2006 Maasdam - Voyage of the Vikings A 35 day journal

[Broon]

This will likely be my past post on this thread, but I'll keep reading the remainder of the posts that Bill & Mary Ann are very kindly letting us see.

 

A year ago, we disembarked the MAASDAM at Rotterdam. We had got up early in the morning to get out on deck while the ship sailed upstream into the massive harbour. Quite a sight, just after sunrise. Then a fireboat came and put on a large display for us. Impressive.

 

Upon docking, we got our luggage and headed out by taxi to my wife's relatives who live in an apartment nearby. Later in the day, when the MAASDAM was about to sail off on its crossing back to the U.S., we stood on the apartment balcony and raised our glasses to the ship that we had so much enjoyment sailing on.

 

The next day, in the Rotterdam paper, there was a full page spread of the MAASDAM's arrival in port, with photos and a good article. We looked closely at one of the photos and could pick ourselves out standing by the railing at the bow, which had been opened for the arrival into the harbour. A nice souvenir.

 

After our short stop in Rotterdam, we went by train to visit friends in Belgium and Germany, then back to Holland for more relatives, and finally a flight home.

 

In all, a 35 day adventure for us, ship & shore, and thanks again to Bill & Mary Anne for allowing us to relive a portion of the summer of '05...while looking at your reports from the transatlantic crossing of '06.

 

Harvey & Marianne

[WCB]

Hi RuthC and BernardNL,

 

Oooo, a thousand lashes for us!!!! You are right, in reading part of the daily newsletter, we picked the Rotte River incorrectly. So that sent us on a fact finding mission as to where the Rotte River actually plays into the story. We found that Rotterdam in 1283, was a small, quiet fishing harbor that grew around a dam on the Rotte River. Hence the name, Rotter-dam. We could not find a map large enough to show rivers, but we assume the Rotte fed into the much larger Maas River, which of course, went into the Atlantic.

 

These things can happen when one stays up past midnight to post reports!! Glad to see some of you are observant!

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[WCB]

Greetings from France,

 

The Maasdam sailed into the second largest port in France, Le Havre, around 10 am. This port was a major contrast from Rotterdam. It is strictly a working facility. The city of Le Havre was heavily damaged during World War 2. Therefore, little remained of its 16th century buildings.

 

But our much anticipated highlight today was an all day trip to Paris, a three hour scenic drive from Le Havre. And it looks like it will be another hot day like yesterday. Actually, while we were getting our tour stickers, the captain announced that free bottles of water would be handed out for all tours. This was a first for Holland America, as far as we could remember.

 

Anyway, we lucked out and got bus number one, which happened to be a double decker bus. And, of course, we rode on the top level. So far, all the buses we have toured with have been almost new and very spacious. We had a six bus caravan, with 50 people in each bus.

 

Our guide was a young French girl, probably a college student, who gave a continuous history talk all the way to Paris. It would be tedious to go into depth on French history, so we will just relate some interesting facts we learned today. The French people in the old days, did not bathe with water, since they believed water contained dangerous bacteria that would enter under the skin, and kill them with disease. So they washed with wine, milk, or cologne. Then they applied powdered wheat flour to their faces, giving them that pasty appearance. Now, the hair treatment was really gross. They rubbed a greasy oil into their hair, supposedly to smother lice, then put on elaborate wigs, which they wore for weeks. Do you remember seeing those filmy nets that were canopied over the beds? Well it wasn't for mosquitos, but it was to keep the rats off of them during the night! Of course, the rats smelled the flour, and came to snack on them at night. So disgusting!

 

Back to better subjects. The scenery on the way to Paris was so much like driving in California. The hills were covered with evergreens, and the valleys were full of pastures, dairy cows, and charming old farmhouses. Even the freeways were pleasantly uncrowded. Maybe the fact that we had toll roads every 40 miles, kept some of the traffic off the road. The toll for the bus was 4 Euros. We scanned the rolling hills to see if we could spot vineyards, but they were not in this region.

 

As we got closer to the outskirts of Paris, the traffic increased and shortly became bumper to bumper. Eventually, we reached the famous Seine River, and our first sighting of the magnificent Eiffel Tower. Trying to get photos was a bit difficult, since the right and left banks of the Seine are lined with London plane trees, or sycamores, as we know them in California. Our guide promised us an excellent photo stop after lunch, so we had to be patient.

 

We continued driving back and forth across the river, going over old bridges. We counted ten such bridges in the central district. It was neat to see all the glass- domed tourist barges seeing the sites. There were so many we lost count.

 

Our first stop was lunch. There is a law in Paris that all buses must stop for lunchtime between 1pm and 2pm.or they will be fined. So that sounded OK to us. We went to a French brasserie called Chez Jenny. Since there were 300 of us, a banquet room was used on the upper level. We were served a meal of salad, french bread( of course), chicken breasts with a mushroom gravy, and a yummy cheese- topped potato casserole. Dessert was an apple tart, the size of a salad plate. Two types of wines were served with the meal, making us all happy campers!

 

We reboarded our coaches and continued the journey, passing by the Place de la Concorde at the city's expansive central square. Here we saw the 3000 year old Egyptian Obelisk, taken from a Luxor temple in 1829. Next, we passed the largest museum in the world, The Louvre with the modern glass pyramid in front. We never realized the size of this museum. It goes on for blocks and blocks.

 

We saw the Arc De Triomphe, driving on the Champs-Elysees, navigating the round-about that is so famous. Traffic was crazy, because cars and buses are coming in from all sides. Sure glad we are not driving here! We saw many blocks of open tents lining the main street, and were told that the Tour De France ends here with a huge celebration this weekend. Boy, did we get lucky, since all these streets will be roped off to traffic.

 

We viewed the Opera House, cathedrals , palaces, and Napoleon Bonaparte's tomb. Our final stop was at the base of the Eiffel Tower, built in 1889 for the World Exposition. It was much larger in person, compared to viewing it on TV. Our guide gave us 20 minutes to take photos, and to buy souveniers. A group of sweet ladies on our bus had us take their picture, doing the can-can, in front of the Tower.

 

On our way out of the city, we drove past the extravagant hotels and high-end designer stores. I think the husbands were glad that we did not stop here! Our guide pointed out the hotel where Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed left the night of their fatal accident nine years ago. We drove under the streets in the tunnel where the accident occurred. A new eternal flame monument happens to be erected over that same tunnel, but we believe it was actually a war memorial.

 

Around 5pm, we started the ride back to Le Havre. No sooner than we left, the rain started to fall. Now that is what we call great timing. It did help bring the temperature down from 95 degrees, and it got cooler as we headed northwest to the coast.

 

We all agreed that to see this vibrant city, you would need at least a week. But today was fantastic, and has given us a taste of Paris. And who knows, maybe one day we will be back! The best word to describe Paris??? Ooooo la-la!!

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[JLT]

for the wonderful details of a fantastic day. And for taking the picture of the can-can ladies. My family loved that! It really was a good day. Keep those memories coming.

[boatlover]

This journal is such a delightful read. I check in everyday. Thank you.

[WCB]

Hi Gang,

 

Today's port was Plymouth, England, famous for the sailing of the ship, the Mayflower in 1620. She carried 102 brave passengers and crew on her first trans-Atlantic voyage. Explorers Sir Francis Drake and Captain James Cook departed from Plymouth on their famous journeys. Because the bay was shallow, we had to use tender boats to go ashore. Plymouth ferries also help transport passengers from the ship.

 

Our destination today was out of the city, to the National Park of Dartmoor in Devon County. It is a huge park with wide open moors, granite outcrops, wooded valleys, rivers, and wildlife. Our group of 39 had a 40 minute ride to the Moorland Visitor Center. Here they had a museum display of the history of the park, its wildlife, and the tin mining industry.

 

Two park guides joined us, and after sizing up the group, they decided we would do any easy walk. Well, that was a mistake! Most everyone voted for the long hike, even if it meant that we were late for lunch. One thing a guide should never do, is put two options on the table, since it never works for everyone. The final decision was the long, harder walk.

 

So we literally went uphill and down dale, as they say here. We split into two groups....one took the low road, while we took the high road. All around us were Scottish black-faced sheep, cattle, and a few horses. So we had to watch where we stepped, if you know what we mean!! It was mentioned that these ponies can be aggressive, so they have been transported out of the park to be sold for 20 pounds each, or turned into a spicy sausage. Hmmm, never tasted that before??

 

The group made its way, slowly, but surely (not everyone was young either). Up the steep slopes we trekked with barely a trail to follow. Walking was a bit difficult because the rugged terrain was covered in heather, bracken, and gorse.....all of which are scratchy and thorny. This was surrounded with tufted grass closely knit together, making not as easy to hike as one would think.

 

When we reached the midway point, there was an upright granite stone in the ground. It had been used as a line marker, east to west, or north to south. It dated back 4000 years ago. It is believed that these markers were used for landmarks during the foggy season, so one would not get lost in the moors. Making our way to the highest point, 1400 foot level, we climbed rugged tors, or granite outcrops, formed 280 million years ago. Now, that's old. Older than dirt!

 

Our guide entertained us with tales of yesteryears. He said wolves roamed these hills, along with ghosts, witches, and mythical banshees. The story of the Hounds of the Baskervilles originated here. And it was particularly eerie, when we came upon ancient gravesites from thousands of years ago. We even climbed a wire fence to see one of these restored graves. One little elderly lady decided she could roll under the wire, but we helped her go through the middle. Funny thing was, we could have seen this grave without climbing the fence. We think the guide was punishing us for taking the long hike!

 

In the valleys of the hills, were copses of spruce trees, apparently planted by the landowners for a cash crop of lumber. We had to walk through a section of deadfall, where one man took a fall. He did keep going eventually, and was no worse for the wear. Then another fellow lost his shoe while walking through a bog field. We couldn't help but laugh when his wife had to pry the shoe out for him. He was so embarressed, but then none of us left there with clean shoes.

 

Thankfully, the trail ended, and the bus picked us up and took us to Postbridge for a pub lunch. The tavern, Warren House Inn, was located high on a hillside, with a fantastic view. It was, however, on the busy narrow roadside, and we had to be very careful crossing the street. And the cars do not slow down either! It is so hard to get used to the traffic driving on the "wrong" side of the road.

 

Lunch consisted of celery potato soup with a fresh sourdough roll. That was followed by a salad, cheese, and another stick of bread 12 inches long. And to make it authentic, local beer was served with the meal.

 

We headed back towards Plymouth, passing a famous old prison with a dreary, violent history. the driver also took us through the Barbican historic district of Plymouth, which was full of shops and restaurants. We did not have time to explore here, but we did see the Mayflower steps, where thousands of immigrants left England for their 60 plus day journey to the New World.

 

We got one of the last tenders back to the ship, and sailed away at 6pm, heading for Ireland.

 

Until tomorrow,

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[happy cruzer]

yummmm, Devonshire cream tea. that can put a smile on any face!

 

What a hike. Thanks for report.

[WCB]

Hello all,

 

We were welcomed today to the port town of Cobh, Ireland. Cobh is famous for being the last port that the ill-fated Titanic and the cruise liner, Lusitania, sailed from in the early 1900's. From 1848 to 1950, six million immigrants left the country, due to the potato famine and the lack of work. Simply put, they were starving. Thankfully, the situation has had a turn-around in recent years.

 

Most tours this morning were going to the Blarney Castle and Stone, the Jameson Distillery, and the Waterford Crystal factory. We chose a CSI excusion that took us on a tour of Cork and Kinsale.

 

Four of our tablemates joined us, along with 30 others CSI'ers and our host, Nancy. While on our 15 kilometer ride to Cork, our guide said our visit was timed just right, because two days ago, the temperature was 94 degrees. It was the hottest day in Cork in the last 10 years! And, it was apparent by the green hillsides, that the climate is usually cool and damp, with a lot of rain. "Luck of the Irish" for us today!!

 

Our guide gave us a brief talk about Ireland's past, saying that the main occupation years ago was fishing for salmon, trout, and eel, to name a few. Creamy Irish butter was traded with neighboring countries during the 17th and 18th centuries. A huge employer in Cork was the whiskey and beer industries. And they freely admit to imbibing daily, some more than others. The Irish call their beer the "water of life"! Is it Guiness, Beamish, Murphy's, or Miller time yet? Hey, it's 5 o'clock somewhere, right??? Anyway, many factories, pharmacuticals, and technologies have relocated in Ireland, helping their economy serge dramatically. And because of this, people are now immigrating from the Baltics, and eastern Europe to work and live here. Minimum wage is 8 Euro an hour, with the yearly income of 35K to 40K Euro for a nurse, for example, and 100K Euro for a doctor. The tax rate is from 25% to 42%. Citizens that are 65 years old and up, receive free bus and rail travel passes, and 70 year olds receive totally free health care. Unemployment is low at 4%. Pretty good turn-around for the Shamrockers!

 

Our first stop in Cork was at St. Fin Barre's Cathedral, a French Gothic Anglican church. Built originally in 606 AD, eleven churches preceeded the current church built in 1865. We had a thorough tour with an excellent church guide. The statues, mosaic floors, and stained glass windows were the best features. But the organ with its machinery of hundreds of pipes, 14 feet under the floor, was fascinating to see. Sure would have liked to play it. Bet it lifts the parishoners right off their pews! On the outside of the cathedral, two steeples towered at 240 feet high.

 

The bus continued on, heading south to the small, quaint seaside resort of Kinsale. This area looked more like the image we've had of Ireland from watching travel programs. The rolling hills were green, green,and greener with pastures, while the roadsides were lined with hedges and trees. Sheep and dairy cows dotted the peaceful farmlands. Our guide said that homes in Kinsale cost around 450,000 Euro. That may buy a 2 bedroom home with 3/4 acre lot. She followed by saying that property everywhere in Ireland has soared recently.

 

We had a short photo stop at a seaside fortress,Charles Fort, that had protected the coast from Spanish invaders centuries ago.

 

Then we were off to lunch in the Trident Tavern at the Trident Hotel. The elegant and ample lunch consisted of vegetable soup, rolls, rib roast with mashed potatoes, and vegetables. A pint of beer or a glass of wine was also served (cold too) . Coffee or tea was offered with lemon cheesecake. And we were happy campers once again!

 

After the delicious meal, we were taken to the heart of Kinsale to work off a few calories that we had consumed. And, of course, we had time for shopping. Treasures sold here are Waterford Crystal, Irish linens, wool sweaters, and bone china. We bought the usual t-shirt, shotglass, and Irish pin. Nice and small package, and easy to pack. We also visited the small grocery store for supplies.

 

By the time we got back to Cobh, it was too late to explore that town, since we got involved in commute traffic. We did get some nice pictures of the wharf as we sailed away, heading for Dublin.

 

Until tomorrow,

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WeLoveCruising]

Just wanted to thank you for all your posts. I really enjoy your style and feel as if I'm on the trip with you. Due to my busy work schedule, I cant visit these boards as often as I would like, but I am now on every day looking for your next update.

 

Thanks again!

[Ine]

I love reading your daily reports of this cruise. It must be great to see icebergs floating by...and of course the differences of climate from cold to hot.

I recently made photos of Maasdam in Rotterdam, which I think was your cruise. You can see them on

http://s73.photobucket.com/albums/i208/Inevd/Maasdam%20in%20Rotterdam/

[WCB]

Hello all,

 

We were welcomed today to the port town of Cobh, Ireland. Cobh is famous for being the last port that the ill-fated Titanic and the cruise liner, Lusitania, sailed from in the early 1900's. From 1848 to 1950, six million immigrants left the country, due to the potato famine and the lack of work. Simply put, they were starving. Thankfully, the situation has had a turn-around in recent years.

 

Most tours this morning were going to the Blarney Castle and Stone, the Jameson Distillery, and the Waterford Crystal factory. We chose a CSI excusion that took us on a tour of Cork and Kinsale.

 

Four of our tablemates joined us, along with 30 others CSI'ers and our host, Nancy. While on our 15 kilometer ride to Cork, our guide said our visit was timed just right, because two days ago, the temperature was 94 degrees. It was the hottest day in Cork in the last 10 years! And, it was apparent by the green hillsides, that the climate is usually cool and damp, with a lot of rain. "Luck of the Irish" for us today!!

 

Our guide gave us a brief talk about Ireland's past, saying that the main occupation years ago was fishing for salmon, trout, and eel, to name a few. Creamy Irish butter was traded with neighboring countries during the 17th and 18th centuries. A huge employer in Cork was the whiskey and beer industries. And they freely admit to imbibing daily, some more than others. The Irish call their beer the "water of life"! Is it Guiness, Beamish, Murphy's, or Miller time yet? Hey, it's 5 o'clock somewhere, right??? Anyway, many factories, pharmacuticals, and technologies have relocated in Ireland, helping their economy serge dramatically. And because of this, people are now immigrating from the Baltics, and eastern Europe to work and live here. Minimum wage is 8 Euro an hour, with the yearly income of 35K to 40K Euro for a nurse, for example, and 100K Euro for a doctor. The tax rate is from 25% to 42%. Citizens that are 65 years old and up, receive free bus and rail travel passes, and 70 year olds receive totally free health care. Unemployment is low at 4%. Pretty good turn-around for the Shamrockers!

 

Our first stop in Cork was at St. Fin Barre's Cathedral, a French Gothic Anglican church. Built originally in 606 AD, eleven churches preceeded the current church built in 1865. We had a thorough tour with an excellent church guide. The statues, mosaic floors, and stained glass windows were the best features. But the organ with its machinery of hundreds of pipes, 14 feet under the floor, was fascinating to see. Sure would have liked to play it. Bet it lifts the parishoners right off their pews! On the outside of the cathedral, two steeples towered at 240 feet high.

 

The bus continued on, heading south to the small, quaint seaside resort of Kinsale. This area looked more like the image we've had of Ireland from watching travel programs. The rolling hills were green, green,and greener with pastures, while the roadsides were lined with hedges and trees. Sheep and dairy cows dotted the peaceful farmlands. Our guide said that homes in Kinsale cost around 450,000 Euro. That may buy a 2 bedroom home with 3/4 acre lot. She followed by saying that property everywhere in Ireland has soared recently.

 

We had a short photo stop at a seaside fortress,Charles Fort, that had protected the coast from Spanish invaders centuries ago.

 

Then we were off to lunch in the Trident Tavern at the Trident Hotel. The elegant and ample lunch consisted of vegetable soup, rolls, rib roast with mashed potatoes, and vegetables. A pint of beer or a glass of wine was also served (cold too) . Coffee or tea was offered with lemon cheesecake. And we were happy campers once again!

 

After the delicious meal, we were taken to the heart of Kinsale to work off a few calories that we had consumed. And, of course, we had time for shopping. Treasures sold here are Waterford Crystal, Irish linens, wool sweaters, and bone china. We bought the usual t-shirt, shotglass, and Irish pin. Nice and small package, and easy to pack. We also visited the small grocery store for supplies.

 

By the time we got back to Cobh, it was too late to explore that town, since we got involved in commute traffic. We did get some nice pictures of the wharf as we sailed away, heading for Dublin.

 

Until tomorrow,

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Hello all,

 

We were welcomed today to the port town of Cobh, Ireland. Cobh is famous for being the last port that the ill-fated Titanic and the cruise liner, Lusitania, sailed from in the early 1900's. From 1848 to 1950, six million immigrants left the country, due to the potato famine and the lack of work. Simply put, they were starving. Thankfully, the situation has had a turn-around in recent years.

 

Most tours this morning were going to the Blarney Castle and Stone, the Jameson Distillery, and the Waterford Crystal factory. We chose a CSI excusion that took us on a tour of Cork and Kinsale.

 

Four of our tablemates joined us, along with 30 others CSI'ers and our host, Nancy. While on our 15 kilometer ride to Cork, our guide said our visit was timed just right, because two days ago, the temperature was 94 degrees. It was the hottest day in Cork in the last 10 years! And, it was apparent by the green hillsides, that the climate is usually cool and damp, with a lot of rain. "Luck of the Irish" for us today!!

 

Our guide gave us a brief talk about Ireland's past, saying that the main occupation years ago was fishing for salmon, trout, and eel, to name a few. Creamy Irish butter was traded with neighboring countries during the 17th and 18th centuries. A huge employer in Cork was the whiskey and beer industries. And they freely admit to imbibing daily, some more than others. The Irish call their beer the "water of life"! Is it Guiness, Beamish, Murphy's, or Miller time yet? Hey, it's 5 o'clock somewhere, right??? Anyway, many factories, pharmacuticals, and technologies have relocated in Ireland, helping their economy serge dramatically. And because of this, people are now immigrating from the Baltics, and eastern Europe to work and live here. Minimum wage is 8 Euro an hour, with the yearly income of 35K to 40K Euro for a nurse, for example, and 100K Euro for a doctor. The tax rate is from 25% to 42%. Citizens that are 65 years old and up, receive free bus and rail travel passes, and 70 year olds receive totally free health care. Unemployment is low at 4%. Pretty good turn-around for the Shamrockers!

 

Our first stop in Cork was at St. Fin Barre's Cathedral, a French Gothic Anglican church. Built originally in 606 AD, eleven churches preceeded the current church built in 1865. We had a thorough tour with an excellent church guide. The statues, mosaic floors, and stained glass windows were the best features. But the organ with its machinery of hundreds of pipes, 14 feet under the floor, was fascinating to see. Sure would have liked to play it. Bet it lifts the parishoners right off their pews! On the outside of the cathedral, two steeples towered at 240 feet high.

 

The bus continued on, heading south to the small, quaint seaside resort of Kinsale. This area looked more like the image we've had of Ireland from watching travel programs. The rolling hills were green, green,and greener with pastures, while the roadsides were lined with hedges and trees. Sheep and dairy cows dotted the peaceful farmlands. Our guide said that homes in Kinsale cost around 450,000 Euro. That may buy a 2 bedroom home with 3/4 acre lot. She followed by saying that property everywhere in Ireland has soared recently.

 

We had a short photo stop at a seaside fortress,Charles Fort, that had protected the coast from Spanish invaders centuries ago.

 

Then we were off to lunch in the Trident Tavern at the Trident Hotel. The elegant and ample lunch consisted of vegetable soup, rolls, rib roast with mashed potatoes, and vegetables. A pint of beer or a glass of wine was also served (cold too) . Coffee or tea was offered with lemon cheesecake. And we were happy campers once again!

 

After the delicious meal, we were taken to the heart of Kinsale to work off a few calories that we had consumed. And, of course, we had time for shopping. Treasures sold here are Waterford Crystal, Irish linens, wool sweaters, and bone china. We bought the usual t-shirt, shotglass, and Irish pin. Nice and small package, and easy to pack. We also visited the small grocery store for supplies.

 

By the time we got back to Cobh, it was too late to explore that town, since we got involved in commute traffic. We did get some nice pictures of the wharf as we sailed away, heading for Dublin.

 

Until tomorrow,

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Sorry for the triple posting, but we are having trouble posting report 21, which is for Dublin. Will try again.

 

Bill

[WCB]

Greetings,

 

After sailing a short distance from Cobh last night, we docked in Dublin early this morning under gray, foggy skies. Situated at the mouth of the River Liffey, Dublin, the capital of Ireland, is a large bustling city of thousands. It is obvious to us, that to see this city, it would take days. But CSI hosted a complimentary city and boat tour, so that was the plan today.

 

Two bus loads of our group met on the working dock at 9 am. Just before we left, a new family that just joined the ship in Rotterdam jammed onto the bus and squeezed into the seats at the back. The parents had a total of seven kids with them, one being a baby of 8 months old, screaming at the top of her lungs. Luckily bus #2 had extra seats, so at least six of us vacated our seats, giving the family more room to spread out. It turned out to be a good move, since bus #1 was to go on the boat ride first, while we toured the city. But there was NO boat, and they were stuck there for almost an hour waiting. A glitch in communications, we guess.

 

Well, on with the tour. We passed the impressive 18th century Custom's House on the north bank of the River Liffey. The riverbanks were lined with stores, restaurants, and lots of colorful pubs.. Our guide told us that the river had been cleaned up over the last few years,since it had a very foul smell to it. Looks like they still have a long way to go.

 

Crossing the river, we headed for Trinity College and their library that holds the Book of Kells - a hand illuminated manuscript of the Gospels. This college is Ireland's oldest, founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I. This whole area is surrounded by parks and student housing. It is a popular summer school for Italian, French, Spanish, and Japanese students to learn English during the summer. Two hours of class each day, then it's party time!

 

We passed dozens of Georgian mansions with interesting doors and windows. We also saw Dublin Castle, City Hall, Christchurch Cathedral, and St. Patrick's Cathedral. Unfortunately, long lines and parked buses prevented a visit to this famous church.

 

From here, we drove to Phoenix Park, Europe's largest enclosed public park. There are fallow deer roaming the park, as well as a zoo, polo and soccer fields, gardens, alfalfa fields, and exhibitions. There was a huge cross in a field that was built to commemorate the first visit to Ireland of the Pope in 1978. Hundreds of thousands of people came to see him.

 

It was around this point, that we realized the driver was lost. We had gone from one end of the park to the other, and back again, looking for a bathroom stop. Turns out that it was the driver's first day of work. Oh boy........in attempting to turn around, he lost part of the bus's bumper. At least he got lost in a nice neighborhood, and we got to see some high-end homes. On the way to the boat ride, we passed the Guiness Brewery, and the main shopping street/mall, Grafton.

 

The sightseeing trip on the River Liffey took us to the same sights we had passed earlier. But we did see the wharf theater where Michael Flatley, the Riverdance star, introduced his popular show. The Liffey Voyage boat went under two famous bridges, the O'Connell and the Ha'Penny. It turned around at this point and headed down the left bank of the river to see Dublin's newest high-rise apartment buildings. The guide told us that actor Colin Farell had a flat in one. Also, the Irish band U2 donated money to build a new complex, where they practice their music when in town.

 

The bus arrived back to the ship, and we figured that there would be enough time to ride the free shuttle back to the downtown area. Being that today was Saturday, the Grafton mall area was a total mob scene! And wouldn't you know, it started to rain. The streets were full of young college kids, shoulder to shoulder for miles. We walked the avenues watching street artists and checking out shops, mostly to get out of the rain. We wondered through the old college buildings with the idea of seeing the Book of Kells, but the line was long and we did not have the time to wait. Not wanting to get stuck in a traffic jam, we rode the shuttle back to the Maasdam.

 

Sailaway was cool and windy as we headed north towards the Faroe Islands.

 

Looking forward to a day at sea,

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[WCB]

Hi Happycruzer and Welovecruising,

 

Thanks for reading the reports. It has been fun to share with you all!

 

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

 

Hi Ina,

 

Yes, we were on the Maasdam when you took those photos. It was such a beautiful day there in Rotterdam. Glad you are enjoying the posts!

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[RuthC]

It was worth the effort to get the Dublin entry posted; it brought back many memories for me.

Again, I took a tour that got me out on water! I took the duck tour along the same waterway. I agree---the water still looks pretty dirty. Glad I didn't have to swim to safety.

I can't imagine bringing seven children along on a bus tour! For the sake of the others on the bus I hope that baby quieted down.

You got lucky.

[WCB]

Hi RuthC,

 

Glad we are stirring up good memories for you!

 

We were told by friends on the other bus in Dublin, that the baby never quieted down, saving the worst crying for the boat trip. Yes we did get lucky only because we left the bus, along with several other couples. Actually, we did not know that the buses were going to split up and do separate tours until it happened.

 

We did have a couple of younger boys, brothers, on our bus. But they were very well mannered, and and it was a pleasure to see them enjoying the tour.

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[WCB]

Howdy,

 

Finally,a day to kick back and relax. After leaving Dublin, the Maasdam sailed past Northern Ireland during the night, and eventually reaching the west coast of Scotland. Later in the day, we transited the Sea of Hebrides and into the Minches, the large rugged penisulas of Scotland.

 

The weather was cloudy, but not too cold. The sun did peek out occassionally between the grey clouds, making it a perfect day for walking.

 

We found it strange that when the ship is in port, the dining room is closed for lunch. So, we decided to go there for lunch today, and watch the many Scottish islands as we sail along. The food has been quite good, especially the Chinese and Mexican dishes.

 

Tonight was the first formal evening since we started the second segment in Rotterdam on July 18th. CSI hosted a party in the Crow's Nest to meet the new passengers. We met a nice couple from Vermont, that we had toured briefly with in Dublin. They had gotten stuck on bus #1 with the crying baby. They told us that the poor child cried during the entire bus tour and the boat ride. Poor baby. This reminded us of the reason we usually do not cruise during the summertime.....way too many kids. Don't get us wrong, we like little children, but not when they are allowed to run throughout the ship all day and night. We have a small number on this trip, thank goodness.

 

At dinner this evening, the chief engineer and his wife joined our table. We had hoped to keep our table for only 8, since Donna is in a wheelchair, and needs the extra space. But Margaret has been asking for an officer to join us, and she finally got her wish. It's funny how that can change the whole atmosphere of the group. We felt a bit uncomfortable to talk with each other, because the Dutch officer commanded the attention of everyone. It is fine for one evening, but we do hope he visits other tables for the remainder of the trip.

 

Bill & MaryAnn

[WCB]

Greetings,

 

One word to describe Torshavn, Faroe Islands, a self governing region of Denmark, is FOGGY! The Maasdam sailed into the harbor early this morning, but the fog was too dense to see anything. Hopefully, it will lift for the tour to the countryside of Gota later.

 

Sixty of us loaded on two buses, and headed up the narrow, steep, old streets of Torshavn. Our guide gave us some historical facts on the islands, as we left the harbor.

 

The Faroe Islands are an archipelago consisting of 18 islands, with a population of 48,000. They lie midway between Norway and Iceland, close to the Arctic Circle. The barren mountains and valleys are believed to be over 60 million years old, and are remnants of a vast volcanic plateau. Waterfalls and rivers just spring up everywhere, and cascade down the hillsides. Because of the very shallow soils, we saw few trees, only grasslands full of sheep. Just 6% of of these islands can be cultivated, while the rest is considered wastelands.

 

Speaking of sheep, 70,000 of them roam freely everywhere you look. In the summertime, 40,000 of them, including lambs and 6 year old yews, are slaughtered. A favorite staple for the Faroese is dried lamb meat, which our guide said tasted like roqueford cheese. The softest wool is used for clothing, such as underwear, sweaters and hats, while the outer wool is used for carpets and woven wall hangings.

 

While driving from Streymoy island to Eysteroy island (here goes those strange names again!),we went went through a fairly new tunnel, that must have been over one and a half miles long. The tunnel, and many more like it, have been bored through the mountains to save time from transiting to each island, since the roads are steep and narrow, and impassable during the coldest dark winter months.

 

Our first stop was at a Luthern Church in Southgota, a small village of a few hundred people. The Gota Kirkja (church) was a modern Danish structure with interesting light fixtures and stain glass windows. All the wood used to construct to church, including the pews, had to be imported from Denmark, as is the case with most of their buildings. The only natural materials here is the rock. One thing we did not expect to see, were the green slopes by the church covered with the remains of a concert that took place over the weekend. Apparently, 8000 people came to the rock performance, mostly from Denmark and Norway. They must have had one heck of a good time here! Pup tents, sleeping bags, blankets, mats, and loungechairs were simply abandoned for the locals to clean up. Our guide said to close our eyes to the mess, since she was very embarrassed.

 

At the next stop, we toured the remains of an ancient farm complex that belonged to a famous Viking chieftan. The green sod roof of the church and homes was very interesting to see close up. Half of the church's roof was being replaced, so we got to see the underlayment as it was redone. The sod roofs insulated the homes against the worst winds that blow here most of the time.. The little houses seemed to be built for Lilleputians, since they were so small. Each house had a central stove for heating and cooking, an eating area, cubbyholes and tiny bedrooms for sleeping, but no bathrooms. They must have had outhouses. The ceiling height and the doorways were so low we had to bend over to enter, leading us to visualize the Faroese as little people......but a hardy stock for sure.

 

Some of the wildlife native to these islands are 40 species of birds, the cute puffin being one of them, foxes, rabbits, and lakes full of trout and salmon. The sheep, cows, and horses were imported from Ireland and Denmark.

 

Closeby, we went to the Toting woolwear factory and store. Their sweaters were similar to the Norwegian style, but heavier, we thought.

 

On our way back to Torshavn, we made a stop at a panoramic vista point to take photos of the colorful village built in the valley near the sea.

 

Continuing on, our guide mentioned that fishing was the main occupation of the islanders, as it was in the past. Salmon fish farming has become a flourishing industry. The fish fry are raised in floating nets until they are 12 to 18 months old, then harvested and shipped to Denmark.

 

In regards to salaries, a teacher could earn 25,000 Kroner a month, which computes to $4166.( US). Unskilled labor rates are $19.50 an hour. However, prices on food and clothing are high, so it is relative. They do have subsidized and fuel, where a heating and electric bill may run $179 a year, and diesel costs 98c a liter.

 

After the pleasant tour, we ate lunch on the ship, then took the free shuttle back to town. Here we walked the quaint old town, ducking in and out of shops to keep out of the drizzling rain. We were told that the climate is pretty mild all year, rarely dropping below freezing, and with a high of 60 degrees in the summer. We were not to see the sun today, but we were glad to have seen such different, scenic landscapes and a taste of how these people live.

 

We left at 6 pm to the sounds of our foghorns, and we suspect will be hearing them throughout the night. Nancy Wright, our host, joined our table for dinner tonight. She is such a gracious lady, who is very easy to get to know.

 

See you all later,

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[cool change]

I'm printing your lastest posts for my night-time reading. Its the best.

[WCB]

Hi all,

 

Today we are sailing towards northern Iceland. It is a bit chilly outside, but not as cold as we thought it would be. This area is affected by the Gulf stream from Mexico, believe it or not, and it keeps the temperatures more tolerable,

 

Our morning walk this morning was almost lonely, as people are attending lectures, playing golf putting, or eating....a favorite passtime on this ship!

 

At noon, we were invited to a Mariner's lunch in the lower Rotterdam dining room with Captain Van der Loo and the hotel manager. Since none of our tablemates were included, we assumed the event is for 300 plus day Holland America Mariners. No one could crash this lunch, since we were screened by an assistant before entering the dining room. We know for a fact that the cocktail party in the first segment was crashed by some people, because our invitation was not requested to be shown.

 

Anyway, we were seated in the central section of the room with a very nice Austrian couple from Canada, who shared cruise stories with us. This was a first for us to be invited to a lunch, but they said they had done this on shorter trips, such as this one. The waiters handed us a set menu with choices of appetizers and entrees. A salad or fruit plate started the meal, followed by red snapper or torneodos of beef. Two wines, white and red, were freely poured throughout the delicious meal. The Captain gave a welcome speech to us and thanked us for coming back. Dessert of lemon cake was served and it was goood!

 

A funny thing happened when the Captain was visiting each table. The subject of his marital status was brought up at our table, and when he came over to us, the Austrian lady asked him straight out if he was married! To our surprise, he said no, he was recently divorced. And with that, he ran to the next table. Bookmark that thought.............be careful what you ask and in front of whom!!

 

As we were on our way out of the dining room, we were stopped by a couple from last year's world cruise. They were quite unhappy about the repetitions of the entertainment onboard this second segment. The chorus group has done their show going on four times now, and the in room TV has started over from the start. We can live with it, but considering how much people are paying per day, they expect a 35 day itinerary. We know it can be done. To us it is a no-brainer. All we can do is get together as a group, and take our complaint to the guest relations manager. She did help us with our 2005 reunion.

 

Tonight at 10 pm, the Captain and his officers are supposed to swim over the Arctic Circle, except in the closed pool. That should be funny!

 

Tomorrow, Iceland again!

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[RuthC]

Did they have a "swim across the Arctic" for passengers, too? :confused:

It took 'til my third chance before my schedule (hey, I'm a busy woman on cruises!) matched the event, but I did get my certificate of membership in the Polar Bears Club. It was a kick! :D

[WCB]

Hi Gang,

 

Sailing into the longest fjord of Iceland, Eyjafjordur, we docked at the second largest city of the country, Akureyri. It was covered in a dense chilly fog, which is common in these protected fingers of the sea. Akureyri has a population of 15,000, and is basically a small fishing town. Their fishing company is actually the largest in Iceland, making the city's shipyard the busiest in the country.

 

Our tour today is out of town and into the countryside. We had a total of 5 full buses with 250 people. We drove across Vikerskard Pass to Fnjoskadalur Valley, passing beautifully built farmhouses and pastures.We saw a few of the 300,000 sheep that reside in Iceland, but most of them are in Reykjavik. Icelandic horses and milk cows were in the meadows. The homesteads became spread out as we left the town. As we climbed up to a higher elevation, the fog lifted, and the weather surprisingly warmed up once the sun poke out between the high clouds.

 

We spotted the spray coming from Godafoss waterfalls, but our guide promised to stop there on the way back. Three of our buses were already parked there, so better to wait until later. We came across the first big lake and a few rivers, where our guide told us about the salmon and trout in these waters. He said that it costs between $200. to $2000. for a license to fish for one day. The limit of fish is 15 per day,( some of the trout weigh 12 pounds). That is still expensive. Some of the fishermen sport fish....catch and release. The farmer whose land the river runs through, charges for the fish. He owns that part of the river and the fish in it, and he can fish for free. Needless to say, we saw few fishermen! Commercial fishing is their big industry in Akureyri, mainly salmon and cod. And the fish are also farmed in the fjords quite successfully here. An interesting fact we learned, was that cod fish heads were shipped to Nigeria during their famine years ago.

 

Continuing on, we passed a large hydro-powered geo-thermal plant, built in 1979. They ran into major problems when a nearby volcano erupted, and caused a lot of damage to their pipelines. We stopped for quick photos.

 

Then we went onto Lake Myvatn, situated about 75 miles from Akureyri. This fairly shallow lake, about 9 to 20 feet deep, has no rivers flowing into it, only rivers flowing out. Its source is from underground springs. When the lake freezes in the winter, the natives go ice fishing. The men cut a hole in the ice, then net the fish. There are about 28 species of birds in this area, but the main inhabitants are loons and the golden-eye ducks. There are few predators around the lake, with the exception of arctic foxes and minks (accidently let loose from farmed animals).

 

We stopped at a large rest area that had a market, gas station, and a mini-museum, and of course, many bathrooms. While waiting in line for the restroom, I was able to read about the importance of the pesky, lazy flies that plague the lakeside. The larvae hatches from the algae on the bottom of the lake, become the flies, then are consumed by the birds and the fish. They will bite, but they are so slow, you can swat them away. The tourists complain about them, but they are a necessary part of the food chain. We'll just have to remember to bring insect repellant if we ever come back to this region.

 

Our next stop was at the most unusual moonlike landscape, the sulfur pits in Hverarond. The grounds around these pits were totally barren, probably a result of the stinky steam that unfurls from the boiling mud. Some of these pits were very large, and heaving with black mud-like mush. Rock pillars stuck out of the ground, and hissed with boiling hot steam. We think our clothes and hair reeked of the stench by the time we left there.

 

We then drove up a volcanic mountainside , where we walked to a large caldera full of water. This was what was left of a volcano that blew over 300 years ago. The hillsides were barren no matter where we looked, since little rainfall occurs in this area. The turf is more tundra-like, so we saw very few sheep compared to the sheep we saw in Rekjavik.

 

The next stop was at a rift that happened millions of years ago. Under the rift, ran a series of caves and caverns that held hot water in them. Our guide said that people come here to sit in the water in the dark caves to bathe. Bill actually climbed the steep rocks to go into one, but I was chicken. My luck, one wrong step, and I would be in the steamy water, clothes and all! Many hikers were enjoying their bag lunches, while our groups ran all over the rifts rocks. Unfortunately for the hikers, we loaded upon the buses, and left them in clouds of dust. Not nice!

 

By now, we were hungry for lunch, and that was our next stop. Hotel Gigur, located on the southern shore of Lake Myvatn, had a large dining room that held all 250 of us. Tasty wheat bread with a sun-dried tomato relish was waiting for us while we filled the numbered tables. Creamed cauliflower soup was served, family style. The main course was poached catfish , drizzled with a lemon/honey mustard sauce. Mixed veggies and small white potatoes made a nice presentation. Dessert was a fruit custard tart, that was delicious.

 

We had a little time left to walk across the road to a couple of small souvenier stores. The lines were long with people eager to spend their money. And spend they did, because everything in Iceland is terribly expensive. Our guide said that because most all products have to be imported making Reykjavik, for instance, the second most expensive city in the world to live............Tokyo being the first.

 

Heading back towards Akureyri, we stopped at a volcanic park named Dimmuborger. We took a 20 minute circular hike amongst the strange monoliths created by massive lava flows eons ago. And not one of them is alike. We usually follow up the rear, in order to take photos, so when we heard people ahead of us saying "ooooooooooooo", we wondered what they saw. It was funny when we rounded the corner, to see a huge lava formation with as big "O" in the center!

 

Our final stop was at Godafoss, the famous glacial waterfalls in this area. Even though the falls weren't that high, they were mighty powerful. A walkway along its edge, led us to a bridge where the bus waited.

 

We have to say that today's tour was well planned and very active. We made so many stops that we did not see anyone sleeping on the bus!!

 

The Maasdam left the fjord at 6 pm, and we were still sailing into the sunset at 11pm. Sunrise was at 3:30 pm. Crazy, huh??

 

Until tomorrow,

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[RuthC]

We must have very similar interests as, again, we took the same tour. When I took it it was also a cool, foggy morning. I heard one person attempting to cancel w/refund as he thought there would be nothing to see. (He was not successful, but didn't take the tour.) Just as on your tour, the fog also lifted on mine. :)

The biggest "kick" for me was the point in the walk through the lava field where the North American and European tectonic plates meet. I was able to stand there with one foot on each continent. Neat. :)

There are things in this post that I had forgotten all about. Thanks for refreshing my memory.

[WCB]

Greetings from Westfjord, Iceland,

 

We got lucky today at Isafjordur, since this was supposed to be a tender port. But the fishing boats were out, and we got to pull alongside the dock. This made the Maasdam the largest HAL ship to have docked in this port to date. The Prinsendam was here two days ago , but she is smaller than us. It had been raining all morning, but it seemed to be letting up.

 

Our tour today is a boat trip to Vigur Island, a privately-owned mini farm on an island that has been in the same family for four generations.A young farmer , his wife, and two of their youngest children live there year round. Their two oldest kids were in Reykjavik for school, and they were probably glad. This island is 2 kilometers long, and half as wide. Fourteen cows and a few sheep graze the fields, but the main reason we came here, was to see the birds, such as puffins, eider ducks, and pigeon guillemots.

 

About 60 bundled up passengers boarded two small tour boats, and headed out of the fjord and away from town. We had a forty minute ride , taking us in between the steep slopes of ancient volcanoes. Thankfully, we wore our heavy jackets, since the wind was icy and stung our faces while the boat sped up.

Stepping off the boat was like walking into a time warp. With the exception of motor-driven farm machinery reflecting the current time, the houses and barns had the look of mid 19th century buildings.

 

We started our walk by the old windmill, where our guide handed each of us a stick with a little flag on top. At first, we thought the sticks were markers to keep us from getting lost. But we soon found out their real purpose..........to keep the diving terns off of our heads! As we wandered too close their nests, they went crazy. At this point, some people decided that the walk would be too hard, so they went back to the farmhouse. The formation of the island was mounded in the center, with slopes going down to the sea. We did have to be careful where we stepped, because there were holes and cow patties.

 

The guide led us to an old wooden barn, weathered over the years, for a talk about the puffins and their activity in the fjords. They are migratory birds that can live for 50 years. The season for them in Iceland is from April through August. They dig a 6 foot hole where they lay and hatch one egg. The couples raise the chick to the end of the summer. The farmer has to kill many of them, since the would overtake the island, and it would look like swiss cheese. Only the breast meat of the puffin is edible, and one serving takes 3 birds. Being that the puffins eat nothing but fish, we suspected that they would taste fishy.

 

The group then left to see the other side of the island, but we stayed with a few others that were interested in taking photos. With just a couple of us there, the birds calmed down, and came back to perch on the rocks, posing for some great photo shots. What a picturesque setting this family has, with the ice- covered mountains in the distant fjord. High above the snowdrifts, we can see Drangajokull Glacier, a relic of the last Ice Age. Rivers cascade down the chasms and tumble into the sea. We can just picture in our minds, whales being hunted with harpoons in the late 1900's.

 

Making our way back to the farmhouse, we noticed our group stumbling along on a narrow beach watching the terns. On the far end of the beach, we saw the farmer's cows. We believe that beyond the point, the sheep were grazing. This was the perfect opportunity to get a jump ahead of the crowd and see the farmhouse and have our cake and coffee. The farmer's wife and sister served a yummy rhubarb tart, buttered raisin nut bread, and homemade donuts. Hot coffee really hit the spot. We had a chance to ask the wife about their kid's schooling. She said the kids were picked up by a boat and taken to the mainland. They attended school from Monday through Friday and boarded with grandparents. They come home by boat for the weekend. She said it was very quite while the kids were gone. However, they had plenty of work to keep them busy. One of their jobs is to harvest the down from the eider ducks. They did this by collecting the feathers from the bird's nests, and selling it for clothing and sleeping bags.

 

All too soon, we had to board the boats, and speed back to Isafjordur. Once back, we ate a quick lunch, and walked back to the town, just a few blocks away. It is hard to believe that this small town is actually the third largest city in Iceland. Only 2900 people live in this remote region of the Western fjords. We passed old wooden houses that contained a museum, historic fishermen houses, shops, and little cafes. Located in the middle of these houses, was a modern church with an old cemetery that dated back to the 1800's. On our way back to the ship, we passed the hospital, community center, one book store, and a souvenier store. Large buildings by the pier held fish factories, and fishing gear. We saw tubs full of partially baited fishing lines that stunk to high heaven. Had to walk really fast to escape that odor!

 

The Maasdam had to be backed out of the fjord for a mile, before the Captain could swing her around. So long and farewell to Iceland, a most wonderful country to visit!

 

Bill & Mary Ann