Oct 020 in Review

Epilog

Epilog: Time to Reflect

Our trip to Europe is now finished.  The clothes are unpacked, washed and put away.  We

A handheld GPS can really help you get around

have signed papers on the sale of the house.  We have paid all of the bills that piled up during the month we were gone. We are still waking at 4:00 AM and hope we get over the jet lag soon.  All of the blog entries have been posted.

We would like to share some raves, rants and observations from our trip.- John and Donna Mollan

Rants:

·         Airlines should have a “screaming baby” section apart from the general public.
·         Subways and train stations should have elevators or escalators to accommodate people with mobility issues.
·         With just a tiny bit of effort, most hotels could be wheelchair-friendly.
·         Charging for tap water in a bottle at fancy restaurants really sucks.
·         Taxis should take credit cards.  When first arriving in a country, don’t expect visitors to have Norwegian or Icelandic Kroners or British pounds.
·         Train stations and shopping malls would do well to have non-pay toilets.  Not all travelers carry the local coinage on first entering the country.
·         If you carry only an American Express card, you will have problems in many places.
·         Why can’t the English figure out modern plumbing?
·         Major train stations need to have someone who can really answer questions.
·         People who require assistance with luggage on intercity and international trains are out of luck.
·         None of the places we stayed had an adequate number of electrical outlets.
·         Perhaps I made some bad selections, but some the Belgian beer I tried was unpalatable.
·         Why is the English spoken by the Norwegians and Dutch easier to understand than that spoken by the English?
·         Brussels could use more road signs and directional markers.
·         Would it be too much trouble for hotels to run courtesy vans?
·         Why did we get strange looks from the hotel staff when we asked for ice in our room?
·         Norway is very expensive.  A simple woman’s haircut would run you at least $70, without styling.
·         Europeans smoke everywhere.
Why is it the nearly everyone is taking selfies?
·         Nobody wants to stamp your passport any more.
·         Much of the Wi-Fi, especially the expensive kind on the ship, was unreliable and slow.
·         Your American cell phone won’t work here without special stuff.
·         Be aware that some grocery stores do not supply bags.

Raves:   (commendations)
·         Say what you will about the French, but without exception, they were courteous and helpful.
·         On every type of conveyance, in each country, at least one person offered to give up their seat to Donna without being asked. Kudos!
·         Many of the pedestrian walk lights give you a digital count-down.
·         The Paris subway system is wonderful, once you figure it out.  We were among the few senior couples traveling on it.
·         The cruise port at Harwich is, perhaps, the most efficient operation of its type we have ever encountered.

• Taxes are included in the price you pay. There is no added sales tax.
• Tips are not expected for normal service at restaurants and taxis.
• Alesund Norway is beautiful, uncrowded and un-touristy.  
• What a pleasant surprise!Take the river cruise on the Seine and the canal cruises in Amsterdam.

·         The best kind of food in Paris, is simple French food.  If you want Lebanese or Greek food here, you take your chances.
·         Belgian chocolates are every bit as good as they claim to be.
·         Norway continues to be stunningly beautiful.
·         The crossing from Holland to England on the Stena Line ferry was an interesting experience.
·         With the exception of Iceland, reminders of the Holocaust kept popping up everywhere.
·         Overseas flights still include meals and no baggage charges.  (I wish they included leg room!)
·         Bergen, Norway is still wonderful.
·         There are tiny cars in Europe that make Smart Cars look spacious.
·         Norway and Iceland are relatively crime-free and quite clean.

Comments:
·         John was not solicited by prostitutes in Amsterdam, nor did either of us show any interest in purchasing cannabis at a local “coffee shop.”
·         Everybody is on a cell phone all the time.  Even bicyclists in heavy traffic were texting away.
·         If you don’t watch carefully when you cross the street in Amsterdam, you will get run down by a bicycle, motor scooter or tram (streetcar).
·         The North Sea lives up to its reputation for nasty weather.
·         Drop your laundry off at a neighborhood laundry and have it done for you.  Don’t waste a valuable day of your vacation watching washers spin.
·         Iceland is about the size of New Mexico.  Don’t try to see even a fraction of it in one day.
·         It appears that a majority of workers in England are of Indian origin.
·         Brussels has many interesting things to see, once you find them.
·         While we speak neither Dutch nor French, we were able to read many menus and signs using our knowledge of Spanish and Norwegian.
·         Klaksvik, Faroe Islands, was the only place we saw no graffiti.
·         When you consider the security lines and wait time, it is faster to travel from Paris to Amsterdam on the high speed rail, than it is by air.  You also travel from city centers.  A notice on your rail tickets requests that you be there two minutes before departure.
·         If Paris was only a three hour trip from here, I would travel there several times each year.
·         Don’t waste your time eating at American fast-food places when traveling overseas.  When in Rome…
·         There appeared to be an absence of older people on the streets and on public transportation.
·         It’s really hard to spell Reykjavik correctly.
·         The USA really needs high-speed rail travel.
·         In the Faroe Islands, many shops don’t open until 1:00 PM.
·         You never know what you will have to take off when you go through airport security.
·         Set one of your watches for local time and keep the other on home time.
·         Skype or Facebook can make calling home easier and much cheaper.
·         If you haven’t shed tears at least once during your travels, you haven’t really been there.
·         Always have a second way of taking pictures, other than just your phone or camera.
·         Read at least one book on art history before you leave home.
·         Pack dark clothing.  They will keep clean longer.
·         Be sure to pack a voltage adapter.  Europeans use different voltages and plugs.
·         Pack lightly.  You can buy toothpaste in Europe.
·         Bring your Ziploc bags to breakfast and you won’t have to stop for lunch.
·         A handheld GPS will get you back to your hotel.
·         Take a screenshot of the maps on your smart phone and you can use them, even when offline.
·         Consider using hop on and off style buses to give you an orientation to a new city.

The Longest Day

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

The Longest Day

“It ain’t over ‘til it’s over.” - Yogi Berra

Sunrise over Harwich harbor, August 10

We landed in Harwich, our original point of departure, early on the morning of August 10, grabbed a quick snack at the buffet and were soon off the ship.  We were surprised that we didn’t have to go through customs or immigration.  Perhaps it was because the UK is part of the European Union.  We delivered our bags to the motor coach (translation: bus) that Royal Caribbean had chartered and headed toward Heathrow Airport, a trip of several hours on the motorway. 

Although we have been to a number of countries that drive on the left side of the road, it always sets us a bit off balance to see vehicles pass on the right and take roundabouts in the opposite direction.  The UK and Ireland are the only two countries in Europe that follow this model.  The motorways that we followed did not allow much in the way of scenery, most being screened from the countryside by rows of trees and shrubs.

We were soon at Heathrow, where our driver deposited us at terminal 2.  It has been many years since we were in this airport and the strangeness of this huge complex had us totally baffled.  Our first intention was to go the British Air counter to get our seat assignments and boarding passes for our Tuesday morning flight.  With forty or more airlines serving this terminal, it was soon apparent that we were in the wrong place. With persistence, we finally got some help and were directed to Terminal 5, which could be reached by an underground train.  With the assistance of a number of airport employees, we found the train and reached the correct terminal, where BA was the only carrier.

We, again, required assistance for information and finally got our seat assignments.  Thank God they speak English there!  We grabbed a taxi and headed to our hotel, which advertised itself as being only two miles from the airport.  This may be true, but since Heathrow occupies more real estate than a few small countries, it took us a while to get there.  Our taxi fare was 20 pounds, the most costly of our entire trip, and the driver did not take foreign currency or credit cards.  Donna exchanged $40 at the hotel desk, was able to pay the driver and had a few coins left over.  Apparently, the hotel made a fair amount on the exchange.

We would have to stay overnight and then catch our flight the next morning.  Our room was just big enough for the bed and one suitcase.  It reminded us of some cruise ship cabins.  Oh, well we would only be there overnight.

During our European trip, we were informed by our Realtor that an offer was made on our home on Anderson Island.  We corresponded this entire time by e-mail, although connections were spotty, especially on the ship.  Since the house had been up for sale for over two years, we could not hold back our excitement and apprehension.  Fortunately, everything fell into place (after some additional outlay of money) and it appeared that the house would close a week after our return home.

Even though the trip and cruise were fantastic, we really wanted to be back home to take care of the details of the home sale.

Tuesday would be the longest day of our lives.  Since England is eight hours ahead of the Pacific Time zone, the total length of August 11 would be 32 hours!  We reached Terminal 5 by shuttle bus (and at less than half the fare of the taxi), checked through security, took another Heathrow subway, and were able to board the giant double-decker Airbus that would be our home for the next 12 hours. The airliner was well equipped with video screens and other features, but legroom was not one of them.  John mad the error of not defending his legroom properly and had his knees pinned for much of the trip as the passenger in front of him reclined his seat soon after the flight began. All in all, the flight was tolerable, especially when considering the year or so it would have taken our ancestors to travel this distance; London to Los Angeles, via Cape Horn, in the hold of a square-rigged sailing ship.

Tired, but excited we reached LAX (Los Angeles) at about noon, only a bit behind schedule. We worked our way through immigration, rechecked our undamaged bags for Seattle and tried to find our way over to the Alaska Airlines terminal.  Of all the airports through which we travel, LAX tops the list for confusion and poor design.  Although dog-tired and only through tenacity and mutual support, we were finally able to find our way over the correct terminal, only to find that we, again had to work our way through airport security!

home again, home again

We boarded the Alaska Airlines flight to Seattle and exited the plane shortly after 6:00 PM, nineteen hours after boarding the Airbus at Heathrow.  Arriving at baggage claim, we discovered that the extension handle on our largest bag had been broken somewhere between LAX and Sea-Tac!  This awkward, oversize, 50 lb. tan suitcase had survived three airplane trips, a ferry ride, a cruise, four intercity train trips, countless taxi and bus rides, five hotel rooms and numerous types of abuse, being hauled up and down various staircases, only to be put out of its misery by the baggage bashers at
Alaska Airlines.  Rest in peace.  You’ve done gallant service.

Twenty eight days after the day of departure, we picked up our car from the parking lot. Driving through light traffic, we pulled into our driveway in Lacey, opened the front door and were greeted by our cat, Ocho at 8:00 PM, August 11, exactly 24 hours after waking in London that morning, definitely our longest day!

Choppy Seas on Way Back--Saturday August 8th

August 8th, Saturday-At Sea
Today was a sea day from Iceland south-east in the north Atlantic, heading toward the coast of Scotland. We awoke to stormy seas and rain as we headed back toward the UK. There are no more post days so we are glad that the choppy weather waited until our return trip. We were so lucky to get great weather in all of the ports.
Since it is a sea day, we know it to be a work day for us. We were surprised to learn that we only were only scheduled to present a show today as our Sunday show is cancelled due to a scheduling conflict in the show lounge. We rehearsed in our stateroom in the morning where we were definitely feeling the rolling of the ship in this choppy North Sea conditions.
We attended the Captain's Corner presentation and listened to the senior officers explain the workings of this lovely ship and answer questions from the audience. We always learn something new at these shows and we were not disappointed. 
By the time of our show at 2pm, we were actually surprised to see the large crowd in the audience as

many of the guests were hunkered down in their staterooms due to sea sickness. It was very rocky with 80mph winds across the decks. All of the outside decks were closed.
We had some computer problems during the start of the lecture which added to our stress from the weather conditions but we worked our way through them. We were both stressed but did not show it as we know that regardless, the show must go on. We announced that the Scandinavian trolls that we saw so often in each port must have taken over our computer since the audio did not work at the start of the show and then started working as the show continued. By the ending of the show, we were happy that our Sunday show had been cancelled as we weren't sure what the trolls might do if we had to present another show.
After our show, we retreated to the stateroom for a few hours to relax after the computer stress during our show. Tonight was a formal night but neither of us had the desire to get all dressed up and go to the dining room so we picked up a snack at the snack bar in the Solarium. We attended an excellent production show of tango dancing. We were surprised at how well the dancers did with the rocking of the ship. It was beautifully executed with the dancers tossing each other around and never missing a step or dropping one of the dancers!
We went to bed early as it was easier to do than to try and walk around the ship with the rock and roll conditions. Tomorrow is the final day at sea so we will be relaxing and packing our suitcases in preparation for disembarkation early on Monday morning. We are scheduled to leave the ship by 7 am in Harwich, England and then board a bus for a couple of hour trip to London's Heathrow airport. We are staying overnight near the airport as we

80 mph headwinds across the deck.

have a very long non-stop flight to Los Angeles and then a shorter flight to Seattle. We are both ready to return home after this wonderful month away.

Farewell to Iceland

August 7, 2015
Our time in Iceland was short.  Although the days were long, we only had a limited time to see the many wonders the island. 

We heard some wonderful tales about Iceland's past, many of which were told with a sparklingly dry Scandinavian wit.  By the end of the hour, the musician-storyteller had most of the audience singing along.

fishing nets at dockside

Our ship was in port all night Thursday night,  we decided to enjoy the Icelandic entertainers who were scheduled to perform on our ship at 10:00 PM.  We certainly made the right decision.  The entertainers, most of whom were from the same family, had a wide range of materials, including songs and stories about Iceland.  Some of the songs that the packed theater enjoyed were in English.  Others were sung in Icelandic. 
We awoke at 6:30 on Friday morning, had our breakfast at the Windjammer Cafe and prepared to go ashore, knowing that we must return to the ship by 12:30.  As we stolled out onto an open deck, we were met my a blast of frigid air from the. North.  This caused us to reasess our plans.  We were told that most of the shops in Reykjavik would not be open at an early and there was really not much to do there.  We decided to visit a small dockside souvenir shop and pick up a few items.  The rest of the morning was to be spent refining our next show and relaxing on the solarium deck.

something about strangled bananas?

We may have made a wise decision staying onboard.  Ten minutes before thè gangway was scheduled to be pulled, seven names were called on the ship's intercom.  Apparently these were passengers who had not checked in.  The time for All Aboard passed and, at the last minutè, we spotted three individuals making a dash for the ship from one of the buses.  We never did find out what happened to the other four.
About two hours after our departure, as we were putting our two miles in on the ship's decks, we heard an announcement on the intercom that the ship would be stopping for a helicopter lift for a medical emergency.  The copter hovered over the landing zone for a while and then the patient was hauled aboard. We have witnessed this a few times previously, but it is still quite unusual.
The evening show was hilarious. It was called Graffiti Classics and it was four string players who were not only very talented classical players but they combined their playing with a very funny comedy bit. It reminded us of the old Victor Borge shows that we saw years ago onstage in Portland Oregon.
Two more days with no more ports means two more shows for us to present to the guests. We are looking forward to presenting our shows and also to be preparing to return to our home on Tuesday.

Sunshine in Iceland...A Nice Surprise!

Aug 5-6 Cruising north to Iceland 64 degrees north
Wednesday Aug 5 was a sea day and therefore a work day for us. We rehearsed our afternoon show in the morning and presented it in the main theater at 2 pm. We had a nice sized crowd and they seemed to enjoy our show about the great Danish author that we all remember from our childhood, Hans Christian Andersen.
In the evening, we attended the show featuring a hypnotist. We usually don't care for that kind of show but this one was ok. Just ok not great. He hynotized 16 people from the audience and then had them perform various silly tasks.
On Thursday, our ship docked in the harbor of sunny Reykjavik Iceland.We had never anticipated sunshine in Iceland but the day was perfect. This is our final port of call and we will overnight here. This industrial port is about 2 miles from the city center so the only way to go into town is by excursion or taxi as it is not an easy walk to town.

lava desert

Kari surprised John with a great birthday gift. She emailed to us that she had purchased admission and transportation for both of us to the famous Blue Lagoon. The bus picked us up at 10am and the drive took about 45 minutes to arrive at its destination. This well know tourist attraction seems to be the drawing point for every tourist as it was very busy. The lagoon itself is quite large so it didn't seem crowded to us. They have it so well organized with digital wristbands that lock and open the locker where you leave your clothes and store the bands as you exit. The water was very nice at a temperature around 100 degrees. Even with a breeze the lagoon felt very relaxing. Thanks for a great gift, Kari.
We came back to ship on the bus. It was a large tour bus and the driver asked each person where they wanted to be dropped off and he accomodated everyone. Some wanted to go to the city and others to hotels and some of us wanted to come back to the ship. He made a list of everyoone's destination and drove each of us there.
We had a late lunch and then relaxed in the solarium. It was actually warm enough to change into shorts for the first time since embarking on the cruise.
On Friday, we will still be in port until noon so after breakfast, we will take a shuttle bus into the city and see what is happening in this very modern looking capital city. This is the farthest north capital in the world  and the most northerly point that we have ever been so that is somewhat

Donna at Blue Lagoon

exciting.

On the Way to the Faroes

August 3-4, 2015
Klaksvik, Faroe Islands
We spend the entire day of August 3 crossing the Norwegian Sea.  This stretch of the North Atlantic stretches from Norway to Iceland and is infamous for its stormy weather during all seasons.  We were quite fortunate that the seas were moderate.  While there were many breakers and whitecaps, the wonderful design of the Brilliance of the Seas made for a smooth, pleasant crossing.
I can't ever think about the Norwegian Sea then to think of the horrors faced by the mèrchant seamen during the Second World War as they passed through this area.  Under the terms of the Lend-Lease Act, our ships were attempting to supply our Soviet Allies which much-needed supplies and arms to fight off the Nazi invasion of thier country.  The supplies were bound for Murmansk, a port in the Arctic, directly east of Finland.  As they crossed this stretch of ocean, they were subject to attacks from wolf packs of German U-boats.  As they got further north, German bombers based in Norway put many of these convoys under constant attack. Fortunately, we are in a time of peace now and our ship was able to pass this killing ground without having watch for periscopes and enemy aircraft.
We made our third, and most successful presentation, "Fire and Iceland" at 2:00 got many wonderful comments from the guests following the show.  The comments mean a lot to us and encouraged us to do even better.

"Wool is the gold of the Faroes."

Monday was a formal night and Donna looked beautiful in her outfit.  We were also invited to a special reception. With the captain following dinner, which was quite elegant. The evening's show featurèd a singer, Lorraine Brown, whose talent owned the stage, beginning with her first song.

The Faroese celebrate their Viking ancestry.

John enjoys birthday cake and local brew in Klaksvik

Tuesday, August 4, was John's birthday and we were in the snug little port of Klaksvik, in the Faroe Islands.  This Atlantic outpost is part of the Kingdom of Denmark and has a total population of 50,000 Faroese, most of whom are of Viking descent.  With nasty-looking rain clouds looming, we donned our woolens and anoraks and headed into the town. We were pleased by the simplicity  Therè were few tourist attractions and within two hours, we were able to walk from one end of the town to another.  We stopped by a gift shop and for birthday cake and a beer before returning to the ship for lunch.  Fortunately, the weather held for us and we relaxed in the afternoon in the Solarium Deck.