Day 31: First day at sea, Iceland/Ireland cruise, Jewel of the Seas
Good morning,
We slept in today..not sure why, maybe 2:30 am bedtime. Went to the Windjammer for a light breakfast and decided to just play cards and relax a bit. We needed to plan for upcoming port of calls. We still have not decided what we want to do. Nothing like waiting until the last minute. Though we have found sometimes it is fun just to be spontaneous. Tonight is formal night. Honestly, I really don’t feel like getting dressed up. The Windjammer has Chinese tonight, we just might go there. Still look nice, but Eugene can wear shorts without a problem. We met some nice people and had a discussion about traveling.
There was a great deal to do around the ship, but we really just wanted to chill. We sat on the sixth floor and played cards and to listen to music. This is right above the Centrum, so the sounds carry up nicely. “Tea For Two Duo” were playing the violin and guitar. They were outstanding. At one point, they played “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and I broke out in tears. It is a song I always sang to my children and grandchildren. I think I might miss them a little. The duo played it wonderfully. It was so heartfelt and emotional. The young woman who played the violin was excellent. They certainly complimented one another well. So enjoyable to listen to.
This afternoon, there was a champagne art auction. Though we did not attend, we could see that there were quite of few guests in attendance. There were several movies showing throughout the day. We have seen them, so we passed on the movies. There was also origami in the Schooner Bar and Salsa dancing in the Safari Lounge. There were trivia games going on several time throughout the day. At 5:00, we went up to the room and changed for dinner. Not formal, just more than tennis shoes and tee shirts. Again, we decided to eat at the Windjammer. It was the I had the honey coated pork meatballs, lemon cod and grilled chicken. Eugene had the sweet and sour chicken, and lemon chicken, as well as several side dishes. Overall, everything was pretty good. Better than most of the restaurant food, we normally get. After dinner, we went to the Headliner Show in the Coral Theater, starring Nicola Ward. Nicola is from South UK. Eugene and I both felt that Nicola’s performance was spot on. She had a commanding presence on stage. The audience was totally focused and engaged. Not only is she beautiful, she is talented. This is one of the best soloist we have seen on any Royal Caribbean ship. The Jewel of the Sea orchestra was great, as always. Nicole sang a variety of genre including, Queen, Peggy Lee, Whitney Houston, Adele, Tina Turner, to name a few. She had a sparkling/spunky personality that held the audience attention, from the moment she walk onto the stage. This show is worth see. I think we will go back to the 10:00 show, we like it that much, unless Eugene fall asleep. My favorite was Nicola’s rendition Leonard Cohen’s, “Hallelujah”. She gave a flawless performance of this well-known song. Don’t miss Nicola Ward, if you have the opportunity to see her in concert.
By 10:00pm, we were both ready for bed. There is still a lot to see and do around the ship tonight. There is another headliner show with Nicola Ward, as well as several movies, both in the cinema and on the outside deck (burr cold). In addition, there is live music in various areas and game shows, Karaoke and DJ. The casino is open late, if you feel like gambling. But, we are exhausted, so off to bed we go.
when we returned to our stateroom.
Goodnight my friends.
Day 32: At sea on Jewel of the Sea
Good Morning,
Today we spent the day hanging out, relaxing and planning the rest of our vacation, until around 4:00. We had breakfast at the Windjammer. Neilbert was there, like every other morning, to greet us with a hearty good morning. Always cheerful and willing to go out of his way to recognize each guests. Farrel had a great set up for custom Bloody Mary’s. What a way to start your day, wished I drank because they looked so good. The day was pretty lay back. There was fun fitness dance class was offered, as well as celebrity heads game sho, majority rules and bingo. The casino was open all day. At 4:00, we stopped in the casino and played blackjack for an hour and half. We actually came up a couple hundred dollars and walked away! That’s not me, but Eugene was doing the planning today, so glad we did. We had dinner in the dining room with May and Angelica (from our first cruise). So glad we were able to change to their table. Best servers Ever!! We both had the Braised Short Ribs, which were delicious. We added a grilled pork chop, just to try. It did not disappoint. Meaty, flavorful and very tender. Excellent choices. Hopefully, you will remember that when ordering in the dining room that it is ok to order two entrees or appetizers, especially if you are not sure if you are going to like what you ordered or just want to try something new.
The cinema was showing Cyrano and there was a production show: Mario & Daniels’s Tango Buenos Aires in the Coral Theater, but we opted to head to bed early, because we will arrive at our first port of call in Iceland tomorrow and we wanted to get up early to see as we sail in. The sun does not set until 11:35 PM and rises at 2:35AM. Crazy isn’t it? Only 3 hours of darkness. My body doesn’t know how to react. It has been a relaxing day, but excited for tomorrow. Iceland has been on my bucket list… cant wait. I feel like a kid the night before Christmas. Good night to all.
Day 33: Akureyri, Iceland
Good Morning,
We arrived in Akureyri, Iceland. We rented a car for 24 hours. It was a great idea because we were able to go when and where we want. When we have the opportunity, we always give our business to locals. We rented the car from Akureyri Rent a Car. It is operated by a mom, dad and son. They live in Akureyri. We got a Toyata Rav 4. It had all wheel drive, (which came in handy) and it was rather new with GPS and USB ports for our phones. The car did cost us $248 US dollars because we upgraded from a mini car. We are not mini people. Gas ended up costing $109 US. We drove 600 km. If you consider the cost of just the tour from the ship offered a 6 1/2 hour tour was $180 per person (stopping 4 places of interest), that is $360 for two people. We spent $357 and not only did what the tour did on a crowded bus with other people, we had the car for 24 hours. Remember, we are trying to see and do as much as we possibly can on the least amount of money. This was most cost effective for us. Food in Akureyri was super expensive in the tourist area a package was $7. One tourist said a sandwich and soda was $30. Knowing this, we packed a picnic of sorts. I always pack zip lock bags of various sizes. We got sandwiches at the Windjammer. When we came to our room there was fresh fruit. We packed some diet soda and water and grabbed some cookies. Enough for a full day out, zero dollars. So at noon, we picked up our car and off we went. Just the two of us and the open road. We decided to do the sites and scenery to the east of Akureyri today and the west tomorrow. One note, if we would have had of know ahead of time, we would have done things a little differently. We would have gotten the car earlier and driven straight to Daivik and took the ferry to Grimsey island. We would have then gotten a certificate for traveling in the Arctic Circle, but once we learned about it, the timing would not work. Maybe another time. We will still need to come back and see the Northern Lights from somewhere, so maybe then. Onward to our adventure. Just a note, the weather was wonderful. Shorts and tee shirt warm. So much for me bringing a winter coat. So thankful, I hate the cold.
We started at the Port in Akureyri, where the owner of the company was waiting right outside the fence. She gave us some hints about avoiding toll and a map. Our first day is from Akureyri north then east.
We decided to take a quick stop along the route to take a picture of the ship from across the bridge. Where we stopped were a group of junior high students, on a walk with their teacher. They quickly gathered around, asked where we were from and if we liked their country. Being an educator, I recognized they typical 13 year old behavior. It made me smile and remember my days at Mohawk. I asked if they would like their picture on my blog and they were delighted. Of course, as typical at this age, the boys were bold and wanting attention, the girls laid back a bit. The one young man, who seemed to be the leader of the group, typed his school name into my phone, thank goodness because I would have NEVER spelled it correctly. Their school’s name was Brekkuskoli. It was a nice way to start the adventure… meeting the locals.
We then headed to the Godafoss water falls. We arrived before the tour buses. The waterfalls is just a very brief walk, over easy terrain. It was pleasant, even for those with some mobility difficulties. There are picnic tables and benches. A few steps to get a closer view, but nothing too challenging. The waterfall is known as the “Waterfall of the Gods”. I heard a couple different stories. One about when the area was covered to Christianity, they made the locals throw their statues of Gods over the waterfall. Another story was one of the Icelandic Sagas got angry and threw his likeness over the falls.
The next stop was Lake Myvatn. It is surround by volcanic craters, lave formation, Myvatn nature baths and hot springs. From afar, it looks various shades of blue. Many places you can see steam rising from the water, into the cooler air. So much too look at. It was almost visual overload. Everything is so interesting.
The next stop was at a grotto, where is one of the scenes of the filming of Game of Thrones. Eugene went down into the cave to get some pictures. I went above to get some over head pictures. It used to be a popular place for people to bathe but the water has raised in temperature to such a point that it is not safe to do so anymore. It is illegal to bath in this area any longer. But, it is a great spot to film a show or visit when in Iceland.
Our next stop was the Dettifoss falls in Jokulsagljufu. It is the waterfall that has the greatest volume that of any other waterfall in Europe. It is beautiful, but quite a hike over rocky terrain. The landscape along the way of rocks formations are astonishing. There are actually two sets of falls. The trail splits about half way up the trail. The rainbows forming over the falls was a gift. The first picture is actually a bucket list item. I always wanted to stand on a mountain top and shout, “Im the queen of the world” . This was my chance, so with no one around, I bravely climbed up as high as I could (until Eugene said, that is high enough) and I shouted. But, afterwards, it really didn’t seem to be that big of a deal. Not even sure why I wanted to do it. And certainly the picture isn’t flattering, but sometimes, you just need to do something. Im weird. I always wanted to sing karaoke too, but would subject the public to that pain… I can not carry a tune.LOL Please don’t judge, remember, you are a friend.
Following the visit to the Dettifoss, we stopped at Dimmuborgir. This often called the Black Fortresss. This area was formed in an eruption that occurred in the area 2,300 years ago. The area is covered with large stacks of rocks with caves and caverns. Some of the formations are rising towers and and bridge-like structures. There is a great deal of folklore surrounding this are. According to Icelandic culture, the lave caves are home of evil trolls. It was kinda scary looking, especially with the lava rock beings or dark in color. This is also a stop for tour buses. There is a small gift shop, restaurant and restrooms. Keep in mind, bring your credit card. You must pay to go to the restroom. It accepts credit cards ($1.56 US dollars). Just the head up. You can not pee for free! lol
We decided to head north, up to coast, and travel around through some of the small towns and hopefully catch a glimpse of a whale or dolphin or even a seal. That did not happen, but the drive was beautiful and so very scenic. During our travels we came across rocks stacked up like the balancing rocks you see on the beaches. So I googled to see what it was about. They are called cairns and they were created as markers for early travelers to give them directions . It is illegal to add to or take from these rock formations. They are protected. It is also advised not to build your own. They are still used by hikers today to find their way.
Such beautiful views. So much to see. We stopped at a roadside picnic table and had a snack. Afterwards, we drove the rest of the way around the coast, then back to the ship in time for a late dinner. We were permitted to park the car right in the cruise terminal for no charge. It was just a short walk to the ship. We ate and then headed back to our stateroom . We went to bed and planned on getting up at 4:00 am to hit the road again. Good night to all.
Day 34: Akureyri, Iceland
We got up at 4:30 am and was on the road by 5:15. We were the first guests off of the ship. We had to be back by 12:00 to drop off the car and wanted to see as much as we could. We contemplated go straight to Hveravellir and experience the geothermal hot pools. In hindsight, we probably should have, but Eugene really doesn’t enjoy the hot tub, so it is unlikely he would want to do this experience. So, we opted for just driving around and enjoying the natural beauty. Of course it was breathtaking. The contrast between the snow capped mountains and the frequent rivers and streams running through the deep cut valleys was so beautiful. There were water falls everywhere, not grand ones but simple flowing water dropping in various place in to rivers below. The rivers varied from babbling brooks to raging rapids. As we drove along the coast, my job was to look out for sea life. Eugene’s job was not to hit one of the 1000’s of sheep, we saw along the way and to stay on the road. There were vey few guard rails and many turns and steep cliffs. On my side at that! It was nothing like the Road to Hanna in Hawaii, but none the less, one wrong swerve and we would be over the hillside. Then all the insurance paper work would surely kill me. LOL. Eugene is a great driver and I trust him 100%.
We did not see any wildlife except various species of birds, mostly geese, seagulls and swans. So many beautiful swans, we were fortunate to see 3 flying overhead in formation with their long necks stretching out like arrrows shooting from their bodies. Iceland has very few predators. Though people think the polar bear is in Iceland that is not true. They may occasionally come over on an Iceberg, but rarely last more than a day, because they are shot and killed. So sad. The only natural predator is a fox and it is rarely scene. At one point, the only dog that was permitted in Iceland was the sheep dog. It has changes over the years, but there are still some breeds that it is illegal to own in Iceland, one being the pit bull. I cant remember the others, but the rules are quite strict. There are no snakes in Iceland, either. But who would blame them, there isn’t much too eat. There are sheep and Iceland horses and even saw cattle. It is quite interesting about the Iceland horse. Having horses was a sign of wealth and fertility, in the past days. The Iceland horse looks different than horses we see in the States. It is shorter and has longer hair. It is a pure breed. In fact if an Iceland horse is taken out of Iceland, then it is never permitted to return, in fear of crossbreeding or bringing back diseases. It is the closes relationship to a Shetland pony there is and still be considered a horse. The Iceland horse has many uniques features, specific to this breed. And so I digress, sorry. You can search on your own if you are interested. This was evidently their spring and the horses and sheep were quite busy in the winter months, because there were babies EVERYWHERE. They were so very cute. Most ewes (mama sheep) had two lambs. And they certainly knew how to listen to their mama. They were curious of the car, as we pulled up and stopped to admire them and even started to meander toward us. As soon as they moved in our direction, the mama would bleat and they would instantly run to her side. She was the BOSS, no doubt. Sometimes they would get under the fence and be on the road, not knowing where to go, they would scamper to both sides. It was odd, like they didn’t see a car very often. Which makes sense, because we only passed a few cars in the country side. Of course, when we got into the villages and towns, there were automobiles. But we could drive for miles without passing a vehicle. It was…. peaceful.
The roads are surprisingly well maintained. Unlike northern roads in the US, there were no potholes and collapsing road sides. Not sure why, but mostly smooth driving. We went through multiple tunnels, at times a little unnerving. They were single lane with curves. Yes, there were pull offs to let on coming traffic through, and they were well lit, but to the new comer, a little challenging. Again, Im am glad Eugene was driving, it was even a little scary for him and he drove the Road to Hana and the switchbacks in the Black Hills. According to my information, there are at least 11 tunnels in Iceland. One tunnel I read that without it, drivers would take 6 times longer from getting from one point to another. One of the tunnels (that the lady at the rental place told us how to avoid) cost $15 US dollars to go through. We did avoid it, and the scenery was wonderful, think of what we would have missed. I couldn’t post about this area without sharing a couple pictures of what I have never seen before. When entering a town and the speed limit lowers, you get a happy face or a frown face according to your speed. I think Eugene just wanted frown faces, because we saw a lot of them. Also the red lights were heart shaped. Too cool and when it goes from red to green, it switches to yellow then green… Different.
We stopped at the Christmas House, but it was not open. So disappointed. I walked around and took some pictures. It doesn’t open until noon and our ship is leaving at 1:00, so no go. I wanted get a couple things for the crew at the grocery store, so we stopped at a place called BONUS. The prices were not horrible, so I picked up some coffee, candy and chips for several of the crew, who have gone out of their way to make our trip more enjoyable.
We headed back to the ship, dropped off the car and went directly to our stateroom for a nap. Since we started so early, we were so tired. We had dinner in the main dining room. It was great. May and Angelica were there waiting for us with diet cokes and a smile. We had a great dinner and down to the casino for a bit. We lost, so called it a night. Still tired and we will be in Reykjavik tomorrow. Exited to go whale watching and see the Puffins.
Good night to all.
Day 35:Reykjavik, Iceland
Good morning,
Today seemed to be colder than yesterday, so I wore my winter coat and brought my gloves and hat. Eugene brought his jacket, but still wore shorts. We had breakfast at the Windjammer and headed out early. We booked through a third party, But the company was Special Tours. Its was the least expensive way that I could find to meet our time frame. Later, I found that there were so many other time options, but this did work for us. We took a bus to the bus terminal which was free. It took about 10 minutes. However, it would only been a 5 minute walk. We got a taxi which was the best idea. It did cost 24$, but the bus had two different stop on get another bus. We were worried it would make you late at to the tour. Our driver was very nice and informative. Once we checked in and got our instructions and printed tickets. The young man who sold us the tickets, was so very nice. He carefully explained the process, where we were to wait and made recommendations where to eat. We decided to wait at a nearby cafe, Rost. I got accent small hot chocolate and Eugene got a small can of Pepsi. Over $10!! This is not on our budget, but everything looks homemade and the place was rather busy. It was certainly catering to tourist waiting for tours. Tourism is now the number 1 industry in Iceland. I can see why. I am sure prices went up here, just like everyplace else.
We actually were taking two separate tours, the Puffin tour on a smaller boat, and the Whale watching tour on a larger boat. The narrator on the Puffin tour was excellent and quite informative. There are two islands, Engey and Akurey, where the Puffins nest in the summer, both in Iceland. They return to the same burrow (nest) year after year. Puffins swim better than they fly. Flying reminds of a humming bird flapping their wings as fast as they can (over 5 flaps per second) to stay in the air. The burrows about meter deep two chambers one for bedroom one for bathroom male and female take turns feeding, hunting for food and caring for eggs and chicks. They are monogamous. Don’t hand together in winter. Meet up in summer. They are taken care of for 40 days then after 10 days the chicks realize no one coming back the waddle out of burrow fend for themselves. They make a cow mooing sound . I love these birds. We saw so many puffins when we arrived at Akurey. They were floating in the water, diving for food, guarding their burrows, flying past us. They are such cute birds, reminds me of a mini penguin.
The second half of the tour was the whale watching. It was a two hour tour on a larger boat. There were only 17 guests on the boat, which gave us plenty of space to move around. We relaxed a bit inside (in the warmth) until we got closer to where the whales were expected to be seen. The narrator said 1:00, a whale was spotted, we proceeded outside. Sure enough, there was a humped backed whale to right off of the boat. We were one of three tour boats around the whale. We really didn’t seem to bother him much. The humped back whale is up in Iceland for one reason, eating. The whales migrate north to eat and south to breed. He was busy hunting for food. The guide was very knowledgable. Explaining that the humpback whale did not have teeth, they filter a lot of ocean water through their baleen plates, which acts like a sieve. They eat small fish and krill (tiny shrimp) . We watched him for about 20 minutes, moving from one place to another, staying just far enough to give him a respectable space to move about. We then went further out to sea in search pf another whale. Not 10 minutes later, another was spotted. We watched him for a bit and tried to get some pictures.It was difficult to get really good pictures because they didn’t come out of the water that far and where they were coming up, was unpredictable. Regardless, we did get to see the humpback whales. On the way back we saw a group of dolphin whales. To me they looked just like dolphins. Being from Florida, I am used to seeing dolphins on a daily basis. We live right near the Indian River, which has the highest population of dolphins in a river in the world. These dolphin whales were significantly bigger than the bottlenose dolphins, I see regularly. (If you ever come to Cocoa Beach area, message me, if Im home, I’ll give you a tour and you can stay with us.) After doing my research, I learned that dolphins are actually whales, but not all whales are considered dolphins. These particular dolphins live in the Iceland area mostly year round. They are larger, about 7-9 feet and have teeth. They seemed to be just having fun with their friends, jumping, diving and hanging out. It was fun to see. I really do give some props. They were fantastic. They tried to give everyone personal attention and made sure everyone was safe and enjoying themselves. As special shout out to Rebekka, hope you get your captains certification and someday run your own fleet. Send me an invite, we will book.
Went back to the ship to have dinner. We had the crispy fried shrimp and Steak Oscar. The shrimp was done perfectly, just the right breading, served with a type of spicy mayonnaise. The steak was tender and the hollandaise sauce was not overpowering with shredded chunks of crab meat. It was soooo good. After dinner, we went back to our stateroom, and watched tv for a bit, the off to sleep.
Good night to all.
Day 36: Reykjavik, Iceland
Good morning,
Grabbed a light breakfast and just went walking around town, just seeing the sights. Lots of souvenir shops, boutiques, and museums. We walked over 6 miles. They have an excellent walking/bike path that runs the length of the shoreline. Reykjavik is the capital and the largest city in Iceland. Most buildings are relatively new, and many more being built. The church, Hallgrimskirkja, has a rotating glass dome that you can get great views of the ocean and nearby countryside. Many people from the cruise ship went to the Blue Lagoon, in a neighboring area. It is a geothermal spa. Eugene hates the hot tub, so the likelihood of him wanting to go, was pretty slim. The temperature is 104, so he wouldn’t have gotten his money’s worth. Everyone said it was fantastic.. Maybe next time. We can not do it all.
We had dinner in the dining room and made plans for the coming port of calls. I had the roasted pork loin with cranberry sauce and garlic mashed potatoes.. Eugene had the Chicken Marcella. Both were very good. After dinner, we went to the casino to donate a little money. Pretty much broke even, so not too bad. Eugene was getting his moneys worth of free alcohol. We stayed out until midnight. We need to get up and attend a mandatory meeting with immigration at 8:30 before we can enter the UK. Not sure why, but you gotta do what you gotta do. Eugene is going to be fun dragging out of bed in the morning.
Good night to all .
Day 37:At Sea
Good morning,
I woke up early, got ready and took time to work on my blog. Eugene is still sleeping. We left the balcony door open all night, and though the air was cool, it made for a good nights sleep. I went out on the balcony at 5:00 and the sun was just peeking beyond the horizon, though there are clouds in the sky, it is still beautiful. A little too cool for me to work outside. We had breakfast in the main dining room, Eugene got his favorite, breakfast burrito and I got eggs Benedict, without the eggs. I don’t eat eggs, but like everything else with the Eggs Benedict, so have it my way. Everything was quite good. The spent the afternoon, planning for future stops, playing cards, listening to music and just chilling. It was pretty much a laid back, do as little as possible day. We had dinner in the dining room with May and Angelica. Our regular table was taken, so we sat with another couple from Tennessee. They are avid travelers, and very interesting. We had an enjoyable conversation. I ordered the lamb chops and the butternut squash soup. Ooo so good!.
We then headed up to our stateroom. We needed to get up before 6:00 AM to be ready to pick up our rental car and head on another great adventure. We arranged with May and Angelica (our awesome servers) that they would meet us at 11:45 with their friends and we would take them wherever they wanted to go. Good night to all. Busy day tomorrow.
Day 38: Belfast, Northern Ireland
Good Morning,
We woke up early, first ones off the ship. I packed some pop, cookies and apples. We took a taxi to the airport to pick up our rental car. Just a note, you can not rent a car in Ireland using your credit card as insurance (like we always do) unless you have a signed letter saying that you are covered on rentals in Ireland. That is not the case in Iceland. Therefore, we had to purchase additional collision insurance. Consequently, the rental cost us $144 US. I booked it through my Expedia account and then through AVIS. They had the best rate. Id like thank Jacqueline, at Avis. She was super helpful. We were suppose to have an upgrade, but it was not on the record. She hooked us up anyway, because we were suppose to get an automatic and we were given a standard. We ended up getting an upgrade and an automatic. Thank you, Jacqueline.
We went to the Giant’s Causeway, it took about a hour and 10 minutes. We were able to get there before the tour buses, so there were only about 20 people there. We parked at the hotel for $10 and were given $10 credit, at the restaurant in the hotel. There was a shuttle bus right at the bottom of the steps. Its only 1.50 euro for both ways, but they did not take credit cards or US dollars. They young man was so sweet, since there was no one waiting, he took us down anyway. We tipped him in US dollars and he gave us a ride back up. We could have easily walked down, but coming back up would have been not so easy. The folklore about the Giant’s Causeway is that his love lived across the sea in Scotland and he built the Causeway to reach his love. They say you can stand on top of the Causeway and see Scotland on a clear day. We walked to the top of the rock rotation, but it was a bit cloudy, could not see Scotland. Even if we did, I am not sure we would know what we were looking at. The view was beautiful. It was easier walking up, than down. Since I’m old and not so coordinated, I was super careful coming back down. Eugene said I looked like a 2 year old learning to walk. That is not nice. I was just being careful! I have not fallen on this trip yet….. yet.
Since we needed to get back to the ship by 11:45 to get May and her friends, and we didn’t get to the Causeway until 9:00 am, we had to watch our time. We wanted to drive along the coast and get some good pictures, so this was pretty great. Thinking that Royal was charging $131 per adult to go to the Causeway (two hour drive each way) and it did not include the shuttle back and forth AND you had to walk further from the visitors center, we surely made the right choice renting a car. We were able to stop when we wanted to and enjoy more sights than taking the tour.
After we enjoyed the Causeway and the local countryside, we headed back to the ship to pick up May, Angelica and two of their friends. Its is lucky they are small, all four of them crunched into the back seat. We all went to the Titanic Experience. I ordered the tickets online for 12:20, but we arrived at 12:00. Not a problem, they let us right in. The Expedition was quite interesting. Since the Titanic was actually built in Belfast, it gives you insight into what the workers went through and their contribution to the construction . Toward the end of the program, they showed the discovery of the remains of the Titanic, not only through video, but interactive activities.
After the Titanic, we went shopping for a bit. I found this great market that is only open of Friday, Saturday and Sunday, until 3:00. It was called the St.George Market. It was a large venue with many booths set up with local Vendors. There was everything from homemade goods, jewelry, clothing, local foods, fresh fruits, plants, flowers, …. so much to even mention. I bought a sweet bracelet for myself and a very sweet pair of sterling silver earrings for my granddaughter. The prices were exceptionally reasonable. After we were done shopping, we dropped May and company off at the ship, went and filled up the tank and dropped off the car at the airport. We had to take a taxi back to the ship. The car, taxi and gas was about $180 total. Very well worth it. One thing to keep in mind. They drive on the left side of the road. Eugene did great. However, I struggled. When he would pull out of an intersection, and be in the left lane, I would panic a bit, expecting oncoming traffic. He said it wasn’t that easy, he had to think about driving more carefully. But, I think he did awesome…. me ? I kept going to the wrong side of the car to get in. Cant teach old dog, new tricks.
When we got back to ship, we took a nap. So tired from getting up so early. At 7:00, we headed down to dinner. I had a strip steak and Eugene had the pork shank and the Pappardelle Carbonara ( pasta). I also had the warm chocolate souffle. I also had a strip steak and baked potato. Everything was very good. After dinner, we stopped in the casino a bit, then headed back to the room to relax. I just want to give props to the casino staff on the Jewel of the Seas. They are so awesome. From the cashiers, to the bar tenders, to the table games staff, to the casino hosts and everyone in between. They go above and beyond to make everyone feel welcome and ensure they are enjoying themselves. Thanks everyone. Another big day tomorrow, we are going to be in Waterford, Ireland. Looking forward to a little more exploration. Good night
Day 39: Waterford, Ireland
He says a real man can carry a purse with pride. Who’s going to argue with him?
Day
Good Morning,
We arrived in Dunmore East, (which is technically where we are docked) around 6:30. Because of the depth of the water and the size of the ship, we need to tender in. Which means (if you don’t know) take a small boat into the docks. It is kind of a pain, because there is only so much room on the boats, so usually there is a wait. Most of the the Royal tours leave at 7:30 or 8:00 and since we are not going on a tour, we decided to sleep in and get breakfast. We plan to catch the tender around 10:00. It is overcast and raining right now, but according to my weather app, it should be done raining by 10:00 and start back up around 4:00, which is when we plan on getting back on the ship. The official all aboard is 6:30 PM, but with the need to tender, you could be sitting on the dock, waving goodby to the ship, if you wait until 6:00 to board. Not going to risk that. We are going to try to catch a shuttle or a bus into Waterford. It is about a 10/15 minute drive. Then go to the Waterford Crystal to see how the crystal is made and look around. Then Eugene wants to hit a pub or two, since he’s not driving… he’s allowed. LOL after 36 years, like I can control him if he wants to do something. We plan on having an authentic Irish lunch… we will ask locals, where is the best place to go. Then shop a bit and check out the town. Waterford is Ireland’s oldest city, so I am sure there is some really great architecture to check out. We love looking at the old and modern building, admire the craftsmanship. It’s amazing how these buildings have held up over so many years. Hopefully, the rain will hold off and we can have a great day.
After getting off the tender boat, we started waiting for bus. They said it would be $15 per person per way and it would be a 40 min wait, in the rain. They certainly didn’t plan for the arrival of a cruise ship the size of the Jewel. So we decided to try to get a cab. We met another couple Ann and Philip from California, who were waiting for a cab also. We decided to share a cab, so in about 10 minutes, we were able to get a cab to Waterford. We agreed that they would pay the way up and we would take care of the way back. It worked out great, we made friends and it saved each couple $12. We started at the Waterford Crystal Factory. We did the tour. It was about an hour. It cost $34 for the two of us. It was worth every dollar. We were able to see the how the skilled craftsman started with making the a piece of crystal from beginning to end. The process is quite tedious and complex and it would be an injustice for me to try to explain the process to you. This is something that you need to see for yourself. I know it takes 10 years of study and schooling to be a master Schulpter. It takes 8 years to be a master blower. Some of the interesting fact I learned: As the glass cools it goes from caramel color to a clear color. IF a piece of glass is is 24% lead, to is considered crystal. If it has less than 24% lead, then it is just leaded glass. The lead is not harmful. (good to know). Again, the tour is quite worthwhile. Learn new facts for yourself.
We then headed out to get something to eat. Eugene wanted to eat authentic Irish beer and food. So we struck out to find a place. After 30 minutes of ..”how about here…I don’t care.. how about here… I don’t care,” Eugene picked Kazbar. It was very unique. It had typical bar food. I got fish and chips with mashed peas. The fish was fresh haddock. It was very mild and battered and cooked just rights. Eugene ordered a spicy chicken sandwich and pub fries… not very Irish like, but he said it was excellent. They food presentation was done very well. Eugene had a Rockshore draft beer. He doesn’t care for dark beer, so this was a good option for him. It is a light lager that is brewed by St. Jame’s Gate. He said it was great. Overall, it was a nice meal and experience.
We went to the Medieval Museum. It was like stepping back in time. The 13th Choristers’ Hall and the 15th century Wine Vault was in the basement. Everything was authentic. Though the steps were winding and uneven, it added to the appeal to the tour. The only piece of clothing left from King Henry VIII’s reign is staged in this museum. This museum showcases many artifacts from the Medieval times and reflects the different structures of the times. I enjoyed the various models and their description. The staff was quite knowledgeable and very friendly. The steps are a little tricky, so if you have mobility issues, use the elevator or as they say in the UK, the lift.
Above are pictures of the churches, we visited. We stopped in the Franciscan Friary, The Christ Church Cathedral, and stopped at the St. Saviour’s Priory, but did not go inside. So much history, so much beauty. I need to put captions on my pictures each time I take them, by the time I post, I am scrambling to remember, which was which. I guess Im getting old or on vacation overload. So much to see, to learn to experience.. the days run into each other. I hope someone is following me, because otherwise, I am writing for myself, which may be ok, because when I get really old… yes older than I am now, I can look back and remember, what a great time I had. I wonder…. do they have the internet in the next place Im going after I kick the bucket??? Hum… I doubt it. Im just kidding. I hope I didn’t offend anyone, I know …. a computer would melt down there. LOL
We met back up with Philip and Ann, from California, and after a little help from a very nice man, we got a cab back to the ship. Though I really enjoy the things we see and the places we go, I think I like the people we meet the best. Eugene and I really try to brighten everyone’s day, I hope we are successful and make people smile, even for a minute.
When we got back on the ship, we showered (I smelled like a wet dog) because it was raining. Eugene kicked back and watched some TV and I worked on our blog, until my battery died on my computer. We got dressed ( not that we didn’t have clothes on.. that would be weird, not being dressed working on the computer.. who knows about the whole camera thing on the computer. If someone could see, they would be scarred for life, if I wasn’t dressed. Im too nice to do that to anyone!) After we got dressed, we went to dinner. We both had the crispy crab cake, the beef short ribs and potato gnocchi and the warm chocolate lave cake. How will I ever survive when I go home? So delicious. We went into the casino to get a drink at the bar.. for Eugene. I was only going to play $20… should have stopped at $20, ended up at $100 then won $300. Should have stopped. Ended up breaking even. I need a shock collar, when I am up. STOP people someone STOP me. LOL How many times have I told myself that. Went back to the room and worked on this blog.. Still need to catch up. Will finish more tomorrow.
Day : Cork, Ireland. DAY 39
Good morning,
Just thought I would share something funny about yesterday.
We are on day 39 of our 79 day vacation. And it has been awesome. Last summer we spent a good bit of time watching Veda and Zara playing softball and hanging out with our kids and grandkids. And it was awesome also. But after almost 40 days out of the states, I think I might be seeing signs of being homesick. Yesterday, I saw an Amazon Prime truck. I felt a rush of excitement and grabbed Eugene’s sleeve and shouted, “look honey, look! He turned to me and said, “what?” In a puzzled manner. I responded “look! There is an Amazon prime truck!” Like it was the sighting of the Queen of England” The people standing near us looked at me like I was nuts. They are probably thinking “crazy Americans, give them one Irish beer and they go clean batty!”
Hello old friend!
We got dressed and headed to the Windjammer for breakfast. It is rainy out and we only have 5 1/2 hours in port. We may stay on the ship and just hang out today. The one thing we wanted to really do, The Jameson Distillery tour, was not available due to renovations. Not sure what is in store for us today. For right now, we are going to play cards and I am going to try to catch up on my blog. I am not sure why I continue to play cards with Eugene, he almost always wins. Honestly, Id rather him win and not pout. Though I have to admit, he may be a better player than I because I am distracted doing this. That’s my excuse and I am sticking to it.
Above is a picture of our stateroom attendant, Sche. Like so many others on the ship, she is from the Philippines. Sche has a 14 year old daughter at home. She works hard every day, 7 days per week to not only do her job, but to ensure that every single guest that she services is happy and everything is done to perfections. Though she may be tired, may be homesick, may be worried about her daughter at home, she still smiles. Her focus is to make everyone else happy. So folks, before departing from your cruise, please think about a couple things. There are people on this ship, who have had to leave their loved ones, to be able to support them. It is a price to pay . I think we often take for granted that we can go home every night to be with our loved ones and still do our jobs. I know, there are a lot of people out there who must travel for a living. But, after 12 days of having my bed made, bringing me ice morning and night, cleaning my room… I owe her something. We all do! Please think about leaving an extra little something.. a tip or when in port and buy your room attendant, your servers …. something a little extra. Karma ! I believe that if you give to others, it will always eventually come back to you 10 times. Maybe not in money form or not you directly, but it always comes back.
We did decide to stay on the ship. I heard from other passengers that they thought that Cobh was nicer than Cork. It was relaxing to walk around and look at the colorful houses. There was a Titanic Experience and a Heritage Center. We did get some good pictures from the ship. Though we missed out on this port, it was still a great day. We had multiple conversations with crew. It was nice, just talking to others. We played a game of cards and I WON. Eugene is pouting a bit, even though he says he is not. LOL At 3:00, a group of young people from the Atttridge Academy of Irish Dance, came on board and performed in the Coral Theater. They were not only adorable but also quite talented. They have not performed on the cruise ships since COVID. Nonetheless, they did a great job. When we were leaving the port, the dancers were all standing on the dock, waving goodbye. As well as many residents of Cobh were sitting in the park, watching the ship leave. I think they were thankful for the cruise ships coming back.. Tourism is important to so many incomes to those who live in the port area. We rested a bit and then went down for a photo shoot. NOT my idea! I hate my pictures! But it was kind of fun. I have not kissed Eugene so many times in 30 minutes. I hope at least a couple of them look ok. Then we went to dinner. We had the steak and ribs, with the pumpkin soup. Everything was great, as usual. We headed over to the Coral Theater to watch the show. They were four men vocal group, called the Jack Pack. They were finalists on the 2014 Britains Got Talent. They were quite good. They frequently sang in harmony and complemented one another quite well. After the show, we stopped in the casino, donated a little, grabbed a drink and headed to our room. Eugene watched TV for a bit, while I worked on my blog. Then off to bed. Tomorrow is a day at sea. Time to pack and get ready for our next adventure.
Good night to all.
Day : At Sea DAY 40
Good Morning,
I was not totally honest as to why we did not get off the ship. Not to Eugene, or anyone who asked. The truth is… I was anxious. The day before we had to give up our passports, to be reviewed by immigration because … we were going into Ireland or from North Ireland to Republic of Ireland.. I don’t know . But when we gave up our passports to be turned into to immigration, I ask, what if something happens while we are on shore and we don’t get back on the ship? We won’t have a passport. The young woman responded rather flippantly , “We will pack up your stuff and leave it on the pier with your passport… Next?” Really! That was the response. SO.. given my health and history… what would happen if I had to be rushed to the hospital? Or worse! In 2020, I was having a great dinner at a sushi restaurant with Eugene and my sons. I spent the day swimming and hanging out, no health issues… the next thing I know they are telling Eugene to say good bye. I was in the hospital for a week and the only thing they could figure out is that I had a blood clot in my heart… maybe. It wasn’t a stroke because I was paralyzed on both sides. But after an hour, I was perfectly fine. They kept me for 6 days running every test they could think of… then said sorry bad news, we found a tumor. Bad news?! LOL Im still alive, nothing is bad news. Long story short… Heart stoppage in August, serious Covid in October, scheduled for tumor in October… post poned because of having COVID. Scheduled November.. flew back to Arizona for surgery…still testing positive for COVID… flew back in January STILL testing positive….Rescheduled in Feb. STILL tested positive but the doctor said, doing it anyway. Was told my face would likely be paralyzed (tumor in neck expanding toward spine and neck) Had surgery, not paralyzation, no more tumor… Bounced back. Got my vaccine in April of 2021… got sick. Goth second dose in May 2021 … got sick again. Tested positive AGAIN in October of 2021. Got the booster in early December, did not get sick YEH! Then tested positive AGAIN in January of 2022! Ok enough! Eugene NEVER tested positive … UNTIL the day before we were to leave on this trip. He tested positive one day, took the test 3 hours before we boarded for the Transatlantic and then tested negative. Thank goodness. He has never really been sick. And so I digress. I carry a large amount of travel insurance, in case something happens. So being told that … “our stuff will be sitting on the pier, with our passports” if we don’t return, just upset me. We decided to stay on the ship… just in case. What if we were in a foreign country without a passport and I did get sick.. So play it safe. I was still upset this morning because everyone said what a great port of call it was and we missed out. When I went to pick up my passport, I explained what I was told. That is not the situation at all. According to the young lady I spoke to, Royal Caribbean has a great procedure in place if you miss the ship. First of all, show your sea pass to the authorities for to the hospital. They will contact the number on the back and they will in turn contact the ship. The ship will not sail unless they know where every passenger is. If you are not getting back on the ship for one reason or another, they will gather your belongings… including your passport, if needed and someone at the port will deliver them to you wherever you are. Your sea pass acts like a passport because they can contact the ship to verify everything. If I had have known this information, I would have not been so anxious and would have gotten off the ship and proceeded as planned. So Royal Caribbean, put this information on the paper when it is necessary to take passports. It would have been helpful to know ahead of time!
Enough venting. We are at sea today. We slept in and are packing. Then, since we missed breakfast going to have lunch in the dining room. We spent the day playing cards, relaxing, and preparing to disembark. We wrote up our tip envelopes and said our goodbyes. We had been with May and Angelica for 26 days, so they were more than just our servers. They are now our friends.
Day 41: Disembark in Amsterdam, Fly to London
..or English… or Dutch.. Im confused!!
Good Morning,
We walked our own luggage off the ship, made our way to the Train terminal. It was a 10 minute walk. Royal had transfers to the airport for $30 per person. We walked to the train station and it was only $4 per person to the airport. It was an easy transition. We arrived at the airport early, which was fine. We found a place to sit and play cards, until we could check our bags. Then we went to the Preferred Lounge. It is a perk of our Chase credit card. I love it because we get a comfortable place to relax, free food and drink. However, some of the food is not what we are accustomed to. But, it was free and pretty good. I grabbed a couple cookies and some fruit and threw it in my bag. I didn’t know if we would be near a place to eat, when we arrived in London. The plane was delayed for an hour, but after that, everything went ok. I was grumpy because there was a man and his friend was smoking in the terminal and watching his phone playing very loudly. They were pretty rude. All I could think, please don’t let him be seated near me. Sure enough, right behind us. Talking loudly, playing youtube or something extremely loud, talking loud… just being a jerk. The people in from of us kept looking around at us. I just shrugged my shoulders and pointed at them. Finally, I got pissed and turned on “Baby Shark” and pointed it over my head to the seat behind me. The people around us laughed, but he did not get the message or just didn’t care. When the plane took off, he lost wifi but his mouth never stopped. I put my head set in and tried to ignore. No class.. all as…s. One good thing, there was no one in the row with us, so Eugene and I had room and the flight was only an 1 1/2 hours. We hits some turbulence, but no real worries. Note: the jerk behind us was scared.. doesn’t he know? “when it’s your time to go.. you go, no need to fear”. We landed safely, so I guess he still. has time to change.
When we arrived at the airport, we quickly found our way to the train station. Unfortunately, the elevator (lift) was out of order, so Eugene had to take the luggage one step at a time, up the steps. After finding the train, we were boarded, it was very crowded. Then, we were told to get off the train and board another. It was leaving in 3 minutes. We had to run to catch it. Which is not good, because we are more fast walkers than runners. Eugene was in a terrible mood. That makes two of us now. Of course, he was so grumpy, when we arrived at the terminal, there was no elevator and once again, walk the luggage up steep steps again… and this is my fault? We got onto the metro and made it within 3 blocks of our hotel. That was easy anyway. But, Eugene was angry and hurting. The young woman checking us in was awesome. So friendly. We went straight to the room and hot shower and to bed. The Ashburn is designed in typical Victorian style, with ornate ballasters, gold trimmed mirrors, historic paintings…. but really comfortable and roomy. We got a first floor room, so no need for steps. Heading to be, Exhausted! Good night.
Day 42: London, England
Good morning,
We got up early and started on our adventure. One of thing we noticed right away was the beautiful architecture. The common stores and apartments are all part of these historic buildings, so ornate, so beautiful. We decided the most cost effective way to enjoy London, was a hop on hop off bus. We met Hugo, he sold us two day tickets, which included a boat tour, and a night tour around London. A couple thing we wanted to do for sure was seeing the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace. We also wanted to ride the London Eye and tour St. Paul’s Cathedral (walk to top). We also wanted to see some of the highlights. Eugene wants to eat and drink an authentic English drink and food. London is so beautiful and interesting. By the end of the day, we were on information overload and totally wore out.
We toured St. Paul’s and walked to the top of the cathedral.. It was over 258 steps up. Straight up in spiral with narrow pathways and no hand rails in some places. I would be lying if I said we were not sucking air several times. We did take a few breaks and let younger, or more fit people in front of us. Yes we were the biggest people attempting the climb. Once we were up there, it was beautiful . We took many pictures. Going back down, easier for me, but Eugene’s knees were killing him. We did it, not for the view necessarily, but because we wanted to prove we could. St. Paul’s had so much interesting history. The art work on the ceiling and walls and throughout the Cathedral was breathtaking. As well as the view from the top of the tower. It is hard to believe the amount of work that went into in building and designing these structures without current technology. Everything is so detailed and ornate. The organ was actually cut in half and rebuilt to put the actual organ on one side and the chimes on another side of the cathedral. This is a MUST SEE in London.
After the climb and the visit to St Paul’s Cathedral, we were tired and hungry. We decided to try some traditional English food and beverage at one of London’s oldest pubs ,” Ye Old Cheshire Cheese”. It is actually a really unique place. You enter from the alley and it appears to be quite small. There is a great deal of history behind this pub. There are 4 floors below the pub, which are used for dining rooms and for making/storing of the beer. According to our server, the beer must be stored at lower temperatures during the formation process. Therefore, keeping it below ground level is very necessary. The lower the floor, the colder it gets. There are also rooms above, used for dining and preparing food. They actually dug into the neighbors basement during the war to provide a better place to hide. Later, when is was illegal to make your own alcohol, they would make it in the room below (bootleg) and sell it secretly to area residents. Eugene order the Samual Smith (their brand beer), sausage and mash, and I ordered fish and hip. The food was ok. Not really memorable, but the experience was very cool. Eugene said the beer was good. The place was packed, so it must. be popular with the tourist and the locals alike. The staff was very friendly and welcomed any questions. We wanted to tour the lower levels, but I don’t think Eugene was willing to walk even one more floor of steps. We were hurting a bit. It was a cool experience and was very enlightening on. the habits of typical people back in the day.
After lunch, we jumped on the bus and headed for the stop for our canal tour. (It came with our ticket). The canal tour was very informative and our guide was not only knowledgeable, but very entertaining. We got some great photos and learned a lot. We then headed for the London Eye. After getting our tickets, the line went rather quickly. The “London Eye” is one of the top tourist attractions. It gave you a great view over the city, but I felt the view from atop of St. James Cathedral was equally good.
The Shard (in the third picture) is formally the London Bridge Tower that is 72 stories tall. You can actually pay to tour this, but we did not have time to do so. The Tower Bridge is often mistaken for the London Bridge. The London Bridge is just down the canal. It is pretty non descriptive. One cool thing we learned about the London Bridge. It was actually torn down and rebuilt because of damage to the structure. IN 1968, a wealthy American, took the old bridge bricks piece by piece and brought the bridge to Arizona and rebuilt it in the Lake Havasu City. Now, I need to go to Lake Havasu City to see the REAL London Bridge. It is only 3 hours from Cory’s house. Put it on my bucket list.
The Tower Bridge was very interesting. You could do a tour to see the inner workings of the bridge, but again, we were limited on time, so had to pass. We did walk over it and got to see the bridge up close.
The Gerkin is a skyscraper in London. It was built in 2004. It is an example of the modern architecture that is being built along side London’s historic buildings. It makes for a great contrast. It houses offices, a hotel, restaurants and boutiques.
Cleopatra’s Needle is actually one of two ancient Egyptian obelisks. One is here in London, the other in New York City. The Needle was a gift to Great Britain by Egypt (according to our narrator) in appreciation of their support of Egypt during the war.
The dragon in the was sculpted in 1880. It marks what was the historic gates of the City of London. He looks like he going to swoop down and eat those passing by. We were told that it is a tradition that prior to the Queen entering the City of London, that she must stop at the dragon and ask the Mayor’s permission to enter. She really does not need his permission, but it is a respect thing. Pretty interesting stuff.
Ok, you may wonder why the Peppa Pig bus. When my granddaughters lived with us, they were Hugh!! Peppa Pig fans. To the point, my older granddaughter spoke with a British accent for two years. Now, my grandson also loves Peppa Pig. If they were here with me, they would definitely go on this tour. Gotta love Peppa, going on holiday and jumping in muddy puddles. It has been a great day in London. Time to turn in. Good night to all.
Day 43: London, England
Good Morning,
Today we headed out to see the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace. Last week was the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II celebrating her 70th year as queen. It brought visitors from around the world. Consequently, there were a lot of extra visitors in London. With that and construction on the palace, we were only able to view the changing of the guards from the streets. We did not see the actual change ceremony, but we’re able to view the guard parade both going in and out if the palace entrance. It was worth the walk. I wished we could have gotten closer to the Buckingham Palace, but it is what it is. After Buckingham Palace, we got back on the hop on bus and continued to look at the sights of London. After admiring the sights, we did a little shopping, grabbed a quick bite to eat and headed back to the hotel. I needed to pack and get ready to fly out in the morning. Off to Barcelona!
Day 44: Fly to Barcelona, Spain
Good Morning,
We walked to the train station and took the train to the airport. Other than being a bit crowded, we made it ok. Our flight was on time and we landed in Barcelona, right on schedule. We took a cab to our hotel. It was very modern and extremely clean. We opted for the breakfast included, just to avoid worrying about where to eat each morning. We dropped our luggage and started to explore the area. Eugene was hungry. I wanted empanadas, he wanted to eat where the hotel recommended. It was a Tapas Restaurant . I was not impressed. He ordered a sandwich, leave me with limited choices. I took the servers recommendation. It was too spicy for my tastes. I gave it to Eugene and left, still hungry. We stopped at this little take out only restaurant and got empanadas and took them back to the room.. They were SOOOO good. We headed to bed early, so to start our adventures tomorrow. Good night.
Day 45: Barcelona, Spain
We started the day on the Hop on Hop Off bus. Our first stop, Sagrada Familia. This roman Catholic church is nothing less than breathtaking. This church is so famous for several reasons. One, construction began 1882 and it is still not finished. It is said that only 70percent of the church is completed. It has 8 spires, the original design designates 18. The Sagrada is primarily the work of Antoni Gaudi. He divides the church into three sections or Factuals: The Nativity, The Passion and The Glory. If you take time you can see the stories within the sculptures, the stained glass and design. If you look carefully when the light shines it, it is like spot light that draws your focus to particular areas. Take time to enjoy the detail. Take time to quietly reflect and maybe count your blessings. not miss this iconic site.
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