The Fleet Report and Daily for Saturday June 22nd, 2024

[richwmn]

 

Today is International Day of Radiant Peace, Positive Media Day, and Stupid Guy Thing Day
 

The greatest pleasure of life is love. - Euripides

Meal Suggestion for today - Stir-Fried Japanese Eggplant with Garlic-Soy Sauce
Drink of the Day - Love Potion #9
Wine of the Day - 2021 Sagenhaft Rosé, C&G, Württemberg
Destination of the Day - Torshavn, Faroe Islands

Today in History:
1675 Royal Greenwich Observatory established in England by Charles II
1963 "Little" Stevie Wonder aged 13 releases his first single "Fingertips" (first live non-studio recording to go to No. 1 on Billboard)

Ship Locations
 

Eurodam

Seattle, Washington 07:00 - 15:00
 

Koningsdam

Vancouver, BC Canada 07:00 - 16:00
 

Nieuw Amsterdam

At Sea Destination Whittier, Alaska eta 06-23
 

Nieuw Statendam

Dublin, Ireland 08:00 - 17:00
 

Noordam

At Sea Destination Vancouver, BC Canada eta 06-23
 

Oosterdam

Nafplio, Mycenae, Greece 13:00 - 20:00
 

Rotterdam

Rotterdam, Netherlands South Holland 07:00 - 15:00
 

Volendam

Boston, Massachusetts 07:00 - 15:00
 

Westerdam

At Sea Destination Kodiak Island, Alaska eta 06-25
 

Zaandam

Skagway, Alaska 07:00 - 21:00
 

Zuiderdam

Reykjavik, Iceland ovnt - 18:00
 

 

 

Edited June 22 by richwmn

[portofrome]

Thank you for the Fleet Report.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Thanks for the info ..

[StLouisCruisers]

Good morning friends!  It’s day 2 in Reykjavik for the Zuiderdam.  All aboard is 5:30 p.m. today and we will be off to Scotland for four ports, two of which are new to me.  Looking forward to it and hoping for very little rain while there.  Today is wet and 50F so it’s a good thing we went downtown yesterday for a 2 mile walk while it was drier.  The sun even came out yesterday!  The dining room was so empty last night, we had our waiter to ourselves, and he said no one from second seating was coming either.  His junior waiter was sent away as he wasn’t needed at all.  It sure was peaceful!  Tonight we will be at Pinnacle Grill again, and there is the Vikings’ Soirée from 6:45 to 7:30 p.m. on the Lido, mid ship meaning the pool I suppose.  Today my tummy feels more normal so if I eat a very light lunch I may be hungry for dinner in Pinnacle!

 

Thank you Rich @richwmn for the Fleet Report and Daily. Sorry about your internet issues and not being able to get the maps.  I can sympathize!  On to the Daily!  It would be wonderful to hear some positive news in the media but they don’t seem to think that sells.  The Radiant Peace promoters can’t even get the day right.  It started on June 22, 1999 and now some of them want to celebrate it on Sept. 22.  I don’t think celebrating stupid things guys do is a good thing.  We shouldn’t encourage it!  Instead let’s celebrate National Chocolate Éclair Day!! On to the quote, which I like by the way.  No thanks to the eggplant dish, and I am afraid to try Love Potion #9.  Now that song is going through my head!  I’ll say yes to the rosé.  Two good days in history, one for Stevie Wonder and one for the Royal Greenwich Observatory which I enjoyed visiting once.  Thanks to Debbie @dfish, Dixie @summer slope, and Ann @cat shepard for their reports today. 

 

 

Prayers for our group here on the Daily Care list, my DB, Alex’s twins, the people in Israel and Ukraine, the hostages still held, and our troops in the region.  Special prayers for Tana who is having such a rough time and strength to the family to help keep up with everything.  Happy thoughts to everyone with celebrations and cruises to enjoy!  I hope there are many more celebrations to come.  Thank you Vanessa @JazzyV for helping us out every day with the Care list.  Much appreciated!

 

 

Today our port is Torshavn, Faroe Islands.  This is a new port again for us, and if Holland America hadn’t changed up our itinerary on this June 8 cruise, we would have stopped in Torshavn instead of Runavik, Faroe Islands.  There are no links today and no pictures either.  If you have some please feel free to share with everyone.  Thanks in advance!

 

 

Please send rain to central Georgia as Annie @marshhawk asked!  With temps in the 90’s and no rain in weeks, my Bermuda grass has hopefully gone dormant and not died.  There are no sprinklers on to keep it alive. The water to our house is turned OFF right now. In fact we rarely if ever use the sprinklers on it but usually some rain shows up to keep it alive.  If anyone knows a rain dance let us know!  Otherwise, have a wonderful day.  Try to stay safe and keep well!

 

 

[MISTER 67]

Greetings from beautiful Port Charlotte.

77 this AM with a high of 92 and back to our usual summer afternoon showers.

Interesting days.

Can’t argue with the quote from Euripides.

Another eggplant meal, ugh.

I have no idea where the port is.

Yes, they’re still playing hockey with what has been an amazing comeback by Edmonton as they were behind 3 games to none in the finals against the Florida Panthers, series is now tied with game 7 Monday night.

Have a great day and stay well.

[StLouisCruisers]

I checked out the maps on cruisemapper.com and thought maybe I could help with them.  Here's where all the ships currently are.

 

 

[JazzyV]

Today’s Care List:

Kazu with foot infection and having foot pain

Cruzin Terri feeling very fatigued from Covid

StLouisCruisers with stomach issues

RIP Donald Sutherland

 

Heat, Fires, flooding and Storms across the US

Citizens of Ukraine, Israel and Gaza, hostages still held

All Dailyites going through worries and stress, whether mentioned or not

 

From the Rotation:

Tana with chronic pulmonary issues, weakness

StLouisCruisers’ DB with pulmonary fibrosis

Marshhawk’s DH Chuck’s vascular issues

 

Celebrations and Shoutouts:

Happy Birthday to ottahand7’s DF John!

Welcome home Himself!

Welcome to Amsterdam/home swin26!

Smitty34877’s DB coming to help for a few days

StLouisCruiser’s cough improved

Cruzin Terri’s now negative Covid test

 

The Daily Gardening Club posting wonderful flower pictures

All the contributors to the Fleet Report/Daily

 

Upcoming Cruises or At Sea:

 

Suslor (Rotterdam to June 29) 21d Midnight Sun & Norse Legends, Cruzn single (Westerdam to July 7) 28d Alaska Arctic Circle Solstice and  StLouisCruisers (Zuiderdam to July 20) 42d Ultimate Viking Explorer & Passage

[summer slope]

Love Potion #9 cocktail:

3 oz. POM Pomegranate Juice
1.5 oz. Strawberry Vodka
1.5 oz. Chambord

Directions:

Step 1 – Add all ingredients to cocktail shaker, top with ice, and shake until chilled.
Step 2 – Strain into a cocktail glass and enjoy!
Step 3 – Optional (and fun!): before straining, add dry ice to your shaker, being careful not to touch it with bare hands. This will give your pour a smoky look as the dry ice evaporates.

[richwmn]

10 minutes ago, StLouisCruisers said:

I checked out the maps on cruisemapper.com and thought maybe I could help with them.

Thanks for this. I was able to add mine a couple of minutes after, my initial post, and I removed the message about my internet problems.

In my area we only have one choice for internet provider, and it isn't great. After my initial post I remembered that the desktop I use to post each morning has wireless capability and I turned on my phone hotspot to post the map.

Hopefully they will be able to find the problem this afternoon and i will be better off, but my hopes are not real high.

[kazu]

Thanks for our Saturday Daily, Rich and thanks to Vanessa, Ann, Debbie & Dixie.

 

What a great collection of days - especially radiant peace & positive media (is there such a thing anymore?).  I completely agree with the quote.

 

 

Great news on the Edmonton Oilers and their fantastic come back.  If they can win the 7th game, they will do what only one other team in NHL history has achieved and that team was the Toronto Maple Leafs (another Canadian team).  The Stanley Cup has been gone too long from Canada.  Hope they can bring it back 🤞

 

 

And yes, amazingly, at the same time as the peonies, some of the clematis have started to bloom.  A couple of the varieties also seem to have larger flowers this year.  Perhaps it is the heat?  Unsure.  Just glad they made it through the winter - the one out front did not.

 

 

Foot nurse was happy to see that the infection is definitely gone.  She went scraping and digging to try to determine why there was still so painful and apparently some growth has developed deep underneath where the infection was.  She worked scraping and then digging and the rest will have to wait for the next visit.  If too much is done, the effort to heal could potentially bring it back. So, it’s progressive to fix it along with my care of it at home.

 

On the agenda today is a visit to my car spot to have my wheels torqued and see if they can take a look at my A/C.  It is not working.  WTH?  In this heat?  I doubt they will have time, but I’m going to ask.

 

 

Prayers for those on the Care list, those suffering losses, grief, pain, health problems, worries & those that need them 🙏. Cheers to those celebrating and cruising 🍻 

 

 

 

 

[StLouisCruisers]

10 minutes ago, richwmn said:

Thanks for this. I was able to add mine a couple of minutes after, my initial post, and I removed the message about my internet problems.

In my area we only have one choice for internet provider, and it isn't great. After my initial post I remembered that the desktop I use to post each morning has wireless capability and I turned on my phone hotspot to post the map.

Hopefully they will be able to find the problem this afternoon and i will be better off, but my hopes are not real high.

 

Good thinking!  I hope the provider can find the problem for you. 

 

Happy Birthday John @ottahand7's DF, and welcome home Father @Himself and @swin26!

[puppycanducruise]

Good morning.  Thanks for the Report.

It's still very hot here, hard to believe they're still playing hockey.  We had a rain shower overnight, possible thunderstorms today.

Two good days to celebrate.  Not sure about Stupid Guy Things.

Great quote.

I'll pass on the meal, but yes to the drink and wine.

Prayers for everyone on the Care List.  Cheers for all the celebrations.

Have a peaceful day.  Stay cool.

[1ANGELCAT]

Good hot and sunny morning. It’s already 77 and the high will be 99 with a feel like of 108. Same thing tomorrow. Hopefully we finally break the heat with thunderstorms tomorrow. 
Stay cool.

 

[cat shepard]

Thank you for today’s FR & D, Rich! We had a great deal of rain yesterday, but enough breaks for Bindi to get her walks in & me get in my pool time. A few T-storms during the night. More rain predicted - it sure looks & feels like it. I know the firefighters and farmers are happy. 
 

Vanessa, thank you for keeping up with all of us. Stay hydrated!

 

Gym, Bindi walks, lots of prep & cleaning for tonight’s dinner. Olive twist appetizers, salad, Parmesan/Panko chicken thighs, artichoke/cheese strudel - a la Aldi, and my neighbor is bringing dessert. And wine. 😎 Bindi will get some treats. 
 

 

 

 

Prayers for all who need our support. Terry, continuing to pray for Tana, you, your family and support team. Hope you can find something that wakes up Tana’s appetite. 
 

Cheers to all who are celebrating! @ottahand7 Happy Birthday for real, John! We were just practicing the last two days, to be sure we got it right!

 

May we each find a reason to smile today. 

 

************

2021 Sagenhaft Rosé, C&G, Württemberg

This German Rosé is a bit elusive.  But if you can find it - it is priced to try. Consumers report an average price of $7.97, but the only online distributors I found that ships to me sells it for $25. Quite a range. 

90 Wine Enthusiast 

Refreshingly low in alcohol (12%) compared to its more voluptuous Provençal cousins, this spry, ballet-pink rosé is packed with zesty red cherry and raspberry flavors. Made from a blend of Trollinger and Lemberger grapes, it's a light-footed dry wine that balances juicy red fruit against a vibrant frame of acidity and salty mineral accents. Best enjoyed young.

[superoma]

Go Edmonton! Bring Lord Stanley’s cup home to Canada. I don’t normally watch hockey, dh does, but this series has me captivated now. Just kind of crazy that they are still playing at the end of June. 
 

right now we are watching football (soccer). Fox is broadcasting many of the uefa euro league games and some of the concacaf (north and South America) games. DH played soccer well into his 50’s and watches the German league and the premier league games. He has an app for that.

 

another hot day today and tomorrow for sure and into much of next week. Rain possible on most days, good for the garden.

 

stay safe everyone

 

[Denise T]

Happy Saturday. Thanks for the Daily and Fleet reports. 

We continue to bake here. Maybe getting up to 99 degrees today. We need rain! Working hard to keep my outdoor plants watered. I think today, after grocery shopping, I will hide in the air conditioning inside. Too hot to do much. Fancy loves going out to lay in the sun so I have to keep an eye on her. Oh,109 days until my cruise. 

Thinking of all on the care list. 

Celebrating with all her are celebrating. 

Have a safe and healthy day. 

[Mr. Boston]

Good morning everyone from an overcast and cooler Boston.  Thanks for our daily dose of useful knowledge.

 

I’ll most happily celebrate radiant peace and positive media.  I think I’ll ignore the third.

 

I agree with Euripides on today’s quote.

 

I’m not sure that I would like today’s dish as eggplant is not my thing although I don’t think that I’ve ever seen Japanese Eggplant.  The drink sounds like it would be a good brunch beverage.

 

I’ve never been to today’s port.

 

Prayers for those on our prayer list and for those who are in need of them.  Cheers to everyone celebrating happy events.  Enjoy your Saturday!

 

[dfish]

Good morning, everyone!

 

It is threatening rain here in mid-Michigan and it might be an all day affair.  We'll try to get to the Farmer's Market between rain drops.  If we make it, we make it.  At least the heat has broken.  Nothing much else on the agenda for today.  If it rains all day we might find some movies to watch.  

 

@kazu That is good news that the infection is gone.  Weird news about the growth that is causing the pain.  I hope it can all be removed and that you can move without pain!  

 

@ger_77 I think we have a drink to add to the list for our taste testing on the Oosterdam in 2025.  Although I might have to try it this summer on the Zuiderdam.  

 

Yes, eggplant again today.  Is eggplant becoming the new butternut squash?   Stay tuned to find out!  This one has some heat to it, so I would like it, but others may find it too hot.  You can always leave off the red fresno pepper to lessen the heat index.   Stir Fried Eggplant

 

 

This one is much simpler and omits the peppers.   Japanese eggplant

 

 

This one garnishes with crushed peanuts.  Again, it is a simple recipe and quick to make.  

Pan Fried Eggplant

 

 

Wishing you all a wonderful day!

 

[Sir PMP]

Thorshavn, Faroe Islands, Denmark:

 

 

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

Good morning from a beautiful, clear central Texas.  It is 74F at 7am with a predicted high of 95F.  Since the dew point is 74F the humidity is 99%, but there is no condensation on the windows.  Today is mowing day, and I also need to do some work on the flowerbeds.  I hope to get out earlier than usual to beat the worst of the heat.  However, then there is a problem of wet grass because of the dew.  At least, we will have a 5 to 8 mph wind which will help.  After the yard work, I'll probably be inside the rest of the day.

 

Three interesting days.  Radiant peace sounds nice no matter which day it's celebrated.  Positive Media Day is good, and our local news channels and even the evening national news try to have one "good news" story.  I think no matter whether or not we honor Stupid Guy Thing Day, there will always be some one doing a stupid guy thing.

 

I like the Euripides quote.

 

We'll pass on the meal, but I too wonder if eggplant is becoming the new butternut squash on The Daily.  Love Potion #9 might not be bad except for the pomegranate juice.  I'll pass on the wine.

 

We were in Torshavn on August 21, 2017, on Prinsendam.  My pictures will follow this post.

 

A great day in England when Charles I established the Royal Greenwich Observatory in 1675.  We enjoyed our visit to the observatory in 2009 during a week stopover in London on the way home from Cape Town.

 

1963 saw the beginning of a great music career when Stevie Wonder released his first single.

 

@StLouisCruisers  Sandi, that is good news your tummy is feeling better.  Now, you will be able to enjoy your Pinnacle Grill dinner.

@richwmn  Rich have you considered Starlink for your internet service?  It's pricey, but very good, and it can be turned off when you are cruising.  Our internet service in Quartzsite was so slow, we switched to Starlink out there, and never regretted it.  We can also use it in the motorhome.

@kazu  Jacqui, that is good news the infection has cleared up.  I hope the nurse can get the last of the growth removed on your next visit.  I also hope all your car a/c needs is more coolant, which is usually our problem when the a/c won't cool the car.  It does not take to long to recharge the a/c.  Your clematis are pretty, and I love the colors.

@cat shepard  Ann, the croc tan meme is great, and gave me a good laugh.  My feet have white lines from my Birkenstocks.

 

 

 

 

 

Lenda

 

[Heartgrove]

Thank you Rich, thank you Debbie, thank you Vanessa, thank you Ann, and thank you Dixie for all your work.  And thank you everyone for being here!

 

No rain in sight and my grass is turning to straw. I need some sea air!

 

Stay Safe, and prayers for those in need.

 

- Jack

[kochleffel]

None of the special days really impresses me, but you can read about Radiant Peace here. I wold probably like the stir-fried Japanese eggplant but won't be making it, at least not bfore eggplants are in season. No love potions here. In the Finger Lakes there are lots of choices for a Lemberger rosé, including Anthony Road Rosé of Lemberger, $25.99.

 

I spent a bit less than a week at Tórshavn--would have been a full week but I missed a flight connection in Iceland--in 2017. It's pronounced approximately "toe-a-shawn." Faroese pronunciation is very surprising, partly because written Faroese was prohibited by Denmark for centuries--the first Faroese Bible wasn't published until the 19th century--and the spoken form changed rapidly while the written form remained as it had been in the middle ages. Written Faroese and Icelandic are mutually intelligible but the spoken languages are not.

 

 

 

 

This looks like it should be a private home but is actually the Ministry of Finance.

 

I have no pictures from the event I enjoyed most, which was indoors and fairly dark: a Faroese "cultural evening" at a hotel, with Faroese songs, stories, and dancing. The greatest number of guests were German, most in a group seated together, but one man at my table was a science teacher from Germany who was camping in the Faroes for a month. A young Canadian was next to me, and then a couple, originally from the Faroes, who had lived in Denmark ever since university there.

 

For a cruise excursion, I'd especially recommend a boat trip to explore the sea caves.

A majority of the passengers on that trip were from Denmark, and immediately distinguishable from North Americans because they all wore heavy, black, wool coats and hats, while everyone from the U.S. and Canada wore brightly colored spring jackets (most with a sweater or vest under, because it was cold on the water). The Faroe Islands are part of the Kingdom of Denmark.

 

No trip is complete without ruins.

 

 

Here is a menu from the strangest restaurant I've ever eaten in. It specializes in traditional Faroese food, which is all preserved by drying, fermenting, or both. The fermented lamb is produced on the premises and taste and smell will stay with you for at least a day.

The actual menu when I was there was slightly different, but not drastically. Each of the many courses was served with a different alcoholic beverage--champagne, white and red wines, beer, sherry, cognac, all full pours--and I was exceedingly drunk by the end. I had to rest on a bench in the harbor for half an hour before I could walk to my hotel, only a few blocks away.

 

It's going to be only 85° today.

 

 

[aliaschief]

Well good Saturday morning to you all. Weather forecast calls for a sunny day but it’s going to take some clearer skies for that to happen. The Downton Abby marathon continues enough so that I now refer to Susan as My-Lady!

What’s happening today? First of all a walk around the neighborhood then some grocery shopping and then if Mr. “Bates” can find my bathing suit maybe a dip in our neighbors pool.

Life doesn’t get much more exciting than this. Maybe I can find a guest lecturer series on You Tube. Do we miss cruising? You betcha we do.

My optometry exam went well yesterday with no prescription change. My optometrist did again say it’s time for cataract surgery so I promised her to have it done next April. Can’t interfere with present travel plans.

So that’s what’s happening in our small piece of Paradise and I wish you all a safe and healthy weekend. Thanks for the reports and post. Bruce

[GTVCRUISER]

Happy Saturday 🙂 

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

We had a very nice day when the Prinsendam visited Torshavn on August 21, 2017.  Since it was our first visit, we decided to not rent a car, but walked into town.  Once there, we took a local bus out into the countryside; then, once back in town, we switched to another bus going in the opposite direction.  After the bus rides, we walked around the nice town, and back to the ship.

 

These first pictures were taken as the ship was approaching the dock.

 

 

 

On our walk into town, we took the high road which gave us a good view of part of the town.  There are a lot of turf roof buildings in the old town, Tinganes.

 

Looking down at the harbor from the high road.

 

Part of the countryside from the bus

 

On the second bus, we got off in a different part of Torshavn and walked around before catching another bus back to town.  This is the local bus.

 

The neighborhood we walked in to an interesting church

 

Vesturkirkjan, aka The West Church.  This Lutheran church was built in 1975, and the interesting tower is 42 meters or almost 138 feet tall.

 

 

 

A lovely stream running through the area

 

The main part of Torshavn

 

 

 

 

The government house which IIRC also housed the library where many of us stopped to use the internet.  Torshavn is on Streynoy Island, and is the capital of the Faroe Islands, which are an autonomous territory of Denmark.

 

We walked by the small boat harbor on our way back to the Prinsendam.

 

Finally, our home away from home

 

Lenda