Reading the Blog

Now that the journey is over, for those that are new to reading this blog, please note that the blog itself is in reverse chronological order. For better enjoyment, read the oldest posts first. You can access these via the blog archive list on the left side of the home page.

Home Sweet Home

We are home!

Deborah and Isabelle picked us up at SEA-TAC last night and we had a joyous reunion. It was well worth the trouble to get home to see that little smiling face. My bed felt soooooo good last night.

The trip was long but uneventful. Everything worked ok except for an hour delay at takeoff when the pilot announced that the radio had too much static and they they were going to replace it. They made up half the time in flight. Customs was a breeze, but it took an hour for all our bags to arrive on the carousel. We collected everything, then had to put them on another conveyor to send them to another baggage carousel. We finally got everything loaded in the car and then made the long drive home.

Phone calls, mail, unpacking, grocery shopping, and a pedicure are on the list of activities for today. Michael woke up at 3 am and started working with HP on fixing his computer. They did a Hail-Mary and it actually booted up so he could at least backup everything before he turns it off, maybe for the final time. Won't know for a few days if it is dead or if it can be fixed.

Now its back to regular life. I have to make my own bed, pick up my shower towel and hang it up, and -- gasp -- make our own meals.
And clean. I will take some time to recover from the jetlag and fatigue.

Good news: neither Michael nor I GAINED any weight! Wooo Whooo.

This is Beverly and Michael signing off until September. See you then.

Liverpool, England

Today was the last excursion of this long, long trip. Both Michael and I had escort duty today.

Located on the Mersey River in northwest England, this city of about one half million people is steeped in maritime history and is a center of education, culture and architecture. I was expecting a derelict city with dilapidated warehouses and slums. What I saw was a modern and prospering city. It was not always so; the city was heavily bombed during the blitz in WWII and hit hard times again in the 1980s They are currently investing billions in regenerating the city and in converting the old Albert Docks, originally opened in 1846, to a modern technical, hi-tech industrial and recreational area that is already the second largest in England. Where ever you go in Liverpool, whether old or new, you see a vibrant community.

Michael

It was a really fun day. I did not get an escort assignment until the very last moment, and then they gave me the one that I had wanted all along – “In the Footsteps of the Beatles.” Yes, this was a half day excursion tracing the lives and careers of the Fab Four.

We began the Beatles tour with a visit to “The Beatles Story,” built underground in a restored part of Albert Docks. It was a bit cheesy, but it did have enough Beatles memorabilia and recreations of significant places and events to make it worthwhile. From here, we visited the birthplaces, former homes, schools and other venues associated with each of the Beatles. Highlights included Penny Lane, Strawberry Fields and the old Cavern Club, where it can be said to have all begun.

Beverly:

My tour involved the highlights of Liverpool. Old and new mixed together, pleasant neighborhoods, gardens, cathedrals, and some Beatle history was all thrown in. We visited the Roman Catholic Cathedral, which is nicknamed ”Paddy’s Wigwam” because it looks like a huge tent or a spaceship (and it is totally out of character for the area) and because of all the Irish that attend services. We also saw the Anglican Cathedral, which is the largest in Britain and has the highest, largest, biggest everything. Next we went to Steke Hall, an old black and white house built in the 15th century (there was not one plumb wall or flat floor surface). We also drove down Penny Lane and saw where John Lennon grew up, and the neighborhood he wrote about in many of his songs.

***

It’s time to come home: I am running out of my lotions and potions. We have settled into a routine on the ship and home is where we are at the moment. Mentally, you have to do this when you move around as much as we do. I can’t wait to sleep in my own bed, however. I am looking forward to getting home and seeing my family. I am not looking forward to the trip home. It will be grueling; we leave the ship first thing in the morning for a two hour drive to London, then leave Heathrow around 3:30 pm and arrive Seattle 4:45 pm on the same day. The laundry is done and tomorrow is packing day; I hope we can fit everything in.

It has been wonderful seeing all the places and sights, but frankly, everything is starting to run together. I am very glad that we kept this journal. I can barely remember what I did two days ago! When we started out, it was hard to think two months ahead; now, two months ago seems like ancient times. I am bruised, banged up, everything hurts, and I am exhausted. I have eaten too much, laughed a lot, meet some wonderful people, and seen incredible places. This has been the experience of a lifetime. Now it is time to go home and rest up for the next installment. The Walker’s never let any grass grow under their feet.

Belfast, Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is not to be confused with the Republic of Ireland; Northern Ireland is a part of the UK. It has a population of 1.8 million, and 400,000 people live in Belfast. Belfast is known as a ship building town that used to employ 300,000people at one time, but today employs only about 100; it also has the largest dry dock in the world and the Titanic was built here in 1912. There is an entire area near the shipyard where the Titanic was built that is being renovated to attract tourism.

Much of central Belfast was destroyed by bombs during WWII because ships and planes were made here. I found the city to be a lot newer than I imagined it would be. New housing has replaced slums. Old warehouses have been torn down and replaced with modern office buildings. There are ornate Victorian homes, row houses with brightly painted doors, suburban subdivisions, old stone churches and buildings, modern office buildings – a little bit of everything. There are pubs everywhere (I think this is one of the largest industries in Belfast!?!) with colorful flower filled window boxes. Many of the older ones are like museums.

One terrific bit of trivia is that the language most spoken in Northern Ireland (after English), is Mandarin! Yep, tons of Chinese came when Hong Kong went back to China and they stayed. The economic mainstay in Northern Ireland today is small business, and is the largest producer of cigarettes in the world.

Michael:

I had no idea what to expect today, and so there was no way I could be disappointed. On balance though, I rather enjoyed this (my second) visit to Belfast. The tour I escorted this morning began at Hillsborough Castle. This is a large, rambling two-story late Georgian mansion which dates back to 1760. It is home to the British Secretary of State, a vacation residence for the British Royal Family, and accommodates visitors to all State functions in Northern Ireland. George Bush and Bill Clinton have both stayed here. When we entered the reception area, our guide pointed to me and asked me to sit down in a rather ornate chair, and pull it up to an even more ornate table. I was instructed to open the book laid out on that table. It turns out this is where all visitors must sit to sign the guest book upon arrival, and I got to turn to the pages signed by Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip, Prince Charles, Prince Andrew and Princess Anne. I asked where I should sign, and I think she got a little cross with me! By the way, they sign in using only their first name. We toured the rest of the Castle, except for the Royal bed chambers, and it was beautiful.

From here we proceeded to Belfast for a quick tour of the city. Highlights included Queens University, and an immense city hall building. We toured some very interesting sections of the City. The national pastime in Belfast is drinking, and we saw the main roads where, when the bars close at 1:30 AM, the streets are literally gridlocked with traffic. They do deal harshly with these people though. Our guide told us that “anti-social behavior is quickly sorted out with two warning shots to the back of the head.” This is Belfast after all! We also saw the “Titanic Quarter,” where the city is investing heavily in recreational activities and high tech industry to try to speed up much needed city revitalization.

By far the most interesting part of our tour was a look at the areas that were at the heart of the “Troubles,” (as they call them), which began in 1969. As everyone knows, the city was divided by religion, and there was literally a fence (it’s still here), called the “Peace Fence,” which separated the Catholics and the Protestants. We could see many remnants of this difficult time all over the city. I think Beverly will have more to say about this.

Beverly:

Ireland has a lot of history, historical sites, and all the other “stuff” to see and do. But Ireland, both the Republic and North, have the people. Unlike most of the other places we have visited, this island’s people are the heart and soul of their countries, and this is what I have brought away with me. I had the best time today on my tour because of our guide and driver. I find the Irish to be friendly, funny, homey, unassuming and just plain nice. I introduced myself to the guide, Billy, and the driver Brian, and asked them if they would let me on the bus even if I didn’t have one drop of Irish blood in me. How could that be with a name like Walker, which is a very common name here. Well, they just loved that and we were off and running to have a great time. Billy sang Irish songs and told jokes in between giving us the history and pointing out sights.

We visited the usual sights: Queens University and Botanical Gardens, Belfast City Hall, and saw lots of statues and buildings. We stopped at Belfast Castle and I had a fun time wandering through the gardens trying to find the nine hidden cats; topiary, statues, iron bench seat shaped like a cat, and more. That was just delightful. See, I told you the Irish have a great sense of humor. The inside of the castle was pretty neat too.

The most important and interesting part of the day was learning and seeing about where and why “the Troubles” took place. It started around 1969 when the loyalists and separatists started fighting. Loyalists wanted to remain linked to Britain and the separatists wanted independence. Somehow this all morphed into a Protestant/Catholic crisis and the fighting was on. A peace was brokered in 1997, but there is still a lot of animosity and separation between the two. The Orange Order (Protestants against Catholics) has a parade every year and has recently been forbidden to go down streets in Catholic sections. Neighborhoods are still segregated along these lines. Today, the city is about half Protestant and half Catholic.

We also saw many, many murals painted on the sides of buildings and homes depicting political strife. Today, they are starting to be replaced with murals depicting historical and cultural images. These were incredible.

Dublin, Ireland

Dublin is a contradiction: medieval architecture against steel and glass. I think it doesn’t know what to be. It wants to be modern, yet it doesn’t know how to hold on to its roots. Dublin had been inhabited centuries before the Vikings settled it into a real city in the 9th century. Again, like the rest of Europe, the history is complex and convoluted.

My tour took us on an overview of the city, with stops at a Jewish Museum and Cemetery. The tour guide and the docent from the museum gave us quite a history lesson on how Ireland was named – obviously there was a Jewish connection, which is so convoluted that I can’t even begin to tell you the what and why; but he did make the point and even my fatigued brain got it. Way back in history five Jewish merchants came to what is now Ireland to see the king about doing some business. Since the five weren’t beheaded and did return home in one piece, the hypothesis goes that this opened up Ireland for some minimal immigration of Jews from the continent. There never was a large Jewish population in Ireland except for the 1950s; today, there are fewer than a thousand. Being a tourist is like being in school again!

The largest and most popular fair in Dublin is called the Puck Fair. The origins of this come from an ancient Jewish ceremony to honor God by sacrificing a goat by throwing it down a hill and killing it. When leaders decided that killing a goat this way was cruel, they instead decided to lower the goat over the hill using ropes, and then let it go run free. Our Catholic guide was astonished to learn that this very Catholic tradition has Jewish roots!

I found the Georgian buildings to be beautiful and charming. These were mostly four story row houses with basements. The number of chimney pots (on top of the roof) indicated how many rooms you had, so the more you had, the richer you were. Dublin is famous for its doors. Front doors were painted bright colors and were framed with side lights and half round windows on top. This tradition came about because there were no house numbers and the only way to recognize your house was by the color of the door.

Of course, we talked about the potato famine of 1849 and mass migration of the Irish to Australia and America. Australia has more Irish descendents than Ireland! St. Patrick’s Day used to be a very religious holiday in Ireland, and today they celebrate it for one week – more partying less religion -- like America does.

Our final stop was to the oldest Jewish cemetery in Western Europe. It was very tiny and the huge stone markers were mostly dated in the 1800s. The cemetery was not very large, and the grave sites were overgrown with a certain weed that they cannot get rid of. The caretakers are not allowed to disturb the graves in any way so they cannot pull the weeds as the roots are wound around the caskets and weed killer doesn’t work. The caretakers are very old and frail and get no money to care for the cemetery. They have had to build walls around the site and install security cameras because there are still – in this day and age, in addition to vandals -- grave robbers and body snatchers.

After returning to the ship and having lunch with Michael, my intention was to go back to the city and look for a nail shop. We sat down on some comfortable deck chairs while having an ice cream cone and I laid back and just shut my eyes for a minute. An hour and a half later, Michael was gone on his second tour and it was too late for me to go into the city and find a place. I am starting to count the days until we return home. I am exhausted and desperately need some rest. Soon…..

Michael:

Well, I was a very busy boy today, escorting not one but two tours through Dublin. Dublin, home to one million people, is not a particularly attractive city, but has some incredible history. I was last here in the early eighties when it was in terrible economic condition. In the nineties, Ireland boomed, even more than most of Europe, and it became known as the Celtic Tiger. Today, it is in dire economic straits again, but they are, as always, hopeful. I was amazed at how much I remembered (I did spend the better part of two years here) but also how much it had changed during the boom. Areas that had been immense ghettos were turned into modern office and technical areas to house the banking and financial industry that was at the heart of the boom.

My morning tour took us past most of the major sites in the city, followed by a one hour boat ride on the River Liffey. Some of the sites we saw included the ornate customs House, the Ha’Penny bridge, Trinity College, the four major squares of Dublin, St. Patrick’s Cathedral and Phoenix Park where the Pope held mass for one million people in 1979. In the afternoon I went to the Jameson Distillery for what I thought was to be a tour. Not so, it was a private reception for senior Jameson and Crystal Cruises executives, and for some of their largest travel partners. Oh well, free booze!

Waterford, Ireland

Oh, the blarney of it all. I will tell you some tall tales of days of yore. There were more conquerors over the millennium than Carter’s little pills: the Vikings, Normans, English, Romans, and fighting between local clans. The history of this medieval city goes back to its founding in the 9th century. Today, it is famous for Waterford Crystal and is both the capital city and commerce center of southeastern Ireland. And, there is a lot of old stuff here such as the Hook’s Head lighthouse (the oldest lighthouse in Europe) and Reginald’s Tower, a Viking structure dating back to 1003 and is still in use today.

I was not a good student today and did not take a lot of notes on the history as there is just too much to absorb and since I was not being graded, I just let myself enjoy the beautiful countryside as we drove from Dunmore East (where the ship anchored) into Waterford. I am not sure how far we travelled, but it took about an hour to reach the Waterford Visitor Center. More about that later. On our journey (Michael was on the same tour, different bus), there were lush green hills, lush green pastures, huge green hedges (bet you thought I was gonna say lush again!), rock walls, and green everything else. Yes, Ireland does deserve the title of the Emerald Isle. The weather was just about perfect, with mild temperatures and sunny skies.

While there are only about five million people in Ireland, there are eight million sheep. Horse breeding is a big business here. All livestock is kept outside all the time because the weather is mild year round, but it does rain a lot in the winter. Anyway, that’s what the guide said. Tourism and fishing, followed by agriculture are the primary economic drivers of this area.

The suburbs are modern looking and very tidy. There are big houses, row houses, old small houses, and cottages with thatched roofs. In the interest of keeping some old traditions, the government gives a subsidy to owners who maintain their thatched roof, which has to be replaced every 20 years. Who would have thought that thatched roofs could keep that long, especially with all the winter rain? I wonder if they get dusty, full of mildew or do bugs live in them? I didn’t think to ask those questions. Roads in Ireland are crooked because a superstition says that ghosts can only walk in a straight line, so in order to keep them away, the road designers put in bends and curves. I am happy to report that we saw lots of stone churches, but did not have to visit any.

The first stop of the day was to the brand new, just opened Waterford Crystal Factory. We were the first cruise ship to visit this new facility and how appropriate the ship is Crystal. We saw experts blow, cut and finish the crystal. Then the showroom… and boy, did people buy. Glasses we bought 25 years ago for $60 (outrageous sum then) go for $200 today. Hum, I can replace the two glasses that broke during our move to Port Ludlow or maybe I will just serve my guests using dollar store wine glasses.

Our next stop took us to Waterford Castle, which was built in the 12th century and is situated on an island. We had to leave the bus and walk on a very small ferry to get to the island, where a mini bus shuttled us to the castle (which is now a hotel) for an excellent gourmet lunch. Lunch service was s.l.o.w. so we did not have a chance to view the gardens, but we were able to see one of the guest suites. Nice; I could stay here. There is also an exclusive golf course here.

We did the ferry thing in reverse and went to the Waterford Museum of Treasures that houses valuable artifacts representing the city’s 1,000 year old history. The building was very old; I rode up to the top floor on a rickety elevator and looked down five stories and decided I had to get out of there. I am not very fond of heights and decided I have had enough of museums and old stuff, so Michael and I decided to go to the central square and browse through the town (stores). My foot is really hurting and I spent most of my shopping time limping along rather than walking. And when you limp, the other side of your body starts to hurt because you are walking funny.

The Irish people I met and talked to are very charming, friendly, and unassuming. Some had very little accent (like our guide) and others had accents that were so thick you could barely understand them. I remember my last time here in Ireland and I have very fond memories and they have to do with the people. In many of the places we have been, it has been about the sites, building, and history – stuff. Here in Ireland, I feel the people. I think that is why I was not so intent on taking notes; I was just in the here and now, and thoroughly enjoying it.

Guernsey, Channel Islands

Michael gets to play bridge tonight – wearing his tux! Can you picture this?! There is a small bridge group from New York on board and they invited him to play. I’m glad he can play with someone who is at his level. He had a really nice game and came back happy. He is having bridge withdrawal since he hasn’t really played since before we left home.

As I write this, I am sitting on the bed, the computer on my lap, with my notes and maps spread all around me. After I am done with the blog, I have a DVD to watch. The ship’s entertainment is the same as the week before, and the week before that, and the week before that week. At least the ship has a very nice DVD collection and library. In addition to watching a movie, I am going to ice my left foot again as the pain is back and walking hurts. Actually, I think I should ice my whole body as everything hurts, especially after that hike yesterday in Dover; it didn’t help when I sort of tripped going down to the tender to get to shore (the sole of my shoe caught on the rug and I kinda fell out of my shoe, so this wasn’t my fault). Ooh-la-la (that’s what everyone calls her -- I am not kidding!) caught me before I hit the deck. Enough about my aches and pains -- let’s get to the good stuff.

Guernsey is located 17 miles off the French coast, but is aligned with England. It is neither French nor English but is stubbornly independent from both and is self-governed. Guernsey people are known as donkeys because of this stubbornness. It is a small island, only seven miles long by four miles wide at its widest, has a population of 63,000 and 40,000 cars. They have their own currency (which is not accepted in England). The principal industry in Guernsey is finance/banking, followed by tourism and tomatoes. Sadly, there are only about 1,800 Guernsey cows left in Guernsey.

My tour took us on a drive around the island. Outside of the main city of St. Peter Port, I found the countryside to be very tidy and green with cute bungalows, old manor mansions, and beachside hotels. It seemed like every house had a greenhouse, and the gardens were well tended with lots of colorful flowers (lots of clematis grown here). The roads were ridiculously narrow with tall hedges and stone walls right to the edge of the road. There are very few street signs so navigation for the uninitiated is an adventure.

There is no national health insurance for doctor visits, lab work, etc. However, if you get referred to a hospital, you get sent to England and the hospitalization is free. You cannot just move here either; residency is very restrictive. If a candidate for a job cannot be found on the island, then an outside person can apply for a license for that job or skill and must then give a five-year commitment to stay. Gas costs $10/gallon and Guernsey milk costs the same, too.

We stopped at the Pavilion Brassiere, housed in a building that was erected in 1502, which also had beautifully landscaped gardens. We had scones, Guernsey cream tea, and clotted cream. We were supposed to see a goldsmithing demonstration, but the electricity to the building was out, so we had to scrub that. Our final stop took us to the Little Chapel, a miniature model of the Grotto at Lourdes that was built in 1920 from scraps of china, pottery and seashells. There are over 2,750,000 individual pieces on it, and is reputed to be the smallest consecrated church in the world. This was amazing and I think it moved up on my list of wonderful and interesting things to see. I just loved it!

Michael:

I had a most interesting and memorable tour in Guernsey today. My tour was devoted entirely to the German occupation, and the pivotal role that Guernsey played in the war; it was the only part of England that was occupied during WWII. We saw German spotting towers, gun emplacements, airfields, bunkers, trenches, tank walls, and so forth. Because of its strategic location, Guernsey was incredibly protected by the Germans and all of their military materials were left after their surrender, and much of it is still here. To rule those 40,000 Guernseymen (as they are called), the Germans brought in 17,000 soldiers along with 7,000 slaves (Poles, Russians, Moroccans, etc.) to do their heavy lifting. This lifting included building over 500 bunkers around the island with guns that could reach 30 miles, 28 tunnels, a 1 ½ mile long underground hospital, and other fortifications.

We also had the chance to visit the Guernsey German Occupation Museum. As we entered, our guide apologized for its small size. In reality it was huge, and housed some of the most incredible and well preserved military items I have ever seen. It was truly amazing. We also visited La Grande Mare Golf & Country Club for Guernsey Cream Tea and scones with clotted cream. Yum!

Dover, England

Parting is such sweet sorrow. I hate good-byes, especially to people you develop a relationship with. We have gone through this process several times already and now we have to get used to new people all over again. I received a gift from Pamela and Nathan, the sweet couple whom I have mentioned before. They are so charming and nice, and I especially felt protective of them when we were on tours. Michael and I are sad to see them leave.

Our dinner companions were a hoot. One fellow, who sorta looked and sounded like Bill O’Reilly, was a standup comic in New York, so he and Michael had a great time swapping jokes and stories. They both liked Zacherly, a vampire type of guy, from their youth in New York. Another lady at the table looked like a young Joan Rivers and talked as much. It was a lively table, and three of the four couples were Jewish, so we all had a lot to share. Our grand finale last night was napkin folding. After all the dinner dishes were cleared away, we decorated all the coffee cups with napkins folded as roses. Lots of laughter and fun.

Here is some other miscellaneous stuff you might find interesting regarding life on a ship. The crew has a “store” call the Slop Chest that sells booze and sundries. Since we are on the ship for so long, we have privileges to use the Slop Chest as prices are a whole lot cheaper than anywhere else. I bought Colgate toothpaste there and read the label: made in Viet Nam! I hope they don’t put plastic in it. Michael and I also won second place in the bridge tournament and I got a very nice tote bag as my prize.

I am singing, “The White Cliffs of Dover.” What a beautiful sight as we entered the harbor. We did laundry this morning before the new people got on board, and then caught a shuttle to the middle of town.

The one thing to see in Dover is the 2,000 year old medieval castle, and the adjoining fortress built in the 12th century. But first you have to get to it. The castle is perched high on the white cliffs, and we walked up and up and up. It was steep going and there were lots of stairs. We climbed up to the clouds; ok, only about 1,000 feet above sea level. And after our tour, we walked back down. Oh, my poor knees.

King Henry II built it, and along with his wacky family, lived a life full of intrigue. The castle’s interior furnishings have been authentically recreated showing how it may have looked in the 12th century. The castle and all the casements, barracks, church, and secret tunnels have been used continuously since it was built, and as recently as WWII and the Cold War.

But the best part of the fortress was the Secret Wartime Tunnels. Deep in the cliffs, a labyrinth of tunnels was carved out in ancient days. These tunnels were enlarged over the years to keep soldiers safe. The tunnels are famous for Operation Dynamo, the plan Admiral Ramsay masterminded to evacuate British and allied troops from Dunkirk, France during WWII. We toured the tunnels and were amazed at how big a maze this place was. They had barracks, a hospital and wards, dining and kitchen facilities, dorms, telecommunication center, and war rooms all neatly tucked into the rocks on the cliff. It was an underground world unto itself. Much of the original equipment and furniture was still there.

After walking back to town, we ate at a fish and chips restaurant, a little take away joint, and had a splendid fish and chips meal that neither one of us could finish. It was good, but way greasy, and the guy at the counter knew we were Yanks and took the ketchup out when we ordered. After lunch, I went looking for a nail shop. Oh there were plenty, but they were all closed!!! I have had the worst luck getting any personal services done on shore. Either too busy, not enough time, or just closed. I have already given up on my hair. Are the gods against me?

Bordeaux & St-Emilion, France

I apologize for the length of this post, but this is, after all, our journal of a marvelous trip. There was so much to see and do, and such a short time to do it. So get a cup of coffee, and come and enjoy Bordeaux with us.

Michael:

Well, that's it … I am moving to Bordeaux! This is my new favorite city in the world. A beautiful place, 7,000 wineries, mouth-watering food, pretty good weather and every other diversion known to man. What more could you want? Now, all I have to do is get residency, learn French, and double my retirement income so I can afford to live in this very expensive city, but as soon as I do …..

All kidding aside, this is a fabulous place, and I just wrapped up a wonderful and memorable day here. I began by escorting yet another tour. This started with an overview of the city via coach, and then a trip south to Martillac for, yep, another wine tour. Bordeaux is a big city, with about one million people. It is clean, modern, vibrant, colorful and just fun, and to think most of this happened over the last ten years under new municipal supervision.

Our wine tour was to Chateau LaTour Martillac, which is in the Graves district, no more than 15 or so miles south of Bordeaux. We toured the vineyard, including the cellar, and then tasted a white (mostly Sauvignon Blanc with a little Semillon), and then a superb red – Grand Cru Classe De Graves Pessac-Leognan, a 2004. This I wanted more of! It was then back to the ship for lunch, a quick rest, and then on to a self-guided walking tour of Bordeaux.

I must have covered five miles this afternoon, but it was worth it. I walked first to the Place de la Bourse, (a palace) and did so via the brand new and gigantic “Water Mirror,” which is about an acre in size, and emits atomized water, so you are strolling though what looks like a steam bath, but is actually cool. It is a very nice effect. I next passed by one of the two original city gates, and then to Basillique St. Michel. I expected to find an old church but instead found myself in the middle of the Muslim community’s largest shuq. Man, I am, glad it was daytime!

I navigated my way out of this and up to the Place de la Victorie. You know, France has many of these “victory” places, all built in anticipation of celebrating the successful culmination of various wars. However, since France has yet to win a single war, most of them are still in brand new condition. Just kidding (sort of)!! Anyway, this location is notable as it is the start of the longest (1.2 km) pedestrian-only shopping street in all of Europe, and whoa, was it busy. I walked along this street (Rue Saint Catherine) all the way to the Cathedrale in Place Pey-Berland. Now, this one was a church, and it was beautiful. It was built in the 12th century and is comparable to Notre Dame.

I was starting to wear out about now, but summoned up the strength to continue on to another Palace, the Palais Rohan, which is now a hotel, and (since it was Saturday) watched about a half dozen outdoor weddings in progress. I was now in the ultra chic and ultra expensive shopping district and continued on Rue Bouffard to the second of the original city gates. From here it was a short walk to the Place des Brands Hommes, a great big shopping mall.

I headed east, back toward the ship -- but the best was yet to come. I found the Place de las Comedie, Bordeaux’s new opera house, which is right across the street from the Regent hotel (yes, the same as the cruise line), which is the city’s finest. My last stop was the Monument aux Girondins which boasts about the most incredible fountain I have seen since Rome. Okay, that was just a few days ago, but it was simply incredible. From here it was back to the ship, and (yeh) cocktail hour!! I am writing this while waiting for Beverly who is escorting a tour to St-Emilion. I don’t know what’s there, but it is on the list of the “1,000 places you must see before you die.”

Beverly:

Ach, the French spelling is getting to me. The French pronunciation sounds like they have marbles in the mouth. We are not moving to France. While Bordeaux is indeed a grand city, I got to see something you would never in a million years see – an underground church.

I journeyed to the medieval town of St.-Emilion, which is the REAL old world France, and is UNESCO-classified as a heritage site. This is the heartland of Merlot grapes, and is known as the vine covered “hill with a thousand chateaus.” This walled city had very steep streets of cobblestone, which were quite slippery going downhill. We saw Collegiate Church, a 12th century cloister, and explored the shops (mostly wine shops), the little back streets and alleyways.

But the real gem here was the underground church. Built between the 9th and 12th centuries, this natural cave was converted into a monolithic hermitage. Emilion lived here and became a saint because he performed miracles (healing people). We were not allowed to take pictures inside. The floor was hard-packed dirt, and the air was damp and cool. They still use this church for special functions and initiations – this is a CAVE. Over the years, parts above ground have been added on to it.

I finished my tour soaking up the local color with a $5 diet coke and a cake that is a specialty of the Bordeaux region called “candaleis.” This is a fluted cake, about the size of a shot glass, caramelized on the outside and creamy on the inside. It is a good thing you cannot get these at home because you can’t eat just one. Europeans sure do know how to do pastries.

Bonus Material: How I Got Crushed in the Door

I woke up this morning aching worse than I normally do. I was lying in bed trying to figure out why. The light bulb went off: I forgot that I was squished in the bus door yesterday. It was not my fault. The bus was loaded and we were ready to roll, so I used the back door to get in the bus. Well, no sooner did I have my first foot on the first step when the door closed on me. Actually, my whole body was crushed. And it kept getting tighter and tighter. It was like being squeezed in a vice. I could not move or push the door open. I yelled to open the door, and then other passengers near the door screamed for the driver to open the door. He finally released it and I was free. The bus driver came around to the door to see how I was and apologized. I was hurting during the excursion and all last night, too. How in the world could I forget something like that?

Medoc Region, France

I learned all about wine today. My tour took us through the Medoc region of Bordeaux. I saw hour’s worth of vineyards and too many chateaus to count, plus lots of very old churches and villages, many from the 11th and 12th centuries. We stopped at Kirwin chateau for wine tasting and a tour of the facilities. To put it bluntly, the wine sucked. Even I, who am not a wine expert, knew this stuff was terrible. However, I did learn a few things about the French wine business.

The average size of an estate is 286,000 acres; 800 million bottles of wine are produced each year (90% is red); 33% of all wine is exported (Germany being the #1 destination); there are 12,000 wineries; 10,000 owners; 35 is the maximum number of wineries you are allowed to own; you need three things to make good wine – good soil, cooperation from mother nature, and a good winemaker; vines like sandy soil and no irrigation. AOC marked on a bottle guarantees it is from the Modoc region. Are you impressed? I could go on about the how and why of what I saw and learned today, but most likely you are just interested in the end product. Making wine is quite an art and takes a lot of time and skill.

We also toured the city of Bordeaux. There are many new parts of town, but it was the old parts that were interesting. It is a very old city, but outside of the central area most of it is relatively new (like the 17th and 18th centuries). There was not a lot of free time to explore the city on foot (that works for my feet). While on tour, our ship made the journey from Le Verdon up river to dock at the foot of the town. All the tour buses arrived at the dock at 8pm and the ship had not yet tied up when we arrived. There were hundreds of people on the promenade waiting to get on the ship, and everyone was hungry, too. Went to dinner in the dining room (the only place open to get food) and I ordered a P&J sandwich. My waiter felt that was not enough to eat, so he brought two sandwiches! I don’t know how people can eat such huge dinners so late at night (by this time it was close to 9:30pm).

Tomorrow more adventures in Bordeaux.

Michael’s turn:

Wow, what a great day! I escorted a seven hour excursion through the Medoc region of Bordeaux, hosted by a true expert. Dewey Markham, Jr. literally wrote the book, “1855: A History of the Bordeaux Classification,” which won the James Beard award for wine book of the year. He led us through extensive tours and tastings at two great wineries, and filled in the time between them with expert commentary on the region.

I learned an awful lot about Bordeaux wines today. For example, they are all blended; they grow so well in this flat terrain because of the gravelly soil; and, Merlot is the most prominent grape although a lot of Cabernet Sauvignon is grown in the appellation areas (the most gravelly soil). Some Cabernet Franc is grown, but exclusively on the Right Banks so not strictly speaking in the Medoc region. We didn’t get to go in but we did drive by and take pictures of Chateau Lafite Rothschild. Chateau, by the way, means castle and “place where you grow wine,” and there are some 1,700 of these places in Bordeaux alone.

Our first stop was Chateau Lagrange, a Third Growth (that’s the classification system) winery producing some spectacular wines since 1855. Chateau Lagrange is in the Sainte Julian appellation. We tried their “hobby wine” first, a 2009 Sauvignon Blanc and is was non-descript. Their 2008 Bordeaux was good, but the 2002 Chateau wine was dreamy! We toured every aspect of this winery. Next, we went to Chateau Prieure Lichine, in the Margaux appellation. Again, we tasted a non-descript white, and two OK, but not spectacular Bordeaux wines, one a Chateau. From here we headed to Bordeaux to meet the ship.

Soulac, France

It had been raining and since we didn’t have tours until the afternoon, it seemed like a good idea to sleep in. However, the rains gods took pity on us and turned the spigot off so we could venture on our own into Soulac. After docking in Le Verdon, we took the shuttle into town. The heavy grey clouds threatened rain and there was a stiff wind blowing, plus it was on the chilly side. I even wore a sweater and raincoat. We walked down the main street of this charming village and saw clothing boutiques selling bathing suits, lots of women’s casual wear and beach gear. Ah, it finally dawned on us that this must be a beach resort. We finished walking down the main street and viola, there was the beach. I could swear I was in Seaside, Oregon! The town was pretty much laid out the same, with the main shopping street, hotels, restaurants, and the promenade along the beach – and the crappy weather.

Since we have decided to boycott France, we decided that we had no control over where the ship stopped but we didn’t have to spend money to go to town or buy anything. Hahaha. Didn’t work…I broke down and bought a few souvenirs. Oh well, c’est la vie. The boycott is officially over.

The high point for Michael was a visit to “Our Lady of the End of the World” church (doesn’t translate well into English). This 500 or so year old church (no one really knows for sure) was completely buried under a sand dune by the 17th century. In the 19th century some guy was walking around and stubbed his toe on something, and lo and behold they found this huge church. Today it has been fully excavated and restored.

I enjoyed the indoor farmer’s market, where fresh meats, fish, pastries, cheese, etc. was sold. I wish we had time and the appetite to sample all the wonderful pates and other goodies, most of which I had no idea what they were.

This afternoon, we are both escorting separate wine tours to the Bordeaux region. The ship departs Le Verdon and moves to Bordeaux later in the evening. We will get back to the ship after 8pm, so we have another long day. After sampling wine all afternoon and visiting chateaus, let’s hope this tour escort can lead her flock back to the correct bus!

Bilbao, Spain

We are in the north of Spain, in Basque country. The Basque people never let you forget it either. They speak both Spanish and Basque. Like the rest of Europe, it is an old city, founded in 1300. It has been conquered by everyone just like every other city in Europe.

Our ship docked on the Nervion River at Getxo, a very upscale and lovely residential community that is populated with mega-villas. The architecture of these huge villas was modern to medieval in design. The gardens were beautifully manicured and landscaped.

My tour to Bilbao took us through the old port, shipyards, and industrial area of the city, which is to be torn down and completely rebuilt by 2016. In the early 20th century, Bilbao was a dirty industrialized city; in 1995, the city decided to clean things up by tearing down old buildings and washing everything else that was left, including cleaning up the river. This is an extremely clean city. I was surprised at how large the city was as I thought we were going to a village. The city was packed with high rise apartment buildings that looked very modern and well kept.

We only had one stop as this was a driving tour. We stopped at the highest point overlooking the city and had a view all the way out to the ocean. We were also in a hurricane, or at least it felt like it. The wind was blowing so hard, I had to take my earrings out to keep them from blowing away. They goofed again on the weather forecast as the day started out beautiful but wound up raining.

We also drove by the Guggenheim Museum, a titanium-clad structure housing modern art.

Here is some miscellaneous information, which I thought was interesting: they serve pinchos instead of tapas (appetizers), the soccer team is made up of native born Basques (not PC, but that’s the way they like it), they love jai lai, and there are lovely sand beaches. The Basques are also known for their cheeses. There is a contest each year and the winning cheese goes for 7,000 Euros per kilo! Is there anything special about the cheese you ask? No, it is really an advertising ploy to get people to buy it (it normally sells for 17 Euros per kilo). We didn’t get to sample any, so when I get home, I simply must try some.

Michael had a simply terrific time in Bilbao today, except for the fact that he didn’t get to see Bilbao at all. While I headed out on my “Panoramic” tour, he got to escort a group of ten for a hike to the famous Gorliz lighthouse, followed by a crossing of the Great Biscay Transporter. It was a beautiful hike through this Basque area, up 145 meters to this unique lighthouse. Built in 1990, it is fashioned not at all like a lighthouse, but is a slender, white column, resembling a silo, with a great big light bulb on the top.

The Great Biscay Transporter (or Puente Colgante) was the highlight of the day for both of us. Built in 1893, and reminiscent of the Eiffel Tower, this suspension bridge connects both sides of the Nervion River. It is both the first, and now oldest, transporter bridge in the world and it is still in operation 24/7. What makes it unique is the suspended gondola that shuttles pedestrians and cars between the two river banks. He got to cross the bridge (60 meters high and 120 meters long) both via the gondola and by a walkway on the very top. I just got to drive by it  The bridge was declared World Heritage in 1986 by UNESCO, and is truly something to see.

To all my knitting friends: I have just gotten up from a short little nap, trying to gather up the strength to change my clothes yet again today. While sitting on the bed, I happened to glance at my knitting bag and thought of how far I was going to get in knitting my lace shawl. Well…not far at all. Only on row 72, about 9 inches. Where has the time gone? We have been so busy with excursions and general life aboard ship that there has been so little time to knit.

Lisbon, Portugal

Michael:

I had a wonderful day in Lisbon, this most charming city. Lisbon was founded 3,000 years ago by the Phoenicians (who came from the area that is now Lebanon), and then was periodically conquered by most everybody, including the Greeks, the Romans, the Muslims, the Spanish, etc. The republic of Portugal was actually founded 100 years ago this October, and so you can see preparations for its centennial going on all over town. The city is losing population because it is very expensive to live in so people are moving to the much more affordable suburbs.

Today, I actually had two separate outings. This morning I escorted a tour of the highlights of the city.
Our first stop was at the “Belvedere” in Edward VII Park for a panoramic overview of the city and the River Tagus. We then stopped for refreshments at Pasteis de Belem, for the best little custard cakes I have ever tasted. They call them Belem Cakes. This huge café, with a line around the block to get in, has been awarded Europe-wide accolades for its pastries. We then took a long tour of various parts of the city and viewed a number of monuments, parks, museums, and so forth.

Highlights included the “25th of April Bridge,” one of the longest suspension bridges in Europe, which is a virtual duplicate of the Golden Gate bridge. No surprise since it was designed and built by the same people using the same plans. Even the color is the same. We stopped at the beautiful Monument of the Discoveries, which was built in 1960 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the renowned explorer Henry the Navigator. We also saw the grand Tower of Belem, and the colonial war memorial. There is no WWII memorial here as Portugal was neutral.

After lunch at the ship, I ventured back into town on the Crystal shuttle bus for a self guided walking tour. Highlights included the tree-lined Avenida da Liberdade with its many open-air cafes and a mixture of ornate 19th century architecture and Art Deco buildings from the 1930’s; the beautiful Rossio Square, Lisbon’s principal square; and best of all, a ride on the Elevador Sta Justa, a tower designed and erected by an engineer and apprentice of Gustave Eiffel. Finished in 1902, it was originally powered by steam. This was my first visit to Lisbon, and I had a terrific time.

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Beverly:

My post regarding Lisbon is a day late due to rough seas. I took a seasick pill just in case and it really made me lethargic. This has been a really smooth sailing trip, and the few bumps for a day was not that impressive, but annoying nevertheless.


I am glad to be in the cooler weather again. It felt so refreshing and with rain threatening, I felt at home. Got to wear jeans and a sweater today! I was surprised in Tangier at my ”non-stressful walking tour” that was quite taxing. Today, ahh some relief as I got to escort on a tour via bus and trolley car. We crisscrossed Lisbon and saw so many monuments and plazas that I gave up taking pictures as they all started to look the same. Lisbon is a very old city as Michael described, but most of it was destroyed by an earthquake in 1755, hence most of the city has been rebuilt. The streets are narrow and winding, and there are seven steep hills in the city proper. The little trolley chugged its way up the hills, with gears grinding away at a top speed of maybe one mile per hour. While on the trolley, we were served port wine and Belem custard pastries. Yum, yum.

The stops I liked best were a tour of the Jeronimos Monastery and the Tower of Belem. Both these structures were built in the early 1500s and survived the earthquake. The construction of the monastery was incredible and we did get off the bus and tour inside. Our guide told us the whole history of Lisbon, and maybe of the whole ancient world. She never stopped giving us information and it is hard to remember who did what to whom. There was more intrigue regarding royal survivorship and succession. What fun it must have been in the olden days. ManuaI the First versus his cousin/brother/uncle (can’t remember which) fought and the loser got Brazil; I guess that is why they speak Portuguese there. The Tower looked like a giant sand castle (it was originally a lookout/fortress).

Our new dining table mates are an interesting group. We played a game of you tell two true things about yourself and one lie. We had to guess which one was the lie. My lie was that I was an English junior high teacher and everyone missed it! I’m getting better and better at telling tall tales! However, rest assured that everything I have written in this blog is the truth (as I see it). I edit or add to Michael’s contribution, but don’t change it. So you can be sure you are getting the real deal.