The Fleet Report and Daily for Thursday July 14th, 2022

[cruzn single]

I am still home.  Airline has delayed flight time twice.  Hope it goes at 3-1/2 hours late.  I "think" that American is playing around so that there is only flight a day out of here to PHX and then one flight back.  Who knows.  Hope your flights are better @dfishand Bon Voyage!

 

It is bright and sunny today - nice flight weather.  Starting to get hot, so getting me prepared for weather in the Valley of the Sun.

 

Have a great day everyone.  Thoughts and prayers for the Care List, and happy thoughts for those celebrating!

Mary Kay

[StLouisCruisers]

I've been sitting here checking out my photo books made after each cruise, and saw a few photos that pertained to Piraeus instead of Athens.  On our first cruise to Athens on Crown Princess in 2012, we toured the Acropolis and Plaka.  On the Prinsendam in 2014 we were there twice, once at the beginning of the Black Sea cruise, then at the beginning of the next cruise to the Holy Land.  We stayed at a hotel a block from Pasalimani Harbor in Piraeus.  Here's a photo of the harbor taken from our lunch restaurant.  

 

 

And our lunch

 

 

In December 2018 we were crossing from Europe to the U.S. on the Pacific Princess.  Our stop in Piraeus was on Dec. 1.  We walked from the ship's dock to Pasalimani Harbor again to do some wine and water shopping.  If only I could speak Greek I'd know what these stores sold.  No clue!

 

I loved the little tree on the sidewalk with a pretty explicit warning.

 

These kitties lived right in the doorway of this residence.

 

In Greece you park anywhere your car will fit, even if it's at the intersection of two streets.  We saw a lot of double parking too.

 

 

This was the grocery store.  They had moving escalator ramps you put your cart on and it moved on up to the second or third floor.

 

 

We passed by an archaeological museum on the way back to the ship.  This was the site of an ampitheater and they had all these stone objects lining the lot.

 

The Piraeus dock where our 2019 cruise began.  It was the Emerald Princess and we enjoyed 14 days onboard.  At day 7 the rest of our family joined us in Barcelona to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversay.  We had to celebrate it during mid-summer due to everyone's school and work commitments since our true anniversary date was Sept. 6.  

[StLouisCruisers]

7 minutes ago, Overhead Fred said:

We had three trees taken down and several pine trees "cleaned up" on Tuesday. This was partly to prepare for our planned detached garage. But the back yard was also too shady and one of the trees was much too close to the house. There was a fair sized cedar in the back corner (already partially cut in the first picture, you can see the cherry picker) that had been butchered over the years by the power company to keep the electric lines clear. It was too ugly to keep and it was pushing up against the fence. We kept the wood from it for fire pit use, everything else was hauled away. 

 

Before -

 

After -

 

Good job!

[St Pete Cruiser]

Good morning all.

The former Statendam, the first of Holland America's "S" class ships, is now sailing as the Vasco Da Gama.  Strangely enough, it was in port in Keil, Germany, today where I had

surgery last month.  If I was still there, I would have gone to see it.  The former Maasdam, Ryndam and Veendam seem to be laid up still by their new owner.

One comment/complaint with the Nieuw Statendam is there are no paintings or ship models of the HAL fleet, former or current.  Happily for me, the current Rotterdam does have some of the Stephen Card paintings and models.  Wondering where the rest of the paintings are?  Copper10, John, are you out there today?  Anybody know?

This painting of the Nieuw Amsterdam, the "Darling of the Dutch" which is prominently featured in the 150 year history of Holland America currently being presented onboard the fleet, is onboard the Rotterdam VII.

 

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

Good morning again from central Texas where the weather is a repeat.  As far as the weather goes, we could be living through a repeating Ground Hog Day, since it never changes.

 

Happy Bastille Day to all the Dailyites of French descent.  I was told there were French ancestors on my paternal grandfathers side.  So far, using Ancestry, I have not found them.  On one trip to Paris, we did see where the Bastille had once stood.  The Ho-Ho took us there, and it is now a line in the street to mark the place.

 

Shark awareness is always good, and thank you, Graham @grapau27, for the explanation.  On older DDs free dive to get her certification, the dive master took her down to pet a sleeping nurse shark.  She returned with all her fingers.🤣 On a snorkeling adventure in Raiatea, we were swimming with black tip reef sharks.  We left them alone, and they left us alone.  It has been years since I've had mac and cheese.  I used to fix it for the DDs.  I hope we don't celebrate Pandemonium Day by living in pandemonium.

 

The Marilyn Monroe quote sounds like something she would say.

 

We'll pass on the meal because of the coconut milk, and we'll pass on the drink and the wine, too.

 

@dfish  Debbie, enjoy your lunch with your friend and safe travels today.  As I told @aliaschief the other day, I hope the airline gods look favorably on you and all your flights are on time and your luggage flies on the same plane.  Have a wonderful cruise in Norway.

@grapau27  Graham, it sounds like the doctor visit went well.  Are they exercises to help rebuild the muscle strength around your right knee?  Thank you for your nice comment on my pictures.

@rafinmd  Roy, I loved the sunrise reflecting in the the lake.

@cat shepard Ann, the girls had another hit with the meme.  Have you considered getting them to pick some memes you can used after their visit?

@kazu  Great pictures of Shadow.  Her color and markings remind me our our late granddog Molly, only Molly was bigger.  She was part lab and maybe Australian Shepard.  I hope shadow is as sweet a dog as Molly was once she settled down.  She was also a rescue.

@marshhawk  I hope the pain clinic can help your DH manage the pain without drugs or at least, at a reduced level of drugs.

@Cruzin Terri  Terri, good luck at the dentist office over the bill. 

@smitty34877  Terry, I'm glad you are having such a good and relaxing time at the beach.  Safe travels home tomorrow.

@HAL Sailer  Melisa, that is great news that Curt has progressed enough to go home.  I'm glad he will be getting help and therapy at home, and that his mother will continue to get help.

@Heartgrove  I'm sorry that your brother has not improved since he's been home.

@St Pete Cruiser  Thank you for your comments about my pictures.

@StLouisCruisers  Sandi, you and all your family, but especially Amy and her children remain in our thoughts during this difficult time.  Enjoyed seeing more of Piraeus.  We walked around there some in 2017, but still have not seen much of the area.

@Overhead Fred  Great pictures, and more open space even after the garage is built.

@cruzn single  Mary Kay, I hope your flight makes it and that your luggage does too.  The airline situation is getting ridiculous.

@0106  Thanks for the mac and cheese recipe.  I think you will do a nice job of filling in for Debbie @dfish.

 

Lenda

Edited July 14, 2022 by Quartzsite Cruiser

[1ANGELCAT]

Nieuw Amsterdam is now arriving in Juneau. There is a great view on the Snow Cloud webcam.

[irishjim]

3 hours ago, dfish said:

Good morning, everyone!

 

It is looking like a nice day in northeast Ohio.  We had some storms blow through and it was pretty windy for a while, but we did need the rain.  I'm not going to complain about that!  The suitcases are all lined up by the front door and ready to go out to the car.  I'm meeting Sister Sue at Sister Barb's house this afternoon.  We're leaving one car at Barb's and taking the other to the airport where I got a deal on a room tonight with two weeks parking included.  On the way to Barb's I am stopping in Toledo to have lunch with my friend John.  So, a busy day ahead!   

 

Today's meal is interesting given the flavor combinations.  @Crazy For Cats Jake, you can always substitute chicken for tofu.  When you see tofu, think chicken.  You can probably do other meats as well, but with the coconut, lemongrass, and ginger I would want a mild flavored meat.  Most of the recipes were based on the one by Epicurious, but I have reached my monthly limit there.  Here's the first recipe:  https://www.kulinarian.com/recipes/coconut-cabbage-and-tofu-with-lemongrass-and-ginger-epicurious-com/

 

 

Since the recipes are all based on the one by Epicurious, I branched out to find similar dishes.  Here is a coconut cabbage soup with lemongrass.  https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/asian-coconut-cabbage-soup-lemongrass

 

 

This is another soup recipe.   https://www.bakespace.com/recipes/detail/Thai-Coconut-Cabbage-Soup/72349/

 

 

This one is missing the cabbage, but it has everything else.  The crispy part is what attracted me.  https://www.wholefoodbellies.com/crispy-lemongrass-ginger-tofu/

 

 

Prayers for all who need them, especially victims of violence and injustice.   Special prayers for Daily family members who face challenges and struggles, especially the family of @StLouisCruisers Sandi who suffered the loss of Buddy.  Cheers to those who are celebrating.  Wishing you all a wonderful day!

 

I will now turn this over to Tina @0106 who has graciously offered to stand in for me while I am having the time of my life in Norway with family and friends.  I should be back August 2nd if my flights work out!

 

 

 

Have a  great  trip  and stay  safe.

                                                        Jim.

[irishjim]

2 hours ago, seagarsmoker said:

Sandi @StLouisCruisersso sorry to read about the passing of Buddy.  Prayers for your family during this sad time.  I truly hope he rests in peace. 

+1

[kazu]

2 hours ago, 0106 said:

Here’s a practice run… bit nervous about subbing for @dfish tomorrow.  (Have a great trip Debbie!)

 

My family loves macaroni & cheese.  I use several different recipes but this is the one my family always requests.  Feel free to vary the cheese but four different cheeses are you essential to the recipe.

 

https://www.emerils.com/126572/macaroni-four-cheeses

 
 

 

You’re off to a great start 👍. thanks for stepping up!

 

@Cruzin Terrigood luck with your battle and your insurance claims.  🤞 

 

2 hours ago, HAL Sailer said:

Some uplifting news to share:

 

Tomorrow, a month after his mowing accident and two weeks after he was moved from the hospital to rehab, my DH's nephew Curt will be going home! He has made good physical progress and his thinking is clearer. He will receive Home Health Care plus ongoing Physical Therapy there.

 

His 89 year old mother (DH's sister) will continue to have assistance from others as Curt isn't able to resume that responsibility yet (ever?). There is still a long road of recovery ahead but this is another positive step…

 

What wonderful news, Melissa !  Truly uplifting!  Prayers for his continued recovery and improvement 🙏🏻 

 

2 hours ago, Heartgrove said:

My brother is not doing well and I have a feeling that next week when we visit for the wedding it may be the last time I get to see him. It seems there has not been any improvement so it just depends ...

 

Oh dear, Jack 😢 My prayers for him continue 🙏🏻 

 

2 hours ago, StLouisCruisers said:

 

  Jacqui @kazuShadow is a handsome dog!  I know he will be lucky to have such a great Mom when he arrives. 

 

I am happy to say that Shadow is a she, not a he.  All our dogs except for Fox were males…..Finally, another female 👍  

[Cruising-along]

Good morning all!

It has taken me an hour to catch up on all the posts, and it's only 8:00 here on the west coast.  So here we are, on page 3!

 

Happy Bastille Day!  I also am of French descent and proud of it 🙂    Will pass on the other days, plus the meal (not a fan of coconut or ginger) and drink.  The wine does sound good.  Humorous quote, if not taken too seriously.  We've been to Athens many times and stayed pre and post cruise.  I'll just post some photos from our last time there, which was just last year.  We always enjoy our time there!

 

Yesterday I spent hours deadheading roses and making progress on getting rid of those Boxwood that seem to have gotten Boxwood Blight after being there at least 25 years.  I'm not too upset, there will be more room for flowers!

 

Here's a photo of our damaged skylight.  It was taken by the roofer who gave us the first estimate.  As he said, "something had to have hit it very, very hard".  No bird could have done this.  Still hoping we'll find out what did this.

 

 

After having done the tours around Athens and outlying areas on previous visits, our last time there we just did the HOHO and walked around.

 

Street wares

 

Ruins in the middle of the city

 

Excitement of the day, we came upon this large protest. We found out later it was students protesting. This was taken from the bus.

 

Kotzia Square

 

HOHO buses in the parking lot next to our ship.

 

Dionysos Theater

 

Caryatid Porch

 

Acropolis

 

 

Waterfront

 

 

Academy of Athens

 

Oops, almost forgot ---

Debbie @dfishBon Voyage!!!

@HAL Sailersuch good news about Curt!

@ger_77what a wonderful job you did on that bag -- it looks great!

@Quartzsite Cruiser"My Life in Ruins" is indeed a cute movie.  They seem to play it on every cruise in the Med.

 

Edited July 14, 2022 by Cruising-along

[irishjim]

1 hour ago, Cruzin Terri said:

Just a few photos of our time in Athens prior to boarding our cruise in Piraeus in 2018.  We could see the Acropolis from our hotel room.

 

 

Thank  you  for  posting the  photos.

They  brought  back  lots  of  good  memories. 

                                                                               Jim.

[StLouisCruisers]

5 minutes ago, kazu said:

 

I am happy to say that Shadow is a she, not a he.  All our dogs except for Fox were males…..Finally, another female 👍  

 

My apologies to Shadow for mistaking her gender!  Instead of handsome, I'd call her beautiful!😉

[bennybear]

Good morning and thanks all! I have a lot of respect for sharks,   The movie Jaws did it for me, lol.  
I don’t like two faced people either,  particular those who pretend to be nice then…..  I much prefer straightforward people.  

We’ve visited Athens many times,  so I will post photos from Meteora where we visited last cruise as we had an overnight in Athens,  so that allowed us to visit and stay overnight.  We often do different things if we’ve visited a port more than once. 

Sandi,  I am so sorry  to hear of the loss of Buddy,  my deepest condolences to you and your family.  
@Heartgrove sorry to hear your news.  
@HAL Sailer glad to hear some good news.  
@aliaschief for Norway we found having a good goretex jacket, along with light Merino wool layers worked really well.  We were blessed with good weather, but that combo is light and works as well in Ireland, Japan etc along with a light pack able down vest or jacket.  

 

[rafinmd]

@kazu  any estimates about when Shadow may arrive?

 

Roy

[StLouisCruisers]

6 minutes ago, Cruising-along said:

Good morning all!

It has taken me an hour to catch up on all the posts, and it's only 8:00 here on the west coast.  So here we are, on page 3!

 

Happy Bastille Day!  I also am of French descent and proud of it 🙂    Will pass on the other days, plus the meal (not a fan of coconut or ginger) and drink.  The wine does sound good.  Humorous quote, if not taken too seriously.  We've been to Athens many times and stayed pre and post cruise.  I'll just post some photos from our last time there, which was just last year.  We always enjoy our time there!

 

Yesterday I spent hours deadheading roses and making progress on getting rid of those Boxwood that seem to have gotten Boxwood Blight after being there at least 25 years.  I'm not too upset, there will be more room for flowers!

 

Here's a photo of our damaged skylight.  It was taken by the roofer who gave us the first estimate.  As he said, "something had to have hit it very, very hard".  No bird could have done this.  Still hoping we'll find out what did this.

 

 

After having done the tours around Athens and outlying areas on previous visits, our last time there we just did the HOHO and walked around.

 

Street wares

 

Ruins in the middle of the city

 

Excitement of the day, we came upon this large protest. We found out later it was students protesting. This was taken from the bus.

 

Kotzia Square

 

HOHO buses in the parking lot next to our ship.

 

Dionysos Theater

 

Caryatid Porch

 

Acropolis

 

 

Waterfront

 

 

Academy of Athens

 

 

 

 

 

Your photos always look so professional unlike people like me with an IPhone and a point and shoot camera.  I enjoyed looking at them.  Thanks!

[Himself]

Thanks for the report on this fine day. I see the Oosterdam is heading to Split.

I will land in Split early next month.

[Dr.Dobro]

The changing of the guards, called Evzones, at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Athens. The high-stepping choreography and very unusual uniforms can draw giggles from foreigners, but membership in the Evzones is a great honor that celebrates several Greek military traditions.

 

[StLouisCruisers]

4 minutes ago, bennybear said:

Good morning and thanks all! I have a lot of respect for sharks,   The movie Jaws did it for me, lol.  
I don’t like two faced people either,  particular those who pretend to be nice then…..  I much prefer straightforward people.  

We’ve visited Athens many times,  so I will post photos from Meteora where we visited last cruise as we had an overnight in Athens,  so that allowed us to visit and stay overnight.  We often do different things if we’ve visited a port more than once. 

Sandi,  I am so sorry  to hear of the loss of Buddy,  my deepest condolences to you and your family.  
@Heartgrove sorry to hear your news.  
@HAL Sailer glad to hear some good news.  
@aliaschief for Norway we found having a good goretex jacket, along with light Merino wool layers worked really well.  We were blessed with good weather, but that combo is light and works as well in Ireland, Japan etc along with a light pack able down vest or jacket.  

 

 

I love the Meteora photos of the monasteries and buildings perched high on the mountains.  When we were there (tour from our Volos stop), it was fogged in!  Absolutely crushed me!  I would enjoy going back there on a day like you had.

[Cruising-along]

6 minutes ago, StLouisCruisers said:

 

Your photos always look so professional unlike people like me with an IPhone and a point and shoot camera.  I enjoyed looking at them.  Thanks!

Aw, what a nice thing to say, Sandi.  Your photos are great, mine are no better and are just taken with my iPhone -- but thank you!

[Sharon in AZ]

Sandi @StLouisCruisers - I just read on yesterday’s Daily about Buddy passing. I am so sorry for you and your family’s loss. Prayers and comfort for Amy and the children. 

[bennybear]

 

7 minutes ago, StLouisCruisers said:

 

I love the Meteora photos of the monasteries and buildings perched high on the mountains.  When we were there (tour from our Volos stop), it was fogged in!  Absolutely crushed me!  I would enjoy going back there on a day like you had.

Thanks Sandi,  even with overnight we didn’t have quite as much time as I’d have liked,  I think if possible go for two nights. It was amazing watching them at sunset.  
 

I think that wine barrel might be big enough for the daily 🤷‍♀️
 

@Cruising-along I can’t believe that skylight 👀😱

Edited July 14, 2022 by bennybear

[NextOne]

Wow - made it before noon today! Thanks to everyone that makes this such a special, caring spot.

This meme speaks to me!

 

[Cruising-along]

3 minutes ago, bennybear said:

@Cruising-along I can’t believe that skylight 👀😱

I know!!!  Thank goodness it's double pane and didn't come through.  Maybe when they take it off they'll find something.

[StLouisCruisers]

9 minutes ago, Dr.Dobro said:

The changing of the guards, called Evzones, at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Athens. The high-stepping choreography and very unusual uniforms can draw giggles from foreigners, but membership in the Evzones is a great honor that celebrates several Greek military traditions.

 

Very cool pic of the soldiers!

 

 

10 minutes ago, Himself said:

Thanks for the report on this fine day. I see the Oosterdam is heading to Split.

I will land in Split early next month.

Nice to see you posting today Father.  Safe travels to Split next month.

 

 

6 minutes ago, Cruising-along said:

Aw, what a nice thing to say, Sandi.  Your photos are great, mine are no better and are just taken with my iPhone -- but thank you!

I appreciate your compliment.  I do the best I can with what I've got.  Plus if you take enough photos, at least a few of them will turn out good, right?

 

 

3 minutes ago, Sharon in AZ said:

Sandi @StLouisCruisers - I just read on yesterday’s Daily about Buddy passing. I am so sorry for you and your family’s loss. Prayers and comfort for Amy and the children. 

Thank you Sharon for your condolences.  

 

 

1 minute ago, bennybear said:

 

Thanks Sandi,  even with overnight we didn’t have quite as much time as I’d have liked,  I think if possible go for two nights. It was amazing watching them at sunset.  
 

I think that wine barrel might be big enough for the daily 🤷‍♀️

It's truly an amazing area to visit while in Greece.  Nice you had the overnight.

 

And the bigger the barrel the better.🍷

[Sharon in AZ]

5 hours ago, rafinmd said:

RIP Nora Brown of Howick QC, 7/11/22

Roy, my condolences on the passing of your family member. I believe you said she was 90, but I’m sure it was still a shock. Are you planning on attending the services?