Silversea Water Cooler: Welcome! Part Five

[rosepark]

On ‎7‎/‎16‎/‎2019 at 4:52 PM, mysty said:

Gorgeous couple!  🙂  And you add spiff to the background!

I thought you said they added a spliff to the background. How could you tell from the photo, I thought? Then I read it again....D'oh.

Rp

[TLCOhio]

22 hours ago, spinnaker2 said:

Wonderful posts Terry, glad to hear that you made it safely! Scrumptious food pics JP.  I have been to Calgary several times for depositions when I was still working.

Lovely town, but for a Floridian, twas cold!

 

Appreciate this nice follow-up from Spins/Candy.  Yes, for J.P., I can give a very positive reports from our dinner last night at the historic Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel.  Need evidence and photo proof?  Also, your tip for rising Bow Falls was wonderful.  Amazing location and hotel area. 

 

After only just a day and a half in Canada, it is nice to share about the wonderfully warm people here!!   Going to Lake Louise today for lunch and then to Jasper National Park on Friday.  Much more cool and comfortable here than tomorrow will be in Columbus when the temperatures will hit a high of 95F with a “real feel” of 107F!! 

 

Weather is continuing to look great for our rail trip starting Sunday  through the Rockies from Jasper to Vancouver.  Plus, for the time there in that cosmopolitan, western Canada city, it will be wonderful before starting our cruise up to Alaska next Thursday on July 25.  A few rain drops and cloudy skies at times yesterday afternoon.   

 

Nice dinner last night with a window table in the historic and scenic Banff Springs Hotel.  We were dining and able to looked out to enjoy the mountains, changing weather, a rainbow, etc., that are shown below. 

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise from Copenhagen, July 2010, to the top of Europe. Wonderful scenic visuals with key tips. Live/blog at 236,449 views.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

 

Calgary: Nice blend of old and new architecture, clean and nice city, had a wonderful personal tour and incredible dinner at the home of local couple (Carol and Mark), etc.::

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger/better!)

 

 

Here is a sampling from at Banff National Park yesterday, enjoying dinner at the classic Banff Springs Hotel, lots of mountain drama, rainbow thanks to scattered rain, etc.  You can see our view from looking out through our window table.  The Bouillabaisse is shown below.  Very good!  Like seafood.  Also shown is the Vermillon Room kitchen, an interior room at this historic hotel, etc.:

 

 

 

 

 

[jpalbny]

Nice, Terry! If you have time, and the weather is nice, walk to the far end of Lake Louise for the iconic view of the chateau reflected into the lake. It's stunning! Just to refresh your memory:

 

[mysty]

Greetings Coolers!

 

Today's funny.....

 

 

Have a great day all!

[Lois R]

Good morning, Terry, beautiful photos

 

[TLCOhio]

22 hours ago, jpalbny said:

Nice, Terry! If you have time, and the weather is nice, walk to the far end of Lake Louise for the iconic view of the chateau reflected into the lake. It's stunning!

 

Appreciate Lois' kind "Good morning, Terry, beautiful photos"!!  Yes, we super loved Lake Louise, but very busy and a little crowded with a very international crowd of visitors.

 

JP's excellent suggestions have been wonderful.  The weather was a little too mixed yesterday to do that walk down to the far end of Lake Louise.  BUT, nearly Moraine Lake was so spectacular and we were able to walk a good distance down the edge of that blue lake with such spectacular views, scenic sampling, great pine smells, etc., etc.  Below are just a few visual highlights.  

 

Seeing the nearby snow-covered mountains in the later part of July was wonderful.  This is especially true given the huge heatwave hitting Ohio and parts of the main U.S.A. now.  Cool in the refreshing 50’s yesterday.  Off to Jasper and the Icefields today.  

 

A Chateau Lake Louise hotel has been at this amazing location for over 125 years.  It is named for Princess Louise Caroline Alberta,  the fourth daughter of Queen Victoria, and wife of the Governor General of Canada from 1878 to 1883. 

 

Moraine Lake is situated in the Valley of the Ten Peaks of Banff National Park, at an elevation of approximately 6,183 feet with  a surface area of 120 acres.  Wonderful blue waters and sights, plus being away from the crowds at Lake Louise.  

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

SE Asia/Mekong River, Etc.!  Live/blog from early 2018, first adventure through SE Asia, stops in Hong Kong and Bangkok, before exploring all over Vietnam and Cambodia, seven days sailing on the Mekong River. Now at 48,348 views.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2591474

 

At Lake Louise, here is the breath-taking view of these blue waters, plus the dramatic mountains, the snow in the distance, etc.  Then we had “Afternoon Tea” with excellent views of the scenic action.  Very international crowd here at famed Lake Louise as we also dodged some rain and cloudy conditions.:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger/better!)

 

 

 

At nearby Moraine Lake, the crowds were much less and the views very dramatic as we walked around this fascinating body of water.  One couple is shown with their set up for having a wonderful viewing location while a nice wild flower is also shown below.  No wildlife, however, so far.:

 

 

 

Back at Banff, here was the dinner view of a dramatic mountain in this park receiving a nice sunshine treatment.  Had wild boar from nearby Calgary as my evening meal.:

[mysty]

Greetings Coolers!

 

Today's funny.....

 

 

Have a great day all!

[mysty]

Greetings Coolers!

 

Today's funny.....

 

 

Have a great day all!

[mysty]

Greetings Coolers!

 

Today's funny.....

 

 

Have a great day all!

[jpalbny]

We survived the heat wave. Spent some time in the pool and sipped lots of G&T, but tough times call for such measures! 

 

Made pizza on the grill yesterday. A Margherita (modified, with arugula too), and one with sausage and mushrooms. Here's one.

 

 

I like to put the fresh basil on after cooking. Otherwise it looks less appetizing. And it was super fresh - I had cut it from the garden just a few minutes before. 

 

 

In two weeks we board Silver Cloud! The weather in Iceland looks fairly cool. Highs 57-58F, so it should be a nice respite from this heat wave. Can't wait to see our old favorite Cloud decked out as an expedition ship! 

Edited July 22, 2019 by jpalbny

[Lois R]

That pizza looks delicious😁😁😁

[Stumblefoot]

8 hours ago, jpalbny said:

The weather in Iceland looks fairly cool. Highs 57-58F, so it should be a nice respite...

Brrr... I'm only interested in those temps this summer if I'm sitting around a roaring campfire. 😉

[jpalbny]

Stumbles, just wait for the Antarctic summer!

[Lois R]

Hi friends, going to the Dr tomorrow.....not sure if I pulled a muscle or if it something else but I have been in back pain since the middle of last week....figured after almost a week I should have it checked....right now I have a heating pad on it.....I don't like having to take so much Ibruprophen (sp)……..but I am hoping it is just a muscle and not something from the inside (if that makes sense). I was ok part of the weekend and thought it was better this morning but by the time I went to lunch, I was in pain again.

 

[Stumblefoot]

1 hour ago, jpalbny said:

Stumbles, just wait for the Antarctic summer!

I know, but it'll be okay because it'll feel like our winter.  😄😄😄

[JohnGinPBG]

4 hours ago, Lois R said:

not sure if I pulled a muscle or if it something else but I have been in back pain since the middle of last week

 

Sorry about your pain, Lois. I get back pain about once a year for a month or so and it's always just a strained muscle. I used to use a heating pad but have since learned that an ice pack is much more effective for my pain. You might give it a try. Good luck and feel better.

[mysty]

Greetings Coolers!

 

Today's funny.....

 

 

Have a great day all!

[jpalbny]

Cute funny, M!

 

Lois, I hope you feel better soon. Hate it when you just can't get comfortable.

[TLCOhio]

2 hours ago, jpalbny said:

Cute funny, M!   Lois, I hope you feel better soon. Hate it when you just can't get comfortable.

 

YES, cute funnies from M.  Loving the wonderful people and sights in her Canada.  Best to Lois.  Now in Vancouver, completing our two-day Rocky Mountaineer rail adventure.  Amazing locations, service, food, experiences in western Canada, etc., etc.  Have so many wonderful visuals to share, but will save most of them for the live/blog after we board the Silver Muse on Thursday, July 25 as we sail northbound from Vancouver to Alaska.  

 

Super, perfect weather for the past three days after having some rain and low clouds on Friday as we drove from Banff to Jasper within those two amazing Canada National Parks.  Saturday, with better weather, we came back to the Icefields to explore the glacier, etc.

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise from Copenhagen, July 2010, to the top of Europe. Wonderful scenic visuals with key tips. Live/blog at 236,515 views.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

 

Between Banff and Jasper, we visited the Icefields and walked on a glacier.  Amazing experience!!  Took a huge vehicle to get up there and across the glacier.  Such a wide range of nationalities there from all over the world.  Took a chance to show off our USA flag there as if we were exploring the moon??!!:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger/better!)

 

 

 

Nearby to the glacier was this Skywalk that hung 900' above the huge valley.  Second is one of the amazing waterfalls we experienced roaring with massive power and scenic character.:

 

 

Did we see any wildlife?  Yes!!  Here was a bear enjoying some tasty berries near the roadside along our route to Jasper.  Earlier we had seen a mother bear and her cub crossing the roadway.  Fun and cute!!  Don't worry, I was not too close.  Just used my long camera lens to get unclose for this visual.:

[mysty]

Greetings Coolers!

 

Today's funny.....

 

 

Have a great day all!

[mysty]

Greetings Coolers!

 

Today's funny.....

 

 

Have a great day all!

[TLCOhio]

Getting ready, early afternoon, to board our Silver Muse ship and depart Vancouver for our first visit up, UP to Alaska.  So many great visuals to share from the two-day Rocky Mountaineer rail adventure from Jasper to this scenic and cosmopolitan coastal city.  Had wonderful connections and tours from locals Frances and Lauren/Clayton during two of our enjoyable days in Vancouver. 

 

Understand why Vancouver is so loved and visited.  Totally enjoyed the charm and hospitality from those from Canada.    

 

More later on the full live/blog to start in a couple of days.  

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

AFRICA?!!?: Fun, interesting visuals, plus travel details from this early 2016 live/blog. At 46,396 views. Featuring Cape Town, South Africa’s coast, Mozambique, Victoria Falls/Zambia and Botswana's famed Okavango Delta.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2310337

 

From riding the Rocky Mountaineer rail for two full days with super first-class food, sights and experiences through the Rocky Mountains, here are just three samples.  The third picture is of Mount Robson, Canada's tallest peak in the Rockies.  It is 9,760 feet to its summit.  We had great weather on this rail trip.  As an example, this mountain can only be seen clearly total about twelve days a year.  Fortunately, we hit one of those magic visibility days!!:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger/better!)

 

 

 

Here is only a tiny sampling for the many exciting options and sights in Vancouver with its mountains, coastal views, great food and excellent Canadian hospitality.  This includes visiting charming and fun Granville Island, plus Stanley Park, Gastown, etc.  Do any of these Vancouver visuals bring back memories?  Like the strange look of this one new building across from Granville Island that uniquely curves up at this higher floors?: 

 

 

 

[TLCOhio]

From the AFP newswire this morning, they had this headline: “Record 42.6C in Paris as Europe heatwave hits blistering peak” with these highlights: “Paris on Thursday baked in an all-time high temperature over 42 degrees Celsius as a ferocious heatwave smashed records across northern Europe, sparking concerns about public health and new misery for rail travellers.  Records also tumbled in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany while Paris saw its highest ever temperature of 42.6 degrees Celsius (108.7 Fahrenheit), beating the previous top of 40.4C (104.7F) set in July 1947.  Trains have been slowed in several European countries to avoid damage to the railway networks.”

 

WOW!!  Glad we have been enjoying cool and comfortable weather in Canada.  We might get a little rain in Alaska, but it will not be that baking, super hot weather that hit the U.S. late last week and/or affecting Europe now. 

 

Full story at:

https://news.yahoo.com/europes-record-setting-heatwave-spike-even-higher-032037783.html

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Sydney to NZ/Auckland Adventure, live/blog 2014 sampling/details with many exciting visuals and key highlights.  On page 23, post #571, see a complete index for all of the pictures, postings.  Now at 223,354 views.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

[mysty]

Greetings Coolers!

 

Today we have a moose perspective.....

 

 

Have a great day all!

[jpalbny]

Nice pic, M. They are truly huge. We met a few walking down the street in Denali. Massive!

 

Happy weekend all!