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

[grapau27]

3 hours ago, StLouisCruisers said:

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.

 

 

 

 

 

Excellent photos Sandi.

 

[grapau27]

2 hours ago, Quartzsite Cruiser said:

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

Extremely interesting photos of Moscow Lenda.

Graham.

[grapau27]

2 hours ago, Quartzsite Cruiser said:

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

Thank you for all your amazing photos Lenda.

Graham.

 

[marshhawk]

This must be the month of falls.  I took Debbie to her eye appointment and swore to the staff that I would not leave the place, they made me promise....but Debbie knew I had to walk that darn dog of my neighbors, so I let out as soon as I left her off and she went into surgery.  Pulled in the neighbors drive, grabbed said dog, and we went for her walk.  However, there are people in this hood, that don't believe in leashes, and 3 young kids, none spoke English came down the street with the German shepard sans leash. Hope (the dog) went ballistic, and pulled me right over the curb into someone's  yard, where I fell on something hard other than grass.....  I kept telling the kids to grab their dog, but they didn't speak English, finally the oldest ran off and the dog followed him.  And the other kids took flight too.  I was a bit shaken (a lot) and slowly got up to make sure nothing was broken.  There was a big knot on the side of my leg, and of course I had been holding the leash with the arm I broke two  years ago. So from the shoulder to the pinky hurts and the leg hurts...but remember I had told them I wouldn't leave-so back I went and sat in the hot car.  I called Chuck and told him what happened , he asked why didnt i ask him to get Debbie, and i could go to the emergency room, but nothing feels broken, just bruised, including my hip. Oh well, I promised to be there....

 

In hind sight I will think of this as a physics lesson-four paws with claws weighing 85 pounds, can yank a 160 lb woman over a curb, because the woman does not have 4 paws and claws. Torque.

 

[Live4cruises]

@marshhawk, so sorry that you became a dog sled!  That darn neighbor pup is a lot of trouble!  I love your philosophical note about physics.  It reminds me of a story my nephew (now an astrophysicist) told in his college days, in which he broke his wrist.  He was playing a pick-up softball game, and they were using paper plates as bases.  Brilliant, huh?  He told me that he rounded 1st and vectors took over.  Be good to yourself this evening, and extra gentle in the morning!

[grapau27]

21 minutes ago, marshhawk said:

This must be the month of falls.  I took Debbie to her eye appointment and swore to the staff that I would not leave the place, they made me promise....but Debbie knew I had to walk that darn dog of my neighbors, so I let out as soon as I left her off and she went into surgery.  Pulled in the neighbors drive, grabbed said dog, and we went for her walk.  However, there are people in this hood, that don't believe in leashes, and 3 young kids, none spoke English came down the street with the German shepard sans leash. Hope (the dog) went ballistic, and pulled me right over the curb into someone's  yard, where I fell on something hard other than grass.....  I kept telling the kids to grab their dog, but they didn't speak English, finally the oldest ran off and the dog followed him.  And the other kids took flight too.  I was a bit shaken (a lot) and slowly got up to make sure nothing was broken.  There was a big knot on the side of my leg, and of course I had been holding the leash with the arm I broke two  years ago. So from the shoulder to the pinky hurts and the leg hurts...but remember I had told them I wouldn't leave-so back I went and sat in the hot car.  I called Chuck and told him what happened , he asked why didnt i ask him to get Debbie, and i could go to the emergency room, but nothing feels broken, just bruised, including my hip. Oh well, I promised to be there....

 

In hind sight I will think of this as a physics lesson-four paws with claws weighing 85 pounds, can yank a 160 lb woman over a curb, because the woman does not have 4 paws and claws. Torque.

 

That sounded painful.

I hope you have not broken anything.

Sending you my best wishes.

Graham.

[St Pete Cruiser]

I got a nice letter from Gus Antorcha today thanking me for my loyalty to Holland America and for best wishes for Gerald Bernhoft on his retirement today.  He has 45 years service to the company, starting in 1977.  If you never got to meet him or know of him, you missed out.  He has probably the best collection of Holland America memorabilia as well as knowledge.  Think of the changes he has seen!

Thanks for all who make this the best place on cruise critic.

 

I agree with the others; so glad I got to see St Petersburg, Russia when I did as I have no plans to ever return since Putin's war in the Ukraine.

[kazu]

49 minutes ago, rafinmd said:

@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.

 

She was posing earlier (aka frozen in fear),  Roy and Melanie took pics but I did not have my phone outside.  She’s one frightened girl and exploring very carefully.  Hopefully I can get her to eat and get some pics for you tomorrow.

 

33 minutes ago, marshhawk said:

This must be the month of falls.  I took Debbie to her eye appointment and swore to the staff that I would not leave the place, they made me promise....but Debbie knew I had to walk that darn dog of my neighbors, so I let out as soon as I left her off and she went into surgery.  Pulled in the neighbors drive, grabbed said dog, and we went for her walk.  However, there are people in this hood, that don't believe in leashes, and 3 young kids, none spoke English came down the street with the German shepard sans leash. Hope (the dog) went ballistic, and pulled me right over the curb into someone's  yard, where I fell on something hard other than grass.....  I kept telling the kids to grab their dog, but they didn't speak English, finally the oldest ran off and the dog followed him.  And the other kids took flight too.  I was a bit shaken (a lot) and slowly got up to make sure nothing was broken.  There was a big knot on the side of my leg, and of course I had been holding the leash with the arm I broke two  years ago. So from the shoulder to the pinky hurts and the leg hurts...but remember I had told them I wouldn't leave-so back I went and sat in the hot car.  I called Chuck and told him what happened , he asked why didnt i ask him to get Debbie, and i could go to the emergency room, but nothing feels broken, just bruised, including my hip. Oh well, I promised to be there....

 

In hind sight I will think of this as a physics lesson-four paws with claws weighing 85 pounds, can yank a 160 lb woman over a curb, because the woman does not have 4 paws and claws. Torque.

 

 

Yikes!  I hope you are ok and nothing is damaged. 🤞 Please take care and rest

[Cruising-along]

46 minutes ago, marshhawk said:

pulled me right over the curb into someone's  yard, where I fell on something hard other than grass..... 

I'm so sorry this happened!  Hopefully nothing more than bruises (that's bad enough!)  

My sister fell onto something hard and got bruised ribs and a broken arm recently.  It does seem to be the month of falls. 😞  

 

@cruzn singlethat's amazing that your sister fell down 15 steps and didn't break any bones! I'm sure it hurts though!

[JazzyV]

Good afternoon. Thanks for the Fleet Report/Daily and to all contributors.

My cacti go for a walk when I put them outside for summer, then back in for winter. Not a big bagpipe fan although sometimes I like them, and I won't be on stilts ever. Deep Camus quote.

The conchas look good. I'll pass on the drink and wine.

I have been to St. Petersburg on a Viking River Cruise in 2008.

 

It's overcast with occasional sprinkles, but quite humid. I went and got my  Evusheld monoclonal antibody injections earlier, then had to stay an hour in case of a reaction. After that a quick PO stop, then I picked up a few groceries to replace some of what I had to throw out due to the power outage.

 

@superoma Happy Birthday! And Happy Birthday to your Father tomorrow!

@aliaschief Thanks for the pictures from Edinburgh.

@0106 I may have to try my hand at the conchas.

@Heartgrove I'm glad you're back safely from Chicago. It was good that you got to see your brother, despite the limitations. Sorry you missed the ceremony due to the weather and traffic; but it sounds like the reception was great!

 @kazu An exciting day for you and Shadow! I hope she feels the love and is less frightened soon.

@smitty34877 Sorry to hear your neighbor and his wife have Covid. I hope your teenager stays negative.

 @lindaler Oh no on the bicycle crash. I hope your knee heals up quickly; at least nothing broken!

@cruzn single So sorry to hear of your sister's fall; thankfully nothing broken and that you've been able to help her. Can she get a visiting nurse for after you leave?

@marshhawk So sorry you had that fall, and I hope you're ok! 

 

Prayers for the Care List and Cheers for the Celebration List.

Stay safe and wear your mask if needed.

 

[0106]

1 hour ago, lazey1 said:

Thanks for your offer to teach me how to post photos.

I sent you an email.

Tina

[JazzyV]

Copying my pictures from Oct 27, 2021. Like others, I doubt I'll get back there so I'm glad I got there once. Some pictures from St. Petersburg

 

Smolny Convent (Russian Orthodox), built for the daughter of Peter the Great

 

Peter and Paul Fortress with Cathedral Spire

 

Rostral Column with old ship prows

 

St. Isaac's Cathedral

 

Peter and Paul Cathedral

 

 

 

Pulpit

 

Tomb of Peter the Great

 

Burial Chapel of Tsar Nicholas II and family

 

The marine canal at Peterhof

 

The Grand Cascade, Peterhof

 

[grapau27]

6 minutes ago, JazzyV said:

Copying my pictures from Oct 27, 2021. Like others, I doubt I'll get back there so I'm glad I got there once. Some pictures from St. Petersburg

 

Smolny Convent (Russian Orthodox), built for the daughter of Peter the Great

 

Peter and Paul Fortress with Cathedral Spire

 

Rostral Column with old ship prows

 

St. Isaac's Cathedral

 

Peter and Paul Cathedral

 

 

 

Pulpit

 

Tomb of Peter the Great

 

Burial Chapel of Tsar Nicholas II and family

 

The marine canal at Peterhof

 

The Grand Cascade, Peterhof

 

Nice photos Vanessa.

[rafinmd]

I'm going to add a few photos of St. Petersburg.  In addition to the Prinsendam in 2015 I was there on a land trip  in 2003.  It was my first attempt at circling the globe without flying.  The plan was:

Train to Montreal

Freighter "Canmar Courage" to Belgium

Train/ferry connections Antwerp/London/Newcastle/Gothenburg/Stockholm/Helsinki

Trains (primarily Trans-Siberian) Helsinki/St. Petersburg/Moscow/Beijing

Crystal Harmony Beijing to Vancouver

Train Vancouver-Toronto-Baltimore

 

It was a trip fraught with problems and scares.  A couple weeks before the trip started I fell on a patch of ice resulting in a serious limp and walking with a cane.  It was still tender but walking with a slight limp when I left home.

Midway across the Atlantic word came that the US had invaded Iraq.  My concerns about my limp were replaced by political concerns.  In Belgium  I saw signs of anti-American sentiments.

The final straw came when I was preparing to leave my Moscow hotel and got an email from my TA that due to SARS Crystal had cancelled the Asian season and I was about to catch a train to Beijing with no way out.  Lots of messages back and forth with the TA to get a flight while we were on vastly different time zones.  I finally got one and had to fly back to Vancouver and a series of trains home.

 

The train segment from Helsinki to Beijing was handled through a Russian Travel company, Mircorp.  They booked all my trains and hotels and provided a guide in each city.  I would meet them by the locomotive at each transfer point and the guide and driver would give me tours, transfers to the hotel and on to the next train.  They also took care of most of the process of getting my Russia VISA.  The Mircorp part of the trip was the only part  that really came off without a hitch.

 

The first photo was taken by my guide shortly after they picked me up at the train station.

 

 

Here's my hotel in St. Petersburg

 

And the room:

 

 

One evening I did brave the subway system.  Not reading Russian I took a photo of the name of my stop to compare it with what I saw on the station maps in the station to find my way back to the hotel.

 

 

Roy

[StLouisCruisers]

@marshhawkAnn, what a mess that walk turned into!  I hope nothing is broken and that you'll be allright.  Take care!

 

@JazzyVVanessa thanks for your photos!  You did a good job finding places none of the rest of us showed.  

 

@kazuJacqui nice photo of Shadow!  So glad she's arrived and learning of her new life with you.  

 

@rafinmdRoy I'm afraid the logistics of planning your original itinerary on your around the world trip with no flights, would be too much for my brain!  Some crisis will always occur.  I'm glad you made it home okay with a little help from travel agents here and abroad.

[bennybear]

Welcome Shadow!   How exciting!   Congratulations on your new family member Jacqui ! 
 

[durangoscots]

Sorry if my fall earlier this month started a trend. Careful, everyone, careful.

 

@kazu (don't know why this does show blue)  glad to hear that Shadow is there. It will take some time of peace and love to get her over the fear. The little Chihuahua that I adopted panics when I have things in my hands. I hate to think of what his past is like and hers was probably much worse.

 

Susan

 

 

 

[Sharon in AZ]

3 hours ago, cruzn single said:

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!

North of Lamar, Brush when I was in 1st — 7th grades, then Limon 8th — Sophomore. After that I moved to Tucson. My father is buried in Brush but both my father and mother’s family were from the area around Limon. I still have lots of cousins in the area. Do you know the name Monks?  That’s my mother’s family, very large and I don’t even know half of them. The A&W was in Limon. My brother still lives in CO, but closer to Burlington. I have relatives scattered all over the area. 
 

So sorry to hear about your sister. I hope she heals quickly. 
 

 

Edited July 27, 2022 by Sharon in AZ

[57redbird]

1 hour ago, bennybear said:

Welcome Shadow!   How exciting!   Congratulations on your new family member Jacqui ! 
 

 

[57redbird]

Max extends his welcome Shadow!!  You've got a great owner!

 

[4966and556]

Just had my first peach from a local farmer in the neighbourhood.  So juicy!  It was picked this morning.

 

Welcome Shadow!! 

Edited July 27, 2022 by 4966and556
adding info.

[smitty34877]

@lindaler  I am so sorry about your fall.Make sure everything  is alright in the coming days.

 

@marshhawk,I hope you are really ok.Please get yourself  checked out if things feel odd tomorrow. 

 

[kochleffel]

The Junior Cat welcomes Shadow even though Shadow's ancestors probably chased her ancestors while they (her ancestors) were busy saving civilization in Egypt.

 

I was home from the colonoscopy by 11:00. The warnings about powerful sedation and needing to be driven home and escorted into my house were overdone; I was conscious throughout and knew everything they were doing, but with enough medication on board not to care, or to object to their choice of music. I had a light lunch and went to bed, having been awake all night. However, I'm heeding their warning not to drive until tomorrow, so dinner had to be made from what I had on hand.

[Cruzin Terri]

Welcome Shadow.  May you and Jacqui enjoy your new life together.

Terri

[Cruzin Terri]

Tonight’s sunset from my back yard and golf course.  

Sweet dreams everyone.

Terri