Category Archives: Blog
August 5: Schiermonnikoog: Better than Ancestry.com
One of the places I always wanted to visit is Schiermonnikoog, an island off the Dutch north coast. Conceptually, it resembles Nantucket, off the Massachusetts coast. It is an upscale tourist trap, famous for beaches and good restaurants, and it … Continue reading
August 4-August 6: Visiting in Groningen & Drenthe
Since I wrote my last blog entry, more than a week ago, we have been spending time in Holland, visiting friends and family and taking it easy to let P.J recover from her bout with the cruise ship’s virus. In … Continue reading
August 4: Urk & Flevoland
On our way to Groningen, we drove over Flevoland, the newest part of Holland, a series of four “polders” reclaimed from the sea, one at a time, about a decade apart, from the 1930s though the 1960s. Most of the … Continue reading
August 2-August 3: Visiting in Amsterdam
In Amsterdam, we visited a family friend, Greetje, in her lovely (and quintessentially Dutch) home in Sloten, a suburb of Amsterdam. Whereas Rotterdam is thoroughly modern, having been essentially demolished during World War II and rebuilt, Amsterdam retains its historic … Continue reading
July 29-August 2: Visiting in Rotterdam
The weather in Rotterdam has been quite nice. We have spent pleasant afternoons sitting on the outdoor patio at Gerard and Diane’s house, enjoying their garden, sipping tea, conversing, and eating pastries. Whenever everyone notices me falling asleep sitting up, … Continue reading
July 29: Arrival in the Netherlands
When we arrived in Amsterdam, we found we were two of only about 280 people stopping the tour after 17 days. That means (if the cruise was fully booked) that about 1000 passengers are continuing for the full 35-day round trip … Continue reading
July 28: Last Day at Sea
Today we are getting ready for a total mind reset. Seventeen days at sea is a long time. An out of time experience with its own daily schedule of activities, pampering, ports of call…. By now, we have explored most … Continue reading
July 27: Stavanger, Norway & Lysefjord
Next morning we awoke to another sunny day, already moored in Stavanger, Norway. We took a beautiful cruise up one of the nearby fjords, the Lysefjord, to view a rock formation called “Pulpit Rock”. The steep fjord walls in one … Continue reading
July 26: Disappointing Edvard Grieg Excursion
In Bergen, I was really looking forward to the excursion to Troldhaugen, Edvard Grieg’s house by a lake. After all, Grieg is one of Norway’s most famous composers and we were promised a concert of his music on location. On … Continue reading
July 26: Bergen, Norway & Tall Ships
Be careful what you wish for, you might get it! When we sailed into Bergen, Norway, one of the rainiest and coolest cities in Europe, the weather was sunny and warm. Besides, they were having a Tall Ships event, many … Continue reading