New York City, Aug 12

Guggenheim Museum

I've eaten waaaay too many hotdogs

Central Park

Empire State Building

Partly Cloudy and 27 degrees

We are up even earlier today – I think we are getting back on track. Last night’s sleeping environment was something else – garbage trucks backing up, sirens, honking etc, etc., we’re not sleeping in the middle of the ocean any more! Nonetheless we got a ton of sleep – I think the beds in this hotel are all about extremes last the first night we slept in the world’s tiniest bed and last night I’m certain the bed was the biggest I've slept in.

Our plans for the day were thwarted a bit once the rain hit. We were on our way downtown with pretty much all outdoor activities in mind – nope. It wasn't a lot of rain, but we jumped on the subway and headed for the Guggenheim Museum art museum. As it turned out the rain didn't amount to much, and we had planned to visit this trip at some point anyway. This is a very manageable place that we get through in a couple of hours. Our visit uptown also checked off walking through Central Park from our to do list.



Yankees

Although not exactly a ‘street’ hot-dog we got a hot-dog from Papaya King – I am WAY over my hot dog quotient this trip, I think this is my third!

And then came walking. The rain was long gone and the skys were clearing and we walked and walked. Then we stopped for a glass of wine and some calamari before doing a bit of shopping.

 

The Yankees were in town so after another subway ride we were in the Bronx at Yankee Stadium - time for another 12.00 beer.

New York City - Aug 11

another Empire State Building

Partly Cloudy and 27 degrees



Miraculously we woke up at a decent time and didn't sleep the day away. I certainly could have, as the time didn't mean a thing to my jet lagged body, but we were up and out by 10.

Because we changed our travel plans and arrived here yesterday rather than today as we had originally planned, we had to stay in a different room last night. It certainly was small, but really didn’t matter a bit considering how tired we were (or as Chris put it I was.)


Our hotel has a continental breakfast which is great, considering Chris isn't remotely interested and I’m not exactly up for bacon and eggs – perfect for solo cereal and juice. After whatever packing we had to do since being here for the last 12 hours we wandered around a bit before having to be back to ‘check out’ of our ‘cozy’ room at noon.

duh

Once

Once checked out (after making ourselves an iced coffee and scarfing down a couple of pastries from the hotel’s hospitality room), we head to the theatre that we have matinee tickets for today to pick up our tickets. In the afternoon we got tickets to see Once - a musical set in Dublin. This is very close to our hotel. As we have chosen our hotel based on the fact hat we are seeing a show so this means a short walk to pick up the tickets.

Because we decided on a show at the last minute we weren't left with much choice on shows, but Once was a great decision. The theatre was relatively small; the bar was on stage before and at intermission while performers played and the show was great.

The evening began with a glass of bubbly at our hotel’s evening wine and cheese reception before we headed out for dinner. Chris found a tiny wine bar about a 15 min walk from our hotel. This meant we were out of the fray that is Times Square – great for seeing shows, but a bit frantic at all times. The evening was balmy and we are able to wander around jacket-less.

Empire State Building after dark

Oh…and on a programming note…I watched The Guilt Trip and 42 on the plane last night. Both were pretty great in my opinion. Not exactly the same – both made my cry – one with laughter, do I need to say which.

Travel day - London to New York

Getting from point A to point B has never been my favourite and today was no exception. However, I'm thankful to have had no problems, and to be finally sitting in bed in what I think is not a double bed, but a wide single.  Good thing this is just for tonight...tomorrow a bit more space.

Portland, England – Aug 9





Cerne Abbas Giant

Minterne House grounds

Minterne House grounds



Minterne House grounds

Overcast and 23 degrees

Today is our last day on the cruise before we head to New York for the last leg of our vacation. The weather is great for a last day as we head in to the English countryside. Portland is the port for the area of Dorchester. Great weather has become relative and Chris is very much looking forward to a change in climate when we hit New York. Believe it or not I am even looking forward to a bit of heat. Of course the weather is never perfect, but I wouldn’t mind a bit more warmth. Yesterday when we were in Cork it rained for a bit, the type of rain we expected – the type that doesn’t even really get you wet, but damp, not like we experienced at the beginning of this trip in England – that soaked us to the SKIN!

 

We travel through the Dorset countryside beyond Dorchester and make a photo stop at the Cerne Abbas Giant. This is a 180 feet high figure of a naked man dug into the ground and then dug into the chalk underneath that. Its origin and age are unclear – it could be ancient or could be 17^th century. There are 2 other chalk figures in this area, but we only drive by one other.

Most of our time is spent at Minterne House. This is a 17th century manor house has been in the Churchill and Digby families since 1620. Lord Digby who is 92 years old and his son guided us around the house and gardens as we drank tea and ate scones – how very English. The gardens and house were beautiful. This isn’t a spot open to the public, but somehow we were able to get in. The gardens weren’t typically English, but a bit more natural. This was one of the best tours we have had, there were 24 of us – we didn’t battle with other tourists. The gardens have a chain of small lakes, waterfalls and streams. They contain a unique collection of plants from all over the world.



Minterne House

 



Cork, Ireland – Aug 8

Overcast and 19 degrees

Another walking tour today before a bus ride. Cork is a smaller town populations wise than Dublin is, but seems more like more is happening – maybe I’m wrong, but that is how things seem.

We start at Holy Trinity church - the first church we have stepped foot in on this entire vacation. This is a beautiful old-ish church that our guide makes sure to tell us is old, but not as old as it looks like – the architect took elements of other churches he liked and made this church.

Next we wander near the river Lee which the city centre straddles. Shops, pubs, restaurants etc are throughout this city centre, but also the bits from many years ago – which our guide is expert at describing.

Our tour ends by visiting Cork’s 400-year-old English Market – a very interesting, charming place which is a typical market, but that has a TON of fish, there is a fish there that is bigger than ME! 

Dublin, Ireland – Aug 7


Clear and 20 degrees

It was the perfect morning for a walking tour. I have always preferred walking tours to bus tours as they aren’t as confining as bus tours can be. Certainly a bus is better in the rain, but this morning rain was not a problem.

shopping

Of course we had to get on a bus to get out of the pier area and into the city centre. This is definitely where a river cruise is superior to an ocean or sea cruise like we are on now. Being docked right in the middle of town with a river cruise is terrific. However, we are not on a river cruise so…onto the bus.

self explanatory - no?

Oscar Wilde

We started with a brief bus ride into the Dublin's city center. There were only 14 of us on the tour, so that was also nice. A lot of what we learned was about Dublin’s literary personalities: Oscar Wilde, Jonathan Swift, and Bram Stoker mostly. Dublin is a smaller city than we had expected. We visit Trinity Collage, Ireland’s oldest university (founded by Queen Elizabeth I in 1592.) This is where the Book of Kells (a hand illuminated manuscript of the Gospels is housed), but don’t visit as the line is LONG and we need to budget time for the Guinness tour. The tour ends with a stop at a pub for a Guinness.



view from the Guiness bar

After the tour we have lunch and visit the Guinness Storehouse (factory). This is a very slick place where there are multi-media displays on the making and history of Guinness. Of course there was a gift shop and I don’t think Chris has ever shopped more in his entire life! We left quite a dent in the shop. Although I got a couple pint of Guinness down, I don’t think that was enough to develop my taste for it – just not my thing, I did manage to buy a couple of shirts and a Christmas ornament – we need to start a new Christmas ornament collection and this is a good a place as any!

Belfast, Notrhern Ireland – Aug 6

Partly cloudy and 16 degrees.




rock formation dubbed 'the organ'

Dunluce castle ruin

We don’t dock in Belfast until noon today, so we are able to spend a relaxing morning. Once out tour begins we drive a while inland where we make a short stop for at Dunluce Castle mostly for a photo stop. It’s quite a sight perched on a craggy cliff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. 

The main attraction on this tour is visiting the Giants' Causeway. It is a drive through the Irish countryside stopping a couple of times for a stretch and a photo before arriving at the Giant’s Causeway. The causeway was formed between 50 and 60 million years ago by a volcano, the causeway takes its name from the legends of the giant Finn McCool. The causeway is a series of hexagonal rock columns.



Irish landscape

Irish landscape with cows



moody landscape

Giant's Causeway hexagonal rock formations and a joke apparently

Next we visit a castle ruin, see many, many cows and sheep before returning to Belfast. The weather holds up somewhat with only a couple of rain drops until we re-board the bus when the skys open and there are spots of torrential downpours.

North Sea sailing, Aug 5



say cheese

escargot

This is our second and last sea day. It was VERY uneventful. It was quite cold and windy, so there was no pool time for us. We got a glass of wine from the pool bar and the bar tender had a hard time opening the bottle with her frozen fingers! It really wasn't that cold, but we didn't stick around to drink it - we took it to go. We had a great meal at the French themed restaurant tonight. 

beet and goat cheese 'cake'





Geiranger and Hellesylt, Norway – Aug 4

 

on the RIB - like my outfit?

Partly cloudy and 20 degrees – another glorious day in Norway.

We are anchored today and wake up a in a fjord – it’s not every day that I get to say that!

back on board, enjoying the view

Geiranger is a very small tourist village that we are able to stroll around easily before our tour. We have noticed A LOT of camping here in Norway, understandably so with such beautiful surroundings and this town is no different. People either have their own trailers (caravans) or tents or they use little cabins sprinkled throughout the fjords and mountain areas. We stroll through the camping area, up to a waterfall before meeting up for the tour.



can you see the face?

Our mode of transportation today is not a bus, but a R.I.B. (Rigid Inflatable Boat) Exploration tour. We have to put on wind-proof flotation jump-suits in preparation for this tour. The boats seat 16 and a guide. We speed through the Geirangerfjord stopping every so often to hear from the guide and take pictures. There are 3 major water falls in this fjord that are the main attractions. They are named the Suitor, the 7 Sisters and the Bridal Veil – we stop close enough to each of these to feel the spray. Each has a story that our guide shares with us. We also see some farms up on the mountains that seem impossible to access. We also see some goats that the farmer brings to the mountains from the city in the summer – these are definitely bigger goats than we saw wandering cities and eating garbage in Asia.



gorgeous landscape - can't help being reminded of home

 



more evidence of how much the Norwegians like camping

fjord

Our afternoon is spent lazily admiring the scenery of the fjords from the ship and we travel back to the North Sea. Apparently the sea will be in a similar pitchy condition to when we came here a few days ago with forecasted 10 feet swells.

we get very close