Magic Moments in Scandinavia
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| Magic Moments in Scandinavia are grins as often as goosebumps. |
Day-by-day itineraries can give you a general idea of what you'll get for your money, but they can't prepare you for the unexpected ways that Scandinavia can work its way into your heart...and perform a little magic. Here are a few "wow" moments from our Best of Scandinavia tour alums...
"This tour was filled with WOW moments. The Vasa and its journey, the magnificent City Hall in Stockholm, the friendly town of Kalmar, the thousands of bicycles in Copenhagen, the fabulous jazz cruise on the canals of Copenhagen, the quaintness of Aeroscobing, my first cruise ship from Copenhagen to Oslo, the view from the top of the ski jump in Oslo, Elveaster down the road from a glacier, and the majesty of the fjords of Norway were all WOW moments for me."
— Nancy in Pittsford, NY
"There were TOO MANY WOW moments: Stately Stockholm; Kalmar Castle; meeting 'Hans Christian Andersen' on the University steps in Copenhagen; Dinner at Det Lille Apotek where I cooked my own piece of meat; AEro Island bike rides (oh my!); arriving Oslo on a Cruise Ship at 9 AM; Frogner Park with the Vigeland's every where; Lom Stave Church; Elveseter; the sheep on the one lane road high in the Jotunheim Mountains; our ferry ride on the Sognefjord heading to Gudvangen; and our last group meal in Bergen. WOW WoW wOw!"
— Steve in Concord, CA
I had a couple of WOW moments on the trip, both of which were on the ferry from Copenhagen to Oslo. First, as the ship left Copenhagen harbor, the voyage promised to rival that of any Disneyland canal boat ride gliding through a child's fairy tale. The sea was as smooth as glass and the vistas surrounding us spectacular. As evening approached, the sea breezes and the sparkling lights dotting the distant landscape provided an added sensory extravaganza. The dinner buffet that evening on board ship lived up to its billing as a "feast fit for a Viking" just as it was described in the tour synopsis. As we drowsily prepared to retire for the night in our cozy berth, my wife and I couldn't have been more contented and the day behind us could not have been more perfect. Yet I was about to have another WOW moment not described in the tour literature: a rare, bonus WOW not often experienced by tourists. In the middle of the night, I was awakened by the slapping sound of the ship bouncing off the water. Gone were the placid waters of a peaceful ocean and in its place was an angry, vengeful sea. The room was pitching and rolling as I opened my eyes to find something to grab onto. When I reached for my wife, to keep from falling off the bed, she interpreted my groping as some kind of romantic gesture. And, for a brief moment, as she shared with me later, she felt the spontaneous ardor of passion begin to rise and swell as I lunged at her to steady myself. Much to our chagrin, the only rising and swelling I noticed emanated from my troubled stomach. My glutinous foray into the Viking feast of a few hours earlier was about to reverse direction. My second WOW moment was about to rear its ugly head. I can proudly say, without exaggeration, that after feasting like a Viking, I puked like a Viking. I had been initiated into the Order of Thor! Fortunately, my delirium was short-lived and after a few hours of rest and recovery I made my way to the Leif Erikson breakfast buffet to eat my fill. As Templeton the rat remarked in "Charlotte's Web" after a night of gorging at the county fair, "It was rich, my friends, rich."
— Marc in Rancho Murieta, CA
Read more comments from past tour members.