Azamara Cruisers - How are things where YOU are

[nordski]

46 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

Not Three Pines – the Sûreté and Quebec government in general.

In some ways this makes Penny one of our most American of authors, the belief in the incorruptibility of heroic individuals in the face of institutional decay and the healing power of an Arcadian ideal.

 

But none of this matters as much as my complete failure to understand how you implement accents on this website. Is it just a matter of setting up the keyboard on my iPhone to do so?

 

It’s a huge frustration to me.

[Host Jazzbeau]

9 minutes ago, nordski said:

But none of this matters as much as my complete failure to understand how you implement accents on this website. Is it just a matter of setting up the keyboard on my iPhone to do so?

 

It’s a huge frustration to me.

There are two ways.  (1) On a Mac [sorry, I don't do Windows...] I use the 'Show Emoji & Symbols' drop-down menu to get the full ASCII+ list of diacritics [with those that I use frequently automatically listed in the 'Frequently used' submenu; (2) in this case, since I wasn't sure of the proper accents for Surete, I just googled the word and copy/pasted it back into the post.

[nordski]

7 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

There are two ways.  (1) On a Mac [sorry, I don't do Windows...] I use the 'Show Emoji & Symbols' drop-down menu to get the full ASCII+ list of diacritics [with those that I use frequently automatically listed in the 'Frequently used' submenu; (2) in this case, since I wasn't sure of the proper accents for Surete, I just googled the word and copy/pasted it back into the post.

Thanks!

 

It was Sûreté that impressed me!

[Host Jazzbeau]

1 minute ago, nordski said:

Thanks!

 

It was Sûreté that impressed me!

I try to be correct in any foreign language post or emails, although I notice that my correspondents in Portugal and Spain don't bother as much as I do.  I think the internet may be the death of diacritics [except in France and Quebec where they will defend la belle française to their dying breath – which I view as a good thing, even though it is a hassle for us non-francophones]

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I'm a big fan of Donna Leon.  I also have enjoyed Louise Penny, but I too found all of the machinations of the police forces in La Belle Province got to me after a while.  Perhaps the author's tone will change now--she has had some severe personal issues over the years.  Her husband had dementia and he died several years ago. Perhaps new books will brighten up a bit.

 

But the rest of that list above I'll have to delve into!  Right now I'm discovering and enjoying Jeffrey Siger, who writes police procedurals set in Greece.  As with Penny, lots of machinations about the police forces, church, and government, with heavy emphasis on the Greek character.  Mostly set in different Greek islands, so it helps in our post-travel era.

[nordski]

1 hour ago, Wendy The Wanderer said:

I'm a big fan of Donna Leon.  I also have enjoyed Louise Penny, but I too found all of the machinations of the police forces in La Belle Province got to me after a while.  Perhaps the author's tone will change now--she has had some severe personal issues over the years.  Her husband had dementia and he died several years ago. Perhaps new books will brighten up a bit.

 

But the rest of that list above I'll have to delve into!  Right now I'm discovering and enjoying Jeffrey Siger, who writes police procedurals set in Greece.  As with Penny, lots of machinations about the police forces, church, and government, with heavy emphasis on the Greek character.  Mostly set in different Greek islands, so it helps in our post-travel era.

Certainly Penny’s life has had many twists and turns.
 

Thanks for the reference to Jeffrey Siger. I will take a look at his offerings.

[islington]

16 hours ago, nordski said:

In some ways this makes Penny one of our most American of authors, the belief in the incorruptibility of heroic individuals in the face of institutional decay and the healing power of an Arcadian ideal.

 

But none of this matters as much as my complete failure to understand how you implement accents on this website. Is it just a matter of setting up the keyboard on my iPhone to do so?

 

It’s a huge frustration to me.

On an iPhone or iPad you simply hold your finger on the letter that has the accent and all the variation appear above, just tap the one you want e.g. óòôöõōøœº all done holding down the O

Jenni

[nordski]

40 minutes ago, islington said:

On an iPhone or iPad you simply hold your finger on the letter that has the accent and all the variation appear above, just tap the one you want e.g. óòôöõōøœº all done holding down the O

Jenni

 
Thanks for that suggestion. I’ve tried that method and it works!
 

It may be simple but it does reveal that my eyesight is less acute and my fingers less nimble than I want them to be. Or that the designers at Apple expect. 😄

 

Much appreciated!

Edited February 18, 2021 by nordski

[Host Jazzbeau]

7 minutes ago, nordski said:

It may be simple but it does reveal that my eyesight is less acute and my fingers less nimble than I want them to be. Or that the designers at Apple expect. 😄

Just as all the hiking trails on the East Coast were laid out by young, fit Harvard students – all electronic devices are designed by young, fit engineers.  No rest for the weary [including me!] with short legs, balky knees, and stubby fingers!

[nordski]

2 hours ago, Wendy The Wanderer said:

I'm a big fan of Donna Leon.  I also have enjoyed Louise Penny, but I too found all of the machinations of the police forces in La Belle Province got to me after a while.  Perhaps the author's tone will change now--she has had some severe personal issues over the years.  Her husband had dementia and he died several years ago. Perhaps new books will brighten up a bit.

 

But the rest of that list above I'll have to delve into!  Right now I'm discovering and enjoying Jeffrey Siger, who writes police procedurals set in Greece.  As with Penny, lots of machinations about the police forces, church, and government, with heavy emphasis on the Greek character.  Mostly set in different Greek islands, so it helps in our post-travel era.

To return this thread to the actual topic (and my apologies for diverting it) I wonder if you are another Torontonian eyeing moving to a smaller nearby city/town.

 

The pandemic is causing housing prices in this town to approach ludicrous levels with city-dwellers engaging in bidding wars that might have made sense in the GTA.

 

Three concerns:

 

1/ Will there be buyer’s remorse when experiencing the reality of life in these exurbs?

 

2/ Will employers continue to think it is fine to work primarily from home.

 

3/It appears that, as this pandemic resolves, governments may have to think much more seriously about affordable housing policies. For young people, the old approach of “drive until you qualify” (for a mortgage) is not going to be easily applied.

 

The present crisis will continue to throw up major challenges in our lives.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

23 minutes ago, nordski said:

The present crisis will continue to throw up major challenges in our lives.

Doesn't it just?  My opinion is that the flight from big cities will be gradual, and may reverse if we truly "get through" this crisis. People en masse have short memories.

 

Those right now who are looking to do this are, I'm guessing, mostly millennials with young families.  They have to be "knowledge workers"--i.e., they have to be able to work from home, with the occasional commute into town.  Or they could be professionals who can find employment in smaller centres.  But that leaves out many.

 

Orangeville has changed so much over the decades since I spent summers there in the 50's--looks like it will change some more, since it's ideally situated for the above scenarios.  As is Oshawa perhaps.  Hamilton's already been through this once, and Kitchener/Waterloo are already their own centres I guess, and Barrie.  So we'll see.

 

Starlink, Elon Musk's new satellites that are beginning to provide quality broadband to rural areas, could change everything.

[norn iron]

18 hours ago, nordski said:

In some ways this makes Penny one of our most American of authors, the belief in the incorruptibility of heroic individuals in the face of institutional decay and the healing power of an Arcadian ideal.

 

But none of this matters as much as my complete failure to understand how you implement accents on this website. Is it just a matter of setting up the keyboard on my iPhone to do so?

 

It’s a huge frustration to me.

 

18 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

There are two ways.  (1) On a Mac [sorry, I don't do Windows...] I use the 'Show Emoji & Symbols' drop-down menu to get the full ASCII+ list of diacritics [with those that I use frequently automatically listed in the 'Frequently used' submenu; (2) in this case, since I wasn't sure of the proper accents for Surete, I just googled the word and copy/pasted it back into the post.

 

Host Jazzbeau and I have a lot in common, a love of gin and fever tree (he's buying me a Silent Pool when we meet!), Mac's and not doing Windows!!

 

The easiest method for accents etc on any iOS device (I've just double checked iPhone iPad and Mac) is to simply hold down the key and a small pop up appears with all of the available options for that letter then scroll across to the accent you want and touch it with the curser, or hold and slide your finger across on the mobile device and let go, hey presto, job done. 

 

Here is a selection ã ç ë ì ł ñ ô p

 

 

 

 

 

 

[nordski]

19 minutes ago, norn iron said:

 

 

Host Jazzbeau and I have a lot in common, a love of gin and fever tree (he's buying me a Silent Pool when we meet!), Mac's and not doing Windows!!

 

The easiest method for accents etc on any iOS device (I've just double checked iPhone iPad and Mac) is to simply hold down the key and a small pop up appears with all of the available options for that letter then scroll across to the accent you want and touch it with the curser, or hold and slide your finger across on the mobile device and let go, hey presto, job done. 

 

Here is a selection ã ç ë ì ł ñ ô p

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m going to keep giving this method a go, although it is a clumsy effort in my part.

 
On our British cruise three years ago, having received advice from some of the British posters on this forum , I achieved two  goals.

 

I ate a bacon butty, and drank a glass of Silent Pool with Fever Tree tonic.

 

The bacon butty was very good! 

[norn iron]

1 minute ago, nordski said:

I’m going to keep giving this method a go, although it is a clumsy effort in my part.

 
On our British cruise three years ago, having received advice from some of the British posters on this forum , I achieved two  goals.

 

I ate a bacon butty, and drank a glass of Silent Pool with Fever Tree tonic.

 

The bacon butty was very good! 

What about the Silent Tree and Fever Tree?

[nordski]

2 minutes ago, norn iron said:

What about the Silent Tree and Fever Tree?

Sometimes silence is the best policy. 😄

 

I readily admit I am not a serious connoisseur of spirits nor, even though I was raised on a vineyard, of wine.

 

And I think I might be unduly influenced by Hogarth’s Gin Lane and the phrase “Mother’s Ruin”.

 

So unfortunately, and unfairly, I approach gin from the aesthetic of someone still living in England in the Eighteenth Century. Silent Pool never really had a chance.

 

It’s the same problem when I tackle my iPhone. 😄

 

 

[norn iron]

20 minutes ago, nordski said:

Sometimes silence is the best policy. 😄

 

I readily admit I am not a serious connoisseur of spirits nor, even though I was raised on a vineyard, of wine.

 

And I think I might be unduly influenced by Hogarth’s Gin Lane and the phrase “Mother’s Ruin”.

 

So unfortunately, and unfairly, I approach gin from the aesthetic of someone still living in England in the Eighteenth Century. Silent Pool never really had a chance.

 

It’s the same problem when I tackle my iPhone. 😄

 

 

 

Alas Gin is not for everyone.

It's a genuine case of one mans gin being another's poison.

 

We are really lucky, there are presently over 60 craft gins being produced across the whole of Ireland, so we are working our way through them gradually! Wish me luck. 

[nordski]

17 minutes ago, norn iron said:

 

Alas Gin is not for everyone.

It's a genuine case of one mans gin being another's poison.

 

We are really lucky, there are presently over 60 craft gins being produced across the whole of Ireland, so we are working our way through them gradually! Wish me luck. 

 

Absolutely!

 

I have the advantage of not knowing what I am missing. Didn’t the Queen Mother enjoy a G&T every afternoon?

 

If we ever meet on board I’ll be certain to buy you one.
 

 

[norn iron]

34 minutes ago, nordski said:

 

Absolutely!

 

I have the advantage of not knowing what I am missing. Didn’t the Queen Mother enjoy a G&T every afternoon?

 

If we ever meet on board I’ll be certain to buy you one.
 

 

 

I think the Queen Mother was very partial to a G&T, and Princess Margaret probably even more so 🙈

 

Lets hope we meet onboard soon, alongside Host Jazzbeau and I'll be well sorted for G&T's

[Host Jazzbeau]

Another interest I may [assumed] share with @norn iron is Belleek pottery.  My wife being 100% Irish always knew of Belleek and her family may have had one or two pieces.  When we were at Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada we saw a complete Belleek tea set (only first green mark, but still clearly hand decorated by real artists and much more affordable for not being the even earlier black mark) – amazingly thin yet strong, and beautifully decorated.  I don't remember what the Canadian Dollar was trading at the time, but it is usually lower than USD – anyway, we snapped it up.  And that led to the development of a nice collection of black mark pieces (generally one per pattern, to keep costs down).  It is also great insurance on entering an antique shop:  instead of saying 'just browsing,' we say 'do you have any black mark Belleek?'  The answer is almost always 'No,' but then we are free to browse as bona fide customers.

 

Sadly we only got as close to 'Norn Iron' as Croagh Patrick on our Ireland land trip, and just Belfast and the Giant's Causeway on our Viking British Isles cruise – and it doesn't look like there is a suitable port to offer a shore excursion to Belleek to see the visitor centre and works.

[norn iron]

16 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

Another interest I may [assumed] share with @norn iron is Belleek pottery.  My wife being 100% Irish always knew of Belleek and her family may have had one or two pieces.  When we were at Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada we saw a complete Belleek tea set (only first green mark, but still clearly hand decorated by real artists and much more affordable for not being the even earlier black mark) – amazingly thin yet strong, and beautifully decorated.  I don't remember what the Canadian Dollar was trading at the time, but it is usually lower than USD – anyway, we snapped it up.  And that led to the development of a nice collection of black mark pieces (generally one per pattern, to keep costs down).  It is also great insurance on entering an antique shop:  instead of saying 'just browsing,' we say 'do you have any black mark Belleek?'  The answer is almost always 'No,' but then we are free to browse as bona fide customers.

 

Sadly we only got as close to 'Norn Iron' as Croagh Patrick on our Ireland land trip, and just Belfast and the Giant's Causeway on our Viking British Isles cruise – and it doesn't look like there is a suitable port to offer a shore excursion to Belleek to see the visitor centre and works.

This where we may have to agree to differ, Belleek does absolutely nothing for me whatsoever.

It is produced in the most picturesque village, however that is a far it goes. 

I do like the idea of asking for the black mark Belleek as a delaying tactic.

 

I do agree with you about the limitations of tours when cruise ships come into Belfast. There is museum in Co Tyrone that Americans would love, and yet it is never on the itineraries.

It is called the Ulster American Folk Park and was originally funded by the Mellon family who hail from that area. It tells the story of immigration as the first part is based in Ireland around 1830, as you journey through the museum you board a life replica ship of what sailed the Atlantic (horrific conditions) and as you leave  the ship you are in the USA as immigrants found it when they arrived.

I took an elderly aunt from Minneapolis many years ago and she was speechless.

 

Getting back to Belleek, you do have a chance to visit. Azamara Quest leaves Dublin on August 28th doing an Ireland intensive, one of the stops is a fishing village in Donegal called Killybegs which is only 35 miles from Belleek. 

 

 

 

 

[MNgardens]

One year ago today my daughter became symptomatic with Covid, most likely from a tourist visiting where she lives. Fortunately she works outdoors and her coworkers did not catch it from her. Less fortunately is that she is now a long term Covid patient. Her lungs are functioning at 40% and they hurt every day.

She was24 at the time.

 

Please encourage all travelers and family members to take the vaccination. This virus causes such random damage.

 

Stay safe.

[Mackdogmolly]

1 hour ago, MNgardens said:

One year ago today my daughter became symptomatic with Covid, most likely from a tourist visiting where she lives. Fortunately she works outdoors and her coworkers did not catch it from her. Less fortunately is that she is now a long term Covid patient. Her lungs are functioning at 40% and they hurt every day.

She was24 at the time.

 

Please encourage all travelers and family members to take the vaccination. This virus causes such random damage.

 

Stay safe.

Our daughter is a long hauler too. She likely contracted it in February,2020.. At that time she thought it was the flu, and practically no one was being tested for COVID. It wasn’t until at least a month later that she was tested (positive). It’s been a very long year for her. Extreme fatigue, cardiac issues, etc. She can no longer even smell onions or garlic without severe nausea. She was 42. She will be getting her first vaccine on 3/24. I’m getting my second on 3/19 and my spouse is now fully vaccinated. I hope everyone who can, will do the same.

Betsey

 

 

[MNgardens]

Betsey, I am really sorry to hear that. This virus is just devastating.  Can I ask if she is being treated at a post covid center or through traditional channels? My daughter lives in a medically under served area of the country. There are no pulmonologists or cardiologists.  We are hoping we can get her into the Mayo because it is not too far from us.

 

She had her first dose of Pfizer a few days ago. She was a little tired and her arm was sore but no big reaction. Fingers crossed the second dose doesn't kick up a strong reaction like I read about some survivors having.

[Tom47]

Betsey and MNG, I am so sorry to read about your daughters.  Two of my 3 grandchildren have Cystic Fibrosis, a genetic disease of the lungs and digestive system.  One of them' has a  lung function  at 60% and went as low as 40% at 1 point.  She may well need a lung transplant in the future.  Doctors have told my daughter that if her lung function falls to 30% and they can't  bring it back, she will need a lung transplant.  DW and I are organ donors.  You can do this on your driver's license in most US states.  I urge you to do the same.

DW and I have rec'd 1st  shots.

[MNgardens]

Tom47, my heart aches for your family. CF is tough! Once you have your second shot will you be able to start visiting with them again? Or perhaps you have been in a bubble with them?

 

I have organ donor on my DL. I feel very strongly about that.

 

To the readers in the UK:  Do you have a similar system where it is easy to indicate your wishes regarding organ donation on your driving license?