8/17/2018

 "Night falls over Machu Picchu to the sound of Abba's 'Dancing Queen’."

It was a hellish return from Helsinki to Phoenix. Twenty four hours in the making. These types of adventures require the resilience of a 25 year old.  I do not have the energy to write a comprehensive account of our travels, so I will provide some highlights and photos.
We were able to spend a few days in New York before crossing the big pond. We stayed at the historic Beacon Hotel and was able to catch Hamilton on Broadway. It exceeded our high expectations. Fantastic!!! We again enjoyed walking  the “High-line Trail” and then got together with Reno High School classmate Mary Goldring and husband Steve for a cocktail. They are such nice people!  We also enjoyed the Whitney museum. The 9/11 memorial was sobering and emotional.
In Stockholm we absolutely loved touring the ABBA museum. We flew from Stockholm to Bergen Norway, a 900 year old Hanseatic town. From here we ventured into the heart of Norway’s Fjord region. This was breathtaking scenery. Our resort Lofthus Hotel was off the charts. We had a great hike up to some splendid waterfalls. From here we had a long drive to Oslo where we visited Vigeland Sculpture Park, and the Hollmenkollen Ski Jump, as well as the Nobel Peace Museum. From here we took an overnight cruise through the North Sea to Copenhagen. Copenhagen was crowded in the  bustling parks, outside cafes, restaurants and shops…..  absolutely beautiful. We had a scenic boat ride through the canals and spent an evening at Tivoli Gardens. From here we flew to the harbor city of  Helsinki which we found quite charming and would have liked to have spent more time there. 
We engaged in plenty of other activities and sights and hit the Hard Rock for souvenirs in four cities but ….”Thats All Folks"