scubacruiserx2

Before entering the Hermitage we paused and looked across Palace Square to the General Staff building which houses some of the Hermitage . The Triumphal Arch commemorating the Russian victory over Napoleonic France in the Patriotic War of 1812 Wikipedia The Throne Room in the Hermitage Note the lack of crowds The Da Vinci Room These doors were made from turtle shells Da Vinci photos from Hermitagemuseum .org All others are mine The Return of the Prodigal Son and the entrance to the Rembrandt Room

Our flight to Saint Petersburg was uneventful and we met our guide , Gennadiy Chentsov , at the airport . He took us to the apartment that we had rented on that evening and showed us where to shop for food . On the next day we went to the Hermitage Museum without any crowds of cruise ship passengers . They have over 3 million items and works of art from all over the world . At that time Dmitry Medvedev was the President of Russia . The Palace Square , the Alexander Column and the Hermitage . The crowd at the Hermitage The Hermitage Museum complex. From left to right: Hermitage Theatre – Old Hermitage – Small Hermitage – Winter Palace (the "New Hermitage" is situated behind the Old Hermitage) Last photo from Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermitage_Museum

We were in transit as we made port in London staying at the airport with a flight to Saint Petersburg , Russia on British Air and staying in an apartment for about a week . Thus these photos are from our visit to London on our first stay in London after having done a Baltic cruise on the NCL Dream in 2006 . We had a overnight stay in St. Petersburg and we saw a lot and missed a lot , so we wanted to visit there before the busy cruise season began in May . We stayed near Buckingham Palace where we had pre booked a guided tour . We walked around a lot An Eye full Peter and Paul Cathedral Brown town Our favorite Fish and Chips were found at the end of the walkway Here , where we make a visit when we stay in the city , one of our favorite cities .

Our last stop before London was our first visit to France at La Rochelle . The ship docks a distance from the city and the ship offered bus rides to the Church and return trips from the same place It was rainy and cold so on the gangway we decided to go back and get an umbrella , good think as there was a light rain all day . We first headed to a store with a bathroom and made a purchase to use the WC . First up a walk around the harbor and to see the 2 towers , the Chain Tower and the Saint Nicolas Tower , patron saint of sailors . They date back to the 15th century and use to stretch a large chain between the towers to keep out unwanted boat traffic . We went to an early lunch at Les 4 Sergents , a nice place for lunch looking like a pair of drowned rats . We tried our limited French and were seated and given menus in French . After about 15 minutes with no water or bread . We knew that our type were not wanted here - until we could order in French . As we left the man said " Leaving so soon ? " , with a smile . We walked about 2 minutes to a place with a menu in French and English and had a very nice lunch . https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Restaurant+l'Aunis/Les+4+Sergents,+49+Rue+St+Jean+du+Pérot,+17000+La+Rochelle,+France/@46.1563515,-1.1583133,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x480153a4df27269b:0x63c38f70d06632dc!2m2!1d-1.1550587!2d46.1565523!1m5!1m1!1s0x480153a4ba281d3b:0x8153b2ef533eafe6!2m2!1d-1.156494!2d46.1561508!3e2?entry=ttu

Our last stop was Covadonga to see the Cave of our Lady a shrine dedicated to Mary , the mother of Jesus . We were raised Roman Catholic but no longer attend that church . Although we would define ourselves as Christians - followers of Christ . The video clip isn't ours but it does show this place better than our still photos .

We spoke to 2 of the ladies who missed the Canal transit and they told us that was the reason that they booked the cruise .

The fact remains that the ship sailed without them on a ship's cruise and they missed the Canal transit . Guaranteed best price — find a better price on any tour we offer and we'll refund you 100 percent of the price difference in the form of an onboard credit. This isn't exactly true . We booked a helicopter flight in Greenland for half of HAL's price and paid for it . HAL came in later and bought out all of the helicopter's flights including ours . The company cancelled our flight and refunded the money because of HAL 's actions . When we spoke to HAL about it they claimed that " it is a different flight " . The difference ? A person will walk you about 100 feet to the helicopter pad - At twice the price , thus no onboard credit . The result ? We cancelled that cruise and the ship missed both ports in Greenland , the main reason that we booked .

I read earlier that NCL would hold the ship and not leave people behind if on the ship's cruise . The HAL policy is the same and yet we were on a cruise thru the Panama Canal where they did in fact leave 33 people behind on a ship's cruise in Costa Rica . Here's the video of the Captain's announcement while we were at dinner .

Oops

We stopped here for a buffet lunch A grain storage room elevated with protective white rat guards .

We tried it in Ushuaia , our last stop on land before we went to Antarctica . Unlike the Alaskan King crab it's fresh not frozen . This is a medium . BTW Antarctica ( and Patagonia ) blows away Alaska in scenery and we have been to both twice . Our January cruise review here :

We were let off the bus at Cangas de Onis and told to walk around and back to the bus that would be parked at the bus station about a mile away . The so called "Roman Bridge " was built in the 14th or 15th century . They looked like a couple of lizards sitting on the warm rocks in the cool air

There was no place that we wanted to see in the city but the ship offered us a trip to the Picos de Europa and we thought that it would be great to go up into the mountains . https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picos_de_Europa While it looked promising sailing in Unfortunately , this was as close as we got to the - a viewpoint With a view of the foothills at the base of the mountains . Looking back toward the port

We forgot to mention that before lunch we had went for a walk in the Castelo do Castro park high above Vigo . We saw this oddly proportioned statue of Jesus and his mother after his death on the cross on Good Friday . Jesus as a full grown man with a beard is held like a small baby in his loving mother's arms . View of the city and the Connie in the harbor .

We find it interesting that two major religious holidays fall back to back on this year's calendar . Easter Sunday is the day that Jesus rose from the dead proving that there is life after death and that God's penalty for sin has been met for all who believe and follow Christ . And April Fool's day is the international holiday for all agnostic and atheistic people as Psalm 14 verse 1 has said , " The fool has said in his heart , " there is no God . " "

Having left Lisbon we weren't far from Vigo , Spain . It was a DIY port and we understand Spanish better than Portuguese . First we did a little shopping before lunch For lunch we found a place near the ship that smelled good , wasn't crowded and was handing out discount flyers . We ordered Paella and while we waited had some Tapas and house wine , which we carried on board to our cabin . https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g187509-d2318090-Reviews-Fai_Bistes-Vigo_Province_of_Pontevedra_Galicia.html

Happy Easter , the Lord has risen ! And Pat came home on Friday . A Good Friday indeed . Last night's launch of a Space X Falcon at Cape Canaveral 150 miles away from our front road . I'm surprised that we would deploy a Russian satellite . Second stage separation And the capsule jellyfish

The Pena National Palace https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pena_Palace Sintra National Palace https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sintra_National_Palace Sintra

And then was time to leave the beautiful cliffs and head for the hills . We went inland and higher in elevation , into some woods making some short stops on the way spotting these pretty flowers but deadly flowers . They are Foxglove from which the heart drug Digitalis is made . We then stopped at the Seteais Palace where they were having a wedding . https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seteais_Palace It was just finishing as we arrived and time for photos . Pena National Palace in the Distance

Happy Good Friday . Today is the the day that " We all, like sheep, have gone astray , We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. " And " For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. "

After a day of cluster type headaches I had to take my bride of 46 years to the hospital for a possible stroke protocol yesterday morning. She also had severe abdominal pain . The CAT scan was negative and she got a room about 2300 and we are awaiting the results of the late night MRI . Her blood pressure and pulse were both very high when I left her last night . She had trouble with bright lights and stomach pain with nothing to eat or drink all day . This is one cruise that we hope to get off soon . We hope and pray that she and I will be better soon and back on CC , hopefully today .

Much of the vegetation on this cape is low-lying and adapted to saltwater and windy conditions. Once home to a variety of plant life, Cabo da Roca has been overrun with the invasive plant species Carpobrotus edulis. This creeping, mat-forming plant, a member of the Aizoaceae succulent family, was introduced as ground cover by local residents several decades ago, but now covers much of the arable land on Cabo da Roca. Wikipedia Beautiful , but deadly like the cliffs .

Norris , We have been to Alaska twice . The first from Seattle in Spring with a visit there and the second from Vancouver in the Fall as the first leg of a 6 week trip to Fort Lauderdale . The first was on the Eurodam in our first Neptune suite . The last was on the Nieuw Amsterdam all 6 weeks in an aft corner Neptune Suite . They are both on Signature Class ships , our favorite because of the Tamarind . You are on the Vista Class and can find a lot of information including photos of your room here : https://halfacts.com/vista-class/ On our last night before entering Vancouver in October of 2022 we saw a White Rainbow ( Fog Bow ) behind our balcony . https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fog_bow Our last visit to Ketchikan was photographed and shown our Fire and Ice review here on posts # 65 -78 . However , our first trip included the Inside Passage including the Johnstone Strait , Seymour Narrows and the Campbell River where we sighted Real and false Killer Whales . It is best seen on our Eurodam to Alaska : We came , we saw , we photographed on posts # 412 - 440 . Victoria followed next with a great guide . We would recommend a couple of days before and after in Seattle unless you plan on doing a B2B with the 27 day South Pacific cruise on your ship . We would also recommend the Chihuly Gardens and lunch on the Space Needle for a killer view and a great lunch and dessert .

Monument announcing Cabo da Roca as the westernmost point of continental Europe . Photo from Wikipedia

The lighthouse has been here since 1772 - 4 years before the independence of the USA . These photos are a very high quality and I would encourage you to double click on them on especially the last one on the largest screen that you can .