Yes, it's true, more travel is on the way. I start my new job near the end of July and I just needed ONE MORE TRIP before that! Okay, maybe I didn't NEED it, but what fun it will be!
I have booked the wonderful British Isles cruise and will visit many new places and experience many different aspects of the countries. I'm very excited about it. I was lucky enough to get a nonstop flight from Denver to London Heathrow, seems like a piece of cake after the connections I usually have to make! An easy commute to reach the ship! And my friends Alec and Diana, who drove to Dover to meet me and then watched the ship float past without docking, will be joining me on the cruise! Everything fell together so easily, it was just meant to happen!
It's a short trip, this time, only a 12 day cruise, stopping at 10 or 11 ports. I'll spend an extra day in London at each end of the trip and try to see a little more of London that way. Now that I've been on the tram alone in Belgium with only Flemish speaking people, I can probably handle the tube alone!
And so in a little more than a month, I will be heading out on a new adventure! Any suggestions of what to see on this trip?
Ciao for now!
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Hasta Luego Europa
Saying goodbye is never easy for me and it seems to get harder, the older I get. How does one say goodbye at the end of an adventure like this? And so instead of goodbye, I decided to use the Spanish term for ¨"until later" with the hopes that it won't be long before I am back in Europe again. Travel, as I have experienced becomes an addiction and before one adventure is over, I am hungry for the next! But for now, this is it, no future plans have developed and so leaving is a little harder I think!
But what a wonderful stay I had in Copenhagen, made so by the kind young man I met exactly 2 years ago on this same trip when it ended here. Travelling alone does have it's challenges, but as one absolutely beautiful lady told me the last night, so does spending 30 days with one's spouse! It was cute, and her much older husband looked on in disbelief as she went on and on about the challenges of being in such close quarters with anyone, no matter how much you love them. But the joys of both situations on a trip like this definitely outweigh the challenges.
I was in no hurry to get off the ship when it arrived and that in itself was a nice change. The busses began leaving for the airport at 5:30 AM I heard. I had a nice leisurely breakfast and disembarked about 8AM, knowing that Tue wouldn't be at the hotel to greet me until after 8. When I walked in he smiled and welcomed me and it was so comfortable. The lobby was lovely and I was immediately happy to see the hotel had elevators, my suitcases weigh a lot, and I know some hotels don't have lifts and what a long walk up that would have been! He checked me into my lovely room and I realized I was exhausted so I crawled into the comfy bed to rest and found it was wonderfully comfortable, just as was the bed in Rome! Tue had explained I had free pay tv, but there was no way to block the adult tv. So cute, I assured him I was an adult and could handle it! Later I told him that it was a good thing I had the 'adult' tv because most of the stations were in Danish but those I could understand. He laughed at that. Actually it was similar to Portugal in that some of the shows are in English and subtitled in Danish which makes it fun to try to learn some of the words as you watch.
The day was cold and rainy and so plans to visit the Tivoli Gardens were traded for a trip around the city in the hop on-off bus. I've seen a lot of it before, so I decided to rest again for the afternoon. I went into the store next to the hotel and they were unable to use my visa so I went back to the hotel and told Tue my dilemma, I didn't have any Danish kroner. He managed to give me some and put it on my room charge and was so sweet. He told me that was why he wanted me staying at his hotel so that he could take care of me and help me with any thing I needed! How sweet of him and how nice it felt to be taken care of! So I went back and purchased the dog magazine in Danish. I have bought something in every country in that language to share with the kids at my new school. Tue's girlfriend met us at the hotel and we had an incredible dinner and sat and chatted for almost 3 hrs. The food was excellent and he was happy to take me to dinner although I fought that the whole time! The creme brulee was the best I've ever tasted anywhere! Copenhagen is quite expensive so at least he got the half price discount for being a supervisor there. They are a delightful couple and so young to have accomplished so much!
While I was in the lobby I was listening to a group of people talking and told them I wasn't eavesdropping, but just loved hearing their accents! They asked if I knew where it was from and of course I did recognize their Irish accents. They started talking to me and one lady was amazed that I travelled alone and loved my stories. They were the historical society of Ireland and are here on a short trip. They had a reception at the embassy there. They meet and travel once a year to different places. We had a delightful conversation and they left for Tivoli Gardens. This morning the main lady I talked to, insisted I get her address and phone number so I could call her when I make it to Dublin. I told her I show up when people invite me so be sure about that. She said she loved my stories and the way I travel and would love to have me as a guest at her 14 bedroom home in the countryside of Ireland. And I had just been thinking I was returning home with no new friends to keep in touch with. And now I have Therese of Ireland. Tue laughed that I'd made a new friend in such a short time in the lobby of his hotel. One never knows what will happen on an adventure!
And after a great night's sleep and a deicious breakfast, who can top having a danish in Denmark, I said a fond farewell to my dear friend of 2 years and he helped me to the taxi with all of my things and here I am at the Copenhagen airport waiting for my flight home. It is a long journey ahead and I know that I will arrive home safely with many memories and over 1,000 new pictures to support them.
And so, once again, hasta luego Europa!
But what a wonderful stay I had in Copenhagen, made so by the kind young man I met exactly 2 years ago on this same trip when it ended here. Travelling alone does have it's challenges, but as one absolutely beautiful lady told me the last night, so does spending 30 days with one's spouse! It was cute, and her much older husband looked on in disbelief as she went on and on about the challenges of being in such close quarters with anyone, no matter how much you love them. But the joys of both situations on a trip like this definitely outweigh the challenges.
I was in no hurry to get off the ship when it arrived and that in itself was a nice change. The busses began leaving for the airport at 5:30 AM I heard. I had a nice leisurely breakfast and disembarked about 8AM, knowing that Tue wouldn't be at the hotel to greet me until after 8. When I walked in he smiled and welcomed me and it was so comfortable. The lobby was lovely and I was immediately happy to see the hotel had elevators, my suitcases weigh a lot, and I know some hotels don't have lifts and what a long walk up that would have been! He checked me into my lovely room and I realized I was exhausted so I crawled into the comfy bed to rest and found it was wonderfully comfortable, just as was the bed in Rome! Tue had explained I had free pay tv, but there was no way to block the adult tv. So cute, I assured him I was an adult and could handle it! Later I told him that it was a good thing I had the 'adult' tv because most of the stations were in Danish but those I could understand. He laughed at that. Actually it was similar to Portugal in that some of the shows are in English and subtitled in Danish which makes it fun to try to learn some of the words as you watch.
The day was cold and rainy and so plans to visit the Tivoli Gardens were traded for a trip around the city in the hop on-off bus. I've seen a lot of it before, so I decided to rest again for the afternoon. I went into the store next to the hotel and they were unable to use my visa so I went back to the hotel and told Tue my dilemma, I didn't have any Danish kroner. He managed to give me some and put it on my room charge and was so sweet. He told me that was why he wanted me staying at his hotel so that he could take care of me and help me with any thing I needed! How sweet of him and how nice it felt to be taken care of! So I went back and purchased the dog magazine in Danish. I have bought something in every country in that language to share with the kids at my new school. Tue's girlfriend met us at the hotel and we had an incredible dinner and sat and chatted for almost 3 hrs. The food was excellent and he was happy to take me to dinner although I fought that the whole time! The creme brulee was the best I've ever tasted anywhere! Copenhagen is quite expensive so at least he got the half price discount for being a supervisor there. They are a delightful couple and so young to have accomplished so much!
While I was in the lobby I was listening to a group of people talking and told them I wasn't eavesdropping, but just loved hearing their accents! They asked if I knew where it was from and of course I did recognize their Irish accents. They started talking to me and one lady was amazed that I travelled alone and loved my stories. They were the historical society of Ireland and are here on a short trip. They had a reception at the embassy there. They meet and travel once a year to different places. We had a delightful conversation and they left for Tivoli Gardens. This morning the main lady I talked to, insisted I get her address and phone number so I could call her when I make it to Dublin. I told her I show up when people invite me so be sure about that. She said she loved my stories and the way I travel and would love to have me as a guest at her 14 bedroom home in the countryside of Ireland. And I had just been thinking I was returning home with no new friends to keep in touch with. And now I have Therese of Ireland. Tue laughed that I'd made a new friend in such a short time in the lobby of his hotel. One never knows what will happen on an adventure!
And after a great night's sleep and a deicious breakfast, who can top having a danish in Denmark, I said a fond farewell to my dear friend of 2 years and he helped me to the taxi with all of my things and here I am at the Copenhagen airport waiting for my flight home. It is a long journey ahead and I know that I will arrive home safely with many memories and over 1,000 new pictures to support them.
And so, once again, hasta luego Europa!
Friday, May 15, 2009
Safe Journey Ahead
And so, the trip is almost over. Hard to believe that 17 days has passed and I've once again seen such amazing places around the world. Such mixed feelings, sad that it is over and glad to be headed home once again. Everyone is hoping for a safe journey and I can remember the fear I experienced 2 years ago at the end of this cruise when I was facing my first transatlantic flight. Now I know I will be safe and only dread the airport hassles, which are just a part of flying these days. I remember the fear I experienced when I was left all alone at the big white tent near the airport, when the kind kid, Tue, stuck his head in and offered to help me. Now he will be at the hotel to greet me tomorrow when I arrive there. This will be the first time I stay at a small hotel, but he promised I would like it and he would give me a very nice room. We will be going to dinner tomorrow night and he will have some suggestions for my day of sightseeing when I get there. This is the first time I've taken a taxi at the end of the cruise, but I am confident that all will go well and I will arrive at the hotel with no problems. The next morning I will head to the airport and the long flight home, but at least will be rested and ready. And then late on Sunday night I will be home, back to reality.
Today was a wonderful last day! We were told it would be the coldest port but to everyone's surprise and pleasure, it was a warm, bright sunny Norwegian day. I loved the ride into the countryside and enjoyed the beautiful setting of Hadeland Glass Factory once again. The Viking Ship Museum is amazing, even after having visited there several times. So much history here, so much beauty! The 'royal' yacht was in the water, near our ship but we had no sighting of the royal family. A beautiful day in Oslo is over once again.
And home sweet home is waiting!
Today was a wonderful last day! We were told it would be the coldest port but to everyone's surprise and pleasure, it was a warm, bright sunny Norwegian day. I loved the ride into the countryside and enjoyed the beautiful setting of Hadeland Glass Factory once again. The Viking Ship Museum is amazing, even after having visited there several times. So much history here, so much beauty! The 'royal' yacht was in the water, near our ship but we had no sighting of the royal family. A beautiful day in Oslo is over once again.
And home sweet home is waiting!
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Beauty Beyond Words
4:00AM - what is there to do? I woke up and noticed a light under the dark drapes, got up to just peek out and see the early sunrise now that we are in the North Sea before I turned over and went back to sleep. What awaited me beyond the blinds brings tears to my eyes! A beauty so intense that I could just stare. The ship is no longer in the North Sea, we are floating up the Oslo Fjord and I had somehow forgotten the beauty that kept me awake for days when I was on my Norwegian cruise to the top of the European continent. So many emotions flooded back, so many thoughts! I grabbed my camera and was out taking pictures in the cold of the Norwegian morning in my gown, no time to waste getting dressed! First of all, the wooded hillsides covered in white houses is stunning in itself. But add to that the pinks, purples reds and oranges of the sunrise in the sky and clouds behind that and you have one of nature's most beautiful paintings! I stood mesmerized by the beauty I faced and tears filled my eyes. How lucky I am to experience such amazing and beautiful sights around the world!
Tulips in Holland
My mother had a flower shop in Houston for a few years when I graduated from college. That inspired me to go to floral design school and when I completed the program I worked at a florist shop in Denver and helped my mom for years at her little shop on holidays and when she went on her vacations to Las Vegas. She always made a big deal about getting her tulips from Holland. And of course I always saw pictures of the tulips in Holland and couldn't imagine seeing that beauty in person. Two years ago when I took this same cruise I was signedup ahead of time for the tour of Keukenhof Tulip Gardens. Before we reached Rotterdam they made an announcement that the tulips had bloomed early and weren't there so we could change our tour. I decided to go to Amsterdam instead and although I enjoyed it a lot, it wasn't tulips in Holland, so that desire was still inside. This time I knew that nothing would stop me from seeing tulips in Holland! (Of course if the weather had prevented a landing, I know that would have delayed that dream becoming a reality.) But weather decided to cooperate this time and we reached the dock with no troubles at all.
This was my 3rd visit to The Netherlands, and I know the terminal well and right where to go to find the things I want to take home. This was another tour that started in the afternoon and I just couldn't wait all morning on the ship. I had also taken the ship's shuttle into town here too and didn't find a lot to do so I knew I had a couple of hours and needed another new adventure. What was there to do and see? Well the only thing I kept thinking of was the area called Kinderdijk (spelling?) In this area there are many original windmills along a dike. I decided to try to take a taxi to see them. I am a little nervous about doing that alone, but it was worth it to see original windmills in Holland! After all, windmills, clogs and tulips are what Holland is all about, right? And I see a man making clogs in the ship's terminal each time I am there, so that I've seen. Time to see the rest! I had to talk to the taxi drivers about getting me there and back and after they found out I didn't have 3 hours, nor would I pay 300 euros, I was able to find a man who would take me for 2 hours and charge 110 euros. It is a lot, but seeing the windmills was a desire that just had to be satisfied. So off we headed. Turns out he had only been there once years ago and had to call his father for directions. We had to drive onto a tiny ferry to go across a small waterway, held about 6-9 cars at a time and took less than 5 minutes. We finally found them and how exciting to see 2rows of windmills! They were along a narrow waterway and beautiful although I am sure the pictures did not capture the beauty! I didn't spend long there, I knew we didn't have a lot of time and I wanted to get back to the ship in plenty of time for the tour to the tulip gardens. I got 'home' safely and with such an exciting new experience to tell about!
I had a quick lunch and headed out to the buses for the tour about 20 minutes early. I got to the parking lot on the shore and was shocked, all 5 buses were already filled with people! My friend, the tour manager, told me that people had been there almost an hour. I know so many people were excited to be going to the tulips and they were on the ship all morning just waiting. He assured me 2 more buses were coming and they were late, but did arrive and got filled and we were on our way. We got to the gardens much later, the traffic was terrible, and we still had to meet at the same time that the other buses who arrived way before us had to meet. I requested a few extra minutes and was told no, we had to get back to the ship in time to sail. I walked as fast as I could the whole time, less than 2 hours, and still didn't see everything. (My legs are very sore today!) I even missed seeing the famous windmill there!! That was disappointing, but I did get a calendar with a picture of it so that will have to do for now.
The tulips were incredible! You could see where probably half of them had already been cut back, I cannot imagine the beauty just a few weeks ago! Such beautiful colors and a variety of sizes and heights. The pinks, reds, yellows and purples were stunning! There were a variety of other flowers around, but tulips were the focal point! There are millions of bulbs there, from all over the world. I didn't hear this, but the gardens are open on the first of April and close by the end of May. Two short months for acres of gorgeous flowers. The gardens were filled with people, but it was not as crowded as Monet's Garden was. A truly spectacular sight! I am not sure how much earlier one should visit the gardens to see the fields of color on the drive to the gardens and to see the gardens at their best, but I am sure someday I will make a trip to Amsterdam and take a whole day to enjoy the gardens, earlier in the spring.
And until then, the visit to Oslo will have to be enough to enjoy. So tomorrow we arrive there and I will once again be driving through the countryside to the Hadeland Glass Factory, set in a valley next to a lake at the foot of a mountain. Tomorrow, Norway splendor!
Before I know it, I will be flying from Copenhagen to home, via D.C. And in my mind will remain the incredible sights of this vacation, so many beautiful things to see in the world!
This was my 3rd visit to The Netherlands, and I know the terminal well and right where to go to find the things I want to take home. This was another tour that started in the afternoon and I just couldn't wait all morning on the ship. I had also taken the ship's shuttle into town here too and didn't find a lot to do so I knew I had a couple of hours and needed another new adventure. What was there to do and see? Well the only thing I kept thinking of was the area called Kinderdijk (spelling?) In this area there are many original windmills along a dike. I decided to try to take a taxi to see them. I am a little nervous about doing that alone, but it was worth it to see original windmills in Holland! After all, windmills, clogs and tulips are what Holland is all about, right? And I see a man making clogs in the ship's terminal each time I am there, so that I've seen. Time to see the rest! I had to talk to the taxi drivers about getting me there and back and after they found out I didn't have 3 hours, nor would I pay 300 euros, I was able to find a man who would take me for 2 hours and charge 110 euros. It is a lot, but seeing the windmills was a desire that just had to be satisfied. So off we headed. Turns out he had only been there once years ago and had to call his father for directions. We had to drive onto a tiny ferry to go across a small waterway, held about 6-9 cars at a time and took less than 5 minutes. We finally found them and how exciting to see 2rows of windmills! They were along a narrow waterway and beautiful although I am sure the pictures did not capture the beauty! I didn't spend long there, I knew we didn't have a lot of time and I wanted to get back to the ship in plenty of time for the tour to the tulip gardens. I got 'home' safely and with such an exciting new experience to tell about!
I had a quick lunch and headed out to the buses for the tour about 20 minutes early. I got to the parking lot on the shore and was shocked, all 5 buses were already filled with people! My friend, the tour manager, told me that people had been there almost an hour. I know so many people were excited to be going to the tulips and they were on the ship all morning just waiting. He assured me 2 more buses were coming and they were late, but did arrive and got filled and we were on our way. We got to the gardens much later, the traffic was terrible, and we still had to meet at the same time that the other buses who arrived way before us had to meet. I requested a few extra minutes and was told no, we had to get back to the ship in time to sail. I walked as fast as I could the whole time, less than 2 hours, and still didn't see everything. (My legs are very sore today!) I even missed seeing the famous windmill there!! That was disappointing, but I did get a calendar with a picture of it so that will have to do for now.
The tulips were incredible! You could see where probably half of them had already been cut back, I cannot imagine the beauty just a few weeks ago! Such beautiful colors and a variety of sizes and heights. The pinks, reds, yellows and purples were stunning! There were a variety of other flowers around, but tulips were the focal point! There are millions of bulbs there, from all over the world. I didn't hear this, but the gardens are open on the first of April and close by the end of May. Two short months for acres of gorgeous flowers. The gardens were filled with people, but it was not as crowded as Monet's Garden was. A truly spectacular sight! I am not sure how much earlier one should visit the gardens to see the fields of color on the drive to the gardens and to see the gardens at their best, but I am sure someday I will make a trip to Amsterdam and take a whole day to enjoy the gardens, earlier in the spring.
And until then, the visit to Oslo will have to be enough to enjoy. So tomorrow we arrive there and I will once again be driving through the countryside to the Hadeland Glass Factory, set in a valley next to a lake at the foot of a mountain. Tomorrow, Norway splendor!
Before I know it, I will be flying from Copenhagen to home, via D.C. And in my mind will remain the incredible sights of this vacation, so many beautiful things to see in the world!
Beautiful Belgium
Tuesday, May 12 we actually were able to dock and see Belgium. Passengers were happy to be on land and although it was a cold, windy, and sometimes rainy day, we were in a port to see more and that was great! My tour was of Brugges, my favorite place in the world, and it began at 12:30 so I had the morning free. Most people just hang out on the ship and wait for the tours in the afternoon but I hate spending time in Europe on a ship. I've taken the shuttle to Blankensberg before and I've walked down the long main street to the beach there. This time I watched the port lecture on Zeebrugge, the seaport we docked at, several times and knew I had to do something new. There was a tram that went along the beach for 20 minutes, I thought, to a town of Oostend (not spelled correctly). I decided I could do that in the 2 hours I had before I had to get to the ship for the afternoon tour. So I took the shuttle into Blankensberg, crossed the churchyard, street and square and found the tram station on the other side, bought a ticket and waited. Luckily I was sitting next to a 17 yr old girl who spoke some very broken English and she was going to OOstend for school so she would show me how to go. Well, the tram was 15 minutes late, which she said never happens and as we left I saw no beach and there were small hills between the tram and the beautiful white sand beaches of Belgium. AND the tram stopped along the way but no one else seemed to speak English, so there Iwas all alone on a tram going somewhere I'd never been. No beach to be seen, just traffic and a few little villages. The tram stopped at places where you could cross the street and climb over the dunes to get to the beach, but I didn't know how I would get back from the middle of nowhere. It was not scenic at all and finally, after a 50 minute ride I was in the city of Oostend. Now what? I only had a couple of minutes before I had to get on the tram back so I wouldn't miss Brugges. I was nervous! I walked a little ways down a street and saw a bookstore. This trip I have gotten something written in every language to share with kids and I was able to pick up some cute books on numbers, letters, colors and words in Flemish. I needed to go to the bathroom before heading back for the long trip so I went into a little restaurant and asked if they had good hot chocolate, after all it was Belgium, and the lady said it was melted chocolate so I ordered a cup. It was the best in the world, I am sure!!! It was so delicious, maybe even better than what we had in Musee d'Orsey in Paris. I savored it quickly, visted the restroom and rushed down the street to the tram stop. I had only gone 1/2 a block, someday I will go back and spend longer. I waited a few minutes for the tram, not one person spoke English, but I knew which one I wanted and off I went, for the50 minute ride back to Blankensberg. I rushed back to where the ship shuttle was, and watched it drive away! I was worried then! But I chatted with a nice couple from Argentina who are on the ship too and when the bus came and loaded we went to the ship without a wait. I arrived 10 minutes before the bus left for Brugges! Enough time to run in and drop off my packages at the purser's desk and go to the bathroom and get on the next bus. And off I went for another glorious day in Brugges!
Arriving in Brugges, you have to park at the edge of the city and walk in. They say it is a mile, but I think it is less. They always go to the same place and tell you they will meet you there in 3 hours. Luckily the meeting place is right across the street from my favorite waffle stand! It is a tiny restaurant and even though it was a cold,cloudy day, the tables were out on the street. I ordered the waffle I love, savored that incredible taste, and then headed off to explore my town! I always recommend Lily's to everyone I talk to and no one has been disappointed in their waffles yet! One couple told me they should pay me for being such a great travel consultant, everything I told them to do was wonderful. I wandered around the town and ended up in front of a different 'friete' stand so decided to have frites (fries) with tartare sauce on them, and they were delicious! I met a couple on that side of town and told them about the waffle place and before my group left, they arrived there and ordered their waffle. I always get back to the meeting place early, time for one last waffle! This time I talked to the owner/manager and he remembered me. He asked me if Ihadn't been there earlier andI said I go twice a visit! He said he remembers me saying one time I was a pig for eating 2. Actually that was the time I took 2 to César back on the ship and said I wasn't a pig really, they were for a friend. Whatever, he did remember me! And he thanked me for sending so many of the cruise passengers to his restaurant, he said you are the one aren't you? And I said I was! So after enjoying one last delicious, to die for waffle, I left with the group for the walk back to the bus. It was a cold, windy day, but it was in Brugges, so how could that ever be a bad day? A dream, and I think it was my 5th visit there. Hopefully, not my last! There is still so much of Brugges I haven't seen yet! Maybe I should just arrange to fly to Brussels, and take a train to Brugges for a few days, that would be delighful!
So that was my day off the bus in Belgium! New adventures, familiar favorites and a new place to go for the best hot chocolate in the world!!
Arriving in Brugges, you have to park at the edge of the city and walk in. They say it is a mile, but I think it is less. They always go to the same place and tell you they will meet you there in 3 hours. Luckily the meeting place is right across the street from my favorite waffle stand! It is a tiny restaurant and even though it was a cold,cloudy day, the tables were out on the street. I ordered the waffle I love, savored that incredible taste, and then headed off to explore my town! I always recommend Lily's to everyone I talk to and no one has been disappointed in their waffles yet! One couple told me they should pay me for being such a great travel consultant, everything I told them to do was wonderful. I wandered around the town and ended up in front of a different 'friete' stand so decided to have frites (fries) with tartare sauce on them, and they were delicious! I met a couple on that side of town and told them about the waffle place and before my group left, they arrived there and ordered their waffle. I always get back to the meeting place early, time for one last waffle! This time I talked to the owner/manager and he remembered me. He asked me if Ihadn't been there earlier andI said I go twice a visit! He said he remembers me saying one time I was a pig for eating 2. Actually that was the time I took 2 to César back on the ship and said I wasn't a pig really, they were for a friend. Whatever, he did remember me! And he thanked me for sending so many of the cruise passengers to his restaurant, he said you are the one aren't you? And I said I was! So after enjoying one last delicious, to die for waffle, I left with the group for the walk back to the bus. It was a cold, windy day, but it was in Brugges, so how could that ever be a bad day? A dream, and I think it was my 5th visit there. Hopefully, not my last! There is still so much of Brugges I haven't seen yet! Maybe I should just arrange to fly to Brussels, and take a train to Brugges for a few days, that would be delighful!
So that was my day off the bus in Belgium! New adventures, familiar favorites and a new place to go for the best hot chocolate in the world!!
Get Off the Bus
On one of the sea days a nice man sat down with me for lunch. He buys and sells movie lighting in LA and is on the cruise with his girlfriend. As we talked about travel adventures, he told me always remember to 'get off the bus'. He said tourists go around and get into the bus together, look out the windows at all of the fabulous places, get off the bus together for the tour, and never get to know the real places. I told him in education when things change they say do it or get off the bus and you know me, I usually get off the bus quickly! However, when it comes to international travel, since I am alone, I am quite content to 'stay on the bus' and look out the windows! But I realized, while talking to him, that I do 'get off the bus' a little more each trip and this trip was no exception. Seeing the bull on a back road in the hillside of Spain was an example I am sure! Of course I was there with Cesar so I felt safe, sort of. But there were other examples of getting off the bus too...
Monday, May 11, 2009
Surprises
SURPRISES aren't all good. I was signing on this morning to say how excited I was to meet my friends soon in Dover and then write about all the surprises that yesterday held, and the captain made an announcement that because of very high winds we were unable to land in Dover! He said the winds were over 40 MPH and expected to get as high as 70 MPH and our safety was the greatest concern. We were close enough that I had already taken the pictures of the white cliffs from my balcony and my cell phone worked. I hated making that call, I had to call Diana to let her know that my ship was not going to make it in so to wave to me from shore! She and Alec drove hours to reach Dover last night to meet me today. Terry drove in 3 hours from where he was and it was going to be a surprise that I got to see him too. However, the surprise was for all of us, I was not going to even get in to see them at all. NOT all surprises are good! I am so disappointed and still in disbelief this is really happening. The passengers all understand but imagine the disappointment of not getting to see London and other exciting places they had so looked forward to. It was the first trip for many people. So almost 3000 people are wandering around disappointed. The captain also announced the weather was expected to be in Belgium tomorrow so we might not be able to land there either. That was not good news either, but we just had another announcement that they are going to try to get to Belgium tonight and dock so we can beat the storm there. The downside of that is that we have now picked up speed and the ship is really rough as we go through these rough waters at a higher speed. We had been going quite slowly to save us this rough journey. I had quite a day in France yesterday so I might just get back to my cabin and sleep through this part of the trip.
Yesterday, a dream day in France! I was met by my driver and the experience was nothing like I expe4cted! The taxi was a new SUV, nothing like the little old taxi cab I'd imagined. My guide spoke very good English with a wonderful French accent and was the nicest man. We took off for Giverny and arrived there just 10 minutes after the gardens opened. My driver knew a back way into the gardens which saved me from waiting in a very long line in the front. (just heard another announcement that we may not be going to belgium because of the weather after all!!!) So I entered the gardens with a minimum of waiting and the scent of the flowers was a great tease as I waited in line. The gardens were magnificent! More flowers than I remember and I loved knowing I could wander and photograph without my 1 hour time limit that was there the first trip. The beauty, the colors and the scents were a delight! Because it was Sunday the gardens were packed shortly after I arrived and it was the only thing that kept it from being a perfect day! But I was able to stroll along the garden and relish the experience. After a couple of hours I visited the gift shop and then left and found my private driver. He had found a little outdoor cafe where we ate a little French lunch together. It was wonderful having someone to speak French and translate for me, of course I am used to that when I am with César, but it was nice having someone else who could help me in France. He told me about a lovely garden behind the hotel where we were eating and I had time to go out and enjoy that as we waited for our meal. We ate out on the street and enjoyed watching the people wander by. The food was delicious and we ate and walked back to the car. My driver Franz, asked me if I would like to visit a monastery that was actually a working one, with monks there too. He said it was a way in the French countryside and I would never pass up an opportunity to see anything in the countryside! And so I was in store for quite a nice surprise! We had a gorgeous drive into a tiny village and we visited a monastery that was built in 600AD! The church was interesting, very old, very plain, nothing like the oppulence of the cathedral we had visited in Spain. There was an old monk praying and when we left we saw a young monk walking along. There are 50 monks of all ages at the monastery. We went in the little gift shop and a monk was running it and there was such a feeling of peace around him. The shop was filled with things made from monks at different monasteries. Evidently they used to sell their own products but now they have started selling other products from the other monastaries and the choices were amazing. I bought a tiny glass angel to take home and use to remember my first visit to a monastery. She is so sweet!
By the time we were through with that visit there really wasn't time left to go to the seaside town of Etretat but the driver told me he would still take me there. He was so pleased I had accepted his suggestion to see the monastery that he said the rest of the day was on him!! For 2 1/2 years he had offered that to tourists and I was the first who had been interested. So we drove more through the beautiful country and found a place to park near the beach, lucky us because it was so crowded! I walked along the boardwalk and enjoyed the cool breeze and the variety of people there. I stopped at a little outdoor cafe on the boardwalk and went in for a crepe. I ordered one that had butter inside and sugar on top, that seemed to be the way the people there were getting them and I decided the French would know best. Always do what the locals do?? So I sat and savored the delicious crepe while looking out at the lovely arch that Monet painted so many times. I tried not to take too long and after a little shopping, headed back to the car and we drove back to LeHavre. One last stop was the final surprise of the day. My driver took me to a spot where Monet painted his famous painting, Impression Sunrise. Do you know why that was important? A newspaper reporter wrote about that picture and called him an Impressionist and that is the painting that led to the term Impressionists for the painters who painted like Monet. I stood next to the sign on the street and Franz took my picture there. And then we went back to the ship. I felt so lucky, I was supposed to be on the trip for 6 hrs, but it had turned out to be 10 and filled with delightful surprises! Franz and I exchanged email addresses and I am sure we will stay in touch. He is a nice 50 year old man with a wife, yes, and 3 children and a grandchild. He gave me a European goodbye, a kiss on each cheek and we said goodbye. The manager of the Shore excursion office was there so I introduced them and Arcadieuz told the driver that I show up all over the world so the driver would probably see me again, everyone does. Cute!
After a nice dinner I went to bed early for my big day in England! Surprise again!
So from the sea, goodbye!
Yesterday, a dream day in France! I was met by my driver and the experience was nothing like I expe4cted! The taxi was a new SUV, nothing like the little old taxi cab I'd imagined. My guide spoke very good English with a wonderful French accent and was the nicest man. We took off for Giverny and arrived there just 10 minutes after the gardens opened. My driver knew a back way into the gardens which saved me from waiting in a very long line in the front. (just heard another announcement that we may not be going to belgium because of the weather after all!!!) So I entered the gardens with a minimum of waiting and the scent of the flowers was a great tease as I waited in line. The gardens were magnificent! More flowers than I remember and I loved knowing I could wander and photograph without my 1 hour time limit that was there the first trip. The beauty, the colors and the scents were a delight! Because it was Sunday the gardens were packed shortly after I arrived and it was the only thing that kept it from being a perfect day! But I was able to stroll along the garden and relish the experience. After a couple of hours I visited the gift shop and then left and found my private driver. He had found a little outdoor cafe where we ate a little French lunch together. It was wonderful having someone to speak French and translate for me, of course I am used to that when I am with César, but it was nice having someone else who could help me in France. He told me about a lovely garden behind the hotel where we were eating and I had time to go out and enjoy that as we waited for our meal. We ate out on the street and enjoyed watching the people wander by. The food was delicious and we ate and walked back to the car. My driver Franz, asked me if I would like to visit a monastery that was actually a working one, with monks there too. He said it was a way in the French countryside and I would never pass up an opportunity to see anything in the countryside! And so I was in store for quite a nice surprise! We had a gorgeous drive into a tiny village and we visited a monastery that was built in 600AD! The church was interesting, very old, very plain, nothing like the oppulence of the cathedral we had visited in Spain. There was an old monk praying and when we left we saw a young monk walking along. There are 50 monks of all ages at the monastery. We went in the little gift shop and a monk was running it and there was such a feeling of peace around him. The shop was filled with things made from monks at different monasteries. Evidently they used to sell their own products but now they have started selling other products from the other monastaries and the choices were amazing. I bought a tiny glass angel to take home and use to remember my first visit to a monastery. She is so sweet!
By the time we were through with that visit there really wasn't time left to go to the seaside town of Etretat but the driver told me he would still take me there. He was so pleased I had accepted his suggestion to see the monastery that he said the rest of the day was on him!! For 2 1/2 years he had offered that to tourists and I was the first who had been interested. So we drove more through the beautiful country and found a place to park near the beach, lucky us because it was so crowded! I walked along the boardwalk and enjoyed the cool breeze and the variety of people there. I stopped at a little outdoor cafe on the boardwalk and went in for a crepe. I ordered one that had butter inside and sugar on top, that seemed to be the way the people there were getting them and I decided the French would know best. Always do what the locals do?? So I sat and savored the delicious crepe while looking out at the lovely arch that Monet painted so many times. I tried not to take too long and after a little shopping, headed back to the car and we drove back to LeHavre. One last stop was the final surprise of the day. My driver took me to a spot where Monet painted his famous painting, Impression Sunrise. Do you know why that was important? A newspaper reporter wrote about that picture and called him an Impressionist and that is the painting that led to the term Impressionists for the painters who painted like Monet. I stood next to the sign on the street and Franz took my picture there. And then we went back to the ship. I felt so lucky, I was supposed to be on the trip for 6 hrs, but it had turned out to be 10 and filled with delightful surprises! Franz and I exchanged email addresses and I am sure we will stay in touch. He is a nice 50 year old man with a wife, yes, and 3 children and a grandchild. He gave me a European goodbye, a kiss on each cheek and we said goodbye. The manager of the Shore excursion office was there so I introduced them and Arcadieuz told the driver that I show up all over the world so the driver would probably see me again, everyone does. Cute!
After a nice dinner I went to bed early for my big day in England! Surprise again!
So from the sea, goodbye!
Saturday, May 9, 2009
A Lot of BULL - continued
And so there we were on an old country road in the mountains. While I was going through my suitcase for the hotel paperwork, César decided to go into the trees to pee, the joy of being a boy! While he was gone I thought it was interesting that there was a big wind that had picked up in the trees across the road. It dawned on me that the 'breeze' was accompanied by a loud thudding noise and I looked closely across the street and at that time César came running up to me at the car and asked what it was. I thought wind at first, but then we could make out the shape of animals just beyond the trees along the road. We froze in surprise as the thundering passed by, and then from no where we heard the sound coming back our way and out of the trees ran a big bull!! We all three stared at each other, a stone's throw apart. I'm sure the bull was quite surprised and what a picture it must have been to see César and I run to the doors and jump in his car. We stared at each other for a moment, or an hour and I finally got the camera and we backed up to get a picture and when we did, the bull ran back into the trees, lost to us forever! Once the fear and shocked passed, it was hilarious that we had met a wild bull in Spain! I so regret not thinking to get out of the car long enough to get a picture or two! But who knows what our bull would have done, seeing me so close again. And so quite relieved, we called the hotel and got directions and went on our way,sure that seeing a wild bull across a small road from us had to be the thrill of the trip! What could top that? And I much preferred seeing him run free than in a bullring being killed!! And believe me, this story is not a bunch of bull!
We finally arrived at our hotel and it was as incredible as I remembered it from the tour that went there for snacks. We checked in and enjoyed a nice dinner in the restaurant and spent quite a while outside on our private balcony overlooking the beautiful ocean hitting the rocks below. We had snacks I'd taken and the wine the travel agent sent me and before we knew it, it was 2AM! César fell asleep quickly and I knew he was tired from working the night before and driving so far that day. I couldn't sleep so I went down to use the internet and spent almost 2 hours talking to the night manager and couldn't fall asleep until 5AM! The time change is so hard for me. I was awake at 9 and somehow made it through the morning awake! We had breakfast and decided to make the 'one hour' drive to Santiago de Compestela, the famous pilgrimage site. The 'one hour' drive was much closer to 2 hours and when we got to the town we couldn't find the church right away. We did laugh about believing the time that Europeans tell us something will take. We learned better on other trips. The cathedral was absolutely amazing! It was beautiful and ornate and very impressive. We arrived at the end of the mass and the organ music was gorgeous! After purchasing a cd from the Spanish serenade singers who were there, we walked back to the car and decided to have a nice lunch in Vigo before I got back on the ship. We were both so tired and when we got to Vigo the ship was much further away than we had expected and I later found out that another ship had taken the pier where we were supposed to be. By the time we found the ship we were not anywhere to have lunch and I knew he was concerned about his long drive home alone so we said goodbye much sooner than we had expected. That is always hard for me, not knowing if and when we will be together next. I won't be going to Portugal for my birthday this year,he just can't get off work so the future is unknown.
I am so used to being alone but after spending time with such a wonderful friend who takes such good care of me, it is hard to be alone again. I couldn't resist tears when I was asked how the trip was. The nice crew member who okayed my paperwork had to meet me at the ship and get me reregistered to get back on. She was so sweet and said that she really liked me and would I like to have dinner with her and some friends to keep the tradition of knowing crew alive on this trip too. How sweet that was! And I believe I mentioned that César's roommate from his Australia contract is on the ship, and he said he would like to get together with me too, so that will be fun. He knew all about me from César and had seen pictures of me. Small world in the cruise industry after all. And so, I have now adjusted back to my lone existence on the ship and the pleasure of company for 24 hours is history now.
And luckily I have so much to look forward to ahead of me, it will help. Tomorrow we arrive and I will be spending the day with my own taxi and driver and spend as long as I want at Monet's Garden, a perfect day! And then the next day I will already be back with friends again! Alec and Diana, who I met on the Antarctica cruise will meet the ship and we will get to spend the day together! I'm excited to see them and be together to see England. We might be joined by Terry, who I also know from another cruise, but I haven't heard yet. How lucky I am to have so many friends to be with this trip. If it is indeed the last long trip I get to take, what memories I will have! Bull, and all! And so, hasta luego!
We finally arrived at our hotel and it was as incredible as I remembered it from the tour that went there for snacks. We checked in and enjoyed a nice dinner in the restaurant and spent quite a while outside on our private balcony overlooking the beautiful ocean hitting the rocks below. We had snacks I'd taken and the wine the travel agent sent me and before we knew it, it was 2AM! César fell asleep quickly and I knew he was tired from working the night before and driving so far that day. I couldn't sleep so I went down to use the internet and spent almost 2 hours talking to the night manager and couldn't fall asleep until 5AM! The time change is so hard for me. I was awake at 9 and somehow made it through the morning awake! We had breakfast and decided to make the 'one hour' drive to Santiago de Compestela, the famous pilgrimage site. The 'one hour' drive was much closer to 2 hours and when we got to the town we couldn't find the church right away. We did laugh about believing the time that Europeans tell us something will take. We learned better on other trips. The cathedral was absolutely amazing! It was beautiful and ornate and very impressive. We arrived at the end of the mass and the organ music was gorgeous! After purchasing a cd from the Spanish serenade singers who were there, we walked back to the car and decided to have a nice lunch in Vigo before I got back on the ship. We were both so tired and when we got to Vigo the ship was much further away than we had expected and I later found out that another ship had taken the pier where we were supposed to be. By the time we found the ship we were not anywhere to have lunch and I knew he was concerned about his long drive home alone so we said goodbye much sooner than we had expected. That is always hard for me, not knowing if and when we will be together next. I won't be going to Portugal for my birthday this year,he just can't get off work so the future is unknown.
I am so used to being alone but after spending time with such a wonderful friend who takes such good care of me, it is hard to be alone again. I couldn't resist tears when I was asked how the trip was. The nice crew member who okayed my paperwork had to meet me at the ship and get me reregistered to get back on. She was so sweet and said that she really liked me and would I like to have dinner with her and some friends to keep the tradition of knowing crew alive on this trip too. How sweet that was! And I believe I mentioned that César's roommate from his Australia contract is on the ship, and he said he would like to get together with me too, so that will be fun. He knew all about me from César and had seen pictures of me. Small world in the cruise industry after all. And so, I have now adjusted back to my lone existence on the ship and the pleasure of company for 24 hours is history now.
And luckily I have so much to look forward to ahead of me, it will help. Tomorrow we arrive and I will be spending the day with my own taxi and driver and spend as long as I want at Monet's Garden, a perfect day! And then the next day I will already be back with friends again! Alec and Diana, who I met on the Antarctica cruise will meet the ship and we will get to spend the day together! I'm excited to see them and be together to see England. We might be joined by Terry, who I also know from another cruise, but I haven't heard yet. How lucky I am to have so many friends to be with this trip. If it is indeed the last long trip I get to take, what memories I will have! Bull, and all! And so, hasta luego!
A Lot of BULL
As we roll around on the Bay of Biscay, many memories of my road trip from Lisbon to Vigo roll around in my head! We are sailing through 'swells' of 12 ft. and the ship, as large as it is, is swaying quite a bit from this encounter. For the first time in days there is sunlight with scattered clouds, rather than the cloudy days we've had.
César and I agreed that a little over 24 hours is just not long enough to be together and enjoy a trip. Of course we liked being together but everything was too rushed with the schedule. He was at the pier before the ship even docked waiting for me. I had to wait a while after the first passengers went on shore because I needed immigration and customs approval. When I finally got off and walked through the 'safe zone' and through the terminal and saw him waiting for me, we both just smiled! First was the American greeting, a big hug, and then the traditional European greeting, a kiss on both cheeks. We went to the car and talked a lot and he opened the surprises I had for him and they brought laughs as always and then we headed out for our big road trip. We got on a different highway than we had been on before and from the beginning it was a beautiful drive. Although I am not sure drive is the word for it. We had gone a long way before I commented that I wasn't comfortable with him going 140 miles an hour. He laughed and said it was kilometers and I felt much better! We were only going 100 miles an hour!! Then I got excited and said that the 299 to Porto, was so much closer than I thought since it was km. not miles! The whole trip seemed shorter to me because of the numbers being km, notmiles and he thought that was pretty funny. I really wanted to see the ocean so we took a side trip which turned out to be a very long way, to eat our Portuguese lunch near the beach. I was sad that we didn't stop for any pictures along the way and you can't get good pictures when you are flying by at 100 miles an hour. Next time we will do this trip with a lot more time to enjoy the sights along the way. We were both frustrated at the pace we had to keep to get to Vigo that day. But we could admire the beauty as we flew past it! We tried to enjoy Porto, what I saw was beautiful! But the traffic was horrible so I wanted to just turn around and get out so we didn't really visit anywhere in Portugal. We arrived in Spain with no big welcome. We took a turn to Vigo, which I don't think we should have taken because rather than being on a freeway we were on gorgeous back roads through mountains. However, we had no idea where we were and it was getting late, and we didn't want to be lost up there in the dark. So we stopped on a country road for me to get out the hotel info from my suitcase in the back of the car so we could call and see where to go. WEll, that is when the bull story begins...but it is time for my French class so I will have to continue the big bull story later, what an adventure that was! so for now, Au Revoir!
César and I agreed that a little over 24 hours is just not long enough to be together and enjoy a trip. Of course we liked being together but everything was too rushed with the schedule. He was at the pier before the ship even docked waiting for me. I had to wait a while after the first passengers went on shore because I needed immigration and customs approval. When I finally got off and walked through the 'safe zone' and through the terminal and saw him waiting for me, we both just smiled! First was the American greeting, a big hug, and then the traditional European greeting, a kiss on both cheeks. We went to the car and talked a lot and he opened the surprises I had for him and they brought laughs as always and then we headed out for our big road trip. We got on a different highway than we had been on before and from the beginning it was a beautiful drive. Although I am not sure drive is the word for it. We had gone a long way before I commented that I wasn't comfortable with him going 140 miles an hour. He laughed and said it was kilometers and I felt much better! We were only going 100 miles an hour!! Then I got excited and said that the 299 to Porto, was so much closer than I thought since it was km. not miles! The whole trip seemed shorter to me because of the numbers being km, notmiles and he thought that was pretty funny. I really wanted to see the ocean so we took a side trip which turned out to be a very long way, to eat our Portuguese lunch near the beach. I was sad that we didn't stop for any pictures along the way and you can't get good pictures when you are flying by at 100 miles an hour. Next time we will do this trip with a lot more time to enjoy the sights along the way. We were both frustrated at the pace we had to keep to get to Vigo that day. But we could admire the beauty as we flew past it! We tried to enjoy Porto, what I saw was beautiful! But the traffic was horrible so I wanted to just turn around and get out so we didn't really visit anywhere in Portugal. We arrived in Spain with no big welcome. We took a turn to Vigo, which I don't think we should have taken because rather than being on a freeway we were on gorgeous back roads through mountains. However, we had no idea where we were and it was getting late, and we didn't want to be lost up there in the dark. So we stopped on a country road for me to get out the hotel info from my suitcase in the back of the car so we could call and see where to go. WEll, that is when the bull story begins...but it is time for my French class so I will have to continue the big bull story later, what an adventure that was! so for now, Au Revoir!
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Time
Time is an interesting thing. Flying from Denver to Ft. Lauderdale wasn't too much of an adjustment, it was 2 hours later there and with the long trip, that seemed to work well and there wasn't much of a difference. However, almost each night crossing the ocean we have had to turn the clocks up an hour and now we are on Lisbon time. We are 7 hours ahead of where I started in Denver and that concept alone is interesting. I used to think of César being 7 hours later than me and this time I think of my friends in the US being 7 hours earlier. A comedian made a cute joke about the cutbacks that are being made on the ship and that by taking an hour a night away from us they are saving money. I guess they are! But the body does not seem to change time zones as easily as the clock. The first couple of days I was okay, but now I am sleeping until noon which isn't bad when you consider that really is 5AM at home. And I can't fall asleep at night because it is the middle of the afternoon at home. Oh well, I will adjust I am sure. Others are having the same problem the room steward told me so in the long run I am sure we will adjust. We always do, maybe the older I get the harder it is to change times.
We are at sea today so the sleeping was not an inconvenience at all. Once we are at ports we will have to be up early, ready for the day's events so I'm looking forward to feeling normal again. Today the sky is dark and cloudy. Too bad there is no sun, and it is quite cool and windy. I'm just so thankful that the water is calm! People are complaining about the weather. Actually people are complaining about everything! Amazing to me and so sad. Yesterday I saw the lady again who is blind and has the cutest small yellow lab as her companion. She was so sweet and positive and should be an example for the others who complain so much. I told her that her dog was beautiful with the sweetest face and she said that is what she has heard. I told her it was very hard not to pet her dog and she said that she doesn't like to tell anyone they can't pet her so if she isn't holding the lead, it is okay, and she dropped the lead and picked up the leash so I could pet the dog, Cypress. Cypress knew she was okay to sniff me and she was quite interested in my tennis shoes that must have had Bram's smell on them. What a nice lady and dog, I hope I see them again soon. She is with her husband and imagine what it would be like not to be able to see the incredible sights that lie ahead. That makes me feel even luckier than I already do, I can see these wonderful things.
We are currently on the same course as Columbus took, only in the opposite direction. He even stopped in the Azores to restock for the long trip. We have almost 24 hours before we arrive in Lisbon tomorrow afternoon. I am excited and hope the time goes quickly. I have to turn in my passport today to have the immigration officer okay my disembarkation and I have to pay my bill, just in case I don't return. I plan to be at each port with the ship, so I hope the rendevous and road trip go well! They say I will be one of the first off of the ship because I have to be approved and go through customs. I hope that no one takes away the fragrant smelling pineapple I bought at the greenhouse yesterday for us to enjoy along the way. Other than that, I don't think I have anything that is not legal to take on land.
So once again from the sea, ciao!
We are at sea today so the sleeping was not an inconvenience at all. Once we are at ports we will have to be up early, ready for the day's events so I'm looking forward to feeling normal again. Today the sky is dark and cloudy. Too bad there is no sun, and it is quite cool and windy. I'm just so thankful that the water is calm! People are complaining about the weather. Actually people are complaining about everything! Amazing to me and so sad. Yesterday I saw the lady again who is blind and has the cutest small yellow lab as her companion. She was so sweet and positive and should be an example for the others who complain so much. I told her that her dog was beautiful with the sweetest face and she said that is what she has heard. I told her it was very hard not to pet her dog and she said that she doesn't like to tell anyone they can't pet her so if she isn't holding the lead, it is okay, and she dropped the lead and picked up the leash so I could pet the dog, Cypress. Cypress knew she was okay to sniff me and she was quite interested in my tennis shoes that must have had Bram's smell on them. What a nice lady and dog, I hope I see them again soon. She is with her husband and imagine what it would be like not to be able to see the incredible sights that lie ahead. That makes me feel even luckier than I already do, I can see these wonderful things.
We are currently on the same course as Columbus took, only in the opposite direction. He even stopped in the Azores to restock for the long trip. We have almost 24 hours before we arrive in Lisbon tomorrow afternoon. I am excited and hope the time goes quickly. I have to turn in my passport today to have the immigration officer okay my disembarkation and I have to pay my bill, just in case I don't return. I plan to be at each port with the ship, so I hope the rendevous and road trip go well! They say I will be one of the first off of the ship because I have to be approved and go through customs. I hope that no one takes away the fragrant smelling pineapple I bought at the greenhouse yesterday for us to enjoy along the way. Other than that, I don't think I have anything that is not legal to take on land.
So once again from the sea, ciao!
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Land Ahoy!
At last! After 5 1/2 days at sea we reached the beautiful islands of the Azores! We spent the afternoon at Ponta Delgada, a beautiful spot, a Portuguese island. There are a group of 9 islands, all formed by volcanoes and the land was green and lush. I was here 2 years ago and took a lovely ride in the countryside up to the crater lakes, where two lakes connect and one is blue and one is green. This time I took a tour to the other side of the island and saw Fire Lake, the lake in the crater of a volcano. Absolutely beautiful! Sometimes I feel badly when I talk to people who say they are jsut going to walk around the town because I know how much beauty they are missing. I was lucky to be on this tour and I knew the roads to the top wouldbe curvy so the wonderful tour manager who I know from the past made sure I got a front seat and that was a good thing! I like having friends around and he is the only one on the ship I know. He is from Poland and has a very difficult name to pronounce, of course I still have trouble with Tue, who is my Danish friend in Copenhagen so imagine my trouble with Archadeinsz! Anyway, once I was situated in a front seat and the other passengers got on, we were on our way!
First stop a pineapple plantation! Fascinating how they grow them and I do have pictures of young pineapples, and I did purchase one that they said I could take off in Lisbon so César and I can enjoy it for our drive through Portugal. The flowers were exquisite around the island! We then drove to Ribiera Grande, a beautiful little village, one of the oldest on the island. After a short time there we headed to the top of the volcano to Fire Lake. Ithought it wasinteresting to know that no human inhabitants were on the islands until a couple of centuries ago. And as for animals, well the bat was the only one that is native, although now there are others. Nothing dangerous though. And the plants and flowers and trees are almost all transplants from all over the world, flowers from the Himalayas and trees from Japan. When wealthy people started settling on the land there, they had almost a competition to see who could bring in the most exotic and they are now spreading all over the island. A truly beautiful place to see! And I lucky that I did get on a tour and see beautiful places outside of the charming little town of Ponta Delgada.
And now another sea day and then at noon on Thursday we will arrive in Lisboa! What a lot of paperwork is involved in spending one night off of the ship. I am sure it will be worth it when I am once again laughing with César!
It is cold and windy out and I beleive it is a good time to head to bed! A wonderful day back in Europe!
First stop a pineapple plantation! Fascinating how they grow them and I do have pictures of young pineapples, and I did purchase one that they said I could take off in Lisbon so César and I can enjoy it for our drive through Portugal. The flowers were exquisite around the island! We then drove to Ribiera Grande, a beautiful little village, one of the oldest on the island. After a short time there we headed to the top of the volcano to Fire Lake. Ithought it wasinteresting to know that no human inhabitants were on the islands until a couple of centuries ago. And as for animals, well the bat was the only one that is native, although now there are others. Nothing dangerous though. And the plants and flowers and trees are almost all transplants from all over the world, flowers from the Himalayas and trees from Japan. When wealthy people started settling on the land there, they had almost a competition to see who could bring in the most exotic and they are now spreading all over the island. A truly beautiful place to see! And I lucky that I did get on a tour and see beautiful places outside of the charming little town of Ponta Delgada.
And now another sea day and then at noon on Thursday we will arrive in Lisboa! What a lot of paperwork is involved in spending one night off of the ship. I am sure it will be worth it when I am once again laughing with César!
It is cold and windy out and I beleive it is a good time to head to bed! A wonderful day back in Europe!
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Finally...
Today was a relaxing day at sea, finally! Seems hard to do much of anything constructive. I slept well and had breakfast late and met some interesting people to chat with once again. I'm glad the passengers are so friendly this trip, it is not always the case. Breakfast was the same food, lunch was delicious sandwiches I remembered from before on this ship, and I broke my rule not to have dessert anytime except dinner and had a delicious caramel tart. I read a while and slept more and had a wonderful dinner at Sabatini's with Jenny and Bernie. The food is incredible and you only get a spoonful of each so you really don't get full until the end of the meal, they doubted me, but agreed I was right at the end. Such delicious food! Jenny spent some time visiting in my cabin, although it was too cold for her to sit on the balcony tonight. I love the balcony and the sound of the ocean so I leave the door open often.
Last night walking through a hallway I saw a crew member I knew from 2 past cruises. He remembered me so I got a nice European greeting kiss from him and we spoke for a while about where he had been and what he'd been doing. He is from Poland and is the manager of the Shore Excursions Dept. so he is already reserving my front seat on the one tour in the Azores that is along quite curvy roads. I'm not taking that many tours with the ship this time, but it is nice to know the manager. His name is difficult to pronounce so he said I could just call him my friend. It is always nice for me to see people smile when they see me. Whether itis a good thing or not to be remembered so well, is questionable, although he assured me it was a good thing. Very nice man, has been on the ship for 10 years.
I got clearance today to go ashore and spend the night on the Lisbon stop. I will get a list of instructions the night beforeI get off and I was told about going through immigration and customs to stay overnight on land. Such a big deal for a night, but I am glad that it is that organized. I even have to tell them where I'll be for the night, which is probably a good thing, and we do already have our hotel reserved in Bayona, Spain. I feel safe with the procedures they require. I hope it doesn't delay my disembarkation that day because I am very excited to get off and see César again.
That is the update for today, not much, but the way it is supposed to be on vacation!
Last night walking through a hallway I saw a crew member I knew from 2 past cruises. He remembered me so I got a nice European greeting kiss from him and we spoke for a while about where he had been and what he'd been doing. He is from Poland and is the manager of the Shore Excursions Dept. so he is already reserving my front seat on the one tour in the Azores that is along quite curvy roads. I'm not taking that many tours with the ship this time, but it is nice to know the manager. His name is difficult to pronounce so he said I could just call him my friend. It is always nice for me to see people smile when they see me. Whether itis a good thing or not to be remembered so well, is questionable, although he assured me it was a good thing. Very nice man, has been on the ship for 10 years.
I got clearance today to go ashore and spend the night on the Lisbon stop. I will get a list of instructions the night beforeI get off and I was told about going through immigration and customs to stay overnight on land. Such a big deal for a night, but I am glad that it is that organized. I even have to tell them where I'll be for the night, which is probably a good thing, and we do already have our hotel reserved in Bayona, Spain. I feel safe with the procedures they require. I hope it doesn't delay my disembarkation that day because I am very excited to get off and see César again.
That is the update for today, not much, but the way it is supposed to be on vacation!
Friday, May 1, 2009
Greetings From...
...The Bermuda Triangle! Yes, it's true, I am currently in that mythical place and so far we are staying afloat. Right before bed last night I read the 'Princess Patter' which told us that we would be in the infamous Bermuda Triangle until noon today. I was exhausted but fell asleep wondering if I would awaken in my bed or in some unknown place far, far away. Whew! I woke up in my own bed and we are still floating toward Europe, unless Murray, we are now in an alternate universe!
And the weather is beautiful so I look forward to a 2nd day in a beautiful, calm ocean! A busy day today, hmmm, who could be bored on the ocean in a ship that is a small city! And there seems to be a lot of interesting people just waiting to be met. Yesterday I had breakfast with a lovely couple from Canada and the wife had been a hair stylist for years and admired my 'straightened hair' and her husband had been a geophsysist (?) and followed that career with one in animal training, he trained marine animals at marine parks. I was fascinated with his stories! Of course! What fun that was and what stories I have to share some day with my kids when we study those animals. Whales, amazing, he said their ability to reason is astounding. I am not sure I could have met a more interesting man, with my love for animals! At lunch, which was on a lounge chair by the pool in the beautiful sun was a slice of pizza, actually the best I've had on a ship, and a chat with 2 ladies from Holland who flew to Florida to take this cruise back home. They said I made a great choice to visit the Keukenhoff tulip gardens when I am there. And dinner was with my new table for the trip, interesting people with so many travel experiences to share. I enjoyed the lecture on the Azores and had a bit of late lunch at the "english pub" luncheon at a bar on the ship. The cottage pie was good, although I only ate a bit. I had to turn down Jenny's invitation to join her and Bernie for tea at 3:30 and I ended up with a much needed nap until dinner. Short day it seemed. I ended the day with my first visit to the "Movie Under the Stars" which was a fun event. I have pictures of me lying under the stars watching the big movie screen. There is a popcorn machine for real movie popcorn, then they come around passing out small snack pieces of pizza and then they come around with hot cookies and milk! I think there are few places you can go where there isn't food! Such a pleasant night under the stars, even if I was unable to eat the snacks!
It is obvious that Princess is feeling the economic pinch too. There is always a captain's champagne party on the first formal night and a large party on the last formal night where the champagne fountain is built in the atrium and there is music and dancing. Last night it was all combined as one event and it wasearly in the evening without the dancing. Dinner was interesting, the food was still good, but the souffle was tiny, 1/2 the size of the container, the only difference in the food I've noticed so far. But it seems the cutbacks are not effecting the pleasure at all, so far.
I was sorry to see that all of the people I met on this ship in October when I went to the Mediterranean are on their breaks so I don't have a friend on the crew, that was sad. I'm used to usually finding someone I know. The tour office manager was a lady I met on the Mexico trip who was a friend of Hernan's, another crew friend, but she left the ship 2 trips ago and will return in 2 more. The photographers are gone too. So I will make new friends I think.
Today's agenda will provide another relaxing day. I just might run out of time to write my book, which was my goal on this part of the journey. I will now go eat breakfast, it's about 10AM here. Then I will meet Jenny for a wonderful lecture from a prosecuting attorney from LA about the OJ Simpson case. I didn't see the man yesterday, but he was fascinating I heard, speaking about the Manson murders. Then we will have a nice sit down lunch in the restaurant and then I will go to the 'towel folding' class to make sea turtles, how could I miss that? Next is the Lisbon lecture which isn't totally necessary since I have my own personal Portuguese tour guide! Then Jenny and I are going to swim in the wave pool and then I'll soak up some sun and before I know it, it will be time for a little nap and then dinner. I'm not sure what evening entertainment I'll enjoy, maybe then I'll just sit and write, maybe.
So, from the sea once again, a fond farewell! (
And Murray, thank you for your suggestion! I put off that class until after the Lisbon/Vigo visit so I will have the pictures to use, but if anything changes, your suggestion is wonderful, something I didn't even realize!)
And the weather is beautiful so I look forward to a 2nd day in a beautiful, calm ocean! A busy day today, hmmm, who could be bored on the ocean in a ship that is a small city! And there seems to be a lot of interesting people just waiting to be met. Yesterday I had breakfast with a lovely couple from Canada and the wife had been a hair stylist for years and admired my 'straightened hair' and her husband had been a geophsysist (?) and followed that career with one in animal training, he trained marine animals at marine parks. I was fascinated with his stories! Of course! What fun that was and what stories I have to share some day with my kids when we study those animals. Whales, amazing, he said their ability to reason is astounding. I am not sure I could have met a more interesting man, with my love for animals! At lunch, which was on a lounge chair by the pool in the beautiful sun was a slice of pizza, actually the best I've had on a ship, and a chat with 2 ladies from Holland who flew to Florida to take this cruise back home. They said I made a great choice to visit the Keukenhoff tulip gardens when I am there. And dinner was with my new table for the trip, interesting people with so many travel experiences to share. I enjoyed the lecture on the Azores and had a bit of late lunch at the "english pub" luncheon at a bar on the ship. The cottage pie was good, although I only ate a bit. I had to turn down Jenny's invitation to join her and Bernie for tea at 3:30 and I ended up with a much needed nap until dinner. Short day it seemed. I ended the day with my first visit to the "Movie Under the Stars" which was a fun event. I have pictures of me lying under the stars watching the big movie screen. There is a popcorn machine for real movie popcorn, then they come around passing out small snack pieces of pizza and then they come around with hot cookies and milk! I think there are few places you can go where there isn't food! Such a pleasant night under the stars, even if I was unable to eat the snacks!
It is obvious that Princess is feeling the economic pinch too. There is always a captain's champagne party on the first formal night and a large party on the last formal night where the champagne fountain is built in the atrium and there is music and dancing. Last night it was all combined as one event and it wasearly in the evening without the dancing. Dinner was interesting, the food was still good, but the souffle was tiny, 1/2 the size of the container, the only difference in the food I've noticed so far. But it seems the cutbacks are not effecting the pleasure at all, so far.
I was sorry to see that all of the people I met on this ship in October when I went to the Mediterranean are on their breaks so I don't have a friend on the crew, that was sad. I'm used to usually finding someone I know. The tour office manager was a lady I met on the Mexico trip who was a friend of Hernan's, another crew friend, but she left the ship 2 trips ago and will return in 2 more. The photographers are gone too. So I will make new friends I think.
Today's agenda will provide another relaxing day. I just might run out of time to write my book, which was my goal on this part of the journey. I will now go eat breakfast, it's about 10AM here. Then I will meet Jenny for a wonderful lecture from a prosecuting attorney from LA about the OJ Simpson case. I didn't see the man yesterday, but he was fascinating I heard, speaking about the Manson murders. Then we will have a nice sit down lunch in the restaurant and then I will go to the 'towel folding' class to make sea turtles, how could I miss that? Next is the Lisbon lecture which isn't totally necessary since I have my own personal Portuguese tour guide! Then Jenny and I are going to swim in the wave pool and then I'll soak up some sun and before I know it, it will be time for a little nap and then dinner. I'm not sure what evening entertainment I'll enjoy, maybe then I'll just sit and write, maybe.
So, from the sea once again, a fond farewell! (
And Murray, thank you for your suggestion! I put off that class until after the Lisbon/Vigo visit so I will have the pictures to use, but if anything changes, your suggestion is wonderful, something I didn't even realize!)
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