling in and accepting a glass of champagne, I immediately changed the time on my devices to CDT, hoping to mentally adjust to the new time zone.  So the times below are all CDT. We finally left the gate at 4:40 a.m. (10:40 in the UK). Charlie took this photo of the Concorde from his w...

 The end of the cruise went very smoothly.  After a last breakfast in Chops Grille, we met Rachel and Rob in Schooner’s, and out suites concierge, Elaine, led us off the ship.  We got our bags, and our driver was there as soon as we exited the terminal.  The drive into London took about an hour. We were dropped off at Heathrow’s Hilton Garden Inn, where we’ve stayed before, and lo and behold, they had a room for us before 10:00 a.m.! The Kimbros got theirs shortly afterwards, so we left our bags and rode the Underground from the airport into the city.  Charlie and I probably (definitely) wouldn’t have attempted that on our own, but Rachel and Rob are adept at navigating trains. Their friend Kirsten had recommended a good lunch place, Margaux, a short walk from the train station, and it was indeed fabulous! I enjoyed a pink grapefruit spritz, and Charlie and I shared a beautifully crafted salad involving artichokes and asparagus, among other goodies. Then I had p...

Friday night into Saturday, the North Sea was quite rough! Everyone felt it, some more than others.  Rachel had a hard time getting any sleep, so tried to nap later in the day.  I had to hold on in the shower and wash my hair with one hand! We quickly decided there was no way to go to the gym and maintain our balance. We spent time packing our luggage, but also got to see a very entertaining version of Grease in the afternoon. The singers were really excellent! Charlie wrapped up his casino time, and we all enjoyed a nice final dinner at Giovanni’s Table.   I’m writing this on Sunday morning before we leave the ship.  A car will take us to an airport hotel at Heathrow, where we’ll leave our luggage before riding a train into London. We’re thankful to have Rachel and Rob as our guides!

Rachel took this incredible photo of Olden yesterday from the ship.  What a charming scene! We enjoyed the scenery as we sailed away from Olden yesterday, from the suites lounge. Here’s the only photo I have, but it’s typical of the views along the fjords.  We had a nice dinner at Giovanni’s Table, then Charlie and I returned to our stateroom and watched more scenery until the ship entered the sea again. This morning I took a couple of photos as we arrived in Haugesund, part of a region famous in Viking history.   From the ship, it’s a long (to us) walk up and over a long, steep bridge to the town.  We were slow, but we made it.  Here’s a photo from the top of the bridge. The downward trek aggravated Charlie’s knee and forced him to get out his cane.  He was content to sit on a bench while I explored the several-block shopping area and a nearby church. There were lots of bookstores and three yarn shops! I guess reading and knitting get the residents through...

 We left Molde about 5:00 p.m. yesterday, so Rachel and Rob joined us in the suites lounge for Happy Hour as the ship began the scenic trip back through the fjord to the open ocean.  Then they came down to our stateroom and we ordered room service to enjoy dinner on the balcony with amazing views.  Here are a couple of photos. Thankfully, we heard nary a peep from our neighbors last night, and we slept well. I awoke at 5:00, so got up to watch our approach to Olden.  The scenery is really amazing.  So many waterfalls!   Olden is as tiny as the port talk speaker indicated, with 666 people.  The two photos below show literally the whole shopping and commercial area.  Note the flags blowing straight out.  We plan to stay on the ship until it’s less windy. The whole area reminds us of a storybook village! Rachel and Rob set off on another hike and graciously supplied these photos.   We had an eclectic lunch in the Windjammer, then had naps. ...