Beyond The Beatles
We had a great time in Liverpool visiting all the Beatles sites - if you missed it, you can find it here -
After a great day in Liverpool we were excited to continue our time on the Viking Vela !
The next day found us in Holyhead, Wales...
We traveled through the countryside to a cute little town called Beaumaris and got to tour a beautiful castle built by Edward I...also called Edward Longshanks - you might remember his name from the movie Braveheart.
We had a great guide who explained so much about the construction of the castle and how it worked in medieval times.
Afterward we walked around the town and of course, I found the library. All the signs here are in both English and Welsh.
I loved that they had big, foam blocks for children to "build a castle".
Lots of cute shops and restaurants...we did not stop in because...
that night the ship hosted a fish and chips dinner on the pool deck. It was the BEST fish and chips ever!
We sailed away from Wales into an amazing sunset.
The next day was a sea day, sailing the English Channel and we enjoyed a lazy day onboard...reading and watching the world go by.
We started the next day with waffles for breakfast...
Then docked near Portsmouth, England - the drive through town was filled with charming homes.
Thatched roofs everywhere!
The June 6, 1944 D-Day Invasion was planned near here, and many of the troops left from here. Great museum, with a landing craft like the kind that was used on D-Day. Very moving for us, since John's dad landed on Normandy on D-Day/
Lots of memorials to the soldiers who fought fascism...
LOL...I felt like a princess on this trip!
We were lucky to see the start of a World Cup Yacht race..
windy and very exciting.
As we left port we spotted a rainbow!
Then a fabulous lobster dinner.
Then the next day was one I was waiting for...we were scheduled to sail past the famous White Cliffs of Dover and were informed it would be about 6 AM. I set the alarm, had some clothes ready to pop into so we could head up to the top deck and see the cliff. I opened our drapes and looked out of our balcony...
We did not need to leave our cabin...there they were !
The WWII song just played in my head so we found it on our tablets and listened to it as we sailed past the cliffs into Dover.
Once we docked we made our way to Canterbury...
Such a moving sight!
We strolled the beautiful town with great shops and lots of history.
As a proud Kutztown State graduate I am always thrilled when I find Keith Haring somewhere on our travels....and I always do!
This was the one day it rained....and it POURED!
But we dried off and enjoyed a lovely salmon dinner...
and apple pie!
The last day of our adventures we arrived in Greenwich, UK
Saw the famous Cutty Sark clipper...
the church where Henry VIII was baptized...
the church was used as a bomb shelter in WWII, the graveyard hit, and the stones lined up outside.
We wandered the interesting streets...
"saw" some famous people!
Designed by Christopher Wren, this was the sailors hospital and home.
The Royal Observatory..."Greenwich Mean Time"
Then a short ferry ride
back to where the ship was anchored in the Thames.
And then, who did we find on the ship ???
The Hagens - Tortstein and Karine - owners of Viking Cruises.
We were starstruck after seeing them on all the Viking commercials.
We told them how much we enjoy our Viking adventures, and I asked if I could snap a photo with John...they said yes...
then Karine said "let's take a selfie!" They were so friendly and gracious. Mr. Hagen turned to talk to someone else, but she asked us about our favorite cruises, where we were going next - just a very nice person!
Our last great dinner....this was a very unusual Waldorf salad...
another fabulous lemon dessert...
and the view of Greenwich from our cabin as we packed to travel home.
This is the "Living Room" of the Viking Vela. That huge screen changes several times a day, with great artwork. Several times a day there is great, live music in the atrium. We just love our Viking Adventures...have several more booked and we are counting the days until we can be Vikings once more.
Thank you so much for coming along on our journey.
Have you ever traveled with Viking? Do you like river or ocean cruises? I would love to hear your thoughts - please leave a comment below because I love hearing from you!
Until next time - making an apple bread today that I will share on the next post - have a great week and a fabulous Fall!
Thank you for stopping by Our New Vista!
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