nordski

Thanks so much. Disappointing to hear such bad news about Schiphol, an airport that we had regarded as more civilized than others in Western Europe, Hope the jet lag is brief.

Unrelated question. Are you back in Vancouver? Did you have a flight that connected in Montreal or Toronto? If so, how did that connection go?

It is indeed and more so now than ever. I think faint-heartedness is on a continuum rather than being a static state and that is why I highly value posts by you and others on this forum that keep us abreast as to the present circumstances.

Interesting point. We fly out of Toronto, and ChoiceAir’s fares in Business and PE are usually very competitive. As I noted in a previous thread a recent PE seat selection process on an airline’s web site was unduly restrictive. An agent at ChoiceAir was able to provide an immediate solution.

Not certain why you were told that as a blanket statement. In many circumstances, one as recent as last week, I could have chosen that class.

Because of a helpful suggestion from a poster on this forum, I use Google search to find ChoiceAir and can find the Azamara option on that website.

I did pay so I do not know whether ChoiceAir could have made the reservations prior to our purchase. In our case the selection of seats seemed suspiciously very limited on the airline site and the ChoiceAir agent was able to select the seats we wanted. Using that service was far, far preferable to trying to call the airline for clarification. We have not encountered that problem before.

For those using ChoiceAir and thinking of choosing seats on the airline’s web site, it may be much more efficient to ask the Choice Air agent to reserve the seats for you. At least that was my experience yesterday with Air Canada (a Lufthansa code share). Much quicker to talk to ChoiceAir when the information on the airline website is obviously incorrect.

I am hearing that England, Wales, and Southern Scotland are going to experience a significant “heat event” this week. Temperatures at, or above, 40C are very serious indeed for health and infrastructure. Although this morning a commentator on BBC4’s Broadcast House rather breezily dismissed concerns. Hope no one living in those areas suffers from any health issues. On a much less important scale, I also think of the photos of delightful gardens in the UK that posters have shared with us. Is there a drought attached to the heat wave and are those gardens requiring even more attention to maintain their beauty?

I would add, that if there is a tour or site that is a very high priority then we consider the cost of taking a private tour that will allow us to control the pace and focus. It’s a costly option that we only use very rarely and thoughtfully, but it has provided several truly memorable (in a good way) experiences.

Like many others, I am so disappointed that Azamara has forced you to make this decision. At this point their refunding service has completely failed you. I hope that you do receive your funds and sooner rather than later.

We share your approach to travelling. On the other hand, I have friends who are very much of the "list" strategy. At first I was dismissive, thinking that "They won't even remember what they've seen.", only to discover that, indeed, they did remember and certainly more than I with my more leisurely strategy. I learned to admire a skill that I simply didn't have and to appreciate their stamina. I didn't take it that uktog was advising the "hit the ground running" approach in Edinburgh. In fact, I thought she was cautioning against it.

Thanks for your viewpoint. If you were writing about Venice I might well be tempted to agree. But, as you have pointed out, Edinburgh has far, far more to offer than just the Royal Mile. As for being “Disneyfied”, I cannot imagine any such theme park would contain statues of two of the giants of the Scottish Enlightenment: Hume and Smith. In fact, I am now wondering if Smith made salient comments about tourism in his highly influential, The Wealth of Nations. But I will agree that the residents of the city certainly have a right to apply pressure so that tourism brings benefits and is sustainable. And as visitors we should keep those concerns in mind.

Totally agree. On our cruise we made an effort to take the first ship’s shuttle to visit/walk the Royal Mile and, as much as possible, avoid the crowds. We loved that experience; it was memorable. When we return to Edinburgh, we will take in some of the nearby attractions, but we will still walk the Mile!

Your comment reminds of the two seasons in Canada: Winter and Roadworks.

Thanks very much, Extra time at most airports seems to be more and more important,

Thanks so much for taking us along on your cruise. How was Copenhagen Airport? Like many airports it seems to have encountered some issues.

All Canadians will certainly appreciate and be thankful for the good wishes. Those uninterested in history and sports should skip the following trivia. I mentioned that the Toronto Blue Jays baseball team has a home game today, and on July 4th our neighbours to the south will have a large slate of games to enjoy in various cities. But why not cricket games? The argument is that cricket was quite popular in North America before 1860. But the US Civil War created conditions where games needed to be shorter and the pitch not so carefully kept. And travelling cricket teams from the UK were usually having an easy time during their periodic visits. So cricket was another victim of the Civil War. Apologies for that digression which will only interest me. 😄

If you are watching the Blue Jays game today, you will see that Toronto is overcast and humid but the Dome is open. The Jays will be wearing their red uniforms to honour Canada Day. We are expecting rain later in the evening. Unfortunately, we have an uptick in Covid largely, it seems, because of the BA.5 variant. We can hope that the increase is temporary.

Have you been experiencing the high temperatures that seemed to hit Denver last week?

Good point! Maybe there is a chance they will move on to a Vermont source. It is a step in the right direction.

I have no palate for judging tonics to mix with gin, but let me tell you that I definitely appreciate the attention you pay to the marmalade. The first breakfast of every cruise I select some toast and the marmalade to go with it. It’s a tradition.

Hoo Boy! Maple Syrup from California! You had me going there for a minute. Did some "Syrup Sommelier" convince the ship's purchasing agent that there were citrus notes in its bouquet? That soon there will be "Fall Colour Tours" in the Napa valley? Of course I am pretty easily duped, so was this some story line from Newhart in which Stephanie insists on serving this product for breakfast in the Stratford Inn? Wait!...What?...you are serious? This is but more madness in our world? The North-East region of North America should immediately demand "Appellation" status for its syrup for the same reason that such status is granted to wines. Henceforth the California product could only be labelled "maple juice". But I still wonder if you are pulling my leg. Maple Syrup from California has about as much validity as product described in the documentary below.

With that pairing, as a couple you are setting the standard for sophisticated cruising. And inducing a sense of remorse for my cursing the bumper crop of maple keys that are presently flooding our gardens, walkways, and gutters. Perhaps in Honfleur you will be able to enjoy some local Calvados. If, on your walks, you see an Azamara sea pass card lying on the ground, please return it to the ship. After sampling sone calvados I managed to lose my pass and provided considerable amusement to the security staff on shore and on the ship. Do you stop at Rouen? It is a wonderful port to wander and enjoy on your own.

I can only guess that this is a policy set by Azamara’s insurance company to cover liability issues and the litigation that might ensue if a medical event occurred on a physically demanding tour. In that context, the companies with whom I might want to access added travel/health insurance are very clear that they discriminate based upon age.or underlying health concerns. In fact I wouldn’t invest in one that didn’t. Of course there are always examples of those whose fitness level is outside the norms of their age cohort.