Jim_Iain Apex Key West, TansAtlantic and British Isle with a Week in Amsterdam

[hcat]

23 minutes ago, REEtired said:

Breast cancer survivor here as well. Certainly understand the emotions. Mine recurred in 2018 and still under treatment and surviving. Attitude is everything!  

Keep Up the Fight!  

bless you....

[hcat]

6 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

Time to head back to ship. 
 

 

 

 

 

all Amazing photos..what  treat for your cc fans!

Edited May 5, 2023 by hcat

[LisaLeone]

2 hours ago, larry_s_taco said:

What are the hats all about?

 

They look like hats from Harry Potter, perhaps the the sorting hat?

[Jim_Iain]

10 hours ago, OysterD said:

Sorry to hear it took you half a day to book train tickets but looks like you had a great day anyway 🙂

 

https://www.thetrainline.com/

 

I normally use this for train tickets here in the UK, they also sell tickets for continental European trains. 

 

Thanks.. Thanks.... I have that jotted down.      A portion of life so far from my mind these days -  I worked in Software and was in charge of User Experience and Usability.    I worked for a Swedish Software Company  -   First of all in the Code the coders would offend comment in SwingLish.

 

My worst embarrassment was when working with a client and a Y/N box would work --- Ohh.. that's an Undocumented Feature (what we used for a bug) --   you need to put in J    for Ja of course.

[Jim_Iain]

10 hours ago, hcat said:

to clarify(  more hearsay ), the TA did not tell my friends they had to but that she..the TA coudd not do it on EDGE..I think she was not an EDGE fan. Friends booked Solstice!

.

Ahh.. at least on Apex only one MDR has the ability.   I will ask our MD tonight.

[Jim_Iain]

I'm going to go completely off topic in a personal message to a special person who I hope is still reading my Blog...

 

Happy Birthday Mom  -     I really miss you Granny and Pa, Uncle Al and Harris and you.   You will always be sitting on my shoulder as my special Angel.

 

[Jim_Iain]

5 hours ago, LisaLeone said:

They look like hats from Harry Potter, perhaps the the sorting hat?

 

I love to see things like that..   I wonder who crocheted the figures.   Some were in the Castle and some in Town. 

[Jim_Iain]

14 hours ago, terrydtx said:

That seems to be far more complicated than booking the trains in Italy that we did last year.

 

Afterwards I said to Iain we could have just bought our tickets at the Kiosk or agent.   All the agents had no customers at the windows or 1 at most.

[hawkesbaynz]

Glad you had a good day from Southampton. DW sent a photo of the Apex as she went into town for an opticians appointment. Windsor was quite an adventurous day out from Southampton! 
 

Apparently 12% of people still use the ticket office. You can actually use the UBER app to book train tickets. Have just set up a link to my BA Avios account so I can earn points with it. 
 

Cruise Critic sent me an email yesterday with an article on What to do in Southampton. A few I was unaware. 
 

PS Love the photo. You have not changed😀

Edited May 5, 2023 by hawkesbaynz

[upwarduk]

3 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

Afterwards I said to Iain we could have just bought our tickets at the Kiosk or agent.   All the

BUT, you never know how long the queue will be.😱

[KellyCz]

19 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

Doors of Windsor 

 

@Jim_Iain I'm loving all the door photos! This one in particular caught my eye.

[Jim_Iain]

5 hours ago, hawkesbaynz said:

Glad you had a good day from Southampton. DW sent a photo of the Apex as she went into town for an opticians appointment. Windsor was quite an adventurous day out from Southampton! 
 

Apparently 12% of people still use the ticket office. You can actually use the UBER app to book train tickets. Have just set up a link to my BA Avios account so I can earn points with it. 
 

Cruise Critic sent me an email yesterday with an article on What to do in Southampton. A few I was unaware. 
 

PS Love the photo. You have not changed😀

 

Thanks you ever so much..     It's incredible what you can do on Uber.  I never knew about booking Train tickets.  

 

Another service that popped up in Lyft in our home areas is they have home car service.   I saw one of their trucks and googled on it.   You can schedule regular maintenance, oil Changes etc.

 

Iain both being a Scot and also using Public Transit 99% of the time when up at his Flat in SF is very comfortable with Public Transit.    Google Maps also usually very reliable.   They show real time information, delays and what track your train arrives and next one departs from   I comment on how efficient the rail system was as, of course we virtually have nothing like in in America.

 

The only stop I was a little concerned about was tight connection at Slough to Windsor.    When we arrived our next train was waiting for us on the adjacent track.   I really laughed when I learned in was only a 7 minute trip and runs every 15 minutes. 

 

 

[Jim_Iain]

2 minutes ago, KellyCz said:

@Jim_Iain I'm loving all the door photos! This one in particular caught my eye.

 

I'm addicted to doors --- Like you some just speak to me and catch my eye.   Where we live in a pristine Townhouse Community all 250 unites have the exact same door.    As President I lightened up the Community Restrictions to allow  One decorative  Item like a wreath and a door knocker.   LOL

[Jim_Iain]

3 hours ago, upwarduk said:

BUT, you never know how long the queue will be.😱

 

That is so true.... I was surprised that there was zero lines at either Southampton or Windsor.

 

The First Train we were on was a Great Western to Waterloo Station with a stop at Southampton Airport.    It was a popular route and was a 10 Car train and the platform was packed.   I thought we might be left standing but there were a few seats left open.

 

On our last train from Redding we were happy to learn we were on Cross Country 

High Speed  Train

 

Beautiful with snacks and coffee offered

 

 

 

Edited May 5, 2023 by Jim_Iain

[Jim_Iain]

Our last loss of an hour last night and a late night has taken a toll.   For us we ate 9 hours forward of home. 
 

Of course after a long crossing everyone is asking what day it is. 
 

[Jim_Iain]

Got back from dinner to find a nice gift. 
 

[Jim_Iain]

We had a 9:30 meeting time for our Ships Excursion - Honfleur on your own.  

 

What a wonderful day.   The reports were light rain all day so we were a little concerned.   Instead we had 68F temps and mostly sun with some big puffy clouds.    Around 12:30 while sitting in a garden we had a light shower that lasted 10 minutes...    We were to meet our bus at 1:00 and started seeing some big black clouds and Thunder so wasted no time getting back to the bus.    Just as as the last 4 stragglers arrived -  don't you hate those that make everyone wait 10-15 minutes for them the rain came down pretty hard.   Ever patient (yea right) Iain said in all honesty the guide should have not give the wiggle room.   She said we will meet back here at 1PM and will depart at 1:15.   
 

 

 

 

The bus parked just outside of the small town and was only about 1/4 mile into town -

 

 

Edited May 5, 2023 by Jim_Iain

[Jim_Iain]

Honfleur is a city in the department of Calvados, in northern France's Normandy region. It's on the estuary where the Seine river meets the English Channel. The Vieux-Bassin (old harbor), lined with 16th- to 18th-century townhouses, has been a subject for artists including Claude Monet and native son Eugène Boudin. Nearby is 15th-century St. Catherine's Church, a vaulted timber structure erected by shipbuilders.   Population 7,450.  
 

 

It is an artists and photographers dream canvas. 

Edited May 5, 2023 by Jim_Iain

[Jim_Iain]

We never plan ahead and just follow my eye is search of hidden gems.   Honfleur  did not disappoint. The Red Tudors caught my mind and off we went to a residential area.  Climbing the hill just kept delivery more and more. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 5, 2023 by Jim_Iain

[upwarduk]

1 hour ago, Jim_Iain said:

Our last loss of an hour last night and a late night has taken a toll.   For us we ate 9 hours forward of home. 
 

Of course after a long crossing everyone is asking what day it is. 
 

Princess have the best idea, the carpets in the lifts are changed every morning.😱

[Essiesmom]

HAL has day of the week carpets in the lifts.  EM

[DaKahuna]

3 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

Our last loss of an hour last night and a late night has taken a toll.   For us we ate 9 hours forward of home. 
 

Of course after a long crossing everyone is asking what day it is. 
 

 

Jim,

 

This is what they have been using on Millie

 

 

Still really enjoying your wonderful journey and especially the little tid bits here and there and beautiful photographs. 

 

 

 

Edited May 5, 2023 by DaKahuna

[Jim_Iain]

2 hours ago, upwarduk said:

Princess have the best idea, the carpets in the lifts are changed every morning.😱

That’s a pretty smart idea. 

[Jim_Iain]

34 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:

Jim,

 

This is what they have been using on Millie

 

 

Still really enjoying your wonderful journey and especially the little tid bits here and there and beautiful photographs. 

 

 

 

Thanks I was catching up on you cruise but still about 10 pages behind. 

[Jim_Iain]

 

The little latch on the bottom of the green shutters caught my 👁️ 

 

 

 

We took a nice relaxing rest in the sun.