Day 8 – Geiranger Fjord – Norway

As we awakened this morning, the Jewel of the Sea was entering Norwegian waters and the Geiranger Fjord. Called the “Diva” of Norwegian fjords, the ‘Geiranger’ is 1,600 feet wide and 1,200 feet deep, with snowcapped mountains as high as 6,000 feet lining the waterway. The lacy curtains of snow melt that cascade over the steep cliffs, many into the fjord itself, are given romantic names such as; Bridal Veil, The Suitor and Seven Sisters.
Marina and I were scheduled for a kayaking excursion on the fjord this morning, and we were grateful for a clear, warm day with calm seas. 46 passengers occupied 23 double kayaks and we were off on an hour and a half trip on the fjord. We were exhausted by the time we returned, but had been rewarded with a magnificent experience of this wonderful fjord, including a close up view of the Seven Sisters waterfall! We ordered two hamburgers and sodas at a local Bistro and were shocked by the $40 bill! Hardly left us with any resource to shop, but we managed to plunk down a few more kroner (Norwegian currency) before we returned to the ship for a well earned nap! I also got back in touch with my ancestral Troll, and am happy to introduce him to you! (See picture, and note the resemblance!!)
Late this afternoon, while the sun was still high in the sky (it doesn’t set until 11:45pm) the Jewel weighed anchor and set off down the fjord, headed for Flam and the Aurlandsfjord, a tributary of the 204 kilometer long Sognefjord. Should be another magnificent day, and the weather promises to hold for the rest of our trip. Wow!!

Day 6 and 7 – Scotland and day at sea

It is Sunday, and as I write this we are steaming through the North Atlantic toward the coast of Norway. There is not much to see through the fog, but plenty to do aboard ship. I’ll spend an hour in the golf simulator later today. (Does that make me a simulated golfer?)
Yesterday was the day for the Scottish experience. “Landscapes, Lochs and sheepdogs” were the order of the day as we were ushered to our bus by a bagpiper and a “committee” of friendly Scots. The landscape was lush and lovely, with an abundance of sheep on the slopes and hills. There is no doubt why this part of the world is called the Emerald Isle! I am convinced that the devil planted the hedgerows along every road just to torment photographers! The trees are so close that they brush the sides of the bus, with infrequent gaps that fool you into thinking you might take a picture.
Our first stop was at the Scottish Wool Center where we were treated to a delightful demonstration of Border Collies herding ducks through an obstacle course. That was followed by several volunteers trying to herd the same ducks through the same course. Guess which did better? We learned a great deal from the shepherd about the five varieties of sheep in Scotland, some bred for coarse wool used in rugs, some with fine wool used for clothing (I bought a sweater), and some bred for meat. The wool from a lamb brings $2, while the meat from that same lamb would bring upwards of $160!! Needless to say, the lamb bred for quality meat carries the day!
After lunch at a wayside hotel, our next stop was at Loch Lomand – the very same Loch of the “Bonnie, bonnie banks of Loch Lomand”. It is a beautiful 27 mile long by 5 mile wide lake with a number of picturesque castles along its banks, and we enjoyed them all on a 45 minute cruise aboard a sightseeing streamship.
A very fast bus ride back to the pier returned us to the Jewel of the Seas just in time for “all aboard”. An entire Pipe band welcomed us back, and within 15 minutes of our return we were underway!
See you next in Norway!!!

Day 5 – Dublin, Ireland

Dublin, a city of close to one million people, is Ireland’s largest city and serves as its capital. Early this morning the Jewel of the Seas entered the largest port we have seen yet – a port that has suffered greatly from the recession, but is still busy with container ships generating the primary activity. The Guinness brewery is one of the world’s largest and is Ireland’s largest private employer. Trinity College, which houses Ireland’s world famous “Book of Kells” (an 8th century illustrated manuscript of the Gospels ) is also in this city, and therein lay the dilemma – Guinness or Kells – Guinness or Kells??? ‘Twas easily solved. Dad went to Guinness and the girls went to view the Book of Kells. Both tours gave us a chance to see the city with its contrast of the very old with the modern. Dublin is still haunted by the memories of the Great Famine, but is also aware of the financial and cultural benefits of having joined the European Union. The River Liffey runs through the city and is crossed by 11 bridges, one of which is brand new and built to represent a harp, which is both the symbol of Guinness and of Ireland. (Guinness had it first and refused to let Ireland adopt it as the national symbol unless they turned it to face the opposite direction!)
The Guinness Storehouse (now a museum) is a seven story tower, the floors of which trace the brewing process and history of Guinness Stout. The seventh floor is a circular glass bar where guests are served a complimentary brew at the end of the tour. It is also a terrific location from which to view a panorama of the city and to photograph some of the most notable landmarks.
The girls tour was blessed with a tour guide who interpreted the city of Dublin non-stop all the way to Dublin Castle, the first stop. The Castle has been devastated by several fires, and has been renovated to resemble less a castle, but with many of the same features and rooms of the old building. Next was Trinity College (Dublin University) and the “Book of Kells”. The first room presented the history of this illustrated manuscript and then led to the “Treasury” which actually houses the “Book”. A staircase led to “the long room” which serves as Trinity College’s library, housing around 200,000 of the library’s oldest books. This library houses a copy of every book ever copyrighted in England and Ireland – a magnificent hall, but no photographs allowed! Marina and Jessika confessed to me that they had both had a lot of “crack” (actually, “craik” – the Irish word for fun, but they had me going for a minute!).
The ship is feeling more and more like a floating home, and the afternoon offered lunch, some pool time, and just sheer relaxation! A show tonight features Jacqui Scott, leading lady from ‘Evita’, ‘Cats’, and ‘Miss Saigon’.

Days 3 and 4 – Cherbourg, France and Cork, Ireland

Today Jessika launched out on her own for a tour of two of the gardens in Normandy. Known for its place in history as the site of some of the pivotal battles of World War two, Normandy today is known for its sculptured gardens maintained as monuments to peace. Jessika’s comment was “I’ve dreamed of living in a place like this!” She described one of the gardens as containing species from all around the world – including magnificent stands of bamboo.
For Marina and David today was a day aboard ship. Dad won the round of miniature golf (by two strokes playing left handed), and when Jessi returned we all enjoyed a swim in the Solarium. Dad added a soak in the hot tub for good measure. Dinner was the first of three formal nights of the trip and Dad and Marina got “duded up” for the occasion, while Jessi opted for the buffet in the Windjammer dining room.
On Thursday we awakened as the Jewel of the Sea docked in Cork (Cobh) Ireland. The three of us left the ship for a scenic drive through the Irish countryside (often hard to see through the hedgerows lining the narrow roads) while our guide narrated the history of the area. She reminded us that Cork was the final port of call for the Titanic as well as the point of departure for thousands of Irish immigrants headed for the new world.
Our ultimate destination was the town of Blarney, home of the Blarney castle and its magical stone. If I trusted in its magic, I should have come here years ago, (to gain the gift of eloquence) but alas, those of you who have heard me preach will have to judge between the power of the Blarney stone and the power of the Holy Spirit! The lines of people were too long and the castle tower too tall, and I had to content myself with taking photos (what would you expect?) and hoisting a pint of Guinness . We later found out that the folks in County Cork are not too fond of Guinness, preferring their own brand of stout! Shopping at the Blarney Woolen Mills was another attraction and then the return to Cobh. Marina and Dad took a short walk into the colorful village of Cork before returning to the ship where Dad discovered that he had lost his “Sea Pass Card” without which he couldn’t get back on the ship!! With the eloquence of the Blarney stone I talked myself past two levels of security and back on the ship. It really wasn’t heroic - it was more like eating humble pie and begging!!
So tonight I’ll post this blog and hope you enjoy the photos of Blarney Castle and colorful Cobh, Ireland.

Day Two – Ah, Paris!

Today we “did” Paris – in 5 hours!! OK, the truth is we did a six mile stretch along the Seine River, from the Eiffel Tower to Notre Dame Cathedral, walking it both ways! But I’m ahead of myself.
The day actually began with an early call and breakfast in our stateroom. A well organized disembarkation took us to the buses for a two and one-half hour ride to the center of Paris. I almost thought we had made a wrong turn when the first thing I saw was the Statue of Liberty, but then I remembered that the one in New York is a copy of the one in Paris given the USA as a gift from the French! Ah, the French – always in a hurry and willing to run you down with their car or motorbike if you venture into the street without a green light! Traffic everywhere, to say nothing of the thousands of tourists! The biggest challenge of the day turned out to be finding a public toilet. Apparently the French have extraordinarily large bladders, and there are no MacDonalds or Dunkin Donuts to duck into!
We suffered a major disappointment when our guide told us that the Louvre was closed on Tuesdays. (Guess what day it is!) Jessika’s interest in DaVinci will just have to wait for satisfaction until her next trip to Paris! But there was plenty more to see and we made it to Saint Chapelle, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Plaza de Concorde, plenty of the River Seine, the Grande Palace, and, of course, La Tour Eiffel! We ate lunch in a tiny French café’, and then hot-footed it back to catch our bus for the return trip to the ship. A taxi from Paris to LaHavre would have cost us upwards of 250 euros, so we weren’t about to be late!
As we finished dinner in the Windjammer Café aboard ship, the Jewel of the Sea left port and headed for Cherbourg and the Normandy coast, which is our port of call in the morning. See you there!

Day One - Bubbles, buses, and ques!!

The day started out calmly enough – Phil got us to JFK in record time and without a hitch. Virgin Atlantic checked us in with a minimum of hastle, and we boarded “Bubbles” – yes, that was the name of our aircraft – right on time. In the pouring rain we pushed back from the gate and headed for departure only to hear the captain announce that we were being delayed by the fact that there were two large TURTLES on the runway that would have to be removed before we could leave! The “Slowski’s” strike again!

The flight to London was uneventful but the passage through Heathrow airport presented us with the first of several “cues” – that’s “long lines” to you Yanks – and a lot of waiting. British Immigration was orderly, and we were off to find the Royal Caribbean rep who had promised to meet us outside baggage claim. That was after I forgot to close my backpack and dropped my laptop on the marble floor. No permanent damage, and the lovely lady was where she said she’d be. We were in London and about to take a 2 ½ hour bus ride to Harwich on the WRONG side of the road and at speeds that made the airplane seem like, well, a “slowski”!

We could see the ship from a long way off. It is BIG and the British landscape is rather flat, so it just sort of loomed up out of the horizon. It was soooo close, but the inevitable intervened – you guessed it – a CUE! In all honesty, check-in wasn’t too bad, and we were soon on board the “Jewel of the Seas” exploring every nook and cranny. Tomorrow is Paris, and believe it or not, we’re going to “do” the whole thing in 5 ½ hours!!

Proud Grads

Today (Saturday) Jessika joined Marina in the ranks of the graduates. Before we get ready to fly tomorrow to Heathrow, England, I thought I'd show you two of the reasons we're taking this trip!

Cassi, Grandpa Dave and Jessika--- One happy graduate!!

Marina graduated Cum Laud ... and then toasted life with Celeste and Dad

See you from London!!!

Transition 2009

Well, things have radically changed since my last blog entry of last year. On March 13, Sandra entered her eternal rest and for me, everything changed. Yet life does go on and we have tried to complete most of the plans that Sandra and I had put in place together. The biggest news is that Marina earned her Associate degree at Manchester Community College, and Jessika, our oldest grandchild, will graduate from High School tomorrow. To celebrate them both and for me to honor what would have been our 50th anniversary, we are leaving on Sunday for a two week cruise aboard the Jewel of the Seas - a Royal Carribean ship that will take us to Paris, the British Isles, and the Coast of Norway. WE INVITE YOU TO COME ALONG as I will try to make periodic entries to this blog and post some of the photos that come my way. Stay tuned!