A Silver Shadow Over The World - December 2023 to May 2024

[mysty]

2 hours ago, CruisinPashmina said:

Musty,

i just saw your post asking if I were joining The 2024 World Cruise. I have actually never taken a World Cruise…the longest cruise I have ever taken was 32 days. My pattern has been to take at least 3 cruises a year and not one very long one. My late husband was much less avid than I. We used to laugh that at day 10 we would wake up hating each other ….one day of keeping our distance, and then back in love! 
i currently have four booked starting with a holiday adventure on The Nova. The other 3 are on The Shadow on which I haven’t sailed in many years. I’ve always loved both the Whisper and the Shadow, it will be fun to get back on these lovely Sisters. I feel a bit apprehensive about The Nova, but it will be an adventure no matter what.

Thank you for your spectacular reportage…I am SO enjoying this thread!

 

PS. If anyone has fresh info on the condition of The Shadow, I would like their impressions. Is there anything comparable to the brilliant Arts Cafe? The deck plans don’t show one, and I have been LOVING this innovation on the Muse and Moon. And I also really enjoy the Observation Library with its Bar Service at night. Other than for private or special parties, is this area open for drinks in the evenings? Thanks in advance for any info!

 

Thank you @CruisinPashmina !  When are you on the Shadow?  Are you on any of the legs of the World Cruise?

 

We love the Lady Whisper.  She's our favourite ship!  Haven't yet sailed on the Shadow.  That will be remedied in January if all goes well.  I need the travel gods and goddesses to keep smiling!  😁

[mysty]

1 hour ago, dawntrdr said:

The Shadow was updated in 2019 and it does show an Arts Cafe on Deck 5.  The kind of moved all of the retail shop merchandise to the periphery and put tables in the middle.  It is more of an "on the avenue" experience rather than the separate room they have on the Moon and Dawn.

 

Thank you @dawntrdr !  This will be a wonderful option!

[CruisinPashmina]

Next Shadow Cruise will be in June 2024, (Quebec to NYC)…..then a holiday cruise in 2024.( Ft Lauderdale to LA).  Plus a Spirit Cruise;  Iceland to the UK in September 2024….this one is booked, the other two are in the process of being booked. 
I am now only traveling in the late Spring, the early fall and over the Christmas holidays. Over the years I have found that both a late spring …before schools start and the early fall after schools start, the least crowded times. As to cruising over the holidays, the ship becomes wonderfully festive and my children and teenage grandchildren are free to make their own traditions….suits us all!

[mysty]

9 minutes ago, CruisinPashmina said:

Next Shadow Cruise will be in June 2024, (Quebec to NYC)…..then a holiday cruise in 2024.( Ft Lauderdale to LA).  Plus a Spirit Cruise;  Iceland to the UK in September 2024….this one is booked, the other two are in the process of being booked. 
I am now only traveling in the late Spring, the early fall and over the Christmas holidays. Over the years I have found that both a late spring …before schools start and the early fall after schools start, the least crowded times. As to cruising over the holidays, the ship becomes wonderfully festive and my children and teenage grandchildren are free to make their own traditions….suits us all!

 

Brilliant plan @CruisinPashmina !  Although I have to admit that I'm a little bummed that we won't get to sail with you!  Hopefully there will be other chances! 😁

[spinnaker2]

The shadow has a cafe, i named it cafe bijoux, as it is in the center with shadow boxes along the walls, containing jewels of course.

[mysty]

16 minutes ago, spinnaker2 said:

The shadow has a cafe, i named it cafe bijoux, as it is in the center with shadow boxes along the walls, containing jewels of course.

 

Perfect name @spinnaker2 !  I'm looking forward to the convenience!  😁  We'll be on deck 5 and I'm an early riser compared to Myster! 

[CruisinPashmina]

This is great news! I’m excited about Cafe Bijoux.
 

But also I am so sad that I won’t be sailing with Mysty. Over many years I have followed several posters and she has always seemed especially interesting, generous with information, and sensible. You get to “Hear” some frequent posters’ voices and sometimes you actually feel you know them! 

[jpalbny]

25 minutes ago, CruisinPashmina said:

This is great news! I’m excited about Cafe Bijoux.
 

But also I am so sad that I won’t be sailing with Mysty. Over many years I have followed several posters and she has always seemed especially interesting, generous with information, and sensible. You get to “Hear” some frequent posters’ voices and sometimes you actually feel you know them! 

 

Mysty is as lovely in person as she is here on CC. I hope you get to meet mysty and myster some day!

[mysty]

35 minutes ago, CruisinPashmina said:

This is great news! I’m excited about Cafe Bijoux.
 

But also I am so sad that I won’t be sailing with Mysty. Over many years I have followed several posters and she has always seemed especially interesting, generous with information, and sensible. You get to “Hear” some frequent posters’ voices and sometimes you actually feel you know them! 

 

9 minutes ago, jpalbny said:

 

Mysty is as lovely in person as she is here on CC. I hope you get to meet mysty and myster some day!

 

Oh!  I'm blushing here!  Thank you for your very kind words @CruisinPashmina and @jpalbny !  I'm really nothing special.  I just do unto others as I would like to be treated.  I love to laugh, I adore smart wit, and I don't take myself too seriously.  I have a difficult time with bullies and need to rein myself in on occasion.  I am a country bumpkin who is doing her very best to enjoy life and explore our beautiful world.  If you run across me at some point, you will see that I am as a present here.  There will be no surprises!  Unless, of course, I jump out and say "BOO". 😅

[mysty]

37 minutes ago, mysty said:

 

 

Oh!  I'm blushing here!  Thank you for your very kind words @CruisinPashmina and @jpalbny !  I'm really nothing special.  I just do unto others as I would like to be treated.  I love to laugh, I adore smart wit, and I don't take myself too seriously.  I have a difficult time with bullies and need to rein myself in on occasion.  I am a country bumpkin who is doing her very best to enjoy life and explore our beautiful world.  If you run across me at some point, you will see that I am as a present here.  There will be no surprises!  Unless, of course, I jump out and say "BOO". 😅

 

Okay, obviously I was not very careful with this post.....I meant to say..... If you run across me at some point, you will see that I am as I present here.  On my second glass of bubbly and typos are the result.  OOOPS!

[mysty]

Next up on our culinary sampling tour is Cabo San Lucas (Bahia California Sur).  The information presented here comes by way of https://www.cabosailing.com/cabo-san-lucas-traditional-food/ - Cabo San Lucas Traditional Food – What Food Is Cabo Known For?

 

"f you are a foodie, you should definitely try out the gourmet food that Cabo San Lucas has to offer.  You will be happy to know that there is a seemingly endless choice of tempting cuisines. However, you will also be able to enjoy some international dishes in the local restaurants that offer everything, from casual options to fast foods. The local cuisine is actually centered on the ingredients which are secured from the sea."

 

1. Mexican Chocolate Clam
This is a kind of clam which is prepared in a unique fashion. It is roasted on the stone bed and it is covered with rosemary that adds a special flavor to the clams.

The Mexican chocolate clam is something that you should try out on your next visit to Cabo San Lucas.

 

2. Shrimp and Fish Tacos
Shrimp and fish tacos are known to be the classic meals of Cabo San Lucas. There is a wide range of local specified, special seasoning, and freshness of the catch that combine to make the tacos a memorable meal during your visit.

Small pieces of shrimp and battered fish are placed on the corn tortilla with tasty coleslaw, salsa, and vegetables for some extra flavors.

 

3. Smoked Marlin
Marlin is the most common species that you will come across in this area, people here prepare in many different ways. Nonetheless, most of the time, it is shredded and smoked so that it is well-preserved. As a matter of fact, it also helps in enhancing the flavors. The meat is pretty delicious when it served with cheese and vegetables on the corn tortilla.

It is also served in a marinade along with the crackers, tortillas, and totopos, and the used tacos. In Cabo San Lucas, the marlins are always flavored and fresh. Hence, you should not hesitate to order it when you visit a local restaurant.

 

4. Comida de Pobres
This dish is also called the poor man’s food. However, you should not be deceived by its name. This is a popular food item. It is simple but extremely delicious. The item actually contains exquisite soup made from seafood along with the Mexican beans and rice accompanied by flour tortillas.

 

5. Guemes Tamales and Fajados Chicken Tamales
Guemes Tamales is considered to be a tradition all throughout the peninsula of the Baja Peninsula. It is actually made from pork or chicken, olives, raisins, and olive oil. The Fadados are basically chicken tamales and is the traditional food of Cabo San Lucas. It is prepared with delicious seasoning, stewed chicken, and corn dough prior to being wrapped in the corn husk.

 

6. Pitahaya
This is also called the dragon fruit. It is the traditional miracles treat. There is ample pitahaya because of the unique climate and flora of the area. This is actually a cactus fruit that grows in the desert regions. It is used for making jellied candies, jams, crystallized pitahayas, and marzipan.

[Port Power]

21 hours ago, CruisinPashmina said:

PS. If anyone has fresh info on the condition of The Shadow, I would like their impressions. Is there anything comparable to the brilliant Arts Cafe? The deck plans don’t show one, and I have been LOVING this innovation on the Muse and Moon. And I also really enjoy the Observation Library with its Bar Service at night. Other than for private or special parties, is this area open for drinks in the evenings? Thanks in advance for any info!

I was part of a group on Silver Dawn, so didn’t utilise every part of the ship.  I only went to the Observation Lounge on the last night.  Wow!  My favourite place.  On Silver Muse next month, that will be my bar for evening cocktails!

 

I did find the Arts Cafe tucked away and quite small.  I didn’t like sitting inside for long because new people wanted to drink their coffee.  The outside deck was great if warm enough.

[mysty]

Okay, I splurged a tad.  It was 1/2 price.  Still not in the price range of my other purchases though.  My newest necklace.....

 

 

 

The bottom pic is closer to the true colours.

Edited August 22, 2023 by mysty

[mysty]

As I'm planning this grand adventure I am remembering a former member of Cruise Critic who was extremely helpful with our first kick at a World Cruise can in 2016.  She was an amazing woman!  Her name on CC was duct tape.  She was very helpful with the planning and with advice.  She told me to take half of what I was intending to take out of the suitcase. When we finally met her in the Panorama Lounge on the Lady Whisper it was amazing.  We were able to dine with her and her husband a few times on that voyage.  She kept track of us and was a guiding light.  We had many email exchanges after the cruise.  Unfortunately she is not gracing our world anymore.  We dined with her husband on the 2019 World Cruise and shared wonderful memories of her.  Unfortunately he is not gracing our world anymore.  There are special folks that come into your life for a reason.  Savour what they have to contribute.

[drron29]

7 hours ago, mysty said:

As I'm planning this grand adventure I am remembering a former member of Cruise Critic who was extremely helpful with our first kick at a World Cruise can in 2016.  She was an amazing woman!  Her name on CC was duct tape.  She was very helpful with the planning and with advice.  She told me to take half of what I was intending to take out of the suitcase. When we finally met her in the Panorama Lounge on the Lady Whisper it was amazing.  We were able to dine with her and her husband a few times on that voyage.  She kept track of us and was a guiding light.  We had many email exchanges after the cruise.  Unfortunately she is not gracing our world anymore.  We dined with her husband on the 2019 World Cruise and shared wonderful memories of her.  Unfortunately he is not gracing our world anymore.  There are special folks that come into your life for a reason.  Savour what they have to contribute.

Mysty that is one thing we have in common. On our cruise Barbados to Barbados via Manaus on the Cloud in 2012 duct tape took us under her wing and told us everything we needed to know about cruising with Silversea. Also had meals with her and her husband and again later on 2 cruises on the Whisper.

Of course when the crew knew you were a friend of duct tape it was another bonus.

A delightful couple indeed.

[rojaan19]

16 hours ago, mysty said:

Okay, I splurged a tad.  It was 1/2 price.  Still not in the price range of my other purchases though.  My newest necklace.....

 

 

 

The bottom pic is closer to the true colours.

 

Mysty - what is it made out of ??  The top picture it looks like marble  balls - and I  thought  that would be heavy  !!  but the other picture it looks like  silky material  ?? 

[mysty]

3 hours ago, rojaan19 said:

 

Mysty - what is it made out of ??  The top picture it looks like marble  balls - and I  thought  that would be heavy  !!  but the other picture it looks like  silky material  ?? 

 

Excellent question @rojaan19 !  It is not heavy.  The balls are wooden.  

[mysty]

We're continuing on in our food exploration side gig to Los Angeles, California.  This will be a slightly different approach from previous explorations.  It will be a list of LA Food Experiences.  The information presented here comes by way of https://www.thrillist.com/eat/los-angeles/la-food-bucket-list - The 27 Most Essential LA Food Experiences By Danielle Dorsey, and Ben Mesirow (Updated on 1/5/2023 at 2:38 PM)  This is just a sampling of the suggestions on the website.....

 

"It is a rite of passage for every Angeleno to be badgered by visiting friends, relatives, friends of relatives, relatives of friends, and sometimes by random strangers on the internet who demand to know where to eat on their trip to LA. It’s an understandable impulse—LA is a stunningly good food city, and dishes that become popular here often pave the way for culinary trends that bounce around the country.

More than that, our restaurants are a lens through which we experience the city. They’re an excuse to travel across town, to dive into neighborhoods and cultures, to experience diverse ways of living and being and moving through the world. LA’s restaurants are creative and courageous and spectacular, whether you’re looking for hot new places or classic institutions, high-end tasting menus or chain food, buzzy pop-ups or a comforting breakfast. So we’ve put 27 of the city’s most essential food and dining experiences all together in one list. At best, you may encounter something that changes your perspective; at worst, you’ll have a damn good meal."

 

Try creative modern barbecue with a multicultural LA spin
For a long time LA was considered a barbecue desert. It was always a mischaracterization—we’ve had great barbecue since the ’70s at least, and long before then if you count Santa Maria barbecue—but over the last half-dozen years or so the scene has exploded with new talent bringing clever, personal ideas to the art of smoked meats. Many of them started as underground pop-ups, several of which gained enough of a following to put down roots in brick-and-mortar spaces, and all of the best options are presenting their own unique spin on the genre. Try Moo’s Craft Barbecue for Texas classics with an Angeleno twist, Smoke Queen for Malaysian-Chinese inspiration, A’s BBQ for that East Los soul, Battambong BBQ for a Cambodian touch, AGL’s for purist Texas stuff and regular specials.

 

Eat a wood-grilled steak in a historic post office at The Old Place
Everyone thinks about the asphalt sprawl of LA, the 14-lane 405 freeway and the flat grid of the valley, but it’s easier than people realize to get up and out of the city. The Santa Monica Mountains are a spectacular coastal range that is readily accessible, and it’s a pleasantly winding drive up to Cornell, the small unincorporated community which is home to The Old Place. The restaurant has been open as such since 1970, when the late actor, writer, chef, and man-about-town Tom Runyon converted it from a shuttered general store and post office. The rustic wood-paneled restaurant regularly hosted celebrities like Steve McQueen, Bob Dylan, and Sam Peckinpah in addition to roughneck locals and bikers cruising the mountains, and that fun and rambunctious spirit is intact today under the stewardship of Runyon’s son Morgan. The food is wildly transportive, cooked over local red oak on a giant grill that perfumes the dishes, the restaurant, the parking lot, and your clothes with the tang of smoke. The muscular cowboy cooking includes steaks, grilled vegetables, stew, mussels, and a perfect wine and beer list.

 

Dive into a bowl at legendary Pho 79
There is excellent Vietnamese food to be found all over the LA basin, but it doesn’t get more iconic than the jewel of Garden Grove, Pho 79. The 40-year-old restaurant was one of the first places to introduce beef pho to the area, and it has a James Beard Award, a Michelin Bib Gourmand, and a legion of longtime fans to its name. The oxtail pho is the restaurant’s best-loved dish, and it is magnificent, rich and pungent with a snap of anise. The rest of the menu is worth exploring too, including the rice dishes, papaya salads, spring rolls, and Vietnamese desserts, but it is that pho that keeps the lines long and the dining room buzzing.
https://pho79.com/pho79new/

 

Get verklempt over pastrami at Langer’s Deli
You read a lot about the #19, the iconic sandwich from the 75-year-old deli by MacArthur Park. There are rhapsodic paragraphs splashed all over the internet about the combination of pastrami, Swiss cheese, coleslaw, and Russian dressing on Langer’s warm sourdough, and if you go on a weekend you will see exclamations of delight popping over the head of every booth like action onomatopoeia in a vintage comic book. You read less about the rest of the menu, and that’s a bit of a shame—they have the full gamut of Jewish deli cuisine, and much of it is well-executed in its own right. There’s matzo ball soup, egg salad, chopped liver, corned beef hash, and so much more—each of which makes a great accompaniment to a pastrami sandwich, which you really should get on its own, with just a smear of mustard, at least the first time you go. Then you can start messing with coleslaw and Russian dressing and all that nonsense.

 

Turn your night around with a breakfast burrito from Lucky Boy
There are plenty of good breakfast burritos in LA, but there are a lot fewer breakfast burritos that are available until midnight 363 days per year, and none that have as much clarity of purpose as the one at Lucky Boy. The Lucky Boy breakfast burrito is not innovative or elevated, it’s just a properly executed delivery method for an absolute pile of breakfast food—a mound of potatoes with some crispy edges, two generous fistfuls of bacon, a carton of eggs scrambled hard, and a pile of cheese that is sometimes only half melted, but in a good way. You can get it with avocado (you should), and it comes with a cup or three of weird salsa the color of which swings between a deep olive green and the muddy brown of a High Sierra lakebed, depending on the day. When it’s all rolled up together it creates a rough-and-ready masterpiece, a meal to cure a hangover, a bad mood, or just plain old hunger.

 

Numb your gums with Sichuan peppercorns
Out of the many regional Chinese cuisines represented in the San Gabriel Valley, Sichuanese is the one that has seen the largest citywide surge in recent years. The cuisine is known for its intensity, powered by the generous usage of chilis and the unique flavor combination of ma la, numbing and spicy, brought by the Sichuan peppercorn. But numb does not at all mean bland—the electric floral zing of the peppercorns is like biting into a nine-volt battery, and the thrill is addictive. These days you don’t need to trek out to the SGV to get your fix, with great options like Mian expanding to West Adams, Sichuan Impression in West LA, or Ruiji Sichuan Cuisine in the South Bay. That said, it’s hard to beat the SGV’s legion of ma la hotspots like Chengdu Taste, Chong Qing Special Noodles, and Xiang La Hui.

 

Pucker up with a local sour beer
Sour beers are not new—the genre has been brewed and blended in Belgium and Germany since the 1700s or earlier—but for a long time it was hard to get a good one in LA. Thankfully we’ve reached a critical mass of breweries skillfully manipulating wild yeast like brettanomyces and bacteria like lactobacillus, dialing in their additions of fruit and herbs, and refining their blending techniques in the image of the Belgian legends, who mix various years of spontaneously fermented beers to find the right balance of sourness, carbonation, and funk. In Long Beach, the mad scientists at Beachwood Blendery are creating a local version of classic Belgian Gueuze. Bright, tart, and funky options abound from the Inland Empire to the South Bay and everywhere in between. With all that acid, don’t forget to pack your Tums.

 

Eat your way through Grand Central Market
First opened in 1917, Grand Central Market represents LA’s largest and oldest public market, with 40 food stalls that showcase the diverse communities that have historically shaped our city, including legacy vendors like China Café who have been serving customers on their 22-seat counter since 1959. In recent years the market has become an incubator for exciting new food concepts like the now world-famous breakfast spot Eggslut, pasta at Knead from restaurateur Maria Petulla (Union, U Street Pizza), and coffee from G&B, the bar that launched a local empire. Whether your craving leads you to woodfired pizzas, vegan ramen bowls, pupusas, carnitas, or a decked-out PB&J sando, Grand Central Market is the perfect place to fuel up before or after your Downtown adventures.
https://grandcentralmarket.com/

 

Aside....we would be in LA on January 12, 2024.  The Market is about 24 minutes by car from the Cruise Terminal.  And there is a Grand Central Market Bazaar on January 12, 2024.
"Grand Central Market Bazaar - January 12, 2024 (Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday) - 11 AM - 5 PM  //  Lower Level

See the latest and greatest from the very best independent merchants, artisans, and makers in LA! The Bazaar takes place every Friday, Saturday and Sunday beginning at 11 AM every day."

Slurp some fresh oysters
As you might imagine based on our location along the shore of the Pacific Ocean, LA is a killer seafood destination, with eye-catching raw bar displays that are among our favorite restaurant centerpieces. Dive into the trend with a half- or full-dozen order of oysters—Pacific oysters are the most common variety you’ll find, but there are also briny Kusshis, nutty Kumamotos, creamy Lunas, sweet and layered Olympias, and even sea-salt crisp Atlantic oysters at places like Rappahannock Oyster Bar, The Oyster Gourmet, The Jolly Oyster, Found Oyster, Broad Street Oyster Co, and Dudley Market. For a fine-dining experience, make a reservation at L&E Oyster Bar in Silver Lake or Water Grill’s Santa Monica or Downtown location. Or keep things casual with $1 oysters at ETA or Mexican-style oyster shooters at Mariscos El Faro.

[mysty]

For those interested....one excursion is now available to book for Newcastle.  It is a Selected excursion.  It looked interesting so I booked it.

 

HISTORIC PUB CRAWL - Newcastle, Australia - $149.00 USD

Join your guide on a 3-hour walking tour of the historic area of Newcastle, visiting four of its historic pubs, bars and hidden gems. Your half-day excursion is packed with great stories of Newcastle's past from its convict settlers to miners and all the miscreants and the occasional drunken 'knights' in between. Newcastle's history is best told over a drink, or two.

Newcastle, or 'Newie' as the locals call it, loves a drink. When learning about all the great and terrible things that have happened here, you'd need a drink too. From its convict roots as a place of 'Secondary Punishment', its time as the nation's 'Coalopolis', to the '89 Earthquake through to its recovery today, this tour gets under the skin of the city to unearth its true character. The best place to find that character? A pub.

Visit four local venues during this historic pub tour and learn all about the local beers & breweries, the 6 o'clock swill, the first lock out laws, tales about Molly Morgan and a few other Hunter bar maids. You will also get an insight in Newcastle's founding and the convict history before it is time to rejoin the shuttle and return to the pier.

[rojaan19]

9 minutes ago, mysty said:

For those interested....one excursion is now available to book for Newcastle.  It is a Selected excursion.  It looked interesting so I booked it.

 

HISTORIC PUB CRAWL - Newcastle, Australia - $149.00 USD

Join your guide on a 3-hour walking tour of the historic area of Newcastle, visiting four of its historic pubs, bars and hidden gems. Your half-day excursion is packed with great stories of Newcastle's past from its convict settlers to miners and all the miscreants and the occasional drunken 'knights' in between. Newcastle's history is best told over a drink, or two.

Newcastle, or 'Newie' as the locals call it, loves a drink. When learning about all the great and terrible things that have happened here, you'd need a drink too. From its convict roots as a place of 'Secondary Punishment', its time as the nation's 'Coalopolis', to the '89 Earthquake through to its recovery today, this tour gets under the skin of the city to unearth its true character. The best place to find that character? A pub.

Visit four local venues during this historic pub tour and learn all about the local beers & breweries, the 6 o'clock swill, the first lock out laws, tales about Molly Morgan and a few other Hunter bar maids. You will also get an insight in Newcastle's founding and the convict history before it is time to rejoin the shuttle and return to the pier.

 

Oh Mysty  -  we lived in the Hunter Valley for 18  years  and our son went to  Newcastle Grammar School,  geez there is sooooo much wrong   -  I dont know the Newcastle you have described !!

Ron will  chime in !

[mysty]

22 minutes ago, rojaan19 said:

 

Oh Mysty  -  we lived in the Hunter Valley for 18  years  and our son went to  Newcastle Grammar School,  geez there is sooooo much wrong   -  I dont know the Newcastle you have described !!

Ron will  chime in !

 

Thank you @rojaan19 !  Now I'm very curious!  Is this excursion a pile of hooey?  😅

[drron29]

We arrived in Maitland in 1974 just a year after a local Newcastle lad recorded the Newcastle Song which was a hit in the Hunter Valley because unfortunately it did describe some of Newcastle's going ons accurately. I picked this version as the song is interspersed with talk of Newcastle and is a video showing what Newcastle was like -warts and all.

 

 

The next bit is about Molly Morgan. She is a Maitland Legend. She was sent to the Newcastle Penal colony but was released early and given a 20 acre parcel of land at Wallis Plains - now Maitland. She farmed built a house and then a wine bar. So she was never a barmaid in Newcastle but a publican in Maitland. When we first moved to Maitland the finest restaurant in town was the dining room of the Molly Morgan Motel.

 

Now if people are into Australian slang and a down under version of the Cinderella tale Bob Hudson used to do a fuller version of his song in his show. It featured Ron who set up a fantastic business called Ultimate Urinals. So here it is but be warned probably only understood and liked by people who spent time in Newcastle and the Lower hunter area.

 

 

Edited August 23, 2023 by drron29

[rojaan19]

Well Mysty at $US 150 per perspn for the tour  I think  that is over priced.   Last October  Ron and I  spent the weekend  in Newcastle for a conference - we had not been  back  to  the Hunter Valley in a very long time.  I did not recognise Newcastle -  so much had changed !

What other tour choices do  you have ?

[mysty]

Thank you @drron29 and @rojaan19 !  I really appreciate your responses!  The song is a joy!  And the interactions bring it all to life!  And obviously there are some historical inaccuracies. 😁

 

There is currently only the one excursion available to book.  I asked Myster what he thought after I read him your response @rojaan19 .  He said....."The stories sound like fun and there are pubs involved!" 🤣  We'll see what else is on offer as more excursions appear.  😁

[mysty]

We are now at 117 days and counting to sail away from Bridgetown.  Usually I find that time is passing at warp speed.  This is probably a function of my age.  However, the hands of Mystress Time seem to be bound now.  I long for the waves, the spray, the ocean scent, the glorious sunrises and sunsets, the feeling of leaving trials and tribulations behind.  Take me to the sea!