We’re going to be at sea for the next two days. I now begin to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of cruising against bus tours. I finally worked out how to manage my motion sickness on the bus, but I haven’t yet on a ship. I’ve given this problem a lot of thought and was given advice by another passenger we chatted with during our cruise last November. I am hopeful this time 🙃
Look close and you will see the moon on the upper right hand corner of this photo!
We are very excited to visit Cobh once more. Though most known for being the ‘last port of stop’ for the tragic RMS Titanic before she embarked on the final leg of her maiden voyage across the Atlantic, Cobh holds a special place in our heart because the Riordan family hails from County Cork.
Riordan is a surname of Irish origin, Irish: Ó Ríordáin; Old Irish: Ó Ríoghbhardáin; with Rearden also as a variant of it. The lineage of O’Riordan originated in County Tipperary in Munster Province but they migrated Southwards to County Cork at such an early date that they can be regarded as belonging to that County, where they are now far more numerous than anywhere else in the entire country.
Lismore Castle is located in the town of Lismore, County Waterford. It belonged to the Earls of Desmond, and subsequently to the Cavendish family from 1753. It is currently the Irish home of the Duke of Devonshire. It was largely re-built in the Gothic style during the mid-nineteenth century for The 6th Duke of Devonshire.
Next stop: Vee Lake which refers to a hairpin bend up the side of the hill. The Vee is predominantly famous because of the breathtaking panoramic views as you drive through the pass where the scenery climbs and dips and changes constantly to delight the eye at every turn in the road.
What we were supposed to see.
But….The lake was completely hidden by the dense fog! Oh well, next time. A good reason for another visit in the future.
Since this stop did not go as planned, we are moving on to the Rock of Cashel. Michael certainly made this disappointment sound more like an adventure; a great tour guide always knows how to turn lemons into lemonade.
Set on a dramatic outcrop of limestone in the Golden Vale, the Rock of Cashel, iconic in its historic significance, possesses the most impressive cluster of medieval buildings in Ireland. Among the monuments to be found there is a round tower, a high cross, a Romanesque chapel, a Gothic cathedral, an abbey, the Hall of the Vicars Choral and a fifteenth-century Tower House. These The surviving buildings are remarkable. Cormac’s Chapel, for example, contains the only surviving Romanesque frescoes in Ireland.
Just when we were about finished exploring and taking in this breathtaking location, the cloudy sky eventually turned to rain.
We were treated to an Irish lunch of round, wedge, and diced potatoes, a biscuit with gravy, and four cubes of chicken before heading back to the ship. While the chicken was fairly good, I decided to skip the potatoes to save room for the ships meal waiting for us this evening!
Our first stop is Falmouth and we have to board a tender to reach the dock where our adventure will begin. This is one of my least favorite parts of the cruise but today, the sea is gentle which makes getting on the tender bearable.
We would appreciate the breathtaking countryside that is composed of 50 shades of green as well as old structures from days gone by as we traveled to Land’s End, the day’s main highlight.
We would make a photo stop and learn about St. Michael’s Mount and its many transformations over the years. It served as the first beacon in a series to warn Elizabeth I of the approaching Armada, a castle, a monastery, and a landmark. At low tide, you can walk to this tidal island.
Today, James and Mary St Aubyn, aka Lord and Lady St Levan, live on the island with their children. The family gave most of the island to the National Trust last century, but have a 999-year lease to live in the castle and run the visitor business. * Drone overhead photo “borrowed from google”
Cornwall’s magical Land’s End is Britain’s most south-westerly point and one of the world’s most famous landmarks. From here, you will see breathtaking 200ft-high granite cliffs, the Isles of Scilly along with the Atlantic Ocean and The English Channel. Some of the rock formations on the cliffs reminded me of the Giant’s Causeway.
We returned to our ship after spending the day exploring the picturesque countryside, but this time we would take a ferry boat rather than the ship’s customary tender (life boat). I am used to getting a quick briefing and have a visual of the life vests but neither occurred this time and the 20-minute journey appeared to go forever but we did make it back safe and sound!
Excellent trip; in addition to our flight arriving early, our luggage arrived too. Nowadays, it’s a big deal if your luggage shows up at the same time as you do! As soon as we got into the taxi to Southampton, the driver made sure we weren’t starving by offering us water and bananas. What a thoughtful action
After a restless night at the hotel, we were relieved to arrive to our home away from home for the next two weeks. Our luggage was quickly whisked away, much to our delight, as we exited the taxi at the dock. Though we arrived early, we were checked in and given our “keys,” and proceed directly to our cabin.
We discovered a lovely birthday greeting for Jay on the monitor as we left for lunch. The new ship medallions know precisely where you are and will recognize you as you approach your door or any display monitor. I am aware that some people dislike the concept of being tracked but I personally do not mind, I just hope they figure it out right away if I fall overboard though I doubt that would happen as I have no plans of hanging over the edge of the ship! We also ran into Raj who we met last year on the same ship!
What a great start to our voyage!
We’re leaving tonight on a six-week journey. Looking forward to a road trip in Wales with Nigel the Great and hoping to catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights during a cruise excursion in Norway. I can’t believe we are going to Iceland too! We will also visit with Peter and Joan in Easbourne, friends that we made years ago during a Panama cruise.
I’ll keep you posted as internet permits on the cruise ship and while we are traveling on land…
WELSH EXPLORER TOUR
Monday 25th September to Friday 29th September
Happy Birthday Papa, Happy Birthday Jay
A fun-filled evening that also celebrated Quinten for his promotion—your proud Grammy!
During our Trafalgar journey to Israel, we met Lana and Mike. As promised, we stayed in touch and eventually managed to meet up one evening when they passed through an interstate close to where we live. We had a fun reunion at a roadside steakhouse. Looking forward to our upcoming trip with them next year!
Happy Anniversary dear friends. I wish you have many more joyous years to celebrate!
The adventure for today begins by boarding the Metro and traveling to the Inner Harbor
On a surprisingly quiet day, we strolled through the city center and took in the sights from the inner harbor. We had hoped to watch a baseball game, like we had the previous time we were here, but it happened to be a late game today so we did the next best thing you do in Baltimore: we went to lunch!
We make a point of stopping in Baltimore whenever feasible only to get crab cakes. Every time, we talk about visiting a new restaurant, we ask locals where they get their crab cakes, and we always end up at the same location, MO’s!
Perfect end to a perfect road trip
We opted to return our rental car in Baltimore and finish the trip on foot and public transportation. We rode the train to Washington, DC on our first day in town.
Our first stop was at The United States Botanic Garden
At the Capitol, we came upon the Miss Black America finalists. I went looking for Miss California for a photo opportunity!
We would later learn that Ariel Thompson, Miss Kentucky, won the competition.
As we walked down the National Mall, we came across a gathering of individuals holding signs from both political parties. Witnessing a historical event, regardless of one’s political background, is fairly impressive in my perspective.
Protesters were being interviewed by reporters from all over the world. It was fascinating to hear people’s perspectives on what transpired and what motivates them to protest.
Jay decided to “interview” one of the reporters and ask for dinner recommendations! A local FM radio reporter recommended we head to DuPont Circle. We got on the metro and discovered Lyle Restaurant, which happened to be in a boutique hotel. We weren’t sure about this until we had the first bite, and the rest is history!
After a full day of assorted activities, we caught a train back to Baltimore. Can’t wait to see what tomorrow will bring.
Meeting up with family
This was our first face-to-face visit with Bart and Lolly in 30 years. The day was spent catching up and listening to Jay and Bart reminisce about their childhood recollections. Lolly made all of my favorites for lunch, including crab cakes, freshly picked tomatoes, and corn. Definitely the most fantastic lunch.
We relaxed in the yard after our great lunch, surrounded by nature, listening to birds chirp and quietly watching Lolly’s hens. Because they are obviously targets for hawks and foxes, the hens are only permitted to roam the yard when someone is watching them. Charlie, of course, was on hand to ensure that we were all safe!
We parted ways after breakfast the next morning with a serious vow to see one other again and we hope Robin will be able to join us next time.
The travel from St. Louis, Missouri to Gatlinburg, Tennessee was breathtaking. I hadn’t seen gas prices begin with a “$3” in a long time, and I was definitely envious.
Driving through Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, the scenery altered considerably. I was not expecting to see all the attractions that lined the streets with thousands of tourists fighting to get into them after hours of gorgeous green scenery and blue skies! I was relieved to get at our hotel, which was mercifully away from the main drag.
After a good night’s sleep, we boarded the town trolley in search of an activity that would take us far away from the crowds. We were fortunate to discover The SkyLift, an open-air chairlift ride to the top of a 1,800-foot overlook with vistas of the Smoky Mountains. We also traversed the SkyBridge, North America’s longest pedestrian cable bridge. The lady who drove the trolley was also a terrific tour guide. She talked about the area, where to go, and, most importantly, told us about her favorite restaurants.
We spent our second day in town touring the Smoky Mountains. We woke up early, ate breakfast, and headed to the park. The park was just as beautiful up close as it was from a distance. We found a parking spot immediately and hiked up to the Grotto Falls. I’m not sure how the miles on these paths are calculated, but this was not a 1.2 mile trip because my Fitbit registered 4 miles as we were returning! We got back in the car and drove to a flowing creek, where we sat and ate our lunch while listening to the stream flow and watching the butterflies fly around.
Next stop: Easton, MD
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