Silversea Water Cooler: Welcome! Part Four

Good Afternoon ....

I see today’s funny is a poster we should stick on the wall of the Cooler.

I do so hope Dave on the other thread get’s those issues sorted. His link to his piccies shows a nice person.

Today was kofte, salad, pitta and Cote du Rhone.

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Lovely photo, Jeffy!

Thanks!

Treated myself to a new mini oven.

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Your meal looks yummy J! And my word, that is a beautiful oven! Lots of future creations to oooooh and aaaaah over!

I have heard on the grapevine that there is a public/trade show called The Cruise Show. I have had a search and found that it was on in London in February but serious rumour is that is is also on at the NEC Birmingham in September. I have found dates on a dubious website but there is nothing shown on the NEC website. The Cruise Show website mentions it but all links go to the 2017 event.

Has anybody any knowledge, or, even better, access to trade journals.

Thanks

Mike

Sent from the magic box!

https://www.cruiseshow.co.uk/

I see what you mean! 2017!

https://www.theticketfactory.com/cruise-show-london/online/

Using Azamara2018 gives free tickets.

Greetings Coolers! The heat is on! Brought some humidity with her. Forecast high of 30 C today. Seems spring lasted about 5 minutes here. NOT COMPLAINING!

However it seems by today's funny that some are.....

Sorry about the violence! Super heroes are a law unto themselves! :)

Have a great day all!

Humid and rainy here Mysty.

Jeff what was lunch?

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Humid and rainy here Mysty.

 

Jeff what was lunch?

 

 

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Spins, today we had burgers and fries and cote du Rhone! And my barber came and gave me a haircut this morning!

What is it you enjoyed about Ireland that you'd love to return? I love Ireland but it's close and I was interested to hear what your eyes liked about it so much as you will see Ireland through different eyes.

Jeff

There was a serenity and haunting beauty about the countryside of Ireland. Spring flowers and the shades of green everywhere, too many to articulate.

The Burren is a mystical place. Some times I feel a connection to a locale and I haven't any idea why the "pull" on my psyche.

I didn't get enough time to explore which is why I would like to go back.

I would avoid the extremely touristy spots I think.

I would like to rent a car and drive the back roads. I am intimidated by driving on the other side of the road and don't know if I could acclimate without an accident!

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Thanks Spins,

I think your instincts are right. The “undiscovered” rural Ireland offers so much more than the touristy spots. I guess what you saw made you think about the backdrop ie what you haven’t seen. Perhaps in retirement an extended trip of rural Britain including The highlands and some of Wales?

I hope your idea becomes a solid plan.

M - lovely funny!

Yes Jeff. You put it into words.

So much more I didn't see.

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I hope if you do decide to "do it" you allow a lot of time to linger. The pace in rural Ireland and much of Britain generally rewards lingering. All of the most enjoyable stuff when one looks back at "lingering" is all the stuff you didn't and couldn't have planned for that simply happens if you allow enough time to allow it.

I remember many moons ago happening on Lisdoovama, where they happened to have an annual matchmaking festival in September whilst we were "passing through". A weird but wonderful experience. If you have Netflix you might be interested in The Irish Pub.

Trailer ....

I will look at the Irish Pub!

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Jeff

 

There was a serenity and haunting beauty about the countryside of Ireland. Spring flowers and the shades of green everywhere, too many to articulate.

 

The Burren is a mystical place. Some times I feel a connection to a locale and I haven't any idea why the "pull" on my psyche.

 

I didn't get enough time to explore which is why I would like to go back.

I would avoid the extremely touristy spots I think.

 

I would like to rent a car and drive the back roads. I am intimidated by driving on the other side of the road and don't know if I could acclimate without an accident!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I would encourage you to do this. The roundabouts are a bit intimidating at first, but you will acclimate!

My DH and I spent a few weeks traveling in a rental vehicle around the UK and Ireland last summer, prior to our TransAtlantic crossing. It was an 'introduction' to TransAtlantic travel for my husband, as he had never traveled outside of North America before. So we rented a car, and started in the south of England, then drove up to Scotland, took the ferry across to Northern Ireland, and then the southern ferry across from Ireland to Wales, and then to Southampton to catch the Whisper. We definitely didn't have enough time. Next time I would concentrate on either Ireland or Scotland.

While in Ireland (we had a week there), we stayed at a lovely B&B near (but not in) Cong, and would do day trips to various locales. We avoided the 'touristy' spots, and would just wander around looking at ruined castles, buying food (cheese, apples, etc.) from a local store and eating picnics on the castle grounds. We drove mainly on the back roads, setting the rental car's GPS to 'avoid highways'.

Although I can drive a standard (stick shift) car in North America, I was intimidated by the thought trying to shift while driving on the left, so we opted for an 'automatic' transmission. (I did all the driving.) These do cost a bit more, but it made the learning curve a lot shorter. Most vehicles in the UK are standard, so you would have to ask for the automatic. Other word of advice would be to get as small a vehicle as can hold your luggage. The roads (especially the 'B' ones) are considerably narrower than we're used to in North America, so having a smaller vehicle makes it easier to not hit the stone wall. (I managed to only hit one with the side mirror.) Parking can also be a challenge, so the smaller vehicle comes in handy there too.

But our experience - having a home base and just wandering about during the day - was relaxing and fun, and I would highly recommend it.

There's a bit of folklore that if you've been to Ireland, you leave a bit of your soul behind, and you must go back again to reclaim it, or you'll never be whole again. I certainly think this is true!

Mleh, thanks so much for sharing your experience. What a fantastic journey!

I wondered what that empty space was, now I know. It sounds as if you have an empty space you must refill as well.

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Last time we rented a car in the UK, DH was constantly turning on the windshield wiper for the turn signal.

Enjoying the opposite side of the road driving tales. I'm pretty comfortable with it now after a number of experiences in Scotland, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. In Scotland I even drove a manual. It wasn't as bad as I thought, though on occasion I tried to roll down my window instead of shifting...

The wiper/flasher dilemma is an absolute classic. In fact, a friend from NZ once told me that this is a surefire way to spot a tourist - they have their wipers on for no good reason!

However, some car manufacturers do not swap the positions when switching from left drive to right drive, and some do. Concrete example - in Australia this most recent trip I had an Audi Q5, and the wiper/flasher were on the same sides as our Audis at home. Very easy. Later in the trip I rented a Mitsubishi, and the positions were reversed. Plenty of wiper action that day. You can't tell until you're sitting there.

Luckily the clutch, brake, and accelerator are never reversed, IME. That would be far more dangerous!

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I would like to rent a car and drive the back roads. I am intimidated by driving on the other side of the road and don't know if I could acclimate without an accident!

Do it. Don't think about it, just go!

I'd go along with Jeff's suggestion that the obvious tourist areas aren't necessarily as interesting as you might hope - I'd include Dublin and Belfast in that category - and that there is much to be gained from getting off the beaten track. I think you might find Ireland bigger than it looks on the map if only because the country roads demand time and patience.

If you have a car you really must go to Derry in the North and follow the coast road round to Belfast - the Antrim Coast Road is generally regarded as one of the 10 best drives in the world along with the likes of Big Sur, Grossglockner pass etc. From there you can go South through Co Down taking in the Mourne mountains and Strangford Lough or West through the beautiful counties of the North to Upper and Lower Loch Erne back in Derry (Londonderry).

Don't be put off the Province of Ulster by its recent history - you won't find anywhere safer and more welcoming.

One thing you won't find in country areas, North or South, is glamour and glitz; you will, however, find comfortable lodgings, hearty food and a genuine welcome.

Thereby ends my sermon on behalf of the Irish Tourist Board!;)

We did travel on the Antrim coast road and it is beautiful.

I can't drive a stick shift with my left hand.

I drive a six speed Saab turbo, but I think at my age trying to retrain the brain won't work.

Hi friends, great news:)….got my cruise ticket today:D….flights are ticketed too!

Lois, great news. It means the trip is close and that’s a wonderful feeling.

We had two weeks in Ireland about 10 years ago and vowed to return. Unfortunately it hasn’t happened yet as there is "so much to see, so little time"! It may happen but the memories are there.

We had a week driving around the south, staying in small villages and generally looking at the beautiful scenery and soaking in the history.

Friends suggested we find a tour for the 2nd week to both relax and enjoy the scenery. Although we saw a lot, we didn’t enjoy being part of a bus group and decided that wasn’t the way we liked travelling. Haven’t been tempted since.

Good Morning All ...

I have a fair contingent of (Southern) Irish family although many of them have emigrated. All of them were originally from Eastern-Europe. My cousin is a surgeon who moved to Saskatoon, Canada but is now in Iowa and both he and two of his brothers studied at Trinity and all of them played various sports for Ireland including rugby and cricket. I spent several summers as a kid living with them in Blackrock Dublin. It was there that I saw my first green Mini and had my first flavoured crisps.

I know that this is counter-behaviour for many Americans who sometimes like to have a good heavily prepared list of must-sees, for fear that they might miss something, but if ever there was a country where the less you have planned and the longer you take doing it and the more you seem to (apparently) mooch aimlessly around and where you simply take whichever road takes your fancy - it is undoubtedly best to do this in Ireland. To spend time in country and village pubs just chatting and relaxing and eating etc then if your psyche allows you that lazy laid-back latitude then you must do it, I promise you will be rewarded.

Pretty much all of our best memories were those unexpected unplanned things and the least powerful memories I have are of following a well planned tourist trail.

Greetings Coolers!

Today's funny is for the gardening lovers.....

Have a great day all!

Good Afternoon Coolers ...

M ... gardening is wifey department and to be honest we have gone for the wild look!

Today was knacks and Fritz with some of our house Grüner.

It is somewhat hard to believe but this time next week and BA willing ... we should be Whispering around Sicily. All of my stoic muscles will be tensioned and we are contemplating a few days of time together bobbing around the med thinking of fish and grappa and the odd cigar at the snub end but not in that order. :)

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