Yaya_in_Oz

Looks like Cairns.

Correct, your turn

Only in summer for me 🤠

I love this town, its like a visit to Sovereign Hill 😄

I don't think I've heard of it. I could read the sign Coober Pedy 166, so just looked at a map and it was the the only town about that distance on the way to Lake Eyre.

William Creek?

South Australia?

Loved the Perlan! wonderful nature museum.

Correct, your turn. I didn't even notice the statue 😄

Lazy Thursday afternoon ....

Looks like Heidelberg Castle, Germany.

Its time to get off, probably just as well before I become institutionalised 😄. The time has gone so quickly. I feel blessed that I was able to do a WC segment, ordinarily beyond my financial means. Its very laid back with lots to do. I went to almost all the shows and entertainers at least once. They were all very good having worked in West End, Vegas, Broadway etc. as well as some folkloric groups. I usually went at 9 pm when it was not quite so packed so I missed the show that was shut down. Apparently someone was not as expected, Don't know what happened there. Never heard of it happening before. I also watched the Destination Expert videos at least twice. It was handy that most of them were on the TV already when I embarked at Cape Town. I also bought the Internet for $23 a day for 4 or 5 days so I could also do research on the ports among other things and of course today to check in and print my boarding passes. Most of the ports in Europe had free wi-fi in port or nearby which was well utilised by passengers. So its hard to say how many had packages. I did bring on a few bottles of wine in Cobh but the alcohol person was MIA so the security staff just waived me through and said 'enjoy' as it was only wine not spirits. They certainly put it on for the folks leaving today with a great buffet luncheon then an invitation to a variety show put on by the resident entertainers. Both the CD and her deputy sang. They were very good. I'm not used to CD's singing! We also got a Thankyou cake delivered to our room. At the end Team members came from all over the place to the sounds of "Simply the Best". I really enjoyed it all and they gave everyone a free champagne or whatever you wanted before the show. A nice touch. Now Captain Perra is getting off, the Production Cast is getting off, my steward is getting off and then joining the Sun in a few months and between 500 and 700 of us are getting off depending on who you talk to but ship pretty much full after Dover. No, I did not eat any cake but I couldn't say no to sushi and raw fish! I fly to Singapore on an A380 and then have to codeshare on Q on a Airbus 330 I think but I've bought an aisle seat so I'll be right. Besides Sing- Melb is positively local. Then I'm off on the Diamond again on Sep 4 to defrost after the Melb winter. I wish everyone continuing and those joining a great onward cruise and look forward to reading any updates. A few pics of my last day aboard.

Last Patters and debark info I’m in Silver 1.

Some recent Patters

I hadn’t even thought of it before but some folks like to book a hotel on these overnight stops and do their own thing. Great idea if you can afford it!

Apparently one port required passports so to avoid confusion or inconvenience it was decided it was best we carry original passport. Visby is a hidden gem. I walked a bit in the old walled town then went on ships excursion to old country church, coastal fishing village, interesting boat shaped grave, stone gallows and another walk visiting landmarks in the old town. Fog horn went most of the night or so it seemed, every couple of minutes. I went outside about 2 am and it was foggy. About 5 am You could see the houses etc. on islands that were very close so looking forward to sail away when I should be wide awake. Recent Patters

We had immigration on the ship in Cobh as previously mentioned. Word went out rather late in Zeebrugge so some on shore excursions had to reboard to get their passports. We have been asked to carry them at every port since although they have never been checked. I’ll ask why at some stage. I’m over on the Suomenlinna Fortress giving my ankles a break from the cobblestones. 17K steps in Riga yesterday mainly on cobblestones and Tallinn tomorrow… more cobblestones! Am I having fun yet 😄!

Tomorrows Patter

June 10. I'd not been to Amsterdam so booked on the ships tour of Amsterdam on your own plus Canal Cruise. It rained the whole time except for most of the canal cruise. Cold and a bit windy. By the time we arrived back at the terminal it was blowing a gale and walking the few hundred meters from the terminal to the ship was an obstacle course. At one point I was blown off my feet into a stack of wooden crates (not too hard). Deck 4 was open but they wouldn't let me on pointing me to a ramp further down the ship. I just said well thats not fair but thats not what I was thinking! To get there I had to walk through puddles and arrived back at my cabin looking and feeling worse than the wreck of the Hesperus. My steward said 'are you all right, you're soaking wet. I was wearing an emergency poncho which kept my stuff and torso dry but my hair and feet were dripping. A lady walking near me thought it was a good idea to use an umbrella. Needless to say most things she had blew away but as luck would have it the prevailing wind was blowing towards the cruise terminal and not the water. Another lady who was doing her best to shelter herself walked too near the dock and got roused at. Thats all I saw but you get the drift. I guess they weren't allowed for security reasons to let the bus drive onto the dock and pull up in front of the ramp. The IJMuiden Cruise Terminal is about 1 hr from Amsterdam and not easy to get to by public transport, so I would recommend a tour or on your own with the ship. As it was there were 4 people who tried to get on our bus who had gone independently. Luckily, the guide sorted it all out. My bus was full and a couple had to split up with one going on another bus so no room for stowaways as the guide put it. Anyway, June 11 was another day. I was so happy my shoes had dried overnight and I didn't have to attack them with a hairdryer and I felt a lot better too. Coming up now, we have 6 port days. 5 I have been to before so if the weather is like that again I won't be spending much time onshore if at all. But there is always something new. Tomorrow we are in Riga and I haven't seen the Art Nouveau buildings or the KGB museum. I'll see how far I get with that. Anyway, busy, busy. A couple or recent Patters.

Close enough. Its the Bad Doberan Minster, the largest of the Cistercian churches in Europe, about 20 km from Warnemunde. The pic is almost taken in real time. I went there yesterday on a shore excursion. No wonder I thought I'd stepped into the Temple of Time😄. We then went for a ride on Molli ending up in the seaside town of Kuhlungsborn with its quaint beach baskets. Your turn

Yes, its in the North. You are less than 200 km away now!

Try the other end of the country.

Not Munich and not a major city.

Yes, its somewhere in Germany.