Hubby and I decided our last day of the two-week adventure and cruise would be a "low-key" day. We geocached in the neighborhood, not wandering too far from the hotel. OFD had a list of things she wanted to see and do, so she was off exploring on her own.
We are retired educators enjoying the next phase in our lives. Traveling, geocaching and time with family and friends are how we spend our retirement days. We are enjoying the adventures of life after our working years.
Monday, July 14, 2025
Oslo ~ Our Final Day
Sunday, July 13, 2025
Oslo ~Cruise Stop #9 ~ The End of the Baltic Sea Cruise
The cruise ship docked around 7 AM. By 8 AM we were off the ship and looking for transportation to take us to the hotel so we could spend the day exploring our final city on this trip. Half of the ship's cruisers had the very same idea, so finding a taxi or Uber was impossible, as neither could enter the shipyard to pick up passengers. We never did learn why taxis could not enter that area. So we began to walk as OFD said the hotel was about a mile away. We began the UPHILL trek tugging/pulling our rolling suitcases on narrow, cobbled sidewalks. No breakfast. No coffee. Did I mention we had to go uphill? After what felt like hours, we did arrive at the hotel to leave our luggage and find a recommended eating place.
That was our start to two days in Oslo, Norway.
The Oslo Tree is an art installation gifted to the people of Oslo by Canica AS, a company owned by Stein Erik Hagen.
The tree is 14 meters tall, 12 meters wide and weighs 27 tons altogether. 125 000
LEDs create a colourful, computerized display, tailored to the seasons. ~ signage at the tree
The Palace Park was opened by King Oscar I in 1847, two years before the Royal Palace was completed. Ever since then the Royal Family's park has been open to the public all year round, making it unique in Europe.*
The Palace Park was designed by the Palace architect H. D. F. Linstow in 1838 and was laid out between 1838 and 1860 by the first gardener at the Royal Palace, Martin Mortensen. Most of the trees in the park, originally numbering more than 2 000, were planted in 1842.
Early descriptions refer to the park as lush and abundant with flowers. Over the years the Palace Park has been steadily simplified to include fewer ponds and plants than previously.*
Today the park is characterised by large lawns and voluminous trees, although the number of trees has almost been halved as a result of old age and damage over time.*
The Garden Section at the Royal Palace is now working to restore elements of the park's original diversity, with shrubs and flowers planted beneath the trees. The park is a cultural heritage site and is managed by the Palace gardeners in accordance with eco-friendly principles. * ~ signage in the park
Saturday, July 12, 2025
Copenhagen ~ Cruise Stop #8
I was trying to recall what we saw when we stopped in Copenhagen, and I had trouble remembering. The photos I took helped, but I am going to admit, after seeing all the buildings and history of the previous 10 days, I think my mind was a bit muddled by the time we got to Copenhagen.
Unveiled on 23 August 1913, 'The Little Mermaid' was a gift from Danish brewer Carl Jacobsen to the City of Copenhagen.
The sculpture is made of bronze and granite and was inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale about a mermaid who gives up everything to be united with a young, handsome prince on land. Every morning and evening she swims to the surface from the bottom of the sea and, perched on her rock in the water, she stares longingly towards the shore hoping to catch a glimpse of her beloved prince.
Carl Jacobsen fell in love with the character after watching a ballet performance based on the fairy tale at the Royal Danish Theatre. The brewer was so captivated by both the fairy tale and the ballet that he commissioned the sculptor Edvard Eriksen to create a sculpture of the mermaid. Eriksen's wife, Eline Eriksen, posed for the statue. ~ signage at The Little Mermaid
She was the second point of interest in Copenhagen. She was a very popular tourist stop!