French Polynesia – Society Islands

Since it has been two years since I have taken a Windstar cruise, Ginni and I decided to take the cruise of the French Polynesia Society Islands on the Wind Spirit.

January 26: I was up super early this morning in order to be ready for the shuttle pick up at 4:45 a.m. Snowed had come down the night before on top of ice so it was very slow going to the airport. With having to de-ice and the airport of Cedar Rapids only having one truck for that purpose, I arrived in Minneapolis with just enough time to get to gate and board the plane heading to LAX. Because of de-icing and a medical emergency which required our going back to the departure gate, we arrived at LAX about 35 minutes late. My friend from college, Ann, lives in Los Angeles and she picked me, along with my luggage, up. It was a great afternoon with lunch at a Mexican restaurant, driving by Ann’s place of employment, viewing her residence and having coffee, going to the beach and walking.

Ann at the beach

Ann at the beach

Ann had a doctor’s appointment and I killed time at the mall across the street. We then picked Ginni, who had arrived an hour earlier, up at the airport and went to dinner at Second City Bistro. Ann dropped us back at the airport, we checked our bags, and went to the Air Tahiti first class lounge for a few glasses of wine. Boarding the plane went quite smooth; the plane was Airbus 340-300 and seemed huge! Once in the air, we had a nightcap and settled down to sleep; leaving at 11:30 p.m. LAX time guaranteed we were both quite tired.

January 27: Woke up to the airline personnel preparing our breakfast. After eating, we only had an hour before landing at around 5:30 a.m. local time. The landing was smooth; we retrieved our luggage, passed through Customs, and grabbed a taxi for our hotel, Le Meridien. Our room was not ready so explored the grounds and was able to get into our room around 9:30 local time. By the time, both of us were wilting so we took a nap. After showering and getting into clean clothes, we had lunch at one of the hotel’s restaurants. The afternoon was spent relaxing with our walking to a local supermarket for some wine later in the day. We went to happy hour in the bar and ate at the other hotel restaurant; both of us had lamb kabobs and the food was delicious. Back to our room for a nightcap and bed.

Front of LeMeridien

Front of LeMeridien

Swimming pool and ocean beyond

Swimming pool and ocean beyond

Beautiful sunset

Beautiful sunset

January 28: A tour of Tahiti was scheduled so we ate breakfast and waited for the tour operator to arrive. It turns out that operator who was scheduled for our tour did not show up so another operator stepped; since she was excellent, it turned out lucky for us. We drove all the way around the island and was given much history; among all the 118 society islands, there are 300K people with 185K residing on Tahiti alone. Highlights of the tour included viewing black sand beaches, Point Venus, looking at Arahōhō Blowhoe, and walking to three grottos.  During one walk, we came across a family building their own house; it is made out of the palm tree with branches used for the roof, takes approximately 3 full days to build, and lasts about 5 years.

Ginni and I at scenic overlook

Ginni and I at scenic overlook

Scenic overlook

Scenic overlook

Black sand at Point Venus

Black sand at Point Venus

Arahōhō Blowhoe

Arahōhō Blowhoe

One of many waterfalls

One of many waterfalls

Constructing house

Constructing house

Grotto

Grotto

After the tour, we had lunch at the pool restaurant and then walked to a nearby supermarket to purchase wine to take on our cruise. That evening we listened to a couple performing at the pool bar while watching the sunset. After dinner, back to our room for a glass of wine before going to bed.

January 29: This was the boarding day for the Wind Spirit, a 148 passenger sailing vessel; here is the link  Wind Spirit.  Both of us were looking forward to leaving Tahiti and getting the cruise underway. After breakfast, we finalized our packing and left our bags outside our room for pick up by the bell crew. Checked out of the hotel and waited in the lobby for Windstar folks to appear.

Waiting for transportation

Waiting for transportation

Boarded the transport to the pier at 1:00 and was in our cabin by 2:00. Our luggage had not arrived so we went to lunch where we were joined by two other gals from Georgia and South Carolina. After eating, we explored the ship; even though we both had sailed on this ship before, it had been many years and re-design had occurred. That evening we joined two other couples for dinner; John and Mary from St. Louis and Gregg and Chris from Australia. A delightful evening; every Windstar cruise that I have been on, I’ve always experienced the other passengers being congenial and interesting to talk to! After dinner, everyone went their separate ways; Ginni and I went to the pool lounge for a nightcap while listening to a couple play the piano and sing. Their names were Tony and Dana with him from Australia and she Malaysia; they were fair, at best. Retired to bed around 10:30.

January 30: Since we had a tour scheduled at 8:00, we were up by 6:30. Both of us had a great night sleep; the ship had left Tahiti and arrived outside Moorea during the night. Moorea is known as one of the most beautiful of the Polynesian islands. The island is only 11 miles to the northwest of Tahiti and is about 83 square miles with the widest point being 10 miles wide. After having breakfast, we went to the main lounge to meet up with our fellow tourists for the island tour. Our tour guide was called Tom and very informative; great communicator with many detailed facts regarding the island, the environment, and nature.

Our guide, Tom

Our guide, Tom

The first recorded sighting of the island by a foreigner was in 1606 but it was not until the 1760s that the Europeans came. Among those was James Cook in 1769 who first settled the area now known as Cook’s Bay. Copra, the dried white meat of the coconut, and vanilla were once very important crops for Moorea but it is now the pineapple growing center of French Polynesia. We visited Belvedere Point which provided a beautiful view of Cook’s and Opunohu Bays; two symmetrical bays that give the island a very distinctive coastline on the map. We also saw sacred sites known as maras. As an added bonus, our guide stopped at the UC Berkeley’s Gump Research Station which is one of two on the island. This station makes the island as one of the most studied in the world.

Approaching Moorea

Approaching Moorea

Temple built 1887

Temple built 1887

Banana tree

Banana tree

Belvedere Point

Belvedere Point

One of many residents of the island

One of many residents of the island

Sacred sites called mara

Sacred sites called mara

Part of Gump Research Station

Part of Gump Research Station

Once the tour concluded, we went back to the ship for lunch. Spent the afternoon by the pool updating my notes and reading. Because of the late hour of leaving port the night before, there was no “sail away” gathering so, with a 6:00 p.m. departure time, we had one this evening. Everyone gathered by the pool and watched the sails being hoisted while listening to music; even though I have been on many Windstar cruises, this sight and sound is one that never fails to move me.

Sails opening up

Sails opening up

Leaving Moorea behind

Leaving Moorea behind

We had dinner with four other passengers; Chuck, Eloise, Ed, and Linda. I the fresh tuna caught that day; excellent! After dinner, we went back to our cabin where we got ready for bed and retired around 10:00.

January 31: Today we docked at Taha’a which is known as “The Vanilla Island” because it produces 70% to 80% of all French Polynesia’s vanilla and is of high quality. Current production of vanilla for all of French Polynesia is about 25 tons annually. There are around 6K people living on the island. We went on the “Scenic Exploration of Taha’s” which involved an off-road vehicle for a drive around the island. Our guide talked about the traditional use of local plants and trees. We were given a tour of how vanilla is produced while visiting a family plantation. Another stop was a black pearl farm where we learned how these treasures are cultivated and harvested.

Ready to board our "Le Truck" bus

Ready to board our “Le Truck” bus

Island scene

Island scene

Guide serving fresh fruit

Guide serving fresh fruit

Vanilla plantation

Vanilla plantation

Coconuts being stored; common in many homes

Coconuts being stored; common in many homes

Black pearl farm

Black pearl farm

Making plate out of leaves

Making plate out of leaves

We were to have a BBQ on a motu but, because it rained most of the morning, it was moved to the ship. After a delicious lunch, we went to the pool area for reading and checking emails. At 3:30 we headed to the area where a wine tasting was being held; there were 4 of us participating and we tasted 5 different wines; a rose, sauvignon blanc, burgundy, cabernet/merlot combination, and zinfandel with the zinfandel being the favorite at $70/bottle. Our tasting buddies were Gerald and Mary Sean.

Wine tasters

Wine tasters

Waiter joining the tasting

Waiter joining the tasting

We got ready for dinner and went to the lounge for the talk about tomorrow’s activities by the tour director. Dinner was ate in the main dining room with the company of Eloise, Chuck, Ginni, and Linda. After dinner, we went to the lounge for a nightcap and played music trivia; our group got the lowest score but it was still fun. Then off to bed around 10:30 or so.

February 1: Woke up docked at Uturoa, a town on the island Raiatea; the island is considered the administrative center for the Leeward Islands of the Society Islands. It is 65 square miles making it the second largest of the Society Islands and is considered the second most important economic center of the islands. After breakfast, we met in the lounge to meet other passengers who were going on the tour “Raiatea, the Sacred Island”. Our 78-year old tour guide entertained us with tales of life on Raiatea along with stories that told the listener what his life is like; no job or money because land inherited from his ancestors provide all the food and needs necessary to live. He fathered his first child at age 14 and has 20 children with 4 different wives who live under the same roof. We went through the town, around the Bay of Faaroa, by the Fetuna Crater, and visited the Marae Taputapuatea which is Raiatea most famous landmark. The Marae is an open-air temple comprised of seven sacred sites built of stone and coral, and dedicated to Oro, the bloodthirsty God of war who demanded human sacrifices. Returned to the ship and had lunch.

Greeting by the locals and tour guide

Greeting by the locals and tour guide

Shells

Shells

Scenic view

Scenic view

Fetuna Crater

Fetuna Crater

Guide at marae

Guide at marae

In the afternoon, sat under the shade at the pool and read current news along with updating my notes. Around 4:00, a local group came on board and played music while dancing to the local traditions. The women showed how to make leis plus how to wrap the local Pareto for various styles of cover.

Local band

Local band

Dancing to local music

Dancing to local music

Showing how to make leis

Showing how to make leis

Waist lei

Waist lei

Learning a local dance

Learning a local dance

After the demonstration, Ginni and I went to our cabin to change for the evening. We listened in the lounge as to what the activities for the next day were going to be. We adjoined to the pool deck where the crew had sit up a BBQ; what a feast! Dinner was eaten with Réal, Diane, Ed, And Linda. After dinner, we were entertained by the crew who sang and danced; what a great time.

Tables of food at feast

Tables of food at feast

Pork anyone?

Pork anyone?

Crew entertaining us

Crew entertaining us

Around 10:00, we started to sail away and the parting music played while the sails unfurled.

Sails coming out

Sails coming out

Linda, Ginni, and I went to the main lounge where we had a nightcap before adjourning to our cabin for the evening.

February 2: Overnight we had sailed to Bora Bora so, upon waking, discovered we were anchored outside of the island. After getting dressed, we went to the Veranda for breakfast and then to the lounge where people were gathering for the “Island Discovery” tour. Bora Bora is 142 miles northwest of Tahiti. It is dominated by two peaks at the center of the island, Mount Pahia and Mount Otemanu, which are remnants of an extinct volcano. In 1999, Tom and I came to this island (we stayed at the Le Meridian in an over-the-water bungalow on a motu outside Bora Bora) for our 25th wedding anniversary so this is a very special place for me. For the tour, we boarded an open-air truck with individual cushioned bucket seats. Our guide gave us some history of the Bora Borans, we saw how the Pareto is made, fed tupa crabs fresh flowers, tasted some local fruit, and saw relics left behind by the US military after World War II. Stopped at various scenic areas where we captured the changing colors of their famous lagoon, experienced the prettiest beach of the island at Matira Point, and got close up pictures of Mount Otemanu. Last stop was at the famous Bloody Mary’s restaurant where we were given a drink while we looked around and took pictures.

Local church

Local church

Left by US Military

Left by US Military

Coloring the pareto fabric

Local, using me as model, demonstrates how to tie pareto

Local, using me as model, demonstrates how to tie pareto

Tupa crabs and flowers

Tupa crabs and flowers

View of beautiful bay

View of beautiful bay

Beach and beautiful lagoon

Beach and beautiful lagoon

Inside Bloody Mary's

Inside Bloody Mary’s

Enjoying Bloody Mary

Enjoying Bloody Mary

Tender arrived at the pier and, once on board, we went to our cabin to unload things and then to the veranda for lunch. Updated notes, read latest news, and took a few spins around the deck before going to a lecture on black opals in the main lounge late afternoon. What a lengthy lecture; close to a couple hours! We quickly got ready for the evening and attended the “repeats” reception; a cocktail party honoring those who have been on earlier Windstar cruises. After the reception, we went to the lounge to listen about the next day’s activities. Ginni and I were invited to join the Hotel Manager at his table for dinner which we accepted; it was a very delightful meal with three other fellow passengers plus Henri, the manager. We adjoined to the lounge and were joined by John, Patricia, Linda, and Ed; another evening of music trivia in which we did get a decent score but we did not win. After the game was over, we went to our cabin and bed.

February 3: We had no plans this morning so slept in and had a late breakfast. And then into the town for shopping; Ginni found a beautiful black pearl necklace while I found nothing. After lunch, we spent the afternoon under the shade by the pool reading and relaxing. A private event called Bora Bora: Celbration Festival was in the evening. We took a catamaran to a private island owned by Hilton where the dining room and bar staff had sit up tables of food plus a bar. We were greeted by Amanda, reception manager, and Henri, hotel manager, with fresh leis.

Our transport to motu

Our transport to motu

Greetings from Amanda and Henri

Greetings from Amanda and Henri

Getting into the spirit of the celebration

Getting into the spirit of the celebration

After taking some pictures, we got some wine and settled at our table with Linda, Patricia, and John. Food was gotten based on table number so the lines flowed quite smoothly. After dinner, we were entertained by a local group of dancers and flame throwers; added to the mix was a beautiful sunset. What a delightful evening! We were taken back to the ship and sailed away at 9:00.

Tables of food

Tables of food

Fresh tuna

Fresh tuna

Dining staff

Dining staff

Lovely sunset

Lovely sunset

Local dancers

Local dancers

Flame throwers

Flame throwers

Another sail away

Another sail away

We had a nightcap and retired to our cabin to prepare for an early rise up in the morning.

February 4: During the night we sailed to Huahine where I took the Safari Expedition tour. This island is 29 square miles and only 8 miles at its widest point. It is made up of Huahine Nui and Huahine Iti which are joined at low tide by a sandbar. Our guide drove us around the island stopping at vanilla house, took an outrigger to a pearl and pottery farm, drove a sand path to the beach that had large waves due to the reef along, viewed open-air stone temples, got close to the island’s only waterfall which flows only 6 months out of the year, and crossed the bridge which links the Nui and Iti. I was really impressed with this island’s pristine appearance; they value their environment and there are severe penalties for those not abiding to the environmental laws.

Maraes

Maraes

Along the beach

Along the beach

Roaring waves

Roaring waves

Above ground maraes

Above ground maraes

Huahine Pearl Farm and Pottery

Huahine Pearl Farm and Pottery

Blue-eyed eel

Blue-eyed eel

View of colorful bay

View of colorful bay

The only waterfall

The only waterfall

We returned to the town center and walked to a shop where local items are made and sold. After searching at every cruise stop, I finally found a cute outfit for my granddaughter. The afternoon was spent reading and packing our luggage in preparation to disembark in the morning. We were heading back to Papeete that evening so we attended the sail away party by the pool bar at 5:30; Réal, Diane, Linda, Ed, Patricia, and John sat with us. After the sails were unfurled, we adjourned to the lounge people and a farewell speech from the captain and the rest of the crew who sang a farewell song to us. We walked to the dining room for dinner with everyone in our group except Patricia and John who were going to another restaurant on the ship. Back to the cabin after eating; we packed last minute items and set our luggage, except for carry on, outside the door for pick up during the night.

February 5: We were part of the group going to the Le Meridien so our departure was scheduled at 8:30 which gave us time for breakfast and one last farewell to the dining crew. There was a bus at the dock were luggage and people were loaded for the trip to the hotel. Arrived at the hotel and quite a check in experience; first room had been assigned to another person in which we were given keys, second Ron had a king bed where we needed two separate beds, and the third one was an upgrade to the 6th floor…it was fine except the air conditioning was not working properly but got fixed later in the evening. After settling into the room, we got a taxi to take us to the city center and the famous Papeete market. What a mass of people and “cheap” items; if a person wanted fresh fruit, vegetables, or flowers the market would be the perfect place for shopping but that was not what I was looking. We did find a couple shops that had items created by local people so I make some purchases. And then we grabbed a taxi back to the hotel; both of us were relieved to get out of the crowded, noisy downtown area. Lunch was along the ocean at the hotel restaurant. After lunch, we retired to our room where I read and Ginni took a nap. Then I took a shower and changed evening attire. Dinner was at the same restaurant as lunch but with very slow, stuck up staff; it took over two hours to bring us our entrée of mahi mahi. Needless to say, I did not leave a tip which is quite unusual for me but I could reward rude, slow staff. Back to the room and preparation for bed.

Papeete market

Papeete market

View of landscape and pool from room

View of landscape and pool from room

Another great sunset

Another great sunset

February 6: Upon waking, I dressed and updated my notes. Ginni woke up and, after she took a shower, we went downstairs for breakfast. On the way, we stopped at the front desk to check with Aimata (wonderful reception clerk) who ordered us a taxi for our departure to the airport that evening and agreed to put us in for a late check out of 8:00 P.M. It was a beautiful day so both of us decided to go swimming; we started in the ocean and then moved the hotel pool which had a sand bottom. Since it was sunny and warm, the water felt very refreshing.

To the beach

To the beach

Can't believe I am in a swimsuit!

Can’t believe I am in a swimsuit!

Lunch was at the pool bar; the afternoon was spent reading, typing up notes, and relaxing. We checked out of the hotel around 7:30; our taxi arrived and took us to the airport where we checked in without any problems and adjourned to the first class lounge. Our flight was announced about 11:00 P.M.; we boarded, settled into our seats, and had little an hour before we departed. Since it was so late, I turned my seat into a bed and settled down for a good night’s rest. We were awoken at 6:30 to the sound of breakfast being prepared. Flight arrived in LAX at around 9:30 a.m.; I got through Customs and was on my way to the Delta ticket counter by 10:00 in hopes of being able to catch an earlier flight. But it did not work out so I killed about 2 hours before boarding the plane to Minneapolis. Arrived in Minneapolis and had close to 4 hours to kill before my flight departed to Cedar Rapids. Went to the gate area and watched the Super Bowl on my iPad. Got into Cedar Rapids around 10:30, retrieved my luggage, and got the shuttle for home.

Home again

Home again

St. Lawrence Seaway and Montréal: Part II

Wednesday, September 16th: We got ready for the day and went to breakfast. Our tour called “Percé, Bonaventure Island & Percé Rock” was not gathering until 11:00 a.m. so we had plenty of time. The ship arrived at Gaspé about 10:30; again, because of larger ships, we used the tender to go ashore. Gaspé is a city at the tip of the Gaspé Peninsula in eastern Québec, Canada. But we were not touring Gaspé; we boarded the bus and rode along 60 miles of rugged cliffs and sweeping bays. We saw panorama views of the Bay of Gaspé, the cliffs of Forillon National Park, and the legendary rock. We arrived in Percé and boarded a boat for a cruise around both sides of Percé Rock and then on to see the largest gannet colony in the world where thousands of birds nest on the cliffs of Bonaventure Island. Naturalists consider Bonaventure’s colony one of the most important and accessible colony of its kind in the world.

House on the cliff

House on the cliff

Town of Perce

Town of Perce

Perce Rock

Perce Rock

Lots of gannets

Lots of gannets

Enjoying the ride

Enjoying the ride

Water flowing down

Water flowing down

Many seals

Many seals

Face of chief crying but in the shadow

Face of chief crying but in the shadow

When we returned to shore, we had a couple hours to explore the town on our own. Ginni, Karen, and I had lunch at La Maison du Pêcheur; I had an excellent bowl of vegetable soup. In one of the shops, I found a lightweight, cotton pullover top which will go well with my black slacks. The weather was beautiful with sunny, clear skies so walking was quite enjoyable. We made our way back to the ship where we retired to our suite until dinner time. After looking at our tickets for tomorrow’s tour, we discovered we had signed up for the wrong tour so we went to the Square before heading for dinner at the Colonnade. The woman at the tour desk said she would have to get back to us because it was over the deadline to cancel. We proceeded on to the restaurant where French cuisine was featured. I had French onion soup for my appetizer and we split the seared Black Sea bass fillet and “Châteaubriand” roast beef tenderloin for our main course. The excellent meal was completed by Creme Brûlée for dessert. Upon returning to the Square, we were told we would receive a full refund for the tour which made us both happy because we did not expect to get a full refund. We went to The Club on our deck where Chris Bartlett was playing guitar melodies for our nightcap. Went back to our suite where got ready for bed; lights were out about 11:30.

Thursday, September 17th: I got up around 7:30, showered, dressed, and typed up my notes from yesterday’s activity. By that time, Ginni was up and ready to go. We went to Colonnade for breakfast. Spent the rest of the morning in our suite preparing for our day and reading/sending emails. Since we were exploring Baie-Comeau, Canada on our own we had plenty of time. This town is about 250 miles north of Québec City, and is on the banks of the Mancouagan and St. Lawrence Rivers. The town was founded in 1936; it has over 20,000 people and is a hub for logging in the area. Former Canadian Prime Minister, Brian Mulroney, spent his childhood here. Because of the low water level by the dock, we had to once again anchor and take tenders to shore. There is a bike path that goes into town and we were going to walk it but it started to drizzle rain when we got to the dock so rode a free bus shuttle. By the time we started to explore downtown, the drizzle had stopped and the sun was shining. We went into all the stores in the area; everything was a good quality but nothing we were looking for except at one place of a local artist where I purchased a gift item. We ran into Ginger, another person from the ship. She was headed to St. Amélie’s Church so we tagged along. This church was built in 1937 by Robert Rutherford McCormick, founder of the town, for his first wife Amélie. She did not live to see it finished. The Church features pink granite of Québec’s North Shore and has 16,000 square feet of fresco paintings, 30 stained-glass windows representing characters from the Bible, and a magnificent Casavant organ. It was a very interesting tour provided by a volunteer with much knowledge. After the tour, I decided to find the bike trail for a walk back to the dock while Ginni and Ginger took the shuttle.

City center with fountain and mural

City center with fountain and mural

Inside front of the church

Inside front of the church

Rear view of the church

Rear view of the church

Outside the church

Outside the church

Scene on the walking trail

Scene on the walking trail

Got to the dock just as the tender was coming in; Ginni joined me and we returned to the ship. Had lunch at the Patio Grill by the pool area. It turned out to by a beautiful day with clear skies and warm temperatures. After talking to Mike and Liz by poolside, I took another couple more turns around Deck 5 in order to get more exercise which I have been quite bad about on this trip. Spent the rest of our afternoon on our veranda reading and updating my notes.  After getting dressed for dinner, we went to the lounge and caught an early performance by the female members of the Seabourn Quest singers.  Because of the lateness of the hour, we were seated at our own table in the Main Restaurant so no new people to meet and converse with.  Went back to our suite and prepared for bed with lights out around 10:30.

Friday, September 18th: We were at Saguenay, Canada today.

Cruising toward Saguenay

Cruising toward Saguenay

Approaching Saguenay

Approaching Saguenay

The relatively small and concentrated Lac St-Jean area where the city is located can be described as an isolated “oasis” in the middle of the vast remote wilderness of Northern Quebec. This province is most noted for Rivière Saguenay fjord, where a dramatic, towering canyon ploughs northwest from the St Lawrence, ranking it as the province’s most beautiful area. The 100km river, fed by Lac St-Jean, stretches from north of Chicoutimi to the village of Tadoussac. From its dark waters rise majestic cliffs up to 500m high. Formed during the last Ice Age, the fjord is the most southerly one in the northern hemisphere. We signed up for the tour called “The Best of Saguenay” which was 4 hours in length; that proved to be too short of time because we were rushed at every place. We took a scenic drive through La Baie to the Saguenay Fjord Museum where we learned about the importance of the waterway that is deeply chiseled through the Laurentian Mountains. We passed by the Ha Ha Pyramid which was constructed after the great flood of 1996 that devastated the region. The pyramid itself is constructed entirely out of 3000 stacked, triangular “yield” road signs, complete with reflective surface. The interior of the structure features a staircase that leads to a scenic viewing level near the top of the pyramid; however, we did not stop because of time restaints. We visited the Touverre Workshop where the artist demonstrated the art of glass blowing by making us a hummingbird. Glass blowing is one of the oldest form of art and one of the most difficult to master.

Inside of fjord museum

Inside of fjord museum

Making glass hummingbird

Making glass hummingbird

Ha Ha Pyramid

Ha Ha Pyramid

At Arthur Villeneuve’s Place we saw the barber/painter’s impressive frescoes that cover almost every square inch of his house. And then we stopped at the Le Chevrier du Nord Goat Farm where a small family farm specializes in the breeding of angora goats and the non-industrial fabrication of mohair garments.

Angora goats

Angora goats

Bags of goat hair

Bags of goat hair

Spooling the hair

Spooling the hair

Finished product

Finished product

A wall inside Villeneuve's house

A wall inside Villeneuve’s house

Old pulp mill

Old pulp mill

Back to the terminal we went. Ginni and I decided to have lunch ashore so we had a bowl of French Onion soup at Bistro Victoria. After a walk along the trail by the water, we looked at various stalls of merchandise inside the terminal and found a place that makes delicious gelato ice cream.

Along the trail to the ship

Along the trail to the ship

View as we are walking

View as we are walking

Finally, a tree with leaves changing color

Finally, a tree with leaves changing color

Boarded the ship and relaxed in our suite until time to attend a conversation by Ambassador Bob Callahan about how terrorists, missionaries, feminists, and environmentalists have changed the world stage. We had dinner in the main restaurant with Karen and Paul.

Dinner with Karen and Paul

Dinner with Karen and Paul

Listened to the Seabourn Quest Singers in the Grand Salon for about 30 minutes and the returned to our suite where we got ready for bed after a great day/evening. The weather was perfect with sunny skies and 83°. Tomorrow we will dock at Québec City where we will spend two days.

Saturday, September 19th: This morning we docked at Québec City where we spent the next two nights. The historic district of Old Québec is comprised of lower and upper town with fortification walls, gates, and ramparts of the old city. It was founded in 1608 by Samuel de Champlain, and served as the capital of New France until the British conquest in 1760. After a leisurely breakfast, we ventured into the town. What a walk straight up some hills in order to get to a shopping area. We went into many stores as we worked our way back down the hills to the shuttle bus area. I did manage to purchase a t-shirt for myself in one shop.

Looking at docking area; notice our ship

Looking at docking area; notice our ship

Walking down one street

Walking down one street

Back to the ship where we had lunch, went to our suite to pick up our stuff, and headed out for a tour called “Historic Walk with Horse & Carriage Ride”. However, due to the warm weather, they discontinued use of the horses so we had walking only. We walked to the heart of the Lower Town, site of the first settlement of Québec, the Place Royal which is a beautifully restored market square typical 17th and 18th century stone architecture. Once home to wealthy merchants, the square is also home to North America’s oldest standing Catholic Church, Notre-Dame-des-Victoires. Next we took a funicular ride to the Upper Town where we saw the castle-like Le Château Frontenac and Dufferin Terrace, one of the best known landmarks in Québec. At this stage, we were at a high point and had a spectacular view of the St. Lawrence River, the Île d’Orléans, and the Laurentian Mountains. Next we discovered Artists Alley, Basilique Notre-Dame, Holy Trinity Cathedral, and the Québec Seminary.

Artists Alley

Artists Alley

Inside Notre-Dame-des-Victoires

Inside Notre-Dame-des-Victoires

Holy Trinity

Holy Trinity

Murals painted on side of buildings

Murals painted on side of buildings

The funicular

The funicular

Chateau Frontenac

Chateau Frontenac

Center courtyard of seminary

Center courtyard of seminary

Because of the draw bridge being up for most of the afternoon, the shuttle buses were not on regular schedule so we ended up walking back to the ship instead of riding.

Drawbridge up

Drawbridge up

Why the drawbridge was up all day

Why the drawbridge was up all day

Overall, Ginni and I have walked over 14K steps today so our feet were ready for a rest. We decided we needed a “veg out” night so we stayed on our veranda and had room service bring our evening meal to us. Temperature was warm and it was neat to see the skyline of Québec light up as the sun disappeared below the horizon.

Sun going down

Sun going down

Skyline of Quebec at night

Skyline of Quebec at night

Because of having an early tour in the morning, we ordered our breakfast to be delivered to the room. Lights out about 11:00 pm.

Sunday, September 20th: Got up before 7:00; while Ginni was in the shower, our breakfast was delivered. Once both of us was ready for the day, we sat down for our meal. After our meal, we got all the stuff we wanted to take on the tour gathered and headed for the bus. The tour was labeled “Countryside of Québec & the Sugar Shack” with guide Richard. We enjoyed the French Canada’s spectacular countryside as we drove into the foothills of the Laurentian Mountains to the Lac-Beauport area. First stop was at the shoreline of the lake for a photo opportunity.

From one side of shore to the other

From one side of shore to the other

Another view of Lac-Beauport

Another view of Lac-Beauport

Next we arrived at Montmorency Falls which is 1 1/2 times as high as Niagara Falls as it cascades down a 272-foot cliff. Before experiencing the falls, we had morning coffee and pastries at the elegant Montmorency Manor which is perched at the top of the falls. Before taking a cable ride to the bottom of the falls, Ginni and I shopped in the gift shop and walked the wooden platform to the falls where I took some pictures. At the bottom, it was clear where the water of the Montmorency River roars down the cliff to eventually meet the St. Lawrence River.

Montmorency Manor

Montmorency Manor

Falls from walking trail

Falls from walking trail

Stairs going down on the other side of the falls

Stairs going down on the other side of the falls

Montmorency River meets the St. Lawrence

Montmorency River meets the St. Lawrence

From the bottom of the falls

From the bottom of the falls

Enjoying the view

Enjoying the view

As we left the area, we stopped briefly at the little fall known as Bridal Falls named for a woman who was to be married but lost her fiancé to battle so she went over the falls in her wedding dress. Next we drove across the bridge to the Île d’Orléans (Island of Orleans) with its picturesque villages, and farmland. As we passed the tip of the island, we saw the beautiful 19-century resort homes of Québec’s merchant class and the fantastic views of Québec City skyline. We visited an authentic sugar shack where we learned about the production of maple products and were able to sample the sweet maple taffy.

The sugar shack

The sugar shack

Spigot in sugar maple tree with pail to 'catch' sap

Spigot in sugar maple tree with pail to ‘catch’ sap

Maple taffy

Maple taffy

Of course, there was enough time to visit their gift shop before loading the bus and heading back to the ship. Once we arrived at the pier, Ginni and I took our stuff to our suite and then had lunch at the Colonnade. After lunch, we checked our emails and while Ginni took a nap, I went for a walk and read. Since this is our last day on board, we got our luggage packed and ready for pick up.

View of Chateau Frontenac from the ship

View of Chateau Frontenac from the ship

We had a glass of wine in one of the bars before heading for dinner. We had packed all our dress clothes so we were meeting Mike and Liz for dinner in a more casual environment at the Colonnade. Dinner was filled with great food and constant conversation; an excellent way to spend our last dinner on board. Headed back to our suite, set the alarm for early rise, and went to bed.

Monday, September 21st:  Got dressed for the day; we headed to the Colonnade for breakfast and lingered over coffee until our group was called for departure from the ship.

Morning view of Montreal shoreline

Morning view of Montreal shoreline

Disembarked, found our luggage in the terminal, and got in line for a taxi to take us to our home for the next two nights, the Hilton Garden Inn in central Montréal. Arrived at the hotel; it was too early to get into our room so we had our luggage stored, and talked to the consignee about possible tours. Signed up for a Gray Line motor coach tour “Heart of Montréal” for the afternoon. We also arranged for a limo and driver to take us outside of Montréal the next day. By the time we received and sent back the form with credit card information for the limo company, it was getting close to the time the bus was to pick us up for the afternoon tour so we journeyed down the street to a cafe that fixed us a panini and salad to go. Bus picked us up and we headed to the tour company office where we paid for the tour. Our driver/tour guide was known as Richard and he provided us with information on all the areas of Montréal; it is the largest city in Québec. Predominantly French-speaking, it’s set on an island in the Saint Lawrence River and named after Mt. Royal, the triple-peaked hill at its heart. Its 19 boroughs, many of which were once independent cities; we drove by such places as Bank of Montréal, Biosphere, Saint Helen’s Island, City Hall, and went into many of the boroughs. We had photo stops at Old Montréal and Notre Dame Basillica, Saint Joseph’s Oratory, Olympic Stadium, and Mont Royal lookout for a magnificant view of Montréal.

One street of Old Montreal

One street of Old Montreal

Notre-Dame Basillica

Notre-Dame Basillica

Quebec Bank Bldg. established 1818

Quebec Bank Bldg. established 1818

Biosphere

Biosphere

Saint Helen's Island from the bus

Saint Helen’s Island from the bus

Olympic Stadium

Olympic Stadium

Saint Joseph's Oratory

Saint Joseph’s Oratory

View from Mont Royal

View from Mont Royal

The bus delivered us back to our hotel and we were able to get into our room. Minimal unpacking was completed and we set out to find a restaurant close by for dinner. Upon the recommendation at the front desk, we walked to Caffe E Cucina which is a bistro located a couple doors down from the hotel. The food was excellent and the owners very friendly. At the hotel, we stopped in the bar for a night cap and were appalled at the what we had to pay for a very minimal quantity. One thing we discovered quite quickly was the prices in the restaurant and bar of this hotel were double those of the surrounding facilities. Up to our room where we had lights out by 11:00.

Tuesday, September 22nd: Our limo and driver were going to pick us up at 9:30 so we had time for a leisurely breakfast. We found La Crêpe 2 Go, a snug spot right around the corner from our hotel where the owner whipped up crêpes for breakfast. Moe, our driver for the day, picked us up and we were off. Our destination was Mont-Tremblant which is a year-round resort in the Laurentian Mountains of Quebec, about 80 miles northwest of Montréal. It is best known as a ski destination, but also features Lake Tremblant suitable for swimming and two golf courses in the summer months. The name of the mountain, Mont Tremblant, was derived from the local Algonquin natives, who called it the “trembling mountain.” The summit is at an elevation of 2,871 feet which makes it one of the tallest peaks in the Laurentians. We had spectacular views as we drove through country lanes that criss-cross the scenic landscape.

Village center from the lift

Village center from the lift

One of the ski runs plus condos

One of the ski runs plus condos

Looking up the street at Mont-Tremblant village

Looking up the street at Mont-Tremblant village

Ginni with our driver

Ginni with our driver

Surrounding countryside

Surrounding countryside

After spending time at the resort, we got back into the limo and headed for Saint-Sauveur; it turned out that our driver was taking us to an outlet mall for shopping. This was not something Ginni and I wanted to do so we found a place for lunch called Cage Aux Sports where we  split a sandwich and salad. Upon completion of lunch, we located our driver and asked him to drop us off at Old Montréal, a part of downtown Montréal that has been preserved in much of its original state, with the oldest buildings dating back to the 1600’s. We walked the boulevards and went through some of their stores but everything came across as junk and touristy so we grabbed a taxi back to the hotel. Since we had to get up quite early in the morning for departure to the airport, I took a shower before we went to dinner. Dinner was at Bellagio Ristorante, which served classic Italian veal, seafood & pasta dishes, and was located a couple blocks from our lodging. Both of us ordered one of the veal dishes and it was excellent!

At Bellagio Ristorante

At Bellagio Ristorante

Returned to the hotel where we packed our bags and got ready for bed.

Wednesday, September 23rd: Because we go through US Customs at Montréal’s airport, we wanted to be there two hours early. Got up, dressed, checked out, and grabbed a taxi to the airport at 4:30 a.m. our time. There was no problem with checking in, going through security, and Customs. Did some shopping at the tax-free store conveniently located after Customs; every person had to walk through this area. There was no United lounge so we found a place to get a cup of coffee while waiting for our plane to board. No problem with the flight into Chicago; upon arrival there, we found a United lounge where we had a bowl of vegetable soup and cheese/crackers for lunch. My flight was scheduled to leave about a half hour before Ginni’s so we said our “good byes” and I headed to my departure gate. Got at the gate just as they were boarding first class so there was no waiting around. Flight into Cedar Rapids got in about 15 minutes early but Joe and Mary were there to pick me up. Retrieved my luggage, loaded it into their car, and we headed to Target so I could purchase some grocery items for home. Arrived home and was greeted at the door by Beauty and Cutie.

In summary, it was a good trip and I saw some beautiful country. The only negative is we should of departed on the adventure two weeks later in order to see the leaves change their colors but that did not take away from my overall opinion of a great trip!

New England and Nova Scotia: Part I

I’ve always wanted to tour New England in early fall and my friend, Ginni, suggested we do a cruise around New England into Canada so we signed up for a 10-day adventure on the Seabourn Quest. We were leaving out of Boston and decided to go a couple days early to tour that area. The whole adventure was from September 9th until late afternoon September 23rd.

Wednesday, the 9th: I had a late flight in the morning which gave me time to take a long walk, do some chores outside, and last minutes tasks before Joe and Mary picked me up. No problem with check in and flight to Chicago. I was to call Ginni once I arrived in Chicago but had typed her cell phone number wrong so proceeded to the gate for the last leg of the trip to Boston. Met up with Ginni, settled on board, and had uneventful trip into Boston. Retrieved our luggage, grabbed a taxi, and went to the Westin Copley hotel which is located downtown Boston. Checked into our room, which was nice, and went down to the consignee desk to ask where there was a good local restaurant and he recommended Legal Sea Food which was within walking distance. Great atmosphere, excellent food, and expensive wine by the glass. Returned to the hotel and their bar where we had a nightcap among lots of noise.  Returned to the room, got ready for bed, and lights out around 11:00.

Front of hotel

Front of hotel

Prudential Center @ night

Prudential Center @ night

Thursday, the 10th: After sleeping in this morning, we got ready and walked to a local restaurant called Thornton’s for breakfast. We had gotten many high praises of this place but we did not see anything exceptional about it with okay food and slow service. We went to the hotel and purchased tickets from the consignee for the trolley Hop On/Hop Off tour. Number 8 stop was where we picked it up and rode the whole way around; it took about four hours. Places we saw: Trinity Church, Boston Public Library, Museum of Fine Arts, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Fenway Park, Cambridge area with M.I.T. And Harvard, Beacon Hill/Boston Common and beginning of Freedom Trail, Boston Tea Party Ships, Boston Harbor, Paul Revere House and Old North Church, USS Constitution, Boston Bruins stadium, Faneuil House, Old State House, Boston Public Garden and Swan Boats, and the original Cheers bar.

Trinity Church

Trinity Church

Massachusetts State House built 1798

Massachusetts State House built 1798

Boston Public Garden

Boston Public Garden

Old State House built in 1713

Old State House built in 1713

It started to cool down and drizzle so Ginni and I decided to wander through the shops in an attached mall. Did not find anything we felt like buying so went back to the hotel to ask the consignee where we could go for glass of wine for under $10. We ended up at Clerys Bar and Grill; good service, good wine, great atmosphere.

Relaxing at Clerys

Relaxing at Clerys

Walked to Stephanie’s for an early dinner. We decided to order Lobster Pot Pie plus seared cod which we had each dish split in half so we could taste each one. Delicious food but too much! Went back to hotel and had some wine in the room while watching the NFL opening game between Pittsburgh and New England. Needless to say, the local folks were excited about this game because it was the opening game of the NFL season and Tom Bradley’s 4-game suspension thrown out of the court system. Settled in for the night; the Lobster Pot Pie did not like being in my stomach so I had a very unpleasant night.  Because we acquired free tickets, we plan on going to the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum tomorrow before checking out around 1:00.

Friday, the 11th: Had coffee in our room before taking a taxi to the Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum where we had a scone and cup of coffee before taking the first tour. We were given a card with a name of someone associated with the dumping of the tea. Some interesting facts were stated but the play acting and length took away from the history telling and turned it into a tour suited for children.

Boston Tea Party Museum with ship

Boston Tea Party Museum with ship

Our tour guide

Our tour guide

Got a taxi back to the hotel where we packed, took our luggage down for holding while we went to lunch, and checked out. Had lunch at Au Bon Pain which was good. Returned to the hotel, retrieved our luggage, and grabbed a taxi which took us to the Black Falcon terminal where we registered and boarded our ship, the Seabourn Quest. Our stateroom is a suite and huge in comparison to the other ships I have been on.

Our suite

Our suite

There was a “pull away” party on two of the decks so we went for drinks and snacks. Came down to our room to dress for dinner. I was out on the veranda when an announcement was made that something was spotted in the water and we were going to turn around and take a look. It was starting to get dark; all of a sudden, we saw a light with a plume of smoke.

Music @ Pull Away Party

Music @ Pull Away Party

At the "pull away" party

At the “pull away” party

Boston shoreline at departure

Boston shoreline at departure

Passing by the Boston Logan Airport

Passing by the Boston Logan Airport

Sun going down

Sun going down

Light with plume of smoke

By this time, it was closing in on 8:00 so we headed to dinner. We were seated with a couple from London, Mike and Liz.  Wonderful company and food made for two hours of eating delight. Then we headed to one of the lounges where a group of singers were performing Bee Gees songs. During the performance, the caption announced over the intercom that a woman had fallen over board, was retrieved but did not survive. What a solemn moment! How her husband must of felt. After a nightcap, we went back to our room where we prepared for bed and a good night’s sleep.

Saturday, the 12th: Woke up and wondered where the coffee was that we had ordered from room service the night before only to discover our clocks had been changed by an hour the night before instead of this evening. Anyhow, coffee came which we drank and then prepared for the day. Overnight, we cruised to Bar Harbor and arrived there before we woke up.

Our ship

Our ship

Had breakfast and then took the tender into Bar Harbor. A little history: Bar Harbor was discovered in the 19th century by vacationers who had found the northeast coast. Summer mansions, known as “cottages”, were built by the ultra rich like Astors and Vanderbilts. Most of them were destroyed by fire in 1947 and the ones that survived became inns. There was an arts festival going on so we walked through it, went through many downtown shops which stocked all of the same thing, and grabbed the tender back to the ship.

Shoreline of Bar Harbor

Shoreline of Bar Harbor

Visitors next "door"

Visitors next “door”

Had lunch and, afterwards, talked to our room steward and found out the “overboard” situation the night before was a woman who was drunk and argued with her husband so she decided to end it and jumped off their balcony. This is the first time, after going on many cruises, this has happened so it made for much solemn thought. Rest of the afternoon was spent reading. Went up to Deck 8 to have a drink while we sailed away but the departure was delayed. This evening was formal night but we did not go because neither of us wanted to pack formal wear for one evening so we went to the casual dining room where we had dinner with Roger and Marsha, a couple from Baton Rouge, LA. Decided not to listen to the entertainment so went back to the room, had a nightcap, and lights out around 11:00.

Sunday, the 13th: Got up around 8:30, took a shower, and headed to The Colonnade for breakfast. A gentleman named Bob joined us. This is a difficult cruise for him since his wife of 61 years passed away in January and this is the first cruise he has taken without her.  Knowing what he was going through, I felt bad for him but understood his wanting to prove he could handle the trip on his own.  Since it was late by the time we finished breakfast, we did not have lunch. The ship arrived in Halifax before noon and it was interesting watching what the crew does in order to secure the ship to dock and get the gangway prepared for the guests to descend onto the dock. The local authorities came on board to give us clearance while two local artists greeted us with the playing of bagpipes.

Approaching Halifax

Approaching Halifax

Passing lighthouse

Passing lighthouse

Getting gangway ready

Getting gangway ready

Bagpipe greeters

Bagpipe greeters

Ginni continued to have problems with her iPad so we took it up to the specialists who got it to charge, we think. We signed up for the 3-hour tour called “Halifax: Past and Present”. Scots were given land rights to Nova Scotia in 1621 but they arrived in force in the early 19th century…some 50,000 Scots highlanders bringing their language, kilts, bagpipes,and place names with them. Halifax is known for its harbor with more than 20,000 people are employed on the shore front. There are 147 cruise ships that visit each year. Interesting note is Halifax is built on a bedrock of granite.  It also was very involved with the Titanic disaster because, after the sinking, the White Star Line dispatched the first of four Canadian vessels to search for bodies. The first two vessels to carry out this grim task were the Halifax-based Cable Ships Mackay-Bennett and Minia, which recovered 306 and 17 victims respectively. In all, 150 unclaimed victims were laid to rest in Halifax, forever linking the city to the vessel’s tragic tale.

Some of Halifax shore front

Some of Halifax shore front

We drove past the Pleasant Point Park which has many walking trails. As the ride continued, the tour guide gave us more details about the town and surrounding area. We arrived at the Public Gardens; very beautiful with flowers, statues, and large pond area. It is private land but the city maintains it for public use. After our walk through, we had about 30 minutes to explore Spring Garden Road which is known for the best shopping east of Montreal. Personally, I felt it was a very dirty, congested, and rundown area.

Pleasant Point Park

Pleasant Point Park

Fountain in the park

Fountain in the park

Replica of Titanic on park's pond

Replica of Titanic on park’s pond

Areas of flowers surrounding gazebo

Areas of flowers surrounding gazebo

Got back on the bus and drove to the Halifax Citadel which is a National Historic Site. We arrived in time to see the changing of the guard, similar to the ones I’ve seen in France and London but not as big of scale. There was an hour given for us to wander around and view museum and video displays of what life was like for British troops who lived here in the year 1869 when Queen Victoria reigned and Canada was just two years old. The Citadel was active for two hundred years with it being founded in 1749 as a strategic base for the British Royal Navy.

Inside the Citadel

Inside the Citadel

Guarding entrance to Citadel

Guarding entrance to Citadel

Town Clock established 1800

Town Clock established 1800

More information about the Town Clock can be found at this link  Town Clock  The hour passed quickly and we boarded the bus for another 30 minutes of driving around with the guide pointing out various points of interest. Arrived back at the ship, boarded, went to our room to drop off items, and back to the IT folks because Ginni’s iPad still had not charged. They gave her a cable and charger belonging to them to try and told her to leave it on charge for the night. Got a small sandwich, cookie, and glass of wine at Seabourn Square. Once we arrived back in the room, we changed for the evening and rushed to the Grand Salon so we could watch the Amethysts Scottish Dancers, a local group which perform traditional Scottish Highland and National dances. Went to dinner around 7:15 at the Main Restaurant and were seated with another couple, Karen and Paul, from San Francisco. Very interesting couple; Karen has a MD in psychiatry while Paul has a PhD in the chemical field.  The meal was lamb chops and VERY delicious.

Amethysts Scottish Dancers

Amethysts Scottish Dancers

Dinner with Karen and Paul

Dinner with Karen and Paul

After dinner, we went to the room and decided not to go to any of the lounges for entertainment. Tomorrow we are at sea all day so no worry about when we have to wake up.

Monday, the 14th: Woke up about 8:30, got dressed, and went to breakfast. Once we returned to our cabin, I changed shoes and took off walking. After about 45 minutes, got back to the room and we went to Seabourn Square where Ginni returned the cable/charger ( her iPad still did not work) and we signed up for a tour at Gaspe, Canada. While walking, I discovered the Observation Bar on the 10th level so we went up there with our books and news sheet. Today we will be cruising all day on the Atlantic so time will be spent reading, updating my notes from yesterday’s activities, and relaxing. About 1:00, we went to the Main Restaurant for the Galley Market lunch where the entire food and beverage staff presented a culinary feast that was remarkable! Hot food was set up at various points in the kitchen so all passengers could get a behind the scene look of the kitchen area; all breads, salads, cold entrees, and desserts were placed in the center of the main dining room in colorful, unique displays.

One of many bread stations

One of many bread stations

Dessert station

Dessert station

Fish bar in the kitchen area

Fish bar in the kitchen area

Vegetable bar in kitchen

Vegetable bar in kitchen

What a feast! And we enjoyed it with Karen and Paul, Matt and Ginger from New Hampshire, and Chris (lecturer on the ship) and her husband Frank from Newport Beach.  Fun, wonderful conversation. Came back to the cabin where we plan to relax the rest of the afternoon. Both of us read and took an afternoon nap. At 6:00 pm, we stepped outside our door for the Seabourn Quest Block Party; we met our neighbors from around and down the hall while crew and staff passed by with canapés and champagne. It was a good time! We then proceeded to the Main Restaurant for dinner; we were seated with two other couples. They were only interested in themselves so it made for a long meal.  When it was over, we had a nightcap at the bar where a singer with guitar was entertaining everyone. Went to our suite and  prepared for the next day’s early tour on Prince Edward’s Island.

Tuesday, the 15th: Woke up early, took a shower, and headed to breakfast around 7:30. Took items from the buffet and had coffee before heading to the area where tenders departed. Arrived on shore at Charlottetown, Canada and boarded the bus for “The Best of Prince Edwards Island” tour which lasted all day. Charlottetown is the seaside capital of Prince Edwards Island and residents take great pride in their city with well-kept flower beds, manicured lawns, tree lined streets, and tastefully painted historic homes. It is known as the Birthplace of the Confederation. The island’s top industry is agricultural with tourism coming in third. There are 67 total lighthouses with 39 still active; it is famous for its landscape of red cliffs plus sandy beaches so the island is a popular vacation destination. Our first stop was at Confederation Bridge; an engineering marvel of over 8 miles opened in 1997 and known as the longest in the world. This bridge crosses the Northumberland Strait and connects PEI with New Brunswick. Potatoes are one of the top agricultural products so we were given a sample of the PEI chips. There was time for a little shopping and I found a Christmas gift for a friend. Next stop was Anne of Green Gables Museum at Silver Brush where the descendants of Lucy Maud Montgomery, author of the book, invited us into the old family farmhouse.  Lunch was served at PEI Preserve Company; an excellent lunch of chicken/broccoli crepe, lettuce salad, and raspberry cheesecake pie for dessert. After lunch, we stopped at a harbor where there is lobster trapping. Our guide showed us a trap and explained how the lobsters are trapped and brought to surface. This is a big industry for the area. We enjoyed the vistas of the North Shore and Prince Edward Island National Park.

Confederation Bridge

Confederation Bridge

Childhood home of Lucy Maud Montgomery

Childhood home of Lucy Maud Montgomery

Walking trails at PEI Preserve Company

Walking trails at PEI Preserve Company

High, red cliffs along shore

High, red cliffs along shore

Lots of sand

Lots of sand

Enjoying the day

Enjoying the day

Sand dunes

Sand dunes

Lobster traps

Lobster traps

Back to the harbor where we had to contend with people returning to board two big cruise ships through security. Because of these two big ships, we had to anchor and use the tenders instead of being able to walk directly onto the dock from the ship. Ginni and I went to the Caviar Sail Away party on Deck 8 where a band plus singer performed. Returned to our suite to dress for dinner and then attended the greeting for first time Seabourn cruisers. Met up with Mike and Liz; had a drink and the four of us decided to have dinner together in the main restaurant.

Leaving Prince Edward Island behind

Leaving Prince Edward Island behind

Beautiful sunset

Beautiful sunset

Myself, Mike, Ginni, Liz

Myself, Mike, Ginni, Liz

Another fantastic evening made up of excellent food and great conversation in a wonderful environment. We decided to return to the suite instead of joining folks for the evening entertainment. More great conversation between Ginni and I…then off to bed for a good night’s sleep.

 

France Adventure: Southern and Home

August 26:  We had our luggage placed outside our cabin door by 7:00 so personnel could load it onto the buses taking us to Monaco.  I had breakfast with Jan, Rob, and Ginni; afterwards, we boarded a bus for our journey to Monte Carlo.  Halfway to our destination, the bus stopped at a convenience store where we could purchase lunch, drinks, etc.  Ginni and I decided we would wait to have our lunch once we arrived at the Fairmont Hotel where we were spending the night.   Shortly after 1:00, we arrived at our hotel; because we could not check in until 3:00, we took our luggage to a room reserved by Avalon.  Ginni and I had lunch in the hotel dining room where we had excellent food and wonderful view of the harbor.  We took a walk and stumbled upon the Japanese Gardens; a lovely, quiet place.   Upon returning to the hotel, we were able to check in; we retrieved our luggage and went to our room which was very nice.  Both of us signed up for the evening tour which consisted of driving by bus to the “Rock” where the palace, governmental buildings, cathedral where Princess Grace and Prince Rainier were married and buried, and other landmarks were pointed out to us by a local guide as we walked the area.  The guide told us that Monaco is the world’s second-smallest country and has an unrivaled density of millionaires and billionaires; it does not have taxes.  In 1297, the fortress was captured by Francesco Grimaldi; in 1997, the 700th anniversary of the Grimaldi Family Dynasty was celebrated.  Prince Albert oversees the governing; his wife, Charlene Wittstock, is expecting their first child in December.  After the walking tour, we traveled to the Vista Palace Hotel & Beach Resort for our evening meal.  Appetizers and drinks were served on a terrace overlooking Monte Carlo; dinner was in the dining room.  It was a wonderful way to “cap” off our evening!

On our way to Monte Carlo

On our way to Monte Carlo

"The Rock"

“The Rock”

Japanese Gardens

Japanese Gardens

Waterfall in gardens

Waterfall in gardens

In the Cathedral

In the Cathedral

Outside the Cathedral

Outside the Cathedral

Changing of the Guard

Changing of the Guard

Palace Entry

Palace Entry

Harbor of Monte Carlo

Harbor of Monte Carlo

Myself and Ginni on the terrace

Myself and Ginni on the terrace

Monte Carlo at night

Monte Carlo at night

 

August 27:  Ginni and I were picked up by a driver who took us to Nice where we had booked lodging at the Holiday Inn for the night.  A friend of mine, Monique, lives in Nice and I wanted to have the opportunity of seeing her while I was in France.  The driver dropped us off at the hotel where we stored our luggage and received a room number from the hotel staff before starting a 3-hour tour of Nice; our room was to be ready for us when we returned around 12:30.  The tour started with a visit to Castle Hill where we had a breathtaking view of old town and the port.  From there, we proceeded to the Cimiez area where we could view the Fransciscan Church, referred to Church of Assumption, and walk through the Mediterranean gardens.  Within the gardens, we visited the Les Musées À Nice and viewed the roman ruins located within the area.  Next, we went to Old Town where we walked the flower market; I purchased some fresh flowers to give Monique when we caught up with her later in the day.  Upon arrival at our hotel, we were told they were giving us an upgrade but the room would not be available until 3:00 (we believe our original planned room was given to a large group who registered around noon).  I contacted Monique and asked her to delay her arrival until 3:15.  We had lunch at the restaurant within the hotel and, at 3:00, our room was ready.  However, we discovered it was two beds put together as one; I called the lobby and said we needed a room with two beds.  One of the staff brought us keys to another room and, when we entered the new one, it was exactly like the first one.  We went down to the lobby and the manager approached us with the question “What is wrong with the room?”  We explained that we needed two beds and not one; he explained they had no rooms with two beds and they could not separate the two as one because of the headboard.  Our comment “We don’t need a headboard; move it away from the headboard and it will be fine”.  During all of this, Monique was sitting in the lobby waiting for us.  After introducing her to Ginni, off we went to the shopping district but neither of us found anything to purchase.  Monique took us to her apartment where she served us appetizers plus spritz, a drink made with champagne.  Then on to Davisto, an Italian restaurant, where Monique had arranged our meal of fresh fish (acquired that morning from a fisherman) along with accompaniments; it was excellent!  Since we had to be up and ready to journey to the airport at 4:15 the next morning, we said our “good byes” shortly after 9:00.  It was an evening filled with lots of laughter and cheer; I was so glad to have the opportunity to see Monique once again!

Nice from the hill

Nice from the hill

Church of Assumption

Church of Assumption

France Adventure 420

Les Musées À Nice

Roman Ruins

Roman Ruins

At dinner

At dinner

 

Home:  We got up around 3:30 in order to be ready for our transportation to the airport at 4:15.  The driver was on time and, upon arrival at the airport, we discovered that the American Airlines personnel were not on duty yet so we waited about an half hour before we could check in.  After going through security, we went to the lounge where we stayed until our flight was called.  The flights back to the good old USA were uneventful; Mary and Joe were at the airport to greet me as planned.  In summary, the overall trip was excellent and I am glad I finally got to see France.  All of the country is beautiful and the people friendly.  Paris was too crowded with rude tourists but I was happy to visit this beautiful city with the added bonus of spending time with Jeannette and Allan.  If you are planning on traveling to France, my recommendation would be not to go in the August time frame since that is their holiday season so there were large crowds and many stores closed.   The cruise was very relaxing and I was able to meet some wonderful people.  But next time I would consider a different airline than American.  As always, it was good to go but it was good to be home with my cats, pond, and flowers!

Beauty and Cutie

Beauty and Cutie

My pond

My pond

Flowers

Flowers

Backyard

Backyard

Watching the world go by

Watching the world go by

 

France Adventure: Riverboat Cruise

August 19: We checked out of the Pullman and waited with our fellow passengers for buses to pick us up. The buses took us to the train station where we boarded the TGV train to Dijon; the train traveled about 183 mph and we got to our destination by riding through the beautiful French countryside. We got off of the train and boarded a bus heading to Beaune which is the unofficial capital of the Côte d’Or area. Beaune owes it wealth to the production, aging, and selling of fine wines. And it is also known for its mustard production.  A local guide provided us with a tour of Hôtel-Dieu charity hospital which was built in 1443 after the Hundred Years’ War left many of the town’s population destitute; it was paid for by the chancellor of Burgundy.  The chancellor felt this goodwill gesture would buy his way into heaven. Today it houses Van der Weyden’s painting of The Last Judgment and is one of France’s architectural highlights. We had some free time to wander the streets of Beaune before getting on our bus and continuing south to Chalon-sur-Saône, where we boarded our cruise ship called Avalon Scenery.  Our luggage had been brought from the hotel and awaited us in the cabin. We settled in and then went to the lounge where we met our crew at a welcome reception. As we cruised on the Saône River toward Tournus, we had our evening meal in the dining room. All evening meals consisted of wine, an appetizer, soup, main course, and dessert. This evening I choose slow roasted Veal Loin with fresh herbs as my main course. After dinner, we went back to our cabin for another glass of wine and bed.

Train station in Paris

Train station in Paris

French Countryside

French Countryside

Carousal at Boerne

Carousel at Beaune

Streets of Boerne

Streets of Beaune

Courtyard Hôtel-Dieu

Courtyard Hôtel-Dieu

Avalon Scenery

Avalon Scenery

 

August 20: After breakfast, a local guide took us on a walking tour of Tournus, a delightful town tucked away in the southeast corner of Burgundy. Tournus is one of the oldest and most important monastic centers in the region with the superb Abbey of Saint Philibert, a fortress-like Romanesque church with many interesting features. Dating mainly from the 11th century with a 10th-century crypt, it boasts an impressively tall nave with an unusual vault, carved capitals, an important Romanesque statue of the Virgin and Child, and newly-discovered 12th-century floor mosaics depicting the zodiac. It was well worth the visit! We had some free time to stroll through the quaint streets and explore the arts and crafts shops near the abbey. After lunch, Ginni and I joined a tour of “Chardonnay & Mâconnais – Wine Tasting”, an area between Mâcon and Tournus. When giving thought of the Burgundy region, a person would think there would be more reds produced than whites; however, this area produces 60% white and 40% red. All the vineyards are groomed by 95% hand labor vs. 5% machine. And all pruning is done by hand. The process takes a total of 8 years from start to when the wine is drinkable. Many local people, upon the birth of their children, will purchase wine intended for the child’s future wedding reception with the thought the wine will be properly aged. Our wine tasting took place in the cellars of a historic medieval castle, one of the several we passed along the way. The landscape was spectacular, and we had a stop at the dramatic prehistoric site of the rock of Solutre which is now flanked by vines. That evening we had dinner with two couples, Pat and Chris, and Jan and Rob from Australia. A delightful evening of getting know our fellow passengers; both couples seem very nice.

Cruising Along

Cruising Along

More Cruising

More Cruising

Abbey of Saint Philibert

Abbey of Saint Philibert

Floor Mosaic

Floor Mosaic

Narrow streets

Narrow streets

One of many vineyards

One of many vineyards

Rock of Solutre

Rock of Solutre

Castle of Wine Tasting

Castle of Wine Tasting

August 21: This morning we cruised before arriving in Lyon around noon. Lyon is France’s second largest city and is considered it gastronomic capital. It was founded by the Romans in 43 BC, and it prosperity dates back to the 16th and 17th centuries when it became specialized in the fields of silk-spinning and textiles, banking, and printing. It is also the place where both the Sâone and Rhône Rivers flow thru the city. After lunch, a local guide showed us Fourvière Hill where we got an wonderful view of the city along with the Basilique Notre-Dame de Fourvière which was built between 1872 and 1876 over an ancient Roman forum and next to the existing Chapel of the Virgin.  We were taken to a area of over 100 murals plus Old Town with its maze of medieval alleyways and Place des Terreaux, a popular area with cafés, monuments, and a famous fountain often seen on postcards. This evening we joined Jan and Rob for dinner; the dinner was prepared by a local chef and the ship’s chef. There was a local Parisian singer who performed in the lounge that evening.

Entering Lyon

Entering Lyon

Botanical Gardens/Park

Botanical Gardens/Park

Lyon from Fourvière Hill

Lyon from Fourvière Hill

Basilique Notre-Dame de Fourvière

Basilique Notre-Dame de Fourvière

One of many walls of murals

One of many walls of murals

Old Town area

Old Town area

Famous fountain

Famous fountain

Dinner with Ginni, Jan, and Rob

Dinner with Ginni, Jan, and Rob

 

August 22: Ginni and I participated in a tour of the Maison des Canuts, a living museum which reveals the richness and quality of silk industry in Lyon and is the only place where manual looms, invented by Jacquard, are in use. After getting a demonstration of how the loom works, we went across the street where we heard the history of silk, the life of the “canuts” (silk workers of the 19th century) and how the regional textile industry has evolved since the late 20th century. We then had free time to shop within the gift shop; however, the price of the lovely silk pieces were too high for my wallet. We were then transported to a local fresh market which had meat, wine, poultry, cheeses, flowers, etc.; it was very interesting to wander by all the various merchants. The only purchase I made was some wine for my cabin on the ship. Once the tour was completed, we had lunch on the ship and spent the afternoon reading/relaxing. That evening we had dinner with Rob and Jan. The ship was cruising its way to Tournon this evening.

At the market

At the market

Ginni looking at cheese in the market

Ginni looking at cheese in the market

Chickens with heads

Chickens with heads

Leaving Lyon

Leaving Lyon

 

August 23: This morning we were docked at Tournon; instead of doing the walking tour of the city, I went with Jan and Rob to the local fles market running along the shore. I did find a couple more Christmas presents for friends back home. We left Tournon before noon and made our way to Viviers. On the way to Viviers, the ship went through another lock and dam; I believe we had a total of 12 we went through over the week of the cruise. Ginni and I had signed up for a tour of the ship’s galley which we enjoyed; it is unbelievable the amount of food with such good quality that comes out so small of a space. Another treat we had today was a chocolate tasting in the lounge in which we sampled three types of chocolate and all were Yummy! Upon arrival at our destination, a local guide provided a walking tour of the city which I did not participate in; I think, after all these days, I needed one day of not doing any tours while being able to “veg” out on the ship.

Approaching low bridge

Approaching low bridge

Jan at the market

Jan at the market

Cruising thru French countryside

Cruising thru French countryside

Going thru a lock and dam

Going thru a lock and dam

Part of galley

Part of galley

YUM--Chocolates

YUM–Chocolates

 

August 24: Today we are in Avignon; it is the capital of the Vaucluse region and very picturesque. The city sprang to prominence when it became the papal residence during the 14th century and many of the buildings from that period, including 3 miles of defensive fortifications, have survived almost untouched by time. A local guide provided us with a walking tour of the “City of Popes”. We saw the Palace of the Popes and the Bridge of St. Bénézet in which the popular song Sur le Pont d’Avignon is based. After the tour, Ginni and I did some wandering on our own; I purchased a watercolor painting from a local artist. We made our way back to the ship and had lunch. This afternoon we went on a tour of the famed wine cellars of Châeauneuf-du-Pape; there are 13 allowed varieties in Chateauneuf du Pape (14 if you count Grenache Blanc separately from Grenache Noir). Grenache is the primary variety, followed by Syrah and Mourvedre as well as Cinsault. About 97% of the wines here are red, and emit wonderful flavors of gamey spice, blackberries and currant, as well as the herbs and spices that are known to grow in the region. One thing of special interest are the grapes grow on soils covered with stones; the stones reflect and absorb the heat which quicken the ripening of the grapes and they help hold in moisture so the soils do not dry out by the southern French sun. This evening we went to the lounge to listen to the activity director provide information on the disembarkation process. And it was a farewell dinner in the dining room with Rob, Jan, Ginni, myself meeting Anne and Paul from Australia for the first time. After dinner, a group called “Gyspy Kings” entertained in the lounge. During the night, our ship sent sail to Port St. Louis at the mouth of the Rhône.

Walls at  Avignon

Walls at Avignon with Palace in background

Another view of the wall

Another view of the wall

Bridge of St. Bénézet

Bridge of St. Bénézet

Entering Palace of Popes

Entering Palace of Popes

Hall within the Palace

Hall within the Palace

Sculpture in palace courtyard

Sculpture in palace courtyard

Wine tasting room

Wine tasting room

Notice the rocks in the soil

Notice the rocks in the soil

Another view of the vineyards

Another view of the vineyards

 

August 25: This morning I went to breakfast before Ginni (who did join us) and had an opportunity to spend time with Paul and Anne; they seem like a very delightful couple.  Jan and Rob, who have been great companions for most of the journey, joined us.  During breakfast, our ship sailed toward Arles.  Arles is located on the northern tip of the Camartgue and is the capital of the Provence region. Once docked, a local guide provided a walking tour of the city; however, Ginni and I opted to explore it on our own later in the day so we spent the morning reading, catching up on emails, and closing out our tour accounts. The chef made French crepes for lunch and they were delicious! We then went into Arles stopping at various shops and viewed the Roman Amphitheater from the distance. Upon returning to the ship, I decided to get my packing completed for leaving the ship the next day. The ship sailed away about 6:30 that evening; we were in the lounge for a champagne reception with the Captain and port talk given by the activity director of what was scheduled for the next day. After the embarkation dinner, I went with Jan and Rob for a night cap on the outside deck.

France is a place of flowers in the windows

France is a place of flowers in the windows

Chef preparing crepes

Chef preparing crepes

Fountain at Arles

Fountain at Arles

 

 

France Adventure: Paris

Since an early age, I had always wanted to tour France. Avalon Waterways had a riverboat tour of France on Saone and Rhone Rivers; I contacted my traveling friend from St. Louis, Ginni Campbell, and we decided to take an August tour plus some additional days in Paris. Jeannette and Allan, who reside in Ireland, decided to join us for the week end in Paris.

August 12: Mary and Joe picked me up this morning around 10:00 a.m. Got checked in at the airport, had lunch with the Robinsons, said “good bye” and headed thru security. Once we got to the runway, the pilot announced an hour wait since Chicago had closed down all traffic because of bad weather. Finally got the word from traffic control that we were cleared to fly; at Chicago, we waited outside the gate area for American personnel to be available to “swing” out the gate; the wait was approximately 20 minutes. Found out where Ginni’s flight was coming in and went to her gate; her flight had been delayed an hour also. Once she appeared, we headed to the Admiral’s Club were we spent time until 30 minutes before our scheduled flight to Paris at 5:50 PM. Arrived at the gate to find out that there was a delay because the plane we were to board had refrigeration problems. About every 20 – 30 minutes, another delay was announced. After an hour or so, American announced they were bringing in another plane; however, when it arrived, it was discovered a bird had gone into the engine and needed maintenance. Finally, at 11:00 p.m., they announced the flight was cancelled. Luckily, Ginni and I were standing at the front of the ticket counter so we were the first to get reservations for the next night. We were given vouchers for lodging, taxi from/to the airport, and food.  They did not let us know that only certain taxis would take the vouchers so we  had to  wait for a taxi which would accept them.   We had not eaten, believing we would eat once on the plane,  and all the eating places at the airport were closed. Got to our hotel, registered, and found out there were no eating places opened where we could walk to so we called a company which delivered sandwiches to our room.   By this time, it was 1:30 in the morning and both of us were exhausted!

August 13:  After waking up, we placed a call to our travel agent. She had already gotten us seat assignments for the evening flight, had contacted the hotel that we would not be there this evening (we still had to pay for the night since we did not give 3-day notice), and was in the process of  contacting Travel Bound, the tour agency where we had paid for a full day tour of Paris, to see if it could be moved from Thursday to Saturday plus include Allan and Jeannette. We checked out of the hotel, took a taxi back to the airport, checked in, got through security, and had lunch at Wolfgang Puck; each of us had $24 worth of vouchers from American but we still had to add some of our own money to cover the cost of lunch. Ventured to the Admiral’s Club lounge where we spent the afternoon waiting for our 5:50 flight; while waiting, I heard back from our travel agent that the tour had been moved without any additional expense and would include Jeannette and Allan.  The flight was announced, we wandered down to the gate, got on board, found our seats, had a glass of champagne, and the plane took off on time. After having drinks, appetizers, and dinner the cabin lights were lowered and I went to sleep.

August 14: Woke up to the cabin crew distributing breakfast; mine consisted of fruit, yogurt, and french rolls. Landed in Paris on time, got through passport control, and picked up our luggage (no Customs to speak of); our driver was waiting for us. At this point, both of us were all smiles! Got to our hotel, Montparnasse Pullman, checked in, and then decided to take a nap before adventuring outside. After three hours of napping, we got ready to explore. From what I had read and heard, the Montparnasse Tower, provided an excellent view of Paris for a lower price and less lines than the Eiffel Tower. So we headed to the tower but, on the way, found a cafe whose special was beef burgundy…it was excellent! Got to the tower and rode it to the top. A little history about the tower:  it was inaugurated in 1973 and reaches 689 ft. in the air. The lift that connects the ground floor to the 56th floor reaches it in just 38 seconds. What an amazing view! After taking in the sight on the 56th floor, I walked up to the outdoor terrace on the roof (3 more floors up).  On our way back to the hotel, we found a store where I purchased socks plus both of us wine for our room. Got back to the hotel and decided to have a couple drinks in the hotel lounge which proved to be interesting. While sitting by the windows, we saw hotel security being very active outside. This went on for awhile and we finally learned that the President of Sudan was arriving. His family was dropped off at the front of the hotel but we never saw the president; guess he was taken in a “secret” door. Tomorrow we are going on a tour of Giverny and Versailles Apartments.

Paris, we've arrived!

Paris, we’ve arrived!

On our way to hotel

On our way to hotel

Beef burgundy, YUM

Beef burgundy, YUM

Our hotel from tower

Our hotel from tower

Know what this is?

Know what this is?

View of Paris from tower

View of Paris from tower

 

 

August 15: Had breakfast in the hotel dining room, found a taxi, and made our way to the city center where we got our tickets for the tour and boarded a bus. It was a beautiful day with sun and blue skies. We drive to the village of Giverny where we visited Monet’s home with its beautiful gardens. Monet’s house is pink and has colorful décor along with charm. The beautiful flower gardens and famous Japanese bridge spans over 2.5 acres. On our way to Versailles, we stopped at a country inn for lunch. What a beautiful setting with green countryside, an old mill, and water flowing by. And it was now time for Versailles, a reminder of the grandeur of classical French architecture. The decoration and layout of the entire site reflects the will of King Louis XIV, who was known as the Sun King. The beautifully decorated State Apartments (which contain the Hall of Mirrors and the Queen’s Apartments) would have been more enjoyable if there would not of been wall-to-wall people who were rude and obnoxious! The tour guide said the sight receives 27,000 visitors per day…and I believe they were all there during my visit. When we got back to Paris and our hotel, we hooked up with Jeannette and Allan who had flown into Paris that morning. After getting a drink and toasting to Tom’s memory (he passed away 2 years ago today) we decided we wanted to find a “local” eatery for our evening meal and found it at Les Tontons; part of Montparnasse that is not touristic so it was mainly locals we saw. Good atmosphere, food, and conversation. After dinner,  we decided to go into a place down from our hotel that had live jazz for a drink. Good time was had by all!

Monet house and garden

Monet house and garden

Garden at Giverny

Garden at Giverny

Myself and Japanese garden

Myself and Japanese garden

Lunch site

Lunch site

Enjoying the moment

Enjoying the moment

Courtyard Verseilles

Courtyard Versailles

Statue in palace

Statue of Louis XIV

One of many fireplaces

One of many fireplaces

Queen's bed chamber

Queen’s bed chamber

Waiting for food

Waiting for food

 

August 16: This morning we were scheduled for a full day tour of Paris and our driver, Max, appeared at the hotel right on time. Allan and Jeannette were going on the tour with us. Max took us to see major sites; Notre Dame Cathedral where we had time to walk through and around, Marais district, Louvre museum, Garnier’s Opera, Vendome Square, Concorde square, Champs-Elysées avenue, Arch of Triumph, Invalides, Montmartre and the Place du Tertre, the Sacré Coeur Basilica which is on top of a hill and provides a fantastic view of the city. After three hours of Max providing an excellent history lesson on Paris, he retrieved tickets for us to go up to the first level of the Eiffel Tower later in the day and provided us with tickets for lunch on a boat of the company “Bateaux Parisiens”. The boatfrom the River Seine gave us a completely different view of Paris; we viewed the miniature Statue of Liberty given to the French by America. There was live entertainment on board after lunch. When we docked, we proceeded to the Eiffel Tower where we got a marvelous panorama view of Paris. Then made our way back to the hotel via the subway; thank heaven Jeannette and Allan seem to know which one to take. That evening we found a seafood restaurant, Vin et Marée, for our evening meal. Everyone was quite pleased with their food except for me; I had a hard time eating fish that still had a “little” wiggle to it.

Notre Dame

Notre Dame

Arc de Triomphe

Arc de Triomphe

Opéra de Paris

Place du Tertre

Place du Tertre

Sacre Coeur Basilica

Sacre Coeur Basilica

Paris view from hilltop

Paris view from hilltop

Bridge over Seine River

Bridge over Seine River

Mini Statue of Liberty

Mini Statue of Liberty

Cruising Along

Cruising Along

Under the Eiffel Tower

Under the Eiffel Tower

France Adventure 112

View from Eiffel Tower

France Adventure 114

Another view of Paris

France Adventure 116

Ginni and I

Jeannette, Allan, myself

Jeannette, Allan, myself

 

 

August 17: We were to meet Allan and Jeannette in the lobby at 9:00; however,  neither of us  woke up until 9:00 so made it to the lobby around 9:45.   Off  we went to the Orsay Museum which is located in the center of Paris on the banks of the Seine; the museum was installed in the former Orsay railway station and was built for the Universal Exhibition of 1900.  Ginni and I explored the second and fifth floors while Jeannette and Allan went off on their own.  We saw works by Salle, Rodin, Monet, Van Gogh, Degas, Cachin; these are just a few of the artists displayed from collections dating 1848 to 1914.   By the time we left the museum, we were hungry for lunch so we found a place across the street of the museum who made crepes. All of us were really disappointed; lesson learned is never eat at a place across the street from a museum. After lunch, we found our way to Tuileries Gardens which we walked through and had a glass of wine at a table by the pond. Then we made our way to the courtyard of Louvre. Ginni and I decided to grab a taxi while Allan and Jeannette stayed to get more pictures. We made it back in time to attend a Welcome Reception by Avalon for those passengers who had arrived in Paris; out of the 120 passengers scheduled on the cruise, 42 of us attended the reception.  That evening we had dinner at the Losserand Café which had decent food and good atmosphere. However, they would not take my credit card because it does not have the international chip required by some places. Since my credit card company told me before the trip that my card did have the chip, I will have to discuss this with them when I get home.

Tuileres Garden

Tuileries Gardens

Refreshment time

Refreshment time

Gardens and Lourve

Gardens and Louvre

Pond with Louvre in background

Glass pyramid in Lourve courtyard

Glass pyramid in Louvre courtyard

Another meal

Another meal

 

August 18: Ginni and I decided to explore by ourselves so we headed to the shopping district of Rue Cler; once we got there, we discovered that many of the shops were closed due to the holiday. However, I did find an item for Savanna in one of the few stores opened. After walking both sides of the street, we went into a cafe to look at the map in order to determine where we would go next. The waitress could not speak English but she did send another worker over who did. He advised us to go to Rue du Commerce where there are two blocks of authentic French shopping without tourist shops. As we proceeded to walk toward the area, a gentleman stopped us and explained he was part of the local Chamber of Commerce. He asked us some questions, gave us a survey with self addressed envelope to fill out, and recommended we shop the Rue Saint Dominique street. So we went to both areas; once again, many shops were closed. It was well into the afternoon; we found a cafe where we ordered lunch and tried to figure out where we were located. Unfortunately, the waiter did not speak English so we looked at the nearest intersecting street to get our projected location. After eating a delicious lunch, we headed in the direction we thought our hotel was located. We kept looking for Montparnasse Tower to use as our guide; after walking for what seemed like many hours, we located the tower in the distance so we headed in that direction. We had walked 6.5 miles before making it back to our hotel. Allan and Jeannette joined us for dinner that evening; we went to Le France, a cafe up the street from our hotel. Another good evening which was livened up with another patron getting upset over her bill; a shouting match between her and the waiter entailed. She left the premises but came back with another gal; both of them started yelling at the waiter and the manager. Both waiter and manager kept walking away, probably to gather their composure, and would return to the women for more shouting. Finally, the waiter pulled out his wallet and gave the woman some money; both the manager and waiter walked away while leaving the two gals sitting on the stools. They wanted to argue some more but gave up and left. I don’t think I have ever heard such loud confrontation in a restaurant; all of us felt sorry for the waiter so we gave him an enormous tip. Since we were leaving Paris the next morning, we said our good byes to Allan and Jeannette and went back to the hotel for our last night’s stay there. I was glad for the time spent in Paris but, to be honest, I will be glad to leave.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Scandinavian Tapestry” Tour Part 6: Heading Home

August 23:  This is our last day on the Wind Surf and it was spent at sea.  Early in the morning we will arrive at Edinburgh, Scotland and will disembark from the ship.  It was a peaceful, relaxing day with reading, eating, visiting, packing, and reviewing preliminary bill.  There was a slight problem with the bill in that all expenses were placed on Ginni’s credit card; I thought that was a good thing but Ginni did not think so <:).  But, through Wind Surf’s great computer system, the purser was able to separate us out and expenses were applied to the applicable account.  Mid-afternoon the crew modeled latest fashions from the gift shop so I watched and learned the current trends.  That evening, we attended a talk on disembarkation given by the Guest Services manager and joined everyone in the lounge for the captain and crew bidding us farewell.  We had dinner with Richard and Sharon, the Canadian couple that we had met earlier in the week.  After dinner, we went to the Compass Rose for an after dinner drink and listened to CC Maxx Duo performance.   Since we had to be up at 4:30 in the morning, we went to the cabin earlier than previous evenings.  We placed our luggage outside our door so the crew could pick it up and take it into the terminal at Edinburgh for our pick up once we disembarked from the ship.

August 24:  The sound of the alarm seem to come very early!  It was approximately 9:30 or 10:30 PM the evening before back home.  We did have a couple cups of coffee before the announcement came for those of us heading to the airport should leave the ship.  Since the Wind Surf only carries 300 passengers and many of them were staying a few extra days in Scotland, there were only about 20 people leaving with us which made it easy to get our luggage picked up after we went through Scotland’s security.  There was a shuttle bus waiting to take all of us to the airport; upon arrival at the airport, I was able to get checked in quickly but it did take some time to go through another security check.  My journey took me from Edinburgh to Amsterdam (where I had to go through another security check) to Detroit (where I went through customs, immigration, and another security check) to Cedar Rapids with arrival at 8:30 PM.  Luggage arrived with no problem and the airport shuttle service took me home; by this time, I had been up for 24 hours and was starting to feel it.  But it was a wonderful trip and am certainly glad I went.  Good things about the trip was Wind Surf’s excellent service; the weather, with an exception of a couple days, was good; the Scandinavian people were quite friendly and helpful; the Scandinavian countries were all exceptionally clean with their laws making sure people do not litter.  Couple things I would of liked different was the itinerary where I wished we would of had more time in Oslo; I felt Wind Star should of made more of an effort providing guests with information regarding Stockholm and how to get around; one less airport stop both going and coming would of been appreciated but I realize coming out and into Cedar Rapids makes more difficult to arrange.  Overall, a great trip and I am looking forward to planning another one next year.

“Scandinavian Tapestry” Tour Part 5: Oslo and Kristiansand, Norway

August 21:  At around 8:00 AM,  surrounded by forested hills and small picturesque islands, the ship docked at the end of the stunning Oslo Fjord.  We were anchored  right below the more than 700-year old Akershus Fortress whose construction started in the late 13th century to protect Oslo from outside invaders.    The first stop of our tour was by the water across from the Oslo Opera House; from there, we proceeded to central Oslo where we passed the Royal Palace, the Parliament, and National Theatre.

Ginni and I in front of the library

Ginni and I in front of the library

The Parliament

The Parliament

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We walked in front of the Grand Hotel, where the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize is lodged; the only winner who refused to stay in the hotel was Mother Teresa who felt it was too rich.  Since Alfred Nobel came from Norway, he specified in his will that this one prize should be awarded in his country.  At the end of the tour we were able to visit Oslo City Hall where the prize is awarded every year.  We continued on to Vigeland Sculpture Park which is a unique park displaying the life work of Gustav Vigeland (1869-1943) with more than 200 sculptures in bronze, granite and cast iron.

Entrance to Vigeland Sculpture Park

Entrance to Vigeland Sculpture Park

The open window is the room where peace prize winner stays

Open window is the room of peace prize winner

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The sculpture park was very interesting and our guide had an excellent knowledge of all the sculptures which depicted man going through life from birth to death.  Unfortunately, the battery in my camera died at the entrance and the spare one was on the bus so I did not get any pictures of the rest of the tour.   After walking through the park, we headed to the Icebar Oslo in downtown.  This is the only permanent bar in Norway made entirely of ice and is kept at minus 5 degrees at all times.  Everything inside is made out of crystal clear ice harvested from the frozen Torne River in northern Sweden.  We were given a thermal cape with hood and gloves that we had to put on before entering the bar; once in the bar, we were given champagne in a glass made of ice.  It was a fun, cold experience!  Another walk took us to City Hall where, every December 10th,  the Nobel Peace Prize is presented.  And then the unexpected happened!  We, along with four others, got separated from our tour and the bus, heading to the ship,  left without us.   We ended up walking the mile or so back to the ship and arrived before the bus; since my purse was still on the bus, I was glad to see it appear!  After lunch on board, I went shopping at the terminal by the ship but there was not much good quality items.   The ship left the port of Oslo at 5:00 PM and we were on our way to Kristiansand, Norway.

Another country scene as we left Oslo

Another country scene as we left Oslo

Leaving Oslo behind

Leaving Oslo behind

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

August 22:   We arrived in Kristiansand around 9:00 AM.  Ginni and I had decided to walk around the area on our own instead of taking a tour so, after breakfast, we headed out on our adventure.  Our goal was to head toward market street for some shopping and picture taking.  The first stop was to take some pictures of the town along the harbor and then on to the Fish Market.  This market has fresh seafood which includes lobster, makeral, and salmon.

Flowers, flowers everywhere

View of town from the harbor

View of town from the harbor

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inside the Fish Market

Inside the Fish Market

Outside of the fish market

Outside of the fish market

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After making a purchase at the market, we headed toward the center of town and the shopping district.  As information, Kristiansand is the 5th largest municipality in Norway with a population of +90K and it is named after its founder King Christian IV in 1641.    We arrived at the shopping center (it was quite busy); the best part of the shopping is I found a 70% off rack of baby clothes so made a purchase for granddaughter Savanna.  On the way back to the ship, since it was a beautiful, sunny day we decided to have lunch at an outdoor restaurant called Enok.  An interesting note regarding the menu; I ordered the chicken sandwich with toss salad and chips…when it came, the toss salad was actually part of the sandwich and not separate as we would get back here.

Beautiful local church

Beautiful local church

Chicken and toss salad sandwich

Chicken and toss salad sandwich

Sand sculpture in park

Sand sculpture in park

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That evening we went to the lounge before dinner to listen to Deborah Boily, a guest entertainer who sang show tunes; she had a good voice.  Ray and Vicki from Australia joined us for dinner.  The Wind Surf crew took to the stage after dinner and shared their hidden talents; singing, dancing, magic tricks, etc.  Headed to the cabin around 11:30; tomorrow we will be at sea all day.

Talented crew

Talented crew

Wind Surf greeter

Wind Surf greeter

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Scandinavian Tapestry” Tour Part 4: Copenhagen and Skagen, Denmark

August 18 and 19:  We arrived at Copenhagen at approximately 9:00 AM on the 18th.  Ginni and I had signed up for “Wonderful Copenhagen” tour which gave us a great overview of the city.  Copenhagen is one of the oldest kingdoms in the world and dates back to the first Danish monarch, King “Gorm the Old” who established his reign in the 10th century.  The first sight we were shown was the Little Mermaid, the bronze statue of one of Hans Christian Anderson’s storybook characters, which has graced the spot since 1913.

Along the waterfront of Copenhagen

Along the waterfront of Copenhagen

Little Mermaid

Little Mermaid

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On our way to the Royal Amalienborg Palace, we saw the inner city’s Old Quarter.    Once we arrived at the palace, the guide gave us a brief history of its origin;  it is the winter home of the Danish royal family.   It consists of four identical palace façades with rococo interiors around an octagonal courtyard and in the center of the square is a monumental statue of Amalienborg’s founder, King Frederick V.   We finished up the tour by passing by Tivoli Gardens, Glyptotek Art Museum, City Hall, and the Stock Exchange.

Building in Old Quarter

Building in Old Quarter

Palace view from the waterfront.

Palace view from the waterfront.

View of the palace and courtyard

View of the palace and courtyard

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After lunch on board the ship, I read for the rest of the afternoon.  At 4:00, we met up with Anne,  a friend of Ginni’s who resides in Stockholm.  Anne took us on a canal boat tour where we saw many sights; the Theatre for Performing Arts, Stock Exchange with entwining dragon tails, sand sculptures and Stockholm’s Opera House.

View of Copenhagen's waterfront from the boat

View of Copenhagen’s waterfront from the boat

Theatre of Performing Arts

Theatre of Performing Arts

Sand sculptures

Sand sculptures

 

Stock Exchange with entwining dragon tails

Stock Exchange with entwining dragon tails

Once the boat tour was completed, Anne walked us through a major shopping district on our way to Tivoli Gardens.  The gardens, which opened in 1843, is a mixture of exotic architecture, beautiful gardens and scenery, theatres, open air stages, restaurants, shops, and 26 rides ranging from ones that twist and spin to very gentle ones.  This amusement park is the third largest attraction of its kind in Europe.

Anne, Ginni, and I having dinner at restaurant in Tivoli Gardens

Anne, Ginni, and I having dinner at restaurant in Tivoli Gardens

Inside Tivoli Gardens

Inside Tivoli Gardens

Entrance to Tivoli Garden

Entrance to Tivoli Garden

We wandered in some of the shops and I found a Christmas present for granddaughter, Savanna.  While in one of the stores, we came across a couple from the Wind Surf who told us there were two buses of people from the ship and the buses would return to the ship at 9:45 PM.  We were able to locate one of the Wind Surf’s crew members who was agreeable to our “hitching” a ride back with them.  We had a night cap in the Compass Rose where the duo was performing a vast variety of music which we both enjoyed.  Went to bed with thought of getting some rest for another day in Copenhagen tomorrow.

August 19:  After breakfast, we took the shuttle provided by the Wind Surf into Copenhagen in search of the Stroget shopping area.  When we got off the shuttle, we made sure to write down the street we were on so location of the shuttle for the return to the Wind Surf would not be a problem later in the day.  After taking a few wrong turns, we were able to find the major pedestrian walkway to all the shops.  What fun it was with my finding more Christmas presents!!  We had lunch at a restaurant wedged between two 18th century buildings; it was a nice day so it felt good to eat out in the open air but the service was quite poor because of 4 employees calling in sick.

Along Stroget shopping area

Along Stroget shopping area

After lunch, we made our way back to the shuttle and returned to the Wind Surf.  Later in the afternoon, I teamed with three other passengers for Team Trivia in the Compass Rose; we did not do very good but it was still fun.  The Wind Surf set sail around 5:00; with music playing, it is always invigorating pulling away from a port.  Maureen and Rowy were in the Compass Rose having champagne provided by Windstar for signing up for another trip and they asked Ginni/myself to join them; we had dinner with them.  Tomorrow we will dock at Skagen, Denmark.

August 20:  This morning we docked at Skagen, the northernmost town of Denmark.  It was a very picturesque area with low, yellow houses whose roofs were red tile.  Port of Skagen is the largest fishing port in Denmark and a very popular yachting port attracting around 16,000 yachts and leisure boats every year.  Ginni and I went on the “City Tour of Skagen” in which we visited Denmark’s most northerly point, Grenen, where the Baltic and North Seas meet.  In order to get to the spit where we could view the point of meeting, we had to board a tractor trolley which drove us through the sand.  While on the spit, we were able to see many of Skagen’s collection of lighthouses dating from 1627 to still active one built in 1858.

The spit where the North Sea, to my left, meets the Baltic, to my right

A tractor trolley waiting to take us to the spit

A tractor trolley waiting to take us to the spit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

World War II bunkers

World War II bunkers

Lighthouse with Wind Surf in background

Lighthouse with Wind Surf in background

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Upon leaving the spit, we journeyed to Skagens Art Museum.  Between 1830 and 1930 a group of artists were drawn to Skagen for the very special light found only in its part of the country.  These artists produced some of the finest works of Danish golden age paintings, most of which were on display in the museum.   PS Kroyer,  one of the best known, beloved, and undeniably the most colorful of the Skagen Painters,  works were prominently displayed along with his wife’s, Marie.   We then were shown one end of Skagen to the other, with the guide providing details of what we were seeing along the way.

View of one part of Skagen

View of one part of Skagen

Church in Skagen

Church in Skagen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the completion of the tour, Ginni and I decided to stay in Skagen for lunch and shopping.  We had lunch @ Casa Blanca Cafe; each of us ordered one of the local beers and we sat outside because it was a very nice, sunny day.  We wandered the streets of Skagen and found that the shops had quality merchandise at a high price.  What a delightful day we had in Skagen; it was a very good tour with an excellent guide and the exploration of the town was made easy by friendly local citizens.  The ship departed Skagen around 4:00 PM and we were underway for Oslo, Norway.  Ginni and I were invited to join the captain for dinner which we did along with 6 other women; as usual, the food and service was excellent but it was a long couple hours of forced conversation.  Before going to my cabin, I decided to take a walk on the deck and saw the below sight.

Full moon reflecting on the water

Full moon reflecting on the water

 

 

 

 

“Scandinavian Tapestry” Tour Part 3: At Sea and Warnemunde, Germany

August 16:   Today we sailed the Baltic Sea and would not dock until tomorrow at 7:00 AM.  It was great to sleep in without worrying about being in the departure lounge in time for a particular tour.  The morning went quite quickly with my walking around the outside decks in order to get some steps; I believe 7 times around on the Wind Surf equals one mile.    I did break down and purchased the internet connection which made me feel better about being able to  contact people back home.   After a late lunch, I spent the afternoon at the Compass Rose  reading, sending emails,  watching the kitchen crew carve flowers from vegetables and make animals from dough, and listening to a very spirited Team Trivia competition among the passengers.   In the evening, Ginni and I went to the Captain’s reception given to those who were repeat customers of WindStar (of the 290 passengers on board, 150 were repeat customers).   We had dinner with two gals from North Carolina, Maureen and Rowy,  who have been traveling together for quite a few years.  After connecting to the internet and getting a night cap, it was after 11:00 and time for bed.

August 17:  This morning we docked at Warnemunde, Germany best known as the jumping-off points for Berlin, which is three to five hours away by train.  Still an operational fishing port, Warnemunde is a seaside resort with vast dunes and stretches of sand on either side of the Warnow River.  Many of the passengers signed up for the bus tour to Berlin but, because we did not want to ride 6 hours in a bus and only spend 5 or 6 hours in Berlin, Ginni and I signed up for the tour of an amber factory established in Ribnitz-Damgarten and a hunting lodge located in Gelbensande.   After a narrated tour of the amber factory, each of us was given the opportunity to select a piece of amber  which we  ground down, polished, and made into a necklace that we were able to bring home.

Amber tree at the entrance of the factory

Amber tree at the entrance of the factory

Outside of the amber factory

Outside of the amber factory

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next on the tour was the Gelbensande Hunting Castle  erected between 1880 and 1885 as a summer residence for Grand Duke Friedrich Franz III of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.  After 1887, it was used as a base for hunting in the surrounding forest, the Rostock Heath. Because of the duke’s marriage to one of the Russian Tsar‘s granddaughters, the Mecklenburg-Russian relationships can still be seen inside the castle today. The hunting castle remained in the Grand Duke’s use until 1944. It was subsequently used as an army hospital, a sanatorium for tuberculosis, public library, veteran’s club and a sort of hostel for construction workers; since 1989/1990, it is owned by the town of Gelbensande and open to the public as a museum.

Another room in the hunting lodge

Another room in the hunting lodge

One of the rooms in the hunting castle

One of the rooms in the hunting castle

Outside the entrance to hunting castle

Outside the entrance to hunting castle

 

It was after 1:30 when we returned to the ship and I had planned on going back into Warnemunde to shop.  However, there were two LARGE cruise ships that had pulled into dock and the streets/stores were packed so I decided to stay on board and spend the rest of the afternoon reading.   In the early evening, I went to the lounge to watch a German Folkloric group perform; they played typical German music and danced.    After the performance, I listened to the tour manager give a talk about our next stop which will be Copenhagen.  This was the night for the BBQ Dinner on the decks; we ate under the stars and watched as the crew line danced the night away.  It was a great amount of fun!