YOUR O.A.T. ADVENTURE TRAVEL PLANNING GUIDE®

Fjord Cruise & Lapland: Norway, Finland & the Arctic 2022

Small Groups: 20-25 travelers—guaranteed! (average of 22)

Overseas Adventure Travel ® The Leader in Personalized Small Group Adventures on the Road Less Traveled 1 Dear Traveler,

For me, one of the joys of traveling is the careful planning that goes into an adventure—from the first spark of inspiration to hours spent poring over travel books about my dream destinations—and I can’t wait to see where my next journey will take me. I know you’re eager to explore the world, too, and our Fjord Cruise & Lapland itinerary described inside is an excellent way to start.

As for Fjord Cruise & Lapland, thanks to your small group of 20-25 travelers (average 22) you can expect some unforgettable experiences. Here are a few that stood out for me:

Gain insights into Sami and northern Lapland culture in Ivalo where a local guide will offer their perspective on the oppression of Europe’s last indigenous community during a visit to the Siida Museum. You’ll learn about the forced relocation of the Sami people in the 1800s and the challenges that face the community as they fight to preserve their time-honored customs. But the most moving stories of all are the ones you’ll hear directly from the local people. You’ll meet them, too, and hear their personal experiences when you visit the owners of a reindeer farm and learn about the important role they play in the Sami peoples’ daily lives.

You’ll also have the rare opportunity to see how Europeans live above the Arctic Circle when you share a home- cooked meal with a local family. As you get to know your hosts, consider how their home and lifestyle differ from those of the Sami people.

The way we see it, you’ve come a long way to experience the true culture—not some fairytale version of it. That’s why we don’t shy away from controversial topics, and why all our Trip Experience Leaders are “insiders” who live in the country.

To ensure your adventure is truly unique, join the 85% of our travelers who choose to put their own personal stamp on their adventure by personalizing their experience. You can arrive early and stay later, add a pre- or post-trip extension, spend time in a Stopover city, or combine two or more trips. Plus, your itinerary offers ample free time so you can pursue your own interests.

So now that the day has come when you can enjoy your Fjord Cruise & Lapland adventure, I hope you will relish the fun and anticipation that this O.A.T. Adventure Travel Planning Guide® will inspire. Should you have further questions, feel free to call our Regional Adventure Counselors at 1-800-955-1925.

Warm regards,

Harriet R. Lewis Vice Chairman Overseas Adventure Travel

P.S. I thought our 3 most popular videos about Scandinavia would help you get inspired for the adventure ahead. Scan the QR code next to the video to watch.

Smart Travels with Rudy Maxa: Norway, Finland, and the Arctic Great Railway Journeys of Europe: Oslo and Norway Oslo to Bergen

SCAN ME SCAN ME SCAN ME

Open the camera feature on your mobile device, and hover the lens over this code to scan it. A pop-up notification will take you directly to the video.

2 CONTENTS

A Letter from Harriet Lewis ...... 2 The O.A.T. Difference...... 4 The Freedom to Personalize Your Experience ...... 6 Grand Circle Foundation...... 8 The Leader in Solo Travel ...... 9

FJORD CRUISE & LAPLAND: NORWAY, Aboard Your Ship: Cabin Features, Dining & FINLAND & THE ARCTIC CIRCLE Services on Board ...... 71 Your Adventure at a Glance: Havila Capella or Havila Castor...... 71 Where You’re Going, What it Costs, and What’s Included ...... 10 ABOUT YOUR DESTINATIONS: Your Detailed Day-To-Day Itinerary ...... 12 CULTURE, ETIQUETTE & MORE Pre-Trip Extensions ...... 35 The Culture of Scandinavia ...... 73 Post-Trip Extensions ...... 40 Shopping: What to Buy, Customs, Shipping & More ...... 85 Deck Plans ...... 44 Dates & Prices ...... 46 DEMOGRAPHICS & HISTORY ESSENTIAL TRAVEL INFORMATION Norway...... 88 Facts, Figures & National Holidays ...... Travel Documents & Entry Requirements. . . 47 88 Norway: A Brief History ...... 88 No Visas Required ...... 47 Finland ...... Rigors, Vaccines & General Health ...... 49 90 Facts, Figures & National Holidays ...... 90 Vaccines Required ...... 50 Finland: A Brief History ...... 90 Money Matters: Local Currency & Tipping Guidelines ...... 52 Denmark ...... 91 On Board Ship...... 54 Facts, Figures & National Holidays ...... 91 Denmark: A Brief History ...... 92 Tipping Guidelines...... 55 Sweden...... 94 Air, Optional Tours & Staying in Touch ..... 57 Facts, Figures & National Holidays ...... 94 Optional Tours ...... 58 Sweden: A Brief History ...... 94 Communicating with Home from Abroad . . 59 Netherlands...... 95 Packing: What to Bring & Luggage Limits . . . 60 Facts, Figures & National Holidays ...... 95 Suggested Packing Lists ...... 62 The Netherlands: A Brief History ...... 96 Electricity Abroad ...... 64 Climate & Average Temperatures ...... 67 RESOURCES Suggested Reading ...... 98 Suggested Film & Video ...... 101

O.A.T. Health & Safety Measures...... 106 Notes...... 107 Map ...... 111

3 EXPERIENCE THE O.A.T. DIFFERENCE in Scandinavia

This adventure not only showcases iconic sights, but takes you beyond them to experience the culture through unique activities, engagement with the natural world, and authentic encounters with local people. Since our founding in 1978, O.A.T. has become America’s leader in personalized small group journeys on the road less traveled.

SMALL GROUPS: 20-25 TRAVELERS LOCAL MODES OF TRANSPORTATION (AVERAGE OF 22)—GUARANTEED To see the world like the locals, you should The world feels more intimate and engaging travel like one. Our small group size allows when your experience of it is also personal us to take the roads and waterways that are and genuine. That’s why our groups never less traveled, and we often follow them using exceed 25 travelers. This gives you access to the same unique modes of transportation people and places larger groups simply can’t that the locals use—be it a canoe, a camel or a reach. More authentic interactions. Deeper vintage cab. bonds with your travel mates. Personal service from your Trip Experience Leader. Smoother UNIQUE LODGINGS transitions. And a far more satisfying Our lodgings reflect the local character, experience than any traditional tour offers. from smaller family-run hotels and historic manors to comfy inns. Occasionally, larger THE BEST TRIP EXPERIENCE LEADERS hotels closer to city centers are used. Wherever Your English-speaking, O.A.T. Trip Experience you stay, you’re assured fine comfort and Leader is a resident of the region you are visiting, hospitality. so you will get a true insider’s perspective that brings each place alive—the stories, food, OUR WORLDWIDE OFFICES customs, hidden treasures and more. With 36 regional offices around the world, we are perfectly poised to leverage our local AUTHENTIC CULTURAL CONNECTIONS relationships to deliver an excellent experience Engage with local people through visits to and value. During this trip, you’ll be supported farms, factories, markets, and artisans’ by our team in St. Petersburg. studios; school visits; Home-Hosted meals; and more.

Explore Svolvaer, Norway with your Trip Experience Leader Learn about Sami culture in Ivalo, Finland

4 THE PILLARS OF DISCOVERY Enriching. Inspiring. Unforgettable. These features form the foundation of your Fjord Cruise & Lapland adventure.

GRAND CIRCLE FOUNDATION (GCF) VISIT traditions and culture. We’ll learn about how GCF was established in 1992 to help change the Sami community has changed over time, people’s lives in the world where we live, work, faced hardships of disease and displacement, and travel. To date, we have pledged or donated and fought adversity as the only indigenous $200 million worldwide. people in the European Union.

By investing in the places we explore— A DAY IN THE LIFE including local schools, cooperatives, or arts Do you ever wonder, “What would it be like centers—we hope to give locals the skills and to live here?” when you visit new lands? Let’s confidence they need to become leaders of find out during your O.A.T. A Day in the Life, an their generation and preserve their heritage for exclusive, immersive experience that places you many years to come. We’re proud to play a part in the heart of a community where you’ll meet in preserving precious locales like the Bryggen various people where they live, work, and play; waterfront district of Bergen, a living example visit the neighborhood school; lend a hand with of the glory days of the Hanseatic League, and daily chores; and break bread with our hosts. supporting villages like Harmi in Estonia, This adventure includes a NEW A Day in the whose once-struggling school is now a center Life experience in rural Flam, a tiny village of community life. nestled into the bottom of a fjord. During our CONTROVERSIAL TOPICS time here, we’ll see how the residents live and Every culture has its joys and achievements, work together—visiting a family on their sheep and we celebrate them all. But every place farm where we’ll lend a hand with the daily also has its challenges, and to gloss over them chores, then meeting the proprietors of the would not do justice to those whose stories local butcher shop for lunch and conversation. need to be told—nor to you, as a traveler who HOME-HOSTED EXPERIENCES deserves more than a sugar-coated version of Stories shared. Differences solved. Taste buds things. So our Trip Experience Leaders will engaged. Good will extended. It’s amazing the lead frank discussions on controversial issues, things that can happen across a kitchen table, and introduce you to people whose stories will so we’ll break into groups of 4-5 to join a local expand your understanding. family in their home for a snack or a meal. This For example, we’ll visit Ivalo—the gateway to is a rare opportunity to witness family life, learn Lapland and home of the Sami, the indigenous local customs, and taste some home-cooked fare. people who have lived in northern Scandinavia On this adventure, we’ll have a rare opportunity since prehistoric times—where we’ll hear to see how Europeans live above the Arctic from two members of the community about Circle when we share a meal with a local family the Sami’s ongoing struggle with the Finnish in Ivalo. We’ll enjoy a taste of Finnish culture government to gain rights to the land, water, and engage in lively conversation over a dinner and other natural resources in the regions of freshly-prepared, home-cooked dishes. where they live—and thus retain their

5 You're in control with THE FREEDOM TO PERSONALIZE YOUR EXPERIENCE Exclusively with O.A.T. Your Choice. Your Adventure. Your Way.

It’s your adventure, so why not make it exactly what you want it to be? We offer an exclusive variety of options that let you tailor your adventure so it’s completely your own. In fact, O.A.T. is the only travel company to offer this level of flexibility and choice for a truly personalized experience.

PRE- OR POST-TRIP EXTENSIONS 2. Great value: All extensions include Every O.A.T. adventure offers at least one accommodations, daily breakfast, and optional pre-trip and one post-trip extension. airport transfers. Here’s why more than 55% of O.A.T. travelers 3. Continuity and camaraderie: You’ll usually choose to take a pre- or post-trip extension: travel with the same Trip Experience Leader who leads your main trip, enjoying 1. You’ll maximize your discoveries—often more of his or her insider expertise—and in an even smaller group than your main more time to bond with the group. adventure (on average, 6 travelers with a dedicated Trip Experience Leader)—and take advantage of your included airfare.

Optional Extensions offered with your Europe adventure

Copenhagen, Denmark & Overnight Ferry NEW! The Faroe Islands: Vikings, Vistas & to Oslo Sheer Seaside Cliffs 4 nights pre-trip from $1795 6 nights pre-trip from $3395

Nyhavn, Copenhagen, Denmark Atlantic puffin, Faroe Islands, Iceland

NEW! Dutch Discoveries: Enkhuizen, Delft & Stockholm, Sweden a Countryside Steam Train Ride 3 nights post-trip from $1595 5 nights post-trip from $2695

Aerial view of Stockholm, Sweden Enkhuizen, Netherlands

6 ARRIVE EARLY, STAY LATER route to your main adventure. Speak with one Extending your time abroad—with us or of our Regional Adventure Counselors to learn on your own—is the best way to broaden more about your options and to arrange your your experience. It’s also a practical way international airfare. to maximize the value of the international You are free to choose how to spend this airfare covered in your main itinerary. additional time exploring, including the tours you take, activities you plan, and restaurants Expand Your Discoveries Before you visit. If you’d like ideas about how to or After Your Adventure spend this time, our Regional Adventure Arrive early on your pre-trip extension or Counselors can provide recommendations main adventure, or stay later after your when helping you plan this option. main adventure or post-trip extension. By COMBINE ADVENTURES coming early, you can rest after your flight You’re already overseas. Why not see more and adjust—with time to explore. By staying and maximize your value by avoiding the later, you have extra time to relax, pack, or cost and length of another international continue exploring. flight? Here’s why 2,250 O.A.T. travelers This option lets you take advantage of our combined two or more adventures in 2019: lower group rates, with prices from $125 per • Save a total of $600-$3000 per person when person per night—including accommodations, you combine two adventures compared to private airport transfer, and daily breakfast. the cost of taking each trip separately. • Arrive early in Oslo on your main trip for • Apply the 5% or 6% Frequent Traveler $125 per person, per night Credit you earn on your first trip to your • Arrive early in Copenhagen on your second trip. Denmark pre-trip extension for $125 per • Sir Edmund Hillary Club members save an person, per night extra $250-$350 per person when booking • Arrive early in Tórshavn on your Faroe multiple trips in a calendar year. Islands pre-trip extension for $175 per • Our Regional Adventure Counselors make person, per night all the arrangements for a seamless • Conclude your main trip with more time in experience. Helsinki for $150 per person, per night Combine this trip with our Enhanced! • Remain in Stockholm after your Untamed Iceland adventure—for a total cost Sweden post-trip extension for $125 per of $10,790-$13,890 per person—and save person, per night $700-$1200 per person versus taking each • Spend more time in Delft after your trip separately. Netherlands post-trip extension for $150 AIR PREFERENCES per person, per night 54% of our travelers customize their air Accommodations are at the same hotels where itineraries: you begin or end the main trip and optional • Choose your departure city and airline extensions, so transitions will be seamless. • Depart from one city and return to another Stopover in any major international city • Upgrade to Premium Economy or Travelers with O.A.T. airfare have the Business Class opportunity to stopover in popular cities en

7 GRAND CIRCLE FOUNDATION Changing people’s lives, one village, one school, one person at a time

GIVING BACK TO THE WORLD WE TRAVEL Dear Traveler, Since our inception in 1992, the Grand Circle In 1992 we established Grand Circle Foundation has pledged or donated more than Foundation, an entity of the Lewis Family $200 million to projects around the world. Foundation, as a means to give back to the world that had already given us so JOIN OUR GENEROUS TRAVELERS much. We’ve pledged or donated more We consider each and every one of our travelers than $200 million worldwide to support to be partners in our worldwide giving. the education of young people and the Some travelers, however, are so inspired by preservation of international treasures the schools and villages they visit, they are and UNESCO World Heritage Sites. compelled to give more. In fact, our travelers have donated more than $1 million in 2019 Of course, none of this would be possible alone. And because we have no administrative without your help. A portion of the costs, 100% of donations are used to help proceeds of every adventure is donated to change people’s lives. Grand Circle Foundation—so just as your life will be enriched by the discoveries BETTER OUR OWN COMMUNITIES— you’ll make on your journey, you’ll also ALL AROUND THE WORLD help to enrich the lives of the people you’ll In addition to the destinations where we travel, meet along the way. we strive to better the communities where Thank you for traveling with us, and for we work—from our headquarters in Boston helping to change people’s lives. to our 36 offices around the world. In Boston, more than 99% of our associates participate Love and peace, in community service each year. Worldwide, nearly all of our offices organize annual community service events of their own. Harriet R. Lewis Chair, Grand Circle Foundation How you can help To learn more about ongoing Foundation projects, you can sign up for our weekly e-newsletter, the Inside Scoop, at www.oattravel.com/community/the- inside-scoop. When you do, you’ll not only receive updates on Grand Circle Foundation, but the latest news and discoveries on all things Grand Circle and Overseas Adventure Travel.

SCAN ME See how Grand Circle Foundation is giving back in this video Open the camera feature on your mobile device, and hover the lens over this code to scan it. A pop-up notification will take you www.grandcirclefoundation.org directly to the video.

8 THE LEADER IN SOLO TRAVEL in Scandinavia—and Around the World

ON THIS ADVENTURE …

Low-cost Single Supplements: We have The leader in solo-friendly a limited number of low-cost single travel for Americans— supplements on this adventure and FREE by the numbers Single Supplements on optional trip extensions—a savings of $675-$2000 per 50% person compared to other travel companies. More than of all O.A.T. But single spaces fill quickly, so early travelers are women who travel solo reservations are advised. 30,000 One of our most popular trips for solo In 2022, we’re offering travelers. More than 830 solo travelers singles spaces across all O.A.T. joined us on this adventure in 2018 and adventures. That’s 86% more than 2019—either independently or sharing offered in 2019 a room with a mother, daughter, sister, or friend. 92% of our 30,000 single spaces have FREE Single Supplements. The High ratings: More than 88% of these solo remaining 8% have the lowest single travelers rated their adventure excellent. supplements in the industry. Since you will be joined by others traveling independently in your group, it’s easy In 2022, we’re offering 25 exclusive to forge special bonds as you experience women’s departures on some of our unforgettable moments together. most popular itineraries

You’ll be in good hands, thanks to your dedicated local Trip Experience Leader (a resident of Norway or Finland), and the NEW! 101+ SCAN ME expertise of our regional office. Tips for Solo Increased Single Space: In 2022, we have Women Travelers 139% more single spaces than in 2019, This complimentary, 96-page with up to 5 single spaces per departure. booklet is a comprehensive collection of savvy tips See available FREE single space at specifically for seasoned women www.oattravel.com/scn2022. travelers going solo. Learn about safety for solos, packing like a pro, the best travel apps, self-care on the road, and more. Scan this code to view an online copy or to request one by mail.

9 Lower prices than 2019—a value of up to $800 per couple

Fjord Cruise & Lapland: Norway, Finland & the Arctic Circle Small Ship Adventure Norway:zŭķŋ̇DķÖĿ̇āũėāł̇ķāŭŽłù̇¦ũŋłùĞāĢĿ̇˜ŋũƑĢĴ̇ũóŶĢó!ĢũóķāóũŋŭŭĢłė̇ŋùŋ̇¦ũŋĿŭŋ̇bĢũĴāłāŭ̳Ά̳ Finland: Ivalo, Helsinki

Countries: 2Ά!ĢŶĢāŭ̆11Ά6 nights aboard a 400- to 1000-passenger Havila or Hurtigruten Norwegian Coastal Voyage Ship

Small Groups: 20-25 travelers—guaranteed! It’s Included (average of 22)

Services of our local Trip Experience 40 meals: 16 breakfasts, 12 lunches, FROM PER DAY DAYS • • Leader with your group of 20-25 and 12 dinners—including 1 Home- $6995 $389 18 (average of 22) throughout Hosted Dinner your adventure 18 guided tours (with personal headsets) Including international airfare • • International airfare, airport transfers, and cultural experiences government taxes, fees, and airline fuel Single Supplement: $ 1495 Gratuities for local guides and surcharges, unless you choose to make • motorcoach drivers your own air arrangements • All port charges Maximize Your • Accommodations for 3 nights in Oslo, 1 night in Flam, 2 nights in Bergen, • Baggage handling for 1 piece of luggage Discoveries & Value 6 nights aboard a ship, 2 nights in per person, including tips Ivalo, and 2 nights in Helsinki • 5% Frequent Traveler Credit toward Optional extension s : your next trip Copenhagen, Denmark & Overnight SCAN ME Ferry to Oslo 4 nights pre-trip from $1795 Watch our #1 most popular video Travel from only $449 per night for this adventure New! The Faroe Islands: Vikings, Open the camera feature on your mobile device, and hover Vistas & Sheer Seaside Cliffs the lens over this code to scan it. A pop-up notification will 6 nights pre-trip from $3395 take you directly to the video. Travel from only $566 per night Stockholm, Sweden 3 nights post-trip from $1595 Travel from only $532 per night New! Dutch Discoveries: Enkhuizen, Delft & a Countryside Steam Train Ride 5 nights post-trip from $2695 Travel from only $539 per night PLUS, see Dates & Prices for Stopover city options

Scenic view of traditional fishing village, Lofoten Islands, Norway

Fjord Cruise & Lapland: Norway, Finland & the Arctic Circle

10 Itinerary Summary

Pre-trip extensions: 4 nights in Copenhagen, Denmark & Overnight Ferry to Oslo OR New! 6 nights in The Faroe Islands: Vikings, Vistas & Sheer Seaside Cliffs DAYS DESTINATION

1 Depart U.S.

2-4 Oslo, Norway

5-6 Flam

7-8 Bergen

9-13 Embark ship • Coastal Cruising

14-15 Kirkenes • Disembark ship • Ivalo, Finland What to Expect 16-17 Helsinki

18 Return to U.S.

Pacing: 17 days, with 10 hotel stays, 6 nights aboard a Norwegian coastal voyage Post-trip extensions: 3 nights in ship, and 1 internal flight of 2.5 hours Stockholm, Sweden OR New! 5 nights in Physical Requirements: Walk 2-3 miles unassisted and participate in 2 hours of Dutch Discoveries: Enkhuizen, Delft & a physical activities daily Countryside Steam Train Ride Flight time: Travel time will be 9-20 hours and will most likely have one connection View all physical requirements at www.oattravel.com/scn2022 Arrive Early, Stay Later Prices below include accommodations, daily Scandinavia : The O.A.T. Difference breakfast, and private airport transfer. • Arrive early in Oslo on your main trip for $125 per person, per night Our Best Value in 3 Years: Save up to $400 per person, and travel at the lowest price and per diems in the industry. • Arrive early in Copenhagen on your Denmark pre-trip extension for $125 per People-to-People Experiences: Get a taste of life above the Arctic Circle when person, per night you share a Home-Hosted Dinner with a local family in Ivalo, Finland. Plus, meet • Arrive early in Tórshavn on your Faroe the indigenous Sami people of Finland’s Lapland and learn about the Controversial Islands pre-trip extension for $175 per Topics faced by their community—including struggles over land rights, person, per night discrimination, and the importance of reindeer to their enduring culture. You’ll • Conclude your main trip with more time also gain a true sense of small-town life in Flam during our NEW A Day in the Life of a in Helsinki for $150 per person, per night rural farming village. • Remain in Stockholm after your Sweden post-trip extension for $125 per person, O.A.T. Exclusives: Discover the hidden corners of Scandinavia as our ship takes you per night to unspoiled destinations like Finland, a country often left unexplored by other travel companies. You’ll also learn about Controversial Topics in Norway like the July 22 • Spend more time in Delft after your Oslo shooting, and the country’s progressive—though contentious—prison system, Netherlands post-trip extension for $150 per person, per night which caps the maximum sentence (regardless of crime) at 21 years.

Information & Reservations 1-800-955-1925 www.oattravel.com/scn2022

11 Fjord Cruise & Lapland: Norway, Finland & the Arctic Circle

YOUR DETAILED ITINERARY

BEGIN YOUR ADVENTURE WITH AN OPTIONAL PRE-TRIP EXTENSION 4 nights in Copenhagen, Denmark & Overnight Ferry to Oslo

Day 1 Depart U.S. Day 4 Explore Copenhagen Day 2 Arrive Copenhagen, Denmark Day 5 Copenhagen • Embark overnight ferry Day 3 Explore Copenhagen Day 6 Disembark ferry • Oslo, Norway

Day 1 Depart U.S. hotel you stay at, it may feature a restaurant and bar. Typical rooms include coffee- and Evening: Depart the U.S. today for your tea-making facilities, flat-screen TVs, private overnight flight to Oslo, Norway. bath and complimentary wireless Internet.

Day 2 Arrive Oslo, Norway • Fiskesuppe If you are arriving early from our Copenhagen, experience Denmark & Overnight Ferry to Oslo pre-trip extension, you’ll enjoy a brief walk of the • Destination: Oslo surrounding area with your Trip Experience • Accommodations: Thon Hotel Europa Leader at around 11:30am, including some or similar suggestions for free time and restaurant Morning: Arrive in Oslo today. Upon arrival recommendations. Otherwise, you’ll take some at the Oslo airport, it will take approximately time to rest at your hotel after your flight. 45 minutes to clear customs and receive a Check-in begins at approximately 2pm. temperature check. You will then be met by Lunch: Seek out your own options for lunch an O.A.T. representative, who will take a final today. You may choose to dine in the hotel temperature check prior to you boarding your restaurant, or venture to one of the many transfer vehicle to the hotel. Your private nearby restaurants. motorcoach transfer from the airport will take approximately one hour with traffic. Once Afternoon: Join your Trip Experience Leader you arrive at the hotel, you’ll be greeted by for an optional orientation walk around 6pm, your Trip Experience Leader who will help including a stroll past the Parliament building you check in. We stay for three nights in a and the bustling Karl Johan Street. The walk centrally-located hotel. Depending on which will last approximately 30 minutes, after which

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

12 you’re free to explore. You may opt to head to choose the tranquility of a visit to the old the Akker Brygge neighborhood to stroll along lighthouse on Heggholmen. On the island of the boardwalk surrounded by local families, or Hovedøya locals swim and sunbath at one stop into a bar for a Norwegian pint. of the two beaches there. Hovedøya is also great for hiking as a part of the island is a Dinner: On your own. You may choose to nature reserve as well. Head north, and you accompany your Trip Experience Leader to a can visit the ruins of a Cistercian monastery local Norwegian restaurant around 6:30pm dating from 1147. You can also view cannon for a taste of a regional specialty: fish soup, batteries and gunpowder depots from 1808, typically made from the day’s fresh catch. reminders of when the island belonged to the Interact with the locals who work there and Norwegian army. the patrons who frequent the restaurant—and practice your Norwegian language skills • How to get there: By ferry; departs every when you order a bowl of fiskesuppe at the bar. 20 minute from Akker Brygge—about a Otherwise, your Trip Experience Leader will 10-minute walk from the hotel. provide suggestions for a few nearby cafés • Hours: 24-hours a day, 7 days a week. and bars for some kjottboller (Scandinavian • Cost: Free, Oslo transportation card meatballs) or perhaps some pickled included. herring—two popular local dishes. • Leave the bustle of the city behind when you visit scenic Ekeberg Park: Opened in 2013, Evening: Continue making independent Ekeberg Park remains one of Oslo’s hidden discoveries this evening. You might take this gems. Locals can often be found strolling here time to either discover Oslo’s quirky nightlife, with their families—the park also has multi- or retire early after the long flight to prepare for ple hiking trails for those looking for a more tomorrow’s discoveries. active walk. Throughout the park you can also Freedom To Explore: During your three days find modern art pieces, mostly sculptures, in Oslo, you have the freedom to explore this from artists such as as Salvador Dalí, Auguste vibrant capital on your own during your free Rodin, and Damien Hirst. Wrap up your walk time. Below are a few recommended options for at Karlsborg Spiseforretning, a small restau- independent explorations: rant housed in an old wooden building, and linger over a cup of tea or a pint of beer as you • Escape the city and do as the locals do when enjoy the views over Oslo city center. you discover Oslo Fjord and the Islands: • How to get there: By tram; about a During warmer months, locals can be found 20-minute ride. traipsing off to Oslo Fjord to enjoy some • Hours: 24-hours a day, 7 days a week. well-deserved outdoor activities: picnics, • Cost: Free, Oslo transportation card sunbathing, hiking, or simply enjoying the included. atmosphere with a beer or cup of coffee in hand. If you’re looking for a pleasant • Discover the country’s tumultuous past at stroll, head to Gressholmen, Heggholmen Norway’s Resistance Museum: Located and Rambergøya—three interconnected outside of the busiest part of Oslo in islands. Rambergøya and the Gressholmen a quieter area, this museum captures are home to nature reserves; the bay in Norway’s involvement in World War II between the two islands is a prime nesting and chronicles the sacrifices of resistance spot for native sea birds. Or, perhaps you’ll members throughout the war. Step back in

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

13 time through a multisensory experience We’ll stop here for about ten minutes as the of images, recordings, documents, and local guide explains how opulent architecture is artifacts laid out in chronological order from viewed in Scandinavia. Specifically, architects the first signs of turmoil in the 1930s to the in this region tend to focus on buildings 1945 resistance movement and subsequent that don’t draw attention or stand out in the liberation. The sprawling medieval Akershus crowd, built for practicality only—in other Castle—a massive fortress which warrants a words, emphasizing simple silhouettes and visit on its own—houses this collection and basic colors with a focus on function. With its offers visitors views of the Oslo fjord and the towering alabaster marble roof and curved city’s famous Opera House. Locals often lay a shape, the Opera House certainly does stand picnic blanket outside of the fortress to enjoy out, and has sparked controversy since it was the scenery. first opened in 2008.

• How to get there: Around a 20-minute Around 10:45am, we’ll arrive at the world’s walk from hotel. largest sculpture park devoted to just one • Hours: 10am-4pm, Monday-Friday. artist—Gustave Vigeland—and embark on a • Cost: About $12 USD per person. half-hour tour with a local guide. Known as Vigeland Park, this unique open-air museum Day 3 Explore Oslo • Vigeland Park was Vigeland’s life-work, filled with over 200 • Destination: Oslo sculptures in bronze, granite, and wrought iron. • Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner Vigeland’s striking depictions of humanity are • Accommodations: Thon Hotel Europa sprinkled throughout the green, open space, or similar creating a calm atmosphere that effortlessly fuses the beauty of nature with man-made art. Breakfast: Served at the hotel between 7am and 9am. Various hot and cold options, pastries, You’ll have an additional half-hour to explore and coffee will be available. the park independently, or perhaps do some light shopping in the surrounding area, Morning: Join your fellow travelers around before we re-board our private motorcoach 9am for a welcome briefing in the hotel led around noon for our 15-minute ride to Bygdoy by your Trip Experience Leader, which will Peninsula, the largest complex of museums outline what is in store for the next few days on in Norway. At the conclusion of our tour, you your adventure and give you the chance to ask may choose to return to the hotel immediately questions and go over any itinerary changes. It by private motorcoach, or linger in the Bygdoy will also include a short Norwegian language Peninsula area on your own. lesson to help you acclimate to bustling Oslo. Around 10am, take about 15 minutes to freshen Lunch: On your own. Your Trip Experience up in your room before boarding the private Leader will be happy to recommend a local spot motorcoach at approximately 10:15am and for lunch. Perhaps you’ll opt to try Hjemme hos meeting the local guide who will introduce you Svigers (Home at Svigers), a local family-run to the city. restaurant specializing in simple Norwegian fare like open-faced shrimp sandwiches. While The first highlight of our tour is only about a there, you may wish to chat with the owner, 5-minute ride away at the opulent Oslo Opera Mona, and hear what it’s like to be a female House, known for its unique architecture and small business owner in Norway. the Carrara marble used in its construction.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

14 Afternoon: At leisure. This is a great Day 4 Explore Oslo • Controversial Topic: opportunity to delve into the Bygdoy Peninsula. Terror and justice in Norway with a The upscale, forested peninsula is home prisoner rehabilitation specialist to many of Oslo’s most popular historical • Destination: Oslo museums. Fans of Scandinavian seafarers might choose to visit the Viking Ship Museum, • Included Meals: Breakfast where three 1,000-year-old ships found • Accommodations: Thon Hotel Europa near the Oslo fjord are on display. For look or similar a first-hand look at local life, consider the Exclusive O.A.T. Activity: Today’s discoveries open-air Folk Museum, where you’ll witness will include a conversation about a 170 buildings from all over Norway. To see Controversial Topic: The divided attitudes how Norway has made its mark globally, toward Norway’s restorative justice system in perhaps you’ll visit the Kon-Tiki Museum, the wake of the July 22 attacks. Norway’s prison commemorating Thor Heyerdahl’s 1947 system is focused on rehabilitation rather than raft journey from the Pacific Ocean to the punishment, and its prisoners enjoy shorter Polynesian islands, and the Fram, chronicling sentences and more amenities than most of the history of Norwegian polar expeditions. their counterparts around the world. Although the system shows impressive results, some When you’ve finished making your discoveries, question the fairness of applying this treatment you can return to the hotel by public bus. Your to an unrepentant mass killer like Breivik. Trip Experience Leader will be happy to help We’ll meet with a rehabilitation specialist from you coordinate a public transport ticket. WayBack—a non-profit institution which helps Dinner: Around 6:15pm, gather with your ex-convicts reintegrate into society—to learn fellow travelers and Trip Experience Leader more about this complex issue. for a 15-minute walk to a local restaurant for a Breakfast: Served at the hotel between 7am Welcome Dinner. and 8:30am. Evening: After leaving the restaurant for the Morning: Gain a new perspective on Olso with hotel around 8:30pm, you have the freedom an urban hike. At around 8:30am, depart for to spend the rest of your evening as you wish. a 15-minute walk to the local tram station, Perhaps you’ll head to one of Oslo’s unique where you’ll meet the local hiking guide who night life staples, like the Ice Bar or a karaoke will take us through undiscovered Oslo. This bar, or head to a coffee shop for a sweet treat. local expert, born and raised in Oslo’s urban corners, will lead us on a walk of approximately 2.5 to 3 miles. After an approximate 20-minute ride to upper Oslo, we’ll follow the path of the Akerselva River as it weaves through the city, an area often overlooked by travelers. As we make our way along the river, take in the scenes of daily life, as well as the harmony of picturesque houses and natural waterfalls. Surrounded by vibrant green trees, the river is full of salmon and trout, and you may just spot a few swimming in the crisp water under the

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

15 bridges. A walk along the Akerselva is a peaceful While the Norwegian prison system’s reprieve for many Oslo residents from the rehabilitative focus has reduced crime and bustle of city life. given the country one of the lowest recidivism rates in the world—20%, compared to 43% in Our hike ends at around 10am at a local market the United States—many people within and in Mathallen—a bustling hub of Norwegian and outside of the country are affronted by the fact international culinary delights, where you can that Breivik, an unrepentant racist terrorist take the opportunity to engage with friendly with the blood of children on his hands, is locals and sample regional fare. Mathallen allowed to take advantage of the system’s Oslo is a treasure trove for gastronomy generous conditions. How can his victims know enthusiasts—around every corner one can justice, they ask, while Breivik is allowed to live find fresh, colorful produce as well as unique in luxury at the taxpayer’s expense, enjoying vendors offering dishes hailing from Eastern amenities like a three-room cell, TV, video Europe to Japan and beyond. games, and daily access to the exercise yard? Around 10am, we’ll ride the tram again We’ll learn about this controversy in detail for about 15 minutes to the July 22nd during our conversation. As a rehabilitation Memorial Center. This poignant memorial specialist of WayBack, this person works commemorates the July 22, 2011 terrorist closely with Norway’s ex-convicts on a daily attacks in Oslo in which 77 people—including basis—they aren’t just the clients of the 55 teenagers—were murdered by right-wing organization, they’re also the staff. Because he extremist Anders Behring Breivik. The attack is so deeply connected with the issues affecting remains the deadliest mass shooting in the lives of those touched by Norway’s prison Norwegian history. system—both during their incarceration, and During our time at the memorial center, we’ll the challenges of re-integration after their meet with a local volunteer and educator to release—he’ll have an insider’s perspective of learn more about the events of that fateful day both sides of this difficult issue. and about their wide-ranging and sustained The Norwegian prison system is known around effects on Norwegian society: For example, the world for its progressiveness and humane it is estimated that 1 in 4 Norwegians knows treatment of inmates. With an emphasis on someone who was impacted by the attacks. rehabilitation, rather than punishment, the We’ll spend about 45 minutes talking with the “Norwegian model” restricts inmates’ liberty volunteer to learn more about this tragic event but otherwise does not rescind rights; inmates and its impact on the country’s psyche. are still allowed to vote (unlike in the United At around 11am, we’ll walk for about 15 minutes States) and are encouraged to pursue their to the offices of WayBack, a non-governmental education while serving time. In so-called organization dedicated to helping prisoners “open prisons,” inmates are free to roam the re-integrate into society, where we’ll meet one campus grounds during the day. The maximum of its rehabilitation specialists for an hour-long prison sentence—regardless of crime—is 21 conversation about a Controversial Topic: The years, though this can be extended in 5-year divided attitudes of Norwegians toward the increments if the court does not believe the country’s restorative justice model in the wake prisoner is fully rehabilitated. of the deadly attacks of July 22.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

16 While this model has been largely successful, Afternoon: The rest of the afternoon is yours many Norwegians have begun to question to do as you please in Oslo, or ride the tram for whether the system is harsh enough in the about 15 minutes back to the hotel and take wake of the July 22 attacks. Some wonder if some time to relax. Now would be a good time rehabilitation of violent criminals is even to visit the Munch Museum, the Resistance possible. Despite murdering 77 innocent Museum, or perhaps take the island ferry to people, Anders Behring Breivik was only explore the Oslo Fjord. Feel free to use your sentenced to 21 years in prison, a fact that has complimentary 48-hour Oslo transportation outraged many of the victims’ families. Of pass to discover more of the city. course, it is possible—and some say almost a Dinner: On your own. Your Trip Experience certainty, given the severity of his crime and his Leader will be happy to offer recommendations. lack of repentance—that the court will choose to extend his sentence in 5-year increments Evening: Continue making independent for much longer than that. In addition, many discoveries this evening. Ask your Trip are angered by the luxuries Breivik receives Experience Leader for the best place for a cup of in prison: He has, over the years, had an Xbox coffee and traditional krumkake, a flaky pastry video game console and a computer in his cell, filled with decadent cream. though neither with Internet access.

There are no easy answers to an issue as Day 5 Oslo • Borgund • Flam emotional and divisive as this one, and as we • Destination: Flam will learn during our hour-long conversation • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner at WayBack, Breivik and the prison system • Accommodations: Fretheim Hotel or similar continue to be a topic of much debate in Norwegian society, pitting the country’s Activity Note: Today’s motorcoach drive to ideals against the reality of an unspeakable Flam will be approximately seven hours, with tragedy. We invite you to ask questions, such numerous stops along the way. as how life in Oslo has changed since 2011 in Breakfast: Served at the hotel between 7am light of the attacks, and to look for signs of and 8:15am. this ongoing debate as we continue our travels through Norway. Morning: Set off for the charming village of Flam by private motorcoach after breakfast Lunch: On your own starting around 12:15pm. at around 8:30am. Your drive to Flam will be Your Trip Experience Leader will be happy to about four hours, with a number of stops in recommend a local spot for lunch. One option between. Along the way, feel free to discuss life you may want to try is local favorite, Kaffistova in Norway with your Trip Experience Leader. Café, which has been serving traditional Norwegian food for more than a century—the Lunch: We’ll break up the drive from Oslo to first café opened in 1901. Specialties such as Flam to enjoy lunch at a local café in Hemsedal, raspeballer (potato dumplings), boknafisk (dried one of Norway’s renowned ski resorts, around and salted cod), and rømmegrøt (sour cream 12pm. We’ll remain here for about an hour and porridge) are hearty, popular, and affordable. 15 minutes, heading back on the road toward Borgund at around 1:15pm.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

17 Afternoon: After lunch, we’ll continue on our Day 6 A Day in the Life of rural Flam • drive for about an hour, stopping at about Norway in a Nutshell tour • Bergen 2:15pm in the village of Borgund, a quaint • Destination: Bergen snapshot of Norway’s history. There, we will take an approximate 10-minute walk to • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch visit the famous Stave Church. Constructed • Accommodations: Thon Hotel Rosenkrantz around 1180 in honor of Saint Andrew the or similar apostle, the Stave Church is one of Norway’s Exclusive O.A.T. Activity: Today’s discoveries best-preserved wooden churches from that will feature A Day in the Life of rural Flam, period. Its multi-tiered, sloping rooftops are a tiny village nestled into the bottom of a crowned with dragons’ heads—a distinctive fjord. During our time here, we’ll see how the Viking style—and the structure is adorned with residents live and work together—visiting a intricate carvings inside and out. family on their sheep farm where we’ll lend a hand with the daily chores, then meeting the Once our tour wraps up around 3pm, you’ll have proprietors of the local butcher shop for lunch a bit of time to peruse the shops surrounding and conversation. the church before boarding the bus for the last stretch of our drive. We’ll arrive in Flam around Breakfast: Served at the hotel between 7am and 4:15pm and check in to our centrally-located 8am. Various hot and cold options, pastries, and hotel for a single-night stay. Depending on the coffee will be available. hotel, amenities might include onsite dining and mountain views. Typical rooms include Morning: Today, we’ll gain a true sense of complimentary wireless Internet, a seating small-town life during our NEW A Day in the area, and a private bathroom. After some Life of rural Flam experience. This remote time to get settled, we’ll regroup in the lobby village, dating back to 1340 and situated at about 6:30pm and set off for a 30-minute at the bottom of a fjord, is one of many orientation walk in Flam village with your Trip off-the-beaten-path towns you will visit on Experience Leader. this adventure. In contrast to the bustle of major cities like Oslo, you’ll see that quiet, Dinner: Enjoy dinner at the hotel any time quaint Flam operates as a small community. between 7pm and 8:30pm. You are free to dine The village is home to approximately 350 at your convenience. people who live and work together, and today you’ll get a true sense of everyday life here. Evening: Take some time to relax at the hotel, or head into town for a night cap. We’ll depart our hotel around 8:30am and For enthusiasts of local libations, the Aegir drive 15 minutes to visit a local sheep farm Microbrewery is the perfect spot to grab a pint and get to know its owners, Terje and Daniela of craft beer and chat with members of the Flam Hilstad. Terje’s family has lived in Flam for community. three generations—each one owning and operating this sheep farm (Terje inherited the farm from his father). Terje is also a leader of the local village community council. He leads major community activities and initiatives, especially ones focused on getting support from the county government to benefit the

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

18 local small farms, the impact of tourism on and shops to hiking and other nature-viewing the community, and helping to make the tours. A tourism model that both supports community self-sustainable going forward. these local businesses while reducing the inevitable negative impacts would be ideal, but We’ll spend about 15 minutes taking a short as the number of large cruise ships coming to walk with them, as they show us around their Flam each year is not yet limited—in fact, the farm. Then around 9am, we’ll sit down in the numbers continue to grow—over-tourism will kitchen where Daniela and Terje will engage remain a challenge the villagers will still have us in an issue that affects every member of to balance. this small community—over-tourism. Nestled amidst the dramatic fjords southwestern We’ll wrap up our conversation around 9:45am, Norway is famous for, Flam appears to be the after which we’ll have the opportunity to get epitome of a picturesque tourist attraction. some hands-on experience helping Daniela and In fact, travelers have flocked here since Terje with their chores around the farm. Daniela the late 19th century. Today, Flam receives will show us her usual activities depending on nearly 450,000 visitors each year—five times the time of year—in summer, for example, she the amount of people since 2005. Similar to makes syrups and jams using local herbs and day-trippers in Venice, Italy, more than half flowers such as dandelions, lilacs, and nettle. of these visitors arrive on large cruise ships, We’ll set off to pick some of these seasonal disembarking at the dock in the town center to flowers and herbs and participate in the explore for just a few hours before moving on preparation process—as well as enjoy a taste to their next destination. And unfortunately, some of her already made syrups. Then we’ll the effect these visitors have on Flam’s people learn how to prepare a traditional Norwegian and its environment is reminiscent of the herbal tea made of ivan-chai, also known as over-tourism problems seen in Venice. fireweed.

While Norway’s main cruising season is March Terje will lead us out into the farm to engage in through October, in recent years it has become some of his own seasonal activities. Depending a year-round cruise destination. Flam’s harbor on the time of your visit, you may feed the receives around 160 cruise ship calls per year. animals, learn how to sheer a sheep, or help Since 2018, the port of Flam limits cruise Terje with his carpentry. Then around 10:45am, passengers’ capacity to a maximum of 5,000 we’ll all head back to Daniela and Terje’s visitors in port at once—a stark contrast to kitchen to reward our morning’s work with Flam’s population of a mere 350. The locals Daniela’s homemade cookies and jam, as well feel overrun with tourists certain times a year, as the herbal tea we prepared together earlier. protesting that the influx of visitors interfere Around 11:15am we’ll bid our hosts goodbye and with day-to-day life and infringe on their take the short walk into town. Here we’ll get a privacy. Meanwhile, the giant cruise ships these snapshot of daily life in this little community. tourists arrive on pollute the air and release We’ll walk past the church which dates back sewage directly into the fjords, which both to 1667 and is still used today for weddings, negatively impact Flam’s environment. christenings, and other religious events. We’ll On the other hand, it cannot be denied that also stop in the community store where locals tourism is a major source of income for sell their handmade goods—we may even find Norway’s small businesses, from restaurants socks, mittens, and other cozy wares knitted by

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

19 Daniela while we browse. The shop is run by a free time to explore this colorful city on your woman named Torill, a retired primary school own. This would be an opportune time to head teacher who used to work at the local school to a local fish market, for example. and daycare center we’ll pass next on our walk. Dinner: On your own. Bergen has a slew of Our last stop will be the homestead of local options for local fare, from mussel soup to butcher Odd Ohnstad and his wife Kristine. oven-baked cod—your Trip Experience Leader Both Kristine and Odd are very engaged would be happy to provide suggestions. with making their local community more Evening: You have the freedom to spend the self-sustainable, so they have created and rest of your evening as you wish. You can retire support a strong cooperation with local for the night, or enjoy a night cap at one of farmers and only buy meat for their shop from Bergen’s many unique bars serving a plethora the small farms in Flam and nearby Aurland. of meticulously crafted cocktails and often The Ohnstads firmly believe in a food culture featuring live music. based upon the Norwegian tradition of being in balance with nature. For example, Odd only Freedom To Explore: During your three days hunts during hunting season. in Bergen, you have the freedom to explore this colorful city on your own during your free Lunch: Around 12:30pm with Odd and Kristine time. Below are a few recommended options for in a cozy, roomy shed next to their house. They independent explorations: will prepare a simple, wholesome meal using locally sourced produce and meat. • Stroll the cobbled streets of the Sandviken neighborhood: Escape the bustle of the city Afternoon: We’ll thank our hosts and depart center and discover a more traditional side around 2pm, after which we will drive 15 of Bergen in the Sandviken neighborhood. In minutes to the train station. We’ll embark on this largely residential area, you’ll witness an included Norway in a Nutshell tour starting at traditional wooden homes as you meander around 2:30pm. As we hop aboard the vintage through winding, flower-bedecked alleyways. Flam Railway for a spectacular ride across the Keep an eye out for the candy-apple-red steep and narrow Flam Valley, we’ll admire facade and polygonal roof of Sandvik Church. waterfalls and glacier-carved ravines on what You may also want to take the stairs to the is considered by many to be the most scenic top of Sandviksfjellet Mountain for sweeping train ride in the world. A video will also provide views of Bergen and the nearby fjord. Plan to commentary throughout the ride on the history spend about 1 hour exploring here. of the railway and its importance to Flam and the surrounding area. • How to get there: 3-minute walk from the hotel. Our train will arrive in Bergen around 5:30pm, • Hours: 24 hours a day; 7 days a week. where we’ll board our private motorcoach and • Cost: Free. drive to our hotel, arriving around 5:45pm to • Experience the catch of the day at Bergen’s check in. During your two-night stay, feel free indoor fish market: At this bustling hub of to take advantage of the hotel’s amenities, commerce, get a glimpse into the workings which may include onsite dining and a health of the Norwegian fishing industry firsthand. club. Rooms typically feature cable/satellite TV Observe the variety of colors, the cacophony and a private bathroom. Afterwards, you have of chatter, and the distinct smells of the

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

20 ocean as you walk through. Immerse yourself than 50,000 pieces featured here, enjoy the in the daily lives of fishermen who showcase museums unique breadth of landscape as you the various species of fish they’ve caught, explore the outdoor concert halls and parks. and witness the breadth of sea life weaving • How to get there: About a 15-minute walk through Norway’s waters—from the breiflabb from the hotel. (wolffish), to the Norwegian Red King Crab. • Hours: May-September: 11am-5pm, daily. Small stalls dishing out Norwegian seafood • Cost: About $18 USD per person. from smoked mackerel to giant scallops line the market, offering ample opportunities Day 7 Explore Bergen • Oleana to smell and taste the cuisine this region is factory visit known for. Perhaps you’ll stop by for lunch or • Destination: Bergen a small snack to enjoy the flavors of Norway like a local. • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner • Accommodations: Thon Hotel Rosenkrantz • How to get there: 5-minute walk from the or similar hotel. • Hours: 8am-11pm, daily. Activity Note: The funicular ride to Mount • Cost: Free. Floyen this afternoon is subject to availability and weather conditions. • Discover the diverse collections of the KODE Art Museums: In Bergen’s city center lies Breakfast: Served at the hotel between 7am one of the largest museum complexes in and 9:15am. the Nordic region. If you missed the Munch Museum in Oslo, you can still see some of Morning: At about 9:30am, we’ll gather in the “The Scream” artist’s work here. KODE’s lobby and set off by coach for a 30-minute ride galleries span four different buildings, each to the Oleana factory. Oleana is a family-owned with a fresh theme. The first is focused on textile company that was founded in 1992, a fine craft and design, the second features time when much of this work was sent overseas temporary exhibitions, the third on to take advantage of cheap labor. But Oleana Norwegian painters (such as Munch), and wanted to show that it can be profitable to make the fourth contains the children’s museum quality products with a Norwegian workforce as well as additional collections ranging from in a factory in Norway. After watching a 14th century to modernist pieces. Since each 15-minute video about the company’s history, building takes about 90 minutes to see in we’ll walk into the factory to learn about the full, your Trip Experience Leader can connect production process from yarn to finished with you about your personal preferences product and learn why the company wanted and make recommendations on which ones to preserve Norway’s rich history of textile to explore. The collections chronicle art production. We can also engage with some of history and culture from the Renaissance to the workers and ask them about the working present day. You’ll witness pieces from local conditions or the benefits they receive by artists like Astrup and Tiedeman, as well as working here. At around 11:30am, we can spend design and music exhibitions. When you’ve a little time at the company’s small museum taken in as much as you can from the more and gift shop before walking over to company’s cafeteria.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

21 Lunch: Included at Oleana’s cafeteria from Day 8 Bergen • Controversial Topic: about 12pm to 1pm. We’ll enjoy a typical Bryggen’s light rail and the loss of its Norwegian lunch, we may wish to chat with UNESCO status with preservation activist some factory workers, who also come here for Irene • Fish farm visit • Embark ship lunch and to socialize with their co-workers. • Destination: Norwegian fjords Afternoon: After lunch, we’ll make a • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner 30-minute drive back to Bergen, arriving • Accommodations: Havila Norwegian Coastal shortly after 1:30pm. Then, you can relax for a Voyage Ship few hours or enjoy one of recommended free time activities. At around 4:30pm, embark on a Exclusive O.A.T. Activity: Today’s journey in search of a bird’s-eye view of Bergen discoveries will include a conversation as we ride the scenic Floibanen funicular to the about the Controversial Topic of Bergen’s top of Mount Floyen. We’ll walk about a mile to hotly-contested light-rail project. Because of the funicular, and once we reach the top (about the pedestrianization of Bryggen, a light-rail a 15-minute ride), we will be greeted by views (or tram) was proposed for the area. But as of colorful homes stretching out in orderly you’ll learn, this tram will have significant rows, with fjords towering in the distance. impact on the environment, as well as on local Take some time to stroll the mountaintop park, businesses and entrepreneurs in the area. reveling in the picturesque stillness and the Ultimately, the project has been green-lit by views of Bergen and beyond from high above. the government, but at what cost to locals? Learn more about this conversation below. After riding the funicular back down, a 15-minute walk will have us back to our hotel Activity Note: Our working vessel also delivers by around 6pm. cargo on a strict schedule, and some port calls may not allow us any time on shore. Dinner: Enjoy a three-course meal at the hotel’s restaurant from around 7pm to 8pm. Breakfast: Served at the hotel between 7am and 10:30am. Evening: Continue making independent discoveries this evening. You may wish to retire Morning: We’ll begin our day shortly before after dinner wraps up, or enjoy a nightcap at 9am with a 10-minute walk to Bergen’s the hotel or at a nearby club. historic waterfront district. There, we’ll meet with Irene, a local art historian, preservation activist, and native of Bergen for an hour-long discussion on the Controversial Topic of Bergen’s hotly-contested light-rail project through the iconic Bryggen area. As one of Bergen’s most popular neighborhood for tourists, Bryggen is largely pedestrianized, making it easy to get around on foot for those staying in nearby hotels. But for the city’s residents—especially those who own businesses in the area—this pedestrianization has made it harder to get to Bryggen, and nearly impossible to find nearby parking.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

22 Some residents feel that the pedestrianization in the Bryggen area whose business will be has prioritized tourists’ needs rather than impacted if the light rail is built, to fight against those of the locals. To address the issue, a the project. light-rail (or tram) was proposed for the Unfortunately, attempts to find a area. Proponents of the light-rail emphasize work-around to the problem have been its positive environmental impact, increased unsuccessful: While some proposed building access to the area, and reduction in residents’ an underground subway beneath the Bryggen dependency on cars. area, it was determined that the loose soil But the construction of the light-rail comes by the harbor could not support a subway with a significant cost: Because it would run without jeopardizing the stability of the directly through the historic harbor area, historic buildings above. Ultimately, the Bergen would lose its UNESCO status as a local government decided to greenlight the result. The issue has pitted Bergen’s 283,000 construction—but opposition to the light-rail citizens against one another for close to 10 remains fierce. years, with those wanting to protect the city’s We’ll learn more about the pros and cons of history and traditions against construction and each side during our time with Irene, and find those advocating for a new, more accessible out how she predicts the new light-rail will waterfront in favor. The different factions are change life in Bergen. You’ll also have about now almost equally divided between those who 30 minutes after our interactive conversation support the project and those who are against to ask any questions you may have about the it. In fact, discussions about the light-rail have light-rail and its construction, or about civic become so heated that many families report life more generally in Norway. Then we’ll take a not even being able to discuss it over the dinner short walk back to our hotel. table because of the fights that ensue. Around 11am, we’ll depart by private We’ll meet Irene in Bryggen’s historic motorcoach for a one-hour drive to visit Shotstuene building—a former Hanseatic Oygarden salmon farm, where you’ll learn League assembly hall built in the 18th firsthand about Bergen’s agricultural staple. century—which is located in an area that will Norwegian fishing traditions date back potentially be affected by construction. During centuries, and fish farming has become one our conversation, Irene will share what it of the largest industries in the country. We’ll was like to grow up in a neighborhood close take part in a conversation with a local farmer to Bryggen, a picturesque area by the water in which you’ll get the chance to ask questions famous for its brightly-colored wooden houses. about the intricacies of this occupation, and Bryggen has long been considered the heart how it has changed over the years. of the city and has been a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979. Over the years, Around 70% of Norway’s fish exports are Irene watched as the area was restored and farmed as opposed to wild-caught, and many preserved, ultimately leading her to decide to health enthusiasts in Norway and beyond have devote herself to protecting Bryggen’s heritage questioned whether farmed salmon holds the as well. Cooperating with UNESCO, Irene works same nutritional value as wild-caught salmon, on several Bryggen preservation programs. She as farming often includes administering also collects petitions from residents of Bergen, medications to fish to avoid bacterial infections. as well as entrepreneurs and business owners You might discuss with these local farmers

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

23 how they combat stereotypes surrounding Shortly after we embark, our ship will set the “safety” of farmed fish, and how they are sail north and begin one of the world’s most trying to change the world’s outlook on the scenic coastal cruises—with the islands practice. and mountains of Norway as your constant companions. Being locally owned and used for Lunch: Enjoy a freshly prepared lunch at the transportation of goods throughout the region farm today around 12:15pm. a coastal voyage ship is perhaps the best way Afternoon: At around 1pm, we’ll depart on to discover remote Scandinavian communities. a 15-minute boat ride with the fisherman The ship calls at many ports, and at some and chat about his work and daily life. Along of them we’ll have time to go ashore. Once the way, see if you can spot fish dancing in aboard, your crew will conduct a safety briefing the water. around 5:30pm.

We’ll head back to the mainland around 2pm Dinner: Onboard in the ship’s dining room and walk about 5 minutes to the Fisheries around 6pm. As with all the dinners during Museum to enjoy an hour-long guided tour. your cruise, the dress code is relaxed and smart The museum houses artifacts in warehouses casual, and you are free to sit at whichever dating back to the 18th century, chronicling table you please. You’ll be offered a choice of the evolution of the industry from 1850 to appetizer, soup, entrée, and dessert—including today. We’ll wrap up our discoveries here regional options—and complimentary house with a 15-minute film about the industry beer, house wine, and soft drinks. before making our way back to our private Evening: You have the freedom to spend the motorcoach. rest of your evening as you wish, exploring Our private motorcoach departs at 4:30pm for the ship’s common areas at leisure. Perhaps an approximately one-hour drive to our ship’s you’ll enjoy a nightcap at the bar or relax in the embarkation site. At around 5:30pm, we’ll lounge. We sail out of Bergen later tonight. board a Norwegian costal voyage vessel. As an active part of Norway’s maritime heritage, Day 9 Coastal cruising these ships can carry 400-1000 Norwegian and • Destination: Norwegian fjords foreign travelers, and their classically-styled • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Nautical-class ship can carry around 550 • Accommodations: Havila Norwegian Coastal travelers. No matter which ship you call home Voyage Ship for the duration of your 6-night cruise, you’ll enjoy a window-lined lounge for taking in Breakfast: All breakfasts onboard are served in the views, connect to family and friends back the ship’s dining room. You may choose from home with complimentary wireless Internet, an assortment of familiar options—including and savor meals in a restaurant with seats hot and cold cereals, eggs, sausage, bacon, reserved for O.A.T. travelers. Some cabins fresh fruit, and toast. Breakfast service is from are outdoor-facing, and all include private 7am-8:30am today, and you are welcome to bathrooms with showers. Perhaps you’ll even dine at your convenience. catch a glimpse at the natural spectacle that is the northern lights, which are only visible during the winter. Be on the lookout for them during September-October departures.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

24 Morning: You’re free to relax onboard and take a choice of regional and international options in the passing scenery as we approach our first that include soups, entrées, and desserts, as port of call. Your Trip Experience Leader may well as a bountiful salad bar with condiments. also lead a discussion on the history of Nordic Afternoon: Depending on the time of your countries, or the issues they’re currently facing. coastal cruise, enjoy free time onboard starting Due to weather and ice conditions, different between 2pm and 5pm. courses must be charted for coastal Dinner: Onboard in the ship’s dining room cruising—which is precisely what makes this between 6pm and 7:30pm. trip such a unique experience. Evening: You have the freedom to spend the If your adventure departs between April rest of your evening as you wish. Perhaps 1st-June 1st: Enjoy a leisurely morning onboard you’ll enjoy a nightcap at the bar or relax in as we arrive in Alesund. Around 10am, join your the lounge. Trip Experience Leader for a discovery walk of Alesund of approximately 45 minutes. As you stroll through the city, take note of the unique Day 10 Explore Trondheim Art Noveau architecture in the impressive • Destination: Trondheim surrounding buildings. • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

If your adventure departs between June • Accommodations: Havila Norwegian Coastal 2nd-September 1st: At approximately 2:30pm, Voyage Ship sail toward the jewel of Norway’s fjords—the Activity Note: We will spend approximately 2 Geirangerfjorden. A UNESCO World Heritage hours and 15 minutes docked in Trondheim. site, the Geirangerfjorden is a beautiful work of nature, carved by glaciers throughout the Ice Breakfast: Onboard in the ship’s dining room Age and known as the world’s most picturesque between 7am and 8:15am. fjord, complete with thundering waterfalls and Morning: Take about an hour after breakfast dancing rainbows. to relax in the lounge or to head to your cabin If your adventure departs between September and prepare for our half-day tour. Our first 2nd-October 31st: At around 9:30am, we’ll port will be the city of Trondheim, where we set sail through the Hjorundfjord—one of the will take a panoramic private motorcoach tour longest fjords in Norway. Slicing through the beginning at 10am. Sunnmore Alps, the Hjorundfjord is something Founded in AD 997, Trondheim was once the of a secret, very rarely visited by tourists. We’ll capital of Norway, as well as an important get spectacular views of its sheer rock walls, pilgrimage site for followers of St. Olav, a lush meadows, and far-flung mountain farms Norwegian king and Catholic martyr. Take well off the beaten path. in the city’s unique scenery, including its Lunch: Lunch will be served onboard old veitenes (narrow alleys) that wind among its throughout the day beginning at around markets, Archbishop’s Palace, Old Town Bridge, 11:30am and ending around 2pm, and you’ll and historic 17th-century warehouses. We’ll dine depending on the day’s schedule. Enjoy notice how Trondheim differs from other cities in the region, and how modern life contrasts to the medieval landmarks that make up the city.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

25 After our city drive wraps up around 10:45am, Breakfast: Served onboard in the ship’s dining we’ll travel on foot about 15 minutes to one room between 7am and 10am. of Norway’s iconic pilgrimage sites, Nidaros Morning: Enjoy time at leisure this morning Cathedral. Originally built in the 1000s, the between 9am and 11:30am as our ship sails even cathedral has been rebuilt and remodeled further north to cross the Arctic Circle. You over the course of several centuries. It houses might relax in your cabin or converse with your the remains of St. Olav, and many Christian fellow travelers in the lounge about all you have pilgrims still flock to the site from around experienced so far. the world to pay their respects. We’ll walk through the grounds of this towering church Lunch: Served onboard in the ship’s dining building for about 30 minutes, giving us a room between 11:30am and 12:45pm. chance to revel in the intricate Gothic style and the cathedral’s complex history. Afterwards, Afternoon: At around 1pm we’ll dock in Bodo, at around 11:30am, we’ll drive back to the the capital of Nordland County situated just ship, returning at approximately 1pm in time north of the Arctic Circle. Known as the gateway for lunch. to Norway’s true north, the city of Bodo is also home to awe-inspiring natural phenomena, Lunch: Onboard in the ship’s dining room from such as maelstrom Saltstraumen, the world’s 12:45pm-2pm. strongest whirlpool. We’ll disembark the ship right after lunch and take an approximate Afternoon: As we sail to our next destination one-hour discovery walk of Bodo with our Trip starting at around 2pm, our Trip Experience Experience Leader. Leader will lead a Port Talk about our next destination. As always, you can feel free to Enjoy free time beginning around 2pm, before take advantage of the ship’s amenities, or join heading back to the ship approximately one the ship’s Expedition Team for a discussion hour later. You are free to spend your time as about the Nordic region. You may also decide you wish until dinner. to relax in the lounge or in your cabin for the afternoon instead. Dinner: Onboard in the ship’s dining room at 6pm. Dinner: Onboard in the ship’s dining room at around 6pm. Evening: As we begin to sail, we’ll listen to a Port Talk on our next destination—Svolvaer, Evening: At leisure. Perhaps you’ll grab a drink the capital of Lofoten. Framed by towering with your fellow travelers and discuss all you’ve mountains, this colorful port town supports seen thus far. a thriving cod fishing industry; its shores are dotted with traditional fish-drying racks. We’ll Day 11 Coastal cruising • Bodo • Svolvaer arrive in Svolvaer at approximately 9pm, at which point you’ll join your Trip Experience • Destination: Norwegian fjords Leader for an hour-long visit to the World • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner War II museum in town. While quite small, • Accommodations: Havila Norwegian Coastal this sobering museum features a unique Voyage Ship private collection of artifacts commemorating Activity Note: We will spend approximately Norway’s involvement in the Second World 2.5 hours docked in Bodo and 1 hour docked in Svolvaer.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

26 War. The owner will show you the items he alive during the long hours of summer daylight has spent a lifetime collecting, including a as the locals (including 13,000 university Christmas tree left behind by the Nazis. students) enjoy the Arctic’s brightest season.

After the museum visit wraps up around 10pm, Upon getting to shore at around 2:30pm, we’ll you have the freedom to spend the rest of your embark on a tour of Tromso withour Trip evening as you wish. Perhaps you’ll enjoy a Experience Leader. Because of its size, Tromso nightcap at the bar or relax in the lounge. is unofficially divided into smaller subdivisions of the city. Some Tromso residents would like Day 12 Coastal cruising • Explore Tromso to promote a larger sense of togetherness throughout the city, whereas others prefer to • Destination: Tromso coexist separately. Your guide will also speak to • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner daily life in Tromso based on where in the city • Accommodations: Havila Norwegian Coastal they are from, and how the areas that make up Voyage Ship the city differ from one another. Activity Note: We will spend approximately 4 Then, around 3:45pm, we’ll visit a local hours docked in Tromso. restaurant and educational space called Full Breakfast: Served onboard in the ship’s dining Steam to meet with local activist Kalle and his room between 7am and 10am. team members, whose mission is to preserve Norway’s cod fishing traditions. We’ll learn Morning: You’ll have some time at leisure about the history of Norwegian cod fishing until about 11:30am today as we continue our practices in contrast with the industry today, northern voyage. You might gather with your rounding out our visit with a tasting of snacks Trip Experience Leader in the lounge to discuss featuring fresh cod. your discoveries so far and get a glimpse of what awaits. From about 4:45pm onward, you can take some time to explore Tromso at your own pace. You Lunch: Served onboard in the ship’s dining might choose to explore the Polar Museum. room between 12pm and 2:30pm Here you may learn of Tromso’s importance in the risky profession of Arctic hunting and Afternoon: Following some time to relax trapping, as well as how it earned the title after lunch, the ship calls at Tromso at “Gateway to the Arctic” from being the base approximately 2:15pm. of many famous polar expeditions. We’ll head A city of more than 50,000 inhabitants, Tromso back to the ship in time for dinner. sprawls across three fjord-indented islands. Dinner: Onboard in the ship’s dining This is the largest city in northern Norway, and room at 6pm. it has been the starting point for expeditions by famous Arctic explorers, including Norway’s Evening: You have the freedom to spend the own Roald Amundsen, who in the 1900s rest of your evening as you wish. Perhaps became the first person to reach both the you’ll enjoy a nightcap at the bar or relax in North and South poles. Tromso is also home the lounge. to the northernmost university in Europe: The Arctic University of Norway. The city comes

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

27 Day 13 The North Cape The Cape itself is located in the Finnmark region, home to various indigenous peoples • Destination: Norwegian fjords including the Sami, who we will meet later in • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner this trip. Sporadic small villages throughout the • Accommodations: Havila Norwegian Coastal Cape operate as intertwined communities for a Voyage Ship very intimate, homey feel. Activity Note: We will spend approximately 3.5 We’ll then drive back to the ship around hours docked in the North Cape. 1:30pm, arriving at around 2:15pm for an Breakfast: Served onboard in the ship’s dining afternoon at leisure. At around 5:30pm, room between 7am and 9am. your Trip Experience Leader will conduct a disembarkation briefing to prepare you for Morning: This morning, we’ll take some leaving the ship tomorrow morning. time at leisure as our ship pursues not just the northernmost point of Norway, but of all Dinner: Onboard in the ship’s dining Europe: the North Cape. Far above the Arctic room at 6pm. Circle, where the freezing waters of the Atlantic Evening: You have the freedom to spend the and Arctic oceans meet, the Cape rises a sheer rest of your evening as you wish. Perhaps 1,000 feet above sea level. Between May and you’ll relax in the lounge or begin packing up July the sun never sets here, making it a popular your suitcase. place to view the “midnight sun.” We arrive at port just before 11am. Day 14 Disembark ship • Kirkenes Lunch: Enjoy an early lunch onboard in the • World War II cave shelter visit • ship’s dining room just before our North Cape Inari/Ivalo, Finland discoveries, likely between 10:30am and 11am. • Destination: Inari/Ivalo Afternoon: Around 11am, we’ll board a private • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner motorcoach for about an hour-long ride to • Accommodations: Wilderness Hotel Inari explore the North Cape. Gaze out over the or similar surrounding landscape as we make our ascent Activity Note: As we move from Kirkenes to to witness sapphire lakes and valleys dotted Inari across the Russian and Finnish borders, with tiny settlements. Our Trip Experience note the time zone change (1 hour forward). Leader will shed light on what life is like for the people who call this region home. Breakfast: Served onboard in the ship’s dining room between 7am and 9am. We’ll have about 2.5 hours between 11am and 1:30pm to take in the majesty of this far-flung Morning: At 9am we bid our coastal vessel destination, from jagged cliffs to nature-made farewell as we disembark in Kirkenes, a stone arches overlooking the sunlit sea. Stand Norwegian port near the Russian border. We’ll at the “northern edge” of Europe and perhaps take about a 15-minute drive to the center of get a glimpse of the array of seabirds flying Kirkenes, after which point you’ll tour this over snow-capped mountains. The North Cape quaint town. is rich with monumental ocean views at every turn, making for a truly immersive experience of nature at the top of the world.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

28 Strategically significant for its iron ore Evening: You have the freedom to spend the resources and its location near the Russian rest of your evening as you wish beginning at port of Murmansk, Kirkenes was occupied around 8pm. You might stroll the picturesque by 100,000 Nazi troops during World War II. surrounding area in the vibrant shades of During the occupation, the Germans created nighttime glow. shelters from old iron caves to protect its troops from attacks and raids by the Soviet Day 15 Explore Inari • Controversial Union—and these shelters ultimately helped Topic: Protecting Sami rights and culture thousands of civilians during wartime. Your with Sami woman Hanne • Sami family Trip Experience Leader will take you through visit • Home-Hosted Dinner the town’s neighborhoods, explaining everyday life in this community along the way. • Destination: Inari • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner At around 10am, we’ll take a 15-minute private • Accommodations: Wilderness Hotel Inari motorcoach ride to the World War II bunkers, or similar including a visit to the cave shelter. Here, we’ll meet a local who will provide an insider’s Exclusive O.A.T. Activities: Today’s perspective on what it was like to live in Norway discoveries will feature a visit with Hanne during the tumult of World War II. and Jani, members of the Sami, and learn about the importance of reindeer and Then, wiith the time zone change, we will begin their role in the life of the Sami. We’ll also driving toward Finnish Lapland around 1:45pm discuss with community leader Hanne the local time. Controversial Topics affecting the Sami people today—their indigenous rights in Lapland and Lunch: We’ll stop for a traditional meal at a the preservation of their culture. Then tonight, family-owned Finnish camping site en route to a local Finish family will invite us into their Finnish Lapland around 2:30pm. As you dine, home for a traditional Home-Hosted Dinner. chat with the family about the history of their Expect simple, hearty fare as you enjoy this camping site, and about their day-to-day life unique opportunity to experience a slice of owning a small hut in the forest. everyday life in rural Finland. Read more about Afternoon: After lunch, set forth on the these experiences below. remaining 2 hours of your journey to Breakfast: Served at the hotel between 7am and Finnish Lapland. We’ll arrive at around 9am. A host of regional options, pastries, and 5:30pm, at which point we’ll check into our coffee will be available. centrally-located hotel for our two-night stay. Depending on which hotel we stay in, you Morning: Set off at around 9am for our first may enjoy the on-site sauna. Rooms typically full day’s visit to tiny Inari—the gateway to feature satellite TV, Internet access, and a Lapland and home of the Sami, the indigenous private bathroom. Take about an hour to rest people who have lived in northern Scandinavia after the long drive. since prehistoric times. Lapland, also called Samiland, spans northern parts of Finland, Dinner: At the hotel’s restaurant at Norway, and Sweden. Although the Sami are around 7pm. a minority of today’s population in northern Finland, their cultural traditions endure.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

29 We’ll begin our discoveries of Sami and struggle with the Finnish government to gain northern Lapland culture at the Siida Museum, rights to the land, water, and other natural arriving at around 10am. A local guide will resources in the regions where they live—and take us through the museum, which houses thus retain their traditions and culture. We’ll artifacts that preserve the unique history and gain an intimate perspective of this issue from culture of the Sami people, from wooden tools Hanne who will share how her community has to clothing items. Your guide will also provide changed over time, faced hardships of disease an enlightening view on the oppression of and displacement, and fought adversity. the Sami people over the centuries. In the The Sami are the only indigenous people in the 1800s, many of the Sami people were forced European Union, with a population of around to relocate as their lands were taken over by 80,000. They inhabit the region around the the government and affluent landowners, and Arctic Circle across Finland, Norway, Russia, they were often treated as half citizens due to and Sweden. Collectively these regions are their time-honored customs being considered termed Sami. The Finnish Sami make up primitive by modern Finns. Today, many Sami around 9,500 of the total Sami population—a are still fighting for their land as woodworking small percentage of Finland’s 5.5 million companies threaten to take it over, and their people—and, like the rest of their people, live rights as citizens of Finland who are striving to apart in extremely rural areas. Traditionally, keep their traditions alive. most Sami people have supported themselves Lunch: At the museum restaurant at through fishing, livestock farming, hunting, around noon. and reindeer herding—the latter of which Hanne can speak to with firsthand experience. Afternoon: Around 1pm, we’ll depart by Out of the traditional Sami livelihoods, reindeer private motorcoach to visit reindeer farm herding still functions as one of the important owners Hanne and Jani, members of a local cornerstones of the Sami culture by offering Sami community, on their farm. Upon arrival a space for using Sami language, material for at around 1:15pm, we’ll enjoy coffee and traditional clothing and other Sami handicrafts, tea with the family in their home and learn and is the base of their food culture. about the importance of reindeer and their role in Sami peoples’ daily lives. They’ll However, the Sami’s struggle to gain share with us how they herd and care for indigenous rights to their lands—a challenge their reindeer and how their farm functions many native people around the world day to day. If weather permits, we’ll take a share—have made carrying on these traditions walk through the surrounding forests for an a challenge. There are competing claims on immersive experience of daily life for Lapland the Sami’s native land from large companies; communities. one such company is the Arctic Railroad, whose proposed expansion would result in Then around 1:45pm, we’ll join Hanne in her deforestation and a sharp decrease in space for farm’s kota—a traditional Sami tent similar to reindeer herds. On the other hand, this remote a Native American teepee, usually constructed area is far from the infrastructure that would of timber, peat moss, and either reindeer lead to better health care, education, and other hide or fabric. As a leader in her community, utilities. An extension of the railroad into these Hanne is uniquely experienced to engage us in lands would benefit not just the Sami, but also the Controversial Topic of the Sami’s ongoing other nearby Finnish communities as well.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

30 Another issue we’ll discuss with Hanne is government is doing enough to create equal the struggle her people face conserving their opportunities for younger Sami people in these culture. The Sami have co-existed with the remote lands. Finnish community for centuries, but over We’ll leave our gracious hosts at around 3pm, the past two hundred years there have been arriving back at the hotel at around 3:30pm. shifts in Sami culture, politics, economics, The balance of the afternoon is free to make and relations with their non-Sami neighbors. your own discoveries. Like many indigenous people around the world, the Sami were at one point forced to Dinner: At around 6pm, we’ll depart by private assimilate—encouraged to abandon practicing motorcoach for a half-hour drive to Ivalo to their traditional religious rituals in favor of share a Home-Hosted Dinner with a local Christianity, and losing touch with the Sami family—an activity that many travelers say is a language, which was not taught in Finnish highlight of their time in the Nordic region. schools. Then at the end of the 19th century, a nationalistic movement throughout the Nordic In an even smaller group of no more than countries increased tensions between the Sami 6-8 people, you’ll enjoy a taste of Finnish and the rest of the Finnish population. During culture and engage in lively conversation over this period, many Sami people were pushed a dinner of freshly-prepared, home-cooked from their native settlements, and therefore dishes. Some traditional Lappish favorites couldn’t maintain their traditional livelihoods. you may enjoy would feature seasonal fish and meat—such as reindeer cutlets called The act establishing the Finnish Sami hirvenlihaa—organic vegetables, mushrooms, Parliament was passed in 1973. Then in and berries. 1995, Finland finally recognized the Sami as a “people,” but they have yet to ratify ILO This experience offers us a rare opportunity to Convention 169 Concerning Indigenous and connect with local culture on a more intimate Tribal Peoples, and has denied any indigenous level: In our hosts’ homes, we’ll see the family rights or land rights to the Sami people. go about their evening routine and witness how Unfortunately, this means the Sami are still Europeans live above the Arctic Circle. As you fighting to retain control over the ownership get to know your hosts over dinner, consider of their heritage. The small budget Parliament how their home and lifestyle differ from those allots the Sami primarily goes to teaching and of the Sami people you met early today, and preserving the native Sami language in schools how they may be similar. Many people in Ivalo and for cultural funds to support indigenous also make their living from the land—the main artists. However, many younger Sami people livelihoods here are reindeer herding, fishing, are now opting to leave their community, and forestry. moving to the bigger cities in search of Evening: We’ll depart the local homes around opportunities not easily found in the wilds 8pm for our half-hour return trip to the hotel. of Lapland. The remainder of the evening is at leisure. We’ll have an hour to talk about these issues and around 50 minutes to ask questions of Hanne—such as whether she thinks the Finnish

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

31 Day 16 Lapland • Fly to Helsinki Freedom To Explore: During your two days in Helsinki, you have the freedom to explore • Destination: Helsinki this dynamic city on your own during your free • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch time. Below are a few recommended options for • Accommodations: GLO Hotel Art or similar independent explorations: Activity Note: Depending on the day, we may • Hop on a ferry and set sail for Suomenlinna: have an early afternoon or a early evening flight A UNESCO World Heritage Site established to Helsinki. The day’s activities will depend on in the mid-18th century as a naval base, this your flight’s departure time. sea fortress is set upon a cluster of six Finnish Breakfast: Enjoy a breakfast at the hotel islands, each of which offers desirable views between 7am and 9am. A host of regional of the coast and a rich, historical background. options, coffee, and pastries will be available. Known as “the Gibraltar of the North,” the fortress includes museums, more than 20 Morning: Our Trip Experience Leader will restaurants featuring local and international provide activities that accommodate each cuisine, a church, and views of Helsinki across flight schedule. You will depart the hotel for the sea. Stroll past the wooden homes of the Rovaniemi, arriving at around 2pm where highly exclusive community, where residents you’ll board your flight. must be voted in on merit to live. While these Lunch: Depending on your flight time, you will islands can see a lot of visitors at the height either have a light lunch at the airport at around of the travel season, a 10- to 15-minute walk 11:15am, or at a local restaurant in Helsinki at will take you away from the more crowded around 2:30pm. tourist areas. • How to get there: 30 minutes by ferry. Afternoon: Upon arriving in Helsinki between • Hours: Island: 24 hours, daily. Museum: 1:30pm and 2:30pm, we’ll transfer to the hotel 9:30am-6pm, daily. for your two-night stay. Depending on which • Cost: Free (ferry access is provided with hotel you stay at, amenities may include a transportation card). restaurant, pub, health club, and sauna. Typical rooms a flat-screen TV, telephone, wireless • Be transported to the 18th century when Internet access, safe, and private bath with hair you visit the Seurasaari Open-Air Museum: dryer. Take some time to relax after your flight. Perched on an island a few miles from the city’s center, this UNESCO World Heritage Dinner: On your own. Ask your Trip Experience site preserves the traditional Finnish way of Leader where you might find some traditional life through the upkeep of almost 90 wooden Finnish meat pies or grillimakkara (sausages) buildings dating back more than 300 years. for a taste of some local staples. Catch a glimpse of what life was like for Finns of centuries past when you explore Evening: You have the freedom to spend the these well-kept structures, nestled among rest of your evening as you wish—ask your Trip the clusters of towering trees. While you’re Experience Leader for recommendations. You welcome to wander through the time-stuck might enjoy a night cap in the hotel bar or take villages on your own, guides lead tours in an evening stroll along Helsinki’s lively streets. English every day at 3pm. Despite being so close to the center of Helsinki, the museum is also adjacent to nature parks and forest area,

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

32 making it a favorite destination for locals Day 17 Explore Helsinki of the capital looking to get away from the • Destination: Helsinki bustle of the city for a spell. • Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner How to get there: Around a 15-minute taxi • • Accommodations: GLO Hotel Art or similar drive from the hotel. • Hours: 7:30am-5pm, daily. Breakfast: Served at the hotel between 7:30am • Cost: Free entrance to grounds; about $12 and 9am. A host of regional and American USD to enter buildings. options, pastries, and coffee will be available.

• Discover Finland’s rich tradition of design Morning: At around 9am, we’ll board a private with a visit to Kiasma at the Finnish National motorcoach and set off on an included Helsinki Gallery: Find out why Helsinki is considered tour. As we wind our way through the city, the design capital of the world while witness- we’ll notice how the sea is an integral part of ing one of the top curators of contemporary Helsinki—the city spreads out onto islands, art in Scandinavia, which houses works from peninsulas, and along coves among which boats more than 8,000 artists. It currently houses of all types navigate. a “coexistence” themed collection, centered around works that highlight and question the First, we’ll stop at the Sibelius Monument, a relationships between humans, animals, and statue made of hundreds of metal pipes that nature as well as other frequently rotating commemorates the renowned composer Jean modern collections. Art lovers from around Sibelius, for a photo opportunity. Since it was the world visit this unique museum, designed first built in the 1960s, the monument has by New York architect Steven Holl. The build- sparked debate among music lovers; the pipes ing’s striking appearance with one sloped side seem to resemble those of an organ despite and highly reflective windows is hard to miss. Sibelius writing little to no pieces for the organ It’s rarely overcrowded, making it an ideal itself. Beyond the controversy, the Sibelius escape for some quiet time to admire cre- Monument is a wonder to behold, capturing the ations both Finnish and international. Visitors highs and lows of Sibelius’ intricate musical can spend around 2.5 hours wandering the compositions in a single structure. exhibits before seeing it all. Next, we’ll drive to the new Oodi public library, • How to get there: Around a 15-minute known as the “living room of the city.” Upon tram ride from the hotel. arrival at around 10:15am, we’ll explore this • Hours: 10am-6pm, Tuesday & Saturday; uniquely designed building for about 40 10am-8:30pm, Wednesday-Friday; 10am- minutes. Oodi not only serves as a library, but 5pm, Sunday. as a meeting place for Helsinki residents. Take • Cost: About $15 USD per person. time to observe local life happening around you as you make your way through the building.

At around 11am, we’ll walk about a half mile to Senate Square, arriving at around 11:30am for a brief stop. Here, we’ll discover many ornate Empire Neo-classical buildings, including the 19th-century Lutheran Cathedral, whose central tower dominates the city. Like Times Square in New York City, this is the place where

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

33 residents gather to celebrate special occasions, Dinner: Gather at the hotel restaurant for such as New Year’s Eve and Independence Day a Farewell Dinner at around 7pm, as we (December 6th). reminisce about our Scandinavian discoveries.

We’ll wrap up our tour in Helsinki’s Market Evening: You have to freedom to spend the Square in the city center at around 11:45am, rest of your evening as you wish, exploring a lively area full of boutique and souvenir Helsinki’s night life or enjoying a drink at shops, vendors selling fresh produce and the hotel. traditional Finnish fare, and colorful stands displaying artisan crafts. We’ll take about a Day 18 Helsinki • Return to U.S. 30-minute walk through the market, ending at • Destination: Helsinki around 1pm. • Included Meals: Breakfast Lunch: On your own at approximately Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel 1pm—you might enjoy lunch at the market, between 7:30am and 9am. or ask your Trip Experience Leader for recommendations for local fare. Morning: Transfer to the Helsinki airport for your flight home. Or, board a flight to Afternoon: At leisure. There is so much of Sweden to begin your post-trip extension in Helsinki to explore—ask your Trip Experience Stockholm, Sweden Leader where you might like to go next based on your interests. This would be a great time to head to the Seurassari open-air museum, the Finnish National Gallery, or Suomenlinna.

END YOUR ADVENTURE WITH AN OPTIONAL POST-TRIP EXTENSION 3 nights in Stockholm, Sweden

Day 1 Fly to Stockholm, Sweden • Day 3 Stockholm • Vasa Museum tour Explore Stockholm Day 4 Stockholm • Return to U.S. Day 2 Stockholm • Optional Drottningholm Palace tour

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

34 PRE-TRIP Copenhagen, Denmark & Overnight Ferry to Oslo

INCLUDED IN YOUR PRICE

» Accommodations for 4 nights, including 3 » 72-hour Copenhagen Card: Free entrance nights at the Skt Petri Hotel or similar and 1 to more than 60 attractions and free public night aboard a ferry transportation within the city » 7 meals: 4 breakfasts, 1 lunch, and 2 dinners » Services of our local Trip Experience Leader » Guided tour: Copenhagen » Gratuities for local guides and motorcoach drivers » All transfers

PRE-TRIP EXTENSION ITINERARY

Copenhagen’s native son Hans Christian Andersen rendered Danish life as a fairy tale, but you’ll see plenty of evidence that the real thing is just as memorable. Revel in a four-night stay that allows you to explore the city at your own pace, then take an overnight ferry to Oslo, Norway to begin your Small Ship Adventure.

Day 1 Depart U.S. After you check in at 2pm, enjoy a walk around the vicinity of your hotel with your Trip Depart the U.S. today on your flight to Experience Leader to introduce you to the Copenhagen, Denmark. Please refer to your area in which you’ll be staying. As you walk, personal air itinerary for exact departure and witness sites like Amalienborg Palace where arrival times. the royal family resides, the Maersk Opera House, and Denmark’s recycling plant that Day 2 Arrive Copenhagen, Denmark doubles as a ski slope. You’ll also engage in • Destination: Copenhagen discussions with your Trip Experience Leader • Accommodations: Skt Petri Hotel or similar and fellow travelers regarding the country’s green energy movement. The world’s oldest Afternoon: Arriving in Copenhagen around capital city is also among the most welcoming 1pm, you’ll be met at the airport and assisted in Scandinavia. The Danes are known for being on the approximate 30-minute motorcoach more extroverted than their neighbors, as transfer to your hotel. Depending on where you’ll experience during your stay here. you stay for the next three nights, your hotel may feature an on-site brasserie and fitness The rest of the afternoon is yours to do as center. Rooms typically include complimentary your please. wireless Internet, flat screen TV, minibar, and Dinner: You’re free to explore Copenhagen’s private bath with hair dryer. local restaurants tonight. For a quick bite, you can stop by one of the many sausage stands for

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

35 a traditional rod polse (red sausage). Frikadeller ancient Mediterranean cultures, such as is another popular Danish dish consisting of Rome, Greece, and Egypt. Originally displayed meatballs fried in butter, and are often served in the garden of Jacobsen’s private villa, his with boiled potatoes. collection grew so much that an entire mu- seum space was necessary to accommodate Evening: You are free to return to your room all the pieces. In addition to the sculptures, to rest after your overseas flight, or you may which are the focal point of the museum, art venture out to experience Copenhagen’s lively lovers will also appreciate a large collection clubs and cafés—ask your Trip Experience of paintings from French impressionists, Leader for recommendations. post-impressionists, and the Danish Golden Freedom To Explore: During your time in Age—with works by Monet, Degas, Jacques- Copenhagen, you have the freedom to explore Louis David, van Gogh, and Bonnard. Visitors Denmark’s capital on your own during your free usually spend two to three hours here and end time. Below are a few recommended options for their tour by unwinding in the winter garden. independent explorations: • How to get there: About a 15-minute walk from the hotel. • Stroll through the city’s colorful Botanical • Hours: 11am-6pm, Tuesday-Sunday; Garden: Located in the heart of Copenhagen, 11am-9pm, Thursday. this garden famously features the largest • Cost: About $11 USD per person. collection of living plants in the world, covering more than 10 hectares with complex • Delve into the world of 18th-century glasshouses dating back to 1874. The garden European art at the David Collection muse- serves as both a recreational space and a place um: Peruse the notable art collections once for research as it is part of the University of owned by C. L. David, a prominent lawyer Copenhagen Faculty of Science. There are in Denmark, which include masterpieces more than 13,000 species housed in the gar- from the 8th to the mid-19th centuries. This den, which are all arranged for easy viewing. private collection is displayed in what was Visitors will find 600 species of Danish plants, David’s home and since his death in 1960, the 1,100 species of perennial plants, 1,100 species museum has continuously acquired new piec- of annual plants, and rock gardens including es. The three main permanent collections are plants from mountainous areas in Central and the Collection of Islamic Art, the Collection Southern Europe and Conifer Hill. The garden of European 18th-Century Art (which is now is perfect for those wishing to escape the complete), and the Collection of Danish Early bustling city and enjoy a peaceful afternoon Modern Art. The Islamic Art Collection is the surrounded by nature. most well-known and features pieces from an expansive area that spans from Spain to • How to get there: About a 10-minute walk China (west to east) and Uzbekistan to Yemen from the hotel. (north to south). From furniture to silverware • Hours: 8:30am-6pm, daily. • Cost: About $6 USD per person. • Explore the Carlsberg Glyptotek: Discover this museum dedicated to the artistic collec- tion of Carl Jacobsen—the son of Carlsberg Breweries founder—including his antique sculptures with influences from several

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

36 to paintings, discover “the most exclusive Lunch: Included at a local restaurant from museum in Denmark,” as described by a 12:30pm to 1:30pm, featuring traditional Danish newspaper. Danish fare.

• How to get there: About a 10-minute walk Afternoon: Free for your own discoveries from the hotel. beginning at around 2pm. You might use • Hours: 10am-5pm, Tuesday-Sunday; your complimentary Copenhagen Card to 10am-9pm, Wednesday. get around the city and see some of its iconic • Cost: Free. sites, including the Round Tower which offers panoramic views of the city, the botanical Day 3 Explore Copenhagen gardens, and more. You might take this free • Destination: Copenhagen time to discover the locations you visited on • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch your discovery walk in more depth, perhaps • Accommodations: Skt Petri Hotel or similar stopping in one of the many local shops on Stroget or spending more time at the Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel 19th-century Marble Palace. Ask your Trip between 6:30am and 8:45am, with an array of Experience Leader for suggestions depending hot and cold options available. on your interests. Morning: After breakfast, we’ll make our way Dinner: On your own. Your Trip Experience to the front desk at around 9am to pick up our Leader will be happy to recommend a spot to Copenhagen Cards. Your 72-hour card allows enjoy local fare or a taste of home, depending entry to 60 of the city’s attractions and free on your preferences. transport on the bus, metro, and train lines. This card will be your passport to exploring Evening: At leisure—you may retire to your the city at your leisure over the next few room to rest before tomorrow’s explorations. days, allowing you to follow your interests Or, you may choose to venture out to discover to the activities and destinations that most Copenhagen’s nightlife. Your Trip Experience appeal to you. Leader can provide recommendations of the best spots for a local beer or a bold cup of coffee. Depart the hotel at approximately 9:30am for a discovery walk of the area with your Trip Experience Leader. You’ll make your way Day 4 Explore Copenhagen to King’s Square, bustling Stroget, Du Nord • Destination: Copenhagen shopping center, and the Old Royal Theatre. • Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner At 11am, explore Nyhavn (New Harbor), the • Accommodations: Skt Petri Hotel or similar 17th-century waterfront and canal area that is Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel now the heart of entertainment in the city. Bars, between 6:30am and 8:45am, with an array of cafés, and restaurants outline the waterway, hot and cold options available. and dozens of vividly painted 300-year-old houses add to the lively feel of this district. Morning: At 9:30am, depart for a city tour. You’ll also find a more solemn note in the main You’ll get a glimpse of the city’s colorful square of Nyhavn, which features an oversize houses, canals, charming pedestrian squares, anchor to honor the Danish sailors who lost and innovative modern architectural designs. their lives in World War II. Our drive will take us past majestic Rosenborg Castle and around Tivoli Gardens, the

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

37 second-oldest amusement park complex in the Day 5 Copenhagen • Embark world. At around 11:30am, we’ll stop to take overnight ferry photos from across the canal—revel in views of • Destination: Oslo the Royal Palace. • Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner We’ll depart around 11:45am to Christiansborg • Accommodations: DFDS Seaways Palace, the current seat of the Danish Overnight Ferry Parliament. Arriving at around noon, we’ll walk Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel to the Royal Library and tour the picturesque between 6:30am and 8:30am, with an array of gardens. Nestled between the Palace and the hot and cold options available. Royal Library itself, the Library Garden is considered one of the most peaceful places in Morning: Enjoy a leisurely morning in Copenhagen, a reprieve from the fast pace of Copenhagen today. Or, perhaps you’d like to city life. join your Trip Experience Leader in venturing to the nearby fishing village of Dragor. We’ll Lunch: On your own beginning around head to the bus stop around 9:30am, a roughly 12:30pm. Whether you want rustic traditional 30-minute walk, and ride about 45 minutes seafood or high-end “New Nordic” cuisine to the village. Upon arrival around 10:45am, (in which Danish staples like elderberry, our Trip Experience Leader will lead us on herring, and salmon are infused with modern a discovery walk around the area, all while techniques and ingredients from around the enlightening us about the relationship between world), your Trip Experience Leader will have the Danes and Jewish people during World plenty of suggestions—Copenhagen boasts War II. We’ll also stop at several shops along more than 2,000 restaurants and cafés. the way, and if the opportunity presents itself, Afternoon: At leisure. You might make your speak with the owners and some of the locals way to the city’s National History Museum, doing their daily shopping. explore nearby Christianborg, or sample Lunch: On your own during your free time for the local flavors of Danish street food, such both the travelers who choose to remain in as smørrebrød—a famous, meticulously layered Copenhagen and those who venture to Dragor. open-face sandwich. Perhaps stop at a local bakery for a taste of Dinner: Gather with your fellow travelers and warm traditional Danish rolls, or consult Trip Experience Leader at approximately 6pm with your Trip Experience Leader for dining to walk over to a local restaurant for a Welcome suggestions. Dinner. At 8:30pm, we’ll head back to our hotel. Afternoon: For travelers who went to Dragor, Evening: You have the freedom to spend the we’ll depart by public bus around 1:30pm and rest of your evening as you wish—ask your Trip arrive back in Copenhagen by 2:30pm. Experience Leader for recommendations. We’ll depart by motorcoach to the ferry terminal around 3pm for a leisurely overnight cruise to Oslo, Norway. This 1,700 to 1,900-passenger DFDS Seaways Ferry features private cabins and a variety of onboard amenities, including restaurants, bars, shops, and jacuzzis. Each cabin includes

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

38 floor-accessible beds, and a private bath with hair dryer. You’ll board the ferry around 3:30pm and take some time to relax before dinner.

Dinner: Onboard the ferry at around 5pm.

Evening: Beginning at 7pm, you have the freedom to spend the rest of your evening as you wish. Perhaps you’ll unwind in the Jacuzzis or savor a nightcap at one of the bars.

Day 6 Disembark ferry • Oslo, Norway • Included Meals: Breakfast

Breakfast: Onboard in the ferry’s dining room beginning at 7am.

Morning: We’ll disembark the ferry around 10am in Oslo, Norway, and travel 30-minutes overland to our hotel to store our luggage before beginning our Fjord Cruise & Lapland: Norway, Finland & the Arctic Circle Small Ship Adventure.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

39 POST-TRIP Stockholm, Sweden

INCLUDED IN YOUR PRICE

» Accommodations for 3 nights at the Clarion » Services of our local Trip Experience Leader Hotel Sign or similar » Gratuities for local guides and » 5 meals: 3 breakfasts, 1 lunch, and 1 dinner motorcoach drivers » Guided tours: Vasa Museum, city tour, City » All transfers Hall visit

POST-TRIP EXTENSION ITINERARY

Old World beauty, cutting-edge design, and an island-hopping layout—Stockholm is one of the world’s most singular cities. Discover the regal palaces, modern art, and verdant parks of Sweden’s capital and experience the vibrant cosmopolitan culture thriving in a landscape once home to the Vikings.

Day 1 Fly to Stockholm, Sweden • Stan (Old Town). While the mighty Royal Explore Stockholm Palace dominates much of the Gamla Stan (Stockholm’s Old Town, a small island nestled • Destination: Stockholm at the heart of this great city), there’s still so • Included Meals: Lunch much more to do and see. The picturesque • Accommodations: Clarion Hotel Sign isle is a labyrinth of narrow alleyways and or similar staircases, home to antique shops, museums, Morning: Depart your Helsinki hotel at statues, and churches. around 8:30am for your mid-morning flight to The Stortorget (the “Big Square”), is the Stockholm, Sweden, an archipelago within an city’s oldest square and site of the infamous archipelago: The city occupying a cluster of 14 Stockholm Bloodbath. Denmark—under the islands floating among 24,000 that make up rule of King Christian II—invaded Sweden in a 60-mile chain. Upon arrival between 11am 1520 and took the country for its own. Shortly and 12pm, you’ll travel by motorcoach to a thereafter, Christian rounded up all those who restaurant for lunch. had challenged his rule and on November 8 and Lunch: At a local restaurant around 12:45pm 9, he executed more than 80 Swedish nobles in featuring local produce. the Big Square. According to legend, rivers of blood rushed through the streets. Today, the Afternoon: After lunch at around 2pm, enjoy Stortorget is a brightly-colored square, home to an included tour to uncover the charms that a handful of cafés, the Stock Exchange, and an lure one in five Swedes to live in Stockholm annual Christmas market. on an included sightseeing tour of the capital city, including the picturesque Gamla

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

40 At around 2:45pm, you’ll head by motorcoach 16th-century heart, or go further afield to to Stadhuset, the romantic City Hall famous Djurgården, a lovely area with wide open for hosting the annual Nobel Prize banquet. green spaces and winding parkland trails. We’ll wrap up our city tour around 4:15 for a • How to get there: Three subway stops 15-minute drive to our centrally-located hotel, away from the hotel. where we’ll check in. The hotel features a • Hours: Open daily, recommended to visit restaurant and bar, as well as a spa and health before sundown. club. Each room offers air-conditioning, TV, • Cost: Free. wireless Internet access, and a private bath • Visit the Millesgarden Museum: Discover the with hair dryer. works of world-famous sculptor Carl Milles in Dinner: On your own. Ask your Trip Experience his home, which now features a large sculp- Leader for the best spot to try Swedish ture garden, an art gallery, and a restaurant meatballs or dill cured salmon, a couple of the to relax in following your explorations. The country’s signature dishes. grounds serve as something of an oasis about 20 minutes outside of the city, allowing vis- Evening: You are free to make independent itors and locals alike a peaceful escape from discoveries. You might explore Stockholm’s the urban atmosphere. Visitors may request a unique, trendy night life—in contrast to most guided tour in English prior to visiting which clubs and bars in America, many places remain will last about an hour and introduce them to open in the early morning hours, some until the life and work of Milles, who’s best known 5am. Perhaps you’ll venture to a local cafe or for his large and expressive fountain designs. bar and try Sweden’s traditional brannvine Exploring this open-air studio will allow you (burn-wine). to absorb these larger-than-life figures while Freedom To Explore: During your three days enjoying the scents and colors of the flora on in Stockholm, you have the freedom to explore all sides. this vibrant capital on your own during your • How to get there: A short subway and bus free time. Below are a few recommended ride from the hotel to Torsviks Torg. options for independent explorations: • Hours: 10am-5pm; closed Mondays. • Cost: A ticket is around $16 USD. • Explore Södermalm Island: For an authentic Swedish experience, cross the bridge over • Discover Sweden’s largest exhibit of cultural to Södermalm, one of the 14 islands that history at the Nordic Museum: See displays make up the Swedish capital. Favored by of local clothing, jewelry, furniture, toys, folk Stockholm’s young and hip, this sprawling art, and more dating back to the 16th century residential island surrounded by Lake for a rare look at Sweden. This museum also Mälaren teems with colorful homes, hipster features an exhibition on the indigenous Sami cafés, vintage shops, and trendy restau- people who inhabit Sweden and Finland, rants—in fact, Vogue magazine voted it and who you will meet and share a meal Europe’s “coolest” neighborhood. But there with during your main adventure. While is more to the urban island of Södermalm Scandinavia is flush with great art and classic than its hipster vibe. Stroll along the cobbled artists, what sets the Nordic Museum apart streets of Gamla Stan, the city’s historic is its focus on the everyday life and stories of

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

41 people who inhabit the Nordic region, both Lunch: If you chose to make independent past and present. Join a guided tour to hear discoveries today, you’re free to seek out a spot these stories, everyday at 11am and 2pm. for Swedish fare on your own. If you opted to • How to get there: Approximately 2 miles join the optional tour, you’ll enjoy lunch on the from the hotel. boat at 12:30pm on the way back to Stockholm. • Hours: 10am-5pm; closed Monday Those taking part in the optional tour will • Cost: A ticket is around $13 USD. arrive back in the city around 3pm. Afternoon: Free for your own discoveries. If Day 2 Stockholm • Optional you’re partial to art, head over to the Modern Drottningholm Palace tour Art Museum which houses works of local artists • Destination: Stockholm as well as familiar names like Dali and Picasso. • Included Meals: Breakfast Dinner: On your own. Ask your Trip Experience • Accommodations: Clarion Hotel Sign Leader for the best place to find traditional or similar Swedish pancakes or pickled herring. Activity Note: Today’s optional tour may be Evening: Continue making independent cancelled or change due to private royal events. discoveries this evening. Perhaps you’ll revisit Depending on the season, the palace will open Gamla Stan in the evening light, or maybe catch at different times. a performance at the Stockholm Comedy Club Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel featuring shows in both English and Swedish between 7:30am and 9am, with an array of hot led by local comedians on the rise. and cold options available. Day 3 Stockholm • Vasa Museum tour Morning: Free for your own discoveries. Perhaps delve into Sweden’s roots at the • Destination: Stockholm National Historical Museum, which features • Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner artifacts from the Viking era, centuries-old • Accommodations: Clarion Hotel Sign textiles, and a “Gold Room” housing 114 or similar pounds of objects (not to mention almost 450 Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel pounds of silver work). between 7:30am and 9am. Or join us on an optional tour of Drottningholm Morning: At around 9:30am, you’ll get the Palace beginning at 9am. Upon embarking the chance to experience everyday life in Stockholm boat at 9:30am, cross glittering Lake Maleran when you use a 1-day transportation card for by boat to the UNESCO World Heritage Site and your public transport to the Vasa Museum, enjoy an included tour. The stately palace was situated on the island of Djurgarden. In 1628, built in the seventeenth century by the architect the Vasa, a fearsome warship with 64 guns Nicodemus Tessin the Elder for Hedvig and 300 soldiers, set off on a maiden voyage Eleonora and features elegant salons from two years in the making—and then sank in the the seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth harbor. Like the later Titanic, the Vasa was an centuries; a palace theater; and a Chinese epic ship that became a symbol of tragedy and Pavilion. Beginning at noon, we’ll have free Sweden never forgot her. Hundreds of years time to stroll the palace’s Baroque garden with later, in 1961, the Vasa was raised from the our Trip Experience Leader. seabed and returned to land. Today, restored

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

42 and preserved, and still outfitted with its a kanelbulle (cinnamon bun). If you’re feeling original masts, deadeyes, and blocks, the Vasa extra adventurous, try Sweden’s “egg coffee,” is one of Stockholm’s best-loved icons. Our where a raw egg is mixed into the coffee guided tour of the museum is approximately grounds before it’s steeped in boiling water. 1.5 hours. Dinner: At approximately 6:30pm, enjoy a Lunch: On your own around noon. Ask your Farewell Dinner at the hotel with your fellow Trip Experience Leader for local restaurant travelers and Trip Experience Leader. recommendations. Evening: You have the freedom to spend the Afternoon: Yours to do as you please. You might rest of your evening as you wish—ask your Trip discover the rest of Djurgarden, including Experience Leader for recommendations. You its plethora of colorful public parks, cafes, might discover the Sodermalm district, often museums, and galleries. Djurgarden is one of referred to as “the Brooklyn of Stockholm.” the most popular places for Swedes to get away, Here you’ll find cozy cafes and bars with live so you’ll get the chance to interact with many music for a true taste of local life in the city. locals here.

Or, perhaps indulge in fika—a social institution Day 4 Stockholm • Return to U.S. in Sweden. Fika is a morning or afternoon • Included Meals: Breakfast coffee break enjoyed among friends, family, or Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel colleagues. In fact, more coffee is consumed in between 7:30am and 9am. Sweden than anywhere else in the world. After your morning explorations, relax at a konditori Morning: After breakfast, embark on the (bakery) while savoring a hot cup of coffee and approximate 1-hour motorcoach transfer to the airport for your flight home.

OPTIONAL TOUR

Drottningholm Palace Experience Leader. Lunch will be served on the (Day 2 $180 per person) boat as you sail back to Stockholm later that Join us on an optional tour of Drottningholm afternoon. Palace. Cross Lake Maleran by boat to the UNESCO World Heritage Site and enjoy an included tour. The stately palace built in the seventeenth century by the architect Nicodemus Tessin the Elder for Hedvig Eleonora and features elegant salons from the seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth centuries; a palace theater; and a Chinese Pavilion. We’ll also have free time to stroll the palace’s Baroque garden with our Trip

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

43 HAVILA SHIPS Explore Norway aboard a 691-passenger Havila ship

The brand-new Havila ships are shared charters aboard which our small group of 20-25 (average of 22) will be accompanied by a local Trip Experience Leader and join other non-O.A.T. travelers, with dining space and cabins allotted to us. While onboard, you’ll enjoy insightful discussions, traditional cuisine, and personal service. This ship is quiet, comfortable, eco-friendly, and purpose-built to traverse the Norwegian fjords.

SHIPBOARD FEATURES • Restaurant and dining room with • Cafeteria and bar: For purchasing snacks, open-seating at tables reserved for as well as beer, wine, and spirits. An ice our travelers: Savor hearty, home-style, machine is also available in the cafeteria. Norwegian-inspired dishes during lunch • Elevator service: An elevator serves all and dinners. passenger decks. • Panoramic lounge: Marvel at the passing scenery in the large, glass-enclosed lounge.

44 HAVILA NORWEGIAN COASTAL VOYAGE SHIP

Outdoor deck CABIN CATEGORIES Panorama Bar & Lounge B/D Outside Cabin with window

Inside Cabin Deck 9 I

8105

Outdoor es b o

deck & r d

Jacuzzies ar W

8109

Deck 8 Width: 63 feet Length: 400 feet 7311 7309 7307 7304 Gym 7106 7105 7104 7103 7102

7310 73 73 73 73 73 73 7101 Passenger capacity: 691 5 08 06 05 03 02 01 Atrium 73 73 73 73 73 73 7123 7123 7124 7124 712 7322 20 18 17 15 14 13 7312 7107 Decks: 7 (4 with passenger 7323 7321 7319 7316 Gym 7115 7114 7111 7109 7108 cabins) Deck 7 Group Size: 25 travelers,

A´la carte Seating area Seating area maximum, with 1 Trip Bow lounge Experience Leader Lecture Bow Main Dining Atrium Shop hall viewpoint Bow Cafè Number of cabins: 468 lounge Seating area Seating area Seating area Elevator: Yes Deck 6 Other Features: 1 restaurant, 1 cafeteria, 2 observation 5 5 5 101 312 321 314 319 318 316 310 301 102 201 103 109 10 106 104 108 302 320 303 202 30 306 203 304 308 20 204 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 lounges, 1 bar, a fitness room,

5322 53 53 53 53 53 53 5107 5 17 15 13 11 09 07 and an observation deck

Atrium 111 113 11 5 327 5 53 53 53 53 53 53 5 5345 39 37 35 33 31 29 5 5117 5 112 114 119 118 121 116 110 341 210 120 324 207 32 323 326 332 342 328 334 336 343 338 330 344 340 209 206 208 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5

Deck 5 y a 5 5 5 5 gw an 4317 4312 4314 4201 431 4316 4310 4301 4202 4203 420 4302 4204 4303 430 4306 4304 4308 4102

4107 4103 410 4106 4104 4108 G

Vestibule 43 43 43 43 4101 s

13 11 09 07 r 43 43 43 43 4325 Relax 33 31 29 27 chai Reception 4109 5 5 4112 4110 4117 4113 4114 411 4116 4321 4210 4319 4318 4207 4324 4323 4332 4322 4326 4328 4209 433 4206 4320 4336 4334 4208 4330 Luggage

Deck 4

CABIN FEATURES

• Cabins are each roughly 107 sq. ft. • Half of the outside cabins feature one double bed; others have two twin beds • All inside cabins feature two twin beds • All cabins have private bath

45 Fjord Cruise & Lapland: OUR SMALL SHIPS COVID-19 VACCINATION POLICY To ensure the safety of all of our travelers, we are requiring that all travelers Norway, Finland & joining us aboard our small ships must be fully vaccinated against COVID- 19 at least 14 days prior to departure of their adventure—and provide the Arctic Circle proof of their vaccination upon boarding the ship. For more details, please visit www.oattravel.com/covid-update. 2022 Dates & Prices To calculate your trip price with airfare, add deck price to air add-ons below.

APRIL; JUNE-JULY; AUG 26, 29; CABIN CATEGORY OCTOBER MAY 3, 5 MAY 11-30 AUG 1-23 SEP 1 SEP 6 SEP 12-28 B/D Outside Cabin with window $6995 $7195 $7595 $8095 $7895 $7695 $7295 O

I Inside Cabin $5995 $6195 $6195 $6695 $6495 $6295 $6295

APRIL; MAY 3-11; MAY 14-30; Air Add-Ons SEP 6-28; OCTOBER JUNE-AUGUST; SEP 1 New York $1000 $1200 Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, $1100 $1300 San Francisco, Washington, DC Atlanta, Baltimore, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, $1200 $1400 Newark, Orlando, Portland, San Diego Dallas, Phoenix, Seattle, Tampa $1300 $1500 Denver $1500 $1700

Additional departure cities are available. Upgrade to Business Class may be available for the international portion of your flight. Call for details. SCN2022

RISK-FREE BOOKING POLICY: RESERVE WITH CONFIDENCE—NOW THROUGH 12/31/21 We will waive any change fees if you transfer to another departure date for any reason—up until 24 hours prior to departure. See details at www.oattravel.com/riskfree-booking.

Prices are per person. Airfare prices include government taxes, fees, and airline fuel surcharges. Standard Terms & Conditions apply, please visit our website: www.oattravel.com/tc. Every effort has been made to produce this information accurately. We reserve the right to correct errors.

For specific departure dates, current availability, and detailed pricing, visit www.oattravel.com/scn2022pricing

SAVE UP TO 10% WITH OUR LIMITED LOW-COST SINGLE SHARE YOUR LOVE OF TRAVEL GOOD BUY PLAN SUPPLEMENT AVAILABLE New travelers you refer will instantly The earlier you reserve your departure From $1495 on your main trip & FREE save $100, and you’ll earn increasing and pay in full, the more you’ll save—up on all extensions. If sold out, be sure to rewards—up to a FREE trip! to 10%—plus, you’ll lock in your price. call us about our Roommate Matching Program. For details, visit www.oattravel.com/va For details, visit www.oattravel.com/gbd

Publication Date: 8/2/21

Information & Reservations 1-800-955-1925 www.oattravel.com/scn2022

46 TRAVEL DOCUMENTS & ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Your Passport • Must be in good condition

• Must be valid for at least 6 months after your scheduled return to the U.S.

• Must have the required number of blank pages (details below)

• The blank pages must be labeled “Visas” at the top. Pages labeled “Amendments and Endorsements” are not acceptable

Need to Renew Your Passport? Contact the National Passport Information Center (NPIC) at 1-877-487-2778, or visit their website at www.travel.state.gov for information on obtaining a new passport or renewing your existing passport. You may also contact our recommended visa service company, PVS International, at 1-800-556-9990 for help with your passport

Recommended Blank Pages Please confirm that your passport has enough blank pages for this adventure.

• Main trip only: You will need 3 blank passport pages.

• Pre-trip extension to Denmark: You will need an additional passport page, for a total of 4.

• Post-trip extension to Sweden: You will need an additional passport page, for a total of 4.

• Both the pre-trip and the post-trip extension: You will need a total of 5 passport pages.

• Stopover in Amsterdam, Helsinki, Munich, or Rome: You will need to add 2 additional pages to the applicable total listed above.

• Stopover in Barcelona, Copenhagen, Istanbul, London, Madrid, or Paris: You will need to add an additional page to the applicable total listed above.

No Visas Required We’ll be sending you a detailed Visa Packet with instructions, application forms, and fees about 90 days prior to your departure. All visas information listed is only applicable if you are taking an optional stopover extension to a country with a required visa. In the meantime, we’re providing the information below as a guideline on what to expect. This information is for U.S. citizens only. All visas and fees are subject to change.

• Turkey (optional stopover only): Visa required. We suggest you obtain an e-visa in advance through the Turkish government’s website as visas cannot be obtained upon arrival.

47 Traveling Without a U.S. Passport? If you are not a U.S. citizen, or if your passport is from any country other than the U.S., it is your responsibility to check with your local consulate, embassy, or a visa services company about visa requirements. We recommend the services of PVS International, a national visa service located in Washington D.C.; they can be reached at 1-800-556-9990 or www.pvsinternational.org.

Traveling With a Minor? Some governments may require certain documentation for minors to enter and depart the country or to obtain a visa (if applicable). For further detail on the required documentation, please contact your local embassy or consulate.

Emergency Photocopies of Key Documents We recommend you carry color photocopies of key documents including the photo page of your passport plus any applicable visas, air itinerary, credit cards (front and back), and an alternative form of ID. Add emergency phone numbers like your credit card company and the number for your travel protection plan. Store copies separate from the originals.

If you plan to email this information to yourself, please keep in mind that email is not always secure; consider using password protection or encryption. Also email is not always available worldwide. As an alternative, you could load these documents onto a flash drive instead, which can do double-duty as a place to backup photos during your trip.

Overseas Taxes & Fees This tour may have taxes and fees that cannot be included in your airline ticket price because you are required to pay them in person onsite. All taxes are subject to change without notice and can be paid in cash (either U.S. or local currency). If applicable, you will receive a list of these fees with your Final Documents.

48 RIGORS, VACCINES & GENERAL HEALTH

Is This Adventure Right for You? Please review the information below prior to departing on this adventure. We reserve the right for our Trip Experience Leaders to modify participation, or in some circumstances send travelers home, if their condition would adversely affect the health, safety, or enjoyment of themselves or of other travelers.

GROUP SIZE • This adventure has a group size of 20-25 travelers (average of 22) with a local Trip Experience Leader exclusive to O.A.T.

PACING • 17 days, with 10 hotel stays and 6 nights aboard a Norwegian coastal voyage ship

• 1 internal flight of 2.5 hours

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS • Walk 2-3 miles unassisted and participate in 2 continuous hours of physical activities daily

• Not accessible for travelers using wheelchairs, scooters, walkers, crutches, or other mobility aids

• We reserve the right for Trip Experience Leaders to restrict participation, or in some circumstances send travelers home, if their limitations impact the group’s experience

TERRAIN & TRANSPORTATION • Uneven walking surfaces, including unpaved paths, hills, stairs, and cobblestones

• Travel by 30-seat coach and train

• Travel by small boat or Zodiac craft for a total of 30 minutes

CLIMATE • Daytime temperatures range from 35-80°F during cruising season

• June-August are the warmest months

• May and September weather can be unpredictable and change quickly

TRIP EXTENSIONS • Travelers taking the pre- or post-trip extensions should be able to walk 3-4 miles unassisted.

49 Steps to Take Before Your Trip Before you leave on this adventure, we recommend the following:

• Check with the CDC for their recommendations for the countries you’ll be visiting. You can contact them online at http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel or by phone at 1-800-232-4636.

• Have a medical checkup with your doctor at least 6 weeks before your trip.

• Pick up any necessary medications, both prescription and over-the-counter.

• Have a dental and/or eye checkup. (Recommended, but less urgent)

Vaccines Required

COVID-19 Overseas Adventure Travel requires that all travelers are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and are able provide proof of their vaccination upon arrival at their destination. A full vaccination is defined as having been inoculated at least 14 days prior to departure by an approved vaccine. This requirement is not contingent on the countries the tour visits, but a strict company policy due to the nature of the pandemic.

Traveling with Medications • Pack medications in your carry-on bag to avoid loss and to have them handy.

• Keep medicines in their original, labeled containers for a quicker security screen at the airport and a better experience if you get stopped by customs while overseas.

• Bring copies of your prescriptions, written using the generic drug name rather than a brand name to be prepared for any unforeseen loss of your medications.

We recommend checking with the State Department for medication restrictions by country: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel- Country-Information-Pages.html. (Pick the country and then follow the links to “Local Laws & Special Circumstances”; if you don’t see any medications specifically mentioned, then you can presume major U.S. brands should be OK).

Staying Healthy on Your Trip Jet Lag Tips

• Start your trip well-rested.

• Begin a gradual transition to your new time zone before you leave or switch to your destination time zone when you get on the plane.

• Attempt to sleep and eat according to the new schedule.

50 • Avoid heavy eating and drinking caffeine or alcoholic beverages right before–and during– your flight.

• Drink plenty of water and/or fruit juice while flying

• Stretch your legs, neck, and back periodically while seated on the plane.

• After arrival, avoid the temptation to nap.

• Don’t push yourself to see a lot on your first day.

• Try to stay awake your first day until after dinner.

Allergies

If you have any serious allergies or dietary restrictions, we advise you to notify us at least 30 days prior to your departure. Please call our Traveler Support team at 1-800-221-0814, and we will communicate them to our regional office. Every effort will be made to accommodate you.

Water • Water in Scandinavia is considered safe, but as an added safety precaution against possible stomach upsets, we recommend you drink bottled water as much as possible.

• Never drink from a mountain stream, fjord, or river, regardless of how clean it might appear.

• Bottled water is usually for sale in hotels, food shops, and restaurants.

51 MONEY MATTERS: LOCAL CURRENCY & TIPPING GUIDELINES

Top Three Guidelines • Carry a mix of different types of payments, such as local currency, an ATM card, and a credit card.

• Traveler’s checks are not accepted in Scandinavia and the Netherlands.

• You will not be able to pay with U.S. dollars on this trip; you will need local currency instead.

Local Currency For current exchange rates, please refer to an online converter tool like www.xe.com/ currencyconverter, your bank, or the financial section of your newspaper.

Euro Countries The euro is the official currency in many member countries of the European Union. Unless otherwise listed, the countries you will be visiting will use the euro. Euro banknote and coin denominations are as follows:

• Banknotes: 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, and 500 euros

• Coins: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 cents; 1 and 2 euros

Norway The monetary unit of Norway is the krone, written as Kr. on price tags but officially written as NOK. Banknote and coin denominations are as follows:

• Banknotes: 50, 100, 200, 500, and 1,000 kroner

• Coins: 1, 5, 10, and 20 kroner

Norwegian krone are not the same as Swedish kroner or Danish krone.

Denmark The monetary unit of Denmark is the krone which is divided into 100 oere. Banknote and coin denominations are as follows:

• Banknotes: 50, 100, 200, 500, and 1,000 krone

• Coins: 50 ore and 1, 2, 5, 10, and 20 krone

Danish krone are not the same as Norwegian krone or Swedish krona.

52 Sweden The monetary unit in Sweden is the krona (written Kr. on price tags; the plural is kroner). The krona is divided into 100 ore. Banknote and coin denominations are as follows:

• Banknotes: 20, 50, 100, 200, 500, and 1,000

• Coins: 1, 2, 5 and 10 kronor

Swedish kroner are not the same as Norwegian krone or Danish krone.

How to Exchange Money If you want to exchange money before your trip, you can usually do so through your bank or at an exchange office. Your departure airport in the U.S., a travel agent, or an AAA office are also possible outlets. Or you can wait and change money on the trip instead—but it might be helpful to arrive with some local currency in case you run into a bank holiday or an “out of order” ATM.

On your trip, the easiest way is to withdraw funds from a local ATM. The ATM will give you local money and your bank at home will convert that into U.S. dollars.

You can also exchange cash at some hotels, large post offices, and money exchange offices. To exchange cash, you’ll usually need your passport and bills in good condition (not worn, torn, or dirty). New bills (post 2004) are best.

Please note that many banks in Europe will only exchange money for their own customers. Never exchange money on the street. All exchange methods involve fees, which may be built into the conversion rate; ask beforehand.

ATMs When using the ATM, keep in mind that it may only accept cards from local banks, and may not allow cash advances on credit cards; you might need to try more than one ATM or more than one card.

Many banks charge a fee of $1-$10 each time you use a foreign ATM. Others may charge you a percentage of the amount you withdraw. We recommend that you check with your bank before you depart.

Lastly, don’t forget to memorize the actual digits of your card’s PIN number (many keypads at foreign ATMs do not include letters on their keys—they only display numbers.)

Scandinavia: ATMs are widely available throughout Scandinavia and should not be hard to find, especially in larger cities.

Netherlands: International ATM networks are widely available in the Netherlands.

53 Credit & Debit Cards Even if you don’t plan on using a credit card during your trip, we still suggest that you bring one or two as a backup, especially if you are planning a large purchase (artwork, jewelry). We also suggest that you bring more than one brand of card (i.e. Visa, MasterCard, American Express) if possible, because not every shop will take every card. For example, although the Discover card is accepted in some countries outside the U.S., it is not widely adopted, so other brands will work at a much larger range of stores, restaurants, etc.

Scandinavia: Credit and debit cards are readily accepted in Scandinavia. Some cafes, restaurants, and attractions will only accept credit cards. Visa is the most widely accepted credit card in Scandinavia, followed by MasterCard and then American Express.

Netherlands: Credit and debit cards are widely accepted in the Netherlands.

Chip Cards Many countries have adopted a new type of credit card that has an embedded computer chip. These cards are inserted into the reader instead of swiped. The card owner then authorizes the purchase using a PIN instead of signing.

This new technology is only now gaining traction in the U.S., so occasionally there are machines in other countries that can’t read U.S. cards. Or the machine can read the card, but asks for a PIN. This doesn’t happen often, and is nothing to worry about. You can usually resolve the situation by asking the cashier to let you sign. (If you don’t speak the language, just mime signing on your hand.) If you are not able to sign for a purchase, such as at an automated ticket booth, you can use another form of payment, such as a debit card that has a PIN.

Notify Card Providers of Upcoming Travel Many credit card companies and banks have fraud alert departments that will freeze your card if they see suspicious charges—such as charges or withdrawals from another country. To avoid an accidental security block, it is a good idea to notify your credit card company and/or bank you will be using your cards abroad. You can do this by calling their customer service number a week or two before your departure. Some banks or credit card companies will also let you do this online.

You should also double-check what phone number you could call if you have a problem with a card while you are abroad. Don’t assume you can use the 1-800 number printed on the back of your card—most 1 800 numbers don’t work outside of the U.S.!

On Board Ship

Two Separate Bills Will be Issued • Cruise Card:Upon embarkation, you will receive a Cruise Card with which to purchase food, drink, and land excursions (offered directly by the Havila ship) not included in your tour. Upon receipt of the Cruise Card, you will swipe your credit card so that your purchases can

54 be charged to it. The Cruise Card can then be used for payments against your room. The day before disembarkation in Kirkenes, you will receive a bill for your purchases, which will be charged to your credit card directly by the Havila ship.

• Optional tour account: This bill is for any optional tours taken during the cruise and is calculated in U.S. dollars. This bill is paid with your ship guide (they will have you fill out a form) by credit/debit card only; other forms of payments such as cash and checks are not accepted. For more information on optional tours—including which cards we accept for payment—see the “Preparing for Your Trip” chapter.

Tipping Guidelines Of course, whether you tip, and how much, is always at your own discretion. But for those of you who have asked for tipping suggestions, we offer these guidelines.

• O.A.T. Trip Experience Leader: It is customary to express a personal “thank you” to your Trip Experience Leader at the end of your trip. As a guideline, many travelers give $8-$12 USD (or equivalent in local currency) per person for each day their Trip Experience Leader is with them. Please note that these tips can only be in cash. If you are taking any of the optional extensions, your Trip Experience Leader during the extension(s) may not be the same as the one on your main trip.

• Shipboard: Gratuities to the shipboard personnel are not included in the cost of your voyage. If you wish to acknowledge those who have worked to make your time on board enjoyable, a gratuity of $3-$4 per person, per night, is customary. On some steamers, tips to dining and cabin staff are pooled. In this case, you can pay one gratuity (based on the above rate) in kroner, which you’ll leave in an envelope with a staff member before disembarking. Shipboard tips cannot be paid by credit card.

• Hotel Housekeeping: Many travelers will leave the equivalent of $1-$2 per day, per room for the hotel housekeeping staff.

• Included in Your Trip Price: Gratuities are included for local guides and motorcoach drivers on your main trip, extensions, and optional tours operated by O.A.T.

Time at Leisure

When you are exploring on your own, it’s useful to know when to tip and how much, because local customs often differ from the U.S. Here are a few helpful guidelines for the most common services a traveler might use:

• Taxis: In many cities the tip is included in the fare, and will be announced on a sign inside the cab; otherwise a 10% tip is appropriate.

• Restaurants, cafes, and bars: A service charge is usually included in restaurant and bar bills, but it is customary to leave an additional tip of around 10% of the bill for your waiter or bartender.

55 • Public Restrooms: Most public restrooms in Scandinavia are pay-toilets; you pay the staff at the entrance to the restroom or drop the appropriate coin into the slot on the stall door. Many restaurants, cafes, and shops offer only pay-toilets or reserve their restrooms for patrons only. Costs vary from the equivalent of 0.5 euros to 1 euro, so be sure that you have coins (in the local currency) available.

56 AIR, OPTIONAL TOURS & STAYING IN TOUCH

Land Only Travelers & Personalized Air Quick Definitions

• Land Only: You will be booking your own international flights. Airport transfers are not included.

• Air-Inclusive: You booked international air with us. Airport transfers are included as long as you didn’t customize your trip’s dates (see next bullet).

• Personalized Air: You booked international air with us, and have customized it in some way. If you have customized your trip’s dates to arrive early, stay longer, or stop on your own in a connecting city, airport transfers will NOT be included. You must also arrange your own accommodations for any additional nights. For your convenience, a preliminary list of your included hotels is available on your My Account at www.oattravel.com/myaccount under “My Reservations”.

Airport Transfers Can Be Purchased For eligible flights, airport transfers may be purchased separately as an optional add-on, subject to availability. To be eligible, your flight(s) must meet the following requirements:

• You must fly into or fly home from the same airport as O.A.T. travelers who purchased included airfare.

• Your flight(s) must arrive/depart on the same day that the group arrives or departs.

Airport transfers can be purchased up to 45 days prior to your departure; they are not available for purchase onsite. To learn more, or purchase airport transfers, please call our Traveler Support team at 1-800-221-0814.

If you don’t meet the requirements above, you’ll need to make your own transfer arrangements. We suggest the Rome to Rio website as a handy resource: www.rome2rio.com.

Air Inclusive Travelers If you have purchased international air with us, there are some points that may be helpful for you to know.

• U.S. Departure: If you are among a group of ten or more travelers who depart the U.S. from your international gateway city, it is our goal to have an O.A.T. representative assist you at the U.S. airport with the check-in of your flight. Unless there are extenuating circumstances beyond our control, the representative will be at the check-in counter three hours before your departure time. If you are flying domestically before your international flight, the representative will be stationed at the check-in counter for your departing international flight, not at the domestic arrival gate.

57 • Overseas Arrival: When you arrive in Oslo (on the main trip), Copenhagen (on the Denmark pre-trip extension), or Torshavn (on the Faroe Islands pre-trip extension), you’ll need to collect your luggage and clear customs. An O.A.T. representative will meet you outside of customs and assist you with your transfer to the hotel or ship. Important note on porters: Airport porters are NOT allowed in the baggage claim area. On arrival, you must take your luggage off the baggage carousel and load it onto a cart, which you will then move through customs. When you exit customs, you’ll handle your cart until reaching your transfer vehicle. Your driver will load your luggage into the transfer vehicle.

• U.S. Return: If you are among a group of ten or more travelers who return to the same U.S. gateway city, an O.A.T. representative will meet you as you exit Customs and help you find taxis, buses, hotel accommodations, or connecting flights. Again, it is our goal to have our representative waiting to assist your group. In rare instances, unforeseen circumstances may prevent this service.

• Flying with a Travel Companion: If you’re traveling with a companion from a different household, and both of you are beginning and ending your trip at the same airport on the same dates, let us know you’d like to travel together and we’ll make every effort to arrange this (please note, however, that this is not always possible). If you request any changes to your flights, please be sure that both you and your companion tell us that you still want to fly together.

Optional Tours Optional tours are additional add-on tours that allow you to personalize your adventure by tailoring it to your tastes and needs. And if you decide not to join an optional tour? Then you’ll have free time to relax or explore on your own—it’s about options, not obligations.

What You Need to Know • All optional tours are subject to change and availability.

• Optional tours that are reserved with your Trip Experience Leader can be paid for using credit/debit cards only. We accept MasterCard, Visa, and Discover credit cards; we can also take MasterCard or Visa debit cards as long as the card allows you to sign for purchases. (You won’t be able to enter a PIN.)

• To ensure that you are charged in U.S. dollars, your payment will be processed by our U.S. headquarters in Boston. This process can take up to three months, so we ask that you only use a card that will still be valid three months after your trip is over. The charge may appear on your credit card statement as being from Boston, MA or may be labeled as “OPT Boston”.

• Your Trip Experience Leader will give you details on the optional tours while you’re on the trip. But if you’d like to look over descriptions of them earlier, you can do so at any time by referring to your Day-to-Day Itinerary (available online by signing into My Account at www.oattravel.com/myaccount).

58 Communicating with Home from Abroad

Cell Phones If you want to use your cell phone on the trip, check with your phone provider to see if your phone and service will work outside of the U.S. It may turn out to be cheaper to rent an international phone or buy a SIM card onsite. If you want to use a local SIM, just make certain your phone is “unlocked”, meaning it can accept a local SIM card. If your cell is “unlocked” then you will be able to purchase a local SIM for it and then buy minutes with “Pay as You Go” cards, so that you have a local contact number for your friends and family.

Calling Apps Another option is to use a smartphone app like Skype or FaceTime. These services are usually less expensive than making a traditional call, but you’ll need a Wi-Fi connection and the calls may count towards your phone plan’s data allowance. Many smartphones—and some tablets or laptops—come with one of these apps pre-installed or you can download them for free from the appropriate apps store.

Calling Cards & 1-800 Numbers When calling the U.S. from a foreign country, a prepaid calling card can be useful because it circumvents unexpected charges from the hotel. Calling cards purchased locally are typically the best (less expensive, more likely to work with the local phones, etc.). One reminder: Do not call U.S. 1-800 numbers outside the continental United States. This can result in costly long distance fees, since 1-800 numbers do not work outside the country.

Receiving Calls from Home To ensure you are available during your trip to friends and relatives at home, you will receive two copies of your hotel list, including phone numbers, with your Final Documents. One copy is for you to bring, and one is to leave behind with friends or relatives in case they need to contact you during the trip.

How to Call Overseas When calling overseas from the U.S., dial 011 for international exchange, then the country code (indicated by a plus sign: +), and then the number. Note that foreign phone numbers may not have the same number of digits as U.S. numbers; even within a country the number of digits can vary depending on the city and if the phone is a land line or cell phone.

Norway: +47 Sweden: +46

Finland: +358 Netherlands: +31

Denmark: +45

59 PACKING: WHAT TO BRING & LUGGAGE LIMITS

Luggage Limits

MAIN TRIP LIMITS

Pieces per person One checked bag and one carry-on bag per person.

Weight restrictions Due to the domestic flight within Finland, the current standard for this trip is 44 lbs for checked bags and 15 lbs for carry-on bags.

Size Restrictions Varies by airline. Measured in linear inches (length+width+depth). Generally, 62 linear inches is the checked bag limit; carry-on limit is 45 linear inches.

Luggage Type A sturdy, fabric-sided suitcase with built-in wheels and lockable zippers is recommended.

TRIP EXTENSION(S) LIMITS

Same as the main trip.

REMARKS/SUGGESTIONS

One suitcase and one carry-on bag per person: Due to the space limitations on bus transfers, you’ll be restricted to one suitcase and one carry-on bag per person. This is to ensure that we have room for everyone’s luggage. We ask that you abide by this limit to avoid inconveniencing your fellow travelers and prevent additional airlines luggage fees (which are your responsibility). Most airlines now charge to check more than one suitcase per person for flights to Europe and other international flights.

Luggage rules: Luggage rules and limits are set by governmental and airline policy. Enforcement of the rules may include spot checks or may be inconsistent. However one thing is the same across the board: If you are found to have oversized or overweight luggage, you will be subject to additional fees, to be assessed by—and paid to—the airline in question.

Don’t Forget: • These luggage limits may change. If the airline(s) notify us of any changes, we will include an update in your Final Documents booklet.

60 • It’s a good idea to reconfirm baggage restrictions and fees directly with the airline a week or so prior to departure. For your convenience, we maintain a list of the toll-free numbers for the most common airlines on our website in the FAQ section.

• Baggage fees are not included in your trip price; they are payable directly to the airlines.

• The luggage limits above are based on your regional flights, which may be less than your international flights. Even if your international airline offers a larger weight limit, you will need to pack according to the lower restrictions.

Your Luggage • Checked Luggage: Consider a duffel bag or soft-sided suitcase. Look for one with heavy nylon fabric, wrap-around handles, built-in wheels, and a heavy duty lockable zipper. Due to space limitations on our motorcoaches, you are allowed one piece of checked luggage per person. Porterage at airports and hotels is provided for one bag per person. All bags should have luggage tags.

• Carry-on Bag: You are allowed one carry-on bag per person. We suggest a tote or small backpack that can be used as both a carry-on bag for your flight and to carry your daily necessities—water bottle, camera, etc—during your daily activities.

• Locks: For flights that originate in the U.S., you can either use a TSA-approved lock or leave your luggage unlocked. Outside of the U.S. we strongly recommend locking your luggage as a theft-prevention measure.

Clothing Suggestions: Functional Tips • Travel light: A good rule of thumb is to gather together everything you want to bring; then take half of that. To have a varied travel wardrobe, yet keep your luggage light, we recommend you select a color scheme and pack color-coordinated clothing items that can be mixed to create different outfits. For more packing and luggage tips, you might want to visit www.travelite.org.

• Consider clothing designed for travel, sports, or camping: With modern fabrics, lightweight packing for comfort and protection through a wide range of weather is easy.

• Warm clothes & rain gear—needed year-round: Night temperatures are cool on the water all year, and the daytime weather can be fickle. Regardless of your travel season, bring long sleeves, warm socks and pants, and items to layer up with—a heavy sweatshirt, fleece top or wool sweater, waterproof jacket with a hood, hat, and gloves. Snow boots and a heavy-duty parka are also recommended—except in peak summer, when instead a pair or walking shorts and one or two short-sleeve tops may come in handy. Dress in layers, so you can easily adjust to sudden weather shifts. For possible showers, take a folding travel umbrella and/or rain hat.

61 • Good walking shoes are critical. This program features many included tours that follow steep, unpaved or cobbled routes; and even an average day of light sightseeing or shopping can put great demands on your feet. If you prefer more ankle support, take light hiking boots. In case you get caught in the rain, we suggest you bring an extra pair of walking shoes, and rain boots or galoshes. Aboard ship, you’ll want non-slip shoes with rubber soles.

• Laundry on board: Your ship has self-service laundry facilities available 24-hours a day. The machines take tokens, which you can purchase at the Information Desk. At time of writing, it cost roughly $6 to wash and dry one load, which is less expensive than having your laundry done at a hotel. Using this facility is not only handy, it can also reduce the amount of clothes you need to bring.

Style Hints • Pack casual clothes: Comfortable, informal apparel is acceptable at each of your destinations. At dinner, you will not need to don “dressy” clothing; men do not need jackets or ties and women do not need fancy dresses. You may want one or two “smart casual” outfits for the Welcome Reception or Farewell Dinner, but it’s completely up to you. On board the ship, casual dress is acceptable at all times. While travelers vary in their dress style, they generally do not change into a new outfit for dinner.

Suggested Packing Lists We have included suggestions from Trip Experience Leaders and former travelers to help you pack. These lists are only jumping-off points—they offer recommendations based on experience, but not requirements. You may also want to consult the “Climate” chapter of this handbook.

And don’t forget a reusable water bottle—you’ll need it to take advantage of any refills we offer as we are working to eliminate single-use plastic bottles on all of our trips.

Please note: Some Havila ships may not include body lotion and shower caps in your cabin. If these items are essential, we suggest that you bring your own.

Recommended Clothing ‰Shirts: A mixture of short and long-sleeved shirts to layer ‰Trousers, jeans, or skirts ‰Comfortable walking shoes and/or water resistant shoes ‰Light rain jacket/windbreaker with hood ‰Sleepwear ‰Socks and undergarments ‰A jacket or sweater, depending on the time of year

62 Essential Items ‰Daily essentials: toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, hairbrush or comb, shaving items, deodorant, shampoo/conditioner, shower cap, body soap, etc.

‰Spare eyeglasses/contact lenses and your prescription ‰Sunglasses with a neck strap ‰Compact umbrella ‰Insect repellent (there are mosquitoes in the north) ‰Wide-brim sun hat or visor ‰Pocket-size tissues ‰Photocopies of passport, air ticket, credit cards ‰Rubber or waterproof shoes

Medicines ‰Your own prescription medicines ‰Vitamins ‰Cold remedies: Sudafed/Dristan ‰Pain relievers: Ibuprofen/naproxen/aspirin ‰Laxatives: Senokot/Ex-Lax ‰Stomach upset: Pepto-Bismol/Mylanta ‰Anti-diarrheal: Imodium ‰Band-Aids, Moleskin foot pads ‰Antibiotics: Neosporin/Bacitracin ‰Motion sickness medication

Optional Gear ‰Travel alarm

63 ‰Hanging toiletry bag with pockets ‰Basic sewing kit ‰Hand-wash laundry soap (Woolite), clothespins/travel clothesline/stopper ‰Electrical transformer and plug adapter ‰Reading materials ‰Travel journal/note pad ‰Addresses for postcards ‰Photos, small gift for Home-Hosted visit ‰Phrase book ‰Pocket-size calculator for exchange rates ‰Insect repellant ‰Wash cloths ‰Travel-size hair dryer: Many hotels will provide hair dryers, but not all. If a hair dryer is essential to you consider a travel-size version.

Home-Hosted Visits It is customary, though not necessary, to return your hosts’ generosity with a small gift. If you do bring a gift, we recommend that you bring something the whole family can enjoy, or something that represents your region, state, or hometown. Get creative and keep it small—peach jelly from Georgia, maple sugar candy from New England, orange blossom soap from California; something that can be used or used up is best. When choosing a gift, be certain to consider the local culture as well. For example, we do not recommend alcohol in Muslim countries because it is forbidden in Islam, and your hosts may be religious. Not all of our adventures include a home-hosted visit; please check your final itinerary before you depart.

Electricity Abroad When traveling overseas, the voltage is usually different and the plugs might not be the same shape.

64 Voltage Electricity in Scandinavia is 220-240 volts. In the U.S. it is 110 volts. Most of the things a traveler will want to plug in—battery chargers, MP3 players, tablets or computers—can run off both 110 and 220-240. But you should check the item or the owner’s guide first to confirm this before you plug it in. If you have something that needs 110 volts—like a shaver or a hairdryer—you can bring a transformer to change the current. (But transformers tend to burn out, so it might be better to leave whatever it is at home.)

Plugs The shape of plugs will vary from country to country, and sometimes even within a country depending on when that building was built. To plug something from the U.S. into a local socket you’ll need an adapter that fits between the plug and the socket. Although you’ll only need one adapter on this trip (Type C plugs work in Type F receptacles), it may be easier to purchase an all- in-one, universal adapter/converter combo. Versatile and lightweight, these can usually be found at your local electronics goods or hardware stores. Sometimes you can buy them at large retailers too, like Target or Walmart. If you forget to bring an adapter, you might also find them for sale at the airport when you arrive at your destination.

Different plug shapes are named by letters of the alphabet. Standard U.S. plugs are Type A and Type B. Here is the list of plugs for the countries on this trip:

Norway: C and F

Finland: C and F

Denmark: C and F

Sweden: C and F

65 Netherlands: C

Type C Type F

66 CLIMATE & AVERAGE TEMPERATURES

Oslo, Norway: Although well into the northern latitudes, Oslo’s climate is fairly temperate thanks to warm air being wafted across the Atlantic from the Gulf Stream. Summer weather in Oslo is mild and pleasant, with frequent hot spells, and plenty of long sunny days. In winter temperatures hover just above or below freezing. Snow is plentiful in winter, and rainfall is spread across the year, the rainiest month being August.

Copenhagen, Denmark: The weather in Copenhagen is mild through all the four seasons—with highs usually in the 60s and lows usually in the 50s—although temperatures in winter can drop down into the 30s and 40s. On the other end of the scale, summertime highs rarely go above 80 °F despite the occasional heat wave. Rainfall is moderate too, but spread throughout the year, so showers are possible in any season. Grey skies are the norm rather than the exception in Copenhagen.

Tórshavn, Faroe Islands: The Faroe Islands are cold, wet, and windy all year-round, with mild winters and cool summers. For all the winters are long and cold, snow is infrequent and sunlight just as rare. Tórshavn, the capital of the Faroe Islands, is noted as the least sunny place in the world, averaging less than 900 hours of sunlight a year. During the summer, the Islands are known to experience “white nights”, where the sky does not get completely dark until midnight.

Stockholm, Sweden: Despite its northern location, Stockholm has relatively mild weather compared to other locations at similar latitude. Summers have average daytime highs of 68–72 °F and lows of around 55 °F, but temperatures can reach the mid-eighties. Winters are sometimes snowy with average temperatures ranging from 23 to 34 °F, and sometimes drop below 5 °F. Spring and autumn are generally cool to mild. Yearly precipitation averages 21.2 inches with around 170 wet days and light to moderate rainfall throughout the year. Snowfall occurs mainly from December through March with some snow-rich winters, while others are milder with more rain than snow.

Netherlands: As in most areas of northwest Europe, the weather in the Netherlands is frequently rainy and can be very changeable from day to day all through the year. During spring, a fine, warm spell may last for weeks—or a stretch of cool, unsettled weather may prevail. Light showers are common but typically will not turn into heavy rainfall. Daytime temperatures are generally mild, averaging in the upper 50s and low 60s, but weather shifts do occur on a regular basis. In summer, fine warm periods may last for weeks on occasions; but then again, the weather could also be cool and unsettled. By autumn, overcast skies occur more frequently, and the overall weather pattern consists of longer, heavier rains and colder temperatures.

Generally, the flat countryside of the Netherlands makes it a rather windy place in all seasons. In the past, the Dutch relied on this weather element to run the windmills that pumped the seawater from the low-lying lands.

67 Scandinavia Mid May to August: During late spring and summer, temperatures can be surprisingly high, comparable to Maine or Vermont; and the sea is generally much warmer than you might expect, largely as a result of the Gulf Stream and the shallowness of the Baltic. The low humidity, too, makes it feel warmer than temperatures may indicate. If you are traveling at this time of year, you’re likely to encounter comfortably warm days and enjoy gloriously long hours of sun during your travels. The Midnight Sun will be shining over the northern parts (above the Arctic Circle) of Finland, Norway, and Sweden from mid May to the end of July. However, you should also be prepared for variable weather and temperature drops. The climate and weather along coastlines, in particular, is very much influenced by fluctuations in the sea’s condition and is changeable throughout the year. Winds, rain, and clouds are common occurrences, though extended spells of fine settled weather are also likely.

April to mid May/September to October: During early spring and autumn, the weather can turn from warm, sunny, and mild to rainy, misty, and miserable within an hour or so. Be prepared for intermittent spells of wet, cloudy weather. Autumn comes early in this region of the world; summer typically ends at the close of August, and peak fall foliage is in September. If you travel on the shoulder season, come prepared for snow and very cold weather.

NOTE: If you are taking one of our optional stopovers before or after your OAT adventure, please be aware the climate and temperatures might be different from what you experienced during your tour. To prepare for weather differences and pack appropriate clothing, we recommend the following world weather sites:

• www.intellicast.com

• www.weather.com

• www.wunderground.com

Climate Averages & Online Forecast The following charts reflect the average climate as opposed to exact weather conditions. This means they serve only as general indicators of what can reasonably be expected. An extreme heat wave or cold snap could fall outside these ranges. As your departure approaches, we encourage you to go online to www.oattravel.com/myaccount for your 10-day forecast.

68 Average Daily High/Low Temperatures (°F), Humidity & Monthly Rainfall

MONTH OSLO, NORWAY BERGEN, NORWAY

Temp. High-Low % Relative Average # of Days Temp. High-Low % Relative Average # of Days Humidity (am-pm) with Rainfall Humidity (am-pm) with Rainfall JAN 31 to 20 86 to 80 10 39 to 31 82 to 79 21 FEB 32 to 19 88 to 74 9 39 to 31 82 to 72 16 MAR 39 to 27 86 to 65 13 43 to 34 82 to 68 20 APR 49 to 34 70 to 52 15 48 to 37 82 to 62 19 MAY 62 to 45 71 to 48 18 57 to 45 80 to 60 20 JUN 68 to 52 71 to 50 19 62 to 50 82 to 63 19 JUL 71 to 55 73 to 52 20 64 to 53 85 to 66 21 AUG 69 to 53 80 to 54 20 64 to 53 87 to 69 22 SEP 60 to 45 83 to 58 20 58 to 48 85 to 70 24 OCT 49 to 38 86 to 69 19 52 to 44 82 to 72 25 NOV 39 to 29 86 to 78 15 44 to 37 82 to 78 23 DEC 32 to 22 86 to 82 10 41 to 33 83 to 81 22

MONTH IVALO, FINLAND HELSINKI, FINLAND

Temp. High-Low % Relative Average # of Days Temp. High-Low % Relative Average # of Days Humidity (avg) with Rainfall Humidity (am-pm) with Rainfall JAN 32 to 2 85 4 26 to 16 88 to 87 16 FEB 15 to 1 83 3 27 to 15 89 to 82 11 MAR 25 to 7 77 2 34 to 23 89 to 74 12 APR 36 to 17 71 3 45 to 31 87 to 59 13 MAY 48 to 33 68 5 59 to 41 84 to 51 14 JUN 59 to 43 66 7 66 to 49 85 to 55 17 JUL 65 to 48 68 6 70 to 53 90 to 59 15 AUG 59 to 44 80 8 66 to 51 93 to 66 17 SEP 49 to 37 82 5 56 to 43 93 to 72 15 OCT 36 to 27 87 5 46 to 36 91 to 80 20 NOV 24 to 16 89 4 36 to 28 90 to 88 17 DEC 15 to 5 86 3 30 to 20 89 to 88 16

69 MONTH COPENHAGEN, DENMARK TORSHAVN, FAROE ISLANDS

Temp. High-Low % Relative Average # of Days Temp. High-Low % Relative Average # Days of Humidity (am-pm) with Rainfall Humidity (avg) Rainfall JAN 37 to 30 89 to 85 18 43 to 36 89 22 FEB 36 to 28 89 to 80 15 43 to 34 88 17 MAR 41 to 32 89 to 74 15 43 to 36 88 21 APR 49 to 36 84 to 63 15 45 to 37 87 16 MAY 60 to 45 76 to 57 14 48 to 41 87 13 JUN 66 to 52 76 to 59 16 52 to 45 88 12 JUL 69 to 55 78 to 60 15 55 to 45 89 13 AUG 69 to 54 82 to 60 16 55 to 48 90 13 SEP 61 to 50 86 to 67 15 54 to 46 89 18 OCT 53 to 44 87 to 76 19 48 to 41 89 22 NOV 44 to 37 87 to 82 19 45 to 37 88 21 DEC 39 to 32 88 to 85 18 43 to 36 89 22

MONTH STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN DELFT, THE NETHERLANDS

Temp. High-Low % Relative Average # of Days Temp. High-Low % Relative Average # Days of Humidity (am-pm) with Rainfall Humidity (avg) Rainfall JAN 31 to 22 89 to 87 13 43 to 34 -- 15 FEB 31 to 20 91 to 80 10 45 to 34 -- 13 MAR 37 to 26 91 to 69 13 51 to 37 -- 13 APR 47 to 31 86 to 57 15 58 to 40 -- 12 MAY 60 to 41 75 to 49 17 64 to 46 -- 13 JUN 67 to 49 74 to 52 18 68 to 50 -- 13 JUL 70 to 54 79 to 56 20 72 to 55 -- 14 AUG 68 to 53 87 to 58 19 72 to 55 -- 13 SEP 58 to 45 91 to 64 20 67 to 51 -- 11 OCT 58 to 45 91 to 64 19 61 to 46 -- 13 NOV 39 to 31 91 to 87 18 51 to 40 -- 14 DEC 32 to 23 91 to 89 15 44 to 36 -- 15

70 ABOARD YOUR SHIP: CABIN FEATURES, DINING & SERVICES ON BOARD

Havila Capella or Havila Castor You’ll travel the Norwegian coast aboard one of these two vessels, each of which accommodates an average of about 640 passengers, keeping them small enough to sail into the most narrow of fjords. You will find every amenity you need for a comfortable journey on board, but what you will not find is any of the standard luxury cruise activities or amenities—casinos, shuffleboard, pool, entertainment program, and the like. Instead, the focus is on basic comforts, fine service, wholesome cuisine, and a congenial atmosphere.

Each ship features well-appointed cabins with lower berths, a private bath, and a hair dryer for your convenience. The ships have built-in panoramic viewing areas with lounges. And they have ample open deck space—perfect viewing spots from which to watch your ship pull into a picturesque fishing village, sail through a crystal blue fjord, or float past a mountain.

Cabin Assignments Cabin assignments are not given out in advance. You will be given this information when you board your ship in Norway. All cabins have lower beds, either one double or two twin. Most cabins have double beds, and cannot be turned into twin beds.

Dining Aboard ship, you’ll dine on three meals a day—breakfast and lunch buffets, and a hearty, set- menu dinner served in the dining room. Your meals will include fresh local produce, fish, and Norwegian specialties.

Some evenings, the set menu for dinner may feature a rather exotic entrée or side dish that you prefer to eat around. For such times, and also for your own dietary enjoyment, we suggest you bring a modest supply of your favorite non-perishable snacks: granola bars, dried fruit, nuts, candy bars, etc. You can also purchase a snack in the cafeteria most any time day or night, but prices are high. If you prefer a different dinner choice, inform the dining room staff at lunchtime.

A selection of wine, beer, and other beverages will be available for purchase onboard your Havila ship. Wine prices will start at approximately $12-15 per glass, but could vary according to vintage. No outside alcohol is allowed to be consumed onboard.

Electricity On Board Ship Aboard ship, the cabins are equipped with European-style Europlug (Type C) outlets. Note however that all sockets in Scandinavia (both on board ship and in your hotels) are round and recessed into the wall. You’ll need adapters to accommodate this feature.

71 Embarkation Please note that due to customs and safety regulations you will be required to handle your own luggage from the bus to the ship’s gangway (approximately 400 feet) during embarkation in Norway. The ship’s crew will then take the luggage from the gangway to your cabin. There is no porterage service available at the pier, and the bus is not allowed to drive up to the gangway.

Headsets Please note that headsets are provided for tours operated by us, but may not be available for any shore excursions purchased through Havila.

Educational Activities You’ll enjoy your ports even more once you know more about them! The shipboard courier will share information about the unique qualities of the villages you’ll visit, facts of cultural interest, and enough history to make each port truly come alive.

Optional shore programs provide you with special opportunities to head inland and see more of Norway. Please note that these optional tours are operated directly by the ship and are not controlled/ associated with us. Therefore they have to be paid directly on board the ship and cannot be charged to our Optional Tour forms. For more information, visit http://www.havilavoyages.com/excursions.

Another option is to ask your Trip Experience Leader and the ships’ Expedition Leader for suggestions once you are in port. Or you can stroll through your ports of call on foot, stopping by tiny cafes or window shopping down cobblestone streets. You just choose the option that suits you best.

Gift Shop The ship has a small gift shop that sells sweatshirts, tee-shirts, postcards, and videos. DVDs purchased abroad may not work in U.S. DVD players; look for a label stating “region one” or an American flag marking.

Phone Service You can make phone calls to any destination from the ship’s pay phone, which takes local currency coins. There are also pay phones near the piers of some ports.

Smoking/Non-Smoking Policy All cabins are non-smoking. The only area of the ship where smoking is permitted is a designated section of the outside deck.

72 ABOUT YOUR DESTINATIONS: CULTURE, ETIQUETTE & MORE

O.A.T. Trip Experience Leaders: A World of Difference During your adventure you’ll be accompanied by one of our local, expert Trip Experience Leaders. All are fluent in English and possess the skills, certification, and experience necessary to ensure an enriching adventure. As locals of the regions you’ll explore with them, our Trip Experience Leaders provide the kind of firsthand knowledge and insight that make local history, culture, and wildlife come alive. Coupled with their unbridled enthusiasm, caring personalities, and ability to bring diverse groups of travelers together, our Trip Experience Leaders ensure that your experience with O.A.T. is one you’ll remember for a lifetime.

The Culture of Scandinavia Does Scandinavia even have a common culture? And how does it differ from Nordic culture? First off, Scandinavia refers to the lands originally occupied by the Vikings—which would be Norway, Sweden and Denmark. When referring to Nordic countries, it would be Norway, Sweden and Denmark, with Finland and Iceland added to the mix. While these northern lands differ in language and geography, their shared history and religion have given rise to several cultural similarities.

A belief that Scandinavians are sullen or aloof, however, is one of the most common cultural misunderstandings. If you are unable to engage in a conversation with a local, you might interpret it as someone being standoffish or even rude. But a Scandinavian would perceive it as being polite by not bothering a stranger with small talk. Broadly speaking, Scandinavians place a high value on being polite and do not wish to speak to anyone unnecessarily or even ask for help unless it’s absolutely necessary.

A common thread woven throughout Scandinavian culture may be its focus on the wellbeing of the group rather than of the individual. While Americans admire even the most extreme efforts of individuals to achieve success, Scandinavians strive for moderation—in themselves, the community, and the workplace—to achieve a sense of balance. There are reasons why they always make the lists of the “happiest people on earth”. Scandinavians attribute it to their focus on life/ work balance—while they do pay high taxes, the generous social programs they get in return take all the fear out of losing their livelihood or growing broke. This allows them to focus on enjoying life. Scandinavia’s concern for group wellbeing expresses itself in a variety of ways. The Danes have the centuries-old concept of “hygge,” which is a general state of mind that embraces life. The Finns have their saunas, whose bonding rituals are intertwined in national culture. And the Swedes consider “fika,” a type of mandatory coffee hour, to be an essential part of each day in order to bond with friends and colleagues.

Workplace culture is far less stressful in Scandinavian countries, too. Everyone expects everyone else to perform to the same standard. Since it’s a common practice among Scandinavians to say what they mean, no one has to search for hidden meanings. And dealing with fewer office politics makes for a far more relaxed and comfortable workplace environment. Scandinavian culture discourages those seen as aiming too high or being too ambitious. In an attempt to make society

73 as homogenous as possible, measures like private schools using the same curriculum as public schools are put in place to ensure equal opportunities for all. And Scandinavians believe that wealth should have no bearing on how you are treated.

Scandinavians love the outdoors and take full advantage of the breathtaking beauty of their landscapes by escaping into nature and enjoying the solitude at every opportunity. Come to think of it, no wonder they’re so happy.

Laundry Service Laundry service is available through your hotels, although it is expensive. Your Trip Experience Leader will help you make arrangements for these services if you need them.

Smoking/Non-Smoking Policy In both Norway and Finland smoking is prohibited in public areas and restaurants.

Taking Photographs The etiquette of photographing most people in Europe is about the same as it would be on the streets of your hometown. You need permission to take a close-up, but not for a crowd scene. Consent is especially important if you want to take a photo of a child or minor—ask their parent for permission first. To get a great portrait, show interest in your subject and try to have a bit of social interaction to put them at ease. Then use sign language to inquire if a picture is OK.

Safety & Security As you travel, exercise the same caution and awareness that you would in a large American city. Don’t be overly nervous or suspicious, but keep your eyes open. If you are venturing out after dark, go with one or two other people.

Carry a one-day supply of cash in your pocket. Carry most of your money, and your passport, in a travel pouch or money belt under your shirt. Replenish your pocket supply when you are in a safe and quiet place, or in our vehicle. Don’t leave valuables unattended in your hotel room. Most hotels will offer use of a hotel safe at the front desk or an electronic in-room safe (for which you can set your own personal number). Please utilize them.

Pickpockets may create a sudden distraction. In any sort of puzzling street situation, try to keep one hand on your wallet or money belt. If an encounter with a local turns out to be long and complicated and involves money or your valuables, be very careful. Con artists sometimes target travelers.

74 Hotels With an emphasis on minimalism and functional design, you’ll discover that hotel rooms in this region are traditionally much smaller than in the United States, and tend to feature a sleek, modern look. Rooms are comfortable, clean, and well-equipped, but you should expect to experience how locals make use of limited space, which may mean that the bathrooms are smaller, or the beds are closer together, than you’d find at home.

Waterways of the Netherlands Nearly half of this small country—it measures just over 16,000 square miles—is below sea level, making the famous Dutch dikes a requisite for the use of a lot of the land. As early as 100 years ago, as much as 1,000 square miles of the Netherlands were still under water. Over the 20th century, however, it was a never-ending Dutch pursuit to extract more and more land from the sea. With the completion of ingenious water-control designs like the Zeeland Delta Project—a massive system of dikes, storm-surge barriers, and sluice gates—the Netherlands now has working solutions to its centuries-old problem of recurrent flooding by the North Sea.

Even so, the country still contains a lot of water, at least 1,100 square miles of it. That water, however, due to Dutch ingenuity and modern technology, is now mostly channeled into manageable canals, lakes, and rerouted rivers that were once open sea. It is the Netherlands’ waterways, which, despite being a hazard when flooded, have long enabled the commercial success of the country. Throughout history, the rivers’ strategic positions have given the Netherlands a prominent role in world shipping and trading. Essentially, the Netherlands is Europe’s delta. Here three of Europe’s major waterways—the Rhine, the Maas, the Waal, and their tributaries (including the Kil and the Merwede Rivers)—come to empty into the North Sea. Since the earliest seafaring days, products from the rest of Europe have come to this point on their way to the Atlantic Ocean for shipment to markets around the world.

The rivers also serve as natural boundaries that dissect the country into several different topographical regions. The land to the north of the rivers is relatively low; south of the rivers, elevations are somewhat higher, but no spot in the Netherlands would ever be considered mountainous. There is just one modest hilltop peak—only 1,093 feet high—among the rolling hills in the southeast province of Limburg. The central provinces of Gelderland and Utrecht are forested; otherwise most of the countryside is flat green fields. In addition to natural geographical divisions, the rivers also designate religious boundaries. Above the rivers, the population is predominantly Calvinist; below the rivers, most of the people are Catholic.

Norwegian Cuisine Most modern Norwegian households eat much as we do in the States, enjoying simple but easy to prepare traditional favorites; the occasional ethnic treat like tacos or Asian stir-fry; or even a fast-food meal like the phenomenally popular Grandiosa, Norway’s best-selling frozen pizza.

And in case you haven’t heard, since the early 2000s, the Scandinavian (and worldwide) restaurant scene has been utterly transformed by the rise of New Nordic cuisine, a cooking style that stresses sustainability, freshness, and extremely local and seasonal ingredients. In practice,

75 that means celebrating unique flavors that might previously have been overlooked. So yes, you might find carefully composed plates of grilled duck hearts on a bed of moss, but you’ll also find creative reinterpretations of traditional Nordic classics, like these:

With 63,000 miles of coastline, Norway is a seafood lover’s heaven. Start with Norwegian salmon, often served smoked (as in røkelaks), or cured with sugar and salt (gravlax) and served with a dollop of creamy dill sauce. As you travel north you won’t want to miss the legendary red king crab, pulled fresh from arctic waters. Sursild is herring that has been pickled, just one of the many methods used to preserve fish. Sometimes fish is dried and salted, as in klippfisk, a pressed cod that can be eaten on its own or added to dishes like plukkfisk, where it is folded into mashed potatoes.

Rakfisk is trout that is covered with spruce branches and fermented in barrels. The smell is pungent, but the taste is not. Even so, an icy glass of aquavit (a strong spirit flavored with caraway or dill) will help it go down. You might also want to have aquavit on hand for lutefisk, dried cod that’s preserved in lye, and then triple washed and steamed (all of the caustic lye is gone by the time you’re served it). If you’re from Minnesota or Wisconsin, you may have seen this at your state fair or in restaurants, so you already know it’s better with butter or sauce. In Norway, it is often paired with bacon, mashed peas, boiled potatoes and golden syrup.

If you like game, consider finnbiff, sautéed reindeer stew. Or stick to the national dish, fårikål, a boiled dinner of mutton or lamb, whole black pepper, cabbage, and potatoes. Pinnekjøtt is a Christmas Eve classic, a hearty meal of salted, air-dried sheep ribs. They are rehydrated by steaming them over birch sticks, and eaten with sweet mashed rutabaga. The classic Norwegian comfort food is kjøttkake (or kjøttballer), balls of minced beef seasoned with onions, nutmeg and ginger, then pan fried and simmered in gravy. (Yes, they are virtually the same as Swedish meatballs, but you won’t make Norwegian friends if you call them that.)

You will make friends if you’re willing to share your lefse, crepe-like flatbreads that are slathered with butter, sugar, and maybe cinnamon, then rolled up or folded for eating on the go. For a crispier sweet snack, try krumkake, a delicate, waffle-like cookie, shaped like an ice cream cone and filled with cream or fruit.

One of the most ubiquitous fruits is lingonberry, which tastes similar to cranberries and is used in compotes, juices, and preserves. As a jam, it’s a great accompaniment to brunost, a family of brown goat’s milk cheeses (like gjetost) that have the consistency (and a little of the sweetness) of fudge. Or just go straight to dessert heaven and order some fluffy trollkrem—a meringue of lingonberries whipped with sugar, vanilla, and egg whites.

Finnish Cuisine Finnish cuisine forgoes the fancy for simple, hearty, and comforting. The emphasis is on natural ingredients and fresh local produce, with fish and meat also playing a prominent role traditional Finnish dishes—including pork, beef, elk and reindeer. The country is also known for its fresh- picked mushrooms and berries, such as bilberries and lingonberries, used in cooking and baking. Here are some dishes to try:

76 • Ruisleopä: Part of the Finnish diet for thousands of years, ruisleipä is a dense and dark rye bread using sourdough and Finnish yeast that can be enjoyed at any time of day. Varieties of this healthy and hearty staple include reikäleipa, meaning “bread with a hole,” jälkiuunileipä, a harder bread baked at a low temperature, and several dry and flat versions (like the popular Finn Crisps).

• Karjalanpiirakka: Originally from the Karelia region of eastern Finland, this tasty pastry with a rye crust is traditionally filled with rice porridge and topped with egg butter. Karjalanpiirakka are favorites for breakfast or anytime as a snack.

• Kalakukko: This fish pie from the Finnish region of Savonia is traditionally prepared using rye flour and filled with a small herring-like fish combined with a little pork and bacon.

• Graavilohi: A true Finn favorite, graavilohi is a Nordic specialty made from raw salmon cured in salt, sugar, and dill. Thinly sliced, it’s often served as an appetizer with a dill sauce on bread or with boiled potatoes.

• Mustikkapiirakka: When you’re looking for something sweet and delicious in the summer months, go for the “blueberry pie”—although it’s actually made bilberries, the healthier Nordic cousin of blueberries.

• Salmiakki: You could also soothe your sweet tooth with some salmiakki, or salty licorice. This Finland favorite of black licorice with ammonium chloride added to give it a salty sourness, might be an acquired taste for some.

Danish Cuisine Twenty years ago one might’ve described Danish food as peasant cooking—hearty, stick-to- your-ribs Viking fare that would get you through a long day of farming, fishing, or raiding. Today, Denmark is the epicenter of the New Nordic cuisine, a movement begun by Danish chefs René Redzepi and Claus Meyer, who helmed Copenhagen’s Noma restaurant (considered the world’s best) and influenced chefs everywhere with their philosophy that celebrates sustainable, locavore, and seasonal ingredients—many of which are foraged and were previously forgotten. It has inspired many cooks to revisit and refine some of the classics of Danish cuisine, like these:

Perhaps the best-known Danish delights are smørrebrød—open-faced sandwiches built on a base of buttered rugbrød, a dense, dark rye bread. These are not random sandwiches, they are artfully composed, so the dish is colorful and the garnishes are complementary. Toppings might include syltede sild (pickled herring) with micro greens; shrimp and egg with dill; or roast beef with pickles, onions, and horseradish. A favorite is dyrlægens natmad, which translates as “veterinarian’s midnight snack” and includes corned beef, sky (Danish meat aspic), and leverpostej (liver pâté) topped with slivered red onions, sprouts, and parsley or dill.

The national dish is stegt flæsk, crispy pork belly chunks served with boiled potatoes and parsley sauce. So many Danes have a “burning love” for bacon, they named a dish after this affliction, brændende kærlighed, which is mashed potatoes topped with oven-roasted cubes of bacon, caramelized onions, and butter. Another pork favorite is brunkål, brown cabbage braised with sugar till it’s caramelized, then roasted with pork shanks, and served with pickled cucumber.

77 For a dish that looks as impressive as it tastes, there’s forloren hare, a Danish meatloaf made with ground pork, leeks, and egg. Bacon strips are woven around the loaf, which is then baked till it looks like an elegant brown basket. On the flip side there’s the humble røde pølser, which translates as “red sausage” and is a Danish hot dog. They are sold from pølsevogen (hot dog wagons) all over, and come with toppings like fried onions, pickles, and a variety of condiments.

Not all protein is pork. Try rødspættefilet, a filet of plaice (a mild white fish) that is breaded and fried. It can be eaten as an entrée, or as the stjerneskud (“shooting star”) of a smørrebrød topped with shrimp, lettuce and caviar from the Limfjord. Tarteletter are flaky pastry tartlets filled with chicken and asparagus in a creamy béchamel sauce. Roast duck or andesteg is a holiday favorite, stuffed with apples and prunes, then roasted until golden-brown and served with a sauce made with reserved duck fat, whiskey, and wine.

For something sweet to go with your coffee (bica), order a Danish but call it by its proper name, wienerbrød, which means “Vienna bread” and is a more accurate reflection of its provenance. Even though Danes did not invent them, they love these flaky, croissant-like glazed pastries filled with cream or fruit. They also love risalamande, a cold rice pudding topped with hot cherries, with an almond hidden in the custard. If you order frugtsalat, be your fruit salad may be turbo-charged with bits of chocolate and marzipan, and maybe topped with whipped cream.

Then there’s the cake that literally towers above them all, kransekake. It’s a cone of concentric almond cake rings bound together with a white icing glaze, and sometimes decorated with berries or nuts. They are served at festive occasions (especially New Year’s), and the center of the tower might hold candies, chocolates, and even champagne or wine bottles.

Swedish Cuisine Like other Scandinavian countries, cuisine in Sweden focuses on fresh ingredients and simple preparations—food without fuss. But that doesn’t mean it lacks personality as the spare approach lets the local fish and produce (like lingonberries) shine through. Some dishes to try are:

• Kanelbullar: Cinnamon buns with a sticky glaze. During holidays like Christmas, you may also see saffransbullar (saffron buns).

• Toast skagen: Shrimp, whitefish roe, Dijon mustard, mayo, and fresh dill on toasted bread served as an elegant appetizer or snack. Also popular as starter/snack is gubbroa, an open- faced egg salad sandwich with anchovies.

• Smorgasbord: Swedish buffet of meatballs, mini-sausages, salmon, pickled herring, and sides like knackebrod (crisp bread)

• Gul artsoppa: Yellow pea soup, a variant on split-pea soup

• Kottbullar: Swedish meatballs, cooked in a cream-based gravy

• Princess cake: If you watch Great British Bakeoff, you may remember the prinsesstarta challenge, where contestants had to bake this elaborate layer cake topped with a dome of whipped cream and a layer of green marzipan.

78 Dutch Cuisine Until the first half of the last century, the cuisine of the Netherlands had a reputation for being bland. Today, it is surprisingly diverse, thanks to a bounty of ingredients and influences. The modern Netherlands is one of Europe’s largest exporters of produce and dairy goods, both of which figure prominently (and freshly) in the national cuisine. Along with continental favorites, dishes from former Dutch colonies, particularly Indonesia, have entered the Dutch diet. And every town has its favorite place for Turkish and Middle Eastern kebabs, shawarma, and falafel.

Right off the bat, you’ll notice that Dutch city streets abound with food stalls, kiosks, trucks, and automat-style snack bars called raampje (where you select your food from a wall of tiny glass windows.) This is where you may first encounter stamppot, which is hot mashed potatoes mixed with veggies such as kale, carrots, leeks, turnips, or sauerkraut. There are even versions made with fruit such as apples (called hete bliksem or “hot lightning”). Sometimes stamppot is served with gravy and a side of smoked rookwurst sausage, or simply with gherkin pickles.

Around 5pm, do as the Dutch do and duck into a tavern for de borrel. This is time for socializing, sipping on beer or wine, and sharing bittergarnituur. This is an hors d’oeuvres platter that translates as “garnish for bitters” (traditionally, small glasses of Dutch jenever or gin.) It will likely include cubes of Gouda or Edam cheese, some frikandel sausage, salami, gherkins. The star attraction will be bitterballen—a crunchy fried ball of chopped beef, butter, herbs and spices, with mustard. Some bitterballen come with chorizo, goat cheese, mushrooms or truffles.

Pea soup, or snert, is the quintessential Dutch comfort food—a thick stew of split peas, bacon, celery, onions, carrots, potato, and slices of smoked rookworst sausage. What sets it apart from other pea soups are the spices—ginger, allspice and cloves. For dinner, try hachee, a hearty stew of beef and caramelized onions. Or hutspot met klapstuk (“hotpotch”), a mix of potatoes, onions, and winterpeen (a sweet, winter carrot), served with braised beef. It’s as close to a Dutch national dish as it gets, eaten every October 3 to honor the 1574 siege of Leiden.

For truly patriotic fare, nothing beats hollandse nieuw haring or “Holland new herring.” Every May or June, pop-up shops fly the red, white, and blue Dutch flag to say that Holland “new” herring are here. It’s the lead-up to Vlaggetjestdag (Flag Day) on June 15th. The traditional way to eat herring is to grab the tail, toss your head back, and pop the fish in your mouth. Or try broodje haring: cut-up herring and onions, tucked in a bun with a Dutch flag toothpick.

The Netherlands lost its Indonesian colony in 1945, but never lost its love of Indonesian food. So today, Indo-Dutch restaurants (“Indies”) are ubiquitous. Treat yourself to a native-style banquet called rijsttafel or “rice table.” Make sure you’re hungry, because most rijsttafels serve between 12 and 25 dishes. (The most elaborate can have 60.) In between many cones of rice, you might find satay skewers of chicken, beef, pork, goat or fish with peanut sauce; lumpia spring rolls; rendang (seared beef with chilies and coconut sauce); gado gado vegetable salad; Bali kecap (pork belly braised in sweet soy); or bebek betutu, Balinese roast duck in banana leaves.

79 The next morning, when you recover from your meal, there’s stroopwafel, two wafer-thin waffles sandwiched with caramel or syrup. They come in convenient discs to top your cup of coffee and keep it warm. Otherwise, try poffertjes: tiny, yeasty buckwheat pancakes dusted with sugar and smeared with butter. You can also get toppings like stroop (syrup), slagroom (whipped cream), or aardbein (berries). Hearty appetite—eet smakelijk!

Oslo in Brief

City Layout and Details Oslo occupies a magnificent site, surrounded by hills on three sides and a fabulous fjord on the fourth. In general, the city’s compact and straightforward design makes getting around on foot easy. The Aker River divides the city into east and west.

Karl Johans Gate is Oslo’s main street, running the length of the city’s downtown, from Central Station to the Royal Palace. Much of it is a car-free pedestrian thoroughfare, and many of the city’s most important buildings, stores, and hotels make Karl Johans Gate their address. A pedestrian park is created between Karl Johans Gate and Stortingsgate, an important parallel street running from Parliament to the Royal Palace.

A couple of blocks south, City Hall fronts Oslo’s active port, creating a triangle with Central Station and the Royal Palace. City Hall is across the street from the main Norway Information Center. Across the park from City Hall, ferries make regular runs to the Bygdoy Peninsula, site of several top museums. Frogner Park, with its famous Vigeland Sculpture Garden, lies about a mile northwest of the Royal Palace. The park and the palace sandwich an exclusive neighborhood of tree-lined streets and turn-of-the-century homes.

Local Transportation Public Transit: The Oslo public transit system is comprised of buses, trams, ferries, local and inter-city trains and an extensive metro system called the “T-bane”. A single ticket allows the transit user to make use of the full transit system within Oslo for a period of one hour.

IMPORTANT NOTE: You may not be asked to show your ticket on public transit. As a result, some travelers have been tempted to not buy a ticket at all. However, we strongly recommend that you purchase tickets, despite the fact you may not be asked to show them. Evading fares is illegal in Norway and Finland, and can result in an on-the-spot fine of up to 1000. If you are unable to pay the on-the-spot fine, you may be escorted to a police station until payment is received.

Bus and tram: Jernbanetorget is Oslo’s major bus and tram terminal stop. Most buses and trams passing through the heart of town stop at Wessels Plass, next to the Parliament, or at Stortorvet, the main marketplace. Many also stop at the National Theater or University Square on Karl Johans Gate, as well as stopping through Oslo’s suburbs.

80 The subway: The T-banen has four branch lines to the east. The Western Suburban route (including Holmenkollen) has four lines to the residential sections and recreation grounds west and north of the city. Subways and trains leave from near the National Theater on Karl Johans Gate.

Taxis: Hiring a taxi is very expensive in Oslo—we recommend taking public transportation instead. In addition to regular fares, there are lethal surcharges between 5pm and 4am.

All taxis have meters, and Norwegian cab drivers are generally honest. When a cab is available, its roof light goes on. Taxis can be hailed on the street, provided they’re more than 298 ft. from a taxi stand. The most difficult time to hail a taxi is Monday to Friday from 8:30 to 10am and 3 to 5pm, and Saturday from 8:30 to 10am.

Helsinki in Brief

City Layout and Details Established 450 years ago on the order of the Swedish King Vasa, Helsinki is a youngster of a city by European standards, and it’s still the smallest in the world to host the Olympic Games. But its ideal location on lovely peninsulas that jut into the Baltic Sea, its compact size and efficient design, and its stunning architectural variety combine to make a city that is easy to explore on leisurely walks and that holds wonders around every corner.

The bustling Market Square, located on South Harbor, is the charming site of wooden stands and colorful awnings that springs to life every morning. Only a few blocks away is the Helsinki Cathedral, a distinctive landmark with its tall, green dome surrounded by four smaller domes, done in the neoclassical style. It was designed by Carl Ludvig Engel as the climax of his Senate Square layout, and is surrounded by other buildings designed by him.

Another reason for Helsinki’s distinctive small-town ambience is the absence of high-rise buildings. No structure here stands more than 12 stories. Nestled near the harbor is the Esplanade, a broad expanse of trees and gardens in the middle of a boulevard that runs from Market Square west to the Swedish Theater. This is the beginning of Mannerheimintie, the city’s main thoroughfare. With small shops, large department stores, churches, and outdoor cafes, Mannerheimintie is a visitor’s delight. Alive with motion and color from the start of day, Helsinki is no less invigorating at night. The Esplanade was the 1999 winner of the Edison Award for excellence in lighting design, offering a stunning combination of architecture and illumination.

Equally vivid is the work of the internationally honored Finnish architect Alvar Aalto, whose genius sprouts in structures all over Helsinki, from the winged, white marble facade of Finlandia Hall to the cooper-clad curtains of the Academic Bookshop.

81 Local Transportation You can purchase a one-day “Transportation Card,” providing free travel on the city’s buses, trams, metro, and local trains. You will receive further information on specific routes and times of operation during your trip. You may want to take a ride on the tram, which passes some of the principal sights of the city. If you want to hire a taxi, you can signal one from the street. Taxis have an illuminated yellow sign taksi/taxi. When the sign is lit, the taxi is vacant.

Copenhagen in Brief

City Layout and Details Old Copenhagen is defined as a rough square by Nørreport Station to the north, Rådhuspladsen (Town Hall Square) to the west, and Kongens Nytorv to the east.

Strøget is Europe’s the longest continuous pedestrians-only route. It runs east from Town Hall Square to Kongens Nytorv, and is composed of five interconnected streets: Frederiksberggade, Nygade, Vimmelskaftet, Amagertorv, and Østergade and roughly bisects Old Copenhagen. Strøget is a stoller’s and shopper’s heaven: lined with shops, bars, restaurants, and, in season, with sidewalk cafes it a favorite of visitors and locals alike. On the Eastern end, Pistolstræde is a maze of galleries, restaurants, and boutiques, housed in restored 18th-century buildings.

Fiolstræde (Violet St.), closer to the western end of Stroget, offers antiques shops and bookshops and cuts through the university (Latin Quarter). At the end of Fiolstræde you can turn onto Rosengaarden where you’ll find Kultorvet (Coal Square). Here you’ll find join the third main pedestrian street, Købmagergade (Butcher St.) which runs gently south until it meets up with Strøget at the Amagertorv section.

At the eastern end of Strøget you approach Kongens Nytorv (King’s Square), where you’ll find the Royal Theater and Magasin, the largest department store in Copenhagen. Across the square you come to the beginning of Nyhavn, the former seamen’s quarter that now features upscale restaurants, apartments, cafes, and boutiques.

Denmark’s government is centered on the small island of Slotsholmen, which is connected to the center by eight different bridges. The island also features several museums, most notably Christiansborg Castle.

Entertainment Free time? Try strolling the Strøget, a three quarter mile stretch of shops between Rådhuspladsen and Kongens Nytorv . If you get peckish or thirsty midway, you can hop over a street to the Vestergade, lined with historic buildings, restaurants, stores and bars for a little more variety. Nynhavn (New Harbor) is the place to be on a good day – outdoor cafes abound, and classic buildings overlook the classic ships that line the harbor front.

In summer, a visit to Tivoli Gardens is a must. Tivoli’s twenty-one acres encompasses impressive structures (the Chinese Tower, the Glass Hall Theater, and the Pantomime Theater among them), flower beds, fountains and lovely landscaping. The park features 5 roller coasters, including

82 one of the world’s oldest wooden coasters, as well as other rides. Locals and visitors alike find the ambience and experience a repeatable pleasure. If you’re not interested in the rides or the performances you can simply stroll, take in the view and people watch. (There is an entrance fee, but many of the events inside are included).

You’ll find the nightlife in several neighborhoods, including Strøget and nearby areas; in Vesterbro, with its main street on Vesterbrogade just across from Tivioli Gardens; and on Istegade — home to some of the today’s trendier bars and cafés. The area just off Kongens Nytorv on Gothersgade is another busy nightlife spot.

The famed jazz venues of Copenhagen are largely closed. Nightspots now cater to a wider range of music — from ballroom music to house, rap, and techno. Restaurants, cafés, bars, and clubs stay open after midnight, a few until 5 am.

Local Transportation Copenhagen is sufficiently compact and inviting that most of your travel in the city should be as a result of a leisurely stroll. Many of the major sightseeing attractions are close to one another.

By Bus: Copenhagen’s buses are an inexpensive way to get around a little further out, if necessary. Most buses leave from Rådhuspladsen. A basic ticket buys an hour of travel and unlimited transfers within the zone where you started your trip. For information, call tel. 36-13-14-15.

Metro: Copenhagen’s Metro is almost 20 years old, and it connects the east to west of the city with the center. It operates 24 hours a day, and Metro fares are integrated into Copenhagen’s zonal system. A joint zone fare system works with Copenhagen Transport buses, State Railway, and the Metro. You have the option to purchase a grundbillet (base ticket), 10 tickets, or a 24-hour bus and train ticket which allows you to travel through nearly half of Zealand.

Discount Passes: The Copenhagen Card entitles you to free and unlimited travel by bus and rail throughout the metropolitan area (including North Zealand) and free admission to many sights and museums. The card is available for one day or three days.

Taxis: Watch for the FRI (free) sign or a green light when hailing a taxi. Be sure the taxis are metered. Tips are included in the meter price and many drivers speak English.

Bicycle: In good weather cycling around the city is a great option. Getting through central Copenhagen can take around 30 minutes on a bike—and may be faster than the metro – and bikes are popular with the residents. Cycle paths are plentiful and quite safe.

83 Stockholm in Brief

City Layout and Details Stockholm is built on 14 islands in Lake Malaren, which marks the beginning of an archipelago of 24,000 islands, skerries, and islets stretching all the way to the Baltic Sea. Stockholm’s major streets—Kungsgatan (the main shopping street), Birger Jarlsgatan, and Strandvagen (which leads to Djurgarden)—are on Norrmalm (north of the Old Town). Stureplan, which lies at the junction of the major avenues Kungsgatan and Birger Jarlsgatan, is the commercial hub of the city.

East of Stureplan rises Hotorget City, a landmark of modern urban planning, which includes five 18-story skyscrapers. Its main, traffic-free artery is Drottninggatan, a three-block shopper’s promenade that eventually leads to Sergels Torg, with a modern sculpture in its center.

South of Sergels Torg, at Gustav Adolfs Torg, sits the Royal Opera House. A block east of the flaming torches of the opera house is the verdant north-to-south stretch of Kungstradgarden— part avenue, part public park—which serves as a popular gathering place for students and a resting stop for shoppers. From here it is a short walk to the Royal Dramatic Theater and the Royal Opera House, as well as two other city landmarks: the Grand Hotel and the National Museum.

Kungsholmen (King’s Island) lies across a narrow canal from the rest of the city, and is the site of the elegant Stadshuset (City Hall). South of Gamla Stan (Old Town), and separated from it by a narrow but much-navigated stretch of water, is Sodermalm, the southern district of Stockholm. Quieter than its northern counterpart, it’s an important residential area with a distinctive flavor of its own. To the east of Gamla Stan, on a large and forested island completely surrounded by the complicated waterways of Stockholm, is Djurgarden, part of Sweden’s first city national park. This summer pleasure ground of Stockholm is also the site of many of its most popular attractions, including the Vasa Ship museum.

Dining, Evening Entertainment The city’s favorite spot for both indoor and outdoor evening events is Djurgården. Don’t miss the nightclubs and jazz venues, some of which stay open until 3 or 4 in the morning, and which keep the city hopping.

All the major opera, theater, and concert seasons begin in the fall, except for special summer festival performances. Most of the major opera and theatrical performances are funded by the state, so ticket prices are reasonable.

Stockholm’s restaurant scene began revitalizing some 15 years ago and continues to innovate. What was once a dour landscape of overpriced, uninspiring eateries is now a hotbed of culinary creativity: Stockholm’s best chefs have stayed way ahead of the game. Increasingly, their talents are rubbing off on mid-price restaurants – and many of those mid-range restaurants now represent the best dining value in town. Recent trends have seen some of the city’s better restaurants pick up on this and offer more set-priced tasting menus and increasing numbers of wine by the glass—making otherwise expensive restaurants relatively affordable. In terms of food, New Swedish is still tops, and chefs look to fine, seasonal, traditional ingredients, prepared

84 with a modern twist. Many less-expensive restaurants offer traditional Swedish cooking. Among Swedish dishes, the best bets are wild game and fish, particularly salmon, and the smorgasbord buffet, which usually offers a good variety at a decent price. Reservations are generally necessary.

Local Transportation All tunnelbana (T or T-bana), metro, and local trains, and buses in the city are run by Storstockholms Lokaltrafik (SL; www.sl.se). A Stockholm Card (available for varied time periods) covers travel on all SL trains and buses. SL Tourist Cards are primarily for transport, but also give free entry to some attractions. Or, purchase individual coupons: the minimum fare is two coupons, and each additional zone costs another coupon (up to five coupons for four or five zones).

Tunnelbanna (T-Bana) Metro: The tunnelbana is the most efficient way around Stockholm. Lines converge on T-Centralen, and are connected by an underground walkway to Centralstationen. There are three main lines, numerous branches and more than 100 stations, making the major sites easy to get to. The blue line features a collection of modern art decorating the underground stations. Stations at other lines are also decorated.

Bus: The bus system contains a number of lines that make stops throughout the city, often servicing areas like the Djurgården neighborhood, which is out of the T-bana’s reach. Some night buses run from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. and are a good alternative to taxis. Bus timetables and route maps are complicated but the system offers useful connections to suburban attractions.

Taxi: Readily available, but very expensive (rides from the airport usually start at around $45; in town a 15-20 minute ride will be about $25-$30). Drivers are required to publish prices, and prices are not regulated. Make sure you know the fare before you get into the taxi.

Bicycle: In good weather cycling around the city is a great option. Getting through central Stockholm’ can take around 30 minutes on a bike—and may be faster than the metro. Cycle paths are plentiful and quite safe.

Shopping: What to Buy, Customs, Shipping & More There may be scheduled visits to local shops during your adventure. There is no requirement to make a purchase during these stops, and any purchase made is a direct transaction with the shop in question, subject to the vendor’s terms of purchase. O.A.T. is not responsible for purchases you make on your trip or for the shipment of your purchases.

Returns If you discover an issue with an item, you should contact the vendor directly and expect that any resolution will take longer than it would in the U.S. We recommend that you keep a copy of all your receipts, invoices, or contracts, along with the shop’s contact information. Keep in mind, local practice may vary from U.S. standards, so don’t assume that you have a certain number of days after the purchase to speak up or that you are guaranteed a refund.

85 Crafts & Souvenirs

Norway Popular items include trolls, jewelry, woolen items, glass, wood and leather goods, local brews, furniture, carpets, and other decor.

Finland Handicrafts, jewelry, hand-woven ryijy rugs, furniture, glassware, ceramics, furs, and textiles are some of the world-renowned specialties.

Denmark A showcase for world-famous Danish design and craftsmanship, Copenhagen seems to have been designed with shoppers in mind. The best buys are such luxury items as crystal, porcelain, silver, and furs. Look for offers and sales (tilbud or udsalg in Danish) and check antiques and secondhand shops for classics at cut-rate prices.

VAT: Although prices are inflated by a hefty 25% Value-Added Tax (Danes call it MOMS), non-European Union citizens can receive about an 18% refund. For more details and a list of all tax-free shops, ask at the tourist office for a copy of the Tax-Free Shopping Guide.

Sweden Swedish artisans create wonderful handmade glass and crystal (including Orrefors), which will make collectors proud. Swedish designer jewelry is also popular. Other traditional arts and crafts of the region include hand painted wooden Dalecarlian (Dala) horses, Viking and troll figures. If you have a sweet tooth, try Marabou chocolate, or try Glogg – an alcoholic drink served hot.

Netherlands There is an abundance of art/prints and antiques available in the Netherlands, in addition to bargains on clothing and textiles. Keep an eye out for traditional items like stroopwafel (a cookie consisting of two thin wafers filled with caramel syrup), Delftware (famous blue and white pottery), Dutch cheese, wooden clogs, and salted licorice.

U.S. Customs Regulations & Shipping Charges For all things related to U.S. Customs, the ultimate authority is the U.S. Bureau of Customs & Border Protection. Their website, www.cbp.gov has the answers to the most frequently asked questions. Or you can call them at 1-877-227-5511.

The top three points to know are:

• At time of writing, your personal duty-free allowance is $800 for items brought with you. Items totaling more than $800 are subject to duty fees.

86 • Items shipped home are always subject to duty when received in the U.S. Even when the shop has offered to include shipping and duties in the price, this typically means shipping to the nearest customs facility and payment of the export duties—not door-to-door shipping or payment of the import duties. All additional duties or shipping charges would be your responsibility. Unless an item is small enough to send by parcel service (like FedEx), chances are you will need to arrange shipping or pick-up once the item is in the U.S. and will need to pay customs duties.

• It is illegal to import products made from endangered animal species. U.S. Customs & Border Protection will seize these items, as well as most furs, coral, tortoise shell, reptile skins, feathers, plants, and items made from animal skins.

87 DEMOGRAPHICS & HISTORY

Norway

Facts, Figures & National Holidays • Area: 125,049 square miles

• Capital: Oslo

• Geography: Nearly 70% of Norway is uninhabitable and covered by mountains, glaciers, moors, and rivers. It has a 1,700-mile coastline on the North Atlantic, raggedly indented with inlets, fjords, peninsulas, and islands. Because the coast is so well sheltered, and most of the country’s land area is so rocky and mountainous, Norwegians have taken to the sea since prehistoric times.

• Languages: Two official forms of Norwegian: Bokmal and Nynorsk

• Location: The Kingdom of Norway stretches along the western edge of the Scandinavian Peninsula, bordering Sweden, Finland, and Russia to the east. It extends about 1,100 miles from the North Sea to more than 300 miles above the Arctic Circle. That makes it the farthest north of any European country.

• Population: 5,320,045 (estimate)

• Religion: Church of Norway (Lutheran) 71.5%, other Christian 3.9%, Muslim 2.8%, Roman Catholic 2.8%, other 2.4%, unspecified 7.5%

• Time zone: Norway is 1 hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time, 6 hours ahead of Eastern Time. Daylight Saving Time is in effect in Norway from the end of March until the end of September.

National Holidays: Norway

In addition to the holidays listed below, 01/01 New Year’s Day Norway celebrates a number of national 05/01 May Day holidays that follow a lunar calendar, such as Easter and Ascension Day. To find out if you 05/17 Constitution Day will be traveling during these holidays, please visit www.timeanddate.com/holidays. 12/25 Christmas Day

12/26 Boxing Day

Norway: A Brief History In spite of its extreme geography and climate, Norway has been inhabited for about 10,000 years, starting when the last great ice sheets retreated. Migrations of the Nøstvet-Økser people of central Europe began arriving along the southern Norwegian coast, and by 5,000 BC, agricultural settlements appeared around the Oslofjord, and spread across southern Norway, then migrating

88 north. The real story of Norway begins with the Vikings, dauntless seafarers who emerged from southern Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. Sailing their advanced longboats, they developed new trade routes from Newfoundland to Russia to Baghdad and beyond. The Viking Age was short, spanning about 300 years starting in 793.

Throughout history, the Vikings have been romanticized and vilified. Today, archeologists have constructed a more balanced picture. The Vikings certainly terrorized, murdered, and enslaved many people they overran; but they also often assimilated with them, rarely destroyed the native cultures, expanded the flow of goods and ideas, and left progressive legal codes. It can be argued that they were no more ruthless than their contemporaries, just more successful. Their legacy includes the first unification of Norway in 872; and the adoption of Christianity.

After 1066, a declining Norway became increasingly beholden to Sweden, Denmark, and the merchant cities of the Hanseatic League. In 1349, the Black Death killed more than 50% of the population. Norway entered a union with Denmark and for the next 200 years, most of its commerce was taken over by the Hanseatic League. Various disputes between the Danish Union and Sweden dragged Norway into the Seven Years War (1563–70), followed by the Kalmar War (1611–14). Up until 1720, Norway lost a good portion of its territory to Sweden.

Nationalist sentiments began growing in Norway during the waning years of the Napoleonic Wars, when the kingdom of Denmark-Norway and Sweden were once again on opposing sides. By the end of 1814, Norway was a constitutional monarchy in a union with Sweden. But while Norway had adopted its own constitution and chosen its own king, it would only achieve full independence after severing ties with Sweden as a result of a popular referendum in 1905.

Norway remained neutral during World War I, and its economy and confidence grew with the development of industry, hydroelectric power, and exports; and the enfranchisement of women. But when Norway stated its neutrality during World War II, Germany invaded anyway and occupied Norway from 1940 until the end of the war. The Norwegian Resistance was strong, and the Germans took revenge up until the end, retreating with a scorched earth policy that obliterated farms, forests, and entire towns. Norway joined NATO 1949 and became a founder member of the United Nations. Still, it remained one of Europe’s poorest nations.

This changed when crude oil was discovered here in 1969. The standard of living and per capita wealth rose dramatically, and the windfalls (coupled with high taxes) enabled the government to develop one of the world’s most comprehensive social welfare systems. Citizens enjoy free medical care; free higher education; generous family leave; childcare and eldercare supports; generous pensions; and more. Norway is arguably Europe’s most egalitarian social democracy.

Norway has a strong presence on the international stage; has participated in peacekeeping missions; and plays a leading role in refugee assistance. But Norway has remained wary of joining the European Union. Erna Solberg became the nation’s first female Prime Minister in 2013, and was re-elected in 2017. She heads a center-right coalition government and has shown a commitment to global solutions for development, and conflict resolution.

89 Finland

Facts, Figures & National Holidays • Area: 130,558 square miles

• Capital: Helsinki

• Geography: Finland is heavily forested and contains thousands of lakes, numerous rivers, and extensive areas of marshland. Except for a small highland region in the extreme northwest, the country is a lowland less than 600 feet above sea level.

• Languages: Finnish, Swedish

• Location: Finland is bordered to the north and west by Norway and Sweden, and to the east by Russia.

• Population: 5,518,371 (estimate)

• Religion: Lutheran 72%, Orthodox 1.1%, other 1.6%, unspecified 25.3%

• Time zones: Finland is two hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time, seven hours ahead of EST.

National Holidays: Finland

In addition to the holidays listed below, 01/06 Epiphany Finland celebrates a number of national 05/01 May Day holidays that follow a lunar calendar, such as Easter and Midsummer. To find out if you 12/06 Independence Day will be traveling during these holidays, please visit www.timeanddate.com/holidays. 12/25 Christmas Day

01/01 New Year’s Day 12/26 St. Stephen’s Day

Finland: A Brief History While sharing many cultural traits with its Scandinavian neighbors, Finland’s linguistic and historic roots differ than those of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway—which share a common root language and Viking heritage. Finland’s early history began with settlements of nomadic Sami people, Tavastians, and others during the first millennium B.C. With Vikings choosing not to establish settlements here, Finland developed into an important center of trade during the Viking Age. But Finland’s powerful neighbors, Sweden and Russia, would battle for centuries over regional dominance. While Finland was able to preserve its language, culture, and traditions, Sweden would end up ruling it from the twelfth to the nineteenth centuries. And after that, Russia ruled Finland from 1809 to 1917.

After the 1917 Russian Revolution, Finland declared its independence. But the new state was immediately drawn into a civil war between the social classes—with Bolshevik-leaning “Reds” (factory and farm workers) supported by the new Soviet Union on one side, and the “Whites”

90 (property owners), supported by Imperial Germany, on the other. The Whites emerged victorious and installed a puppet king. After the defeat of Germany in World War I, Germany’s influence disappeared and Finland became a republic, electing its first president in 1919. Relations remained tense between Finland and Soviet Union.

Finland’s role during World War II made perfect sense to the Finns, but it can make everyone else’s head spin. At the war’s outbreak, the Soviet Union attacked Finland, expecting a quick victory. Instead, the Finns fought way above their weight while holding the Soviet army back and humiliating Stalin. The Finns were eventually worn down and ended up ceding some border lands to Stalin, but they preserved their independence and gained the admiration of the world, who viewed it as a tiny democratic nation almost defeating an aggressive bully nation. Known as the “Winter War” of 1939/40, the Finns would then find themselves the “Continuation War,” which began when Germany invaded the USSR in June 1941. Looking at it more as choosing between the lesser of two evils, the Finns allied themselves with Germany—primarily to gain back the territory they had just lost. But the Red Army was much stronger now, and after Germany’s surrender at Stalingrad, Finland entered secret negotiations with Moscow to leave the war. A treaty between Finland and the Soviet Union in 1944 left Finland independent but included a demand that they immediately expel the 200,000 German troops in Finnish Lapland—which led to the “Lapland War,” Finland’s third stage of the war.

While Finland did ally with Hitler, they weren’t looked on as collaborators and refused demands to turn over Finnish Jews. Some say that Finland may have lost World War II, but they won the peace. Other countries bordering the Soviet Union weren’t so lucky, but Finland managed to maintain its autonomy, a democratic government, and market economy. It continued to walk a fine line between the two camps of the Cold War—refusing an American offer to participate in the Marshall plan, developing a trade relationship with the Soviet Union, yet all the while working toward becoming a member of the European Union.

As its war-ravaged agrarian economy transformed into technologically advanced market economy, Finland grew increasingly prosperous and stable. Membership in the EU became a reality in 1995. While the political systems in the Scandinavian neighbors of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden are constitutional monarchies, Finland is a republic with a president and parliament system—and on international surveys about nations with the lowest level of political corruption, Finland is often right at the top.

Denmark

Facts, Figures & National Holidays • Area: 16,640 square miles

• Capital: Copenhagen

• Government: Constitutional monarchy

91 • Geography: Denmark is the smallest of the Scandinavian countries (it’s about half the size of Maine). The country occupies the Jutland peninsula, a lowland area, where the highest elevation is only 565 feet above sea level. But that doesn’t mean that the country is entirely flat. Most of its terrain consists of folds, undulations, small, often steep hills, and long, low rises. There are also forests, rivers, lakes, and beaches, many of which are excellent for swimming, though the water may be too cold for some people.

• Languages: Danish, Faeroese, Greenlandic (an Inuit dialect), and a small German- speaking minority

• Location: Denmark consists of the peninsula of Jutland and a group of islands at the entrance to the Baltic Sea, between Sweden and Germany. The two largest islands are Sjaelland, site of Copenhagen, and Fyn. Denmark also has two self-governing dependencies—Greenland and the Faeroe Islands.

• Population: 5,605,948 (estimate)

• Religion: Evangelical Lutheran 76%, Muslim 4%, other 16%

• Time zone: Denmark is one hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time, six hours ahead of Eastern Time. Daylight Saving Time is in effect in Denmark from the end of March until the end of September.

National Holidays: Denmark

In addition to the holidays listed below, 05/01 May Day/Labor Day Denmark celebrates a number of national 05/05 Liberation Day holidays that follow a lunar calendar, such as Easter and Ascension Day. To find out if you 06/05 Constitution Day will be traveling during these holidays, please visit www.timeanddate.com/holidays. 12/25 Christmas Day

01/01 New Year’s Day 12/26 2nd Christmas Day

Denmark: A Brief History About 10,000 years ago, the glacial ice sheets that covered northern Europe began to retreat, attracting huge herds of reindeer. These in turn attracted hunter-gatherers who arrived from southern and eastern Europe. As the climate further warmed, the reindeer migrated north, but the early Danes remained in this fertile land, establishing farming communities by 3000 BC.

By 1800 BC, these proto-Danes were trading weapons, jewelry, amber and furs with people as far away as Rome. They buried their dead in peat bogs and many of those bodies have been remarkably preserved. The first people identified as Danes came from Sweden around 500 AD. They had a written system of communication based on runes. (The symbol we now use for bluetooth devices is based on the runic signature of Harald Bluetooth, or Harald I, the Danish Viking who became king around 900 AD.)

92 The Viking Age began in 793 AD with the raid on Lindisfarne, an English island monastery. Sporadic raids had likely occurred before this, by Vikings from Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. They were not unified and the Danish Vikings primarily raided northeastern England, which at the time was a collection of warring Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. Danish Vikings had established a large settlement in Kent by 850 AD, and as more Danish colonists arrived, all of northeastern England fell under their control. The exception was Wessex, which reached an agreement with the Danes granting Wessex sovereignty, while the rest of the region was ruled as the Danelaw.

The Danish King Harald Bluetooth converted to Christianity in 965 AD, possibly to appease the Franks at Denmark’s door. Harald forcibly established the new religion, and elevated the status of the Christian clergy. But Christianity did not bring peace. The Danes continued to fight to maintain and expand their territory, conquering parts of Germany and Estonia. After the Viking Age ended in 1066, Denmark’s power declined. In 1397, the Union of Kalmar united Denmark, Sweden, and Norway under a single monarch, with Denmark as the dominant power.

Beginning in the 16th century, Denmark and Sweden began a lengthy rivalry. In 1658, Sweden took the Danish regions of Skåne, Halland and Blekinge, which are still Sweden’s southernmost provinces. In the ensuing century, Denmark suffered more defeats: in 1814, it had to cede Norway to Sweden. But there were important domestic gains. . . . As 19th-century Europe was swept by nationalist fervor and revolution, Denmark had already abolished serfdom and established universal public education. By the 1830s, social and agricultural reforms had boosted the economy; there was a peasant landowner class; and a free press. In 1849, a new constitution created a legislative democracy, ending the monarchy’s previous absolute power.

Denmark remained neutral during World War I, and tried to do the same during World War II. It signed a non-aggression pact with the Third Reich. But Germany invaded in 1940, threatening to bomb Copenhagen. With only a small military, the Danish government yielded. The Nazis at first allowed the Danes some autonomy. But when it began pressuring officials to comply with anti- Semitic policies, the Danish government resigned in protest. The Nazis took over in earnest, and the resistance movement grew. Tipped off by a Nazi diplomat that Germany was about to deport Denmark’s Jews to concentration camps, the Resistance and many citizens managed to evacuate 7,220 of Denmark’s 7,800 Jews to safety in Sweden.

After Germany’s defeat, Denmark joined the United Nations in 1945, and became a founding member of NATO in 1949. The latter half of the 20th century saw Denmark’s emergence as a prosperous, stable social democracy with one of the world’s highest standards of living. In 2000, Denmark voted by referendum not to adopt the euro. It is one of only 5 countries in the world that meets the UN goal for wealthy nations to provide 0.7% of its gross national income for international development assistance. In addition, Denmark has established Danida, Danish Development Assistance, to fight poverty and improve education in developing countries. The current Prime Minister, Mette Fredericksen, is the second woman and youngest person (at 44) to hold that office. She is the leader of the center-left Socialist Democratic Party.

93 Sweden

Facts, Figures & National Holidays • Area: 173,860 square miles

• Capital: Stockholm.

• Government: Constitutional monarchy

• Geography: The countryside of Sweden slopes eastward and southward from the Kjolen Mountains along the Norwegian border, where the peak elevation is Kebnekaise at 6,965 feet in Lapland. In the north are mountains and many lakes. To the south and east are central lowlands and south of them are fertile areas of forest, valley, and plain. Along Sweden’s rocky coast, chopped up by bays and inlets, are many islands, the largest of which are Gotland and Oland.

• Languages: Swedish

• Location: Sweden is situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula, between Norway and Finland. The north of Sweden falls within the Arctic Circle.

• Population: 9,960,487 (estimate)

• Religion: Lutheran 63%, other (includes Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Baptist, Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, and none) 17%

• Time zones: Sweden is one hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time, six hours ahead of Eastern Time.

National Holidays: Sweden

In addition to the holidays listed below, 01/06 Epiphany Sweden celebrates a number of national 05/01 May Day holidays that follow a lunar calendar, such as Easter and Ascension Day. To find out if you 06/06 National Day will be traveling during these holidays, please visit www.timeanddate.com/holidays. 12/24 Christmas Eve

01/01 New Year’s Day 12/25 Christmas Day

12/26 Boxing Day

Sweden: A Brief History Sweden’s history began at the end of the last Ice Age, when tribes from central Europe began settling in Sweden’s southern regions and the ancestors of the Sami people coming from Siberia, settled in the north. By the 7th century AD, the Svea people would gain supremacy in the region

94 and their kingdom gave the country its name of Sweden. Like in Norway and Denmark, Sweden flourished and expanded through trade and colonization during the 300 years of the Viking Age, ending by the middle of the 11th century, a period that also saw Sweden converting to Christianity.

In the 13th century, the Swedes conquered Finland, but Russia would continue battle Sweden for control of Finland. By 1323 Finland was firmly in Swedish hands and would remain a province of Sweden until 1809. In 1397, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway were united under a single monarch by the Union of Kalmar. But with Denmark emerging as the dominant power, there was constant infighting between Sweden and Denmark, which came to a head in 1520 when Denmark invaded Sweden. Sweden would then leave union that brought the three nations together resulting in the beginning of the Vasa Dynasty and the creation of the first true Swedish nation-state.

Remaining neutral during both World War I and II, Sweden would not have to rebuild from the ground up as many other European nations did. The ruling Social Democrats began implementing welfare protection measures, the economy grew steadily, and Swedes achieved a high standard of living. In the 1970s, Sweden’s economy went into a decline, however, and wouldn’t stabilize again until the late 1990s. Sweden joined the EU in 1995 and has seen steady improvements to its economy in recent years.

Netherlands

Facts, Figures & National Holidays • Area: 16,034 square miles

• Capital: Amsterdam

• Language: Dutch is the official language. A large percentage of the Dutch are also fluent in English and German.

• Location: Situated on the coast of the North Sea, the Netherlands borders Germany to the east and Belgium to the south.

• Population: 16,947,904 (estimate)

• Religions: Roman Catholic 28%, Protestant 19%, other 11% (includes about 5% Muslim and lesser numbers of Hindu, Buddhist, Jehovah’s Witness, and Orthodox), none 42%

• Time zone: The Netherlands is on Central European Time, which is six hours ahead of U.S. EST: when it’s 6 am in Washington D.C., it is noon in Amsterdam.

95 National Holidays: Netherlands

In addition to the holidays listed below, the 01/01 New Year’s Day Netherlands celebrates a number of national 04/27 King’s Birthday holidays that follow a lunar calendar, such as Easter and Ascension Day. To find out if you 05/05 Liberation Day will be traveling during these holidays, please visit www.timeanddate.com/holidays. 12/25 Christmas Day

12/26 Second Day of Christmas

The Netherlands: A Brief History Peaceful, tolerant, and prosperous, the Netherlands enjoys an enviable level of comfort and influence. But as its history proves, its success was hard won.

Germanic and Celtic tribes lived here by 750 BC, protected from invasion by the area’s extensive wetlands. This changed in 57 BC, when Julius Caesar conquered the south, and established a military post in Nijmegen. Under the Romans, there was relative stability for 400 years. Franks came in the 5th century, bringing Christianity with them. By 800, the Emperor Charlemagne had a palace in Nijmegen. After his death, the Low Countries were split amongst various nobles.

With increasing attacks by Viking raiders, local rulers fortified their towns. These feudal lords also enlisted their subjects to fight against rival lords, and in return they granted certain rights that were set down in charters. By the 12th century, many Dutch trade towns were enjoying limited self-government as communes. Many joined the Hanseatic League, and a strong merchant class grew. But their prosperity was threatened by constant wars.

In the 14th century, the dukes of Burgundy rose to power, and generally dismissed the local charters. There were frequent rebellions but eventually, the communes grudgingly accepted the unity provided by the Burgundians. Shipbuilding thrived, and there was a brisk trade. The Dukes were patrons of the arts, and this ushered in the cultural flowering of the Northern Renaissance. In 1425, Jan van Eyck became the court painter of Duke Philip the Good. Italian financiers settled in the area, strengthening trade and cultural links with Italy, and commissioning artworks.

When the Hapsburgs inherited the Burgundian territories in 1482, their ruler, Charles V (born in Ghent), cherished the Low Countries and business went on as usual—until he abdicated in 1555 and gave the region to his son, Philip of Spain. The Reformation had taken hold in the Netherlands and Philip, a staunch Catholic, began a brutal Inquisition. Religious violence erupted, and Philip sent the Duke of Alba to slaughter thousands. This caused great resentment against Spanish rule, and a sense of Dutch nationalism arose, even among some Catholics.

What followed was an Eighty Years War for independence. But a hero emerged in Prince William of Orange, who went into exile; hired pirates to attack Spanish ships; and led a revolt. The first Dutch victory occurred when rebels drove the Spanish from Leiden in 1574 after a year-long siege. William’s victorious forces distributed bread and herring to the starving residents—an event still celebrated today. In 1581, the Union of Utrecht proclaimed the “United Provinces” independent from Spain. In 1648, Spain finally recognized Dutch sovereignty.

96 Despite the wartime destruction, Amsterdam experienced tremendous growth, fueled by waves of immigrants. Trade expanded; intellectuals flocked to the city; and Dutch explorers charted new courses and established colonies around the world. In 1602, the Dutch East India Company became the world’s first global corporation. By the mid-17th century, the republic was the biggest maritime power of Europe, and arguably the wealthiest and most scientifically advanced. Calvinism was the official religion, but other Protestants, Jews, and Catholics were allowed to worship. In a society dependent on trade, freedom and tolerance were essential.

The Golden Age began to tarnish as conflicts arose with Britain and France, and the United Provinces erupted into civil war in 1785. Enter Napoleon, who established the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1806. It passed in 1815 to Willem I (of Orange-Nassau), whose dynasty continues today. As nationalism swept 19th-century Europe, the Netherlands made constitutional reforms, beginning the liberal, modern state, and sustaining a slow but constant economic growth.

During World War I, the Netherlands remained neutral. They tried to do this again during World War II, but the Nazis leveled Rotterdam in 1940 and within days, the rest of the country fell. Queen Wilhelmina fled to England, and broadcast inspiring messages via the BCC and Radio Orange. But Dutch resistance was slow to rise in the face of a harsh occupation, the mass deportation of Dutch Jews, and pervasive collaboration. Towards the end of the war, resistance gained momentum as the Nazis forced thousands of Dutch men to work in German factories. As the Allies advanced, Dutch defiance grew. The “Hunger Winter” of 1944-45 was especially brutal, as the Nazis deliberately cut off food supplies, causing mass starvation. Many Dutch people had to eat tulip bulbs to survive. Canadian troops liberated the country in May, 1945.

The postwar years were times of material hardship and moral reckoning. As reconstruction got underway, 66,000 Dutch collaborators were tried in war trials. Many more never saw justice. To provide basic necessities, Prime Minister Willem Drees extended the welfare state. When the North Sea flooded in 1953, massive public works programs enabled the reclamation of 6,800 square miles of land, while providing jobs.

In the ‘60s, Dutch baby boomers came of age, demanding change. Social welfare programs reduced people’s reliance on the “pillarization” that once kept them beholden to sectarian groups. New ideas about equality, the environment, religion, sex, and drugs gained credence. Ever pragmatic, Dutch authorities adopted a policy of tolerance for things that couldn’t be enforced without causing more harm. Called gedoogbeleid, it persists to this day, but not without challenges.

Many immigrants arrived over the ensuing decades, often from Muslim countries, for family reunification, political asylum, and economic opportunity. After the assassination of two anti- immigrant/anti-Islamic Dutch figures—politician Pym Fortuyn in 2002, and filmmaker Theo van Gogh in 2004—far-right populists have preyed on the anxieties of their countrymen to challenge multiculturalism. The elections of 2010 saw a shift when the coalition government included the far-right Freedom Party of Geert Wilders, who decries the “Islamicization” of the Netherlands and advocates against the EU. Mark Rutte, who has been Prime Minister since 2010, leads the centrist People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy, or VVD. In the 2021 elections, it is projected to win twice as many seats as its nearest rival, Wilders’ Freedom Party.

97 RESOURCES

Suggested Reading

Scandinavia A History of Scandinavia by T. K. Derry (2000, History) Provides a nice overview of the history of Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Iceland.

A History of the Vikings by Gwyn Jones (History) Before their defeat at Hastings in 1066, the Vikings’ sphere of influence extended from Constantinople to America. Gwyn Jones brings their civilization alive in this portrait of the Viking adventures, based on surviving documents and archaeological finds. Considered the classic for non-scholarly coverage of the Vikings but might be a slog for some.

Smilla’s Sense of Snow by Peter Hoeg (1995, Suspense) This superbly constructed atmospheric thriller set in Denmark went on to become required reading for many Scandinavian Studies programs at universities, and was the basis for the 1996 Oscar-nominated movie. Be warned: There are some racy and controversial scenes.

Norway The Bat by Jo Nesbo (1997, Mystery) Norwegian novelist Jo Nesbo published 10 more thrillers featuring Harry Hole, a gifted investigator with the Oslo police. This is the first, introducing our hero who is an alcoholic and prone to depression, but a joy to know.

The Winter Fortress: The Epic Mission to Sabotage Hitler’s Atomic Bomb by Neal Bascomb (2016, History) It reads like a thriller, but it’s the true story of the race to prevent the Nazis from getting heavy water—which was the last piece they needed to create an atomic bomb—an item only produced in a fortress-like plant in Vemork, Norway.

Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman (2017, Myths) Acclaimed author Neil Gaiman retells stories about the Norse gods Odin, Thor, and Loki in a modern way while still staying true to the originals.

Growth of the Soil by Knut Hamsun (1920, Fiction) Winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, Hamsun captures the indomitable human spirit of Norway’s early settlers like Steinbeck did for farm families during the Dust Bowl.

A Doll’s House, Ghosts, An Enemy of the People, and The Wild Duck by Henrik Ibsen (Plays) These works by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906) changed theater forever with the first realistic dialogue and depictions of love, marriage, and the ills of contemporary society.

Finland Seven Brothers by Aleksis Kivi (1870, Historical Fiction). A Finnish classic, Seven Brothers follows the lives of seven brothers in rural Finland during the nineteenth century.

98 The Unknown Soldier by Vaino Linna (1954, Fiction). A war novel narrating Finnish soldiers during the Continuation War of 1941-1944 between Finland and the Soviet Union, a war fought over nationalism and territory lost to the USSR in the Winter War the previous year.

The Year of the Hare by Arto Paasilinna (1975, Fiction). The adventures of journalist Kaarlo Vatanen only started when he nearly runs over a hare. After nursing the injured hare back to health, Vatanen decides to leave his old life, job and wife, behind for the open road and wacky hijinks.

Kalevala by Elias Lonnrot (1835, Folklore). Kalevala is a collection of 19th century epic poetry of Karelian and Finnish mythology, written down from its traditional oral stories. A national epic of Finland, the Kalevala tells the story of the Creation of the Earth, all the way to the integration of Christianity.

Finland’s War of Choice: The Troubled German-Finnish Coalition in World War II by Henrik Olai Lunde (2011, History). Following the bloody Winter War against Soviet Russia, where thousands died and Finland was forced to cede multiple territories to USSR rule, Finland teamed up with Nazi Germany in the Continuation War, from 1941 to 1944, in hopes of winning back their lost land.

Denmark We, the Drowned by Carsten Jensen (2011, Fiction) An epic seafaring adventure that follows the inhabitants of the Danish town of Marstal from 1848 to World War II, when the men sail the world and the women who are left behind form a community. The book is long (600 plus pages) and deals frankly with war, violence, and cruelty. But it was a runaway international bestseller and lauded for its use of fantastical elements.

Iceland’s Bell by Halldor Laxness (2003, Fiction) Nobel Laureate Halldor Laxness reinvents the traditional Icelandic saga and injects it with a modern sensibility and a satirical undercurrent that speaks to our age. The plot pits an impoverished Danish colony – Iceland in the 17th century – against the grand historical workings of Danish and Icelandic history. Three interconnected stories reveal the political and personal conflicts of the day in historical context.

On Tycho’s Island: Tycho Brahe and his Assistants, 1570-1601 by John Robert Christianson (1999, Biography/History) Chiefly famed as an astronomer, this book offers a fuller vision of Tycho Brahe as Renaissance man and scientist. From his private island in Denmark, Brahe assembled and manipulated the artists, nobility and the intelligentsia of the age to create breakthroughs in astronomy, science and research.

Winter’s Tales and Seven Gothic Tales by Isak Dinesen (1934, Stories) Best known for Out Of Africa, her memoir of 20 years running and living on a coffee plantation in Africa, Karen Blixen (pen name, Isak Dinesen) also wrote short tales based in her homeland, Denmark. Winter’s Tales and Seven Gothic Tales are generally considered the high water marks of her shorter works.

99 The Complete Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen (Folklore) There are several different anthologies of these fairy tales, written by Denmark’s famous poet, novelist, and writer of short stories. Considered a genius for his inventiveness and imagination, his works continue to captivate both children and adults.

Sweden A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman (2014, Fiction). Funny and poignant, this first-time novel by Stockholm native Fredrik Backman about an old curmudgeon who regains a will to live when a young family moves in next door made best seller lists around the world.

The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson (2012, Fiction). A publishing sensation from another first time Swedish author, this one is the riotous exploits of a centenarian with a backstory better than Forrest Gump’s who is desperate to avoid his 100th birthday party. And a sequel was just released: The Accidental Further Adventures of the 100-Year-Old Man.

A Year in Lapland: Guest of the Reindeer Herders by Hugh Beach (2001, Culture) An American anthropologist’s account of a year spent living with the Sami (Lapps) and learning in depth about their way of life. Though set among the Tuorpon Saami in the Jokkmokk District of northern Sweden, this detailed picture of Sami culture says much about the ways of these people across all their homeland in northern Norway, Sweden, and Finland.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl who Played with Fire, and The Girl who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest by Stieg Larsson (Mystery) A huge hit when The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was first released in the U.S. in 2008, this series of mysteries set in Sweden became a worldwide phenomenon. Dark and gritty, they are reminiscent of old-time noir films. Sadly, Larsson died in 2004 shortly after delivering the manuscripts of all three books.

Netherlands Tulipmania: Money, Honor, and Knowledge in the Dutch Golden Age by Anne Goldgar (2007, History) The 17th-century speculation that caused a bubble (and a bust) of the Dutch tulip market is often presented a cautionary tale of capitalism gone wild. The author here debunks the hyperbole around this phenomena and instead explores how tulipmania reflected deep anxieties about the transformation of Dutch society during the Golden Age.

Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier (1999, Historical Fiction) This book—which was a worldwide best seller—imagines the story behind the famous Vermeer painting by the same name.

The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank (1947, Memoir) Arguably the most famous Holocaust book, this real diary shares the musings of Anne, a young Jewish girl who is hiding from the Nazis in an Amsterdam attic during World War II. If you’d like an adult’s perspective on Anne and her family, look for Anne Frank: The Biography by Melissa Muller.

100 The Coffee Trader by David Liss (2002, Historical Fiction) A merchant trader schemes, maneuvers, and generally just tries to survive in the cutthroat world of commodities trading in 17th- century Holland.

The Assault by Harry Mulisch (1986, Fiction) A Dutch Nazi collaborator is assassinated as he rides his bike down a Haarlem street, and someone deposits his body at the home of young Anton and his family. The brutal reprisal taken by the Nazis reverberate years later as the grown Anton confronts the truth about this single assault, and the reverberating effects it has had on countless other lives. The author, a Nobel Laureate based this on a true story.

Lonely Graves by Britta Bolt (2012, Mystery) The first in a series, this mystery follows Pieter Posthumus of the “Lonely Funerals” team—the people who arrange funerals for the unknown— as he looks into the death of a Moroccan immigrant.

Amsterdam: A Brief Life of the City by Geert Mak (1994, History) A Dutch journalist and native of Amsterdam offers a delightful survey of Amsterdam’s past and present, incorporating elements of politics, economics, and art history.

Daily Life in Rembrandt’s Holland by Paul Zumthor (1960, History/Culture) A glimpse into everyday life during the Dutch Golden Age. This book covers a myriad of topics (theater, trading companies, fisheries, homes, child rearing, religion, and musicians to name just a few) during a time when Holland cultivated its arts and saw a great expansion of its empire overseas.

Suggested Film & Video

Norway Edvard Munch (1974, Biography) Peter Watkins’ experimental biography of Norwegian artist Edvard Munch traces Munch’s life between 1884 and 1894, from Christiania (modern Oslo) to Berlin and his relationships with August Strindberg. Watkins’ uses sound, montage, close ups and a dark color palette to emulate Munch’s stylistic approach to his art.

Kissed by Winter (2005, Drama) Set in Norway’s snowy wilds, a woman runs from her difficult past and discovers love again. After a horrible accident, the guilt-stricken Victoria leaves her husband and flees to the country. She becomes entangled in an unusual murder investigation, and is pulled into the life of the main suspect.

Song of Norway (1970, Biography) This 1970 film adaptation of the operetta of the same name depicts the early struggles of composer Edvard Grieg and his attempts to develop an authentic Norwegian national music. With an international cast that included Florence Henderson and Edward G. Robinson, the film was an attempt to cash in on the success of A Sound of Music. Most critics agreed that it failed miserably—although British audiences liked it.

Kristin Lavransdatter (1995, Historical Drama) An epic love story set in 14th century Norway. The beautiful Kristin dutifully takes herself to a convent to await her arranged marriage, but her beauty and devotion only inspire envy and violence. When she falls in love with young knight,

101 it prompts a family and political crisis. Directed by Liv Ullmann and adapted from a trilogy by the Nobel Laureate Sigrid Undset, this is a clear-eyed depiction of Norse life, love, society, and redemption.

Kitchen Stories (2003, Comedy) Swedish efficiency researchers come to Norway to study the domestic habits of Norwegian men. But things go awry when Isak, a cranky farmer, decides to amuse himself by impeding the work of his fastidious Swedish researcher, Folke. The kitchen quickly becomes the scene of a sly battle of wits. Inspired by actual research done in the 1940s and 50s, this stylish film charmed audiences.

Finland The Winter War (1989, Drama) An excellent Finnish war film (original title Talvisota) that tells the story of the resistance of a platoon of Osttrobottnian Finns, when Russia attacked Finland in November of ‘39. The Finns fought hard against overwhelming odds, with meager supplies, and the movie faithfully presents their action in the forbidding snowy landscape.

The Unknown Soldier (1955, Drama) An adaptation of Väinö Linna’s novel this is a story about the Continuation War between Finland and the Soviet Union, told from the view of ordinary Finnish soldiers. Gritty and realistic, the film remains the most successful film ever made in Finland, and more than half of Finland’s population viewed it in theaters.

Steam of Life (2010, Documentary) An acclaimed Finnish documentary travels around the country finding men in different saunas willing to share their stories about love, death, birth, and friendship—about life. The steam reveals the men’s souls in an intimate and poetic journey to the film’s emotional end.

The Man Without a Past (2002, Comedy) The second part of Aki Kaurismäki’s “Finland” trilogy, the film follows a man who awakens after a brutal mugging with no memory. A poor family nurses him to health and a Salvation Army worker gets him a job. He builds a new self, despite a society that is unable to deal with his lack of established identity and history. The film quietly evolves into funny portrait of the possibilities of life.

Elina: As If I Wasn’t There (2002, Drama) In rural Sweden of the early 1950s, Elina returns to school again after an illness. From a Finnish-speaking minority, Elina has conflicts with her biased teacher, and finds consolation wandering on the dangerous marshlands while speaking with her dead father.

Pelikaanimies (2004, Fantasy) A pelican becomes a gawky young man who learns to speak, thanks to his talent for imitation. He befriends two children who—unlike adults—see that their new neighbor ‘Mr Berd’ is not a man but a bird in a suit. The Pelican Man lands a job at the opera and falls in love. When adults discover the truth, trouble starts in this unusual and charming film.

Mother of Mine (2005, War/Drama) Amidst the conflict of World War II, Eero, a Finnish boy, is sent to live with a Swedish foster family by his mother. Eero feels abandoned by his Swedish mother, but unwelcomed by his new foster mother. When Eero returns to Finland following the war, his feelings of abandonment and confusion intensify.

102 Denmark The Danish Girl (2015, Drama) The Danish artist Einar Wegener (later known as Lili Elbe) was one of the first people to undergo sex reassignment surgery. This biopic depicts Elbe’s early career and marriage to artist Gerda Gottlieb, and the Bohemian worlds of Copenhagen and Paris in the 20s and early 30s.

A Royal Affair (2012, Historical Drama) The mentally ill King Christian VII comes to rely on his friend and physician, Johann Struensee (Mads Mikkelsen), a radical Enlightenment thinker from Germany. So, too, does the lonely Queen Caroline (Alicia Vikander), who begins a passionate affair with the doctor. The king learns of their liaison, but protects them, and makes Struensee a Royal Advisor who essentially rules in the king’s name. But his reforms are cut short when plotting aristocrats use the affair and Struensee’s foreign status to bring a tragic end to this true story.

Pele the Conqueror (1988, Drama) Directed by Billie August, this Danish-Swedish production won the 1989 Oscar for Best Foreign Film, and star Max von Sydow was nominated for Best Actor. It follows the early 19th-century widower Lasse, who emigrates with his 12-year old son Pelle to the Danish island of Bornholm in search of a better life. That is not what they find.

Babette’s Feast (1988, Comedy) Set on the rugged coast of 19th century Denmark, this film is from a short story by Isak Dinesen. Two beautiful daughters grow up with a clergyman father, who preaches self-denial. After his death, the sisters uphold his inflexible practices until the arrival of a French refugee, Babette. She cooks and for them, and introduces them to the deep pleasure of a gourmet French meal. Winner of the 1987 Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.

The Danish Solution (2003, Documentary) Filmmakers Karen Cantor and Camilla Kjaerulff , with Garrison Keillor narrating, reveal how the citizens of Denmark protected their Jewish population against Hitler’s attempt to impose export his final solution into Denmark.

Sweden My Life as a Dog (1985, Drama) The story of Ingemar, a 12-year-old Swedish boy sent to live with his childless aunt and uncle in a country village when his mother falls ill, resulting in a Swedish look at the adult world through a child’s eyes. A lovely, sometimes intense coming of age story with rural Sweden as backdrop.

Smiles of a Summer Night (1955, Comedy) Ingmar Bergman’s idea of a bedroom farce brought him international stardom. A melancholy comedy the film depicts the romantic entanglements of three 19th-century couples during a weekend at a country estate. It’s also pure Bergman: sharp, serious, thoughtful, and sobering, though there’s an undercurrent of humor that the venerable director of such serious film classics like The Seventh Seal is not particularly known for.

103 Netherlands Antonia’s Line (1996, Comedy/Drama) This Oscar-winner is a delightful feminist fable about a widowed, prodigal daughter who returns to her small Dutch town after World War II. The townsfolk cannot understand why she wants to live independently. But Antonia takes several quirky souls under her wing, and brings warmth and joy over several generations through her growing and inclusive matriarchal community.

Soldier of Orange (1977, Drama) Acclaimed Dutch director Paul Verhoeven depicts World War II through the eyes of several Dutch students, each serving as collaborators or as part of the resistance during the German occupation. Based on the book Soldaat van Oranje by Erik Hazelhoff Roelfzema—who lived the story himself—this is a powerful refection the moral choices one must make during wartime.

A Bridge Too Far (1977, Drama) This World War II epic is based on the book by Cornelius Ryan about Operation Market Garden, a daring but ultimately failed attempt to break through occupied Belgium and the Netherlands into Germany. Success depended on the capture of key bridges, but the mission was stopped at Arnhem. Whoever was your favorite 1970s male actor, he is likely in this all-star cast which includes Dirk Bogarde, Sean Connery, Michael Caine, Laurence Olivier, Robert Redford, Ryan O’Neal, James Caan, Anthony Hopkins, and more.

Black Book (2006, Thriller) A young Jewish woman becomes a spy for the WWII resistance in German-occupied Holland, leading a dangerous double life. Paul Verhoeven’s drama shows how an ordinary person is capable of doing extraordinary things when it’s a matter of life and death.

Rembrandt (1999, Docudrama) Klaus Maria Brandauer stars as the Dutch Master who changed the art world with his advances in painting, drafting, and printing.

Girl with a Pearl Earring (2003, Drama) Griet (Scarlett Johanssen), a mysterious teenage girl, leaves her home to become a servant in the household of painter Johannes Vermeer (Colin Firth). Her thoughtful attention to detail catches Vermeer’s notice. But she is also caught between the suspicions of Vermeer’s wife, the predatory lust of Vermeer’s greatest patron, and the cruel gossip of the town. Griet risks her reputation, but gains a place in history as the subject of one of the Northern Renaissance’s most enduring portraits.

104 Useful Websites

Overseas Adventure Travel World Weather www.oattravel.com www.intellicast.com www.weather.com Overseas Adventure Travel Store www.wunderground.com www.oatshop.com Basic Travel Phrases (80 languages) Overseas Adventure Travel Frequently www.travlang.com/languages Asked Questions www.oattravel.com/faq Packing Tips www.travelite.org International Health Information/CDC (Centers for Disease Control) U.S. Customs & Border Protection http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel www.cbp.gov/travel

Electricity & Plugs Transportation Security www.worldstandards.eu/electricity/ Administration (TSA) plugs-and-sockets www.tsa.gov

Foreign Exchange Rates National Passport Information Center www.xe.com/currencyconverter www.travel.state.gov www.oanda.com/converter/classic Holidays Worldwide ATM Locators www.timeanddate.com/holidays www.mastercard.com/atm www.visa.com/atmlocator

105 VACCINATIONS NOW REQUIRED FOR ALL TRAVELERS, SHIP CREW, TRIP EXPERIENCE LEADERS, AND COACH DRIVERS Plus, updated Health & Safety Protocols for our Land Tours

The health and safety of our travelers is always our #1 priority, and we understand travelers are concerned about exploring the world in light of the unprecedented crisis we are currently facing. To ensure your safety and give you peace of mind, we have worked with our regional team and listened to government guidance and feedback from our travelers to create these health and safety protocols for our trips. As we continue to make changes, we will keep our website updated with the latest information.

VACCINATION REQUIREMENTS • All travelers, ship crew, and Trip Experience AND UPDATED HEALTH & SAFETY Leaders will have their temperature checked PROTOCOLS FOR SMALL SHIP every time they return to the ship using a non- ADVENTURES contact infrared temperature scanner. • All travelers must be fully vaccinated against • All meals are served by the dining staff— COVID-19 at least 14 days prior to departure buffets are no longer available. and provide proof of vaccination upon VACCINATION REQUIREMENTS AND boarding the ship. If you are unable to UPDATED HEALTH & SAFETY PROTOCOLS provide proof of vaccination upon arrival at FOR SMALL GROUP ADVENTURES ON LAND your destination, you will have to return • All travelers must be fully vaccinated against home at your own expense. COVID-19 at least 14 days prior to departure. If To meet this requirement, please bring your you are unable to provide proof of vaccination original COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card upon arrival at your destination, you will with you on your trip. The white card must have to return home at your own expense. display your name, type of vaccine, and the To meet this requirement, please bring your date(s) the vaccine was administered. We also original COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card with suggest taking a picture of this card to keep for you on your trip. The white card must display your records as a backup. your name, type of vaccine, and the date(s) • All local Trip Experience Leaders, the vaccine was administered. We also suggest ship staff, and crew will be fully taking a picture of this card to keep for your vaccinated against COVID-19. records as a backup. • All coach drivers will be fully • All local Trip Experience Leaders will be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. vaccinated against COVID-19. • All public areas will be sanitized nightly and • All coach drivers will be fully vaccinated all ships are equipped with High Efficiency against COVID-19. Particulate Air (HEPA) filters.

Help us ensure travelers’ safety and health while on our trips. Please follow best health and hygiene practices to prevent the spread of illness—wash your hands regularly and cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing. Together, we can create a safer travel experience for everyone.

Learn more at www.oattravel.com/covid-update

106 Notes

107 Notes

108 Notes

109 Notes

110 From Helsinki IJ Helsinki Enkhuizen ESTONIA Arrival/ FINLAND Hoorn Optional Air Route Extension Departure RUSSIA Train Route Train Motor Route Cruise Route Amsterdam NETHERLANDS Stockholm

Medemblik

Delft

a

e

S

POST-TRIP EXTENSIONS POST-TRIP h t

S W E D E N r o N Den

Haag

d

n

a

l

n

i F Ivalo

N L A N D f

I o

F f

l

u

Kirkenes G

a

i

n Helsinki

e h

l t

c o

r B

i f

o

Tromso f Sea C l

u N

G Baltic c

i Honningsvag

t

c E

r

A D

Y E

W A S W

Bodo

Arctic Ocean R a

e Svolvaer

S Trondheim O

n Oslo

a

N i

g

e Rorvik

w w

r r

o o N N N Molde M l l Alesund Al A Myrdal Flam

ubø

N j

E

D

E rshavn W S ó Vidareidi T Kirk Bergen Oslo Klaksvik Sea k í North To DENMARK PRE-TRIP EXTENSIONS gar Copenhagen NORWAY Saksun ørnuv á j Sea T V North Airport FAROE ISLANDS FAROE Atlantic Ocean Copenhagen Vestmanna UNITED KINGDOM

111 Get inspired by our collection of more than 3,000 engaging and informative films and videos featuring 85 countries where we travel—all in one place. Discover a variety of different perspectives through carefully curated Videos & Slideshows by O.A.T. Travelers, Independent Films, videos highlighting the O.A.T. Experience, and more.

YOUR COMPREHENSIVE RESOURCE We offer a variety of films and videos to bring the history and culture of a destination to life, and show you what makes O.A.T. the leader in value, excellence, and personalization on the road less traveled:

1. Videos & Slideshows by O.A.T. Travelers allow you to see highlights of an adventure through the footage and photography of a fellow O.A.T. traveler—so you really get a feel for being there.

2. Independent Films reveal local culture through storytelling and historical insights. This diverse FROOHFWLRQLQFOXGHVFUHDWLRQVIURPHPHUJLQJͫOPPDNHUV and top-rated series from the BBC, Atlas Obscura, travel journalist Rudy Maxa, and more.

3. The ReelEarth Collection, produced for O.A.T. by ͫOPPDNHUDQGFRQVHUYDWLRQLVW'DYLG&RQRYHUH[SORUHV cultural nuances through the eyes of everyday people. (DFKͫOPRIIHUVDXQLTXHDQGSHUVRQDOSHUVSHFWLYHRQD destination.

4. The O.A.T. Experience shows you what it’s like to explore with O.A.T.: Get to know our Trip Experience Leaders, preview our itineraries, meet local people, and hear from fellow women travelers about traveling solo.

We’re continuously adding films and videos to our collection, so come back often to see what’s new.

Explore our Video Library for this Scandinavia adventure

SCAN ME Open the camera feature on Discover the 3 Most Popular films and videos your mobile device, and hover the lens over this code to scan it. recommended for you—or browse with our A pop-up notification will take NEW search feature. you directly to our Video Library.

CONNECT WITH US: 1-800-955-1925 | www.oattravel.com

Please recycle and give back 21 Traveler 09/2021 to the world112 we travel.