Heading Back Down the Douro

by | Oct 23, 2024 | Uncategorized

When I finished telling you about our visit to Salamanca, I forgot to mention that when we returned to the boat that evening, it had made the turnaround, and we were now heading west again and retracing our steps back to Porto. As I write this to tell you about our day in Favios (pronounced fa v? OOSH), we are already back in Porto and have spent a full day on the river getting here. More about that tomorrow.

Our day after Salamanca was all about stopping in Favios for two things: bread and Muscatel wine. Now I love bread. Always have. But I am not a big fan of Muscatel wine. It’s way too sweet for my tastes. Port is right on the border of sweetness for me. Muscatel goes over the edge. But off we went to try it all out. After a 75-minute ride on our “luxury motor coach,” we found ourselves in the village of Favios. We were met by a very nice young man named Mohammed, who took us to what is best described as a bread demonstration center. There, an older Portuguese woman showed us how she makes bread. It’s not really the making but the dividing it into pieces and then putting it in the oven. We also got to taste the bread (which was nowhere near as good as the bread we have been getting on the ship) and ask questions. There weren’t a lot of questions, so we moved on.

After our bread demo, we headed to the Favios Museum of Bread and Muscatel. Seriously, they have a very well-conceived, four-room museum that is beautifully graphically designed for their village’s two main products. A young lady named Vanessa gave us the tour, and then we were back on the bus to visit a Muscatel winery about three miles away.

To be honest, I am about wineryed out by this point. And since I have no interest in Muscatel tasting, this was kind of a flat stop for me. But others seemed to enjoy it, so no complaints on my part. Besides, it was a quick (less than 30 minutes) stop, and then we were off to lunch at a local winery. Lunch was OK (nothing like we would have had on the ship—but more traditional?), and in a little more than an hour, we were on our way back to the boat. Here are the pictures I took in Favios. If you like bread or wine, these might interest you. Don’t forget; if you click the first shot, you can scroll through with your arrow keys or by swiping. And PLEASE…don’t look at my photography on a phone. Please…

After we were back on board, the boat headed down the river through one of the locks the boat had gone through on the way up the river, but most of us had missed it when we were visiting Castela Rodrigo a few days before. That’s one of the best parts of this cruise. If you miss something on the river, they ensure you sail through that part on the way back while you are onboard so you can see it. Took a bunch of photos on that part of the trip as well. You know the drill.

That about covers our day in Favios. For a glimpse of what is yet to come, tomorrow is all about being on the river because we skipped the excursion (it was more monasteries and cathedrals) and had a glorious sunny day sailing west on the Douro into Porto. See you then.

Wine hath drowned more men than the sea.   —Thomas Fuller

 

Day Two on the Duoro

by | Oct 22, 2024 | Uncategorized

One of the most challenging things for me when posting while on a trip is finding time to process photos and write. It is twice as difficult on a river cruise because there are no sea days. This means that all my photo processing and writing must be done first thing in the morning (like it is right now when it is 4:30 am in Portugal or between activities). Day two was a good example. We cruised the river on our first truly beautiful morning day. Then, we had lunch and went off to the Castelo Rodrigo. We didn’t return until about 15 minutes before the port talk for the next day and dinner. By then, I would just be too exhausted to write or process photos. And guess what? I have a cold. Yes, the deadly travel cold has caught up with me again. And that sucks. Last night (Monday), I slept on the couch in our suite’s living room. It was not fun, but I had to do it because I coughed most of the night, and Kathleen needed her sleep after yesterday’s full-day trip to Salamanca, Spain. More about that tomorrow.

But that means I was up early and can start this post. Not that I will finish it today because we are off on another shore excursion at 8:15 this morning, and we are not back on the ship until 3:45. Then it’s a short time to work, attend the port talk for tomorrow, have dinner and go to bed. It’s crazy busy, and if it weren’t for the cold, I would love it.

But back to day two. Here are my photos of our float up the river. I think I went overboard because the blue sky and sun were so incredible to see three days of nothing but rain. Don’t forget; if you click the first shot, you can scroll through with your arrow keys or by swiping. And PLEASE…don’t look at my photography on a phone. Please…

Castelo Rodrigo

This castle/fort was first built by the Romans, then rebuilt by the Portuguese and then rebuilt again and again by whoever was in charge at the time. Different kings made different additions. Today, it is a hilltop town and a UNESCO World Heritage site where somewhere in the neighborhood of 70 people still live. The castle itself is in ruins, and the village reminds me a lot of Ez, the French hilltop town near Nice. We have toured there twice and loved it. One of the significant differences is that the people who used to live there got tired of going all the way up the hill, so they started a village at the bottom of the hill. So now the people who still live there are very old, and as they pass, no one moves in to take their place.

Luckily for me, a place that old combined with a gorgeous blue sky makes for perfect photography conditions. So here are some photos of the castle and the village around it. As well as one of the valley below. I will try and impart some additional info in the captions.

There are no rules of architecture for a castle in the clouds.  — Gilbert K. Chesterton

 

 

Bodø is (kind of) Boring

by | Jun 26, 2024 | Uncategorized

Monday, we woke up sailing into Bodø. The day before, during his daily announcements, the captain warned us that on his last four attempts at mooring at Bodø, they had not been able to dock due to either high winds or waves. The channel that leads into the protective harbor is just about big enough to fit Venus. Anything bigger has to tender, which I think with high winds and waves would not be a good idea.

We were lucky enough to be able to get through the tiny break in the sea wall and dock. But then what? What is there to do in Bodø? The answer is…not much. There was one included excursion, and that was a three-minute ride in a “luxury motor coach” to the Bodø Aviation Museum, where you were dropped off for three hours before your bus was back to return you to the ship. Kathleen and I had already decided to skip it. In Seattle, we have a place called the Boeing Museum of Flight. While the others who went told us they had an actual U-2 spy plane and an old cargo plane you could walk through as long as someone wasn’t hogging it, we countered with our Museum of Flight, where you can walk through Air Force One that LBJ was sworn in on and flew JFK’s body home from Dallas, the Concorde, a Space Shuttle simulator, the first Boeing 747 ever built and a lot more. We seem to go there every couple of years with the grandkids. So we decided to stay on board so Kathleen could do laundry, nurse her cold a little, and I could get my post on Tromsø finished.

I do need to mention that sailing into the port was kind of cool, and I got lucky and saw it coming. Kathleen was getting dressed, and I was looking out our stateroom window when I saw some men dressed as 17th-century Norwegian soldiers firing a cannon and making a general noise to welcome us into the harbor. I have that and some other photos from the sail-in for you right here. Don’t forget; if you click the first shot, you can scroll through with your arrow keys or by swiping. And PLEASE…don’t look at my photography on a phone. Please…

Did I mention the weather was terrible? We had rain on and off since we sailed in, so after I worked on my Tromsø post for a while and got it online with all those photos, we had lunch. The rain had stopped for a short time, so I decided to go out and take a walk and some photos to see what I could discover about Bodø and why Viking chose to make this a port stop.

One of the first things I realized is that Bodø does not get many cruise ships. I could tell this from two indicators. First, as I left the ship, we were moored on a reasonably busy road. In the first five minutes, I was off the ship, I saw at least six cars pull over on this busy road so the drivers could get out and take a photo of the ship. Some took multiple photos and selfies with the ship in the background.

As I walked, I saw the second indicator that they don’t get too many cruise ship visits—there was not a single souvenir store anywhere near the port. Not one. There were no magnets, postcards, tee shirts, troll statues or anything else. It’s like they were not expecting us (not that I need a souvenir shop). No wonder the soldiers at the fort were so excited. Maybe they had never seen a cruise ship before. But if Bodø is going to attract more ships, they will have to find more things for those people to do.

That said, I had a nice walk and took a bunch of pics of the harbor, and here they are:

That was about it. I did take a couple of more photos of Kathleen on our verandah (while I was off the ship). We do this just about every cruise to see where our stateroom is from the outside. Here’s a four-stateroom zoom-in.

That about covered our day in Bodø. It was relaxing for us, and those who visited the Aviation Museum said it was “just fine.” They did mention that on the three-minute ride to and from the museum, they would have loved someone to tell them something about Bodø, but there was only the driver, who spoke little English—not a guide on site.

“I want to travel. Maybe I’ll end up living in Norway, making cakes.” – Eva Green

Cold, Crowded Honningsvåg

by | Jun 23, 2024 | Uncategorized

Sorry I was missing in action yesterday. Saturday in Honningsvåg was one busy day, and Sunday in Tromsø was even crazier. Thankfully, tomorrow is Bodø, so there will be less to see and do (at least it sounds like it so far), and I should have time to catch up.

Today is all about Honningsvåg. On our last sea day, we crossed the Arctic Circle (I have a certificate to prove it ?—for non-cruisers, they give you one of these every time you cross the Arctic Circle or Equator, etc.—we have a bunch of them), and on Saturday, we arrived in Norway, the 53rd country we have visited. It’s hard to believe that we have been to that many places since Kathleen and I met 27 years ago, but we have!

Since this is our first time in Norway, this is a very appropriate place to visit. Honningsvåg is the home of the North Cape, commonly called “the furthest north point in Europe.” It has since been proven that one more spot, a big rock further north, is the furthest northern point in Europe. But don’t worry, I got a photo of that one too.

The weather that day started windy and very cold, especially for those from warmer climates. As we sailed in, I was on the deck with my camera and got some shots I will share below. We were signed up for the “included” excursion, a panoramic tour on a “luxury motor coach” out to the North Cape to see the continent’s end. On the way, we saw reindeer, lots of people camping on rocks and many hills without a single tree. Once there, we had about an hour to take photos and then back on the “luxury motor coach” to return to the ship. Here are the pics from that morning. You know the drill…don’t forget; if you click the first shot, you can scroll through with your arrow keys or by swiping. And PLEASE…don’t look at my photography on a phone. Please…

After our excursion, Steve and Jamie went into the village, and Kathleen and I went back to the ship for lunch and a nap for Kathleen while I went back out exploring. Since we had arrived, the village had become VERY crowded. There were now six (SIX) ships in the harbor. It wasn’t quite as bad as it sounds because two of the ships were fairly small (under 200 passengers). Another was owned by a new single-ship cruise line from France, and their only ship was there (the old Holland American Maasdam), with 1000 passengers; there was us (Viking Venus) with 960 passengers and then Sky Princess arrived with a little more than 4,000 passengers. All of this in a town with a little more than 4,000 people. If you have been on an Alaskan cruise, it felt like Skagway on a four-ship day.

It made for a crowded day in the village, but the weather changed, and it became a glorious day for hiking, so I set off to walk through town and then hike up the hill above the village. With the better weather and the chance to take better photos, it turned into a great day. Here are the shots I got of the village and from the hill. You know what to do.

By the end of the day, we had great weather for sailing away from Honningsvåg, and I was able to get some pics of that as well. I would say our day there was a good one. I got to take a scenic bus ride, hike a hillside, and visit a beautiful Norwegian village that seemed to handle all the people, keeping them mostly in the downtown core. Once I had walked a ways and run into the antique car festival, the crowds just melted away to an idyllic Saturday afternoon. Here are the sail away photos. I am posting most of these landscapes because I love the light. These are just beautiful patterns that were shaped by an amazing combination of sun and clouds on beautiful backdrops. Don’t forget; if you click the first shot, you can scroll through with your arrow keys or by swiping. And PLEASE…don’t look at my photography on a phone. Please…

I forgot to mention one last thing. This cruise is called Journey to the Midnight Sun. Honningsvåg was the first place we truly saw the midnight sun. From mid-June to mid-July, the sun never sets. It can be very disconcerting for those who don’t live here. Your body is tired, but it’s also telling you that the sun is up; you don’t need sleep now. I will talk more about this in my next post because any photo taken at midnight belongs on its own day.

In Norway, everyone knows everyone, and everyone is very supportive of each other. If there is anyone new or a new song is coming out, everyone will probably know about it. —Astrid S.

Greetings from Greenwich

by | Jun 16, 2024 | Uncategorized

When we first found out we were embarking from Greenwich, I thought it was kind of cool—almost right in the heart of London. When we arrived in our Welcome Pickups car, our driver got there the fastest way he knew, but sadly, that was by driving through the worst parts of Greenwich. Neighborhoods that were crumbling, covered with graffiti and about every other shop looked vacant.

But once we arrived at the hotel, the rest of the village was spread out in front of us. Behind the hotel were the parts we had driven through; in front of the hotel was the section most visitors would tour, and they kept that in very nice condition. I don’t think I have mentioned what hotel we stayed in pre-cruise. We had chosen the DoubleTree by Hilton at London Greenwich. Why this hotel? Decent-looking rooms, decent reviews and about half the price of a downtown London hotel. Plus, I prefer being near the port so we can get there on the embarkation day without too much trouble. The hotel turned out to be very nice and a good value. We got our rooms with breakfast, which was a buffet and very good. The shower in our room left much to be desired. It was much too short for the rain shower head above, and the hand-held shower head hit me directly in the face and could not be moved to another position. Poor marks for that, but otherwise, it is very nice, and I would recommend it. I did mention not renting the room to tall people (because my brother had no problem in his room, and he is six inches taller than me), and they got back to me and said that was a great idea. Kudo for the response as well.

Back to our Viking Day in Greenwich. We were up early because our excursion needed to meet in the Star Theater at 8:00 am. And we weren’t even on the earliest excursion. We had chosen to do the included Viking excursion, just because it was included. For those of you who have not cruised with Viking, they include a shore excursion in every port. On our Med cruise in 2022, we weren’t impressed with any of the included tours we took. They are almost always one of two types—either a walking tour of a place close to the ship or tender port or a “panoramic” tour of the countryside. When you read a Viking description that says “panoramic,” you should immediately know that much of our tour will be by bus…or, in Viking speak, a “luxury motor coach.”

The wonderful Cosette…or if you didn’t like the tour, Sue.

Our Greenwich tour was a walking tour. Kathleen was still worn out and suffering from our Ted Lasso tour, so she decided to stay on the ship. Steve, Jamie & I went along. My plan was to take off on my own if the guide was anything like the ones we had had in the Med—talked so much it was like they were paid by the word. As our Med cruise went on, I started doing that. I would walk with the group until I was bored and then walk off on my own to take photos. I had usually researched the port enough to know what I wanted to see. This one was different. Our tour guide’s name was Cosette (like in Les Mis), and she was excellent. Just the right amount of comments, just the right amount of humor and moved at the right speed. When it was over, I told her I thought it was the best “included” Viking excursion I had ever been on. She walked us all over two miles worth of Greenwich, and we learned a lot. And I got lots of photos. She was also very good about telling us where you could go after the tour (due to time limitations, these were places she couldn’t take us), and that really helped me pick out places I wanted to shoot. So, I did the entire tour and then walked back to see the places she couldn’t take us and got the other shots I wanted.

Speaking of shooting, here are my morning tour photos. I hope you like them. Don’t forget: If you click the first shot, you can scroll through with your arrow keys or by swiping. And please…don’t look at my photography on a phone. Please…

Darn! I almost forgot. While I was at the Observatory, I took a screenshot of my phone’s compass. Check this out. I am at exactly 0 longitude, facing due north.

Then it was back on the ship, and Steve and Jamie met friends from Norwich for lunch at the local brewery. Kathleen and I grabbed lunch and I spent the afternoon writing the post you got yesterday and processing photos.

We had dinner in the World Cafe. They were doing a “English Dinner” featuring many dishes we had eaten at the Wensleydale Heifer and enjoyed at Paul and Gail’s. There was roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, trifle, treacle and lots more. It was good but nowhere near as good as the Howard’s B&B or the Heifer.

After dinner, it was time to sail out. The ship was scheduled to sail down the Thames to the sea starting at 7:45. While we were eating dinner, the Captain and three pilots sat down at the table next to us. We knew it was time to go when they stood up from dinner.

Leaving Greenwich differs from any sail away we have done in 35+ cruises. Usually, the seamen will slip the ropes and pull them in, and off you go. In Greenwich, because there is no pier and the ship is anchored in the middle of the river, it is moored to five huge buoys that are anchored to the river bottom. To bring in the ropes and untie the ship, a crew has to get onto each mooring buoy and untie the ropes. That became a long and entertaining process for those of us taking photos. I have a few shots to show you what I am talking about.

After they finally got the lines off the ship, we were underway, and the sail out was very different. We were led out by both a pilot boat and a big tug. The best part of the sail out was getting to photograph the entire trip on the Thames. We went through the Thames Barrier (used to control the tides), passed another cruise ship , and went past the 02 tent and lots of parts of eastern London. I will let my pics give you the rest of the story on the sail out. Don’t forget; if you click the first shot, you can then scroll through with your arrow keys or by swiping…and PLEASE…don’t look at my photography on a phone. Please…

That concluded last night. By the time we were down the river, it was close to 10:00 p.m., and that was way past my bedtime. So it was off to bed. I needed to rest up to do everything I wanted to do today on the first sea day we had ever expierienced on a Viking ship.

The Thames is liquid history. —John Burns