by Katrine Sivertsen | Oct 30, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
The day has arrived! From the port of Civitavecchia we boarded the Celebrity Edge cruise ship for our 40 days and 40 nights adventure from Italy to Australia. We have a stateroom with an “infinite” veranda that extends from the rest of the room. The main dining... by Katrine Sivertsen | Oct 29, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
With one day available in Rome, we did a quick taster (quite literally) of everything: Pizza, gelato, the Trevi fountain, the Spanish steps, drive by of the Colosseum and many other sights in Rome. 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Oct 28, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
Stavanger to Copenhagen, Copenhagen to Rome, Fiumicino airport to Roma Termini and finally to our hotel. By then the sun had set and it was bedtime. by Katrine Sivertsen | Oct 28, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
Stavanger to Copenhagen, Copenhagen to Rome, Fiumicino airport to Roma Termini and finally to our hotel. By then the sun had set and it was bedtime. by Katrine Sivertsen | Oct 27, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
Final packing done, making sure we stay under the limit for the flight home from Seoul, checking in for the flight to Rome tomorrow, goodbye to the cats. by Katrine Sivertsen | Oct 26, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
Applying for visas, thinking about what to pack, having dinner with family. 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Oct 25, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
I checked out how our house and my cats are doing. One is still holding a grudge after that vet visit a couple months ago. I had to borrow this picture since she’s hiding out under the stairs sending me yellow glaring stares and hisses that don’t make for a good... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Oct 24, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
Thanks to the SAS MC credit card we were able to accrue enough miles to get us home to Stavanger in style. I forgot to mention yesterday that the maid in the house in LA surprised Terry in his birthday suit before we left! I don’t know who was more embarrassed. Back... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Oct 23, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
It was sad to leave Terry’s friends and their adorable kids as we drove off to LAX. It’s been four awesome weeks in this “greit” country that I’ve loved since childhood. Such a diverse nation yet still that American essence that unites the states. At the airport, our... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Oct 22, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
Today, we headed to Petco, Ross, Target and all those cheap American shops to browse endless aisles of fun stuff we can’t find at home. Some of which is absolutely ridiculous (see picture). I bought some stuff for my kids, eh, cats, (no, not the costumes in the... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Oct 21, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
Not just dinner and a movie, but dinner IN the movies! We visited the IPIC theater in Westwood to see the newly released Killers of the Flower Moon. 3,5 hours of Leonardo DiCaprio? Don’t mind if I do. Especially in this theater with its fully reclined seats, plush... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Oct 20, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
Today was mostly a haze from beginning to end. We landed with the red eye flight and I fully understand the meaning of that now. After a few hours of sleep on the flight my eyes were so tired and my skin so tight and dry and I was freezing. It felt as if my skin was a... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Oct 19, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
Our last day on the Big Island had arrived. Yes, it is called “the big island”. What it’s really called? Hawai’i. But that’s what the state is called. Yes. See the confusion? That’s why everyone calls it the Big Island. Because it’s the biggest of the Hawaiian... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Oct 18, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
A full day at the resort. I wasn’t going to set a toe outside the resort but make everything out of what was offered right here. I managed to get Terry up early to join me for yoga class on the beach. With the view and sound of the ocean it was easy to find stillness... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Oct 17, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
Moving on to our next location, we gathered our belongings and grabbed with us some famous Kona coffee beans and a ukulele to bring home. We handed in our Dodge Challenger that carried us around the island for the last couple of days and checked in at the Fairmont... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Oct 16, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
After a long day of volcanoes yesterday, we went on a jungle drive today around the North side of the Island and to Hilo. We visited Waipi’o valley lookout, caves made by lava, Akaka falls (pictured), and before visiting Hilo for a perfect Japanese dinner, we swam in... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Oct 15, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
Early up for a long day of touring in our rental. Packed our bags with snacks and clothes (it rains a lot on this island apparently). We started along the south coast of the island and stopped by a black sand beach with sea turtles. We saw several of them frolicking... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Oct 14, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
Our first flight on Hawaiian airlines and we were amused by their miniature sized tray tables. Landing in Kona, it was obvious that this island is not as commercial as Oahu. We walked from the plane into the airport. Or into? It wasn’t an indoor building. It was a... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Oct 13, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
Terry had managed to secure reservations to Hanauma Bay, one of the best snorkeling places on the island. And it held its promise. Not only did we see numerous colorful fish and coral, but a monk seal visited the beach for his afternoon nap. These seals are endangered... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Oct 12, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
We trekked west to Pearl Harbor to see the World War II memorial and museums. They made clear that this is not an amusement or an attraction. It is a memorial. The USS Arizona still has hundreds of soldiers interred in its hull after the attack in 1941, including some... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Oct 11, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
After a fully packed day yesterday and another few coming up, today was a day to chill by the pool and walk around Waikiki. The picture shows the Diamond Head mountain at the end of Waikiki beach. 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Oct 10, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
We got up early to spend the morning driving around the North shore. We rented a car and put on the Shaka audio guide that told us about everything we saw and where to stop on the North shore. Shark cove was great for snorkeling (but not sharks though). In the... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Oct 9, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
We checked out the surrounding area of Waikiki with a free audio guide from Shaka guide (highly recommended). So many old, luxurious, beautiful hotels along the beach and stories about people like King Kamehameha and Duke, the Hawaiian Olympic swimmer. We walked down... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Oct 8, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
Only a few hours after we laid our heads to rest we got back up again. We didn’t get to try the wine station dispenser at the hotel but it was very cool. (Add it to my wishlist). Bus service was not very reliable but we still made it in good time, which was a good... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Oct 7, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
We finished our sourdough pancakes and went to bubblegum alley. A narrow side street with walls peppered with bubble gum as far as you can see and as high as you can reach and even higher (some must bring ladders). It was equally fascinating and disgusting. We left... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Oct 6, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
3 days in Santa Barbara were over and San Luis Obispo was next. It has once been voted the happiest town in America. Amtrak took us there after a short breakfast at the Goat Cafe right by the tracks. A couple hours later we arrived early to a closed hostel and waited... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Oct 5, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
The morning started with a hearty breakfast at Joe’s cafe across from our hotel. Our waitress told us about First Thursday, which is an event where bands and art galleries and other groups come together and have a party in the streets of Santa Barbara. Her dance group... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Oct 4, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
Using the free bikes at the Santa Barbara hotel we went to the zoo, a place I’d visited 35+ years ago and fed the goats. There was no feeding the goats this time, but I did get to say hi to them although they could not remember me. My favorite animals were the 6... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Oct 3, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
We have three days in Santa Barbara lined up next. What a city. So much cozier and more pleasant than Los Angeles and very walkable. Our hotel let us borrow bikes for free to ride up and down the long sandy beaches here. All the stores and restaurants in the Funk Zone... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Oct 2, 2023 | Blog, Katrine
The Pacific Surfliner took us from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara. We met a former presidential candidate on the train. A complete nut job that talked nonstop all the way to Ventura about his family, Jesus, the Philippines, Trump, his ideas for his presidency,... 