In about 20 minutes we were in the city center walking by all of the shops. We enjoyed coffee at Reykjavik Roasters and walked down the street for a life-changing cinnamon roll at Braud & Co (thanks for the rec, Christine). We wandered in and out of the cosy shops, wanting to purchase all of the warm hats and sweaters before walking to Hallgrimskirkja, which is the biggest church in Iceland and actually one of the tallest structures in the country. We decided to go to the top of the church after my sister had messaged us and said the view looked breathtaking. Even though it was completely cloudy, it was still so cool to see the city from a different vantage point. The rain had let up as we walked back to our hotel that evening in search of a place to have dinner. We ended up going to this healthy café called “Kruska” where we had an amazing chicken and beet sandwich with a garlic hummus that we still talk about today. It was SO GOOD and the people were so kind to us. We booked a Golden Circle tour with the people at our hotel desk and tried to get some sleep even though it never really gets dark in Iceland in the middle of July. We found ourselves out on hotel’s terrace at 3:30 am in awe of the brightness of the night. The next morning we were a bit tired, but after an extra dose of Zeal and an out-of-this-world complimentary breakfast at our hotel, we were on our tour towards þingvellir National Park. The further we got from the city, the more mountainous and green the scenery was before us. There was something that felt so unique about the terrain; it was stunning. Our six hour tour with Reykjavik Excursions also took us to the Geysir geothermal area and to the Gullfoss waterfall. We only had about 30-50 minutes at each stop, but it was still such a mind-blowing thought to think we were actually in Iceland, even if only four a couple of days. It had been raining on and off for most of our trip and our tour guide had commented that it would be nice if the sun would make an appearance at the waterfall but that it was highly unlikely. Praise be to God, the sun peaked out of the massive clouds long enough for us to see a rainbow at the waterfall and it was truly magnificent. Never underestimate the power of God. It was like we were seeing everything from a different perspective once the sun shone down on the vibrant exquisiteness around us. After our bus took us back to our hotel that evening, we enjoyed a piece of flour-less chocolate torte and cappuccino at Kruska (which was actually right below our hotel). I remember sitting there and feeling overwhelmingly blessed that I was able to travel to Iceland with my momma; what a gift. I can't wait to get back to this country to experience more of the beauty that God has created there. But in the meantime, I'm so thankful we got to see all that we did in such a short time.
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The final stop on our Scandinavian cruise was a lot more than just exploring the city of Oslo. After visiting with a local in Helsingborg the day before our trip to Norway, we were told that the cruise into Oslo was idyllic and more than worth a 4:55 am wake-up call. Our alarms chimed loudly that morning but within a handful of minutes we were up on the top decks of our ship taking in the astounding views as we cruised through the fjords. Only a couple other people joined us as we took countless pictures of the beautiful scenes that graced our eyes that morning. I actually felt a little sorry for the people that had slept in and didn’t get to experience the sunrise that day. In the stillness of the beauty that morning, I praised God in a setting that I can hardly believe still exists now that I’m back home. I am so thankful for surreal experiences and views that can only point to God. He is so good. I could probably post a zillion more pictures of the views that morning and just call it quits for this blog post, but our time in the city was also noteworthy (obviously). From the moment we stepped off the ship it felt so right to be back in Norway. It smelled like trees and fresh air even though we were about to walk into a populated city. We stopped at the central station to grab a map (normally I despise looking like a tourist when I travel but decided to throw my pride out the window and embrace the tourist that I undeniably am) and hit the streets of Oslo to discover the sights. Our street-wandering eventually brought us to a coffee shop (imagine that) that we had been excited to try for awhile. Stokfleth’s has been around since 1895 and they have perfected the art that is a stellar cup of coffee. My sister also grabbed a bag of beans to take back with us which has been such a treat to enjoy their coffee from our own cups at home. We relaxed on their outdoor terrace for a bit before exploring the grounds of the Royal Palace of Oslo. The beaming sun chased us to a café to escape the heat and to replenish with yet another Smørbrød (if you’re just joining us, this is what the Scandinavian’s call an open-faced sandwich). We were blessed to connect with our friend that had recently relocated to Norway and gained a tour guide for the rest of our time in Oslo. James took us on a walk to the Akerhus Fortress and shared stories of his time in Norway. (Thanks you for showing us around your new digs, James!). Our time ashore came to a close too quickly, but thankfully we had views to look forward to on our way out of Oslo through the fjords. As we cruised away from the city, we looked out on the water while the Norwegian’s enjoyed the hot summer’s day on their boats and jet-skis. Before too long, our ship was making her way further away from the land and into the open seas.
The next stop on our Scandinavian Princess Cruise was Helsingborg, Sweden and I could hardly contain my excitement to go ashore. At about 6:30 am that morning, I headed up to the lido deck to catch a glimpse of the city as we cruised closer to land. Traveling to Sweden had always been just a dream and it was so amazing that it was becoming a reality right before my eyes. Our ship anchored a bit away from the shore and we were tendered into town. The sun was warm on our faces and you couldn’t buy a cloud in the sky; it was going to be a great day (and indeed it was). As we disembarked from our tender boats, we walked along the Helsingborg harbor before too many people were out and about. It was such a calm and refreshing way to start off our day. We took a moment to breathe in the scent of the sea while we gazed out at the boat-filled harbor. For a second it felt like we could be on the East Coast of New England back in the states, and with that feeling it was quickly becoming one of my favorite places. After we turned the corner from the waterfront, we were greeted by the charming city center filled with shops, quaint cafes and smiles. In fact, Helsingborg is considered to be the friendliest city in Sweden. This title seemed to be quite fitting as we encountered countless kind locals that struck up conversations with us at various stops throughout the day. After finding some delicious green juice from a shop called Holy Greens, we wandered the streets to get the lay of the land. We stumbled upon a Swedish boutique called Lindex and purchased our own little souvenirs for our trip. It’s so much more fun to find a unique piece of clothing or accessory as a takeaway from a trip rather than a bunch of little trinkets that you may never use. Every time I wear my “souvenirs”, it takes me back to the place I got it from and it makes me feel thankful for the experience in that particular place all over again. My sister and I stopped at a little café called Fahlman’s in the center of town and enjoyed a delicious smorbord, which was an open faced sandwich with the best chicken salad I had ever had in my life. Fahlman’s also had a rather large and irresistible pastry case; we couldn’t leave Sweden without a “Swede” treat, if you know what I mean. Also, we had wanted to try one of Helsingborg’s coffee roasters called “Koppi” after following them on Instagram for quite some time. To our surprise, Fahlman’s brewed their coffee! We sipped on brilliantly smooth cappuccinos made with Koppi espresso and enjoyed the magical experience so much that we ended up grabbing another to share on our way back down to the harbor later in the day. After finishing up at Fahlman’s we walked up to the castle on the hill (que Ed Sheeran song) and enjoyed Helsingborg from above. I always love viewing cities from a different perspective and the best place is always from higher up. It was so beautiful to look out and see so many stunning buildings with the sea as a backdrop. As we walked back to the harbor to tender back to the ship, we stopped at one more café to enjoy our last bit of Helsingborg on a patio. We enjoyed a revitalizing moment away from the sun and visited with a local that proceeded to give us some tips for our next port of call (Oslo, Norway). One thing that we grew to love quickly in our few days in Scandinavia is their culture for coziness. Every chair on their outdoor patios is equipped with a fuzzy blanket to curl up in if you’d like. I daydreamed of someday sitting on that patio in crisp fall weather, curled up in the blanket and drinking a hot chocolate to keep warm. Lord willing, I will be back to make this vision come to life. I am so thankful to God that we were able to explore Helsingborg for the day and I look forward to sharing our last port, Oslo, with you soon! Cheers!
We woke up refreshed from a day at sea on the wonderful Sapphire Princess ready to hit the cobblestone walking in Copenhagen, Denmark. Our cruise line conveniently had a complimentary shuttle waiting outside the ship to take us into the city center. In about fifteen minutes, we were hopping off the bus and walking around the corner to gaze at the stunning views of the Nyhavn canal. After dreaming of walking along this canal countless times in the past year, I could hardly believe we were actually there. It was one of those moments where you feel like you’re standing in a real-life postcard; just unbelievable. We took countless pictures at Nyhavn and grabbed some Joe and the Juice (a Danish juice place that has made its way to the states, find one and try it!) before journeying across the city to check out Tivoli Gardens. For most of our trip, we relied on a good ol’ paper map in hopes of refraining from using phone data and adding a little extra adventure in our step. After getting a bit lost once (or twice) and breaking down to use our phone for directions, we got on the right path. A trip isn’t really complete if you don’t get lost at least once, right? After stumbling upon Christiansborg Palace and some other amazing architecture, we found Tivoli Gardens. Some other fellow cruisers had told us it was much more than an amusement park, so we thought it would be fun to see, but we decided to skip paying the fee to enter. If you’ve been to Tivoli, you’ll have to let me know how it was! With the sun beating down in the heat of the day, it seemed like a good time to find some local fare. We wandered in and out of whimsical courtyards on our way back to a cute café we had passed on the way to Tivoli from Nyhavn. It felt so nice to just sit and enjoy being in a completely new place while people cruised by on their bikes, speaking a language I couldn’t even begin to understand. Our final stop for the day was the Rosenborg Castle Gardens which is known as Kongens Have, which means “King’s Gardens”. We grabbed a coffee and Danish pastry because it just felt fitting and made our way to the castle grounds. After stopping to pet a cute puppy that actually was from England, we entered the gardens filled with people relaxing and enjoying picnics or a drink in the green grass. I felt like I could’ve spent hours there; relaxing reading a book, visiting with friends or just taking in the bright, Danish Sun. It was a true piece of tranquility in the midst of a bustling city. On our expedition back to the bus that would take us back to our ship, we swung by Nyhavn to have one last look before we said farewell to Denmark (for this trip). The number of people in the streets and at the cafes had doubled since we had arrived in the morning and it was fun to experience it in both ways. It still looked as if the buildings had merely been painted on a huge piece of canvas; I’m so thankful that places like Nyhavn exist! It had been an incredible day in Copenhagen but after walking many miles, it felt good to retire to our stateroom for a full night of sleep. It wouldn’t be long and we would be waking up in Helsingborg, Sweden. I can hardly wait to share it with you in the next installment of the cruise blogs! Glory to God!
After a day of walking and exploring the city of Brugge, Belgium, we were excited for a day at sea aboard our beautiful Sapphire Princess. Every night before we’d go to sleep, we would log into the Princess Cruise portal on our phones and select the items we wanted delivered for room service the next morning. Even if we were just ordering coffee and fruit, it was so fun to wake up and have breakfast delivered to our door. This is a service that is included in your overall cruise price which is such a luxury that you should be sure to take advantage of! After thoroughly enjoying our breakfast, we were prepared to hit the gym for a workout. The gym was lined with cardio and weight machines, plus they had a studio for group fitness classes! The wonderful thing about working out on the ship is the incredible view you have from the front of the boat (and the fact that there is an unlimited food supply waiting for you a couple of decks below when you finish). But seriously, it was so cool to look out the vast windows and see the ocean cheering us on to the end. To refuel after our workout, we made our way down to the International Café for some cappuccinos and lunch. The café was always well stocked with a ton of pastries and sandwiches, but also a variety of salads and fruits; however, the ham and cheese croissant with a side of watermelon became quite popular for us. The afternoon was spent exploring the many decks of our ship and walking along the 7th deck which quickly became one of our favorite spots to enjoy the views. Princess Cruises had many different events going on throughout the day, such as ping pong tournaments, dance classes, etc. One event that we happily partook in was the afternoon tea in the Horizon Café. We sipped English tea and indulged in delicious warm scones with oodles of clotted cream and preserves. The best part about this is that we could have tea time every day from 3:30 to 4:30 pm if we so pleased. Oh, and did I mention that our ship offered TWO different types of pizza on board? (I know what some of you are thinking, "ENOUGH WITH THE FOOD ALREADY", but to go on a cruise means you eat, and if you don't take advantage of the food, are you even on a cruise?). We enjoyed both the traditional pizza pie on the Lido deck and their award-winning Neapolitan style pizza at Alfredo's Pizzeria. Straight up, YUM. The first day at sea was also our first formal night on the cruise. It was so fun to get dressed up and enjoy a scrumptious meal (yes, more food) with our new friends and table-mates from Texas. When you’re first booking a cruise, you can opt in for traditional dining services with a table just for your party, or you can make it a party and meet some new people. We were so thrilled to bond over so many similarities with our table-mates; it was truly a blessing to meet them (Yvonne and Leah, we miss you guys and will continue to cherish our conversations and endless laughs with you!) After dinner, we enjoyed some more live music by the Hawaiian band “Elua” before changing into warm clothes for the Movie under the Stars on the Lido Deck. The Princess Staff converted the pool area into a movie theater complete with comfy chairs, blankets and popcorn. We watched the movie “The Greatest Showman”, and while I swooned over Zac Efron’s eyes, the sun tried to set over the sea. It had been such an amazing day, and it was only going to get better as we explored Copenhagen, Denmark for our next port of call (blog coming soon!). Forever Praising God as I reminisce on this trip!
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AuthorA Jesus loving, Minnesota girl actively seeking adventure around every corner. Archives
October 2018
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