StLouisCruisers

It's terrible you've been out of power for so many days. How many has it been? And especially during the Christmas/Hanukkah holidays. Prayers the power is restored for good soon!🙏

Good morning friends! Yesterday was so busy I didn't have a minute to think about checking in here. This morning some of the family hasn't gotten up and come downstairs yet, but it should happen shortly. It was great getting together with all the kids and grandkids, and even the boyfriend and girlfriend of two of the grandkids. There's plenty of food left for today, and we're expecting some flurries today here in Cincinnati. I'll get back to the Daily and read all the posts soon but wanted to get this link out there. Bordeaux is a great place to visit. Last time it was here on the Daily was July 11, 2021. Photos attached since they were already posted that time. In 2019 we visited Bordeaux, and visited it prior to that in Sept. 2018 on Prinsendam as well. Loved it there! Both visits were overnights. One of my favorite sites there was Place de la Bourse. as the Prinsendam really that pointed on the bow? Not that I remember but it sure looks that way here. The wide esplanade along the water. On our walk around Bordeaux in 2019 we passed by the Saint Louis Cathedral (appropriate) and they were working on cleaning the very dirty exterior. First photo shows a section they had cleaned already and the covered scaffolding. Second photo show the dirty back side of the church. Reminds me of cleaning our cement driveway and sidewalks recently. 😄 The interior of the church was very quiet unlike the noisy power washing going on outside. Quite pretty too. We next found a busy pedestrian street called Rue Sainte Catherine. view from our table for 2 in the dining room that evening. Not bad. Next morning I poked my head into this bakery for a quick photo. Can't beat a French bakery! Scene across the street from the ship as we prepared to leave in 2019. The locals who came to see us leave. We recently showed photos of the lifting bridge in Bordeaux, Pont Jacques Chabon-Delmas. From our 2018 visit to Bordeaux An arched opening into the city called Porte Cailhau. And the arch after walking through and turning back. This church is Saint Pierre. But it pales in comparison to the church we saw next, Bordeaux Cathedral otherwise known as Cathedral of St. Andrew. It's huge! Not so busy this day. Unique art statuary

@luvteachingI'm so sorry to hear the transport company failed to deliver as scheduled. And even worse not making sure you were aware of it ahead of time. Thank goodness you and your family were able to quickly get there to celebrate Christmas with him. And I'm glad the evening was a nice one for you after all. I'll keep your family in my prayers.

Whoops! New additions to the thread while typing up my post. Happy Birthday Gerry! Many happy returns. @*Miss G*I'm sorry to hear your Father is sick today. I hope for better days ahead for him.

Good morning friends and Merry Christmas to everyone! It's 8 degrees, no make that 10 degrees! The sun is out! No teenager up yet here, just the 9 month old puppy Sadie. Today we're preparing a spiral sliced ham along with lasagna and Italian bread. To accompany the ham will be scalloped potatoes and green bean casserole. We have a pumpkin pie in the oven and DDIL will bring a chocolate and an apple pie with them when they arrive from Ann Arbor. It's not often we have the menu suggestion (ham) and the celebration day (pumpkin pie) all on the same day! Thanks to Rich and Roy, Dixie, Ann and Debbie for their devoted duties performed for us on the Daily. Prayers for those in need and cheers to all on the Celebration list. Today is another new port day, Wellington, New Zealand. A memorable day from a past visit on Dec. 2, 2017 while on Sun Princess. We had a shuttle drop us off downtown and walked a few blocks to the Cable Car ticket counter. This is where they load and unload. It actually seems like a funicular to me, but once on top we stopped to take a photo of the view up there with the cable car going past. Planning our route into the Botanical Garden The visitor center and entrance to the Garden. In the visitor center we saw this old time cable car Outside we saw this sundial This tells you how to use the sundial during each month of the year. They had a cactus and succulent section in the garden. This family was feeding a whole flock of ducks From the gardens we walked past the Parliament Building and the Beehive which is the Executive wing of the Parliament. Then we passed by the National War Memorial before heading back to our shuttle bus. An interesting sculpture along the way.

Good afternoon everyone! Oh my, that trip was an ordeal. Or more accurately the second half was. That's when we began to see snow on the ground. All was well at first, then in Kentucky the road went from fine, all dry and traffic moving swiftly. Then suddenly there would be patches of ice and packed down snow on the lane and everyone would have to slow down. Then there was one lane to travel in because the rest was icy. We would go anywhere from 30 to 55 mph depending on conditions and amount of traffic. I honestly think the difference was how the county road crews handled it. When we got to the Ohio River the Kentucky side was clear and dry and as soon as we passed into Ohio all three lanes were covered with snow and ice. Anyway we are here and hopefully the strain won't affect our moods too terribly. What a surprise to see Singapore today as port. I've been wondering if it would come up anytime soon. Of course it would today when I was unavailable early! Our first time in Singapore was in January 2007 when DGS Ren was born there. I was able to stay 3 weeks and DH stayed maybe 8 days and went back to the US to work. Our DS was taking his first sabbatical from his U-M professorship over in Singapore because that is where our DDIL's parents lived. They were able to spend a lot of quality time with the two of them during that time period. Right in the middle of their 10 or 11 months there was Ren's due date, so we made plans ahead of time to arrive a week or so later and it worked out fine. We had a great visit and were able to get some good cuddling in with him even though they lived so far from all of us. Second trip was a cruise with friends from Myrtle Beach on Diamond Princess from Bangkok to Anchorage. We had a really nice time with them. DDIL's Mom picked us up on our port stop in Singapore and she spent the day showing us (and our friends who hadn't been there before) some great sights, and both DDIL's Mom and Dad were able to be there for a nice lunch at the American Club. The last time we were there was in 2013 during DS's second sabbatical. We found a group of cruises that left from Singapore, and went to Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand. At the end of the cruise we flew home from Auckland on Christmas Eve. At the beginning of the cruise we flew over to Singapore and spent about 8 days visiting the kids before they dropped us off at the ship. I have some nice photos from that trip. The first day (after a good sleep) we went to the boys' school (just down the street from their apartment) which was having an International Day assembly. There were students from about 80 countries represented and all the parents would cheer when their children and the other children from that country marched out. This school was called the Canadian International School. DS and DDIL checked out several schools before they moved over to make sure they got the type of education they needed. Here is a photo after all the students marched out and sat down. We enjoyed our visit to the school that day. Some of the American kids. Ren is in that picture. We took the MRT train downtown one day to see the Orchard Road shopping area. It was quite nice. Another day we visited the Nanyang Technological University where DS was a visiting professor during his sabbatical. It was all very, very nice. They like things neat in Singapore! One night we went down to the Marina and ate dinner. Here is the Merlion near the restaurant. We saw the beautiful Marina Bay Sands hotel lit up at night. Gorgeous! Another day we went to the Singapore Botanic Garden. We spent most of our time in the orchid section and I must have 50 photos of orchids so can't share them all here. The following day DDIL, DH and I went downtown on the MRT to see the National Art Museum. The art exhibits on the grounds were really interesting. Later that day we went to the far western side of the little island nation to Raffles Marina to celebrate DS's birthday. His in-laws had a membership there. The kids really enjoyed the pool before dinner. You can see the bridge from Singapore to Malaysia from the marina there. Our last full day before the cruise DS took us up to the top of the Marina Bay Sands hotel. Wow, what a view! Here's the Flower Dome and Cloud Forest seen from way up high. The amazing Gardens by the Bay I zooomed in to show the new, at the time, International Cruise Ship terminal. We would be there the following day boarding Diamond Princess. Holding my camera way out The Singapore Flyer Guests in the infinity pool. Can you imagine what that view is like? Merlion is down there To me Singapore is the most amazing place to visit in the entire region. Glad I could spend so much time there.

I'm looking forward to following along. Thanks for sharing your first WC with us!

Thanks Gerry! Sorry to hear about the dental emergency. Enjoy your time spent with the little ones tonight.

Thank you all for your kind wishes for safe travel tomorrow. DD had 6+ inches of snow and it's blowing in the high winds. There hasn't been a snow plow in her neighborhood yet today. There are 3 very steep hills to drive up to get to her house. Rather worried about that. We're taking our Acura MDX SUV but it is not 4 wheel drive, so all wheel drive will have to do.

Graham, please tell Sarah happy birthday tomorrow from all of us! 🎂 And thanks for your good wishes.

Covid tests are negative so time to pack my clothes. Lists of foods to take are made, and the kitchen table is covered with items we need to cook dinner with. The coolers will be loaded in the early hours of tomorrow morning. Sounds like @aliaschief!

+1

Happy birthday to you! 🎂 Hope the snow doesn't come down too heavy.

Good morning friends! It's blowing a gale out there this morning and overnight last night. A short while ago it was 19F, but now it's 21 and I see the temp going up and down a couple degrees at a time until around noon. Then it will shoot up (lol) to 24F! The sun will replace the clouds around 4 pm. My phone forecast shows the next rain in our location will be on December 31!! No snow around here thank goodness! Thanks to Roy for filling in for Rich this morning. Also thanks for the Care and Celebration lists Roy. You did a good job on the maps too! I'll celebrate Festivus (for the rest of us), and Christmas movies, but don't think I've ever had the cookie, much less know how to spell it. Prayers for everyone on our Care list, and those traveling. I hope all make it wherever they are going safely. That reminds me, I'll be on the road early tomorrow morning so won't be here until late afternoon probably, God willing. Cheers to everyone on the Celebration list! Hope everyone is ready for Christmas. Today's port of Key West is a popular one and getting harder to get into anymore due to limitations on cruise ship visits. We were there in 2019 on the Rotterdam. The port was listed here on June 26, 2021. I've copied and pasted the link for anyone needing it for photos, but I see it was a very busy day for me and I didn't post any photos. We were in St. Louis attending DGS Ren's soccer tournament there, so I didn't get here to the Daily until later in the day (they won by the way). I'm sure there will be plenty of nice photos posted today by others so no worries. We're taking a Covid test today to be sure we are safe to be around our loved ones. I'll let you know if we go or stay "Home Alone".😉 Today we pack, plus I may do the laundry that I normally do on Saturdays so it won't be waiting when we return after Christmas. Take care in these brutal temperatures!

Bon Voyage everyone! Have fun!

Isn't that a real pain in the neck? In our area they put the first floor furnace in the attic (reached by pulldown stairs in the garage). About 8 or so years ago someone's condensate tube froze with the extremely low temps one week. Same problem you have. Someone in the neighborhood found a fix for us all and we paid a professional to come in and do the job. Each homeowner paid the professional and he got dozens of jobs just on our two streets. He wrapped some type of electric wire tape around the condensate pipe that supposedly will turn on when the attic reaches 36F and goes off when it reaches 40F. But DH says he doesn't think that works as well as they say, so we leave it unplugged all year and only plug it in when we have weather coming up like this weekend's. So he will plug it in tomorrow and we will probably get to unplug it next week when we get back home. I'm just hoping we don't have power failures lasting any length of time. We turn the water off at the meter (underground near the street) when we go away and drain pipes inside by running faucets till the water stops coming out. We will leave cabinet doors open at sinks too. It's really unfortunate the deep freeze has to arrive over Christmas!🥶

I had a hair appointment this morning and am back home and fed. I'm sure there's something I should be doing but aren't. I'll figure out what it is eventually. I've only been up and down the stairs once today so better get busy doing the other 19 times. I'm hoping doing that will keep the back of my right knee happy, because it was such a relief when it didn't bother me on the Volendam. We received an email today with a link to an article in the Atlanta Journal Constitution regarding the drunk driver who crashed his car into the guardhouse killing the attendant last Dec. 27. He pleaded guilty of vehicular homicide and criminal damage to property, and was sentenced to 15 years followed by 5 years of supervised probation. The article claimed he was driving 100 mph when he crashed into the little building. Since the entrance is right off an intersection with a stoplight, he must have come flying down the hill on the road that is a straight shot into the entrance. Luckily it was in the early hours of Dec. 27 and there was no one crossing the intersection. The area is rural or there would have been traffic there. I can't believe after the crash he had time to walk to his Dad's house, then have his Dad drive him back to the guardhouse and find the car run through the small building, and not a living soul had driven in and found the accident in that time period. 😥 Sorry, I didn't have any photos today of Hakodate--you must be thinking of another day and port. Two days ago was Sydney so maybe it was then. Good luck and best wishes to you two as you make plans for a move to Los Angeles to stay close to your DD. I'm sure everything will work out just fine. Fingers crossed and prayers said for all who will be traveling this holiday season, including your DD and family. 🙏 Tony, thank you for the wonderful photos of your time spent in Hakodate!

Good morning everyone! Here in north central Georgia it is 39F and cloudy, with a high of 52F expected later on, though it will be cloudy all day. It appears the rain has passed by already but there is a very small chance some will pop up somehow. Tomorrow will be sunny, cold and windy. Brrr! Still praying for a good travel day on Saturday. Otherwise, they will starve because we are bringing all the food with us! Thanks Rich @richwmnfor posting this last Daily before you set sail. I hope the cruise is everything you could want and hope for! I like the quote, appreciate mathematics experts. My immmediate family consists of 2 engineers and 1 math teacher so I was always the underdog in math in this house, though I am not bad at math. It's all relative! Good luck to Zimbabwe and I too would like some cookies for Christmas though I didn't make any to exchange. Thanks also to Roy @rafinmdfor keeping up with the Lists each day. I believe you can remove my DD from the Care list because she is improving daily. With the boot on she is able to get out and she sent me a photo of her dear teacher friend and co-worker pushing her in a wheelchair as the two enjoyed a dinner out together for the holiday. Prayers for all on the Care list and for safe travels for each and every one of you. Stay warm! Cheers to the Celebration list and I hope all on a cruise have smooth seas and a wonderful Christmas. Love the photos Joy @Seasick Sailorposted of the beautiful tree and her dinner photos with Allen. Sorry to see you injured your hand though. Please be careful, and I hope the bruise heals quickly. I also want to thank our Food and Beverage Department for their posts each day. Much appreciated! Today's port of Hakodate, Japan was first posted here on June 25, 2021. I have not been there before and therefore have no photos to share but if you did share some, here is a link to Rich's post from that date so that you can easily retrieve them. Thanks in advance for any and all photos posted here later on today. Merry Christmas to all!

Have a wonderful time!!

Thanks @Seasick SailorJoy for the good wishes for DD. She's a fast healer thankfully. She says her other foot needs the same surgery but she plans to wait until summer break for that one. It was painful bunions that were the problem. DH's family has that and it is a hereditary condition. Thanks for the darling photos of the penguins that you saw while in Puerto Madryn. I believe that port was on the Grand South America/Antarctica that we cancelled.

Good morning to all on this first day of winter! The weather seems in sync with the season in the US. Hoping for less snow than expected this week between here and our destination of Cincinnati. I think if it is only a few inches the road crews will have the roads cleared and salted well before Saturday. A salute to Blue Christmas and Humbug Days. A celebration for everyone! Thanks Rich for getting out these last few Dailies before your cruise begins. One question for you - how do you get the names of the ships on the little maps you post? I think I understand how you get the HAL fleet on the map but the names have me stumped. A big thanks to all who contribute here each day. First @richwmnRich, then @rafinmdRoy for the lists, @summer slopeDixie for the drink, @cat shepardAnn for the wine, @dfishDebbie for the menu suggestions, and all who add their comment and photos. Prayers for those on the Care list and cheers for the happy people celebrating. During prayers this morning I made sure to thank our Lord for the improvements some here have seen in their family members or themselves, such as @Quartzsite CruiserLenda's DH Steve. Great news especially for the holidays! And @smitty34877 Terry who is on the mend after her surgery Monday. Today's port destination is Puerto Madryn, Argentina which was first posted here almost a full year ago on Christmas Day, Dec. 25, 2021. I have not been there before so have no photos to share however here is a link to that date's post so you can retrieve your photos. @Mr. Bostonplease share your experiences in Puerto Madryn during your Winter escapes that you mentioned. Sounds intriguing!

We were in 1838 the previous four weeks, and our room was freezing the entire time. We had the thermostat set at the top of the display, warmest temp possible. Because we were in the Amazon region we never reported it because I'd rather it be cold than hot. Our steward brought us some blankets which I would cover myself with when on the sofa reading, doing puzzles, watching TV, etc. And especially when napping. Others onboard complained about their hot rooms which you have experienced. Someone should figure out what's going on so all can be comfortable. The warmest time we spent in the room was usually around 1 or 2 am, for several hours. That seems to happen on all ships we've been on. I wish I knew why. Two doors down from us in 1844 a couple we met onboard had to leave their room mid cruise because there was water leaking seemingly at the door to the cabin through the ceiling/walls. The carpet was wet. They were moved down the hall. I hope no one reading this is in 1844 because things don't get fixed, just move the passengers to somewhere else.

Update on DD. The surgeon says all is healing well, she can begin to use a boot to get around better. She is going to have to figure out how to drive to work after the New Year's holiday. Probably take the boot off to drive with a shoe on, then boot back on at work. The boot will be on several weeks. She's on her feet all day at school, but will figure something out (knee scooter?).

Happy Heavenly birthday to your Sis. I'm sure it will be a sad day though since you miss her so much. Graham, great job muti-quoting today. I enjoyed the teddy bear hug from Pauline. XX I took a Covid test this morning before the dentist visit since we had been around others Saturday. Negative. We plan on both taking one Friday before we head out early Saturday for DD's house. Her surgeon visit today isn't until 4 pm since he's in surgery on Tuesdays most of the day. She can't wait to get a look at the foot unbandaged. Meanwhile my dentist ground down a small raised area on the crown, and managed to nick my lip too. He is a new "back out of retirement" dentist as our old one moved to a different practice. We have decided not to go back to this dentist and start driving to a nearby town to go back to our old dentist. Our hygienist from the last decade is here and we will go to her as we always have.

Thank you!😉