A wheelchair in Norway

The first stop on our Cruise was Stavanger.  It was picture postcard perfect and the start of the cold weather.  We got off the ship and checked out the Harbour Front.  The church there was built in the 12th Century, however the marketing was pure 21st Century and it cost 20 kroner to go through.  I refuse to pay to visit a church and we took a walk around the outside, before finding a lovely lake to sit besides - off coarse Sully had to roll around the entire lake but I just sat and enjoyed the view.  We then went and had lunch at a seaside restaurant - some restaurants advertised whalemeat!!!! - and it was nice sitting in the sun.  After that we went to visit the old town, but it was very hilly so Sully sat down the bottom and I took photos.  There wasn't much more to do and we were back on the ship nice and early.  Stavanger was our introduction to the very expensive Norway - when you converted the kroner you thought twice about the purchase.

We then sailed to Flam, which was further north than Stavanger but only took overnight to get to.  Once more it was picture perfect.  Apart from lots of tourist shops, they had a world renowned railway.  We went there first to see if they could take the wheelchair and we were able to purchase tickets and get on board.  All the trips in the morning were sold out so we went in the afternoon.  The ramp that they used was also used for bikes - a heap of bikes are taken to the top and then people hire them to ride downhill.  The scenery was remarkable - a lot like the Rocky Mountaineer last year- and there was a waterfall half way up that they stoppped so we could get photos.  Sully couldn't get out of the train so the Guard got them to drive slowly past it so that he had time to check it out.  We did the return journey on the same train.  The people who got off at the top said there was very little up there - considering that up to 7000 ride the train daily in the summer, I found that amazing.  We did some shopping on the way back to the ship - I bought a jumper for 895 kroner, some jumpers I was looking at were 2995 kroner (from $100 to $400).  Again we were back on the ship in plenty of time.

Iceland - a wheelchair,a lagoon and no dog sled

The day we arrive in Reykjavik was beautiful - sun shining but a savage wind blowing.  I booked a whale watching tour in the morning but it was cancelled because of the conditions.  We had a private tour booked in the afternoon and we were picked up by Sigurgeir Fridriksson (call me Siggy)-vigri@simnet.is - and taken to the Viking Museum.  We were the only ones there (150 were arriving at 5) so it was the best time to be there.  They had a replica Viking ship suspended over the entry.  This had been built using original methods and sailed to New York to retrace a journey taken by Leif Eriksson centuries ago.  There was a lot of good information on the Vikings, which is something that is not studied in Australian schools, so we found it very interesting.

We then went to Blue Lagoon which is an open air Spa from natural thermal pools.  Much to Sully's dismay they had wheelchair access and we prepared for entry. They put him into a sling and lowered him in (there are some photos which I will publish later) and then he started to sink.  The attendants gave me a rubber ring for him first and when that was not too successful, they gave me a pool noodle.  I still feel the hysteria rising up when ever I think of this, so basically the picture was Sully floundering and me laughing hyserically andthe pool attendants looking very alarmed.  Sully survived for another 10 minutes before getting out and I had a lovely time covered in mud and definately taking 20 years off my face - would I make that up?

The next day was the day of the dog sled ride and unfortunately the day was atrocious.  Once again Siggy collected us and we drove for about 90 minutes - still in the pouring rain-and it was decided between us and the dogsledder that we would get drenched and we did not want to get sick for the rest of our trip.  We did see the dogs and the sleds, but we were not going on the Glacier but on the road.  That helped us decide as I definately wanted to go on the ice.  Siggy took us for a bit of a drive around and the rain lasted for the rest of the day- it would not have been liked if the sun shone any time on that day.  However Iceland was different to anything we had seen before and most enjoyable.

HAL would not let the wheelchair off in Greenland

A Safety Officer who did not even meet Sully decided that it would be too dangerous for him to get off on the dock in Nanotulik, Greenland.  After much nashing of the teeth I decided to go off on my own and the verdict is he could hwwave easily got off and got off the dock - a complaint has been put in but still we haven't met the Safety Officer (spineless twat).  Come on Holland America, lift your game, not all people in wheelchairs are old and infirmed - and our money is just as good as anyones.

Anyway there was not much to see as it was a very small fising villiage.  Most of the men were involved in cutting up a whale they had caught that morning.  Strangely I found it interesting as I realised that is the way they live and they use all the whale unlike poachers in Africa that just use the tusks or the horns.  Other than that it took an hour to get through the gift shop and about 5 minutes to walk from one end to the other.

It still would have been nice to share it with Sully

www.hollandamerica.com

Today in Halifax with the Wheelchair

It is a beautiful day here and we are having lunch by the Harbour - lobster roll for Sully and fish and chips for me.  Spent the morning in the Maritime Museum reading about the Titanic(a big part of this town) and the Halifax Explosion which killed 3000 people in 1917 when two ships collided in the harbour - one carrying TNT.  Hard to imagine sitting here in this beautiful setting and soaking up the sunshine.

Yesterday hired a taxi and went to Peggy's Cove which was supposed to be a must see - but as the taxi driver said it all comes down to good marketing.  We drove around the Uni (50000 students) and also went to the Citidal and the graves of the Titanic victims.  The saddest of these is the unknown child who was only recently identified as an imigrant from Finland.

Overall wheelchair access has been good here although the hop on hop buses could not take us.  However I think we did a better deal with the personal service from the taxi.

Holland America Ship and the Wheelchair

We are currently sailing on the Eurodam which is one of Holland America's newest ships.  It  can carry over 2000 passengers and it is full for this cruise which makes getting around interesting.  We have a verandah suite which is lovely although it is mainly too cold to go out that door.  Let me say at this point - the Volendam was nicer.  This has the library next to the Crows Nest and the set up does not flow as nicely.  We are finding the service just as good.  However I went to find where to go to acces the tender and was told unless Mr O'Sullivan could walk, he would not be able to get off the ship.  After several trips to the front desk and pointing out several times that the website clearly states that wheelchair users can access tenders, it has been decided that Sully can now get off in Greenland.  Apparently you should also be able to walk if you are in a wheelchair.  I think that when they rang to Sully to say they had worked out a way to get him off the ship they may have also said please just keep your wife away from the front office and we will do what ever it takes. I will be interested to check out there website when we get home - and maybe put a few things in writing.......

Amsterdam and the Wheelchair

We stayed at the Hotel NH Barbizon which had all the facilities we needed.  We even had 2 bathrooms.  We did not try Public Transport - but did see wheelchair signs on the trams and buses.  Footpaths had indents in them with wheelchair signs.  If we had to go back there I would look forward to it.

Tulips and Wheelchairs in Amsterdam

What a difference three years make to moving around with a wheelchair in Amsterdam.  We caught up with Jess and Ben outside our hotel - the NH Baarbizon and went out to tea on the first night.  I wanted to go back to an Argentinian restaurant that I had liked the last time we were here - and we found it and enjoyed the steaks just as much this time.  The next morning Ben wanted to go to the Heineken Brewery.  This was not something we would have thought about and definately thought there  would be no chance with the wheelchair but we were completely wrong.  We were given a map and a key.  This key operated all the lifts through out the complex.  It was an interesting place to go and the staff could not have been friendlier or more helpful.  It cost 15 euros each and was worth every cent.

Sully then headed back to the hotel and Jess and Ben and I went to the Van Gogh Museum.It did have wheelchair acces but was incredibly busy, so Sully would not have enjoyed it.  I got to see all the paintings I wanted to see before the crowds annoyed me and I sat and watched the crowds till Jess and Ben had finished.  That night we went to a Chinese restaurant that Jess and Ben had found before we arrived.  The next day we went to a flea market that Sully had found on his travels.  We also stumbled on Rembrandt's House which none of us had seen in a travel guide.  Although Sully couldn't get in, it was a great way to see how they lived.