Our last leg of the journey before the flight home - a great train trip from Amsterdam to Frankfurt. What lovely countryside we travelled through today! The train connected with the Frankfurt airport which is SOOOO convenient. A quick shuttle will take us back tomorrow. Overnight at Holiday Inn Express just 10 minutes from the airport - a lovely rural area.
Smells so good as we walk to and from dinner at a nearby restaurant.
Hope you have enjoyed travelling with us on our journey!
Jan and Shirley
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Where do bicycles have their own highways and traffic lights?
After all-day travel via Madrid, we arrived in Amsterdam for the last few days of vacation. Our hostel, Hortus Pension, was modest but clean and the staff were most helpful. As taxes are paid on the ground floor street frontage, it explains the narrow, multi-floored buildings everywhere. Including our hostel! And we’re on the top floor – up 3 very steep, narrow flights of stairs. The first trip up with suitcases was a chore we were glad we didn’t have to repeat – for sure! We were located in the Plantage area of the city and we even had our own canal and bridge around the corner!
While the city has numerous museums (about almost any topic you can think of), we spent our time walking and exploring the sights in the downtown core of Amsterdam (the centrum). The Bloemenmarkt (flower 
market), Rembrandt Square, the Waterlooplein book fair, and Dam Square were features amidst the many canals
and bridges, clock towers and old buildings.
The Beginjdem (a cloistered community hidden away off the busiest shopping street) featured the oldest house in Amsterdam – a dark wooden structure (picture to the right).
This grouping of houses, together with two churches, offers housing to older, single women with low income.
What was surprising (and disappointing) was that many of the old historic buildings are no longer kept as historic sites but instead house restaurants or shops – and no mention is made of the historic significance.
Karen had warned about the bicycles in the city – but there is no way to prepare by a mere description. 800,000 inhabitants in the city, and 800,000 bicycles – with their own pathways, traffic lights and rhythm.
Not only do you have to watch out for cars, but more importantly, you have to watch out for the bicycles zipping along between the car roads
and the pedestrian sidewalks! And it wasn’t obvious that they cared whether you were in the way or not! Clearly, in a city with many narrow, one-way streets, this is a fast means of travel – but to pedestrians, a dangerous adventure.
On our last day, we took a tour which featured several beautiful villages in both north and south Holland (Volendam, Marken). Enroute we visited: a cheese factory and saw the cheese making process, working windmills, a clog maker (a traditional trade passing from fathers to sons, but now slowly disappearing), one of the two remaining Delft pottery factories, The Hague with the International Court of Justice, the Queen’s working palace and the Houses of Parliament for Holland.
We also visited “Madurodam” in The Hague – miniature (to scale) depictions of famous buildings across Holland as well as industrial activities. This was developed as a war memorial and is extremely well done. While clearly tourism sights, these were a nice counterpoint to Amsterdam.
Despite forecasted rain during the time we were here, the weather was quite pleasant - when Amsterdam indicates rain on 250 days each year, we felt blessed that our time there was "dry".
While the city has numerous museums (about almost any topic you can think of), we spent our time walking and exploring the sights in the downtown core of Amsterdam (the centrum). The Bloemenmarkt (flower 
market), Rembrandt Square, the Waterlooplein book fair, and Dam Square were features amidst the many canals
and bridges, clock towers and old buildings.The Beginjdem (a cloistered community hidden away off the busiest shopping street) featured the oldest house in Amsterdam – a dark wooden structure (picture to the right).
This grouping of houses, together with two churches, offers housing to older, single women with low income.
What was surprising (and disappointing) was that many of the old historic buildings are no longer kept as historic sites but instead house restaurants or shops – and no mention is made of the historic significance.
Karen had warned about the bicycles in the city – but there is no way to prepare by a mere description. 800,000 inhabitants in the city, and 800,000 bicycles – with their own pathways, traffic lights and rhythm.
Not only do you have to watch out for cars, but more importantly, you have to watch out for the bicycles zipping along between the car roads
and the pedestrian sidewalks! And it wasn’t obvious that they cared whether you were in the way or not! Clearly, in a city with many narrow, one-way streets, this is a fast means of travel – but to pedestrians, a dangerous adventure.On our last day, we took a tour which featured several beautiful villages in both north and south Holland (Volendam, Marken). Enroute we visited: a cheese factory and saw the cheese making process, working windmills, a clog maker (a traditional trade passing from fathers to sons, but now slowly disappearing), one of the two remaining Delft pottery factories, The Hague with the International Court of Justice, the Queen’s working palace and the Houses of Parliament for Holland.
We also visited “Madurodam” in The Hague – miniature (to scale) depictions of famous buildings across Holland as well as industrial activities. This was developed as a war memorial and is extremely well done. While clearly tourism sights, these were a nice counterpoint to Amsterdam.
Despite forecasted rain during the time we were here, the weather was quite pleasant - when Amsterdam indicates rain on 250 days each year, we felt blessed that our time there was "dry".
Guess what – no canaries in the Canary Islands!
A week of absolute relaxation – fantastic. A wonderful timeshare resort awaited us after a 4.5 hour flight from London. We picked up a car at the airport and headed south along the main freeway which runs along the east side of the island. While it is the biggest of the 7 islands, Gran Canaria isn’t very big – took us only 45 minutes to do ¼ of the island circumference road.
The population of Gran Canaria is 850,000 with about 750,000 living in the northern part around Las Palmas as that is the industrialized area (shipping, construction, electronics, automotive parts, aquaculture, horticulture, desalination plants and tourism being the main industries). The island uses only desalinated water now so the water tables are rising. As the island is buffeted by ocean winds and storms, there are lots of “modern windmills” to generate electricity
and most agriculture has converted to indoor methods – greenhouses and covered fields predominantly - in order to provide protection for the growing plants.
The resort was set against the high cliffs of the southern coast, just past the villages of Arguinequin and Patalavaca. Construction started in the late 80’s and the facilities were finished early in the 90’s. All the walkways on each floor to rooms were on the inside against the rock cliff, meaning every apartment had a beautiful view out over the sea. There were actually 4 resorts on the same property – all owned by the same company – but each offering slightly different amenities. Guests were free to take advantage of all 4 sites. Our apartment was on the upper level and this part of the resort had its own pools, café/bar, restaurant, childrens’ playground and games area. Very easy to feel self-contained without going far. As it is located right on the sea, access for the public to the waterfront area is mandatory – which meant the resort was actually gated at the beach end. This lower promenade had numerous restaurants, a grocery store and a performing stage where we were treated to shows every evening. The usual array of water sports were available – scuba outings, banana and paddle boats, sailboards and jet skis.
We did visit Arguinequin for groceries several times and also visited the open-air public market which visits once a week.
We ventured out with the car to travel further up the west side of the island and inland – and found out they weren’t kidding when they talked about the 365 turns in the highway along the coast! Narrow, narrow, narrow and very twisty.
The villages of Puerto Rico and Puerto Mogan which are not far from the resort have clearly been developed solely for tourism. In contrast though, when we traveled inland into the mountains a bit to the village of Mogan, we found a small, more traditional village with narrow streets that wove up and down the hillside – reminded us of our trip to Spain.
We booked one day tour which took us through much of the north
end of the island where volcanic activity thousands of years ago has created a very stark and rugged terrain. 
Here again the roads were VERY narrow and twisty –
and we were very glad that it was a bus driver with experience doing the driving, rather than us (which we’d considered earlier in the week).
In the village of Teror,
we came across numerous groups of village people creating beautiful street decorations from natural materials (e.g. flowers, sand, straw), in preparation for the celebration of Corpus Christi, a Christian festival honouring the Eucharist. We learned that many of the villages have few year-round inhabitants as folks who work in the city of Las Palmas – the industrial centre of the island – travel to their “mountain homes” for weekends and holidays.
Definitely a resort that would be lovely to return to – if it wasn’t so far to come…….
(By the way, the name of Canary Islands comes from a Latin reference to dogs – and has nothing to do with canaries!)
The population of Gran Canaria is 850,000 with about 750,000 living in the northern part around Las Palmas as that is the industrialized area (shipping, construction, electronics, automotive parts, aquaculture, horticulture, desalination plants and tourism being the main industries). The island uses only desalinated water now so the water tables are rising. As the island is buffeted by ocean winds and storms, there are lots of “modern windmills” to generate electricity
and most agriculture has converted to indoor methods – greenhouses and covered fields predominantly - in order to provide protection for the growing plants.The resort was set against the high cliffs of the southern coast, just past the villages of Arguinequin and Patalavaca. Construction started in the late 80’s and the facilities were finished early in the 90’s. All the walkways on each floor to rooms were on the inside against the rock cliff, meaning every apartment had a beautiful view out over the sea. There were actually 4 resorts on the same property – all owned by the same company – but each offering slightly different amenities. Guests were free to take advantage of all 4 sites. Our apartment was on the upper level and this part of the resort had its own pools, café/bar, restaurant, childrens’ playground and games area. Very easy to feel self-contained without going far. As it is located right on the sea, access for the public to the waterfront area is mandatory – which meant the resort was actually gated at the beach end. This lower promenade had numerous restaurants, a grocery store and a performing stage where we were treated to shows every evening. The usual array of water sports were available – scuba outings, banana and paddle boats, sailboards and jet skis.
We did visit Arguinequin for groceries several times and also visited the open-air public market which visits once a week.
We ventured out with the car to travel further up the west side of the island and inland – and found out they weren’t kidding when they talked about the 365 turns in the highway along the coast! Narrow, narrow, narrow and very twisty.
The villages of Puerto Rico and Puerto Mogan which are not far from the resort have clearly been developed solely for tourism. In contrast though, when we traveled inland into the mountains a bit to the village of Mogan, we found a small, more traditional village with narrow streets that wove up and down the hillside – reminded us of our trip to Spain.
We booked one day tour which took us through much of the north
end of the island where volcanic activity thousands of years ago has created a very stark and rugged terrain. 
Here again the roads were VERY narrow and twisty –
and we were very glad that it was a bus driver with experience doing the driving, rather than us (which we’d considered earlier in the week).In the village of Teror,
we came across numerous groups of village people creating beautiful street decorations from natural materials (e.g. flowers, sand, straw), in preparation for the celebration of Corpus Christi, a Christian festival honouring the Eucharist. We learned that many of the villages have few year-round inhabitants as folks who work in the city of Las Palmas – the industrial centre of the island – travel to their “mountain homes” for weekends and holidays.Definitely a resort that would be lovely to return to – if it wasn’t so far to come…….
(By the way, the name of Canary Islands comes from a Latin reference to dogs – and has nothing to do with canaries!)
Theatre and sights - back in London again
Another few days of great weather and touring in London!
We managed to get tickets to the three shows we were hoping for – STOMP, Love Never Dies (the sequel to Phantom) and the Lion King. Each was presented in a theatre we hadn’t yet seen, so pre-show time was consumed with viewing the wonderful architecture and decorations of the old theatres. All of the shows were awesome. With theatre a major focus of our time in London, we have gotten to know the West End pretty well.
Days have been occupied with walking … and walking … and walking to see the various sights in downtown London. Pax Lodge is such a great location for getting around – about 15 minutes to the tube station then off we go. Very safe area too so when we come home late from the theatre, it is still very comfortable walking through Hampstead to Pax Lodge.
We decided early on that we weren’t going to focus on the “Top 10” sights to see, but instead spent time exploring a few areas
well and taking the time to enjoy the gardens and public areas. Of course, we saw all the key squares – Picadilly Circus 
with the statue of Eros in the centre, Leicester Square, Trafalgar Square with the statue of Nelson (and Canada House on one side of the square) and Covent Gardens and the shops/market. It was great to be able to sit in the sun and enjoy watching the people and activity at each of these famous locales.
We managed to get tickets to the three shows we were hoping for – STOMP, Love Never Dies (the sequel to Phantom) and the Lion King. Each was presented in a theatre we hadn’t yet seen, so pre-show time was consumed with viewing the wonderful architecture and decorations of the old theatres. All of the shows were awesome. With theatre a major focus of our time in London, we have gotten to know the West End pretty well.
Days have been occupied with walking … and walking … and walking to see the various sights in downtown London. Pax Lodge is such a great location for getting around – about 15 minutes to the tube station then off we go. Very safe area too so when we come home late from the theatre, it is still very comfortable walking through Hampstead to Pax Lodge.
We decided early on that we weren’t going to focus on the “Top 10” sights to see, but instead spent time exploring a few areas
well and taking the time to enjoy the gardens and public areas. Of course, we saw all the key squares – Picadilly Circus 
with the statue of Eros in the centre, Leicester Square, Trafalgar Square with the statue of Nelson (and Canada House on one side of the square) and Covent Gardens and the shops/market. It was great to be able to sit in the sun and enjoy watching the people and activity at each of these famous locales. After going through the Memorial Arch, we enjoyed a long leisurely walk through St. James Park enroute to Buckingham Palace. 
On the day we visited, the main road leading to the Palace, the Mall, had been closed for a marathon, so it was much like a closed pedestrian area which allowed us to walk freely around the Queen Victoria monument, the front of the Palace and surrounding park. 
The bobbies on duty at the outer gate even obliged with a quick pose. The gates and the grounds of the Palace were both astounding views. A small guard changing gave us a sense of the pageantry that goes with this setting.
Shirley met her fear of heights face on with a ride on the London Eye.
High above the city, we were able to see the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben and other sights. A gorgeous day made for good viewing. 
On the day we visited, the main road leading to the Palace, the Mall, had been closed for a marathon, so it was much like a closed pedestrian area which allowed us to walk freely around the Queen Victoria monument, the front of the Palace and surrounding park. 
The bobbies on duty at the outer gate even obliged with a quick pose. The gates and the grounds of the Palace were both astounding views. A small guard changing gave us a sense of the pageantry that goes with this setting.Shirley met her fear of heights face on with a ride on the London Eye.
High above the city, we were able to see the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben and other sights. A gorgeous day made for good viewing. 
Another day we headed west out of town on the train to Hampton Court Palace, home of Henry VIII and William & Mary. A bonus that our Oyster Cards worked for the trip – just swipe, hop on, travel, hop off and swipe again.
On the day we were there, Henry was marrying Catherine Parr so visitors to the palace were able to don period clothing and participate if they wished. We “played” countrymen and cheered to the King when prompted to do so.
The exhibits were very well done – especially the historically accurate kitchens and descriptions of the food service for the palace at that time. The massive gardens and grounds were beautifully “manicured” – clearly a labour of love for an army of people. We spent a whole afternoon there and it was hardly enough. The comprehensive audio tour explained not only what was in the rooms, but also what was happening in Henry’s life, politics and the world at the time. Very well done.
Our return to London from the cruise was made special by a cab ride from a famous author! Alf Townsend picked us up at Paddington Station as his last fare on his way back to his home in Hampstead – how fortuitous. He has written various books and shared a little about one in progress. He pointed out sights along the way – an added bonus.
Overall, a great few days in London. Nicely paced – time to see the sights but also sit and enjoy the beautiful surroundings. Impressed by the cleanliness and visitor-friendliness of the city.
The exhibits were very well done – especially the historically accurate kitchens and descriptions of the food service for the palace at that time. The massive gardens and grounds were beautifully “manicured” – clearly a labour of love for an army of people. We spent a whole afternoon there and it was hardly enough. The comprehensive audio tour explained not only what was in the rooms, but also what was happening in Henry’s life, politics and the world at the time. Very well done.
Our return to London from the cruise was made special by a cab ride from a famous author! Alf Townsend picked us up at Paddington Station as his last fare on his way back to his home in Hampstead – how fortuitous. He has written various books and shared a little about one in progress. He pointed out sights along the way – an added bonus.Overall, a great few days in London. Nicely paced – time to see the sights but also sit and enjoy the beautiful surroundings. Impressed by the cleanliness and visitor-friendliness of the city.
Monday, June 7, 2010
May 27 - No Sign of "Nessie"
Today we are in the highlands of Scotland - Cromarty Firth, having travelled overnight to Inverness. While the day is overcast, the colour of the fields alongside the firth are gorgeous yellow making the hillsides very colourful. The yellow comes from the rape seed which is used to make canola oil.
This area was used in WWII for British ship maintenance. Today, it is used as a repair and maintenance port for North Sea oil rigs - several large installations were visible in the channel and firth where we were docked for the day.
We decided to take a tour again today - this time to Cawdor Castle and to Loch Ness, with hopes of perhaps seeing the elusive Loch Ness monster. We were surprised to hear the statistics - 5 million people, and 8 million sheep in the highlands! Who would have guessed. AND .... it rains 250 days of the year. Yuck. Mind you, often it's just a drizzle, but still. We learned too that, where yesterday we were in the "lowlands", the "highlands"today means that the land is 100 metres or more above sea level (I think I got that right?).
As a backdrop to our first stop, Cawdor Castle, we heard all about the Battle of Culloden, and Bonnie Prince Charles and how the Catholic and Protestant conflicts eventually led to the downfall of the clan system in the highlands of Scotland. Today, apparently only 5% of Scots still speak Gaelic.
These friendly souls met us at the gate to the castle - apparently they represent the ghosts of the castle! Our guide said they are not there often so it was a treat for us.
On to the beautiful shores of Loch Ness and hopes of seeing the monster. But no luck - like many others, she eluded us today. Urghart Castle was a great stopping point though. The castle is mostly ruins as this site has been damaged by numerous wars.
It's location meant that it was a strategic military point along the waterways.
This is a picture of Loch Ness - 57 (I think) km long and 10 km wide. We were told it contains more water than all the lakes in Scotland and England combined.
A great day steeped in the history of the Scottish highlands - amongst the heather and the thistles.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Meet our wonderful tablemates
Table 20, 8:45 seating, Aquarius Dining Room
We were seated with 3 absolutely lovely couples - 2 from Norway and 1 from New York, USA. Discussion was wide-ranging and lots of new information about Norway for us from "across the pond". Alot of similarities between Yukon and Norway - not a surprise I guess given each is at about the same latitude.
This is AnneLise and Morten - they live just outside Oslo on a farm. AnneLise works for a company involved in offshore oil drilling. Their daughter is at university and their son will soon graduate high school. They enjoy hiking in the mountains from their cabin.
This is Jack and Hege - also from Oslo. Jack is an avid fisherman - and they both enjoy time spent at their cabin by the sea. They have done a number of river cruises and highly recommended them.
This is Marcia and Richard from New York. He is a retired lawyer. They had just finished a five day cruise on the same ship (Vision of the Seas) which visited Holland, Belgium and ??? (I can't remember).
We were seated with 3 absolutely lovely couples - 2 from Norway and 1 from New York, USA. Discussion was wide-ranging and lots of new information about Norway for us from "across the pond". Alot of similarities between Yukon and Norway - not a surprise I guess given each is at about the same latitude.
This is AnneLise and Morten - they live just outside Oslo on a farm. AnneLise works for a company involved in offshore oil drilling. Their daughter is at university and their son will soon graduate high school. They enjoy hiking in the mountains from their cabin.
This is Jack and Hege - also from Oslo. Jack is an avid fisherman - and they both enjoy time spent at their cabin by the sea. They have done a number of river cruises and highly recommended them.
This is Marcia and Richard from New York. He is a retired lawyer. They had just finished a five day cruise on the same ship (Vision of the Seas) which visited Holland, Belgium and ??? (I can't remember).
May 26 - Rule Britannia, Britannia Rules the Waves!
Today we are in port in Edinburgh, Scotland. Cloudy and hinting of rain. We are docked at Queensferry south of town and tender to shore as the tide is out. Bagpipes and welcoming volunteers greet us as we disembark ashore - what a lovely welcome. Our tour guide, Morag, quickly ushers us to a "coach" and off we go. She has much to tell us about the history of this area of the Scottish lowlands and about Edinburgh as we drive - a lovely lilt in her voice and a quick laugh - we know right away we'll have a fun day with her!
Our first stop, the Royal Yacht Britannia. When this vessel was decommissioned in 1997, a public bidding process was undertaken to determine the site for her permanent mooring. Leith port was selected and they have developed a fabulous display on the dock before you enter the ship for an audio-guided tour. The site is managed by a not-for-profit trust and they have done this up well. A few pictures of some of the areas of the ship we viewed on the tour follow:
The Queen's bedroom:
Crews quarters (left) and formal dining room (right). The alcoves around the dining room display gifts from around the world - some are quite beautiful.
The other main feature of todays tour was Edinbourgh Castle. This fortified village was the
home for Kings and Queens from the 1100s to the 17th century when conflicts decreased. It was the historic residence of royalty when in Scotland, but nowadays that residence is Holyrood Palace. Perched on the hill above the city, Edinburgh Castle is a beautiful site. The cobblestone steets and the narrow passageways give you a sense of what it would have been like to live in this city. We visited St. Margaret's chapel from the 11th century (the oldest building at the Edinburgh castle site) which was built by the same Queen that started the ferry service at Queensferry. She brought Catholism to Scotland which was prevalent until the 1600s when it changed to Presbyterian. We also saw the Scottish Honours (crown jewels - Septre, mace and crown) display - a wonderful history lesson of the various kings through the ages.Old town appears as a series of buildings "piled" on top of each other - with the city built on 7 hills, the lower buildings are only about 3 stories in height, while the ones further up the hills are 8-9 stories - makes for the "layered" look. Much of the old town is of Georgian architecture made from cream coloured sandstone which was quarried locally. Once the train arrived, red sandstone was imported from other areas and used for housing and commercial building construction.
We were very impressed with how hilly and scenic the city was mixed with the historic buildings - far more vibrant and beautiful than we expected. Definitely a site for a repeat visit.
May 24 - Dublins' pubs - the original social network
Today we opted for a walking tour of Dublin - and in hindsight, picked poorly. It was JUST that - walking through a number of streets in downtown Dublin, having buildings pointed out to us, but not invited to go in. Darn. A bit disappointing.
However, that said, we did visit the beautiful campus of Trinity College, built in the 1700s as a theology college and strolled through much of the original part of the College and its grounds/playing fields. Lovely. The college library, with its 250,000 titles in 1 room, was featured as it is the home of the Book of Kells, produced by the Irish monks. Alas, to actually see the book was a different tour. So, we heard that it covers the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John and is beautifully written with calligraphy, but we'll check it out on-line when we get home.
This piece of art, called "A Sphere within a sphere" was a gift from the Italian government. Our tour guide has renamed it "A new world emerging from an old world" - I think I like that one better. Absolutely eye-catching as it revolves outside the library.
However, that said, we did visit the beautiful campus of Trinity College, built in the 1700s as a theology college and strolled through much of the original part of the College and its grounds/playing fields. Lovely. The college library, with its 250,000 titles in 1 room, was featured as it is the home of the Book of Kells, produced by the Irish monks. Alas, to actually see the book was a different tour. So, we heard that it covers the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John and is beautifully written with calligraphy, but we'll check it out on-line when we get home.
This piece of art, called "A Sphere within a sphere" was a gift from the Italian government. Our tour guide has renamed it "A new world emerging from an old world" - I think I like that one better. Absolutely eye-catching as it revolves outside the library.
It was a bit of a surprise to hear how "young" independent Ireland really is - 1922 was the date they received independence from England. But even with a separate parliament that deals with local things, they are still responsible to Westminister in London for some matters of business. Our guide provided us with a commentary about the history of wars for takeover and the various reigns of different monarchs. Again surprisingly, we heard that while the population of Ireland was about 8 million at the time of the potato famine in 1847-49, it decreased to 6 million after the famine immigration and today sits at about 4.5 million.
Much of the tour featured the Georgian architecture which can be seen around the 5 main squares in the city (a similar layout can be seen in Bath, England and Edinburgh, Scotland). 
While quite non-descript when viewed from streetlevel, the houses were very spacious and grand inside. The basement was the kitchen and covered holes are still visible in the sidewalk where coal was delivered to the kitchen below. The first floor (street level basically) was set up for business while the 2nd floor held the high-ceiling drawing room and dining room with beautiful chandelliers (still visible from the street). The third floor was the master bedroom and the "ladies room" 
where the woman of the house entertained her friends. The top floor was where the children and nanny had bedrooms. An interesting design feature - the windows on successive floors get smaller - an architectural trick apparently to try and make the building look taller than it was! Clever. Many of the houses also feature very fancy front doors, some with beautiful glass fans over the top.
We visited a couple of the
se squares and the beautiful gardens across from each. Some of these are still private gardens maintained by the home owners; others, where the homes are now mostly business locations, have been made public and are open for strolls, reading on benches, etc. Lots of statues, monuments and beautiful pieces of art. In the Archbishop Ryan Park, Shirley had a visit with Oscar Wilde while we strolled.
And, to finish the tour, a trip to the pub! At long last, Jan has tried Guinness - and actually quite enjoyed the rich flavour of the stout. Maybe because of her Irish heritage? Who knows!
Norwegian Samplings Done
So .... after the lesson from our Norwegian cruising mates, we have now tried both Jagermeister and Aquavit - and found them to be a little like Sambuca with a punch. Jagermeister is a definite possibility as a "do over", but Aquavit was a one time deal - at least for me. New experiences - a must for every trip!
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Top Ten Guest Questions
Thought I'd share these "funnies" the Cruise Director presented on the last day of the cruise .... tee hee!
Top 10 questions asked by guests during the cruise:
1. Does this elevator go to the front of the ship?
2. When we're at sea, at what elevation are we?
3. Do the crew live on board?
4. Does the ship generate its own electricity?
5. What do you do with the ice sculptures when they have melted?
6. Is the water in the toilet fresh or salt water?
7. Do these stairs go up or down?
8. Has this ship ever sunk?
9. How will I know which pictures are mine?
10. How small does my face have to be for the mini facial?
Hope you enjoyed - we had a good laugh.
Top 10 questions asked by guests during the cruise:
1. Does this elevator go to the front of the ship?
2. When we're at sea, at what elevation are we?
3. Do the crew live on board?
4. Does the ship generate its own electricity?
5. What do you do with the ice sculptures when they have melted?
6. Is the water in the toilet fresh or salt water?
7. Do these stairs go up or down?
8. Has this ship ever sunk?
9. How will I know which pictures are mine?
10. How small does my face have to be for the mini facial?
Hope you enjoyed - we had a good laugh.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Back in London safely
The cruise was excellent, travel back from Oslo with no problems, and we're now back at Pax Lodge for the week. Will be adding more posts and pictures this week now that I have a little more free time and easy access to WiFi.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Jagermeister update
Discussed this drinking phenomena with some new Norwegian friends to "get the scoop". Apparently, Jagermeister is purportedly good for the digestive track so it is consumed for medicinal purposes. Who knew!
Monday, May 24, 2010
May 23 - Normandy Gardens
The beautiful gardens of Normandy are the feature today. We took a ½ day tour from the Port of Cherbourg and visited two outstanding gardens in the peninsula area. The mist in the port area quickly gives way to a beautiful sunny day.
The first, at the Castle of Vauville, is 10 acres in size and a family operation. It has over 500 different species of plants from all over the world and the garden is designed and planted to provide quiet walking paths which allow the plants to develop naturally. The owner has doubled the size of the garden since taking over from his father, and has plans for gradually increasing the gardens further.
We’re here at a perfect time – the rhodos and azaleas are out in full bloom – for a period of 2-3 weeks only. This garden is situated just off the beach area so must be planned in such a way that high growth protects other parts of the garden from the intense winds and species are selected that can deal with salt mist.
The second, the gardens of the Chateau de Nacqueville, were astounding. The chateau is registered as an historical monument and owned by an English family – it has been in their family for several generations. Construction started on the chateau in 1510 as a fortified manor. Like much of this area of Normandy, fortification against attacks by the English was common. It is characteristic of the finest of Cotentin manors. It was occupied during World War II by both the Germans and Americans and was badly damaged in parts. Rebuilding was undertaken to restore the exterior to historic correctness, but the inside has been (and continues to be) upgraded to modern standards.
The gardens were created in 1830 by an English landscape gardener and features a stream with a series of waterfalls leading to a lake. The engineering on-site is amazing as gravity is used for all the water sourcing and the site is laid out in a way that makes the view out to the ocean appear as if passing cruise ships are floating in the air. Again, rhododendrons and azaleas are in full bloom. Ornamental trees, palm trees, and beautiful perennials of many kinds make this an absolutely beautiful setting. The original guard house and drawbridge remain, though the moat has disappeared. The owner personally provided the tour which was special, as she knew the history of the owning families over the ages.
The Beaches of Normandy
Le Havre is our port today. It was built in 1517 to expedite trade with the New World and to protect France from Britain. A large lock separates the tidal River Seine and an inner canal. This port focuses on export of vehicles and the import of petrochemicals with 7000 ships per year. Eighty percent of the nuclear power in France is produced in the area.
Our long day tour today featured the WWII memorials dedicated to the stories of the Allied invasions in Normandy as the overthrow of the Germans began on the western front in Europe. While focused on the American sites, once our guide knew we were from Canada, he shared a lot of information about the British and Canadian contributions in the area as well. Our British guide, Colin, was absolutely superb – definitely a history buff so not only did he share information about the battles in the area, he was able to share the long history of wars, leadership, etc. over the ages – very interesting.
The first stop was the cliffs above Utah and Omaha beaches at the Pont du Hoc.
With a deep mist blowing in off the ocean, you could almost imagine how difficult this landing and battle was – it was cold and wet – and we were only there for an hour. For those soldiers there for many weeks, it would have been very uncomfortable for sure. The top of the cliff is riddled with large holes which would have provided protection for German soldiers as the attacks began. Two of the planned gun platforms were in place at the time of the attack on 6 June 1944 and remnants remain on the cliff.
After here, we traveled to the lower beach level where a beautiful sculpture and several memorials mark the Omaha beach landing sites and battles. Here, ~ 1,000 Americans lost their lives on June 6th, 1944 due to several factors – inaccurate bombing activity from the ships offshore, no tank support for the 1st wave of soldiers, poor weather, a well-qualified German division recently relocated to the area, and the terrain. It was easy to see how the long, flat open beach would have left the soldiers disembarking from landing craft totally exposed. We learned that even with a similar mix of mistakes and bad weather, the Canadians were successful in their part of the mission on Juno beach and also on the Plain of Caen where they took control of the Pegasus Bridge.
Our next stop was the American Cemetery where 9,387 soldiers lost in battles in the area are buried. The perfectly aligned crosses, in every direction, are enscripted on one side, purportedly facing the U.S. In total, 14,000 are buried in Normandy, while another 14,000 were repatriated to the States when the cemeteries in the area were consolidated in the 50s. France has given the US land use in perpetuity so the site is managed and maintained by the States. A very moving site with beautiful gardens. The holly oak, which is green all year, lines many of the long walkways between the different sectors of the cemetery. Large wall diagrams show the movement of the various allied forces in the area over the summer of 1944 and the contributions of the various regiments.
Our afternoon was spent at the Caen War Memorial centre. An absolutely fantastic collection of print, picture, and video information about the time between WWI and WWII (economic, social and political happenings around the world), and then after the war. We didn’t even have time to get to the 2nd half of the exhibit as there was so much to read and listen to in the pre-1945 section. Definitely worth a 2nd visit on a return trip.
The return trip through the countryside of Normandy offered views of a mainly agricultural area with many cattle grazing in the hedge-surrounded fields.
Dairy and beef cattle are both raised – including a Normandy breed – it features “sunglasses” around the eyes! Camembert cheese is made from the milk of a certain breed of cow in this area. Apples are plentiful in the area after introduction from the Pyrenees in the 11th century. Distilled, it forms the traditional drink of Normandy, Calvados – an apple brandy. Flax in the fields produces first seeds and oil, then linen threads from the stocks which are exported to China. There is lots of limestone in the area so the houses are all block stone construction. Numerous 17th century castles are visible along the routes in the area – no stops to view today though as it wasn’t the focus of the tour.
Our long day tour today featured the WWII memorials dedicated to the stories of the Allied invasions in Normandy as the overthrow of the Germans began on the western front in Europe. While focused on the American sites, once our guide knew we were from Canada, he shared a lot of information about the British and Canadian contributions in the area as well. Our British guide, Colin, was absolutely superb – definitely a history buff so not only did he share information about the battles in the area, he was able to share the long history of wars, leadership, etc. over the ages – very interesting.
The first stop was the cliffs above Utah and Omaha beaches at the Pont du Hoc.
With a deep mist blowing in off the ocean, you could almost imagine how difficult this landing and battle was – it was cold and wet – and we were only there for an hour. For those soldiers there for many weeks, it would have been very uncomfortable for sure. The top of the cliff is riddled with large holes which would have provided protection for German soldiers as the attacks began. Two of the planned gun platforms were in place at the time of the attack on 6 June 1944 and remnants remain on the cliff.
After here, we traveled to the lower beach level where a beautiful sculpture and several memorials mark the Omaha beach landing sites and battles. Here, ~ 1,000 Americans lost their lives on June 6th, 1944 due to several factors – inaccurate bombing activity from the ships offshore, no tank support for the 1st wave of soldiers, poor weather, a well-qualified German division recently relocated to the area, and the terrain. It was easy to see how the long, flat open beach would have left the soldiers disembarking from landing craft totally exposed. We learned that even with a similar mix of mistakes and bad weather, the Canadians were successful in their part of the mission on Juno beach and also on the Plain of Caen where they took control of the Pegasus Bridge.
Our next stop was the American Cemetery where 9,387 soldiers lost in battles in the area are buried. The perfectly aligned crosses, in every direction, are enscripted on one side, purportedly facing the U.S. In total, 14,000 are buried in Normandy, while another 14,000 were repatriated to the States when the cemeteries in the area were consolidated in the 50s. France has given the US land use in perpetuity so the site is managed and maintained by the States. A very moving site with beautiful gardens. The holly oak, which is green all year, lines many of the long walkways between the different sectors of the cemetery. Large wall diagrams show the movement of the various allied forces in the area over the summer of 1944 and the contributions of the various regiments.
Our afternoon was spent at the Caen War Memorial centre. An absolutely fantastic collection of print, picture, and video information about the time between WWI and WWII (economic, social and political happenings around the world), and then after the war. We didn’t even have time to get to the 2nd half of the exhibit as there was so much to read and listen to in the pre-1945 section. Definitely worth a 2nd visit on a return trip.
The return trip through the countryside of Normandy offered views of a mainly agricultural area with many cattle grazing in the hedge-surrounded fields.
Dairy and beef cattle are both raised – including a Normandy breed – it features “sunglasses” around the eyes! Camembert cheese is made from the milk of a certain breed of cow in this area. Apples are plentiful in the area after introduction from the Pyrenees in the 11th century. Distilled, it forms the traditional drink of Normandy, Calvados – an apple brandy. Flax in the fields produces first seeds and oil, then linen threads from the stocks which are exported to China. There is lots of limestone in the area so the houses are all block stone construction. Numerous 17th century castles are visible along the routes in the area – no stops to view today though as it wasn’t the focus of the tour.
Sailing with Norwegians - a new experience
Sailing with 1300+ Norwegians, Jagermeister is definitely the drink of choice it appears – and any time of day or night! The bartenders are walking around at 10:00 a.m. offering shots while we’re still making our way through coffee and breakfast– a bit of a culture shock for us! Or HUGE cans of Foster beer – about 2 times the size of our cans of beer at home. We thought there must be a special on the beer on arrival day as most tables in the dining room were adorned – but it turns out, it is just a favourite! A lot of alcohol consumed on this cruise – but no wild parties or problems – everyone is well behaved!
May 20 - Arrival day, Oslo, Norway
Our 9 day Normandy & British Isles cruise begins today in Oslo. No problems with flight from London due to volcanic ash, although the cruise transportation fellow that met us at the airport said a number were delayed on earlier flights. Our cruise experience began with the news that the ship had been plagued by Norwalk virus on the last couple of sailings, so was undergoing an intense cleaning before we could board – all precautionary to decrease the chance of sickness. Slowed lines considerably and then everyone had to wait for cabins but by late afternoon, everyone was getting settled. The precautions also include TOTAL handling of all food service by staff – again, a rare event for them so it is taking everyone a little getting used to. Unfortunately, it means the library is closed as well (though we can still get a daily Sudoku puzzle!) as they have no means to sanitize the books, as they are doing with every other surface of the ship (many times a day).
Having cruised before, a quick tour of the ship helped us get our bearings pretty quickly. Off we go! A day at sea tomorrow.
Having cruised before, a quick tour of the ship helped us get our bearings pretty quickly. Off we go! A day at sea tomorrow.
Pax Lodge Welcomes Guiders
Pax Lodge World Centre is located in Hampstead Heath just north of central London.
It is co-located with Olave House, the headquarters of the World Bureau.
The facility operates like a hostel (B&B) for Guiding members (and others) – but is also a meeting place for Guiding committees while offering girl and adult programming a number of times during the year. So …. It is a busy place. You receive the code to the security door and are asked to sign in/out so they know where you are in the event of a fire, but other than that, everyone comes and goes on a multitude of schedules. It is ideally located near the north tube line, so it’s a quick 13 minute ride to central London
As you enter, you are greeted by a beautiful collection of the symbols of the four World Centres – the squirrel for Our Chalet, the Cuernavaca tree of life for Our Cabana, and the emblems for Pax Lodge and Sangam.
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The lower floor has offices, meeting space and the large common dining hall. The 2nd and 3rd floors are predominantly residence rooms for visitors together with staff space, a common kitchen and laundry facilities. A very efficient layout that is very welcoming for visitors.
Like the other World Centres, it is actively promoting the WAGGGS 3-year Global Action Themes and encourages members staying at the Lodge to participate in examining the issues and proposing actions in their own community to address the issues. The walls are covered with ideas from various sessions and from visitors staying at the Lodge.
It is co-located with Olave House, the headquarters of the World Bureau.
The facility operates like a hostel (B&B) for Guiding members (and others) – but is also a meeting place for Guiding committees while offering girl and adult programming a number of times during the year. So …. It is a busy place. You receive the code to the security door and are asked to sign in/out so they know where you are in the event of a fire, but other than that, everyone comes and goes on a multitude of schedules. It is ideally located near the north tube line, so it’s a quick 13 minute ride to central London
As you enter, you are greeted by a beautiful collection of the symbols of the four World Centres – the squirrel for Our Chalet, the Cuernavaca tree of life for Our Cabana, and the emblems for Pax Lodge and Sangam.
.
The lower floor has offices, meeting space and the large common dining hall. The 2nd and 3rd floors are predominantly residence rooms for visitors together with staff space, a common kitchen and laundry facilities. A very efficient layout that is very welcoming for visitors.
Like the other World Centres, it is actively promoting the WAGGGS 3-year Global Action Themes and encourages members staying at the Lodge to participate in examining the issues and proposing actions in their own community to address the issues. The walls are covered with ideas from various sessions and from visitors staying at the Lodge.
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