Jasperdo Posted October 5, 2019 #351 Share Posted October 5, 2019 8 hours ago, Bimmer09 said: Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon? Yup! All aboard! The Grand Canyon Railway actually goes from Williams to the Grand Canyon. The geography geek in me had to point that out🙂. It's a great ride. I've done it too. I'm very excited to see your photos from this train ride. My father worked for the Long Island Railroad and we had free passes to ride all the trains east of the Mississippi. (This was in the days before Amtrak.) This was how we did a lot of our trips when I was growing up. I'm still fascinated by trains, and I've gotten my grandson hooked on them as well. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Bimmer09 Posted October 6, 2019 Author #352 Share Posted October 6, 2019 Dateline ....Sept 5 2019...Flam....Norway....0800 hrs We will breakfast in the buffet which I believe is Carol's first time to do so. Up to deck 14 Purell lady at the entrance...generous blob... Carol says she likes the buffet for the choices and the speed-you are your own waiter and we have places to go, waterfalls to see. Waiter gets us drinks-juice/espresso/cappuccino. I make my own Full English from the station that says English Breakfast-they know their audience as most of the pax are my kinsmen. When I spotted Black Pudding I had to have some. It wasn't as great as the stuff I used to get from the butcher in N Ireland which was u-shaped and wrapped in skin which became crispy when fried but I cleared this plate with gusto! to the cabin to collect the camera bag and Eddie Bauer rainshell just in case. We rarely turned the tv on. no rain, just the aftermists. Some coaches parked we muster in the theater and sit at the back to get off quickly when the tour number is called we get there early Our numbers (lapel stickers) are called and we are directed to follow our guide. We follow. When we come to the gangway the guide is now not ahead of us but behind. We get off and theres no guide but we know where the trains are and we walk to them hoping to score good seats. A few others are walking that way. We are at the train and there's a young Norwegian Flamsbana uniformed guy who asks to see our tickets. We show. He says your guide must be with you-those won't do. Huh? Rats, what's going on? Let's retrace our steps says Carol and we do. As we get closer to the ship we see a group of loaded buses sitting and walk over. They see our stickers...#13? This way! and invite us to board. We see the missing guide. This is our 2nd X excursion of the trip where the communication has been lacking. We could have been told before we left the theater to head for the buses. The guide should have been ahead of us ushering us to the buses as we left the ship. Anyway we are on the bus right at the back so expect to see some out of the window pictures until we get to our first stop which is an old Viking area at the head of a fjord. There won't be many pics before we get there as part of the journey was driving 11 miles (yikes!) in a tunnel with a lot of rock above us. I didn't take any pics in the tunnel as it was dark and there was "nothing to see here!" That's all coming up - fjords, fast rivers, waterfalls, scenic countryside, hairpin bends, buffet lunch, train and more train and more Flam before we depart. Don't touch that dial! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Bimmer09 Posted October 6, 2019 Author #353 Share Posted October 6, 2019 5 hours ago, Jasperdo said: The Grand Canyon Railway actually goes from Williams to the Grand Canyon. The geography geek in me had to point that out🙂. It's a great ride. I've done it too. I'm very excited to see your photos from this train ride. My father worked for the Long Island Railroad and we had free passes to ride all the trains east of the Mississippi. (This was in the days before Amtrak.) This was how we did a lot of our trips when I was growing up. I'm still fascinated by trains, and I've gotten my grandson hooked on them as well. Thanks for the correction John. I thought no one would know Williams, especially the British and Norwegian readers (if they are still following) but everyone knows Flagstaff from the Route 66 song. We were staying in Sedona at the time and attending the Wagner opera in Flagstaff for 4 nights and on an off day drove to Williams, via Flagstaff and took the train in to the Canyon (South Rim where El Tovar is). We booked the panorama car and there was a good guitarist/singer doing cowboy songs (Yee-haw!). Great experience! We are train lovers too. I'm excited even when I see them in movies and even more so if they are puffing great clouds of steam. Lots of Youtube videos, especially from Britain which gave birth to steam trains. Cheers my friend! Norris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigrou Posted October 6, 2019 #354 Share Posted October 6, 2019 3 hours ago, Bimmer09 said: We are train lovers too. I'm excited even when I see them in movies and even more so if they are puffing great clouds of steam. Lots of Youtube videos, especially from Britain which gave birth to steam trains. The Cumbres & Toltec features in various movies, as does the Durango & Silverton. It's fun to spot them. And of course the Harry Potter movies have done wonders for the British preserved steam railways. I'm looking forward to seeing your review and photos of the Flam railway. It's one DH always wanted to do but we never made it, too busy travelling the US rails instead. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Bimmer09 Posted October 6, 2019 Author #355 Share Posted October 6, 2019 We are on a coach, not a train. The excursions listing that comes to your stateroom does say that this can happen-starting with coach, ending with train and vice-versa. We would have preferred the vice-versa as the train was right there on the dock and we could almost taste it. I snapped a couple of bus window pics before we hit the tunnel which is visible from the ship No tunnel photos! Maybe 30 minutes into the trip we are going to pull off the road into a location that was once a Viking village but no trace remains. We only have 15 minutes here as a photo/restroom stop gift shop There were people who had more than 15 minutes and could enjoy breakfast in the cafe. They pulled into the parking lot in cars, out for a scenic drive of their choosing. I envied them the flexibility to linger. window shopping we are as "right by the water" as you can get more.... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Bimmer09 Posted October 6, 2019 Author #356 Share Posted October 6, 2019 Viking boat replica I love this statue If I had come by car and there had been a side table I would have sat for an hour with a mug of coffee or a beer and stared at the fjord's calm majesty but our guide had to keep us moving along. Farewell, quiet peaceful scenic dazzler with your calm water and moist fresh air and your enticing cafe 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinkpanther52 Posted October 6, 2019 #357 Share Posted October 6, 2019 (edited) G Oooooh I am looking forward to this part of your trip report as I will be reliving my favourite day of my Fjords cruise in May. That tunnel in Flam is loooong!!! I thought it was never going to end. It sounds like you are enjoying Norway when you get back I would recommend Flam again to cruise on the “Vision of the Fjords” and stop in the “Pub” and Geiranger and Olden 🙂 And the Lofoten Islands. Edited October 6, 2019 by pinkpanther52 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Bimmer09 Posted October 6, 2019 Author #358 Share Posted October 6, 2019 Rocks and Water Norway has more than its fair share of both, let's just get that right, shall we? Taking photos from a bus window is not ideal. That's true too. However it is that or nothing. I can hold a camera steady but the scenery is whizzing by the window at 50 mph and looking out a side window in the back row. So I have to keep the camera up near my face and hope I can squeeze off some shots between the blurry bushes that come up out of nowhere. I have a note from my mother on file... we are heading towards Voss bus window frame but I have to get this shot suddenly a short bridge-click! see that red building through the bus window-to the left of center? That is the Stalheim hotel we are NOT stopping at. Once I see that I know we will be going down an extreme hair-pin road to a stunning valley. Curse you Celebrity excursion planners! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Bimmer09 Posted October 6, 2019 Author #359 Share Posted October 6, 2019 so green and vibrant tight bends 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Bimmer09 Posted October 6, 2019 Author #360 Share Posted October 6, 2019 how green was my valley? Just a photography note - I didn't adjust the color in any of these pics. No saturation. This is Norway after a night of rain. No make-up needed. No help from me Exxon is Esso in Europe. The Esso sign means Happy Motoring! We are off to our favorite place- Chicago Botanical Gardens in Glencoe. But when we come back- something worth getting off the bus to look at! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mchell810 Posted October 6, 2019 #361 Share Posted October 6, 2019 Play Misty for Me and How Green Was my Valley: Two great movies. Loving your review as always. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Bimmer09 Posted October 7, 2019 Author #362 Share Posted October 7, 2019 The Flam story so far 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Bimmer09 Posted October 7, 2019 Author #363 Share Posted October 7, 2019 9 hours ago, pinkpanther52 said: G Oooooh I am looking forward to this part of your trip report as I will be reliving my favourite day of my Fjords cruise in May. That tunnel in Flam is loooong!!! I thought it was never going to end. It sounds like you are enjoying Norway when you get back I would recommend Flam again to cruise on the “Vision of the Fjords” and stop in the “Pub” and Geiranger and Olden 🙂 And the Lofoten Islands. Yes, Geirainger is on my radar and Lofoten Islands is at the very top of my eye-candy list. It will happen in a few years I hope. I forsee a Norway/Iceland cruise someday, as does Carol. Right now we are planned out to October 3 2020 on Azamara which will be our 2nd cruise of 2020 as we sail the new Sky Princess in January. Cheers! Norris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasperdo Posted October 7, 2019 #364 Share Posted October 7, 2019 20 hours ago, Bimmer09 said: everyone knows Flagstaff from the Route 66 song ...Don't forget Winona... I love that song, especially the original Nat "King" Cole version. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Bimmer09 Posted October 7, 2019 Author #365 Share Posted October 7, 2019 (edited) 35 minutes ago, Jasperdo said: ...Don't forget Winona... I love that song, especially the original Nat "King" Cole version. We recently did a 2 day trip down Route 66 for 200 miles and I lovingly photographed it on my Flickr page. Saw some little towns I would never have seen before and met a lot of nice people. (click the link below where the ? is) Norris Edited October 7, 2019 by Bimmer09 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Bimmer09 Posted October 7, 2019 Author #366 Share Posted October 7, 2019 Tvinde waterfall near Voss A 25 minute stop. Some chose the restrooms. I had to take photos Yes, there was a gift shop as Norwegians are not idiots it's BIG and it's LOUD A River runs Through it (or near it if you are picky) people for scale 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Bimmer09 Posted October 7, 2019 Author #367 Share Posted October 7, 2019 Heartpoundingly impressive/gobsmackingly beautiful. Soon we are back in the bus and headed for Voss where there will be lunch! More Norwegian food? Yeah! Bring it on! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
need2cruisesoon Posted October 7, 2019 #368 Share Posted October 7, 2019 MR N awesome review so far. great pics.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Norwaylady Posted October 7, 2019 #369 Share Posted October 7, 2019 6 hours ago, Bimmer09 said: Yes, Geirainger is on my radar and Lofoten Islands is at the very top of my eye-candy list. It will happen in a few years I hope. I forsee a Norway/Iceland cruise someday, as does Carol. Great to follow your adventures in Norway! So happy to see that you are enjoying your time here😁 Totally independent (that I’m Norwegian) Norway is beautiful:) Absolutely recommend that you keep an eye on those Norway/Iceland cruises. Specially those that goes to Lofoten Island👍🏻 Your Canon will be in danger of overheating;) My partner in crime is from the north of Norway. So we frequently go there. It’s Christmas & New Year’s Eve for my camera..... I will leave you some pictures from Lofoten this August....(just to remind you, why a new Norwegian cruise is a perfect thing to do) 1. Nusfjord, You will find us in a red Rorbu 2. Ytresand Beach 3. Kvalvika Beach 4. Reine 5. Looking down on Reine and Sakrisøy from Reinebringen 6. Haukland Beach 7. Å 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsgoggins Posted October 7, 2019 #370 Share Posted October 7, 2019 The Esso sign means Happy Motoring! ...... Call at the Esso sign .... for Esso extra ..... Call at the Esso sign Loving the review of the cruise we should have been on. Thanks Norris. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare scubacruiserx2 Posted October 7, 2019 #371 Share Posted October 7, 2019 Yes, Geirainger is on my radar and Lofoten Islands is at the very top of my eye-candy list. It will happen in a few years I hope. I forsee a Norway/Iceland cruise someday, as does Carol. Right now we are planned out to October 3 2020 on Azamara which will be our 2nd cruise of 2020 as we sail the new Sky Princess in January. Cheers! Norris We saw Geiranger in June it was lovely . Check out the guy on the right 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Bimmer09 Posted October 7, 2019 Author #372 Share Posted October 7, 2019 6 hours ago, Norwaylady said: Great to follow your adventures in Norway! So happy to see that you are enjoying your time here😁 Totally independent (that I’m Norwegian) Norway is beautiful:) Absolutely recommend that you keep an eye on those Norway/Iceland cruises. Specially those that goes to Lofoten Island👍🏻 Your Canon will be in danger of overheating;) My partner in crime is from the north of Norway. So we frequently go there. It’s Christmas & New Year’s Eve for my camera..... I will leave you some pictures from Lofoten this August....(just to remind you, why a new Norwegian cruise is a perfect thing to do) 1. Nusfjord, You will find us in a red Rorbu 2. Ytresand Beach 3. Kvalvika Beach 4. Reine 5. Looking down on Reine and Sakrisøy from Reinebringen 6. Haukland Beach 7. Å I'm so glad you are still following along. I don't usually add the photos to a response as they have been seen already but these are spectacular and reaffirm Lofoten as a must-see. Carol will love them when she sees them. I whetted both our anticipation a couple of years ago when Carol was told by her hair stylist that the most memorable cruise she had taken was to Norway and I found a man on Youtube who has shown many videos of Norway. He has a very relaxed style which I like. I subscribed to his channel.... He travels Norway with a Norwegian friend, Gunnar. Here is his trailer for a one hour film he made of Lofoten.... Thanks again for the comments and for the photos. Much appreciated! Norris 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Bimmer09 Posted October 7, 2019 Author #373 Share Posted October 7, 2019 9 hours ago, need2cruisesoon said: MR N awesome review so far. great pics.... Ron, thank you and I'm very happy to see you still following along! Norris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJSailors Posted October 7, 2019 #374 Share Posted October 7, 2019 One of my uncles owned a marina at the very eastern end of Long Island ,NY where he used Esso gasoline to fuel the boats docked there. I can still remember the Esso sign he had on the property. This was at least fifty years ago ! Also, A River Went Through It - as I recall it is a movie? My DH and I are continuing to enjoy your review and photos. Norway offers some beautiful scenery and charming towns. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Bimmer09 Posted October 7, 2019 Author #375 Share Posted October 7, 2019 Our 25 minutes at the waterfall passed quickly. Flam was the third of our 4 ports and tomorrow we would be in Stavanger. The day after that, Saturday we would be sailing back to Southampton and on Sunday morning Smith's car service would be taking us back to London and the Royal Horseguards. Monday we would be flying home to Chicago. The sea day will bring a slew of ship photos for those not familiar with the Silhouette first hand. Once back on the bus on this Thursday morning we will drive the rest of the way to Voss where we will have lunch (included in excursion) then catch the Bergen to Oslo train to Myrdall where we will transfer to the Flamsbana train to take us back to Flam through the mountains. To Voss! Voss just up ahead 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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