Top 11 of 2011... Part 5

#7.

It seems this list should get easier as I go, right?  But in fact, I'm finding it harder, because each top moment gets greater and therefore merits more pictures and words.  AHHH!  And I can't skip a day, because 2012 is a-knockin'.

So, moving forward.

Despite living in Asia, having traveled over the Pacific first to Australia and New Zealand, having traversed much of North America, until September of this year, I had never hopped the pond to Europe.  Seriously.  (Or been to Mexico, despite living 100 miles from its border and visiting towns on the border on tour, but I already told that story...).

So it was long overdue, but I feared I might miss much of my first trip as it would be during rehearsals onboard the Norwegian Sun, as it began its Atlantic crossing from Copenhagen to Cape Canaveral.

Luckily, my view of Europe was not just from a porthole, but up close and in person.  And it was AMAZING!

The trip started when I landed in Copenhagen at dawn, and hit the ground running in my 24-hour stopover.  I went alone on foot, and despite some complications with money, subways, and credit cards, I stopped in Christianshavn...

 Saw amazing architecture...

Eventually found my way to the Little Mermaid

Through a fort to its giant windmill

And a castle, among other things.

Also of note.  The famous Tivoli Gardens amusement park where I rode the oldest wooden rollercoaster in the world where the operator actually rides the train and manually brakes it.  Awesome, and suprisingly scary.

The city was hosting a giant road cycling race and so there were no cars on the roads, and throngs of cyclists and crowds around the city.  It was stellar.  I had some delicious Danish baked goods, and walked my feet off, in the 50-degree fall weather.

But the biggest surprise of the day was when I stumbled upon the coolest pool/public bath/beach I've ever seen, that I read about in some travel blog.  And it was within a short walk from my HOTEL!  KISMET!

Yes, that is literally a pool built out in the middle of the ocean, with high-dives, booths, staircases, and fences to protect you from the wind.  I may have even taken a dip in the Baltic in October.  Surreal.

The crossing got even better as I spent a day in Amsterdam with my best Aussie Jayne.

 We visited the Red Light District, went to a sex museum (it was rather tame), saw some prostitutes in the windows (they were not so tame), saw some incredible architecture, and had a delicious cafe lunch people-watching and catching up after 4 years.  And we shopped!!

 Then came Lisbon, where I fell in love with my castmates Julie, Karlene, and Bruno on our first adventure out together.  It always helps to have a Spanish speaker even in Portugal!

We wandered the city, got lost, circled a fort 3 times, but had an amazing time spotting streetcars, stray dogs, beautiful architecture, and laughing the whole way.

Even when we had to stop for pee breaks!

 Lisbon is incredible, the San Francisco of Europe, stunning, hot, international, and full of sights.

 We eventually found the main downtown area, and saw the tourist sights and shops.

 I even decided to try some crazy traditional Portuguese plate of boiled pork, including a pig's FOOT!

 There may have been some incredible sangria, and delicious port tastings as well.  Adventures in a place I never thought I'd be!

 The sail-away was even more stunning, showcasing their sister cities' landmarks, a Golden Gate bridge twin and a Rio Jesus statue twin.

The first night of the crossing was crazy rocky, but somehow we survived and got to our first semi-tropical destination...

Ponta Delgada in the Azores!!!

I only had about an hour ashore as, you know, I had to work that day (bummer!), but still managed to take in the sights, tour a bit of the island, see and taste some local culture and take a few pictures.  Definitely a place worth spending a hour (or more if you have the time).

So in one week, I knocked off four new countries (you'll hear about the last one in another post), a new CONTINENT (!), and then began something few are privileged to do in their twenties...  cross the Atlantic on a boat.  

Nothing.  for SIX days.  

And it seriously gets flat in the middle!  Really.

So what more could a guy ask for, than a job that allows him to see the world.  I was truly blessed, despite being in install/tech hell, to have seen and enjoyed so much.  A top moment of the year, for SURE!