In the Wake of the Vikings, September 2019

Sailing across an open ocean is an experience I have avoided for 18 years. Don't get me wrong my husband, Denny, and I love to cruise. However, I avoid roller coasters for the same reason. You see, I'm certain I'll be seasick.  

After all there was that time we suffered a bit of rough water on a Mediterranean crossing from the toe of Italy to Majorca , Spain.  The Norwegian Cruise Line's ship the Epic is a large, stable ship. Yet my queasiness spoiled dinner, and I disliked grabbing railings, chair backs, and walls as I careened across the deck like a drunken sailor. 

Then there were all those carnival rides when I was a teenager. I'd exit the Scrambler or The Wild Mouse with the skin color of Kermit the Frog. "That was awesome"  I'd tell my friends. No one wants to look like a loser to their friends, right?

Anyway I was sitting on the couch one day this summer, doing my morning Duolingo Spanish lesson, Denny stopped surfing the Internet to say, "Viking has a cruise called In the Wake of the Vikings."

Without hesitation, I said, "Let's go."  Of course that is what I always say when it comes to a new adventure. "Where is it going?"

He read off the itinerary: Norway, Faeroe Islands, Iceland, Greenland,  Newfoundland, and Quebec. I was thrilled. I've always wanted to visit several of those locations.  Shifting his laptop so I could see the map showing the ship's voyage, I froze. There were large areas of open ocean between each port of call. A day at sea would be needed for each one.  The North Atlantic can be rough this time of year. Didn't the Titanic sink some where along this same passage?

 "Hey," Denny said, "they are offering free airfare and a free shore excursion in every port." 

So that is how we ended up flying to Bergen, Norway on Friday the 13th of September 2019.  Tucked away in my suitcase was Dramamine and acupressure wrist bands. Hope for the best - prepare for the worst.