St. John, New Brunswick

Andy's close encounter with the RCMP is a cause for concern...

...until a shared affinity for the Volkswagen Beetle breaks the ice.

Bar Harbor, Maine

Andy prepares to defend himself against a lobster.

A view from the ship.

This is how the gig appears to a passenger. Normally, I'm seated all the way to the right, but a saxophonist from the theatre orchestra asked to take my place, allowing me a rare night off.

Newport, Rhode Island

Newport, Rhode Island

I went looking for long-lost relatives, by which I mean deceased ones. Mom's grandparents are buried in nearby Middletown at the elusive Four Corners Cemetery.

Here's a scene from Newport's expansive Common Burying Ground on Farewell Street. Most of the stones shown here date back to the 17th and 18th centuries. Some were used for target practice during the American Revolutionary War.

Barcelona, Spain

Enjoying tapas with cabinmate Andy (background) and pianist Edgar.

Andy gets Edgar's photo with the owners of Casa Beethoven, a music store on La Rambla.

Valencia, Spain

Vigo, Spain

Göteborg, Sweden

The ship docked at a port which was populated with cranes and shipping containers. It took a 30-minute shuttle bus ride to get to the downtown area. Thankfully, nearly every European city can be relied upon to have a photogenic church and stately-looking museum. 

Helsingør, Denmark

Kronborg Castle, the setting for Shakespeare's Hamlet.

The train station where I met up with third cousin Eva-Karin Janson and her husband, Hans, who live near Malmö, Sweden. Eva-Karin is the 3rd great-granddaughter of my 4th great grandfather, Sven Ellberg.

A small oil painting I found in a charity shop in town for 10  krone, about $2. It appears to have been painted in 1817 if the artist's signature is to be believed. A closeup of the artist's name and date is shown below. At first, it looked like the year was 1917, but closer inspection suggests the 9 to resemble an incomplete 8.

Oslo, Norway

The National Parliament Building.

A lengthy crew safety drill, which was being audited by important corporate people, prevented me from exploring as much as I would have liked. One of my favorite vocalists, Madeleine Peyroux, performed in Oslo this evening as part of the week-long Oslo Jazz Festival. Tony Bennett is the headliner.

Ålesund, Norway

Tromsø, Norway

A seagull sits atop the head of polar explorer Roald Amundsen's statue. It was cold, breezy and raining again today, so I didn't take many photos until I returned to the ship.

 I signed up for a tour of the ship in order to get a look at the bridge. Cameras aren't normally allowed here, but for some reason, an exception was made today.

 A view of the ship, looking aft from the bridge.

 The Britannia Dining Room. The largest table seats the captain and his invited guests.

Honningsvåg, Norway

At 71 degrees north latitude, Honningsvåg is one of the northernmost populated communities in the world. It was just above freezing today, with strong winds and a persistent heavy drizzle.