Silversea Water Cooler: Welcome! Part Five

[lincslady]

It is lovely for me to be able to keep in touch with you all again - I have just had what is for an old lady a difficult experience.  My one month old 'BT hub/router' broke down - many phone calls, visit from an 'engineer' to say yes, it was the new router at fault.  So no internet for a few days, and new one sent out which came yesterday.  Took me forever to set it up, as one of the necessary instructions was not mentioned in the leaflet, and again some time fiddling around to get laptop connected - now at fast speed, thank goodness.   Everyone says it is easy to do - not for an old  Luddite.

 

My oldest friend's garage door opening device does not work- the door keeps going up and down on it's own.  I did suggest a new battery, which I think is the problem.  She did not even know it had a battery.

 

Don't laugh at me, I realise you are all much more computer savvy.  I think I am trying to punch above my weight here, but do need the internet to get our groceries ordered, otherwise we starve.

 

Thanks for reading my tirade,  

 

Lola

 

P. S.  Thanks for all the wine related funnies, makes me feel less like an alky if everyone else is in the same boat.   I need a cruise!

[mysty]

9 minutes ago, lincslady said:

It is lovely for me to be able to keep in touch with you all again - I have just had what is for an old lady a difficult experience.  My one month old 'BT hub/router' broke down - many phone calls, visit from an 'engineer' to say yes, it was the new router at fault.  So no internet for a few days, and new one sent out which came yesterday.  Took me forever to set it up, as one of the necessary instructions was not mentioned in the leaflet, and again some time fiddling around to get laptop connected - now at fast speed, thank goodness.   Everyone says it is easy to do - not for an old  Luddite.

 

My oldest friend's garage door opening device does not work- the door keeps going up and down on it's own.  I did suggest a new battery, which I think is the problem.  She did not even know it had a battery.

 

Don't laugh at me, I realise you are all much more computer savvy.  I think I am trying to punch above my weight here, but do need the internet to get our groceries ordered, otherwise we starve.

 

Thanks for reading my tirade,  

 

Lola

 

P. S.  Thanks for all the wine related funnies, makes me feel less like an alky if everyone else is in the same boat.   I need a cruise!

 

Lola,  you are an absolute delight!  I can manage some things technological and I recognize that I am borderline qualified to handle anything beyond posting,  cutting and pasting, uploading pics and deleting files (not always intentionally).  I muddle through and hope for the best! 😁  Welcome back!

Edited September 5, 2021 by mysty

[jpalbny]

I agree, that steak looks so tasty! Bad timing though; we're having our friends over for dinner tonight and he's vegetarian. 

 

Lola, welcome back! It's always nice to see you - one of the Original Coolers. 😄  Glad the router install finally worked for you.

 

I have tomorrow's dinner planned - a braised chicken thigh recipe with cherry tomatoes and a nice pesto. Will post pix if it comes out OK.

 

The tomato crop has been going gangbusters for the past 6 weeks. Even with the varmints getting into my garden and eating a bunch, there are still so many left over for us. So I'm trying to find creative ways to use them. Fresh tomato salad is delicious but variety is key.

 

It's actually time to think about packing for our cruise! Our Ponant cruise around Corsica is scheduled to sail one week from today, if all goes according to plan. We fly out Saturday for Nice. Watching carefully to make sure that France doesn't change their entry requirements at the last minute. And we are still trying to obtain that elusive "passe sanitaire" which is quite a process. I have a plan C or D if it doesn't arrive before we get there.

 

I'm really curious as to how full the ship will be. There were several stateroom categories still available when I last checked. And also, I wonder how many other Anglophones there will be? I suspect very few. My very rusty French may be sorely tested.

 

The big issue is to see if any of our cruising clothes still fit! The dress code seems just a bit more fancy than SS expeditions but not as fancy as SS classic cruises. I see much laundry and breath-holding, with maybe a few popped buttons, in our near future... And maybe a run to the clothing store!

 

 

[Lois R]

Hi Lola, I am pretty technically challenged too so please don't feel like you are in this alone.

 

I got a new phone this week and thankfully the folks in the store helped me.........they transferred all the stuff off my old phone to this one..........and I loved my old one LOL......the only reason I got a new one was because I have Sprint and T Mobil bought them and I was sent a letter telling me before year end I would need a new phone---figured I would get it now and it was FREE.  I keep wondering what is going to happen when I eventually need a new lap top. I will have to through "Geek Squad" which is part of Best Buy and they will have to set it all up. 

 

So, chin up😀 and welcome back.

[mysty]

8 hours ago, jillyf said:

Father’s Day here in lockdown. See  jigsaw in background as lockdown activity!
Our daughters sent this present.  We had it for lunch with a Rockford 

Moppa Springs 2016, a blend of Grenache, Mataro and Shiraz. All delicious. 
After the wine in need of a LLD ( little lie down)!

 

 

 

Very thoughtful gift from your daughters!  Looks divine!  Hope the day was wonderful even with lockdown!

[Lois R]

Hi JP, so your cruise is a week away! You and Chris must be pretty excited😀. What are France's requirements for entering the country? Do you need a negative test?

 

I will have to get a test before sailing out of Lisbon next month. Greece only needed my vaxx card. 

Have to figure out the best way to get a test for the results to be on time for when I fly. I leave on Oct 6th and United's website gives detailed information on testing before flying out. Is the PCR test the one that is more likely to be correct? Or is Antigen good as well?

 

 

[jpalbny]

Lois - at the moment, France is OK with just our proof of vaccination for entry. That could change at any time but right now France does not require a test to enter, if we are vaccinated. That is the same, despite the fact that EU moved US to the amber zone. The change from green to amber does affect unvaccinated travelers from the US, though.

 

However you need the French "passe sanitaire" to get on any form of transportation, or to enter any bars/restaurants, and to do many other things in public. So we can land in France, rent a car, and do our thing - but we can't enter the port to embark on our cruise ship without that pass. That is proving to be a pain so far.

 

There are two ways that you can get the pass. One is to have them convert your CDC vaccine card into a "permanent" pass which doesn't expire. Unfortunately, there is no way to do this in person; you have to submit everything online and hope they decide to process it. Two, you can take a COVID test and if negative, you get a temporary pass which is only good for 72 hours. But you have to take the COVID test in France, of course.

 

I knew about this in advance and applied for the permanent pass 2 weeks ago. Naturally, four days after I applied they completely changed the process, so I had to apply again, which I did on Thursday.

 

Then on Friday we both got an e-mail from them, saying that they have received so many applications and they may not get to all of them. I think, but don't know for sure, that this was in response to our first application. The letter referred us to the instructions for the new application process.

 

So. Gotta love that government bureaucracy! Why not make a law and then not have the foresight or infrastructure to deal with the consequences...sounds very familiar; just like the MO at the place we work!

 

As of now, I've done all that I can do. I'll wait until later next week and see if they get our applications processed. If so, we'd be all set. If then don't, then I have already investigated a plan C. There is a testing facility in the Nice airport where we can get a swab upon arrival. That result should be available in 30 minutes and it will generate a temporary pass for us. If we need another 72h later, we'll get tested on the ship.

 

Of course if we have to gamble with testing upon arrival, I'll do a self-test at home before we leave to make sure that we are negative. Definitely not taking a chance on flying over, testing positive on arrival, and then having to quarantine.

 

As far as the test required to fly home, we can do that on the ship as well. 

 

RE: PCR vs antigen - the target for the two tests is different. The antigen test detects viral products (proteins) and the PCR detects the virus's genetic material (RNA). The PCR is considered more sensitive in that it will pick up a miniscule amount of RNA whereas the antigen test needs more material to be present before it turns positive. But the PCR is a slower test and the antigen test can be done very quickly.

 

However the increased sensitivity of PCR is a mixed blessing. There is a growing consensus that the PCR test is "too sensitive" and will pick up little fragments of viral RNA which aren't infectious. So, the PCR test can remain positive for weeks or longer, long after the active virus has been cleared.

 

This has important implications because people who continue to test positive may be stuck in a hospital, taking up a bed, because they can't be discharged to a nursing home, for example. Or they may not be able to travel, or they may be quarantined for no good reason. As of now, the tests to determine whether or not the viral RNA is infectious or not are NOT widely available as it requires a biosafety level 3 facility. So PCR is the best we have - but it's not a gold standard.

[Lois R]

WOW.....everything is quite complicated! No test needed but you need that pass.....which actually sounds more important!

 

As a Doc (and I consider a friend😀).......would you say the PCR or the Antigen test would be better for me to take? The United website says either one is acceptable for entering Portugal. It actually gives you the dates for both tests and when they should be given.......(no earlier than Oct 3rd or Oct 4th - depending on the test.)

[lincslady]

Thank you all for the kind words - I just needed to get it off my chest!

 

jp, I do hope that you are able to get to your Ponant cruise without lots of difficulties in the way.  I believe it is a pretty 'French'  atmosphere on board, but I am sure you and Chris will be more than  up to coping with the language and dare I say any French snobbery.  I am usually accused of being Belgian when in France; I think it is meant as an insult!

 

Did you find a 'nice' hotel in Nice?  There are certainly lots of ones with character to be found.

 

Bon Voyage,  and regards to all coolers - it is a lovely day here today, for a change, which cheers us all up.😊

 

Lola

 

 

[Reef Knot]

1. A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion.

2. I thought I saw an eye doctor on an Alaskan island, but it turned out to be an optical Aleutian. 
3. She was only a whiskey maker, but he loved her still.
4. A rubber band pistol was confiscated from algebra class because it was a weapon of math disruption.

5. The butcher backed into the meat grinder and got a little behind in his work.

6. No matter how much you push the envelope, it'll still be stationery.

7. A dog gave birth to puppies near the road and was cited for littering.

8. A grenade thrown into a kitchen in France would result in Linoleum Blownapart.

9. Two silk worms had a race. They ended up in a tie.

10. A backward poet writes inverse.

11. When cannibals ate a missionary, they got a taste of religion.

12. Don't join dangerous cults: Practice safe sects.

[jpalbny]

2 hours ago, Lois R said:

WOW.....everything is quite complicated! No test needed but you need that pass.....which actually sounds more important!

 

As a Doc (and I consider a friend😀).......would you say the PCR or the Antigen test would be better for me to take? The United website says either one is acceptable for entering Portugal. It actually gives you the dates for both tests and when they should be given.......(no earlier than Oct 3rd or Oct 4th - depending on the test.)

 

Yes, the passe sanitaire is key to doing anything once you're there.

 

I'm going to test with the antigen test. Faster results and cheaper. Assuming they are equally acceptable, PCR makes less sense to me. JMO.

[Lois R]

12 minutes ago, jpalbny said:

 

Yes, the passe sanitaire is key to doing anything once you're there.

 

I'm going to test with the antigen test. Faster results and cheaper. Assuming they are equally acceptable, PCR makes less sense to me. JMO.

Thanks😀and I can get the Antigen the day before I leave.......or actually the morning of LOL......

My flight leaves here at 4:00pm...........

[mysty]

[TrulyBlonde]

6 hours ago, jpalbny said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm really curious as to how full the ship will be. There were several stateroom categories still available when I last checked. And also, I wonder how many other Anglophones there will be? I suspect very few. My very rusty French may be sorely tested.

 

 

 

 

Here is a little tip about Ponant. We used them for our Antarctica trip. The ship was not full and we boarded early. Our cabin was just their normal type, midship, on deck 5. We received a notice from the butler about upgrades available to larger cabins. We made an offer for both the PH and the Owners suite. We ended up with the Owners suite and were able to negotiate that price with them, also. Very reasonable price and made a huge difference when we were cruising in a washing machine for half of the 14 day cruise. Just an FYI.

[jillyf]

8 hours ago, Lois R said:

Hi Jilly, the steak looks delicious and hope you had a good day😀what was in those jars?

The jars had red wine jus, pepper sauce and horseradish cream. Delicious with the steak. 

[QueSeraSera]

JP - Bonne chance avec votre français parlant & J’espère que vous passerez tous les deux un bon moment sur votre croisière  (cheated a bit with a translator on 2nd part of that).  Lola - changing out a router challenged me in much the same way.

 

I got tired of this song back when, but a friend sent this to me and I wanted to share.  More powerful sung & played by women IMO.  As always, only if you've got the time and inclination...

 

 

 

 

Edited September 6, 2021 by QueSeraSera
grammar

[mysty]

Tres bien Que! 🥰

[mysty]

Que my lad, that video was SPECTACULAR!!!  Thanks so very much for this joy today! 🥰

 

 

 

20 minutes ago, QueSeraSera said:

JP - Bonne chance avec votre français parlant & J’espère que vous passerez tous les deux un bon moment sur votre croisière  (cheated a bit with a translator on 2nd part of that).  Lola - changing out a router challenged me in much the same way.

 

I got tired of this song back when, but a friend sent this to me and I wanted to share.  More powerful sung & played by women IMO.  As always, only if you've got the time and inclination...

 

 

 

 

 

[mysty]

I remember dancing to that song in university!  It's rather long so depending whose arms I was in it was either very exciting or rather painful.   Probably TMI  and like @QueSeraSera I sometimes have 3 glasses of wine. 😁

Edited September 6, 2021 by mysty

[zqtchas]

9 hours ago, Reef Knot said:

1. A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion.

2. I thought I saw an eye doctor on an Alaskan island, but it turned out to be an optical Aleutian. 
3. She was only a whiskey maker, but he loved her still.
4. A rubber band pistol was confiscated from algebra class because it was a weapon of math disruption.

5. The butcher backed into the meat grinder and got a little behind in his work.

6. No matter how much you push the envelope, it'll still be stationery.

7. A dog gave birth to puppies near the road and was cited for littering.

8. A grenade thrown into a kitchen in France would result in Linoleum Blownapart.

9. Two silk worms had a race. They ended up in a tie.

10. A backward poet writes inverse.

11. When cannibals ate a missionary, they got a taste of religion.

12. Don't join dangerous cults: Practice safe sects.

You moved to Tunisia now?

[zqtchas]

5 hours ago, mysty said:

Yeah,  the 2 pics look a lot alike!

[QueSeraSera]

9 minutes ago, mysty said:

 I sometimes have 3 glasses of wine. 😁

Guilty as charged!  We went to an outdoor concert in nearby Hopewell this evening, we really enjoyed it but...My night to cook - its late, trying to make roasties again but have a question for @Davywavy or is it @davywavy86 but let me change my question to where the heck are you Silversea DW?

 

4 minutes ago, zqtchas said:

You moved to Tunisia now?

One side of Africa to the other!  Your posts are always of interest, so its just that interest that makes me wonder too

[Will Work for Tiramisu]

Well, since we're posting women playing classic rock songs, one of  my favorites is two women (The Monalisa Twins) who play their instruments MOST competently, and cover a lot of Beatle songs, as well as other stuff.  Well worth a watch.  This is them doing "Baby You Can Drive My Car", by the Mop Top 4.  Well worth a look.  

 

Mr Tiramisu

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKRle7mgadk

 

[QueSeraSera]

5 minutes ago, Will Work for Tiramisu said:

(The Monalisa Twins)

Like it, thnx!

 

[jpalbny]

1 hour ago, QueSeraSera said:

let me change my question to where the heck are you Silversea DW?

 

It's @Daveywavey70 you're looking for, but from what I've heard, he's given up on CC entirely. Miss the chap very much and hope he changes his mind.