London, England & Embarkation

            Tuesday, 25 Aug 2015 – After disembarking the Royal Princess in Southampton and taking the Princess Coach Transfer to London’s Victoria Coach Station, we checked into our London hotel at about 2:10 PM.  As we have almost come to expect, it was raining fairly hard when we left the transfer bus and walked, dripping, into to our hotel.  We stayed again in the Comfort Inn, Buckingham Palace Road, and also again in their building across the street from the lobby.  However, this room was slightly larger and had a better view than our previous room.  This time, since we would be staying for four nights, we partially unpacked our luggage, more than previously.  After our arrival, we considered walking around the area for a little while, but opted to relax in our room for the remainder of the afternoon instead.

Sri Suwoon Thai Restaurant 

Although the hotel clerk didn’t have more discount restaurant coupons this time, he suggested that we tell the restaurant personnel that we were staying in the Comfort Inn and ask if any discounts are available.  He also recommended an Italian Restaurant located just down the street for our dinner.  After more consideration, and also finding that the St. George Tavern dining area was not yet open, we decided to try the Sri Suwoon Thai Restaurant instead.  The meal was filling and somewhat interesting, but the restaurant did not offer a hotel discount and we felt that the meal was not worth the cost; therefore, we wouldn’t be returning there.  After dinner, we returned to the hotel, where Sally planned our activities for the next day (with bus routes, etc.).

Although the currency exchange during this trip has not been previously mentioned, now might be a good time to do so.  The current exchange rate for the Euro to the US dollar is good (1 Euro = 1.13 US Dollar).  On the other hand, the British exchange rate is poor (1 British pound = 1.54 US Dollar).   In Great Britain, only Southern Ireland uses Euros; Northern Ireland and Scotland both use British pounds (or “Sterling,” as they sometimes call it).  England, especially London, is expensive anyway, but the bad exchange rates make it even worse for Americans.  We’re being careful about spending money here – although, no doubt, we’ll end up taking some British pounds home with us!  It always happens.

Jesse has felt for the past day that he was coming down with a cold, which was becoming worse by tonight.  This is unusual because, normally Sally catches a cold first.  At least, we brought plenty of medication with us!

            Wednesday, 26 Aug 2015 – We awoke to our alarm at 6:00 AM and went across the street to the main hotel building for breakfast.

            By 8:00 AM we left the hotel and walked down the street to the bus stop.  The first leg of our trip was going to be a ride to St. Paul’s Cathedral on bus #11.  When we boarded the bus with our Oyster Cards, the driver asked where we were going.  Hearing our answer, he said, “Right bus, wrong direction.”  We needed to board a bus on the other side of the street.

            When we arrived at St. Paul’s Cathedral, we took photos of the outside.  However, after entering the building, we were told that they no longer (since 2014) are associated with London Pass and we would need to pay £17 each for entrance.   Since we could see most of the Cathedral from where we were standing and there were so many other sights to see that would not cost us extra money, we opted to continue with our day’s itinerary.
 

Tower of London

We walked back to the bus stop and took bus #15 to the Tower of London.  Inside the Tower, we walked almost everywhere (Bloody Tower, etc.).  But we did not buy the services of a “Beefeater” guide dressed in an outfit of several centuries ago or rent ear phones.  Since there were signs everywhere telling visitors what they were seeing, we felt well informed.  (Also, Sally had been there 45 years ago, and Jesse didn’t seem that interested!)

            As we left the Tower, it poured rain while we found the Thames River Cruise pier where we could board a river cruise boat.  On the boat, we were well shielded from the rain, and we sat and watched the interesting sights.  The time went very quickly and soon we were at the end of the cruise at Westminster Bridge.

            In Westminster Abbey, we received phones with numbers corresponding to various places, often only yards apart.  In the center, some people were attending the 12:30 PM worship service with communion; in fact, a service had just started when we arrived.  Kings and queens, statesmen and soldiers, poets and priests, heroes and villains are recorded in the history here.  Since the crowning of William the Conqueror in 1066, the Abbey has been the nation’s coronation church.  It is also the burial and memorial place for many famous historical figures.  For example, in one alcove lie the bodies of Queen Elizabeth I and her half-sister, Queen Mary.  The two women were much different: Mary, the oldest, had reinstated Catholicism and had many Protestants executed; however, she lived for only a few years and died without issue.  Then, Elizabeth I became Queen and reversed her sister’s restoration of Catholicism.  However, in death their graves are very near each other, both awaiting Resurrection.

            As we exited Westminster Abbey, it was pouring rain again.  At that point, we asked about toilets (the English think the American word “restroom” is very strange!).  We were directed to a small separate building, where there was just one line of both men and women waiting to use the facilities.  Inside, the mix continued, with a man or woman going into the first available stall.  Then, each person went to one of the many sinks to wash, and then exited the building.  That was a unique experience for us but the system worked very smoothly.

            On our next bus ride (to return to Victoria Coach Station), it was announced that there had been an accident near the station so that we would be delayed for a short time; therefore, if people were in a hurry, they might prefer to get off and walk.  However, since it was pouring rain again at that time, we stayed on the comfortable bus for the rest of the trip.  Unfortunately, when we heard the announcement for Victoria Station, we exited the bus, only to realize  shortly afterward that we should have waited to hear the “Victoria Coach Station;” as a result, we had to walk an extra two blocks or so and arrived back in our room totally soaked.  (The Victoria Station is the train station.)

            For dinner, we went to the nearby Italian restaurant, Da Scalzi Ristorante Pizzaria, that the hotel clerk had recommended and ordered a calzone, salads, and beer.  When we saw the size of the calzone, we were glad that we planned to share one.  (It was good but not as delicious as the calzones at Huckleberry’s in Rock Island, IL.)

            When planning our stay in London, Sally had hoped we could use the Underground between locations, which would have been easier and faster than busses.  However, we had heard the news that railroad workers would be on strike starting on Wednesday and the strike would become more wide-spread on Thursday and Friday, the very days that we would be in London.  Although later, we found out the strike had been settled without any loss of service, busses seemed to work fine for us; in fact, we found that the comfort of sitting while watching the scenery and people was enjoyable.

            Thursday, 27 Aug 2015 – Again this morning we crossed the street to our hotel’s breakfast area, where we also talked with an Australian couple.  Then, after Sally spent some time on the laptop looking for bus connections, we found a bus stop from whence we traveled to the Churchill War Rooms.  During the periods of London bombings during WW II, Winston Churchill lived in these basement quarters, not very far from the Prime Minister’s residence (at #10 Downing Street).  Of course, the rooms have been restored to their original appearance.  The building was never bombed.  Although Churchill hated being holed up here, he knew it was best for Britain that the government survive.  We saw the various rooms (meeting room for the cabinet, kitchen, dining, Mrs. Churchill’s bedroom, the secretary’s room).  Since Churchill disliked noise, special “quiet” typewriters were used here.  Last, we visited the attached museum, with displays of that period, as well as more details about Churchill’s life.  (It took Jesse about three minutes to tour the museum; then he sat on a bench and nodded while Sally finished her tour.)

            From there, we walked a short distance to the neighborhood of Downing Street, where we hoped to glimpse the door with “10” on it, the home of the current Prime Minister of England.  Apparently, he was at home – or at least the street was closed to any walkers.  A gate closed off the street, with two policemen standing there.

Resting Up

            After that, we set out for the Florence Nightingale Museum.  Sally had seen it on the south side of the Westminster Bridge after our Thames River cruise the previous day; however, she it wasn’t exactly where she remembered seeing a sign, and we walked for a fairly long distance along the riverfront before we found it.  Instead of being killed in battle, about 90 percent of the soldiers in the Crimean War were dying from disease and unsanitary conditions.  Florence Nightingale, who came from a well-to-do family and went to serve as a nurse, worked tirelessly to change that.  She became greatly beloved and the most influential woman in Victorian Britain after Queen Victoria herself.
 

Bust of Florence Nightingale

            After some of our bus travels, Jesse was becoming familiar with some of the routes; so on our way back to the hotel, when we saw a bus #11, we felt certain it would be going past the Victoria Coach Station – though we checked with the driver to make sure!  Then, we had a spot of tea in our room and relaxed.

            For dinner, we ate at St. George’s Tavern again, where we sat next to a young couple from Orlando, Florida.  Though visiting London on business, they were touring the city.  When we received our bill, we noticed that the manager had given us a 20 percent discount (again). 

 

Friday, 28 Aug 2015 – We left our room a little later this morning, and talked with the Australian couple again at breakfast.

Prince Albert Memorial

            For today, our original plan was to visit Kensington Palace and the British Museum.  The bus connection was more complicated this time.  However, a woman at the bus stop helped us and gave Sally her map, a better one with bus numbers, which she had gotten from the coach station “for free.”  (She was a local resident.)  At any rate, we boarded bus #C1 and were told where we should transfer to bus #360.  As we had learned from experience, before boarding the second bus, we first asked the driver if his bus would take us to Kensington Palace.  He said that it would take us “near” the Palace, but we would then need to transfer to another bus.  Near the end of our journey, the driver suggested that, since we were very close the palace, we could walk from there.  We had already learned that a half-mile is considered an easy walk for the British!  (On the other hand, Sally always tried to save her energy for walking in the museums, etc., not for transport on the street!)  We took photos of the very impressive Prince Albert Memorial.  (Prince Albert was Queen Victoria’s husband.)


Queen Victoria Statue

After our long walk through Kensington Park, we arrived at Kensington Palace, which has been home to members of the Royal Family since 1689.  Individual rooms included (1) where Queen Victoria is believed to have been born; (2) where Queen Victoria held her first council just hours after learning she was the monarch; (3) where Queen Mary II died in 1694 at 32 years of small pox, with her husband sleeping in the room on a camp bed; (4) King George I’s state apartments after he was brought over from Hanover, Germany to be King; and (5) rare dresses from Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Margaret and Princess Diana.  At the front was the palace was the gate which had been covered in floral tributes to Princess Diana in August 1997 after news of her death.  Sally found the many portraits with historical notes concerning the monarchs of the 1600’s and 1700’s very interesting.

For our return trip, we boarded the #52 bus, whose route terminated at the Victoria Coach Station.  By that time, Sally decided she was too tired to enjoy the British Museum.  Also, she had been there once (45 years ago) and Jesse really wasn’t that interested, so we decided to head back to our hotel.  Later, Jesse found the closing time for the British Museum to be earlier than Sally had believed, so that we couldn’t have seen much there anyway. 



After resting for a little while in our hotel room, we walked down to the Victoria Coach Station and purchased tickets for our trip to Southampton.  While we were out, and knowing that we were finished using public transportation, we turned in our Oyster Passes at Victoria (train) Station and received back credit of £23.60.  Also, we stopped at a pharmacy to pick up some additional minor medications, and by a small shop to pick up postcards and souvenirs.  We walked past two policemen standing not far from each other; they weren’t wearing guns.  (But then, this was England, not the dangerous USA!)

            Since it had gotten a little late by then, we decided to walk directly to the St. George’s Tavern for dinner.  During dinner, we conversed with Joan and Henry of San Marcos, California, where Sally’s brother, Joe, lived, and his widow, Marlys, still lives.

            Sally considered packing but there was enough time in the morning for that.  Jesse stayed up much too late, working on the computer to take advantage of the hotel’s fast internet.



Saturday, 29 Aug 2015 – We awoke about 7:30 AM, well before our 8:00 AM alarm.  After a filling breakfast, we finished packing, checked out of our hotel, and walked to the Victoria Coach Station with our luggage in tow, arriving at 10:30 AM.  Another coach was departing from our gate at 11:00 AM, but after they boarded we were able to find vacant seats.  At 11:30 AM, our bus departed the station; and although we were scheduled to arrive in Southampton at 1:30 PM, due to traffic delays, we did not arrive until 2:00 PM.

            At the Southampton Coach Station, we stood waiting for a taxi for 30 minutes.  Although we expected to see several taxis in line, at first there were none!  Soon, two separate taxis pulled up for coach passengers who had pre-booked transportation.  Next, a very large taxi pulled up, but a group of four people took it.  After that, we were standing there alone!  Then, a taxi stopped, but it was too small to carry us and our luggage.  However, finally a taxi did come - and the taxi drive to the cruise terminal took only 10 minutes.

            We quickly boarded the Caribbean Princess and were in our cabin by 3:00 PM.  Although we had planned to go to the Horizon Court for a snack (we were definitely ready for one!) and Sally would have liked a short nap, our cabin steward, Smith, knocked on our door; after introducing himself, he said that the Muster Drill would start at 3:30 PM.  Therefore, we went to the Muster Drill, and then went for our snack afterwards.  (No nap.)

            After our snack, we returned to our cabin and unpacked.  For dinner (it was fairly late by then), we went to the Coral Dining Room, where we ate at table for two.  Our waiter was Rolando, from the Philippines.  We remembered him from a previous cruise, but haven’t figured our which one yet.  After dinner, we returned to our cabin, set our clocks forward by one hour, and retired for the night.  There was dancing in the Explorer’s Lounge, but Sally was much too tired for dancing (so was Jesse, but he refused to admit it).

Debarkation & Princess Transfer to London’s Victoria Station

             Tuesday, 25 Aug 2015 – We awoke to our alarm at 6:00 AM.  After breakfast, we returned to our cabin at 7:00 AM to finish our packing.  We barely finished by 8:00 AM, the latest time that we were allowed to vacate our cabin.  We waited in the Vista Lounge until our disembarkation group was called and boarded our bus at 9:40 AM for our 2.5 hour scheduled trip to Victoria Coach Station in London.  At 11:30 AM, we arrived in the vicinity of our destination, well ahead of schedule; however, traffic in the area was so backed up, that it was 2:00 PM by the time we arrived at the station!  Actually, we never really made it into the station, but the driver stopped “very near” the station and unloaded our luggage in the rain.  We witnessed one of the passengers falling as he was dragging his luggage into the coach station.  Jesse and a couple of other passengers helped him to his feet.  In retrospect, Jesse thought that maybe he should have waited a few minutes to make sure he was not injured before helping him to his feet, even though he had said he was okay.

            We arrived at the hotel at about 2:00 PM, just in time to check in.  We will be staying in London for four nights before joining another cruise; however, we will cover those adventures with our next cruise.

            For now, we’re signing off from another GREAT cruise!

Paris, France

             Monday, 24 Aug 2015 – We awoke to our alarm at 5:30 AM and went to the Horizon Court for an early breakfast.  Still, we barely made it to the Princess Theater for 7:00 AM meet-up time for our excursion to Paris.   At about 7:40, we boarded our tour bus.  Our tour guide was Manuela (with a heavy French accent) and our driver was Guillaume (the French version of “William”).

            Our tour began with a three-hour drive to Paris.  During this time, Manuela talked about the history of this area, Normandy (“Normandie” in French), a former province of north France on the English Channel.  It was settled by Vikings under Rollo in the 10th century.   The name “Norman” is originally from the word for “northman” in several Scandinavian languages.  We tried hard to see small villages from the bus as we passed them on the Autoroute; however, there were well-placed trees and bushes that always blocked them from view.  Mostly, we saw only farmland.  Manuela mentioned that three kinds of cattle were raised here; one is “Norman” cows, which are beige with brown spots, notably around their eyes (so that they seem to wearing sunglasses), and another kind is Holstein.  Also, horses are bred here and shipped all over the world.  On the road, we noticed large trucks with soft sides, which we have seen previously in Europe.  (We assume soft sides in the U.S. might encourage too much hijacking in the U.S.)

            Almost suddenly, we were in Paris.  Paris is a very old city, more than 2,000 years old.  Originally, traders lived here.  Manuela gave us a map of Paris.  She said the Île de France (or Île de la Cité), an island in the Seine, was originally very difficult to get to and to go from, with forests surrounding it and no bridges.  In Paris, our bus moved right along around the Arc-de-Triomphe; usually a terrible traffic area, drivers often try to avoid it.  However, today traffic was very low – perhaps all of the people were all in the Louvre – yes, a joke, but possibly true!

We passed the Place de l'Opera, often called the Hub of the Universe and considered one of the most elegant streets in Paris.  Our bus followed the Seine River right bank before reaching Place de la Concorde, the largest square in Paris.  Along the way, we also viewed the elegant, tree-lined Champ Élysées.

At the Louvre

At 11:00 we arrived at the Louvre and another tour guide was assigned to half of the passengers on our bus, while Manuela was tour guide for our half.   The Louvre stands at the site of a former royal palace, and today it is perhaps the greatest repository of fine art in the world.   Manuela led us to highlights of this vast collection and provided details concerning them, including the Venus de Milo, the Winged Victory, Leonardo de Vinci's immortal Mona Lisa, and other paintings and sculptures.  Apparently, the number of visitors to the Louvre has skyrocketed in recent years.  In the vicinity of the most famous works of art, it was much too congested.  A crowd of 100 or 200 people surrounded the Mona Lisa, allowing little hope of seeing (or photographing) the painting at close range.

Although we were supposed to have a few minutes of free time to browse in the museum shop before departing for lunch, there was very little extra time.

Sally enjoyed seeing the Louvre Pyramid (Pyramide du Louvre), a large glass and metal pyramid in the main courtyard of the Louvre palace.  The large pyramid serves as the main entrance to the Museum.  It didn’t exist when Sally visited the Louvre in 1970; completed in 1989, it has become a landmark of the city of Paris.

At 1:30 PM we arrived at the Eiffel Tower.  The tower was built for the World's Fair in 1889, which was held in celebration of the French Revolution in 1789.  In 1916, the first wireless telephones were tested on the tower. Although meant to last only for the duration of the World's Fair, the Eiffel Tower still stands today, despite all protests that this huge "object" would not fit into the architecture of Paris.  Of course, today the Eiffel Tower is a beloved landmark of Paris and the symbol of the "City of Light." 

We took one of the elevators to the first floor.  When the Eiffel Tower was built, this elevator was one of the first elevators in France, so that many of the visitors came mainly to enjoy the elevator ride.  It consists of a large box, which people cram into like sardines.  Beside the elevator are large yellow counterweights with the purpose of balancing the load in the elevator.  (If the load in the elevator is too heavy, some people must get off and wait for the next ride up or down.  This happened on our way back up, and again on our way down.) 



58 Tour Eiffel Restaurant, Paris

            We had lunch at 58 Tour Eiffel Restaurant, while viewing charming views of Paris from the venue's large windows.   The lunch was tasty and we were given a choice of white or red wine, of which Sally and I drank more than our share.  We also enjoyed friendly conversation with Holly from New York and a couple from California, midway between Los Angeles and San Francisco.  Since we were scheduled to meet back on our tour bus at 3:45 PM, several of the passengers left before dessert and after-dinner coffee in order to purchase souvenirs.  Thus, Jesse was given an opportunity to enjoy two Key Lime pie desserts.

            It had rained hard at times during our drive back to the ship; however, luckily when we re-boarded the ship at 6:30 PM, we walked in only a light drizzle.  We finished packing our two large suitcases and placed them in the corridor for pickup at 8:00PM.  Since the Janos Quartet had started playing in the Piazza by then, we danced for about 15 minutes before going to dinner.  We sat alone at a table for two this time; and since there were only a few passengers left in the dining room, we were served more quickly than usual.  Back in our cabin by 10:00 PM, we set our clocks back one hour.  (Better back than forward!)

At Sea

            Sunday, 23 Aug 2015 – We awoke to our alarm at 10:00 AM, but did not make it to breakfast until 11:20 AM.  The Horizon Court was not as crowded as it was the last “at sea” day, and fewer passengers apparent slept in.  During the afternoon, we packed for our early Tuesday morning disembarkation.  Since we would be returning to the ship from Paris late the next evening, packing time was limited.  Most of our luggage needed to be in the hallway before dinner.

            Although we had received an invitation to the Captain’s Circle Cocktail Party from 5:15 to 5:45 PM, we opted to go directly to the dining room at 5:45 PM and skip the party.  (All right, we missed our complimentary hors d’oerves and cocktails!)

            At dinner we shared a table with Ron & Joan from California, near Anaheim; Bruce & Mary from Willowbrook near Chicago; and Whit & Alice from Delaware.  Ron grew up in Red Oak, IA near Council Bluffs.

            Since there was no dancing tonight, we returned to our cabin at 8:30 PM and resumed our preparation for our Paris excursion and later disembarkation.

Edinburgh, Scotland

            Saturday, 22 Aug 2015 – We awoke at 9:30 AM, well before our alarm went off, and went to breakfast at 10:00 AM.  Afterwards we watched a recording of the Princess Marriage Match game on TV.

            At 12:45 PM we boarded a ship’s tender for the 10-minute ride to the pier, but had to wait until 1:50 PM to board our tour bus.  While waiting, we conversed with a couple who lived near Springfield, IL.  Our tour guide was Lyn, our driver was Bud, and our tour started with a scenic drive to Edinburgh.  On the way, Lyn told us that St. Andrew had brought Christianity to this northern part of Scotland, and many pilgrims came to visit the shrine where some of his relics were maintained.  Queen Margaret also liked to visit his shrine but lived on the other side of the river; therefore, she had a bridge built, which also benefited the many pilgrims.

            Built on seven hills, Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, is a thriving UNESCO World Heritage Site.  While the bus drove through the city, we saw examples of both medieval architecture and contemporary buildings.  In contrast to the modern shopping area, we drove through Old Town, where historic sites and monuments line the Royal Mile, Edinburgh's oldest and most historical street.  We passed the Parliament Building, Canongate, and statues of King Charles II and Sir Walter Scott, as well as Holyrood Palace, the official residence of Her Majesty the Queen while in Scotland.  Before long, we could see Edinburgh Castle, perched high above the city on a rocky, extinct volcano.  Once near the castle, there was an uphill walk over cobblestones from the coach park to the castle entrance.  
 

Edinburgh Castle

            Inside the fortress complex on Crown Square, our guide kept us together for several minutes to orient us to what can be seen on the grounds; afterward, we explored the interior rooms and the grounds independently.  We visited St. Margaret’s Chapel, the prison, the war museum, and the Great Hall of James IV.  The Great Hall was used for state assemblies and ceremonial gatherings, and was lavishly ornate.  Also, in one room are the Scottish Crown Jewels containing crowns, scepters, and swords, which have been on display in the same room for over two centuries.  After climbing the steps and viewing many rooms, we walked outside on the grounds for panoramic views.

As our bus continued driving through Edinburgh, we passed the Parliament building, Robert Burns’ monument, and even a monument of Abraham Lincoln.  (He had honored Scottish soldiers who had died in the American Civil War.) 

Lyn informed us that Sir James Young Simpson (1811-1870) of this area was a Scottish obstetrician and an important figure in the history of medicine.  He discovered the anesthetic properties of chloroform and successfully introduced it for general medical use.

Robert Louis Stevenson wrote Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde based on the infamous Deacon Brodie of Edinburgh (born 1741), who was a respectable citizen of Edinburgh by day but a thief by night.

According to Lyn, the three main differences between Scotland and England are (1) Church, (2) Law, and (3) Education.  The Church of England is Anglican, which is very similar to Roman Catholic, except that the Pope is not head of their church; the Church of Scotland is less formal.  In Scotland, medical expenses are covered by payment from tax (based on income and the person’s employer); prescriptions are free in Scotland, but not in England.  Education is also free in Scotland, but not in England.

At some point, Lyn finally mentioned that she was a retired principal of a secondary school, who had specialized in writing tests.  (That made sense to us!) 

            We arrived back at the pier at 6:10 PM and were back onboard the ship by 6:50 PM.  At 7:30 PM, we shared a dinner table with Inga & Hugo of Los Angeles, and Cherry & Colin from the port of Southampton, England (which is the closest that ships can get to London) .  Inga & Hugo were originally from Germany; Inga’s close friend lives in Sindelfingen, and Inga is very familiar from the part of that city where Sally lived 45 years ago.  Cherry and Colin are originally from the island of Guernsey.  After dinner, we danced to the Janos Quartet in the Piazza for about 20 minutes.  Before retiring, we set our clock and watches forward by one hour – but were not happy to do so!

Invergordon, Inverness, Scotland (and Loch Ness)

            Friday, 21 Aug 2015 – This time, we had sat an alarm for 10:00 AM to make sure that we didn’t miss breakfast, and left the ship for our Princess excursion at about 12:30 PM.  There were several busses boarding when we arrived, all for the same tour, and we chose badly; we ended up being the last to board and sitting on the back row of our bus.  Luckily, the tour guide used a microphone, so that we were able to hear his narration with no problem.  Although it started sprinkling rain soon after we boarded the bus, the rain was infrequent and very light so that it didn’t interfere with this day’s adventure.

            Our ship docked at the port of Invergordon (“Inver” means “mouth,” as of a river).   During our drive to Inverness, we traveled along the Beauly Firth, then crossed over Cromarty Bridge.  Our guide pointed out some seals swimming in the water and one sitting on a rock.  Also during this time, he told us some of the history of this area.  He said the Romans didn’t get up this far; they “didn’t like the weather or the people, so went back.”  However, Vikings settled here.  During WW II, this was a refueling place for the American Navy.  Bombs fell here twice; the first one killed a sheep, and the second hit an oil tank and two men who were working there.  He told us the population of Scotland (which we don’t remember), but said that the number of sheep is 2 million more than the number of people.  Oil and gas are Scotland’s most important products, with whiskey being next.  This east side of Scotland is drier than the west side, the driver said - though we noticed that they still seem to have plenty of rain!  Also, he said that, at 1,500-2,000 feet in the nearby mountains, skiing is possible beginning in November.  Although some of the area that we traveled through has been called the “Black Isle” for centuries, it is not really an island at all; and “black” refers to the dark evergreens that appear dark against the snow in the wintertime (like the Black Forest, or Schwarzwald, in Germany).  Interestingly, the guide told us that in Scotland they use some of the old measurements, such as miles and pints (for beer) – “we try very hard not to be European!”

            Our bus arrived at Loch Ness, traveling close beside its dark water for some time.  This lake is 22 miles long, one mile wide, and at least 740 feet deep.  Its waters are stained a dark brown from peat.  Although Loch Lomond has a bigger surface area, Loch Lomond plus many other lakes all could fit into the cavity filled by Loch Ness.  Of course, we hoped that “Nessie” would lift his/her head while we looked out over the water, but no such luck.



Urquhart Castle (Inverness)

            Soon we arrived at the jagged ruins of Urquhart Castle, which stands next to Loch Ness.  All that remains are a lone keep and crumbling walls of this stronghold.  During its turbulent history, Urquhart Castle was plundered by the MacDonald clan of the Western Isles and then destroyed during the first Jacobite Rising of 1692; however, legends persist that a cave beneath the castle is the home of "Nessie."  First, we saw a 10-minute film presentation at the Visitors' Centre; then we walked inside some of the ruins and around the grounds.  It was now a lovely, sunshiny day with gorgeous scenery.

            Returning from Urquhart Castle, we passed through Dingwall, originally a Viking settlement; later, MacBeth was born here.  (Shakespeare wrote of him about 500 years later.)

            When we were walking from our bus on a long walkway to the cruise ship about 5:30 PM, we watched a high school bagpipe band assembling.  A few minutes later, we could see and hear the band from our balcony.  We arrived at our dinner table about 6:30 PM and shared a table with Linda and Curt from Kansas City, whom we had dined with previously; Penny and Marty from Palm Springs, CA; and Gail and Murray from Toronto.

            After dinner we returned to our cabin until about 9:30 PM; then we went to the Piazza for dancing.  Since tonight was a 70’s dance night, the music was much too loud for Sally, even without her hearing aids!  (Ear plugs might have helped a little!)  Besides, a large group of passengers were monopolizing the dance floor with line dances led by the ships cruise staff.  After trying to dance to a couple of songs, we retired for the night.

At Sea

            Thursday, 20 Aug 2015 – Sally happened to awaken about 4:30 AM and awoke Jesse before going back to sleep.  We were hoping that the internet would be less busy at that time and that he would be able to post on our blog for the first time.  It turned out that the internet was not any faster than later in the day but, with persistence, Jesse was able to make five postings to our blog.  Also, he managed to post two photos, but they took so long to upload that he decided to wait until later to post more.

            Although we awoke again very late, we made it to breakfast before Horizon Court closed for lunch.  Many other late risers were also present.  When Jesse made a comment about all of the late arrivals, the head chef remarked that he was going to be pressured to get everything set up for the 11:30 AM lunch and didn’t understand why the late risers couldn’t just wait a few minutes and enjoy an early lunch instead of a late breakfast.  (He obviously wasn’t very happy.)

            After relaxing in our cabin all afternoon, we dressed in our formal attire for dinner.  Because dancing was not scheduled to start until 9:15 PM, we waited until 7:45 PM to start our dinner.  However, when we arrived at the Symphony Dining Room, there were no seats available; as a result, we were given pagers and were not seated until 8:00 PM.  Others at our table were a single woman named Cecil from the Washington DC area, and another couple, Richard and Cynthia from North Carolina.  (Sally was the “minority” here; the others were African-American.)  It turned out that we were all avid cruisers.  Since it was 10:00 PM by the time we left the dining room, we were able to dance to the Indigo Quartet only for two songs before they went on break.

Glasgow, Scotland

            Wednesday, 19 Aug 2015 – After our late night, we both slept very late – and regretfully, missed the closing time for breakfast; we settled for an early lunch.  Sally had decided to cancel both the Belfast and Glasgow excursions because neither seemed to offer enough of interest for a couple becoming exhausted from ship-sponsored excursions every day.  However, Jesse didn’t want to miss seeing things and threatened to go out on his own; if he did that, Sally might never see him again, so she agreed to do something “short and easy” with very little walking.  (If we got lost, at least we would be lost together.)

Although we had been successful in our Belfast adventure (being short and “easy,” Glasgow was definitely much different!  During our entire time in the British Isles, the weather has seemed extremely unpredictable.  Today was supposed to be cloudy, but that prediction was changed only hours earlier.  People who knew the correct weather forecast left the ship early and returned before it started raining.  However, we left late (about 2:00 PM), just when the raindrops started falling – and it soon became a very rainy day.  Besides, our ship docked in Greenock, about a 40-minute train ride from Glasgow.  Instead of taking a free Princess shuttle to Glasgow, first we had to walk about 20 minutes to the train station.  During our walk, we had difficulty following the map and had to ask for directions a couple of times.  (Later, we realized that we had been trying to follow the Glasgow map, not the one for Greenock!)

Once at the Greenock train station, we soon boarded an almost-empty train to Glasgow (at the cost of £13.80 for both of us, including the return trip).  For most of the time, the train followed the river Clyde.  When we arrived at the Glasgow train station, we looked for the public toilets.  After finding out that they cost 40p each to use, we stood by the change machine trying to figure out how to obtain change.  However, when the young man who was directing “traffic” into the toilet lines realized that we were stupid Americans, he opened up the gates and let us in for free!

From there, we walked for 15 minutes in the rain under our umbrella to the beginning point for the Hop-On/Hop-Off bus.  Immediately upon our arrival (now about 4:00 PM), we boarded an awaiting bus.  Although the regular cost was £15.00 each, we received £3.00 senior (over 60) discounts and £1.00 “loyalty discounts” with our Hop-on/Hop-Off tickets from Belfast.  Therefore, our total cost for the Hop-On/Hop-Off bus for the two of us was £22.00.
 

Selfie on Tour Bus in Glasgow

The best seats for taking photos were the open-air seats in the rear of the upper deck; however, due to the rain, we sat under the covered section in the front of the upper deck.  Of course, our photos were taken through rain-speckled windows.  Since it was already late in the day and also raining, we had no intention of “hopping off” the bus.  This sight-seeing bus tour was scheduled for two hours, not just one hour (as in Belfast) – and with 28 stops.

            Sad to say, most of the places that the bus passed had no familiar sound to us (or probably to most Americans).  A few were very old, such as Glasgow Green (the oldest of the city's parks gifted by Bishop Turnbull in 1450).  The world-famous Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum is the most visited museum in the U.K. outside of London.  It features ever-changing contemporary exhibits as well as dinosaurs, suits of armor, weaponry and treasures from around the world.  Another stop was for a view of the 12th-century Glasgow Cathedral, the only cathedral in Scotland to have survived the Reformation intact. Provand's Lordship was the only house to survive from the medieval city, dating from 1471.

The bus arrived back at its starting point at about 6:10 PM; then we walked back in the rain to the train station.  Upon arrival, the “restroom attendant” allowed us to use the pay toilets again, for free.  (Although we obtained change from the machine this time, we were having difficulty reading the value of the various coins!  The print is too small!)  We then boarded the waiting return train back to Greenock at 6:25 PM.  This time, the train was full, but a couple from South Africa, who were also on our cruise, made room for us.  We conversed with them for the 40-minute train ride and then followed them back to the ship.  (In fact, most of the train passengers seemed to be heading back to the ship.)

After returning to our cabin, we rested for a while – and Sally decided that, this time, a ship’s excursion probably would have been more relaxing and drier! 

By the time we made it to the dining room for dinner, it was 8:30 PM.  Although we sat at a table for two, we conversed with the couples seated not far away on either side of us.  A fairly young couple from Seattle sat on one side of us; we didn’t ask their names, but he is a college football referee and stays in great shape chasing the ball up and down the football field.  Lynn and Paul, from central England, sat on our other side.  We discussed some Irish, English, and American history, and we learned some interesting facts previously unknown to us.  For one, Paul told us that many Irish had immigrated to England (as well as to America) during the Potato Famine.  We also learned that only trains travel through the tunnel under the English Channel.  There are three tunnels; one for each direction and a third tunnel for service vehicles.  In order to travel through the tunnel, a car must be loaded onto a railcar.  In addition, Paul and Lynn have a very close friend who works for Pratt & Whitney and has lived on and off, in Glastonbury, Connecticut.  They have visited their friend and his family there, and love the town as their friends do.  It was amazing for Sally to hear of little Glastonbury on a cruise ship near Scotland!  Of course, Sally told about having lived there for 7 years, teaching there for 3 years, etc., during the 1960’s.  After dinner, we didn’t dance – Sally was too tired from all of the walking.

Belfast, Ireland

            Tuesday, 18 Aug 2015 – We went to breakfast in the Horizon Court at 10:30 AM.  Since we had cancelled our Princess excursion, we boarded a free Princess shuttle into Belfast at 12:00, where we soon arrived at the Welcome Center.  There we followed a young man for about a block to the Hop-On/Hop-Off bus station.  While we stood in line for about 30 minutes, we conversed with a Frank and Linda from Alberta, Canada.

            At 1:10 we boarded the bus, climbing the steps to the upper level, where we sat for an hour-long ride.  As we rode through the city streets, we listened to the running commentary that told of the features of Northern Ireland’s largest city – its industry and elegance and 19th-century buildings that are a reminder of its prosperous past.  We soon passed the very large Titanic Museum.  In the City Centre, we viewed the Grand Opera House and Victorian and Edwardian buildings with elaborate sculptures over doors and windows, featuring stone-carved heads of gods and poets, scientists, kings and queens peering down from the high ledges of banks and old linen warehouses.  We passed the Queen's University and the Botanic Gardens.  Located in these gardens is the Palm House, a structure of cast iron and curved glass panels built even before Kew Gardens opened in London in 1839.  We traveled down to the Shankill Road area, an authentic working-class community, and the Falls Roads area where murals on almost every gable wall tell the story of its violent past and its belief in the future.

Belfast has had problems reconciling their religious and political problems for many years.  Large numbers of heavily armed men from the Protestant and Catholic sides were ready for a battle in 1914; however, at that time, World War started, and both sides joined in mutual defense of the British Isles.  After that, there were some agreements and then, again, problems.  Belfast achieved international attention with the outbreak of the "Troubles" in the 1960s, with the violence escalating in 1969.  The conflict lasted until the Good Friday Agreement of 1998.  Our bus entered the older Catholic section of the city, which looked distinctly different from the rest, with signs all written in both English and Irish.  The guide gave interesting facts about Northern Ireland’s fight to achieve independence from southern Ireland and/or England – against those who did not want to separate.  High cement walls (erected by the English about 45 years ago) still stand between the Catholic and Protestant parts of the city.  And there is a small area of completely bare ground (like a “no man’s land”) that lies between the two sections.  The guide said that some bad feelings still linger.

Popular art played a prominent role during the "Troubles."  The gable ends of houses were painted with vivid murals to proclaim a neighborhood's political affiliations, and remain a much-photographed part of Belfast's past.  At Cave Hill we viewed the Belfast Castle.  MacArt's Fort, a rock where United Irishmen planned the rebellion of 1795, overlooks the castle.  We drove past the Harland & Wolff shipyard where the Titanic was built and launched.  We drove past the Stormont, a building designed to hold Northern Ireland's parliament.

After our bus returned to its starting point, we walked back to the shuttle stop where we boarded the shuttle for our return trip to the ship, and were able to board immediately this time.  We were onboard the ship by 3:30 PM, after which we went to the Horizon Court for a light lunch and then rested in our cabin.

            At dinner, we sat a table for two, but we conversed with the couples sitting either side of us.  We didn’t get their names, but one couple was from San Francisco, CA, and the other from San Diego, CA.  After dinner, we danced to the Janos Quartet in the Vista Lounge for about 30 minutes before returning to our cabin.  There were only about seven other couples in the lounge, five of which were dancers.  So we didn’t have the large audience watching us dance, as in the Piazza, which pleased Sally.  Sally stayed up until after midnight working on our blog.  Due to the slow speed of the ship’s internet, so far, we haven’t been able to make any posting up to this time.

Dublin, Ireland

            Monday, 17 Aug 2015 – We awoke at 10:00 AM to the ship's announcements for a Muster Drill, which didn’t make Sally very happy.  We made our way to the Horizon Court for breakfast at 10:30 AM and proceeded to our tour meet-up point on the shore at 12:30 PM.

Our tour guide was James and our driver was Jimmie.  The tour guide said that he usually goes by Jimmie also, but that would be too confusing for this tour.  Our tour began with a scenic, narrated drive through Dublin to St. Patrick's Cathedral.  En route, we saw the city's major sights, such as St. Stephen's Green, O'Connell Street, the River Liffey, the main river in Dublin and the city's Georgian District, including Merrion Square.  We also passed the Custom House and viewed its elegant 18th-century Georgian architecture.  Often considered the most architecturally important building in Dublin, the Custom House is the first major public building constructed in Dublin as an isolated structure with four monumental façades.

We exited the bus and followed James into St Patrick’s Cathedral, where he gave us a brief history of the cathedral and the life of St. Patrick.  Built in honor of Ireland's patron saint in 1190, it is not only the largest church in Ireland, but is also said to be one of the earliest Christian sites in Ireland where St. Patrick baptized converts.  The cathedral was damaged during Cromwell's invasion of Ireland in the 17th century and was restored in the 19th century by the Guinness brewery family. Buried inside is Jonathan Swift, author and former dean of the cathedral.  Today, St. Patrick's is the National Cathedral for the Church of Ireland (Anglican).



Free Time in Dublin

Our next stop was Trinity College, Ireland's oldest university, and the alma mater of distinguished alumni, including Jonathan Swift of Gulliver's Travels, Oscar Wilde, and Nobel Prize winner Samuel Beckett.  After our tour of the college, we were given free time to stroll through the grounds, shop, or to have a beer at one of the local taverns in the area.

We were back on board the ship by 5:35 PM.  At dinner, we shared a table with John and Paula from Los Angeles, CA; and Richard and Gwen from England.  There was no ballroom dancing on the schedule, so we returned to our cabin at 8:15 PM.

Liverpool, England

            Sunday, 16 Aug 2015 – By 10:30 A.M. we were on our Princess excursion bus, which was scheduled mainly to see places associated with the Beatles.  At first, however, we drove past Pier Head, Town Hall, and Chinatown.  Our tour guide told us that the early wealthy people in Liverpool had profited from the slave trade – and would be far from admirable people in our modern day!


With One of the Beatles

At Penny Lane

Our guide (Sandy) is extremely fond of the Beatles; she was part of their adoring crowd very early on, is a member of a Beatles club, and attends their conventions.  Much of her running commentary was about their lives, given in great detail.  We walked down Matthew Street to the site of the Cavern Club, where the Beatles performed over 300 times from February 1961 to August 1963.  The original club was demolished in 1973, but a re-creation was built using bricks recycled from the original.  On our stroll, we passed several statues commemorating Paul McCartney and John Lennon.  Our bus stopped at Strawberry Field and Penny Lane, immortalized by Beatles’ songs.  In that neighborhood, we passed an Anglican cathedral, where John had tried out for their choir when he was a young teenager.  However, they didn’t accept him!  Later, apparently someone from that church reminded him that they had rejected him; he retorted, “But now you play my music, so I’m having my revenge!”   

            We continued to Albert Dock and visited the Beatles Story, a multimedia exhibit that chronicles the Beatles from their days in Hamburg to their final break-up.  As we emerged from the exhibit, we couldn’t see any other people wearing #5 bus stickers, and neither could we see our bus.  Sandy had not given directions very well.  As we were wandering around, one couple told us that the other busses had gone back to the ship, except for one that was still standing a short distance away.  (The couple planned to walk around before returning to the ship.)  Not wanting to walk the half mile to the ship ourselves, we ran to that one remaining bus, and asked the driver if he was going to our ship.  He was and invited us to board.  It was not a Princess excursion bus; the few passengers on board were speaking a foreign language.  But we took up his offer.

Later, someone who had been on bus #5 told us that our bus was parked on a side street where we hadn’t seen it, though it had arrived a little late.  They had waited for 15 extra minutes for us!  Oh, well!

Before dinner, we danced for 45 minutes in the Piazza.  At dinner, we sat with Jim & Sheila (from Riverside, CA), Linda & Curt (from Kansas City, KS), & Joe & Evelyn (From Mytle Beach, NC, but originally from New York).  Mostly, we discussed cruising.  Linda said they have been on mostly river cruises.  I asked where these have been; Curt said on most of the rivers in Europe!