SUN, BUT NO DUBLIN!

Regal Princess/At Sea
Friday, September 27, 2024
Sunny, 54F

Our view of Dublin from the ship

Dublin  (Irish: Baile Átha Cliath)  is the capital of Ireland.

Our first sunny day since last Saturday in Pittsburgh! Then, early this morning, the captain announced that he was very sorry but our trip to Dublin was cancelled.  The sea on this tender port was too rough to safely take passengers ashore.  Apparently, some lifeboats used for tendering were lowered, but safety is paramount, and that was that. Captain TK of the Blazebuster for 15 years and four year Navy veteran agreed.

No Book of Kells, no Aran sweater market, no Irish cottage pie. We won’t be able to meet the 573,000 people we were hoping to meet.  We did not have a Dublin tour scheduled because we wanted to walk around the city, have a genuine Irish lunch, and enjoy a city we had never visited.

After the announcement, the crew was scrambling to arrange activities to do on the ship—can you imagine 3600 passengers with nothing to do? At least I have books!

First on TK’s agenda was visiting the Future Cruise agent to sign up for future cruise vouchers. Then, shockingly, he booked an Eclipse Cruise on the Sun Princess for August 2026 out of Southampton that includes Cherbourg, Bilbao, Malaga, Cartagena, Gibraltar, Lisbon, and Santiago de Compostela.  We need to stay healthy and truly determine if this is what we want to do in August 2026, but there was only ONE stateroom left in the category TK likes.  Now the room is reserved for us with a deposit, and we have until 90 days before the cruise to cancel without any penalty and our money back.  That’s my TK.

A day at sea, why not tea? That is what we will do this afternoon.

Tomorrow, Belfast! Let’s hope for sun and fun!

TK's Takes:  Sunniest day since we havea been here. Stuck on board with 3000 people, crowded.  That's bogus, man.

Note: Even though we are off on a great vacation, we are still thinking of the hurricane in Florida, and other things that are going on in the world.  We have a close friend whose home is in "The Bend" of Florida, and that area was already hit by two recent hurricanes.  Others, inlcuding family, also live in Florida and we know they have been affected. Prayers all the way.

NO KISSES AT BLARNEY CASTLE!

Regal Princess/Port of Ringaskiddy for Cork
Tuesday, September 26, 2024
Cloudy, 47F      

TK and Janie at Blarney Castle

This morning we joined 50 other people for a tour of Blarney Castle and the Blarney Woolen Mills’ shop filled with Irish items.  The brisk cold was not going to stop us.

Ringaskiddy is a commercial port, but the usual port, Cobh, was already taken. Cobh is pronounced like Cope.  We are in County Cork, which is one place my long long ago ancestors lived, I believe.

Cork (Irish: Corcaigh) is the third largest city in Ireland, the county town of County Cork. The city’s population is about 224,004.

Founded in the 6th century by St. Fin Barre, the region around Cork is also home to one of the densest concentrations of prehistoric monuments in Western Europe.  Our tour guide, Ben, gave us another history lesson, starting with the Vikings who invaded the area of Cork in about 606 A.D., mostly because they liked the gold and other valuables in the monasteries.  The Danes arrived in 900 A.D., then the Anglo Normans. Ben said Ireland was never invaded by the Romans.  The Irish language is 1000 years older than English, and it is one of the oldest written languages after Greek and Latin.

Few Irish speak Gaelic Irish today—I would love to hear this language. Street signs and other signs seem to be written in Gaelic Irish too.  I am very interested in language, but I don’t really have the circumstance to dig deeper right now.

Other info I was interested in:

• Cork is famous for Kerry Gold Butter, which we do use at home! There is good farmland – we saw lots of cows!
• Their preferred beer in this area is Murphy’s. Cork is in a fierce rivalry with Dublin, where Guinness is made.
•  Cork’s city flag is red and white—for the white lime and the red sandstone in the county.
• 
• The first motor car company overseas was Ford Motor company—they were making tractors for WWI. Henry Ford’s father was from Cork, thus the interest.  The company closed in Ireland in 1984.
• Apple Computers is one of the largest employers in Cork, with 7500 employees and growing.
• We saw Pfizer's huge factory near our ship at the port
• Cobh was the single most important port of emigration from Ireland.
• Ben mentioned the 1840-1850 famine when the potato crop failed. Two million people left Ireland during that time.
•  Hurling is their national game, then soccer, then rugby union. 

Blarney Castle

One of Ireland's greatest treasures

Built 0ver 600 years ago

Blarney Castle

TK and Blarney Castle

The purpose of this tour was to visit Blarney Castle. Several people wanted to kiss the Blarney Stone, but that was not on our bucket list. We wanted to see the fabulous castle which stands so proudly despite its ruins.  A bagpiper greeted us at the castle, a pleasant surprise. I did not realize the castle was built upon huge rocks, as solid as it could be. The nearby cave would be a great place to play if the castle was not under siege.

Cave and rocks the castle is built on

Blarney Castle is a medieval stronghold in Blarney, a town in Cork, Ireland. Though earlier fortifications were built on the same spot, the current keep was built by the MacCarthy of Muskerry dynasty, a cadet branch of the Kings of Desmond, and dates from 1446. 

Blarney Woolen Mill shop is very close to the castle, and guess who really wanted to visit this shop, full of colorful merino wool sweaters.  Merino wool sweaters are gorgeous and of great quality. We may have purchased a few.  TK found Butler’s chocolate, supposedly the best in the land.

A couple of weaving/knitting machines were on the second floor. Much is done by machine now. A lady was demonstrating making a sweater.

Skeins of Merino Wool Yarn

This lady is working on a sweater

Another view in the mill demonstration area

Baskets of wool!

More skeins

A display in the Blarney Woolen Shop

A display in the Blarney Woolen Shop

As I write, it is only 3 p.m. in Ireland, but this is the highlight of the day.  Yesterday was a sea day, and we did not really do anything of note.  Tomorrow (Friday), Dublin!!

By the way, this is back to our roots for both of us.

• TK:    2% Welsh, 5% Scottish, 23% English according to Ancestry
• JK:    11% Welsh, 10% Scottish, 38% English, 13% Irish/Ancestry—both sides of my family were in America as far back as the Mayflower, the Revolutionary War, and the rest in the early 1800s.  I have not traced back yet to the “Old Country.”

Despite the cold, this was  a good tour. Seeing the Blarney Castle in person was terrific.  Nephew B and his wife K kissed the Blarney Stone a few years ago. Today the wait was 2 hours. 

Note: Someone dear to us is 41% Irish, 15% Scottish, 11% Welsh, and 10% English. Roots in County Connacht—you would love Ireland!!

TK’s Takes: Ben, our tour guide was one of the funniest—telling Irish jokes. He could be a stand up comedian.

Ben

TK's contribution

He did not purchase these socks

A SPIRITUAL STONEHENGE ! REGAL PRINCESS AT MAYFLOWER TERMINAL!

Regal Princess/Southampton to At Sea
Tuesday, September 24, 2024
Sprinkles, then clear/62F

TK at Stonehenge

International Friends picked us and all our luggage up this morning for a tour of Stonehenge and then delivery to the Regal Princess.  The two hour drive to Stonehenge was peaceful, yet cold. When it was 60F out, it was time to turn on the air-conditioning on the bus.  I feel like the only person on the planet who is cold. Our tour guide Valentina did a great job of preparing us for Stonehenge with another history lesson. I do like this review of English history, the Anglo Saxons, the Jutes, the Picts, Celts, Normans, all after the Romans.

Valentina compared the history of the area of Stonehenge (Wessex) to the Game of Thrones.  There was King Alfred, or Alfred the Great, who brought the languages together into what is now called Old English.  All these things interest me, but before I lose my readers, I will move on.

The stone circle, Stonehenge, predates all of that—estimated to be about 5000 years ago, and no one knows how some of the stones were moved from Wales, 150 miles away, to this location to Wiltshire, England. Another fact is that the stones were moved several times over hundreds of years to new configurations.  Scientists think that the stones were a  way to keep track of seasons.

A view of Stonehenge-the Sarsen Circle

Visitors are not allowed inside the circle

Janie at Stonehenge

Another view

Visitors can walk the circumference of the circle

The vertical stone and lintil are locked together 

with a joint like a mortise and tenon

One cannot help but feel the spirituality when looking at such a marvel.   It is a technological wonder that seems to create energy from of the people who built it.  The exhibit hall was very well done, with some artifacts from the archeological sites, including human bones, tools, even pottery.  I am so glad that we visited this site.

The Heel (or Hele or Heal) Stone, outside

the circle

This stone marks the place on the horizon where the summer solstice sunrise appears when viewed from the center of the stone circle.  This one weighs 30 tons.

The Beaker people, so called because of the pottery beakers

found at the site, lived in such huts

Reconstructed

Another type of hut (Beaker people)

Reconstructed

I read reviews online written by people who were unimpressed by the site. I asked TK if he thought he and I could move 30 ton stones over 150 miles—I am impressed just thinking about that.  I can say for sure that I would not know where to start.  The creators of this site did not just move the stones, they shaped them and put notches into them so they would fit with each other (the standing stones and the lintels). [Note: it is estimated that over 400 men moved each stone using wood rails—and boats were used to carry the stones from Wales.] 

TK and I will start this task by walking to Wales from Wessex to find the stones to bring back to Wessex. Tomorrow!

We spent two hours at Stonehenge, then boarded the bus for the Port of Southampton. About an hour later the Regal Princess showed us her profile at Mayflower Marina Terminal.  Ironically, my ancestors sailed out of Southampton on the Mayflower to travel to the new land.

I have been in Southampton twice before, in 1967 and 1968, as I traveled to France for school/1967.  It was the first port we reached from NYC before we left the ship at LeHavre.  When we left LeHavre in 1968, we stopped at Southampton on the way back to NYC. 

By the way, from the middle of the 1800's, Southampton has been famous for being a liner port. In 1912, the world's most famous liner, The Titanic, embarked from here on its fateful maiden voyage, carrying seven hundred Southampton residents in her crew, over five hundred of whom would never return.

This is the 5^th time we have been on the Regal, so we basically know the routine.  Dinner was tasty, steak for me, pot roast for TK, and the most delicious berry cobbler for dessert.  Off to a good start. We are unpacked, ready for a restful sea day tomorrow!

Stateroom Aloha 212 or 12212

A212

Our favorite configuration--a curtain

divides the sleeping space from the

couch, chair, and desk

TK’s Takes:  He saw a raven at Stonehenge and ring-necked pheasants is the field while riding the bus. Stonehenge was a sight to behold.

FROM ST. PAUL’S TO A SPOT OF TEA IN HARROD’S! and more!

Millennium Hotel, South Kensington/London, England
September 23, 2024
Rain, then sun/68F

I love big cities and London with a population of 8.9 million people is BIG.  Today Carol of International Friends gave us a great overview of the history of this 2000 year long story from Rome to present time. The Romans settled here, thinking the River Thames was a fishing port, and a great passageway, and it still is, flowing from just west of London to the North Sea, 2oo miles. The Romans left when Christianity arrived, and the Saxons moved in (6^th century A.D.)  

Two thousand years is a lot of history to take in and for me to write about, so I won’t go too deep with this. I am interested and would have loved to visit Great Britain while I was teaching English Lit!

We passed many landmarks:

Did you know that 4000 people are buried in Westminster Abbey?  We passed by Westminster Abbey Downing Street, Trafalgar Square, the Strand theater, dragon statues indicating one is leaving or entering London, the city proper, and MORE!

Our first stop was St. Paul’s Cathedral on Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London. Prince Charles and Diana were married there, and over a hundred people are buried there, including Admiral Horatio Nelson and Sir Christopher Wren, the architect.  

St. Paul's Cathedral

Mother Church of the 

Diocese of England

(Anglican)

View toward the altar

The Dome--serious precautions to protect the Dome

were taken in WWII--the heart of the country

WWI Memorial (one of two)

I need to do some research on this memorial

St. Paul's Cathedral

Honoring those who made the 

Supreme Sacrifice in conflict

Second Stop: Buckingham Palace to see the changing of the Guard. We were able to see the Old Guard (soldiers who are currently on duty) relieved by the New Guard, accompanied by a Band and horses ridden by Guardsmen, a very formal handover of duties—but we could not see the actual change because of the crowd.  I never thought I would see this in person!

Band and Honor Guard

The New Royal Guard arriving

Next, we had a lunch break near the Tower of London, before we visited this royal fortress. TK and I shared a warm ham and cheese sandwich from Paul’s Bakery.

TK at lunch at Paul's-Tower Bridge in background

Janie with the Tower Bridge in the background

(built 1886-1894)

Tower bridge with the Tower of London

Queen Mother's crown with Kohinoor diamond

105.6 carats (1937)

Donna, let's look for a diamond like this

in St. Thomas in January!

Borrowed photo-no photos allowed in

the exhibit

Armor

Armor

Horse with armor

Jubilee, one of 3 ravens that live in the Tower of London

The Tower of London, built by William the Conqueror to intimidate intruders and show his people that he was in charge.  In the late 1600s , skeletons presumed to be  12-year-old Edward V and 9-year-old Richard, Duke of York—another long story, but their uncle wanted to be King and they were the true heirs.  We saw the Crown Jewels, the real ones!! At least 10 crowns with all the jewels and about 15 more without the jewels –they were removed for other purposes. Amazing!! Nothing matches the tiara that Friend Julie gave me though!!!

We also saw Jubilee, one of the ravens, and the Hall of Kings with their armor and their horses’ armor.  Lots to see!

The River Thames beckoned to us and a boat ride on this storied river was very relaxing, from the Tower of London to the London Eye.  The water is brackish, but “clean,” and along the way we saw the replica of the Globe Theater, the Waterloo bridge built by women during WWII, on time, and under budget. Parliament, Big Ben (Elizabeth’s Tower), London Bridge, the Medieval Bridge, and learned there are a hundred species of fish and a colony of seals in the Thames. How’s that for a sentence I would not want to diagram?

Our boat--a private tour

New London!

The London Eye

Finally, we enjoyed a spot of tea and scones with strawberry jam and clotted cream at Harrod’s. A formal High Tea—with Wedgwood china, a piano playing in the background, white tablecloth, true elegance.

Harrod's

Cheese section -- Harrod's

After tea we ran around Harrod’s, saw a dinosaur head fossil for sale (for sale, but no price), the Beauty section with open rooms for each individual makeup brand, the Food Hall with a very upscale market (meat, cheeses, bakery, chocolate hall, beef, vegetables, take away food, and more).

I could have spent a lot of time in Harrods, the largest department store I have ever visited, but it was already after 6 p.m. and TK had the “Tube” figured out so we could return to our hotel.

The Tube

Both of us had  18000 steps today. Friend Ann, we can still do it!!!

Aside to Friend Chris H:  I have read 1 3/4 books on the flight over, thanks to you for the books!! I brought 12 or so!

I developed a work around with my photos and the phone photos--and it is time consuming, but we need photos. I cannot edit or really make the best choice, but there will be photos!

Dear Friend Jim, we do have Verizon, but I did not think it would be wise to phone a friend from overseas for advice on this darn issue.  It would take awhile!  Expect a screen shot of his steps soon!

TK’s Takes: The raven was fun to watch, a very deep squawk. He gravitated to the water, could not get over how big Harrod’s was, and loved the tube, much cheaper than Uber!

 

Millennium Hotel, London, England