Our wonderful wine stewardess Mary, who remembered us from our MS "Amadea" trip through the Baltic in 2014.
We are saying so long to Aarhus and Denmark. In the background our esteemed readers may notice elements of the industrial base of which even a picturesque Kingdom cannot deny itself in modern times.
As our voyage continued, MS "Deutschland" negotiates the Skagerrak-Kattegat straits en route to Flensburg, Germany.
As our longstanding tradition mandates, we like to express our admiration and respect to the Kingdoms of Norway and Denmark by heralding their flags and reigning Monarchs.
In order of travel: H.R.M. Harald V King of Norway and H.R.M. Margrethe II Queen of Denmark.
The Norder Tor (built in 1595) symbolizes the old Heanseatic City of Flensburg. It was the gate through which trade and visitors embarked upon their trip to Denmark in the north.
Coming from the Baltic Sea, this was our first view of Flensburg. We did not disembark in Flensburg, because the city is known to us by previous acquaintance.
And last, but definitely not least, it was an honor and privilege of the Ducal Princely House Gulgowski-Doliwa, the decendends of the Sovereign Dukes of Lower Silesia (Glogau), to decorate
H.E. Dame Gerda Methner with the Eagle Order of Silesia in Honor of St. Hedwig for her High Merits on behalf of her homeland, faith, family and friends.
CONGRATULATIONS DEAREST GERDA!
For all intellectual and practical purposes, the old Heanseatic City of Bergen served as our main attraction in Norway. From 1070 to 1299 this picturesque town served as the capital city of Norway. Edvard Grieg, whose facial appearance equals that of Albert Einstein, was a great composer and pianist. He hailed from Bergen.
An Italian vessel had just completed her docking maneuver,
as MS "Deutschland" commenced her departure from Bergen.
Having crossed the Atlantic from Chicago, U.S.A., to Munich, Germany, with a connecting flight from Munich to Bremen, Germany, we greatly enjoyed the opportunity to rest our tired heads in a
beautiful Hanseatic-style hotel in Bremerhaven. We liked the facilities and the service quality of the staff at the Adena Hotel that we decided to utilize these accommodations also in the future.
Construction of St. Clemens Cathedral in Aarhus was commenced in the 12th century.
Our travelogue features this Bergen cemetery because it has also become the last resting place for a very large number of German submariners, who lost their lives during World War II.
The mournful monument, here flanked by two immaculate, white small sailing vessels, was financed by the widow of a German submarine commander, who lost his life on the high seas during World War II. Different from the monument described above, this one is dedicated to submarine forces casualties incurred during World War I, World War II and by the submarine forces of post World War II Germany.
Coats-of-arms depicting Danish nobility and knighthood. This display is considered highly valuable and therefore is appropriately protected.
Back home in Delafield, Wisconsin, close to Lake Nagawicka,
surrounded by familiar settings, we are dreaming and scheming already of future global exploits.
This lovely, Alpine-style cafe and bakery establishment holds the reputation of serving the finest apple pies, strawberry cakes and nut-creme torts (with whipped cream, if desired); however, our tour guide would not stop there for God knows what reasons ;-).
And so, all of us were deprived of what would have been the most tasty and delightful pleasure for that day. Instead, we gazed for more than 40 minutes at the Holmenkollen cement-blocked ski jump :(.
Duke Paul lecturing a group of MS "Deutschland" visitors about King Christian X virtues, bravery, intelligence and royal resolve that benefited the Danish people in general and the Jewish population in particular during the trying times of the German occupation in World War II.
DUCAL AND PRINCELY HOUSE GULGOWSKI-DOLIWA
Our tour guide and German-language student Peter (blue shirt), lectured on Danish maritime tradition and history.
For the third time now, we were accorded the maritime adventure of sailing through the Nord-Ostsee-Kanal.
Previously, we enjoyed this thrill, when we visited the various nations around the Baltic Sea.
We cordially invite our visitors to view the webpage dedicated to this previous journey.
This particular travelogue can be accessed by clicking on the blue button entitled
"25th Wedding Anniversary."
Prevalent street facade in Aarhus City. Theater complex with classicistic and modern architecture.
Life and Entertainment on Board.
The photograph above, courtesy Mr. Stephan von Steht
Meeting our sister ship MS "Amadea"
Classicistic depiction of the battle between good and evil. St. George defeating the dragon,
rescuing the damsel in distress, while the King and the Queen approvingly look on.
Our next stop: Arendal
Duchess Heide in front of the summer residence often
frequented by the Royal Norwegian Family.
Good Bye, Oslo.
Back in Bremerhaven.
Enjoying a well deserved rest at our hotel with quiet reflection and the company of good friends.
Beyond the "devil's very own smaller utility vessel," which just had exercised an illegal maritime maneuver, we invite our distinguished readers to behold the German Submarine Forces Memorial Monument.
Keen eyes will probably also recognize the grey hull of a World War II submarine in front of it.
Of more than 40,000 submariners, who saw service during World War II, less than 10,000 survived, many as prisoners of allied navies. The loss rate of this German fighting force amounts to 75%.
This casualty number represents probably the highest among all the military services in the world.
The style and ambiance of MS "Deutschland" is also reflected in its selection of wonderful historical paintings.
To the left, we observe Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina (Book with the same title was published in 1878.) dancing with Captain Alexei Vronsky, who were both defiant of the too restrictive social norms of their society.
Hello, Aarhus, Denmark
A coastal light tower in the distance welcomes us to Denmark.
At long last, we arrived at the Cruise Ship Terminal on the Weser River in Northern Germany.
This location holds great significance in the life of Duke Paul, since this was the place from which he embarked on his first journey to the United States of America on the former French Foreign Legion Troop transporter, which was later renamed MS "Bremen."
But this is the past! Now, we were excited to board MS "Deutschland," a vessel, which exudes the luxurious, sophisticated Hanseatic style of the 1920ies. This ship did also excel in her most recent past in the German TV series "Das Traumschiff."
Treasures and precious Christian ornamental artwork abound in the ancient cathedral of Aarhus.
The Skagerrak-Kattegat straits are considered one of the most treacherous waterways in the entire world. Over the ages, thousands of private and Naval vessels found here their watery graves.
Next on the agenda: Oslo.
Those of our loyal and dependable readers, who are apostles of extremely modern architecture and avantgarde city planning, would applaud the city in ecstasy.
However, we, as lovers of Classicism, the Renaissance, Rococo and Art Niveau, felt rather lost and
estranged in this capital city, that exudes a rather cold ambiance. We really don't think that "warm souls" could feel at home in this metropolis. However, thanks to our Lord God, notable exceptions to our above, perhaps a little bit to harsh statement, could also be found.
A Classicistic-style edifice with a Greek-columned entrance is the awards venue for the Peace Nobel Price.
All other Nobel prices are being awarded in Stockholm, Sweden.
Albert Nobel decreed this arrangement in celebration of the peaceful separation between Norway and Sweden that had been one nation until the conclusion of World War I.
Our Cruise to Norway and Denmark Starting in Germany
by
Colonel Prof. Dr. Paul W. Gulgowski-Doliwa, The Duke of Lower Silesia (Glogau) and
Grand Dame Heide Anna Maria Gulgowski-Doliwa, The Duchess of Lower Silesia (Glogau),
also Principal Photographer and Editor
The modern harbor of Aarhus and some of its ancient buildings welcome us.
The trams, that serve Oslo so well, were built in Duesseldorf, Germany.
Crowns are so much more than those who are entitled to wear them.
They are a symbol of the entirety of a cultural whole and the idea of
enlightened statesmanship.
Visiting Alesund, a port town on the west coast of Norway and the entrance to the Geirangerfjord.
Passing Gluecksburg, near Flensburg, it was our honor, privilege and pleasure to view the time-honored facilities of the German Naval Academy, home of many great German Naval minds.
The Academy also served very briefly, toward the end of World War II, as the headquarters of the last wartime German government under the leadership of Grand Admiral Karl Doenitz.
A pilot boat guides us out toward the open seas through a massive array of recreational sailing vessels.
Next, we would like to acquaint our esteemed readership with the refined ambiance that enriches the entire interior of this great cruise ship that possesses all the desired qualities of a regular ocean liner. Love, romance and elegant chivalry are in evidence all over this beautiful vessel.
The following photographs speak for themselves.