Tuesday in Iceland

After the Northern Lights Center yesterday afternoon, we walked back to the hotel, where I took a thirty-minute power nap. It feels good to be rejuvenated by a short burst of quality sleep. After that, I had a chance to catch up on emails, read the Seattle news from the virtual edition of the S. Times, and updated yesterday's blog post. 

Or hotel has a special happy hour with a tasting flight of beers. I made do with aqua fresca while the others enjoyed a taste of local beers. 

We walked through the dark for our 1830 reservation at Tapas Barinn. 

Iceland is on the western edge of a special excursion of the Greenwich Mean Time, or GMT, Time zone. 

As you can see on this partial time zone map, Iceland is well out of sync with solar Time. Yesterday the morning darkness stretched out until around 1000 and the evening darkness arrived around 1700. There have been efforts by local health advocates to place Iceland in the proper zone, but so far, the convenience of being on the same time as Great Britain has outweighed the adverse health effects. 

With that side note out of the way, I'll get back to the dinner at Tapas Barinn.

Based on Aaron's info, I'd been looking forward to enjoying a special menu item that included puffin and Minke whale meat, among other Tapas. While perusing the menu, another special vegetarian item caught my eye. Being the flexible person that I am, I quickly decided that the special "garden" Tapas selections merited my attention. 

First course was a salad of greens and olives with fingers of toast. It was surrounded by some Avocado puree and had a nice vinaigrette. Second course was a BBQ Jackfruit soft Taco with mango-Jalapeño salsa, Avocado puree and fresh coriander. 

Both of those courses disappeared before I remembered to take photos to share with you. 

Third Tapas was a cauliflower and romantic broccoli, cauliflower puree and lemon-mint vinaigrette. 

Fourth course was jammed Cherry tomatoes with marinated mozzarella and Basil truffle oil. Sorry, but, again I was occupied tasting the blend of flavors and forgot to break out my phone to document the arrangement. 

Fifth course was a mushroom braise which included several varieties of mushrooms, a goat cheese cream and roasted chives vinaigrette. Again, I was busy eating, so no photo. I will tell you it was very tasty.

Sixth course was vegan Pin Pin "ribs" with cole slaw and roasted baby potatoes. The main ingredient in the "ribs" seemed to be Jackfruit. This was the only dish that attempted to imitate a meat dish. I thought the end result justified that effort. 

I thought I was too full to eat the dessert of white chocolate skyr mousse and a piece of lemon and strawberry "cheese"cake with pistachio and date base, but I managed to eat the mousse and a bit of the cake before crying "uncle."

Needless to say, if you're ever in Reykjavik, take some friends to Tapas Barinn and enjoy luxurious food at a decent price. Incidentally, my bill was $62 and change US. 

After that good dinner, I toddled off to bed for a sound sleep. 

Off to Iceland

Saturday night Iko and I went to dinner at a nearby restaurant (Girardi's) to celebrate our 57th anniversary. We caught the end of a beautiful sunset as we walked out of our condo. 

Sunday morning I headed for Iceland to see the northern lights (hopefully) and play tourist in a country I've never visited before. 

It was a foggy morning in Edmonds as the Lyft driver pulled into our driveway. 

At the new light rail station at Northgate, I alighted in even heavier fog and checked out the new station. 

It is well designed and clean. Of course, it's still new. There Russ and I met, I tapped my Orca Card and we pulled out southbound about 1010, entering the tunnel just south of Northgate.

The new pedestrian bridge over I-5 was busy even on a Sunday. 

The train cars were clean and there were more and more riders as we stopped at stations through the tunnel. 

We finally emerged from the tunnel near the King Street Station in the International District, went through another much shorter tunnel under Beacon Hill and at the 17th station we got off at SeaTac. It took us almost exactly an hour to get from Northgate to SeaTac, but it was a comfortable ride with no traffic hassles. 

After checking in at Icelandair, we cleared TSA, hung out at the the south satellite for awhile, and boarded a half-empty 737 Max. As we climbed out of the foggy soup on our great circle route, I snapped this picture of the Mountain. 

After an uneventful overnight flight, we touched down right on time about 0650 Monday (1/24/22) morning. There are four of us on this trip, Russ, Sy, Aaron and myself. 

The Keflavik airport was built by the US military in 1943, during WWII. The new terminal was built in 1987 and is modern and clean. On the way to baggage claim is a large duty free store. This is one of those few countries where you can shop in the duty free store both coming and going. 

We claimed our baggage, picked up the rental car and drove to our hotel in Reykjavik, about 45 minutes over well lighted, bare but wet roads.

The clerk kindly let us check in way early. What a nice surprise.  We took our baggage to the rooms and assembled in the lobby under the watchful gaze of a two-story bookcase.

After deciding to walk around, we selected a nearby restaurant where we were provided substantial breakfasts for around $25 each. 

As we went back outside to do some exploring, it was still half dark at 1000. The camera automatically adjusted for the best exposure, so it looks lighter.

Someone said the sidewalks in the downtown area have warm water running under them so they are pretty much ice free. 

We decided to visit the Northern Lights Center while adjusting to the time change, so walked a mile or so through town. On the way there were government buildings.

Also admired this beautiful mosaic on the side of a downtown building. 

At the Northern Lights Center there was simulator where I took this photo. Tomorrow night we will go searching for the real thing. Wish us luck because if it's cloudy we won't be able to see the displays even if they're in full bloom. 

Back at the hotel (with the hotel wifi) I updated this blog entry and will post another tomorrow. 

Now for a short nap before dinner. As I get older the jet lag seems more difficult to overcome.

Thanksgiving Roses

Visiting Glenn and Monica over on the Olympic Peninsula for Thanksgiving, i couldn't help but notice some hardy roses braving the late fall weather. 

They survived the heavy rains a fortnight ago and recent blustery weather to raise their heads in celebration of this day of thanks. 

It reminds me to celebrate family and friends who make my world a special place. 

Please join me in giving thanks for the people and things that make life worth living and being a smile to my lips and joy to my psyche, all year round, not just at Thanksgiving. 

Sparkling Sunshine

Ikuko and I went walking a little after noon today. It was a normal mid-November day with a cold south wind and our ever-present clouds.

As we walked along the sidewalk near the ferry holding area, the sun broke through the clouds and lit up some roses that were still bravely showing their faces despite the low temps we've been having the last couple weeks.

I was dazzled by the brilliant sunshine. Must have been my eyes were accustomed to the gray clouds and grayish palette that tinged the landscape. Whatever the reason, BOOM, the bright colors of those last roses of the year jumped right up and assaulted my amazed eyes.

I hope they bring you the same joy and amazement they brought me. 

Cruise Wrap

The weather changed from the last time we saw Athens. This morning it was cold and overcast outside our cabin. This photo was taken a little after seven this morning nd even though the camera automatically adjusts the exposure to get the best results, you can see it is still dark.

Turning to look toward the outer harbor, I counted 16 ships riding their anchors. There were three other large ships, two coming into port and one leaving. In addition, there were ferries, pilot boats, bunkering boats, and tugboats hustling to and fro taking care of business in this busy port.

We have a 1000 flight in the morning from Athens to Heathrow so we leave the ship at 0630. That meant Iko had to get started packing right after breakfast. 

When 1000 today rolled around (24 hours before our flight) I started trying to check in on line. The paperwork for Athens was fairly quick but Heathrow was a nightmare again, made even worse by having neither good WiFi nor a printer. About 1330 I got the Passenger Locator Form for each of us completed and filed. Part of the reason it took so long was because while looking up information or files to add at various spots on the form, it bounces you off because of inactivity (seems like 2 minutes) and it doesn't save the info already submitted. 

Finally had the PLF, negative COVID test results and was ready to check in on line. Jumped through those hoops only to get an error message on the Heathrow to Seattle leg saying that Iko's passport was being verified by the US State Department. "Try again later" it says. I tried a couple more times. At 1530 went to the Guest Services desk and asked them to print our Passenger Locator Forms. We'll check in at the airport in person tomorrow. Hopefully, when they see the actual passport, they'll check our luggage through to Seattle, and let us board our flight.

I felt like we were being picked on until, while I was waiting for the printer at the front desk, a man wearing a Seattle Seahawks cap came in and said he lost his room keycard, beverage keycard and a credit card in Athens. The two keycards were easy to replace but the credit card was not so easy. The clerk took them him to a private room where he could call the CC company, but as you probably know, that's just the start. 

I felt sorry for the poor guy, but it brightened up my day to remember that there were worse things than fighting the Heathrow paperwork.

 Well, I'll button up the laptop soon, so need to get this post published. Next addition from back in Edmonds. It's been great having you along for the trip.

Mykonos, 9/21/21 and a Sea Day, 9/22/21

We tied up at the pier in Mykonos this morning. There were three other cruise ships anchored nearby. The Apex left Rhodes after we did, but was anchored here already when we pulled in this morning. 

Not long after we arrived, I got this shot of the setting full moon across the smooth Mediterranean.

According to the on-line sources I read, Mykonos has been a popular resort area since the 1980's. There were and, perhaps still are, nude beaches. There are many bars and similar establishments that have historically, and still do cater to the LGBTQ? community. Of course, there are plenty of souvenir shops. Iko and I weren't interested in any of the options so stayed aboard our home away from home. 

A little later in the day, as I was observing the scene from topside, I was glad we hadn't gone to town since the long lines of passengers waiting for the Seabus or water shuttles were looking bedraggled and hot. The ship's personnel recommended the water taxis because the land bus was irregular, more expensive and it took longer to drive around the bay than it took across the water in a straight shot to the town,

Back to the attractions of Mykonos. The diverse bar attractions reminds me of the diverse group of passengers we have aboard for this cruise. More so than on other cruises, Iko and I both remarked on the diverse couples we saw. There were the obvious hetero married couples, the pairs of women or of men who may or may not have been married, older men with younger women, older women with younger men, older men with younger men, older women with younger women, an older white woman with a younger quite tall black man who always wore flowing robes, and various other arrangements. 

I'm not wanting to sound sexist, racist, ageist, or any other kind of "ist" but, on the other hand, I'm intrigued by how much change has been made, at least in some parts of the world, in letting people feel comfortable in their own skins. I'm not sure how these changes will play out long term with the old mores and standards of society. I think we are in a time of flux where changing behavior is weighed against old standards and change advances and retreats in phases. 

The driving force behind most of those old restrictions was the need for procreation, support for the family, and survival of the group by being suspicious of strangers or different people. In most places today we have plenty of people, typically they don't need to be tied to a family to survive, and we mix with strange people from various cultures daily. 

It will be interesting to see how these trends play out. I've seen great changes in my time on this sphere and I expect there will be many more. Too bad I won't be around much longer to see what happens in our future. 

Back to more mundane thoughts. This shot of the setting sun as we left Mykonos reminds me that our cruise is drawing to a close. Tomorrow will be another "sea day" and then we will tie up in Piraeus, pack our bags and prepare for a quick trip to the Athens airport and a return to the real world.

 Our sea day was another pleasant day. Wait staff brought us coffee and breakfast, I logged almost six miles of deck walking, we watched the fairly smooth water, counted the increasing number of ships as we drew nearer to Athens, and most importantly, I beat Iko in today's Cribbage session.

Overnight in Rhodes 9/20/21

 We stayed tied up to the pier at Rhodes overnight and until 2030 Monday night. We had a light rain around 0530 Monday morning. It was the first rain since the light rain in Olympia.

There are many things to do here if you are energetic, have money to burn, and don't like hanging out on the ship when in port. None of those things apply to us so we take it easy and stay cozy in our floating home.

I saw this and similar fishing boat charters heading out into the Mediterranean twice a day. Don't know what they catch or what they do with the fish they do catch. 

There are also many walking tours of the old city. We encountered them along the way in our walks, we taking our time and going places we wanted, they on the guide's schedule seeing what was on the agenda for that tour. Alright, I guess, but not normally for me.

There are also longer tours to other spots on the island, including a donkey ride to a hilltop in Lindos to see the "Acropolis of Lindos." Thrilling I'm sure, but again, not for Iko and me.

When we berthed Sunday evening, a German cruise ship, Mein Schiff 5 was berthed on the other side of the pier. They sailed away sometime early in the morning and the Celebrity Apex tied up in its place. The Apex appears to be about the same size as the Eurodam. It looked to me like they built the superstructure on an older hull because, although the upper part is modern, the hull is an older model without bow thrusters.

This busy sign was posted on all doors leading in from the Promenade Deck. All bases covered. Their insurance agent would be proud.

We went to a special dinner in the Pinnacle Restaurant tonight. It was billed as a gala six-course dinner with drinks and wine included. I told Iko it was my birthday dinner.

Since Iko and I don't drink alcohol, I had a talk with their sommelier a couple days prior. Explained that we would like to have something besides iced tea with our dinner. She wanted to know what I could suggest. Told her I didn't expect special infusions or shrubs, but that a thoughtful selection of virgin cocktails and non-alcoholic wines would be appropriate. For inspiration, showed her the non-alcoholic drinks the Herbfarm in Woodinville matches to their dinners for non-drinkers. 

I must say she did a good job on short notice. We had virgin Mojitos with the canapes, sparkling imitation champagne with the salmon tartare/caviar. A nice chardonnay later with the halibut, red wine with the beef tenderloin and a special mildly heavy, after-dinner drink with coffee. All without alcohol. Since we had a free drinks card included with our travel package, we had been drinking the white and red wines in the dinning room, but another diner at our table was impressed that he wouldn't need to drink only non-alcoholic beer with his meal. 

Having had a good meal in honor of my 82nd, we toddled off to bed while the other diners headed for the theater for the evening show. Tonight it was a combination of magic and comedy. Neither get past my hearing aid limitations so I generally pass on the shows.

Rhodes 9/19/21

 

At each port a pilot comes on board to guide the ship through the last bit of water to the pier. In the case of Rhodes, it was less than a kilometer. At Kotor, we took on the pilot about five miles out because of the narrow spots and tight turns. In the case of Puget Sound it is many miles away from the port at a spot just off Ediz Hook near Port Angeles. 

In every port the Eurodam gets exterior maintenance. Today painters were working on the white paint forward and the crew was washing down the hull.

As you can see from the pics above, we tied up port side to, with the bow pointed southwesterly. From our cabin on the starboard side we had a view of the old city with its walls and fortifications.

The old walls are amazing. They date from various periods when they were erected or strengthened by various rulers or occupiers. If you are interested in learning more about the walls and their history, here's a link to a local person's blog with comments: The Walls And The Gates in Rhodes (theislandofrhodes.com)

As usual, I just captured what caught my eye. For a more complete guide of the old city, please see the link, above. These arches marched on up the road. Or perhaps they would more properly be called buttresses? 

I noticed a photo of this same old church in the referenced blog. I was intrigued by the stonework.

Along the roads and alleys inside there were shops of all kinds. Here classic Greek clothing was on offer and floating like ghosts in the breeze. 

Some of the smaller side streets were paved with cobbles like I've never seen before. The stones were in the size range of 3-4 inches and set at an angle in a strong concrete base. The stones were well worn but I didn't see any missing even after what looked like many years of vehicle traffic. I thought the photo was interesting because near the car you can get an accurate idea of the look, but in the foreground it looks like the stones are missing and the surface is a series of indentations. I'm not sure why it appears like tht. Must be a trick of lighting,

As mentioned, the streets were lined with shops, restaurants and entrances to small hotels. A thirsty couple were sitting at this table drinking cold beer. I stopped to admire their cold beer dispenser. They were nearing the bottom of the pitcher(?) but had slowed down considerably by the time we returned this way an hour later. The beer looked like it was still cold.

Many restaurants had employees on the street out front trying to entice people in with promises of wonderful authentic Greek food with seating with a sea view. The third floor of this colorful restaurant promised seating for 80 people.

At stops in other locations in Greece we saw banana plants with green fruit. This is the first time I saw a potted banana houseplant. It was on a sheltered porch with only afternoon sun so could only support a few fruits.

One of the many minarets/towers/spires to be seen around the old town.

This street-level window caught my eye. It offers daylight and fresh air but remains private, secure and watertight with curtain, bars, shutters and a small roof to shed the occasional rain.

Another eye-catching tower.

We enjoyed our visit to the old city, but passed on the restaurants, ice cream and gelato stands, and souvenir shops. We made our way back to the ship and had latte's in the Crow's Nest, enjoying the view.

The ship's internet was slow yesterday afternoon, then it became REALLY slow. So slow it would time out on the simplest tasks. I think there is only limited bandwidth and as people come back from tours in the afternoon, they all try to check mail and surf at the same time. I finally gave up and finished this Monday morning.