On the Way Home from Norway

After visiting Norway, Grayden and I had a lot to ponder on our journey home.  We took the Queen Victoria back to Southampton and thoroughly enjoyed the slow pace back on the North Sea and into the English Channel.

Walking through the Chart Room you can stop for a drink or visit with new found friends.

Maybe you would enjoy shopping in the Royal Arcade.

Or maybe you'd go for a swim, though I doubt that would suit you on this day as it was still quite chilly.  You could use the heated indoor pool if you wish.

Grayden and I really enjoy it all, but I do believe our favorite is walking along the Promenade.  Even after our walks we would venture outside again to view the lovely North Sea.

It's hard to believe the North Sea is so blue!  Isn't it magnificent?  I adore the ocean and always find joy in its majesty. 

Back inside of the lobby we view a portrait of HRH The Duchess of Cornwall.  She visited the Queen Victoria on its fifth anniversary in Southampton.

Maybe you would enjoy dancing in the Queen's Room or going to Afternoon Tea is always lovely.

It's all wonderful and we certainly enjoyed our time on this lovely ship, but we must now pack our bags and get ready to exit the Queen Victoria and board the Queen Mary 2.  I'm pinching myself now, reminding myself this was not a dream, but a wonderful voyage to Norway.  It was more than beautiful to Grayden and I.  It was a dream voyage to a magical kingdom full of lovely people and beautiful scenery!  

Boarding the Queen Mary 2 certainly takes the sting out of leaving the Queen Victoria.  We both absolutely adore the Queen Mary 2!  So let's all get in the car and head over to her dock.

This is a bust of Queen Mary in the entrance to the Queen's Room.  Won't you join us for Afternoon Tea?

This is King George V bust on the opposite side of Queen Mary.  If you are a Downton Abbey fan, these are the royals that will be visiting the Crawleys in the new movie.  I haven't seen it yet, but hope to soon.  How about you?  Are you a fan?

There is another lovely portrait of Queen Mary in the Queen's Room.

How about a lovely scone and clotted cream?  Shall I pour a cup of tea for you?

As we get settled in, we have a glorious week to be on this lovely ship.  Again our favorite is walking about the Promenade.

What do you think these sculptures are that Grayden is standing in front of?

I'm happy to say that these have not been needed on any of our voyages.

Let's find a deck chair and enjoy this beautiful day at sea.

As you can see not all days at sea are lovely.  The closer we get to the Grand Banks the cold ocean waters meet with the warmer waters of the Gulf Stream.  Fog then engulfs the ship and the Queen Mary 2 sounds her whistles every 2 minutes that can be heard 10 nautical miles away. 

  
We even were treated to a rainbow during the fog on that afternoon.  You can see it faintly to the right of Grayden. 

And then suddenly we travel out of the fog and into the sunshine!  

After being onboard the Queen Mary 2 for a week we are back in New York City.  What wonderful memories we have stored in our hearts about this beautiful voyage to Norway!

Waiting to disembark the Queen Mary 2 the Statue of Liberty welcomes us back home.  May she always welcome the tired and poor to her shores.

"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe
free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore,
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to 
me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door! "

Emma Lazaras