Live, Terry/Spirit: Lisbon, NWSpain, Bordeaux/Brittany; Pix’s!

[TLCOhio]

As I finished checking through my overall picture file from our Lisbon to France "adventure", I have now moved to northwest Spain in adding to this live/blog photo collection from the various sights and locations we enjoyed. Upcoming are 21 additional visuals that might be of interest.

 

First is from our port stop at La Coruña, the largest city in Spain's Galicia region. From this location, we were headed to Santiego de Compostela and our private tour with Italo Pendola. La Coruña is among the Spain's busiest ports. This somewhat remote Galicia area is tucked into the northwest corner of the Iberian Peninsula. There are many green and misty countryside, much unlike many other parts of the dryer Spain. The name "Galicia" is Celtic in origin, for it was the Celts who occupied the region around the 6th-century BC and erected fortifications. La Coruña was also considered an important port under the Romans. They were followed by an invasion of Suevians, Visigoths and, much later in 730, the Moors. It was after Galicia was incorporated into the Kingdom of Asturias that the epic saga of the Pilgrimage to Santiago (St. James) began.

 

Clearly, Santiego de Compostela is a top "star" for this area. La Coruña is "OK", but from what we saw it is not that special as a port or town for just "walking around." Our strong suggestion is either do Santiego de Compostela or some of the countryside, oceanside areas, etc.

 

The website for our guide, Italo Pendola, is:

https://www.italopendola.com/team/

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 183,969 views for this posting.

 

At Santiego de Compostela, here is another building with such uniquely designed architecture and details.:

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Inside their old hospital, now called the Parador Hostal Dos Reis Catolicos, here was our guide showing Sharon some of the old religious artifacts displayed during our visit to Santiego de Compostela.:

 

Also at Santiego de Compostela, here is another of the view of the dancers performing this folk dance while inside this Parador hotel. During our visit, we also saw the Royal Chapel inside this former hospital.:

 

As we were getting ready to depart Santiego de Compostela, here a picture with our guide, plus Rick and Sharon from California and my wife. Notice the building in the background? Many of the apartments in Spain and Portugal would have these glassed-in "porches" or sunrooms. Interesting architecture and use of space.:

 

For the lovers of "food porn", here are a couple more examples from our time on the Silver Spirit. First are some scallops in the Main Dining Room. Second is not just one lobster tail, but a "double order" at La Terrazza. Don't be shy in asking for that extra serving. They might run out the next day? Just kidding!! As you can tell, I like seafood. YES!!:

 

[TLCOhio]

Here is the second part of the added visuals from our exploring and visiting in northwest Spain, etc.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 218,250 views.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

 

For Silver Spirit dining, here is another visual sample with no calories for those you reading this live/blog. Yes, there were calories for me in enjoying this nice portion of ravioli. BUT, not for you in seeing these pictures. Yes, I love Italian food, too!!:

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As we toured Guernica & Basque Coast, here is one view of this town that became famous after the 1937 German air bombings. This incident during the Spanish Civil War inspired Picasso's famous painting of Guernica.:

 

From visiting Bilbao, here are two additional visuals. First is the interior of their famous museum with its unique design style as seen on this picture reflecting its multi-level interior. Second is an exterior view of another Jeff Koon outdoor art work at the Guggenheim Museum.:

 

 

From the charming foodie capital of San Sebastián, here are two more samples of their wonderful architecture. This includes this outdoor sculpture that towers over this scenic town from a nearby hilltop. In the foreground is part of their old town market. Second is one of the dramatic church designs in San Sebastián.:

 

[TLCOhio]

Super loved the summer Royal and the foodie capital of San Sebastián in northwest Spain. This is in the heart of the very independent Basque County that covers parts of both France and Spain. Here below are some more visuals that had not been posted earlier.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Dozens of nice visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc. We are now at 226,468 views for this live/blog re-cap, including much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

As we were enjoying the food sampling in San Sebastián, here is another view of the fun in deciding which of these small pieces choices to pick. Such a challenge. Grab your plate and load up. But, only a limited amount of stomach room when doing such tastings!:

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From San Sebastián, here are two added examples of their interesting and highly-detailed architectural style on their churches, buildings, etc.:

 

 

In San Sebastián and other parts of Basque Country, flying their regional flag is a priority over having the Spanish flag posted. Lots of Basque pride here!!. But with the moves by the E.U. in recent years, the movement/pressure for separation has softened.:

[TLCOhio]

After going across the French border to visit Spain's San Sebastián through a ship tour, it was back to the port city of Saint-Jean-de-Luz. This is a wonderful beach resort town with great shopping, character, history and architecture. It was a Sunday and we were able to walk around and sample much with the locals enjoying food, drinks, socializing, etc.

 

Historically, Saint-Jean-de-Luz and Biarritz (called "The queen of the beaches, the beach of kings"), were especially loved and used by the French and Spanish aristocracy. If it was good enough for them, then it should be OK for us. Right? Yes, it was!! Our ship had to tender here as this port that is fairly small without any of the big docks needed for ships such as the Silver Spirit.

 

Hope these added pictures and details are of interest. More to come from Bordeaux and Brittany.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

From our Jan. 25-Feb. 20, 2015, Amazon River-Caribbean adventure that started in Barbados, here is the link for that live/blog. Many visuals from this amazing river and Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, etc.):

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696

Now at 52,101 views for these postings.

 

In Saint-Jean-de-Luz, one of its attractions is the Church of St. John the Baptist. Or, as also called the Saint-Jean-Baptiste Church. Earlier, I had posted one picture from here. Here are two additional views from inside here where the marriage of Louis XIV to Maria Theresa, the Infanta of Spain, happened on June 9, 1660. This marriage was one of the most important political marriages and it helped to end a bitter war.:

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In Saint-Jean-de-Luz, here is an example of people dining outside with some of the menus posted and shown in this picture.:

 

For dining treats, this Saint-Jean-de-Luz location, Maison Adam, is famous for its macaroons. It is a beautiful shop where you can buy these authentic macarons that were supposedly invented for the royal wedding in 17th century. Yes, we sampled them and wished that had purchased lots more. So excellent and tasty!!:

 

Finally as a reminder that we are in France, here is their flag in front of their City Hall.:

[orchestrapal]

Terry,

Thank you so much for your informative report and beautiful pictures. They brought back many happy memories of cruises to that area.

We just booked our first SIlversea Spirit cruise October 2018. You helped make the anticipation even more exciting.

[TLCOhio]

Terry, Thank you so much for your informative report and beautiful pictures. They brought back many happy memories of cruises to that area. We just booked our first SIlversea Spirit cruise October 2018. You helped make the anticipation even more exciting.

 

Where did all the people come from? When we were in that train station there were only a few other people there! We love Portugal. The people are among the friendliest we have met.

 

Here was the earlier Porto picture referenced by iancal showing the famed tile designs inside their historic rail station.:

 

Great to get this nice feed-back from our Philadelphia "neighbor" to the east. Yes, your town has a great orchestra!! Will post next a couple of added pictures from the Silver Spirit that I had not posted previously. Wonderful to bring back nice memories who have visited these excellent areas previously.

 

Also, an excellent eye and attention to details by iancal on another board that I am sharing here. Below are a couple of additional pictures that illustrate that much of the "crowd" was our group from those doing this ship tour. Also, I added an additional picture from Porto that I had had not previously posted on my live/blog from this June adventure.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 184,687 views for this posting.

 

Here are a couple of additional pictures from our visit to the São Bento Railway Station. Most of the crowd in the earlier picture was our ship tour group. This rail station was completed in 1896 on the site of the old Benedictine Convent of São Bento da Avé Maria. The azulejos tile "paintings" reflect historical events in Portuguese history. This station is in a key central location facing the main Liberdade Square where their City Hall and equestrian statue of King Pedro IV are located.:

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This is Porto's Clérigos Church, a Baroque church with its tall bell tower, the Torre dos Clérigos. This church was completed in the 1750's. This tower was inspired by Tuscan campaniles and is 248 feet tall. This tower structure has become one of the key symbol of the city.:

[TLCOhio]

For those getting ready to do sailings on the Silver Spirit, here are a couple of added "preview" pictures for the "conditions" on this ship. Hope these help to build the excitement for sailing with Silversea.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

AFRICA?!!?: Lots of interesting and dramatic pictures can be seen from this live/blog at:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2310337

Now at 33,570 views for this visual sharing including Cape Town, along South Africa’s coast, Mozambique, Victoria Falls/Zambia and Botswana's famed Okavango Delta area.

 

Here is a view in the main dining room of the Silver Spirit.:

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Another key dining location on the Silver Spirit is La Terrazza. The view from this wonderful and roomy outdoor deck is where you might have both fresh sea air AND nice views. In this case, this was our lunch dining location before we sailed under this 25 de Abril Bridge or 25th of April Bridge structure in Lisbon. This bridge has a length of 7473 feet. We were preparing to start sailing up the Atlantic coast of Europe.:

[seaver]

Thanks for all the info! I for one would love even more insight and photos of the Spirit ( leaving in 23 days! ).

[TLCOhio]

Thanks for all the info! I for one would love even more insight and photos of the Spirit (leaving in 23 days! ).

 

Absolutely great request and interest!! Good luck to you and others, such as Lois, in getting ready for your Silver Spirit sailing. Appreciate these interests and am happy to follow-up with added information and visuals.

 

Earlier on this live/blog, I have posted a large number of Silver Spirit pictures featuring dining options, food/dessert treats, entertainment, staff, bathroom lay-out/options, ship art, etc. But, there is always more!!

 

On this trip, I took about 2800 different pictures. Most of these were focused on the various cities, sights, etc., in Portugal, Spain and France. I always try to focus on just posting the "best of the best". Based on your request, however, I went back and checked for a few more Silver Spirit visuals that might be of interest to you and others. Below are a few of these added pictures.

 

Let me know any added or more specific questions related to this ship.

Overall, the Silver Spirit was noticeable newer and more roomy than what we had experienced on the smaller Silver Cloud during our four cruises on that ship. Or, on the smaller Seabourn Spirit. Having the added dining options and flexibility was wonderful. Things seemed to be in good order and maintenance. The staff, overall, was very good. There were a few "service inconsistencies", but there was no problems of any tangible consequence. Really liked the suite baths with BOTH the separate shower and tub.

 

The entertainment for these ships is not at the level as you would have on larger ships, but it worked fine for us. Plus, on a smaller ship, you can sit closer to the action, be able to meet and talk with these performers, etc.

 

Finally, if there are any specific personal questions or service needs, ASK!! Don't be shy. Generally, the staff likes to make passengers happy and be challenged by different or special requests.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Panama Canal? Completed Feb. 28-Mar. 15, 2017, Fort Lauderdale to San Francisco adventure through the Panama Canal with our first stops in Colombia, Central America and Mexico, plus added time in the great Golden Gate City. Lots of fun, interesting pictures!! Those visuals start on the second page, post #26. See more at:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2465580

 

This visual illustrates the value and vantage from the 11th floor forward Observation Lounge/Deck. This is a super wonderful "secret" spot that many miss or forget to visit/use. As shown here, we were up at the "top" to see as our ship was doing its sail-away from Lisbon as we were going under the large bridge in this scenic harbor.:

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Make an effort to check out the evening shows. Here is the Cruise Director getting ready to introduce the "Mind the Gap" show featuring many of the British music highlights from the 1960's and 1970's. Most of these shows are only about 45 minutes and have talented, young, energetic singers and dancer. Plus, the ship band can be very talented when they perform or back up an individual singer.:

 

MUSIC? There is usually live music at several locations and times around the ship. It might be this keyboard player poolside at lunch. Or, a trio in the bar, etc. Maybe later in the evening up in the Panorama Lounge?:

 

Sunsets can be nice to catch from the Silver Spirit in evenings. There are many good places from which to enjoy this wonderful experience. One of these is from the 9th floor back Panorama Deck. The other one shown below is from the La Terrazza back deck.:

 

[TLCOhio]

Below are six different angles and views of the Silver Spirit. The ship looked good, was kept well-maintained on the exterior, etc. Here are a few tips, items, thoughts, suggestions, etc.:

 

1. The 10th floor jogging/walking track is not perfect, but it is better than on some of the other Silversea ships.

 

2. If you need to use the self-service laundry, the 11th floor location is less likely, on average, to be as busy. Check that location out and it is not far from the front two elevators.

 

3. Sorry did not check out or use the boutique shops much. Our cruise was too busy and port-intense. BUT, if you are in a situation with lots of extra on-board-credit, these are places where you can use those $$ at these shops if in a "burn-it-or-lose-it" bind.

 

4. The Stars Supper Club worked for well us in a one-time use for both the drinks and food. BUT, later in the evening, the music and songs can be very good. Think of a song request. They like to do those!!

 

5. Le Champagne on this ship is smaller, proportionally, compared to the size on the Silver Cloud. If you want to try this location, book early. It filled up quickly on our cruise. Or, put your name on the waiting list, ask, make your interests know, etc.

 

6. On the 6th floor, The Bar seemed like a great pre-dinner gathering location. Drinks, a comfortable/roomy setting, nice people, etc. What can be better?

 

7. The room service menu has decent selections. If you get back mid-afternoon from an excursion and the other dining locations are closed, just call and they will bring some treats to hold you over till dinner time. Nobody should go hungry on such cruises!!

 

8. The Asian dining option, Seishen, involves extra cost for evening use. BUT, if you are not sure that it would be worth it, try it for lunch, first. No added cost at lunch!

 

9. If you have any special dining dish desires, tell them a day ahead and you can generally have that delight in the main dining room the next evening. Most important, even if your request is not on the menu for that evening. BUT, for evenings in La Terrazza, their kitchen is not that flexible to do advance special requests. Also consider in the MDR doing a special dinner menu such a multi-course selection of Thai, French, Philippine, etc.

 

10. At most or many ports, not always, Silversea will have complimentary shuttle buses from that docking location to a central city location. On our sailing, they had a printed paper explaining the shuttle times, locations, etc. Take a copy of that schedule with you. That saves money and makes the logistics easier.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Super loved Dubrovnik!!! See more details and lots of great visual samples/examples at this link. Have had over 37,790 views on this posting and appreciate those who have tuned-in and dropped by.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1439227

 

Below are a variety of different angles and views of the Silver Spirit. This includes in the last picture this ship as it is tendered in the harbor of Saint Malo in the northern part of France. You can see the tender boat heading from the ship to the town docking area. Sorry that on some of the ship pictures below that the lighting was not perfect. Was not able to find that "magic button" to push for moving the sun and/or ship to have the lighting being perfect for how it would illuminate the Silver Spirit. The first picture has great lighting, not so much with the others. :

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[Camillus112]

Thanks, Terry, the Spirit has been a favorite.

[spinnaker2]

Terry,

A nice compilation (that is in one posting) of so many suggestions from silversea spirit pax given over the years! I enjoyed all your commentary and photos of your adventures.

I too am looking forward to my next Spirit cruise in 50 days!

Edited August 2, 2017 by spinnaker2

[MHF]

Terry, do you have any pictures of The Bar or The Restaurant? We enjoy sitting along the walls of the Wind/Whisper/Shadow in the 2-seats by the windows of The Bar but I don't know if those exist on the Spirit. Also, where is band in The Bar?

 

thanks!

 

Melissa

[TLCOhio]

Terry, do you have any pictures of The Bar or The Restaurant? We enjoy sitting along the walls of the Wind/Whisper/Shadow in the 2-seats by the windows of The Bar but I don't know if those exist on the Spirit. Also, where is band in The Bar? thanks! Melissa

 

Terry, A nice compilation (that is in one posting) of so many suggestions from silversea spirit pax given over the years! I enjoyed all your commentary and photos of your adventures. I too am looking forward to my next Spirit cruise in 50 days!

 

Thanks, Terry, the Spirit has been a favorite.

 

Appreciate these nice follow-ups from Candy and Virginia. Time does fly by quickly. Looking forward to hearing more about your upcoming Med cruise on the Silver Spirt.

 

For Melissa from Maryland, YES, you have good questions. Sorry, but I did not take any pictures of the 5th floor The Bar. BUT, we walked through there many, many times, several times each day. Remember its lay-out well and I did a diagram posted below to show where the band/music group would be, etc. Also below is a lay-out the Main Dining Room. On post #232 on this page, there is one picture that I took from in the MDR. But I did not take any other wider photos from this area. Is it the recollection of others that there are more two-seat tables in the Main Dining Room than what shows in this Silversea diagram below?

 

Keep up the great sharing and excellent questions.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Wonderful Kotor and nearby Montenegro? Check these postings. Have had over 37,445 views on this posting and appreciate those who have tuned-in and commented.:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1439193

 

Here is the Fifth Floor area featuring The Bar.:

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Below is what the Silversea website shows as the lay-out for the Main Dining Room. BUT, as I recall from being there in June in this area, they had more two-person seating options near the window available than what this diagram might seem to reflect.:

[rpfarris]

On this trip, I took about 2800 different pictures. Most of these were focused on the various cities, sights, etc., in Portugal, Spain and France. I always try to focus on just posting the "best of the best"...

Terry, I've been wanting to ask about this for a long time. Your photos are so good that I always wondered how many shots you took to get the supremely good pictures you post here.

 

I'm sure you've posted your photo equipment before. Would you mind mentioning it again? Don't tell me you're getting these pictures with an iPhone 7P. ;)

Edited August 3, 2017 by rpfarris
Patched up some spelling.

[TLCOhio]

Terry, I've been wanting to ask about this for a long time. Your photos are so good that I always wondered how many shots you took to get the supremely good pictures you post here. I'm sure you've posted your photo equipment before. Would you mind mentioning it again? Don't tell me you're getting these pictures with an iPhone 7P. ;)

 

Hi, Rick! Appreciate these great questions and this excellent follow-up. YES!! Happy to provide more info, including lots of photo secrets, tricks and insights.

 

FIRST SECRET?: It's not about how many pictures you take that counts most. Quantity versus quality? It's more about preparing and being ready depending on what you are going to capture, the conditions, lighting, etc. If you are not "ready", you can or will miss these "Magic Moments". Yes, like when you are near some cute seals or puffins in the wild on a power boat in the Guernsey Islands, you need to take a number of pictures to catch the right angles/action. Most other times, just a few snaps will do "it"!

 

SECOND?: Reviewing all of the pictures for that day is very important for picking out out those visuals with better potentials. Then I do some rough editing on my MacBook Pro laptop to correct/fine-tune for straightening, cropping, light levels, definition, color levels, etc. Below are two pictures from last year's South Africa adventure that gives a good example as to how such editing, before and after, can make an important difference.

 

Among the pictures posted on this live/blog, many of the ship food pictures were taken with my iPhone. That camera is always handy, with me and works pretty well for situations where the subjects are not too far away. But, most all of these live/blog pictures were taken with my Nikon D7200. Mostly with this SLR (single lens reflex camera), I used my 18-140mm Nikkor lens. In some cases, my 10-20 mm wide angle was needed when in some churches, etc. I also had the longer Nikkor 55-300 mm lens for doing wildlife at a farther distance such as to capture the puffins and seals.

 

In doing some shooting around the ship and in other locations, I would only take two or three different shots to be checked out later to see which one worked best. You do not always need to have lots and lots of different pictures of basically the "same thing". During our early 2014 Australia-New Zealand-Hawaii trip, I took about 8,000 total pictures. BUT, that was a longer trip and we had more wildlife, unique situations that required for a "quantity" of shots to get better-quality, ultimate photo results. Much depends on what you are doing and where. One day last year in South Africa, I took more than 900 picture in just one day. That day was a long safari day starting early in the am before sunrise and lasting until sunset.

 

MORE INSIGHTS/TIPS??!!:

In most cases, I shoot in the program or auto setting, letting the camera do the work on settings and focus so that I can be more concerned on framing and creative subject options. These cameras can be “complicated”, but I try to avoid too many of those challenges and distractions. Here are a few more basic, added photography tips:

 

1. Shooting lots of pictures! That is easier with digital to do, learning/improving as you are taking pictures. When done and sharing, only show people the "good ones!" and do not bother them with the average, duplicate and/or poor ones. The more you shoot, that improves your "odds" to get more better pictures, varied framings, magic moments, etc.

2. Move closer! Zoom in, fill up the frame, try different, more interesting angles.

3. Involve people and light. Make it interesting. Get that human element/connection when possible. Do NOT be boring!! Get something better than just the normal "post-card" picture that everyone has previously seen or can see easily on the Internet.

4. Hold things steady. Gently squeeze. Use door frames, walls to give more “stability” and lessen the blurs in lower-light situations. Night pictures can have a real drama. On this trip, I used more often a higher ISO setting to get visuals in lower-light situations. ISO is like the old days of ASA film speed. With better, more advanced cameras like my Nikon, you can use an ISO of 2500 and still get great results in night or darker light conditions.

 

Does this help a little? Reactions? What other questions come up? Added photo examples needed?

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 218,522 views.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

 

Here is a mini-case study where I needed a little "help" to be "soaring like an eagle"! My secret? It's riding in a helicopter to travel around Cape Town, the nearby mountains, going along the beaches, over the Winelands, etc. Like the views? BUT, being in the helicopter and being ready to take lots of different pictures was the first big "secret". It's digital!! It is not like film days when you might have only had 36 exposures on a roll that would need to be changed often, etc. Quantity of pictures, at times, is important to improve the odds for getting better results. The top picture shows my image before any editing on my laptop. Next show the results from doing smart, creative cropping, editing, fine-tuning, etc. Is there a difference and improvement?:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger!)

BEFORE EDITING:

 

AFTER EDITING DIFFERENCE:

[mdpa]

Terry,

 

Really appreciate all the updates, tips, and photos for the Spirit! We are down to 16 days before we fly out to Venice.

 

Question, do you shoot RAW or JPEG on your Nikon? Hard to beat the simplicity of JPEG's or the editing flexibility of RAW.

 

Just curious...

[rpfarris]

Thanks for all the tips, Terry. I'll try to keep them in mind as I shoot. That was a good picture and then magnificent after the edit. What application do you use for editing? How do you transfer photos to your MBP? Do you use an SD reader on the MBP? I have a D7200 and never could get the wifi transfer working.

[TLCOhio]

Terry, Really appreciate all the updates, tips, and photos for the Spirit! We are down to 16 days before we fly out to Venice. Question, do you shoot RAW or JPEG on your Nikon? Hard to beat the simplicity of JPEG's or the editing flexibility of RAW. Just curious...

 

Thanks for all the tips, Terry. I'll try to keep them in mind as I shoot. That was a good picture and then magnificent after the edit. What application do you use for editing? How do you transfer photos to your MBP? Do you use an SD reader on the MBP? I have a D7200 and never could get the wifi transfer working..

Appreciate these great follow-ups and added good questions. Yes, happy to share more. I always shoot RAW. It does require more memory space, BUT, when editing, it really helps to have that added depth of photo "material/info" to work with. Good luck with your upcoming cruise from Venice. Looking forward to reading and seeing more from one of our most favorite cities.

 

On my MacBook Pro laptop, I use the Apple Aperture program for editing. Mac has a newer editing program called "Photo", but it lacks a few "brush" tools that I need, at times, to use to "fix" some pictures. Plus, I am pretty practiced and skilled at editing with Aperture. It works well for me so I keep using that effective editing program. There are other and maybe "better" editing programs, but these Apple editing programs have fit my needs well. I have done a number of Apple training programs over the years to learn and practice the various "tricks" that make this Aperture process work well. If it works, why change?

 

On my laptop, that is about three years old, it has a slot where I can quickly and easily slide in my SD card for efficient downloads. Works so well that I have not seen the need to try the wifi download option from my Nikon D7200. The newest MacBook Pro laptops do not, however, have that handy SD card slot.

 

More questions? Other info, port or photo comments, needs, etc.?

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Venice: Loving It & Why??!! Is one of your future desires or past favorites? See these many visual samples for its great history and architecture. This posting is now at 69,397 views.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1278226

[TLCOhio]

We just spent 5 days in Lisbon and thoroughly enjoyed it.

There's lots to see but many of the attractions are spread out across a broad geographic area.

Fortunately, there are several options for getting around: tram, metro, funicular, ferries, etc. We took a

two-day pass on the hop-on hop-off bus

which worked out great. One of the 3 hoho routes runs up the coast to Cascais - which was fabulous!

http://lisbonportugal.ca/

Appreciate this follow-up on another board with this link connected with Lisbon and its transportation options.

 

From the London/UK Independent in mid July, they had this headline: “Why the Portuguese Capital Is Europe's Best Summer City Break” with these highlights: “This is a dynamic time for Lisbon, with a seemingly unstoppable wave of new hotels, restaurants, and museums opening between the rambling old quarters and the waterfront that runs along the river Tagus to the Atlantic. During the summer months, it comes into its own with life lived outside and special events."

 

Here are some added story highlights: "Fittingly for a city that’s reinventing itself as well as celebrating its past, Lisbon is the Ibero-American Capital of Culture 2017 (lisboacapitaliberoamericana.pt) with 'Past and Present' the main theme. Meanwhile, the striking new Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology officially opened this year on the neglected waterfront area in Belem. Despite the hills, Lisbon’s an easy city to explore on foot, and summer is the best time to do so. Lisbon’s historic centre is fairly compact for a European capital. After an earthquake in 1755 destroyed much of the medieval centre, a new grid-like pattern was created – a navigational gift to the modern traveller.”

 

YES, we agree as to the charm and character of Lisbon!! Interesting historic background as to how the 1755 earthquake led to the more modern grid street pattern.

 

Full story at:

http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/48-hours-in/lisbon-what-to-do-in-things-weekend-away-attractions-best-restaurants-portugal-capital-city-maat-a7837766.html

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

From our Jan. 25-Feb. 20, 2015, Amazon River-Caribbean adventure that started in Barbados, here is the link for that live/blog. Many visuals from this amazing river and Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, etc.):

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696

Now at 52,283 views for these postings.

[TLCOhio]

Still have lots more visuals and details to share from our June adventure in traveling from Lisbon to Brittany. Been busy catching in the past month with family visits, work, etc.

 

From the London/UK Guardian travel section last month, they have this headline: “Lisbon city guide: what to see, best bars, restaurants, hotels” with these highlights: “Portugal’s capital is bursting with culture and great places to eat, stay and party – and it’s the cheapest city break destination in western Europe”.

 

There are many wonderful details, visuals, ideas, etc., in this media profile. They also cite "a wide glittering river, limpid skies, steep cobbled streets, palaces, churches (and a castle, of course), tiles in pink, mint and indigo, and cheap, fresh, grilled sardines to eat outside a tasca (bar) in the sun. It’s a place so beautiful you can’t believe people are using it to live in. And Lisbon is decidedly lively. Every year it seems there is more to do, more to eat and more distance to cover."

This profile also highlighted the Gulbenkian Museum that we enjoyed on a Sunday afternoon in Lisbon. This story noted that at this location you can enjoy "Degas, see ancient Egyptian stuff, hear jazz (or Verdi), feed ducks, eat ice-cream, lie on the grass in the shade of a tree … The Gulbenkian is a one-stop cultural oasis."

 

Full story at:

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2017/jul/08/lisbon-portugal-stay-hotels-food-museums-city-guide

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

AFRICA?!!?: Lots of interesting and dramatic pictures can be seen from this live/blog at:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2310337

Now at 34,119 views for this visual sharing including Cape Town, along South Africa’s coast, Mozambique, Victoria Falls/Zambia and Botswana's famed Okavango Delta area.

 

From Rouen, here is an example for one of the flower decorations that were used on this older, historic building in this historic city of France.:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger!)

 

In Rouen where the Silver Spirit was docked overnight along the Seine River, here are two different views. As most know, cruise ships do not always dock in the most scenic locations. The second picture shows a large bridge over the Seine with a unique design for a draw bridge.:

 

 

Near where our ship was docked in Rouen, here is a very contemporary building being constructed. As historic as the main part of Rouen is, there are other styles being built in and around this large city.:

 

Near the key Cathedral in Rouen are a couple of "views". First here is a driver near his cute French "clown car" as we call this highly-style vehicle. Second is a music group performing on the street next to the historic Cathedral.:

 

[TLCOhio]

Below are some more fun visuals from Rouen and the UK Isle of Guernsey. Hope these bring back nice memories for those who have visited these interesting, scenic and historic areas.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Panama Canal? Completed Feb. 28-Mar. 15, 2017, Fort Lauderdale to San Francisco adventure through the Panama Canal with our first stops in Colombia, Central America and Mexico, plus added time in the great Golden Gate City. Lots of fun, interesting pictures!! Those visuals start on the second page, post #26. See more at:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2465580

 

Here are two more visuals from Rouen as we were walking around to see their historic and interesting buildings. This includes a McDonalds location on Rouen's main walking street used by thousands of tourist. NO!! We did not dine at the Golden Arches!:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger!)

 

 

From the UK Isle of Guernsey, in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy, we super loved this town and its scenic areas. Below are some more visuals from there, showing their wonderful hanging flowers and during our high-speed RIB boat adventure that we enjoyed so much.:

 

 

 

[TLCOhio]

Below are some added visuals from visiting Cancale. It lies along the northern French coast, east of Saint-Malo. This picturesque fishing port is loved with its reputation as the "oyster capital" of Brittany. While it is a small town, it has many restaurants specialising in seafood. These local oysters are larger than average and can be purchased at producer prices. We were fortunate to be here at low tide to see first-hand these vast and interesting oyster beds. Lots of hard work making all of this happen.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 185,407 views for this posting.

 

Here are four added pictures related to Cancale and its famed oysters. Compare the prices shown here for a dozen of these gems here . . . versus . . . what you would pay in your home areas. In Ohio, each oyster might cost $2 each, not about $7 for a dozen as shown in the first picture. And which is fresher? The fourth picture is of the dining location in Cancale where we had a great lunch with such nice scenic views.:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger!)

 

 

 

 

From doing the wall walk at Saint-Malo, here is the view towards our Silver Spirit ship being tendered in this harbor area.:

Within the older walled city of Saint-Malo, here is one of the small plaza/garden areas in this historic town.:

[Camillus112]

Terry, if I had gotten to Cancale in my TA prior to yours, there would not have been any oysters left!! I do love them, especially with a squirt of lemon. Thanks for the photos. I did get to Saint Malo and enjoyed it very much, especially the walk around the fortifications.

[TLCOhio]

For Claude Monet's Giverny, it has well over a half-million visitors each year and is the second most visited tourist site in Normandy after the Mont-Saint-Michel. Very popular and for a very good reason.

 

From the Washington Post, below is linked a 2016 article giving one writer in 2016 offering more details and background from his visiting to Giverny and added details on Monet. It is linked at:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/travel/monets-other-masterpiece-his-gardens-at-giverny/2016/01/07/f02e1fdc-8311-11e5-8ba6-cec48b74b2a7_story.html?utm_term=.bbb98397f589

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For Athens and nearby, look at this earlier posting for many options and visual samples from this city that is so great for seeing its great history, style and architecture. This posting is now at 17,345 views.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1101008

 

From our visit in June to Monet's Giverny, here are a couple more visuals not previously posted. Lots of nice "eye candy" at this beautiful location. Well, maybe my face does quality as a "beauty"!:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger!)

 

 

Since it is near dinner time, here is one of our ship meals that I do not think that I have posted earlier. Always good to mix in a little "food porn" on a travel blog.:

 

In Portugal's famed Porto, here is a different angle from their main square of this King Peter IV statue in Liberdade Square. In the background is the tower for their City Hall. Porto is the second-largest city in Portugal after Lisbon.:

 

From Belle-Île-en-Mer, the largest island off of the coast of Brittany, here is view of their City Hall. Second is a view of the fortress wall on this island off of the Atlantic Coast of western France.: