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Viking Scandinavia Tour (LONG)
Poster: "Terry L. Neill" <longshipco@hotmail.com>
Greetings!
This tour is organized by the same folks who organized the Italian
tour raved about on the Atlantia List last year. I thought people on
these lists might be interested. Feel free to forward this to other
SCAdian or Viking-oriented lists you belong to.
Letters in (parentheses) indicate what meal is included that day.
I'm going, if at all possible!!
Please direct Questions to Learner Tours at:
(352) 375-8505 or 1-800-254-7233 Mon.-Sun.
between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.
Send email to <safelt@gnv.fdt.net> anytime.
You may also visit our web site at http://gnv.fdt.net/~safelt
Students Abroad for Education & LearnerTours
3415 N.W. 13th Ave., Gainesville, FL 32605-4817
Regards!
- Anarra/Terry
Scandinavia: The Viking Experience
Departure Date: September 1-15, 1999
Departure City: JFK, New York
Program Price: $3400 (double occupancy)
(Single rooms add $460)
Price based on minimum group of thirty (30) participants.
For further information, please contact:
Students Abroad For Education & LearnerTours
352-375-8505 / 800-254-7233
ITINERARY (NIGHTS): Stockholm (3), Copenhagen (2), Aarhus (1),
Kristiansand (1), Stavanger (1), Haugesund (1), Bergen (1), Geilo
(1), Oslo (2)
HIGHLIGHTS: City tours each location * Viking museums, museum
villages, tombs & burial mounds, ship builders and longboat museums,
fortress, etc. * Medieval towns, cathedrals, monasteries and
scriptoriums, fortifications and castles, etc. * Renaissance palaces,
cathedrals, etc. * Cruises & trains rides through the fjords and
countryside * Iron Age village * Viking feasts & dinners *
Prehistoric museum * Kon-Tiki/Ra II Museum * and more.
Please Note: Your stay includes all breakfasts, 2 lunches, and 10
dinners.
Day 1: Depart the U.S.A. on Finnair (the preferred airline of
LearnerTours) on flight AY006 from JFK at 5:55 p.m. for Helsinki,
Finland.
DAY 2: Arrive Helsinki at 8:50 a.m.; change to flight AY761 departing
at 9:35 a.m. for Stockholm, arriving at 9:30 a.m. You will be met and
assisted with your luggage. Since hotel rooms are not available till
early afternoon, you will begin the day with a coach tour of Sweden's
capital, including an inside visit to City Hall, with its Golden Hall
- site of the Nobel Prize banquet. You'll stroll the Old Town, see
its 13th century cathedral, and find a good place there for lunch.
The afternoon, after check-in at the Best Western Palace, is free to
relax, get over jet lag, and perhaps explore a little. Evening
transfer to the well-known Restaurant Fem Smaa Hus (Five Small
Houses), located in deep cellar vaults in the Old Town, to enjoy a
delicious welcome dinner. (D)
DAY 3: After breakfast, you'll have an orientation lecture about the
Viking heritage, and then depart for a full tour of Stockholm, which
will include the Museum of Medieval Stockholm, a specially-arranged
tour of the Museum of National Antiquities (dedicated to Sweden's
first and best sailors, the Vikings, it has a real Viking house
showing how they lived, what they used, and what they wore), the park
island of Djurgaaden to tour the unique Vasa Ship Museum, and then to
the Skansen Open-Air Museum, where you can have lunch on your own at
one of the many restaurants. After lunch, explore Skansen, which has
restored buildings from the whole of Swedish history, a zoo,
interesting handicraft industries in miniature, and craftsmen's
houses that include bakers, silversmiths, potters, textile printers,
and more. Dinner is on your own tonight. (B)
DAY 4: This morning, to Stadshusbron to board your ship for a full
day excursion to Bjoerke Island, the site of Sweden's oldest town,
the old Viking village of Birka. During the cruise a lecture on the
Viking Age will be given. On arrival, your special guide from
Sweden's Historical Monument Organization will take you on a special
tour that will include the old town, the vast cemetery, and the
"sacrificial stones." History here goes back to the 800's, and here
Christianity first came to Sweden at that time. Bring your bathing
suit; you will have time for a swim in the clear waters of Lake
Maelaren before returning. (B)
DAY 5: Today you will have a morning excursion to the university town
of Uppsala and the old town of Sigurna. Sigurna was founded around
the year 1000. You'll tour the old town, with the oldest street
(Stora Gatan) in the country, see Sweden's smallest Town Hall, and
more. Then on to Uppsala, seat of Sweden's Archbishop and its oldest
center of learning. Tour the University, founded in 1477, where, in
the Carolina Rediviva University Library, you'll see the Silver Bible
and other early hand-written books.
Visit the cathedral, the finest Gothic structure in northern Europe,
and view the rich assortment of silver ornaments and church regalia.
Last, visit the Viking Mounds at Old Uppsala, before enjoying lunch
at a local restaurant. After lunch, transfer directly to Arlanda
Airport for your Finnair flight to Copenhagen, where you'll transfer
to The Ipsens Hotel to relax for the remainder of the day. This
evening, transfer to the well-known Restaurant Divan II inside Tivoli
for dinner with wine. After dinner, you'll have time to explore the
famous Tivoli gardens. Started in 1843, this 20 acre garden was
created for the young at heart. Tivoli has everything - fountains and
lakes, the Tivoli Boy Guards, a concert hall, restaurants, brass
bands, rides, and amusement arcades - all yours to enjoy this evening
as you wish. Late evening transfer back to the hotel. (B,L,D)
DAY 6: In the morning, a 3-hour tour of Copenhagen, on which you'll
see Tivoli - the famous amusement park, the ny Carlsberg Glyptotek
which houses an incredible collection of art, visit the National
Museum to see its outstanding collection of Viking arti-facts, go to
City Hall to view the famous Lur-blaeserne (two Vikings blowing the
ancient horn, the lur), see the Christiansborg Palace (now
Parliament), the old 17th cen. Stock Exchange, and Nyhavn - a street
along the waterfront well known for its night life. After viewing The
Little Mermaid, you'll return to the hotel to have lunch on your own.
After lunch, an excursion to Lejre Foroekscenter, a working
historical-archaeological museum and research center - and this IS
spectacular and deserves the full description sent us by the Swedes:
"The main attraction is a true reconstruction of an Iron Age village,
where all timbers for the houses were cut and shaped by axes, all
roofs are thatched, all streets are paved with wood as well as some
stone, and all wattles made by hand.
"During the summer the village is populated by people dressed in
clothing worn 2000 years ago. They live and work the way our
forefathers did in the Iron Age. The village is surrounded by fields
and the commons, where domestic animals graze. Islandic horses and
cattle, wild boars, goats, and Gothlandian sheep are just some of the
old domestic breeds which are present here, and which contribute
towards a true Iron Age environment.
"In the woods nearby is the place of sacrifice, a bog where horse
hides are hung to give evidence of the worship and cultic ceremonies
practiced in the Iron Age.
"Elsewhere in the research center is the potter's workshop, the
smithy, and the weaver's room, where important and exciting
experiments are taking place to give a better idea of the
technological ability of the Iron Age people.
"In Baaldalen (the valley of fire), there is opportunity for children
and young people, or, for that matter, any active visitors, to try
some of the utensils and means of transportation of the Iron Age. For
instance, you can sail in a dug-out canoe, cut firewood with an
authentic Iron Age axe, and more.
"At the opposite end of the Iron Age village, you will find two
reproductions of small-holdings from the 19th century. Here you may
view the idyllic gardens and romantic surroundings of our great-
grandparents. This is done to show the extreme contrast in the two
ages of rural life - and the numerous similarities and identical
points."
That evening, return to your hotel. Tonight, dinner is on your own,
as we imagine you'll want to break up into small groups for
conversations about what you've done and learned today. (B)
DAY 7: Leave Copenhagen and drive across Zealand to Roskilde, a royal
residence in the 10th cen. and, in the Middle Ages, the most
important spiritual center in northern Europe. Visit the Domkirke,
built in 1170 and added to through the ages so that it is a
longitudinal cross-section of Danish building history. Next visit the
Viking Ships Museum, where restoration continues on 5 Viking ships
sunk to block a harbor 1000 years ago, and recently excavated from
Roskilde Fjord. The next stop will be an old tomb where Vikings were
buried with their animals; you'll enter the mound to see the wall
engravings. Take a ferry across the Kattegat to Ebltoft and continue
to the Viking town of Aarhus, founded in 900 AD, for overnight. Visit
the Old Town for an impression of Danish life in the 1500's, and then
have a special guided tour of the Moesgard Prehistoric Museum, which
houses the incredible 1000-year old Grauballe Man. Walk the
Prehistoric Trail through the woods to the reconstructed Viking
"Hedeby House," where a special Viking meal will have been prepared
for you consisting of smoked meats, home bread, and mead (beer in
Denmark). Afterward, transfer to the Hotel Atlantic for the night.
(B,L,D)
DAY 8: After breakfast, a tour of Aarhus, including the Aarhus Viking
Museum. Then drive north to the medieval town of Randers, once an
important monastic settlement with a monastery hospital. From
Randers, a short drive to visit Fyrkat, the old Danish Viking
Fortress built in 980. Continue cross-country to Rebild Bakker, where
Danes celebrate the American 4th of July every year and have a
Lincoln Memorial log cabin! Onward to see 16th cen. Lindenborg Castle
and Lille Vildermose, a 34-square-mile marsh that is home to the rare
black stork. Further to Aalborg, to see a 5-story house considered to
be the finest example of Renaissance domestic architecture in
northern Europe. The facade is decorated with grotesque caricatures
of the builder's enemies plus one of himself - sticking his tongue
out at the Town Hall!
>From Aalborg proceed to the Viking graves at Lindholm Hoye. This huge
burial ground was uncovered in 1952 and contains approximately 700
graves in 150 ship formations. Here were found traces of a highly
developed society dating back to 1000 AD, and you can see housing
plots, workplaces, a well, and an old "tree stump path". Coins from
the Orient found here attest to the Viking's vast and ancient
commercial network. Then proceed to the coastal town of Hirtshals,
board a modern high-speed ship, the F/F "Silvia Ana" of the Color
Line, departing at 8:30 p.m. You will enjoy dinner aboard as you sail
across the Skagerak at 35 knots to Kristiansand in Norway, arriving
at 11:00 p.m. and transferring to the Rainbow Hotel Norge. (B,D)
DAY 9: This morning a strolling tour of Kristiansand through the old-
world Kvadratur area, the old fortress of Christiansholm, and the
cathedral. Houses here are jammed so tightly against each other that
there is no place for a little garden in front. Leaving this quaint
town, we have a day of driving through some of the loveliest country
in Scandinavia, so have your cameras ready. See Hafrs Fjord, where
the Viking Harold Fairhair met the combined forces of his enemies in
872 and, defeating them, became the first ruler of all Norwegians.
Reach Stavanger, one of the oldest towns in Norway and once the
canning capital of the world. Now it is home to the oil industry and
North Sea oil fleet. After a short tour, we will overnight at Rainbow
Hotel Maritim. (B,D)
DAY 10: Today, drive to Mekjavik and sail by modern ferry across the
Bokna Fjord to the old seaport of Skudeneshavn, from the era of
sailing ships. Drive down the Atlantic coastline to the old Viking
town of Haugesund, burial place of Harold Fairhair. By afternoon, you
will be at Kopervik to visit the Viking Farm at Avaldsnes.
Arrangements are planned to have an afternoon or evening Viking
dinner and get-together with members of the local Viking Club
(Vikingklubben Karmoy) here. Afterward, overnight at Haugesund in the
Comfort Home Hotel Amanda. (B,D)
DAY 11: At Valevaag this morning, board a ferry for a brief cruise
across Boemla Fjord to Skjerholmane, cross the island of Stord to
Sandviksvaag, sail by ferry 50 minutes across Bjoerna Fjord to
Halhjem, and drive to the Hanseatic town of Bergen. Here you will
have a 3 hour tour of the city, visiting Troldhaugen (the home of
famous composer Edvard Grieg), the colorful Fish & Flower Market, and
visiting the Hanseatic Waterfront and the Hansa Museum, located in
one of the oldest and best preserved wooden buildings in Bergen.
You'll see the Haakonshallen, the medieval Viking Hall, built in 1261
as a place to crown King Magnus. Dinner at your Bryggen Orion Hotel.
(B,D)
DAY 12: Today, travel from Bergen to Geilo via Flaam. Drive along the
shores of the beautiful Soer Fjord and along the Vosso River, one of
the finest salmon rivers in Norway, to the resort town of Voss,
birthplace of Knute Rockne. From there to scenic Tvindefoss Waterfall
and through more camera-perfect scenery. Take a 2 hour cruise on the
impressive Naeroy and Aurland Fjords, the longest and deepest in the
world, past cascading waterfalls, isolated hamlets, and steep
mountainsides - a photographer's dream. Arrive at the small fjord
village of Flaam, where you can stretch your legs, do a little
shopping, and get your lunch. Depart Flaam by train on one of the
most remarkable pieces of engineering in the world, the famous Flaam
Railway. It is only 12.4 miles long, but it ascends 2,845 feet in
less than one hour from Flaam to Myrdal Station, where you change to
an express train across Hardangervidda, a wild and desolate plateau.
Arrive at the well-known summer and winter resort of Geilo for
overnight at The Geilo Hotel. (B,D)
DAY 13: Drive through the Hallingdal Valley to Oslo, the capital, for
a 3 hour tour of this city. The first stop is the peninsula of Bygdoy
to explore Norway's long maritime history in the Viking Ship Museum,
filled with 1000 year old ships, ornate sledges and carriages, and a
variety of tools and artifacts of the Norwegian Viking era. Then
visit a real contrast - the Kon-Tiki / Ra II Museum. See the medieval
fortress of Akershus, the Royal Palace, the Town Hall, and visit the
Historical museum. Your hotel is The Rica Victoria while in Oslo.
(B,D)
DAY 14: The morning is free in Oslo. You may want to take a harbor
cruise, visit the Resistance Museum to see the history of the
underground war against the Nazi Occupation, or the Munch Museum to
see the modern paintings of Norway's most famous artist. In the
afternoon, sail the Oslo Fjord in a replica of a Viking longboat ship
and enjoy the scenic islands. This evening, transfer from your hotel
to VikingLandet and travel back over 1000 years to the Viking Valley,
a Viking settlement with farms and domestic animals, a good harbor
where the longboats lie ready, with "Kaupangen" (the market) where
all kinds of goods are sold, and "Leikvollen" where the men do their
combat training. There is also "Tingplassen", a traditional gathering
place where disputes are discussed and sentences passed on the
guilty. In Viking Valley, you will hear the voices of ancient legend
whispering among the leafy trees. It is a valley where people have
lived for hundreds of years, some poor and some quite rich. But most
have struggled for a living year after year and battled many a foe.
They could never be sure intruders from other valleys would not
appear to claim their land, or steal livestock and set fire to their
farms. People gather here in the evenings to entertain with stories
of giants and kings, war and peace. It is a valley where spirits and
dwarfs dwell in every boulder and every hill, while the gods up in
Asgard peer down on the Earth dwellers. Each year, the fleet of
majestic, dragon-like ships set sail on new Viking raids, leaving
those at home to fret and worry and await their return. In the Viking
Valley, people live in a society built on fellowship and a sense of
community, people who are aware of the forces of good and evil within
themselves, just as today. And each has his own tale to tell. You
will be served the Viking food and drink the Mjoed as your Viking
Farewell Dinner. (B,D)
DAY 15: After breakfast, transfer to the new Gardemoen Airport for
your Finnair flight to Helsinki and thence to JFK in New York. Your
Scandinavian "Viking Experience" has come to an end. (B)
What Is Included In The Program Price?
* Scheduled air transportation from the LearnerTour departure city.
* All intra-European transportation as specified (air, coach, train,
ship, etc.).
* Ground transportation with deluxe air-conditioned touring coaches.
* All sightseeing tours and field trips as specified (including
entrance fees).
* All overnight accommodations in 1st Class hotels, double occupancy;
for a single room, add $460.
* All breakfasts, 2 lunches, and 10 dinners.
* All basic taxes & tips, including long distance coach drivers,
Couriers, and guides. you may consider additional gratuities for
exceptional service.
* English speaking Couriers and licensed guides for all field trips.
* Baggage assistance at all airports and ports.
* Basic Medical & Accident Insurance.
What Is Not Included In The Program Price?
NOTE: Groups of less than thirty (30) paid participants will be
subject to a "Small Group Surcharge."
* Passport fees.
* Round trip transportation to the LearnerTour departure point in the
U.S.A.
* Excess baggage charges. You are permitted one (1) suitcase and one
(1) carry-on.
* Meals not specified in the itinerary, and beverages with the
evening meals unless specified.
* Entertainment or activities during free times day or night.
* Items of a personal nature, including laundry, porterage, etc.
* Optional Baggage & Trip Cancellation Insurance; this is highly
recommended.
* U.S. Customs Charges upon return (on goods exceeding $400 per
person at last notice).
* Overnight lodging, meals, transportation, or missed travel services
due to airline scheduling, misconnections, or delays.
* For those participants providing their own air transportation
through Frequent Flyer miles or employee benefits: transportation
from the European arrival airport to the first night's lodging to
join the group, as well as transportation from the last night's
lodging to the European departure airport. "Land Only" prices begin
when you join the group at the first destination, and end when you
and the group separate on the final day to return home.
You may call us at (352) 375-8505 or 1-800-254-7233 Mon.-Sun.
between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.
Send email to <safelt@gnv.fdt.net> anytime.
You may also visit our web site at http://gnv.fdt.net/~safelt
Students Abroad for Education & LearnerTours
3415 N.W. 13th Ave., Gainesville, FL 32605-4817
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