Belfast/August 31st

Belfast, Northern Ireland

The capital of Northern Ireland - part of the United Kingdom - Belfast has experienced a renaissance since the Good Friday Agreement of 1998 that promised an end to the decades-old "Troubles" between Catholics and Protestants. Stretching along both sides of the River Lagan, this graceful city of Victorian and Edwardian buildings has become a cosmopolitan tourist destination. Once a major industrial center, Belfast is also your gateway to the rich, Irish countryside of Counties Antrim and Down.

Belfast was an industrial giant in the 19th century, famed for its linen and its shipyards. Explore this exuberant city, marvel at the Giant's Causeway or shop for superb Irish linens

We are doing a tour with a Cruise Critic Group here in Belfast.

 It is called the Belfast Odyssey Tour

§  Depart Belfast and drive inland straight to the giants Causeway where you will spend 1 hour 30 mins

§  We will also make a photo stop at Dunluce castle along the way.

§  Departing the Causeway we will then drive the Coastal Route one of the most scenic drives in the world

§  Arrive in Ballycastle for lunch where we will spend 1 hour in this quaint little town

§  Depart Ballycastle back on to the coast road arriving in Belfast at the Titanic visitors centre where you will spend 1 hour 30 minutes at this fantastic visitor centre.

§  Depart Titanic centre for your tour of Belfast City before returning to port in time for the ships departure.

Our Visit to Wales

Our trip to Liverpool involved a tour with Busy Bus. We decided that visiting places made famous by the Beatles was not as interesting as visiting  Wales

As you read in the summary we had many places to cover.

But they did it backwards. Our first major stop was the aqueduct. This is quite the engineering feat and it was very interesting to see. I gather there are many canals and many little barges of this type. You can rent them like you would rent a motor home and travel over many areas of Wales.

We had just left to viaduct when a stem TRAIN came along. Ken was thrilled.

As lunch we stopped at Betwsy y coed which is the capital. We had lunch here and saw some of the town. Here we toured the beautiful old St.Mary’s church.

Next we drove into the country side, visiting Snowdonia National Park.. Wales is rugged with lots of rocks and hills. It was a misty almost rainy day but our guide said it was a hundred percent better than the day before when it poured and you could see little or nothing.

It was almost dark and the castle was closed when we finally arrived at Conwy so we saw very little of the castle .

There was a rush to get back to the ship on time.

All in all it was not the best tour ever and it was not at all as described.

There was NOT a guide, the driver had to do it all

There was not ample room on the bus, we were quite crowded. It was 8 couples on a 15 seater bus.

There were not lots of freebies or games or such fun.

We did get to see some different things and we saw a great deal of the Wales country side. But I would not recommend Busy Bus.

Liverpool, England/August 30th

Liverpool,
Here is what the guide says about Liverpool

Liverpool, England

This great industrial port grew to prominence as a result of trade with the Americas. That tradition continued in the '60s as the Beatles mounted the first wave of rock 'n' roll's "British Invasion". Actually, the city possesses cultural charms beyond the Beatles. Liverpool is home to two of the finest neoclassical buildings in Europe. At nearby Port Sunlight, magnate William Lever built a model industrial village and created the Lady Lever Gallery. The museum is home to a superb collection of English paintings and furniture.

Here we did not take a princess tour instead we got a place

 on a tour with a group from Cruise Critic. The tour took us to Wales.

 The leaders of

 this tour were Michael and Arlene Rollins from Turlock ,

California. We have a private tour with 7 couples on a 15 seater bus.

Here is the description of our tour.

Your tour commences directly from your ship on the spectacular Liverpool quayside

We will take you to places in Wales you thought didn’t (or couldn’t) exist and your driver & tour escort will keep you fully informed and advised as to points of interest and general knowledge regarding the ever-changing panoramic views.

This Wales sightseeing tour has been carefully routed and planned with your driver tailoring the day to suit the weather, atmosphere and ambiance of the general group on board. This makes every tour unique, special and memorable and allows you to partake in as much (or little) as you feel comfortable with. You will never be put under any commitment or pressure to do anything that you don’t wish to.

After we’ve admired the Liverpool splendour and skyline we’ll literally pass 10 metersbeneath your ship (honestly!) on-route to the mysterious and legendary land of Wales in a90-minute fully-narrated journey, navigating the spectacular A55 coastal road with it’s magical stories and mystical legends. On a clear day you’ll see your own cruise liner from Wales berthed up with all those poor souls aboard who decided not to join this tour!

• Next is the walled town of Conwy, constructed by the English monarch Edward I between1283 and 1289 as one of the key fortresses in his ‘iron ring’ of castles to contain the Welsh, it was built to prompt such a humbling reaction with its fabulous wall circuit of over 3/4 mile long and guarded by no less than 22 towers. It is renowned as one of the finest examples in the World.

• Conwy Castle is a gritty, dark-stoned fortress built by James of St. George in partnership with the french Richard The Engineer. This castle is the “real thing” resembling exactly what children form from buckets of sand on the beach. It has the rare ability to evoke an authentic medieval atmosphere. The first time that you catch sight of the castle you’ll know you are in the presence of a historic site which still casts a powerful spell. When you go inside…well…need I even comment?

• Now, brace yourselves for what BusyBus has become known for (and, we modestly add, have won National awards for) the North Wales Adventure element of the tour. Into Snowdonia National Park using carefully selected routes and taking you well and truly off the beaten track to viewpoints of wonder! You’ll feel like you own Snowdonia in the tranquility and ambience (and adventure) we’ve prepared!

• No trip to North Wales would be complete without a stop at the “capital”, Betws-Y-Coed (prayer-house in the woods). Interestingly, whilst right in the centre of Snowdonia National Park, an exclusion boundary has allowed this fairy-tale town to flourish into the centre of outdoor tourism in Wales. With it’s many shops, cafe’s, pubs and locals, it simply can’t fail to impress!

• Finally, time permitting, you’ll get a unique chance to experience the Pontcysyllte Canal Aqueduct, built by Sir Thomas Telford in 1795 for a momentous cost of £47,000 and still taking canal barges across the valley (…where boats fly high in the sky…) over 100ft above the ground.

But it was done the other way round and it was very different then advertised. I will report when I can.

St.Peter Port

Our first Port of call was on the Island of Guernsey at St. Peter Port.

We were booked on a Princess tour and we had to meet in the Wheelhouse bar at 8:30. This was a tender port and we had to leave the ship in a group. It was a small group of 25 people and we were on Tour Silver 6. The tender ride was only about 12 minutes long but it was rough so I came very close to getting sick, in fact I had to call for a barf bag. But fortunately it ended before my stomach came up. This was a 3 hour Walking TOUR and we met our guide on the dock. Her name was judy and she was carrying a yellow shoulder bag. As we toured she kept taking things out of that bag. She had photos and artifacts to show us as we went along.

She told us much about  the history of St Peter Port which is the capital city of Guernsey. The island was occupied by Nazi Germany during WWII and so there is a lot of history here. But the city goes back to pre 1066 with the Norman conquest.

The streets are hilly and cobbled and the different architecture is wonderful. The city is very pretty and well kept. Judy told us that each year they have a competition for the most beautiful neighborhood in the city so there are flowers and flower boxes everywhere.

The history included lots of old superstitions among which were  stories of witches. There were many witch trials and executions here. She told us of a tradition of putting a witches rest on your house to provide a place for witches to take a rest when they had been flying around on their broomsticks 

The resting spot was to make certain they did not perch on the chimney pot and fall into the fireplace below when they fell asleep. If they fell into the house below there would be a mess of soot and the witch might get angry and put a curse on the occupants. Here is a picture of the witches rest.It is like the end of a piece of 8x8 sticking out of your wall.

After a great fire like the fire of London fire insurance was created. Houses that had fire insurance were marked by a plaque, some of copper and some of lead. If the house had a plaque then the fire department would put out the fire but only if you had the place of their fire brigade.

Ken is holding one of the copper signs.

Judy also told us of a construction project where the purchaser was told the building would have a green dome. When completed the building was still bright copper. It had not yet weathered to turn green. The buyer said he would not pay until he got what he paid for which was a green dome. Well the builder with the help of the knowledgeable local blacksmith turned the dome green over night. You see the smithy knew that urine from pregnant mares turned copper green. Problem solved, money paid.

Judy also pointed out a very old church which is in Guinness Book of world records for being the church closest to a pub.

It is just called the Parish Church of St. Peter Port.

From her bag she also produced a flag of Guernsey. it is a separate country and needed its own flag.

There are no parking meters in St Peter Port, but there are zones of parking for certain lengths of time. In place of meters each vehicle has a parking clock. When you park you put this clock on your dash with the time set. If the “Yellow Terror” goes by and you are over parked you get a very large fine of about 100 pounds. Judy showed us a parking clock.

They have a light house here in St. Peter port. The wall around it was damaged during the past winter so we could not walk to it but we could get a good picture from the castle.

The Castle Cornet was our destination. It was built in the 13^th century to guard the harbor. Its strategic location made it very important down the years.

The castle is well preserved and very interesting to explore. Part of our tour included a stop for  refreshments. We were served a slice of gauche which is a fruit bread, a local specialty and  cup of tea. There were wonderful  paintings lining the walls here.

There was a nice little gift shop and I bought a magnet of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie society. I had read this book before the cruise and it only seemed right to buy the magnet.

We had to really keep going to get the tour completed in time to catch the tender back to the ship. Because it had been so rough going over I took a Gravol for the return but it was not necessary because it was a much smoother trip.

Our first Port of call was amazing!!

.

Blarney Castle

Blarney Castle was built nearly six hundred years ago by one of Ireland's greatest chieftains, Cormac MacCarthy, and has been attracting attention beyond Munster ever since. Over the last few hundred years, millions have flocked to Blarney, making it a world landmark and one of Ireland's greatest treasures.

Now that might have something to do with the Blarney Stone, the legendary Stone of Eloquence, found at the top of our Tower. Kiss it and you'll never again be lost for words.

We decided not to go to the top and kiss the stone. We had only so much time and to spend it standing in line seemed a poor choice so instead we toured the rest of the grounds.

Odds and Ends,

The internet on the ship is the slowest I have experienced and so the posts have been minimal.

It is now 5:45 and I have discovered that it is much faster so I am going to try to fill you in on a bunch of things before everyone else gets up and it is slow again.

We got checked in without a problem but our room is not what we like because instead of having a night table on either side of the bes there is a double night table on one side and the other side is against the wall.( Bummer). We asked Thomas, our steward if it could be changed and he said it couldn’t. Fortunately it is on my side and Ken has to crawl in. J

Thomas got me a lovely vase for my roses so they are no longer in a Pringles container.

We were able to get our table changed so we are eating with Barb and Roy.

I got the wall set up with the magnets to hold all of our papers and notices.

We received not one but 4 gifts from our travel agency. One from our agent Kim ( a coffee card) and 3 from her company,( 2 different bottles of wine and a 8x10  framed photo enlargement of our choice). We are assuming it is three gifts because we booked three cruises.

Thursday night was the roughest night at sea that we have ever experiences and I was able to sleep through most of it and I didn’t get sick so this location may turn out to be alright. People all over the ship were commenting on how bad it was.

So far our tours have been amazing. We are loving everything and I can’t imagine being able to remember it all to put it in the photo book. I have found that the shoes I bought are perfect for the cobble stone streets. I can’t imagine trying to walk on the uneven surface with heels or other leather soled shoes.

I will do better with telling you all about the tours hopfully . But there is no time. For example we get back to the ship at nine o’clock tonight and tomorrow’s tour begins at 8 in the morning. So when can I squeeze in journaling. ?? I am just hoping that the pictures will spark the memories when we have sea days and I can write.

Lunch with Barb and Roy in Cork

BUT we are having a fabulous time. Keep following us. We will be in Liverpool on the Mersey in a few hours. Amazing!!!

Cork Ireland/August 29th

Here is what the excursion guide has to say about Cork:

Founded in the 7th century by St. Fin Barre, Cork is your 

gateway to romantic Ireland. Stroll down narrow country

 lanes or see the Lakes of Killarney. The intrepid visitor may

 scale the narrow passages of Blarney Castle to kiss the 

Blarney Stone. The region around Cork is also home to one of

 the densest concentration of prehistoric monuments in

 Western Europe. And, in a land where fable and fact blend

 to become folklore, it was near Cork that the great Tuatha 

De Danaan, a race with magical powers, was driven

 underground by the conquering Celts.

Cobh was the single most important port of emigration from

 Ireland.

I did not book a Princess tour, instead I booked a tour with a

company called eCoach tours. At this point I do not 

remember how I found them but they gave great instructions

 on how to find them and they promised a grand day with 

tours of Blarney, Cork City, Kinsale, and Cobh . On their

advise I got our tickets to Blarney Castle before we left

 Canada  so we would not  have to wait in line. We were told

 to disembark as soon as possible and the tour would leave as

soon as all ticket holders were aboard.

They were true to their word and we had a grand day. 
I will tell you more and post pictures as soon as I can.

Guernsey, England/August 28

Guernsey (St. Peter Port), England

The British isle of Guernsey lies just eight miles off the coast of France. The second largest of the Channel Islands, Guernsey possesses a mild climate, breathtaking scenery and a peaceful, unspoiled ambiance. All these attributes combine to make it a popular destination for British and French vacationers. Once the haunt of sea dogs and pirates, St. Peter Port is one of the prettiest harbors in Europe.

Castles and forts dot the Guernsey coastline, including German fortifications from World War II. The Channel Islands were the only part of the United Kingdom to be occupied by the Nazis.

Note: St. Peter Port is an anchorage port. Passengers transfer to shore by ship's tender

I was really curious about Guernsey because of having read

 " The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society".

The ship arrived here at 7:00 and that gave us time to

 explore the places mentioned in the book.

We wanted to visit the little chapel and the German

 Occupation Museum and underground hospital.

Our tour, which began at 9:15 took us to Castle Cornet and 

around St.Peters Port.

It was a walking tour and our guide told us stories of the

 port and storms and shipwrecks and smugglers and

 privateers and we walked the cobblestone streets.

The Cornet Castle houses the Maritime Museum.

After touring the Castle and its museums we were treated to

 tea accompanied by something called gauche, which is a

 fruit bread, an island specialty.

Bouncing!!!

Guernsey

Right now the ship is doing quite the dance. It will be hard to write anything substantial.

I want you to know that we are having a grand time. The visit to Guernsey was wonderful. Tomorrow we are in Ireland.

I will try very hard to give you more information tomorrow when hopefully the seas will be calmer.

Itinerary for UK cruise.

Well we are about to begin our first of the three cruises so here is the schedule.
As you can see the schedule is very busy and there is very little free time. I will try to post every day and include some pictures if I have a good connection.

Day Port / Date Arrive Depart 1 London (Southampton), England Wednesday, August 27 5:00 PM 2 Guernsey (St. Peter Port), England Thursday, August 28 7:00 AM 2:00 PM 3 Cork, Ireland (Cobh - For Blarney Castle) Friday, August 29 8:00 AM 5:00 PM 4 Liverpool, England Saturday, August 30 12:30 PM 10:00 PM 5 Belfast, Northern Ireland Sunday, August 31 8:30 AM 6:30 PM 6 Glasgow (Greenock), Scotland Monday, September 1 7:00 AM 6:00 PM 7 Dublin, Ireland Tuesday, September 2 7:00 AM 6:00 PM 8 At Sea Wednesday, September 3 9 Inverness/Loch Ness (Invergordon), Scotland Thursday, September 4 7:00 AM 6:00 PM 10 Edinburgh (South Queensferry), Scotland Friday, September 5 7:00 AM 7:00 PM 11 At Sea Saturday, September 6 12 Paris/Normandy (Le Havre), France Sunday, September 7 7:00 AM 8:00 PM 13 London (Southampton), England Monday, September 8 5:00 AM

Winchester Cathedral

August 26, Winchester Cathedral day.
I just could not imagine being this close to the famous Winchester Cathedral and not paying a visit. So we booked a bus trip from Southampton to Winchester.

Almost left speechless....almost!!

It is so amazing and so impressive.

This is the view of the North Transept.

The High Altar

The Nave Looking East

The nave looking toward the stained glass above the Western door.

The Stained Glass of the West Window

We had a guided tour and our guide was wonderful. He knew all of the history and had so many different stories to tell.

After we left the cathedral we went to see King Arthur's round table. It was also wonderful to see this thing I had heard about since I was a teen ager

This has been an amazing adventure. Tomorrow we board the Ruby Princess and the adventure will continue.

London Feelings

We spent only three full days in London and it will never be forgotten.

We arrived there on Thursday evening the 22nd of August. We found our way to our home away from home until Monday. Right away we were struck by the varied architecture. This city of over 8 million people has been in existence for over 2000 years. Eras of building have come and gone and so many different styles can be seen here.

Besides the different buildings we were struck by the crowds. There were people everywhere, not just a few people but crowds of people. A sea of humanity in all shapes,sizes and colors speaking many different languages.
We were told there are more that 34 million vehicles in the UK. In most of the countryside the streets are very narrow. They were laid out in the age of horse and buggy. We had to close our eyes more than once as our tour bus driver manoevered the narrow streets at what we thought were excessive speeds. More than once Ken was relieved that he was not driving.

There is an amazing system of public transport and people are encouraged to use it. There is a large network of underground trains and they call it the tube. There are also many buses with routes that cover the city. we were told that you are seldom if ever more than 5 minutes from the tube or a bus. They have what is called a congestion fee. If you take a private vehicle into the city of London you have to pay a fee of twelve pounds each and every day. Parking runs about 1 pound for every 20 minutes.That is if you can find a place to park. Fuel for the car runs around 1 pound 35 for one liter. That would work out to almost 12 dollars US for a gallon.There are very few big cars. Most cars on the road that we saw were small compact ones. Driving out into the country we saw very few RV's and the ones we saw were small trailers being pulled by cars. We did not see a motorhome or a fifth wheeled vehicle.
To help with the congestion they have a system of rental bicycles. They are parked in many many places and if you need one you use a credit card to release a bike, and you park it again when you have arrived at your destination. We saw several of these bicycle racks.

Everything here is very costly by North American standards. For example a cup of regulaqr black coffee is a a bargain at six dollars.An egg mcmuffin meal with a mcmuffin and coffee and hash browns is a special at $7.75.
They also have a value added tax of 20% which is added to everything including food.
Because space is at a premium land is unbelievably expensive which adds to the cost of everything. Our very modest hotel was $250.00 a night.

We were struck by the ways that people have learned to share the space. Everywhere people line up in what they call ques. Queuing is a national art.

We also found the people to be surprisingly friendly. Ask anyone anything and they will stop to help you.
On Saturday evening we ended up walking home in the dark and we felt completely safe. This would not have been the case in many cities of millions of people.
We were prepared for lots of rain. It was a little cool but the rain stayed away until today. We had great weather for all of our tours and only the coach ride to Southampton was wet.

This is a city with so many things to see and do. In our three full days of touring we barely scratched the surface of what there was to do. You could spend months here, touring every day and not see all of the wonderful museums or churches or historical buildings. We definitely want to return.