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Sample the “Nordic Delight”
July 14—July 25
With Optional Extension to St. Petersburg, Russia Ending July 28 Embark on a 12-day journey from July 14—25 through the Nordic countries of Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland. For those of you wishing to extend your trip to Russia, we suggest our escorted extension to St. Petersburg from July 25—28. 
Your journey begins when you are greeted by our tour guide at the Flesland Airport in Bergen. Your afternoon is free to relax, adjust to the time change or walk around this marvelous and historic city. Return to the Clarion Hotel Admiral, overlooking the Bergen Harbor, for a welcome dinner. Your sightseeing tour the next morning is not to be missed as it includes a visit to Troldhaugen, home of Norway’s renowned musician, the late Edvard Grieg. The tour concludes with a walk through the historic Hanseatic Wharf, a UNESCO World Heritage site. In the afternoon, depart for Voss and board the Oslo/Bergen Railway for a fantastic train ride to Myrdal. In Myrdal, change to the Flåm Line, ranked as one of the top 20 train rides in the world. Within 13 miles descend 2800 feet to the idyllic fjord community of Flåm, situated along the beautiful Aurland Fjord. Spend your evening savoring the history of the Fretheim Hotel, which first opened its doors to guests back in 1870. After a hearty Scandinavian breakfast, drive the Aurland Valley on your way to Ål. Here you’ll have time to visit the Torpo Stave Church before continuing on to the beautiful Hallingdal Valley to Oslo. Your afternoon is free to explore Norway’s capital city. Overnight at the Grand Hotel, a true treasure of architectural style and atmosphere. Your next morning begins with a sightseeing tour of Oslo, covering Frogner Park, the Viking Ship Museum and time for a little shopping before boarding your overnight cruise to Copenhagen at 4pm. Dinner is served on board and you won’t want to forget your dancing shoes as the DFDS Seaways’ ship has a dance floor big enough for all to join in the fun! The next morning you will awaken in Denmark’s royal city, Copenhagen. Enjoy a city sightseeing tour including the noon-time guard change at Amalienborg Palace, the winter residence of the Royal Family. And no tour of Copenhagen would be complete without a visit to their most famous statue, the Little Mermaid. Your afternoon is free for shopping, exploring or a visit to Tivoli Gardens, where you will find amusements, concerts and restaurants to tempt your palate along with an abundance of flowers, trees and thousands of glittering lights. The next day is truly a feast for the eyes as you drive across the 10-mile Øresund Bridge, which links Denmark and southern Sweden. Continue your travels through the fertile plains of southern Sweden distinguished from the rest of the country by its geography, culture and history. Journey to the heart of the Swedish Glass District, home of 16 major glassworks. You will have an opportunity to purchase glass at discount prices before enjoying a “Hyttsill” evening, a time-honored tradition in the Kingdom of Crystal featuring glass blowing, traditional food and music. We hope you enjoy a good night’s sleep at the Elite Stadshotellet Växjö because the next day promises to be full of excitement and adventure! Your day begins with a drive north through the picturesque Swedish countryside. A stop will be made in Gränna where the production of peppermint sticks (polkagriser) is a popular attraction. Continue on to Berg, where you will view the locks of the famous 380-mile Göta Canal which links Gothenburg and Stockholm by utilizing Sweden’s lakes, rivers, canals, and a stretch of the sea. Your final destination of the day is Stockholm, considered to be one of the world’s most beautiful cities. Positioned on 14 islands seperated by wide bays, broad channels and narrow waterways, the city of Stockholm is a true architectural wonder! Prior to your dinner at the Nordic Light Hotel, join your group for a drink at the world’s first permanent year-round “Ice Bar.” Take in the sights and sounds of Stockholm on your morning sightseeing tour the next day. City Hall, the Royal Palace, and the famous Vasa Museum are all points you will want to be sure not to miss on the tour. After the sightseeing tour ends, you are free to explore Stockholm including Old Town (Gamla Stan) with its narrow cobbled streets and old merchants’ houses. Enjoy a leisurely morning in Stockholm before embarking on your overnight cruise across the Baltic Sea enroute to Helsinki, Finland. You disembark the next morning in time to take a sightseeing tour including the neoclassical Senate Square, Sibelius Park, the Temppeliaukio Rock Church, and the colorful market square. Your afternoon is free to stroll around this architecturally rich city with an eclectic mix of Eastern and Western influences. For some, the next day marks the end of their adventure into the countries of Scandinavia, but for those seeking to complete the journey, an extension into St. Petersburg, Russia awaits! Depart by train to the “Venice of the North” and enjoy a city tour upon arrival in St. Petersburg. See the Nevsky Prospect with its old houses and palaces, the Palace Square, the Bronze Horsemen, a panoramic view of the Peter and Paul Fortress and St. Isaac’s Cathedral before sitting down to dinner at a local restaurant. Spend the next two days touring the historic palaces and their treasures: Peter the Great’s Palace, Catherine the Great’s Palace, and the Hermitage— home to fabulous collections of paintings, statues, antique furniture and gifts to the rulers of Russia. On your last evening, experience a Russian folklore show following a farewell dinner at a local restaurant. After all the whirlwind excitement of Russia, your last morning is free to do some last minute shopping, explore that one last place you wanted to see before leaving or just take some time to reflect on your adventure and the amazing things you’ve discovered about yourself and the countries of “Nordic Delight!” UPCOMING EVENTS: TALL SHIP RACEBERGEN—AUGUST 9-12
Don’t miss a once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity to attend the Tall
Ship Race in Bergen this August
9—12!
Bergen was awarded for the best hostport in 2001 and this year they plan to surpass themselves with a full program of activities for all tastes and ages. There will be more than 60 sailing ships berthed at inner harbor, in the midst of the cities everyday life, and in walking distance from almost everything, including their nearby mountains. Races and Festivals for Tall Ships began in the mid 1950s. The idea of an international race for sail training tall ships, manned by crews drawn from cadets and seamen under training, and to mark what was expected to be the end of the age of sail, was first discussed informally in 1953. The ‘Sail Training International Race Committee' was established, and plans were made for a race between Torbay in the UK and Lisbon in Portugal in July 1956. Instead of marking the end of the age of sail, this first Tall Ships Race heralded the dawn of a new age for sailing ships and sail training. You are welcome to come and be a part of the history, tradition, excitement that is the 2008 Tall Ship Race on our Splendor of Norway Tour B. Spend August 10 and 11 in Bergen before setting off on journey through the beautiful landscape of Norway! Taking your kids to Scandinavia!
Thinking about traveling to Scandinavia but aren’t sure if your travel destination
is kid-friendly? Brekke Tours is here to help make sure your kids remember their
trip for years to come! Here are suggestions for places kids of all ages can enjoy!
Theme Parks: LegoLand—Billund, Denmark. great fun for all ages and offers many things other parks don't. 340 billion pieces of lego and many rides can provide entertainment for days! Hunderfossen Amusement Park— Lillehammer, Norway. This park has a special focus on Norwegian Folk tales. Grona Lund Amusement Park— Stockholm, Sweden. Open for more than 200 years, this park has it all, rollercoasters, rides, fun house, haunted house and more! Tivoli Park—Copenhagen, Denmark. Not only is it one of the world’s oldest amusement parks, it’s the one that gave Walt Disney the idea for his Disneyland! In addition to Theme Parks, there are many other activities for children in Scandinavia! Read our newsletter next month to learn more about the Flåm area of Norway and where to go to meet some farm animals! A Sneak Peek for next time: The Aurland area in Norway offers a wide arrange of activities. Between riding the train and outdoor fun of hiking, biking, camping, kayaking and fishing, you won’t want to spend any time indoors! Let’s Speak Norwegian!
Helpful Travel Hints—What to Pack?Deciding what to bring with you when traveling can be a nervewracking and time consuming project. We hope that by providing some tips, we can save you time, energy and most importantly, money!When packing your clothes, we recommend bringing mediumweight clothes as a base. A raincoat with removable lining is a good choice for summer visitors. A coat is necessary in fall, winter, and spring. Casual clothes are appropriate for sightseeing and touring, as well as dining in the hotels. We highly recommend comfortable walking shoes for sightseeing along cobblestoned streets and for touring, especially in the mountains of Norway. A definite must is a camera and film. You will want to bring plenty of film with you and make sure your batteries are fresh and your camera is working well. Film and camera repairs are expensive in Europe. Due to security equipment utilized at US airports, we suggest packing your film in your carry-on. If you plan to visit family or friends in Scandinavia, a small gift is always appreciated, especially if they are extending their hospitality to you in some manner. Ideas for gifts include:
The Tale of St. Patrick
Born as Maewyn, the person that would be known as St. Patrick, was born in Wales
about AD 385. Known as the patron saint of Ireland, he almost didn't get the job
of bishop of Ireland because he lacked the required scholarship.
Although he considered himself a pagan until he was 16, he became closer to God after he was sold into slavery by a group of Irish marauders that raided his village. After six years of captivity, he escaped from slavery and went to Gaul where he studied in the monastery under St. Germain, bishop of Auxerre for a period of twelve years. It was during his training he became aware that his calling was to convert the pagans to Christianity. Patrick, having adopted that Christian name earlier, wished to return to Ireland, to convert the native pagans to Christianity. His superiors instead appointed St. Palladius. Two years later, Palladius transferred to Scotland and Patrick was then appointed as second bishop to Ireland. Patrick was quite successful at winning converts. A fact which upset the Celtic Druids. Patrick was arrested several times, but escaped each time. During his travels, he established monasteries across Ireland. He also set up schools and churches which would aid him in his conversion of the Irish country to Christianity. After thirty years of spreading Christianity across Ireland, Patrick retired to County Down. He died on March 17 in AD 461. It is this day that has been commemorated as St. Patrick's Day. Although there is much Irish folklore surrounding St. Patrick's Day, not much of it is actually substantiated. Some of this lore includes the belief that Patrick raised people from the dead. He also is said to have given a sermon from a hilltop that drove all the snakes from Ireland. Of course, no snakes were ever native to Ireland, but some people think this is a metaphor for the conversion of the pagans. One traditional icon of the day is the shamrock. And this stems from a more bona fide Irish tale that tells how Patrick used the three-leafed shamrock to explain the Trinity. He used it in his sermons to represent how the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit could all exist as separate elements of the same entity. His followers adopted the custom of wearing a shamrock on his feast day. The St. Patrick's Day custom came to America in 1737. That was the first year St. Patrick's Day was publicly celebrated in this country, in Boston. Today, people celebrate the day with parades, wearing of the green, and drinking beer. One reason St. Patrick's Day might have become so popular is that it takes place just a few days before the first day of spring. One might say it has become the first green of spring. We invite you to join us this September 10-17 to learn more about the life and stories of St. Patrick on our tour to Ireland. In Dublin you will visit St. Patrick’s Cathedral, which is almost as old as the city itself. Named for St. Patrick, his life is depicted in the West Window of the cathedral and the well from which he baptized several converts is now located in the park adjacent to the cathedral. To find more information or to reserve your seat, visit us online at www.brekketours.com or contact us at 1-800-437-5302. Ireland ForeverErin Go Bragh (also sometimes: Erin Go Braugh) is the Anglicization of a Gaelic phrase used to express allegiance to Ireland. It is most often translated as “Ireland Forever.” Speakers of the Irish language assume that the phrase is a corruption of the Irish “Éire go brách,” or “Éireann go Brách.” The term “brách” is equivalent to “eternity” or “end of time,” meaning the phrase may be translated literally as: “Ireland until eternity” or “Ireland until the end (of time).”It should be noted that the Scottish Gaelic phrase “Èirinn gu bràth,” which literally means “Ireland until the Day of Judgement,” is pronounced almost identically to the Anglicized phrase. It may seem surprising that a phrase which has come to so strongly represent Ireland could have come not from Irish (Gaeilge) but instead from Scottish (Gàidhlig). However, a Scottish song from the 19th century entitled “Erin-go-Bragh” may have had something to do with this unusual progression. It tells the story of a Highland Scot who is mistaken for an Irishman. Dick Gaughan recorded a cover of this song on his Handful of Earth album. The first two verses are:
My name's Duncan Campbell from the shire of Argyll
I've travelled this country for many's the mile I've travelled through Ireland, Scotland and a' And the name I go under's bold Erin-go-bragh One night in Auld Reekie as I walked down the street A saucy big polis I chanced for to meet He glowered in my face and he gi'ed me some jaw Sayin' “When cam' ye over, bold Erin-go-bragh?” A Sweet Treat from NorwayArne Brekke, owner and founder of Brekke Tours, shares with us one of his favorite treats from Norway: Riskrem (Rice Cream) and red sauce.
Around the Office...The staff at Brekke Tours thought it would be fun to share some of our favorite Easter memories. We hope you enjoy our reminiscing!
Alex:
Ok, favorite Easter is from when I was a kid. I had a swingset and a sandbox in my basement (whee!). For Easter, my parents hid all kinds of candy around the swingset, and the general area. So much fun for kids. :-) Also, Easter egg hunts in Hayward, Wisconsin, next to the gigantic fish statue /museum. Teri: One of my favorite memories was getting a new outfit for Easter. My mother always made sure that the boys had dark pants and a white shirt. The girls always had a fancy Easter dress, hat, white gloves and new patent shoes. Some years when finances might have been low for a farmer's family of six, she might re-use the hat from the previous year and put new flowers and ribbon on the hat we would wear. We were so happy so get anything new that time of year, we never minded that they were last year's hat cuz it was a "new" style for us!!! My mother also loved to bake and always made egg shaped cookies for all the neighborhood kids. She would decorate them and put on their names. In those days the families were bigger and it wasn't unusual for her to make 40 or 50 cookies for the kids in the neighborhood. Jo: My favorite memory spans 3 days. We would go to Good Friday services usually in the dark and very moving then home to bed. On Saturday we would go to my maternal Grandparent's home and spend the day with cousins. Sunday meant church (bright sunshine and lots of music) and the Easter bunny would come while we were gone. Then it was on to my paternal Grandparent's home for an Easter egg hunt and dinner with that side of the family. 3 days of cousins, lots of deviled eggs and no school! Hurrah! Jennifer: “Dying the 'black' Easter egg.” It started out when me and my brother were kids and we'd spend Easter at my grandpa's house in Stanley ND. My grandpa Bob would tell us his fave Easter egg color was black....probably because it was the most impossible color to try and dye (or because it didn't exist?). Its an egg tradition that carries over now. My boys fight over who gets to make the black egg, just like me and my brother did! Arne: In Norway, Easter was not commonly observed as a religious holiday. What I remember best is spending an entire week skiing in the high mountains! In Norway, Easter is called påske after Greek/ Latin pascha. From my own family in America, I recall our children having fun coloring Easter eggs. Amanda: My favorite Easter was when I was about 10 years old and we all went to my grandparent’s house for the weekend. They lived out in the country next to a creek and I can remember all us grandkids (about 8 of us) running around their yard hunting Easter eggs. We didn’t get to see each other that often so it was a real treat to get to spend the holiday with them and all my aunts and uncles. Molly: My favorite Easter memory is related to what we are really celebrating. It is the solemnity when the church is darkened at the Good Friday service, the cross is veiled, and everyone walks out in silence. Then the contrast of Easter Sunday morning, when the light has returned in the church, the cross is no longer veiled, and Christ's resurrection is celebrated in worship, song, colors, flowers, food, and family. Ken: When we were kids, the folks would have us line up our Easter baskets according to our age and they were all different sizes with the oldest sibling having the biggest basket. We'd have the usual colored eggs, candy etc. One Easter, I recall I had something moving in my basket and it was covered with a white cloth. It was a blue chicken, yeah BLUE. He hung around for quite a while but never made it to adulthood, he just dyed. (ha) True story!! Sarah: It just so happens that my birthday has usually been around that time so that made it extra fun plus I got time off from school. Depending on the season and how much time I would have off from school for Easter, I would usually take the train up to my grandmas in Norway and go cross country skiing with my aunt and uncle in the mountains. However, my mother would always make sure that I received Easter candy and every year she would follow the same tradition. She would buy tons of candy, put the candy in these huge Easter eggs that were the same every year. In Norway, tradition is to have your set of Easter eggs that you use every year. The eggs are made out of cardboard with a pretty motive representing something from Easter. Inside the eggs, since you can open into halves that you fill with candy, was a nice little décor and of course-my name! I still remember the smell of the eggs every time I would open it up to see what was hiding inside. Anyway, my mom would stuff the eggs into the same wicker basket she used every year with the same stuffed bunny that was always in place. She would sneak out the front door, ring the door bell and hurry back inside while closing the door so she wouldn't blow her cover. We would run down the stairs to open the door and we would be welcomed with this basket of goodies. This particular tradition has been followed for years, and my mom would probably do the same if I still lived at home. It didn't really matter to mom either that we got old enough to figure it out that she was in fact the Easter bunny, but being as stubborn as she is she still persists to this day that the Easter bunny was responsible for giving us all our candy for Easter. |
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