drron29

All cruise lines lost staff over the COVID pandemic. SS had the added problem of 4 new ships to staff. Moon, Dawn, Nova and Endevour . Silver Origin also joined the fleet in 2020 but was replacing a similar sized ship. The plans for the new builds were made well before Covid. So SS is sure to have quite a few more experienced staff but there will have to be some new recruits as well. The new crew we have talked to haven’t usually come from other cruise lines but most come from a hospitality background and usually from higher end hotels so service shouldn’t be alien to them. One of the new hires that we met on the Muse was so good that after 3 months into his first contract he was promoted to a senior waiter in La Dame. And we heard that he is back for his second contract and has a further promotion. The Ray will have a senior Captain as well. It will be Captain Zanello who has been the first Captain of the Muse, Moon and Nova.

And having stayed 4 nights in Kawaguchiko last month and driving past that Lawsons a few times and going into it once I fully agree with what the locals propose to do. There are way too many feral tourists there.

Again we sailed close to the coast on our way to Akita. Quite often with an escort of seagulls. Dinner in Atlantide. Rojaan had the scallops to start and I educated a new waiter -it was his first contract and he only boarded 9 days previously. I ordered the tomato soup to start and he said that isn't on the menu. But I said we can order anything that is on the in suite dining menu so just ask the kitchen staff when you give them my order. Result- Rojaan had the ponzu salmon which she said was excellent. I had the weiner schnitzel as I felt like a little comfort food. Pity it didn't come with some spaetzle or spargel.

As we were lining up to board it was obvious we were going to have a send off. Just beautiful. Then we were off. A black kite tailed us for a while. But gave up after 25 minutes. And we said goodbye to Kanazawa.

The Omicho market. Fresh wasabi. I found myself at a noodle restaurant upstairs. Seemed to only have older Japanese men as customers so I fitted in. I had the tendon zen. Enjoyable.' Then back to the bus. It was due back at the ship just in time for last boarding so didn't want to miss it. In fact 5 busses all got back at the same time about 15 minutes late.

I now went back to the bus pick up point and off to the Omicho market where again I took off by myself.

Much less crowded today and the restaurants have seats available.

The second mound closed.

These weren't Takoyaki as I had had my fill when entering the gardens. These were Number 7 from one of the older restaurants in the garden A bit of the garden I didn't go to the day before.

We have found our usual trivia table occupied on occasions by bingo players lingering with a few drinks. We just find another table. So far when we have we have not been told we have taken another teams table.

Our best was the first time in Kanazawa. We were on a Noble Caledonian ship. It was a long show with traditional Japanese music and dancing and ended with the Japanese song that made the music charts in the west. Released in the west under the name Sukiyaki which is not in the lyrics so in Japan they changed the anglicised name to Sayonara. All the performers plus a lot of the locals sang it and kept going until we could no longer hear. I doubt that there was a dry eye on the ship.

We joined the Muse in Bali on 18 th March. My sister and her husband joined us in Yokohama on 3rd April and they had a GTY vista booking and were told by Silversea UK that they would find out when they checked in. So we went down to Reception as we obviously had their names but also their booking number. Possibly helped as my sister has kept her maiden name. As that segment from Yokohama was fully booked they said that there was no chance of their allotted suite being changed so they gave us the suite number. They were allocated a superior veranda suite just down the hall from us. Moral of the story is that you need to know someone on the ship now. But stop stressing as it could be on check in that you get to know. Until then it is still possible they could sell more suites.

Lovely fried oysters in Miyako. Been there a few times and always enjoyed them.

Back to the Muse. The Diamond Princess is leaving. Dinner again in Atlantide. I had the Octopus and the filet. Enjoyable. And Rojaan had a different desert. A chocolate brownie. The next morning I took a ship's excursion for Japanese sweet making, Kenrokuen gardens and the Omicho markets. I did my own thing at the gardens and the market. One interesting view on the way. Some liked the sweet making but there were over 80 there. I found it just average though maybe because my sweets were probably the worst. The set up. Our ingredients. And what it should look like. As far as I am aware all evidence of my efforts have been destroyed. I took off to the gardens early as I didn't need time to shop for souvenirs. Today I walked up the road between the Gardens and the castle. A great display.

I had walked the grounds on top of the hill of Kanazawa castle and walked down to Hirosaka park and the Museum of Contemporary art before but never the lower gardens on this side of the castle. A pretty picture at this time of year. I was coming back the next day and would visit the Omicho market so walked straight back to the station and the shuttle bus. I had about a 20 minute wait for the shuttle bus. In That time there were 3 shuttles for the Diamond Princess. All full to the max. Staff going back had to stand. Lots of complaints from them that there were no signs up although 3 people had signs up saying Diamond Princess shuttle. Queuing was a foreign concept to most of the passengers and they had to have a ticket to get on the shuttle. several tried to get on our shuttle when it arrived. Sorry but I am not going on a Princess cruise.

Black kites were circling in numbers. A fellow was feeding them something.

The blossoms in the upper gardens were stunning.

I thought you might arrive in Hakodate for peak cherry blossom viewing and it looks like you certainly did. That view from the tower must be so beautiful. And at the Convent you would have had a lot more colour than we did 15 days ago when maybe just the first cherry blossom bud had appeared.

That NGO is indeed still going @machotspur. They were who we donated through. They now build their own schools.

Then I came to the food stalls. I had a stick of scallops (the middle stick). They were very tasty. But then I came to this. Looks messy but probably the best takoyaki I have ever had. Nice big tender pieces of octopus and a delicious sauce, I now set off back to Kanazawa station. first walking through the castle grounds.

This is the last of the flowering plums which come earlier than the cherries.