Today my good friend Pedro left. He had been my neighbor last contract and we grew close on this. He was my bestie on the ship! It was really hard to say goodbye to him and adjust to life on the Vision without him. I normally always go over to his cabin for movies or just to talk. And I went off with him basically everyday. I hope someday I will get to hang out with him again; we’ve talked about Disneyworld or traveling to certain places. Thankfully we can keep in contact with modern technology!
After the difficult parting with Pedro, we grabbed Holly and headed out in Copenhagen. Our first stop was the Little Mermaid statue, from Hans Christian Anderson’s tale. I had seen her sister statue last year, because the original had been moved to China for the World Expo. We continued wandering; Holly eating her sugar covered nuts like always. We stumbled upon a church with a beautiful sculpture and water fountain. I spent some time trying new artistic angles for my photographs of the monument. Beneath the bridge near the church, a swan rested in her nest. I have never seen such a big nest before! It was probably the size of my bed!
Further into town we came across the military quarters. The entrance gate and houses stood brilliantly out; the radiant red paint a shocking contrast to the grey cement and surrounding green scenery. On a hill we found a windmill plopped in the middle of the park. Jessica and I took some fun pictures of us cart wheeling in time with the windmill. I chased a giant bumblebee, trying to get close enough to take pictures of the ginormous fluff ball.
When we made it out of town and into the city, we found the Rosenborg castle, which displays the crown jewels of the Royal Family. We walked in the beautiful gardens; stopping to take pictures beneath the exquisite pink trees that reminded me of the cherry blossoms in Japan. Jessica and I joked that this would have been a perfect place to take senior pictures. I’ve found a lot of bare trees in Europe, they look like the whomping willow! I’m wondering if people plant them because they are easier to manage, being leafless. They may be more manageable, but they aren’t much for looking at! On the grounds of the castle, we watched soldiers march around, dressed fully in uniform and protecting the castle from tourists. Sean and I asked one guard if he could take a picture with us, and he laughed a little, despite himself, and said, “I’m sorry, I can’t stop marching!”
After touring the castle, we ate sandwiches from an adorable bakery and headed back to the ship.
Bergen was our next port of call. This was the cutest little mountain town, a lot like Estes! It had a McDonalds in an old fashioned building, and we joked it must be the world’s first Mickey D’s! Sean, Jessica, and I decided we were going to hike up one of the various trails on Mount Floien. It was a pretty easy hike; meant for the tourists, and certainly nothing for the Colorado experts. When we made it to the top, we had a gorgeous view of city and the fjords below. We headed back down into the town, and walked through the fish market. There were giant shrimp and king crab, the biggest I’ve ever seen. They were even selling smoked whale! Jessica got her seafood for the day, because it’s the recommended local cuisine. We stopped in the 7/11 for the best ice cream sticks EVER, Sean bought vanilla ice cream with caramel filling and a chocolate shell. Jess tried a fruit one, and I tested both of theirs ;)
Outside on the streets, there were several kids in decorative red pants, running around, talking into a megaphone, or even crawling on the floor and screaming. We were in the university area, and these might have been the drama students. We later learned that the awesome red pants they designed themselves were their uniforms! I wanted a pair!
We headed towards St. George’s museum, a hospital that fought against leprosy. It was closed at that time but apparently you can tour where they kept and cared for the diseased people. On our way back to the ship, we passed a perfectly square castle and stopped into a souvenir shop. We found an elk hoof knife! Sean and I took pictures next to the adorably ugly Norwegian troll and their funky “telefon” booth. We also looked in the old merchant homes, buildings that have been there for years. They were leaning quite a bit, but still in tact. It was wonderful to get back into nature today and out of the tourist trap for a bit.
One of the most well known fjords in the world is the Geiranger fjord, which was our next stop! :D We had been told that sailing into the fjord was an experience in itself, so we got up early for a few pictures and breakfast in the Windjammer, before scoring a tour of the bridge for my brother (thanks to my awesome higher-up-connections!) The bridge offered a breathtaking view as the titanic mountains and the fjord swallowed up our ship. It was quiet, serene. One officer told me that this fjord can hold five cruise ships at a time! I was astonished that we could even make it in! The water below is deep enough to house our ship, which seems impossible.
Once off the ship, we began our hike to Storseter Waterfall. About halfway up, we reached the Vesterås gard, a goat farm on the side of the mountain. There were so many goats! You could hear them wandering around with their goat bells swung around their necks. Although the farm was closed, you could walk along the path in the goat pasture. I have never been that close to a goat in my life! I tried to pet babies ones because they were so cute and wooly, but they were too scared to leave their mother’s side. It was a funny scene to have goats scattered along the path, like rocks The goats must have thousands of visitors a year, they were more cautious of us than curious, it seemed like they couldn’t care less we were there. The ones with the horns scared me!
Along the path to the Storsæterfossen (the waterfall), we came across a pile of hardened snow. Now, being from Colorado, Jess, Sean and I took no real interest in this ice mound. But Drew is from Australia and had never seen snow in his life! It was the funniest thing to watch him apprehensively walk on the snow, feel its cold sting, and even make his first snowball. He was a kid again; seeing for the first time on of God’s greatest gifts. We all watched him with great amusement as he explored the pile, laughing at his surprised expression when he sunk in the snow. It was awesome to be there for someone’s first experience of what is so common and even annoying at times for me. He had such joy for something so simple. :D
When we finally reached the waterfall, we took in the vast mountains around us, and the valley way beneath. We climbed into the cavern where you can walk under the flowing waterfall! The rush of the water was so loud and it was an exhilarating experience to be walking under it. We stayed there for a while, enjoying the beautiful weather and the gorgeous view of Norway. I had never thought of Norway as being pretty, or that it would be a place I would want to travel to and hike. But I must say, Norway had entered the top of my list for Europe!
Back on the ship, we had a lovely dinner in the dining room, complete with spectacular view of the fjords as we sailed away. We weaved in and out of mountains. It was a peculiar sensation because the ship doesn’t quite look like it will fit in the narrow channels between the mountains, but it always does. This was certainly one of my favorite ports.
The next day was a sea day, and I spent it with my brother eating and laughing, enjoying our time together. We had a delicious last meal in the dining room and got him all packed for his trip back to Thailand. I was dreading the next day, when I would have to say goodbye.
But of course, the next day did come. We were docked in Copenhagen again. Luckily, Sean had a night flight so he spent the day with Jess and me! We checked at the train station where he needed to go, how often things were running, etc. Once he was confident he knew what to do to get to the airport, we headed deeper into the city.
We stopped for internet at a coffee joint named Baresso. Here my brother helped me find some great deals for my trip with Jess to London! (I have the best family EVER.) We ate amazing pastries from a random bakery and laughed because we couldn’t figure out where the line started or ended, only to later learn that you had to take a number, so there was no physical line. There were a lot of local starring at us like headless chickens running around! At least most of these ports have English speakers!
After about ten more minutes of walking we literally stumbled upon Christianshavns, a self-governing town since 1971. We saw a group of people heading all heading in one direction so we decided to follow them, not sure what to expect. Christiania is a real hippy town. They aren’t a part of the EU; they have their own rules and even their own flag with three yellow dots, the symbolism of that…I don’t know. I’ve heard a rumor that there’s a waiting list for a home in this area of about 25 years. The graffiti was beautiful works of art and we found a market in the center with bargains on various things. Further into the town there were “no cameras” signs, possibly to keep anyone from duplicating it. We didn’t get to spend much time here because we needed to drop Sean off at the station and get back to the ship, but Jess and I decided we would return to do some more shopping and exploring of this unique town plopped in the middle of a major city.
Dropping Sean off at train station was incredibly hard, because it began to sink in that I don’t know when I will see him next. I will never forget him telling me how proud he was of me and that he loved me and would miss me. In the reality of it all, I of course cried all the way back to the ship. I am completely determined to go see him soon if he isn’t coming home for a while, no doubt about that. Until then, emails and blogging will have to suffice.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Elementary, my dear Watson!
On the 29th of April, we were docked in Southampton, England. Jess, Pedro, Sean and I took an adorable mini taxi, with seats facing two directions, so the boys were turned in towards us and driving backwards. I noticed of course that the driver was on the opposite side of the car! We headed into the city center, where a large castle-like structure sat in the middle of all the shops. It turned out to hold art of various rock stars in the upper floor.
There was also a small carousel ride, randomly plotted in the street. I found the circular red poles that are the British postboxes and a “TK-Maxx”, which because J comes before K in the alphabet, America must have had this store first! I saw a blue double-decker bus, not quite the red ones that I fantasize about riding in London, but definitely still British in my eyes. I took a fast snapshot of a dancing man in a chicken suit, advertising for KFC.
We decided to make a few stops for shopping in the indoor/outdoor mall and get some internet. Jess and I hopped into Boots, a Walmart-style store where I could get some make up I desperately needed. Then we went into PriMark, my now favorite store in the entire world, even over the European chains Bershka or Desigual! We met up with the boys in a coffee shop, where I had the loudest bathroom experience of my life. It sounded like every appliance was on and every pipe was having threatening to explode from pressure.
Our group met up with Dave and Michelle, and Danielle with her family, who were spending the day in a pub to watch the wedding. A pub is very English, for an English breakfast or a pint. We decided we wanted to head to the Royal Wedding Street Party, to catch some of the broadcasted event. There were plenty of British party commodities being sold on the street, like hats and flags with the Royal couples’ picture in the center. We joined the commotion just in time, the Royal family stepped onto the balcony to greet the public, and the newlyweds even shared a few kisses! :D
This poor little girl who was in the ceremony, I’m assuming a flower girl, looked so grumpy as she sunk on the balcony and smushed up her face with fists. I joked that she will regret that image the world now saw when she gets older. It was funny because the commentator for the broadcast announced “and the Queen has decided that it is time to conclude the balcony ceremony” as the Queen just turned and walked back inside. He was so prim and proper with this statement, so British.
We bought some lunch from a quick-y-mart and ate it outside in a park. It was the perfect day for a picnic. I had an onion and cheese baguette, with onion and cheese chips for a side! LOL. I was talking about the souvenirs I had been hoping to find in this port (the typical “London/ England souvenirs) were unlikely to be here because it’s more of a local area. That was when Jessica offered the best thing of all to me, coming to England with her after the end of the contract! At first I didn’t think she was serious, but then she explained that flights are so cheap to get around Europe once you’re already there, so it would be easy to get from Copenhagen to London. I couldn’t let such an opportunity pass me by! Sean and I immediately began looking for flights and I spoke with my parents, who encouraged me to go!!! So I won’t be back home in Colorado until June 9th, after I spend 10 days vacation in England. We are doing two days in London, where I can most certainly buy my souvenirs!!! We are seeing a West End performance of Jersey Boys, which I’m sure will inspire me and get me into the musical theatre mode for Chicago. It will be a dream come true to finally be in the incredible London atmosphere!!!! And hopefully, when I get home, I will get a chance to visit New York too! Two in one year, I would be the luckiest girl in the world!!!!
Amsterdam overnight
Our next port was Amsterdam, where we were having an overnight for Queen’s Day, their biggest celebration. Amsterdam is already a crazy place; just try to imagine it filled with thousands of partying people! The number of people that come for this celebration is said to be similar to the crowds in Rio for Carnaval! It was madness! Everyone was wearing the Royal Family’s color orange, and there were party boats cruising along the canals, music blasting from every bar and club, and lots of great food to snack on! We had some delicious pizza slices that were grilled right in front of us. We wandered the streets, not having a real purpose or direction, just sightseeing and people watching. It was nice to have a port that I had been to, especially because I went to Amsterdam quite a few times last year, so I knew the city and where to go.
In the middle of the city, there was a giant carnival set up, with a ferris wheel and other fun rides high above us. All around us were shops, some less tame than others. At one store, there was a display of artistically decorated “plastic wraps”. We knew which “coffee shops” to avoid but I didn’t even dare ordering a coffee from anywhere, just to be on the safe side! Between all the interesting costumes people styled and the festive gadgets being sold, it was hard to know where to look or go next! I made sure we stopped and got some local cuisine, French Fries in a cone with mayonnaise for dipping. We also had the most amazing chocolate covered waffles!
Unfortunately, Jess and I had to run back to the ship to do not one but TWO shows of Rhythm and Rhyme because our cruise director didn’t really think everything through. Half the ship was doing a booze cruise, but most everyone would be off enjoying the festivities. So our first show had barely 20 people, completely pointless. After the shows, we quickly showered and ran off again, to catch the very end of the party. The Queen’s day celebration actually starts a few days prior, and then this day wraps it all up.
I bought a tasty chocolate cake from a small diner. The guy didn’t give me a fork and when I asked for one he said, “You want just a fork?” I nodded, and he gave me a fork but took away my cake! He continued to mess with me by giving me back my cake but taking the fork. Finally, he let me have both. We stopped at one of the only restaurants open, their owners most likely running around the streets drunk somewhere, and ordered pizza and some wine. Our waiter purposely whistled as he talked to amuse us, which was funny at first, but after the hundredth time it just became really annoying. Exhausted from the excitement of the long day, we went back to the ship and passed out.
After a wonderful lie in, we headed off again to explore Amsterdam on a normal day. The streets were rather clean, which was incredibly impressive considering how trashed they were the previous night. I took our group to the café I had eaten at last year, so we could have some famous Dutch pancakes. Sean and I split a fabulous strawberry pancake and Jess had an apple one.
We found vending machines that distribute hamburgers; that’s so much worse than McDonald’s!!!!! YUCK!!!! We saw Anne Frank’s house and the floating flower market. We made a few stops to test scrumptious cheese samples. Our final stop was in an ice cream shop, where we tried various flavors; Jess had the orange basil, Sean had something fruity, and I, of course, had chocolate. Ice cream is always the best way to end the day.
There was also a small carousel ride, randomly plotted in the street. I found the circular red poles that are the British postboxes and a “TK-Maxx”, which because J comes before K in the alphabet, America must have had this store first! I saw a blue double-decker bus, not quite the red ones that I fantasize about riding in London, but definitely still British in my eyes. I took a fast snapshot of a dancing man in a chicken suit, advertising for KFC.
We decided to make a few stops for shopping in the indoor/outdoor mall and get some internet. Jess and I hopped into Boots, a Walmart-style store where I could get some make up I desperately needed. Then we went into PriMark, my now favorite store in the entire world, even over the European chains Bershka or Desigual! We met up with the boys in a coffee shop, where I had the loudest bathroom experience of my life. It sounded like every appliance was on and every pipe was having threatening to explode from pressure.
Our group met up with Dave and Michelle, and Danielle with her family, who were spending the day in a pub to watch the wedding. A pub is very English, for an English breakfast or a pint. We decided we wanted to head to the Royal Wedding Street Party, to catch some of the broadcasted event. There were plenty of British party commodities being sold on the street, like hats and flags with the Royal couples’ picture in the center. We joined the commotion just in time, the Royal family stepped onto the balcony to greet the public, and the newlyweds even shared a few kisses! :D
This poor little girl who was in the ceremony, I’m assuming a flower girl, looked so grumpy as she sunk on the balcony and smushed up her face with fists. I joked that she will regret that image the world now saw when she gets older. It was funny because the commentator for the broadcast announced “and the Queen has decided that it is time to conclude the balcony ceremony” as the Queen just turned and walked back inside. He was so prim and proper with this statement, so British.
We bought some lunch from a quick-y-mart and ate it outside in a park. It was the perfect day for a picnic. I had an onion and cheese baguette, with onion and cheese chips for a side! LOL. I was talking about the souvenirs I had been hoping to find in this port (the typical “London/ England souvenirs) were unlikely to be here because it’s more of a local area. That was when Jessica offered the best thing of all to me, coming to England with her after the end of the contract! At first I didn’t think she was serious, but then she explained that flights are so cheap to get around Europe once you’re already there, so it would be easy to get from Copenhagen to London. I couldn’t let such an opportunity pass me by! Sean and I immediately began looking for flights and I spoke with my parents, who encouraged me to go!!! So I won’t be back home in Colorado until June 9th, after I spend 10 days vacation in England. We are doing two days in London, where I can most certainly buy my souvenirs!!! We are seeing a West End performance of Jersey Boys, which I’m sure will inspire me and get me into the musical theatre mode for Chicago. It will be a dream come true to finally be in the incredible London atmosphere!!!! And hopefully, when I get home, I will get a chance to visit New York too! Two in one year, I would be the luckiest girl in the world!!!!
Amsterdam overnight
Our next port was Amsterdam, where we were having an overnight for Queen’s Day, their biggest celebration. Amsterdam is already a crazy place; just try to imagine it filled with thousands of partying people! The number of people that come for this celebration is said to be similar to the crowds in Rio for Carnaval! It was madness! Everyone was wearing the Royal Family’s color orange, and there were party boats cruising along the canals, music blasting from every bar and club, and lots of great food to snack on! We had some delicious pizza slices that were grilled right in front of us. We wandered the streets, not having a real purpose or direction, just sightseeing and people watching. It was nice to have a port that I had been to, especially because I went to Amsterdam quite a few times last year, so I knew the city and where to go.
In the middle of the city, there was a giant carnival set up, with a ferris wheel and other fun rides high above us. All around us were shops, some less tame than others. At one store, there was a display of artistically decorated “plastic wraps”. We knew which “coffee shops” to avoid but I didn’t even dare ordering a coffee from anywhere, just to be on the safe side! Between all the interesting costumes people styled and the festive gadgets being sold, it was hard to know where to look or go next! I made sure we stopped and got some local cuisine, French Fries in a cone with mayonnaise for dipping. We also had the most amazing chocolate covered waffles!
Unfortunately, Jess and I had to run back to the ship to do not one but TWO shows of Rhythm and Rhyme because our cruise director didn’t really think everything through. Half the ship was doing a booze cruise, but most everyone would be off enjoying the festivities. So our first show had barely 20 people, completely pointless. After the shows, we quickly showered and ran off again, to catch the very end of the party. The Queen’s day celebration actually starts a few days prior, and then this day wraps it all up.
I bought a tasty chocolate cake from a small diner. The guy didn’t give me a fork and when I asked for one he said, “You want just a fork?” I nodded, and he gave me a fork but took away my cake! He continued to mess with me by giving me back my cake but taking the fork. Finally, he let me have both. We stopped at one of the only restaurants open, their owners most likely running around the streets drunk somewhere, and ordered pizza and some wine. Our waiter purposely whistled as he talked to amuse us, which was funny at first, but after the hundredth time it just became really annoying. Exhausted from the excitement of the long day, we went back to the ship and passed out.
After a wonderful lie in, we headed off again to explore Amsterdam on a normal day. The streets were rather clean, which was incredibly impressive considering how trashed they were the previous night. I took our group to the café I had eaten at last year, so we could have some famous Dutch pancakes. Sean and I split a fabulous strawberry pancake and Jess had an apple one.
We found vending machines that distribute hamburgers; that’s so much worse than McDonald’s!!!!! YUCK!!!! We saw Anne Frank’s house and the floating flower market. We made a few stops to test scrumptious cheese samples. Our final stop was in an ice cream shop, where we tried various flavors; Jess had the orange basil, Sean had something fruity, and I, of course, had chocolate. Ice cream is always the best way to end the day.
11 Day Cruise, Part 2
The 25th of April we were ported in La Rochelle, France. Today was the day I was meeting up with my brother, who had flown into Paris the day before and took the train into this small seaport. I got off early, after checking and double-checking that all the paperwork was in order and I was aware of the protocol to get him on the ship. I took the shuttle into the town center, stopping right outside the information center, our meeting point. I saw him through the glass, standing inside reading his book. Butterflies started fluttering and I rushed inside. The excitement that was pumping through me was the same as when I flew home from my first contract to see my family, after being away for those 7 long months.
He still hadn’t seen me so I snuck up behind him and said “Bonjour!!!” We were in France, after all. Sean turned as if to reply; “I don’t speak French”, thinking I was someone else. When he realized it was me, his face was so shocked and his crooked smile beamed bright. We hugged each other tight; caught up in joy and disbelief that here we both were, in Europe.
We spent the next few hours swapping stories of home, our travels, and our plans for the future. We were hardly aware of our surroundings because we were so focused on catching up. My brother is one of the only reasons I miss having my cell phone. There have been so many days I would just need to talk to him, but couldn’t. I made a promise to myself to think only happy thoughts while my brother was with me, to not think about the next year when he won’t be in the same country as me. It’s weird to think about going home, and he won’t be there, because he is so much my home. But, these next two weeks were about us spending time together in the present, not focusing on the future.
Eventually, we remembered that we were in a foreign place and we should do some exploring! We stopped at Tour Saint-Nicolas, the oldest tower in La Rochelle, and then headed into the old town. We grabbed delicious chocolate pastries, under the recommendation of Mel. The local delicacy was Blood Pudding, we weren’t eager to test that!
It was a short day in La Rochelle, because we wanted to get back to the ship and make sure he could get on smoothly and have enough time to settle in. He was even able to get a room! We ate some Ben & Jerry’s back on the ship, something Sean had dearly missed in Thailand. It was the perfect day, spending time with my brother, learning what he had been up to and talking about anything and everything. I’ve missed him so much.
The next day was Brest, France. Because we had a show that day, we had tech run in the morning and unfortunately, we didn’t dock in this port for very long. Sean, Jessica and I had just enough time to run off, eat, see the major highlights, and then head back to the ship.
Brest is a part of the Brittany region, meaning it is a mixture of French and Celtic culture. It is the home base for the French Naval Fleet. The first thing you see coming into Brest is the 15th century castle overlooking the harbor. The Romans, under the rule of Julius Ceaser, conquered the area and named it the “country of the seas.” The British inhabited it in the 4th century, giving the region its name and the Breton language, the Celtic language of Brittany, similar to Cornish.
Brittany suffered various attacks from the Vikings and Normans over the following centuries. During the 100 years War between Britain and France, Brittany was reunited with France. Brittany also suffered horribly during WWI, and Brest especially in WWII. The city was heavily damaged from allied bombing attacks as they attempted to destroy a Nazi submarine base in the harbor. It was rebuilt in the 1950’s. The castle is now a naval museum, preserving Brest’s maritime history, culture, and tradition.
We stopped to eat at a street of small restaurants. Picking up a pizza from one place, we walked two shops down to sit at another place and order desert crepes. The lady came out and absolutely refused to let us be there with the pizza. Even after I tried to explain that we were ordering from her too, (she got the menus for us too!) she said “you can not eat that pizza here, it is IMPOSIBLE!” (Imagine it with the French accent!!) I was tempted to tell her, “it’s actually not impossible, watch…” and just sit down and eat but I figured I shouldn’t joke with the French. So we sat at the first place and ate our delicious pizza, then walked right past the crepe restaurant and refused to stop and give them our money. We were quoting her for the rest of the day!!! LOL.
We walked through the city, in search for a crepe place to finish our day off in France properly. I found a carnival booth decorated with Disney characters, including Ariel! :D We wandered into another street of restaurants, and tried to sit down. The lady politely told us that they were only serving drinks now, no food. The kitchen was closed and it was 1 in the afternoon! So we went next door, and the man told us the same thing. My brother practically begged the man to just let us have crepes, and he gave in. We ordered our crepes and sat next to a group of fellow employees from the ship. Pedro found us, he had left the ship before us and had run around exploring the port. We got our crepes, though they weren’t as good as the ones I’ve had from the street vendors in Paris.
As we headed back towards the shuttle bus, Sean and I ran into a crazy man. We thought he had been hitchhiking because as we got closer to him, he was holding out his hand towards the street. But then he pointed at us and shoved his hand, like he was guiding us. He was talking to himself so we quickly got across the street, hoping he wouldn’t try to follow. He continued up to where we just were and started “directing traffic”, before yelling some stuff and heading off up the steps.
We had Rhythm and Rhyme that night. The first show went smoothly but the second show became an instant reblock. The hydrolics that we use had some technical issues at the end of the first show. They are high-pressure systems and because it was rocky that night, when the stage staff tried to bring them down, they collapsed and collided into each other, refusing to flatten down to the level of the stage. There wasn’t enough time for them to fix it between shows, so we had to adjust the show, which uses the entirety of the stage, to less than half of the stage. They kept the mylar and one of the curtains to hide the hydros. Wesley did a great job leading us and we all acted professionally, but it was pretty funny because it felt, and probably looked, like a school talent show. But hey, that’s live theatre! Anything can happen!
April 27th was St. Peter Port, the capital of Guernsey in the Channel Islands. We had to tender into the town and the only seats left were on top of the tender! The wind was freezing, so our group huddled together. As we cruised in, we passed the 13th century castle sitting on the edge of a cliff that jutted out above the sea. My brother and I discussed the stupidity of placing the castle at such a vulnerable location, wide open for an attack.
A lookout tower would have been more appropriate; they can then signal that the enemy is approaching to the castle, which should be tucked away into the town. But, they did things backwards, and as a result, the castle was constantly under siege for over 700 years and control over it continued to switch between countries. The French held it until the 100 years war, when England recaptured it. In the 20th century the German forces occupied the castle, re-fortifying it in the chaos of WWII.
Our group headed to tour the Castle Cornet. Inside, a royal arms guard marched and demonstrated a live canon blast. It was so loud; I jumped! There were several levels to the castle, and we walked the entire maze of it; from the prisoner quarters to the rooftop gun positions. The castle also housed a military museum, displaying various artillery equipment. There was a display with audio sounds of weapons, so you felt that you were actually in the midst of war. After the castle, we weaved our way into the city.
Everything was decorated in preparation for the Royal Wedding. Jessica knew a lot about the typical English cuisine since her family is from England and she’s been there several times. We made a stop in a bakery and I ordered a delicious cheese and onion pasty. Sean tried the traditional sausage rolls.
We stopped in a small restaurant and tried a slice of the Guersney Gâche, a fruit loaf. I didn’t really like it. We had read that the Channel Islands are known for their dairy products, especially their milk. It’s said to be the best in the world, so Sean and I had to try some. He got a glass of milk and though I enjoyed my rich and creamy chocolate milkshake, I wouldn’t say it’s the BEST I’ve ever had. I still hold my organic Horizon milk on a high pedestal.
The locals recommended a fabulous French ice cream shop that sold homemade ice cream. Sean and I had two scoops :D The funny thing about this place is that they have their own currency. They take the Queen’s pounds but their Guernsey pounds aren’t accepted anywhere else in the world but the island!
Normandy
Le Havre was our next port of call, and we decided we were going to drive out to Normandy to see the D-Day beaches. We were waiting for Holly and Pedro to finish working the rock wall, so Sean and I hopped on the shuttle bus and went to explore a bit of Le Havre. There was a lady from Greece who sat in front of us and she struck up a conversation. She asked where we were from and said that her son had lived in Texas, before dying in an accident. AWKWARD. Then she talked about how she had loved visiting Colorado but was never a fan of Texas. “There were a lot of blacks”, she whispered. SUPER AWKWARD. It was the type of conversation where all you can do is nod and sit in the uncomfortable silence.
We were dropped off in the city center. Apparently, it was too early for the French. Even though it was already 9, hardly anything was open! We wandered, trying to find internet. After stopping in a few cafes with no result, we popped into one restaurant with two teenagers and a puppy. The lady from the bus had just sat down too. We played with the cute black lab, but the puppy kept jumping up on the lady and scratching down her back. The teenagers didn’t budge, even though it was their responsibility to keep the dog in check. I couldn’t believe it! Firstly, that the dog was even allowed in the establishment, because it serves food and most people are put off by that combination. But more so because these kids had no reaction to their unruly dog. I know that even when I walk Ozzy around the pond, he needs to be on a leash in all the required areas and that he needs to act appropriately around other dogs or humans. Yet here I was, trying to scold a strangers’ dog for disobedience. I guess the French are relaxed on common courtesy, among other things.
Giving up on our futile attempt of finding internet, we took the shuttle back to the ship. Sean rented a car from the company in the port, and we met Holly and Pedro at the gangway. Renting the car was easily the cheapest way to get around, the taxi tours were absurdly overpriced and between the four of us, we each spent somewhere around $40 with gas and everything! Our car was so cute and tiny!
Omaha Beach was about an hour and a half drive away from the Le Havre port. Holly and I shared a bag of “crisps” (chips that were in the shape of French Fries, super addictive!) and we all chatted about various things. Sean drove because he was the only one with a proper license. It was his first time driving out of the states! Finally we made it to the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial.
The museum was filled pictures and artifacts to tell the cataclysmic story of June 6th, 1944, the day that changed the course of history forever. There was an eerie hallway that spoke the names of those lost to the battle, and the walls were covered with individual accounts of true heroes. I read about the courage of Elizabeth Richardson, a woman who died helping the American Red Cross. And about the Niland brothers, whom Saving Private Ryan was based around.
Holly and I watched the video that played, which described the terror these men faced as they fought for liberty. When I saw that they took on such a difficult mission, a certain suicide operation, it left me speechless. I can hardly watch violent movies; but these men were so brave to sacrifice everything to defend the world from the threat of the German forces. I saw the astonishing pictures of the coast guard who ran on the beaches amidst the hail of gunfire, and those who scaled the cliffs to disable the German guns. I tried so hard to conceive how they must have felt, but I know there is nothing in my life that will ever help me comprehend this depth of sheer terror.
After the museum, we walked out to the beach. Utah and Omaha beaches were the landing sites of US soldiers, the British on Gold and Sword beaches, and the Canadian troops on Juno beach. As we walked down the steep slopes, we tried to imagine being the soldiers and tirelessly hurtling towards the German attackers at the top of the hill. The death toll was fewer than had been envisaged on the other beaches and the operations there were considered a success. But the soldiers struggled on Omaha, and I believe it’s because they were at such a topographical disadvantage. The Germans could see the American forces from the safety of the hills and cliffs. It took vast numbers of audacious men and their unyielding determination to finally break through the enemy defenses, eventually leading to the retreat of the German forces.
Having the opportunity to walk on the beach was such an anomalous experience. The area is so beautiful; it was hard to accept that only 67 years ago it had been tainted with the hellacious setting of war. There were people further down the beach enjoying the day, playing water sports and spending time with their family and friends. Yet this exact beach, the one I was standing on, was once strewn with thousands of valiant soldiers, gallant til their last dying breath.
Above the beach, we found the remains of bunkers and gun positions. I sat in a hole dug into the earth and tried to visualize that day. There were several monuments commemorating the efforts of the courageous battalions. We walked the path to the other side of the memorial, where the cemetery was. It was here they filmed the scene of the thousands of white crosses in Saving Private Ryan. As we weaved our way among the graves, it became overwhelming to realize how many there were. I stood in one spot and looked out at the sea of white crosses; it’s just unfathomable. I had read that 93,000 Americans were killed in WWII. At this memorial alone, there were 9,387 headstones and 1,557 names inscribed into the annular wall of the missing. There were Star of David headstones too, not just the Latin cross. Three Medal of Honor recipients were buried here. We found the gravestones of Preston and Robert Niland, respectfully placed beside each other. I overheard a guide telling his group that the Roosevelt family had extracted their son that died in World War I and brought him to lay with his brother, a victim of World War II. Only the Roosevelts, with their power and influence, have been allowed to take a grave from the original military burial site.
Two statues representing France and the United States stood at the west end of the cemetery. In the middle, there was a chapel with a mosaic ceiling depicting America blessing her sons as they depart by sea and aid, and a grateful France bestowing a laurel wreath upon the American dead. The trip to Normandy was inexplicable. I’m so glad I was able to learn about this imperative day that marks the start of the new world. I have a newfound appreciation because I was able to, in a very mild sense, live the experience myself. It wasn’t like when I learned about the war in my seat in high school. I walked the beaches the soldiers walked, I saw the trenches and I can now grasp the entirety of the situation. I hope to have more opportunities to visit other historical sites and throw myself into the authentic setting.
My brother drove us back and we grabbed some food at a grocery mart, similar to Whole Foods. I had two Nutella crepes and a coffee éclair, to end the day in true French spirits. Although visiting the memorial and the cemetery made me solemn and a bit somber, it was created in a way to honor those that had fought and died, and to inspire a change in the world. I felt it spoke a message of love, that it’s purpose is to promote peace and unity, so that those who lost their lives, would not have done so in vain.
He still hadn’t seen me so I snuck up behind him and said “Bonjour!!!” We were in France, after all. Sean turned as if to reply; “I don’t speak French”, thinking I was someone else. When he realized it was me, his face was so shocked and his crooked smile beamed bright. We hugged each other tight; caught up in joy and disbelief that here we both were, in Europe.
We spent the next few hours swapping stories of home, our travels, and our plans for the future. We were hardly aware of our surroundings because we were so focused on catching up. My brother is one of the only reasons I miss having my cell phone. There have been so many days I would just need to talk to him, but couldn’t. I made a promise to myself to think only happy thoughts while my brother was with me, to not think about the next year when he won’t be in the same country as me. It’s weird to think about going home, and he won’t be there, because he is so much my home. But, these next two weeks were about us spending time together in the present, not focusing on the future.
Eventually, we remembered that we were in a foreign place and we should do some exploring! We stopped at Tour Saint-Nicolas, the oldest tower in La Rochelle, and then headed into the old town. We grabbed delicious chocolate pastries, under the recommendation of Mel. The local delicacy was Blood Pudding, we weren’t eager to test that!
It was a short day in La Rochelle, because we wanted to get back to the ship and make sure he could get on smoothly and have enough time to settle in. He was even able to get a room! We ate some Ben & Jerry’s back on the ship, something Sean had dearly missed in Thailand. It was the perfect day, spending time with my brother, learning what he had been up to and talking about anything and everything. I’ve missed him so much.
The next day was Brest, France. Because we had a show that day, we had tech run in the morning and unfortunately, we didn’t dock in this port for very long. Sean, Jessica and I had just enough time to run off, eat, see the major highlights, and then head back to the ship.
Brest is a part of the Brittany region, meaning it is a mixture of French and Celtic culture. It is the home base for the French Naval Fleet. The first thing you see coming into Brest is the 15th century castle overlooking the harbor. The Romans, under the rule of Julius Ceaser, conquered the area and named it the “country of the seas.” The British inhabited it in the 4th century, giving the region its name and the Breton language, the Celtic language of Brittany, similar to Cornish.
Brittany suffered various attacks from the Vikings and Normans over the following centuries. During the 100 years War between Britain and France, Brittany was reunited with France. Brittany also suffered horribly during WWI, and Brest especially in WWII. The city was heavily damaged from allied bombing attacks as they attempted to destroy a Nazi submarine base in the harbor. It was rebuilt in the 1950’s. The castle is now a naval museum, preserving Brest’s maritime history, culture, and tradition.
We stopped to eat at a street of small restaurants. Picking up a pizza from one place, we walked two shops down to sit at another place and order desert crepes. The lady came out and absolutely refused to let us be there with the pizza. Even after I tried to explain that we were ordering from her too, (she got the menus for us too!) she said “you can not eat that pizza here, it is IMPOSIBLE!” (Imagine it with the French accent!!) I was tempted to tell her, “it’s actually not impossible, watch…” and just sit down and eat but I figured I shouldn’t joke with the French. So we sat at the first place and ate our delicious pizza, then walked right past the crepe restaurant and refused to stop and give them our money. We were quoting her for the rest of the day!!! LOL.
We walked through the city, in search for a crepe place to finish our day off in France properly. I found a carnival booth decorated with Disney characters, including Ariel! :D We wandered into another street of restaurants, and tried to sit down. The lady politely told us that they were only serving drinks now, no food. The kitchen was closed and it was 1 in the afternoon! So we went next door, and the man told us the same thing. My brother practically begged the man to just let us have crepes, and he gave in. We ordered our crepes and sat next to a group of fellow employees from the ship. Pedro found us, he had left the ship before us and had run around exploring the port. We got our crepes, though they weren’t as good as the ones I’ve had from the street vendors in Paris.
As we headed back towards the shuttle bus, Sean and I ran into a crazy man. We thought he had been hitchhiking because as we got closer to him, he was holding out his hand towards the street. But then he pointed at us and shoved his hand, like he was guiding us. He was talking to himself so we quickly got across the street, hoping he wouldn’t try to follow. He continued up to where we just were and started “directing traffic”, before yelling some stuff and heading off up the steps.
We had Rhythm and Rhyme that night. The first show went smoothly but the second show became an instant reblock. The hydrolics that we use had some technical issues at the end of the first show. They are high-pressure systems and because it was rocky that night, when the stage staff tried to bring them down, they collapsed and collided into each other, refusing to flatten down to the level of the stage. There wasn’t enough time for them to fix it between shows, so we had to adjust the show, which uses the entirety of the stage, to less than half of the stage. They kept the mylar and one of the curtains to hide the hydros. Wesley did a great job leading us and we all acted professionally, but it was pretty funny because it felt, and probably looked, like a school talent show. But hey, that’s live theatre! Anything can happen!
April 27th was St. Peter Port, the capital of Guernsey in the Channel Islands. We had to tender into the town and the only seats left were on top of the tender! The wind was freezing, so our group huddled together. As we cruised in, we passed the 13th century castle sitting on the edge of a cliff that jutted out above the sea. My brother and I discussed the stupidity of placing the castle at such a vulnerable location, wide open for an attack.
A lookout tower would have been more appropriate; they can then signal that the enemy is approaching to the castle, which should be tucked away into the town. But, they did things backwards, and as a result, the castle was constantly under siege for over 700 years and control over it continued to switch between countries. The French held it until the 100 years war, when England recaptured it. In the 20th century the German forces occupied the castle, re-fortifying it in the chaos of WWII.
Our group headed to tour the Castle Cornet. Inside, a royal arms guard marched and demonstrated a live canon blast. It was so loud; I jumped! There were several levels to the castle, and we walked the entire maze of it; from the prisoner quarters to the rooftop gun positions. The castle also housed a military museum, displaying various artillery equipment. There was a display with audio sounds of weapons, so you felt that you were actually in the midst of war. After the castle, we weaved our way into the city.
Everything was decorated in preparation for the Royal Wedding. Jessica knew a lot about the typical English cuisine since her family is from England and she’s been there several times. We made a stop in a bakery and I ordered a delicious cheese and onion pasty. Sean tried the traditional sausage rolls.
We stopped in a small restaurant and tried a slice of the Guersney Gâche, a fruit loaf. I didn’t really like it. We had read that the Channel Islands are known for their dairy products, especially their milk. It’s said to be the best in the world, so Sean and I had to try some. He got a glass of milk and though I enjoyed my rich and creamy chocolate milkshake, I wouldn’t say it’s the BEST I’ve ever had. I still hold my organic Horizon milk on a high pedestal.
The locals recommended a fabulous French ice cream shop that sold homemade ice cream. Sean and I had two scoops :D The funny thing about this place is that they have their own currency. They take the Queen’s pounds but their Guernsey pounds aren’t accepted anywhere else in the world but the island!
Normandy
Le Havre was our next port of call, and we decided we were going to drive out to Normandy to see the D-Day beaches. We were waiting for Holly and Pedro to finish working the rock wall, so Sean and I hopped on the shuttle bus and went to explore a bit of Le Havre. There was a lady from Greece who sat in front of us and she struck up a conversation. She asked where we were from and said that her son had lived in Texas, before dying in an accident. AWKWARD. Then she talked about how she had loved visiting Colorado but was never a fan of Texas. “There were a lot of blacks”, she whispered. SUPER AWKWARD. It was the type of conversation where all you can do is nod and sit in the uncomfortable silence.
We were dropped off in the city center. Apparently, it was too early for the French. Even though it was already 9, hardly anything was open! We wandered, trying to find internet. After stopping in a few cafes with no result, we popped into one restaurant with two teenagers and a puppy. The lady from the bus had just sat down too. We played with the cute black lab, but the puppy kept jumping up on the lady and scratching down her back. The teenagers didn’t budge, even though it was their responsibility to keep the dog in check. I couldn’t believe it! Firstly, that the dog was even allowed in the establishment, because it serves food and most people are put off by that combination. But more so because these kids had no reaction to their unruly dog. I know that even when I walk Ozzy around the pond, he needs to be on a leash in all the required areas and that he needs to act appropriately around other dogs or humans. Yet here I was, trying to scold a strangers’ dog for disobedience. I guess the French are relaxed on common courtesy, among other things.
Giving up on our futile attempt of finding internet, we took the shuttle back to the ship. Sean rented a car from the company in the port, and we met Holly and Pedro at the gangway. Renting the car was easily the cheapest way to get around, the taxi tours were absurdly overpriced and between the four of us, we each spent somewhere around $40 with gas and everything! Our car was so cute and tiny!
Omaha Beach was about an hour and a half drive away from the Le Havre port. Holly and I shared a bag of “crisps” (chips that were in the shape of French Fries, super addictive!) and we all chatted about various things. Sean drove because he was the only one with a proper license. It was his first time driving out of the states! Finally we made it to the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial.
The museum was filled pictures and artifacts to tell the cataclysmic story of June 6th, 1944, the day that changed the course of history forever. There was an eerie hallway that spoke the names of those lost to the battle, and the walls were covered with individual accounts of true heroes. I read about the courage of Elizabeth Richardson, a woman who died helping the American Red Cross. And about the Niland brothers, whom Saving Private Ryan was based around.
Holly and I watched the video that played, which described the terror these men faced as they fought for liberty. When I saw that they took on such a difficult mission, a certain suicide operation, it left me speechless. I can hardly watch violent movies; but these men were so brave to sacrifice everything to defend the world from the threat of the German forces. I saw the astonishing pictures of the coast guard who ran on the beaches amidst the hail of gunfire, and those who scaled the cliffs to disable the German guns. I tried so hard to conceive how they must have felt, but I know there is nothing in my life that will ever help me comprehend this depth of sheer terror.
After the museum, we walked out to the beach. Utah and Omaha beaches were the landing sites of US soldiers, the British on Gold and Sword beaches, and the Canadian troops on Juno beach. As we walked down the steep slopes, we tried to imagine being the soldiers and tirelessly hurtling towards the German attackers at the top of the hill. The death toll was fewer than had been envisaged on the other beaches and the operations there were considered a success. But the soldiers struggled on Omaha, and I believe it’s because they were at such a topographical disadvantage. The Germans could see the American forces from the safety of the hills and cliffs. It took vast numbers of audacious men and their unyielding determination to finally break through the enemy defenses, eventually leading to the retreat of the German forces.
Having the opportunity to walk on the beach was such an anomalous experience. The area is so beautiful; it was hard to accept that only 67 years ago it had been tainted with the hellacious setting of war. There were people further down the beach enjoying the day, playing water sports and spending time with their family and friends. Yet this exact beach, the one I was standing on, was once strewn with thousands of valiant soldiers, gallant til their last dying breath.
Above the beach, we found the remains of bunkers and gun positions. I sat in a hole dug into the earth and tried to visualize that day. There were several monuments commemorating the efforts of the courageous battalions. We walked the path to the other side of the memorial, where the cemetery was. It was here they filmed the scene of the thousands of white crosses in Saving Private Ryan. As we weaved our way among the graves, it became overwhelming to realize how many there were. I stood in one spot and looked out at the sea of white crosses; it’s just unfathomable. I had read that 93,000 Americans were killed in WWII. At this memorial alone, there were 9,387 headstones and 1,557 names inscribed into the annular wall of the missing. There were Star of David headstones too, not just the Latin cross. Three Medal of Honor recipients were buried here. We found the gravestones of Preston and Robert Niland, respectfully placed beside each other. I overheard a guide telling his group that the Roosevelt family had extracted their son that died in World War I and brought him to lay with his brother, a victim of World War II. Only the Roosevelts, with their power and influence, have been allowed to take a grave from the original military burial site.
Two statues representing France and the United States stood at the west end of the cemetery. In the middle, there was a chapel with a mosaic ceiling depicting America blessing her sons as they depart by sea and aid, and a grateful France bestowing a laurel wreath upon the American dead. The trip to Normandy was inexplicable. I’m so glad I was able to learn about this imperative day that marks the start of the new world. I have a newfound appreciation because I was able to, in a very mild sense, live the experience myself. It wasn’t like when I learned about the war in my seat in high school. I walked the beaches the soldiers walked, I saw the trenches and I can now grasp the entirety of the situation. I hope to have more opportunities to visit other historical sites and throw myself into the authentic setting.
My brother drove us back and we grabbed some food at a grocery mart, similar to Whole Foods. I had two Nutella crepes and a coffee éclair, to end the day in true French spirits. Although visiting the memorial and the cemetery made me solemn and a bit somber, it was created in a way to honor those that had fought and died, and to inspire a change in the world. I felt it spoke a message of love, that it’s purpose is to promote peace and unity, so that those who lost their lives, would not have done so in vain.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Footnote....
I’ve found that in some places of Europe (ie. France, Spain, Portugal) it’s normal for businesses to close for several hours as a siesta/break. I think this is so interesting because I can compare that to America, where that NEVER happens. We are lucky to get an hour break for lunch, yet here in the EU, employees have various hours off. They stare at us weird when we try to eat at their restaurant and it’s either too early (9 am is too early for a café to be open?) or it’s the afternoon break (I’m guessing 1-3). Maybe because I’m used to the states customs, I find this rather curious. How can their business make enough money to successfully operate and earn a profit, if they are closed for about half the day!?! Are Americans working too hard or are they not working enough…?
11 Day Cruise, Part 1
The 18th and 19th of April was our overnight in Lisbon.
Day 1
Jessica, Pedro and I got off together and headed towards Belem District. We ate Bolinho de Bacalhau (a traditional ball of breaded cod) and Pasteis de Belem, a creamy pastry with glazed sugar on top, a delicacy Portugal is known for. Back on the road we admired the intricate detail in the doorway of Jeronimos Monastery.
We passed the Museum of Royal Coaches and stopped at the Conquerors’ statue, depicting Christopher Columbus leading the people of the land. As we headed towards Belem Tower, there was a perfect view of “25 de Abril Bridge”, sister to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. They aren’t real clever with their titles of landmarks, apparently! Lisbon also has a miniature replica of Cristo Rei statue, which I’ve been lucky enough to see the bigger and better known brother in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. :D
Inside Belem Tower, we had a great photo shoot in every nook and cranny of the building. At one point I was in the fireplace, poising in a yoga position. Then there was the entertainment of watching Pedro duck way, way down in the old prison quarters, because it was suitable only for dwarfs like in Snow White!!!
We took the tram and passed the Orient station. Stopping at Baixa (downtown) we headed into Commercio Square, walking by the MuDe, a design and fashion museum. We saw Santa Justa Elevator, very similar to the elevator in Salvador. There was an arched walkway, which resembled the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. I swear Lisbon just copies monuments from around the world rather than creating new innovative ones!
Nightlife
When it was night, Whitney joined our group and we headed out into the freezing cold rain. We stood waiting for a taxi for so long, Jessica finally got impatient and ran to the middle of the street to stand on the platform and hail a taxi from either side. I knew this was a terrible idea but before I could yell at her to come back, what I predicted would occur happened right before our eyes and there was nothing we could do to stop it! Rainwater had been gathering on the streets due to Portugal’s lack of drains. There were deep and daunting puddles surrounding her and of course, a car came from one side of the street and a bus on the other and both splashed buckets of water, drenching her instantly. Her purse, shoes and jeans were soaked through. Luckily, we were able to hail a taxi soon after that and get her into a bit of warmth inside the car.
We journeyed out to Bairro Alto, known for it’s nightlife of bars and clubs. Our taxi driver suggested various restaurants, so we had him choose for us. The establishment was really pretty, but most importantly, heated! I had pizza along with fabulous bread and assorted cheese and jams for appetizers. After dinner, we wandered the streets, determined to learn what Fado was. We knew it’s Portuguese music, but it’s hard to know what you’re listening for when you’ve never heard the style before!!!! We stopped into a small pub when we heard a man singing with a guitar, only to soon recognize that he was signing a Brazilian melody.
I’ve impressed myself with how quickly I can determine what language someone is speaking in, because I can tell the difference not only from Portuguese to Spanish, but also with how people from various countries speak the same language a bit differently. I can hear the slurring of their words, the differences in pronunciation. It’s all so new to me, actually being able to understand people from other cultures speaking a foreign language. It used to be jibberish to me, but now if I’m focused, I can comprehend a lot. I’m excited because it feels like I’m on the right track to picking up another language, if I dedicate myself to it.
We continued heading down the streets in search of this mysterious music we had heard so much about, and ended up, literally, being pulled into a Mexican themed bar. The owner must have been on some kind of drug because he was all over the place, clawing the ceiling, salsa dancing with us, and at one point, trying to take Whitney downstairs! You just couldn’t help but laugh along with him; it was too extreme. I enjoyed the music so we stayed to dance for a bit, but soon decided it was time to call it a night and head back to the ship.
Day 2
For our second day in Lisbon, we decided to head back to Baixa. There were quite a few of us in the group so we took three taxis and made a meeting point of the Hard Rock Café in the center of downtown. When he had all arrived, we walked towards Commercio square; stopping a bit for souvenir shopping and money exchanging. Inside Rossio Square we tried Ginja, a shot of cherry flavored alcohol. It was super strong and so disgusting. Pedro said to drink it slowly to enjoy it to the fullest, but that was like sipping vodka, it just burnt your throat too much, I had to shot it. I didn’t even bother with the cherry at the bottom, because it had soaked up too much of the alcohol. BLAH.
The big group I started out with divided so people could go off and do different things, so I ended up with Jessica, Pedro and Bot for the rest of the day. We ate some really nice Italian food on the streets in Commercio Square and people watched. We made sure to buy some Pasteis de Belem before we headed back to the ship.
After a sea day, we were docked in La Coruna, Spain. Holly, Drew, Pedro, Jessica and I took the train out to Santiago de Compostella of Galicia. This city is the end point of numerous pilgrimages that people take. The trek starts in various countries and travelers are walking for months. It was déjà vu for me because I had escorted a tour here last year, and I remember this city was one of the first reasons I fell in love with Spain. The architecture and the gardens are so beautiful. I remembered walking in this place and feeling so peaceful, and wishing to return here and attend college because it’s a college town! Our group made a pit stop to feed our bellies but mostly to get out of the rain that started to pour on us. I had delicious spinach and cheese pasta and we took in the exquisite interior decorating of the café.
When the rain had stopped, we found our way to a ravishing park and got a bit carried away with a photo shoot. Back in the heart of the city, we watched as a group celebrated at having finally reached the end. They looked a bit rough, having stayed in hostels for several months, sometimes not getting a proper shower or bed. It was very moving to see the joy in these people’s hearts because I know this commitment of journeying here was not always an easy one; but to be victorious and finish your quest, would be so rewarding.
We toured the church where they swing the incense burner, possibly in hopes of masking the stench of the exhausted travelers. ;) The burner is so massive, it takes several men to lift it high above! I’ll have to look back at my research I learned when I was first here, because I think that Napoleon Bonaparte was involved with this church and the incense burner. If I remember correctly, my guide had shown me a replica of the incense burner, the original having been stolen by Napoleon.
Following La Coruna was Gijon, also in Spain. Gijon started as a fishing village 3,000 years ago but has now grown so successfully, its main port of El Musel is one of the largest in the north of Spain. Pedro and I were again, having an intense “best photo” competition. Europe provides so many artistic elements; it’s not hard to capture stunning images. Although it was raining, we enjoyed walking through the market in the center of the square. Jess and I found these awesome magnets that were rocks with alluring pictures of the countryside painted on them. We walked under the cover of our umbrellas to a giant monument on the edge of a cliff that overlooked the ocean. The wall that leads up to the structure was once part of a military blockade to protect the city. I’m not sure if the monument has an actual shape or if it’s just meant to be abstract art. The top is two rounded beams that almost close to a full circle, and the middle provides a window view out to the sea. I stood for a while in this gap; closed my eyes and listened to the crashing waves miles beneath me. I felt as if I could just dive right off the end and soar out above the water.
A short walk later we were back in the center of the small city. We saw a church that was preparing for the celebrations of Easter, with several decorations on floats. Then we headed to peek into a museum built around old Roman bathhouses, but we weren’t keen to pay to see the entire museum. The walk along the beach was beautiful because there were green moss patches that grew near the bridge. The green of these patches were such an extreme contrast to the rest of the colors of the beach and the city, it looked as if someone had painted over the pictures I took.
The sky was still cloudy but lots of people were out enjoying the day. An archery field was even set up on the beach, which reminded me of the time I taught archery to young elementary students when I volunteered at Outdoor Lab. We found a cute little diner and ate a really cheap and awesome lunch. I had two sandwiches! One of them was an egg and cheese sandwich. They cut a perfect hole out of the top of the toast so you could break the sunny-side-up egg that was inside. After lunch we wandered the shopping streets and came across a pastry store that had chocolate Ariel and other various animated characters in their display window. So, of course, we had to go inside! I ended up with a chocolatey donut and Jessica tried a pastry we had never seen before.
We still had some time before we had to be back to the ship, so we decided to walk in the city and make our way slowly back to the shuttle stop. I saw a Suzuki store and thought of my brother and his silly (and in my opinion, useless) jeep.
I enjoyed taking various pictures of the architecture, from the churches to the randomly colored boutiques. I love buildings in Europe; even the simplest ones, like apartments, seem so stylish and chic or ancient and full of history. I also thoroughly enjoyed maneuvering through the city and leading everyone with my map skills, which are ever improving with each new city I’m challenged with.
On the shuttle back to city, I played with Pedro’s hair and spiked it, drawing inspiration from the Who’s in How The Grinch Stole Christmas (the version with Jim Carey). :D
Bilbao was our next port, on Saturday the 23rd of April. According to my research, (which I had done for every European port) Bilbao is Spain’s sixth-largest cities, and one of the more expensive and upper class areas to live in. I could see why the instant we were on the shuttle and driving away from the port. The houses were absolutely stunning, surrounded by lush green lawns and parks. It was such a lovely day, lots of people walking their dogs or laying out in the sun, just enjoying the weather. The shuttle bus dropped us off in the city center, an interesting mixture between old churches and new, modernized skyscrapers. Everywhere I look in Europe, there is something interesting to take a picture of, from beautiful monuments to interesting forms of “art.” I’m learning more and more how that term is subjective. I also really like their shuttle buses; they remind me of ants because the side view mirrors poke out in the front, resembling antennas.
We walked around the center, hoping to find an exchange place but everything was closed for Easter holiday. Again, I wonder how Spain can survive if everyone takes a week or more off each holiday! We get the day off if we are lucky, never an Easter holiday week!
Bilbao is home of one of the famous Guggenheim Museums, like the one in New York. I did a bit of history research on Meyer Guggenheim, originally from Switzerland, who became an industrialist in the US in around the 1850’s. Together with his seven sons, he established several mining and metal processing companies. His son Solomon set up several foundations that supported the arts, including the museum in New York.
The Guggenheim of Spain was built in 1997. On the walk towards the museum, you can see a red suspension bridge peeking out in the middle of the city. “Puppy”, a giant collection of flowers shaped into a dog, sits waiting to greet visitors in the front of the museum. The architecture of the museum itself is art; its unique shape an extreme polar to the common building form. Not to mention the various works of art surrounding the museum; bubbles rising above a pool of water, and a giant spider that of course, I played on.
Just opposite the museum, we headed into the city center and waited in a long line for the shuttle. At one point, Holly, Jessica and I snuck off to grab some pastries from a shop. :D I tend to end the day with some sort of desert but hey, why not finish on a sugar note!?!
Day 1
Jessica, Pedro and I got off together and headed towards Belem District. We ate Bolinho de Bacalhau (a traditional ball of breaded cod) and Pasteis de Belem, a creamy pastry with glazed sugar on top, a delicacy Portugal is known for. Back on the road we admired the intricate detail in the doorway of Jeronimos Monastery.
We passed the Museum of Royal Coaches and stopped at the Conquerors’ statue, depicting Christopher Columbus leading the people of the land. As we headed towards Belem Tower, there was a perfect view of “25 de Abril Bridge”, sister to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. They aren’t real clever with their titles of landmarks, apparently! Lisbon also has a miniature replica of Cristo Rei statue, which I’ve been lucky enough to see the bigger and better known brother in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. :D
Inside Belem Tower, we had a great photo shoot in every nook and cranny of the building. At one point I was in the fireplace, poising in a yoga position. Then there was the entertainment of watching Pedro duck way, way down in the old prison quarters, because it was suitable only for dwarfs like in Snow White!!!
We took the tram and passed the Orient station. Stopping at Baixa (downtown) we headed into Commercio Square, walking by the MuDe, a design and fashion museum. We saw Santa Justa Elevator, very similar to the elevator in Salvador. There was an arched walkway, which resembled the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. I swear Lisbon just copies monuments from around the world rather than creating new innovative ones!
Nightlife
When it was night, Whitney joined our group and we headed out into the freezing cold rain. We stood waiting for a taxi for so long, Jessica finally got impatient and ran to the middle of the street to stand on the platform and hail a taxi from either side. I knew this was a terrible idea but before I could yell at her to come back, what I predicted would occur happened right before our eyes and there was nothing we could do to stop it! Rainwater had been gathering on the streets due to Portugal’s lack of drains. There were deep and daunting puddles surrounding her and of course, a car came from one side of the street and a bus on the other and both splashed buckets of water, drenching her instantly. Her purse, shoes and jeans were soaked through. Luckily, we were able to hail a taxi soon after that and get her into a bit of warmth inside the car.
We journeyed out to Bairro Alto, known for it’s nightlife of bars and clubs. Our taxi driver suggested various restaurants, so we had him choose for us. The establishment was really pretty, but most importantly, heated! I had pizza along with fabulous bread and assorted cheese and jams for appetizers. After dinner, we wandered the streets, determined to learn what Fado was. We knew it’s Portuguese music, but it’s hard to know what you’re listening for when you’ve never heard the style before!!!! We stopped into a small pub when we heard a man singing with a guitar, only to soon recognize that he was signing a Brazilian melody.
I’ve impressed myself with how quickly I can determine what language someone is speaking in, because I can tell the difference not only from Portuguese to Spanish, but also with how people from various countries speak the same language a bit differently. I can hear the slurring of their words, the differences in pronunciation. It’s all so new to me, actually being able to understand people from other cultures speaking a foreign language. It used to be jibberish to me, but now if I’m focused, I can comprehend a lot. I’m excited because it feels like I’m on the right track to picking up another language, if I dedicate myself to it.
We continued heading down the streets in search of this mysterious music we had heard so much about, and ended up, literally, being pulled into a Mexican themed bar. The owner must have been on some kind of drug because he was all over the place, clawing the ceiling, salsa dancing with us, and at one point, trying to take Whitney downstairs! You just couldn’t help but laugh along with him; it was too extreme. I enjoyed the music so we stayed to dance for a bit, but soon decided it was time to call it a night and head back to the ship.
Day 2
For our second day in Lisbon, we decided to head back to Baixa. There were quite a few of us in the group so we took three taxis and made a meeting point of the Hard Rock Café in the center of downtown. When he had all arrived, we walked towards Commercio square; stopping a bit for souvenir shopping and money exchanging. Inside Rossio Square we tried Ginja, a shot of cherry flavored alcohol. It was super strong and so disgusting. Pedro said to drink it slowly to enjoy it to the fullest, but that was like sipping vodka, it just burnt your throat too much, I had to shot it. I didn’t even bother with the cherry at the bottom, because it had soaked up too much of the alcohol. BLAH.
The big group I started out with divided so people could go off and do different things, so I ended up with Jessica, Pedro and Bot for the rest of the day. We ate some really nice Italian food on the streets in Commercio Square and people watched. We made sure to buy some Pasteis de Belem before we headed back to the ship.
After a sea day, we were docked in La Coruna, Spain. Holly, Drew, Pedro, Jessica and I took the train out to Santiago de Compostella of Galicia. This city is the end point of numerous pilgrimages that people take. The trek starts in various countries and travelers are walking for months. It was déjà vu for me because I had escorted a tour here last year, and I remember this city was one of the first reasons I fell in love with Spain. The architecture and the gardens are so beautiful. I remembered walking in this place and feeling so peaceful, and wishing to return here and attend college because it’s a college town! Our group made a pit stop to feed our bellies but mostly to get out of the rain that started to pour on us. I had delicious spinach and cheese pasta and we took in the exquisite interior decorating of the café.
When the rain had stopped, we found our way to a ravishing park and got a bit carried away with a photo shoot. Back in the heart of the city, we watched as a group celebrated at having finally reached the end. They looked a bit rough, having stayed in hostels for several months, sometimes not getting a proper shower or bed. It was very moving to see the joy in these people’s hearts because I know this commitment of journeying here was not always an easy one; but to be victorious and finish your quest, would be so rewarding.
We toured the church where they swing the incense burner, possibly in hopes of masking the stench of the exhausted travelers. ;) The burner is so massive, it takes several men to lift it high above! I’ll have to look back at my research I learned when I was first here, because I think that Napoleon Bonaparte was involved with this church and the incense burner. If I remember correctly, my guide had shown me a replica of the incense burner, the original having been stolen by Napoleon.
Following La Coruna was Gijon, also in Spain. Gijon started as a fishing village 3,000 years ago but has now grown so successfully, its main port of El Musel is one of the largest in the north of Spain. Pedro and I were again, having an intense “best photo” competition. Europe provides so many artistic elements; it’s not hard to capture stunning images. Although it was raining, we enjoyed walking through the market in the center of the square. Jess and I found these awesome magnets that were rocks with alluring pictures of the countryside painted on them. We walked under the cover of our umbrellas to a giant monument on the edge of a cliff that overlooked the ocean. The wall that leads up to the structure was once part of a military blockade to protect the city. I’m not sure if the monument has an actual shape or if it’s just meant to be abstract art. The top is two rounded beams that almost close to a full circle, and the middle provides a window view out to the sea. I stood for a while in this gap; closed my eyes and listened to the crashing waves miles beneath me. I felt as if I could just dive right off the end and soar out above the water.
A short walk later we were back in the center of the small city. We saw a church that was preparing for the celebrations of Easter, with several decorations on floats. Then we headed to peek into a museum built around old Roman bathhouses, but we weren’t keen to pay to see the entire museum. The walk along the beach was beautiful because there were green moss patches that grew near the bridge. The green of these patches were such an extreme contrast to the rest of the colors of the beach and the city, it looked as if someone had painted over the pictures I took.
The sky was still cloudy but lots of people were out enjoying the day. An archery field was even set up on the beach, which reminded me of the time I taught archery to young elementary students when I volunteered at Outdoor Lab. We found a cute little diner and ate a really cheap and awesome lunch. I had two sandwiches! One of them was an egg and cheese sandwich. They cut a perfect hole out of the top of the toast so you could break the sunny-side-up egg that was inside. After lunch we wandered the shopping streets and came across a pastry store that had chocolate Ariel and other various animated characters in their display window. So, of course, we had to go inside! I ended up with a chocolatey donut and Jessica tried a pastry we had never seen before.
We still had some time before we had to be back to the ship, so we decided to walk in the city and make our way slowly back to the shuttle stop. I saw a Suzuki store and thought of my brother and his silly (and in my opinion, useless) jeep.
I enjoyed taking various pictures of the architecture, from the churches to the randomly colored boutiques. I love buildings in Europe; even the simplest ones, like apartments, seem so stylish and chic or ancient and full of history. I also thoroughly enjoyed maneuvering through the city and leading everyone with my map skills, which are ever improving with each new city I’m challenged with.
On the shuttle back to city, I played with Pedro’s hair and spiked it, drawing inspiration from the Who’s in How The Grinch Stole Christmas (the version with Jim Carey). :D
Bilbao was our next port, on Saturday the 23rd of April. According to my research, (which I had done for every European port) Bilbao is Spain’s sixth-largest cities, and one of the more expensive and upper class areas to live in. I could see why the instant we were on the shuttle and driving away from the port. The houses were absolutely stunning, surrounded by lush green lawns and parks. It was such a lovely day, lots of people walking their dogs or laying out in the sun, just enjoying the weather. The shuttle bus dropped us off in the city center, an interesting mixture between old churches and new, modernized skyscrapers. Everywhere I look in Europe, there is something interesting to take a picture of, from beautiful monuments to interesting forms of “art.” I’m learning more and more how that term is subjective. I also really like their shuttle buses; they remind me of ants because the side view mirrors poke out in the front, resembling antennas.
We walked around the center, hoping to find an exchange place but everything was closed for Easter holiday. Again, I wonder how Spain can survive if everyone takes a week or more off each holiday! We get the day off if we are lucky, never an Easter holiday week!
Bilbao is home of one of the famous Guggenheim Museums, like the one in New York. I did a bit of history research on Meyer Guggenheim, originally from Switzerland, who became an industrialist in the US in around the 1850’s. Together with his seven sons, he established several mining and metal processing companies. His son Solomon set up several foundations that supported the arts, including the museum in New York.
The Guggenheim of Spain was built in 1997. On the walk towards the museum, you can see a red suspension bridge peeking out in the middle of the city. “Puppy”, a giant collection of flowers shaped into a dog, sits waiting to greet visitors in the front of the museum. The architecture of the museum itself is art; its unique shape an extreme polar to the common building form. Not to mention the various works of art surrounding the museum; bubbles rising above a pool of water, and a giant spider that of course, I played on.
Just opposite the museum, we headed into the city center and waited in a long line for the shuttle. At one point, Holly, Jessica and I snuck off to grab some pastries from a shop. :D I tend to end the day with some sort of desert but hey, why not finish on a sugar note!?!
Friday, May 6, 2011
Reverse Columbus....(Ok, Columbus didn't go to Brazil but you get the idea...)
Alright, alright, I know I’m SUPER behind on my blogging, so I apologize! I’ve been so busy exploring all the ports since we made it to Europe, I’ve hardly had enough time to sleep! :D I’m going to cover the ports in chunks, one blog entry per cruise. Let’s rewind time and start at the end of the crossing!
Our first stop after the seven straight days at sea was Tenerife in the Canary Islands. Last year a group of us went to the island’s volcano. This time I assisted a guest tour to the pyramids of Guimar. There was a museum with information on how the pyramids were similar to those in other countries. They compared ancient coins, pottery, hieroglyphics, and even how the deceased were mummified. The step pyramids had a platform for sacrificial ceremonies, most likely to their sun gods. These similarities suggest contact between Mexico and Peru before written Pre-European history. The video showed how the ancient people built reed rafts to travel across the oceans. I would love to go on an archeological excavation and discover human kinds past.
On the road back to the ship, we passed a McDonald’s advertising the “Ronald McDonald Gym Club”, which I thought was pretty funny.
The next day was Lanzarote, another volcanic land in the Canary Islands. This island hardly gets rain and the locals joke the “God forgot about us”. Jessica, Yuri, Pedro and I rented a taxi for the day to take us around the island and to a few volcano highlights. Our first stop was in a little square. The scene was a quite a sight because the town was entirely white, which had an intense contrast with the desolate landscape surrounding it. We headed out of town and stopped at an enormous gorge. It was the type of view that takes your breath away; mammoth hills that dropped hundreds of feet to the land below and there we were, standing at the top. Yuri spotted a car that had crashed on the road and rolled to the depths of the canyon.
Our taxi driver took us to a beautiful view of the Mirador del Rio and La Graciosa, the island that inspired Treasure Island. We finished our tour at Jameos del Aqua. This unique attraction sits in the lava tunnels of the volcanic caverns. Inside there was an auditorium and restaurant that were hewn from rock of the north side of the island. Inside a cave, a salt-water lagoon was home to the cutest little white crabs. I later learned this particular species of crabs are blind. We ate a rushed lunch at a diner our driver highly recommended. There wasn’t anything special about my sandwich though and the menu didn’t offer much else. Lanzarote had such unusual beauty found in their volcanic terrain; I really enjoyed the scenery this island renders.
Saturday, April 16th was Jessica’s 20th birthday! I planned a surprise party that failed a bit because it’s really hard to put together a surprise party for your roommate when you are literally with her 24/7! And some people just can’t keep a secret. But we had a great time and she cried (happy tears) because her past two casts forgot her birthday. Jessica, Philip and I are the babies of the cast but we are now all OFFICIALLY adults. My next bday will be the big 2-1…that’s scary to think about! The other day I was buying some ice cream on the ship and the girl took my card (which is a LOUD yellow card because I’m underage), and asked me when I would be turning 18! Bless her.
Our last port of the crossing cruise was Cadiz, Spain. Jessica and I escorted the same tour, “Cadiz & Flamenco”. We stopped at the Cathedral, which was stylized in transition from the ornate details of the 13th century Baroque style to the 19th century neo-classical style. Afterwards, our tour guide took us to La Cava, a restaurant and bar with a Flamenco show. Jess and I enjoyed the performance whilst snacking on the complementary sangria (divine!) and the potato and cheese tart. The music was enticing; a live guitarist strumming away and a man with a deep voice singing traditional Flamenco melodies. The dancers were lively as they clapped various rhythms and stomped their feet, occasionally screaming “ESO!” which I assume translates along the lines of “That’s it!” The male dancer pulled me up to dance with him. I was pretty good at the flowing movement but when he started tap dancing really fast with a complicated combination of sounds, I couldn’t help but just laugh and attempt it, knowing full well I looked ridiculous :D We were able to walk around the city for a bit on our own after the tour, and got a few souvenirs from the bazaar. There was a man selling coins from all over the world that he had sawed out by hand. I got a Danish kroner, because the krone is in the Millenium series and I want to wear it on our tour of Sweden! I’ve learned that all the European countries that use kroner have their own type of kroner; so it’s been pretty challenging to exchange in each new place and keep them separated!
That concludes the trans-atlantic crossing from Brazil to Europe. Next…THE 11-DAY CRUISE….COMING SOON TO A THEATER NEAR YOU!!!! <3
Our first stop after the seven straight days at sea was Tenerife in the Canary Islands. Last year a group of us went to the island’s volcano. This time I assisted a guest tour to the pyramids of Guimar. There was a museum with information on how the pyramids were similar to those in other countries. They compared ancient coins, pottery, hieroglyphics, and even how the deceased were mummified. The step pyramids had a platform for sacrificial ceremonies, most likely to their sun gods. These similarities suggest contact between Mexico and Peru before written Pre-European history. The video showed how the ancient people built reed rafts to travel across the oceans. I would love to go on an archeological excavation and discover human kinds past.
On the road back to the ship, we passed a McDonald’s advertising the “Ronald McDonald Gym Club”, which I thought was pretty funny.
The next day was Lanzarote, another volcanic land in the Canary Islands. This island hardly gets rain and the locals joke the “God forgot about us”. Jessica, Yuri, Pedro and I rented a taxi for the day to take us around the island and to a few volcano highlights. Our first stop was in a little square. The scene was a quite a sight because the town was entirely white, which had an intense contrast with the desolate landscape surrounding it. We headed out of town and stopped at an enormous gorge. It was the type of view that takes your breath away; mammoth hills that dropped hundreds of feet to the land below and there we were, standing at the top. Yuri spotted a car that had crashed on the road and rolled to the depths of the canyon.
Our taxi driver took us to a beautiful view of the Mirador del Rio and La Graciosa, the island that inspired Treasure Island. We finished our tour at Jameos del Aqua. This unique attraction sits in the lava tunnels of the volcanic caverns. Inside there was an auditorium and restaurant that were hewn from rock of the north side of the island. Inside a cave, a salt-water lagoon was home to the cutest little white crabs. I later learned this particular species of crabs are blind. We ate a rushed lunch at a diner our driver highly recommended. There wasn’t anything special about my sandwich though and the menu didn’t offer much else. Lanzarote had such unusual beauty found in their volcanic terrain; I really enjoyed the scenery this island renders.
Saturday, April 16th was Jessica’s 20th birthday! I planned a surprise party that failed a bit because it’s really hard to put together a surprise party for your roommate when you are literally with her 24/7! And some people just can’t keep a secret. But we had a great time and she cried (happy tears) because her past two casts forgot her birthday. Jessica, Philip and I are the babies of the cast but we are now all OFFICIALLY adults. My next bday will be the big 2-1…that’s scary to think about! The other day I was buying some ice cream on the ship and the girl took my card (which is a LOUD yellow card because I’m underage), and asked me when I would be turning 18! Bless her.
Our last port of the crossing cruise was Cadiz, Spain. Jessica and I escorted the same tour, “Cadiz & Flamenco”. We stopped at the Cathedral, which was stylized in transition from the ornate details of the 13th century Baroque style to the 19th century neo-classical style. Afterwards, our tour guide took us to La Cava, a restaurant and bar with a Flamenco show. Jess and I enjoyed the performance whilst snacking on the complementary sangria (divine!) and the potato and cheese tart. The music was enticing; a live guitarist strumming away and a man with a deep voice singing traditional Flamenco melodies. The dancers were lively as they clapped various rhythms and stomped their feet, occasionally screaming “ESO!” which I assume translates along the lines of “That’s it!” The male dancer pulled me up to dance with him. I was pretty good at the flowing movement but when he started tap dancing really fast with a complicated combination of sounds, I couldn’t help but just laugh and attempt it, knowing full well I looked ridiculous :D We were able to walk around the city for a bit on our own after the tour, and got a few souvenirs from the bazaar. There was a man selling coins from all over the world that he had sawed out by hand. I got a Danish kroner, because the krone is in the Millenium series and I want to wear it on our tour of Sweden! I’ve learned that all the European countries that use kroner have their own type of kroner; so it’s been pretty challenging to exchange in each new place and keep them separated!
That concludes the trans-atlantic crossing from Brazil to Europe. Next…THE 11-DAY CRUISE….COMING SOON TO A THEATER NEAR YOU!!!! <3
Friday, April 29, 2011
No No No NORWAY! I'm not leaving without the Fjords!!!! :D
On the 29th of April, we were docked in Southampton, England. Jess, Pedro, Sean and I took an adorable mini taxi, with seats facing two directions, so the boys were turned in towards us and driving backwards. I noticed of course that the driver was on the opposite side of the car! We headed into the city center, where a large castle-like structure sat in the middle of all the shops. It turned out to hold art of various rock stars in the upper floor.
There was also a small carousel ride, randomly plotted in the street. I found the circular red poles that are the British postboxes and a “TK-Maxx”, which because J comes before K in the alphabet, America must have had this store first! I saw a blue double-decker bus, not quite the red ones that I fantasize about riding in London, but definitely still British in my eyes. I took a fast snapshot of a dancing man in a chicken suit, advertising for KFC.
We decided to make a few stops for shopping in the indoor/outdoor mall and get some internet. Jess and I hopped into Boots, a Walmart-style store where I could get some make up I desperately needed. Then we went into PriMark, my now favorite store in the entire world, even over the European chains Bershka or Desigual! We met up with the boys in a coffee shop, where I had the loudest bathroom experience of my life. It sounded like every appliance was on and every pipe was having threatening to explode from pressure.
Our group met up with Dave and Michelle, and Danielle with her family, who were spending the day in a pub to watch the wedding. A pub is very English, for an English breakfast or a pint. We decided we wanted to head to the Royal Wedding Street Party, to catch some of the broadcasted event. There were plenty of British party commodities being sold on the street, like hats and flags with the Royal couples’ picture in the center. We joined the commotion just in time, the Royal family stepped onto the balcony to greet the public, and the newlyweds even shared a few kisses! :D
This poor little girl who was in the ceremony, I’m assuming a flower girl, looked so grumpy as she sunk on the balcony and smushed up her face with fists. I joked that she will regret that image the world now saw when she gets older. It was funny because the commentator for the broadcast announced “and the Queen has decided that it is time to conclude the balcony ceremony” as the Queen just turned and walked back inside. He was so prim and proper with this statement, so British.
We bought some lunch from a quick-y-mart and ate it outside in a park. It was the perfect day for a picnic. I had an onion and cheese baguette, with onion and cheese chips for a side! LOL. I was talking about the souvenirs I had been hoping to find in this port (the typical “London/ England souvenirs) were unlikely to be here because it’s more of a local area. That was when Jessica offered the best thing of all to me, coming to England with her after the end of the contract! At first I didn’t think she was serious, but then she explained that flights are so cheap to get around Europe once you’re already there, so it would be easy to get from Copenhagen to London. I couldn’t let such an opportunity pass me by! Sean and I immediately began looking for flights and I spoke with my parents, who encouraged me to go!!! So I won’t be back home in Colorado until June 9th, after I spend 10 days vacation in England. We are doing two days in London, where I can most certainly buy my souvenirs!!! We are seeing a West End performance of Jersey Boys, which I’m sure will inspire me and get me into the musical theatre mode for Chicago. It will be a dream come true to finally be in the incredible London atmosphere!!!! And hopefully, when I get home, I will get a chance to visit New York too! Two in one year, I would be the luckiest girl in the world!!!!
Amsterdam overnight
Our next port was Amsterdam, where we were having an overnight for Queen’s Day, their biggest celebration. Amsterdam is already a crazy place; just try to imagine it filled with thousands of partying people! The number of people that come for this celebration is said to be similar to the crowds in Rio for Carnaval! It was madness! Everyone was wearing the Royal Family’s color orange, and there were party boats cruising along the canals, music blasting from every bar and club, and lots of great food to snack on! We had some delicious pizza slices that were grilled right in front of us. We wandered the streets, not having a real purpose or direction, just sightseeing and people watching. It was nice to have a port that I had been to, especially because I went to Amsterdam quite a few times last year, so I knew the city and where to go.
In the middle of the city, there was a giant carnival set up, with a ferris wheel and other fun rides high above us. All around us were shops, some less tame than others. At one store, there was a display of artistically decorated “plastic wraps”. We knew which “coffee shops” to avoid but I didn’t even dare ordering a coffee from anywhere, just to be on the safe side! Between all the interesting costumes people styled and the festive gadgets being sold, it was hard to know where to look or go next! I made sure we stopped and got some local cuisine, French Fries in a cone with mayonnaise for dipping. We also had the most amazing chocolate covered waffles!
Unfortunately, Jess and I had to run back to the ship to do not one but TWO shows of Rhythm and Rhyme because our cruise director didn’t really think everything through. Half the ship was doing a booze cruise, but most everyone would be off enjoying the festivities. So our first show had barely 20 people, completely pointless. After the shows, we quickly showered and ran off again, to catch the very end of the party. The Queen’s day celebration actually starts a few days prior, and then this day wraps it all up.
I bought a tasty chocolate cake from a small diner. The guy didn’t give me a fork and when I asked for one he said, “You want just a fork?” I nodded, and he gave me a fork but took away my cake! He continued to mess with me by giving me back my cake but taking the fork. Finally, he let me have both. We stopped at one of the only restaurants open, their owners most likely running around the streets drunk somewhere, and ordered pizza and some wine. Our waiter purposely whistled as he talked to amuse us, which was funny at first, but after the hundredth time it just became really annoying. Exhausted from the excitement of the long day, we went back to the ship and passed out.
After a wonderful lie in, we headed off again to explore Amsterdam on a normal day. The streets were rather clean, which was incredibly impressive considering how trashed they were the previous night. I took our group to the café I had eaten at last year, so we could have some famous Dutch pancakes. Sean and I split a fabulous strawberry pancake and Jess had an apple one.
We found vending machines that distribute hamburgers; that’s so much worse than McDonald’s!!!!! YUCK!!!! We saw Anne Frank’s house and the floating flower market. We made a few stops to test scrumptious cheese samples. Our final stop was in an ice cream shop, where we tried various flavors; Jess had the orange basil, Sean had something fruity, and I, of course, had chocolate. Ice cream is always the best way to end the day.
There was also a small carousel ride, randomly plotted in the street. I found the circular red poles that are the British postboxes and a “TK-Maxx”, which because J comes before K in the alphabet, America must have had this store first! I saw a blue double-decker bus, not quite the red ones that I fantasize about riding in London, but definitely still British in my eyes. I took a fast snapshot of a dancing man in a chicken suit, advertising for KFC.
We decided to make a few stops for shopping in the indoor/outdoor mall and get some internet. Jess and I hopped into Boots, a Walmart-style store where I could get some make up I desperately needed. Then we went into PriMark, my now favorite store in the entire world, even over the European chains Bershka or Desigual! We met up with the boys in a coffee shop, where I had the loudest bathroom experience of my life. It sounded like every appliance was on and every pipe was having threatening to explode from pressure.
Our group met up with Dave and Michelle, and Danielle with her family, who were spending the day in a pub to watch the wedding. A pub is very English, for an English breakfast or a pint. We decided we wanted to head to the Royal Wedding Street Party, to catch some of the broadcasted event. There were plenty of British party commodities being sold on the street, like hats and flags with the Royal couples’ picture in the center. We joined the commotion just in time, the Royal family stepped onto the balcony to greet the public, and the newlyweds even shared a few kisses! :D
This poor little girl who was in the ceremony, I’m assuming a flower girl, looked so grumpy as she sunk on the balcony and smushed up her face with fists. I joked that she will regret that image the world now saw when she gets older. It was funny because the commentator for the broadcast announced “and the Queen has decided that it is time to conclude the balcony ceremony” as the Queen just turned and walked back inside. He was so prim and proper with this statement, so British.
We bought some lunch from a quick-y-mart and ate it outside in a park. It was the perfect day for a picnic. I had an onion and cheese baguette, with onion and cheese chips for a side! LOL. I was talking about the souvenirs I had been hoping to find in this port (the typical “London/ England souvenirs) were unlikely to be here because it’s more of a local area. That was when Jessica offered the best thing of all to me, coming to England with her after the end of the contract! At first I didn’t think she was serious, but then she explained that flights are so cheap to get around Europe once you’re already there, so it would be easy to get from Copenhagen to London. I couldn’t let such an opportunity pass me by! Sean and I immediately began looking for flights and I spoke with my parents, who encouraged me to go!!! So I won’t be back home in Colorado until June 9th, after I spend 10 days vacation in England. We are doing two days in London, where I can most certainly buy my souvenirs!!! We are seeing a West End performance of Jersey Boys, which I’m sure will inspire me and get me into the musical theatre mode for Chicago. It will be a dream come true to finally be in the incredible London atmosphere!!!! And hopefully, when I get home, I will get a chance to visit New York too! Two in one year, I would be the luckiest girl in the world!!!!
Amsterdam overnight
Our next port was Amsterdam, where we were having an overnight for Queen’s Day, their biggest celebration. Amsterdam is already a crazy place; just try to imagine it filled with thousands of partying people! The number of people that come for this celebration is said to be similar to the crowds in Rio for Carnaval! It was madness! Everyone was wearing the Royal Family’s color orange, and there were party boats cruising along the canals, music blasting from every bar and club, and lots of great food to snack on! We had some delicious pizza slices that were grilled right in front of us. We wandered the streets, not having a real purpose or direction, just sightseeing and people watching. It was nice to have a port that I had been to, especially because I went to Amsterdam quite a few times last year, so I knew the city and where to go.
In the middle of the city, there was a giant carnival set up, with a ferris wheel and other fun rides high above us. All around us were shops, some less tame than others. At one store, there was a display of artistically decorated “plastic wraps”. We knew which “coffee shops” to avoid but I didn’t even dare ordering a coffee from anywhere, just to be on the safe side! Between all the interesting costumes people styled and the festive gadgets being sold, it was hard to know where to look or go next! I made sure we stopped and got some local cuisine, French Fries in a cone with mayonnaise for dipping. We also had the most amazing chocolate covered waffles!
Unfortunately, Jess and I had to run back to the ship to do not one but TWO shows of Rhythm and Rhyme because our cruise director didn’t really think everything through. Half the ship was doing a booze cruise, but most everyone would be off enjoying the festivities. So our first show had barely 20 people, completely pointless. After the shows, we quickly showered and ran off again, to catch the very end of the party. The Queen’s day celebration actually starts a few days prior, and then this day wraps it all up.
I bought a tasty chocolate cake from a small diner. The guy didn’t give me a fork and when I asked for one he said, “You want just a fork?” I nodded, and he gave me a fork but took away my cake! He continued to mess with me by giving me back my cake but taking the fork. Finally, he let me have both. We stopped at one of the only restaurants open, their owners most likely running around the streets drunk somewhere, and ordered pizza and some wine. Our waiter purposely whistled as he talked to amuse us, which was funny at first, but after the hundredth time it just became really annoying. Exhausted from the excitement of the long day, we went back to the ship and passed out.
After a wonderful lie in, we headed off again to explore Amsterdam on a normal day. The streets were rather clean, which was incredibly impressive considering how trashed they were the previous night. I took our group to the café I had eaten at last year, so we could have some famous Dutch pancakes. Sean and I split a fabulous strawberry pancake and Jess had an apple one.
We found vending machines that distribute hamburgers; that’s so much worse than McDonald’s!!!!! YUCK!!!! We saw Anne Frank’s house and the floating flower market. We made a few stops to test scrumptious cheese samples. Our final stop was in an ice cream shop, where we tried various flavors; Jess had the orange basil, Sean had something fruity, and I, of course, had chocolate. Ice cream is always the best way to end the day.
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