North European Cruise - 2010
I took a 7-day cruise on the Grand Princess, from Southampton to Northern Europe. I spent a week in London before the cruise.
The first port was Zeebrugge, Belgium. I took a shuttle bus to the nearby town of Bruges. This is a really pretty town with cobblestone streets, colorful houses, and a romantic canal running through the center of town. Had some great Belgian Chocolate too!
The next stop was Copenhagen, Denmark. I took a tour that went to Kronberg Castle, in Helsingor. This castle was the setting for Shakespeare's Hamlet. Helsingor is on one side of a narrow strait between Denmark and Sweden. The guns of Kronberg Castle were once used to enforce a toll on ships using this strait. From there we took a look at Fredensborg Palace, the summer residence of the Danish Royal Family. We stopped at a little inn for lunch, then went to Rosenberg Castle, where the Danish Crown Jewels are kept. We finished off the tour in Tivoli Gardens. Later on, I went on my own to see the Gefion Fountain, Amalienborg Palace and Frederik's Church.
The next port was Helsingborg, Sweden. The city is dominated by an old fortress called Karnan. Nearby is the imposing city hall and a nice church.
The last stop was in Oslo, Norway. I visited the Nobel Peace Center, where the Nobel Peace prize is awarded. There was an old fort, called Akershus. The Royal Palace, the National Theatre and the Parliament Buildings were nice. This was the only day during my vacation, when it rained.
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