A Day At sea

Sunday February 28, 2010 Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital of Queensland. We were supposed to dock at 7 am. But shortly before the Captain made an announcement that due to the earthquake in Chile and the tsunami warning for the entire Pacific basin we are not permitted to go ashore and that we will be staying at sea until at least noon. We currently have 100 ft. Of water beneath us. I received an e-mail from John Donaldson, the private guide I had hired for the day for our trip up the sunshine coast and to the Glass Mountains expressing his regrets that we would not be spending the day together. He also sent me his family name relatives in Scotland to see if we may be related. I will have to check this out when we return home and get back to him. After breakfast, we spent the morning relaxing on our balcony and watching all the tankers in Moerton’s Bay which is a huge bay with the estuary flowing into Brisbane. At noon the captain gave the update that the tsunami warning was still in place and that the Australian Government had closed the port of Brisbane until at least 3 pm at which time he would make another announcement. We spent the afternoon at the pool. It was hot and sunny and I ended up burning despite the sunscreen. At 4:15 we got the all clear, and began the 3 ½ hr journey into city but this will be a bunkering for fuel only and we are expected to leave port around midnight.. What a beautiful port this would have been. The sand beaches along the sail in were absolutely beautiful and it is a shame we never got to see them up close and personal and unfortunately we will probably never travel these waters again. We changed our dining times today so that we will eat our late meal at 6 pm instead of 8:30. The last 2 nights we haven’t finished eating until after 10 pm and that is much too late for us. Our tablesmates are Aussie and British and what a jolly bunch they are.

A Day At Sea

Saturday, February 27, 2010 A Day At Sea
There was a bit of swell during the night and it rocked me to sleep at least for a while. I was wide awake around 3 am so I went out on the balcony. The night sky was clear and the stars glittered like diamonds but I didn’t recognize any. All of a sudden this big arc appeared like a rainbow only white and it started and ended in the water. It appeared to come closer to the ship and it got brighter and then suddenly it began to rain. It lasted maybe 10 minutes then faded and the stars came out again. It was strange and I have never seen anything like it before. I went for a walk this morning on the walking track. I really felt invorigated. Maybe I’ll come home in shape ha ha.. After exploring around the ship a bit I went to connect my computer to wifi and it’s going to be rather pricey doing the blog over the internet so I’ll do it in a word document and there probably won’t be as many pictures as it takes too long to load. Our cruise critic group got together this morning for about an hour for a “meet and mingle”. It was nice to chat with those I had been chatting with online for the last year and put faces to a name. Most are from England, Scotland & Australia. What a small world we really live in. Royal Caribbean hosted the event for us and provided drinks and finger foods. The afternoon was spent by the pool sunning and swimming. Even Dun went for a dip. I spent the remainder of the afternoon relaxing on the balcony, reading, finishing off my bottle of wine from last night while Dun had a nap. I am thankful for how lucky I really am to be able to do this great trip. There really is no words to describe the feeling of sitting on the balcony watching the waves in total quiet with no worries in the world ( at least for a while). Linda you would enjoy the total relaxation and some day we will do a trip. Formal Night tonight and the Captain’s welcome aboard reception Time to get all gussied up. We had the great privilege of meeting and having our picture taken with the Master of the “Rhapsody of Seas” Rick Sullivan who is Canadian and hails from the shores of Great Lakes. He told us he was recently in PEI for his nephew’s wedding and he knows the Atlantic Provinces well. He is a jolly chap with a great sense of humour. Later in the evening we attended the Front Liner show, had drinks with some Aussies before retiring for the night. All in all it was a great day at sea.

Our Cruise begins

Friday February 26, 2010 Sydney, Australia
We arrived at the cruise terminal at 11 am by taxi and it would have been much quicker walking but with four pieces of luggage we opted for the taxi. There was a long line up and everyone seemed to be confused. If only they would read the signs. We got priority boarding status because of our number of cruises with Royal Caribbean and we were on board within an hour. There was more paper work this time because of the Visa’s required for Papua New Guinea and the health statements for Swine Flu. By noon we were having lunch at the Windjammer Buffet and as always there was more than plenty to choose from and as we are not fussy eaters it all tasted wonderful. After lunch, I went to the wine desk to purchase my wine package for the cruise. It is the first time for me doing this, but when priced out, it is much cheaper than purchasing at the table and you can bring the bottle back to your room which I will enjoy while sitting on our balcony at sunset looking out over the water. Yeah, I know romantic thoughts. The rooms opened up at 1 pm and we got to see our suite. Love it, love it. Deck 8, Aft. Suite # 8580. We have bathrobes in the suite and a big bathroom. Our Platinum Coupon Books are in our room. We are having a passing shower outside but I don’t really care. We are on the ship that I booked over 1 ½ years ago. I think I need to pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming. Luggage arrived an hour later and I began the task of unpacking. I’m tired of dealing with clothes. This is the 2nd time today. After the first suitcase, I sort of had a mild meltdown. Dun was stretched out on the couch resting (he needed it because he hauled the luggage from the taxi to the porters). I asked him to store the suitcase under the bed & he thought he’d do it after a rest. I lost it & stomped out to the balcony & told him in no uncertain terms he could finish the unpacking and not to leave a mess. After a smoke, I relaxed, went back in and sure enough the suitcase was under the bed so I finished the unpacking. We’re friends again! Muster Drill was at 5 pm and sail away at 6:30. Sailing out Sydney Harbour was nostalgic. I fell in love with this city . All the sail boats in the harbour were so scenic. It took an hour to get to open water. We are now on our way. We wandered around the ship a bit but spent most of the evening sitting on our balcony. There is nothing like the sound of the ocean and the quietness. We are late seating for dinner (8:30) so by the time we were through eating it was 10 pm. Our tablemates are 2 ladies from Melburne and one of them looks exactly like my cousin Sandra Cook. The other couple are oldies from Sydney and the first impression was that they were very stuffy but the gentleman actually ended up being a case. We came back to the room shortly after and sit on the balcony for a while before heading to bed. The couples on each side of us are Canadians...one couple from Vancouver and the other couple from Burlington Ontario.

Today is the Day

Last night we spent our last evening in this beautiful city. I wonderful why time flies when you're having fun? We strolled through the "Rocks" area and ended up at a small cafe called "Old Vintage Cafe". Soft music was playing and it was so romantic. Yes I am a romantic at heart. This "old girl" still has it. The meal was wonderful. I will never forget this beautiful city. It is one of the best places we have ever traveled and I feel so fortunate to have been able to come here. Travelers are generally friendly and we have not met a rude person all week. The hotel staff have been more than helpful and one morning while we were waiting for our tour guide, a tour company pulled up outside the lobby area which I thought was ours and when I asked the driver he told me we were not on his tour and then he asked if I had the companies phone # and then proceeded to call them on his cell. How kind & thoughtful is that. We have had this type of help all week from total strangers.It is this type of of thing that you remember about a place. These people know how to give great service and we could learn a few thing from them. Now it is time to pack up our suitcases. We will board the ship around noon today (Friday)and we leave port at 6 pm. We will be at sea all day tomorrow and our first port of call will be Brisbane. Not sure of the internet service while at sea but will post when I can. Have a great evening Mates in NS, and my family in US

A Day in the Royal Botanical Gardens

We had a beautiful morning for a stroll in the gardens. It was 24 degrees when we left the hotel as we strolled the streets to get to the gardens. It is located just beyond the Opera House and covers a large area. It was a relaxing morning. I thought there would be more flowers but perhaps it's because it is the beginning of fall here. There were lots of statues and huge open spaces and large trees. We exited the park near the entrance to the Harbor Bridge and continued to the waterfront where we had a late lunch before heading back to the hotel. Dun needed a nap and wanted to watch the hockey game. I wonder if I'm tiring him out? I was getting antsy, so headed out on my own to do some shopping. Bought some shirts for Lucas, Hannah, Jack & Josh and a few other trinkets and on the way back I stopped at a street cafe for a beer to cool off. What a beautiful, vibrant city. We have only touched the surface and there are many things we didn't get to see. I would have liked to visit Bondi & Manly Beaches as well as the Sydney Aquarium but there just isn't enough time. tonight I want to stroll the "Rocks" area which is the old part of the city and near where we board the cruise tomorrow.

A Day of Sweet Delight

Woke up this morning to overcast skies. The Hunter Valley is a two hour drive from Sydney so we had to leave here at 7:45 am. The disappointing part of the day was that our driver was a young kid and to him it was just a job...the guide makes all the difference in the world to an enjoyable day..and our van was worse than economy class on a plane . This is the first private tour I have booked in all our time traveling that didn't meet our expectations. The wineries themselves were wonderful. We did 4 boutique wineries and Lindeman's/Rosemount. At each winery we tasted with 3 samples of white wines, 3 of red, a port wine and dessert wine. Oh my, I was rather tipsy and must say it didn't feel too bad. I bought a special bottle at Lindemans.A show Reserve McLaren Vale GSM Trophy Gold Medal. It had a wonderful taste in the sipping so will crack it open tomorrow night. We also did some cheese tasting which would have been better had it been paired with the wine. I'm afraid Dun didn't really enjoy the day. He hates wine but bless his heart he didn't complain and we were gone from 8 am til 6:30. Needless to say, he had a Rum & coke as soon as we came back to the hotel. I'm rather mellow right now so will go rest a bit before we head out on the waterfront.

Remembrance and Celebration

Today I remember. It was three years ago today that Mom passed away.Although the pain does not go away, the memories seem to become more vivid and precious. It is on a day like today that I need to celebrate her life not her passing. For my friends that have last their Mom, they will know what I mean. I am fortunate to have inherited two very obvious traits. Everyday when I look in the mirror, it is her face I see looking back at me. The other is her love of travel.She often told me "I was born with a wheel up my ass" and thank you Mom...that came from you. Words alone cannot express my sadness, so today I am going to celebrate her life and the woman that she was in my own way by visiting the special vineyards of Eastern Australia and testing a bit of the sweet nectar. With each sip it will be in tribute to her and all that she did for us. Although she probably would not approve of me doing this I can hear her loud laugh and hear her say "Oh Toddie". My only regret is not being with Gil today. My heart & love is with him. I love you Dad, and I am thinking of you not only on this day but each day we are away. I have chosen well in the man I love and who walks beside me on this journey through life. Today will be a tribute to you all