got up far too early in order to pack and catch the shuttle to the airport. uneventful flight from PDG direct to SLC, although i got some good views of Greenland during the flyover. fortunately was able to pick up Kaheé on the way back from the airport. was a fantastic trip, and am sad to now have to readapt to my non-vacation life.
was out pretty late the night prior, so the day started later than usual. took a taxi to the Eiffel Tower then walked along the Seine to Notre Dame. grabbed a quick-ish lunch at a cafe along the way, then walked through the cathedral. leaving Notre Dame i walked past Pompidou and made my way to the Picasso Museum, only to find it closed. was getting late so took a taxi back to the hotel for a drink and to change before dinner. dinner was a short walk to the other side of the Champs-Élysées at Bound, a sushi restaurant by the same folks that run the Buddha Bar.
started the day with a walk to the Louvre and a visit to their Egyptian exhibit. crossed the street for lunch and a rest at a nice cafe. returned to the Louvre for some more art, and a viewing of da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. leaving the Louvre, walked through the Jardin des Tuileries on my way back to the hotel for another lazy vacation’s daily naps. seems there was a sheikh or two staying at the hotel, as there was a gold lamborghini, a Rolls-Royce, and several tricked-out Mercedes and BMWs parked in front of the hotel, all with Saudi plates. again headed out for a late dinner, stopping at a hip French cafe and then the Hustler Club on the way back to the hotel.
after breakfast in the hotel, took a taxi to Sacré-Cœur. walked around inside, climbed the tower for outstanding views of the city, and toured the crypt below the church. leaving Sacré-Cœur, had to avoid the mountain bike race that was going on along Montmarte. walked through the city and settled down at a cafe around the corner from the Moulin Rouge for a crêpe. on the way back to the hotel, dangled my feet in the Fontaine des Mers. after another long nap, and staying in the room late to watch Usain Bolt win the 100 at the World Championships in Berlin, again crossed the Champs-Élysées for dinner at an Indian restaurant.
wanted to take a canal tour, but it was raining and the boat was open to the elements. so instead donned the rainjacket and walked into town, stopping two separate times for Irish coffee to avoid the rain. met the family for breakfast in their hotel and some final goodbyes. returning to the hotel to gather my stuff, then took a taxi to the airport for the flight to Paris. from there had a prearranged shuttle to the Hilton Arc de Triomphe and a lovely room for the next four nights. got in late and took a brief walk past the Arc and down to the Champs-Élysées. decided to head back to the hotel for a late dinner so that i could get to bed a bit earlier than usual.
was a bit of a sad morning as it’s the last day on the ship. carried the luggage off myself and took a taxi to the Copenhagen Marriot. had a nice room with a view of a canal and Christianhavn. after getting settled and oriented, took a walk across the canal to Christianhavn then crossed back for a walk through the Latin Quarter. lunch was at a quaint cafe, with Danish ‘sandwiches’. after the prolonged meal, climbed to the top of the Round Tower which provided great views of the surrounding city. that night i headed back out to meet the family for a pleasant Thai dinner.
another early start, so took a taxi to Vigeland Park as nothing else was open. of all of the places i visited during the trip, Vigeland Park was possibly the best. the scuptures of granite and bronze depicting the ‘human condition’ was uniquely creative and thoughtfully beautiful. from there walked to Det Kongelige Slott and admired the palace. stopped by a cafe and had some great food, then crossed the street to the History Museum and the National Gallery. the National Gallery had a number of Munch paintings, including a version of The Scream. on the way back to the ship, took a walk through the city center of Oslo. after dinner said my goodbyes to Marsha and Dolores.
the morning started with a surprise champagne breakfast on the balcony. overall, it was a pretty uneventful day, as breakfast was probably the highlight. spent some time in the ship’s shops, and ended up having dinner with the family.
got off the ship and spent some time negotiating a taxi tour with anyone that could speak at least marginal English. drove from Gdynia, through Gdansk, and on to the Stutthof concentration camp. was a minor camp, but fascinating and sobering nonetheless. fittingly, it rained. told the taxi driver i’d like to do some shopping afterwards, so he brought me to a shopping mall for some reason. figured the best thing to do was head back to the ship, but got into a wreck on the way as the driver wasn’t paying attention.
another early morning start with a visit to the Old Town, including Toompea. the walls and towers are still in excellent shape, and the Old Town includes a number of well-preserved old churches. ate lunch at a cafe in the Town Hall square and sampled the local liquor, Vana Tallinn. picked up a bottle on the way back to the ship, as i’ve never seen it in the states and it was quite good.
