We recently got back from the most fabulous cruise courtesy of Stampin’ Up! I was privileged to be among the 400 or so Demonstrators who earned the trip last year (to put that in perspective, that’s about 1% of all demos!) It’s a lot of hard work and dedication and it’s definitely a team effort! Every dollar sold and every team member promotion earns you points throughout the year, and you know in advance what you’re working towards. I was VERY motivated to earn it for Michael and myself.
Thanks a million to all my customer friends, family and team who helped me go for it. It was worth it! I hope you all can sense the joy and delight we experienced, from this tiny selection of the photos we took of this stunningly gorgeous country.
Every evening we’d be in the North Sea and the next morning wake up to another astounding view in port. Norway was everything it was said to be. Pristine and spectacular! The weather behaved very well (just a fine mist two of the days) and we got by perfectly fine with windbreakers over sweatshirts. Even the day we went glacier-visiting was great! I think I put my gloves on once, although I was super happy for my new Stampin’ Up beanie when we went on a small boat cruise to the base of Pulpit Rock.
One particularly fun memory is of rainbows greeting us on the way into and out of a fjord!
Being us, we took a lot of historical tours rather than the big hikes many of our friends chose. It was cool to think all this Scandinavian stuff is my history, too, since I can trace my line back on one side to the Normans (half Viking/half French) who invaded England in 1066. After seeing the life they carved out of the fjords, I definitely don’t blame them for looking for slightly flatter farmland to colonize!
It’s hard to put into words how pretty everything is. Any direction you look is just like a perfectly composed postcard. Being so close to the water, everything is scoured fresh and the air smells of salt. I spent a long time watching the lambs play in the sun, sooo adorable.
We loved learning about Norway’s early Christian history and visiting a monastery. It was the most peaceful spot, a tiny haven from the wind and waves, but also isolated, cold and harsh. We also visited the Three Swords site, commemorating the bay where the final battle to unite Norway’s jarls under one king took place.
The lilacs were just finishing up when we left home, but they were in full bloom by the end of our week in Norway! I can only imagine how glorious summer must feel after the long and dark winter. It was light until well after ten p.m. while we were there. How strange to go to bed in the semi-dark!
Our cruise left us wanting more Norway! I never thought I’d get to go somewhere like this, and I loved it (maybe not in the winter.) The people were so kind and ready to chat, the food was scrumptiously tasty and fresh, and I could definitely get used to wearing those beautiful furs and the lovely warm boots.
So thankful for another opportunity from Stampin’ Up to take my hubby places we’d never get to go on our own. Now, back to work so I can finish earning that 2024 Mexico trip! And start working on Walt Disney World for 2025. Here’s some pics of the Stampin’ Up cruise fun on the boat between ports to finish us off!
Your trip sounded amazing. So glad you and your husband got to go. Thank you so much for sharing your pics and comments. Helped to make us feel we got to visit also.