France 2025

Friday, October 10: First of all, let’s go back to Thursday night. We attended the Sound of Music at DPAC with the kids, spouses and grandkids. It was delightful. After dropping off Elizabeth and Jackson in Cary we drove home. On the way, Duke Power notified us of an outage in process due to a crash behind our house on 24. We arrived home at 1:45AM to find that the electricity had fortunately been restored right before we got home. We were pretty much packed, but I don’t know what we would have done otherwise because at 4:00AM I was up, TAR at 5:00 AM, and we left for Wilmington at 5:50AM.

And they're off !

We arrived at the airport in good shape; ILM is expanding but we were able to park close to the walkway. We had a 5-minute walk to the terminal. There was no line at TSA and our flight to Atlanta was on time. We had a nice flight from Atlanta to Paris; although the upgraded seats I purchased were not worth it, they were as compact as any others. We had decent food, but almost no sleep for the second night in a row. We arrived in Paris and transferred to F2 terminal and had to re-enter security. For some reason, and I am not complaining, we did not have to claim and re-submit our luggage. We were worried that might be a problem when we got to Nice.

Saturday, October 11: It was not a problem; everything was good. We transferred via cab to the Doubletree, checked in, took a nap and then showered. We met as a group downstairs and then went to dinner. One older lady in her mid-80’s could not keep up with the walk (which made me feel a little better). We had a nice sea bass dinner, walked back to the hotel, and went to bed early. Our group is led by Emmanuel, and consists of a similarly aged couple from Long Island, two sets of women traveling together, the adore-mentioned older lady, and a single lady from Brooklyn. In season, this group would be at least twice larger, our size is ideal.

Sunday, October 12: We slept well and were up at 7:00 AM. There was a nice breakfast at the hotel. Diane Keaton died………...well lah dee dah………...she was one of my favorite actresses. Today is Nice. We took a bus to the top of the hill and visited a park which featured busts of jazz musicians including Thelonious Monk, another Rocky Mount person! Pretty scenery and ruins from the Roman Empire. Very scenic, and we took some pictures looking down onto the beach. Afterwards we went to the city market and had lunch, gelato and shopped. We started walking back to the hotel following the train line…………and discovered we were following the wrong train line! Took a short uber back to the hotel. 

Then to Monaco! We left Nice at 5:30 and had a couple of stops with great vistas. We went to the old part of Monaco and to the Palace. We ate dinner at a sidewalk café and then went to the Casino. Before we left, we had an elevated view of Monaco and I could see the swimming pool turn(s), the last turn and then the Start/Finish area. On the way to the Casino, we stopped at the Start/Finish line and did a simulated start; I saw the swimming pool, the end of the corkscrew, the right hander into the tunnel, and the tunnel.

Yes, it has occurred to me that if you are not a race fan then I lost you, but these were bucket list items. I have no desire to be there during race week, but it was great to see parts of the circuit. We got off the bus near the end of the tunnel. The yachts, cars, selfie-taking posers, and the obvious wealth were incredible to see. The Casino was much smaller than anticipated, but then again, I was comparing it to casinos in Las Vegas. TAR and I had two Vespers…………. OK, who didn’t see that coming? We went into the Casino and played a little; came out €150 ahead! Who can make that claim? I told TAR that Emmanuel is getting a bigger tip than I planned. Got back to Nice late, straight to bed, we have to be up early tomorrow. Great day!

Monday, October 13: Left Nice and drove to Cassis, it is a pretty, small nautical village. We went on a 2-hour harbor cruise in a small boat. The water is very pretty, and we saw many coves which are ideal for snorkeling and scuba diving. We were back in the village for lunch on our own, and then took a ride to the top of the bluffs for another beautiful view of the village. 

Then we took a long ride to Avignon. We checked into the hotel and took a 15-minute walk into the old part of the city for dinner. I had bream…………Another long, late-night walk back to the hotel. Tomorrow is the Royal Palace and then off to a winery.

Tuesday, October 14: We started out on foot touring Avignon, the City of Popes. We went to Pont Saint-Bénézet, the famous bridge of Avignon. I think everyone has hear of this bridge except for us, and there was a famous children’s song about it also. It was built in the late 1170’s, was destroyed and rebuilt in 1200 and something. Saint-Bénézet was commanded by Christ to build the bridge, and he did so stone by stone. 18 miraculous healings have taken place on the bridge, ergo the sainthood. 

We then went to Aix-en-Provence. A beautiful medieval town with nice shops and squares. Afterwards we went to an old winery on the outskirts. There were two old manors, the oldest dated to the 16th century and was used by the Germans during their WWII occupation. We enjoyed the tastings, especially the rosé s. We enjoyed dinner and tried pig cheeks, and they were good. It was a long tiring day, but we get to sleep in tomorrow morning.

Wednesday, October 15:  We were able to sleep in, then went to the train station for our high-speed train to Paris. We were told that when it was time to board, we would have three minutes to get inside our car, and they were not kidding! Our 800 pounds of luggage caused much amusement among our fellow passengers.

NOTES FOR FUTURE TRAVELS TO FRANCE:

1. If you have one last chance to visit Avignon, it can be a definite CAN MISS. Nothing more to be said about that, I would have preferred that time in Nice or Paris. 

2. We have GOT to learn to pack lighter.

Emmanuel was a bit stressed about our NASCAR pit stop efficiency in getting aboard, and we proved her worries very necessary indeed. Once aboard we enjoyed a smooth ride, much more comfortable than AMTRAK, and enjoyed the scenery. The top speed that I observed was 299 KMH, or 185.79 MPH. 

We got to Paris quickly and took a coach to our hotel. We had time for a quick change and then we were off to our dinner and then our Seine River cruise. As we toured Paris, we bought tickets to The Louvre and made plans to visit Notre Dame, both on our own. We have been to The Louvre, but not Notre Dame due to the fire. 

We left the hotel again at 4:30 and had a good dinner at a grand old restaurant called La Maison. I had roast beef that was very tender and tasty, and actually reminded me of how Dink fixed it with dark, thin gravy. After dinner we went to the Seine and boarded a barge for our river cruise. We did not do this last time for a couple of reasons: it is very expensive and the food is mediocre at best. Or so we were told. Better to eat at a good restaurant and tour separately. The cruise was highlighted by the Eiffel Tower which was lighted and had a spotlight moving. We got some good pictures and videos.

Thursday, October 16: Started the day early on a coach tour, we went to the Eiffel Tower for pictures, the Latin Quarter, and all around Paris. At the end of the tour the coach let us off at the Arc de Triomphe, and we walked down the Champs-Élysée, had lunch, and then took an UBER to the Notre-Dame Cathedral of Paris. I was using a hiking stick that was a gift from Elizabeth and Jackson (it saved the day several times) and as we neared the line to enter, I was motioned to use the handicapped access. I tried to refuse, no really, I did, but after surveying the lengths of the two lines decided to use it. It is a beautiful cathedral, and the renovation work is not noticeable any longer. An afternoon Mass was in process. I must note however, that it pales in comparison to St. Peter’s in Rome. It is beautiful and very tastefully done; however, the size is noticeably smaller. OK, I looked it up, here is the comparison (ChatGPT):

St. Peter’s Basilica is much larger — about three times the floor area of Notre-Dame and twice as tall when measured to the dome’s top.

Afterwards we took a UBER to the hotel, and crossed the road to the Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile, which features the Windo Skybar on the 34th floor. The views were incredible, and we met several of our fellow travelers there. The food was OK. 

Friday, October 17: Our day at The Louvre. For the record, The Louvre robbery was on that following Sunday while we were in Normandy. We took an UBER. Although we purchased tickets for an appointed time of entry, the line was very long. Once again, a guard noticed my walking stick and directed me to the front of the line. I felt kind of bad for TAR but I waited until she made it through the 45-minute line………I am kidding, she was able to accompany me. Once inside we avoided the Mona Lisa rush and spent time looking at the Napoleonic era section. This included furniture, collectibles, snuff boxes, watches, Marie Antoinette’s travelling needs, and yes, the crowns. Then we went to the Egyptian section and got mostly through it before I ran out of gas. We had lunch inside the museum, and then walked through the gardens to Place de la Concorde. We saw the spot where Marie Antoinette was beheaded, probably for taking too much luggage. The we took an UBER back to the hotel. 

Our farewell dinner was a walk to Le Chalet. We had roast chicken followed by crème brûlée. It was all good. We walked back to the hotel and had drinks and said our good byes.

Saturday, October 18: We left with hotel with a few more good byes again, and made it to the train station with plenty of time to spare. The train station featured beautiful architecture and a piano inviting anyone to play “vous de jouer” TAR learned French fast enough to tell me that means “don’t even think about it” I think it means something like “your turn to play.” When it was time (and I dislike the way, they do not tell you ahead of time where your train will be) we found our train, struggled again with our luggage, and found the correct seats! But in the wrong car! As we were in first class and there weren’t as many people on the car, the ladies who were to be in our seats took the ones in front of us. One was from Carrboro. I explained our mistake to the conductor “en français" and she wandered off laughing. Wonder what it means in French when you circle the side of your head with your index finger? Anyway, the ride to Normandy was pretty once we cleared Paris. I managed to get a few last looks at the Eiffel Tower as we left. The countryside is pretty, and we saw a lot of farming, cattle, sheep and horses. 

Let’s stop right there and discuss the food of France. We both lost weight. The breads are delicious, that and the desserts are great. But TAR is now gluten-free, so no bread. Given the chance she will tell you that she “is sick of salads.”  Another thing, they are very proud of their pastries, and every where you look, there are dairy farms. But no butter on the table? Pourquoi? I asked but did not get a good answer until I looked it up. The French bakers believe their breads to be so good that the taste can not be improved with butter. Or for that matter, with a selection of jams and jellies at breakfast. Sacre bleu!

The closer we got to Caan the more you could see of what is left of the hedgerow areas. Farmers do not use them as they did in the past, and not many are left in the condition we read about during WWII. Caan was where the Germans retreated to after D-Day, as it was a more important rail and highway junction than the first towns the invading forces got to. The Allied forces bombed the hell out of Caan, so when they invaded many locals did not approve. The civilian deaths in Caan, which ranged up to 3,000 was tripled by the number of homeless as 60% of the city was destroyed…...by the good guys. Many thought German occupation was not that bad in this area. 

The town where we stayed was called Bayeux, and was inconsequential to the war efforts of either side, so it was virtually unharmed. When we arrived, we took a short cab to our hotel Le Lion d’Or which though old was very nice. There was no lift, so our clerk had to tote our bags up to the second floor. Wonder what “touristes porcins” means in French? Previous hotel guests included Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, Charles III, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Jacques Chirac, Ernest Hemingway, John Wayne, John Ford, Catherine Deneuve, Omar Bradley, Bernard Montgomery, Spencer Tracy, DE Gaulle, Peter Lawford, Alec Guinness, Sterling Moss, Ethyl Kennedy, Lauren Bacall, and of course………us. They did not ask us for autographed pictures, c’est dommage!

Dinner was at a place called La Table du Terrior, which I translated to “we serve tiny dog meat which will scare you.” It really means local cuisine. The food was adequate, and we enjoyed our desserts. 

Sunday, October 19: Today is our day for the beaches at Normandy. We got a little rain as we left the hotel, and drove to Omaha Beach Cemetery. It is a very solemn place. We learned about Teddy Roosevelt, Jr. and his brother Quentin. Teddy invaded with his troops on June 6, and died five weeks after D-Day due to a heart attack and is buried beside Quentin, who was a WWI pilot killed in 1918. In 1955 Quentin was re-buried next to his brother, and is the only WWI causality buried in this cemetery. From the cemetery we looked north to Omaha Beach. We then drove to Omaha Beach, the tide was high, all of the buildings were built post-war…...I hate to say it, it was the least impressive of the landing sites we visited. Utah Beach was at low tide, and you could really get a feel for what it must have looked like at Omaha. The distance from the landing crafts to some shelter is scary to consider. Don’t forget, Utah Beach was secure in about five hours! Pointe du Hoc was the most spectacular with all of the gun placements, bunkers, barracks and craters left by naval and air bombing. Near there we also saw an existing hedgerow area, most are now gone. It was set off in a square, and you could see how the Germans set up for attacking invaders. The hedgerows were initially started by farmers in the 12th century to knock the salty air down before it hit their crops. There is a Ranger Memorial there. I did not know that a naval shell which missed its target actually created the landslide that helped them scale the cliffs at Pointe du Hoc. 

Then we went to Sainte-Mère-Église where we learned about paratrooper John Steele. You might remember he was played by Red Buttons in The Longest Day. According to our guide, who acknowledged Steele as a hero, Steele did not report the incident as seen in the movie in his report. Days later he told the version we now know. The Germans were manning a fire bucket brigade when the paratroopers came in, most assume they would have seen Steele as they did others. However, there was another paratrooper who was hung up in a tree across the courtyard. By the way, the courtyard is tiny. The other soldier was shot and killed, and the wrought iron fence has several crease marks of the bullets shot at him. Ken Russell was his name. Regardless, a model of Steele and his parachute still hang from the church. Also, according to our guide, Steele had already fought in North Africa, Italy, and after rejoining his unit, was captured and escaped. According to the internet, he was captured by the Germans who cut him down, and then escaped. Brave men. 

The village is pretty and very grateful to the United States Army. Inside the church there is a stained-glass window showing the paratroopers. We were glad to get something to eat, as the town is small and most storefronts were closed since it was Sunday. There are many museums in the area, if you have the opportunity to visit you should plan more time. Also, if you have the means, hire a private guide rather than one with several people. 

The countryside is beautiful and there are many small monuments spread around. One that I noticed while leaving a town was dedicated to the plane shot down carrying Easy Company CO Thomas Meehan. It marked where the plane crashed. Dick Winters became the CO the next day. 

That evening, we walked to a restaurant where the waiter and the chef appeared to be the only employees. I should mention that a repeating pattern we observed was that your food and drink come quickly, but then after you finish, the staff does not appear to want you to leave. I know, enjoy the after-dinner conversation, blah blah blah. But this waiter was funny. They had something like MTV on the television in the other room, and he would come into the dining room and play a small piano and organ. He would play the same song, just not in sync with the television. This can be easily explained, as TAR noticed several times that he was taking a shot behind the bar. Then he came to our table with three shot glasses, and said the word “tradition” in English, and poured three Polish vodka shots. I am pretty sure he visited each table in the restaurant. Funny guy, nice tip. 

Monday, October 20: Our last day in Normandy, we left early for Mont St. Michel. We left at 8:00 AM and took a 12 passenger can through the lovely French countryside. We arrived at about 10:00, the ride in is spectacular. We walked across most of the causeway, and then we walked up to about the first chapel. My 50% replaced right knee not only has three bone spurs now, but it was feeling very stiff. (100% replacement is scheduled for February) I decided to bail, and besides that, the cobblestones were a little slick. We stopped at the chapel and visited it, then went into the stores along the way. We had a nice lunch with a view of the flats around the abbey. Afterwards we shopped our way back to the causeway and then to our relaxing ride back to Bayeux. We made it back to the hotel, picked up our luggage, and then took a cab to the train station. We met a couple from Atlanta who apparently were going into Paris for the night. They said they would help us get on the right train. Sure enough we all got on the wrong train; however we stopped in Caan and waited for our train, which was right behind us. Again, the fun with the luggage can not be overstated. TAR bought some charcuterie for the ride to Paris. 

The train ride was uneventful and since it was dark there was no scenery to enjoy. We got to Paris, took man UBER to our hotel near the airport, and hit the sack.

Tuesday, October 21: We were able to sleep in, went over to the airport with plenty of time. Paris to Boston, while clearing USA customs I realized I lost my Chromebook somewhere. Neither the hotel or CDG security could locate it; not a big concern as the battery was nearly dead. After I got home, I changed all of my passwords. The flights, timing, meals, etc. were all good. I was very relieved when we saw our bags coming off the carousel. To recap our flights:

OUTBOUND

Wilmington-Atlanta        Atlanta-Paris      Paris-Nice

INBOUND

Paris-Boston    Boston-Atlanta Atlanta-Wilmington

Despite all of our worries about using Wilmington, they were all on time, all with our two tons of luggage there waiting, no complaints with the airlines (other than the size of the upgraded seats from Atlanta to Paris), especially considering the government shutdown.

We had a good time; I’d like to visit France again. 

 In Case You Wondered................

.............it was Saturday, September 24, 2016. What happened on that date you ask? Good question, it was the last time the Fishin Optician and I went fishing together. We left before light, went to R8 and trolled for about an hour, the seas were a little too sporty so we came back to Lookout Shoals and then inside the Bight. Ended up bottom fishing, caught lots of short flounders, lizards, mullet, hogs and a butterfish. Dinner. Water temperature was 79 degrees. 

I know all of this priceless information because I keep a boat log which recaps each outing. That was the last time we fished together, and it was precisely 3,132 days before he died last Tuesday. 

He could always steal a scene, and he will be missed.

So he is off to his next adventure, now "bring me the horizon."

Northern European Adventure

Cruise in August, 2024:

Tuesday 8/13/2024 

Drove to Raleigh, lunch at Panera’s. TAR went to Nanny’s, I made calls on Motors & Controls, Yandle-Witherspoon and East Coast Metal. Went to RDU, no food was available. Good flight on Icelandic Air, seats were a little crowded and there was no meal.

Wednesday 8/14/2024 

Easy entry into Iceland, no issues. Pre-arranged car to Reykjavík went smoothly, the driver was from Syria. Saw lots of dark volcanic rock, countryside (other than the rock) resembled parts of Wyoming. Not impressed by the city of Rajkovic, the hotel clerk spoke to us in English when we entered. I asked if she knew we are American and she did. Had breakfast at the hotel, into our room about 10:30 AM local. Took a quick nap and a shower and then caught a bus to Sky Lagoon. Really glad we took the suggestion; the only disappointment was a constant sprinkle. Very relaxing, warm pool, ice tub, sauna, cool shower with salt scrub, then back into the large pool. TAR had the first of her intestinal disorder issues, otherwise a great experience.

Back to the hotel, walked around the city, had dinner at the Laundromat. Burgers and local beer, into bed early.

Thursday 8/15/2024

I don’t know what day it is. Up at 8:00. TAR noted that her stomach felt better, maybe because we split dinner? Hotel check out is at 12:00, we went to walk in the city until 2-ish, and then planned to go to the ship. Walked up to the church and took the elevator to the top. Great views but obscured by a low ceiling and light drizzle. Walked back down the hill, looked for THE hot dog place, finally found it but the line was too long for our schedule. We went to another stand and had a tasty Icelandic hot dog with a special mustard, chili, onions and mayonnaise. The wiener was made from pork, lamb and beef. We went back to the hotel, grabbed our bags and set off for the ship. Entry into the ship was fairly easy. We went to our assembly station and then to the room. Our luggage had not arrived so we went to the Whisky Bar one level above us. Met a trio from NC, Henry with the UNC hat was from Carolina Beach. The women (Caroline and Janine) live in Raleigh and Cary, Janine is from Littleton. Back to the room to unpack, shoved off at 6:20 PM. As we entered the sea the ship rocked gently, sunset tonight is at 10:42 PM. 

We went to the Food Court for dinner and could not find a seat. Walked throughout all of the sections, ended up in a Texas-style counter. TAR had beef brisket, I had pork ribs. They offered small portions, and eating lighter worked well for us. Afterwards TAR had ice cream, I had a glass of wine. She wants a lanyard to hold her boat charge card, they sell them for $9.00, but “somebody” told her they are no charge somewhere on the ship. She is now obsessed with finding the no charge offer. Bed time at 10:00

Friday 8/16/2024

The ship is named the Prima. Today we are in Ísafjörður. The ship rocked all night, we got up about 6:00 and had breakfast in the cafeteria. At 8:00 we went to the departure theater. I was worried about walking down the aisle toward the stage, sure enough my left knee “gave out” at the bottom of the stairs and I fell to my left and backwards “GET ON THE GOUND ASAP” No big deal, got up and kept going. This was a walking tour and hanging on to TAR was a big help. Next trip: take hiking sticks! Interesting area, about 250 years old.  Learned how cod and salmon are processed. Saw the local housing, school, church, dance school, theater, etc. Interesting story about when the movie Grease came out, the town had one copy to show, and they lied and said they watched it and mailed it on the next town. The theater kept it quiet and showed Grease on special nights, the locals knew that if the curtains seen from the outside were a certain color, Grease was playing. Ended up at the Maritime Museum where we, OK, I sampled shark bites. Stopped by a beer house for tea on the way back to the ship, then got aboard in time for lunch. A long nap followed. Not sure about our dinner plans, TAR showered and is now drying her hair.

We saw cod pots coming towards Ísafjörður. The pots were designed to provide light inside at night and during the short days, they only eat when it is light, so artificial light increase their growth. We saw Boulongarvik on the left, beautiful town. Dinner that night was parmesan crusted pork chop for the lady, flounder filet for me. Very good meal and a good northern Italian grigio called Tini. Got back to the room, the apparent wind at 90 knots off port beam. People were stumbling around, in bed by 10:00.

Saturday August 17, 2024

Went into Akureyri overnight. The ship was rocking until we entered the fjord, could hardly tell we were moving after that. No excursions planned for today.

Change in plans, as we disembarked to walk around, we talked to a vendor offering a tour of the Waterfalls of the Gods. NOT AN AUTHORIZED VENDOR! We took a chance and signed on, walked around the city and had a cup of tea and a muffin, came back and got into a raised-up Ford van. Drove through a long, hot tunnel on the way. The waterfalls are a beautiful area, left there and went up to a ridge overlooking the harbor. Back to the ship in time for a drink and a snack. We are heading out of the fjord now; TAR is asleep and I am looking for whales. Not sure about dinner tonight, tomorrow we are at sea all day.

Sunday August 18, 2024

Rough seas, watched Grumpy Old Men. Neither of us had ever seen the movie, we enjoyed it but were disturbed to find out that the old men were both 68 in the movie, yes, younger than us. Had breakfast with a couple from Wake Forest, lunch with a couple from Nashville TN. He recently had heart surgery, and is a member of PCA. Before dinner we went to the comedy club and couldn’t get a seat. This was our big night dinner at Cagney’s. TAR had a filet, I had lamb chops. Great food. Afterwards we went to a juggling show which was very entertaining. Then off to the ABBA show which was a disco. Bunch of old people flailing around, reminded me of the dance of the living dead. Saw one of our Raleigh friends on the dance floor……literally. 

Monday August 19, 2024

Overnight sail to Norway, as we entered the fjord to seas calmed, the scenery going up to Gerainger was INCREDIBLE! Lots of glaciers, hundreds of waterfalls cascading from the mountain tops. Just tied up, the pier unfolded and came to us. Norway is dramatically beautiful. We had a nice breakfast onboard and then walked into town. 250 year -round residents, about the same number come in as temporary labor in the warmer months. Got on a bus about 4:00 and went up to Dalsnibba Mountain on Eagle Road. Three stops, second one was the top, pictures looking down were beautiful, as was the Blue Mountain. It is named such because the glacier minerals are blue, even with the lower light level you could easily see it. Went by a church where the princess of Norway, will marry a shaman soon. Yeah, that’s going to be a lulu. Unbelievable waterfalls on the road, one right after another. Beautiful day, off to dinner at 8:00.

Tuesday August 20, 2024

Really rough night at sea, head winds in the mid-70’s with the ship moving at about 20 knots. Got into Haugesund a little late. This was the first time NCL used this, and I am pretty sure they will get some complaints, certainly did from me. We didn’t have anything planned, got off the ship about 2:00 and took the crappiest Hop On Hop Off bus of all time. Banged my head getting on the bus, condensation kept you from being able to see what little the town had to offer. I wrote “TAKE A CAB: backwards on my window for anyone thinking about doing this to see. Got on the ship, went to the room and watched television as TAR showered and shampooed. Late for dinner, late for the comedy show, no seats. TAR told me we would have had seats if I hadn’t taken the time to eat half of my dessert. I came back to the room, she stood for a while next to the BO queen and then came home. Off to Bergen tonight.

Wednesday August 21, 2024

TAR has Harold’s Revenge. OK, that joke was penned by #1 Jay. See I always give credit for jokes I use, except for when I don’t. All night in the loo. I got up early, went and got some ginger ale for her, and then she decided to stay o the ship. Hate to say it but this was a great excursion. Started on a bus at the pier, it took us to the city center. Walked through old buildings, hard to hear the guide, but it seems as though a lot of the history of Norway intertwines with that of Germany, for a thousand years. Lots of trading, coal for fish, maybe that Hitler fellow had a point. One lady on the tour constantly told her husband that she:

• Couldn’t hear…why doesn’t the guide use a microphone

• Is getting wet, I though her husband said it wasn’t going to rain, although in his defense he did tell her they both read the same forecast at the same time.

• Should have bought her umbrella, or a hat, or something. 

• He then took off his jacket which had a hood, she asked him what he was going to do. Secretly I wondered if he was contemplating pushing her down the mountain.

• By then it stopped the slight sprinkle, and she announced that she was HOT!

• Good times

Anyway, back to the tour, the guide talked about the need for seamen in town, and how cruelly the apprentices were treated. Beaten, keel-hauling, you know basic summer camp stuff. We walked all through the town and then to the funicular which took us to Mount Floien. We were quickly through the line, up the side of the mountain, walked into the sunlight and saw a beautiful rainbow arcing over the harbor. Beautiful vistas, saw a troll and a woman with a cat and three dogs on leashes. Dramatic incline coming down. 

I got off the bus at the theater and backtracked to the city center and the fish market. Had a fish stew (cream based, fish, shrimp, shredded carrots and some green stuff) and a hot tea. Walked around town for a while looking for Benadryl Went into a Tennis store that didn’t sell tennis equipment, just clothes and shoes. Saw a Fred Perry jacket/sweater on sale but couldn’t justify it. 

Came back to the ship about 2:00, TAR was still in bed but feeling a little better. We went to the cafeteria and she had a plain burger (since we were in Bergen) and immediately headed to the WC. We leave at 5:00, open seas until Amsterdam on Friday. Hope she feels better. 

Thursday August 22, 2024

She still feels poorly. I got her some gluten-free toast for supper last night; she also had several; ginger ales. Ship had a rough night last night; apparent winds were 57 knots with the ship speed at 16.7. Course is 188 degrees; we are currently parallel to Copenhagen and Edinburgh. I made arrangements for a Stonehenge and Salisbury experience as our ride to London. Once we get into Amsterdam, I think the seas will be kinder. We cleared stage one of our British entry today. 1200 PM, TAR is asleep and I am watching the news. Watched one of Nicky Cage’s movies about national treasures, pretty good as I also watched the swells hitting the ship and the spray making up to our balcony on the ninth floor. It has been so rough that some of the shows were cancelled. Had a couple of drinks and a light dinner, TAR is rallying but just a little. After dinner we went to the theater and saw the Rumours/Fleetwood Mac tribute band. Stevie looked a little, well a little nothing. She was a big old girl, but the guitarist didn’t miss a single note, sounded like Buckingham. We are now in the channel and the apparent winds are at 60, the swells are not quite as shattering. Into Amsterdam tonight, excursion if she is able.

Friday August 23, 2024

She was able, although visited several WC locations throughout the day. We went to a reconstructed village; the houses and stores were taken apart from their original locations and moved there. Formula One is at Zandvoort this weekend, and the guide proudly announced that hometown here Verstappen would be the winner. I took exception. Drizzling most of the day, I am not sure we got to the “good parts” of town, hashish and prostitution. We got back to the ship about 1:00 and then walked back to the train station to buy some Benadryl type medicine. Hopefully I will be able to sleep a little better tonight. It’s nearly 7:00 and I finish this we will go to dinner, probably in the cafeteria where TAR can get something bland. The land is extremely flat, and I can see how the Nazis were able to flood it when they knew that Airborne was on the way. Tomorrow is Belgium, hopefully TAR will be able to make the afternoon excursion. 

Light dinner and then a 9:00 PM comedy show with Julie Barr. Semi-funny, lots of interaction with the audience, especially a Florida couple who were stoned.

Saturday August 24, 2024

Slept late and went to Hudon’s for a nice breakfast. TAR had scrambled eggs, grits and a banana. Went to Bruges via bus, about a 30-minute ride. Once in town we walked through beautiful parks with lots of canals. The inner city was walled since the early 10th century. We walked a lot and took a lot of pictures. TAR bought some chocolates. The port has tens of thousands of cars which are imported and exported through this port. Had a lot with a Smart thousand cars sitting there, they were destined for Russia but after the Ukrainian invasion have just sat there. The guide told us several times how thankful the residents were to the Americans and Canadians. Near the end of the war, just like Paris, Hitler told the local generals to destroy the city. The Nazi general in Paris refused the order, thank goodness, but the local Belgium general planned to destroy Burges.  The Canadian forces entered first and told the mayor they would kill the Nazi general and would ensure the city would not be razed.

Back to the ship on time, bought credits for another cruise. Packing now for departure to Southampton.

Sunday August 25, 2024

A few delays getting off the ship, finally onto bus # 4 for a trip to Stonehenge. Beautiful English countryside along the way, we were both surprised to see so much agriculture. When we got close to Stonehenge someone saw sileage haystacks and thought it was Stonehenge. I won’t say who said that, but I was sitting close to her. The site is quite remarkable. Some of the stones fit like Lego blocks. They estimate it is 4,000 to 5,000 years old. Some of the stones are from 25 miles away, some from 200. How did they move the stones and get them placed? Don’t forget, they didn’t have tools, heck they didn’t have the wheel yet! They suspect they slid them on sleds pulled by humans, lots of humans. The middle of summer and the middle of winter are aligned, many suspect the people’s hopes were increased when they knew warmer weather was coming. 

On the way to London we went to Salisbury, a very neat old British town. Met the rector of St Martin’s, they’ve been in business since 1091. We also saw the Salisbury cathedral, where a copy of the Magna Carta is kept. They were getting ready for a swing band concert on the lawn, beautiful day and a beautiful area. 

Should mention, didn’t see many hot cars on this day. A few Rolls and Bentleys, but none of the classic British sports cars I’ve always liked. Two American cars stood out in Salisbury: two Mustangs, one of which sounded like it had the famous Ford flat plane crank engine, and one yellow Corvette, it was the one with the fastback, right before they introduced the mid-engine model. Pretty model. Interesting that in all of the countries I saw a lot of Teslas, and quite a few Miatas. For some of these countries that supposedly hate the Germans so much they sure do have a lot of German cars!

We got into London, the hotel is nice, TAR showered and we went to meet William Weinhold and Chris Riley for a drink. We walked to the location on the Thames, crossing over a bridge with the MI5 building on the right. I suspect this is the bridge that Blofeld crashed his helicopter on, and was subsequently captured. No one could confirm. Had dinner at the pub (fish and chips, mackerel pate, salmon, prawns), got some good local advice. Great to see those guys, walked back to the hotel.

Monday August 26, 2024

Nice, beautiful day. Left the hotel and walked towards Parliament Square per Chris’ advice. Westminster Cathedral, Big Ben, Parliament, War (Churchill) Museum. Walked by #10 Downing Street, and didn’t acknowledge its importance. Ooooooooooooooops. Found out Churchill liked to drink alcohol, really? I always heard he drank a lot of brandy, turns out his favorite drink was Johnnie Walker………..RED! The drink of the commoner! Lots of his artifacts are in there, including his rompers. Quick lunch and the loo at the Red Lion, and then a walk-through St. James Park which was absolutely lovely on the way to Buckingham Palace. Hung around the front gate for a while, took lots of pictures, then walked back via the Guards Quarters, cut through to the business district at Queen Anne’s Gate. Goit tired and caught a cab back to the hotel. My knees are hurting.

Monday night: walked over to the Royal Oak and it was closed due to a bank holiday. Tar took up a conversation with a street lady and asked where a similar place might be. In an accent with a striking resemblance to Eliza Doolittle she recommended the Barley Mow. The Barley Mow! The Barley Mow I tell you, the Barley Mow! Ask Tar really nice and she will recreate the conversation. It was good, very authentic and I even had a Guiness. We had fish and chips and Welch rarebit. 15-minute walk back to the hotel.

Tuesday August 27, 2024

Since we had such a big Monday, we decided to take it easy Tuesday and get a car for Gatwick. Glad we left a little early, that is a long ride out there. The rides to JFK and then to RDU were uneventful, we got to our RDU hotel after midnight.

Wednesday August 28,2024

Up early, went to Nanny’s for RX prep, Harris Teeter, Char-Grill and then home by 5:00 or so. Stopped by Harris Teeter and bought some groceries, TAR fixed pimento cheese for my supper!

Due to the dietary and intestinal issue we both lost weight during the cruise Hard to believe but it is true. 

Which leads to one more joke that I stole:no, we lost money on the all-you-can-drink deal, so we do not have to go to the Betty Fjord clinic (joke used with permission of HeMustBeHigh productions)

Let me know if you would like to see more pictures.

Worth Thinking About:

I have a customer in Durham that is near this store, I've been by there many times and the parking lot is usually pretty full. Perhaps an exclamation mark was in order for that last sentence?

Anyway, I ponder one question:

Is there a minimum weight requirement for store entry? Think any skinny kids ever go in?

Thoughts?

Dueling Banjos

No, the odd looking young man did not play the banjo in the movie, here is how the movie-magic people did it:

Fake sleeves !!!

And now you know....................the rest of the story.

So Long 2023

We ended this year with TAR having emergency surgery due to cecal volvulus. Look it up, we were fortunate that our little town has the personnel and facilities to diagnose this and operate on it in the middle of the night...........very fortunate indeed.

So happy new year, and enjoy this year's video of the year

I would not have been surprised to hear some Vic Flick guitar music in there, along with the parachute having a Union Jack.

 Jimmy Buffett

My favorite picture of him. 

Not a lot more to say other than rest in peace. I was lucky to see him several times through the years including PB Scott's, Walnut Creek and even Carter Finley stadium where I caught a pick, only to have a drunken old hag pestering me with: "he threw it to me." I finally gave it to her with my best wishes. 

I met Jimmy when I was checking out of a Charlotte hotel the morning after we got married. I told him I'd seen him at PB Scott's, he said he'd played at Carowinds the night before, biggest crowd he had ever seen.

Good guy, and probably our generation's Mark Twain. I still enjoy his poetry and music. Good going.