River Cruising Water Cooler

[lyndarra]

Genting Hong Kong files for liquidation amid German lawsuit (cnbc.com)

[notamermaid]

Yes, MV Werften in Germany, owned by Genting, is in administration: https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/legal-regulatory/mv-werften-bankruptcy-administrator-focused-global-dream-completion

 

notamermaid

 

[Canal archive]

Watching this unfold could maybe take our minds away from Covid for a bit!

[notamermaid]

On 1/20/2022 at 9:05 AM, Canal archive said:

Watching this unfold could maybe take our minds away from Covid for a bit!

Weirdly and sadly I need to say "I wish that would be so!" It is kind of a bit shocking to think that we need bad news to get our mind of bad news but very understandable. And I am really disappointed for the Crystal fans and sad about many people likely loosing their jobs and most importantly (to me) a famous German shipyard going under.

 

Yes, there are other issues apart from covid that need our attention, very much so.

 

Now, I am off to another Coronavirus test because my government tells me to have one.

 

notamermaid

 

 

[CPT Trips]

My curiosity got the better of me and I headed down the rabbit hole that is google when I realized that MV Werften’s yards were in the former DDR. 

It seems that there were three companies in different cities all “founded” just after WWII by the Soviets. While I couldn’t find anything about the period before this “founding”, I must assume that that they were existing and well established yards taken as “spoils of war.” After Reunification in 1990, a boatload of Marks were invested by the Federal Republic into these yards. Substantial private investment from established shipyards followed. 
 

I wonder about the years preceding the fall of The Wall. Were the German shipyard workers as politically active as their Polish counterparts of Solidarność? Was there a counterpart to Lech Wałęsa? 

 

 

 

 

[notamermaid]

What a week it has been. You try to recover from it on Sunday, drowning out the news, the noise, but then you read about the parliament decision in Austria... Anyway, this week the neighbour's cat disappeared, that was a scare, but she was back about 36 hours later. I was out and about one evening and got close to a cluster of police vans. Me silly thing had encountered the end of a stroll for freedom. I got the feeling they were watching me intently, so I nearly freaked out about this and quickly disappeared round a street corner. The mandatory covid test was negative again, I just wonder when it will get me. The queues at the PCR test centre were very long again. I went to one without that option and it was a much faster process. On Thursday I was told that an acquaintance has resigned himself to his fate of dying from a brain tumor. A shock. And today a stretcher picked up a neighbour of mine, I did not see it myself. I do not know what has happened yet.

 

The weather is a drab grey and at work I feel like an actress. In my line of tourism I have customer contact sometimes and need to act all happy and jovial. But the rebel girl inside me is raging.

 

So to the rebelling in the East.

On 1/21/2022 at 7:41 PM, CPT Trips said:

I wonder about the years preceding the fall of The Wall. Were the German shipyard workers as politically active as their Polish counterparts of Solidarność? Was there a counterpart to Lech Wałęsa? 

I have never heard of this in detail. I am not so familiar with the Polish history of this and that aspect of GDR history. You could find out through the DDR Museum: https://www.ddr-museum.de/de/blog/archive/schiffbau-der-ddr-die-entstehung-der-volkswerften-der-ostseekueste

There is a bilingual film aimed at a US audience, that looks really interesting: https://www.ddr-museum.de/de/blog/archive/one-germany-ein-land-ein-volk

 

Interesting parallel to today is that current protests against the German government policies are stronger in the East of Germany than in the West. But the West is catching up in intensity.

 

Talking of the shipyards and "Meck-Pomm": I went to Wismar shortly after German reunification. Loved the town, I would so much like to go there again.

 

notamermaid

 

[Canal archive]

In the late sixties my best friend and I took our scooters on a European road trip. Our last port of call was Spain around the time we were returning home all hell had broken out in Poland and when we stopped for dinner the locals for some obscure reason thought we had escaped from Poland. Language differences were far worse then. We got a free meal but ended up driving to our next campsite in the dark, taking a short cut over a ploughed field, inadvertently, was not much fun. We wore stickers on our scooters proudly proclaiming our support to join the Common Market!

 

I meant to say Notamermaid after reading the BBC news piece about what is happening in Germany around Covid I have so much sympathy for you. Hugs and more hugs from the U.K.

Edited January 24, 2022 by Canal archive

[notamermaid]

@Canal archive Thank you. That is very kind.

 

notamermaid

 

[CPT Trips]

16 hours ago, Canal archive said:

In the late sixties my best friend and I took our scooters on a European road trip. Our last port of call was Spain around the time we were returning home all hell had broken out in Poland and when we stopped for dinner the locals for some obscure reason thought we had escaped from Poland. Language differences were far worse then. We got a free meal but ended up driving to our next campsite in the dark, taking a short cut over a ploughed field, inadvertently, was not much fun. We wore stickers on our scooters proudly proclaiming our support to join the Common Market!

 

I meant to say Notamermaid after reading the BBC news piece about what is happening in Germany around Covid I have so much sympathy for you. Hugs and more hugs from the U.K.

Scooters? 60s? = Mods??
 

[lyndarra]

5 hours ago, CPT Trips said:

Scooters? 60s? = Mods??
 

As in?

 

[Canal archive]

Yup CPT Trips, Mods, and lyndarra that’s my bike a Lambretta GT 200 but no lights or wimp screen. I’m not to sure now how I drove it wearing a micro mini skirt and kinky boots. The members of our scooter club where also volunteer ‘blood bike drivers’ another name ‘emergency bike drivers’ along with the local Rockers!

[Wings55]

8 hours ago, Canal archive said:

Yup CPT Trips, Mods, and lyndarra that’s my bike a Lambretta GT 200 but no lights or wimp screen. I’m not to sure now how I drove it wearing a micro mini skirt and kinky boots. The members of our scooter club where also volunteer ‘blood bike drivers’ another name ‘emergency bike drivers’ along with the local Rockers!

OK @Canal archiveI think that post now requires a photo! 😊

[Canal archive]

If I can find one, will look.

[CPT Trips]

4 hours ago, Wings55 said:

OK @Canal archiveI think that post now requires a photo! 😊

 

3 hours ago, Canal archive said:

If I can find one, will look.

Try hard to find one. Or more.

[Canal archive]

As usual I’m behind the camera not in front the only one I found ‘the ladies will understand’ I’m wearing a ‘trouser suit’ wow it’s late 60s early 70s. Will copy it!

[notamermaid]

I must say the image of you rummaging through a pile of old photos sitting on a lovely traditional English sofa is cheering me up.

 

We have had a lovely sunset today. The neighbour's cat is delightful, asking for so much attention. I hope all the good small things can sustain me for a few weeks. A bit more work, my first conference call included (boss: "set up the laptop and just click on this link" me: "okay, I will see what happens") and then England hopefully. I need to get away from this mess here. I have envisaged 24 February. Please put the kettle on... anything other than PGTips will do.

 

notamermaid

 

 

[Canal archive]

If you get the chance try Whittards Breakfast blend or their original 1896. I’m not a big tea drinker but both are excellent. 

[notamermaid]

11 hours ago, Canal archive said:

If you get the chance try Whittards Breakfast blend or their original 1896. I’m not a big tea drinker but both are excellent. 

Thanks. I have not tried Whittards. Not sure if it is available in Germany. Will look out for it when I am in England.

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

Got a call from my boss, that she has gone into working from home mode (again). And my colleague is ill, so I will step in. A bit more worrying is the fact that my elderly next door neighbour has got covid-19. Not sure if that puts the cats in quarantine as they live in the same building. I think I will not stroke them for a few days should they happen to be out and about. I have been advised not to go into the building and cats can get it, but I do not know if anyone has ever been infected because they handled the same cat as the positive person.

 

It is getting closer to me it feels and I am convinced I will get it in one of those booths in the testing centre.

 

The storms have subsided and life otherwise continues at its weird pace here.

 

Has anyone booked a river cruise in the last few weeks? It has got a bit quiet here on the board...

 

notamermaid

 

Edited February 2, 2022 by notamermaid

[Canal archive]

Notamermaid our thoughts are with you. Lots of disposable gloves then you can pet the cats whilst wearing your mask and use lots of hand sanitiser plus a copious amount of fresh air. 
We are seriously considering booking soon with Scenic as we’ve just had a two for one offer. 

[notamermaid]

Thank you for your kind words.

1 hour ago, Canal archive said:

We are seriously considering booking soon with Scenic as we’ve just had a two for one offer. 

Now that is tempting. Where are you thinking of going?

 

notamermaid

 

[Wings55]

4 minutes ago, notamermaid said:

Thank you for your kind words.

Now that is tempting. Where are you thinking of going?

 

notamermaid

 

@Canal archive @notamermaid Yes, please tell us. Scenic spoiled us on our first cruise and I'd love to sail with them again if I can find a good deal. (I've been accused of being 'thrifty'. 😏)

Paul

[Canal archive]

It’s for Scenic club members only so your okay Wings55 if their doing it in the States. I’d choose Eastern Europe or the Danube again or maybe the Seine oh any of them I just want to cruising again.

[pacmom]

Have not posted in months.  As I sit here I can hear the sleet against the window,  Weather people are telling us it might be over by Friday afternoon.  Started yesterday as rain all day,  During the night turned to freezing rain and sleet.  Supposed to turn to snow any time now.  Everything is closed, even the restaurant my son manages.  Roads here are terrible.

We did get to two Christmas markets this past Advent--in Indiana. The one in Nashville IN  was the first the town has hosted, very small, but delightful.  The second in Carmel, IN  has been around for years.  We went on a beautiful Saturday, very crowded, but the atmosphere was that of Germany--food, drink ans stalls.  All in all a lovely break before omicron hit.

We are still quiet here, but not hovering in fear.  All of our family is well and safe.

 

We finally got to meet the newest great grand.  Austin brought his family.  He is already 8 mos. old and a super happy baby.  And we did pay some attention to the rest of the family.

 

Must go beck to making my onion soup a la Julia Childs.  It will be a wonderful dinner.  Stay safe. and warm.  Thanks for all the wonderful posts that I have been reading. Remember spring will come and bring lovely flowers.  Pat

[Coral]

10 hours ago, pacmom said:

 

We did get to two Christmas markets this past Advent--in Indiana. The one in Nashville IN  was the first the town has hosted, very small, but delightful.  The second in Carmel, IN  has been around for years.  We went on a beautiful Saturday, very crowded, but the atmosphere was that of Germany--food, drink ans stalls.  All in all a lovely break before omicron hit.

 

A friend of mine - her husband is from the Nashville, IN area. Not sure what town but she says she loves going to Nashville around Christmas time. She said there are some cute stores.