The Daily for Sunday August 01, 2021

[bennybear]

19 minutes ago, rafinmd said:

For those who want more following @cat shepard's stories of Iceland, the Crystal Endeavor (Brand new Expedition Ship) is doing a series of circumnavigations of Iceland and most voyages have a live thread.  Here's the one for this voyage:

 

 

 

And for the one that starts August 6:

 

 

Roy

Oh my!  That would be incredible!  Thank you!

[garlictown]

🤔I really have a hard time understanding why there is even a debate about masks and safety!

I'm buying some new ones in Maui.😷

❤ the Hawaiian prints...colorful.🌺 

😉Katie

[Seasick Sailor]

3 hours ago, garlictown said:

😉Looking forward to reading @cat shepard's reports on the NA!! 👍Thank you to Rich @richwmn for The Daily and to Roy @rafinmd for the Care and Celebration Lists.😊  Also, to all who contribute and the photos from PR...a favorite for us, too. 

🌺Last night, we attended a luau with the family and everyone enjoyed the experience. ( new for the grandchildren...😎the grandparents (us) always wear sunglasses,  LOL!)🙃

🙏Prayers to all in need.

Katie in Maui

 

Katie where are you staying and what luau did you attend? We have a timeshare st Westin Nanea and Westin KORV. Booked July next year. We enjoy Old Lahaina Luau. Feast at Lele and The Sheraton and Hyatt ok too. 

 

Looking at your picture and seeing Black Rock, would you be at the Hyatt?

Edited August 1, 2021 by Seasick Sailor
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[St. Louis Sal]

Good afternoon all!

 

Popped in this morning, but got distracted and didn’t make it back until now.

 

Love the combo of days. Been a fan of both Zsa Zsa and Eva. Those meatballs look delicious. I guess I’ll have to skip the drink and wine today. I am unsteady enough on my feet lately and the wine is a bit out of my price range!

 

I figured lots of us have been to San Juan. I will check the computer to see if I have any unique pictures, but I doubt it. I was in San Juan on my last cruise before the shutdown, February 2020. It was also on my very first cruise years ago, although it was not a planned stop. One of our islands was cancelled due to weather and the captain announced we would be stopping at San Juan. I was like, “wait, wait, I have not researched this!!” I love visiting San Juan, especially with my daughters. Wondering how some of my favorite shops and coffee shops are doing.

 

Prayers for all on our care list, especially for Tana and Miss Camilla that they will be home with family soon. Praying for their wonderful caregivers as well. 🙏. And what a celebration as we travel along (vicariously) on a second week of Alaska cruising! 🍷

 

Take care all

St Louis Sal

[Seasick Sailor]

[ger_77]

@atexsix yay for you - you won't regret the investment!

 

Smooth Sailing!  🙂🙂🙂

Gerry

[St. Louis Sal]

Thank you @cat shepardfor sharing those gorgeous pictures of Reynisfjara Beach. That was on our trip, but if you chose the glacier hike, you missed the black sand beach (hard choice) . My husband went, but he doesn’t take pictures.

 

When I saw Gullfoss, I was determined to walk down to the outcrop to get that perfect photo. It’s a lot of steps down (100+?) and they are harder coming back up 😂. I didn’t realize until I got there, the climb up onto the rocks is a little steeper than it looks. Had no trouble getting up, but climbing down wet rocks with nothing to hold on to 😬.  Solution? Sit on my butt and scoot back down. Mission accomplished.

 

The landscape of Iceland is beautiful, but I would also go back for the food in a sec.

 

St Louis Sal

[garlictown]

40 minutes ago, Seasick Sailor said:

 

Katie where are you staying and what luau did you attend? We have a timeshare st Westin Nanea and Westin KORV. Booked July next year. We enjoy Old Lahaina Luau. Feast at Lele and The Sheraton and Hyatt ok too. 

 

Looking at your picture and seeing Black Rock, would you be at the Hyatt?

🌺We are staying at Maui Kaanapali Villas (Aston property) where we were March 2021...last time we divided time between Aston at the Whalers and found it too busy. (5 days at each property). We just choose the luau next door at the Royal Hawaiian due to a convenient 2 minute walk with the grandchildren.  We have been to Maui countless times.... you know the most authentic luau one is the Old Lahaina..been there done that, lol! 😉 I never tire of Hawaii in general..but miss cruising.😎 

🚶‍♀️🚶‍♂️My husband and I take long walks and enjoy coffee by the penguins at the Hyatt.😁 Katie

[1ANGELCAT]

Just a reminder, Nieuw Statendam is in PEV tomorrow for the day 

[aliaschief]

Check out the inside tour of the new Rotterdam I just posted on main Hal Forum!

 

She’s beautiful.

[summer slope]

5 minutes ago, aliaschief said:

Check out the inside tour of the new Rotterdam I just posted on main Hal Forum!

 

She’s beautiful.

 

Edited August 1, 2021 by summer slope

[bennybear]

1 hour ago, Seasick Sailor said:

 

Katie where are you staying and what luau did you attend? We have a timeshare st Westin Nanea and Westin KORV. Booked July next year. We enjoy Old Lahaina Luau. Feast at Lele and The Sheraton and Hyatt ok too. 

 

Looking at your picture and seeing Black Rock, would you be at the Hyatt?

the one and only time we did the old Lahaina  luau for New Years Eve,  Robin Williams,  Billy Crystal and Francis Ford Coppola were in the audience 👀

[Seasick Sailor]

3 minutes ago, bennybear said:

the one and only time we did the old Lahaina  luau for New Years Eve,  Robin Williams,  Billy Crystal and Francis Ford Coppola were in the audience 👀

 

Were they in Maui filming? 

[bennybear]

1 hour ago, aliaschief said:

Check out the inside tour of the new Rotterdam I just posted on main Hal Forum!

 

She’s beautiful.

Yes!  sigh!  Thank you!

[bennybear]

Just now, Seasick Sailor said:

 

Were they in Maui filming? 

Not that I know of,  I think just celebrating like normal people,  they had their families.    We’ve seen so many celebrities there,  Willy Nelson driving his old Willys Jeep,  Alice Cooper, not in costume, lol!  …

[grapau27]

8 hours ago, cat shepard said:

The Icelandic saga continues…..

 

Another raw, windy morning.  But it had not started raining - yet.  Our last day with François!

 

Our breakfast buffet was amazing! It was a U-shaped set up. One entire section of fresh fruits. Two flavors of Skyr with at least six different things you could top them with. Waffle maker. Oatmeal and porridge. Pickled herring. Several different sausages, bacon, eggs, a huge variety of pastries and breads. And the customary coffee machine. The coffee was actually quite good, as long as you selected the correct strength.  And that delicious, moist brown bread. I might miss that most of all! This morning I put some Lingonberry jam on it. Yummy!

 

François rounded us up and we left at 7:45 for Reynisfjara Beach.

Early enough to beat the crowds.  He warned us that even though the seas were calm today, do not get too close to the water. Just in case we missed his warning, we passed at least three different signs also warning us. One with a life preserver attached to it.  More black sand, but surrounded by amazing rock formations. The famous basalt columns (sea stacks) to our left. 

 

And majestic rocks in the water in front of them. 

 

 

And then at the far right of the beach, more huge rock formations. I found it hard to believe that the seas were “calm” today. I wasn’t alone in thinking this. 

 

1211CE98-FAB3-43E4-A22A-08C02EFB0F04.MOV 38.81 MB · 5 downloads

 

When we returned to our minibus, François showed us two video clips of people being swept off their feet by the waves. One group was at the top of the beach, when a rogue wave surprised them. Luckily all were okay. 

 

Next stop Seljalandsfoss waterfall. I was probably the only one of the group who did not walk behind the waterfall. But the mere mention of slippery wet steps did not give me a warm, fuzzy feeling. 

 

So I walked in front of it and continued down the path passing in front of two smaller falls. 

 

This is where I discovered how slippery black sand is on wood. Crossing a small stream via a wooden bridge required my holding on to the railings - tightly. Especially going down the ramp back to the path. The rain held off until we were back on the road. 

 

A quick stop for snack/lunch items, and then off to Gullfoss. Nothing rustic about the paths to this waterfall. Highly developed - definitely accessible. But I discovered the approach faded into oblivion when faced with the awesome power of these falls. 

I did not go down the dozens of steps to the lower level, but I did walk along the side of the falls. I was able to witness its “steps”.  

 

E01465A2-109F-45F5-96BF-DB3FB4B3225F.MOV 15.22 MB · 3 downloads

 

There was a huge gift store there, and though not in the market for anything several of us used the restrooms way in the back. Great sales technique. We were greeted by a reindeer when we entered. 

 

 

We had a bit of a detour on our way to Geysir. It was pouring, otherwise I would have tried to capture a picture of how Iceland builds up its roads. It was fascinating to drive on the side not yet built up - the side built up was at eye level!

 

 François got us back on track and we arrived at the geothermal pool and geyser area. Strokkur is Iceland’s version of Yellowstone’s Old Faithful.  It erupts every 5-10 minutes. But it does not reach the same heights as Old Faithful does.

 

IMG_5187.MOV 31.59 MB · 3 downloads

 

 We also found a couple of geothermal pools interesting. One definitely appeared to have a cave beneath it. 

 

Our last stop of our trip was at Thingvellir National Park. Famous not only for being  the area where Iceland’s Parliament started meeting in 930 A.D, but also where we could walk along the rift created by the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates shifting apart. As we walked along, we wondered if Iceland would eventually be two islands? We felt very small. We encountered some off and on showers during the walk, but nothing like yesterday’s downpours. 

 

None of us really wanted to get back on the minibus and head to Reykjavik. Even those of us who were not leaving for home the next day. We had grown into a close knit group, and we all treasured the Iceland that François’ shared with us. 

 

Back to Hotel Cabin. The woman at the desk remembered me and asked how I was doing. François asked us to reconvene in the lobby at 6, so those that needed to be tested could do so. Then we would go out for our last supper as a group.  While he was busy organizing the testing, we got busy on our tip project. The recommended tip for François was $45/person. Hah! I knew that I would never have experienced some of the most awesome features of Iceland without him. $45 was no where near enough. I also wrote a very personal message on our envelope. I admit I had tears in my eyes when writing “Thank you for giving me Iceland”.

Kat, ever the artist, created origami with her tip money. 

 

 

The testing was completed very quickly for the six people leaving the next day. And they received their “all clear” certificates within 75 minutes!

 

We had an amazing last meal at a local restaurant. I had a reindeer burger with sweet potato fries and I had a SN Orri NR. 10 ale. I had one at the hotel on the advice of the bartender while waiting for the group to be tested. I liked it so much, I had another with my meal. 

 

 

We checked with the waiter to be certain none of Santa’s reindeer were being served. That set the tone for the evening and we had a wonderful time. Bittersweet to be sure. 

 

Back at the hotel we parted our ways, but not before I gave François a huge farewell hug! I was not the only one.  

 

Another great night’s sleep. 

 

More to follow…

 

Awesome review and photos.

Graham.

[Seasick Sailor]

4 minutes ago, bennybear said:

Not that I know of,  I think just celebrating like normal people,  they had their families.    We’ve seen so many celebrities there,  Willy Nelson driving his old Willys Jeep,  Alice Cooper, not in costume, lol!  …

 

We saw Steven Tyler and Mick Fleetwood downtown.  Steven told my husband "cool shirt man". 

[lazey1]

I have been to San Juan once and really enjoyed seeing  all the photo's. I wish that our photos had been digital but they weren't. 

@catshepard I have enjoyed all of your ICelandic photos but the ones today of Gullfoss and the geothermal and geyser area are really bringing back fond memories. Like you I declined to go down the stairs, afraid I would never be able to make it back up.

Jane

 

[atexsix]

2 hours ago, Vict0riann said:

 

Aha! So you are the cause of our cooler weather!

 

Happy August 1, everyone!  I had emails this morning wishing me a Happy Birthday Month from a bunch of shops I frequent and even one from our favourite restaurant in Bellingham, Anthony's, with a gift certificate - now if only they would let us cross the border!  I have to let you know the big day is later this month, too and I will be one year younger than Father Himself....

 

We have been to San Juan - I have the typical photos everyone has shown - we also went to the Bacardi factory.

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, you can blame or thank me lol, it's still muggy and smokey

[atexsix]

2 hours ago, ger_77 said:

@atexsix yay for you - you won't regret the investment!

 

Smooth Sailing!  🙂🙂🙂

Gerry

It's been nice, but there are issues, the lights dim every time it kicks on, neighbors tell me it's common in townhomes, so I'm not keeping it as low as I'd like, but wow, 78 is a nice change from yesterday's 89.

 

[Vict0riann]

17 minutes ago, atexsix said:

Yes, you can blame or thank me lol, it's still muggy and smokey

I thank you.  I will know what to do next time it gets too hot for me, just go out and buy an air conditioner.

[atexsix]

1 minute ago, Vict0riann said:

I thank you.  I will know what to do next time it gets too hot for me, just go out and buy an air conditioner.

I so wish I had it in June when it was 112!

[AncientWanderer]

Good afternoon/evening everyone.  Busy day today, but wanted to pop in.  I haven't read through the whole thread, but the collection of days is particularly lovely.

 

@Seasick Sailor, we stayed at the Westin Nanea and that stands out as one of our favorite Hawaii vacations.  That's so cool that you bought there.  

@cat shepard, your Iceland travelogue has been a real delight.  Thank you for that.

 

Thanks to all my Daily buddies for being right here.  Have a great evening Everybody!

[cruzn single]

Late afternoon greetings.  I never know how to thank everyone for all the wonderful sharing and concern for others on the Daily.  Everyday I am so happy that Rich started this friendly place, and that Roy keeps all the lists going.  Food & beverage dept keeps up their end!  

 

The pictures of San Juan and Iceland have been outstanding.  I have been to neither location, and know that my "must visit" is getting longer by the day.  We lived in Florida for 19 years and somehow never got to PR, even though we had many friends from there!

 

Woke up this morning to two new emails from HAL.  My boarding time has changed again!  Keeps getting earlier.  Maybe I will make it on the ship in time for lunch in the MDR.  Only 19 more days to go, when I get into the specifics of my Alaska cruise to check boarding time.

 

Today has been partly cloudy, and looks more and more like rain.  Really hope that the rain stays away from Glenwood Canyon.  They don't need more mudslides there.  Guess there was a big one last night and a rock the size of a house came down.  From what the authorities are saying,, the highway is damaged, so who knows when it will re-open.  Guess anyone wanting to travel across Colorado will be going a very long, detoured route.  Thank goodness I can fly out of here to Seattle!

 

There was an article in our local paper today that states that the Health Department thinks that our County is approaching "herd immunity!"  About 51% vaccinated, but the case numbers have been high among un-vaccinated.  Seems like that might be a pipe-dream.

 

Have a wonderful evening, everyone.  Raise those wine glasses to all on the Shout-Out list!

[bobpatj]

I'm late to the party, today, spending a lot of time on packing!  I'm done, but Bob's still working on it.  Tomorrow, we fly to Seattle to enjoy time with the family before we board NA, on Saturday. Woohoo!