Live from the Land of Princess

[Norwegianprincess]

Thank you so much @YVRteacher for sharing your journey, the good, the bad and the beautiful! I have enjoyed following along, and also enjoyed seeing some of the familiar ports through your eyes 😊

 

Safe travel back home to YVR tomorrow!

Also Bon Voyage to you and your dad on the Alaska cruise 🌸

[Sugar Magnolia]

I am so pleased you enjoyed Honfleur as much as I did. It is no wonder Honfleur inspired so many of the master artists.

 

[YVRteacher]

French sweet shops hit differently

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I tried to buy some caramels but the Frenchman at the cash register told me I hadn’t spent enough money (my total was 6.5€). Since when is there a minimum on caramels? I was only making a purchase because he gave me a free sample and I felt guilty. The caramel was actually a bit burnt. I prefer those square ones in the hard to remove wrappers that come out at Halloween.  I’m a smart consumer so I walked away.

 

[Muckyduckway]

Yvonne, I really don't have the words to express how wonderful it has been to accompany you this summer. There's something about how you inhabit what you post that takes your reviews to a different level. I thought the positive intensity of the land part of your Iceland cruise was because you loved Iceland so much, but now I realise it's because you do what talented authors do - you don't just tell us about your day, you make us feel it, experience it, connect with the characters and the physical environment as if we were somehow transported, you just somehow bring it all to life.

 

So thank you, it's been "brilliant" and I'm going to miss having your energy, creativity and thoughtfulness in my day.

 

Wishing you a safe and uneventful return home and I hope your Alaska cruise exceeds your expectations and gives you more of what you used to love about NCL.

[LizikinsLivesToCruise]

I am so glad I found your Live review, @YVRteacher. Thank you vey much for letting us tag along on your vacation. You are an amazing storyteller. I have learnt a lot from your experiences, and now I don't view solo cruising as such a daunting prospect. Have a safe trip home and enjoy your Alaska cruise with your dad. To deal with withdrawal symptoms now that your trip is ending, I am going to head over to the NCL boards to read your past trip reports.

[YVRteacher]

Yes, I walked away from the caramels but that means I walked toward these artisans in their beautifully curated magasins

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If my home had a theme of “donkey” this would have come home with me.

 

 

 

[voljeep]

On 7/3/2024 at 4:37 PM, YVRteacher said:

Yes, this is a land-based cruise!

It is on the IsLAND Princess and we are scheduled to visit Newfoundland, Greenland, Iceland, Scotland and England. So many lands!

 

I’m starting this live today on my couch in Vancouver. Tomorrow I fly to Newark then Friday take a shuttle from the airport to Brooklyn. My travel documents say Brooklyn but the Princess app says Southampton. The app also shows the incorrect cabin: my amazing travel agent sent an email last month which included many gleeful exclamation marks and the fact that I was upgraded for free.

 

As a teacher in British Columbia I just had the last day of the school year on June 28. I’m still decompressing and am a bit numb, but I am excited to be spending 7 out of the next 9 weeks on 3 different cruise ships on two cruise lines.

 

This will be my first cruise on Princess. Please share any tips for a Princess newbie! I have been cruising since 2010 and am an Ambassador on NCL. I have only cruised on NCL except for two unfortunate cruises on a line that rhymes with Barnival.

 

When I’m not teaching I am reading, writing, painting, hiking, stand up paddleboarding, enjoying Vancouver with friends, traveling, making travel plans, researching ports and taking care of my dad who now has dementia. 
 

Today when I spoke with my dad to say farewell I made him write a note next to his computer to “press send after writing an email.” When I travel I write my dad every day and I tell him I know he’s still alive when he responds. On my Spring Break cruise on the Breakaway he forgot to press send for several consecutive days and I was as worried as a cruise buffet crew member when the cookies run out!

My “home” on Cruise Critic has been the NCL boards and I feel like a kid starting a new school as I say hello to you on the Princess boards. I look forward to your advice and to inviting you to adventure with me on my first transatlantic crossing and my first Princess cruise!

well for your first cruise on Princess i 'looks like' based on the 1000's of pictures, you had an amazing time without any problems or complications. 

[Eleanor Rigby 14]

6 minutes ago, voljeep said:

well for your first cruise on Princess i 'looks like' based on the 1000's of pictures, you had an amazing time without any problems or complications. 

Maybe she should have taken a photo of her bathroom “grout”?😛

[voljeep]

1 minute ago, Eleanor Rigby 14 said:

Maybe she should have taken a photo of her bathroom “grout”?😛

?? - been a long thread - guess I missed a few things scrolling thru the pictures - didn't really notice a lot of anything else, even tho I may have responded at the time ...

short attention span and lose interest quickly - that's on me

[Jakdgr]

@YVRteacher Yvonne, I have enjoyed being on your journeys with you, peering through your lens vicariously from my lounge room. Your reporting style, musings and photographs was something I’ve enjoyed reading/seeing every evening. I am sure that your students get transported and learn so much in the classes you teach.   Thank you!  Safe travels home.

[Eleanor Rigby 14]

2 minutes ago, voljeep said:

?? - been a long thread - guess I missed a few things scrolling thru the pictures - didn't really notice a lot of anything else, even tho I may have responded at the time ...

short attention span and lose interest quickly - that's on me

No worries, Voljeep. We’re heading toward 2000 posts here now. It’s tough to keep up with everything for sure. 😊

[lallak1]

@YVRteacherThank you so much for taking us through this beautiful part of the world and allowing us to see it through your eyes!  Amazing!  I will miss traveling with you...and never realized that I NEED to go to Honfleur!  So beautiful!  Safe travels home and have a wonderful time in Alaska with your dad.  My mother also has dementia, and these are precious times for sure!

[YVRteacher]

@Sugar Magnolia I might have missed this if it weren’t for you! Thank you!

 

Stunning. This library is stunning.

 

An art exhibit showcasing books 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[YVRteacher]

2 minutes ago, lallak1 said:

@YVRteacherThank you so much for taking us through this beautiful part of the world and allowing us to see it through your eyes!  Amazing!  I will miss traveling with you...and never realized that I NEED to go to Honfleur!  So beautiful!  Safe travels home and have a wonderful time in Alaska with your dad.  My mother also has dementia, and these are precious times for sure!

Yes, NEED is the right word for Honfleur! One day is not enough.

 

Thank you for the good wishes, thank you for reading and thank you for sharing about your mom. 

[YVRteacher]

41 minutes ago, LizikinsLivesToCruise said:

I am so glad I found your Live review, @YVRteacher. Thank you vey much for letting us tag along on your vacation. You are an amazing storyteller. I have learnt a lot from your experiences, and now I don't view solo cruising as such a daunting prospect. Have a safe trip home and enjoy your Alaska cruise with your dad. To deal with withdrawal symptoms now that your trip is ending, I am going to head over to the NCL boards to read your past trip reports.

Solo cruising can be incredibly rewarding. You get to do whatever you want in each port and just go with what you feel like. The most difficult part is eating alone and sometimes being alone in the evenings. The first time I did a solo cruise I joined the solo get together but don’t do that anymore. 
 

 

[YVRteacher]

1 hour ago, Norwegianprincess said:

Thank you so much @YVRteacher for sharing your journey, the good, the bad and the beautiful! I have enjoyed following along, and also enjoyed seeing some of the familiar ports through your eyes 😊

 

Safe travel back home to YVR tomorrow!

Also Bon Voyage to you and your dad on the Alaska cruise 🌸

Thank you for sharing your photos and experiences on the Regal as well.  When and where is your next cruise?

[YVRteacher]

Flowers of Honfleur

 

It must be sea breezes and sunshine (mingled with scents of wine and cheese) that make the flowers grow so well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 6 by YVRteacher

[YVRteacher]

People were smiling when they saw me taking photos of apple trees. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[YVRteacher]

Not to be outdone by the buildings, streets, doors, caramels, flowers and apple trees, here are the dogs of Honfleur

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Eleanor Rigby 14]

Yvonne, the flower shots are simply fantastic! They blow me away, they truly do.I have never see a purple flower here like the one you have in your montage. So incredibly vivid.

 

I only recognize one flower that I can name…the alstroemeria. Look at what Google says about it.

 

 

What does alstroemeria symbolize?

 

 

 

The alstroemeria flower has an array of meanings depending on the colour. But the beautiful blooms always connect to a similar meaning of friendship, love, strength and devotion. They're often thought to represent mutual support. And the ability to help each other through the trials and tribulations of life.

[YVRteacher]

 

Overheard on the streets of Honfleur:

 

Gaston, you are late with your delivery today. We have been waiting for the mussels to serve with the pommes frites.

 

Ah zut, Chef Pierre. I have no mussels today. The cruise ship bought them all for their Taste of France dinner tonight.

 

No mussels? Quel dommage! What are the customers going to eat?

 

Chef Pierre, might I humbly suggest you let them eat cake?

[YVRteacher]

12 minutes ago, Eleanor Rigby 14 said:

Yvonne, the flower shots are simply fantastic! They blow me away, they truly do.I have never see a purple flower here like the one you have in your montage. So incredibly vivid.

 

I only recognize one flower that I can name…the alstroemeria. Look at what Google says about it.

 

 

 

What does alstroemeria symbolize?

 

 

 

The alstroemeria flower has an array of meanings depending on the colour. But the beautiful blooms always connect to a similar meaning of friendship, love, strength and devotion. They're often thought to represent mutual support. And the ability to help each other through the trials and tribulations of life.

Well now I have a new flower to love! Thank you for sharing this.

[YVRteacher]

 

I bought a dress today. It’s linen and lovely. I used my courage and spoke French with the shopkeeper.

 

Speaking of shopping, I didn’t bring any Euros or Pounds. I didn’t even bring any Canadian money for those three ports in the Maritimes before we crossed the Atlantic. Every store, market stall, pub and chocolate shop took Visa. There was no need for me to have local currency. I did bring US cash for tipping crew because I know that is easiest for them.

Edited August 6 by YVRteacher

[YVRteacher]

 

Time for late night cheese fries and a new-to me drink

 

 

 

 

Please note that when I say “a” drink I really mean several. 

[Spogna]

Yvonne, you NEED to write a book!!!! This coming from(cover your ears)not an avid reader🤫.

 

I have so enjoyed your, absolutely brimming with life, live from. Your writing paints a more vivid picture than your beautiful photos. How is this possible when supposedly a picture paints a thousand words??

 

Thank you for sharing your feelings unashamedly and allowing us all to accompany you on this journey; with all of it's comedy and tragedy. Love your attitude of rolling with the punches but also not being afraid to stand up for yourself when needed and appropriate. "You can't win them all"

 

Wishing you a safe homeward journey and for many more epic voyages of joyful discovery.(Please keep us posted) also a hug for Dad x