The Fleet Report and Daily for Wednesday July 27th, 2022

[irishjim]

2 hours ago, cat shepard said:

@superoma

 

Happy Birthday! May your new year be filled with love, laughter, and great health!

 

+1

[Cruising-along]

Good morning all!

We're into our 2nd day of a string of mid-high 80's F.  Will this be our summer?  We never know 😉  Although I expect we'll get more in August.  Nevertheless, we're enjoying the sunshine.

 

I love the sound of bagpipes, but won't be walking on stilts and have no more houseplants.  All my energy is put into the outdoor gardens.

 

Will pass on the drink and meal, but the wine sounds good.  We were in St. Petersburg for 2 days in 2014 on the Eurodam.  We toured for 25 hours over 2 days with SPB Tours, an excellent company. It was exhausting because they were having a heatwave.  Every day was at least 90F and humid.  Like others have said, there will be no more visits to Russia in our future. I'm glad we saw it, but not going back.

 

@superomaHappy Birthday!  And thank you for sharing the photo of your beautiful vegetable garden, it looks great!

 

Jacqui @kazuI'm excited for you that Shadow will arrive today!

Jack @HeartgroveI'm happy that your visit with your brother went well and the wedding party sounded like so much fun.

Linda @lindalerYikes about your fall!  I can see myself doing the same thing.  I hope your injuries heal quickly.

 

Here are some photos of our 2 days in St. Petersburg.  Among other things, we saw the Hermitage, Catherine's Palace, Church of Spilt Blood, and Peterhof Palace.

 

Church of Spilt Blood

 

 

 

 

The Hermitage

 

 

Van Gogh

 

Rembrandt

 

Monet

 

Michaelangelo

 

DaVinci

 

Catherine Palace

 

 

 

 

 

Peterhof Palce

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 27, 2022 by Cruising-along

[StLouisCruisers]

I just prepared some photos of our visit to St. Petersburg, and see there are now photos posted.  I hope I haven't repeated too many. 

 

We were there in Sept. 2011 on Emerald Princess with a group of people we had cruised with a few times.  We booked an Alla 2 day tour and it worked out well.  The first thing we did was get on the subway.

 

The escalator went down, down, down.

 

 

I won't show you every little stop we made but of course you want to see the major places.  This is the Hermitage Museum, and I won't show you all of the hundreds of photos taken there.  Going in...

 

 

 

 

Who do you think that chair is for?

 

 

It felt like we walked miles in there.  Our guide Marina was rather gruff and kept shouting "Keep to the right - compact, compact!".

 

Next we took a boat ride on this canal.

 

We headed to the Our Savior on the Spilled Blood church which is a real show stopper.

 

The walkway around it

 

Some of the detail on the gate

 

We took a hydrofoil boat to Peterhof, the Russian Imperial summer palace near St. Petersburg

 

 

 

Next up was Catherine's Palace.  That's a lot of grass to mow!

 

Have you noticed a theme in Russia?  Gold, gold and more gold

 

 

I didn't take any pictures of the famous Amber Room, because we were told not to.  I know some people are rule breakers, but not me!

 

I know you're happy I didn't show you the many hundreds of photos I took.  Just a small taste of St. Petersburg.  I won't be going back again.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 27, 2022 by StLouisCruisers

[durangoscots]

34 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

I'm so sorry to hear you had such a nasty fall and horrible knee injuries.

Prayers for a speedy recovery.

Graham.

 

 

 

@lindalerSo sorry about your fall. Believe me I truly understand both the bruises and the embarrassment. 

 

Susan

[irishjim]

10 minutes ago, Cruising-along said:

Good morning all!

We're into our 2nd day of a string of mid-high 80's F.  Will this be our summer?  We never know 😉  Although I expect we'll get more in August.  Nevertheless, we're enjoying the sunshine.

 

I love the sound of bagpipes, but won't be walking on stilts and have no more houseplants.  All my energy is put into the outdoor gardens.

 

Will pass on the drink and meal, but the wine sounds good.  We were in St. Petersburg for 2 days in 2014 on the Eurodam.  We toured for 25 hours over 2 days with SPB Tours, an excellent company. It was exhausting because they were having a heatwave.  Every day was at least 90F and humid.  Like others have said, there will be no more visits to Russia in our future. I'm glad we saw it, but not going back.

 

@superomaHappy Birthday!  And thank you for sharing the photo of your beautiful vegetable garden, it looks great!

 

Jacqui @kazuI'm excited for you that Shadow will arrive today!

Jack @HeartgroveI'm happy that your visit with your brother went well and the wedding party sounded like so much fun.

Linda @lindalerYikes about your fall!  I can see myself doing the same thing.  I hope your injuries heal quickly.

 

Here are some photos of our 2 days in St. Petersburg.  Among other things, we saw the Hermitage, Catherine's Palace, Church of Spilt Blood, and Peterhof Palace.

 

Church of Spilt Blood

 

 

 

 

The Hermitage

 

 

Van Gogh

 

Rembrandt

 

Monet

 

Michaelangelo

 

DaVinci

 

Catherine Palace

 

 

 

 

 

Peterhof Palce

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wow. Fantastic photos and  brought back wonderful memories.

                                                                                                              Jim.

[highscar]

Bubbins sends his love to Shadow and welcome to Canada 

[superoma]

So we harvested the potatoes this morning. They taste so good fresh out of the ground! But they won’t last long as we will share with our DDs and their families

 

again, thanks to all for birthday wishes.

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

Good morning from central Texas.  My plans for this morning were to get outside between 7:30 and 8 and mow the yard before it got really hot.  Well, you know what they said about well laid plans.  I woke up before 6 am, which was too early, so I thought I'd lie back down for a while.  The next time I looked at the clock it was almost 8 am.  I made it outside by 8:30 and was finished by 9:30.  With our drought, there is really not much grass to mow, and what was green and growing were the weeds I've been fighting for the last three summers.  The major part that needed mowing was on the west side of the house, so I was in the shade most of the the time.  

 

When we moved here in 1999, I got rid of my house plants, so I won't be taking any on a walk.  Even with my Scottish ancestors, I like bagpipes in moderation and outside.  I will not be walking on stilts since I don't want any broken bones.

 

The quote today is interesting, and I also take it to mean live for today.

 

The conchas look good, but I doubt I'll be making them.  We'll pass on the drink and the wine.

 

We have been to St. Petersburg twice on BHBs, and we enjoyed our four days there.  We took HAL tours and only had long lines at Catherine's Palace since we were there in the height of summer, and it was hot.  Unless there is a complete change in the Russian government, I doubt we'll be back.  I think having St. Petersburg on the itineraries is wishful thinking.  When I finish this, I'll repost the pictures I shared last October, and I can't promise there won't be repeats.

 

@superoma  🎂 💐 HAPPY BIRTHDAY!  🥂 🍾    Also. HAPPY BIRTHDAY tomorrow to your father.   Your garden is lovely and the potatoes look good.

@aliaschief  Enjoyed the pictures today.

@cat shepard  Ann, I laughed out loud at the meme.

@marshhawk  Ann, I also laughed out loud at the camel meme, and I really did not like that commercial.

@Heartgrove  That is good news that your brother is dong better and that you got to spend time with him.  I'm sorry you missed the wedding, but the party sounds like it was a great one.

@kazu  Jacqui, I hope Shadow can overcome her fears quickly and will enjoying being part of your family.  

@smitty34877  Terry, I'm sorry your neighbor and his wife have covid again.  I hope Tana's son does not get it.

@lindaler  Ouch!  I hope your knees heal quickly, but what an embarrassing thing to have happen and to be caught on camera too.

@richwmn  Rich, I like your idea of creating a day for us, and also like the suggestion by @TiogaCruiser of Dailyites Day.  I would also go for "red headed, left handed people" day as it would honor my mother who was both.

 

This afternoon, we both have an appointment with the dermatologist in Cleburne.  We may make a quick stop at  W-M while we're there.

 

Lenda

 

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

This was the first day we were in St. Petersburg in 2003 in Rotterdam VI.

 

As I mentioned, we spent four days in St. Petersburg spread over two visits on BHBs.  I decided for clarity and to not have too many pictures at once, to divide them up by days.

 

On September 5, 2003, our tour took us to Moscow to see the exhibits in the Armory, the Patriarch's Palace and Church of the Twelve Apostles inside the Kremlin.  We also visited the KGB Museum in the Lubyanka, the infamous building and prison.  We only got to see the museum.

 

The weather in St. Petersburg was very foggy, so we got a tour of St. Petersburg on the way to the airport.  

 

Once the fog lifted, we boarded our plane for Moscow.  Even flying internally in Russia, you go through very strong security checks, which make the TSA checks seem easy.  Our plane in Moscow.

 

Driving from the airport.  Our bus was allowed to use the VIP lane.

 

Just a few of the royal jewels and Faberge eggs in the Armory.

 

The Armory and the grounds inside the Kremlin walls.

 

The Patriarch's Palace and the Church of the Twelve Apostles

 

I believe this is Lubyanka and the entrance you do not want to enter.  We used an entrance at the side of the building.  Our guide in the museum was a former KGB officer, and was now in the new alphabet organization.  Our tour guide would translate our questions and his answers, but we learned he knew English when he started answering a question before the guide could translate it.  

 

We weren't supposed to take pictures inside, but we got a few ones.  The woman in the picture is our guide who was wonderful.

 

We also stopped at Red Square and the GUM department store, where we had free time.  Red Square was closed as they were setting up for some big event.  Lenin's tomb is on the right.  Red Square is smaller than it appears on tv.

 

The entrance to Red Square opposite St. Basil's.

 

St Basil's

 

The GUM building and stores inside.

 

We thoroughly enjoyed our day in Moscow, and in spite of a late start, nothing was cut from our tour.   Our lunch was in a hotel near Red Square and was very good.  A few days after we were there, the hotel was bombed.   We did not get back to the Rotterdam until almost midnight.  

 

Looking back at the day, and the condition of the plane on the inside, we can't help wondering "What were we thinking?"  I just hope they spent more on engine and plane maintenance than they did on the passenger area.  Now, the tour takes the train to Moscow.

 

Lenda

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

Day two of our 2003 visit to St. Petersburg on the Rotterdam was another busy day.  We took the tour to Peterhof, with a short tour of St. Peersburg after lunch.

 

Peterhof

 

A few pictures inside

 

A tile stove to heat the room

 

Two Faberge eggs

 

The throne room

 

The fountains, which are fed by gravity from a reservoir above the palace.

 

 

We took a hydrofoil back to St. Petersburg.  Once inside, it was just another boat.

 

Our entertainment at lunch.  We saw the first part, and then asked the guide if we could walk around outside, and surprisingly, she said yes.  So here is the street where we walked.

 

From the bus on our drive to our last stop

 

Our last stop was St. Isaac's Cathedral named for the patron saint of Peter the Great.  In 1917, it was turned into a museum.  In 2017, the governor of St. Petersburg offered to return it to the church, but due to protests by citizens, that has not happened.

 

A statue outside St. Isaacs.  I don't know who's statue it is.

 

Lenda

 

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

In 2016 while on the Prinsendam, we spent two days in St. Petersburg.  This time we opted for three short tours with a chance to rest between tours.  It was mid-July and very hot.

 

The first morning, we took the half day tour to Catherine's Palace.  We had to wait in line a while, but not too long.  I had wanted to see the Amber Room, where we were not allowed take pictures.  I knew it was a recreation of the room, and I was underwhelmed to say the least.  It was not what I expected.

 

The entrance gate to Catherine's Palace

 

A couple of pictures inside

 

When Catherine grew older and heavier, she had trouble walking, especially using stairs.  She had a ramp built that was big enough for her carriage to drive up to her second floor apartments.

 

A summer house

 

The roof of her chapel

 

We had a shopping stop at a tourist store along this canal

 

That evening, we had a tour of the Hermitage and museum.  This was an after hours tour, and only part of the palace and museum were open to us.  Our guide, once we were in the museum, wanted to talk about almost every picture in every room.  I don't know how long we would have been there if not for the cleaning ladies, who made it know they wanted us out so they could finish and go home. 😀👋

 

These are a few pictures of the palace.  It was nice to have it mainly to our selves and maybe one other group.

 

Lenda

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

Finally, our pictures from our last day in St. Petersburg in 2016.  That cruise, the Prinsendam docked at the new cruise terminal away from the main part of town, which meant longer bus rides.  That week was their equivalent of NYC's Fleet Week.  The river was crowded with all types of naval vessels, and the traffic, especially around the river was worse than normal.

 

That day, our tour was a ride on the Metro, with a visit to a market and a vodka tasting aboard a small boat that did not leave the dock.  Somehow, I don't have any pictures of the vodka tasting, which was just okay to me.  What I do remember was one unfortunate lady got locked in the restroom and it took quite a while to get her freed.

 

Originally, we were supposed to board the metro at one station and get off at another.  With the traffic detours that week, instead, we rode the metro to the station and then took another train back to the original station.  The stations are decorated, but not as much as the older metro stations in Moscow,  and the stations are very clean.

 

The entrance and the escalators, which are very, very, very long escalators.  At about the midway point you cannot see the top or bottom of the escalators.  Since I'm not fond of down escalators, that bothered me, but there was nothing I could do but stay put.  😁

 

The route map, not that it helped us.  At least, our guide knew what she was doing.

 

Some of the murals in the various stations.  The murals were mosaics.

 

One of the stations and our group waiting for the train.

 

The inside of the train

 

Once back up the very, very, very long escalator, we visited a local market.  It too was very clean, but the best thing was DH discovered someone selling 1L bottles of Coke Zero, which we shared.  It hit the spot as it was very cold, and we were very hot.  This was not your normal farmers market.

 

Lenda

[puppycanducruise]

@superoma Happy Birthday! 🎂

 

@lindaler Sorry about the accident.  Hope you heal quickly.

 

@kazu So excited for you that Shadow will be with you soon.

[Seasick Sailor]

3 hours ago, superoma said:

Thanks everyone for the birthday wishes. We went out for breakfast this morning, continuing what has become a tradition over the last 10 years or so. Tomorrow we will go out to dinner with my father, my sister and my DBIL for our father’s 92 birthday.

 

posting a picture of our vegetable garden. It only looks so lush due to diligent watering by DH. We are digging up the potatoes today. Produce is coming fast and furious, peppers, summer squash, green beans, tomatoes, carrots, endive, as well as dill, basil and parsley. 
 

 

 

Enjoy your Birthday. Love your garden!

[kazu]

Thanks everyone for all the well wishes for Shadow.  She’s on her way & should be here very soon so forgive me for not doing @‘s.  I’m afraid I wouldn’t finish the post before she arrives 😉 

 

 

@lindalerso sorry to hear about your crash!  😱 Hope you are feeling better soon 🤞 

 

@superomaa very happy birthday to you!  

 

 

3 hours ago, Rowsby said:

 

@kazu   Jacqui....Shadow looks so sweet....she will have a wonderful home...!!

 

I am just curious and this is probably a really dumb question....will Shadow understand "english".....??

 

If she isn't bi-lingual....I'm sure she will quickly understand loving care....🥰

 

3 hours ago, Live4cruises said:

I wondered the same thing!!

 

Shadow has been exposed to a bit of English with her foster in Egypt. I don’t know if she knows much but -   If she doesn’t know certain words - I am sure she will learn quickly.  These dogs are very smart and quick (so they say).

[Seasick Sailor]

Good morning Dailyites. 

 

Wow, so many beautiful pictures today. Thank you so much for sharing them. 

I do love bagpipes and enjoyed watching the Edinburgh Tattoo twice with all the pipers through teary eyes. 

 

 @lindaler that was a nasty fall! An Ebike accudent is what happened to Simon Cowell when he broke his back. He again had another accident and broke his arm and chipped teeth. You are a lucky lady!

 

 

Prayers lifted for all. Waiting anxiously for Shadow's arrival. Poor girl must be scared to pieces.

 

Have an awesome day. Blessings, prayers and Cheers. Xx

[Live4cruises]

@kazu, Shadow's expression has changed!  She looks curious, hopeful, engaged.  She knows she is coming home to love!

 

[1ANGELCAT]

@kazu, Shadow says “ I am coming home Mom “❤️🐾🎉

[cruzn single]

I am still with my sister.  I am very behind of reading and catching up.  My prayers for all on the Cares list and a happy dance for those celebrating.

 

My trip with my sister has bee very different. The memorial service for her DH was very nice and would have been exactly what he would have wanted.  The bad part was that my DSis fell down 15 steps.  Thankfully she broke nothing, but has serious abrasions on one leg, both arms, and she has huge bruises EVERYWHERE.  I have been helping her change dressings everyday.  I am really worried about her after I fly home tomorrow.

 

@kazui am so happy for you that Shadow is on her way.  I am sure the scared look and scared body will soon vanish with your love and care.

 

@Sharon in AZ, what town did you grow up in Eastern Colorado?  I keep meaning to ask you, and yesterday’s talk of carhops reminded me.  I went to high school in Lamar. Was just there last week for the memorial service.  Hope your DM recovers quickly from COVID.

 

Have a great rest of the day, everyone!

[lazey1]

We were in St. Petersburg Russia aboard the Eurodam in 2008 for 3 days, 2 nights. We saw most of the usual opulant buildings, including the Hermitage Museum and one evening we went to a Russian Folkloric Show. Fascinating the way the men can dance so fast without loosing their balance. One of the days we were there was 08/08/08 and apparently the Russians saw that as THE DAY for weddings. We saw at least a dozen different wedding processions walking around the various parks.  So glad we went when we did s I will never go there again.

This native New Mexican ate lots of pan dulces for breakfast growing up but I had never heard the term concha.  I enjoy bag pipes in moderation and I value my life to much to try to walk on stilts.

@0106Thanks for your offer to teach me how to post photos. I do all my posts on my desk top computer, I have a new cell phone and so far when I go on Cruise Critic I have not even been able to find the Holland America Board. If you want to take on a real challenge please email me; themang;inos@cox.net. (Omit the ; after the g.)

Jane

[NextOne]

8 hours ago, MISTER 67 said:

Good morning from beautiful Southwest Florida.

Strange quote today.

I'm not taking any houseplants for a walk today.

Not planning on any stilt walking either.

I do like bagpipe music. 

Been to St. Petersburg many times, the one in Florida.

Off to the golf course in a few minutes, as usual it will be hot and humid.

Thanks for The Daily, stay well and have a great day.

@MISTER 67 I've actually been in St. Petersburg, Russia more than the FL location!! LOL!

[Cruzin Terri]

I just want to say a big THANK YOU! To all who posted photos of St. Petersburg today. We were supposed to go in 2016 but cancelled because I was still not well from my pulmonary emboli.  We never managed to book another Baltic cruise.  So I am enjoying these photos.

Given the current situation, I doubt I will ever get to see St. Petersburg.  We have a Scandinavian cruise booked for next summer but the farthest east it will go is Tallinn.  And I seriously wonder if we will make that port.  

I have really enjoyed seeing those photos and wishing there was some way I would be able to see this beautiful city.  Sadly it is probably not to be.

i know the cruise lines are posting SP on the itineraries for next year and 2024.  Somehow I am skeptical and not sure I would want to go.

Terri

[Kurtybee123]

4 hours ago, Live4cruises said:

I wondered the same thing!!

 This reminds me of a funny story on my first trip to Europe for a work trip in 2001.  Co-worker and I were walking to dinner in Milan stopped at a red light on a corner and the lady next to us had a dog on a leash that I assume she had told to 'sit' in Italian, which the well behaved dog did.  I looked at my co-worker and said that dog is bilingual and knows more Italian than we do, and couldn't stop laughing.  It was just something you never really think about until you see it happen in person.  Still makes me laugh thinking about to this day!  🙂 

[grapau27]

4 hours ago, Cruising-along said:

Good morning all!

We're into our 2nd day of a string of mid-high 80's F.  Will this be our summer?  We never know 😉  Although I expect we'll get more in August.  Nevertheless, we're enjoying the sunshine.

 

I love the sound of bagpipes, but won't be walking on stilts and have no more houseplants.  All my energy is put into the outdoor gardens.

 

Will pass on the drink and meal, but the wine sounds good.  We were in St. Petersburg for 2 days in 2014 on the Eurodam.  We toured for 25 hours over 2 days with SPB Tours, an excellent company. It was exhausting because they were having a heatwave.  Every day was at least 90F and humid.  Like others have said, there will be no more visits to Russia in our future. I'm glad we saw it, but not going back.

 

@superomaHappy Birthday!  And thank you for sharing the photo of your beautiful vegetable garden, it looks great!

 

Jacqui @kazuI'm excited for you that Shadow will arrive today!

Jack @HeartgroveI'm happy that your visit with your brother went well and the wedding party sounded like so much fun.

Linda @lindalerYikes about your fall!  I can see myself doing the same thing.  I hope your injuries heal quickly.

 

Here are some photos of our 2 days in St. Petersburg.  Among other things, we saw the Hermitage, Catherine's Palace, Church of Spilt Blood, and Peterhof Palace.

 

Church of Spilt Blood

 

 

 

 

The Hermitage

 

 

Van Gogh

 

Rembrandt

 

Monet

 

Michaelangelo

 

DaVinci

 

Catherine Palace

 

 

 

 

 

Peterhof Palce

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fantastic photos.

We were fortunate to see all these sites on our tour.

Graham.

[rafinmd]

@kazu I think we're all waiting for an at home photo of Shadow but also think most of us will understand if you're too busy to do it today.

 

Roy