The photo above is our last view of Norway, but we are pretty sure it won’t be our last visit. The next morning, we begin to look back at the previous 17 days and start to catalog what we have learned that we haven’t already mentioned in the blog posts for those days. Two quick thoughts come to mind, two about history and another one just personal:
- Throughout our visit to Norway and Russia, we were made aware of the privations suffered by the Russian people during WWII and the mean-spiritdness and just plain nasty vengeance visited on the Norwegian people by the German army as they withdrew in defeat during 1944. For no strategic reason whatsoever, they destroyed town after town. How such the population of an urbane and supposedly advanced country can devolve into virtually subhuman behavior is hard to fathom. To actually be in the very cities and towns where this death and destruction took place makes a vivid impression on us. We’d guess that that is the purpose of such travel, right?
- Interesting that we had the very same impression last year as we visited places such as the Philippines and Singapore on our ATW journey last year. The behavior by the Japanese was just as abhorrent. There are lessons for the ages to be learned here.
- The group on Nauticafor Northern Glow was a really good one. We figured that a cruise to Northern Russia and Norway would attract a group that would want something different, that they had cruise experience and might be looking for something special. We think we were right. They had a couple of other characteristics: age and infirmity. It was an older group even than was on Insignia, and there were many more people with real mobility issues – lots of scooters and walkers. That is yet another lesson for us to keep traveling while we are still healthy.
It’s very tempting to pontificate more, but we’ll leave it at that. To actually be in the places that are cited in history books brings it alive and in front of you. Okay, enough.
Well, back to Nautica and the present. It’s just as well that it’s a Sea Day. It’s pouring rain, it’s only 57 degrees Fahrenheit, and there are gale force winds blowing. The ship is handling the 4 to 6-foot waves very well, so after we have breakfast, we head for Horizons in the bow of Deck 10 to do needlepoint and write a blog post or edit photos.
Then we go down five decks to Nautica Lounge in the bow to listen to another excellent Sherry Hutt lecture, this one on Copenhagen, the history of Denmark and other subjects that give us a great introduction to the city for which we are heading. She is so animated, with a very personal style full of wit and humor that Steve no longer takes notes but just listens for the entertainment value alone.
We really don’t do much else that we noted anywhere. Cathy had a spa appointment at 4:30pm: [“Let yourself relax as warm oils are poured over your hair and scalp in this calming treatment. help sooth your spirit, reduce anxiety and encourage a good night’s sleep.” Another hands, feet and head one. The oil on the forehead part is really awesome. When it was over I felt like I had had a headache my entire life and now it was gone. Just wonderful.] We no doubt ate another five-star meal in the Grand Dining Room. Steve did post blogs for Solovetsky Islands and a Sea Day.
But that’s about it. We’re just glad that all this rain fell today and not tomorrow when we visit Copenhagen. That’s the end of our 18-day Northern Glow cruise and the beginning of our 12-day Nordic Knights cruise.
