River Cruising Water Cooler

[gnome12]

1 hour ago, Canal archive said:

Carcassonne is the most beautiful walled city one of the cities we passed through on our scooter versus Europe expedition.

I’ve been to Carcassonne twice on cycling trips. A beautiful place. There is an incredible restaurant right by the wall; I got taken there for dinner twice. Incredible!

[jpalbny]

And I've walked through Carcassone once... virtually, on my iFit treadmill! It looks like a place I'd like to see in person! 

 

The iFit treadmill is bad for the travel budget. One reason that we went to Croatia was because of a program that ran through Plitvice Lakes National Park. Chris and I both decided that we needed to go there in person after that!

[Host Jazzbeau]

@CPT Trips you've got me intrigued by this interesting itinerary.  And ... 43 passengers on the ship?  Also intriguing [my kind of ship].  What cruise line is that?  

[CPT Trips]

@Host JazzbeauOAT, Overseas Adventure Travel which is affiliated with GCT, Grand Circle Travel. Our particular trip is on a 50 pax ship, see avatar; I’m not certain whether there are still empty cabins or if there are singles aboard.

They have 2 or 3 sister ships with capacity of 50, one ship capacity 80 something, and one ship capacity 90 something. In addition to using local guides in each port, they use “Trip Experience Leaders” for the duration of the trip (1 leader for up to 25 pax). Their trips offer single rates with low or no single supplement. 

It looks like they are chartering a larger, 200 some pax, ship for a couple of Arctic trips in 2023.

I’ll gladly provide a referral to anyone looking for a small discount. 😃

[Canal archive]

We went during the peach picking season and young ladies were passing out boxes of two peaches to each passing vehicle, so another test passed balancing a small box of peaches on your running boards as you pass through the city walls on a very steep downhill road. 
We arrived in a rain storm and went into a small local bistro the proprietress was horrified at the state of us and went into mothering mode, so very sweet. We had just about the best ham omelette ever, so wonderful memories of a very historic city.

[Wings55]

16 hours ago, CPT Trips said:

@Wings55 We we’re neighbors! We lived by “Olga’s Circle” before relocating to near the Berlin Circle a few years ago.

 

@CPT Trips Enjoyed breakfast at Olga's many times with my then girlfriend. I miss those good Jersey diners.

Your trip looks amazing. Have a wonderful time.

Paul

[CPT Trips]

One hurdle out of the way; our Covid tests are negative! They are not required for our trip, but we decided we wanted to be clear before stepping onto the plane as we wanted documentation in the event we were positive and needed to invoke trip insurance.
Testing is required to get onto the ship after the first three night in a Marseille hotel.

Praying for good weather and an on time flight on Monday. We have a tight connection in FRA. 🤞🙏

[Gopherpharm]

@CPT Trips great news I hope you have an excellent cruise!

[notamermaid]

Happy Easter everyone!   🥚🐇🐾

 

The lamb is in the oven, cooking in Malbec red wine, the weather is splendid and I have spent the afternoon very un-traditionally in - a museum! But that is how I wanted it to be, most of my family was busy with other arrangements.

 

Traditionally, Painted or dyed Easter eggs are exchanged, children need to go and hunt for them, there are bonfires, etc. And the Easter stroll. Famously penned by Goethe in his poem/monologue "Osterspaziergang" in Faust I. Winter goes away and with it the dark clouds on Faust's mind. An old translation, link gives it in full:

 

From the ice they are freed, the stream and brook,
By the Spring's enlivening, lovely look;
The valley's green with joys of hope;
The Winter old and weak ascends
back to the rugged mountain slope.

 

http://www.sights-and-culture.com/Germany/Customs/Easter-poetry.html

 

notamermaid

 

[Coral]

2 minutes ago, notamermaid said:

Happy Easter everyone!   🥚🐇🐾

 

The lamb is in the oven, cooking in Malbec red wine, the weather is splendid and I have spent the afternoon very un-traditionally in - a museum! But that is how I wanted it to be, most of my family was busy with other arrangements.

 

Traditionally, Painted or dyed Easter eggs are exchanged, children need to go and hunt for them, there are bonfires, etc. And the Easter stroll. Famously penned by Goethe in his poem/monologue "Osterspaziergang" in Faust I. Winter goes away and with it the dark clouds on Faust's mind. An old translation, link gives it in full:

 

 

Easter bonfires - I did not know that. I think I have been living in the the wrong country my entire life.

 

I hope your dinner turns out well.

 

I have been sick this week (not contagious). I did venture out and bought a small ham and fixings to make to make au gratin potatoes. I haven't decided if I will actually make them or not.

[Daisi]

Happy Easter and Happy Passover for all who celebrate.

 

@notamermaidwe could use some of those bonfires as it was -4C this morning, and going to be cool here for a while.  We do the dyed Easter Eggs (and hunt, but indoors as we can have snow around some years) as well.  

 

I did our Easter dinner on Good Friday, as it's a holiday here, and it was easier for my oldest sister so she wouldn't have to try to book time off.  I went Hungarian this year, Pörkölt, Shlishkes, párolt vörös káposzta and my Mom made us some Zserbó golyók.  Very tasty, and now I am so eager for our trip on the Danube.

 

@CoralI hope you feel better soon.

[Host Jazzbeau]

Happy Easter, @notamermaid and everyone!  We had a lovely Triduum at my parish, and I was pleased that my vocal chops came back pretty quickly (after 2-3 years of not singing in the choir).  One interesting deja vu moment came last week [deja vu in advance?] when I was on hold with my optician and recognized the Easter hymn Three Days.  It took my a while to remember that the melody is from Holst's The Planets (specifically Jupiter)!

[Host Jazzbeau]

Smooth flight to AMS, met the driver (owner) from BagPoint who will deliver them to the ship - and we’re on the Express bus to Keukenhof on a nice partly sunny day. The adventure begins!

[Gopherpharm]

@Host Jazzbeau are the tulips blooming now? Two weeks ago it was just hyacinths and daffodils. I loved the orchid show in the Beatrix pavilion. 

[Wings55]

@CPT Trips @Host Jazzbeau Safe travels and I hope you enjoy your cruises! 👋

Paul

[CPT Trips]

Thank you . . . That’s the plan. Off to the airport soon, hoping we are off on time.🤞

[acwmom]

On 4/11/2022 at 9:13 AM, Coral said:

I ended up cancelling my Med cruise due to medical reasons 😞 . Disappointed as I had a great itinerary, great price and great upgrade.....

So sorry! We would have been leaving for Rome this week, had I not gotten a new job and moved to FL. We postponed to the fall, but changed to a France intensive cruise.

[CPT Trips]

11 hours ago, acwmom said:

So sorry! We would have been leaving for Rome this week, had I not gotten a new job and moved to FL. We postponed to the fall, but changed to a France intensive cruise.

The east coast storm didn’t trouble us on departure from PHL So we made our 90 minute connection in FRA with plenty of time to spare. It helped that six GrenzePolitzei were in the immigration booths and it was just the two of us in the queue. 
Weather here in Marseille is terrific today.We just wandered around the Old Port this afternoon. Settling in at the hotel and unpacking before an orientation walk and dinner. 

[notamermaid]

On 4/17/2022 at 6:52 PM, Coral said:

Easter bonfires - I did not know that. I think I have been living in the the wrong country my entire life.

 

I hope your dinner turns out well.

 

I have been sick this week (not contagious). I did venture out and bought a small ham and fixings to make to make au gratin potatoes. I haven't decided if I will actually make them or not.

The bonfires are of pagan origin, way way back. Burning effigies of winter. Similar idea is the burning wheel that is sent down a hill.

 

Dinner was lovely, thank you. Lamb prepared with garlic, rosemary and thyme. Done in the oven in that lovely Malbec. Boiled potatoes, Yorkshire puddings (a very British staple adopted by this German girl) and fresh garden peas. Those were so tasty. And then my first German strawberries for this year for dessert. Ever so succulent, a real treat. I was going to post that late in the evening but after more Malbec, (decaffeinated) coffee and chocolates I was a bit tired.

 

I hope you are feeling better now. Ham and gratin potatoes sounds nice. We do not tend to make this type of ham Anglo-American style. I only ever have it in Britain.

 

notamermaid

 

[jpalbny]

Pysanky. Ukrainian Easter eggs.

 

Chris got her pysanky-making tools out on Sunday. After mixing up the dyes, she made this one to get warmed up.

 

 

 

I tried making one too. It had been over 10 years so I was definitely out of practice. Ended up dropping it halfway through the last step and breaking it. That was disappointing. 

 

Last night we went back to it and I made this simple one. OK for a kindergartener... And so far, I haven't dropped it.

 

 

Chris tackled a more challenging design for her second one. This took a few hours. 

 

 

Another view. 

 

 

It was fun. I'll have to see if there are any more simple designs that are within my capabilities. 

[gnome12]

@jpalbnyAll of Chris and your eggs are lovely!

[Canal archive]

jpalbny ohhhh superb I’ve never seen the like beautiful. What a skill to have, so jealous.

[notamermaid]

They are lovely, I am impressed. I would not have the patience to do anything like that.

 

notamermaid

 

[Daisi]

Wow... those are beautiful!

 

[acwmom]

@jpalbnythose are gorgeous! Stress relieving?