In late May 2026, I set off on what I called my big trip to the UK and Europe. I spent a week in England with friends, and then my dear friend Jilla and I sailed from Southampton on a two-week cruise through Scandinavia and the Baltic. Along the way I kept a close ear on accessibility, and I came home with some good news to share.
Birmingham and Liverpool
I landed in London on May 30. My flight had a bit of turbulence, but I had a lovely travelling companion. That evening, Jilla and I enjoyed an East Indian dinner at her favourite restaurant, and the next day Jilla and I met my friend Angie on the motorway.
At Angie’s home near Birmingham, I was treated to her homemade soup and a curry chicken dinner, and I woke up to the birds singing in the fields. On June 1, Angie and I took the train to Liverpool. The seats were comfortable, and we settled into the Royal Hotel. The air was fresh, not too warm and not too cool, and Angie and I went for lovely walks near the hotel in Crosby.
On June 2, we had a long pub lunch with Mary, Yvonne and her husband Steve, Mary’s brother Dan and Steve’s brother Derek. It was also Angie’s birthday, so I bought her a glass of white wine to celebrate. The next day Dan drove us to Lime Street Station, where I accidentally pulled the emergency bell! Angie and I had a good laugh about that. Back in Birmingham, Angie helped me choose two lovely sweaters at John Lewis, one a minty green and the other a peachy colour.
Southampton and the Ship
On June 6, the anniversary of D-Day, Jilla and I took the train to Southampton Central and boarded our ship. Our cabin was very nice and compact, and we unpacked and settled in. I thanked God for bringing me there, and I thanked my dad and my Uncle Ben for giving me the ability to afford to be there.
Dunkirk and a Cheeky Seagull
Our first stop was Dunkirk in France, where a festival and a parade were under way. Jilla and I had beer at one café and mussels at another. Some of my mussels fell on the ground, and a bold little seagull swooped right under my feet and flew away with them!
St. Bavo, Haarlem
The next day, in Haarlem in the Netherlands, we visited the Church of St. Bavo, and it was one of the most memorable days of my life. We sat and listened to the organist practising his pieces with his tutor. I cannot explain how I felt: sheer gratitude, and so many emotions. Then we walked around the church, and Jilla let me feel Mary’s face. It was so moving. I thanked Mary for Mom and for me.
Haarlem itself was not so easy for me. There are far too many bicycles buzzing around, so it is not very friendly for someone with a vision impairment.
Oslo, Lysekil and Copenhagen
What a lovely city Oslo is! The streets were wide, there were far fewer bicycles, and people spoke very good English and were extremely helpful. We visited the cathedral, walked past the palace and the park, and ate a Spanish meal outdoors. There were flowers everywhere, all over the sidewalks. I called it the city of flowers. I also bought a little troll.
Lysekil, in Sweden, was a lovely little town where people go at their own rate: fishing, boating, a boardwalk and a church, and air so fresh and cool. There is still a corner of this world where peace reigns. Someone even stopped us to ask whether we needed help to find our way.
In Copenhagen, we took the hop-on hop-off bus, and to my delight there were audio descriptions of everything along the way, from The Little Mermaid to what King Christian IV did for the city. At lunch, the owner of a restaurant told us he did not have a menu in braille, so my friend would have to read it to me. Never had that happened before in my life! Then a shopkeeper gave us a great discount on three bronze mermaids that I bought as gifts.
Berlin, Gdansk, Stockholm and Tallinn
From our ship we took a long bus ride to Berlin, where I was pleased to visit the Brandenburg Gate and Checkpoint Charlie. In Gdansk, although it rained all afternoon, we visited the huge Church of Saint Mary, which Pope John Paul II had visited, and I bought Mom a beautiful amber cross. Bad weather kept us from going ashore in Latvia.
Stockholm was a mixed bag. The audio system on the tour bus did not work, which was a pity, because I was hoping it would describe things to me. The boat tour was quite good, though, and we visited a lovely little Lutheran church and saw the palace. Somewhere along the way, I think it was in Stockholm, I also found braille on a bus: a little tag on the stop button that said S-T-O-P.
In Tallinn, Estonia, the old city’s cobblestone streets were a challenge for me, but Jilla, the trooper she is, persevered with me, and it turned out not to be so hard once I put my mind to it. I bought a lovely plum-coloured shawl.
Life on Board
Jilla and I both treated ourselves to full body massages, and later I had a facial. I took some quiet down days too, resting in our cabin and listening to the radio. The staff on the ship were extremely wonderful, helpful, welcoming and friendly, from the waiters and waitresses to the people who looked after our cabin. I felt really sad to leave them when we disembarked in Helsinki on June 20.
Through it all, I kept in touch with Mom by FaceTime, with help from my sister-in-law Gayle and Mom’s caregiver, Moya. The ship’s internet was not always cooperative, but we always found a way.
Helsinki and Home to London
In Helsinki, we took an audio tour of the city, which I truly enjoyed, with descriptions of all the different buildings and what they represent. The highlight of the evening came when Jilla dropped a morsel of food to see what the seagulls would do, and boy, did they come screaming in!
Back in London, we had a wonderful barbecue with Jilla’s family, and on June 22, Jilla and I had a lovely lunch with Voldi and his wife, Clare. You can hear my interview with Voldi on Remarkable World Commentary.
From Curb to Cabin
What a surprise I had at Heathrow when we flew back from Helsinki! When we landed, Jilla described to me the images that are now being used to depict different types of disabilities, including symbols for sight loss and for a person walking with a long cane. I asked her to photograph them for me, so that I can send them to Kerianne at Air Canada. At least I have the satisfaction of knowing that what I have been suggesting is not out of this world. You can hear my interview with Kerianne on Remarkable World Commentary.
At Helsinki Airport, Jilla also photographed seats marked for passengers who need assistance, with symbols for a person with a cane and a person in a wheelchair.
My podcast, Curb to Cabin Canada, is about what actually happens to blind and low-vision passengers when they fly, and each episode follows one part of the air travel journey, from the curb outside the terminal to the seat in the cabin.
Looking Back
On June 23, I flew home, rested, thankful and grateful to Jilla and to God. I thank God for having brought Jilla into my life to help me realize my bucket list. We hope to be on our travels again someday soon. You can hear my interview with Jilla on Remarkable World Commentary.
Previous trip: Lourdes and England 2025
All of my trips: Travel Diaries
Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA
Global Leader In Disability Rights, Digital Accessibility, And Inclusive Policy Reform
Turning policy into progress for people with disabilities.
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