Bergen, Norway

            Thursday, 3 Sep 2015 – The ship was scheduled to dock at Bergen today from 7:00 AM to 2:00 AM, and again on 7 Sep 2015 (on its next cruise in the other direction) from 10:45 to 2:45 PM.  We opted to schedule our ship’s excursion on the later date for 10:45, not early morning.


Bergen City Center

In Geiranger, Sally had seen a book about the Vikings, but the store was sold out of the English version.  Therefore, we disembarked the ship, primarily to look for an English version of the Vikings book.  First, we boarded the ship’s free shuttle to the city center.  While walking around the City Park, we noticed that CitySightseeing Hop On – Hop Off busses were available here.  Sally spoke to the ticket salesman and found out that we could purchase tickets with our credit card.  Now, we have the option of taking that tour or to keep our [more expensive] Princess “Highlights of Bergen” excursion for 7 Sep 2015.


Sally's Stumbling Block

While further exploring Bergen, we stopped at an historic-looking fountain for a photo.  While there, Sally tumbled face-forward over a circular concrete stool nearby.  To Jesse, it looked like Sally had hit her face on the concrete, but she apparently had avoided that tragedy by stopping the fall with her left arm, just in time.  Jesse, along with a few other spectators, helped her to her feet; other than being a little embarrassed, she was not injured.  For the remainder of our visit in Bergen, Jesse never let go of Sally’s arm!

Ole Bull Monument

Eventually, we found a mall with a bookstore that sold a book about Vikings written in English.  This book is a little more detailed that the one in Geiranger, though only available in paperback.  Soon we made our way back to the ship’s shuttle and, by then, there was a long line waiting for the shuttle and then a long line waiting to re-board the ship.  Although we had not been paying attention to the time, we ended up boarding one of the last shuttles back to the ship!  Thanks again, Guardian Angel.

After re-boarding the ship, we decided to try the pool and hot tub, which Jesse thought might improve some of the bruising from Sally’s fall.  The two large pools were filled with kids; however, the adult pool was empty, but FREEZING cold.  Jesse bravely immersed himself and swam a little, but Sally only managed to get wet up to her knees.  Although the hot tub was already full, the others made room for us.  An English man who was in the hot tub with his wife and daughter kept us laughing for the next hour.

For the formal dinner, we shared a table with Dave and Annette again, and also Chris and Lori from England.  Afterward, we joined the Captains Circle Party in the Club Fusion, where we enjoyed complimentary drinks and hors d’oerves and danced to the Leal Quintet, as long as the music lasted.

Hellesylt & Geiranger, Norway

            Wednesday, 2 Sep 2015 – Jesse was awake by 9:00 AM, and he awoke Sally for breakfast at 10:30 AM.  (Sally had had trouble sleeping.)  The ship had stopped for two hours at Hellesylt, Norway, from 8:00 to 10:00 AM to unload passengers who would be taking an overland excursion to Geiranger.

            Several months earlier, Sally had decided to book us on that 9-hour excursion to Hellesylt, for a hike to Briksdal glacier and Josetedalbreen National Park.  Although the excursion was labeled as “strenuous,” Sally had thought the hike would be worth the expenditure of energy; however, recently she changed her mind and we cancelled our tickets two days earlier.  One of Sally’s considerations was the fact that our excursion at Olden, Norway the previous day sounded very similar to the Hellesylt excursion – though not to the largest glacier, the highest waterfall, etc.; the Hellesylt excursion was definitely more extreme.

At Geiranger we disembarked the ship by tender at 12:30 PM.  Without our Elite status, we would have waited at least 30 minutes wait to board a tender, but we were allowed to board immediately.  (As usual, we felt guilty for not waiting our turn, but we used our Elite status, anyway!)  In town, there was a Hop On – Hop Off bus available, but the next available seats were at 3:00 PM, and we didn’t really want to stay ashore that long.


Geiranger Church

Although the population of Geiranger is only 200, we were both exhausted by the time we walked along the side of a road that went up a long hill and then made a hairpin turn and went up another very long hill to the next hairpin turn, etc… (at least three turns) to see the church that was founded in 1450 and rebuilt for the third time in 1842.  On the way, we also saw a waterfall that originated from one of the glaciers.  After boarding a tender back to the ship, we were onboard by 3:30 AM and enjoyed what was intended to be a light lunch.

Geiranger Troll

Still not hungry at 5:30 PM, we went to dinner anyway, where we joined a table with Annette and Dave, of Vancouver, and two younger couples form Edinburgh, Scotland:  Margaret and Dave, and May and Paul.  The Scots all had speech that was difficult for us to understand.  We had seen Annette and Dave on the dance floor; they are more advanced dancers than we are.  (Annette is originally from India and Dave, from London.)  After dinner, we danced for a short time in the Club Fusion to the Leal Quintet.

Olden, Norway

            Tuesday, 1 Sep 2015 – We awoke to our alarm at 2:15 AM.  Sally first searched the sky from our balcony, and then went out on deck to search further.  Only the bright, almost full moon was visible in the sky, and Sally returned to bed.  Later, and after brunch, we joined or tour group in the Island Dining Room.

            Our tour bus departed the pier at 1:15 PM, with our tour guide (Coleen) and driver (Earland).  We first drove through Olden, population 600, and on to Lake Lovatn, where we boarded a small motor boat for a twelve-mile cruise on the lake's turquoise waters.  We were lucky enough to sit on the upper, uncovered deck, which had a much better view; however, the wind was cold.  The guide explained how the lake's waters have been colored by clays washed down from Kjenndalen Glacier.  Although the water appears to be green, it is actually clear and the color is only an illusion.  The lake is filled by water from the melting glaciers.  In fact, our guide told us that the water is extremely healthy to drink, and (with tongue in cheek) even being like a fountain of youth.
 

Viking Troll

Kjenndalen Mountain Lodge

            At the Kjenndalen Mountain Lodge, we disembarked from the motor boat.  There, we were served coffee, tea, and delicious waffles with strawberry jam and yogurt.  The servers kept refilling the platters and Jesse ate until eating more would have become embarrassing!  (The waffles were delicious!) 



Kjenndalen Glacier

After we re-boarded our bus, it continued to the trailhead for Kjenndalen Glacier.  From there we hiked up the trail to the glacier, which was an intense blue-green.  The glacier is situated in the Jostedalsbreen National Park, and is home to the largest ice sheet in mainland Europe.  Stretching over 37 miles in length, it is divided into three major arms, and is over 1,312 feet deep at certain points.  We could also see several waterfalls along the way, which were fueled by melting ice from the glaciers.

            After hiking back down the trail to the trailhead, we re-boarded our bus.  We drove through Kjenndalen Valley and more Norwegian countryside along the Nordfjord, the sixth longest in Norway back to the ship.  Also, we stopped at a memorial to an area where houses had been destroyed and people killed on three occasions by landslides falling into the water and creating huge tidal waves.  In addition, along the way we stopped at a group of turf-covered buildings, one of them being about 500 years old.  There, we sampled wild raspberries, which were growing on the roof of one of the buildings.  (Raspberries are a big crop in Norway because of long days of summer sunshine.)

            At dinner we joined Rose and Malcolm of England, and Jean and Roy of Brisbane, Australia.  Because Malcolm’s accent was a little difficult for us to understand, we didn’t hear just where in England he lives.

            Since we missed the earlier live dancing, we went to the Club Fusion for pre-recorded ballroom dancing.  However, we found that the area was being used as a playground by two or three families with small children.  Although we tried dancing in one corner, finally the screaming became so loud that we gave up in our attempt to dance.

At Sea & Stavanger, Norway

            Sunday, 30 Aug 2015 – We slept until noon today, thus enjoying 12 hours of sleep but missing breakfast!  At 12:45 PM we went to lunch and looked for a few “breakfast-type” items to eat.

            As we walked by the swimming pools, we checked the water temperature and found it to be very cold; also, the two large pools were both filled with shouting kids.  (Only a small pool at the rear of the ship is for adults only.)  Anyway, we stopped by the ship’s library and checked out a few books, and spent the rest of the afternoon reading and relaxing.

            This was formal night.  In the Coral Dining room we shared a table with Maureen and Keith, of Vancouver, Washington (near Portland, Oregon), and Al & Elaine of Santa Barbara, California.  (Elaine is Al’s youngest daughter, Al explained.)  Although we mostly discussed cruises and grandkids, we learned that Maureen and Keith winter in Arizona, near the California border in Blythe.

            After dinner, we enjoyed complimentary champagne at the “Captain’s Welcome Aboard Party & Champagne Waterfall.”  After that, we danced for 15 minutes to Jumari, a guitarist and vocal entertainer.  Although his performance wasn’t advertised as dance music, other couples were already dancing, so we joined in.  (He also had his own electronic accompaniment, but it was good.)

Monday, 31 Aug 2015 – Since we had an excursion in Stavanger, Norway today, we awoke to our alarm at 6:45 AM, went for a quick breakfast, and made our way to our tour meet-up point in the Princess Theater by 8:15 AM.  At 8:50 our bus departed the pier.  Our driver (Yenta) took us on a short drive through the city, while our tour guide (Helen) told us about the sights.

After a short drive through the city, we soon were amidst the picturesque farmlands and tiny Ullandhaug, with an Iron Age farm.  At this instant, we seemed to be transported into the 4th or 5th centuries A.D., when inhabitants used iron implements and weapons.  We walked about 50 meters very carefully through a sheep pasture (trying not to step in any manure!) to a restored longhouse.  On the original site, archeologists had found stone walls and round stone fire pits, and the rest of the crude building had been reconstructed.  From the outside, it was very low, with a sod roof (and grass or hay growing from it).  At the door, we were greeted by the “Lady of the House,” who showed us the key that she carried.  This key granted her the supreme authority over the house, inhabitants, duties, etc.; no one, not even the chieftain, could take her key or try to use his authority over her.  As punishment for anyone who tried, she could forbid that person from sleeping in the house for days at a time!  When the Lady of the House died, the key would be buried with her.

As the taller of those in our group stooped to enter, we walked into the longhouse.  Inside, at first we could barely see, though after several minutes our eyes became accustomed to the dark.  The walls were stone, and the roof was peat and bark (under the sod).  Animals were kept in the house on the north end (to break the cold wind).  To light a fire, the “Lady” showed how flint and iron were used; in this longhouse were three round fireplaces surrounded by stones.  The Lady also demonstrated ancient techniques for making wool thread and grinding grain.

Not far away, we made a photo stop at the Ullandhaug viewpoint, which offered panoramic views of the Jæren countryside and Ryfylke Mountains to the east and Hafrsfjord to the west.  



King Harald's Monument

This was the site of King Harald’s monument, which was destroyed by the Germans during WWII and would have cost too much to reconstruct.  In 872, King Harald Fair Hair united Norway after the battle of Hafrsfjord.

At dinner in the Coral Dining Room, we shared a table with Bill, of New Hampshire; his grandson, Blake, from Massachusetts; Bill’s brother and his wife; and another couple of Nashville, Tennessee.  After dinner, we danced to Jurmari for about 20 minutes before returning to our cabin.  Before retiring, we set our alarm for 2:15 AM.  The woman from Nashville at our table thought the Aurora Borealis might be visible at that time.  (This topic had been discussed on CruiseCritic.com several months ago, but Sally wasn’t sure if her name was on the wake-up list or not, or even if this was the correct night.)

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!)