Voyage of the Vikings

Yesterday afternoon we decided to leave Spartanburg and get a hotel in Charlotte so that we would not have to get up so early in the morning. It looked like we were going to get a quick summer shower but it rained hard all evening making the drive less fun. We picked up our rental car and off we went. We stopped for a lovely Thai dinner and then checked in at the Hampton Inn Airport. We showered and went to bed to read knowing the clock would go off a little after 5. We slept poorly as we were ready to get this adventure started. Up early and ready long before breakfast was served. We loaded the car and made the short drive to the rental car return and soon we were checked in and waiting at the gate. Our flight was on time and we were in Boston with our luggage and rental car before 11am. In the airport a lovely lady told us about a 27 mile traffic backup for Cape Cod so we decided to do somethings in Boston and start our Cape Cod experience on Monday. We purchased tickets for the Boston Duck Tour on line and drove to the Science Museum for our tour. It began at 1:30pm so we made a short walk to the Cambridge Square Mall several blocks away and had lunch and picked up some things we did not bring on the plane like a large bottle of lotion. We then arrived back just in time for our tour and soon we were on our duck with Will. This is my second duck tour here but Hugh’s first. Will was a comedian and had on tights and a funny hat. His commentary was hilarious as well as informative. We saw the historical sights and also some of the city. Time well spent. From the museum we drove to Harvard and walked through the campus and also in the town of Cambridge.

Time got away from us and it was later than planned when we started our drive to New Bedford where our hotel is. It was about an hour away and traffic was not bad. We arrived in New Bedford and found that it was a quaint whaling town and had a lot of things to see. We went to a great restaurant, Fairburn’s City Grille, and enjoyed a delicious dinner. We then walked through the town in the historic whaling area and also down to the pier. We found that our hotel was in Fairburn which is a short drive away but allowed us to see more of the area. We passed the most beautiful High School we had ever seen and hope to get pictures later. Once at the hotel we settled in and after a shower we both were ready for books and bed!

After much discussion we decided today is the day for a ferry ride to Martha’s Vineyard. We showered and had breakfast before we headed to the ferry terminal. It was expensive to park but this is a trip we both had been anticipating. The ferry was on time and we had comfortable seats and lovely views. In just over an hour we were docked in Oak Bluffs. We disembarked into a beautiful little town with wonderful old Victorian homes in every direction. We walked along the shore before making our way into the town area. We stopped at a great little bakery and had a snack of an apple fritter (only one was needed as they were larger than my 2 hands). We enjoyed every morsel and then continued our wanderings. We were making so many pictures of these colorful homes you would have thought we were in the market to buy. We spent several hours wandering through the Martha’s Vineyard Camp Meeting village where every house was a testament to gingerbread trim and wonderful colors. We saw the tabernacle there that was built in 1879 as were the houses. People were renting these homes and most of them had people sitting on the porches and enjoying conversation with all the visitors to the village. When it was time for a late lunch we headed to Sharkey’s in town. When we arrived there was a lovely group of young ladies performing. They were called Village Harmony and were performing at the Tabernacle that evening. We would have stayed to hear them but it was after the last ferry back.

We had a great lunch and then caught the bus to Edgartown. Again we wandered the streets just enjoying the lovely architecture. We stopped for frozen lemonade down near the water and nearing ferry time we caught the bus back to Oak Bluffs. We rested from a big day on the ride back and when we arrived in New Bedford we decided to eat at the City Grille again as we had enjoyed it so much the night before. Hugh had meatloaf and I had cod and both were delicious. We started our drive back to Fairhaven but made a detour to see what a castle like turret was. We found it and it was a municipal building. We also saw a wonderful area to watch a sunset but we were too late to partake. We drove to the hotel and crashed. Tomorrow is our Cape Cod adventure!

Today we awoke at 7 and had our breakfast before taking off on route 6 toward Cape Cod. We were expecting a lot of traffic but to our surprise we did not encounter any. We made great time and were soon in Bourne township and the small town of Buzzard Bay. We were drawn here by a most beautiful railroad bridge, the kind that raises and lowers and looks like it should be in an old book. There was a great walk along the Cape Cod Canal and we made pictures before visiting the Chamber of Commerce in an old train station. The woman there was a fount of information and she kept us looking at maps and collecting brochures for 30 minutes or so. She was so helpful and fun to talk to that Hugh made her picture. Her first suggestion for our day was to stop in Sandwich but we were making such great time that we decided to head to Provincetown or P’town first and get to Sandwich on the way back. Not our best move as I will explain later. We continued through the little towns of the Cape stopping at one point to browse the shops. We did encounter traffic about the point we turned north at Orleans. Provincetown seems to be a popular destination. We were told by our friendly chamber representative to stop at a "shack" for a lobster roll and we did. In Wellfleet we stopped at PJ’s, an award winning shack and had lobster rolls. Hugh was leery of the concept but found out quickly how delicious they are. We then drove along the beach area into P’town and had to pay a large amount to park. We walked the length of the street and enjoyed the people. This is a little like Myrtle Beach with a large LGBTQ population. We enjoyed the shops and then walked up to the Pilgrim’s Monument for a birds-eye view. We then made it back to our car with just one small purchase, a sticker that says bumpa sticka! Could not resist. We then drove highway 6, the more direct route, to Sandwich. We arrived a little after 5 and everything, and I am not exaggerating, everything was closed. This gave new meaning to the term roll up the streets.

We walked around a bit and then decided to drive to Plymouth and see Plymouth Rock and the Mayflower II. It was an easy drive and we found parking right on the street. This is a beautiful area and we walked all around seeing the sights. Plymouth Rock was not so exciting but the whole area was worth seeing. We stopped at a Friendly’s on our way to the hotel for ice cream sundaes for dinner... this is vacation! We also decided to go back to the oceanfront area of Fairhaven we had seen the night before for the sunset and the Buck moon. We found place to park and walked back toward the water. There was a fort that was where the last battle of the Revolutionary War took place. We made our pictures and then it was time to get to the hotel. Back in the room we packed up for our trip to Boston tomorrow and boarding our ship for the next part of our adventure!

Today begins the next Barrow adventure. We have been looking forward to this trip all summer... escaping the horrible heat being a part of the excitement. We got up and out quickly and before 9 we were on the road to Boston. We again lucked out with the traffic situation and did not have to slow until we were inside Boston city limits. We made it to Logan International and turned our rental in on time and then found a taxi just outside the rental terminal. It was a short ride to the Black Falcon terminal and we made it through check-in in record time. We had much more of a wait than planned, supposed to board at 11 but it was much closer to 12 before we were on board... 4-star status didn’t help much as most of the people waiting stood up when they announced 5-star and 4-star boarding. Rooms were not ready so we made it to the dining room (one definite advantage to 4-star status) and had a lovely lunch with a couple from Florida. During lunch they announced that our staterooms were ready so we made our way there and unpacked our backpacks and then explored the ship. We participated in the safety drill at 4:30 and it went slowly as people did not show up. One gentleman passed out from standing in the sweltering heat. When we went to our cabin 2 of our bags were there and we unpacked and headed to the laundry to press the wrinkles out of all the things that had been folded for over a week. During my pressing marathon the other bags arrived and soon all was wrinkle-free and stored for the next 34 days. I love having the cabin organized before dinner and then just relaxing. We went to the Lido for dinner and met several couples that were on our South Pacific adventure last Sept. After dinner we played some cards and then headed to the cabin for a good night's rest. We are in Bar Harbor, Maine tomorrow!

Today we decided to skip exercise and sleep in. this did not work so well and we were up and dressed in time to go to the dining room for breakfast before we docked. We had slow service so we had to hustle a bit to get our tickets exchanged for stickers and be ready to head out for our tour of the town and Acadia National Park. Anchoring and getting the tenders ready seemed to take a long time and we were much later than we expected before we took off. The tender ride was easy and we found our bus waiting for us. Our guide for the experience was Roberta who was friendly and funny. She spoke her mind and kept up a lively commentary as we travelled through the small town. Bar Harbor is lovely but very small. It is a walking town and we look forward to our afternoon on our own. Roberta told of sitting on her front steps and being asked by tourist's where Bar Harbor was and replying that she had good news and bad... "You are here and this is all there is"! We then made our way to the Acadia National Park. Sea meets land at Acadia and life thrives from shore to summit. This is the 5th smallest national park but one of the most visited. Acadia’s undulating landscape is the product of thousands of years of sculpting by glacial ice. The ice scoured away older rock leaving the pink granite beneath. There are 45 miles of carriage roads for biking and hiking and we got to see the whole view from the peak of Cadillac Mountain, the highest coastal peak in the east. We hiked around the top and from our viewpoint we could see lots of small islands and lakes and tide pools. This was our second visit here but by far our best as the first was on a rainy day with low lying clouds and no view. After our hike we boarded our bus back to town.

When our tour ended we had a great late lunch at the West Cafe. We enjoyed delicious lobster rolls and fries before we set off to explore the town. It was a warm sunny day and we made the shore walk before wandering in some of the shops. We decided to go back to the ship late afternoon and had time to journal, edit pictures, and rest before showering for dinner. We ate in the Lido as we were not very hungry after our large lunch. We finished just in time to make the 8 pm show. The entertainment this evening was Lance Ringnald, the Olympic gymnast. We have seen him before but this show was more polished and included some singing and piano playing that the other show did not. Very enjoyable and after the show we talked to him and he remembered being in Spartanburg in 1987 for a warm-up tour before the Olympics. We saw that show and he was impressive then. We made a tour of the ship's venues to see if there was something we wanted to listen to but decided to play cards. After I won 2 games Hugh was ready to go to the cabin and read. A really great first port. Tomorrow is a sea day and our exercise program begins.

A knock on the door at 6:10am and room service breakfast is served and our first sea day begins. After downing coffee and omelets we headed to the gym. We had a great stretching class and then stayed for the abs class. A lot of the stretchers left... they must have known what was ahead. We worked hard and then did our weights workout before going to the cabin to shower and dress for the day. It is sunny but windy and definitely cooler. We went to our first Cruise Critic meeting at 10am and there must have been at least 100 people there; this was the largest one we have been to. It was well organized and we met lots of nice people, even a couple from Concord, NC. The meeting lastest until 11am and we then went to the ports lecture. Some great places coming up in the next few days.

After that lecture we went to lunch at the Lido and then headed to the cabin for a nap. Neither of us had slept the night before as the cabin was too hot. We napped fitfully and read as we sailed toward Sydney, Canada. Tonight is formal night so we showered and gussied up. We headed to the dining room at 6 and found a line half way across the ship. We joined 2 other couples and reserved a table for 6. We went to the library to wait for our beeper to go off. Just before 7 we were called to the dining room. We had excellent service and finished in time to go to the 8pm show. When we arrived every seat in the showroom was taken so we sat on the side wall and enjoyed the show. We walked around the ship and played some cards and headed to bed. We loose an hours sleep tonight with our first time change!

We were aroused at 6:45at this morning and up quickly as we are excited for our day in Sydney, Nova Scotia on Cape Breton Island. We dressed in layers as it is chilly and foggy this morning with a good breeze. After breakfast we headed to exchange our tickets for tour numbers and then it was off to the bus. Our guide was Gordon and he was filled with interesting facts and stories about the area. He referred to it as the "second most beautiful island in the world, and number 1 in north America". It has been inhabited for 10,000 years and has played an important part in the world wars. This area has major coal deposits and had a boom time and then a recession but made its way back with tourism and service industries playing a major role. It was an hour drive to Baddeck where we boarded our schooner Amoeba for a cruise on Bras d’Or Lakes. Our captain had a wicked sense of humor and an easy way with the boat. We were under sail more easily than either of us expected and there was a good breeze. We sailed around the islands and shoreline where we saw the Alexander Graham Bell (log cabin by a babbling creek) 37 room mansion and all the 800 acres of land surrounding it. Mabel and Alex are both buried on the highest hill and the land is still in the Bell family. Their 2 daughters’ descendants own the land now, one married the head of National Geographic and the other married into the Fairchild family. Our captain threw out fish for 2 pairs of eagles and we got to see them fish up close and personal. It was chilly on the boat but back on land the sun was out and the temp rose to 70’ish. We had an hour to walk around Baddeck and Hugh and I had coffee and shortbread at a local bakery. Back on the bus we saw lots of lovely views that had been hidden by fog in the morning.

Soon we were back in Sydney and back on the ship for a late lunch. This ship has more food offerings for those who are late for meals than some ships we have been on. We both enjoyed great fish and chips before we headed out to explore the town. We are docked right in town and as soon as we cleared the dock area we found a wonderful boardwalk along a long stretch of the coast. We followed it to the end and then made our way up into the commercial area. We slowly made our way back to the port and I explored the shops and craft fair and Hugh updated his computer. We made it back in time for sailaway and we went on top to enjoy the view. There were a large number of sailboats out and the sailaway was enhanced by watching them. We did not see Louisburg Fort but we saw lovely cliffs as we made our way out. We went to the cabin with the intent of reading but we both fell asleep and did not wake up until 7. After a quick shower we headed to the Lido and had a great dinner. Our next stop was the Celtic show but when we arrived 10 minutes ahead every seat was taken and we decided it was not as enjoyable standing up. We made our way to the lounge where Adagio was playing and enjoyed a wonderful concert. We have no set plans tomorrow in Corner Brook, Newfoundland so we decided to take our computers to the library and journal and edit pictures. We had a fabulous trip today but the ship has a few issues: too many people for the size of the showroom, poor service in the Main dining room making those who show up at 6-6:30 have to wait for over an hour to be seated. Hope as we continue these issues are addressed and things smooth out. Tonight we set our clocks ahead 30 minutes which means it will still be light when we go to bed!!!

This morning we awoke to the tapping on our door signaling coffee delivery. We had no specific schedule so we slept in until 7:30. We enjoyed our coffee, showered, and headed to the LIDO for breakfast. We both enjoyed omelets as we planned our day. We dressed in layers, long sleeves, polar fleece, and raincoat, as the day is cold, windy, and spitting rain. We made it to the info stand at the corner of the dock and the rain had stopped but the clouds were very low and dark. We got information and maps on the Corner Brook Stream trails, the museum, and also the antique trains. We decided to head to the trails and get a good walk in early just in case the weather takes a turn for the worse. We found the trail head and soon we were walking along a lovely pond and later a fast moving stream. This area is maintained by the pulp mill in town. The flowers are lovely and there is a lot of ferns and birch along the way. We hiked both sides of the trail and tried our best to hit every one of the trail's off-shoots. After about 2 hours we made our way to the local museum where we got a good bit of history which included a lot about Captain James Cook. It also included considerable living artifacts from the 30’s, 40’s, and 50’s. From the museum we went back out to find more trails but ended up at a flea market and made our first foray into a Tim Horton’s for coffee.

We walked back toward the dock but decided to continue on to the train museum. We were told it was a good 20-minute walk and just as we were doubting our directions it came in to view. For $3 we got to see some great trains and they were all open and set up very nicely, from sleeping cars to dining car. We had a great time and the walk there was along the water with lovely views of mountains in the distance. We made the trip back to the ship and went to the pool deck for a light late lunch. After lunch we went immediately to a computer class on Photo Gallery and we left early so we could make it to church. The service was well attended and my favorite part was the singing of some great old hymns. The message was on prayer and reminded us to pray continually and in all things give thanks. We were going to the sailaway but the captain came on and said the wind was so strong and in a direction that was pushing us into the dock. This would cause a delay in us getting off so we headed to the cabin to shower and dress for dinner. We were dressed in time to sit in the dining room and watch as we sailed away from the harbor and made our way to Red Bay, Labrador. We stayed for dinner and we both chose the pasta station and a make your own pasta dish. We sat and enjoyed the gorgeous cliffs and mountainous islands past which we were sailing. This does not look a lot like east coast seaboard! Tonight we are intent on getting a seat in the showroom for the Unexpected Boys (The Four Seasons impersonators) show so we are in our seats by 7:30pm and the place is already over 2/3 filled. The show was wonderful and everyone left hoping they would be back. We then went to hear Adagio but only got to hear 2 arrangements before they took their break. Back in the cabin the clock says it is late but out our window the light says otherwise. Tomorrows forecast is for a high of 63 so we are pulling out some heavier clothes for our walk around town at 8:15am. After journaling, editing, and reading it was lights out.

This is our first time in Labrador so when the clock went off up we came. We were in the dining room when we anchored and could tell from the view that we needed our big cameras. We were ready and waiting when our tour was called and after a short tender ride we joined our group. The first thing you have to know is that this town only has 134 people and they have 3 museums and are a UNESCO World Heritage site. The tour guide was Julian and it was his first day on the job, seriously. He was friendly and answered our questions readily but did not have any commentary. He truly herded us from place to place. We made our first stop at the Whaling Museum. In the 15th & 16th centuries this was a Basque whaling site. The museums have wonderful artifacts from that time. This remained an active and thriving fishing area until the 90’s when they enacted the "cod moratorium". Now the young people move away for school and very few come back. The population is mainly over 50. The museum has a wonderful skeleton of a bowhead whale from the 1600’s. Our next stop was the Basque Whaler Museum. Again there was a lot of history of this area and great views. From there our tour went to the Visitors Interpretation Centre where we had more information on the indigenous people and the whaling industry that was so prevalent here. This ended our tour and from the centre we took a small boat ($2 Canadian) to Saddle Island. The island has no inhabitants although there are some abandoned houses. The Canadian Parks Department has built a wonderful boardwalk trail around the island. The views are wonderful and the light is constantly changing. We saw a lot of urchins on the shore which had obviously been eaten by birds. The ground was spongey and the ground cover was thick with wildflowers, the prettiest was the wild iris. We saw gull families with momma feeding her little ones. We also had a great view of the ship. Best $2 tour we have ever taken. Back on shore we headed to the tenders.

After our short ride we were back in our cabin storing cameras and getting ready for lunch in the dining room. We were seated with another couple and they were very nice but she did not like anything and let us know quickly that adventure of any type was not her thing. He was less vocal but I doubt that he sought out adventures either. We just finished lunch in time to brush teeth and head back to the dining room for an admiral’s wine tasting. We were seated with 3 other couples and we had a great time. The wine expert was from Croatia and was called "the sensation from Croatia with all the information". He was extremely knowledgeable without being stuffy. As the tasting event ended our sailaway from Red Bay was in progress. We grabed our cameras and binoculars and headed to the top. The wind is strong and after the wine we needed a rest before we continued our Birthday celebration. We got back to the cabin and I journaled and Hugh slept (he is another year older). We had plenty of time to rest and take our time getting ready for our big evening in the Pinnacle where Hugh's celebration will continue. We were given a very lovely table and our waiter met our every need. While we were enjoying a great dinner inside, outside there were whales and icebergs! We had the full 4 course experience and we even got an extra dessert when they brought out a chocolate mousse cake decorated for our birthday boy. We finished in time to make the late show which was Jenny Carmichael and she was a fantastic jazz pianist, humorist, and an ok singer. We wandered around the ship for a bit and then it was off to bed.

Today began way too early for me as I woke up feeling like I was covered in bugs on my neck and head... after examination I had been bitten repeatedly by the midges in Labrador and was covered in large hard whelps that itch horribly. Hugh woke up about 5 and helped me find the Benadryl cream and cortisone and before long we were both back asleep. We slept late and made it to a late breakfast only to find that a large portion of the cruisers had done the same thing. From breakfast we made our way to the lecture on the next ports and found that there were no seats. We sat on the wall but a lot of people left. This has been as issue on the ship (my guess is we have too many people for the facility size... the cruise is completely booked). The next lecture was on our next two ports and we did get a seat for that. The port person, Barbara, is excellent and we enjoy these talks a lot. We went to the cabin and changed into exercise clothes and hit the gym for an hour of torture. We were tired and hungry so we went straight to the Lido. After a light lunch we headed to the library to journal and edit pictures, and I even started the baby blanket I need to finish on the cruise. It is a new pattern and seems to go fast. We have large windows in the library but it is so foggy we cannot see out at all. The ship is constantly blowing the fog horn and it is such a lonely sound. Soon it was time to dress for dinner and we had a great dinner in the Lido finishing just in time to claim seats for tonight’s show. This production number by the ships singers and dancers was called Alamode and was even better than their first one. After the show we went to hear Adagio and I sat and knitted. Wow, what a great day! Tonight we set our clocks ahead 30 minutes but because we have a late arrival in Qaqortoq we stayed up and read!

After a fabulous night’s sleep we were up and moving well around 9. It is sunny outside and just across from our window is an iceberg. We had breakfast and decided on all our layers before heading to the tenders. The tender ride is short and soon we are in a colorful little town built on a hillside. We have been told that there is not a lot to do so our first order of business was to climb to the top of the mountain for a bird's eye view. We walked briskly up some switchback roads, took a staircase straight up, and soon were on the highest road in the town. From there we hiked up the mountain over large rocks, through grassy areas that felt like we were hiking on peat, around small ponds formed in the mountain until we reached the top. Hikers have marked the summits with rock stacks and we added ours to the one on this precipice. The views were phenomenal and we could see blue water, high mountains with snow, and icebergs. There was not a bad view to be had. We continued along the top and soon found we were not where we came up and had no idea how to get back to that place. We made an executive decision and started down an area that looked manageable.

We had a much longer and harder hike down but arrived safely back in the town. We explored every street, saw a funeral, talked to some children, and loved every minute of Qaqortoq. The flowers were bright against the colorful houses and the children were playing in the streams even though we were dressed in layers. The sun shone and a gentle wind kept the black flies at bay. Before boarding our tender, we checked out the gift shop and made that last photo. We were back on the ship and having lunch at 3:25pm. We have tried to get pizza several times but the lines are always long. Today the man in front of Hugh ordered 10 pizzas and truly backed up the process. We settled on nachos and hamburgers instead. It is so lovely sitting by the pool we made the decision to sit here for the sail-away at 5:30pm. I went to the cabin and brought up computers, Kindles, knitting, and cameras and we bunkered for the duration. I journaled and Hugh uploaded our 500 plus photographs. We then had fun editing them down to a manageable 100.

This is an exciting day as we traverse the Prince Christian Sound on our way to Iceland. This is one of the most scenic passages in the world and takes from 7 a.m. until around 6 p.m. We awoke at 5:45 a.m. and Hugh dressed quickly and went to the Crow’s Nest to secure some seats for us. He was almost too late and could only get one great seat and one chair. I took my time and got ready for the day before joining him. When I arrived he went to the cabin and showered and dressed for the day. We had breakfast watching the wonderful scenery go by. Early in the day we were in the fjords before we entered the sound around noon. The fjords had crenelated mountains with rounded tops as well as peaks with jagged edges. We saw two whales swimming close to the surface and blowing and diving. We only saw one lonely seal floating by on an iceberg. We had great views from our seats but could go outside for great pictures with ease. The temp. started in the 30's but quickly warmed to a pleasant 55. The sky and sea were blue and it was smooth sailing. When we entered the Sound we were surrounded by alpine glaciers as well as true glaciers 100’s thousands of years in the making. Some came down to the sea and when they calved they made the ice flows that we were navigating around. The temperature dropped but the sun remained.

We stopped at one of the largest glaciers and the captain rotated the ship 360 degrees so everyone had a photo moment. We had the tip of Greenland mainland on our left and islands on our right. There were waterfalls and glaciers but not trees. The trees are mostly birch in this area grow to a grand height of about 2 inches... yes, 2 inches! By late afternoon we were exiting the sound and we headed to the cabin. We read and edited the pictures we had taken before showering and dressing for the gala. We went to the dining room and shared a table with a lovely couple from Arizona. We finished dinner just in time to go to the show and it was Broadway tunes done by the Unexpected Boys. This was an even better show than their first one. Afterwards we headed to our cabin to read and change our clocks... move it forward.

Today we woke up at 7 and decided to go back to sleep. We awoke again at 8:45 and dressed and headed to breakfast. When we were being served we noticed and that they were closing the lines and realized we had not move our watches ahead one hour. OOPs... it was 10:30. Oh well it is a sea day and we had nothing urgent planned. After we ate we went to the lecture on Icelandic Sagas and History and then headed to the gym. We both started the new Daniel Silva audiobook Black Widow as we went through our paces. We got in a very active hour before we headed to the Lido and a light lunch. We then went to the lecture on flight and the gentleman who does these lectures is so entertaining. It was close to four when we headed to the cabin and did our journaling, knitting, and reading before it was shower time. Dressed for dinner we headed to the Lido and had a great dinner finishing just in time to brush our teeth, grab our books, and head to the showroom to secure our seat for the show. We have never had to be there this early but the people on this ship show up for everything and we have had to stand through two shows. The show was called Midnight Hour and it was the Rotterdam singers and dancers. We enjoyed it very much and then went to hear Adagio until bedtime. In the cabin we laid our clothes out for tomorrow as we have to be up and out early for our day in Reykjavik.

Up early today with lots of excitement for our tour in Reykjavik. We dressed and went to breakfast before getting in the long line to disembark. Seems everyone is anxious for today, but not everyone is patient as there were some harsh words and shoving as we exited the ship. There are some feisty old folks here. We exited to bright sunshine and very cool temps. We were not sure of the pickup time but thought it would be around 8:30-9. Sure enough, 8:50 and our guide was calling my name. We were the last pickup for this small tour and soon we were in the large van that would get us to our exciting destinations. Our driver was Arie and his English was great. He kept up a running commentary as we made our way out of the city.

We drove for 50 minutes or so before we reached our first destination, Thingvillir National Park. Our first view was of Lake Thingvallavatn which is the largest lake in Iceland. Thingvellir was established at the site of the Alpingi, the Icelandic parliament founded in year 930 in the rift valley. This area is so lovely and we were making lots of pictures up until time to leave. Our next stop was an unplanned one that we all wanted, a spa and lake with hot springs. This was wonderful because we could just walk down to the lake and put our hands in to experience the warmth. People were swimming in the lake but there were a lot of folks enjoying the spa treatments also. There was a public pool which was naturally heated by the underground springs. On our way out several people asked to stop and see some Icelandic horses on the property. They were friendly and Hugh even fed one some grass. These horses have 5 gaits and are used for work around the farms, especially for rounding up sheep at the end of summer. It seems that sheep are given free reign for grazing during the summer but are kept in large pens for the winter. They have ear tags so each rancher can identify his own sheep. From the spa we were driving to the geysers when Arie asked if we would like to see a dairy farm where they make ice cream. We all said yes so another unexpected stop was made at Efsfidalur farm and Ice Cream Barn. We all had wonderful ice cream while looking at the cows being milked for the next batch. We also were able to see where the ice was made. Truly farm to table! We arrived at Haukadalur to see the geysers and have lunch but it was swamped with cars and tour buses.

Arie made the decision to go on to Gullfoss, Golden Falls, which was to be our next stop. This was a great idea and when we arrived there it was much less crowded. This falls is on the Hvita River and is 32 m high at the highest, with a 3 step staircase. It was on a farm and the farmer was offered a lot of money to let the government put up a power plant. He was willing but his daughter, Sigidur Tomasdoffir, went to the government to fight for keeping the falls open. She finally told her father that if the power plant was built she would throw herself over the falls; the father capitulated and the falls are the number one tourist sight in the country. We walked the well done path from the top to the bottom and this is one magnificent sight. We were damp at the end and the wind and mist was quiet cold but so worth it.

When our time was up here we made our way back to the geysers and we had time to have lunch, climb the hills around the area for spectacular views, and of course, watch the eruption of the geysers. We skipped the lunch and had a wonderful afternoon hiking and climbing. It wasn’t until we were heading back that we had time to watch the geysers. It was impressive and people were standing very close. Soon it was time to board the van and head back. We had seen everything and more on the Golden Circle Tour but we were surprised with 2 more stops. The first one was at another waterfall. This one was called the Faxi Waterfall on the Turguflot River. It was just a short distance off the road and there were no tours or anyone around. We were able to get some pictures of ourselves here and also the lovely falls.

We continued our drive toward Reykjavik with only a short stop at Hveragerdi where we saw a nice display on the May 2008 earthquake. They had a scene of a house and how it settled after the quake, an earthquake simulator, and a fault line in the floor of the building that was covered in glass and one side was the North American plate side and the other the Euro-Asian plate side. You could look down into the fault. Very interesting. From here we had about 40 minutes before we were back at the port and saying goodbye to Arie. This was a fabulous day and we hated to see it end. We have had such great luck booking our own tours through Viator. They are always on time and go above and beyond what we are expecting. Back on the ship we tried to take a shower before dinner but believe it or not we had no cold water... only hot. We dressed and met some new friends from CA for dinner in the Canaletto. We were having so much fun talking and sharing family and travel stories that before we knew it it was after 9. After saying good-night we headed to the cabin to edit our pictures from our adventure as there is no show tonight. Tomorrow we will spend our time in Reykjavik and it should be a great day as we don’t sail until 5.

Today we had no special agenda so we slept until we woke up, had breakfast, and decided not to take the Hop-on Hop-off bus but walk down town. We did this on a previous trip and decided it was such a lovely day we would spend it exploring. We took our time walking along the waterfront and taking paths inland to explore. We found a house/shop with all sorts of oddities in the yard. We supposed it was Icelandic art of some sort. As we continued our walk we enjoyed the view across the water of the mountains and before we knew it we were approaching downtown. We came to the metal Viking ship statue at the waterfront and made the decision to continue to the end of the walk. The waterfront walk ends at HARPA, the Reykjavik concert and conference center. We went inside and it was massive and very modern with coffee shops, wine bars, and gift shops. From here we made our way inland and our first photo stop was the Hofdi where President Reagan met Gorbachev at the Icelandic Summit. From there we walk along the main street stopping once to check our email and download books on my Kindle. We continued on this main street stopping in the shops that were open and doing some major window shopping. All the sweaters here are so lovely but much too warm for home. A lot of the shops are closed as it is Sunday but no worries as we are not buyers.

We made our way to the Haligrimskirkja, a beautiful church that you can see from the waterfront. This is one of the symbols of this city. They were having an organ concert and it was absolutely wonderful. The organ is massive and the sound divine! There was also a choir and we didn’t even need to understand the words to enjoy it. From here we made our way to the Perlan, another of the symbols of the city. It is actually 5 water tanks that they have covered with a large pearlescent dome. It is lovely from a distance but not so great up close. We walked back in to the city and it started to rain just a bit so we began our walk back to the ship. We stayed along the water and the sun returned. It was a wonderful day and when we arrived back at the ship we made pictures of a very large sailing yacht docked next to the ship. The mast is taller than the decks of our ship and it a beauty; named the Drumbeat. On our way to the ship we spoke with a lady from the ship docked behind ours and she said it was a Fred Olsen ship called the Black Watch. They are on the reverse itinerary from ours except in Greenland they return to England instead of Boston. We had a very late light lunch and then went to the church service on board. The pastor does a great job and this week’s lesson was on not grumbling. We had someone to play the piano and the music was wonderful. We were tired from our 7.5 mile walk so we went to the cabin to read, knit, journal, upload pictures, etc. Around 6 we showered and had a lovely dinner. The show this evening was an electric cello player from Poland, Mariusz. He was phenomenal and received a standing ovation. He played classical and rock including Led Zeppelin and Metallica. We then went to hear Adagio as we like to do before heading to the cabin. We lose another hour tonight so we set our clocks ahead before climbing into bed. Sorry to bid Iceland good-by but we will be back on our return trip... 2 more ports! Hugh has especially enjoyed learning about the Vikings and their exploits and said he was having daydreams of pilliging and plundering as the dreaded viking leader Ducky the Fierce!

Today was a strange day. We have had calm seas for the entire voyage until last night and it changed dramatically. The ship rocked and rolled all night and is still rocking this morning. We slept in because we had an invitation to the Mariner Society Reception and Brunch at 10:45. We showered and dressed and joined a very large number of people in the Showroom at Sea. We had mimosas and champagne with appetizers while they gave out the medals to mariners who had reached milestones in their sailing. We have our bronze one and may get our silver on the second half of the voyage. From the Showroom we went to the dining room for a lovely brunch. We were seated with 3 other couples, one from VA, one from NJ, and one from Quebec City. We had a great time and it was 2 before we made our way to our cabin. The ship is rolling and not too many people are out and about. We decided to read in the cabin as the rocking is worse on the higher decks. Later we showered and dressed for dinner and had a great dinner in the Lido. We took our reading material to the Showroom and reserved our seat for the show. Tonight the crowd is much smaller and there were a lot of do not disturb signs on cabin doors. We sat with a couple from brunch and enjoyed White Magic and Hulan, magic and contortion. Michael White, the magician, is from England and Hulan, the contortionist is from Mongolia. They are engaged to be married but have been show partners for 7 years. Both were very good but she took our breath away when she balanced on her mouth. It was the most amazing act. After the show we retired to the cabin as people were stumbling around on the rolling decks. Another sea day tomorrow and we are hoping for calmer seas.

We have officially turned into slugs; we slept through breakfast. As we had some time before lunch was served we sat in the cabin and journaled and worked on pictures. The seas are still rough today but seem less violent than yesterday. Today is Ron and Lori’s anniversary and we can’t help but remember the happy day. Hope they are having a great day although it is during the work week. The captain just came on and said we are pitching not rolling. We have stabilizers that take care of 85% of the rolling but nothing has been developed to help with the pitching and the seas overnight have been 9 plus feet. We had a great lunch and then went to the library and I knitted on my blanket and Hugh worked on the website. We went to the Q&A with the captain and stayed for the lecture that followed. The info was good but the presentation was very academic. After that we went back to the library and worked on our projects some more. Closer to dinner time we went to the cabin and got our laundry ready to go out and showered and dressed. Tonight we had dinner in the main dining room and it was lovely. We had some time before the late show so we listened to Adagio before going in and reserving our seats. Good seats go fast on this ship and there was a big crowd at the late show. The entertainment was a gentleman who was born in Italy, lives in Australia, and performs in Las Vegas; Mario. He was wonderful and after 3 encores we went to our cabin and prepared for our next adventure, Alesund, Norway. It is still bright outside even though it is after 11 but we are off to bed, up early tomorrow for a 7:15 tour.

Today we shook the slug habit and were up and moving well at 6 a.m. We are very excited about our time in Alesund, Norway. We had breakfast in the Lido and could see the town come into to view as we docked. We had the first tour of the day at 7:15 and we were ready and waiting to be called. We got to our bus #4 and Ruth was our guide and Sven our driver. We pulled out and Ruth started talking. She has a lovely accent and is very easy to understand. She not only knows the history, what we need to see, and the best way to get there, she sings and tells hilarious stories. Her favorite are Beatles songs and we started with The Long and Winding Road. We lucked out big time! The municipality of Alesund is located on 7 inhabited islands connected by bridges and tunnels. It is the administrative center for the county but does have the legislative part which is in Molde, the 2nd largest city. We were out of the town quickly and traveling through some farm land which was just beautiful. Soon we were getting close to the river and the fjord that we would be traveling along for quite some time. The scenery is lovely and each little village seems to have a little harbor and a picturesque wooden church. After about 45 minutes we made our first photo stop at a lovely waterfall. We had a photo stop and WC break and then we were on our way. This was a very prompt group. Our next stop was in a mountain farming area where the specialty is strawberries. Strawberry Fields for Ever was the song of choice. They are reported to be the best in the world and Ruth and Sven bought some for us to try and they actually were the best I have ever eaten and that was the general consensus on the bus. Next stop was a waterfall down a crevice, where a thief who had stolen a bride from her wedding jumped over. This was well done for viewing but I cannot see anyone jumping over it. We continued to travel on this tourist road that was built for tour buses and such but not for heavy trucks or general traffic. It is so picturesque that we were constantly snapping photos out the window. Several time we had to stop for sheep or at least share the road with them. Our final destination is the Troll Path and the wonderful scenery there as well as the 11 hairpin turns 852 meters above the sea that Sven will have to negotiate. As we approach the area we see rock bridges and the 3 highest peaks in the area called the bishop, the queen, and the king. They are magnificent. We made our stop for viewing the hairpin turns and the waterfall before making the treacherous ride down. There is a long walkway and the views are wonderful. We stopped and made so many pictures I do not look forward to editing them. When we reached the end of the path we were on a viewing platform out over the falls and looking down on the turns in the road. Breathtaking! We slowly made our way back to the bus, stopping to make some funny shots with some trolls. The next part of our journey was hair-raising for Sven. He had to negotiate these turns in a bus that was the maximum length that can make the turns in the best of conditions and these crowded roads were definitely not optimum. We had to back down a hill to let a rental trailer pass, we had to wait on others to move before we could make turns, and sometimes we could shake hands with the people in the bus passing us. The views were spectacular and we made it safely to the bottom. Ruth’s song for this part of our journey was I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends. From here we went to a camping center, Trollstigen, that had a restaurant, Trollkafe, for a Norwegian buffet. When we arrived we saw camper types we had not seen before and Hugh had to get pictures. We were the only bus there as the others had done the trip in reverse. The food was good with lots of salmon prepared in different ways, veggies, potato salad, and such. Ice cream for dessert was different from American ice cream, much denser and rich. We had time to shop in the gift shop and make pictures of the trolls that were around the property. We even found internet for a short time. Back on the bus we headed to our final major stop at the Troll Wall. Starting out we were not sure what this was but in the course of the day we learned it is a high mountain area where they used to parachute jump and climb before it was declared against the law. It is a magnificent mountain area which does not look like anything we have ever seen. On our return trip we traveled the commerce road along the fjord and made several short stops to look across at other towns and farms.

When we reached Alesund again we went through the heart of the village which we had missed earlier. This town has been declared the winner of Norway’s most beautiful town title. Soon we were back at the ship and they were pulling up the lines as we arrived. The captain blew the horn for departure as we were crossing the gangway. We hardly had time to get an elevator to the top for the sailaway. We got our full 8 hours on this tour and we are glad we did not miss it. The sail out of Alesund was wonderful with town on one side of the ship and mountains on the other. We talked with our NC friends and made some pictures for memories as they are leaving the ship in Rotterdam. The fireboat for the municipality put on a show for us that was a lot of fun. Back in the cabin we journaled and uploaded pictures before showering and dressing for dinner.

We slept in until they delivered our breakfast around 7:10. After dining in our cabin and watching out our window as we passed through the lovely Hardangerfjord, we showered and went on top to get a few pictures. It is sad to say we have seen so many beautiful fjords we do not get very excited any more. The bow of the ship was open so we went there to make our arrival pictures of this lovely little village. We had a tour that left at 10:30 and everyone was on time and we actually left a little early. Our guide was from Scotland over 40 years ago but still had a lilting accent. We started our tour in town but quickly made our way to the mountains with views of the fjord. The guide was a fount of information about the area. Eidfjord has 978 people and they have several national programs trying to get young people to move to these areas. There is farming and fishing here and along the river there are a lot of summer cottages but not for rent; they are private summer homes. The area has been inhabited for 100’s of years and the waterfall we are heading to was the first large tourist site in the country. The climate here is cool pleasant summers, 60’s, and cold dark winters. This time of the year they have almost 20 hours of light but in the winter the days have light for about 4 hours. The weather is changeable hour to hour with some clouds almost every day. Our road to the top of one of the peaks takes us along the river which changes from fast flowing to flat and back again. It is traversed by lovely rock bridges along the way. The road is well maintained but has hairpin turns that back traffic up when a large bus gets to the turn. We saw a lot of small pensions that are used by folks who come here for hiking; one of the main recreations in the area. The pensions usually have a small restaurant and several rooms to let. There are also a lot of campgrounds and outdoor activities are very popular including kayaking and rafting. Our first stop was at the top on the highest peak at the Voringfossen, a 300 meters high waterfall. We started out at the Fossen Hotel and then we took a path from the parking lot that lead us along a very wet ledge and some hard walking. We can see some lovely views from this viewpoint but only glimpses of the waterfall. The hardy souls continued to the end climbing over slippery rocks for the payoff of a wonderful view of the falls. Cameras were clicking but getting it all in one shot was difficult. We had plenty of time to enjoy this area and even look in the hotel gift shop. It started to sprinkle rain just as we boarded our bus for our trip to the hydroelectric plant which is built inside the mountain. We can only view the huge rock dam. When we got to the dam we were able to walk across and view the lovely lake on the other side. It started to rain in earnest so we made our way back to the bus. Dried off and ready for our next stop, we headed to the restaurant, Halne Fjellstova, where we were to have our waffles. We got there and the skies had cleared a bit so we did not get too wet going in. The restaurant was located across from a large linear lake with a ferry that took hikers to trails located far from the road. We were seated at long tables and served by a gentleman who stated he was 192 centimeters tall ( 6’4”). We had lovely soft Norwegian waffles in the shape of hearts served with delicious jam and thick sour cream. The coffee and tea was hot and rain was pouring down outside. We would have sat there for hours tasting the delicious fare. Unfortunately, when it was time to leave the rain was still coming down. We made our way slowly back to town and when we arrived the sun was shining. We boarded the ship, left our bags and wet coats in the cabin, and sat by the pool and had a late light lunch.

We then took our cell phones and raincoats and walked into town. We visited some of the local shops and then walked up the hill to the new church and the original church built in 1309. This original church was financed by a local woman with a very mean spirit who felt she needed to redeem herself... after-all she left her husband on a reef and the tide came in and he drown and she did nothing to help him and proceeded into town. The church was beautiful and the wall and cemetery were very interesting. The new church was a little too modern for my taste. We walked back down the hill with the minister and his delightful wife who had been on our excursion. They turned into town and we headed out of town along the river. One of the funniest things we saw were the smaller trees all had knitted trunk warmers on them. We were not sure of the purpose but they made great pictures. We also found a pizzeria with the birch bark shingles. We saw the check-in area for the Nordic Man competition that is to take place later in the week. We slowly made our way to the lovely hotel across from the ship and were able to get some Wi-Fi. It started raining hard but we were under the eaves. I went back to the ship before Hugh but we both managed to get nice and wet. We decided to upload pictures during the rainy sail-out and even had time to read and knit before showering for dinner. At dinner in the main dining room we were seated at a table with a couple from Ohio and we had a terrific meal and listened to their story about living in Europe for 10 ½ months after they retired. They only carried one 21-inch suitcase each and purchased used clothing, like jackets, during the stay. They used trains and busses to get around and they stayed in moderate hotels. They were on a budget and managed to come in $1 under. They visited 27 countries. We were very impressed! We then went to the late production show called dance and the singers and dancers were fabulous. It was late when we headed to the cabin and looked at our pictures. We had several hundred to go through and the most disappointing ones were the waterfall. The water moved so rapidly that the pictures look more like static water than the action that was really there. I finished my blanket up to the transition rows and that was exactly where I was hoping to be at this stage of the trip. Tomorrow is a sea day and we can sleep in!

So glad today is a sea day as I did not sleep well at all last night. I know from the captain's talk that we exited the smooth water of the fjord after 1:30 am and I felt the boat movement change and was awake even longer. I played games on the iPad to try to get to sleep but alas I was still awake. We had coffee delivered at 8 but we did not get up until 9. We dressed for the gym and joined our NC friends for breakfast. At 10 we headed to the showroom at sea for the port lecture on Dublin. At 11 Paul ,one of the guest lecturers and our favorite, did a talk on the young Winston Churchill. We wished he had several more on this topic as Paul is terrific and Winston is an interesting man. We then went to the gym for an hour and had a light lunch. We grabbed laptops and went to the library and culled the hundreds of pictures we had from the past several days. I then caught up on my journaling. We then went to the cabin to shower and dress for dinner. Tonight we have reservation in Canaletto at 7pm. Before dinner we had time to walk a bit but soon we were seated and had a fabulous 4 course Italian dinner. After dinner we listened to Adagio before going to the late show. This was a variety show of the cellist and the Las Vegas Mario. Both were great but are leaving us in Rotterdam. Back in the cabin we got our things organized for our trip to Bruges tomorrow.

This morning we were up early and anxious to get dressed and off the ship. After breakfast we took the metro to the train station to get our train to Bruges, Belgium. Tickets were easy to purchase and soon we were waiting on our train. We had to scan our ticket at a little post computer to show we were leaving the country. We were amazed at how automated train stations are and how precise the trains here are. At 4 minutes before our time the train arrived, passengers disembarked, and we got on. When the minute hand hit 8:06 it took off. We had an easy trip to Antwerp where we changed trains. The Antwerp station was beautiful and we enjoyed looking around until time for our trains. Trains arrive and leave on 3 different levels and everything goes so smoothly (Amtrak should take notice). We arrived in Bruges right on time and the sun had come out and it was a lovely day. We stopped in the tourist info kiosk for a map and the gentleman there told us to follow the canal. The train station is one block from the old city and we took off in that direction. We crossed a busy intersection and we were in the canal area. The path we took was so picturesque and everything is very clean. The first historical thing we came to was an old monastery. It is behind huge walls but the gates are open. We found out it is no longer a monastery but is home to Benedictine nuns and single women. Signs for silence are everywhere and it seems so strange in a bustling tourist area. From there we continued along the canal and even the restaurants are lovely, built in old churches and buildings dotting the landscape. Horse and buggy tours abound and you have to be careful that you don’t get run over. The streets are cobblestone and are not always easy to distinguish walkways from the area that taxis and buggy’s use. We continued making our way toward the piazza called the Burg. We crossed scenic arched bridges over canals with the most picturesque views. We visited the church where the Michelangelo statue Madonna and Child is housed. This is his only piece of art that left Italy during his lifetime. In the Burg we saw the most glorious architecture from castle-like building to those more in the baroque style. We were getting hungry so we went away from the tourist spots and settled on waffle at Lizzie’s Wafels (Dutch spelling). We were blessed with fast internet so while we waited on our waffles we drank our coffee and tea and checked our emails and posted to Facebook. The waffles arrived and oh my goodness did they look good. They were by far the biggest I have ever seen and were a delightful blend of crispy and soft. Mine was served with homemade plum jam and Hugh had ice cream and bananas. You would look at them and think they were too large to finish but that would be wrong... we enjoyed every single bite! After charging my phone for a bit we headed on our way making some more pictures and enjoying the architecture especially around the market and along the canals. We arrived at the canal boat station, bought our tickets, and were soon on a lovely canal tour. We made some great pictures and saw most of this city. It was then time to head back to the train.

This morning we decided to explore on our own and after breakfast we started our adventure. We took the city shuttle to the market area and because it was Sunday nothing was open at this early time. Our driver was excellent giving us the highlights of the city as he drove. When he passed the old post office which was impressive, he said no one used it much anymore since "wee-fee" came along and everyone sent emails. This was one of only two buildings left standing from the bombing in WW2. We explored the market area and visited the large cathedral there. From that point we walked to the old harbor area where we were surprised a most fantastic maritime museum with different types of ships just floating in the harbor waiting for us to explore. We spent the next several hours just walking among the ships and trains and harbor memorabilia. What a great find and it was not busy at all. The day was overcast with intermittent rain so this might explain the lack of people. From here we went in to the largest department store in The Netherlands and had fun looking. We continued into the outdoor shopping area and just as the wind was picking up and the rain becoming more prevalent we started our walk back to the ship. We walked down the main street and all around the harbor on the city side of the bridge. We made a lot of pictures of the monuments in the area and then started the walk across the bridge called Erasmusbrug. It is known locally as the Swan. From the bridge we had great views of the Rotterdam and of the Oceania Insignia which we have been on and will be on again next year. When we made it to the other side we explored that side of the harbor. We had great views of the Holland American building. We walked across the red bridge (a pedestrian bridge) and enjoyed the views.

We walked back to the cruise terminal and made our way on board. We went to the pool area for a very late lunch and right in the middle of it we had the safety drill for the new passengers that boarded today. This took a long time and we made it back upstairs just in time for the planned sail away but we were held up because one of our fellow passengers had to be evacuated. The sail out of Rotterdam was fantastic because this harbor covers 44 kilometers. We sat on the back pool deck and enjoyed the views. Once we were back in the sea heading to Dublin we went down for showers and uploading of pictures. We went to dinner in the Lido finishing just in time for the early show. Hugh checked on our bill and found out that they had not canceled our beverage package when we rebooked for a lower price. We were sorry we were just finding this out as we get 15 drinks per person each day. Can you imagine. We had wine during the show; a saxophonist names Oli Inez and then we walked around the decks before we retired to our cabin. We culled pictures and then read before turning back our clocks and going to bed.

Today we woke up on our own, no alarms, no real schedule, we are at sea. We had breakfast in the Lido finishing in time to make it to the port lecture on our 2 Icelandic ports. We then stayed for the pirate lecture by Mel Foster whom we have heard on other ships. In the middle of the lecture we had to get our passports cleared by UK officials and then turn them in. We went back to the lecture and enjoyed it very much. I went to the library to read and Hugh went to the gym. I normally would have joined him but the ship is pitching a bit and I decided to skip today. Hugh joined me in the library and then we headed to lunch. We finally got to have the pizza... cooked to order, and it was delicious. We worked on journaling and pictures but both slept a little also. The ship movement is more than expected and there are very few people out. We got up and showered and while dressing for dinner the pitching got to me. I stayed in the cabin and Hugh went to dinner and then to the show, twice. He brought me cokes and crackers and by bedtime I could tell I was going to be OK.

Today was our day in Dublin and we wanted to make the most of it. We got up early, had coffee in the room, showered, then went to breakfast. We finished well before the first shuttle into town so we took our time packing all our gear for the day. Ireland is a fickle country with rain almost every day in this part. We wore our down jackets and scarves and in our pack we had raincoats, toboggans, and gloves. When the announcement was made we disembarked and the line was so long for the shuttle that we were very cold by the time we got on. It was about 45 degrees and horribly windy when we left. The ride into town was about 5 miles and we enjoyed the scenery. We were let off at Merrion’s Square. Across the street were the hop on hop off buses so we took the special they were offering of only 10 euro for the day and climbed aboard. We were outside but it was not horrible. We made our way around the National Gallery, Trinity College, home of the Book of Kells. We had been there before so we skipped this stop. There was a lot of construction going on and traffic was backed up and slow moving. We circled Trinity College where the Book of Kells and the library used in the filming of Harry Potter are. Next we passed St. Stephen’s Green which is 22 acres of beautifully manicured parkland in the heart of the city. This is backyard for many Dubliners. We continued across town but did not cross the river and came to the Guinness Brewery. This is truly a symbol of Dublin and has been in operation for 250 years. Souvenirs with the Guinness logo are second only to Celtic symbols in popularity. Our next stop was the Kilmainham Gaol or the old jail turned prison turned museum. From here we went to the largest park in Dublin which houses the zoo and botanical gardens. We continued along the river until we reached the Jameson Distillery. This distillery dates back to 1780 when John Jameson decided to make perfume... later found that it tasted a lot better than it smelled, converted the process over and the rest is history! We passed many beautiful churches and lovely decorated pubs. We decided it was just too cold to stay on the bus so we got off and walked along O’Connell Street until we reached the river. We made pictures of the Haypenny Bridge before making a refreshment stop for hot chocolate and hot chocolate muffins at The Sweetest Thing. This was just what we needed to get our second wind and warm us up. From there we made our way across the bridge and to the statue of Molly Malone, AKA the "tart with the cart"! Hugh had to get his picture made with this scandalously clad lass. We then walked down to Christ Church which was built in the 11 century and is the oldest building in Dublin with crypts predating the building. This church has a rivalry with St. Patrick’s which was our next stop. St. Patrick’s is the largest church in Ireland and was founded in 1191; oldest vs. largest. From the church area we walked to Grafton Street and visited some Celtic handicraft stores and then found an indoor shopping center with free Wi-Fi and checked our emails. We then made our way to Dublin Castle and visited the museum there before walking through Trinity College on our way back to Merrion Square to catch our bus. We had rain on and off and the wind was still fierce. When we arrived at the bus-stop the line was just forming for the next bus as the current one was pulling out. We had a long wait but lively conversation abounded. I also talked to the representatives of the ship docked next to us. The ship is called the Albatross and is one of 4 ships in the Phoenix Cruise Lines fleet. This is a German cruise line... live and learn. We sat on the 2nd level front seat on the way back and had great views.

Back on board we dropped off our wet raincoats and bags and went for hot tea. We decided to stay in the Lido and watch ships come and go. We were so comfy we decided to eat dinner and it was just great. We could see the activity all around the harbor as we had our dessert. We went straight to the showroom and the entertainer was an Irish comedian named George Casey. He was hilarious and my favorite thing he said was that his daddy told him that politicians had one more brain cell than a horse... this "allowed them to walk in a parade with shitting"! That was his only dirty joke and he said he tried using poop but it just didn’t work. We were both tired so we headed back to the room and I took a hot bath and Hugh went to bed to listen to his iPod and when I got out of the tub he was sound asleep. Dublin, Ireland pictures

Today we were up before the alarm. This is one of the stops that Hugh has looked forward to the most. We dressed and went to breakfast and were waiting patiently in the showroom when our tour was called. We headed to the tender and the ride into port was short and smooth. We then boarded our bus quickly and because everyone was on time we were able to get a short tour of Douglas as we headed to the train station. We were surprised at how lovely the old station was and how wonderful the train was also. It is not just a tourist trap but a working railroad that leaves on a schedule and has quite a number of regular passengers. Unfortunately for us the cars are quiet small and the passengers from the ship tend to be very large... taking up more than one seat, so even though they had reserved the correct number of seats we almost could not fit everyone in (reminds me of Penang where they said rickshaws were for chopsticks not big macs). Our car was nice and a lovely gentleman from Wales let me have the window seat since he rides the train frequently. The scenery was lovely as we passed little villages and the hour trip went by very fast. When we made our final stop in Castletown we had fun photographing the trains, there was a red one and a green one. We watched the green one leave and were amazed at how smoothly and quickly it accelerated. We then boarded the bus for a short trip into Castletown proper. This town was named such because of the large castle that dominated the town. It is very picturesque and Hugh and I walked the whole of it before time to return to Douglas.

We got off the bus in Douglas downtown rather than returning to the ship. It was lucky we did because we had some time to explore before the rains came. We were able to find some covered walkways and then we just gave up and walked along the waterfront. We were able to see all the picturesque building we had seen from the bus, The Queen Victoria clock, and the horse drawn trolleys. We found our way back amongst beautiful flower gardens back to the harbor and our tenders. We were able to get on a tender right away and soon were back on the ship. The rain continued all afternoon so we had to be content with what we had seen. We had a light lunch and then uploaded pictures and read. Time passed quickly and soon it was shower time and then off to dinner. We ate with 2 lovely couples and finished just in time to make the late show. We were looking forward to it as it was a variety show with the Irish comedian and the saxophonist. It was great as anticipated and soon it was off to bed!

Another morning to get up early and get on our way. We have an 8:30 panoramic tour of Belfast and we are excited. We haven’t been to Northern Ireland before and we want to make the most of our day here. The new captain is not giving us the good weather that the other captain did and as we look out the window it is hard to distinguish sea from clouds. Another cold and rainy day in Ireland is the forecast and since it is said to rain about 364 days a year we should not be surprised. We dress in layers and end with raincoats before we head out. It is misting as we leave the bus but our guide is upbeat and full of information. This is a busy industrial harbor and one of Europe’s largest ship building centers. As we made our way into the city which is about 3 miles away we started to see some wonderful Edwardian architecture along with Victorian and Georgian. One of the first thing pointed out to us was St. George’s Market which is a public market in a lovely old building. Everywhere I looked there was a fascinating building. Our first stop was at City Hall. This didn’t sound very exciting until you saw the building. Wow it was grand! The beautiful grounds are home to a memorial for victims of the Titanic and a statue of Queen Victoria. The building is turnof the century British and looks more like a grand cathedral on the inside than government offices. We had time to make pictures and marvel at the stain glass while our guide Ken told us the history. We walked the grounds even though it was raining and were pleasantly surprised at this stop. Back on the bus we continued through the city and the wonderful architecture continued in the many cathedrals and churches we saw. We also saw the Hotel Europa where the press stayed during the hostilities and this hotel was bombed 20 times. Close by we saw the Grand Opera House( bombed several times during The Troubles) and the Victoria Street Station both very grand buildings. We saw several of the colleges of Belfast, the grandest being Queen’s College, before we made our way into the Catholic (green) side of the city where we stopped at a wall that held murals painted to depict the timeline of the hostilities and lots of propaganda. The housing here is surrounded by fencing. This city has been in conflict (The Troubles) for many years but right now they are in a peaceful place. We also went into the Protestant area (orange) and saw the same type of murals and propaganda painted on the buildings and walls. The conflict between whether to stay British or should they be Irish still continues. Our guide had a lot to tell us about this because he grew up in the middle of it. We continued further out of the city to the Belfast Castle. When we drove up Cavehill to this castle the first thing we noticed was the beautiful garden and view over the harbor and the River Lagan. The building is old stone and looks just the way I have always pictured an Irish castle. Cavehill was the inspiration for Gulliver’s Travels. The family that owned the castle gave the money to build the City Hall. We enjoyed wandering around here and hopefully got some great photos. From here we travelled to Stormont Northern Ireland Assembly. This is the impressive Parliament buildings of Northern Ireland. The drive in was quite impressive and the building very grand. We then drove back into the city and Ken told us that a lot of the area of Belfast is land reclaimed from the sea and river. We saw the football stadium, the city airport, and the Albert clock. We arrived back at the harbor and took a break for a late lunch before catching the shuttle back to the city to explore on our own. The shuttle let us off at City Hall and we took off walking. We made our way through the streets just looking at all the different types of architecture. We made our way among the city’s grandest buildings including two banks that were built in the 1700’s. Many of the oldest buildings are found in the Cathedral Quarter area, which is being revitalized into the city’s main cultural and tourist area. We stopped at the Belfast Cathedral and went in. It was very lovely and grand. On our way back into the center of town we stopped at CastleCourt shopping center for a bathroom break and a little time out of the weather. The free wi-fi here allowed me to check my emails and facebook feeds. Our trip around town took us to the Titanic Quarter near the harbor. One of the first things we saw was the Albert Clock and we had to make some pictures. Next came The Fish; of course Hugh had to kiss the fish! We then walked along the waterfront until we came to the large metal statue of a girl holding a large ring. Ken told us this statue had no official name so the guides had come up with the name Thingy with a Ringy to describe it. We walked across the river to the new development area which has the Titanic Museum, a lot of apartments and condos, The Harland and Wolff shipyard where the Titanic was built. This area is new and growing. We had shed our raincoats earlier but as we made our way back the wind picked up and the rains came again.

We made it back to the shuttle and soon were back on the ship dry and out of the wind. Belfast was a great place to explore and we did fine with the weather. We got some hot tea and settled in to journal and upload pictures as we prepared for sail away. It was a long day filled with great memories. About 7:30 we dressed for dinner and went to the dining room. We shared a table with another couple and finished in time to listen to Adagio a bit before we headed to the show. The entertainer tonight was a jazz singer named Lorraine Brown. She was very good but at the end of the show we were ready to take out tired feet to bed.

We slept in a bit today as the seas had been rough during the night and at 4:300 a.m. we awoke to the 3 hardest bumps I have ever felt on a ship. The seas are still rolling this morning and people are walking the drunken sailor walk. We went to breakfast and there was not a large number of people there but when we went to the port lecture the showroom was filled. We stayed for the lecture on Captain Bligh and his connection to the Isle of Man. We went to the cabin to journal and knit before heading to lunch. We went to lunch and again not a big crowd. We went to the afternoon lecture on Fjords and Glaciers. Hugh worked on his computer and I knitted during the talk. The lecturer is very academic and I felt like I should be taking notes. We then went to get our passports as did everyone that was in the lecture. Although the line was long it moved quickly. After retrieving the passports, we went to the gym but it was just too much ship movement to be safe. We then walked down to the cabin and read, journaled, and culled pictures until time to shower and head to the dining room. We have figured out the best time for dining and it seems to be around 7:30. We were seated at a table for 4 and were joined to by two lovely ladies from Australia. They were both physiotherapist before retiring. We had a great time at dinner but felt bad when one of them felt ill and had to go to her cabin. We finished our dessert and went to the show. It was a guitarist named Carlos Bonell. He was wonderful and had collaborated a great deal with Sir Paul McCarthy. After the show we headed to our cabin and set our clocks back an hour before crawling in bed.

Another sea day and lucky for us this one seems to be much smoother. Hugh went for coffee as we forgot to order it for the cabin. We sat in bed and journaled and finished pictures before showering and dressing for the day. After breakfast we headed to the showroom for the port lecture on Nanortalik, Greenland. Barbara does such a good job we always enjoy these talks. This lecture was followed by Mel Foster’s talk on Whales that inhabit these waters which was wonderful. He is informative as well as entertaining. We changed into gym clothes and went for a good workout. Hot and sweaty we showered before lunch. Today they had very spicy Thai food that we really enjoyed. We finished just in time for the talk on Earthquakes, tectonic movement, and Tsunami’s. The information was great but the delivery was dry and almost hard to listen to as the speaker seems to have difficulty keeping a train of thought. We stayed for the next presentation which was a virtual bridge tour. After 911 no one is allowed on the bridge but this presentation gave us a great view and the 2 officers were humorous and well informed. From there we could not think of anything we wanted to do so we headed for the cabin to read.

Today we sailed into a long fjord, Eyjafjordur, to the town of Akureyi, Iceland. This town is the 4th largest in Iceland and has a population of 18,000. We have explored the town area on a previous visit so we had planned a tour to outlying areas. We were in the showroom early and ready for our adventure. We boarded a bus with our guide Hermann and off we went. We drove through the most scenic area we have ever seen. High mountains up to 1400 meters were on one side and a lush valley on the other backed by more mountains. We were shooting pictures so fast we were sure our fellow passengers were getting tired of the click of our cameras. This area has the warmest climate in Iceland although they are only 62 miles from the Arctic Circle. This is summer and the temperature is in the 50’s and it snowed two weeks ago. The days are long with light 20 hours a day. In the winter there is only 3.5 hours of daylight and the snow is so deep that when the roads are plowed it makes a tunnel for cars and trucks to drive through. This sounds like a nightmare for heating but the town is 100% heated geothermally and very inexpensively. We arrived at our first stop the Godafoss Falls. This means falls of the gods and was given this name when King Olaf proclaimed Iceland to be protestant and threw all his pagan gods into the falls. The name stuck but Olaf returned to his pagan ways. There is a lovely hike to the best viewing of the falls. We made way too many pictures of the highest falls and the lower falls called Geitafoss. We then hiked over the bridge spanning the Skjalfandafljot River. We were given plenty of time here and we enjoyed it very much. We boarded the bus for our next stop. We drove further out of town and the landscape was just as beautiful. We made our stop at Laufas In Eyjafjour. It is located on the river Enjoska and is a renowned church site and chieftains residence. The farm is a good example of a wealthy vicarage in earlier times. The turf-clad timber building of Laufas stretches back to the Middle Ages. The house has been repaired and areas rebuilt as needed. We were able to walk through the rooms and they were furnished as they would have been in the 1800’s. The church was built in 1866 and includes a pulpit from 1698. This was a great stop and much more than we had expected. From here we made our way back into town but on the way we saw what appeared to be a waterfall but where the water hit the water below it steamed. Hermann explained that they are building a tunnel through this area because in the winter the roads are impassable for almost 3 months. When they dug down one meter they ran into a hot spring and that is what we see. They have poured tons of concrete in it but they cannot not stop it. We drove into town and Hermann pointed out the oldest house in Iceland and the old hospital. The odd thing about the hospital was that the doctor lived on the main floor and the patient rooms were upstairs (you had to be in good shape to get into the hospital). Our next stop was the Arctic Botanical Gardens. These magnificent gardens showcase the unique flora of the area. Founded in 1912 the gardens contain nearly 450 Icelandic plants and nearly 7,000 foreign plants. This was filled with flowers and bright colors you would not expect in this environment.

Our next stop was the ship and we said good-bye to Hermann and went to our cabin to drop off the backpack and cameras before heading to lunch. We decided to carry our computers and walk into town for the afternoon. We walked to the church which was consecrated in 1940 and contains a central stained glass window that was once part of a set destroyed in an air raid in Coventry, England. We stopped and did our computer work before walking on through the town ending at the waterfront. It was almost time to sail when we reboarded the ship. Again we went to the cabin and dropped off the computers and picked up our cameras. Hugh took his computer to upload pictures and I carried my knitting and we headed to the Lido to drink hot tea and enjoy the sail through the fjord. We did not get up for the sail-in but did enjoy looking for whales and enjoying the view this evening. We saw several humpback whales as we sailed out of the fjord. We stayed where we were for dinner finishing just in time for the show. Tonight’s entertainment was the singer and dancers in a repeat of a show they had done on the first part of the trip. After the show we went to the cabin and worked on our pictures before falling into bed.

This morning we awoke before the alarm and opened our curtains to see the magnificent mountains that make up the walls of the fjord leading to Isafjordur. This is a glacial valley formed millions of years ago and it is easy to see the work of the glaciers. We had our breakfast and were ready to depart the ship as soon as it was cleared. We have been here before and have our morning hike already mapped out. We dressed in 4 layers including our rain gear as it is supposed to be raining some time today. The air is cold but dry as we started out through the harbor, around the town edge, and onto the long walk that takes us along the edge of the water. It’s funny but we could see our destination from the ship but it is over 3.5 miles away. We walked past a football (soccer) field where the grounds keepers are repairing the turf and also passed some water where eider ducks are swimming. We made the turn off the main path and have to walk on the road up and down some hills. We started shedding some of our layers as we exert more. We walked past a golf course in the valley and several people are playing. It appears to be a par three as the greens are small. We finally made it to the waterfall and it has been more developed in the past 6 years. The campground across from it has much nicer facilities and there is a parking area for cars and buses. The walk was wonderful and the hike around the falls is nice. We started back giving ourselves plenty of time to get to the ship for our afternoon tour. We misjudged our timing and had excess time to kill so when we made it into town we took the highest road and had great views over the town and harbor. We climbed up to the avalanche barrier that is being constructed. This impressive structure is new although we saw some avalanche control things last trip. We continued on a high path that took us to the very tip of the city that reaches the sea. From here we climbed down and explored the town. We passed a playground and it was strange to see the children playing in down jackets and toboggans in the middle of summer. This is their norm... in fact today was considered a great day as there was occasionally some blue sky and the temp was in the 50’s. We saw the cultural center, the church with its cemetery, and we actually made our first purchase of the trip, a new toboggan for Hugh.

We made it back to the ship in time to eat a bite of lunch and get our layers back on, and arrive on the dock for our boat tour to Vigur Island. What luck, the rain decided to appear just as we were getting ready to board. It was a small boat but everyone was seated inside. The ride to this private island was almost an hour and the water was smooth. When we arrived the rain had turned to just a mist and the light was good. This island is the home to an abundance of birdlife including puffins, eider ducks, and arctic terns. The first thing that catches our eye are the seals just offshore. They are lying there with their heads and tails up and look so funny. We are lucky to see a fluffy white-coated seal which we have not seen before. We only see a few puffins floating off the shore but lots of terns and gulls. The hike is great with wonderful views in all directions. The family who lives here raises sheep for their own consumption and we saw some both white and black. We saw the oldest windmill in Iceland and it is a national treasure. We made our way around the island and stopped for homemade cakes and coffee or tea. Our guide was Icelandic but was attending college in Kansas. She told us stories about the trolls and elves in the area even pointing out one of the very curved valleys that is supposed to be the troll king's seat. When we finished eating we went back outside and it was raining but we decided to explore. We found an old wooden wench that was used to pull up the boats. We also had a puffin put on a flying show for us. It was so funny as he flew round and round with a fish in his mouth. Before long it was time to make the trip back. This tiny island in the middle of nowhere provided a great afternoon of entertainment. We arrived back at the harbor in time to get back on board before the final call for boarding. We were in our cabin only a short time before we were under sail. The captain came on and made his afternoon report and let us know that we would be sailing into high seas late in the evening and through the night. Seas are expected to be 10-13 feet with a strong headwind. Oh joy!!!! We uploaded our pictures and showered before going up to the 5th floor and playing some cards. I was hot and won all 3 games. We had a fabulous dinner in the Canaletto and were surprised at how quickly the rough seas came up. We did not realize how much we were pitching until we watched the servers trying to do their jobs. We left the restaurant and went to the showroom for the early show. Our entertainer was a gentleman named Basil. He was a comedian and he played off the audience very well. He told stories and kept everyone chuckling. One of the true but funny stories he told was that his parents were named Herb and Rosemary... not funny until you take into account that they named their son Basil. After the show the ship was pitching and people were having difficulty walking around so we headed back to our cabin. We were tired after our 10 plus mile hike and busy day. We read and looked at pictures until time for bed. We set our clocks back an hour and went to bed.

Today we slept in and actually missed breakfast. The captain announced that we were passing over the site where the HMS Hood lies having been sunk by the Nazi ship Bismark during WWII. It is very common for all ships passing over the site to blow their horn 20 seconds as we did. The ship is pitching and we just had coffee and tea in the room. During the night we crossed the Arctic Circle a couple times. I woke up with a stuffy head and headache and stayed in the cabin waiting for my medicine to take effect. Hugh went to the gym and when he returned he said it was really rocking. We then went to lunch and the Lido was not crowded. We ate out by the pool and finished just in time for the 2 pm lecture. Mel did a great job talking about Lore of the Seven Seas. I was able to knit and listen. We stayed for the next lecture on Vikings and geography. We then went to the cabin and I read and Hugh napped. Later in the evening we went to dinner and then the show. The entertainment was The Not Really 3 Tenors. They were fabulous singers and had some humor which was less enjoyable. After the show we got our computers and returned to the showroom to sit and journal and work on websites. We stayed for the late show before heading to the cabin. We gain another hour tonight but we will be up early tomorrow because we will be sailing through the beautiful Prince Christian Sound for the second time.

Today I woke up early with an urge to go to the gym, so I dressed and was almost out the door before Hugh awoke. I went to the gym and he joined me for a good workout. We went to the cabin to grab our cameras before heading to breakfast. We got a window seat in the Lido and ended up staying for hours just enjoying the view of Prince Christian Sound. This is our second passage and we had decided we didn’t need pictures this time but the wondrous view sucked us in and we made a good number of photos. We tried to capture the misty fog, the steep fjords, and the plummeting waterfalls but it became obvious that cameras cannot capture this grand display by Mother Nature. We decided to take a break after lunch and catch up on some journaling and editing. We had time to read before heading out to see the next fjord we were traveling in. We sat at dinner enjoying the view and looking at our pictures. Soon it was time for the late show and we headed to the showroom after going by the theater to pilfer some popcorn. Tonight’s entertainment was a magician and comedian Nick Lewin. He was extremely entertaining and the showroom was crowded even for the late show. The night is still bright but it is off to bed because we have an early day in Nanortalik tomorrow.

Today we awoke with delivery of breakfast to our cabin. After dining we dressed in lots of warm layer for our excursion into Nanortalik. The high today is supposed to be around 40 degrees with some wind. This is NOT summer in The South. We took the first tender in and found ourselves in a little village that reminds us a lot of Svalbard. The children are there to greet us and we got some in our ship picture. The houses here are painted bright colors to contrast with the stark environment. We decided to go to the open air museum and this gave us an insight of how life here has developed. We walked the entire village and were amazed at how different yet how much the same life is everywhere we go. We saw families out playing, moms walking with babies in prams, and children climbing, running, and riding bikes. After we had explored the streets and made numerous photos we went to the cultural show. They served coffee and cake and the singers were wonderful. They sang Christian songs in the Inuit language but we could recognize the tunes. Their harmony was phenomenal. We then went to the visitor information store and made our second purchase of the trip, a Tee for Noah. It was about 30 minutes before the last tender and we decided to get in the long tender line. Hugh checked out an amazing sailboat that was docked here and I tried futilely to get Wi-Fi.

It was a wonderful morning and we found ourselves back on ship having lunch as we prepared to sail. We went to the Crow’s Nest to watch the scenery to make sure we did not miss any great shots. Once we were satisfied we went to our cabin to get rid of a few layers and look at our pictures. We read and rested until time to shower and dress for the gala dinner. We were seated with a lovely couple from California and had a most delightful conversation not finishing until time for the late show. Tonight’s entertainment was a classical pianist, Tomono Kawamura and she was simply amazing. It was off to bed for us.

Today we had no big plans so we woke without the alarm and had a late breakfast. We finished just in time for the morning lecture about sailing ships to steam. From the showroom we headed to the gym and worked out hard. We were hot when we finished so we went out and sat by the pool and read. It is amazing to me that just by covering the pool area with the glass canopy it warms up enough to be comfortable although it is in the 40’s outside. We decided to stay by the pool for lunch and continue to listen to our stories on our iPods. At 2 we went to the afternoon lecture and then stayed in the showroom for a concert by Adaggio. This was fabulous and the Ukrainian girls were so cute and personable. It was nice for them to be on the larger stage. We then went to the cabin to work on our pictures and ended up reading and resting until time for dinner. We went to the dining room and sat with a lovely couple from Arizona. He was on oxygen and it was amazing how positive and adventurous they were. We enjoyed their stories and finished dinner just in time to make the late show. It was another production show with the singers and dancers of the Rotterdam. We enjoyed it very much. We walked back to the cabin bemoaning the fact that our trip is coming to an end. Tomorrow is our next to last port, St. John’s Newfoundland.

Today we had our breakfast in the main dining room. It was lovely and we did not have to hurry because we did not dock until noon. After breakfast we headed to the showroom for a lecture on the great ocean liners of the Atlantic by our favorite lecturer, Mel. I have finished my blanket so I have nothing I can actively do during the lecture so I listened intently while Hugh scanned through our pictures. After the lecture we went to our cabin to get cameras and opened the curtains and there were people on the hillside waving to us; maybe not us in particular but to our ship. We were sailing so close we could easily see them and the large number of birds inhabiting the hillside. We grabbed our cameras and went on deck to watch the sail in to lovely St. John’s, Newfoundland. St. John’s is the capital and largest city of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is also the easternmost city of North America and is known as "where the sun rises first". From our perch on the upper deck we could easily see the jellybean colored houses that are in most of the pictures of the area as well as the large cathedral on the hill. Once we were docked we headed in to get some lunch while the gangway was being set up and the ship cleared. We were ready as soon as the all clear announcement was made and we headed out for an exploratory walk. We had booked a walking tour of the town but it was not until 4:30 so we had lots of time to explore on our own. When we left the port the first thing we saw was the old courthouse built out of stone from Ireland, brought over as ballast on the ships. This area was part of the British Empire until 1949 and has a distinctly British or Irish feel; there were a lot of immigrants from both areas. We walked along the harbor area to the war memorial commemorating those who lost their lives in World War I. From there we climbed the hill and found ourselves at The Government House, circa 1827. This is now the home of the Lieutenant Governor. It is also built of stone and has lovely grounds and a wonderful greenhouse. We were able to go into the foyer and sign the visitors book. From the front of the house there is a great view of the Parliament Building. We made our way completely around these grounds and into the neighborhood bordering them. The houses are colorful and the flowers are so healthy and filled with colorful blooms. It is cool and windy and we are amazed that the flowers and shrubs grow so beautifully here. Our next stop was Bannerman Park which was established in 1864. This is a large park with something for everyone. The swimming pool was filled with children having a grand time but the poor lifeguard was huddled in her chair in sweat pants and a hoody with the hood up. Later in the day I asked our guide if the pool was heated but he said no, the people were just hardy. Next stop for us was St. John’s Basilica. This Romanesque church was founded in 1841 and served their first communion 1847. It was a grand cathedral with magnificent stained glass windows, 2 huge organs, and a baroque ceiling. The marble altar has a statue of the Dead Christ, which is only one of three in the entire world. From here we made our way to The Rooms, a new and very modern interactive museum. From the museum we headed down the hill past more of the colorful houses to the main street of the town. We walked past their Mile One Stadium and on to the convention center where we made pictures of two women carrying me on a stack of fish; just kidding, they were part of a sculpture. The walking part of town ended and we headed back on the most popular street of the town where the shopping and restaurants are located. We stopped in some shops and even found some very slow internet at Starbucks so we could catch up on emails. The wind picked up and on went the down jackets as we made our way on down the hill past more churches, a lot of them boarded up, and more government-type buildings.

Back at the ship we had time to get hot tea and cookies and warm up a bit before we headed out on our afternoon walking tour. We had a nice group of about 15 people and a very funny guide named Mack. Mack was very talkative and Irish. He had story after story and joke after joke to share. He is a drummer and has been on HAL ships in the past. He now is the drummer in his church, St. Patrick’s which we saw on our tour. We took a school bus up the hill to the area where our tour started. We saw pretty much what we had seen in the morning but got a lot of history and stories to go with the pictures. At the Government House he told us the story of how the plans got mixed up by the architect and the plans that came to St John’s were supposed to go to Bermuda. This was supposed to explain the need for the moat that is around the house which was supposed to keep out alligators. They soon realized it was not needed in either location but it was too late. At the Basilica we were able to go in to the convent next door and see the most beautiful marble bust I have ever seen. The Veiled Virgin was imported from Rome and arrived on December 4, 1856 in St. John’s. It was created by the internationally acclaimed Italian sculptor, Giovanni Strazza from Milan. It was donated in 1862 to the Presentation Convent where it still resides. This was a definite highlight of our trip. We hated to say goodbye to Mack but it was close to all aboard time for us. We dropped off coats and kept our cameras and went to the Crow’s Nest for a bagpipe concert. There was a Highlander and a bagpiper from the Halifax Citadel. They will sail with us to Halifax so we will see more of them. We then went on deck to make pictures as we sailed away through the narrow outlet. We saw the light house on the Eastern-most point and the sunset was the most glorious one we have seen this cruise. We ate a late dinner at the buffet and watched as the sun finally set. We went to hear Addagio as there was no show this evening. We were tired by 9 and retired to our cabin with a glass of wine each. I had a long hot bath and Hugh had a shower before we hopped into bed to look through our pictures.

Today we were up and at breakfast by 8, even though it was a sea day. We went to church at nine and sang some of our favorite hymns. Then it was off to a lecture on Gas and Oil and the fracking process. We then went to the cabin and changed for a trip to the gym. We had a good workout before it was time for lunch. It was poutine day around the pool and we joined a large number of people enjoying this delicious Canadian potato dish; French fries served with cheese curds and gravy and anything else you wanted to add. After lunch we sat and culled pictures until time for the 2:30 Broadway cabaret by our Rotterdam singers. The showroom was packed and the show was excellent, showcasing each of the singer’s talents; who knew Ian was a fabulous pianist? Hugh left a little early to go to the future cruise presentation and I joined him after the concert. Lots of great trips but nothing jumped out at us. We then went to the cabin to relax and catch up on journaling and computer work. At 7 we went to the captain's cocktail party and had our glass of champagne and had a nice conversation with a gentleman from Maine. Then it was off to dinner where we were seated with a couple from Maryland and the evening passed rapidly. It was show time before we knew it and we went to the show expecting some great humor. The entertainer was Basil again and he was not funny this time and his language had deteriorated. It was a long show but one thing good came from it. He picked on Hugh and asked him some questions. From his answers we met several lovely couples that had ties to Birmingham or to UAB. It was a great day and tomorrow is our last port, Halifax Nova Scotia.

This morning we were up early and off to breakfast so that we could experience the sail in to Halifax. When we got up the sun was shining and we were hoping for a sunny day but by the tie we docked in Halifax the clouds had rolled. We started our adventure to Peggy’s Cove in jackets and raincoats. We boarded our bus which was not full and started out of Halifax with our guide Carol. She was filled with information and the first thing she told us was that folks from Halifax are called Halogoneans. As we drove out of the city she pointed out the Citadel, The Queen Victoria Public Gardens, and the Lieutenant Governors home. When we were on the actual rode to Peggy’s Cove we passed small inlets and coves that were home to small fishing villages. It was very picturesque and we were lucky that the rain held off. When we arrived in Peggy’s Cove we were met with brightly covered little cottages, a few shops, a restaurant, and of course the lighthouse. Our first order of business was a lobster demonstration showing us how to differentiate between a female and a male. Our lobsters were Larry and Lucy and they cooperated nicely. We were also told how to best cook a lobster so that it is most succulent. We then explored the whole area making some of the best pictures of the trip. One of the things we saw was a granite sculpture by deGarthe done in a rock in his yard. It is very impressive. At 10:30 everyone was on the bus as requested; a threat of having to sing and dance or be left seemed to work well. We took another rode back to Halifax and saw more fishing villages and also Millionaires Cove where the movie stars stay when on location; this is a prominent movie location. On our way back to the ship Carol told us the story of the explosion that is a major part of the history of the area. December 1917 saw one of the greatest disasters in Canadian history, when the SS Mont-Blanc, a French cargo ship carrying munitions, collided with the Belgian Relief vessel SS Imo in "The Narrows" between upper Halifax Harbor and Bedford Basin. The resulting explosion, the Halifax Explosion, devastated the Richmond District of Halifax, killing approximately 2,000 people and injuring nearly 9,000 others. The blast was the largest artificial explosion before the development of nuclear weapons. Significant aid came from Boston, strengthening the bond between the two coastal cities. We drove past the two large red striped power generator smoke stacks that mark ground zero. We also saw the new Irving ship building and restoration facility that is a huge boost to the economy.

Back at the ship the sun is out and the temperature has warmed considerably. We went to our cabin and dropped off the jackets and went upstairs for a light lunch. After lunch we headed to the hop-on hop-off bus. These buses are antique double deckers from London and have live commentators on them. We headed out on the complete 16 stop tour just to get the history and see all the different areas. Our guide was great and again we got the history of the explosion and also the story of how the sinking of the Titanic was significant to this area. This was the closest area for recovery of the bodies after the tragedy. Two ships from here were dispatched. They were set up as morgue ships and the bodies were recovered, tagged, and all the identifying things found on or around them were bagged and attached to the body. They were embalmed and the first and second class passengers were placed in pine boxes and the 3rd class passengers were wrapped in canvas; no survivors were brought to Halifax. Over 120 of the bodies are buried in Halifax. The largest number of relics from the Titanic are in the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic here in Halifax. We drove to the Citadel established in the 1700’s to prevent attacks by the French and Acadians; no shot was ever fired from this star shaped fortress. The area is popular now for the changing of the guard and the grounds for hang-gliding and sunbathing. We saw the Victorian homes of the 1800’s and the old establishments along the waterfront including the Merchants Alley established by the pirates and privateers. We traveled to the largest greenspace in Halifax with all of its hiking, biking, and walking trails before heading back to stop #1, the harbor. We decided to take the Harbor Walk and we enjoyed this very much. It allowed us to explore all the area we had seen from the bus including the old ships and Merchant Alley. We made it to the end at the casino before we turned around and walked briskly back to the ship. It was all-aboard time when we got back and I thought I was the last person back until the captain made the announcement that we were waiting on one passenger to arrive. We started our pictures uploading and then went up for hot tea and stayed for the sail out of Halifax harbor. The clouds were back and the wind had picked up and by the time we were out of the narrows the fog had rolled in. It was too cold and damp to stay on deck so we headed to our cabin and looked out the window and read. It was a gala night so we showered and dressed for the main dining room for dinner. We were seated with a couple that we have had dinner with before. Service was slow but we had a great dinner and arrived for the late show just in time. The show was Dance by the Rotterdam singers and dancers. It highlighted all the different styles of dance and we enjoyed it very much. We retired to our cabin and culled our pictures for the day and found we had some of our favorites of the whole trip.

Today we had great plans to go to the dining room for breakfast and almost slept too late to do this. After showering we made our way to the dining room only to find that everyone had slept in and was in line to be seated. We did not get a table for two so without coffee we had to be friendly and polite. We shared our table with a gentleman from Mass whose wife had slept in. After breakfast we took computers to the library and tried to get caught up journaling. Unfortunately, time for the first lecture came before I finished and I had to continue in the showroom until the lecture started. Mel’s lecture on Ocean liners That Went to War was informative and entertaining. From the showroom we went to the cabin to dress for the gym. On our way to the gym we got waylaid by the pool where they were grilling lobster tails. We decided to have lunch before working out and it was delicious. Then it was off to the gym to get in our last shipboard workout. We have enjoyed listening to Daniel Silva's newest mystery Black Widow from our iPods during our workouts during this cruise. From the gym we went to the cabin to begin the packing process. My turn was first and I got a good deal done before we went to the "meet the entertainers" in the showroom. The singers and dancers performed one number and it was so strange as they had on regular clothes and no make-up. It was fun to see what they really look like. We got to ask them a lot of questions and then we had a behind the scenes tour of the stage area. These entertainers have to change in very cramped quarters in a very short time. They really are amazing. Hugh stayed for a lecture on fuel exploration while I went to the cabin to finish my part of the packing. After the lecture we took a break for ice cream before we got Hugh all packed up. With bags labeled and forms filled out we were ready to shower and get our travel clothes on to wear to dinner. It was a Lido night and then off to the early show. We had the Not Really Three Tenors for our last entertainment on board. From the showroom we went to hear Adagio for the last time. Tonight we gain another hour which is nice as we have to be up and about early in the a.m. So sad to say good-bye to the Rotterdam but they seem to be insistent that we leave as they sent us an exit time!

We awoke and the ship was docked in Boston. We had a our last breakfast in the Lido, disembarked, found our luggage, cought a cab to Boston Logan Airport, had an uneventful flight to Charlotte and 90 degree heat, and a quick trip home. A great end to a wonderful adventure!!! /susan