SCandinavian Cruises - 2026
Sunday 7 June'26 - Heathrow/In Transit [the 8th & 9th are further down the page)
A 0700 wake up was planned and an alarm set but in reality, up and about by 0645, then down to breakfast. After that, last minute suitcase adjustments, checkout and then a10 minute walk to the departure area within Terminal 4. This was done via a interconnecting aerobridge between the hotel and the terminal. Very convenient. After checking in, an hours relaxation in the Qatar Business Lounge (Malaysian obviously have reciprocal rights), before boarding MH001 to Kuala Lumpur. We departed on time @ 1100 and it was a pity I had put my mobile away because as we passed from Pakistani to Indian airspace, witnessed a once in a lifetime light show., which I would have loved to have grabbed on video. This was due to a massive electrical storm that went on for at least 30 minutes. The number of sheets of lightning that were visible was only a small amount of the total "electrical action" as the remainder were within the dense cloud cover ,but it certainly lit the clouds up!!! And , the flight was one step closer to home.
Monday 8 June'26 - Kuala Lumpur/Sydney
Arrived early, 0615 rather then the scheduled 0705, Thankfully being transit passengers, no customs/immigration checks, so into the Malaysian Business lounge before our next flight, MH141 to Sydney. The flight was ready to go as per the schedule @ 0905 but due to some issue with air traffic control, we sat at the gate for near on 40 minutes before being allowed to taxi out and take-off. We landed in Sydney only 15 minutes behind schedule (1940). The immigration/customs process was quick and painless, mainly due to the Priority Passenger tags on the luggage, meaning the bags were up 1st. A short walk to Rydges Sydney International, checked in, threw the luggage into the room and then back downstairs for a couple of night caps and a small meal of Korean popcorn chicken before bed, which was a welcoming place to be, just after 2200.
Tuesday 9 June'26 - Sydney/Canberra
Gotta love time zone changes and their effect on body clocks... Wide awake at 0200 this morning! A late breakfast before the small walk across the road to the 1125 Murrays bus. Should arrive at 1430 then the ever reliable personal Uber, better known as Geoff Hine, to home. Unfortunately, It'll then be a rather hectic bag unpack and washing frenzy as I have to be on a plane to Melbourne early tomorrow due to an unforeseen but very important family matter that I have to be there for. As they say, there are many things outside of your control in life. In closing, it has been all I was hoping for, and more. The history and vibrancy of London, the scenic beauty of the Fjords is indescribable, the experiences of the old towns throughout Scandinavia, the Baltic, Portugal and Spain are something that will stay with me for yonks. I certainly would like to visit Helsinki,Copenhagen, Lisbon & Bilboa again, to mention a few, with more time available to fully explore.
I hope you enjoyed the blog and it wasn't that boring for you. As you can see on the Homepage, an African Safari adventure is next up and I'll contact (or is that annoy?) you closer to the dates with the opt-in/out option. Thanks for taking the time to following the travel and I have appreciated the various comments provided.
Take care and in the eloquent words of Jeff Fenech; "luv youse all!".