Thursday, May 2, 2019
Friday, May 3, 2019
WHERE AM I?
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.
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.
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.”
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.
So much fun! I hope we can join you on your next adventure at sea!
Hey Robert, this is Patricia &John from Table 64! We enjoyed reading your occasional posts even though they are 15 months late ha ha. The trip in Scotland meeting up with your friends and then taking them on the ship was fun to read. We keep thinking one day you are going to call telling us you’re around the corner, about to drive up on your Harley. Please keep in touch. Lots of water under the bridge. Hope you’re staying safe during this crazy pandemic. We barely made it out of Norway On a Viking cruise just before the pandemic went wild. We have since had to cancel for cruisers but we are looking forward to a transatlantic cruise in April 1921. Godspeed dear friend