Why Japan?     

As usual the whole thing started out very innocently.  Very soon however, as is true of most of my trip beginnings, we were  into impulse.     

FEBRUARY and I had just finished writing up our trip to Scotland and Ireland, and I was a bit at loose ends, when RJ glanced at a travel pamphlet which had just come in the mail and announced “Viking goes to Norway in February”.  Now, it’s true I had been expressing a vague interest in seeing Bergen in the snow, but it was nothing more than just a dream.  Even knowing this, and surely not the least bit interested in going to Norway in February, you’d think he would have quickly dumped the pamphlet in the trash.  But,  he didn’t………..so we’re going to Norway – in February.

 Of course, I got the message immediately, and we’re off…..  it was time for the impulse to make its appearance; obviously this announcement was made to order.  

That same brochure offered a trip to Japan and Korea….sounds good too. Japan?  Oh, yes. Japan.  Actually this really is even more off hand than I usually am,  but Japan just simply became part of the package.  If a soupcon of credibility is needed:  how about – iI’s  different?

SPOILER ALERT:  COULD I POSSIBLY HAVE DISCOVERED SOMETHING VERY INTERESTING AND EXCITING  ABOUT THIS ADMITTEDLY  DEFAULT DESTINATION?  I hope you’ll be intrigued enough to stay with me to find out what that might be.

The lucky cruise line which happened to be in the right place at the right time – this is why cruise lines send out masses of pamphlets -  was  VIKING.   So despite my negative attitude towards the television ads Viking has been running showing one of its new mega-ocean ships looming over the entrance to the  Grand Canal in Venice ( I think this is just plain sacrilegious),  I swallowed my disgust and Viking it was.

 I am actually quite comfortable with the idea of traveling with Viking; we’ve been on five of their river cruises and been quite happy. (one of them was actually to Norway), and I was interested to see how it was with their ocean ships.