The Bistro- Off topic and fun posts!

[rafinmd]

Today's classic photo is from a very old trip in July (7/17) 2005.  A forerunner of my complicated trips of these days I flew to Yellowknife (Yukon), worked my way down to Edmonton, and took the train to Winnipeg and then flew to Duluth for a Blount cruise to Chicago.  There was a freight derailment and my train was VERY late.  The train normally stops in Saskatoon in the middle of the night but this time  hit Saskatoon just before breakfast.  You don't actually see the sun but it's nicely reflected on the  sides of the train.

 

 

Roy

Edited July 14, 2020 by rafinmd

[rafinmd]

Another photo from the Canadian, this time July 15, 2018, on my Grand Alaska-Panama, using HAL for a round trip from Vancouver to Skagway, overland to Seward, and back on another ship to Vancouver, and then on the Symphony SF to NYC.  The sun was behind us so this was taken looking out the back window of the dome car:

 

 

Roy

[rafinmd]

My next few photos will be from a 2012 Blount New England Islands cruise.  This one is sunset over Martha's Vineyard on July 19.

 

 

Roy

[TRIPACIAN]

Off topic for sure!

Edited July 16, 2020 by TRIPACIAN
Sp

[FlyerTalker]

If I had any similar experience, I'd let you know.  Sadly, I'm awaiting anyone who can inform both of us.

[travelberlin]

TUI cruises is offering seven day cruises from Kiel or Hamburg to the Norwegian Fjords. It is similar to the cruises to no where, because no ports are being touched. But those magnificent views of the Fjords...😃

Ivi

Edited July 16, 2020 by travelberlin

[ChatKat in Ca.]

8 minutes ago, fyree39 said:

She said she was from Texas. My brother announced he was from Chicago and she could &^%* right off. He couldn't believe she had the nerve to tell him to move out of the picture in his own house. I guess people in Ireland don't have those expectations, but Americans do. Sometimes I'm embarrassed for my own countrymen.

When were were in The Cotswolds last year there were signs in front of the homes to keep out. I was hoping to take some photos but there was a tourist busload of people who could not read those signs and they were all over the lawns, the gardens, the front steps of the homes oblivious to the others around and of course, the Keep Out signs..

[BWIVince]

I was really missing one of these this morning. I missed it even more when I settled for cold pizza.  😢

 

 

Vince

[Cruise-y]

1 hour ago, BWIVince said:

I was really missing one of these this morning. I missed it even more when I settled for cold pizza.  😢

 

 

Vince

Totally agree. That looks fabulous

[ClefsDor]

Vince, every cruise we have the intention of ordering the Japanese breakfast at least a couple of times but we rarely get to do it even once. We're either up too late, have an early excursion or we've looked at the Waterside menu for lunch and there's so much we want to order that we wouldn't be able to eat the Japanese breakfast as well. But next time, things. will be different 🙂

Actually a good idea would be to have the Japanese breakfast available in Waterside at lunch - problem solved! 

[BWIVince]

That's a great idea, Shirin!  I bet they would let you special order it in advance for lunch, at the very least?

 

Getting up too late is such a foreign concept to me...  Every time I'm comfy in bed in my stateroom and think I could roll over and sleep in, another part of my brain cuts in and says, "and miss a meal in Waterside??  LIKE HELL!"  haha  

 

Vince

[oakridger]

Vince, that does look good!  I'm lucky if I manage to get out of my cabin in time for ""Late Risers Breakfast" but I would love to try this.  Good suggestion ClefsDor to pre- request it in Waterside for lunch.  I recognize everything except the white "stuff" in the bowl at the middle top of the picture.  Can anyone tell me what it is?

 

Thanks,

~Nancy

[MightyQuinn]

1 hour ago, oakridger said:

I recognize everything except the white "stuff" in the bowl at the middle top of the picture.  Can anyone tell me what it is?

 

The Japanese breakfast is my fave in Waterside and I've ordered it many times.  I'm not sure how the menu describes the "white stuff" but I always thought it tasted like Kewpie mayo.

[oakridger]

Arigatou MightyQuinn!  I had no idea what Kewpie mayo is, so I googled it!

 

~Nancy

[BWIVince]

5 hours ago, MightyQuinn said:

 

The Japanese breakfast is my fave in Waterside and I've ordered it many times.  I'm not sure how the menu describes the "white stuff" but I always thought it tasted like Kewpie mayo.

That’s my impression too.  I use it every time, and of all the things on the tray it’s the one thing that makes my dining companion squirm.  Haha. (“Listen Paula Deen, mayo is not a breakfast condiment,” he’d say.). 😋

 

Vince

Edited July 17, 2020 by BWIVince

[rafinmd]

Today's photo is another sunset from my Blount 2012 New England Islands cruise.  This was taken 7/17/12 in Cuttyhunk, MA:

 

Roy

[Mudhen]

Hi Roy,

We met years ago at a M&M on the Symphony. I don't expect you to remember us...haha!

A quickie....could you please direct me to your cabin "assessments" of Serenity's deck 7 cabins? We've used your Symphony assessments with great success in the past. We always book a promenade cabin....Love our HUGE veranda...haha!

Thanks so much,

Linda Wishe

[travelberlin]

Experience in a river cruise during this pandemic :

 

https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/5468/&source=99360/?fbclid=IwAR2tjOMUoa-M_Zz71aQAWQo7RT7FDANPD9YWbmGbyqI18PfVdT7qDcCEF2U

[rafinmd]

4 hours ago, Mudhen said:

Hi Roy,

We met years ago at a M&M on the Symphony. I don't expect you to remember us...haha!

A quickie....could you please direct me to your cabin "assessments" of Serenity's deck 7 cabins? We've used your Symphony assessments with great success in the past. We always book a promenade cabin....Love our HUGE veranda...haha!

Thanks so much,

Linda Wishe

Thank you.  I'm notoriously awful with names and faces.  The deck 7 restrictions on Serenity are much less obtrusive than on Symphony.  This is my page for Serenity:

 

https://limitedviewcabins.wordpress.com/serenity/

 

Roy

[Mudhen]

Thank you so much, Roy! You created a wonderful guide for those of us who like the promenade deck cabins! You're the best!

[rafinmd]

This is the last of my photos from my 2012 Blount New England Islands cruise.  (It was only 6 days).  The sunrise was on July 20 coming into New Bedford, MA.

 

 

 

Roy

[rafinmd]

Two summers ago I had an August Symphony passage through the Panama Canal.  It was preceded by a Holland America Sea-Land-Sea journey through Alaska.  On July 19 in the morning we were passing the Northern tip of Vancouver Island as the sun rose above low lying clouds.

 

 

Roy

[mskatiemae]

On 7/17/2020 at 3:59 PM, travelberlin said:

Experience in a river cruise during this pandemic :

 

https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/5468/&source=99360/?fbclid=IwAR2tjOMUoa-M_Zz71aQAWQo7RT7FDANPD9YWbmGbyqI18PfVdT7qDcCEF2U

Thanks for posting this Travelberlin. It is exactly how I expected cruising to be at the beginning and I would also enjoy it. I am going to stay in the game with my $ that remain at Crystal which I can move from voyage to voyage until something actually sails! I agree flying will be the worst part - it always is worst anyway!

[Mudhen]

Does anyone know where Mark Ferris (sp?) is now or where he will be in the future.....? I know a long shot as to who knows where ANYONE will be in the future!

[KenzSailing]

In my Don Quixote like quest to keep this off-topic thread off topic, here are some of the things I've been doing now that I'm not doing what I used to be doing.

 

Like a lot of folks, there's been baking, including:

 

"No fuss" focaccia (might have been this baker, but "no fuss" translated to mediocre)

 

Straight from scratch pancakes (definitely not no fuss, and very good)  Also, the neighbors gave us some extra blue berries,  I blended them w/ a little maple syrup for a pretty good blueberry syrup

 

Started a hydroponic garden. Right now I'm just growing a few herbs, but I've ordered an additional bigger unit (insert your can I get a good price on "oregano" jokes here)

 

So, what are you all (sorry Patty, I meant y'all)  up to?