Pandemic Cruising V: UK, Ireland, and Iceland B2B & Transatlantic
We've been very fortunate to have taken three cruises since my last pandemic cruising post: 12 days Iceland and Great Britain, 9 days Great Britain and Ireland (both on Carnival in July), and 15 days transatlantic Southampton to NYC (on Princess in September). I hadn't planned on cruising so much Summer 2022, but it worked out that some of the time cruising was less expensive than paying for an Airbnb or airfare to return to the States!
Our itineraries.
I am quite behind in my blogging, but I do want to share this travel (especially since several people requested hearing about specific ports). Some ports were visited more than once, so I'm going to talk about each port rather than go by cruise. But first, a few thoughts on 'pandemic cruising.'
Among the minority of maskers.
I think this will actually be the last blog about pandemic cruising specifically, since it seems passengers and cruise lines have collectively agreed there is no need for concern any longer. As an example, on these cruises, maybe 1-5% of people (Carnival vs. Princess) wore masks in enclosed spaces. Hand washing, one of the best defenses against spreading germs of all types, was abysmal on Carnival. I hate to report that on multiple occasions I saw women leave the restroom without washing hands (after an extended visit yet!) Ew! Hand washing was better on Princess; I attribute this to employees stationed at the buffet entrance, gently reminding people to wash their hands before entering. Only on occasion did I see a passenger refuse to wash their hands.
All cruises required vaccination and booster, as well as pre-cruise testing. In the case of the Princess cruise, the testing was self-administered with an attestation that the results were negative. (With the exception of a few special instances, all of these requirements have ended as of this writing.)
Covid-free. We really didn't fully believe they would accept a self-attestation, so we took a picture. Paranoid. 🎜Standing in the dock at Southampton🎜 Ready to transit the Atlantic!
From my perspective, they might as well not have had a test requirement at all. Realistically, how many people were going to admit they had a positive test? I also feel this way about the pre-cruise testing in general at this point. Our cruises had so many people that had been on back-to-back voyages, with no testing in between, for all intents and purposes, a significant percentage of passengers were untested. Being able to do the self-test was helpful for us, because we were really having challenges finding rapid COVID tests where we were staying in England, since travel testing requirements were disappearing.
For our July cruises, there weren't any rapid COVID testings sites in our town, so we traveled to Royal Tunbridge Wells by train, about 45 minutes, to secure a test. That's the most expensive COVID test we've ever had! In the town, another decommissioned church being put to other purposes, in this case as a fitness center and coffee shop.
Not surprisingly, as passengers started going into ports, all of our cruises had increasing cases of COVID on board. Carnival did not make any announcements about this, but I could see from the Facebook groups, as well as from the increasing space of the "COVID wing" (on the other side of our deck), that numbers were increasing.
The COVID Ward
On one of the cruises, 40+ people in the Facebook group, reported returning home with COVID. Extrapolating, it was surely then in the hundreds on the ship.
One of many posts of this nature.
On the Princess ship at about mid-cruise, I began to notice that they were seating people farther apart in the dining room, as well as a change in the electronic signs emphasizing suggestions to keep distance, wear masks, wash hands, etc., and I told John, "COVID cases are increasing." A couple of days later, the Commodore announced an uptick in cases and gave a gentle nudge to follow the protocol suggestions, which a minority did.
On to the ports. Cheers!
Dover
This was our embark and debark port for the July cruises on Carnival Pride. As well, since we were on a B2B, we had a day in port while passengers went on and off the ship between cruises. Since we had landed here in June, we knew that this port could be a hot mess for transportation. Even though we were only staying about an hour away by train, I was concerned we would not be able to easily find transportation from the station to the port if we arrived on embarkation day, so we opted to stay overnight the previous night. I made sure to make a reservation way in advance and to be sure that the hotel could call us a taxi! There was a lot of discussion in the Facebook group about people not being able to secure a taxi reservation. (There is no Lyft or Uber, and Dover is a small town that cannot reasonably sustain a taxi force large enough to deal with a cruise. I recommend avoiding this port for embark / debark, when possible.)
We arrived in Dover with enough time for some fish n chips and a leisurely stroll along Dover's pretty waterfront. In the morning, we could see our ride out of the hotel window. No matter how many times you cruise, that first sight of the ship is always exciting.
Our taxi driver arrived as promised and on time, so we were off on the short trip to the port. Since we had the port day coming up between cruises, we made arrangements with the driver to come pick us up on that day and drive us to the White Cliffs observation center, so we could have a ramble there. We'd seen the cliffs but had not been on them.
The White Cliffs of Dover
Unfortunately, the transfer day was worse than a hot mess! School let out just before that weekend, and it seemed the entire country was trying to get to / fro France on the Dover ferries. Because of Brexit, all documentation had to be checked, when in the past people would cross the border quite easily. They were understaffed, to say the least, and this caused a major traffic jam for miles and miles. To make matters worse, there was a bad accident on the primary highway leading from London to Dover, which caused hours of back-up.
Ready to go to the the Cliffs.
Needless to say, our driver was never able to come get us, so we ended up staying on the ship and watching the madness (and swimming!). We were supposed to leave port at 3 or 4; we didn't set sail until after 10! So many passengers were delayed and, critically, the trucks with supplies (all that delicious beef and cheese) were not able to get through to re-stock the ship.
Enjoying the scenery while waiting to set sail.
Iceland
We had 4 ports in Iceland: Reykjavik, Grundarfjörður, Akureyri, and Seyðisfjörður. Iceland was very beautiful with its waterfalls and, of course, the fjords! It was also quite cold, even with it being the height of summer. I imagine this is what an Alaskan cruise must be like.
Reykjavik is the capital and was the largest city we visited, population around 131,000, more if you count the outer areas, while Seyðisfjörður was the smallest, population just shy of 700.
Aside from Reykjavik, all of the Iceland ports (and almost all the rest on Pride) required tenders (which in our case was the Pride's lifeboats), which was a disorganized and timely process. This proved to be a point of contention and complaint throughout the cruises. In some places, the need for tenders was understandable, due to the tiny size of the ports. However, in other places, the need for tenders was clearly a lack of planning on Carnival's part. Unlike many others on board, these cruises were not 'dream vacations' we had planned, so we weren't terribly bothered. But, we could understand and feel the frustration around us.
Exterior and interior view of tendering on lifeboats.
This is the distance passengers had to tender to get to Edinburgh. Even with Edinburgh eventually providing larger tenders, the final tender left for Edinburgh at 1 p.m., with back on board being around 6 or 7. For so many passengers, this was the expected highlight of their trip, and it was a bust. We were very happy we had previously been to Edinburgh!
Standing in the long line waiting for a tender to take us back to the ship, way off in the distance there. At least we had a nice view and a pretty day!
Sorry for the diversion, back to Iceland ...
Reykjavik is known for its geothermal baths, especially the famous Blue Lagoon, so we had decided to splurge and signed up for an excursion there, since we figured we will probably never be back again. Unfortunately, due to leaving Dover so late and rough weather on our second transit day, we arrived to Reykjavik much later than expected, and our excursion to Blue Lagoon was canceled.
Still at sea, but land in sight!
It's okay. When you cruise, or really do any type of travel, you have to take these things in stride. The only problem was that I hadn't done any research on this port, because I thought we would be at the spa all day. So, we were left to meander around the city with not much of a plan (especially since I also didn't have any internet access on board). We still managed to have a really nice several hours exploring this unique city.
The port shuttle dropped us off at the waterfront. Nice scenery, and you can see in the background about how far the port is. Gentle reminder, dear readers, that while stone stacking looks cool, it is harmful to the environment. Resist the urge!
Our drop-off point was the beautiful Harpa Hall and Concert Center, home to the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, Icelandic Opera, and many others. The facade is inspired by the basalt columns found in Iceland. The building has won many awards, and it also had free WiFi (something we are always on the hunt for).
There were many interesting art pieces outside of Harpa, including The Musician by artist Ólöf Pálsdótti. She sculpted this while the model played continuously!
With only a few hours to explore, we decided to walk up the main street through the city centre to Hallgrimskirkja, Iceland's largest church and sixth largest building.
There were many colorful buildings, beautiful views, and street / building murals.
This was my favorite!
Hallgrimskirkja did not disappoint. It was huge and made for nice pictures. The architect's design is said to have been inspired by basalt rocks.
Outside there is an impressive statue of Leif Erikson, which pre-dates the construction of this Lutheran church.
Also outside, an interactive art installation with a connection to NYC's Met. It was attracting a lot of interest. Below, the artist explains her inspiration and themes.
The highlight of the interior for me was the gorgeous pipe organ, consisting of 5,275 pipes.
My only disappointment in our unplanned for explore is that I didn't realize Reykjavik has a phallological museum - we definitely would have gone to that just for the uniqueness! 😄
The next morning we awoke to beautiful vistas, as we arrived in Grundarfjörður. Since we weren't leaving on any excursions, nor hiking to the waterfalls outside this town of 900, we decided to stay on the ship and just enjoy the beautiful landscape. We spent all day popping in and out, watching how the scenery changed as weather patterns changed. It was quite beautiful! Nothing like Mother Nature's show!
Good morning!
Tenders ferrying passengers to and fro.
The pictures really cannot capture how beautiful it was. It also smelled so fresh and clean!
Can you spot some of the waterfalls?
A time lapse video of a lifeboat being returned to the ship, for those, like myself, fascinated with such things.
After a brief (and necessary, for a special event this evening) nap, we were outside to enjoy more beautiful scenery at sailaway.
Later, around midnight, I was outside with several others to take sunset pictures! This is 11:55 p.m.
These are 11:59 p.m. and 12:02 a.m. We crossed the Arctic Circle at 00:45! I believe this qualifies as having seen the Midnight Sun!
Next up was Akureyri, on the north side of Iceland, where we decided to do a ship excursion to get out and see some of the interior and special sights. Our tour involved a lovely scenic drive to the Goðafoss waterfall, then on to see the museum of turf houses, and ending with a visit to the botanical gardens.
More tendering. Fortunately, being on a ship-sponsored tour, we were among the first to tender to shore. We had a gorgeous (albeit cold) day, as you can see from the photo.
Two other ships in port with us. Notice they are at a dock, not tendering.
Views from the twisty-turny scenic drive on the Icelandic Ring Road, a mountain passage. There is also a 7.5 km tunnel that shortens the drive, but then we wouldn't have gotten to see all this beautiful scenery! The tunnel is recommended in bad weather, as parts of the mountain passage are dangerous in poor weather conditions.
Iceland has very few trees, because original settlers depleted those resources. There are not many native trees or flowers. However, there are many species of lichen and moss. The country is actively engaged in reforestation efforts.
Goðafoss Waterfall, known as Waterfall of the Gods.
There are many stories of the name origin. It is glorious!
Treated to more beautiful landscapes as we moved on to our next stop!
We even saw some Icelandic Horses! These horses are unique to Iceland and cannot re-enter the country if they leave, in order to protect the special breed. One especially unique aspect of these horses is that they have two additional gaits beyond the three common to other horses.
Next up were the turf houses that are part of the National Museum of Iceland. These examples are larger than a typical turf house, because these were at the sight of a vicarage and manor. While the structures have been renovated over time, some original parts from 1840 remain.
With limited building materials, and a challenging climate, turf houses were built by early settlers and remained popular, with people living in them as recently as the 1990s. Today, some are still used as outbuildings, so they remain a part of Icelandic culture.
Exterior construction
The interior provided insight into the daily lives of the household members. Nice view!
Our final stop was the Akureyri Botanical Garden. It's hard to believe that a botanical garden can exist in Iceland, but due to its protection by Akureyri being located inside a fjord, the garden enjoys a favorable microclimate that allows for successful growth of many types of flowers.
A highlight of the garden is the collection of blue poppies. We had never seen blue poppies before! Leaving a photo of the sign below for any flower fans who want to know more.
There were also the more recognizable type of poppy we were familiar with, but they were quite a bit larger than we've ever seen.
Some other beauties that caught our attention.
Heading back to the ship after the garden, I was able to get a photo of one of Akureyri's heart-shaped stoplights. These were installed as a way to uplift community spirit. Love! We really liked this charming town and the surrounding outer areas, and we recommend it as a place to visit if you ever find yourself going to Iceland.
Sail in and out was, again, very beautiful here, as we entered and exited a fjord... another gorgeous day of cruising!
As I mentioned earlier, the air was very fresh and crisp and smelled wonderful!
Scotland
We had several stops in Scotland, as well as a 10-day stay in Edinburgh, so I'm going to save talking about Scotland for a separate blog post. I'm sorry to those who've been waiting on Scotland Scenes, but I promise it will arrive eventually. I really want to do it justice! In the meantime, I'll share a few photos from our Scotland cruise stops as a sneak preview.
September sunset sailing around the Outer Hebrides.
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The Outer Hebrides
Orkney Islands
Wales
At our stop in Holyhead, Wales (the first time, the second we stayed on the ship) we decided on a tour that would bring us to different parts of Anglesey Island, on which Holyhead is located. Our tour pretty much took us on a big circle around the island, with longer stops at Beaumaris and Almwich, where we enjoyed a nice afternoon tea. The drive was chock full of beautiful views of rolling countryside and the sea, and it made for a truly enjoyable day.
Anglesey Island (Holyhead to the left, Beaumaris, mostly cut off, on the right, and Almwich up top), and where it's located in the greater scheme of things.
Our vistas included lots of cows, sheep, and hay, as well as glimpses of the sea.
The Menai Bridge is one of two that connects Anglesey to mainland Wales. Opened in 1826, it was the first iron suspension bridge. I learned recently that the bridge has been closed to vehicular traffic for safety reasons since October of this year. Tide was out in the Menai Strait when we passed by. This waterway is dangerous because of its tidal patterns. The estate agent's shop is a listed building and estimated to have been built around 1400, making it one of the oldest in Great Britain. And, a lovely church and wall.
I, admittedly, have a fascination with old walls!
Some examples of the Welsh language!
Our first big stop was in Beaumaris, where we had the chance to admire the exterior and grounds of the 'greatest castle never built.' Beaumaris is the last of the castles built by Edward I, c. 1300, but it was never completed. It is considered a masterpiece and is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd. If you like castles, I highly suggest a visit to Wales: There are more castles here per square mile than any other country in Europe!
Beaumaris Castle has lovely grounds and gardens, a great place to enjoy a morning coffee.
Our other big stop was in Amlwch, to Lastra Farm, for afternoon Welsh tea. Our tea featured regional tea cakes called bara brith and bakestones. Discussion among people at our table led us to conclude that this evolved in the States as Boston Brown Bread. The ingredients and method of cooking are the same. John's mom Virginia made this bread, and we are still trying to figure out how she came to learn to make it, and we wish she were around to ask. The bakestones were reminiscent of pancakes. The scenery at Lastra was gorgeous. Those flowers!
Here I'm taking a pause from the ports to talk about sea days. We had a lot of these, both built-in to the cruises and self-created ...
Sea Days
Sea days for me are about enjoying the beautiful views (which you can find at the end of the blog) and swimming. Because of the itinerary of these cruises, there weren't a lot of opportunities for swimming, but when they presented, we were in the pool!
Carnival Spirit class ships, like Pride, have a retractable roof over the main pool. I like this feature because it allows you to swim when it's raining or even if the temperature is a little chilly.
We got in the Infinity Pool on Enchanted Princess a few times. It's fun to look over the edge and see the wake. Some days it was a more wild swim than others!
We also typically play some trivia on sea days. However, these were often crowded and in an enclosed space, so we passed on most. But, we managed to do a couple ...
And we won Beatles trivia on Princess! Winners earned tickets to 'shop' for prizes at the end of the cruise. I opted for the lightweight backpack. Merch!
We enjoy listening to live music for evening entertainment when we cruise, and we were fortunate on Carnival Pride to have two excellent music choices. There was the ship rock band, which had very talented musicians, and a charming duo from England who sang folk and pop songs from the 60s and 70s. Both groups kept us well-entertained.
The Princess cruise had live jazz, but at often inconvenient times, so we only caught these a few times. Otherwise, the music was pretty meh. We went to a show, saw some acrobats, played a little trivia, and watched a few movies, both out on deck and in our cabin. They, unlike Carnival, have a great selection of films available to watch, so we caught up with a few on our list.
This musician had an electric double bass! I've seen cellos and violins, but never the big guy. Very cool! Acrobats on cruise ships always amaze me. This night was not exactly smooth sailing, and they didn't miss a beat. It was fun to watch the show 'in the round' in the atrium. The theatre show we went to was a specialty act brought on board in Belfast. The Shamrock Tenors were pretty good. Click on the link if you'd like to hear a sample.
Duck hiding and hunting is a common feature of cruises these days. I wasn't intending to participate, but I kept finding them! I would keep them a couple of days so they could enjoy the cruise too, then re-hide them. Most of the time, I tried to find a kiddo and signal to the parent that I was hiding the duck nearby so they could find it. Always brought a smile - to them and me.
Carnival is famous for its towel animals, and we saw two that we hadn't seen before. I think one was inspired by the locations on our itinerary!
I'm not a huge fan of cruise desserts, as they generally look better than they taste. However, these two were winners! On Princess, I liked that the buffet regularly had a section where they would prepare stir fry or ramen from fresh vegetables. Yum!
Yummy parfait sundae on Pride, and the best oatmeal raisin cookie ever on Enchanted Princess.
I love not having to plan, shop for, and prepare a meal, especially when a nice, healthy one is made for me!
Two sad events happened on our sea days on Enchanted Princess ...
Early in the cruise a passenger had to be medically evacuated. This was an interesting procedure to watch when we were far from land.
Later in the cruise, the Commodore interrupted dinner with the announcement that Queen Elizabeth II had died. He held a memorial service for her a few days later, which we planned to attend, but there were way too many people crowded into an enclosed space. So, we left a message in the memory book.
We had a handful of rough sea and / or bad weather days ...
When the bags come out, you know it's bad. On the transatlantic, I tried the crew tip of eating a green apple. It really did help!
No outside fun! It's too bad we don't play video games. On Enchanted Princess, there were only 2 small children out of 2300 passengers! Since there weren't any teens, the entertainment staff opened the teen club for adults who are 'young at heart' to enjoy.
Sea Days: The Foot Series
Read
Watch Movies. Carnival and Princess both have some variation of movies under the stars, but Princess knows how to do it right, with special lounge cushions and pillows, blankets and popcorn. We watched The Lost City, Death on the Nile, and Encanto on Pride, and Dune on Princess.
Look at water and sky. So relaxing!
Sea Days: The JV Sleep Series 🤣🤣🤣
This guy has no problem 'relaxing' in retirement. He should be studying Italian like me!
Pride had some crew members on loan from Costa, so I was able to get a little speaking practice in too!
And, back to the ports...
Northern Ireland: Belfast and the North Irish Coast
While writing about this port I realized that, like Scotland, it needed its own blog, especially since this blog has been growing to epic proportions! So, if you haven't done so already, you can check that out here.
Republic of Ireland
We were especially excited for this port for two reasons: This was our first ever visit to this country, and we were scheduled to meet up and hang out with friends who we had met this past Spring in Palermo. Gráinne and Denis, from Dublin, were vacationing in Palermo and sat next to us at a pizza cafe.
Aperitivo in Palermo with new friends.
Our port schedule said Dublin, but we actually came into port at Dún Laoghaire, a coastal town south of Dublin proper. I guess it could be called a suburb. Gráinne has family connections there, and she said it would be easy for them to collect us in the town and then spend the day together. She and Denis graciously let us choose the activity. We consulted with our "expert" Emily, and she suggested that we go to one of her favorite spots from Study Abroad: Glendalough. Gráinne thought this was a splendid idea, as it's a beautiful spot and would afford us the opportunity to drive through the Wicklow Mountains.
It was easy to find our way from the port into the town for our meeting spot. We wanted a proper coffee, so we popped into the shop Insomnia. That is the biggest cappuccino I've ever had! The mugs were comical.
Before heading to the mountains, we drove a bit along the coast, with a short stop at Coliemore Harbour.
Dalkey Island, off in the distance, is an uninhabited island that one can visit for a picnic, to fish, to explore ruins, or just to enjoy nature. Evidence suggests this island was inhabited as far back as 6,000 years ago!
That's some beautiful coastline!
Onward to Glendalough! You can see from the photos of the area what a beautiful drive we experienced. Glendalough, in County Wicklow, is a valley carved from glaciers. Aside from its natural and expansive beauty, it is known for the monastic settlement founded by St. Kevin in the 6th century. The settlement was active until the early 17th century!
Green! It also smelled so good (especially at Glenmacnass Waterfall, one of our stops)!
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This double gate, thought to be the only of its type still in existence, was the original entrance to the monastery. It's estimated to have been built between 900 and 1200.
What first caught my eye was the Round Tower, looming above the grounds. Built in the 11th century and over 30 meters high, it is quite an impressive structure. A particularly interesting feature is the door, which is about 3 meters above ground!
The grounds had many interesting ruins and graves to explore, in addition to lovely vistas all around.
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Glendalough translates as valley of the two lakes, and people like to visit here to hike the many trails. After enjoying a delicious picnic lunch that Gráinne had prepared (I can't believe I didn't make a picture!), we explored a trail around one of the lakes. After our trail walk, we continued on our drive through an area called the Featherbeds which features bog, heathland, and heather hills. Unfortunately, I didn't get a photo of this area, although I vividly remember it. Click on the link if you'd like to see photos.
Our final stop for the day was a hidden gem in the countryside: the German War Cemetery. This is located in a former quarry near the Glencree Centre for Peace and Reconciliation. The cemetery contains remains, many unidentified, of Germans who died on Irish soil in either World War. It was a very peaceful spot, and I thought a good place for reflection.
Twenty seconds of the cemetery's relaxing water feature.
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Back to the ship after a day well spent. We covered a lot of ground. Thanks to Gráinne and Denis for such a lovely day (and for sharing piccies for the blog)!
Norway
I'm not certain why the transatlantic cruise went to Norway? If you look at the itinerary map, you can see it was a stop 'out of the way.' I'm guessing it's because Bergen has become a more popular stop, and it was added to increase the appeal of the cruise. It was a nice stop for us, because we've never been to Norway. Like Iceland, the jewel of this stop was the sail in and out through fjords. It really was quite beautiful!
A few seconds of sailing in.
If you look closely at the last photo, you can see some of the cool apartment buildings on the water. I love the design!
Our time in port was cut a bit short because of the earlier medical evacuation, so we decided to just walk from port into the city and to see Bryggen, the old historic town and wharf. This route brought us through the market where they were selling a variety of jerky and sausages, including moose, elk, and whale!
Bryggen is a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its building structures representative of the time of the Hanseatic League. Although there have been many fires there over time, the buildings have been reconstructed using traditional building techniques and following original layout. Since 2000, there has been a foundation to support and oversee the renovation of buildings. The building below was one under renovation at the time of our visit.
While these building were interesting to see and learn about, the area had a bit too much of a touristy vibe, so we meandered into the streets behind, where we found additional historical buildings that weren't so crowded.
These buildings served as offices and homes of Hanseatic merchants.
At the wharf, near the market, we discovered this interesting invention. Named The Slurp, this motorized device collects waste from the water. It collects an average of 150-200 kilos of waste per year. In the most recent study, about 55% of the objects recovered were from personal consumption, and 90% of the articles were plastic.
Like many cities we visited, Bergen had interesting street art.
The city centre had a pleasing mix of architectural styles, a nice central plaza, and lovely gardens scattered around. It was an enjoyable place for a meander. I guess Norway is one of my ancestral lands, because some Norwegians (not from Bergen) asked me for help with directions! We all enjoyed a good laugh and then spoke in English.
Another beautiful sailaway to enjoy!
Cork
I was really excited at the prospect of visiting another spot in Ireland. Our cruise information said that we would be docking in Cobh, so our choice was to explore that smaller place or take a longer transport into the larger city of Cork. We did research on both and decided to enjoy a leisurely day exploring Cobh on our own, particularly since it went with our mini-Titanic theme (Cobh was Titanic's last port of call). As well, we didn't want to devote an hour+ of our day riding in a bus or train (nor to figure out schedules). Once we were on board, however, we learned that we would be docking at Ringaskiddy, which is across the bay from Cobh, but not easy to get to. Since a free shuttle was going to be provided by Princess (or the port, I never did figure out which) into Cork city centre, we shifted our plans to that.
You can see our dilemma.
The weather was absolutely dreadful, as was the forecast, but we decided to brave it, figuring we could grab the HOHO bus and get an overview of the city, maybe picking a couple of indoor places to explore. The best laid plans .... the HOHO bus was a fiasco!
At the shuttle drop off (in front of this pretty municipal building), we got onto the HOHO bus after standing in a downpour waiting on the first bus arrival. (I took this photo at the end of the day.) Oh, good, it will be dry in there ... not! My seat was wet, but of course I didn't realize this until my pants already looked like I'd had an unfortunate accident. We waited patiently as the driver waited for the bus to fill beyond capacity (the aisles were full with standing people). Off we go, steamy windows, so no view, when suddenly I understood why my seat was wet ... we were getting rained on inside of the bus! We put up an umbrella (what else can you do?) and soldiered on until we got to the market stop, where we had hopes of obtaining some food, as by now it was lunch time.
Cork's market is considered an excellent example of an 18th century English market. The structure had a really pretty ceiling. There was a lot of fish! We grabbed a sandwich and also stopped to sample a probiotic soda. The vendor was quite personable and interesting, and he was passionate about his product and business. We bought a bottle to take back to the ship. I think it was elderflower and honeysuckle.
Cool sidewalks! At this point it was still pouring, so we popped a few doors down to a coffee shop. It was rather crowded, I'm sure because of the weather, and a young woman asked if she could sit with us. Of course, we always enjoy meeting a local! Turns out she was a new local, just arrived from Canada a few days before in anticipation of starting medical school. It was enjoyable to talk with her about her upcoming studies and to share in her excitement of beginning a new chapter in her life.
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The rain let up, so we were able to get out and explore the Grand Parade a bit. The national monument honors the Irish rebels of various uprisings in the 1700 and 1800s. The lampposts had intricate carvings reflecting the area's heritage.
Views of the River Lee. I sure would have liked to spend more time criss-crossing the many bridges, but the heavens opened up again! We decided we could get drenched waiting for a HOHO bus to stop or get drenched walking back to the shuttle meet-up point, so we decided on the latter. Umbrellas and hoods up, onward! (The HOHO bus, as I'm sure you've gathered by now, was a HOHO bust! However, we did enjoy the narration and I remembered these two interesting facts: Cork is the first city to have printed a newspaper, and a 15-year-old girl from Cork was the first person to step through Ellis Island.) The remaining few pictures are from our walk back when I could get the phone out. I wish I had more photos to share for those friends with Irish heritage who wanted to see photos.
The Azores
This was an exciting stop for us because it was our first time in the Azores. We had been scheduled to stop here on our failed 2020 trip. Since we had a private excursion planned with Azorean Tours back then, and the owner Gary was so good about refunding our money in the crazy COVID times, we decided to see if we could book with him again.
The Azores consists of 9 islands that are an autonomous region of Portugal. We stopped at the largest of the islands, São Miguel, which is nicknamed "the green island" (as you'll see from the pictures) at the port in Ponta Delgada. Gary picked us and two other couples up at the port and we were on our way.
At about 900 miles west of Lisbon, you can see why this is a popular final stop before 6-7 sea days on a transatlantic cruise.
Port and marina at Ponta Delgada.
Our itinerary
Our first stop was at Miradouro de Santa Iria for a look at the island's gorgeous north coast.
Next we drove a short distance to arrive at Gorreana Tea Plantation and Factory. This company has been making organic green and black teas since 1883. We explored the grounds, learned about the tea manufacturing process, and had tea tasting.
Tea at different stages. I was surprised to learn that green and black tea are made from the same plant; it is the way the leaves are processed and the part of the plant utilized that makes different types of tea. Interesting!
Some natural beauty on the grounds. Cheers!
Onward to Parque Natural da Ribeira dos Caldeirões. This is a beautiful national park with waterfalls, hiking trails, historical buildings, and picnic areas, all in a stunning setting. It also had the biggest hydrangeas I have ever seen!
Weather was cooperating, so we got the bonus of going up, up, up, for panoramic views (at Miradouro do Salto do Cavalo) of the north and south sides of the island, as well as the Furnas valley, with the crater lake, village and hot springs (where we were next headed).
Furnas Valley is a huge volcanic crater. We had a meander around the village, where there are hot springs scattered throughout.
The springs are interesting, but also a little frightening!
There were also natural water sources that we sampled. This water had a heavy mineral content, and we thought it tasted like Perrier! At various times, people have come here to partake of the water because of its purported healing properties.
There was a small, but lovely, public garden here.
We also got to try the local bread, bolo lêvedo. It's a type of sweet bread, and the shape was like a giant English muffin. Very yummy, especially warm!
At this point, everyone in the group wanted food, and I remember we all wanted cheese, LOL! Gary took us to a favorite restaurant that specialized in cheese plates. Oh, it was so delicious! And, I kid you not, this place specialized in making chocolates with cheese (+ other ingredient) fillings. My two dreams food, combined! There were so many to choose from, but I restrained myself to four for us to sample: blueberry, Nutella, fig, and honey. The restaurant was across from a pretty garden with these plants. I think Gary said they were taro.
Architecture example of a single family home.
Returning back toward port, we drove along Furnas Lake and caught a glimpse of Capella de Nossa Senhora das Vitórias, Chapel of Our Lady of Victories. This is a chapel that was built by a wealthy landowner to honor his terminally ill wife. The church holds no services, although there are ways to visit and see the inside. Maybe next time! This is a beautiful island, and we hope to return and explore more!
New York City
Wave pool! We're going to NYC!
While I would have enjoyed re-visiting the place of my birth, I was super excited to go to NYC. This is because our failed 2020 cruise was to go there as a port, which meant we could experience the sail in. Bucket list! Even though this cruise ended there, I wasn't realistically going to get up on debarkation day in the wee hours of the morning to watch the sail into New York. I had accepted that would have to be for the future, and then I was given the good fortune to experience it! I wasn't even the least bit disappointed that I hadn't made any plans for the port. We've been to New York before. The highlight was the sail in!
So, we were up bright and early, along with lots of our fellow passengers, to watch the passage under the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, and the sail past Lady Liberty, Ellis Island, and Manhattan, as we headed to our dock in Brooklyn. Anyone know which famous late 70s movie made this bridge famous?
It's 5:15 a.m. The moon is still out, and we can see city lights in the distance.
Going under the bridge, 5:52 a.m.
About 6:15, sunrise beginning and first peek of Lady Liberty. Can you spot her?
Liberty and Ellis Island (to the right)
Manhattan
Approaching Brooklyn cruise terminal, on right. Manhattan and Governors Island on left.
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Planning on the fly! We were at Red Hook and figured that Wall Street Pier 11 would be the best option for a stop. Although we've visited the Wall Street area before, we had never been to Battery Park. Also, we'd not been to the 9/11 site since the time it was a massive crater in the ground, and that's in this area. We also thought we could squeeze in Trinity Church.
Battery Park's waterfront placement is nice, with its views of the Statue of Liberty, as well as the city, looking the opposite direction. I enjoy a nice green oasis inside a bustling city, and this park had all the elements one would expect - locals out enjoying the weather, tourists, food vendors, busking musicians, and more. With its close vicinity to Liberty / Ellis, there is an emphasis on immigration, like the sculpture The Immigrants. While at The Battery, we heard back from Lori that she was in town and could meet us in the afternoon. Yay!
On our walk to the 9/11 Memorial, we passed a lot of nice art: murals, architecture, and sculptures. I thought this sculpture might be a Calder piece, but I learned it was by an artist Mark di Suvero. He is described as working in the style of Calder, so I was close! The mural artist is Chinon Maria.
This area was unrecognizable from when Emily and I visited in 2005. The memorial is quite overwhelming when you see the size of the building footprints and the names (reminded me of how I felt at the Vietnam Memorial in D.C.). Yet the site is very peaceful and encourages sitting and contemplation. I liked the clean and basic lines in the design, from the memorial itself, to the trees, benches, and plaza.
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Most intriguing to me was The Oculus, the World Trade Center transportation hub. It is eye-catching no matter what point you view it from.
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We had time for a quick spin through Trinity Church before heading off to the Staten Island Ferry terminal to meet up with Lori. I've always found this church intriguing as it is a spiritual symbol in the midst of one of the most materialistic locations I can imagine. I think this must bring unique benefits and challenges (see the link to learn about its portfolio). This particular building, 1846, is the third structure on the site, with the first built in 1698. There was a nice memorial wreath for Queen Elizabeth II at the entrance. Inside, beautiful organ, ceilings, windows, and altar. The graveyard is certainly worth a deeper explore, but we ran out of time. There are graves dating back to the Revolutionary War, as well as those of several notable persons.
We've ridden the Staten Island Ferry before, and it seemed like a perfect activity for meeting up with a friend to reminisce and catch-up. IMHO, it's the best free activity in NYC. You get a ferry ride, a view of many places (extra special on this trip, since Lori could describe all of the places we were seeing, fun!), and the opportunity to get that perfect shot of Manhattan. After our ride, we took a leisurely walk back toward Pier 11, where Lori treated us to tapas and drinks at a cute waterfront place. It was a great way to end our day in the city!
Well, that brings me to the end of our summer 2022 cruise journeys. When we finished this trip, Google informed us that we had traveled once around the world this year!
Here's to the next trip around! And, as promised, all the sea views...
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What a wonderful tip, besides the cruise ship screw-ups. The photos of Ireland are amazing.
ReplyDeleteStay safe and healthy.
What a wonderful journey! I see that you also got a picture of an Argiope spider in the tea plantation on the Acores. While I'm a bit of an arachnophobe, I think they do look amazing with their vibrant black and yellow patterns.
DeleteThanks for identifying it, nephew! It was quite pretty, enjoyed from a distance, LOL!
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