Holmenkollen ski jump

The Holmenkollen ski jump, located in Holmenkollen, Oslo, Norway, is host to the world's second oldest ski jump competition still in existence (the oldest being hosted by a small, local club named Medicinernes Skiklub Svartor in nearby Seterkollen).
Since then the capacity of the stands have been increased to over 50,000 people and the jump has been extended 18 times, last time in 1982. Today's tower extends 60 meters above ground, and 417 metres above sea level. The current record of 136 meters was achieved by Tommy Ingebrigtsen of Norway on 25 January 2006.^{[dated info]}

Tower Bridge

London

First Blog Post From Norway

Hello from Kirkenes, Norway !!!

Today is Friday the 12th and the photo of me to the left is leaving LAX on Tuesday the 9th.

We have been non-stop since then with a flight everyday, shleping luggage to and from airports, buses, taxi's and hotels... We are currently in our last hotel before boarding the ship tomorrow and are now traveling with 22 people comprised of Travel Agents and their spouses or traveling companions and WE CAN'T WAIT to GET TO THE SHIP so that we can unpack and stay awhile while enjoying the scenery and take a load off.....

Having said that we have been having a fantastic time in Norway!!!!!

It is absolutely incredible here and like nothing I have ever experienced. For the first thing it is not nearly as cold as we had anticipated... Today we are 69* Latitude... and 1.5 miles from the Russian Border. This town has a much larger population and is the housing is fairly modern. The houses are all built and look the same but are brightly colored as they are the only colors in contrast to the bright, bright beautiful whiteness of the snow that surrounds them..

Kirkenes is a town in the municipality of Sør-Varanger in the county of Finnmark with a population of about 3,300, or about 7,300 if the neighbouring suburban areas of Hesseng, Sandnes and Bjørnevatn ^[1] are included. Kirkenes is located in the extreme northeastern part of Norway on the Bøkfjorden, a branch of the Varanger Fjord, which is a vast bay connected to the Barents Sea near the Russian-Norwegian border. The town is situated about 240 miles (400 km) north of the Arctic Circle.

Unlike the vast majority of Norway, Kirkenes is located east of the neighbouring country of Finland. Because of this, travelling directly west from Kirkenes actually changes the timezone forward instead of backward, like it usually does. Travelling directly east from Kirkenes (into Russia) changes the timezone forward by two hours instead of one.

One can drive 100 km south, and walk 10 km, into the Øvre Pasvik National Park, reaching the border point of the three countries, where the three timezones meet. There are only a few such places in the world. It is forbidden, according to Russian law, to walk around the marker, since entering Russia is only allowed at a border control.

We are spending the night at the Rica Arctic Hotel.  It is very lovely, modern, the rooms are large with large deep bathtubs which I immediately filled up with hot water and jumped into as soon as I got off the bus, before venturing out for some exploring and picture taking...  There is a large lounge with sofa's, conversation areas, internet cafe, free wi-fi hotel wide and hot coffee.

Tonight we are headed out for dog sledding, a visit to the Ice Hotel and hopefully see the northern lights.  I will be taking the camera and video camera with the tri-pod out to see if we can get some good shots.

I basically wanted to jump in here and say hello.  I am going to throw a couple of pics up for you and chat with you a bit later.  Hopefully more tonight or tomorrow morning while the wi-fi is free and I think I will have some time....

Here are a couple of pics to show  you where we have been..  (first actual day was an overnight to London....)

Day 1 London, only a couple of hours in the hop on, hop off bus so pics are all from the moving bus.... !!!     Fish and Chips in a pub that night.

Day 2 Oslo,   FANTASTIC Tour and night there....

Day 3 Here....

IMG00268-20100312-1002.jpg

Kirkenes airport way above the arctic circle!
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Want to Sail the Med with us in Europe Summer 2011 ????

Magic 9 day Med/Europe May 2011

 Want to Go with Us ????

Owners, Joe and Nancy and Associate Agent Alicia and her husband Hip will be onboard !!!

 

9 Day Mediterranean (05/1/11)

Port of call	Arrival	Departure
Venice, Italy		6:00 PM
"Fun Day" at Sea	At Sea	At Sea
Dubrovnik, Croatia	7:00 AM	7:00 PM
"Fun Day" at Sea	At Sea	At Sea
Messina, Italy	7:00 AM	6:00 PM
Naples, Italy	7:00 AM	7:00 PM
Rome (Civitavecchia) Italy	7:00 AM	10:00 PM
Livorno, Italy	7:00 AM	7:00 PM
Montecarlo, Monaco	7:00 AM	4:00 PM
Barcelona, Spain	7:00 AM

We are sailing on the very first, inaugural, as it stands now, sailing and the one and only ONE WAY, 9 night sailing of the 2011 season that the Carnival Magic will do.  This is a one way Venice to Barcelona sailing leaving time on either end of the 9 days to have a day or two in Venice AND Barcelona and still take a 2 week vacation. This is a great way to see the most sought after ports of Europe on a brand new ship with the economical pricing and FUN of Carnival !!!

We have locked in the best available pricing and will be offering Bon Voyage Champagne and chocolate covered strawberries along with $100 OBC.  

This is a limited time offer.  Make your reservations by 4/29/2010  Full Payment not due until 1/15/2011.

Carnival Cruise Lines’ newest ship, the 3,690-passenger Carnival Magic, will debut with a schedule of seven-, nine- and 12-day Mediterranean cruises operating round-trip from Barcelona from May to October 2011. This marks Carnival’s first full season of Mediterranean cruises in three years, as well as the first time the line has homeported a ship in Barcelona.

To commemorate the line’s return to Europe, for the first time ever Carnival is offering an exclusive pre-sale for past guests from January 19 to January 25, including complimentary two-category upgrades, along with special pricing with rates starting at just $829 per person, based on double occupancy.

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 The 130,000-ton Carnival Magic will offer a host of features popularized on its sister ship Carnival Dream, including a WaterWorks aqua park, a stunning café/live entertainment venue called Ocean Plaza; Serenity adults-only retreat; spacious, modern facilities for children and teens; and a wide range of stateroom categories. Several innovations unique to the Carnival Magic will be announced in the coming months.

Cahill added, “Making the decision to return to Europe is an indicator of our confidence in the increasing willingness of North Americans to travel internationally as we move toward 2011.”

Carnival Magic’s 2011 Mediterranean schedule will encompass three seven-day departures, six nine-day cruises, and eight 12-day voyages round-trip from Barcelona May 10 – October 16, 2011. A special one-time nine-day voyage from Venice to Barcelona will operate May 1-10, 2011.

Each of the three itineraries start and end on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday, which reflects consumers’ traditional vacation patterns and provides convenient opportunities for adding a pre- and post-cruise stay. 

Seven-day cruises will feature Monte Carlo, Monaco; and Livorno, Rome (Civitavecchia), Naples and Messina, Italy.  Departure dates include July 3, 10 and 17, 2011.

Nine-day cruises will call at Marseilles, France – the line’s first call at this charming coastal town – followed by Monte Carlo (excluding the August 26 departure); Livorno, Rome (Civitavecchia), Naples, and Messina; and Palma de Mallorca, Spain.  Voyages will operate June 3 and 24, August 5 and 26, September 16, and October 7, 2011.

The special nine-day cruise departing May 1 will visit Dubrovnik, Croatia; Messina, Naples, Rome (Civitavecchia), Livorno; and Monte Carlo.

The 12-day Grand Mediterranean voyages will feature Monte Carlo or Marseilles; Livorno, Rome (Civitavecchia), and Naples; Dubrovnik (excluding the May 22 departure which will visit Palma de Mallorca); Venice (overnight call) and Messina. These voyages will depart May 10 and 22, June 12, July 24, August 14, September 4 and 25, and October 16, 2011.

On the Carnival Magic’s Mediterranean cruises, guests can sample the region’s renowned cuisine, experience unique sightseeing opportunities, view stunning architecture and visit centuries-old historical landmarks and museums.

All three itineraries will operate round-trip from Barcelona, a bustling, cosmopolitan city whose modern cruise terminal is considered one of the finest in Europe. 

As the line’s newest ship, Carnival Magic will offer a host of on-board amenities and facilities, including Ocean Plaza, an indoor/outdoor café and live entertainment venue with full bar service, a patisserie and a dance floor; Serenity, an exclusive adults-only retreat offering magnificent sea views; and The Lanai, a wrap-around promenade encircling the ship with cantilevered whirlpools that will extend over the ship’s sides.

Carnival Magic will also build upon the line’s distinction as the family cruise leader, with dedicated facilities and programming for children in three age groups – Camp Carnival (2-11), Circle “C” (12-14) and Club O2 (15-17) – along with a miniature golf course and an expansive WaterWorks aqua park with multiple water slides and other features.

Extensive formal and casual dining options, including two two-level main dining rooms, an expansive poolside Lido restaurant, an elegant steakhouse serving U.S.D.A. prime dry-aged beef, a sushi bar, and complimentary 24-hour stateroom service, will also be available.

High-tech features aboard the Carnival Magic will include the Fun Hub, a comprehensive intranet portal and shipboard social network, along with ship-wide Wi-Fi access. Health-conscious guests will enjoy a 23,750-square-foot Cloud 9 Spa featuring a thalassotherapy pool, thermal suite and elaborate spa and gymnasium facilities.

Carnival Magic will also feature 1,845 staterooms – the most ever on a Carnival ship – and will offer a wide range of accommodation categories.  These include the affordable cove balconies, located on Deck 2 and closer to the water line, and a wide range of staterooms including deluxe ocean views with two-bathrooms, some of which feature five berths. 

Contact us at 307.278.9663 or NReal@cruiseone.com

www.nreal.cruiseone.com

Luggage Update

By the way,  I forgot to tell you that I ended up paying $87.00 for the large Sub-O bag and $110 for the spinner carry on   BOTH are by International Traveller.  

I purchased them and the Camera/Loptop Bag at my favorite website for Bags of all kinds.  www.ebags.com  They have fantastic selection, pricing, service and shipping.  I also love the way the is built and the customer comments which I rely on quite a bit.  The different ways to search are helpful too.  I.E. best sellers, highest rated, etc.

I am about to start the packing.....  all my items have arrived for the trip and are assembled.  Now we just have to see if we can cram them all in and what has to stay home.....

How to Travel Around the World By Airplane

How to Travel Around the World By Airplane

February 22, 2010 at 9:35 AM | by kjb | 1 Comment

If the usual travel destinations have gotten a little boring, it might be time to consider something a little more adventurous. Traveling around the world is slightly intimidating, but doing it by airplane isn’t too tricky. There are plenty of options for flying around the globe, and there’s three main ways to get you to and from your home with time for pit stops on most continents. The best part is things are somewhat flexible, so feel free to skip over countries you’ve seen before or ones you’d rather avoid. Here’s a rundown of where to go to get things done.

· Star Alliance
Star Alliance is ready, willing, and able to take you to your dream destinations, and they can do it with help from lots of airlines including United Airlines, ANA, and Singapore Airlines. Tickets are priced depending on total mileage planned for your trip, and you can choose from 29,000, 34,000, or 39,000 miles. For those that enjoy the pain and suffering of a seat in the back of the plane, there’s a special economy option available with a 26,000 mileage allowance—in case you only have a week to finish exploring.
Once you’ve gotten the cash together to plan an adventure you’ll need to decide which way to travel around the globe. You can go either east or west, but all travel needs to continue in that direction once it has begun. Stopovers—that’s when you get to escape the plane—are stays for more than 24 hours. You’ll need to include at least three of them, but you can do as many as 15. If you go with the special economy ticket you are limited to a maximum of only five stops—bummer.

Click Here for the rest of the article and a really cool Blog!

JFK runway closure to rattle nerves, wallets

It might be a good idea to avoid flying to, from or through JFK for awhile.  Thanks to Mary for pointing this info out!

By SAMANTHA BOMKAMP, AP Transportation Writer Samantha Bomkamp, Ap Transportation Writer –

Mon Mar 1, 2:11 am ET

NEW YORK – One runway, a whole lot of problems.

The main runway at New York's John F. Kennedy International will be closed for four months starting March 1. Millions of travelers will experience delays — including some not flying anywhere near the Big Apple.

With about one-third of JFK's traffic and half of its departures being diverted to three smaller runways, planes will wait on longer lines on the ground for takeoffs and in the air for landings. Delays at one of the nation's largest airports will ripple to cities across the U.S., including Los Angeles, San Francisco and Orlando.

Passengers using JFK also face another headache — higher ticket prices. JetBlue, American, Delta and other airlines have cut their schedules by about 10 percent for the shutdown period. They can raise prices because there will be a smaller number of seats to meet demand.

JFK's Bay Runway, at 14,572 feet, is one of the longest commercial runways in the world. It's a backup landing spot for the space shuttle, which has its next mission in April. The runway is being repaved with concrete instead of less-durable asphalt and widened to accommodate today's bigger planes.

The project will affect at least the first month of the peak travel season, which officially starts on Memorial Day. But the chosen four-month period was picked because it's the driest in the New York area, making weather-related construction delays less likely. Of course, prompt completion isn't certain. A similar runway repair in Minneapolis last year created thousands of delays when it was slowed by unseasonably wet weather.

Click Here for more