Robert Farrell is a retired programmer turned financial planner and now trying to become a great traveller. Born in San Diego, Robert has lived in a variety of California cities before finally moving to Arizona. He enjoys travel of any sort (including via Harley Davidson) but especially loves cruise ships.
I’ve left Flåm and I’m on my way to Portree, Scotland
Flåm is now behind me and Scotland is our next port of call.
What’s been happening – May 2
It’s another beautiful day at sea, although the nights are very noticeably cooler, even cold! I had to wrap up in a sweatshirt, jacket, and woolen cap just to be outside enjoying my evening cigar. It’s so strange to think about how hot it was just a couple of weeks ago!
Where am I – May 3
On the morning of May 3, I woke up in yet another country (Scotland) and in another little town named Portree.
Portree is a cute little place, tucked away on the Isle of Skye in northern Scotland. Prior to arriving here I had really no idea what the area had in store for me, except for one thing. Long before I left on this round-the-world excursion I had made some plans with some folks. After the plans had been made there was no further discussion about them and so I didn’t really know if there was any plans to carry out the plan untili just a few days before I arrived here in Portree.
There is no dock in Portree that is appropriate for a ship the size of the Amsterdam, so we had to shuttle between the ship and the shore on tenders. Tenders are these small little shuttle craft that ferry passengers from ship to shore and back again. Each tender holds about 50-60 people and can be fun if the weather and sea conditions are working in your favor.
Tender service is required to reach some ports of call.
This morning, everything was favoring the passengers of the Amsterdam, so I anxiously boarded the tender for the ride into Portree.
The tender dropped us all off at the end of the docks in Portree. From the pier it was a very short walk along the edge of the water to the “bustling downtown” area.
The docks in Portree. Tender drop off/pick up is to the left, downtown is to the right.
I walked around town for a few minutes and then I ran into some people that I knew! No, they were not Portree locals as I’ve never met anybody from the Isle of Skye. Still, these were friendly folk so I invited them to join me for a cup of coffee.
Mark and Stephanie join me!
These are the first friends I’ve seen in months.
Surprise! It’s Mark and Stephanie, two very good friends from home who are also enjoying a vacation. Many months before today we had talked about meeting up in Portree, and now here we are!
After a tasty breakfast we piled into the rental car Mark and Stephanie had arrived in and we drove out into the countryside to take a look around. We were not disappointed with the scenery and the views.
Uig Tower
The harbor at Portree
Our drive took us to a beautiful little bay where we stumbled across Uig Tower. We stopped there and took a few photos while the chilly air nipped at our ears and our cheeks. We drove around the area for a couple of hours. We could have gone farther and explored the area in more depth, but there was another surprise to be had back at the harbor.
It does not happen often but I managed to secure permission for Mark and Stephanie to come aboard the Amsterdam with me for an afternoon tour and some shipboard “bar hopping.”
Three travelers, enjoying the bounties of their adventures.
The three of us had a great time exploring the ship from bow to stern. As the ship’s departure time from Portree approached, we heard the captain’s voice come over the PA system, inviting Mark and Stephanie to leave the ship so that we could depart. According to the clock, we still had about 20 minutes before the last shuttle so we calmly finished our drinks and then headed to the tender launch area of the ship.
While we were waiting for the tender to reach the ship so that Mark and Stephanie could board it and ride back to the dock in Portree, we heard another announcement over the PA. Again, it was the captain suggesting (demanding?) that all non-passenger guests depart immediately. Well, we were standing at the door waiting for the tender to arrive. There was little more that we could do! Eventually, Mark and Stephanie boarded the awaiting tender and made their way back to town.
That evening at dinner the folks at my table were giving me all kinds of grief about the announcements that had been broadcast all over the ship. They knew that I was behind those announcements and they laughed as they called me a troublemaker. For one evening, I was the “bad boy” of the Amsterdam. I loved it!
SO, WHAT’S COMING UP?
Tomorrow, I move on to Belfast in Northern Ireland, UK.
On the last day of April, we spent the day at sea, although it was difficult to see the sea.
I was hoping that the skies were not an indication of what we would find in Flåm as I had booked a scenic train ride there. So, while I awaited our arrival I joined my trivia team to do what we did best: come in second place, again. The rest of the day and night were kind of quiet as we sailed along in the fog.
Where am I – May 1
Sailing up the fjord and into Flåm
On the morning of May 1, we sailed slowly up the Aurlandsfjord taking in the morning sun. This was my first time sailing through a fjord and to say it was breathtaking truly does not give the experience enough credit.
A little luck came my way as the skies had cleared up and the views were spectacular as we sailed up the fjord and into the tiny little town of Flåm.
As re approached he town, I could feel excitement brewing inside me as I now knew that my train ride promised to be everything I had been expecting. The train from Flåm to Myrdal and back took about 90 minutes and it is said to be one of the top 10 rail trips in Europe. Having now experienced it for myself, I’d have to agree that it is most certainly one of the most scenic train rides I’ve ever taken.
After the train ride, I piled into a bus with about 50 other people to go to the top of the tallest mountain behind Flåm to step out onto a platform that simply hangs out in the air and provides incredible views of the fjord below and the snow-covered mountains on the other side.
And, finally, I took a little self-directed walking tour around the town during which I somehow took myself inside Flåm’s only craft brewery. Can you imagine that?
After that, I had just enough time to get back aboard the ship in time to depart the amazing and largely hidden part of the world.
I’ve intentionally kept my comments brief because today I’d like to try something a little different. Rather than droning on about my experiences and flooding you with photo, I’ve created a little video to allow Flåm’s beauty to speak for itself.
I woke up this morning well rested and ready to resume my roll as a tourist with a renewed energy and the events of the day in Copenhagen well behind me.
I was up early and just in time to watch us sail into the harbor in Oslo, Norway.
Sailing into Oslo
In my planning for this trip I did not develop any real plans for Oslo. I spent so much time considering what I’d like to do in places like Petra, Mont-Saint-Michelle, and the Rijksmuseum that I didn’t even consider what joys I might find in places that are not as world famous. As a result, I was greatly surprised with the beauty and culture that surrounds Oslo.
For my shore excursion today, I simply signed up for something that would give me a little exposure to a place that I knew so little about. The outing I chose took me to two places I’d never heard of, so I guessed that met my needs. The two places were the (very) little town of Dröbak (just south of Oslo) and Frogner Park in Oslo.
When the time came, I piled into the bus with one of my travel buddies (Kathleen, whom you might remember as the one who bought the Belgian Fries in Zeebrugge) and we headed off to Dröbak.
Dröbak
After a scenic drive of about half-an-hour we came into Dröbak and were simply allowed to wander about on our own for a couple of hours. And, as it turns out, that is the very best way to get to know this little town and the people that live in it.
Which way to go?
Kathleen and I decided that the first thing we needed to do was to visit the local coffee house to gather up some caffeine and learn what we needed to be sure to see before we left.
The little neighborhood coffee house
While enjoying our coffee we learned that Dröbak is full of shops where one can buy art, clothing, food (both market and café types), and some of the best Christmas “stuff” you can imagine. So, as soon as we finished our cappuccinos, we headed off to see about Christmas “stuff.”
Robert visits the Julehuset
The Christmas store is a place called the Julehuset. Inside is an incredible array of Christmas items, and a big surprise to go with it. The Julehuset is open all year round, which is wonderful for “whovillians.”
As it turns out, Christmas is celebrated a bit differently in Norway than it is in the US and the decorations in the store show it. We saw not only Santa, but all of his family and some of his descendants! Everything in the store seems to be red including red-clothed reindeer, elves, and even a Christmas troll. (Actually, they only had a single Christmas troll. I loved it and asked its price. As it turns out, the troll was the only object in the entire store that wasn’t for sale! Bummer.)
Inside the Julehuset
After taking in both floors of the Julehuset (and buying nothing as the prices seemed quite steep) Kathleen and I proceeded to simply walk around town an check out the stores, markets, and galleries. We saw lots of great art, including some that seemed directly targeted at people from the southwestern US! We ran out of time before we ran out of things to see and it was, too soon, time to return to the bus. I really felt like I was not yet ready to leave. This friendly little town had stolen my heart and if I get a chance to return I most certainly will!
Frogner Park
The bus took us back into town for the second half of our trip which was a visit to Frogner Park. The park was practically walking distance from the cruise ship terminal (about a 45 minute walk.) I’d never heard of Frogner Park and perhaps you never have either.
As I learned, Frogner Park was once a smaller park centered around Frogner Mannor. The City of Oslo bought the property just before the turn of the 20th century. A few years later, they turned the property into a public park.
In the 1920s, the Norweigian artists Gustav Vigeland was given a studio and a home in Frogner park. In exchange, he promised to donate all of his future work to the City of Oslo and today Frogner Park has over 200 of Vigeland’s marble statues.
I learned this background information just after entering the park and walking past Vigeland’s old studio. I still knew nothing of the work Vigeland donated, but it didn’t matter to me at that point. It was a marvelous day in Oslo with unseasonably warm temperatures in the low 80s! A great day to be visiting a park.
Oslo, Norway, in April and in the 80s
When we reached the part of the park where Vigeland’s statues could start to be seen, it took my breath away! I really can’t describe in words how striking and beautiful it was to see marble carved the way Vigeland had done. Each piece was nearly life-sized and there was so much expression! Here’s a little gallery of some of the statues I saw. Be sure to click on the images to see them in a larger format.
Once again, the end of our turn came far too soon and long before I could take in 200+ sculptures. Frogner Park will remain in my memory for the rest of my life. Again, if I’m fortunate enough to visit this park again, I will allow myself adequate time to really soak it all in. How could I have not known this place existed?
The end of the day
So, back to the Amsterdam. I was done touring for the day, but I was still hyped and not ready to call it a day. Before boarding the ship, I did a little shopping to try to find great souvenir items for myself and my friends.
At a shop on the pier, I was welcomed by this little guy.
Greeted by a troll
After a bit of souvenir hunting success it was time to call it a day an board the ship. Once everybody was aboard we started to sail out of Oslo and on to our next stop. What amazing things might I find there? I was most certainly surprised by what I found in and around Oslo, and there was more Norway yet to come. I was so excited at the possibilities, I needed a sunset and a drink to calm me down.
Sunset leaving Oslo
SO, WHAT’S COMING UP?
Tomorrow, a day at sea and then a visit to Flåm, Norway.
Perhaps you’ve had a day like this. Well in advance, you’ve made big plans for the day. You’ve got activities mapped out, and perhaps even pre-paid. You’ve imagined all of the fun the day will offer and you’re anxious for it to arrive. And then, something goes horribly, unexpectedly, unfortunately wrong.
That happened to me today.
The marvelous pub crawl last night was lots of fun and the liquor flowed in rivers. Mostly, it seems, down my own throat. I don’t actually remember returning to my cabin, nor what time of the morning it was. Late, I think.
So, when I finally came around this morning…oh, I mean afternoon…I stepped out onto my balcony to see our ship docked in Copenhagen. When I checked the clock it was (OMG!) 2pm!
For a moment, I panicked. I had scheduled a Segway tour for the early afternoon that would take me around the historic area of Copenhagen with a stop at the world famous “Little Mermaid” statue that I was so very anxious to see.
I sure wish that I had taken this photo. But, I didn’t. Missed my chance.
By 2pm the Segway tour was half over, so no need to dash to the pier to the Segway office to try to salvage my visit to Copenhagen. Segway office? On the pier? Yup! I could see the Segway tour office from the balcony of my room so, had I awoken at a reasonable hour, I would have been right there and ready to take the tour. No taxis, no buses, no delays. Just a hundred steps or so.
I considered just going down and trying to cajole some Segway tour guide who might be asleep in the office into taking me on a private tour. I was ready to pay any price. Unfortunately (and that’s the word of the day) our ship’s departure time today was earlier than usual, 5pm, with the “all aboard” at 4:30. It was already after 2pm so the possibility of that plan ending well seemed rather low.
I was emotionally crushed. I also felt as though my head had been crushed; I had a massive hangover. I stood for a moment on my balcony, trying to cope with the fact that my visit to Copenhagen was over. I had seen the pier where the ships docked. I had soaked up the view of the Segway tour office on the pier. I had seen all of Copenhagen that I was going to see. So, I took a deep breath, tried to calm myself, and then crawled back into bed.
The end.
SO, WHAT’S COMING UP?
Tomorrow, we’ll dock in Oslo, Norway and I promise not to miss two ports in a row!
Today was another day at sea, and I’ve already told you how much I love these. However, it was the evening where all of the fun happened.
For starters, it was the King’s (of the Netherlands) birthday and it was a formal affair all around the ship. Orange was the color of the day and everybody was wearing that color. Many of you know how much I love orange, but this evening I saw so much of it that I was overwhelmed!
After our formal dinner, though, was when things really started to pop! The attraction of the evening had to be the second “pub crawl” aboard the Amsterdam. If you’ve been following this blog then you already know we had a pub crawl on St. Patrick’s Day. That crawl was fun but it also had its faults. The main complaint that I heard was that the drinks were all too sweet and, by the end of the evening, people were just unable to consume another overly-sweet drink.
At each stop, in addition to being served a tasty cocktail (or beer) we had either a challenge or some other form of entertainment. For example, at the first stop we were challenged with the puzzle of moving a raw egg from one “rocks” glass to another without touching it in any way. After several failed attempts we figured out that you needed to “blow” the egg out of the first glass and into the next. Here’s how that challenge ended.
Some of the cocktails served were very creative, relying on the different specific gravities of various liquors to make layered drinks!
At another stop, we were treated to a cocktail created via a “domino effect.”
And at yet another stop we were entertained by some “expert” juggling. The guy performing this routine was the same guy we saw on the St. Paddy’s Day crawl where he performed a bit better. Perhaps he had a shot or two prior to his act to steady his nerves. Anyway, here he is, once again!
At the end of the evening, we concluded our crawl in the “Crow’s Nest” bar where the drinking continued and the dance floor was filled with all of the folks celebrating the King’s birthday.
After all was said and done, the party was a huge success. I don’t remember returning to my room, but somehow I got there. If one of you gentle readers assisted me, please accept my gratitude!
I know this post is just a little bit late, but I don’t want you to think I’ve given up on the project, so here I go again!
Where am I?
Arriving in Amsterdam
Today, I’m on the Amsterdam in Amsterdam. That’s kind of fun for me and it’s a big deal for the ship and the city. Today, we’re being treated to something really big and really special: we’ll have the Rijksmuseum all to ourselves!
What’s been happening?
Is the weather changing? I hope so. It’s still a bit nippy outside but the skies are clearing and the temperature is up just a little bit. Very encouraging!
This is what I saw as I stepped out onto my balcony this morning.
River cruisers preparing to start their tours.
Disembarking from the ship, I was greeted with two icons of the Netherlands. My venture into the culture of the Dutch begins! (The cow, which represents cheese production, is delightfully wrapped in the colors of the flag of the Netherlands: red, white, and MOO!)
Welcome to Amsterdam
Amsterdam has been a port city for hundreds of years. At one time, the Dutch were the greatest sailors and navigators in the world which propelled them to great wealth and power. The City of Amsterdam shows reverence to their past sailing glory by maintaining the old Stad Amsterdam in the harbor. And, the Stad Amsterdam is no floating museum. No sir-ee bob! It is a fully functioning clipper ship that can be rented for special occasions, business meetings, weddings, or whatever! No doubt, she’s a beauty! However, I prefer to remain with the Amsterdam with which I arrived.
The Stad Amsterdam (the City of Amsterdam)
Taking in the sites around Amsterdam, I’m impressed with how similar the city is to Bruges. I mean, there are canals and parks seemingly everywhere and about a gazillion bicycles. (Actually, I’m told there are only 840,000 bicycles in Amsterdam, about 1.6 bicycles for each person who lives there!)
In Amsterdam, bicycles are more than just something people do on a nice summer day. Here, bicycles are a major form of transportation. In fact, bicycles are so much a part of the urban transportation scene that training for how to safely ride a bicycle in Amsterdam is taught to the children starting at a very young age! This is very much like “driver training” was for me when I was in school.
Canal, parks, and lots of bicycles!
It was a very nice day in the area around the passenger terminal and the port, but the real thrill of our visit to Amsterdam was our very special night at the Rijksmuseum. For this evening, the doors are closed except to passengers aboard our ship. Let me tell you all about our unique evening!
The beautiful Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam
Starting at about 6:30pm, busses were brought to the passenger terminal to take us over to the Rijksmuseum. The ride should have been about 15 minutes but our bus driver seemed to be a little confused about the best way to get there. It took about twice as long as it should have. (I later received reports that we were not the only ones with a confused driver, and that one of the busses was actually damaged in transit resulting in some excitement for the passengers.) So, as a result, I got to see a bit more of the city.
One thing that caught my attention was this wonderful service! I’m jealous of the Amsterdammers in this regard. On the other hand, if I could get wine delivered to my door this easily, I might never leave the house!
Here’s a service I could really use!
After our longer-than-expected ride to the museum we did, finally, arrive.
The promenade to the Rijksmuseum
Once inside, the party started and it was very impressive. After visiting the coat check, I was immediately greeted by a server offering both sparkling and still wines. Other servers plied the room with great trays of hors d’oeuvers. And, if you didn’t feel like their service was fast enough for your rate of consumptions, bars and buffets were set up all around the main halls to quench both thirst and appetite.
The museum went all out to make us feel welcome. In fact they treated us as though we were very important people!
And, to help set a festive mood, a wonderful jazz band (The Tiny Little Big Band!) was set up on the mezzanine and they played some of the best live music I’ve ever heard. (Except, of course, for the Black Moods whose music would have been inappropriate for the setting.)
And all of this comes before the real treat of the evening: the Museum’s entire collection of Rembrandt paintings, sketches, and watercolors.
Here is a gallery of just a small amount of the marvelous art on display. In all, there were nearly 400 individual pieces handsomely presented on the walls of several very large rooms, and I was gobsmacked!
I especially like the two portraits in that last photo in the gallery above. They are nearly life-sized and they reminded me so much of the Gainsborough portraits known as “Blue Boy” and “Pinkie” that hang in the gallery at The Huntington Museum in Pasadena.
And speaking of life size, here are two of my new friends that aren’t! Or, are they?
I’d like you to meet my two new friends
By 11pm I was experiencing sensory overload! As the crowd had thinned out considerably (it was well past the bedtime of a majority of the passengers of the Amsterdam) I headed back to the bus to take the ride “home.”
Anything else?
Well, maybe one more thing. A number of people have asked me why I didn’t visit any of the places where marijuana is on sale, or why I didn’t go to the red light district.
Well, here’s my reason. The red light district is a place best enjoyed at night owing to the colorful lights and the increased activity during the evening and night. However, our expedition to the Rijksmuseum also took place after dark and we were only in Amsterdam for one night. So, I went to the Rijksmuseum.
Some of you, at least, are thinking I made the wrong choice.
So, what’s coming up?
Tomorrow, we have a day at sea. That’s not too interesting. But, our night at sea certainly will be!
We’ve docked in a town I’m pronouncing zee-BREW-gie! Ah, Belgium. Home to a whole host of beers that I don’t generally like. However, I’m here to explore, to learn, and to grow. So, I’ve signed up for a tour of Brugge that includes some beer tasting.
Where am I?
I arrive at Zeebrugge
Zeebrugge is the seaport for Bruges (or, Brugge in Flemish which is a language spoken here), a larger city about 10 miles inland.
What’s been happening?
Dammit! It’s another cold, cloudy day. I’m starting to forget what the sun is like.
Well, anyway, on to fun stuff! Today, I have booked a tour of Bruges but not because I have some deep interest in Bruges but rather because the tour includes beer tasting! If I have to see some sights before they’ll pour me a barley soda then I’ll just have to tough it out until then. So, into the bus and off to the big city.
One of the many canals in Bruges
As the bus came into the old, inner city of Bruges, I really took notice at how nice this place is. It’s very clean, and has lots of canals. The canals are all lined with paths for walking and bicycling, and there are people riding bicycles everywhere! I see no litter or graffiti. So far, perfect!
So, off the bus and on our feet. We start a walking tour of old Bruges. There are some horse-drawn carriages available, but we can’t fit a busload of people on a single cart, so we’ll have to “hoof it” our own way.
Horse-drawn carriages are popular here
As we walk around the city, I start to notice how clean everything is, and how old. Yet, in spite of the age of some of the buildings and structures in the Old City part of Bruges, everything seems well maintained. There appears to be a lot of civic pride in this town.
Crossing into the old part of the city (that part that lies within the ancient walls) we come across a bridge with an amazing tower. This is the Poertoren Tower and it is part of the ancient wall of Bruges. It was built in 1401 and was used to store the town’s gunpowder. To me, it is an absolute miracle that this tower is over 600 years old and looks like it was built last year. And this was just the beginning of a walking tour that turned out to be much more than I expected.
Lake of Love
We next came upon the charming Minnewater park or “Lake of Love” as it is affectionately known. Legend has it that in Bruges, centuries ago, lived a young lady called Minna, who was in love with a humble man called Stromberg. Without her consent, the girl’s father arranged a marriage between his daughter and Morneck, a young man from a higher social class, more appropriate for Minna. When she found out about her future marriage, Minna escaped from home. Young Stromberg went looking for her and he found her next day lying dead on the shores of the lake. He buried her on the bottom of the lake to keep their love in these waters forever.
That’s the legend but, personally, I have a hard time believing that story. Still, the lake and it’s lovely bridge certainly add to the charm of Old Bruges.
And speaking of charm, these young ladies appeared from (seemingly) out of nowhere to demonstrate that walking, biking, and horse-drawn carriages are not the only way to get around town. Now, I’m really starting to fall in love with this place!
Girls on Segways!
Oh, and here’s another popular way to get around town: the canals are filled with boats, many of which are available for tours and taxi service. The canals are found all throughout the old town and, to me at least, really create that European ambiance, like Amsterdam or Venice.
As we walked along one of the canals on our way to the historic “Markt” in the center of town (where beer awaited!) we walked by this little micro-brewery. There was access to the patio area by canal boat, although you cannot see it in the photo. Immediately, I could see myself sitting on this patio, overlooking the canal, watching the parade of boats, bicycles, and people, while enjoying a nice Belgian Tripel. Yes, I could easily spend an afternoon doing that!
Fresh ale served alongside a busy canal. Great was to spend an afternoon!
But, our destination was still some distance ahead.
No ancient European city would be complete without a beautiful church near the center of town, and so it is with Bruges. Here are some examples of the architecture to be seen. Our tour cdid not go inside this church, so I have no photos of the inside.
Now we were getting closer to what I expected to be the highlight of the tour: the brewery. First we dash down a narrow alley…
…and into a very cute (and crowded) shopping area. In this area there was two or three chocolate shops on every block! There were chocolates there of every description and even a few that defied description. One window display, (below and on the left) featured beer bottles and colorfully bridled buxom breasts, all made from chocolate. This display immediately made me think of my friend Matt who would have found the combination irresistible. Coincidentally, Matt is married to my charming friend Julie who was also represented (by name) by a chocolate shop on the same block! True story!
Here is a list of the beers we were sampling on this cold, grey day. Give it a look, and then I’ll comment.
OK, here’s my comments. There wasn’t a single beer on this list that I liked. I think there’s something about the yeasts used to make Belgian beers that just don’t appeal to me. However, there are some specific notes I’d like to share. The beer labeled “3” in the photo states that the beer was a “Belgian version of IPA.” That can be interpreted as “this is NOT an IPA.” And the last beer, the Lentegruut, was actually made without the use of hops. Instead, a recipe of herbs were used as a substitute. This was done for historical reasons, and I love history, but that is no excuse for serving something so awful tasting. At least they warned me before I sampled it.
After going through those five samplers, I decided to try something that was not on the list. I asked for a menu or a regular beer list and this is what I received:
The beer list is printed on the label of this magnum bottle!
Yes, the magnum beer bottle is the menu, and this might have been the coolest thing about my “Bruges Beer Experience.” I ordered a few beer samplers from the bottle’s label and really tried to find something I liked. I left this place a little tipsy, but overall unsatisfied with my visit, unfortunately .
Anything else?
Well, maybe one more thing. My tour buddy for the day (Kathleen) had heard that one simply must try the Belgian fries when one is in Belgium. I had never heard of Belgian fries but Kathleen was quite insistent that everybody try some. We located a food wagon in the Markt that sold the fries and Kathleen purchased an order.
Try some Belgian fries?
Verdict: They are damn delicious and unlike any fries I’ve had anywhere. They almost tasted as though they had been fried in butter! Decadent, crispy, and oh-so-tasty!
After that it was back to the tour bus, then back to the ship, then back to the sea. I sure hope that tomorrow will be warmer than today.
So, what’s coming up?
Tomorrow we pull into Amsterdam, and something really big is waiting for us!
This is my first visit to France, and this is my only stop in this country. Fortunately for me, there’s a place close by that has been on my bucket list for eons, and today I’m going to visit there.
Where am I?
I’m in Cherbourg, France
What did I see, first thing this morning?
Morning over Cherbourg
I woke up to another cold morning. It’s also raining. It’s also very early, so I’m kinda grumpy today. I have to be up early because I have a 9.5 hour shore excursion today. We’ll be the first ones to leave the ship. As it turns out we’ll also be the last ones to return.
What’s been happening?
I’ve got a very early shore excursion today, and that’s something I don’t like. Well, I like the excursion part, but I never like getting up early! However, I’m very excited about my destination, so that’s the fuel I’m running on as I depart the ship and walk to the bus in the early, rainy dawn.
By the time the bus leaves the parking lot, the rain is really coming down. This worries me because at least part of my tour today is outdoors. Will this spoil my tour? At this point, I really don’t know.
And it rained hard!
Two hours and 15 minutes later, I arrive at our destination. The rain stopped almost as soon as we arrived, although the sky is still completely covered with clouds. We bail out of the bus, make a quick pit stop at the relief station, and then group up to take the tram to the gate. From the visitor’s center, this is all I can see:
At least it isn’t raining.
The cost of the tram is included in out tickets, however there is another way to get to the gate for those who don’t mind paying a little extra.
Tram, or horse drawn carriage?
Well, I’m with a tour group so best to stay with the group. We hop on the tram for a 5 minute ride, then when we got off the tram I see what I came here to see. Something I’ve wanted to see since I was in my thirties.
The Abbey at Mont-Saint-Michel, France
This abbey/fortress sits at the mouth of the Couesnon River which can be seen in these photos I took from the top of the abbey. At high tide, the island is completely surrounded by water and looks a bit like a Disney castle.
Couesnon River
As we draw closer to the old city walls, the size and the specter of this place approaches and then exceeds awesome.
The old city walls
Drawing closer to the abbey
And, closer.
Even closer!
Mont-Saint-Michel is the name used for the abbey, the island that it sits on, and the little town on the island at the base of the abbey. The population of the town is approximately 50.
This is the city of Mont-Saint-Michel
It looks like a trip down Diagon Alley (Harry Potter reference)
There are hotels here, so you can sleep at the foot of the abbey
My friends, Mary (left) and Beth (right)
The transition from the town to the abbey is actually across a drawbridge that spans a moat! I checked the moat very closely and carefully. There was no water it in so, obviously, it had no alligators. Why was I expecting alligators? Because every cartoon I’ve ever seen that featured a castle with a moat had alligators!
Drawbridge over the moat
At this point, we started the climb to the top of the abbey. There are over 200 uneven, medieval cobblestone steps to get to the top. There are also about 200 thousand people here! Ok, not really, but it seems like it!
Steps and people!
Before starting the steps, we were told that, as we progressed, the path would get smaller and narrower, and the steps would become steeper and more frequent. We were also told that just when you think you’ve made it to the top or that, at least, you’ve seen the worst of it, you haven’t. Therefore, as I climbed the steps, using as much energy to keep people off of me as I did to take each subsequent step, I started to tire out and that made me worry.
At some point, the seemingly unending steps reached a kind of “plateau.” We were at a cobblestone “patio” kind of area. I was out of breath and was considering calling the whole thing off and returning to the little town down below. I saw our tour guide through the crowd and approached her to ask how much farther we had to go. I was quite relieved to hear that my friends and I had actually made it to the top! Huzzah!
We took a couple of minutes to catch our breaths, and then proceeded into the abbey.
Inside the abbey there is a maze of pathways and rooms. Some rooms were for worship, others were dormitories. Some rooms were little chapels, and some rooms were refectories (places for eating.)
The abbey was not built according to a single plan, but rather started very small and then grew and grew over hundreds of years. This resulted in a maze of pathways connecting oddly placed rooms. Some of the architecture was romanesque. Some of it was gothic. Some of it was post-gothic. This abbey was not planned, but rather, it grew kind of “organically” over the centuries to meet the needs of the times.
But let’s get back to touring those rooms.
We started in the main church area which, interestingly enough, exhibits several different architectural styles. This truly reflects the age of the church and the abbey.
The central church
Keep looking up!
Continuing our tour, we visit the refectory.
The refectory
In the refectory, I could not help but think of all those wizards and mug-bloods at Hogwarts. All that is missing in that photo is the floating candles!
Here are some of the other rooms. I’ll pass on the descriptions for now, but know that it took over an hour to wander through these rooms.
A small chapel
There is very little stained glass
Ornate detail!
Looking up to the refectory
From the courtyard, the refectory
From the courtyard, the front of the church
So, with the abbey so high up at the top of the rock island, how did they get their food and supplies? Were silent monks sent down to the town with instructions to buy food and carry it up hundreds of steps in order to make dinner? How many monks? How many trips? Well, here’s the answer to that question.
There’s a wheel:
The hamster wheel
It’s a bit hard to see, but this gigantic wheel is like a hamster wheel, but made for people! Several men would stand inside the wheel and use their own weight and muscle to turn it. The axel of the wheel is attached to a chain and that chain is attached to a sled.
The sled
The wooden sled skids along a couple of wooden “rail” that are attached to the side of the building. The sled would be loaded with whatever needed to be brought up and the men in the wheel would do the work. I can only image the long term effects on the guys that had to work that wheel.
After leaving the hamster room, we decended four flights of very narrow circular steps and, just like that (snaps fingers), we were in the gift shop. Now, we all know that the gift shop is always at the end of the tour, so…
Outside of the abbey we still had a ways to walk down before returning to the town. I should mention at this point that throughout our tour we only felt about two drops of rain. The rain had not spoiled our visit to the abbey, after all.
The outside path down offered us a few sights and attractions, just like the inside had.
A cannon from the 1400s
A little chapel sitting on a rocky point.
The top of the abbey
St. Michael, at the very highest point
And that was the end of our tour.
On the way back to the tram, I stopped and looked back several times. I took just a couple more moments to absorb the beauty and timelessness of the abbey. I also took a moment to consider that I was actually here, exploring a place that I had deeply wanted to see, yet never thought I might. I stood and looked back at that mystical, magical island until I was all filled up. I stepped up into the tram, and headed back to the bus.
Anything else?
Yes, and this is such a cool coincidence. I mentioned that it rained hard on us as we drove to the island, yet it barely even dripped while we were on our tour. Now, as we were just steps from boarding our bus for the return trip, the sky opened up once again and it just poured! It rained all the way back to the ship!
We were so lucky!
So, what’s coming up?
Tomorrow I visit Belgium where a beer tour awaits me!
This is my last port of call in Portugal, and my last on the Iberian peninsula. Spain and Portugal are places I would like to see in more detail in the future! Now, if I could just find a few friends who would care to join me…
Where am I?
What did I see, first thing this morning?
The entry to the Port of Porto
We’re moored at the quiet cruise ship port at the Port of Porto, Portugal, the place where tourist are imported and port wine is exported. Our gangplank is on the port side (appropriately, I’m happy to report) and I’m ready to pass through the ship’s portal and explore the city of Port!
What’s been happening?
It’s another shore excursion day, but this one does not involve a beach. Instead, I’ll enjoy a river cruise on the Duoro River.
As usual, the busses are all lined up and ready for us first thing in the morning. On the way out to meet them we pass through the Porto cruise terminal which is a stunning work in tiles. Over one million of these oddly-shaped tiles line every passageway and room in the terminal.
The cruise ship terminal
Today, it is cold outside. It’s completely overcast, a bit windy and our high temperature should be in the upper fifties. There is a chance of rain. I’m all bundled up and hoping that the bus will be warm. Looks like I didn’t pick the best day for a river cruise.
As our bus pulls out of the terminal and heads into the city, our tour guide reminds us that we’re actually in the town of Leixoes and that Porto, proper, is a few miles away. On the way to Porto we drive through some nice neighborhoods and past some interesting sights.
The first thing that catches everybody’s eye is something that was designed to catch fish! This huge monument is a fishing net of the type traditionally used by Portuguese fishermen. It sits in a park near the fishing port and is a memorial to the fishermen who have lost their lives in the industry.
Fishing net monument
There are also some very nice (and very old) houses that face the ocean in the town of Foz (pronounced fosh) like this one:
Old house in Foz
It soon becomes clear that Porto, unlike Lisbon, has never suffered a devastating earthquake and still has many edifices that are very old, indeed. For example, still in Foz, we passed the fortress of Santa Catarina that was built in the 1500s to discourage pirate attacks.
As we enter Porto, the houses look very much older and the neighborhoods not so resort-like.
Not very long after, we turn the corner where the Duoro River meets the Atlantic Ocean. The Duoro River is huge! It drains much of the northern Iberian peninsula and meets the sea right here. Just a few blocks up the river and we can see a sight that people have been admiring for many hundreds of years.
The Duoro Rover and the view from Porto to Gaia
At this point we’re headed to our riverboat to enjoy a cruise up and down the river’s port area, but first we take a scenic drive around town. I’ll show you some of the views that I found interesting, even though I don’t really have much of a story about any of the sights in particular.
So many of these buildings look not only old but also run down and vacant. As it turns out, there’s a reason for this. In Porto old buildings are protected by conservation laws. These laws state (among other things) that the styling and construction of the outside of a building may not be altered and must be preserved. This presents a problem for somebody who wants to open a business in the downtown area. If you are a “ma and pa” type of business you will likely find that the cost of refurbishment for any of these old buildings is far beyond your reach. This is especially true for the buildings that are, today, little more than windowless exterior walls with collapsed roofs.
It seems as though the only way these buildings are getting refurbished and reused is if some deep-pocketed corporation is willing to invest the money to make it happen. This has been the case in downtown Porto as huge hotel corporations have stepped in to buy a building, clean it up, add modern amenities and open a new hotel. Also, there is a McDonald’s fast-food restaurant in town in a refurbished building and it is the only McDonald’s (to my knowledge) that has massive chandeliers hanging from the ceiling that are a good match to the historic appearance of the outside of the building. McDonald’s can afford it. Others cannot.
Outside
Inside
The good news here is that Porto has been able to preserve its architectural heritage, at least to some degree. The bad news is that small businesses like shops, cafés, and craft beer breweries cannot afford to open in the downtown area, and these are the things that people who might frequent that area want to see. Also, I was told by our tour guide that many feel there are already too many hotels downtown. It’s a conundrum.
At some point the bus stops and we exit. But, we’re still not at the place where we board the boat for the river cruise. First, a short walk down Rua da Riboleira. This narrow street and several of the buildings that line it, were all created in the late middle ages. Look at the size of the street! I might add that while we were walking down this street happily snapping photos, a car actually tried (and succeeded) to pass through us. Sometimes, when modern meets ancient, people can get hurt!
Rua da Riboliera, a medieval street in Porto.
At long last we come upon our river cruiser. I’m expecting something long, low, and luxurious. I find something short, squat, and scruffy. Furthermore, the boat you see in the following photo is not our boat. Our boat is the one behind the boat you see and so we had to cross one floating vessel to reach the other. Once again, I’m very happy I did not need the use of a walker as one or two in our group did.
Once our bus group and one other had filled our boat to capacity, we were ready to set sail. The boat had a loudspeaker system that played a recording that was intended to point out the various attractions that we would see on our boat ride. But, there were two problems with that system: 1) The announced sights were out of sync with our actual location, and 2) with the wind and the splashing of the bow (which was where I was seated) it was nearly impossible to hear the announcements anyway.
So, I have prepared for you a little video to help you experience what I experienced, only perhaps with some nice enhancements. First, you don’t have to be out boating in the cold wind. Second, you can listen to some very nice music instead of the droning wind. The video is almost exactly three minutes long, so I strongly advise you to take the full three minutes, try to relax, control your breathing, and live in my moment.
Duoro river cruise
Now, if you don’t have time for meditation and just can’t sit through that long, three minute video, here’s a few photos so you don’t go away feeling empty handed.
Clearly visible throughout our tour was the amount of graffiti. It is truly everywhere. It’s a blight on this otherwise stately historic town. However, If one is going to create graffiti, one should, at least, do it with some humor and artistic flair. Like this:
OK. This graffiti I like!
Once our boat ride was complete, we tied up on the opposite side of the river in Gaia in order to continue our tour. Now, everybody should know that Porto is famous for the port wine produced here. But, there are a couple of things that you might not know about port wine. (I took a tour, so I’m now writing as an expert! <grin>)
One: Port wine made Porto famous, but the Portuguese did little to initially develop the port wine trade. Ya know who did? The English!
The English were used to getting their wines from France, but sometimes the English and the French didn’t get along. This was true in 1703 when a new treaty between England and Portugal was signed. Part of that treaty allowed port wine to be imported into England with very low duties. Suddenly, port wine had a new and very lucrative opportunity in the world, and the rest is history. Doubt that the English had much to do with the popularization of port? Just look at these names long associated with fine port wine: Broadbent, Cockburn, Croft, Dow, Gould Campbell, Graham, Osborne, Offley, Sandeman, Taylor, and Warre. Not a lot of Portuguese names in that list.
Two: Port wines don’t really come from Porto. The wine is created upriver in the Duoro valley. Then it is warehoused and aged in the chalk caves of the town of Gaia, across the river from Porto. And, that’s why we tied up across the river from Porto. We’re now in Gaia and we’re off to taste some port wine!
Our wine tasting was hosted by the Poças company, a wine producing and distributing company in Gaia. The company has been family owned for four generations and their wines are available worldwide.
Poças Junior winery in Gaia
Inside the building are barrels upon barrels of aging port wine. Literally, I mean barrels upon barrels!
Barrels upon Barrels on aging port wine
And, in the very back of the stored wines were lurking a few prized barrels of fine vintage going back to the beginning of Poças in 1918! I have no idea what a 100 year old port might taste like, but I did find a vintage that interested me. A wine of nearly the same vintage as I. Although no amount of this wine was available for sale and no tasting was offered, I’m sure that this vintage and I share many traits. Oh yes, I’m sure that it is sweet, properly aged, and highly desirable to those who know a good thing. Wouldn’t you agree?
A barrel of 1950 vintage port wine
Wait. Why not?
On to the tasting. There were so many options for tasting that I found it difficult to decide what might be best. I mean, they offered two white ports (sweet and semi-sweet), a rosé port, a ruby (sweet and semi-sweet) and a tawny (sweet and semi-sweet.) However, we were allowed to taste only two of them. I felt some pressure was I tried to decide which ones I really wanted to try. For example, I really love tawny ports, but there was a white port and I’ve never tried that. Would it be good? The rosé port is one that is expected to be consumed early after production. Would that be best? Dunno. At that point I thought about the cold cloudy weather outside and the 70% chance of rain in the forecast. I found myself wishing that the sky would just open up and really give us a good dowsing. You may be asking yourself what the weather has to do with choosing a wine. Well, while I could not make up my mind about which wine to try under the current circumstances, I knew that I’d be willing to try any port…
…in a storm.
After our tasting, it was time to return to the ship. On the way out, however, I did select a bottle to take back to the ship and share with my dinner table-mates over dessert. Here’s the one I picked, even though I never sampled it.
I had our wine stewart open and serve this to everybody with their dessert tonight. It was wonderful!
