The Daily for Friday Jan 15, 2021

[bennybear]

Good morning and thanks all!  @StLouisCruisers sending good thoughts!  
We are  enjoying another mild winter day in Alberta,  plus 7.   Sending the cold elsewhere I guess.   The problem I see with interprovincial travel,  is that so many people own property elsewhere,  especially in BC.  Most are staying home,  but our politicians set a bad example travelling far and wide at Christmas.   
Just hoping we can all do our part and get through this safely.  

[StLouisCruisers]

16 minutes ago, Norseh2o said:

Prayers for@StLouisCruisers and all of us with family and friends living apart from us and unable to have the visits and activities we long for. Leftovers tonight, oh, how good a bagel would be this morning! 

 

You are so right about having family who are sick and no way to help them out because of quarantine rules keeping us out of hospitals, nursing homes, and even those at home whom we must distance ourselves from.  These are crazy times.  Thanks to you and everyone else here who are keeping them in your prayers.

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

Good morning.  Today will be our warmest day at 78F; then we will start cooling back into highs in the 60s.  I know, for those in the frozen tundra and northern states that would almost qualify as summer.  For those of us from the southwest and Texas, that’s cool.  As has been said, it’s what you get used to.  We lived in NJ, Delaware, and southeast PA in our younger years.  By the time we moved back to Texas, we were acclimated to the more northern climate, but not any more.

 

Humanitarians should be honored everyday.  No bagels left here.  I was not a hat person for years; however, in the past few years, I’ve started wearing one when working in the yard.  Even more recently, I’ll wear one in sunny warm climates when going ashore.

 

@StLouisCruisers Your fiesty MIL is in our thoughts along with her care givers who seem to be on top of the situation.

 

More and more people are coming into town to attend all the big swap meets and shows for the next couple weeks.  Some are wearing masks, but not enough.  This could turn into another super spreader, and the visitors could take the virus back home.  We can only hope they are careful.  This is one year we will not go to the shows.

 

Also, one of the local churches is still having their annual revival.  Just hope they will follow the guidelines.

 

Now it’s off for our daily ride through town and then back to tackle another kitchen cabinet.  Not an exciting plan, but keeps me out of trouble.

 

Lenda

 

[Vict0riann]

46 minutes ago, rafinmd said:

I don't think that would be allowed here but many of our states have discouraged interstate travel.  New York has put in restrictions for people going in from out of state to quarantine and/or get tested when arriving and enforcing it with calls to the places where they're supposed to be quarantined but that's the only one I know of.  Maryland has similar restrictions but they're on the honor system.

 

Roy

 

I think the Maritimes, too, now have a quarantine in place order for anyone who enters for essential travel or returns from an essential trip away . If someone came to BC to ski, though, I doubt they would want to be stuck inside for 2 weeks!  Anyway, we will see what happens.  Hotels and ski resorts are open, so of course they want the business.  The tourism industry here is suffering, as I imagine it is everywhere.

[kazu]

7 minutes ago, Vict0riann said:

 

I think the Maritimes, too, now have a quarantine in place order for anyone who enters for essential travel or returns from an essential trip away . If someone came to BC to ski, though, I doubt they would want to be stuck inside for 2 weeks!  Anyway, we will see what happens.  Hotels and ski resorts are open, so of course they want the business.  The tourism industry here is suffering, as I imagine it is everywhere.

 

Yes we do have a quarantine order here for anyone entering or returning - 14 days.  No exceptions.

They don’t even want us travelling in New Brunswick within New Brunswick right now due to outbreaks.

[XBGuy]

7 hours ago, richwmn said:

today is National Bagel Day

 

 

I have a bagel for breakfast just about every day.  There is an awesome bakery/coffee roastery, called Bageloo, here in town own that bakes them fresh every morning.  I, and my buddy, who is also an occasional poster here on Cruise Critic, would meet there every morning.  Well, that ended, last March.  So, our personal contact is limited to text messaging.  When the pandemic restrictions were invoked I was concerned about the viability of the Bageloo.  So, far, they have been hanging in there.  I have been regularly ordering bagels--a dozen at a time--from them.  Coincidentally, I made a reprovisioning run, this morning.  The poppyseed bagel--probably, about two hours old--that I had when I returned, this morning, was awesome. They also have amazing breads and pastries.  Mrs. XBGuy is being treated to a slice of Red Velvet Cake, today.

 

Since local weather reports seem to be a semi-regular feature of this thread, today's forceast for our patch of the U.S. Left Coast is calling for temperatures in the high 80s (F),  Eventually, I think, winter will come.

Today's wine is pretty spendy.  Also, I am, pretty much, a California wine bigot.  😜

 

Again, thank you, to all the contributors of these conversations.  I enjoy them quite a bit.

[Mary229]

1 hour ago, bennybear said:

Sending the cold elsewhere I guess.

Our walk was cut short because the wind was almost knocking us over.  It is often said here that there is not a single hill between North Texas and Alberta and nothing to slow the "breeze". 

 

I am so happy to hear of those who are quickly getting the vaccine, it gives us hope.    Perhaps it will soon be over for the most vulnerable

Edited January 15, 2021 by Mary229

[Copper10-8]

In order to reach the port of Incheon, South Korea, you will have a bit of a Panama Canal experience by your ship having to enter a lock system which is needed to overcome the difference of up to 32 feet between the ebb and flow tidal range. The Incheon lock-gate system is the largest in Asia. The Port of Incheon is located on the midwestern coast of the Korean Peninsula and is the second largest port in South Korea after Busan's sea port. It opened to overseas vessels in 1883, the third in Korea after the ports of Busan and Wonsan. 

 

And a look at one of Amsterdam's forklifts in action off-loading some metal plates in Incheon 

 

[Horizon chaser 1957]

Good morning, all! I’m late to the party today, due to sleeping in unusually late. No idea why, but after a very long and solid sleep I certainly feel good.

@StLouisCruisersmy prayers are with your MIL. A blood oxygen reading of 85 is terrible at any age, but the fact that her lung exchange is good enough to let it come up to 96 with some help is a very good sign. I’m sure being feisty helps a lot, too.

Mask making is on the agenda today. It’s time to admit the Christmas fabric ones are pat their time and need replacing. I may get brave and venture to Fabricland, we shall see.

A year ago today the Amsterdam was at sea off the coast of Brazil. I will leave you with her Friday elevator mat, and her wake as we head off for the horizon!

And I finally figured out how to put text between pictures!

 

 

[rafinmd]

17 minutes ago, Copper10-8 said:

In order to reach the port of Incheon, South Korea, you will have a bit of a Panama Canal experience by your ship having to enter a lock system which is needed to overcome the difference of up to 32 feet between the ebb and flow tidal range. The Incheon lock-gate system is the largest in Asia. The Port of Incheon is located on the midwestern coast of the Korean Peninsula and is the second largest port in South Korea after Busan's sea port. It opened to overseas vessels in 1883, the third in Korea after the ports of Busan and Wonsan. 

 

And a look at one of Amsterdam's forklifts in action off-loading some metal plates in Incheon 

 

How does that compare with the entry to Amsterdam?

 

Roy

[JazzyV]

Good afternoon. Thanks for the Daily!

Love bagels (just got a shipment from NY today), only wear hats for sun protection, and every day should be National Humanitarian Day.

Great quote.

I think it's soup and a slice of homemade sourdough bread for dinner.

It's raining here now, with a changeover to snow tonight, but not much accumulation supposedly.

 

@StLouisCruisersPrayers for MIL. That 70-100 sounds like a pulse range, not oxygen level range.

 

We have lots of health care workers in my county, and they're still not all vaccinated, so I don't know when they'll get to 1B and if over 65 will be added to that group. In the meantime, I stay in, except for doctors' appointments and curbside grocery pick-up.

 

Prayers for the care list and cheers to the celebration list.

V

[Copper10-8]

Incheon port is located about an hour drive from South Korea's capital city of Seoul and a group of us Amsterdam crew had a chance to drive though the big city on our visit to the DMZ (demilitarized zone) between the south, the Republic of Korea, and the north, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Seoul is only about another one hour drive south of the DMZ  

 

The DMZ was created as part of the armistice that divided the two Koreas after the 1950-1953 Korean War. it has ironically become a major tourist attraction where you have the ability to peer into the isolationist communist state of North Korea from observation areas, visit the completely unused South Korea to North Korea Dorasan peace train station, Imjingak Park, built to console those from both sides who are unable to return to their hometowns, friends and families because of the division, its Freedom Bridge, Peace Bell Shrine and Mangbaeddan memorial, the so-called "bridge of no return," and even an underground visit, a mini train with rubberized tires is used to descend 239 feet into Tunnel No.3, the so-called third tunnel of aggression (the name given by the South Koreans), discovered in 1978 and one of four known tunnels dug by the North Koreans to infiltrate the south. The South Koreans have blocked the actual DMZ inside the tunnel with three concrete barricades. Tourists can walk, mostly in a bended down position, as far as the third barricade, and the second barricade is visible through a small window in the third - not for the claustrophobic!

 

Overall, an interesting but sobering experience!

[Copper10-8]

45 minutes ago, rafinmd said:

How does that compare with the entry to Amsterdam?

 

Roy

 

Kinda similar to the locks at IJmuiden, Roy

[cruisemom42]

1 hour ago, XBGuy said:

When the pandemic restrictions were invoked I was concerned about the viability of the Bageloo.  So, far, they have been hanging in there.  I have been regularly ordering bagels--a dozen at a time--from them. 

 

Thank you, thank you, thank you for supporting your good local businesses. We try to regularly pick up dinner from several of our favorite local eateries. We are proud of our diverse "downtown" and want to keep it local.  (It's not a hardship, I can assure you!)

 

[Sharon in AZ]

10 hours ago, rafinmd said:

My alternative is Canaletto Salad, Spaghetti Bolognese, and Pistachio Gelato which I enjoyed this date 2 years ago in Prinsendam's Canaletto.

 

https://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2019/01/dishes15.jpg

Roy, your meal description and photos don’t match. The pictures look like a steak and a crisp of some kind. Any way you can post the Bolognese and gelato?

Edited January 15, 2021 by Sharon in AZ

[Sharon in AZ]

Good afternoon everyone!  Thank you for the Daily Rich. Thank you for your list Roy. 
 

I don’t have much to contribute today but all the days are interesting as usual. I’m not a fan of the meal suggestion. We are either having meatloaf and mashed potatoes or clam chowder and grill cheese. I’ll see what I feel like later. 
 

@StLouisCruisers praying for your MIL. @kazu hoping Marley is healing and praying for a good biopsy result. 
 

Have a great day everyone!

[ger_77]

45 minutes ago, Copper10-8 said:

 Tourists can walk, mostly in a bended down position, as far as the third barricade, and the second barricade is visible through a small window in the third - not for the claustrophobic!

 

 

 

 

OMG, just looking at those pictures gives me the heebie jeebies!  Oh yes, I AM claustrophobic!

 

Smooth Sailing!  🙂🙂🙂

Gerry

[TiogaCruiser]

2 hours ago, XBGuy said:

 

I have a bagel for breakfast just about every day.  There is an awesome bakery/coffee roastery, called Bageloo, here in town own that bakes them fresh every morning.  I, and my buddy, who is also an occasional poster here on Cruise Critic, would meet there every morning.  Well, that ended, last March.  So, our personal contact is limited to text messaging.  When the pandemic restrictions were invoked I was concerned about the viability of the Bageloo.  So, far, they have been hanging in there.  I have been regularly ordering bagels--a dozen at a time--from them.  Coincidentally, I made a reprovisioning run, this morning.  The poppyseed bagel--probably, about two hours old--that I had when I returned, this morning, was awesome. They also have amazing breads and pastries.  Mrs. XBGuy is being treated to a slice of Red Velvet Cake, today.

 

Thanks for the tip. I used to work out in the adjacent gym, and at the time the bagel place was a Chinese bakery. Will have to stop in next time I’m in that neck of the woods.

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

In 2018, we also had the chance to take a ship’s tour (not HAL) to the DMZ.  It was an interesting and  informative tour.  We had to show our passports to the UN guards entering and leaving the DMZ.  WE also saw all the places in Copper 10-8’s pictures.

 

For some reason our tour guide did not take us to the “train” into tunnel 3.  We had the “pleasure” 😱 of taking the extremely steep walkway in both directions.  Going down wasn’t so bad, but coming back up was a killer.  Thank goodness they had benches every so often so you could sit and catch your breath.   My legs were like jelly by the time we reached the surface.

 

One of the CC roll call members was the Executive officer of the Pueblo, so the tour was very emotional for him.  Because the XO in the communist navy is usually a government official, the North Koreans assumed he was too.  He was the last man over the bridge during the prisoner return to insure the US met all the terms.  The CD arranged for him to make an hour presentation about his experience after we left South Korea.  He admitted they were on a spy mission.

 

BTW, the Pueblo is now on display in the North Korean capital and is painted red. 
 

Lenda

[rafinmd]

35 minutes ago, Sharon in AZ said:

Roy, your meal description and photos don’t match. The pictures look like a steak and a crisp of some kind. Any way you can post the Bolognese and gelato?

Oops.  I'm kind of in a rush when I do that post so I've set the meal suggestions in a spreadsheet that I can just copy and paste.  The photo is actually right and the Canaletto will be tomorrow.  My January 15 meal was Fresh Fruit with Peach Schnapps, Grilled Five Spice Lamb Chops. and Cherry Crisp.

 

Roy

[Sharon in AZ]

1 minute ago, rafinmd said:

Oops.  I'm kind of in a rush when I do that post so I've set the meal suggestions in a spreadsheet that I can just copy and paste.  The photo is actually right and the Canaletto will be tomorrow.  My January 15 meal was Fresh Fruit with Peach Schnapps, Grilled Five Spice Lamb Chops. and Cherry Crisp.

 

Roy

Roy, no worries. Looking forward to seeing the Bolognese tomorrow!

[Himself]

Thanks to a link by Roy wewere able watch the Nieuw Statendam leave Ft. Lauderdale today.

[XBGuy]

2 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

Thank you, thank you, thank you for supporting your good local businesses. We try to regularly pick up dinner from several of our favorite local eateries. We are proud of our diverse "downtown" and want to keep it local.  (It's not a hardship, I can assure you!)

 

 

Our town is also fairly diverse.  Since the pandemic protocols were put in place we have picked up dinner at two local restaurants--one is Indian and the other is Persian.  Just an explosion of flavors.

 

The Bageloo is owned by a Korean couple, Kevin and Kelly.  Kevin is the bread and bagel baker.  He learned his trade in NYC.  Now, I know that since they do not use New York water, their bagels are disqualified from world class consideration, but they are good enough for me.  The pastry chef is their daughter.  She learned her trade in Paris.  Prior to the family opening Bageloo about two years ago, she was the pastry chef at Republique in Los Angeles.

 

1 hour ago, TiogaCruiser said:

Thanks for the tip. I used to work out in the adjacent gym, and at the time the bagel place was a Chinese bakery. Will have to stop in next time I’m in that neck of the woods.

 

Wow,  Small world.  Once the world returns to normalcy, my buddy and I will be there every morning from about 8 to 10.  Look for the two guys talking about motor racing or cruising-  One will be reading a newspaper,  and the other will be reading an iPad.  If only one of us is there, good chance the other one is on a cruise.

 

I remember that bakery.  I never went into it.  My wife will not allow me to go into any food service establishment that did not display a Health Department rating of A.  

[Copper10-8]

1 hour ago, Quartzsite Cruiser said:

................................................

 

One of the CC roll call members was the Executive officer of the Pueblo, so the tour was very emotional for him.  Because the XO in the communist navy is usually a government official, the North Koreans assumed he was too.  He was the last man over the bridge during the prisoner return to insure the US met all the terms.  The CD arranged for him to make an hour presentation about his experience after we left South Korea.  He admitted they were on a spy mission.

 

BTW, the Pueblo is now on display in the North Korean capital and is painted red. 
 

Lenda

 

After being fired upon, boarded and captured by the North Koreans on 23 January 1968, USS Pueblo (AGER-2) was taken to the DPRK port of Wonsan along the eastern side of the Korean Peninsula, on the Sea of Japan. She would remain there until October 1999 when she was towed by the North Koreans from Wonsan through international waters around the Korean Peninsula, to the port of Nampo on the west coast. She was then relocated to the North Korean capital of Pyongyang and moored on the Taedong River. In late 2012, Pueblo was given a new paint job, but still in U.S. Navy gray, and moved again to the Pothong River in Pyongyang, adjacent a new addition to the "Fatherland Liberation War" Museum. She is there as a museum ship against the "U.S. imperialist aggression" 

 

Today, Pueblo remains the second-oldest commissioned ship in the U.S. Navy, behind USS Constitution ("Old Ironsides"). 

 

Pueblo on the Taedong River rusting away in 2012

 

 

 

 

After receiving a new paint job and a general cleanup post 2012 and at her current location on the Pothong River in Pyongyang, adjacent a new addition to the "Fatherland Liberation War" Museum. I don't believe she's painted red

Edited January 15, 2021 by Copper10-8

[NextOne]

Sorry to be late to the party today! I want to share a picture of our absolutely gorgeous sunrise this morning  -- of course the rain followed later...

@StLouisCruiser - praying for your feisty MIL!

DH 's favorite martini is espresso, but of course he can't have any of those right now.

Missed the departure of the NS - Rats!! I miss our sailaways!