We had to get up at 6:30 (which just happens to be 12:30am in Texas) to get to the airport in time. All went very well traveling back to Lubbock. I added it all up and we were on an airplane for 13 hours yesterday. Other than sitting on the plane for so long all went well. No delays and made it home right on schedule.
I have a ton of pictures ready to show anyone. I put together a Powerpoint with a limited amount of pictures. 226 as of now.
It was a great trip and we hope that you have enjoyed the blog and our adventure through Europe and England.
Calvin & Dawndra
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Last day in Birmingham
Wow. The time sure has flown by. It seems like for ever ago that we were in Rome, but it sure does not seem like we should be coming home yet. Today we went to the international food festival. It was very fun. There were a ton of vendors selling everything from candy to olives to salami. We were hungry so we got a hand made sausage sandwich. It was very good. We then walked around more and made it to the Bullring Mall. It is huge. We are not big shoppers but we did find some good stuff there. Instead of going out to eat tonight we decided we would just go back to the food festival and get some pizza and baguettes and take to the condo. We were hungry so we got a Spanish dish, then some kind of french potato dish to eat while we were there. It is fun to people watch. People here dress much different than in the US. We did get our food and now back at the condo getting ready to pack to come home. We leave the airport at 9:00 so figuring to head out about 6:30. We have to walk to the train station to get to the airport, and then from there it is a little walk to get checked in and to the gate. We are on different airplanes for about 13 hours tomorrow. Yuck!!!
Will talk to all of you later.
Calvin & Dawndra
Will talk to all of you later.
Calvin & Dawndra
In Birmingham
6/25/09
Today we just relaxed and stayed in Birmingham. We ate dinner at an Indian place called The Blue Mango. Birmingham is known for it Indian food. Our waiter said there is a very large Indian population here. You can tell just looking around. The food was great. Very different and could not tell what spices were used, but good. It is fun to just walk around and see everything that is different. People actually live in boats on the canal here. The boats are very long and skinny.
Tomorrow we are going to a food and drink festival. It should be fun.
C&D
Today we just relaxed and stayed in Birmingham. We ate dinner at an Indian place called The Blue Mango. Birmingham is known for it Indian food. Our waiter said there is a very large Indian population here. You can tell just looking around. The food was great. Very different and could not tell what spices were used, but good. It is fun to just walk around and see everything that is different. People actually live in boats on the canal here. The boats are very long and skinny.
Tomorrow we are going to a food and drink festival. It should be fun.
C&D
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
6/24/2009
After a long day before we headed to London around 10:30. To get the cheaper tickets you go at the less busy time. We got there in a little over an hour. After figuring out we wanted to do a hop on/ hop off bus, we got the ticket and walked the 15 minutes to the closest site. We got on a blue bus first. On it you have to listen to a prerecorded message about the city. We got off in the SOHO district. We walked around a while and found a Chinese restaurant in Chinatown. It is always scary eating over here not knowing for sure what you will get. But at a Chinese restaurant it went to a whole new level. They had a few pictures, but not on the main dishes. We ate a crab meat and shrimp appetizer, and I had a mixed seafood and noodles and Dawndra had the hot plate with chicken and vegetables and white rice. It was all great. We were very impressed. We headed back to the bus and got on a red line. It has a person talking about all the sites. The person we had was ‘Pat’. I finally noticed the name tag, Alison, so we assumed girl. She was pretty knowledgeable but very dry. She would try to make a joke, but it did not come over well at all. It was better than the pre recorded. We rode around for quite a while just taking in the city. We got off at Buckingham palace and saw the guards there. They did something, but we were not sure what. At that point we got back on and rode for two stops till the end. Then we decided to walk to eat and then the theater. It was a longer walk than we thought. We made it in plenty of time and went to eat at a place called Leon’s. It was ok. It was a very casual place and quick. Then the theater. We went to see ‘A Duet for One’. It is a two person play about a violinist that get MS and goes to her psychologist. It was ok. The theater was a very cool building. I wish I could have got to know some history about it. After it was over we high tailed it to the underground to catch it to the train station. And yes, Philip, we did ‘Mind the Gap’!! It was a rush but we made it to the train after running through the station. The train back to Birmingham was much longer. We are not sure why, but is was running at about half speed compared to the way there. We did get to read a lot. I was hoping on the train we would get to see a lot of the country side. But the train is in between trees most of the way and it is very difficult to see much. We finally made it back to our condo at about 1:30.
C&D
After a long day before we headed to London around 10:30. To get the cheaper tickets you go at the less busy time. We got there in a little over an hour. After figuring out we wanted to do a hop on/ hop off bus, we got the ticket and walked the 15 minutes to the closest site. We got on a blue bus first. On it you have to listen to a prerecorded message about the city. We got off in the SOHO district. We walked around a while and found a Chinese restaurant in Chinatown. It is always scary eating over here not knowing for sure what you will get. But at a Chinese restaurant it went to a whole new level. They had a few pictures, but not on the main dishes. We ate a crab meat and shrimp appetizer, and I had a mixed seafood and noodles and Dawndra had the hot plate with chicken and vegetables and white rice. It was all great. We were very impressed. We headed back to the bus and got on a red line. It has a person talking about all the sites. The person we had was ‘Pat’. I finally noticed the name tag, Alison, so we assumed girl. She was pretty knowledgeable but very dry. She would try to make a joke, but it did not come over well at all. It was better than the pre recorded. We rode around for quite a while just taking in the city. We got off at Buckingham palace and saw the guards there. They did something, but we were not sure what. At that point we got back on and rode for two stops till the end. Then we decided to walk to eat and then the theater. It was a longer walk than we thought. We made it in plenty of time and went to eat at a place called Leon’s. It was ok. It was a very casual place and quick. Then the theater. We went to see ‘A Duet for One’. It is a two person play about a violinist that get MS and goes to her psychologist. It was ok. The theater was a very cool building. I wish I could have got to know some history about it. After it was over we high tailed it to the underground to catch it to the train station. And yes, Philip, we did ‘Mind the Gap’!! It was a rush but we made it to the train after running through the station. The train back to Birmingham was much longer. We are not sure why, but is was running at about half speed compared to the way there. We did get to read a lot. I was hoping on the train we would get to see a lot of the country side. But the train is in between trees most of the way and it is very difficult to see much. We finally made it back to our condo at about 1:30.
C&D
Edinburg, Scotland
6/22/2009
Today was very busy. We got up at 5:15 to get to the bus station in time for a 6:00am departure to Edinburg Scotland. It was very eventful. We got to the bus station and the entrance we were use to was not open. So we had to run, and I mean run, about 1/2 of a mile or more to get to the main entrance and onto the train. We did make it but with a little rushed. It was a 5 hour train ride. We took breakfast stuff and sandwiches for on the train. That is what they sell too, so might as well take our own. Edinburg is very nice. It started sprinkling not too long after we got there, but not that bad. We went to Edinburg Castle and saw it. Then headed back to town. There is a Scottish Whiskey Experience and we did that. It was interesting to hear about how it is made and what makes it different. Also the difference in single malt and blended. We got to taste some. Straight. It was a little rough going down, but nice. They have the worlds largest collection of Scotch. From there we walked downhill to the Scottish Parlament building. We did not take the whole tour, just the basic. There is a lot of history in Scotland. We had walked past a Mexican restaurant, Pancho Villa’s, and wanted to eat there. Of course it was closed by the time we got there. So we found a little pub and had some fish and chips. The waiter there told us the Underground Haunted tour. It was interesting. Not sure if it is real, but neither of us took up the offer of walking through a circle of stones that was to bring bad luck. Just being in there was spooky enough. At that point we headed back to the train. We are always nervous about missing our ride. We were booked on the last train back, so there was no room for error. The ride back seemed much longer, but at least we could read and sleep.
We are missing everyone and sad our vacation is coming to an end, but so ready to see everyone.
C& D
Today was very busy. We got up at 5:15 to get to the bus station in time for a 6:00am departure to Edinburg Scotland. It was very eventful. We got to the bus station and the entrance we were use to was not open. So we had to run, and I mean run, about 1/2 of a mile or more to get to the main entrance and onto the train. We did make it but with a little rushed. It was a 5 hour train ride. We took breakfast stuff and sandwiches for on the train. That is what they sell too, so might as well take our own. Edinburg is very nice. It started sprinkling not too long after we got there, but not that bad. We went to Edinburg Castle and saw it. Then headed back to town. There is a Scottish Whiskey Experience and we did that. It was interesting to hear about how it is made and what makes it different. Also the difference in single malt and blended. We got to taste some. Straight. It was a little rough going down, but nice. They have the worlds largest collection of Scotch. From there we walked downhill to the Scottish Parlament building. We did not take the whole tour, just the basic. There is a lot of history in Scotland. We had walked past a Mexican restaurant, Pancho Villa’s, and wanted to eat there. Of course it was closed by the time we got there. So we found a little pub and had some fish and chips. The waiter there told us the Underground Haunted tour. It was interesting. Not sure if it is real, but neither of us took up the offer of walking through a circle of stones that was to bring bad luck. Just being in there was spooky enough. At that point we headed back to the train. We are always nervous about missing our ride. We were booked on the last train back, so there was no room for error. The ride back seemed much longer, but at least we could read and sleep.
We are missing everyone and sad our vacation is coming to an end, but so ready to see everyone.
C& D
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Sunday afternoon.
2/21/09
We went to the convention opening ceremony. We had a little problem getting there. We were feeling real good about the train. We got on the right train, just did not get off of it. It look like we were waiting to get to the stop then we took off. We are still no sure how we were to get off there, but we had to go to Coventry to the next stop to get off and get on the train going back the other direction. So we were a little late. We also for got our tickets and the convention security would not let us in so we went back to a Rotary guy who said we could and he snuck us in a back door. It was very interesting and fun to see all of what Rotary is and how international it is.
PS: Kaylen, Aunt D is curious to know how summer camp was? Hope you had a great time!!
We then went back to the condo and changed a little and went to eat. We first ate a place called Pitchers and Piano Bar. They had pitchers but no piano. Interesting!! The food is always good but just a little different spices than we are use to. We had nachos, and they were good, but not quite our dive nachos. We were still hungry but decided to go to another place. They have an 'O bar' so we had to go there. It is much classier than the 34th st O Bar!
We did make plans for the next several days. Tomorrow we are getting up and leaving at 6:00 am for Edingburg Scotland. Then on Tuesday we are going to London. The ticket lady was very helpful in deciding what to do. She highly recomended Edingburg. Plus that will make the eighth country we will get to. We will just be winging it there, but I am sure it will be fun. Too bad that I will not be able to get some golf in there :( We will be going to a play in London, Duet for One. We hope it will be great.
Well that is it for today. Not sure if we will blog again for the next couple of days since we will be gone most of the time getting in very late.
Calvin & Dawndra
PS: Make some comments, i keep looking and not much>
We went to the convention opening ceremony. We had a little problem getting there. We were feeling real good about the train. We got on the right train, just did not get off of it. It look like we were waiting to get to the stop then we took off. We are still no sure how we were to get off there, but we had to go to Coventry to the next stop to get off and get on the train going back the other direction. So we were a little late. We also for got our tickets and the convention security would not let us in so we went back to a Rotary guy who said we could and he snuck us in a back door. It was very interesting and fun to see all of what Rotary is and how international it is.
PS: Kaylen, Aunt D is curious to know how summer camp was? Hope you had a great time!!
We then went back to the condo and changed a little and went to eat. We first ate a place called Pitchers and Piano Bar. They had pitchers but no piano. Interesting!! The food is always good but just a little different spices than we are use to. We had nachos, and they were good, but not quite our dive nachos. We were still hungry but decided to go to another place. They have an 'O bar' so we had to go there. It is much classier than the 34th st O Bar!
We did make plans for the next several days. Tomorrow we are getting up and leaving at 6:00 am for Edingburg Scotland. Then on Tuesday we are going to London. The ticket lady was very helpful in deciding what to do. She highly recomended Edingburg. Plus that will make the eighth country we will get to. We will just be winging it there, but I am sure it will be fun. Too bad that I will not be able to get some golf in there :( We will be going to a play in London, Duet for One. We hope it will be great.
Well that is it for today. Not sure if we will blog again for the next couple of days since we will be gone most of the time getting in very late.
Calvin & Dawndra
PS: Make some comments, i keep looking and not much>
Sunday in Birmingham
6/21/09
Today we have been just hanging out at the hotel. We walked to the gym so Dawndra could work out and I walked back and had a cup of Belgium Chocolate Mousse and am blogging. We will be going to the opening ceremony at 2:30. It is suppose to be very amazing. We will let you know.
C&D
Today we have been just hanging out at the hotel. We walked to the gym so Dawndra could work out and I walked back and had a cup of Belgium Chocolate Mousse and am blogging. We will be going to the opening ceremony at 2:30. It is suppose to be very amazing. We will let you know.
C&D
Easy day in Birmingham
6/20/09
Today we did not do much. The 10k was cancelled. We have not found out why, but we have mixed emotions on not doing it. For one, we are upset because we had planned on it. But on the other hand, we were extremely tired after 2 busy days and a lot of walking. We did go to the convention and walk around the House of Friendship that has a lot of booths and vendors. We got our convention bag. They have a carousal and a big slide. Of course we did both of those. It was a lot of fun. We then headed back to the hotel. We stopped by a grocery store to pick up some food. All the restaurants are great, but we just want to eat in some. The hotel has a great kitchen, so we are going to just eat in sometimes. We had a great pasta and green bean meal.
C&D
Today we did not do much. The 10k was cancelled. We have not found out why, but we have mixed emotions on not doing it. For one, we are upset because we had planned on it. But on the other hand, we were extremely tired after 2 busy days and a lot of walking. We did go to the convention and walk around the House of Friendship that has a lot of booths and vendors. We got our convention bag. They have a carousal and a big slide. Of course we did both of those. It was a lot of fun. We then headed back to the hotel. We stopped by a grocery store to pick up some food. All the restaurants are great, but we just want to eat in some. The hotel has a great kitchen, so we are going to just eat in sometimes. We had a great pasta and green bean meal.
C&D
6/19/2009
Amsterdam
Well, sorry I have not blogged. There was a lot going on. We docked in Amsterdam very early and had to get off the ship by 7:30am! We had a very adventurous day. We had to get our luggage to the airport so we would not be dragging it around all day. We got to the airport via tram and got our luggage checked in ok. KLM is very deceptive. They say only one checked at 22kg and they mean it, but you can carry on 2 bags and they do not weigh them which the website gives a restrictions. We ended up shipping one of our bags via courier because it was cheaper than paying KLM their outrages rate to have an extra bag. We then stored our carryon’s in a locker and took the train into Amsterdam. Now that city is different. We did not really have enough time to do much sightseeing, so we just walked around and looked. Even in the non Red Light District there is a lot of inappropriate things to see. Not a good place to take children we figured out quickly. We did stop to eat and drink a beer at a neat restaurant, and to go to the bathroom. Bathrooms in Europe are not as plentiful and most seem to cost if you are not a patron of the place. Of course we did walk through the Red Light District during the day light. Not that is an interesting area. I will keep this pg so we will have to explain in person more if you want.
We then decided to get back to the airport. We stopped at a little bar and had a beer and bathroom stop. It was fun. Amsterdam airport is huge. The flight was on an incredibily small plane, but was ok. Once in Birmingham we went to the convention site and got checked in. With the Rotary badge all trains and busses in Birmingham are free. We then hauled our luggage to the train and worked to figure that out to get to our hotel. We ask a lot of questions to make sure we are doing the right thing and doing it quicker. We got to the train station in the city centre where we are staying and still had to get to the hotel. We did find it after taking the long way around. Our hotel is great. It is more like an apartment. It has a bedroom, bathroom and open living room/kitchen. We did go eat pizza for dinner and then to bed early since we had been moving all day.
Calvin & Dawndra
Amsterdam
Well, sorry I have not blogged. There was a lot going on. We docked in Amsterdam very early and had to get off the ship by 7:30am! We had a very adventurous day. We had to get our luggage to the airport so we would not be dragging it around all day. We got to the airport via tram and got our luggage checked in ok. KLM is very deceptive. They say only one checked at 22kg and they mean it, but you can carry on 2 bags and they do not weigh them which the website gives a restrictions. We ended up shipping one of our bags via courier because it was cheaper than paying KLM their outrages rate to have an extra bag. We then stored our carryon’s in a locker and took the train into Amsterdam. Now that city is different. We did not really have enough time to do much sightseeing, so we just walked around and looked. Even in the non Red Light District there is a lot of inappropriate things to see. Not a good place to take children we figured out quickly. We did stop to eat and drink a beer at a neat restaurant, and to go to the bathroom. Bathrooms in Europe are not as plentiful and most seem to cost if you are not a patron of the place. Of course we did walk through the Red Light District during the day light. Not that is an interesting area. I will keep this pg so we will have to explain in person more if you want.
We then decided to get back to the airport. We stopped at a little bar and had a beer and bathroom stop. It was fun. Amsterdam airport is huge. The flight was on an incredibily small plane, but was ok. Once in Birmingham we went to the convention site and got checked in. With the Rotary badge all trains and busses in Birmingham are free. We then hauled our luggage to the train and worked to figure that out to get to our hotel. We ask a lot of questions to make sure we are doing the right thing and doing it quicker. We got to the train station in the city centre where we are staying and still had to get to the hotel. We did find it after taking the long way around. Our hotel is great. It is more like an apartment. It has a bedroom, bathroom and open living room/kitchen. We did go eat pizza for dinner and then to bed early since we had been moving all day.
Calvin & Dawndra
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Belgium
6/18/2009
Brugge, Belgium
We had a great day. It started out tough because time changed here by losing an hour. We have changed times a twice already and I think we gain the hour back tomorrow going from Amsterdam to Birmingham, England. Brugge is about 30-40 miles from the port which is very industrial. We ported in a Blankenburg (not that is not because it is a bad word) and took a bus to the train station, then a 10-12 minute ride into Brugge. Brugge is another beautiful European town. We walked, of course, to the city center. Brugge is not as old as some of the other towns we have been to, but still amazing. We found the shopping street and market and walked around there. Also, there was the old churches and bell tower here. We were hungry so we found a small restaurant and got a Belgium Beer and some spring rolls. They had quite an extensive menu, but like some other places, they do not have near all that is on it. They only had about 15% of the items that were actually on the menu. I am not sure at all why they have a menu, when it is easier for them just to tell us what they have. Dawndra’s beer was a blonde beer and was good, I had a darker beer and it was not that good. It had maybe a ginger taste to it. We were not all that pleased there and it was expensive, but the waitress was very nice and helpful. We then went on our chocolate shopping spree. We looked around at several of the chocolate shops before buying. And once we bought, we bought. There are many different types of chocolate to choose from. The dark chocolates have a percentage on them to how dark they are. We got some of all of them!!! We then walked back to the train station to make sure we would get back on time. In the train station we had a waffle. Of course I got the chocolate and Dawndra got the plain. And they were good!! We sat on the train with some other people from the ship and once back in Blankenburg we all went to a restaurant to have some mussels, frites (that fries for you American types) and beers. Mussels are a Belgium specialty so we had to have them. I ordered one order which is was 1.3 kilograms (which is like 3 pounds) for 24 Euros. We all shared them, but I ate the majority. We were trying to hurry to catch the bus back to the port so I was being very barbaric eating with my hands and getting very dirty. The mussels were incredible. It was a lot of fun just hanging out with some others from the ship. We then had to get to the bus and wait (like always) for it to fill up before heading back to the ship. Once on the bus, Dawndra realized that she left HER bag of chocolates at the restaurant. So, I being the nice guy I am, ran back to get them. I did make it back in plenty of time.
We are now on the boat having to pack. ): It is very difficult because we have bought plenty and we are restricted to one checked bag going to Birmingham. We will be able to have two checked each on the way home because it is an international flight. So, Dawndra being the efficient packer is packing and I am blogging. We have to have our bags ready by midnight for them to get them off the ship tomorrow. We are not real happy to have to ending our cruise. It has been wonderful, but we will be moving on to our next adventure in Birmingham.
Tomorrow is going to be an adventure in itself. We depart the ship at 7:30am and will be heading to the airport to get our bags checked in and our boarding passes. We are doing this early so we will be able to go into Amsterdam and visit for a while. Like all places, we are not exactly sure what we will end up doing, but we know it will be fun.
Till next time,
Calvin & Dawndra
Brugge, Belgium
We had a great day. It started out tough because time changed here by losing an hour. We have changed times a twice already and I think we gain the hour back tomorrow going from Amsterdam to Birmingham, England. Brugge is about 30-40 miles from the port which is very industrial. We ported in a Blankenburg (not that is not because it is a bad word) and took a bus to the train station, then a 10-12 minute ride into Brugge. Brugge is another beautiful European town. We walked, of course, to the city center. Brugge is not as old as some of the other towns we have been to, but still amazing. We found the shopping street and market and walked around there. Also, there was the old churches and bell tower here. We were hungry so we found a small restaurant and got a Belgium Beer and some spring rolls. They had quite an extensive menu, but like some other places, they do not have near all that is on it. They only had about 15% of the items that were actually on the menu. I am not sure at all why they have a menu, when it is easier for them just to tell us what they have. Dawndra’s beer was a blonde beer and was good, I had a darker beer and it was not that good. It had maybe a ginger taste to it. We were not all that pleased there and it was expensive, but the waitress was very nice and helpful. We then went on our chocolate shopping spree. We looked around at several of the chocolate shops before buying. And once we bought, we bought. There are many different types of chocolate to choose from. The dark chocolates have a percentage on them to how dark they are. We got some of all of them!!! We then walked back to the train station to make sure we would get back on time. In the train station we had a waffle. Of course I got the chocolate and Dawndra got the plain. And they were good!! We sat on the train with some other people from the ship and once back in Blankenburg we all went to a restaurant to have some mussels, frites (that fries for you American types) and beers. Mussels are a Belgium specialty so we had to have them. I ordered one order which is was 1.3 kilograms (which is like 3 pounds) for 24 Euros. We all shared them, but I ate the majority. We were trying to hurry to catch the bus back to the port so I was being very barbaric eating with my hands and getting very dirty. The mussels were incredible. It was a lot of fun just hanging out with some others from the ship. We then had to get to the bus and wait (like always) for it to fill up before heading back to the ship. Once on the bus, Dawndra realized that she left HER bag of chocolates at the restaurant. So, I being the nice guy I am, ran back to get them. I did make it back in plenty of time.
We are now on the boat having to pack. ): It is very difficult because we have bought plenty and we are restricted to one checked bag going to Birmingham. We will be able to have two checked each on the way home because it is an international flight. So, Dawndra being the efficient packer is packing and I am blogging. We have to have our bags ready by midnight for them to get them off the ship tomorrow. We are not real happy to have to ending our cruise. It has been wonderful, but we will be moving on to our next adventure in Birmingham.
Tomorrow is going to be an adventure in itself. We depart the ship at 7:30am and will be heading to the airport to get our bags checked in and our boarding passes. We are doing this early so we will be able to go into Amsterdam and visit for a while. Like all places, we are not exactly sure what we will end up doing, but we know it will be fun.
Till next time,
Calvin & Dawndra
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Dover England, and Canterbury
6/17/2009
Dover England
We docked around 8:00am and got going soon afterwards. We never try to get out early because the shore excursions get priority getting off in the morning. So we eat a nice breakfast and then get going. From out of our balcony we could see the famous white cliffs and Dover Castle. We took the double decker bus to Dover Castle to start our day. The castle was first built in the 1000’s and then was added on to and rebuilt for many years. It is just amazing how old it is and what they did there. It was built as a castle but used for many years as a fort and lookout for enemies coming from Europe. France is just 20 miles across the English Channel so we could see it from the top. There are many defensive areas and underground tunnels experience.
From Dover Castle, we walked to the town center and shopped and walked around for a while then went to the train station to go to Canterbury. The train ride was only about 15 minutes. Canterbury is very walkable. We walked to the city centre and shopped and saw the cathedral. We were heading to St. Augustine’s Abbey and went into a local pottery shop. We found some great things and talked to the store owner and potter. We also shopped at a market area that had all kinds of street vendors. He told us of a neat church that we should see too. St. Augustine’s Abbey was such an experience. It is considered by many of the birthplace of Christianity in southern England. Even though it is just the ruins of many buildings, it was amazing. We took many pictures that we can share later. From there we went to St Martin’s Church, it is the oldest parish church in England that is still in use. It is very small but so cool. The church is in the middle of a cemetery, or the cemetery ended up around it, but it is pretty eery. I am sure that we were the only ones off of the ship to see St. Martin’s Church. At that point our feet were pretty tired. So we went into the city centre and had a beer and some chips(fries) and onion rings. As we were heading that way I saw a place that sold Dr. Pepper so I bought one. It was not Dr. Pepper!!!! It tasted like it had licorice in it. Gross!! I could not even drink it all. I always like to try the local beers at least once to see what they are. We do seem to find the most local of places. This small pub with an outside sitting area seemed to be only locals. When ordering the food one patron could tell I was from Texas even before seeing my TTU t-shirt. We got to experience a homeless lady at the pub also. One patron and the bartender did a very good job of keeping her away and making her leave once she started bugging people. It is interesting to know that they have this problem too. At this point we headed back to the train to get back to Dover and the ship. Even as simple as it all sounds we wanted to make sure we got on the right train and get off at the correct station. From the station I thought there was a bus to take us back to the port, but there was not. Since we had time we walked the 30 minutes back to the ship. We are very worn out, so we just went to the buffet and got food to bring back to our room. We can drink wine and enjoy it just as much with out paying the corkage fee. Now we are going to just relax and get ready for tomorrow.
Cheers, tomorrow Brugge Belgium (drinking some beer)
C&D
Dover England
We docked around 8:00am and got going soon afterwards. We never try to get out early because the shore excursions get priority getting off in the morning. So we eat a nice breakfast and then get going. From out of our balcony we could see the famous white cliffs and Dover Castle. We took the double decker bus to Dover Castle to start our day. The castle was first built in the 1000’s and then was added on to and rebuilt for many years. It is just amazing how old it is and what they did there. It was built as a castle but used for many years as a fort and lookout for enemies coming from Europe. France is just 20 miles across the English Channel so we could see it from the top. There are many defensive areas and underground tunnels experience.
From Dover Castle, we walked to the town center and shopped and walked around for a while then went to the train station to go to Canterbury. The train ride was only about 15 minutes. Canterbury is very walkable. We walked to the city centre and shopped and saw the cathedral. We were heading to St. Augustine’s Abbey and went into a local pottery shop. We found some great things and talked to the store owner and potter. We also shopped at a market area that had all kinds of street vendors. He told us of a neat church that we should see too. St. Augustine’s Abbey was such an experience. It is considered by many of the birthplace of Christianity in southern England. Even though it is just the ruins of many buildings, it was amazing. We took many pictures that we can share later. From there we went to St Martin’s Church, it is the oldest parish church in England that is still in use. It is very small but so cool. The church is in the middle of a cemetery, or the cemetery ended up around it, but it is pretty eery. I am sure that we were the only ones off of the ship to see St. Martin’s Church. At that point our feet were pretty tired. So we went into the city centre and had a beer and some chips(fries) and onion rings. As we were heading that way I saw a place that sold Dr. Pepper so I bought one. It was not Dr. Pepper!!!! It tasted like it had licorice in it. Gross!! I could not even drink it all. I always like to try the local beers at least once to see what they are. We do seem to find the most local of places. This small pub with an outside sitting area seemed to be only locals. When ordering the food one patron could tell I was from Texas even before seeing my TTU t-shirt. We got to experience a homeless lady at the pub also. One patron and the bartender did a very good job of keeping her away and making her leave once she started bugging people. It is interesting to know that they have this problem too. At this point we headed back to the train to get back to Dover and the ship. Even as simple as it all sounds we wanted to make sure we got on the right train and get off at the correct station. From the station I thought there was a bus to take us back to the port, but there was not. Since we had time we walked the 30 minutes back to the ship. We are very worn out, so we just went to the buffet and got food to bring back to our room. We can drink wine and enjoy it just as much with out paying the corkage fee. Now we are going to just relax and get ready for tomorrow.
Cheers, tomorrow Brugge Belgium (drinking some beer)
C&D
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Guernsey England
6/16/2009
Guernsey, England
Guernsey is a very interesting place. Joan Taylor (LesLee’s Mom) told us of a book to read, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Pie Society, so we had an idea of what all went on on the Island during WWII. We walked through the shopping district quickly and found out that there was not much for us to buy. It is amazing how many American brands there are in Europe. We then rented bicycles to ride around the island. We were going to rent scooters, but they question whether or not we had a license or experience and Dawndra was honest and said she did not. I was willing to go with the untruth. The bicycles were fun. Within the first 50 yards I changed gears and the whole rear derailer broke. Like shattered. Pieces all over the street. I had to walk it back holding the rear tire off the ground. The shop owner apologized and got me another bike. After that we were good. The first ¼ of a mile was uphill and steep and busted my butt. Dawndra does spin classes so was in better shape than I. From that point it seemed down hill. I am not sure how that works since at some point you have to go uphill, but we never really got to that point. On a bike you see a lot more than in a motor vehicle. The houses and foliage was beautiful. We stopped at one fort area that was neat to see. The map showed a Guernsey Candle place and we went there. It was not what we expected. We can buy Yankee and Woodwick candles in the LBK. We continued riding on the very narrow streets around the island. We found the Half Moon Café to eat at. It was good. We have to remember ‘chips’ are fries. Still not sure what they call chips? From there we could tell it was going to be uphill any way we went. There was the Underground Museum so we went to it. It was about the German Occupation of the island during WWII. After that we figured we should get the bikes back and head toward the ship. It was uphill to the bike shop. Legs were a burning on that short ride. The streets here are not like Lubbock at all. No North/South, East/West going on here. We then headed back to the dock to tender to the ship. We had a very good meal with an excellent wine that we picked up in Spain. We have thoroughly enjoyed drinking all of the wine we have purchased here.
Tomorrow, Dover England
Calvin & Dawndra
Guernsey, England
Guernsey is a very interesting place. Joan Taylor (LesLee’s Mom) told us of a book to read, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Pie Society, so we had an idea of what all went on on the Island during WWII. We walked through the shopping district quickly and found out that there was not much for us to buy. It is amazing how many American brands there are in Europe. We then rented bicycles to ride around the island. We were going to rent scooters, but they question whether or not we had a license or experience and Dawndra was honest and said she did not. I was willing to go with the untruth. The bicycles were fun. Within the first 50 yards I changed gears and the whole rear derailer broke. Like shattered. Pieces all over the street. I had to walk it back holding the rear tire off the ground. The shop owner apologized and got me another bike. After that we were good. The first ¼ of a mile was uphill and steep and busted my butt. Dawndra does spin classes so was in better shape than I. From that point it seemed down hill. I am not sure how that works since at some point you have to go uphill, but we never really got to that point. On a bike you see a lot more than in a motor vehicle. The houses and foliage was beautiful. We stopped at one fort area that was neat to see. The map showed a Guernsey Candle place and we went there. It was not what we expected. We can buy Yankee and Woodwick candles in the LBK. We continued riding on the very narrow streets around the island. We found the Half Moon Café to eat at. It was good. We have to remember ‘chips’ are fries. Still not sure what they call chips? From there we could tell it was going to be uphill any way we went. There was the Underground Museum so we went to it. It was about the German Occupation of the island during WWII. After that we figured we should get the bikes back and head toward the ship. It was uphill to the bike shop. Legs were a burning on that short ride. The streets here are not like Lubbock at all. No North/South, East/West going on here. We then headed back to the dock to tender to the ship. We had a very good meal with an excellent wine that we picked up in Spain. We have thoroughly enjoyed drinking all of the wine we have purchased here.
Tomorrow, Dover England
Calvin & Dawndra
Another day at sea.
6/15/2009
Day at sea. We did absolutely nothing. Sleep, eat, sleep, eat, and sleep!!! What a day. Ok, we did get dressed up to go eat at the formal Farwell dinner.
Day at sea. We did absolutely nothing. Sleep, eat, sleep, eat, and sleep!!! What a day. Ok, we did get dressed up to go eat at the formal Farwell dinner.
Days at sea would seem useless, but they are such a recharging day after being so active the days before.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
More of Bordeaux!!
C&D
6/14 9:30pm
What a day!!!! From lunch time we walked to the city center and browsed around. Almost all of the shops were closed. Most restaurants were open. We happened upon a cool little wine shop and the guy could speak enough English to explain the Bordeaux wines. Of course we bought some. We just walked around, then it started sprinkling and we found the ‘petite train’ and rode it for an hour that took us around Bordeaux and showed us many of the sites. WOW, what history there is here. After the train ride we were hungry and wanted to find a off the tourist track place to eat. Boy did we find it. It was a great small café called Le Petite Commerce. It was so fun to try and figure out what we wanted. The menu on the wall was all French and no pictures. We had the steak with a salad and mash potatoes. It was not at all like we have in the states. It had an unusual spice that we could not figure out.
Tomorrow is another day at sea, so not much will happen, just a lot of rest.
C&D
6/14 9:30pm
What a day!!!! From lunch time we walked to the city center and browsed around. Almost all of the shops were closed. Most restaurants were open. We happened upon a cool little wine shop and the guy could speak enough English to explain the Bordeaux wines. Of course we bought some. We just walked around, then it started sprinkling and we found the ‘petite train’ and rode it for an hour that took us around Bordeaux and showed us many of the sites. WOW, what history there is here. After the train ride we were hungry and wanted to find a off the tourist track place to eat. Boy did we find it. It was a great small café called Le Petite Commerce. It was so fun to try and figure out what we wanted. The menu on the wall was all French and no pictures. We had the steak with a salad and mash potatoes. It was not at all like we have in the states. It had an unusual spice that we could not figure out.
Tomorrow is another day at sea, so not much will happen, just a lot of rest.
C&D
Life In Bordeaux
Well, it has been a day so far. We went to another outdoor market and had oysters and a bottle of wine. You can buy a bottle of wine in the market and they will open it for you and you dink it while you walk in little plastic cups. It is a very hot day here. We also went to an outlet mall and shopped some. We both found some shoes at a great sale. I found some that Korey would like, but not sure his size and not sure I wanted to spend that kind of Euros on him!!
We are now at a cafe on the river drinking wine and beer. We ordered by choosing what the guy next to us was eating. We are trying to be safe. It looked good, will let you know later how it was.
We keep recalling how everyone kept telling us that 'everyone' speaks english. We must not be able to find 'everyone'. There are some here in Europe that speak english but the majority that we have encountered speak none to very little.
Bordeaux France
6/14/2009 11:00am
Happy Anniversary Jerry and Karen!! Dawndra sends her love. Have fun in Ruidoso!!
Today we awoke going down the Garonne River. It was about 1-1/2 – 2 hours to get to Bordeaux and get docked. It is a beautiful scenic route that I think very few cruise ships can make because of their size. As we got into Bordeaux the city is incredible. The closer we got to the dock, there were more and more people watching and waving to us. The at the ‘dock’, not like any other we have been at there were probably hundreds watching us dock. We do not think they see many cruise ships come in. It was very interesting because there was a crane with a ramp to put up to the ship to get the service items and food on, I think. As they were moving into position they noticed it was too big to fit on the dock and just gave up. It was kind of humorous. Another sign that they do not do this often. The view from our balcony is great view of the Bourse Maritime and the La Taverne de Maitre Kanter.
As always, we are not exactly sure of our plans, but it will be a great day. We have to be back on board by 10:00pm or we can not make back out under the bridge because of the tide. I heard we only cleared it my a meter coming in.
Will blog again as can!!
We miss all of you, but having a blast of a lifetime!
C&D
Happy Anniversary Jerry and Karen!! Dawndra sends her love. Have fun in Ruidoso!!
Today we awoke going down the Garonne River. It was about 1-1/2 – 2 hours to get to Bordeaux and get docked. It is a beautiful scenic route that I think very few cruise ships can make because of their size. As we got into Bordeaux the city is incredible. The closer we got to the dock, there were more and more people watching and waving to us. The at the ‘dock’, not like any other we have been at there were probably hundreds watching us dock. We do not think they see many cruise ships come in. It was very interesting because there was a crane with a ramp to put up to the ship to get the service items and food on, I think. As they were moving into position they noticed it was too big to fit on the dock and just gave up. It was kind of humorous. Another sign that they do not do this often. The view from our balcony is great view of the Bourse Maritime and the La Taverne de Maitre Kanter.
As always, we are not exactly sure of our plans, but it will be a great day. We have to be back on board by 10:00pm or we can not make back out under the bridge because of the tide. I heard we only cleared it my a meter coming in.
Will blog again as can!!
We miss all of you, but having a blast of a lifetime!
C&D
Hendaye France
6/13/2009
Hendaye, France
We really had no idea what we were going to in Hendaye. Through all my research I could not really find anything on it other than travel into Baritz or just wing it in Hendaye. Of course we decided to wing it, and what a day. We had to wait a lot for the tender to get to shore. They never seem to be able to get the tenders (or as I call them the lifeboats) ready to go as soon as they say. It is kind of frustrating, but we have figured that out and just do not get in a hurry. The view from our balcony was incredible. We could see the Basque region of France to the left and Spain on our right. How many of you saw two countries this morning out your window??? There are many sailboats in this area and beautiful beaches. The tender ride was very pretty. It is Saturday so there was a lot of activity. We arrived planning on walking to the city center, once on shore there was a ‘flea market’, so we just walked through it and shopped. Then of course we found the grocery store and made sure they had wine and beer there. I think every store has wine and beer in Europe! We then walked further and found some restaurants for lunch. We are still nervous about menus without pictures. We found a little pizza place and decided on it. Trying to play it safe we ordered the Trois Fromage ( 3 cheese) (also, Kathy Coll if you are reading this, I do not need any French lessons ;) ) and who knew Blue cheese has a totally different name in French. Dawndra was not that thrilled with the choice once it arrive. But the beer was cold to wash it down. We then went to the beach. And yes, tops were optional. It is very interesting to see who goes topless. And no, I did not wear the Speedo. Thanks Crystal!! The beach is gorgeous and the water is clear and cold! It was only in the 70’s, we thought so it was not real warm, but we did lay out for a while. Afterward we started heading back. We stopped at a small bar to get a drink and go to the bathroom. The public bathroom was disgusting and it is easiest to buy a beer and go to the bathroom. The grocery store was our next stop before getting on the tender to get back to the ship. We bought a couple of bottles of wine for our stateroom and dinner. One of the bottles we had this evening was great. Too bad we will probably never find it again.
Once on board again we took a nap and then went to dinner. They had a chocolate extravaganza this evening so we waited for it to start. While we were waiting we went to Request night with the Sea Breeze Band. In honor of Jerry (Meers) we requested Always on My Mind by Willie Nelson. It was funny to hear it with the Indonesian musicians. (see picture). The requests were limited by the list that they provided, it was no Kyle Abernathy request hour. The Chocolate Extravaganza was not that great either. They mainly make designs out of chocolate that you take pictures of first then eat. We preferred to go back to our room and eat the chocolate we bought in France.
That is about all for today, tomorrow Bordeaux France.
C&D
Hendaye, France
We really had no idea what we were going to in Hendaye. Through all my research I could not really find anything on it other than travel into Baritz or just wing it in Hendaye. Of course we decided to wing it, and what a day. We had to wait a lot for the tender to get to shore. They never seem to be able to get the tenders (or as I call them the lifeboats) ready to go as soon as they say. It is kind of frustrating, but we have figured that out and just do not get in a hurry. The view from our balcony was incredible. We could see the Basque region of France to the left and Spain on our right. How many of you saw two countries this morning out your window??? There are many sailboats in this area and beautiful beaches. The tender ride was very pretty. It is Saturday so there was a lot of activity. We arrived planning on walking to the city center, once on shore there was a ‘flea market’, so we just walked through it and shopped. Then of course we found the grocery store and made sure they had wine and beer there. I think every store has wine and beer in Europe! We then walked further and found some restaurants for lunch. We are still nervous about menus without pictures. We found a little pizza place and decided on it. Trying to play it safe we ordered the Trois Fromage ( 3 cheese) (also, Kathy Coll if you are reading this, I do not need any French lessons ;) ) and who knew Blue cheese has a totally different name in French. Dawndra was not that thrilled with the choice once it arrive. But the beer was cold to wash it down. We then went to the beach. And yes, tops were optional. It is very interesting to see who goes topless. And no, I did not wear the Speedo. Thanks Crystal!! The beach is gorgeous and the water is clear and cold! It was only in the 70’s, we thought so it was not real warm, but we did lay out for a while. Afterward we started heading back. We stopped at a small bar to get a drink and go to the bathroom. The public bathroom was disgusting and it is easiest to buy a beer and go to the bathroom. The grocery store was our next stop before getting on the tender to get back to the ship. We bought a couple of bottles of wine for our stateroom and dinner. One of the bottles we had this evening was great. Too bad we will probably never find it again.
Once on board again we took a nap and then went to dinner. They had a chocolate extravaganza this evening so we waited for it to start. While we were waiting we went to Request night with the Sea Breeze Band. In honor of Jerry (Meers) we requested Always on My Mind by Willie Nelson. It was funny to hear it with the Indonesian musicians. (see picture). The requests were limited by the list that they provided, it was no Kyle Abernathy request hour. The Chocolate Extravaganza was not that great either. They mainly make designs out of chocolate that you take pictures of first then eat. We preferred to go back to our room and eat the chocolate we bought in France.
That is about all for today, tomorrow Bordeaux France.
C&D
Friday, June 12, 2009
Lazy day at sea!
6/12/2009
Well today is at sea. We slept late and missed breakfast. It was very nice to relax. We have not done much today since it is very cold and overcast outside. We went to the comedy show last night. It was ok. Not really a lot to talk about today. Tonight is formal night dining, so we are getting ready for it.
C&D
Well today is at sea. We slept late and missed breakfast. It was very nice to relax. We have not done much today since it is very cold and overcast outside. We went to the comedy show last night. It was ok. Not really a lot to talk about today. Tonight is formal night dining, so we are getting ready for it.
C&D
Lisbon Portugal
6/11/2009
Lisbon, Portugal
Today we took a bus around town. We missed our stop so we decided just to ride it around till we got back. We got to see a lot of the city that we would not have otherwise. Many of the places we have been have been the older parts, this bus ride let us see some of the newer parts. It was very interesting, not near like the states. Once we arrived at our top, we walked the main center of Lisbon. There are many shops there and restaurants. Many of the shops were closed today because of the Corpus Christi Holiday. Most of the tourist stores were open. We ate lunch at an outdoor café. Casa Brasireila. Luckily they had pictures on their menu so we had a pizza. Of course pictures can be deceiving too and their menus were in Portugese. We thought we were getting a pizza with diced tomatoes, it had small ham pieces on it. It was very good. We ordered and beer and went with the ‘grande’ one. We never thought we would both have to drink a half of a gallon each, and they were only 4 euros each. That is a very good deal. I think in some places we bought a 12oz bottle for 4 euros. From there we headed back to the ship shopping along the way. We decided to walk back to the ship instead of taking the short bus ride. That short bus ride was a long walk. ‘Ships in the fore ground are further than they appear’ We did make it back in time to embark.
Tomorrow at sea,
Calvin & Dawndra
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Cadiz Spain
6/102009
We docked sometime in the morning while we were asleep. It is amazing looking out our window first thing and seeing a whole new city with an amazing cathedral within view. We are heading out to do a walking tour of the city and then lunch while the shops close for siesta, then we will be back for our siesta.
3:10
We are at an outdoor café drinking some Cruzcamp Light. We have spent the day shopping a sight seeing in Cadiz. We do believe that this is the best stop we have had. The town is very small and can walk all over it and see the sights and the small shops. We found some great shops and we actually bought some stuff. Dawndra found a Pandora charm for her bracelet and some tiles for the lake cabin table that she and Kelli, Kason, and Kaylen are going to decorate. Of course we found another grocery store that we bought more wine. They have wine boxes, but no straws. We saw an off the beaten path restaurant area and decided to eat at it. Dawndra went with the tortellini de ricotta. I went with the menu of the day, Salad and fried fish, Cadiz style. Wow, what a surprise I got. The fish were looking at me.
We docked sometime in the morning while we were asleep. It is amazing looking out our window first thing and seeing a whole new city with an amazing cathedral within view. We are heading out to do a walking tour of the city and then lunch while the shops close for siesta, then we will be back for our siesta.
3:10
We are at an outdoor café drinking some Cruzcamp Light. We have spent the day shopping a sight seeing in Cadiz. We do believe that this is the best stop we have had. The town is very small and can walk all over it and see the sights and the small shops. We found some great shops and we actually bought some stuff. Dawndra found a Pandora charm for her bracelet and some tiles for the lake cabin table that she and Kelli, Kason, and Kaylen are going to decorate. Of course we found another grocery store that we bought more wine. They have wine boxes, but no straws. We saw an off the beaten path restaurant area and decided to eat at it. Dawndra went with the tortellini de ricotta. I went with the menu of the day, Salad and fried fish, Cadiz style. Wow, what a surprise I got. The fish were looking at me.
We went to the Tavira Tower. There are towers all over the coastline that were built to see enemies coming in to prepare for them. This tower uses light, mirror and a concave bowl thing to see distances magnified. It was very cool.
We have to rush now back to the ship before it leaves us at 4:30. We would hate to have to swim to catch it.
We have to rush now back to the ship before it leaves us at 4:30. We would hate to have to swim to catch it.
Thanks for all the posts, it is good to know people are reading! And that there lives are very normal, TIM!!
Tomorrow, Lisbon Portugal
C&D
Tomorrow, Lisbon Portugal
C&D
At sea day
6/9/2009
Today was an at sea day. We were really lazy. Slept late and ate breakfast. Then we went back to the stateroom and read our books and took a nap. I told you we were lazy. The ship has a library so we have checked out books. There is plenty of time to read while on this cruise. We layed out by the pool, and read. I went to the golf chipping event and it was very simple. Had to chip a whiffle ball into a 15 foot diameter pool 15 feet away. The wind had much to do with aiming and distance. I got all three of mine in, while many could not get over the edge of the pool. I later went to a tapas making class, while Dawndra read her book (or slept). I really like the classes learning about food. She made 4 simple dishes that I want to make once back on the main land. I was able to take a bowl of one of the dips back to the room and share with Dawndra, and drink wine with it. The ship had prom night but we missed it because dinner took longer than expected. We sat next to new people and enjoyed their company.
Tomorrow, Cadiz Spain
C&D
Today was an at sea day. We were really lazy. Slept late and ate breakfast. Then we went back to the stateroom and read our books and took a nap. I told you we were lazy. The ship has a library so we have checked out books. There is plenty of time to read while on this cruise. We layed out by the pool, and read. I went to the golf chipping event and it was very simple. Had to chip a whiffle ball into a 15 foot diameter pool 15 feet away. The wind had much to do with aiming and distance. I got all three of mine in, while many could not get over the edge of the pool. I later went to a tapas making class, while Dawndra read her book (or slept). I really like the classes learning about food. She made 4 simple dishes that I want to make once back on the main land. I was able to take a bowl of one of the dips back to the room and share with Dawndra, and drink wine with it. The ship had prom night but we missed it because dinner took longer than expected. We sat next to new people and enjoyed their company.
Tomorrow, Cadiz Spain
C&D
Monday, June 8, 2009
Barcelona!!!
6/8/2009
Barcelona Spain
Last night we had dinner at a table of 8. What a crowd we were with. There was a couple from Australia, 2 couples from New Zealand, a couple from Chicago/Florida (they were retired teachers on a 36 day cruise. See Julie you can do it someday!) We had a blast talking to them about all of our experiences.
Today in Barcelona we took the underground metro to the Temple de La Sagrada Familia. It is a church that was designed by Guadi in the early 1800’s and is still being built today. Not expected to be finished until at least 2026. It is the most unusual looking building I have ever seen. I am not sure it is even usable now because of the construction.
We then started walking back to the La Rambla (Main thouroghfare of Barcelona). We found some great little shops to browse through and a restaurant. We had some tapas and of course the local favorite, Sangria!! Barcelona is much like the other cities we have been in. Very small streets and apartment style living. They put their clothes out windows to dry, along with some very pretty potted flowers. Along La Ramble is a very big tourist trap from what I could tell. Many ‘characters’ dressed up and acting to get tips. There are also the very expensive shops like Gucci. We went in a Gap looking store called Replay and was surprised to find a small sweater for Tatum was over $125.00. We quickly left.
Even with a map it is easy to get lost on the side streets. We end up in some very unusual places, then start reviewing the map to get back on course. We finally decided to go back to the ship and eat a snack and rest. I wish I would have brought a pedometer to find out how much we walk in these cities. It seems like forever, since my feet start hurting.
I went back out to the city to find some wine and found a quaint little ‘grocery’ store. It is very fun to buy wine there since I really have no idea what I am getting. I got a bottle of Cabernet/ Tempranillo, so that might be good. We have not opened a bottle yet that was bad. I also bought a 6 pack of beer to take back on the ship. We are not allowed to, but the ship is not checking here since the Spanish security is checking. I am not sure what they are looking for, but obviously not contraband beer. Wooohooo!!! On the way back from getting the wine and beer I was just casually strolling along and here comes an elderly many nekkid! Totally nekkid with tattoos. Not a pleasant site! I am now sitting in the port building using their molasses slow free wi-fi. I forgot to get the cable for the camera to upload pictures, so they will come later.
Adios,
Tomorrow all day at sea, the next Cadiz, Spain
C&D
Barcelona Spain
Last night we had dinner at a table of 8. What a crowd we were with. There was a couple from Australia, 2 couples from New Zealand, a couple from Chicago/Florida (they were retired teachers on a 36 day cruise. See Julie you can do it someday!) We had a blast talking to them about all of our experiences.
Today in Barcelona we took the underground metro to the Temple de La Sagrada Familia. It is a church that was designed by Guadi in the early 1800’s and is still being built today. Not expected to be finished until at least 2026. It is the most unusual looking building I have ever seen. I am not sure it is even usable now because of the construction.
We then started walking back to the La Rambla (Main thouroghfare of Barcelona). We found some great little shops to browse through and a restaurant. We had some tapas and of course the local favorite, Sangria!! Barcelona is much like the other cities we have been in. Very small streets and apartment style living. They put their clothes out windows to dry, along with some very pretty potted flowers. Along La Ramble is a very big tourist trap from what I could tell. Many ‘characters’ dressed up and acting to get tips. There are also the very expensive shops like Gucci. We went in a Gap looking store called Replay and was surprised to find a small sweater for Tatum was over $125.00. We quickly left.
Even with a map it is easy to get lost on the side streets. We end up in some very unusual places, then start reviewing the map to get back on course. We finally decided to go back to the ship and eat a snack and rest. I wish I would have brought a pedometer to find out how much we walk in these cities. It seems like forever, since my feet start hurting.
I went back out to the city to find some wine and found a quaint little ‘grocery’ store. It is very fun to buy wine there since I really have no idea what I am getting. I got a bottle of Cabernet/ Tempranillo, so that might be good. We have not opened a bottle yet that was bad. I also bought a 6 pack of beer to take back on the ship. We are not allowed to, but the ship is not checking here since the Spanish security is checking. I am not sure what they are looking for, but obviously not contraband beer. Wooohooo!!! On the way back from getting the wine and beer I was just casually strolling along and here comes an elderly many nekkid! Totally nekkid with tattoos. Not a pleasant site! I am now sitting in the port building using their molasses slow free wi-fi. I forgot to get the cable for the camera to upload pictures, so they will come later.
Adios,
Tomorrow all day at sea, the next Cadiz, Spain
C&D
Sunday, June 7, 2009
6/5/2009 (2) Rome to the Port
We made it on board the ship in very little time once arriving at the port. The ride on the bus to the port is a whole different story. The streets in Rome are very small and there seems to be no rules of the road. People double park, speed, there seems to be very few stop signs, the motorcycles weave in and out of traffic even on the sidewalks. The bus got stuck on a small street for about 30 minutes because there was a car parked in a crosswalk so we were not able to make the turn. It was funny to me to listen to, and watch the driver deal with it. He had a typical Italian temper. I am sure if I understood Italian there would have been many curse words. At on point we saw a student driver on the streets. I thought I saw the driver tell the student to cross two lanes of traffic to make a left turn. The rest of the drive was fine. It is interesting to see the difference in agriculture here. There are many small areas of grapes. It appeared that they were to make the wine for personal consumption.
Once on board we got settled and went to eat lunch. Then as the Romans do we took a siesta!! After that was time for dinner. We sat next to a couple from Hawaii (Jack and Eileen) that cruise a whole lot. There last cruise was 114 days!! It was fun to talk to them about their experinces.
6/6/2009
Our nights rest was great. At one point the ship seemed to be going through rough seas as we were jostled out of our sleep, although not for long. We had to get up early to eat and leave for Pisa. The trip on the bus was very interesting. This part of Italy is known for their white marble. There were many plants that had huge chunks of marble straight from the quarry.
Once in Pisa we were amazed that we were actually looking at the Leaning Tower of Pisa! We took a tour of the area including the inside of the cathedral. It is amazing that they were able to build such an incredible buildings in the 10th century. And of course we took pictures of holding up the Tower! Of course we found a small café and had a ‘sandwich’, pizza and birra’s. (see picture)
We got back to La Spezia where the ship is docked and decided to walk around the town for a little bit. Obviously it was during their siesta since all the shops were closed. That saved us some money! We love to walk around the towns and go down side streets to see how the locals live. We found a Mercado and enjoyed trying to figure out what everything was. Of course we picked up some wine for our stateroom and dinners. We learned yesterday that the best vintages of this region are 2001, 04, and 06 so we were able to find some 06’s. We are vary rarely sure of what we are buying since most of the wines are of a different varietal than we are use to. We have found Chianti’s and some Cabernet Sauvignons. The Mercado (grocery store) had great prices too. 2-8 Euros per bottle. I wanted some cheese and went to the counter to have them cut some off the blocks for me. Since he did not speak English and my Italian is even more limited it was mainly pointing and shaking my head for approval. We then walked back to the dock to take the tender back to the ship to eat our cheese and crackers with our local wine. And now to siesta
Since Dawndra used her American Express to make our down payment on the trip we are now exclusive members of the AE Mariners Club. Even though this trip is a total of 5500 miles we are included. There were other couples that had 60,000- 100,000+ miles. The party included open bar, which is unheard of on cruise ships. And we did take advantage! There we meet two great couples that had a lot of great advice for the ports. One couple, Tom and Mernerva, were very talkative. He had no problem giving advice of what we should do on our first time at our ports of calls.
Dinner was very good tonight. It was formal night so we had to dress up. We both had the surf and turf of lobster and new york strip steak. Boyd and I spice the steaks much better than they do.
Tomorrow, Marseille France!
Caio,
Calvin & Dawndra
6/7/2009
Marseille, France
We did not book a shore excursion for this port thinking there was plenty to do here. This is a very industrial city. We took the ship shuttle to the interior of town and walked around for a little bit. There was a sailing competition going on while were here. We could not see it of course since we are in the bay and the sailing was out further. We strolled through the tourist area and had a beer. We are now waiting on the shuttle back to the ship.
We went to an Olive Oil tasting on the ship. It was very educational. Who knew that there is as much or more about the processing of olive oil as there is wine. We learned that olive oil goes bad for optimal taste in about 3 weeks after opening. That the tin cans are great, because like wine, light, heat, and oxygen are bad.
Until tomorrow, Barcelona Spain
C&D
We made it on board the ship in very little time once arriving at the port. The ride on the bus to the port is a whole different story. The streets in Rome are very small and there seems to be no rules of the road. People double park, speed, there seems to be very few stop signs, the motorcycles weave in and out of traffic even on the sidewalks. The bus got stuck on a small street for about 30 minutes because there was a car parked in a crosswalk so we were not able to make the turn. It was funny to me to listen to, and watch the driver deal with it. He had a typical Italian temper. I am sure if I understood Italian there would have been many curse words. At on point we saw a student driver on the streets. I thought I saw the driver tell the student to cross two lanes of traffic to make a left turn. The rest of the drive was fine. It is interesting to see the difference in agriculture here. There are many small areas of grapes. It appeared that they were to make the wine for personal consumption.
Once on board we got settled and went to eat lunch. Then as the Romans do we took a siesta!! After that was time for dinner. We sat next to a couple from Hawaii (Jack and Eileen) that cruise a whole lot. There last cruise was 114 days!! It was fun to talk to them about their experinces.
6/6/2009
Our nights rest was great. At one point the ship seemed to be going through rough seas as we were jostled out of our sleep, although not for long. We had to get up early to eat and leave for Pisa. The trip on the bus was very interesting. This part of Italy is known for their white marble. There were many plants that had huge chunks of marble straight from the quarry.
Once in Pisa we were amazed that we were actually looking at the Leaning Tower of Pisa! We took a tour of the area including the inside of the cathedral. It is amazing that they were able to build such an incredible buildings in the 10th century. And of course we took pictures of holding up the Tower! Of course we found a small café and had a ‘sandwich’, pizza and birra’s. (see picture)
We got back to La Spezia where the ship is docked and decided to walk around the town for a little bit. Obviously it was during their siesta since all the shops were closed. That saved us some money! We love to walk around the towns and go down side streets to see how the locals live. We found a Mercado and enjoyed trying to figure out what everything was. Of course we picked up some wine for our stateroom and dinners. We learned yesterday that the best vintages of this region are 2001, 04, and 06 so we were able to find some 06’s. We are vary rarely sure of what we are buying since most of the wines are of a different varietal than we are use to. We have found Chianti’s and some Cabernet Sauvignons. The Mercado (grocery store) had great prices too. 2-8 Euros per bottle. I wanted some cheese and went to the counter to have them cut some off the blocks for me. Since he did not speak English and my Italian is even more limited it was mainly pointing and shaking my head for approval. We then walked back to the dock to take the tender back to the ship to eat our cheese and crackers with our local wine. And now to siesta
Since Dawndra used her American Express to make our down payment on the trip we are now exclusive members of the AE Mariners Club. Even though this trip is a total of 5500 miles we are included. There were other couples that had 60,000- 100,000+ miles. The party included open bar, which is unheard of on cruise ships. And we did take advantage! There we meet two great couples that had a lot of great advice for the ports. One couple, Tom and Mernerva, were very talkative. He had no problem giving advice of what we should do on our first time at our ports of calls.
Dinner was very good tonight. It was formal night so we had to dress up. We both had the surf and turf of lobster and new york strip steak. Boyd and I spice the steaks much better than they do.
Tomorrow, Marseille France!
Caio,
Calvin & Dawndra
6/7/2009
Marseille, France
We did not book a shore excursion for this port thinking there was plenty to do here. This is a very industrial city. We took the ship shuttle to the interior of town and walked around for a little bit. There was a sailing competition going on while were here. We could not see it of course since we are in the bay and the sailing was out further. We strolled through the tourist area and had a beer. We are now waiting on the shuttle back to the ship.
We went to an Olive Oil tasting on the ship. It was very educational. Who knew that there is as much or more about the processing of olive oil as there is wine. We learned that olive oil goes bad for optimal taste in about 3 weeks after opening. That the tin cans are great, because like wine, light, heat, and oxygen are bad.
Until tomorrow, Barcelona Spain
C&D
Friday, June 5, 2009
A day in Roma!
6/5/09
First day in Rome.
First day in Rome.
We made it Roma on an easy flight. It was long and got very uncomfortable for our long legs, but all in all, OK.
Our First day in Rome was incredible. We got to our hotel and saw a Pizzaria outside our window. After walking around we decided that is where would eat. It was a great decision. The owner/chef spoke English and was able to help us. She was very nice and let us try the ‘rice balls’ that her grandmother use to make. They were interesting. The pizza was unique too. We had a piece of zucchini, and a piece of potato pizza. (see picture) Also, a pasta dish that had a cherry tomato sauce that was incredible. The small calzones (not like One Guy’s) were very good. They make them with different stuffings. We had the ham, cheese and mushroom.
Our First day in Rome was incredible. We got to our hotel and saw a Pizzaria outside our window. After walking around we decided that is where would eat. It was a great decision. The owner/chef spoke English and was able to help us. She was very nice and let us try the ‘rice balls’ that her grandmother use to make. They were interesting. The pizza was unique too. We had a piece of zucchini, and a piece of potato pizza. (see picture) Also, a pasta dish that had a cherry tomato sauce that was incredible. The small calzones (not like One Guy’s) were very good. They make them with different stuffings. We had the ham, cheese and mushroom.
We went to the Vatican. Wow, what a place. We went through the ‘Tomb of the Popes’ it was very fascinating and eerie. No pictures were allowed. As we walked around town there are many street vendors and souvenir shops. We did figure out that they are over priced for drinks. The little off the way shops are much cheaper. We ate our first Italiano Gelato, I had the chocolate (surprise) and Dawndra had the pistachio. We then tried our first attempt at public transportation and found out that not all here speak English. We went to the Colosseo ( Coliseum for the English speaking). It is amazing to think of all that went on there and that it is still standing after all these years. As it was getting later we walked toward the Fontana d Trevi. As we were walking we found an incredible little wine shop. The guy there was very helpful and helped us select a few local wines, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. He was so helpful we even asked for a recommendation for dinner. He not only told us of a great ristorante but what he takes for dinner. We had the pasta dish (his recommendation) and a pizza with a bottle of wine, of course. (see picture)
We have found out that we can walk a long way, and it is easier and less stressful than trying to figure out the public transportation.
6/5/2009
Today we are getting ready to embark on our cruise. We will be leaving the hotel via bus to the port soon. We are not sure when we will be able to be online again, but will keep you updated as we can.
Caio, (not to be confused with Chow, the dog or the food)
Calvin & Dawndra
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
No sleep and airplane butt!!!
Well, after not sleeping last night and getting to the airport at 4:30 (should have got there at 4:00) we are in the Newark airport with a 5 hour layover. Just drinking a beer and people watching. (Wow, there are interesting people in this country, will see for the rest of the world in the next couple of weeks) We are very excited about getting to Rome and all there is to do there. We will work to blog as often as possible. The internet access on the ship is too expensive to do, so we will try to find hotspots in ports of calls. Speaking of ports, we are very excited to go to Portugal and drink some of their ports.
Calvin & Dawndra
Calvin & Dawndra
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