drron29

So early Friday morning up early and got our Limo to Brisbane airport We were travelling on Virgin Australia. Now at checkin we like to do so with a real person. They made it really difficult. Travelling Business Class and they want you to mingle with everyone to use a Kiosk. And they had 5 departures between 0900 and 1000. A real zoo. Finally we got want we wanted and down to security. That was a disaster. First a very entitled young woman pushed my trays back and pushed in between Rojaan and I. Said I was moving too slow-yes because the belt had stopped whilst the agent spent some time with a bag. So I told she was a very entitled lady who had absolutely no respect for others so don't bother saying anything more as I have utterly no respect for you and your selfish ways. She didn't utter another word. But worse was to come. As usual I set off the alarm because of my knee replacement. I was sent back thriough the X ray and told to wait until they had another officer to wand me. That took another 10 minutes and then the officer had OCD and repeated the wanding 3 times. Finally through into the terminal. Now as everyone knows things come in threes so don't be surprised that VA don't have a lounge for Business class passengers. So after we had a coffee and muffin we went to wait at the gate. Luckily as time for boarding was approaching I noticed the flight number at the gate had changed. Told your flight has been changed to &$B. Actually I noticed it was 73B. Only about 6 people there. Ten minutes later they made an announcement re the change of gate and a minute later boarding started but they had only 1 gate agent. The first people in the general boarding lane cut in front of me but were told in no uncertain terms to wait until priority boarding finished. Now I only found out the night before that our flight had been changed to a Max 9. So our Max has just arrived in Australia so the wifi hasn’t been activated. But at least a glass of sparkling wine pre departure. + At least this time I had a window seat. So take off then views of the southern parts of Brisbane. Then the Brisbane River valley and looking back to Brisbane's water supply - Wivenhoe Dam.

Yes a funny title for a cruise report but one of the things that is on my bucket list since I first started a bucket list was to photograph Mt. Fuji without it covered in cloud. We have had nearly 100 trips to Japan but am still after that shot. The first opportunity will come on the Muse when we visit Shimizu. But first a little of the time before we board the Muse later today. First in the week before we go away we take the couple who keep an eye on the house out to lunch. usually Tziki Bar at Forest Glen. A great place if you like Greek food. The octopus tender and tasty, lamb ribs in a lemon sauce fantastic, the calamari and roasted cauliflower are very good and of course bakclava for dessert. On our last day one of the butcher birds brought her chick along to get to know me and catch a few insects i was disturbing. On the night before we leave we always go to our favourite Vietnamese restaurant for dinner - Nguyen brothers Maroochydore. Rojaan alwas has the vermicelli salad with lemongrass beef and this time I had the spicy lemongrass beef salad.

Last year we disembarked in Civitavecchia and we had taken air and transfers out. However we were able to book the transfer FCO on board and it was cheaper than a private transfer. Though the year before getting off in Venice SS wanted $US240 each to the airport and a private transfer was 60 Euro. So not sure if it was just the Shore Concierge desk was having a bad day in Venice or a good day in Rome

And thank you very much @mysty. Enjoyed meeting you and your husband. A very nice lunch in the MDR. Was also a lovely touch meeting Bippin and Pisa 2 of my favourites from our last Muse cruise. May you have fair weather and seas for the rest of your world cruise.

Well I am getting on the Muse tomorrow so I will see if we have very dissimilar tastes in food.

After Takashimaya I decided to do a short walk to the Watanabebashi bridge. Some non Japanese names. And many workers resurfacing a minor road. Expressways in the air. Or over the water. Now I noticed something in the last photo that caused me to make a detour down a small back street running parallel to the canal.Here I came upon a statue of Abe Hikotaro who died in 1965. According to Google translate he was educated in commerce, became an investor then went to England for a few years. he came back and was a senior executive of several companies and supported public works. But all I could find out by googling his name was a post on Trip Advisor with 1 Japanese reviewer of the statue wondering why it was placed here where it is unlikely to be seen by many. It is in a nice little garden with a long row of Camellias. But finally I found what I had detoured to see. So the big ducky was popular with families that had young children. Most would get photos in front of this car. The fellow who had a photo taken before me had a son who just wouldn't cooperate. fortunately I remembered what I would say on the Gold coast to Japanese tourists - shashin torimasu ie take a photo. Then it was sign language to suggest he carry his son. the son stopped his shenanigans looking at me in surprise so the father was very happy with the photo. They also had a yellow van from which they were doing a roaring trade selling duck souvenirs.

I have always loved SS but now it appears that love has been turned into this.

Well i have done a cruise report from the Muse using just the basic internet. It was with hundreds of photos uploaded and posted. I didn't feel a need to pay for premium. However if you are into streaming you probably need the premium service. I will be boarding the Muse again in 2 days time.

Thanks a lot JSR. A beautiful report that I really enjoyed. I hope you have many more years of wonderful adventures.

I have a bit of experience with a couple of hotels that have done some thing similar basically from their own funds but also from guests in the know if you like. The staff at one we had over 100 stays got 2 picnic days a year. And everyone got that. To cover all staff they did 6 days a year. Result was that the staff were the happiest and most loyal at any hotel we stayed at hence our returning as often as we did. Unfortunately their long standing GM retired and the new fellow didn’t believe in it. So we no longer stay there and many of the staff have also moved on. So I look on it as being to my benefit by keeping the crew as happy and loyal as they are and now probably the only reason I keep cruising with SS.

That is where Prince Phillip landed in 1957 at Gough. There is a film of it and after his voyage published a book of the birds seen from the Britannia. Gough starts `~ 7.23 minutes.

It is a walk to the terminal. But the terminal is a fair way out of Incheon city. SS had a shuttle to the Hyundai mall in the CBD.

Scientists are now warning that the Bird flu may well evolve to infect humans. bird flu in humans usually has a high mortality. They suspect that there is mammal to mammal transmission though not proven. But at one Elephant seal colony on Argentina's Atlantic coast 17,400 pups died last season. Too many to be all infected by birds. https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/bird-flu-strain-raises-alarm-virus-kills-south-american-wildlife-2024-03-13/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=Newsletter&utm_campaign=Daily-Briefing&utm_term=031324&user_email=42c279be87db2e6b362e5c5af53114ca6a8bab3e0d36948cf7872b29529df7e9

Christmas Eve and we got the Fine dining restaurant to ourselves for breakfast. Our table. After breakfast I decided it was time to buy our train tickets from Osaka to Kanazawa and then back to Tokyo. I went online where there were no tickets left for the trains we wanted. Had I made another travel mistake? So immediately I went to Osaka station and the ticket office. Another half hour wait in a queue but i got an agent who spoke very good English and instead of a ticket for each train I got a ticket from Osaka to Tokyo and can stopover any where between. Plus reserved tickets for the 2 trains I really wanted. He explained that only a few tickets are sold online and most are sold at ticket offices around Japan. Stress relieved. I walked out of the ticket office, turned left and there was Daimaru so of course I went in. Seemed a bit more upmarket than the other 2. So once again a food hall. Unusual ideas of Christmas fare. Fried chicken is considered a classic Christmas meal thanks to a campaign by KFC. Here is Daimaru's Christmas chicken offerings. That night our son went out at about 8.30 to the nearest KFC. He was the last person allowed in that didn't have an order. The kids left this for me. The reason? It was awful. A little more on Daimaru. I have never seen tomatoes boxed as beautifully. Their Champagne display Not many gins.

We got to have a zodiac cruise at Gough Island,rescued a fellow from the South African weather station who showed his gratitude by bringing along a box of lobsters. Chef Pia had the crew fishing off the stern and caught enough gold band snapper for 2 meals.' However that evening we ran into a force 12 Atlantic gale. Didn't even get to see Tristan Da Cunha. But I still claim to have had my foot on the territory of Tristan Da Cunha. At Gough island we had an over enthusiastic zodiac driver who put the zodiac on to the rocks. I was seated at the front and had to put my left leg over the side and push us off the rock. I hope you have fair weather and enjoy the next few days.

I got a survey from a company that sells cruises last night. They asked the same set of questions of each cruise line. I did not answer in the affirmative to the Trustworthy and good reputation questions re Silversea. I did tick that they could use my answers so hopefully SS finds out.

One of our local gin distillerys has the World Icons of gin award for the best craft gin distillery. and yes I do have their products -a Koala, kangaroo and Quokka varieties. https://www.sunshinecoastnews.com.au/2024/03/05/organic-distillery-named-best-in-the-world/ Another of our very good gin distilleries, Sunshine and Sons, on the Coast this time won the world's best craft vodka award.

Using Japan transit planner it takes 23 minutes from Shin Osaka station (the shinkansen stop in Osaka ) to the exit of Kyoto station. But takes 27 minutes from the closest local station to Shin Osaka. And the local station is 5-10 minutes walk from the ship so not much difference. Quicker to take a taxi from the ship to Shin Osaka station but estimated it takes 22 minutes and costs 12000 - 16000 yen ($US80 - $US105 ). Ride services are all local taxis so very little saving in cost and basically no quicker. Why don't you price your private tour from Osaka Port? The extra cost from there to Kyoto and back is probably less than using the taxi to Shin Osaka station.

Traffic can be really heavy between Osaka and Kyoto. It would be at least an hour's drive to Central kyoto and if it is the same as our next cruise the Kyoto on your own excursion leaves at 8.45am. So i doubt you should book a private tour before 10am and probably should arrive back at the pick up point by 3.30pm as the bus would have to leave by 3.45 pm to be back by 4.45pm which is 8 hours after it leaves.Most shuttles drop off and pick up at Kyoto station Such a s those from Osaka airports.