{"id":8408,"date":"2025-05-28T08:59:02","date_gmt":"2025-05-28T12:59:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/?p=8408"},"modified":"2025-05-28T09:48:35","modified_gmt":"2025-05-28T13:48:35","slug":"world-cruise-post-cruise-scotland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/?p=8408","title":{"rendered":"World Cruise – Post Cruise – Scotland"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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We checked out of the Hyatt Regency Churchill and made our way to King’s Cross Station to catch the LNER express train to Edinburgh, Scotland. The four-hour train ride was absolutely stunning\u2014just three quick stops before we rolled into the heart of Edinburgh at Waverley Station.<\/p>

Our Hilton hotel was right next to the station\u2026 at least in theory. Anyone who’s been to Edinburgh and walked the Royal Mile knows how hilly things get. Waverley Station sits low, and our hotel was up on Bridge Street. With rolling suitcases, broken escalators, construction everywhere, and lifts in all the wrong places, it felt like we were in a maze. We finally discovered the hidden lift that would take us to the hotel lobby, but wow\u2014what a hunt! We wish we knew then what we know now.<\/p>

After dropping our bags in the room, we set off to explore. Within minutes, we were walking the middle stretch of the Royal Mile\u2014that historic road connecting the Edinburgh Castle on the hill to Holyrood Palace at the bottom, once home to kings and queens.<\/p>

We had been here before\u2014first in 1986 on our honeymoon, and then again briefly in August 2023 during a Viking Mars cruise. That second visit was short, just a few hours. This time, we had two full days to soak it all in.<\/p>

As we wandered the streets and shops, we noticed some changes. The old-world Scottish charm in the stores has largely given way to touristy souvenir shops, many run by Indian merchants. Not bad\u2014just different. But the beautiful stone buildings and the vibrant city vibe were still very much alive. And the food? Still excellent.<\/p>

The next morning, we visited Edinburgh Castle. The castle’s official description says it best: “Edinburgh Castle is one of the oldest fortified places in Europe… alive with many exciting tales.” The views from the top are unbeatable, overlooking the city and the Firth of Forth.<\/p>

Later, we strolled from the Old Town into New Town along Princes Street. It’s changed a lot since 1986, with modern stores blending into the historic facades. We stumbled upon Scotland\u2019s National Gallery\u2014which has free admission\u2014and spent time admiring works by Monet, Picasso, and amazing Scottish artists. What a pleasant surprise!<\/p>

We capped off the day with dinner at Bar+Block, a stylish pub with delicious food, and turned in for the night. The next adventure awaited: St. Andrews.<\/p>

This time, we knew the secret passage to Bridge Street and easily made it back to Waverley Station. We boarded a ScotRail train heading north and got off at Leuchars Station, just five miles from St. Andrews\u2014the legendary home of golf.<\/p>

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\"Photo
Photo from Train - Berwick bridge crossing<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Crossing
Crossing into Berwick<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Chelsea
Chelsea Flower show<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Chelsea
Chelsea Flower show<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Chelsea
Chelsea Flower show<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Chelsea
Chelsea Flower show<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Chelsea
Chelsea Flower show - wine rack<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
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\"Chelsea
Chelsea flower show<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"A
A dale Chilluly hangs in the Victoria and ALbert museum<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Along
Along Slone street, Chelsea, london<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"classical
classical music on SLoane street.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Chelsea
Chelsea Flower show<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Chelsea
Chelsea Flower show<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Chelsea
Chelsea Flower show<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"View
View of Edingburgh from a cannon in the fortress <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Our
Our train getting ready for heading back to London<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Chelsea
Chelsea Flower show displays<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Masterpieces
Masterpieces in Scotland's Natonal Gallery<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Chelsea
Chelsea Flower show displays<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Chelsea
Chelsea Flower show displays<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"On
On Roal Mile, you can go down some of the alleys (called close) and some have wonderful gardens<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Gras
Gras Market in Edingburgh<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Chelsea
Chelsea flower show displays<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Chelsea
Chelsea Flower show displays<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Chelsea
Chelsea Flower show displays<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Chelsea
Chelsea Flower show displays<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Gina
Gina at the castle in Edinburgh<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Masterpieces
Masterpieces in Scotland's Natonal Gallery<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Grass
Grass market area of Edinburgh<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Chelsea
Chelsea Flower show displays<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"img_8861\"<\/figure><\/div>
\"Chelsea
Chelsea Flower show displays<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Masterpieces
Masterpieces in Scotland's Natonal Gallery - Monet's Garden in Giverney - We were there!<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"img_8659\"<\/figure><\/div>
\"img_8647\"<\/figure><\/div>
\"view
view of Edingburgh from the castle<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"St.
St. Andres by the sea<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Upper
Upper class lounge for Virgin airways<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Berrick
Berrick on the train to Edingburgh<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"img_8593\"<\/figure><\/div>
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\"The
The Royal Mile<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"img_8578\"<\/figure><\/div>
\"On
On train to St. Andres - going over Firth of Forth<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Chelsea
Chelsea Flower show displays<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"What
What a dress this girl had<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Chelsea
Chelsea Flower show displays<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Train
Train travel in Europe is nice<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"img_8585\"<\/figure><\/div>
\"Oh
Oh no, heading to the aiorport to go home...:(<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Aboard
Aboard getting ready to fly home<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"img_8969\"<\/figure><\/div>
\"Smoke
Smoke (Zachary's and Sedona's cat) wondered where we went<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\"just
just a beautiful day to play golf<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"walking
walking around the old course I got this photo<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Quick
Quick photo op when we arrived!<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"View
View of 17th tee\/16th green of the Old course from our hotel room<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Me
Me and my caddie - teeing off for hole #1 at the old course<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"St.
St. Andrews Golf course<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Post
Post round beer at Tom Morris' pub<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"The
The old course at St. Andrews<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"lunch
lunch on the old course at St. Andrews Old Tom Morris pub<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Jim
Jim on Swilican bridge at the last hole on the old course - a right of passage for evey golfer<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Gina
Gina on Swilican Bridge!<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"view
view from our hotel room<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"a
a quick inital photo op on the swilican bridge<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"dinner
dinner above the 17th hole<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"St.
St. Andrews old course<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"playing
playing the old course<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"View
View from 17th tee - need to hit it over the hotel sign<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"img_8799\"<\/figure><\/div>
\"Gina
Gina on the Swilican Bridge<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Hell
Hell bunker - one of my playing companions got into it<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Arrived
Arrived at the home of golf<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"On
On train to St. Andres - going over Firth of Forth<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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St. Andrews:<\/strong><\/p>

We spent two nights at the Old Course Hotel, which overlooks the iconic 17th hole, also known as the “Road Hole.” For a golf fan, this was heaven. In 1986, I only had about two hours here and only walked the 18th hole. This time, I was determined to experience it properly.<\/p>

The resort is now operated by the Kohler company, which also runs top-tier golf resorts in the U.S. like Whistling Straits and Blackwolf Run. I asked about playing the Old Course and was directed to the starter\u2019s hut to enter the lottery for single players (Gina doesn\u2019t golf and was happy to sleep in).<\/p>

I registered via iPad and was told to wait until 5 PM to see if I got a spot. At 5:15, I got the text\u2014tee time at 7 AM the next morning! I couldn\u2019t believe it\u201480 applicants, only 12 spots, and I got one. Incredible luck!<\/p>

The next morning was chilly\u2014about 48\u00b0F\u2014but I layered up and made my way across the course to pick up rental clubs. No driving range to warm up (and I hadn\u2019t swung a club in six months!), so I just hit some putts to get a feel for the putter.<\/p>

I was paired with three 29-year-olds from Atlanta on a golf trip. They had five guys total and were trying to get two tee times, but only three made it\u2014leaving the opening I snagged. The weather warmed up into the 60s, which helped, and I was lucky to have Ian, a knowledgeable and friendly Scottish caddie.<\/p>

As for the round: I birdied hole #6, reached the green in two on the legendary 17th, and two-putted from the Valley of Sin on #18\u2014right in front of the tourists! I also had my fair share of bogeys and one triple (thanks, bunker on #9), but I shot a respectable 85 overall. Truly unforgettable. Huge thanks to my wife for encouraging me to go for it.<\/p>

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Afterward, we had lunch in town and did some shopping\u2014logged over 24,000 steps that day! Of course, I picked up some souvenirs: shirts, a sweater, a hat, and a few golf trinkets. That night, we had an exquisite dinner at the Road Hole Restaurant, with views of the course and all of St. Andrews. Just spectacular.<\/p>

The next morning, we checked out and took one last walk through town before heading back to Edinburgh. We made it into the Hilton this time without getting lost and took a final walk down the Royal Mile. We toured through the grass market section of Edingburgh which is unique architecture and being located below the Castle high above which inspired sets used in the Harry Potter movies, visited the vendors along the square and had a nioce pub lunch.\u00a0<\/p>

Sunday, May 18th was a travel day. We\u2019d been notified months earlier that due to track maintenance, King\u2019s Cross station in London would be closed. So our journey back included an express train to Peterborough, then two crowded local trains\u2014one to Cambridge, then to London Liverpool Street. It added about two hours to the trip, but we made it!<\/p>

Our final full day in London\u2014and the end of our world cruise\u2014was bittersweet. We packed our bags (five large suitcases and two carry-ons!) and headed out to explore the Kensington area. We visited the Chelsea Flower Show, which featured elaborate floral displays from fashion shops to flower boutiques. The displays were breathtaking, and Sloane Square was buzzing with people taking photos.<\/p>

We stopped at Harrods for a late lunch at the food court\u2014Pasta Evangelists served up a fantastic Italian meal\u2014and then took our last London Underground ride back to the hotel.<\/p>

After a good night\u2019s sleep, we woke at 6 AM, checked out, and met our pre-arranged limo to the Virgin Upper Class check-in at Heathrow. Everything went so smoothly we were amazed. We enjoyed breakfast in the lounge, boarded our nine-hour flight to Miami, and were home by 5 PM. When we arrived home, Zack and Sedona’s cat Miss Smoke or Smokalaski as she can be called, welcomed us with a stare of “where did you go?”<\/p>

And just like that, our world cruise came to a close\u2014a full circle around the globe, packed with memories we\u2019ll never forget. A total of 150 days, 138 on a cruise ship, 30 countries, 67 sea days, 71 port days, and finally sailing over 39,600 miles.\u00a0 We truly enjoyed every minute and simply fancinated by the people we met and places we saw. I do plan to do a tips blog for those who may be thinking of doing a world cruise and share some insight on things we learned.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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\"How
How they tell weather in Scotland<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Our
Our train getting ready to leave Edinburgh<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Photo
Photo from Train - Berwick bridge crossing<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Oh
Oh no, heading to the aiorport to go home...:(<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Aboard
Aboard getting ready to fly home<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"img_8969\"<\/figure><\/div>
\"Smoke
Smoke (Zachary's and Sedona's cat) wondered where we went<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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We checked out of the Hyatt Regency Churchill and made our way to King’s Cross Station to catch the LNER express train to Edinburgh, Scotland. The four-hour train ride was absolutely stunning\u2014just three quick stops before we rolled into the heart of Edinburgh at Waverley Station. Our Hilton hotel was right next to the station\u2026 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":230351823,"featured_media":8430,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"{title}\n\n{excerpt}\n\n{url}","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[200,50518550],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8408","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel","category-world-cruise-24-25"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/peuwlC-2bC","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2730,"url":"https:\/\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/?p=2730","url_meta":{"origin":8408,"position":0},"title":"Edinburgh! We have returned!","author":"Jim and Gina Sumislaski","date":"September 8, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Well it took 37 years, but we finally returned to one of our favorite cities from our Honeymoon.\u00a0 Boy things have changed but then, some things were the same as we recalled.As mentioned in our previous post, Kirkwall had us a bit under the weather and medicine had helped but\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Travel"","block_context":{"text":"Travel","link":"https:\/\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/?cat=200"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/IMG_8969-rotated.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/IMG_8969-rotated.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/IMG_8969-rotated.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/IMG_8969-rotated.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1372,"url":"https:\/\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/?p=1372","url_meta":{"origin":8408,"position":1},"title":"Our first “Post-Graduation” trip","author":"Jim and Gina Sumislaski","date":"February 5, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Our Countdown: We are planning for our first\u00a0post-graduation (let's not call it retirement)\u00a0travel this July and we are going to Norway on our first Viking Ocean cruise. The Itinerary is called \"into the midnight sun\" where we travel from Bergen, Norway to the northernmost tip of Europe in Honningsvag, Norway\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Norway-Scotland"","block_context":{"text":"Norway-Scotland","link":"https:\/\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/?cat=50518552"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/intomidnightsunmap.webp?fit=700%2C467&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/intomidnightsunmap.webp?fit=700%2C467&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/intomidnightsunmap.webp?fit=700%2C467&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/intomidnightsunmap.webp?fit=700%2C467&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8316,"url":"https:\/\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/?p=8316","url_meta":{"origin":8408,"position":2},"title":"World Cruise – Post Cruise – One week in London","author":"Jim and Gina Sumislaski","date":"May 20, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Disembarking the Viking Sun and Exploring LondonAfter 138 unforgettable days aboard the Viking Sun\u2014our home away from home\u2014we finally disembarked. Our \"dorm\" cabin had just enough space to hold all our \u201cstuff\u201d and, more importantly, a married couple of 39 years still very much in love (and not filing for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Travel"","block_context":{"text":"Travel","link":"https:\/\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/?cat=200"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/img_8420.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/img_8420.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/img_8420.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/img_8420.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5288,"url":"https:\/\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/?p=5288","url_meta":{"origin":8408,"position":3},"title":"100 days until Viking’s World Cruise","author":"Jim and Gina Sumislaski","date":"September 25, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"100 days to go until we board the Viking Sky in Fort Lauderdale and embark on a 138-day journey to London, England.\u00a0 \u00a0It\u2019s been a busy time for us as we prepare for this adventure. \u00a0Here are some of the major steps we\u2019ve taken so far:Trip Preparation: Finances are finalized,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Travel"","block_context":{"text":"Travel","link":"https:\/\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/?cat=200"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/IMG_0706-4.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/IMG_0706-4.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/IMG_0706-4.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/IMG_0706-4.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2659,"url":"https:\/\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/?p=2659","url_meta":{"origin":8408,"position":4},"title":"Kirkwall – Orkney Island, Scotland","author":"Jim and Gina Sumislaski","date":"September 5, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Arrived in Orkney Island at the port of Kirkwall early on a foggy\/misty rainy day in Scotland.\u00a0 It was a brief tender from ship to shore arriving in the heart of Kirkwall a quaint city that is the parliamentary seat of the Orkney Islands and the largest town of the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Norway-Scotland"","block_context":{"text":"Norway-Scotland","link":"https:\/\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/?cat=50518552"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/IMG_8950.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/IMG_8950.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/IMG_8950.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/IMG_8950.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1337,"url":"https:\/\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/?p=1337","url_meta":{"origin":8408,"position":5},"title":"We arrive – Oslo Norway","author":"Jim and Gina Sumislaski","date":"August 7, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"First Stop - 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