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Europe TravelerStripes travel enthusiast Karen Bradbury shares ideas for great getaways and ways to save dollars for our Europe-based readers. |
Into the light- Scandinavian cruises of DFDS
Posted June 21st, 2007 by Karen BradburyThere’s something magical about summer nights in the far northern latitudes, when shadows grow long and a dusky yellow twilight descends, but true darkness never really takes over. While the so-called White Nights are most commonly associated with St. Petersburg, there are a handful of other wonderful cities where you can experience something similar. If you can get away at short notice, there’s no better time than now to head to places such as Bergen, Norway, Tallinn, Estonia or Helsinki, Finland.
One way to get the most out of this season of light is to book a cruise with DFDS Seaways. Although you will not find mention of it on its .com Web site, its Danish site promotes the MiniCruise, which includes round trip passage from Copenhagen to Oslo and a berth in a cabin. You set sail from Copenhagen in late afternoon and arrive in Oslo at 9 a.m. the following morning, wander throughout the city until late afternoon, and return to Copenhagen the following morning. Since you’ll be aboard the ship during the evening and night-time hours, you can enjoy all the light from above-deck or the windows of the lounge. Fares start at 498 Danish Kroner (about $90) per person, and there’s even a family Mini Cruise, starting at just 356 DKK (about $64) per person based on two parents and two children under the ages of 15 traveling. Since the on-line booking engine is in Danish, try calling the reservations number at (+45) 33 42 30 00. From England, DFDS offers three-day cruises between Newcastle and Bergen starting at just 59 pounds (about $117) per person, including berth in a cabin. They also sail from Newcastle to Amsterdam and Stavanger.
Scandinavia is GREAT!!
Although I have a special reason for liking Scandinavia (my grandkids live near Oslo), I still love to travel there. Most of the time we take the ferry from Kiel to Goteborg, and drive from there. Driving in Sweden and Norway is much different that most anywhere I've found. First, some of the highways are only 2 lane. That's not too bad, but when you see a sign telling you that the road narrows for a bridge, believe it. A two lane "freeway" suddenly becomes a one land road. Speed limits are usually 100kph on most highways.
Norway is expensive but a little planning will help to get you through. Don't drive a big vehicle there. Regular Gas is around $7 to $8 a gallon. Stop by a grocery store and pick up bread and things for lunch. Much cheaper than eating out. The scenery is much prettier.
Enjoy
Mike
Thorshavn - How much there is in that word!
Chazzi Fiske:
I'm surprised and a bit disappointed that you don't include the great capital of yet another Scandinavian country in your article. First of all, Estonia and Finland are not Scandinavian at all,. They are frequently regarded as such due to proximity. But the real Scandinavia happens to be the Faeroe Islands - a protectorate of Denmark, but an independent country nonetheless.
I recommend walking across the mountains late night in summers. It's quite an adventure. You'll be chased by territorial sheep, you'll happen upon ancient runes, and you can hitch a ride from a local at no cost if you need to get back to the city (by city, I mean the capital village). They have some cool traditions, such as partying all night long on the weekends. They all speak English. They love guests. Though they're protective of their traditional cuisine, such as rotten raw fish, putrified shark and whale blubber. I was curious to try them, but they wouldn't let outsiders partake of those culinary gems.
But for adventure, a few laughs, and a lot of new friendships, you must go there. Try to get on the mailing list of someone you meet. They have a tradition called "chain-fiske letters", whereby, once a year, they send in the mail a piece of dried and stinking fish to each friend. The friend is then expected to break it, eat half of it, and send the rest on to his own friends. This way they send their bounty around the world and build a symbolic connection with people everywhere. It's an interesting culture and a beautiful setting.
Chain-fiske letters
Kasca Fiske
I've never been to the Faroes, but did receive a chain-fiske letter. It made quite an impression, not only on me, but on my poor mailman who had to carry the letter past legions of squaling cats eager for a taste of dried fish.
I had a great time taking a
I had a great time taking a cruise around those countries ports finland etc. This year i think i'm going on a mediterranean cruise since i'll be right in greece for the summer i figure i should see more than just the local greek isles.