After an endless flight, layovers in Chicago and Dublin, we arrived in Edinburgh. Our home for two days is a 200 year old house in "new town" where we are sleeping in the former servants quarters. Our hosts Liz and Bill are very hospitable and insist on driving us around and ensure we are comfortable and well fed. Tomorrow we join Highland Explorer Tours for our journey to the highlands and Skye. It is typical Scottish weather, rainy and foggy. Hopefully we will have some sun for sightseeing. So far we are a little jet lagged but coping. Today we wet to the best museum, the National Museum of Scotland, so well done and huge. We need a week to see it all. Then off to see the Rev Walker at the National Gallery.....all free admission!
That's all for now!
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Home again!
It was a SERIOUS rock and roll time out of Bermuda. 35 foot waves. 30mph winds. The long Atlantic swells were coming in at a different angle from the wind-waves. The Captain was doing 10 knots, going in the wrong direction. Wave spray washing over the lounge on the 10th floor. Elevators all out of service--2 broken in fact. Staff getting hurt--our steward caught her finger in a porthole cover that bounced loose (7 stitches) and various waiter staff members had bandaids on various parts. Food flying off the waiter stations; pizza flying out of the pizza place. You get the picture.
We stayed as low in the ship as possible, and as near to the middle as possible. Even so, in our cabin, the roll was of the order of 5 degrees--the phone slid off the dresser and our full wine bottle fell over.
The Captain announced that we weren't going to make it to Fort Lauderdale on time--there was a period of guessing just how late we were going to be! We rebooked our flight out for the next day and booked a hotel in Ft. Lauderdale.
As it ended up, we were about 14 hours late docking. We got off the ship just after 7 PM and had a good sleep at the hotel. Caught the Air Canada flight to Montreal and had a long layover there--getting home just after 10PM. A long day.
A good cruise--excellent itinerary, but we do not want to travel on a small ship again. Quite apart from the fact that it is more wobbly (30,000 tons vs 100,000, a couple of hundred feet shorter and a bit narrower makes a difference!) there is not as much to do on the smaller ship. We were bored on sea days. So we probably won't do more small ship cruising.
We made it home for Christmas (joy) and are getting ready for our next adventure! Till then, happy trails to you!
We stayed as low in the ship as possible, and as near to the middle as possible. Even so, in our cabin, the roll was of the order of 5 degrees--the phone slid off the dresser and our full wine bottle fell over.
The Captain announced that we weren't going to make it to Fort Lauderdale on time--there was a period of guessing just how late we were going to be! We rebooked our flight out for the next day and booked a hotel in Ft. Lauderdale.
As it ended up, we were about 14 hours late docking. We got off the ship just after 7 PM and had a good sleep at the hotel. Caught the Air Canada flight to Montreal and had a long layover there--getting home just after 10PM. A long day.
A good cruise--excellent itinerary, but we do not want to travel on a small ship again. Quite apart from the fact that it is more wobbly (30,000 tons vs 100,000, a couple of hundred feet shorter and a bit narrower makes a difference!) there is not as much to do on the smaller ship. We were bored on sea days. So we probably won't do more small ship cruising.
We made it home for Christmas (joy) and are getting ready for our next adventure! Till then, happy trails to you!
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Bermuda
After 4 very rock-and-roll days crossing the Atlantic, we were in Bermuda today. We actually docked at West End, Bermuda, at HM Dockyard.
A quick ferry trip took us to Hamilton, the capital. A very nice little city--but it was Sunday morning and everything was closed. We walked about through a park and through the downtown area, past their legislature and court buildings and just enjoyed the architecture of the downtown. Lots of 18th Century British stuff. Then, the return ferry ride.
We wandered about HM Dockyard, which still has all the old stone buildings which have been refurbished inside. There is a wonderful museum and lots of little stores--most of which were open.
Our dinner table has built a boat for a sailing contest tomorrow. The boat has to hold a 6pack of beer and float in the swimming pool in both calm and rough water. We think we have a good chance!
2 days crossing to Fort Lauderdale and then the trip home for Christmas. We are very much looking forward to being home.
A quick ferry trip took us to Hamilton, the capital. A very nice little city--but it was Sunday morning and everything was closed. We walked about through a park and through the downtown area, past their legislature and court buildings and just enjoyed the architecture of the downtown. Lots of 18th Century British stuff. Then, the return ferry ride.
We wandered about HM Dockyard, which still has all the old stone buildings which have been refurbished inside. There is a wonderful museum and lots of little stores--most of which were open.
Our dinner table has built a boat for a sailing contest tomorrow. The boat has to hold a 6pack of beer and float in the swimming pool in both calm and rough water. We think we have a good chance!
2 days crossing to Fort Lauderdale and then the trip home for Christmas. We are very much looking forward to being home.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Ponta Delgata, Azores, Portugal
A very beautiful little port on one of the 9 islands 800 miles west of Portugal. We walked up (and UP) to a public garden dating from the 1800s that was wonderful--filled with trees. It would be better in the summer with flowers. The Portugese 1800s architecture has been preserved downtown--we just walked around looking. And shopping a bit--Laurel got new shoes. Then, onboard ship for our 2000 mile trip to Bermuda.
Monday, December 13, 2010
2 Sea Days
Not much to report. Good cruising conditions as we head towards the Azores. Trivia, reading, watching TV, attending Scholarship @ Sea lectures by a funny Australian, eating, outside watching the sea go by, chatting with some upstate New Yorkers
It is just a short stop in the Azores--we plan to get off the ship and wall about.
It is just a short stop in the Azores--we plan to get off the ship and wall about.
Casablanca & Marrakech, Morocco
A long day, with fascination and excitement.
We met with our Cruise Critic private tour group at 0615!!! and went to our little vans and cruised out through the dark Saturday morning streets of Casablanca heading to Marrakech. It was a 3.5 hour trip south in a van governed to 88 kph--but it vas a very nice new Mercedes van with lots of space.
The countryside for the first 1/3 was flat prairie with new wheat--bright green. The next leg was more like southern Saskatchewan before planting and the last bit was Alberta foothills without vegetation.
We saw the Grand Visir (prime ministers) palace with meeting rooms, his 4 wives rooms public rooms and the like. It was most grand--dating from when Morocco ruled from France to Egypt to sub-Saharan Africa. The Medina (wall) and Casbah (market). A great lunch from a traditional Moroccan tagine overlooking a park. The central square with snake charmers, animals and a false teeth maker who puts real teeth in a frame. The Club Med. And a couple of mosques from the outside only.
The trip back was fine until we got to Casablanca, where we hit Saturday night traffic in a city of 5 million people. We got to the ship at 6:30 just in time for the All Aboard. Too damn close!
We met with our Cruise Critic private tour group at 0615!!! and went to our little vans and cruised out through the dark Saturday morning streets of Casablanca heading to Marrakech. It was a 3.5 hour trip south in a van governed to 88 kph--but it vas a very nice new Mercedes van with lots of space.
The countryside for the first 1/3 was flat prairie with new wheat--bright green. The next leg was more like southern Saskatchewan before planting and the last bit was Alberta foothills without vegetation.
We saw the Grand Visir (prime ministers) palace with meeting rooms, his 4 wives rooms public rooms and the like. It was most grand--dating from when Morocco ruled from France to Egypt to sub-Saharan Africa. The Medina (wall) and Casbah (market). A great lunch from a traditional Moroccan tagine overlooking a park. The central square with snake charmers, animals and a false teeth maker who puts real teeth in a frame. The Club Med. And a couple of mosques from the outside only.
The trip back was fine until we got to Casablanca, where we hit Saturday night traffic in a city of 5 million people. We got to the ship at 6:30 just in time for the All Aboard. Too damn close!
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Ceuta, Spanish Morocco
Spain has 5 enclaves on the Morocco coast. This one is right across from Gibraltar--on a clear day, you can see The Rock. Sadly, it wasn't clear--but we were able to see it as we were sailing away.
It is a nice little piece of land jutting out into the sea that is an amazing mix of Portugese, Moroccan and Spanish architecture and society. We just got off the ship and walked around. And did a little shopping too!
The Strait of Gibraltar was really windy, wavy and rough sailing--our porthole got a little wet from spray. Fortunately, only for an hour or so.
It is a nice little piece of land jutting out into the sea that is an amazing mix of Portugese, Moroccan and Spanish architecture and society. We just got off the ship and walked around. And did a little shopping too!
The Strait of Gibraltar was really windy, wavy and rough sailing--our porthole got a little wet from spray. Fortunately, only for an hour or so.
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