The Daily for Monday May 31, 2021

[kazu]

1 hour ago, AncientWanderer said:

 

So far just the two-week solid Norway part.  We're still investigating the before or after.  Flying to Europe from California for just two weeks is not the best.  Really looking forward to Norway, though -- never been there!

 

I so agree with you on flying to Europe for just 2 weeks.  If you’re going to go, make the most of it.  We opted for the British Isles afterwards.  It’s a nice itinerary.

 

We haven’t been to Norway either but enough of my CC friends have that I knew we had to do it.  The scenery is incredible and this particular itinerary is special when you compare it the other Norway itineraries.  This is the only one with this itinerary in 2022.

 

 

[atexsix]

Good morning, happy memorial day!  Special shout outs to all that have served, Dear Dad included and my Great Uncle, my namesake, whose buried in France and died during the Normandy battle at the age of 20; he's actually buried in Brittany and I went to France in 2004 for the 60th anniversary of D-Day.  What a day that was, the American Battle Monuments Commission treated me like a visiting dignitary, but the honor of being there was mine.  A young marine, along with the Commandant himself escorted me around the cemetery.  He told me that the local schoolchildren place the flags on American holidays so that they never forget the sacrifice.  

 

Blue skies are on tap for the Pacific Northwest again today.  We'll be above average with 80 degree temps the next few days, then a gradual cooldown, by next weekend the June Gloom will be taking over.  

 

Thanks to all the listers, thoughts and prayers to those who need them.  

 

Brats, hot dogs, and burgers, sounds fantastic, love the smell of the grill in summer.  However, I think our friend is serving ribs, and we'll be leaving around 1:30 for that.  

 

Have a great Monday everyone!

 

 

Edited May 31, 2021 by atexsix

[DeeniEncinitas]

8 minutes ago, StLouisCruisers said:

 

Your place in Nice is so awesome!  What a view of the Mediterranean!  When you're not there is it empty or do you rent it out?   It would be cool to have a place like that to go to whenever you wanted to get away for a change of scenery.  Perfect!

🌺Thank you ! Sandi we just lock it up and roll down the storm shutters. We don’t want the hassle of a company management and tenants. This was my fathers place so it is special.

Denise🌴

[sailingdutchy]

We were in Marseille in October of 2014 on the Noordam and made a small group tour on a beautiful Fall day ! Our tour took us from a nice walk in Marseille to a beautiful market in Aix-en- Provence and to an amazing Carrieres de Lumieres in Les Baux-de-Provence .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We just had to buy some nougat from this man !

 

 

 

 

In an old dug out limestone quarry where they extracted the limestone which was used to built the Chateau in the village of Les Baux they have an incredible light and music show you walk into from the dark and are surrounded from floor to ceiling by images from different artist . The year we were there it was all about Gustav Klimt but other years they show Cezanne , Van Gogh or Renoir .

 

 

 

 

 

 

After this incredible show we went in the the nearby old village of Les Baux 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We than enjoyed some delicious French Crepes 

 

 

 

And did a little bit of shopping for chocolate and honey 

 

 

Another wonderful day on one of the BHB ’s 

 

Tony😄

[bennybear]

2 hours ago, AncientWanderer said:

@kazu , I just saw you had a birthday.   Wishing you a belated Happy Birthday.  Incidentally, I may have a chance to meet you in Norway next year around this time.  A friend called just this past week and coaxed us into booking.  No arm twisting required!  If the stars and moon align, we will be there.  (We traded our spring Japan for Norway, due to concerns that Japan won't "open up."  I've just about given up on ever seeing Japan.  Stupid Covid!  😢 )

 

Don’t give up on Japan!   It’s worth waiting for! 

[StLouisCruisers]

17 minutes ago, kazu said:

 

I so agree with you on flying to Europe for just 2 weeks.  If you’re going to go, make the most of it.  We opted for the British Isles afterwards.  It’s a nice itinerary.

 

We haven’t been to Norway either but enough of my CC friends have that I knew we had to do it.  The scenery is incredible and this particular itinerary is special when you compare it the other Norway itineraries.  This is the only one with this itinerary in 2022.

 

 

 

Both you and @AncientWandererwill love Norway!  You'll want to go back again and again.  Enjoy the Midnight Sun!  And you might want to bring sleep masks if you like a dark room.

[bennybear]

Good morning and happy Memorial Day!    I am so enjoying the photos of Provence!  We’ve been several times and spent a few weeks in that area so I am enjoying the memories.   We have stayed near Aix En Provence and near Remoulins where the Pont du Gard is,  and the running of the bulls in Uzes.   Visited St Remy and Les Baux with our now grown up children and many of the villages of Provence.   Loved Cassis and the Calanques and the Camrague.    We are fortunate to have friends in Nice as well.   
 

We had the most amazing experience yesterday,  we came across a mother who had just given birth to two fawns.  
 

Edited May 31, 2021 by bennybear

[cat shepard]

18 minutes ago, bennybear said:

We had the most amazing experience yesterday,  we came across a mother who had just given birth to two fawns.  
 

 

How wondrous, Brenda!

[dfish]

38 minutes ago, StLouisCruisers said:

 

Both you and @AncientWandererwill love Norway!  You'll want to go back again and again.  Enjoy the Midnight Sun!  And you might want to bring sleep masks if you like a dark room.

I echo that sentiment.   I've been trying to get back to Norway, but this virus keeps throwing me curves.  I'm hopeful for September, but we shall see.  

[StLouisCruisers]

1 minute ago, dfish said:

I echo that sentiment.   I've been trying to get back to Norway, but this virus keeps throwing me curves.  I'm hopeful for September, but we shall see.  

 

I sure hope that works out for you Debbie.  I know you like the cool weather ports just like we do.  Besides that, they're so beautiful!🤞

[AncientWanderer]

1 hour ago, bennybear said:

Don’t give up on Japan!   It’s worth waiting for! 

 

You've posted so many beautiful photos of Japan that will probably keep us working on it!

We have booked a big Japan trip now four times, including planned out all our port stops.  We had some unexpected grand babies in there and then the pandemic.  But still hopeful!! 😊

[kochleffel]

1 hour ago, bennybear said:

Don’t give up on Japan!   It’s worth waiting for! 

I have a booking for a TPAC from Yokohama next year, and while I'm concerned that Japan might not be allowing tourism even by April, I went ahead with purchasing an airline ticket. I figure that the air fare can only go up, not down.

[kazu]

47 minutes ago, dfish said:

I echo that sentiment.   I've been trying to get back to Norway, but this virus keeps throwing me curves.  I'm hopeful for September, but we shall see.  

 

You can always join us on May 15th next year 😉 

[DFD1]

This thread should somehow be preserved and kept forever.

 

The outstanding pictures along with the Memorial Day thoughts ..... all of it just incredible.

Some of my fondest travel memories are of lots of time spent in the south of France and my one unforgettable time in Normandy.  This thread brought it all back.

 

Thanks to everyone. Happy Memorial Day.

Edited May 31, 2021 by DFD1

[dfish]

29 minutes ago, kazu said:

 

You can always join us on May 15th next year 😉 

That is very tempting.   I'll have to start saving now.  I did check out the cruise and the ports are great!

[kazu]

13 minutes ago, dfish said:

That is very tempting.   I'll have to start saving now.  I did check out the cruise and the ports are great!

 

It really is a fabulous itinerary.  I’m not a cold weather person - we get enough of that - but I have to see it so.  Besides, it won’t be that different from the spring we’ve had this year.  Worst I can remember in decades.

[highscar]

3 hours ago, superoma said:

Good morning all. I hope everyone has a good Memorial Day. Good news here in Ontario. My father(91) gets his second jab tomorrow, Pfizer. My dh gets his second shot on Friday, moderna. I can get an appointment on or after June 14. One daughter (health care) has her second shot. Will be nice to get open again.

 

[highscar]

Did you get a notification for the new date?  The UHN said don’t use their web site. They will notify you by phone or email mail. Been waiting all day. 

[kazu]

22 minutes ago, DFD1 said:

This thread should somehow be preserved and kept forever.

 

The outstanding pictures along with the Memorial Day thoughts ..... all of it just incredible.

Some of my fondest travel memories are of lots of time spent in the south of France and my one unforgettable time in Normandy.  This thread brought it all back.

 

Thanks to everyone. Happy Memorial Day.

 

OH the D Day beaches of Normandy.  That was one of the most moving experiences of my life, I think.  Of course we went to the Canadian beaches.  My dad was there for D day.  

The sight of all of the Canadian flags flying in Normandy, the way the cemeteries were kept so immaculately, Canada House that led the D Day troops to the beaches which somehow remained standing, the horror of what our soldiers went through.  It was so moving.

Georgina (gigianne) who is a true card artist made us gorgeous poppies to wear for the day and many of us left one at Canada House, on a grave, etc in remembrance.  We wore them proudly on that day. 

 

 

 

 

 

[superoma]

48 minutes ago, highscar said:

Did you get a notification for the new date?  The UHN said don’t use their web site. They will notify you by phone or email mail. Been waiting all day. 

My daughter waited in the online queue for Windsor Essex health unit for my dad. They were not taking phone calls. My husband is going to a medical clinic on the east side.they were advertising moderna shots and he just called this am for his appointment. I will wait until june 14 when I will be able to call for my second shot. Right now the health unit is doing a waitlist for 70+ but it was full today. If you get on that you have to wait for them to call you because you don’t really have an appointment until they call you. 

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

Good afternoon,  I'm late today as it was a busy morning.

 

I read recently that we should not wish anyone Happy Memorial Day, as it should be a day of remembrance of all who gave their lives for our country and for those who served.

 

I have a few pictures, we took on June 4, 2011, at the American Cemetery in Normandy that seem appropriate for today.  My father and DH's father, along with my second cousins, served in WWII, and were fortunate to survive. 

 

In 2011, the French held a small ceremony honoring the fallen Americans.

 

In the museum and visitors center at the American Cemetery, which was built after we were there for the 60th anniversary of D-Day, was this display which I think best honors the fallen service men and women.  I reaches something deep in me every time I see it or this picutre.

 

We have been to Marseille several times, and I will look for pictures in a few minutes.  We have spent days touring Marseille and we have also visited Arles, Les Baux and Aix in Provence.  In Les Baux, our tour had lunch at a local restaurant, where duck l'Orange was the main course, and I have never had better.

 

We will be having hot dogs for supper, and with our weather, we may have to fix them inside instead of on the grill.  

 

I agree that the O'Henry quote is pessimistic. 

 

@Vict0riann  Happy Birthday to Pat.

@smitty34877  It's very good news that Tana is home and the antibiotics are working. Hope the doctors find a way to help her recover from the long haul Covid-19.

@superoma  Good news about all the appointments for shots for your family.

 

Lenda

 

[kochleffel]

One of my friends here is the nephew of a soldier killed in the second landing in France in World War II, in Bordeaux. A few years ago, France invited him to a ceremony honoring the soldiers who died in that landing and are buried in a large military ceremony there. He brought back very moving film of the ceremony, provided by France. He said that they invite a some family members of the soldiers every year.

 

[durangoscots]

I took a group of my college students to the American cemetery .... I will never forget their stunned silence. They were a subdued group of teenagers for quite awhile after.

 

Susan

 

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

We were in Marseille five times from 2001 through 2008, with a sixth stop in 2019.  All but the first time, were on a BHB, the old Noordam, Prinsendam and Veendam.  The change in the area around the Vieux Port between 2008 and 2019 was unbelievable, and the number of people was also a big change.  I am glad we were there before it got really crowded.

 

In 2001, we went to Arles and Les Baux, but I don't have any pictures of Les Baux that really show the place.  These pictures are from Arles, where we stopped at an Roman amphitheater..  There are pictures of the town from the top of the amphitheater.

 

On one stop in 2002, we went to Aix-en-Provence.

 

Lenda

 

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

20 minutes ago, durangoscots said:

I took a group of my college students to the American cemetery .... I will never forget their stunned silence. They were a subdued group of teenagers for quite awhile after.

 

Susan

 

Susan, the American Cemetery never fails to affect me, more than any other place we have visited.  It may be because we were honored to meet DBIL's FIL, who led the first soldiers off Omaha Beach, and although slightly wounded, when on to fight to the end of the war.  He was honored to introduce President Clinton at the 50th anniversary ceremonies in 1994.

 

Lenda