Live from the Land of Princess

[Thrak]

5 hours ago, BamaVol said:

I’d have bought one of each of those jars of mustard.  I once met a woman who had a separate fridge for mustard.  She had over 80 varieties on hand.  I’m not that weird.

 

What do you mean weird???

[arizonaperson]

@YVRteacher so how was your ice cream sundae with candy?

Absolutely beautiful photos of the landscape,buildings,flowers, & food. I like how you collage them together.

[Muckyduckway]

Curiosity has got the better of me: how much time do you sacrifice to produce your posts? I imagine it would several hours but your days don't look like you have much available time at all.

[YVRteacher]

5 hours ago, arizonaperson said:

@YVRteacher so how was your ice cream sundae with candy?

Absolutely beautiful photos of the landscape,buildings,flowers, & food. I like how you collage them together.

It was yummy! This is the Michelangelo.

Edited July 31 by YVRteacher

[YVRteacher]

2 hours ago, Muckyduckway said:

Curiosity has got the better of me: how much time do you sacrifice to produce your posts? I imagine it would several hours but your days don't look like you have much available time at all.

For me it’s not a sacrifice. I love to write and prefer procedural writing, narrative non-fiction, life writing and photo journalism. Creating these trip reports brings me joy!

 

If I’m cruising solo I write when I’m waiting for a show to start or for dinner to arrive if I’m not chatting with people around me. Sometimes I write at a bar if it’s quiet.

 

When I cruise with my dad or with friends I only write at night in bed.  I always write and post before bed.

 

For a port-intensive cruise like this one I probably spend 1-2 hours a day on posts but that time would be spread out in smaller chunks. 

[YVRteacher]

Continuing with Wales

 

We had a short and picturesque drive from the lunch spot to a little town.

 

 

 

 

 

[YVRteacher]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This must be the town of Porthmadog.

 

 

[YVRteacher]

It is!

The welcome sign confirms it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I found the old lady nightgowns. My mom would have bought one.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[YVRteacher]

On my birthday list I wrote “take a train in Wales.”

 

It is happening! I’m going on a train. In Wales. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Muckyduckway]

Thank you for that. Your pleasure in writing certainly comes across. And your time management is way better than mine - I attempt to document every holiday for personal use, but usually taper off as the days pass, rarely managing to achieve what I set out to do.

So I continue to appreciate the reports on places like Cruise Critic, not only for their content, but with admiration for the authors' ability to finish what they started 😀

Edited July 31 by Muckyduckway

[YVRteacher]

We’ll come back to the train ride later.

 

For now, good morning from Greenock, Scotland!

 

I am having a recharge day and did not book an excursion to Glasgow. 
 

This morning I…

 

Slept in.

Slowly savoured an iced vanilla bean latte in the sunshine

Enjoyed a made to order omelette. I asked for half size and it was pretty big! It was also fluffy and delicious.

 

Sat in the sunshine

Gazed upon Greenock

 

I talked to the Destination Expert yesterday about Greenock. I really enjoyed talking to her and I think her port presentations are superb. Everyone has different travel preferences: she told me there “was nothing to do” in Greenock.

 

Do you know what I see feel when I look toward this?

 

 

 

 

Possibility!

 

[hpeabody]

9 minutes ago, YVRteacher said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I talked to the Destination Expert yesterday about Greenock. I really enjoyed talking to her and I think her port presentations are superb. Everyone has different travel preferences: she told me there “was nothing to do” in Greenock.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Possibility!

 

I am currenty on my cruise on Caribbean Princess with 2 Sea Days making our way to Iceland.  I have been loving your posts here.  From Greenock many people make their way to Edinburgh if that was not a port stop.  Who is your destination expert on this Regal Cruise?  I know Deb Fraoli was on the Island, she is a friend.  We have had 2 port days to start, so I have not been to a destination talk yet

[Muckyduckway]

You are wise to take rest days, if you try to see everything you see nothing! 

However, as someone who has spent some time in the area I'm a bit disappointed in the shore excursions rep's opinion that there's nothing to see. 

Just off the top of my head:

Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park is very scenic and is about 25 miles away, Glasgow is about the same distance, where among many other diversions, I personally loved the work of Charles Rennie Mackintosh.

 

And far more importantly, my husband was born 17 miles from Greenock 😉

 

I love how you said you see possibilities - that's the bedrock of a great travel attitude.

I just know you'll love the rest of Scotland.  Watch out for the midges though - be prepared!

Edited July 31 by Muckyduckway

[latebloomer56]

2 hours ago, YVRteacher said:

For me it’s not a sacrifice. I love to write and prefer procedural writing, narrative non-fiction, life writing and photo journalism. Creating these trip reports brings me joy!

 

If I’m cruising solo I write when I’m waiting for a show to start or for dinner to arrive if I’m not chatting with people around me. Sometimes I write at a bar if it’s quiet.

 

When I cruise with my dad or with friends I only write at night in bed.  I always write and post before bed.

 

For a port-intensive cruise like this one I probably spend 1-2 hours a day on posts but that time would be spread out in smaller chunks. 

I for one appreciate the time you have put into this report. It's great that it brings you joy and you have captured so many wonderful memories. Now I absolutely have to go into NCL and look up your travels. Thanks again.

[EllieinNJ]

I love your photos.  But the ones that you put of nine in a big square make me think of "capcha" and I have to guess which square has a picture of......(flowers)😄

[phabric]

Love your pictures.  When I take pictures from the moving bus, I get the glare from the window or there are out of focus.

[ceilidh1]

I love your picture of the Spar shop! There was one across the street from where I grew up - my mom worked there through my childhood and it was my first “real” job through high school. I worked there from the time I was 13 until I was 17. Happy memories!

[tcmagnum]

15 hours ago, YVRteacher said:

Oh yes I did

And I for one am very proud of you for partaking in what looks amazing!!!

[Muckyduckway]

46 minutes ago, ceilidh1 said:

I love your picture of the Spar shop! There was one across the street from where I grew up - my mom worked there through my childhood and it was my first “real” job through high school. I worked there from the time I was 13 until I was 17. Happy memories!

There used to be at least one Spar in every hole in the hedge in Ireland. Many of them have been taken over by an Irish franchise called Centra (Spar started in the Netherlands but is a huge francise all over Europe and beyond). I guess they're the equivalent of 7/11 in the US, Japan, etc.  What store in Canada would equate?

It's amazing how the mundane elements of our childhood become so entangled with our emotional memories. My Spar memory is of the promotions they used to run one of which a certain amount of spend got you a single piece of a whole dinner service. My mum collected an entire 12 piece setting of everything, even a gravy boat! I still have it stored away in case it should ever come back into vogue and because she loved it.

[ceilidh1]

7 minutes ago, Muckyduckway said:

There used to be at least one Spar in every hole in the hedge in Ireland. Many of them have been taken over by an Irish franchise called Centra (Spar started in the Netherlands but is a huge francise all over Europe and beyond). I guess they're the equivalent of 7/11 in the US, Japan, etc.  What store in Canada would equate?

It's amazing how the mundane elements of our childhood become so entangled with our emotional memories. My Spar memory is of the promotions they used to run one of which a certain amount of spend got you a single piece of a whole dinner service. My mum collected an entire 12 piece setting of everything, even a gravy boat! I still have it stored away in case it should ever come back into vogue and because she loved it.

We have 7/11 here in Vancouver- very similar to Spar. Except the Spar I worked at sold EVERYTHING (including alcohol)…

[Norwegianprincess]

I enjoyed the sailaway from Greenock very much, beautiful view as you sail out of the inlet/fjord. 
You are going to Invergordon too? If you don’t have an excursion booked yet, I can recommend the local company offering priceworthy tours, they have a stand as soon as you leave the gated port area. 
I took a tour that went to a cute little village, to Loch Ness, and to Inverness, a nice town were we had several hours free time. 
😊

[YVRteacher]

7 hours ago, hpeabody said:

I am currenty on my cruise on Caribbean Princess with 2 Sea Days making our way to Iceland.  I have been loving your posts here.  From Greenock many people make their way to Edinburgh if that was not a port stop.  Who is your destination expert on this Regal Cruise?  I know Deb Fraoli was on the Island, she is a friend.  We have had 2 port days to start, so I have not been to a destination talk yet

The destination expert on the Regal is Cathy X Heaven and she is a talented presenter who brings her personality, her passion and her expertise to her presentations. She is generous with her time. I will absolutely be writing a recognition for her in the post-cruise survey.

 

Enjoy Iceland! I can recommend a tattoo parlour if you like!

[YVRteacher]

5 hours ago, phabric said:

Love your pictures.  When I take pictures from the moving bus, I get the glare from the window or there are out of focus.

The trick is to find a clean part of the window and place your camera lens in this location. You also need to place your phone or camera right up to the glass, flat on with no angles and that eliminates any glare

[YVRteacher]

5 hours ago, ceilidh1 said:

I love your picture of the Spar shop! There was one across the street from where I grew up - my mom worked there through my childhood and it was my first “real” job through high school. I worked there from the time I was 13 until I was 17. Happy memories!

I love this!

[YVRteacher]

2 hours ago, Norwegianprincess said:

I enjoyed the sailaway from Greenock very much, beautiful view as you sail out of the inlet/fjord. 
You are going to Invergordon too? If you don’t have an excursion booked yet, I can recommend the local company offering priceworthy tours, they have a stand as soon as you leave the gated port area. 
I took a tour that went to a cute little village, to Loch Ness, and to Inverness, a nice town were we had several hours free time. 
😊

We are sailing away from Greenock as I write! I’m right beside a window and am loving the views! We left just under an hour late because a shore excursion (not mine this time!) was delayed.

 

Your excursion in Invergordon sounds lovely!

 

Yes, Invergordon and Edinburgh are our next two ports. I have been to both before.