Photos

TSH and Diva are back. The photos are on Flickr. This is a link to the Greenland ones. The rest are on the Flickr pages just before and after.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/16236990@N08/sets/72157632482745089/page28/ 

Last full day of holiday

Getting off Silver Whisper was as upsetting as usual but it did not happen until a leisurely served breakfast had been consumed. Living on a cruise ship is a bit like being royal (well, at least, it must be. TSH and Diva have no direct experience). Life is ordained by others and there is a regular calm immutable schedule. But within constraints, you can do what ever you like and people will feed you, pour you drinks, pick up wet towels and do the laundry.

Check-in at the Casablanca hotel (at the end of the first day, a good choice). Then the subway to Brooklyn Bridge, to obtain a good view of many of the city highlights. The walk was made more interesting by the presence of many many many school children walking across the bridge to take part in a demonstration outside City Hall. Something to do with education and what kind of schools children should attend and who should make the decision.

The next walk was to Ground Zero, via a deli where panninis were enjoyed. The new memorial is only partly completed but the water features are stunning. Two pools, each occupying the space of one of the twin towers. Both made of granite edged with the names of the victims and both containing a two tier waterfall starting at ground level and finishing out of sight far beneath the surface. A new museum is complete structurally but still being fitted out.

Another subway ride to the Hi-line, a walk constructed along the track of an overhead railway which used to serve the industrial premises in the meat-packing district close to the Hudson river. This gave an interesting view of buildings which are not well-known but represent the way in which NY's original wealth was created.

A walk back to the hotel via a restaurant and then a short visit to the Casablanca's complimentary bar completed the enjoyable day, which was enhanced by warm, clear sunny weather.

From disappointment to another highlight

Silver Whisper anchored off Martha's Vineyard in the early morning of the last full day of the cruise. The weather was grey and cloudy and the sea was choppy. So much so that the captain decided it was unsafe to operate the tenders (from a position of total ignorance Diva was in full agreement). So we had another day at sea. Baby butler had remembered to put cases on the bed so packing had to be done. And another cancelled excursion meant more gifts from the shop, using up the cruise credit!!

But then the announcement came that the sail in to New York (which is what this trip is about for TSH and Diva) was to happen in the early evening instead of the early next morning. Good in some ways, but this coincided with the dinner booking at La Terrazza. After much debate, the booking was cancelled and baby butler instructed to bring wine, pizza and New York cheesecake (yes, I know) to the suite at precisely 18:30. And he managed it!!

So then it was up to the observation lounge, where there were many people and an air of anticipation similar to that for Greenland. Champagne was drunk as the famous skyline appeared in the far distance. It was windy but not cold and very clear after the storms of the day. TSH was, of course, the first to spot the Statue of Liberty. As the Silver Whisper drew nearer, the commentary contained 'Bring me your tired, your poor......'. Brilliant poem for a special monument. The lights in the buildings drew attention to the spectacular architecture, the most poignant of which was the new Freedom Tower, part of the replacement for the World Trade centre. Silver Whisper sailed up the Hudson River to Pier 88.

Immediately after Silver Whisper docked (next to an aircraft museum including Concorde and a space shuttle), there was a spectacular firework display laid on for our benefit. The ship is full of the well-travelled and world-weary but everyone enjoyed that sail in, agreed it was special and applauded the fireworks.

TSH and Diva met the Captain on deck and thanked him for the day, including the original safety decision. He was obviously very pleased with himself for how he had snatched all-round joy from the jaws of disappointment.

Boston

Diva and TSH are in Boston today, parked next to Brilliance of The Seas with the flight path into the airport just aft of the ship. TSH wore a raincoat for the first time since Falmouth but there was not too much rain to interfere with the planned walks. They have visited the Paul Revere house and walked the Freedom Trail. They also encountered lively drum music performed by a group from China (or maybe Taiwan).

Boston is an interesting compact city with some historical buildings as well as well designed newer buildings. Old stone buildings with gold domes are set in front of acres of modern glass. They passed Legal Sea Foods, where Diva remembers eating on previous visits long ago. But Filene’s is being reconstructed, with just the façade currently standing, so no Filene’s basement (renowned sale shop) today.

There was an interesting farmers market but it was felt to be unfair to sample the produce as there was no intention of purchasing anything.  

As it was Boston, Diva had a cup of tea – TSH settled for a decaffeinated cappuccino.

Lunch was taken late so it had to be on the pool deck (under shelter) whilst the rain continued to fall. TSH found that a beer went well with the blue cheese and bacon burger and French fries.

Tonight is the Captain’s farewell party – it is never held on the last night – so this is the beginning of the end of the cruise. Diva and TSH are trying to find out what time they have to get up when Silver Whisper sails into New York in order to see the ship pass the Statue of Liberty. It was the request from Diva to see the sail in or out of New York which resulted in booking this cruise. Missing it is not an option.

New England Fall

Bar Harbour Maine is on a small island called Mount Desert Island. Silver Whisper is anchored in a wide bay dotted with rocks, islands and lobster pots, along with Seabourn Sojourn and Holland America Eurodam. There is a lot of tender activity throughout the day.

TSH and Diva do their fourth choice of excursion, which is a short drive around the island. There is autumn colour today, estimated at over 50%. The leaf colours are yellow, orange and red and they pick up the light so that they look like explosions of colour as they come into view. The bright colours are punctuated by the silver grey colours of the trunks. Ironically, these effects are due to a massive fire in 1947 which burned down many wooden dwellings, as well as the evergreen trees which have now been replaced by the deciduous trees which acquire the colours. The dwellings are in fact very large smart houses which are the second (third, fourth… ?) of extremely rich Americans.

The island is home to Acadia,  a US national park, which is closed because of the Government shut-down. It is possible to walk into it but there are many cars parked by the roadside because the car parks are closed. Diva wondered why the people did not just remove the barriers to enter their own national park and in fact she later discovered that just such an act of civil disobedience is planned for a few days time.

TSH saw a seal but is disappointed there were not many more.

Titanic and Marianne

Diva and TSH provide the kiss of death to more excursions. They were notified in the evening that the planned excursion for Bar Harbour was not running so booked another which by the following morning was also cancelled. If the fourth choice does not run it’s back to the shop to spend more on board credit.

On the last day in Canada for Diva and TSH, they were greeted on the quayside of Halifax by a bagpiper and a drummer playing traditional Scottish music. Later, after TSH had seen a train, they enjoyed walking on the boardwalk. They visited the maritime museum to see the exhibit about how the search for bodies from the Titanic was coordinated from Halifax and many of the bodies were buried here. This exercise served Halifax well when they had their own disaster in 1917. Two ships, including an ammunition ship, collided in the harbour, triggering the largest man-made explosion ever (eventually eclipsed by Hiroshima). Many people died and many bodies had to be identified and buried. The US city of Boston helped with organising the aftermath and building new dwellings at a fast rate.  

On the way back to the ship, a busker was singing the Leonard Cohen song ‘So Long Marianne’ (he did not write a So Long Diva and TSH). And it’s the last day.  And Diva is writing a dissertation about Cohen. How spooky is that?

Quite a lot of Irish influence in this part of Canada which is noticeable in the names on signs and some of the music that Diva and TSH have heard. 

Back to English

Sydney is a small town in the Cape Breton Island  area of Nova Scotia. The Celtic influence is strong, with a giant model of a violin (fiddle?) (plywood? – for the Cohen fans) on the quayside and an energetic set of young musicians playing Irish/Scottish music inside. The language is now English. Once more, the locals are friendly – cars stop to allow people to cross and TSH and Diva have been greeted by many strangers in the street. One woman said that Coronation St was her favourite TV programme.

Not much Autumn colour here, in spite of the fact that it’s a few degrees cooler.  But still dry and very pleasant.

One result of missing ports and having other excursions cancelled is that the on-board cruise credit which Silversea offered as part of the package has not been spent. It’s not possible to transfer it to another cruise so it is necessary to spend it in the Silver Whisper shop. One necklace so far and TSH is calculating what is still left and what can still be bought.

Whale

The day at sea for the journey through the Gulf of St Lawrence towards Prince Edward Island should have been uneventful except for the Galley Lunch (Buffet style, laid out in the Galley, extremely wide range of choices, everybody eats even more than usual). The weather was colder but still clear and the water perfectly flat.  But in the afternoon, a school of dolphins could be seen leaping out of the water in classic style. There were several groups, all around the Silver Whisper. After they moved away, in the excitement of seeing this for the first time ever, Diva swallowed the wrong way and started to cough. The water TSH brought did not totally solve the issue, so he went down to the suite for some mints. And whilst he was away, a hump-back whale came out of the water and dived, showing its forked tail. TSH only saw the ripples. And Diva is very sorry.

A day in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, once more brings sunshine and blue sky. Anchored (new anchor) in a very pleasant location and tendered in. Thermal vests and fleeces have not been needed for days now.

One of Charlottetown’s claims to fame is that it is near where Anne of Green Gables was written and set. So …. AoGG chocolate and ‘Anne and Gilbert, the musical’ as well as many themed tours. TSH has never read the books and it’s so long since Diva did that the details are blurred, so no participation in any of that.

Arrangements keep changing. The planned tour to Acadia National Park, planned for a few days time, has been cancelled because of the US Government’s funding difficulties.

Whales, geese and dancing

The bright city lights left behind, the Silver Whisper made its way into the River Saguenay.  The Destination Consultant says it’s a fjord, which is an inlet of the sea, as opposed to a river, which empties water into the sea. But how can a tributary of the St Lawrence river be an inlet of the sea?

The province of Quebec is thought to have 3% of the earth’s fresh water supply. (Today’s second  fact).

The river looks like a fjord, edged with rounded peaks about 300-400 feet high. They are covered with evergreen trees, interspersed with a smaller number of deciduous trees which are showing deep orange or red as they move into Autumn (Fall). The trees seem to be growing directly out of the grey rock.  Low cloud drifts in ribbons across the lower slopes.

There are few signs of habitation but at one point the river (?) widens and there is a small cluster of buildings, including a small church with characteristic grey stone and spire. At a narrow point, a statue of Notre Dame de Saguenay can be seen high up on the rocks. Silver Whisper played ‘Ave Maria’ and the ship did a complete circle so those on board viewing from their balcony could have a view of the statue.

Saguenay is situated at a wide point, where the land becomes flatter. This port surpassed expectations. There was nothing spectacular to see but it was clean and pleasant, with a promenade along the water front. And then there was the welcome. A troupe of amateur performers were dressed in a surprising array of costumes. Mostly early settlers, with a priest in a white cassock (ruining the effect with a mobile phone pressed to his ear) and a man in a dark suit and a bowler who looked like a Funeral Director. And a woman in a crinoline with a man in a striped suit. And an extremely politically incorrect Native North American in full battle dress (The actor did not appear to be a native North American). And there was blueberry juice and blueberry pie and a wood cutting demonstration. They played music, which mostly sounded Celtic, overlayed with  some jazz. The Dancing looked Celtic, which is not surprising, given their Irish and Scottish ancestry.  But the area is mostly Fench-speaking.

Saguenay won a prize for ‘most welcoming cruise point’. This was the first visit by a Silversea ship.

The weather is beautiful, clear blue sky, with the morning chill giving way to an afternoon high of about 23C.

The big disappointment of the day is that TSH and Diva see not a single whale, in spite of close scrutiny of many dark patches and seemingly unusual currents. There were reputed to be one or two at one time but no sighting was made. Later update: A large white shape could have been a Beluga. Vast numbers of Canada geese seen.

Someone is missing a sock

The previous cruise had more British passengers than TSH and Diva had ever experienced on a Silversea cruise. However, on this leg, there are far fewer and the majority of passengers seem to be American or Australian.  Maybe it’s just a first night thing, but the guest at the next table showed that he was a wine connoisseur by declining the offered white wine after tasting but accepting any provided it was French, without any further tasting.

In Quebec City again, there was the episode of the glasses case and the sock. Whilst visiting a waterfall (higher than Niagara) one of the fellow travellers discovered when she returned to the bus that she had lost her glasses case. Other people in the group said that they had seen the lost case back at one of the waterfall viewing places. After a few minutes and just before the tour bus was due to leave our hero decided to go back and look for the missing case. His wife confidently predicted that her husband would return with the case and whilst every one else waited impatiently, there was much loud speculation about whether or not he would find it. When he returned some while later his comrades applauded enthusiastically as he clambered onto the bus with an object in his hand.  The object turned out to be a sock!

A further walk round the lower old town revealed many more attractive streets and shops.

Because of the unusual itinerary, there have been fewer sightings than usual of other cruise ships. But in Quebec there is a Holland American ship and Celebrity Summit.

The captain comes clean

At the captain’s farewell party, he admitted that an anchor had indeed been lost. Part of the fastening was damaged in the storm, so that on leaving Qaqartoq, the rope was pulled up – no anchor attached to the end. So the officer lied, probably under orders.

Immediately after docking at Quebec, there was much toing and froing with vans and cranes as a replacement anchor was fitted.

Quebec is a beautiful city – open and clean with many impressive buildings as well as small interesting streets. TSH and Diva decided they could live there but have decided not to. The blue sky and pleasant temperature definitely helped. It was the first port where there was no tender, no shuttle bus and no need for raincoats or vests.

In the afternoon, TSH had his first ‘beer on deck’ of this voyage.

Montreal was equally attractive – fewer grand buildings than Quebec but a very impressive cathedral. Most time was spent in Old Montreal, which has cobbled streets with a lot of artists’ studios and a large square with market stalls and street performers. The continuing warm sunny weather and blue sky helped.

The day in Montreal  was strange. Early morning was full of people getting off the ship, saying their goodbyes and checking their arrangements for onward travel. The afternoon brought a new crop of guests, still in their travel clothes, with large travel bags and still-anxious faces. TSH and Diva were among the 30 or so guests staying on from one voyage to the next.

Whales

In Gaspe and Baie Comeau, transport was on school buses – black and yellow stripes, like on the Simpsons. These are both partly French areas, with BC almost completely French speaking. TSH and Diva had a good long walk through a residential district, calling in at Eglise Ste Amelie.

Whale(s) could be seen by the side of the Silver Whisper for most of the afternoon.

Every day now, there is more autumn colour, so there is real hope for an excellent display before home-time. Some people are getting ready for home-time, as the first cruise heads towards its close in Montreal. But TSH and Diva are not attending the Captain’s farewell, as they are travelling on to New York.

The other thing that’s changing by the day is increasing signs of money and modern life. More tarmac, more stone and brick buildings, more shopping malls. In Greenland and Newfoundland, life is obviously hard, dominated by the weather and the land. Baie Comeau is recognisably part of the 21^st century. Whilst cruising, you don’t understand anywhere in detail, but you see how a region has developed and how it connects together. And the closer you get to the power, the more money there is around. But there is still no mobile phone signal in Canada.

The ship is the same as ever.  One morning, one of the waiters was singing cheerfully. The cleaner always tells TSH and Diva to ‘enjoy your dinner’, as he goes in to clean their suite for the second time that day.

TSH has been keeping count. Gaspe had 1 horse, 2 chickens, 3 cows, many gannets and cormorants  and a train engine.  Baie Comeau had 1 steam engine and a squirrel.

One of the anchors is missing and the rumour on board is that it had been lost at sea in the storm. TSH asked a ship’s officer but he said it had been removed for repair, which is not as exciting.

Blue sky and sun now as well as smooth river sailing – who could ask for more! Well, champagne and more whales for sail-away.

Newfoundland

The forecast for the night spent starting the crossing of the Davies Strait was ‘optimistic’ (the Captain’s words the following morning). Diva was awakened by a mighty crash as the stabilisers operated even more loudly than usual. It turned out that the waves were higher, the wind stronger and the swell greater than forecast. By morning, things were calmer, but the Captain was already making ‘we might be late at Corner Brook’ noises, because of the lack of speed through the storm.

Strange lights in the light were eventually identified as lights along the Canadian shore-line – the first inhabited shore-line for many days. There have been six days at sea instead of the planned three, Silver Whisper has missed two ports and had half-length stays at two more. This has meant more Tai Chi training sessions than are normally possible on a busy holiday.  But in the St Lawrence river and its estuary, there should be no more significant delays.

Corner Brook was a welcoming port, with someone playing guitar and singing ‘Your Cheatin’ Heart’ on the quayside. No idea why. Part-way through the excursion, tea and snacks were provided at a local church hall by ‘ladies of the parish’ who had made cake and sandwiches in their own kitchens. The crab sandwiches were excellent. They were also selling handicrafts, including knitting and quilting.

Before taking the excursion, TSH and Diva had their traditional ‘at least once in a cruise’ burger on deck. It was the first time it seemed possible and although Newfoundland is much warmer than Greenland, coats and woollies  were needed.

The terrain is much gentler than either Greenland or Iceland, with rounded or flat topped peaks no higher than about 1000 feet. No snow capped  jagged peaks here. The climate ranges from about -10C to about 25C. The interior is wilderness and the coast made up of bays and coves, a bit like parts of Cornwall.

Some leaves have already turned colour, in some cases to a vivid red, although these are the exception and most are still green. There are plenty of rowan berries around.

No phone signal in Canada yet.

Journey justified

The approach to Greenland presented a stunning panorama. Completely smooth sea and a view of rows of high jagged peaks. The colours ranged from black rock through shades of grey and cream to snow white, highlighted by shafts of sunlight. There were no apparent flat areas to be seen, as everywhere was steep slopes. The first iceberg drifted past the ship. A shape could be seen on the horizon, and TSH used his zoom lens to verify that it was another iceberg.

This part of Greenland is below the Arctic Circle but some definitions would include the whole area within the Arctic region.

TSH took a picture of a small brown bird which had hitched a lift on the Silver Whisper.

The ship slowed down because of the increasing number of icebergs, one of the largest of which appeared to be blocking the entrance to the Prince Christian Sound. We were all reassured because there is an ice pilot on board, assisting the Captain with the safety of the ship. Also, the water in the Sound is very deep everywhere, so there is no problem with finding the correct channel.

Just before entry to the Sound, a number of whales appeared. White ones appeared to be floating on the surface but darker coloured ones could also be seen on the surface at times and a lot of water spouts dotted the water around the ship.

Lunch was taken on deck as the ship sailed for six hours through spectacular mountain scenery and innumerable icebergs. The bergs were a variety of shapes and textures, like sculptures in an outdoor park. Many were smooth white, with a metallic shine, but a few were rougher, with a regular pattern of ridges.  It was (sorry) some of the Texans who appeared on deck in shirt sleeves for the outdoor lunch. They lasted outside for less than two minutes. TSH and Diva each had about four serious layers of clothes.

At one stage, a small iceberg disintegrated just in front of the ship and the speculation was that the ship’s heat had caused this to happen.

The general scenery, below the snow line, consisted of steep rocky surfaces, a bit like Wastwater screes, punctuated with the occasional glacier. It all looked extremely inhospitable but in one place where the Sound widened out and a few waterways met, there was a village whose means of transport was solely on the water. The village looked typically Scandinavian, with brightly painted wooden houses.

Like in a well organised firework display, some of the best was left until last, and the Silver Whisper exited the Sound through a large number of larger bergs.

Everyone on board agreed that it had been a spectacular day with ideal weather. The only thing missing was a polar bear. And one woman was hoping to see a penguin (!!). TSH took 400 pictures.

During the night, the ship’s spotlight could be seen in constant operation, scanning for icebergs. This is really continuing the Titanic theme which began in the exhibition in Belfast, or earlier this year in Cherbourg, which was Titanic’s first port of call after Southampton.

The next morning was when TSH and Diva set foot on Greenland soil, in the small town of Qaqortoq. The houses here were also brightly coloured, but this settlement is large enough to have a school, church, supermarket and more police than you ever see in a UK town of much greater size. No trouble was apparent so maybe they were there because of the ship. A lot of 4 wheel drive vehicles for a place with no roads out.

The captain has cancelled his dinner with guests tonight. Many large bergs are expected and he wants to be on the bridge with the ice pilot. No weather forecast for the Labrador Sea yet.

Two doctors

There were two doctors. The one who looks after any sick passengers or crew – TSH and Diva thought he was even more brutalised than most  (Diva has a medical phobia). So absolutely no plans to be ill. The other was an orthopaedic surgeon who lived in Brisbane but originally studied at Liverpool University, like Diva did.

The Denmark Strait between Iceland and Greenland was too choppy for Tai Chi but nothing like the early part of the voyage. Early on Saturday, exactly one day late, the coast of Greenland came into view. Snow-capped mountains. New territory, just as the early explorers saw. But their vessel was nothing like the Silver Whisper.  The Arctic Chard (TSH) and fragrant lamb curry (Diva) were especially good last night.

What itinerary?

Progress is very slow, so more time at sea. The captain gave a talk about the weather and its effect on navigation. He seems to know what he is doing. The cookery demonstration was given by an Indian chef, who showed us how to make chicken tikka massala.  The best question afterwards was: ‘I have never heard of fenugreek. Where can I buy it? I live in central Florida.’ Clearly never heard of Google, yellow pages or the information desk at the supermarket, either.

The continuing storm and strong head winds meant that Silver Whisper arrived in Iceland 12 hours late. It was so good to see the land and sleep through a calm night. So the visit to Iceland was one day later than planned. The next priority is that we get our days in Greenland, so to get the trip back on schedule, Anse aux meadows in Northern Canada has been cancelled.  That means missing the museum about the Vikings who are thought to have been the first people to cross the Atlantic from Europe.

Reykjavik is a small but pleasant city, with a combination of old painted wooden buildings and new glass ones. The new Harpa building, housing the Opera House,  convention space, shops and bars, is stunning and worth a visit inside and out. TSH and Diva didn’t feel the need for a visit to the Blue Lagoon, geysers etc as its only a few years since they did all that, so they enjoyed several hours walking around the city, without the time pressure of an excursion. Departure is late afternoon and the cushions are back in the glasses cupboard.

Dinner with the Doctor tonight.

Its all about the ocean

In the night, there was a force 10 gale with wind speeds in excess of 100k per hour (is that a hurricane?) and 35 ft waves. Sometimes you could see the waves wash over on the top deck, which is deck 10 on Silver Whisper. So the ship travelled along and occasionally there would be a great lurch and then the bang of the stabilisers and the vibration. This is when some people might get thrown out of bed and injure themselves. But not TSH and Diva, who are tough people and dosed up on Stugeron. They are also mid-ships on deck 4, the most stable part of the ship. The main effect is that Diva is retreating on her ambition for a future world cruise and anything that involves trans-oceanic.

The baby butler has never been to sea before. Anywhere. And they send him to the North Atlantic. And he doesn’t know how the laundry system works.

This really belongs in her studentat60 blog. But Diva is disappointed with her latest MA assignment result. 64. Which is pretty much her average so far.  A merit but not a distinction, in spite of help from the learning advisor. Not good enough.

During the day at sea, most time is spent in the suite, to stay as stable as possible.  The policy of not paying for a balcony has been proved right. Who wants a balcony in these conditions?

This all sounds horrendous. But the staff are impeccably dressed and attentive and continue with excellent food and drink. And the classical muzak played quietly in the dining room goes on. All’s well with the world.

Butlers and more Belfast

There have been some issues with the butler, who is young, keen, new and totally ignorant of how things should be done.  TSH and Diva had a chat with the housekeeper, to say he needed more training and help. They must have noticed the Anniversary cards. After dinner, TSH thought he was in the wrong suite because it had halved in size. The butler had closed the curtain between the sitting and sleeping areas. Behind the curtain were balloons, candles, champagne on ice and an Anniversary cake.More candles in the bathroom. This was all just after a good dinner!!  A knock on the door brought the butler with the butler manager, who delivered a red rose.  They have apologised in style.

The bonus morning in Belfast gave an opportunity to go into St Ann’s cathedral and glance into St Peter’s, where a service was in progress. A look inside City Hall, which is lined with light coloured marble. A shuttle bus back to the ship for lunch and sail at 14:00.

The scary bit is that the orchid is in the wastebin (to stop it falling over) and the cushions are in the glasses and drinks cupboard (to stop things breaking). Projected height of waves: 15 feet. But we are going in the opposite direction to the storm so we should be coming out of it.

Itinerary Change

La Terrazza is back to its old self – calm and relaxing. During dinner there was an announcement from the captain. A massive storm – hurricane level – was forecast and would make the journey to Stornoway ‘uncomfortable’.  And then it would be impossible to go ashore safely. So…. The Whisper would sail to Belfast for the planned stop but then stay overnight to shelter from the worst of the storm. Then it would set off direct for Iceland, through the tail end of the storm and then out of it. So no Stornoway and no stone circle.

Two of the people on board told TSH and Diva that two years ago they did a similar voyage which was supposed to take 4 days at sea to cross to Canada. A storm meant that this missed all the ports except the disembarkation and were at sea for almost 8 days continuously. Please, no.

The Belfast Titanic exhibition is one of the best. Exhibits of the social history of Belfast, building up to the design, build, launch and fit of the Titanic. The voyage detail until that night.  And then the aftermath – search for bodies and the inquiries in UK and US. A 2 to 3 hour unmissable experience, in which you learn quite a bit about Belfast generally.

The extended stay meant there was time to take the shuttle bus into the city and walk around the centre, looking at City Hall, the Opera House and the Waterfront.

Its TSH and Diva’s 12^th wedding anniversary and they are storm –bound in Belfast. As unpredictable as the wedding day when they were clamped.

Getting started

The Silver Whisper waiters remember TSH and Diva and the new maître d’ already knows them by name, so it’s a good start. Food as good as ever.  On the other hand, the butler service requires refinement. The actual butler was away training, so the greeting was by two eager but obviously inexperienced room stewards. The requests were for champagne, shiraz, warm water for Diva’s interdental gadget and plenty of still water. The first two arrived OK. Eventually boiling water arrived complete with a cup for drinking it, which was perhaps an understandable misunderstanding.  Even later, a large bottle of distilled water arrived. No idea what they thought it was for or where they got it, but top marks for effort.

At the safety drill, Diva always tests the light on the lifejacket. They specifically tell you not to do that but how else do you know it works? But now they have some new lights which allegedly come on when in contact with water. How would that work? And how would you know it was working? TSH suggested  a test involving wearing the lifejacket in the shower but that seemed a bit drastic and the test did not take place.

A bracing walk along the waterfront and through the town in Falmouth, with the weather just the same as when TSH and Diva were last here – grey and drizzly but no actual heavy rain.  TSH took lots of pics.

The rumour on board is that a massive storm is heading for Stornoway and that as we are possibly due to anchor and tender so it won’t be safe and we will miss out the port. Bad news in itself but what does this mean in sea sickness terms?

The Whisper was in Dublin until the evening, so TSH and Diva were able to go around the city on their own, taking in the Guinness Storehouse, O’Connell St, the Post Office and Trinity College, with views of Dublin Castle and the Cathedral en route.

On the crowded bus to Guinness, a friendly Irishman who helped with finding the right bus stood up from his aisle seat to allow Diva to sit on the empty window seat, as he was getting off first. Before he could get his seat back, TSH (oblivious to what was going on), took the elderly man’s seat, forcing him to look elsewhere for a scarce seat. Diva did not recover from the mortification for some hours.

Diva drank her first ever Guinness. Not a whole pint – just the little taster. In spite of much tuition, involving clouds of vapour, a white room and a transfer to a dark ‘velvet’ room, she didn’t really get it and will be sticking with cab sauv rouge.

The other Guinness fact is that 14 tankers of it were lined up on the quayside when we arrived. (Information courtesy of TSH)

The most interesting part of Trinity College was the stunning library, with an exhibition of the Book of Kells.

La Terrazza for dinner.

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How spooky is it that we have the same room number in the Grand Harbour Hotel that we will have on the Silver Whisper? Hotel mediocre but good meal at Ennio's last night with TSH's son and fiancee. But why does Ennio spend all his time trying to get you to buy extras and sides? Yes, we know why, but its not worthy of him - its like a cheap chain - and he's selling good quality food at highish prices.

We paid for a 'town view' room but we can see the cruise terminal and Whisper is there in the distance.

For the afficianado: Winston Churchill and Lord Nelson were together on the Watercress line yesterday when TSH went train-spotting. With Cheltenham.

Last preps

Hair(s) done, fridge cleared. 2 suitcases packed and the only question is how many more are needed?  Still to pack toiletries, 'needed in Southampton' and coathangers. Yes, I know that one's mad but neither Diva nor TSH can bear to be without unlimited coathangers.

Diva unsettled because 'last taught module of the MA' mark not posted yet. Its not due til next week but a good result before sail away would be good.

Still to pick up hire car. Fish and chips from local pub tonight.

Four sleeps to go

It's nearly time for TSH and Diva to set off again. Clothes are being selected and deselected as weather forecasts change. How many vests? How many T shirts? What about fur hats? There is scope for the weather to vary from 0 to about 23 degrees C. The itinerary is printed off, with helpful information about all the places to be visited. 21 ports in 6 countries.

At home

This blog will continue when TSH and Diva take their next big holiday in September (unless they have a little holiday before then).

Photoblog

This a summary of the Silversea cruise on Silver Cloud from Lisbon to Southampton:

Santiago de Compostela:

Parador at Santiago de Compostela:

Church in Northern Spain near Gijon:

A cow:

Lake near Gijon:

Scary mountain scenery - these were the white-knuckle roads:

Guggenheim at Bilbao:

A traditional food shop in Bilbao:

Sailing into Bordeaux:

Church in Bordeaux:

Silver Cloud in Bordeaux:

Message from Rosie:

Diva ready for formal dinner:

St Malo

Silver Cloud's grounded tender:

Parachutist model from St Marie eglise:

Stained glass window from St Marie eglise:

Breakfast pastries from Lisbon:

What’s happened to La Terraza?

La Terraza is the Italian-style restaurant on Silver Cloud. They take bookings and TSH and Diva like the peaceful atmosphere in there for the first and last nights of a cruise – it’s become a custom. But on the penultimate night it was full of large noisy groups, the tables were too close together and it was impossible to carry on a normal conversation. So the last night booking has been cancelled and the ear of the head maître d’ bent.

Today’s trip was to St Marie Eglise and Utah Beach, both important to the part the US played in the Normandy landings of 1944. But the British contribution was suitably included, unlike on the ship where the (Welsh) cruise director has used the phrase ‘here in the US’, implying that he thinks Silver Cloud is US soil. Last night, the entertainment was ‘The British invasion’, meaning the way British pop music has become so popular in the US. But we are in France right now, so he’s a bit confused.

TSH and Diva want to come back to Normandy and spend a bit more time looking at the monuments and museums concerning very recent history. But it would be good if it was warmer and less windy.

The Embarrassment of being grounded

Well, no, not the actual Silver Cloud. The ship is at anchor for St Malo – in a very pretty spot – and the guests are being taken in by tender. Two tender originally, running a shuttle service. And then one of them politely steered to one side to allow a zodiac from a Noble Caledonian ship to pass. And ran onto a sandbank in a flurry of water and sand. The passengers were transferred with great care to the other tender and the crew had to sit it out til the next high tide. TSH, who knows the area, was proven right with his constant warnings about the fast changing tides and the vast difference in level between high and low.

TSH and Diva meandered through the town and then around the walls of the old town. The whole morning exceeded Diva’s expectations.

Leisure at last

Two days in Bordeaux. The advantage of a small ship like Silver Cloud (fewer than 300 passengers) is that we moor right in the centre of the city. No need for a shuttle bus and the view from the ship is of the classical buildings along the water-front. TSH and Diva did not do any tours – they were all variants of go to a chateau, taste wine and eat an unbelievably expensive meal – and walked round the city unescorted. So two days of exercise whilst looking at squares and churches.

On the second evening, returning to the suite after dinner, TSH ruined Rosie’s surprise by opening the curtains which she had carefully closed when ‘turning down’ for the night. So he prematurely revealed her ‘Good morning’ picture which was attached to the window. She really does make enormous efforts to make everything special.

Followed by the only full day at sea for this cruise. The lunch is English-themed with a choice of fish and chips or steak and ale pie and chips (as well as all the usual choices). But they’re expecting us to join in with a ‘typical’ pub sing-a-long.

The weather is improving with the progression North and the sea is fairly smooth. TSH and Diva even managed some Tai Chi, although it is more difficult to balance at sea than it is on land.

Art

Docked near Bilbao at 7:00. Left ship on excursion at 7:15. Private visit to Guggenheim, which was fabulous. All that elegant space with hardly anyone in it. This was followed by a guided walk round the old town, a quick tapas at an Art Deco cafe and the drive back to the ship. All aboard 12:30. We got back on at 12:45 to a welcome reception from what seemed like all the hotel staff – butlers with ‘Welcome Back’ placards. Sailed away 13:00. It was a packed but very enjoyable morning. Rosie has replaced the champagne.

White knuckle ride and an overdose of food

Left Gijon for ride to lakes and mountains, Diva not realising quite what was to come. The first stop to see Covadonga Basilica was fine. But then narrow steep roads and sheer drops. Just enough room for the coach to drive to the extreme edge with part of it over-hanging, before full lock on to turn into the next hair-pin bend. Fortunately the driver was very experienced and careful.

Scenery en route was spectacular – jagged tops and limestone outcrops. The lakes were a bit disappointing. Neither large nor as beautiful as what we saw whilst getting there. The first lake was a steady up-hill walk from the car park and the second was indicated by the guide as being twenty minutes walk away. As the guide was a fast walker and Diva isn’t, Diva opted out of the second one. But as usual TSH went for the whole experience, although he said afterwards that it wasn’t any different from the first one and not really worth the effort. Diva wished she had brought her Kindle. 35 minutes waiting in the mist in the middle of nowhere.

Many alpine wild flowers seen whilst in the mountains including gentians, aquilegia and hellebores plus many nameless others.

Then it was off to a Parador for lunch. 4 cold starters and 5 hot ones. And everybody got all of them. A massive piece of hake in a fabulous cider sauce for  mains and then 4 desserts. This was all way too much for lunch. And then on return to the ship butler Rosie had laid out English Breakfast tea for TSH, Earl Grey for Diva (because that what what they ordered for breakfast on Friday) and a plate of sandwiches. Diva had really wanted peppermint and TSH wanted camomile (yes, I know. He had it in Lisbon when there wasn’t anything else and decided he liked it.) Rosie is trying so hard. And is so trying.

But later Rosie redeemed hersef by delivering a selection of salads to our suite in lieu of the dinner we had no appetite for. Just the thing for a light meal with a bottle of champagne!!

All Aboard

Walked to a viewpoint to see the ship but it wasn’t there. So when TSH and Diva arrived at the cruise terminal stated on the ticket and there was no Silver Cloud, they weren’t really surprised. Turns out the terminal was changed a month ago and no-one had bothered to tell the guests. TSH found a Silversea rep who explained where the ship was but some people didn’t see her and spent some time in cabs driving around looking for the ship. What a shambles! And the same thing happened to some people in Copenhagen for the Baltic cruise last year. Silversea are brilliant on board but their shore operations leave a lot to be desired.

Unpacking in the suite was like arriving at a second home, we know it so well.

Not the best day

A fairly choppy sea overnight, although not as bad as TSH and Diva remember from the Iceland cruise. But this time it affected TSH badly and Diva didn’t sleep so the excursion to the river boat and the port tasting was cancelled. The butler brought tea and toast and matters improved. A rest day and plenty of Stugeron. Diva had lobster for dinner, so things are improving.

Excursion from the port of A Coruna to Santiago de Compostela, which is a pilgrimage destination. People still do the pilgrimage – you can pick them out from the tourists by their shorts, rucksacks and beards. The Cathedral and town are very pleasant, with elaborate buildings and grand squares. The port of A Coruna was also interesting, not least because there were a lot of football supporters who seemed to be preparing for an end of season parade.

Silver Cloud has been re-fitted and there are new chairs, reorganised restaurants and a smarter pool area. Diva and TSH have one of the few suits that still has a bath. Most now have just a shower, but all have been refitted and are much smarter.

Photoblog

The elevator St Justa:

Trams:

Placa Rossio:

Church at Jeronimos monastery:

 Jeronimos Monastery:

Waterlilies at Belem:

Monument to Explorers at Belem:

Belem tower:

Belem

Out on the tram to Belem to see the Jeronimos monastery, which has a spectacular frontage and peaceful cloisters, as well as an ornate church. This is a World Heritage which well deserves to be. The whole Belem area is full of museums but TSH and Diva just went to see the monument to the Portugese navigators and the Belem tower, which is an old fortification.

It is quite easy to get around on public transport with a 6 euro day ticket.

Lisbon is quite run down in places, which is probably due to the European austerity and recession.

Trams and Fado

Tourist tram around the historic neighbourhoods of the city. This route went along winding hilly roads - it is difficult to appreciate just how many hills there are in Lisbon. You can go up a steep narrow alley and then arrive in a grand square on a different level.

Diva was brave and agreed to travel on the Sta Justa elevator - an old iron structure which connects two of the main levels. In the event it was not too scary - they didn't cram too many people in, it was quite open and  didn't take more than a few minutes.

Evening was an excellent Fado performance which both Diva and TSH enjoyed more than they expected. Listening to singing in a language you don't understand can be challenging, but was quite captivating because it was so good.

Continue to be impressed by helpful staff of Hotel Britania.

Travel Day

TSH in fine form at Manchester Airport. He thought Diva could not cope with pointing the bar-code on the boarding pass at the reader for entry to the secure area. So he went through himself and then turned round to issue orders and guidance. The entry did not open for Diva. Until guards appeared to point out that it was not working because someone was loitering in the zone. Once he moved, she gained entry.

After outdoor pizza, TSH and Diva bought wine and returned to room in (excellent) Britannia Hotel to discover no corkscrew (All Portugese wines have corks because Portugal produces all the corks). But TSH persuaded bar to provide corkscrew and glasses. Redemption.

Two control freaks

Tomorrow TSH and Diva are going to do what they've never done before - attempt joint packing. So that not all the suitcases will have to be unpacked in Lisbon. This will need a level of cooperation never before achieved. Not sure yet who will take the lead.

Clothes

Diva has has a rail of clothes ready for a few days now. But the weather outlook is so bad that the summer clothes are gradually being swapped out for warmer ones. TSH is making his first attempt to put a wardrobe of clothes together for the holiday.

Both had hair-cuts. 3 sleeps to go.

Washing

The washing mound has now vanished and the last items are outside drying. The next job is to plan the wardrobes for the next holiday, which will be on the west coasts of Portugal, Spain and France. Where the weather looks as changeable as it is at home, so we don't know what to take.

But we'll need formal clothes because its a cruise. On the Silver Wind, which has been refurbished - not before time.

Moving on via the monastery

First call Fountains Abbey, which is the ruin of a Monastery alongside 18th century pleasure grounds with Follies. Lovely visit on a fine day - it takes all day to see everything. The interesting  thing about this spot is that the gardens pre-date Capability Brown. While CB and his followers and their dedication to 'natural' gardens (which weren't natural at all) produced beautiful landscapes, they mostly swept away all traces of what went before. But for some reason this didn't happen here and there is funding to restore the full glory of the 18th century formal gardens. It will take a few years to achieve but it is well on its way to being stunning.

Final hotel of this trip was the Samling at Ambleside. The food is special but at least partly about the performance, and Diva in particular thought it a bit pretentious. But it was exciting when they brought the sorbet set in a double skinned bowl. The outer bowl contained dry ice and pouring hot water into it produced a large amount of water vapour. Excellent dessert consisting of rhubarb prepared in several different ways, including rhubarb crisps!

Wet

When Diva packed short-sleeve tops, a wool cardigan, a fleece and a wind-proof coat, she did not imagine that she would wear them all at once. With a scarf. To the Rydale Folk Museum, which somehow didn't have any life about it, perhaps because of the cold and rain. The best bit was the Harrison collection, which really was a lot of items collected by two brothers called Harrison. They are diverse enough that they are really many many collections and they have been displayed in that way. About 10,000 items ranging from household items to toys and tools. I think they just acquired as much as they could and the curators have displayed it all well in a beautiful building.

There was also an art and poetry exhibition, with this brilliant poem called 'Yorkshire Chic' - apologies to those with limited knowledge of Northern English dialect. TSH took a picture of it and will try to photoshop it so its readable here at a later date.

The museum is in a place called Hutton- le Hole, which has sheep wandering freely around.

A different slice of History

Today we went to Eden Camp - a museum mostly about WW2 - based at a Prisoner of War camp. It wasn't just about the camp, as it covered the history of the war from the growth of Hitler. It had a lot of personal histories and some reconstructions of scenes like an ordinary street which had just been bombed. The result was a real impression of what war was like for ordinary British people. TSH and Diva hadn't previously known that soldiers taken prisoner in Europe and North Africa were brought back to camps such as this and often worked on local farms. Sometimes they were sent to work on farms in USA, before returning. The exhibit claimed that only one German POW ever escaped and made it back home but this seems very unlikely. This is a very different and very special museum.

Exhibits of personal interest concerned the 'ack-ack' girls - female gunners who were part of the teams which   looked for enemy aircraft approaching British shores and attempted to shoot them down. TSH's mother - still fettling well at 93 - was such a Gunner. He also pointed out that nowhere in the museum was anything like the letter from Montgomery which was sent to his father to thank him for his service.Sometimes I think the people visiting these museums know as much as the curators about their subjects.

The next visit was to Scampston, the main part of which is a beautiful modern garden designed by Piet Oudolf, a leading designer who pioneered 'prairie planting'. This was an excellent peaceful end to the afternoon - and the Yorkshire ham in the restaurant was pretty good.   Here is a picture of a dandelion seed which TSH took:

A sobering thought - each of the diversions we had on Sunday was because of the death of a biker in a road accident.

Winter Revisited

Today was Castle Howard, which was used for both the TV and film versions of Brideshead Revisited. Lovely grounds with lots of rhododendrons in flower. The house was interesting but quite run-down inside and out. It looks like it needs a great deal of money spending on it.

They were showing an exhibition on the women of Castle Howard. Diva thought it had been put together by a man, because it was nearly all about their lives with men and even judged them in dynastic terms'. There was little about the female servants and had the sweeping comment 'nothing is known about the individual servants', which cannot possibly be true.

We had showers of rain, a cold wind and hailstones. In the middle of May.

Scientific diversions

The first visit was by appointment to a very small museum - just a garden shed. But it was like the Tardis with every space crammed with Victorian scientific instruments. The range was astonishing and the series of experiments he showed for two hours was fascinating. TSH was given a torch and the job of switching lights off in combinations when instructed. When he said 'shall I switch off now?' he was told sternly that instructions would be issued as necessary. When he moved 3 inches to his right, he was told to return to his position because he had encroached on the demonstrator's space. They don't really allow children, which is a shame, because they would both learn and enjoy.

http://www.museumofvictorianscience.co.uk/

After that, we headed towards Pickering in the hope of a snack lunch. Five miles or so from there we met a police road block because of an accident. We had to drive back to Whitby, drive down the coast road to Scarborough (via another long diversion) and then try another road west. We lost almost two hours.
Now we are at the Fairfax Arms in Gilling East and ready for dinner.

Cod, crab and cufflinks

This morning, Diva and TSH made their way to Robin Hood's Bay to look at the sea and the cliffs. The town itself is more than a bit desolate and not really welcoming.
The next stop was Whitby, which is always busy and welcoming. A drink and a cake in a tea-shop and then a walk round town looking for cufflinks. Yes, once more TSH has packed smart shirts, most of which require cufflinks, which aren't sold in tourist places anymore because no-one even wears suits and shirts and ties, let alone cufflinks. Having eventually tracked down a pair in jet (well, it is Whitby), the visit concluded with Diva having a crab sandwich and TSH a small cod and chips. Both excellent.

This is Diva, ready for dinner:

This is a train photo from yesterday - Sir Nigel Gresley, which holds the post-war steam record for speed (112mph):

And a general view of Whitby:

He's been train-spotting

TSH has had a good day with the trains, in spite of the published (paid for) time-table being an unfulfilled wish-list. Diva stayed at the hotel and studied point-of-view and mind set in fiction. Before going to the spa to be coated in detoxifying mud and then massaged with rose cream.  Both preparing for another good dinner.

To Yorkshire

Day started with the usual all-day breakfast, so TSH happy. Then visit to RHS Gardens at Harlow Carr for views of spring bulbs and blossom. Retail therapy in the Alpines section of the shop made TSH’s day even better.

Afternoon drink and snack was at Visitor Centre at Sutton Bank – good chocolate brownie and cookie. Entertained by finches, tits and collared doves just like the ones in the garden at home.

Raithwaite Hall is beautiful and the room spacious with separate bath and shower, so not too many territorial squabbles.

Diva quietly enjoyed all of it – except the 25% climb to Sutton Bank with bends.

Attached is a photo of erythronium pagoda with white-barked trees. 

One sleep to go

Diva is sure she counted up right this time. Clothes coordinated and prepared, with jewellery and handbags. Here's TSH's rail:

And Diva's rail: 

And its getting worse

Whilst Diva made the chicken liver pate and chocolate brownies for the drinks party tonight, TSH went out to prune the fatsia japonica. Which hit him in the eye, hurling a contact lens into the middle distance. Not a disposable one. Not a standard one. He has an unusually shaped eye and they are made to measure. And the shape changes, so the old ones he is coping with are not quite right. This lens is not going to be found. Until the winter, when all the vegetation has died down.

We're in a frenzy!

TSH's lens fell out of glasses whilst working in garden but fortunately not into pond. After finger-tip search of house and garden, found it in the bushes.

Diva (Mathematician) (better half) counted up days until all-day breakfast and got it wrong!

TSH has still not thought about clothes for holiday. Diva has now done jewellery and handbags - first draft.

6 sleeps to go

OK, so we're not technically going to sea this time but we have to think of the brand. The idea is that when we are away we'll post every few days so that everyone knows what we're up to.
We've got the rails down and Diva has started optioneering but TSH hasn't made a move yet owing to urgent issues with the pond and a mind full of the prospect of All-Day breakfast on Thursday.