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 Terry Thorpe | Oct 29, 2023 | Blog, Terry
We arrived in Rome on the 28th and checked into our reasonably priced hotel next to the train station before turning in for the night. The next day after a nice breakfast in a nearby cafe was a whirlwind tour of Rome, hop on, hop off style. We did all the big hits,... 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 Terry Thorpe | Oct 28, 2023 | Blog, Terry
We arrived on the 24th at the Sivertsen resort, our luxury suite awaiting us. We unpacked and took advantage of the (much needed) free laundry service, checked in on the cats, house and family and stressed about what to bring and not to bring on the cruise of a... 
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 Terry Thorpe | Oct 22, 2023 | Blog, Terry
The pain of leaving was soothed somewhat by the business class seats awaiting us on our flight to Norway… Probably the only time I’ve been more excited by the flight than the destination. The time had finally come to say farewell to the USA. It was a... 
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 Terry Thorpe | Oct 21, 2023 | Blog, Terry
We checked out of our speakeasy and made for our lovely, complimentary accommodation back with some old friends of mine. We got settled, then headed to a first for me: a dine-in movie experience! complete with dinner, cocktails with Leonardo de Caprio. Nice. Very... 
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 Terry Thorpe | Oct 20, 2023 | Blog, Terry
Early, early, early. Leaving paradise for L.A. seemed hard. Probably because it was. Not enough sleep and the earliest possible flight meant a long tiring day to burn before checking into our hotel… Sometimes saving a few bucks is a folly… Anyway, we made... 
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 Terry Thorpe | Oct 19, 2023 | Blog, Terry
And, so the fateful day had come where we were forced to say Aloha to the big island and Hawaii… but not before another morning of snorkelling and a canoe ride at our resort. Next up was cocktails at the tiki bar, followed by a dip in the jacuzzi and another wee... 
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 Terry Thorpe | Oct 18, 2023 | Blog, Terry
We spent the entire day in The Fairmont, living the resort life… Cocktails, music, swimming in the secluded bay, turtle spotting, a short walk to the Pekua petroglyphs and sunset by the beach. Rounding off the evening with a wonderful meal and enjoying the live... 
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 Terry Thorpe | Oct 17, 2023 | Blog, Terry
We started the day with an amazing breakfast at Lava Java, then did a bit of shopping, Katrine went to Petco for cat related items, while I made for the nearest music shop to pick up a Ukulele! Our last two days on the island were going to be on a fancy pants resort,... 
by Terry Thorpe | Oct 16, 2023 | Blog, Terry
We headed to the North part of the Island and were greeted by drastically different scenery, lush vegetation replacing the barren landscape and volcanoes of the previous day. We visited Akaka falls, swam in a (much smaller) waterfall and hiked to a secluded beach... 
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 Terry Thorpe | Oct 15, 2023 | Blog, Terry
We got up early, ate a quick breakfast of porridge, made a pack lunch to stave off any hunter pangs and hit the road. With our Shaka audio app primed and essentials bagged we slit across the bonnet of our fast and furious ride and embarked on our epic road trip. Our... 
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 Terry Thorpe | Oct 14, 2023 | Blog, Terry
We packed and ubered to the airport excited to finally be heading to the big island. Arriving in Hawaii, we picked up our hire car, where we were lucky enough to get a free upgrade. We, of course, selected a sensible, conservative ride. Drifting sideways out of... 
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... 