We flew out of LaGuardia in NYC a couple of days ago and were treated to a public lounge filled with iPads. All we had to do was sit down and push the screen and we were online. The offerings were limited--USA Today, ESPN, some games, Google Maps, and a menu. Turns out the iPads were part of a "restaurant" in the terminal. Click on the menu and we could order a sandwich and a drink and it would be delivered to our little table. But we did not have to order anything ... And if we wanted to use out own iGadget there was free wifi. We were at our little iPad/table for a couple of hours and there was no charge.
It was a neat deal. It made waiting at the airport a bit more enjoyable. I wonder if/when I'll see this at other airports.
BTW--the number of iGadgets I see when I travel is amazing. A couple of years ago I had one of the few iPads around--not any more. I even see people using an iPad as their main camera (which is a bit bulky IMHO). I wonder what the long term ramifications of these iGadgets means?
One more thing--go to the Apple website and look at the 4 ads for the iPhone 5--none of them mention the fact that it can be used to make phone calls!
Friday, September 28, 2012
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
St. John, New Brunswick
Yesterday we were in St. John (not St. John's). Strange that 2 cities so close to each other have just about the same name. Reminds me of a similar problem with 2 towns in California. One is called Chico--the other is Chino. We have a friend who applied for her job in Chico thinking it was Chino. The two towns are about 500 miles from each other-- one known for its university--the other for its prison.
St. John is known for the huge tides in the Bay of Fundy. It was interesting to watch our boat "sink" below sidewalk level at the port as the tide rolled out and then rise above the sidewalk level as the tide rolled in.
St. John's used to be known for the Grand Banks where the fishing was endless (but alas, after nearly 500 years of over-fishing, that endless supply of fresh fish "dried up" and is now reduced to sport fishing 2 weekends a YEAR).
In St.John we went for a leisurely walk near the dock. Three ships were in town and the port had room for more. Lots of tourists were enjoying a blue sky day albeit not a very warm one. The port facility had a free wifi connection so the crew were using it -- as were a few of the pax. If you want to know where the free wifi connections are in port, ask the crew members as they know all of them.
It was our last stop on this 27 day cruise adventure. We stopped in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Germany, Russia, Finland, Scotland, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Iceland, and Canada. It's been a great cruise. Lots of things to see and learn coupled with relaxing sea days. Reality starts tomorrow when we disembark the ship and head for LaGuardia Airport in NY and then home. Right now we are packing for that event.
St. John is known for the huge tides in the Bay of Fundy. It was interesting to watch our boat "sink" below sidewalk level at the port as the tide rolled out and then rise above the sidewalk level as the tide rolled in.
St. John's used to be known for the Grand Banks where the fishing was endless (but alas, after nearly 500 years of over-fishing, that endless supply of fresh fish "dried up" and is now reduced to sport fishing 2 weekends a YEAR).
In St.John we went for a leisurely walk near the dock. Three ships were in town and the port had room for more. Lots of tourists were enjoying a blue sky day albeit not a very warm one. The port facility had a free wifi connection so the crew were using it -- as were a few of the pax. If you want to know where the free wifi connections are in port, ask the crew members as they know all of them.
It was our last stop on this 27 day cruise adventure. We stopped in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Germany, Russia, Finland, Scotland, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Iceland, and Canada. It's been a great cruise. Lots of things to see and learn coupled with relaxing sea days. Reality starts tomorrow when we disembark the ship and head for LaGuardia Airport in NY and then home. Right now we are packing for that event.
Sunday, September 23, 2012
New Found Land
Yesterday we visited the only Canadian Province we had not visited before--Newfoundland! It's a long long way from home. We've been as far as the ferry building in Nova Scotia but at that point we turned around and headed west.
We sailed into the protected harbor at St. John's early in the morning. The day did not look promising as it was foggy. But soon the fog drifted away and we were treated to a warm sunny day. We had been prepared for Greenland's ugly weather and this was a complete treat. Our big ship, Emerald Princess, squeezed through the narrows and slipped into dock, dominating the harbor. I don't think the port will fit anything bigger.
On our shore excursion we learned about port wine, beer and demon rum...all of which have something to do with local history.
Since St. John's is the oldest inhabited city in in North America, there's a lot of history to learn. During those early days port wine was shipped here then reshipped back to Europe (I don't remember why). One year the wine could not be reshipped due to ugly weather so it over-wintered in some caves and then shipped back to Europe. That's when it was discovered the port had changed. It now tasted better than ever. So, it was decided that port wine should age in NFL in the wintertime. From 15-something to 1997 that's exactly what happened. Nowadays there's a problem with European Union liquor laws and Port Wine cannot leave Europe "unfinished" and then return. Needless to say we had a taste of the Port which is now aged in Europe.
From there we went to a local micro brewery and tasted about 4 large sample of their fine beer and we were given a bottle of beer.
On the last stop, all of us feeling a little happier, was to Signal Hill. It's the place where Marconi received the first wireless message in Morse Code a scant 120 years ago. Here we learned about the special connection between NFL and Jamaica. NFL had tons of cod. Jamaica had tons of rum. Jamaicans liked cod and Newfies liked rum and that created a significant trade relationship--cod for rum/rum for cod. Of course we had a wee taste some of the great Jamaican spiced rum.
In between the drinking history of the place we saw the city, the fishing boats, and the colorfully painted houses of St. John's. It was a fun excursion.
We sailed into the protected harbor at St. John's early in the morning. The day did not look promising as it was foggy. But soon the fog drifted away and we were treated to a warm sunny day. We had been prepared for Greenland's ugly weather and this was a complete treat. Our big ship, Emerald Princess, squeezed through the narrows and slipped into dock, dominating the harbor. I don't think the port will fit anything bigger.
On our shore excursion we learned about port wine, beer and demon rum...all of which have something to do with local history.
Since St. John's is the oldest inhabited city in in North America, there's a lot of history to learn. During those early days port wine was shipped here then reshipped back to Europe (I don't remember why). One year the wine could not be reshipped due to ugly weather so it over-wintered in some caves and then shipped back to Europe. That's when it was discovered the port had changed. It now tasted better than ever. So, it was decided that port wine should age in NFL in the wintertime. From 15-something to 1997 that's exactly what happened. Nowadays there's a problem with European Union liquor laws and Port Wine cannot leave Europe "unfinished" and then return. Needless to say we had a taste of the Port which is now aged in Europe.
From there we went to a local micro brewery and tasted about 4 large sample of their fine beer and we were given a bottle of beer.
On the last stop, all of us feeling a little happier, was to Signal Hill. It's the place where Marconi received the first wireless message in Morse Code a scant 120 years ago. Here we learned about the special connection between NFL and Jamaica. NFL had tons of cod. Jamaica had tons of rum. Jamaicans liked cod and Newfies liked rum and that created a significant trade relationship--cod for rum/rum for cod. Of course we had a wee taste some of the great Jamaican spiced rum.
In between the drinking history of the place we saw the city, the fishing boats, and the colorfully painted houses of St. John's. It was a fun excursion.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Iceland
Yesterday we visited our 102nd country, Iceland! That was pretty exciting. We did an unusual tour--instead of taking a Reykjavik city tour or a whole island tour (9 hours in a bus) we took the Monster Jeep back country tour.
We climbed up and down roads that had 15-16 degree grades! We splashed along a stream bed and we bounced by a few hidden geo-thermal power plants. It was a fun excursion -- even though our particular Jeep broke down two times. The first time the axle broke and we were put in a replacement Jeep--the second time we lost our air suspension system and the drivers were able to put together some hoses and fix the problem well enough for us to continue our drive in the riverbed and then back to the ship.
We climbed up and down roads that had 15-16 degree grades! We splashed along a stream bed and we bounced by a few hidden geo-thermal power plants. It was a fun excursion -- even though our particular Jeep broke down two times. The first time the axle broke and we were put in a replacement Jeep--the second time we lost our air suspension system and the drivers were able to put together some hoses and fix the problem well enough for us to continue our drive in the riverbed and then back to the ship.
Iceland -- Part 2
Iceland sits along the meeting of 2 tectonic plates--a place that is very active geologically--a place that has harnessed that asset to create very inexpensive geo-thermal power. We saw a few of the power plants which send up huge plumes of steam high in the sky. The steam is not polluting anything as the power source is very clean. We also saw how the power is piped into the cities in the island nation.
I was expecting a far less developed country. There is a ring road (highway 1) that circles the island so it's relatively easy to drive from one place to another. Our guide said that most Icelanders own 2 vehicles. There were a lot of cars in Reykjavik but we did not see that many on our Monster Jeep adventure (but then we climbed some pretty steep roads that were paved with rocks and potholes)!
We passed one other town, Serfoss, that was more central than coastal, and it was a lot smaller than the capital. The climate is cold. Yesterday it was about 45 degrees F. It was not windy. The visibility was incredible. Our guide kept telling us it was rare to see this mountain or that volcano as it was so clear. We were hoping to see the Northern Lights last night, but alas, they did not put on a display last night.
We did see the volcano that erupted a couple of years ago disrupting air traffic for a several days. Today it's a high snow covered mountain that does not look deadly at all.
Icelandic is an interesting language to look at. While the alphabet is basically English, there are lots of extra accents, dots and squiggles. Given that, it was difficult to read most signs as the names are long and multi syllabic. When I asked the name of the
mountain we were on I was given its name in Icelandic and quickly told that the name translated to Wolf mountain. Thank goodness for that, as I had no idea how to spell the Icelandic word.
There's a lot more to see--but we just ran out if time. There is a neat church in Reykjavik we missed. There are some world class waterfalls and some thermal pools that are supposed to be 84 degrees F. Maybe we will see them next time we get an opportunity to stop in Iceland.
I was expecting a far less developed country. There is a ring road (highway 1) that circles the island so it's relatively easy to drive from one place to another. Our guide said that most Icelanders own 2 vehicles. There were a lot of cars in Reykjavik but we did not see that many on our Monster Jeep adventure (but then we climbed some pretty steep roads that were paved with rocks and potholes)!
We passed one other town, Serfoss, that was more central than coastal, and it was a lot smaller than the capital. The climate is cold. Yesterday it was about 45 degrees F. It was not windy. The visibility was incredible. Our guide kept telling us it was rare to see this mountain or that volcano as it was so clear. We were hoping to see the Northern Lights last night, but alas, they did not put on a display last night.
We did see the volcano that erupted a couple of years ago disrupting air traffic for a several days. Today it's a high snow covered mountain that does not look deadly at all.
Icelandic is an interesting language to look at. While the alphabet is basically English, there are lots of extra accents, dots and squiggles. Given that, it was difficult to read most signs as the names are long and multi syllabic. When I asked the name of the
mountain we were on I was given its name in Icelandic and quickly told that the name translated to Wolf mountain. Thank goodness for that, as I had no idea how to spell the Icelandic word.
There's a lot more to see--but we just ran out if time. There is a neat church in Reykjavik we missed. There are some world class waterfalls and some thermal pools that are supposed to be 84 degrees F. Maybe we will see them next time we get an opportunity to stop in Iceland.
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Sunday in Belfast
We are in our 101st country -- Northern Ireland. Six of the 9 counties in Ulster make up this tiny Protestant country. If all 9 counties had been included then the Catholics would have had the majority thereby negating the reason for the division!
I did not know what to expect other than rain as the average temperature is between 50 and 60 and it rains all the time. So we had a sunny day! (for a little while anyway...then the sky clouded over and it started to sprinkle).
We saw the City Hall, downtown, the University of Ulster, and the "murals" that talk about the troubles. The material the ship gave us on Belfast did not even mention there is an age-old battle here between the Protestents and the Catholics.
We also visited the new Titantic Museum that opened this year. It is a beautiful modern aluminum structure that tells the story of the building and eventual sinking of the Titantic. I was most fascinated with the building of the behemoth and now I would like to see how a modern ocean going vessel is made. I'm sure the advances in technology would be interesting to see.
I did not know what to expect other than rain as the average temperature is between 50 and 60 and it rains all the time. So we had a sunny day! (for a little while anyway...then the sky clouded over and it started to sprinkle).
We saw the City Hall, downtown, the University of Ulster, and the "murals" that talk about the troubles. The material the ship gave us on Belfast did not even mention there is an age-old battle here between the Protestents and the Catholics.
We also visited the new Titantic Museum that opened this year. It is a beautiful modern aluminum structure that tells the story of the building and eventual sinking of the Titantic. I was most fascinated with the building of the behemoth and now I would like to see how a modern ocean going vessel is made. I'm sure the advances in technology would be interesting to see.
City Hall
Belfast is not a huge city. It's longer than it is wide and is divided into districts. We saw the City Hall district which is the very center of town. There is the University district, Titanic district, the Mural district and the like. I've created 2 collages showing a couple of the districts. 
Signs in Belfast
Belfast is a clean city. Not a lot of graffiti. Not a lot of litter. The houses have tidy front yards. And there are signs all over the place warning people what to do. There's are £120 fine for parking in a no parking zone. There's an £80 fine for littering. And here's the most expensive fine of all....£500 for alcohol abuse! 
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Dublin
Our first time in Ireland since 1990 (or so) and Dublin looked different. I remember a down at the heals Dublin, but today it looked pretty prosperous. Granted the country does not have any spare cash now (no country does) but it had a boom during the first part of this century and a lot of sprucing up was done. There are lots of modern looking buildings and bridges interspersed among the Georgian or older structures. It's also a cleaner city than I remember.
We visited St. Patrick's Cathedral (which is not Catholic) as well as the University of Dublin--Trinity College. We walked along the main shopping street and looked at the folks doing business on a busy Saturday.
The day was gray (is it ever sunny in Ireland? I don't think we have been here when it is sunny!) but it was not very cold. A good day for seeing things but not necessarily for taking pretty pictures.
We visited St. Patrick's Cathedral (which is not Catholic) as well as the University of Dublin--Trinity College. We walked along the main shopping street and looked at the folks doing business on a busy Saturday.
The day was gray (is it ever sunny in Ireland? I don't think we have been here when it is sunny!) but it was not very cold. A good day for seeing things but not necessarily for taking pretty pictures.
Dublin
Here are two more collages of Dublin. One shows scenes from Trinity College; the other is of random images around Dublin. 
Friday, September 14, 2012
Firth of Clyde
Definitions are enlightening. Firth is Gaelic for fjord. Clyde is derived from the name of the old river goddess that is said to have inhabited the river. Her name sounded something like "cistern" which means cleanser or cloaca. So now you can figure out what the Firth of Clyde means.
The Salmon, ring, bell and trees
As you wander around St.Mungo's Square you see that the light standards are quite decorated with a salmon holding a ring, a bell and some trees. I asked what the symbols meant and was told the following story.
Way back when the queen was having an affair with her guard and she gave him her gold ring as a symbol of her love. The guard lost the ring. And about that same time the king noticed his queen was not wearing her gold ring. The king wanted to know where it was. The queen now had to produce the ring so she went to St.Mungo and asked him if he could find the ring. He told her to take one of her servants to the river Clyde and net a salmon. So as soon as she could she ordered her gilley boy to net a salmon which he did. The salmon was then cut open and her gold ring was found! I was not told what happened next, but I'm guessing she was "safe" for awhile.
The bell stands for St. Mungo himself as all holy men of the day could be identified by their specific bell. As for the trees...legend says St. Mungo brought many trees to the area.
Way back when the queen was having an affair with her guard and she gave him her gold ring as a symbol of her love. The guard lost the ring. And about that same time the king noticed his queen was not wearing her gold ring. The king wanted to know where it was. The queen now had to produce the ring so she went to St.Mungo and asked him if he could find the ring. He told her to take one of her servants to the river Clyde and net a salmon. So as soon as she could she ordered her gilley boy to net a salmon which he did. The salmon was then cut open and her gold ring was found! I was not told what happened next, but I'm guessing she was "safe" for awhile.
The bell stands for St. Mungo himself as all holy men of the day could be identified by their specific bell. As for the trees...legend says St. Mungo brought many trees to the area.
St. Mungo's Church
Today we visited St. Mungo's High Church in Glasgow. For Harry Potter Fans you know that St.Mungo is the name of the hospital for magical maladies. Who knew that St. Mungo really existed? Apparently St. Mungo was an Irish holy man from the 6th century (or so) who helped convert the Scottish Picts to Catholicism.
The church is now Presbyterian and rather dour and dark, except for one small chapel that has been maintained in the old tradition. It is whitewashed and has painted escutcheons. It's called the Black Adder Chapel (and we thought that Black Adder was just a horrible Brit-Com). Travel is broadening!
The church is now Presbyterian and rather dour and dark, except for one small chapel that has been maintained in the old tradition. It is whitewashed and has painted escutcheons. It's called the Black Adder Chapel (and we thought that Black Adder was just a horrible Brit-Com). Travel is broadening!
Monday, September 10, 2012
Copenhagen Day 2
We made a loop, Copenhagen to Copenhagen, on the first leg of our voyage. It took 12 days. During that time we visited Oslo, Aarhus, Warnemunde, and Stockholm. Today we started leg 2 which will eventually take us to New York, The Big Apple! Tomorrow we make another stop in Oslo then we head for Kristiansand a resort village in southern Norway.
Twelve days ago when we landed in Copenhagen we were so jet lagged we hardly remember anything. Today we actually remember what we saw. Other than the Little Mermaid, we saw a couple of old palaces, the new Opera House and the new Theatre, and some pretty "Danish Modern" buildings along the way We cruised the main canal and saw the old "new town" (circa 1600) as well as some neat houseboats (circa 2000) all working together to make Copenhagen a vibrant city.
All of the Baltic countries we have visited are all based along the water--have lots of boats, big and small, and rely on the bounty of the sea in more ways than you can imagine from fish to oil. They have little arable land and cool to cold temperatures. The people are hearty and have learned how to eke a living from their homelands. I have a whole new appreciation for these northern climes.
Twelve days ago when we landed in Copenhagen we were so jet lagged we hardly remember anything. Today we actually remember what we saw. Other than the Little Mermaid, we saw a couple of old palaces, the new Opera House and the new Theatre, and some pretty "Danish Modern" buildings along the way We cruised the main canal and saw the old "new town" (circa 1600) as well as some neat houseboats (circa 2000) all working together to make Copenhagen a vibrant city.
All of the Baltic countries we have visited are all based along the water--have lots of boats, big and small, and rely on the bounty of the sea in more ways than you can imagine from fish to oil. They have little arable land and cool to cold temperatures. The people are hearty and have learned how to eke a living from their homelands. I have a whole new appreciation for these northern climes.
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Sea daze
To me, cruising means visiting strange and exotic places and relaxing. Sea days are perfect for relaxing. There's no reason to get up early to go to shore. There's no need to go bed early either. When you have a sea day you just get to do what you want to do.
Today I walked 2 miles on deck 7, then took a long shower and headed for the coffee bar for a yummy white chocolate latte before the morning Trivia game. Sadly my team did not win, but that's all right. Next on the agenda was to find a quiet place to read and look at the ocean. Deck 18 is always a good hideaway -- followed by lunch at the grill -- followed by a bit of shopping -- see what I mean? Sea days are cool. Tomorrow we are in Copenhagen again before we start the next leg of the cruise which is an Atlantic crossing. Keep watching this spot.
Today I walked 2 miles on deck 7, then took a long shower and headed for the coffee bar for a yummy white chocolate latte before the morning Trivia game. Sadly my team did not win, but that's all right. Next on the agenda was to find a quiet place to read and look at the ocean. Deck 18 is always a good hideaway -- followed by lunch at the grill -- followed by a bit of shopping -- see what I mean? Sea days are cool. Tomorrow we are in Copenhagen again before we start the next leg of the cruise which is an Atlantic crossing. Keep watching this spot.
100th Country
Today we stepped foot in Sweden, making it our 100th country! This has been a personal goal for over 25 years and one I did not think we would accomplish when I set it! So, the DrCs have been to all 50 US states, all 7 continents and now 100 countries. We are using the list of countries provided by "Century Travel" who list 321 counties on the planet. So we have only covered 1/3 of the world!
We had a short visit to Stockholm which is a beautiful city made up of islands in the largest archipelago in the world. Right now we are sailing thru that archipelago of over 3000 islands as we depart the city and head for Copenhagen. it's a cool day and it's hailing right now! Our guide said that summertime hail was quite rare.
The pictures show the American Embassy in Stockholm and the other shows some of the neat old buildings that line the waterways of the city. Who knew that Stockholm is a "Venice of the North."
We had a short visit to Stockholm which is a beautiful city made up of islands in the largest archipelago in the world. Right now we are sailing thru that archipelago of over 3000 islands as we depart the city and head for Copenhagen. it's a cool day and it's hailing right now! Our guide said that summertime hail was quite rare.
The pictures show the American Embassy in Stockholm and the other shows some of the neat old buildings that line the waterways of the city. Who knew that Stockholm is a "Venice of the North."
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Aarhus, Denmark
It might be the second largest city in Denmark, but I had never heard of it before. It's famous for its university (started in the 1930s), it's culture (named European Culture City--2017), ship building and maybe a recreated "town" of old houses from the 1500s to the present (Den Gamle By).
We drove through the university, walked through an old Lutheran Church, and we walked the grounds of Den Gamle By.
The church was great. It started out as a Catholic Church in the 1100s but was converted to a Lutheran Church by the mid-1500s. Over the years the church was added onto and painted so by the 1960s it was in need of a renovation. That's when they found a wealth of frescos under the whitewash dating from the late 1400s. While they are Catholic in nature they show pre-renaissance logic and form. Fascinating to look at--I took some pictures but I truly needed more time to study them.
The restored town of Den Gamle By was the dream of a teacher, Peter Holm, at the turn of the last century. He noticed that the old houses were being replaced by new ones so he decided that he would save a few from the wrecker's ball. During his lifetime he managed to recreate a village of 25 old homes in a back lot of the Aarhus Botanical Garden--now there are 75 homes and shops on display in a village setting. The houses are pretty authentic with stone streets and of course no sewage or water system. There are several streets each representing a different era from the 1500s, 1700s, 1850s, 1927 and 1974. As the houses become more modern so do the facilities. In the 1500s the streets are rocky--but by the 1700s the streets are paved with larger stones -- and by 1927 the streets are cobblestones with sidewalks. In 1927 a BP fuel pump and electric lights are included. Not quite like Williamsburg or Old Sturbridge Village, but of a similar ilk. Very interesting to see some grand half timbered homes.
The Queen of Denmark was in Aarhus today. We saw her boat and guard, and the back of her coat but we missed her smiling face as she walked up the gangplank. She was opening the annual culture festival of Aarhus.
We drove through the university, walked through an old Lutheran Church, and we walked the grounds of Den Gamle By.
The church was great. It started out as a Catholic Church in the 1100s but was converted to a Lutheran Church by the mid-1500s. Over the years the church was added onto and painted so by the 1960s it was in need of a renovation. That's when they found a wealth of frescos under the whitewash dating from the late 1400s. While they are Catholic in nature they show pre-renaissance logic and form. Fascinating to look at--I took some pictures but I truly needed more time to study them.
The restored town of Den Gamle By was the dream of a teacher, Peter Holm, at the turn of the last century. He noticed that the old houses were being replaced by new ones so he decided that he would save a few from the wrecker's ball. During his lifetime he managed to recreate a village of 25 old homes in a back lot of the Aarhus Botanical Garden--now there are 75 homes and shops on display in a village setting. The houses are pretty authentic with stone streets and of course no sewage or water system. There are several streets each representing a different era from the 1500s, 1700s, 1850s, 1927 and 1974. As the houses become more modern so do the facilities. In the 1500s the streets are rocky--but by the 1700s the streets are paved with larger stones -- and by 1927 the streets are cobblestones with sidewalks. In 1927 a BP fuel pump and electric lights are included. Not quite like Williamsburg or Old Sturbridge Village, but of a similar ilk. Very interesting to see some grand half timbered homes.
The Queen of Denmark was in Aarhus today. We saw her boat and guard, and the back of her coat but we missed her smiling face as she walked up the gangplank. She was opening the annual culture festival of Aarhus.
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