ON OUR WAY HOME

Waking up today and knowing that we need to pack our things so that we can disembark tomorrow always feels a bit sad.  It has been a beautiful trip and such great memories to have my family with me.  Special times with Sandra and Clay and lovely time spent with Brenda and her sisters and their husbands was a bonus.

The cruising season up here is just about at an end. I think there are only one more sailings north before everything shuts down in Alaska.  A lot of the stores were advertising 50% off.  However, it didn’t seem as though there were deals to be had.  The shops that advertise 50% off are the Alaskan souvenir shops – so jackets, hats, ornaments etc. all with Alaska emblazoned on everything!  The ship had some pretty good sales everyday by the Lido pool.  In another week, the Zuiderdam changes direction and head south and west to Hawaii and French Polynesia.  So, all the mitts, gloves, touques, scarves etc. were 75% off.

Today on board there was a polar bear swim.  Colton and his friends were ready to jump! It began by the bar staff throwing buckets of ice into the pool and then the brave stepped up to jump into the “icy” water.  There was only 1 adult and 3 children – Colton was the smallest.  There he was bravely standing ready for the countdown and into the water he went.  He came back to the edge and scrambled out – but it was too late.  He was so chilled the tears started to flow.  I quickly grabbed him and got him to the hot tub to warm up.  For his efforts he did get a certificate and the memory of how brave a little guy he was!  He got a mug of hot chocolate while in the hot tub and many congratulations from all who witnessed his success.

Today we are at sea and we are travelling down the inside of Vancouver Island.  I am not sure I have been down the east coast of Vancouver Island.  We passed by Pt McNeil family who were waving a Canadian Flag and shouting greeting from the shore.  I think Sandra and Clay spotted them, but I didn’t.  We waved from the balcony anyway and they said they saw us.  We passed Alert Bay and saw the First Nation Long House and the world largest totem pole.  It was so very large.  We couldn’t see all the detail with the naked eye, but this picture shows what could be seen if we were closer.

Packing our things, we slowly journeyed south.  Tonight, our suitcases would be outside the door and taken off in the morning as we did the last swipe of our cruise cards and stepped off to return home.

Bye for now, Alaska – I hope I get to see you again one day.

KETCHIKAN

For whatever reason, my blog was blocked for 2 1/2 days as a security threat … hmmm don’t know quite what that is about.  I did write a note to the security agency asking them to please reconsider reinstating me and inform me of the reason, but never heard back.  I wanted to know so that I wouldn't make the same mistake again.   The block block was lifted 2 1/2 days later and was available only the night before we were to disembark.  I never knew why, but when it was unblocked, it was too late to finish it while on board the Zuiderdam.   So, now I am finishing this trip a few days later from home.  

We arrived in Ketchikan on a gorgeous sunny record breaking temperature day. (if it wasn't actually a record breaking temperature day...it sure felt like it)   I can’t believe our good fortune with having perfect weather this late in the season.  When we were leaving Vancouver, it seemed as though there would be rain and clouds every day.  We have not seen any of that other than the first at sea day in the evening.  Since then – nary a cloud in the sky.  It is spectacular!

Going up into town to go to Creek Street, we were very warm.  The sun was brilliant and the odour on Creek Street at the top of town was overwhelming.  Salmon spawning is at or nearing an end and the dead and decaying fish at this end of the stream were many in number.  Seals and seagulls were eating their fill of the nearly dead that were still moving around.  Ahh the circle of life.

Pam went on a power walk up and around parts of the town that I have never been to and managed to see further up the creek of Creek Street.  She saw many salmon spawning - a much more rewarding sight than the one we had further down stream.

Matt, Sarah and Colton went to the lumberjack show today.  It sure sounded like a lot of fun.  The hoots and hollers that were coming from the stadium when walking around in town were very audible.  Looking down from the ship, we could see the venue for the show.  Back on the ship, If I had binoculars, I'm sure I would have been able to see them in the stands.  What a lot of fun they had!  Colton really enjoys the lumberjack shows.  Brough back memories of Mom and I at the PNE.  Every year at the end of our day we would see the Lumberjack Show and the Demolition Derby.

So now the day is at an and and we are once again sailing off into the sunset to begin our journey the rest of the way home.  

SCENIC CRUISING GLACIER BAY

Waking up at 6:15, it is evident that the skies are absolutely clear and it will be perfect for our day of scenic cruising.  Looking out there are times when we are so close to the shore.  

People with binoculars and cameras with large lenses and fortunate as the white dots that I am able to see on the hills and rocky outcrops, they are able to see mountain goats! The dark blobs in the water are actually sea otters and harbour seals.  Who knew?

We made our way up the channel and into the Johns Hopkins Inlet and down the narrow channel to have an up close and personal visit with the Johns Hopkins Glacier.  We spent a great deal of time there and then excitement was building as we slowly turned to come out as I was so sure we were going up into Tarr Inlet to see the Grand Pacific and Margerie Glaciers.  However, I was wrong…We just kept going back out through the passage to continue on our way to Ketchikan where we have our scheduled port stop tomorrow.  Am I disappointed?  I am – but still with what we have experienced and the perfect weather for all we have seen and done, it is hard to be sad.

SKAGWAY AND THE WHITE PASS RAILWAY

Waking up to glorious sunshine again!  How lucky we are!  The tops of the mountains are not always able to be seen.  Often they are obscured by clouds, but today…there they were looking quite spectacular.  We are going to have a fabulous trip on the White Pass Railway. 

We walked into the little town I enjoy so much to visit the little quilt shop.  There was a chance we would not have been able to get into Skagway as earlier in the summer, they had a couple of landslides that took out part of the cruise ship pier as well as damaged part of the rail line.  However, here we are.

Our afternoon excursion will be a train trip on the White Pass Railway.  Colton and I have watched a couple of youtube videos about this train trip and with his fascination for trains, I know it will be an enjoyable day.  It is a narrow gauge railway being only 36 inches from one rail to the other whereas most rail lines are 56 inches.  Quite a difference - The only thing I really noticed is there is a noticeable swaying from side to side as it travels on the tracks.

The train trip was lovely.  It was a slow and steady climb up to 2800 feet.  We went through 2 tunnels and crossed 2 or high trestle bridges.  We saw the little hut outpost of the North West Mounted Police.  If my picture wasn't so crummy, the two white posts had flags on them - one USA and one Canadian.  We actually passed through the Canada/USA border before doing a loop that would take us back down the same track and to our ship.  The wind was picking up and the temperature was dropping. It was a good time to get back aboard to eat and warm up.

Colton loved the Train ride – although if you ask him, the train at the Vancouver Zoo is better.  It is fun to share Alaska with him.  He has enjoyed picking up souvenirs on his trips into the towns.  He has a bear claw, a whale tooth, a White Pass Railway Hat and a flattened penny.  I think every kid at some point gets a flattened penny!  Between that, kids club and in the pool every day, he is having a great adventure.

So Day 4 is gone and our time on the Zuiderdam is more than half over.

JUNEAU

How lovely to get up to nice bright sunshine.  Wow looking ahead to our week away, it seemed like every day would be cloudy with lots of rainy skies.  We are happy to see lovely bright sunny days.

So, Elaine, Sandra, Pam and I were setting off on an adventure to find a quilt shop,  We were told we could probably catch one out in front of the Red Dog Saloon….and we did.  Our driver was Situck.  He had a droll sense of humour and he entertained us on our $35.00 ride to see RainTree Quilts.  Although I was really glad we had the chance to see a new quilt shop….with the additional $45.00 for the return trip, I feel I won’t be having any future visits.

We had the same driver, Situck, on the return trip and he stopped for us to see a bear.  That little side trip was the extra $10.00.  Sandra said she gets bears bigger than that in her back yard…oh well.  We saw this bear in Alaska!  Situk dropped us at Changing Tides – another quilt store right in Juneau and we had another look around.  It is always fun to see the fabrics of Alaska. 

The incorporation of the native flora, fauna and the colours of the northern lights make the Alaskan cottons so special and distinctive.  Forget-Me-Nots, Fireweed, seals, bears, otters and salmon are just some of the images that are depicted in their beautiful fabric bolts.  Fabrics you would not find anywhere else.  Ahh enough about fabric - but the Alaska prints are really so very lovely!

So, after roaming around the town for a few hours, we were glad to get back to the ship and settle down to dinner.  There is a late departure from the port of Juneau, so we will be spending a quiet evening tonight – tomorrow is another day ashore – Skagway is our next stop.  Skagway, The White Pass Railway and another quilt shop – the Russian Tailor.

Day 3 is over and out

CRUISING THE INSIDE PASSAGE

Waking up on Day 2 we were pleasantly surprised by glorious sunshine.  A lot of open water to begin with, but now as we are beginning our journey between the coast and Haida Gwaii the clouds are rolling in and the mist is creating a certain mystique in and amongst the shoreline and the hills beyond.   We are closer to the coast than to Haida Gwaii, so these images are our beautiful BC Coastline.

So Colton today is back up in kids club and beginning the HAL Olympics!  He appears to be the only participant today, so I expect he will be well medaled by the end of the session.  Coming on this cruise, I wasn’t sure how willing he would be to spend time there however, clearly the 8 hours they are open in a day from 10 am to 10 pm, excluding meal times, aren’t enough for him!

So Colton today is back up in kids club and beginning the HAL Olympics!  He appears to be the only participant today, so I expect he will be well medaled by the end of the session.  Coming on this cruise, I wasn’t sure how willing he would be to spend time there however, clearly the 8 hours they are open in a day from 10 am to 10 pm, excluding meal times, aren’t enough for him!

Skies seem pretty bright still – even though the forecast says rain for tomorrow while we are in Juneau, I am feeling optimistic.  So as the day progressed, we enjoyed the scenic part of our cruise and before long, Sarah was tracked down in the early evening from the kid’s club – Colton had finally hit a wall and was so tired from his first two days.  He just needed Mom and his bed.  He wasn’t upset just sooo tired.

So we all had a relatively early night and tonight the clocks go back an hour, so we should all be refreshed for our first stop in Juneau tomorrow.

Day 2 has ended and now we are ready for our first on shore adventure tomorrow.

ON OUR WAY

We tried to familiarize ourselves with the ship and were entertained by a hopping happy little boy who couldn’t wait to get into the pool for a swim.  Colton is so excited and happy, it is impossible not to feel his enthusiasm.  Soon he and his mom and dad ventured into the pool to have a splash around and then a lovely soak in the hot tub – all this before we even left Vancouver!

Nadine’s friend was up on the Lion’s Gate Bridge to take a photo of the waving family – plus Sandra and I as we sailed beneath.  It wasn’t the clearest photo, but a neat to try!

After we dinner, Colton was anxious to get to kid’s club to begin his own adventure.  He is really loving the time spent there.  Often he is the only one in attendance and has the full attention of both crew members in charge.  Matt and Sarah are enjoying this freedom also and we were able to enjoy playing at the blackjack table together. 

It was a good day and now we have tomorrow to look forward to.  An at sea day and the start of the Inside Passage.  We through the day with a bit of sun and clouds so our wish for some more days like this will be what we are thinking about.

Getting ready for bed and still excited about the beginning of our journey, I managed to put Polysporin on my toothbrush instead of toothpaste.  Sigh** Fortunately I realized before I actually put it in my mouth, but not before I squeezed the tube!  Now the Polysporin is on another shelf far away from my toothpaste – so I can grab correctly next time - and with that…day 1 is a wrap.

NEW ADVENTURE COMING SOON!

I am on my way to Alaska on September 14, 2022.  Now some would say - hmmm is that a case of deja vu?  You would be right!  This is my 7th journey up to this part of the world.  I do love it!  I have not been in September before so I am curious to know what the latter part of the cruise season in Alaska is like.  

Pam, Matthew, Sarah and Colton are coming with me.  Such a great journey for a family vacation!  Also on this ship are my cousin, Sandra and her husband Clay and - my great traveling companion ... Hospital Brenda!  She has her 2 sisters and their husbands traveling together on the same ship too!  What a great and wonderful time will ensue!

How wonderful it is to ride downtown and then board the ship and then disembark downtown and ride home. 

So if you want to ride with us, just hang around the blog and I will love telling you of the sights, fun and mischief we can get into!

Stay tuned!

THE END HAS COME

Today was a day of looking after a two year old.  We walked while he had a wonderful nap in his stroller.  We even stopped at a loud restaurant for lunch and he remained soundly asleep.  On the way home Brenda and Anders went to the grocery store and bought the last provisions we would need for a meal tonight and some ice cream and then we were home for the rest of the afternoon and evening.

It is now quiet and time to prepare for the journey home. We are leaving on a jet plane (hmmm sounds like a song) tomorrow at 12:15 pm and should arrive at Vancouver Airport sometime but not exactly sure when.  I am tired of numbers and schedules and arrival and departure times of trains, trams, buses and now planes it seems.  

We have seen and done so much.  We have taken many pictures of all the beautiful sites and have so many memories to take home with us.  It really was a grand adventure.  The weather was absolutely perfect every day!  We never got lost and we travelled well together and have lived to tell the stories!

Thanks for coming along with me.  Maybe this has inspired you to go on an adventure of your own!  Not sure what my next one will be...but I know I will enjoy being home for a while!

KEUKENHOF GARDENS

What a beautiful day to walk in a garden.  A spectacular garden called Keukenhof.  This garden boasts 7 million flower bulbs all planted by hand annually in the 79 acre garden.  For the past 2 years Keukenhof was closed to the public due to covid.  Let me tell you the gardens were very crowded today.  Usually in the 8 week period it is open to the public, they have an average of 26,000 visitors each day.  It wouldn’t surprise me if they were on schedule to reach that number today.

When we got to the park it was around noon.  We had 3 hours to walk around and visit the different areas of the park.  Expecting to see rows and rows of tulips, I was pleasantly surprised to see different plantings.  Incorporated in these plantings of mostly tulips and daffodils were hyacinths.  The fragrance was everywhere and beautiful. 

They had 5 different buildings with different flowers and displays inside.  We went inside one that was mostly orchids – the Beatrix Pavilion.  The variety and quantity of orchids was breathtaking!  Some of them were so large and every one was beautiful.  The stems were loaded with blooms and made the ones we see at home pale in comparison.

The only other pavilion – the Willem Alexander Pavilion -we went in today was full of tulips, daffodils, calla lilies, amaryllis and other flowers from bulbs.  There was so much to see and take pictures of, that I actually ran down 1 of my 2 batteries for my camera. 

So another bright, beautiful sunshiny day.  We really have been so very lucky.  This was our last big touristy outing before returning home.  Tomorrow we look after 2 year old Anders while Michael and Erin attend a wedding.  It will be a fun day.  There is a park nearby and we saw some ducks – it will be a fun day.

DELFT - A FEAST FOR THE EYES AND THE TUMMY

A  trip into Delft today filled our time.  It was a reasonably quick trip with the train and took us right to downtown.  Delft is the location of the factory for the Delft hand painted blue and white pottery and also home to the famous artist, Johannes Vermeer.  Arriving by train into the little city, it was only a short walk into the centre.  It was so beautiful with the old town hall at one end of the big square and the New Church at the other.  The new church is 700 years old.  The old Church dates back to 1050.  So I guess in fact the new church is newer…but really! 

The old Church has been given a nickname of “Skewed John” as the 75 meter tower is leaning about two meters from the vertical.  We were told by a local that the tower is checked every two years and is actually quite stable and safe from falling.  Both these churches are very visible landmarks in this small city.

We had an enjoyable day just wandering around the old city and eating some wonderful waffles with fruit and whipped cream for lunch.  There were several stores selling Delft pottery at huge prices.  I managed to find one small piece that I needed to buy.  We went in many shops and poked around.  We ambled around the city up and down the streets just taking in the local sites.

We found the most amazing cheese shop!  They had samples of their cheeses and I am sure there were at least 40 or more flavours and types. We sampled most of them if not all.  They had goat, sheep and cow cheeses of various ages and tastes.  We had to buy some to bring home.   I was wishing they had some smaller sizes so we could bring back a few more flavours.  We are allowed to bring home 20 kg –we were certainly well within our limit.  Our backpacks were now heavy with our cheese purchases and it was time to find our way home.  Back on the train…through Rotterdam Central and home to our home away from home near the Rotterdam Noord Station.

       

NOAH'S ARK IS READY AND WAITING

What a great and wonderful day we had.  With Michael’s help, we were able to buy tickets and figure out transportation to get us to the Unesco Heritage site called Kinderdjik.  Windmills and more windmills!  Just what I was really hoping to see.  Again, the weather couldn’t have been better.  Sometimes a little breezy but overall a light sweater was all that was needed and only some of the time.   

Traveling on the waterbus is an interesting way to look at the city.  Rotterdam is an interesting mix of architecture –both old and new.  The new is often ultra modern and the old – is well….old.  We had half an hour to enjoy the scenery and appreciate a lovely ride on the water.

Some of the boats that travel up and down the waterways are very different from the boats we see at home.  They ride very low in the water and are extremely long.  Most of the ones we saw carry a car.  It looks as though the car has to be lifted onto the boat.  Not sure as we never saw one loading.

The most spectacular thing we saw on the boat ride to the heritage site was a full size replica of Noah’s ark!  I did not know that there are 3 life size replicas of the ark in the world.  According to Wikipedia there is one in Hong Kong, one in Kentucky and one right here in Rotterdam!  Who knew?  It was funny to just happen upon it when you aren’t expecting to see something like that!  It was huge.

Seeing the windmills was a real treat.  I think there are people living in or around them still.  I am sure more as a novelty than actual working mills, but interesting.  They are so well kept up and either had doors open, laundry hanging and always a bicycle nearby.  During our walk around we shared a serving of Poffertjes. Probably one of the most famous Dutch dishes, Poffertjes are small pancakes, baked in an iron skillet, and traditionally served with melted butter and dusted with icing sugar.  Oh my goodness they were absolutely delicious.  I will consider that my birthday cake!  I don’t need any more than that.

On the way home we stopped at the Rotterdam Central Station and got out there to have dinner.  Brenda took me out for a birthday dinner of Spaghetti.  It was very good and perfect for dinner tonight.  We resumed our trip home and the tram stopped right outside of an ice cream shop.  How convenient!  My day was complete.  Sun burned and windblown and completely replete with all good things today.  I had a great and wonderful day!