Bucket List Cruise

Jerry and Marcia Abbott Celebrating 55 Years Together

Queen Elizabeth: British Isles and Norway July 31 to August 17, 2013 Jarold and Marcia Abbott 1

This Album is dedicated to:

My wife, Marcia, for whom this “Bucket List Cruise” was planned, and with whom it was enjoyed. The pleasures of this cruise are metaphors for the pleasures of our fifty-five (55) years together.

Our grandchildren for whom this album was written. They were the ones I thought about most as I prepared the text and selected the photos for this album. Marcia and I hope they will enjoy reading the text and viewing the pictures. I have tried to include interesting information about the history and culture of Great Britain and Norway along with stories that will reveal something about the personalities of the “grandparents.” Marcia and I hope the reading of this photo album will remind our grandchildren of our love for them, and know how special they are to us. We treasure our memories of them as we watched them grow up. 2

Table of Contents

Content __ Page

Letters from Grandparents ……………………………………………………………………………… 1

Itinerary…………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 6

Map of United Kingdom…………………………………………………………………………………. …. 7

Maps of Norway……………………………………….……………………….. …….………………….…. 8

Planning our Bucket List Cruise……………………………………………………..………………….. 9

July 30: British Air Flight 206 to London…………….……………………………………. 11

July 31: Embarkation from Southampton…………………………………………………. 12

August 1: “Sea Day” En Route to Queensferry and Edinburgh……………………………… 15

August 2: Queensferry and Edinburgh………………………………………………………………. 16

August 3: Invergordon and Dornach in Scotland ……………………………………………. 21

August 4: Kirkwall and the Orkney Islands……………………………………………………… … 25

August 5: Sea Day from Kirkwall to Liverpool…………………………..………………… 34

August 6: Liverpool, England and Wales…………………….…………………………….. 37

August 7: Dublin, Ireland………………………………………………………………………………….. 53

August 8: Sea Day en route to St Peter Port and Guernsey Island ……………………….. 63

August 9: St Peter Port and Guernsey Island (Channel Islands) …………………………… 65

August 10-11: Southampton to Stavanger (including Sea Day) ……………………………. 76

August 12: Stavanger, Norway – Lysefjord ……………………………………………………….. 80

August 13: Olden, Norway and the Nordfjord ……………………………………………………. 92

August 14: Geiranger Fjord, Norway ………………………………………………………………… 98

August 15: Bergen, Norway ……………………………………………………………………………. 105

Cruise Photos of Marcia ………………………………………………………………………………….. 114

©This photo album is copyrighted and may not be used for any commercial purpose. Its contents are intended solely the enjoyment of friends of Jerry and Marcia Abbott. 3

Jarold “Jerry” Abbott 8557 Belfry Place Port St. Lucie, Florida 34986-9913

August 12, 2013

Dear Jason, Lindsay, Logan, Patrick, Michael, Matthew, and Peyton:

I just finished the first draft of the “Bucket List Photo Album.” I may still make some changes in the album, but I wanted you to know where we were in the family‟s “time line” when I wrote this letter. At the moment there are only 108 pages. The final draft may have more or fewer pages. I just want you to know how much I have enjoyed writing this account of our “Bucket List Cruise.” Your Nana and I have had many good times together, and the best times we remember are the times we have shared with you. It has been fun to watch you from birth to now. One of the great pleasures of our lives has been to see you all grow and mature.

The last time we saw Jason, he had just accepted a transfer to a new location and was so happy and confident in the opportunities it represented. Today, Mark called and told us about last weekend when Lindsay and Logan came home after their first weeks at the University of Florida. Unlike many college freshmen, they know what they want to do, and are committed to doing what it takes to do well in college. We are so proud of that.

Patrick, Michael, Matthew, and Peyton have made an excellent adjustment to a new life in Texas. It wasn‟t easy for them to leave their New Jersey friends and activities, but they have done so well making new friends and in getting involved in many worthwhile activities in Southlake.

Our “Bucket List Cruise” was one of the best trips Nana and I have taken together alone. I am sure she would agree that the only thing that would have made it better would have been for our family to have been with us. As great as our cruise was, it does not compare to our family reunion in Missouri in 2001, or our family Christmases in California, New Jersey, or Tampa. At the moment, we are looking forward to Thanksgiving in Coral Springs and Christmas in Southlake.

Family and friends are very important to the Abbott and Dembiec families. We hope the writing of our family history and this album will help us all to retain the memories that help to nurture the love we share with each other.

Love,

Papa

Marcia Abbott 8557 Belfry Place Port St. Lucie, Florida 34986-9913

August 12, 2013

Dear Jason, Lindsay, Logan, Patrick, Michael, Matthew, and Peyton:

As I look at all these pictures, I look back on all the past years and realize how much each of you has meant to me.

Jason, you were the first grandson. My love for you was just the beginning of a long love for my grandsons. You were so cute. You reminded me so much of your Dad. Lindsay and Logan. You were such sweet babies. As individuals, you were all I expected and more. As twins, you were much more than we expected. Wow! I never knew two babies could bring so much happiness to our families. You have grown up to be two beautiful young ladies. I am so proud that you have a small part of me in you.

Patrick. What a handsome baby you were. Your beautiful blue eyes melted my heart. We waited a long time for you, and you were well worth the wait. You have been a great older brother. Your brothers may not always appreciate your leadership, but some day they will. Michael. You always had a ready smile, and for me you were like a handsome curly headed doll. It made me proud when people said you looked like me. Matthew. You are another handsome Dembiec boy. It has been so much fun watching you develop. You have a way of figuring things out and getting things done. I love the way you cock your head and give me a warm smile. You are truly another beautiful Dembiec boy. Peyton. You are as handsome as your brothers. You often remind me of your Mom. This always warms my heart, and it is always so good when you call me on the phone

Our “Bucket List Cruise” was so much fun for Papa and me. I could hardly wait to tell you about the places we visited and the stories we heard. Papa and I were the ages of Patrick, Michael, and Matthew during World War II. When we visited places that were occupied by the Germans in Guernsey and Norway, I thought about what the kids lived through during the War while I was safely sleeping in my bed at home. I remember my father helping to guard our beaches when he was in the Coast Guard Reserve. I have some stories of my own. I am so grateful that my grandmother brought her children to America. You and I are so lucky we were born in this wonderful country.

When I am not with you, I miss you so much. I am proud to be part of the Abbott and Dembiec families.

Love,

Nana

“Bucket List Cruise” Cunard‟s Queen Elizabeth

Around the British Isles: July 31-August 10, 2013

7/31 Southampton 8/2 South Queensferry (Edinburgh) 8/3 Invergordon 8/4 Kirkwall 8/6 Liverpool 8/7 Dublin Bay 8/9 St. Peterport (Guernsey) 8/10 Southampton

Norway and the Fjords: August 10-17, 2013

8/11 At sea 8/12 Stavanger 8/13 Olden 8/14 Geiranger 8/15 Bergen 8/17 Southampton

The United Kingdom

Norway and Surrounding Area

Norway and Europe

Planning for Our “Bucket List Cruise”

I went to bed on July 9 with my usual routine in mind for a smooth transition into restful sleep. I lay on my right side for a while as I tried to remove any thoughts from my mind that might keep me awake. I positioned my pillow beneath my head for a more comfortable position as I lay quietly in the dark. After a few minutes I made my usual turn to my left side. Quite often this is my last turn as I doze off to sleep. Only this night I found myself repeatedly turning back to my right side and then back to my left side.

I was thinking about the trip we had planned to Cape Cod to visit Dom and Linda. We had enjoyed many good times with the Pacis and were looking forward to seeing them in August. Our timing for an August trip was not convenient for either the Pacis or the Cibottis, and we had to think about another vacation alternative. Marcia and I had planned the Cape Cod trip as our gifts to each other for our 55th anniversary. Cape Cod was a favorite place for us and was the place where our kids had given us a great party for our 50th Anniversary.

Where could we go that both of us would think was a great anniversary gift? My first and only answer to this question was a cruise we had been thinking about for 2014. Our friends, Rich and Marie Lubelski, had recently enjoyed a cruise around the British Isles and to Scandinavia. Marcia and I had agreed this would make a nice addition to our “Bucket List.” Although I hadn‟t told Marcia I was thinking about this for 2014, I knew she would want to do this.

We had had dinner with our neighbors, Dick and Eva Dabbert the previous Sunday. Both families had had enjoyable cruises on the Queen Mary 2 and much of the evening was spent discussing the good times we had had on the Queen Mary 2. This got us to thinking even more about our “Bucket List Cruise.” As I continued to toss and turn in my bed, I thought more and more about the prospects for a “Bucket List Cruise” to the British Isles and to Scandinavia.

In spite of my lack of sleep that night, I awakened early in the morning find Bravo and Bentley staring at me from the foot of our bed. This is their usual position at that time of the morning. This picture was not taken that morning, but the look in their eyes was very similar to Bravo‟s look in this photo. Instead of lying on his side, Bentley was lying in a position similar to that of Bravo‟s.

My normal order of events for the day is to feed the dogs, shower and dress, take dogs for a walk, eat breakfast, download transactions into Quicken, and read e-mails. After reading my e- mails, I went online to search for our “Bucket List Cruise.” It did not take me long to find the cruise of our dreams. Cunard‟s Queen Elizabeth was scheduled to encircle the British Isles starting on July 31. After returning to Southampton was to embark on a cruise to the fjords of Norway. For you to understand how the Norway cruise fit into our “Bucket List” vision, I need to tell you about a childhood dream.

My Dad had taken me to see the “Sonja Henie Ice Revue” when I was in elementary school. I fell in love with Sonja and carried this childhood crush into young adulthood. Sonja had won ten consecutive World Figure Skating Championships starting in 1927. She was only fourteen when she won her first World Championship. I also saw her star in the movie, “Sun Valley.” I knew her home was in Norway. During World War II there were many war movies based on military action in Norway. Most of these involved snow skiing on the part of the Norwegian resistance. I had always dreamed of going to Norway and seeing its mountains and fjords. When I found out that Cunard offered a Queen Elizabeth Cruise that encircled the British Isles and continued on to the Norwegian Fjords, I knew that I had found our “Bucket List Cruise.”

I called Judy Turner Lorensani at Boca Travel at 9 a.m. to make the arrangements for our cruise. By early afternoon, all of the arrangements had been made; including a car to take us to the airport, the flight on British Air from Miami to London, the Cunard bus to take us from London to Southampton, the cruise around the British Isles, and the cruise to Norway and return. Looking back, I am amazed that so much was accomplished only a few hours.

Only three weeks later, a driver from AIA Limousine Service picked us up at noon and took us to the Miami International Airport for our flight to London.

July 30: British Air Flight 206 to London

We had lunch in the Business Class Lounge at the airport while we waited for British Airways Flight 206 that was to fly to London at 5:25 p.m. After lunch, Marcia found time for her IPAD and I took advantage of the free internet service to check my e-mails, send a few text messages, and make a few phone calls.

Our 747 took off on schedule and headed east toward the Bahamas. The view was not much different from previous flights out of Fort Lauderdale and West Palm. In a matter of moments we were looking down at a blanket of white clouds, and never saw any of the islands we knew were below. We enjoyed a fine dinner that included a glass of single malt scotch for me at the beginning, and a glass of port at the end. Of course there was a healthy portion of Stilton Cheese to accompany the port. We watched television after dinner before drifting off to sleep. The last thing I remember watching was the map that tracked our progress east of New England and Eastern Canada as we headed east towards Greenland and the United Kingdom. Before falling off to sleep, we converted our seats to a horizontal position for most of the remaining flight. We awakened in time for breakfast and in time to complete the paperwork required to clear British Immigration.

July 31: Embarkation from Southampton

A Cunard bus took us from London Heathrow to the Cunard Terminal at Southampton. Please do not notice that Marcia is still wearing the same outfit she was wearing when we left home. This photo was taken while we were waiting to board the Queen Elizabeth.

Cunard is very experienced with the boarding procedures and we were soon in our “Princess Suite” 7060 where we were greeted warmly by Cunard with a bottle of champagne.

Marcia quickly settled in our stateroom to enjoy a sip of champagne and the opportunity to relax after a night of flying across the Atlantic.

It really isn't as cold as Marcia makes it appear in this photo. She is sitting on the balcony of our stateroom as we sailed from Southampton. I was in shirt sleeves, and was comfortable on this sunny yet breezy day.

This was our view of Southampton as we sailed toward the English Channel for our trip north around the British Isles.

We were late for the “sail away party” on deck nine because we had watched the “sail away” from our balcony. When we arrived at the party, most of the guests had gone. The band was playing enjoyable music, and the bar was still open.

I was interested in the artwork that was attractively displayed throughout the ship. Before going with Marcia to the Princess Grill for dinner, I took this picture of a mural of the Queen Elizabeth in the Commodore Club.

August 1: “Sea Day” En Route to Queensferry and Edinburgh

The weather was sunny and warm…very unusual for this part of the world. This was fortunate. We had left our raincoats and umbrellas at home. We purchased an umbrella on board, but surprisingly never used it during the entire voyage.

We enjoyed a fine breakfast in the Princess Grill before starting our day.

After breakfast, we watched some videos prepared by the Cunard staff in our stateroom, before attending a lecture about our shore excursions in Edinburgh and Invergordon. After lunch, we attended an excellent piano concert by Dominic John, winner of the Brant International Piano Competition. He reminded us of Van Cliburn in both appearance and style.

We enjoyed our day at sea. Instead of participating in many of the activities available to us, we spent a leisurely day that emphasized relaxation as we recovered from the jet lag of our Atlantic crossing. In the evening we went to the Captain‟s reception, which called for formal dress. After the reception, we enjoyed a formal dinner of Dover Sole and Crème Brule in the Princess Grill.

We went to bed early to get a good night‟s sleep before arriving in Queensferry. The next morning was to be spent on an excursion to Edinburgh.

August 2: Queensferry and Edinburgh

Before leaving home, I went online to gather information about the places were going to visit. Here is some of the information we picked up about Queensferry from Wikipedia:

Queensferry, also called South Queensferry or simply "The Ferry", is a former Royal Burgh in West Lothian now part of the City of Edinburgh, Scotland. It is located some ten miles to the north west of the city centre, on the shore of the Firth of Forth between the Forth Bridge and the Forth Road Bridge, approximately 8 miles (13 km) from Edinburgh Airport. Queensferry is referred to as South Queensferry in order to distinguish it from North Queensferry. It has a population of around 12,000. The Loony Dook. The name "Loony Dook" is a combination of "Loony" (short for "lunatic") and "dook", a Scots term meaning "dip" or "bathe". It is a recently instituted event whereby people dive into the freezing waters of the Firth of Forth on New Year's Day, often in fancy dress. In recent years the event has attracted people from all over the world, including many people visiting Edinburgh to celebrate Hogmanay. A proposal to charge people to participate in this event was recently announced, the proceeds of which will benefit RNLI Queensferry.

To get to Queensferry, the Queen Elizabeth had to sail on the “Firth of Forth.” The Firth of Forth is the estuary used by the Queen Elizabeth to get to Queensferry from the North Sea. The “Forth” refers to the river that flows through the Firth. You can have some fun with these words if you want to say them out loud. The small town of Queensferry lies on the side of the Firth of Forth on the east coast of Scotland. Edinburgh, the Capital of Scotland, is 10 miles southeast of South Queensberry. The number of tourists visiting Edinburgh is second only to London in Great Britain.

Our visit into Queensferry and Edinburgh started with a tender ride into Queensferry. This shot of the Queen Elizabeth was taken from the tender.

Marcia described the lady sitting next to her on the Tender as a beautiful “upbeat and happy person.” She is in remission from cancer, and told Marcia she didn‟t know how many days she might live and she wanted to experience everything she could.

In order to reach the dock on shore, our tender had to go under the Forth Railway Bridge. Wikipedia provided this information about the bridge. Be sure to read this information. The bridge has a very noteworthy and interesting history.

The Forth Bridge is a cantilever railway bridge over the Firth of Forth in the east of Scotland, to the east of the Forth Road Bridge, and 14 kilometers (9 mi) west of central Edinburgh. It was opened on 4 March 1890, and spans a total length of 2,528.7 meters (8,296 ft.). It is often called the Forth Rail Bridge or Forth Railway Bridge to distinguish it from the Forth Road Bridge, although it has been called the "Forth Bridge" since its construction, and was for over seventy years the sole claimant to this name. 17

The bridge connects Scotland's capital city, Edinburgh, with Fife, leaving the Lothians at Dalmeny and arriving in Fife at North Queensferry; it acts as a major artery connecting the north-east and south-east of the country. Described by the Collins Encyclopedia of Scotland as "the one immediately and internationally recognized Scottish landmark",[1] it is a Category A listed building[2][3] and was nominated by the British government in May 2011 for addition to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Scotland.[4]

The bridge was begun in 1883, took 7 years to complete, cost the lives of 98 [5] men and nearly 58,000 tons (130,000,000 lb.) of metal [6] and used 10 times as much metal as the Eiffel Tower. It was deliberately chosen to look strong, due to the collapse 4 years earlier of the first Tay Bridge.[7]

Until 1917, when the Quebec Bridge was completed, the Forth Bridge had the longest single cantilever bridge span in the world. It still has the world's second-longest single span. Our shore excursion for the day was entitled “Leisurely Edinburgh.” We would like to have taken the tour that included the opportunity to walk through Edinburgh Castle; however, this involved too much walking on rather steep slopes. We chose a tour that included many lovely views from our coach, and minimal walking.

The following is the description of our shore excursion provided by Cunard:

Visit the magnificent capital of Edinburgh, a city which offers an interesting balance between traditional and contemporary.

Enjoy a fascinating city tour that embraces most of Edinburgh‟s treasure trove of historical monuments and sights, in both the medieval „old Town‟ and the 18th century „NewTown,‟ both of which form a World Heritage Site.

During your journey, view the many elegant streets, mysterious cobbled alleys, with Georgian and Victorian architecture, nestling alongside a variety of vibrant cosmopolitan and modern elements, including an abundance of shops, bars and restaurants. The most majestic aspect of the city is medieval Edinburgh Castle which dominates the skyline. Before returning to the ships, drive along part of the historic and atmospheric Royal Mile and pass Holyrood Palace the Queen‟s residence in Edinburgh.

After driving through “Newtown” and Old Edinburgh, we drove up a hillside overlooking Edinburgh. There were many hikers walking lovely paths up the mountain. Our coach stopped for a few minutes to take pictures.

This vantage point provided many lovely views of the city below.

As we returned to the city, we passed Holyrood Palace, where the Royal Family stays when they are in Edinburgh.

I couldn‟t resist taking this picture of Marcia outside the Holyrood Palace.

The Edinburgh Art Festival was going on while we were there. It attracted people from all over the world, including our granddaughters, Lindsay and Logan. They came over to Edinburgh the same day we did with students from Heritage High School where they graduated in May. They were performing in a musical that was playing in Edinburgh as part of the festival. We were disappointed that we were unable to see them perform; however, we had seen their musical back in Florida.

If you look closely, you will see a small statue of a dog at the end of the fence where the bicycle is parked. It is the statue of “Greyfriars Bobby,” the famous Skye Terrier Statue in Edinburgh. The dog became famous in 19th Century Edinburgh for spending 14 years guarding the grave of his owner, John Gray. One year after the dog died, Lady Burdett-Coutts had a statue erected at the southern edge of the George IV Bridge in honor of the dog.

We returned to the Queen Elizabeth in time for lunch. After lunch Marcia had a nap and I spent most of the afternoon exercising. After a thirty minute walk around Deck 1, I worked out in the fitness center for one hour. This self-portrait was taken while walking on Deck 1.

I have already acknowledged the beautiful artwork of the Queen Elizabeth. Here is another example of an artistic representation of the Queen Elizabeth. The ship is only two years old and like all of the Cunard vessels, is attractively decorated.

August 3: Invergordon and Dornach in Scotland

The Queen Elizabeth published a daily programme that informed its guests about important events and activities of the cruise. The programme for August 3 opened with this report. After a fun day in Edinburgh, the Queen Elizabeth picked up its anchor in the “Firth of Forth” and sailed back down the firth to the North Sea. After rounding Fife Ness and crossing the Tay Estuary it headed north up the coast of Scotland. In an effort to reach its destination at Invergordon, Scotland ahead of anticipated heavy winds, the Queen Elizabeth traveled at its maximum speed for the 240 mile run overnight to Invergordan. Its northerly route took it past Aberdeen (15 miles to port) before sailing close to the coast as it rounded Kincaird Head and headed west into Moray Firth. This morning, it sailed between the North and South Sutor as it entered the Cromarty Firth for its five nautical mile cruise into Invergordon.

Our anticipation of an enjoyable visit to Invergordon was heightened by what we read in Wikipedia about its history.

“The town is well known for the Invergordon Mutiny of 1931. More recently it has also become known for the repair of oil rigs which line up in the Cromarty Firth on which the town is situated. In the 1970s and 1980s nearby Nigg was known for the construction of these rigs. The yard used for this is now attempting to re-establish itself as a fabricator of large offshore wind turbines. For a Invergordon number of years Invergordon boasted an aluminum smelter, and still has a grain whisky distillery - the output of which contributes to many blended whiskies. At present the port is visited by many large cruise liners each year, as the deep water port allows disembarkation for coach tours in the northern Highlands.”

The Admiralty Pier, where warships once docked, is now used for cruise ships in the summer and by oil field vessels throughout the year. During World War II, a large flying boat base occupied the northerly coast of the Cromarty Firth, and was hit by a German bomb. The bomb did not explode, but it did considerable damage be releasing fuel oil onto the railway tracks.

Cunard provided this description of our shore excursion, “Panoramic Highland Glens & Firths.” A panoramic tour around the eastern Scottish Highlands, renowned as one of the most beautiful areas within the British Isles. As you follow the banks of the beautiful Cromarty Firth you will take in views of the scenic Black Isle and perhaps catch a glimpse of a seal. Turning inland, take the scenic road through the Andross Forest planted with beautiful spruce larch and pine trees, pausing on the Struie Hill viewpoint with superb views over the Dornach Firth.

Descending to the firth, follow the picturesque northern side to the enchanting 12th century town of Royal Dornach. The town‟s oldest buildings are all clustered around the spacious and beautiful square. Stop to admire the impressive medieval Cathedral, the majestic 16th century Bishop‟s Palace with stepped gables and towers, and next door, the Old Town Jail, now home to a series of galleries and shops. Imagine the smell of malted barley in the air as you pass the Glenmorangie Whisky Distillery and enter the Royal Burgh of Tain , a small thriving town with ancient history and attractive and sandstone architecture. Continue through low lying fruitful farmland, dotted with relics of the Polish people that once lived here, to the windswept Easter Ross seaboard where you find the fishing villages of Balintore and Shandwick.

The day started in the sixties and as the sun grew brighter in the sky, the temperature rose into the low seventies. In spite of efforts of the sun to provide us warmth, the blustery winds of the North Sea caused us to zip up our coats as we waited for the bus that was to take us on our “panoramic tour.”

Once on the bus, we checked our phones to see if we had any calls from Lindsay and Logan. When we checked our “recent calls” we happily learned that Lindsay had called. We called her back to get a report on the activities of her and Logan in Edinburgh. Our time with her was cut short by her need to go with her friends to lunch. Although the call was too short, it was very pleasant and enjoyable as we talked to our granddaughter in Scotland.

Within a short time our bus stopped for photos. The gentleman wearing the Kilts near the center of the photo is our guide.

Our tour was billed as a “panoramic tour,” and the views lived up to the billing.

When we read this sign, we learned about the importance of Atlantic salmon to this area.

A fellow guest offered to take our picture. Unfortunately, she almost cut my head off.

Our second stop, Dornach, is home of a historic 13th century cathedral. Dornach is on the north shore of the Dornoch Firth near where it opens into the Moray Firth to the east. It attracts many visitors because of its reputation as a seaside resort and its rich history. We were not familiar with Dornach. However, when our guide told us that Madonna had married Guy Ritchie in nearby Skibo Castle on December 22, 2000, we remembered that event. Madonna‟s son, Rocco, was christened in the Dornach Cathedral the day before her wedding.

Across the street from the Cathedral was the Dornach Castle, which is now a well-known hotel.

Behind the Castle Hotel is this lovely little courtyard.

Unfortunately, we didn‟t have time to take advantage of the ambience of the Castle Hotel‟s bar.

But we did have time to enjoy the garden of a nearby bed and breakfast.

This photo shows the main street of Dornach where we saw the Castle Hotel and the Dornach Cathedral. Also on this street is the Old Town Jail, now the home of excellent shops. Although we did not see it, Dornach is also the home of the Royal Dornach Golf Club. Golf Digest named this club as the fifth best golf course outside the United States. Donald Ross began his career here as a greens keeper on the Royal Dornoch links.

Dornach is well known as the last place a witch was burned in Scotland. Her name was Janet Horne. She was condemned to death in 1727. There is a stone, the Witch's Stone, commemorating her death in a garden of a cottage in Dornach. Janet Horne was accused of turning her daughter into a pony that she rode through town to be shod by the devil. During her trial, she stumbled over the Gaelic of the Lord‟s Prayer, which was seen as proof of her guilt. She was burned in a barrel of oil. Nine years after her death the witchcraft acts were repealed in Scotland and made illegal.

As our bus returned to the Queen Elizabeth, I took a few shots through the windows of the buss. This one shows beautiful flowers hanging from baskets in one of the towns.

This photo shows a mural on a building in the downtown area near the harbor where the Queen Elizabeth was docked.

August 4: Kirkwall and the Orkney Islands

From the Daily Programme: Yesterday evening, we sailed out through the Cromarty Firth into the Moray Firth to get to the North Sea. We sailed for a while to the northeast before turning to the north towards the Orkney Islands. We kept Copinsay Island and Deerness to port in order to sail into Tronsay Firth. Once inside the Firth we kept the Island of Shapinsay to starboard we entered Shapinsay Sound.

Early this morning, we arrived at our destination in the Bay of Kirkwall. I mention all these locations because until today I had never heard of any of them. In addition to being introduced to these places for the first time, Marcia and I also learned a lot about this history of Kirkwall and the Orkney Islands. This area is as far north as St. Petersburg in Russia, and was once owned by Norway. It has a very interesting history, including major roles in both World War I and World War II

Here is what I learned about Kirkwall and the Orkney Islands from Wikipedia.

Kirkwall is the biggest town and capital of the Orkney Islands, off the coast of northern mainland Scotland. The town is first mentioned in Orkneyinga saga in the year 1046 when it is recorded as the residence of Rögnvald Brusason the Earl of Orkney, who was killed by his uncleThorfinn the Mighty. In 1486, King James III of Scotland elevated Kirkwall to the status of a royal burgh; modern road signs still indicate "The Kirkwall City and Royal Burgh of Kirkwall".

Kirkwall is located on the northern coast of Mainland Kirkwall Orkney. It port provides ferry services to Aberdeen, Lerwick, and the principal north islands in the group. St. Magnus Cathedral is in the heart of town and was founded in memory of Saint Magnus Erlendsson, Earl of Orkney 1108-1117 by Earl Rögnvald Kali.

Here is Cunard‟s description of our shore excursion that took us to the South Orkney Islands.

Discover the local history and scenery as you take a leisurely drive around Orkney‟s picturesque southern islands.

As you travel close to the Second World War Naval Base of Scapa Flow, your knowledgeable guide will tell dramatic wartime stories relating to this well-known historic stretch of water. Heading south, you‟ll reach the southern islands which are linked by a series of causeways called the Churchill Barriers.

On the small island of Lamb Holm there will be a stop to visit the beautifully hand- painted Italian Chapel. Known as the miracle of Camp 60, this remarkable structure was built by Italian prisoners during the last World War. The Chapel has been preserved and maintained for its historical connection with the soldiers from Italy.

Continuing on to the island of South Ronaldsay, you‟ll head out for the pretty village of St. Margaret‟s Hope, which sits at the head of a sheltered bay. There will be time here to explore the craft workshop, browse the shops or stroll along the attractive waterfront.

Rejoining your coach, your journey will take you to the island of Burray. A stop will be made for refreshments at the Sands Hotel located in a delightful setting overlooking the peaceful harbor of Burray Village before returning to the port.

To facilitate the movement of guests ashore for their “excursions” in Kirkwall and the Orkney Islands, everyone who is going on a “shore excursion” is required to gather in the Queen‟s Room on Deck 3.

We took seats in the Queen‟s Room while we waited for our excursion to be called. This proved to be a very orderly and comfortable way to get hundreds of guests ashore to their respective buses.

Because of the excellent logistics used by Cunard to get us to our buses, in only a few minutes we were looking back at the Queen Elizabeth.

Scapa Flow and the Italian Chapel

Although I took many pictures of the countryside, this one is fairly typical of the countryside between the Queen Elizabeth and our first stop at the Italian Chapel. As we approached the Italian Chapel, our guide told us about the history of the area that made the chapel so significant.

She told us how important this bridge was to the defense of the Orkney Islands during World War II. This bridge was part of a causeway system that was built to protect the British Fleet that was anchored near the military base at Scapa Flow.

The sinking of the British Battleship, Royal Oak, by a German submarine in 1939 revealed the vulnerability of the anchorage. The ship was anchored at Scapa Flow. Of the 1,234 sailors on board, 833 were killed when Royal Oak was torpedoed by the German Submarine. Before the sinking of the Royal Oak, the naval base at Scapa Flow was considered safe from German subs. Awareness of the vulnerability of Scapa Flow led to immediate security changes and to the construction of what came to be known as the “Churchill Barriers” around Scapa Flow.

The causeways that connected the south islands were built as a way to prevent the entry of German submarines. The anchorage was near the point where the tides of the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean met. This made it a particularly difficult place to build the causeway system. .

Italian prisoners of war were brought to the islands in 1942 to work on the construction of the Churchill Barriers. Four causeways designed to block access by submarines into Scapa Flow were already under construction. The use of prisoners for military projects was prevented by treaty, so the barriers were called “causeways” that would link the southern islands of Orkney.

Our bus used the causeway to reach the Italian Chapel that was built by the Italian prisoners of war. The prisoners built the chapel while living in Camp 60 on the previously uninhabited island of Lamb Holm. Materials used for the chapel was very limited and consisted mostly of scrap. Two Nissen huts were joined end-to-end, and the corrugated interior was then covered with plasterboard. The altar and altar rail were constructed from concrete left over from work on the barriers

Most of the interior decoration was done by Domenica Chiocchetti, a prisoner from Moena, Italy. He was assisted by fellow prisoners. In order to make the building look like a church, they created a front facade out of concrete. This concealed the shape of the hut. You can see dramatic evidence of this result by comparing the previous photos of Marcia standing in front of the chapel with the photo that opens this discussion of the Italian Chapel. This monument stands at the entrance to the Italian Chapel. When the war ended, the chapel was not finished and the prisoners had worshipped in the chapel for a very short time. When Chiocchetti‟s fellow prisoners were released at the end of the war, he remained on to complete his work. Restoration of the chapel took place in the 1960s and 1990s.

The Scuttling of the German Fleet at Scapa Flow in 1919

Our guide told us an interesting story about the scuttling of the German Fleet at Scapa Flow following World War I. When we returned home, I looked up the story in Wikipedia. From Wikipedia: Following the German defeat in WWI, 74 ships of the Kaiserliche Marine's High Seas Fleet were interned in Gutter Sound at Scapa Flow pending a decision on their future in the peace Treaty of Versailles. On 21 June 1919, after nine months of waiting, Rear Admiral Ludwig von Reuter, the German officer in command at Scapa Flow, made the decision to scuttle the fleet because the negotiation period for the

30 treaty had lapsed with no word of a settlement (he was not kept informed that there had been a last-minute extension to finalize the details). After waiting for the bulk of the British fleet to leave on exercises, he gave the order to scuttle the ships to prevent their falling into British hands. The Royal Navy made desperate efforts to board the ships to prevent the sinkings, but the German crews had spent the idle months preparing for the order, welding bulkhead doors open, laying charges in vulnerable parts of the ships, and quietly dropping important keys and tools overboard so valves could not be shut.

Using Google, I found this photo of sailors on board the German Ship, The SMS Karlsruhe. It was taken while the ship was at anchor in Scapa Flow. You will see this ship on the seabed of Scapa Flow on the next page. Each of the men in this photo survived the sinking of the Karlsruhe.

My Google search revealed that British efforts to prevent the sinkings saved less than 20 of the German ships. In this photo, a Royal Navy guard threatens a destroyer captain at gunpoint to stop him from sinking his vessel. Nine German sailors were killed by British fire while they were attempting to scuttle their ship. These were the last casualties of the First World War.

I also learned that 52 of the German ships sank without loss of life. Attempts to salvage them did not start until 1922 and continued into 1939. A considerable amount of money was lost by the companies involved in salvaging of 45 of the 52 sunken ships. This photo shows two beached destroyers waiting to be broken up for salvage. The process of reducing these ships to scrap metal took about one month. As each ship was stripped down, the ship would float higher in the water and would move farther up the beach to higher ground. Eventually, the ship would be out of the water enough for all of the metal to be removed.

Seven of German ships remain in the waters of Scapa Flow, including three battleships, three light cruisers, and a mine layer.They lie between 12 and 45 meters under the surface. These ships are imposing and insightful pieces of history, and are popular diving sites for divers. Unauthorized divers may not approach the wreck of the Royal Oak Battleship (also there) under the protection of the Military Remains Act of 1986. Please note that the SMS Karlsruhe is the same ship that was shown on the previous page. I did not show the ship before and after

The SMS Karlsruhe Wreck the sinking on purpose. I noticed One of the seven German Ships Remaining at Scapa Flow that it was the same ship while writing this section.

South Ronaldsay, St. Margaret‟s Hope, and Island of Burray

Our next stop was the “pretty village of St. Margaret‟s Hope, which sits at the head of a sheltered bay. The most important event of this stop was the availability of toilets. We also had the opportunity visit a craft workshop and some lovely shops. Marcia found a local “fur piece” that she was tempted to buy; however, she finally decided she would have limited opportunities to enjoy in South Florida.

Our drive to the island of Burray was delayed when our driver was unable to start the bus. Thirty minutes later, a mechanic arrived who was able to get the motor started. Ironically, one of our guests on the bus worked for a company similar to AAA that dispatches service technicians for people in our situation. Unfortunately, he didn‟t have any tools with him, and I suspect he also lacked the skills.

Once underway, we continued to the Sands Hotel on the Island of Burray for morning tea.

We joined this couple for a morning tea. They were actually a very friendly couple…much friendlier than they appear in this photo.

Marcia is sitting in the foreground with her back to the camera. And as you would expect, I am the one taking the picture.

Behind the hotel was was a scene that was a metaphor for the fishing and diving activities that attract many tourists to the Orkney Islands.

Before leaving Burray, I wanted a picture that would help us recall this lovely village. The background for this photo is the peaceful harbor of Burray Village

Following our morning tea, which had become a “late morning tea” as a result of engine problems of our bus, we returned to Kirkwall to enjoy the hospitality of the Queen Elizabeth.

This picture was taken during the “Sail Away” festivities that took place as the ship prepared to leave Kirkwall. What is hard to see in this picture are the bagpipers who are serenading us with their music. They are standing in the shadow of the small building on the right.

As we sailed out of Kirkwall Bay, I took this picture of the shore and the light that marked the point ahead and to port. After all the activities of Edinburgh, Invergordon, and Kirkwall; we were looking forward to a “day at sea.”

August 5: Sea Day from Kirkwall to Liverpool

I set our alarm for 7 a.m., but unfortunately it did not ring and I slept until 9 a.m. (4 a.m. Florida time). After a quick breakfast, I went to the fitness center for one hour of aerobics, followed by a one- mile walk on Deck 3.

In the afternoon, we returned to the Royal Court Theatre for another classical piano concert by Dominic John. He is a superb pianist and gave us remarkable concert.

Marcia went directly from the concert to her IPAD Class in the “Connections” Room.

Nearby the “Connections Room” is the Internet Café where computers are available for guest use. I only used this room once or twice since I had an excellent internet connection in our stateroom.

Later in the afternoon was another enjoyable concert in the Garden Lounge that featured an excellent harpist.

On the way back to our stateroom, I took this picture of Queen Elizabeth. Once back in our room, I moved photos from our I-phone to our computer and worked on the cruise “notes” that we e-mailed to friends and family while on the cruise

This was one of the six formal evenings of the cruise. We enjoyed the formal evenings. It had been more than ten years since I had worn a tux, but after all these years it was fun to “dress up” for dinner.

We were fortunate to have a table right next to a delightful couple from Manchester, Roy and Caroline Pelham. He is younger than most retired persons. He retired after moving through several companies owned by British Steel, including a compressed gas company and a crankshaft company. His most recent job was CEO of an office furniture company. They live in a home that was built in 1820. The Pelhams are a very interesting couple to talk to. We had many enjoyable dinners and after dinner conversations. After dinner, the Abbotts and Pelhams attended a concert in the Royal Court Theatre that featured singer Robert Meadmore and flutist, Clare Langan.

Robert Meadmore is well known in England for his many appearances in West End productions. He got his start in the first West End production of Les Miserable, and since then has starred in hit shows such as Phantom of the Opera, Brigadoon, My Fair Lady, Bless the Bride, The Gondoliers, Oklahoma and Camelot.

Clare Langan studied at The Royal Academy of Music in London. Her publicity touted her as having a diverse repertoire, including concertos, solo recitals, and chamber music. On the Royal Court Theatre stage we saw an effervescent personality that delighted everyone in the audience. Frankly, we went to the concert primarily to hear Robert Meadmore. We didn‟t expect to enjoy Clare Langan the way we did. Among the flutists we have heard, she was special, and we enjoyed listening to her.

August 6: Liverpool, England and Wales

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, United Kingdom along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880. It is the fourth most populous British city and is the largest in Northern England with a built-up area population of 552,267. In 2011 the population administered by Liverpool City Council was 466,415 and is at the center of a wider urban area, the Liverpool City Region.

Historically, Liverpool was a part of Lancashire. The city's urbanization and expansion were largely brought about by the city's status as a major port. By the 18th century, trade from the West Indies, Ireland and mainland Europe, coupled with close links with the Atlantic slave trade, furthered the economic expansion of Liverpool. By the early 19th century, 40% of the world's trade passed through Liverpool's docks, contributing to Liverpool's rise as a major city. Liverpool is also well known for its inventions and innovations, particularly in terms of infrastructure, transportation, general construction, and in the fields of public health and social reform. Railways, ferries and the skyscraper were all pioneered in the city, together with the first societies for animal and child protection, the first schools for the blind, for working-men, and for girls.

Inhabitants of Liverpool are referred to as Liverpudlians but are also colloquially known as "Scousers", in reference to the local dish known as "scouse", a form of stew. The word "Scouse" has also become synonymous with the Liverpool accent and dialect.[7] Liverpool's status as a port city has contributed to its diverse population, which, historically were drawn from a wide range of peoples, cultures, and religions, particularly those from Ireland. The city is also home to the oldest Black African community in the country and the oldest Chinese community in Europe.

Labeled the World Capital City of Pop by Guinness World Records, artists of Liverpool origin have produced more number one singles than any other.[8] The popularity of The 37

Beatles, Billy Fury, Gerry and the Pacemakers, and the other groups from the Mersey beat era, and later bands such as Echo & the Bunnymen and Frankie Goes to Hollywood, contributes to Liverpool's status as a tourist destination; tourism forms a significant part of the city's modern economy. The city celebrated its 800th anniversary in 2007, and it held the European Capital of Culturetitle together with Stavanger, Norway, in 2008.[9]

Liverpool is noted for its rich architectural heritage and is home to many buildings regarded as amongst the greatest examples of their respective styles in the world. Several areas of the city center were granted World Heritage Site status by UNESCO in 2004. Referred to as the Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City, the site comprises six separate locations in the city including the Pier Head, Albert Dock and William Brown Street and includes many of the city's most famous landmarks. Liverpool is also well known for its strong sporting identity. The city is home of two Premier League football clubs, Liverpool F.C. and Everton F.C.. Matches between the two clubs are known as the Merseyside derby. The world-famous Grand National also takes places annually at Aintree Racecourse on the outskirts of the city.

Before arriving in Liverpool, we sailed past Anglesey, which was 15 nautical miles to our starboard. We picked up our local pilot nine nautical miles off Farmby Point at 6:30 a.m. before taking the Queen Channel into the Liverpool Cruise Building.

This photo was taken at 7:39 a.m. from the Princess Grill where we had breakfast.

This photo was taken as we were docking in Liverpool.

Each port of call for our cruise offered many diverse choices for shore excursions. For Liverpool, we had the following choices:

 Picturesque Port Sunlight – touted as the finest example of early urban planning in the UK.  Charming Chester – one of Europe‟s great heritage cities. We were told that vising Chester is like taking a magical journey back in time with so much of the past in the streets, in the buildings, and in the air.  North Wales & Conwy Castle (No, I didn‟t leave the “a” out of Conwy.)  Leisurely Liverpool – We would experience the lively, cosmopolitan city of Liverpool with its architectural heritage from the comfort of a bus.  In the Steps of the Beatles – The tour promised to have us experience the sights and sounds of The Beatles rise to fame by taking this tour.

 Liverpool by Duck – We were encouraged to enjoy a fun and unusual tour of historic Liverpool by land and water in a special World War II amphibious military vehicle.

We decided to take the North Wales and Conwy Castle excursion, and we had no cause to regret this choice. Our friends that took the Beatles tour were somewhat disappointed with the tour; however, we heard nothing but favorable comments about “Chester.” I am sure it was an excellent tour. Nonetheless, we were happy that we went to Wales. My mother always told me that I was “Scotch/Irish/Welch.” I had been to Scotland and Ireland on several occasions, but never to Wales. Wales it was!

Here is the full description Cunard provided about the excursion to North Wales and Conwy Castle:

Absorb the beautiful scenery en route to Conwy and visit its medieval Castle before stopping at the quaint town of Bets-y-Coed. Discover the beauty of North Wales, with its heather clad hills and hidden river valleys. It is an area unspoiled by the ravages of time and abounding with legend and a rich cultural heritage. 39

Dominating the entrance to the historic walled town of Conwy stands Edward I‟s mighty fortress of Conwy Castle. The castles‟ impressive eight great towers and connecting walls are all intact. Conwy retains a distinctly medieval atmosphere and its superbly preserved walls, punctuated by 21 towers and three gateways, form one of the most complete ancient wall circuits in Europe. This makes Conwy a masterpiece of medieval architecture and one of the most picturesque areas in Wales.

There is time to enjoy Conwy before traveling past pastures with grazing sheep alongside the placid meanderings river on the way towards Llanrwst, a typically Welch market town boasting a famous old narrow humped bridge.

The town of Betws-y-Coed, although only 50 feet above sea level, is entirely surrounded by hill country with an average altitude of 1,000 feet. Not only the River Conway, but also three tributaries flowing from the west, enhances the beauty of the surrounding countryside, and it has a distinctly Alpine atmosphere. There will be two hours free time to enable you to explore the beautiful area, browse the shops for gifts and purchase a delicious luncheon at one of the local restaurants.

We disembarked shortly after 9 a.m. to catch the bus that was to take us to Wales. It is easy to spot Marcia in the yellow foul weather gear that I loaned her for our trip. Recall that we were never dampened by rain during our three week cruise.

As we left the dock for our shore excursion to Wales, we passed the Liver Building (government building in Liverpool). As we passed the building, our guide pointed out the statues of two Liver Birds on the top of the building. According to fable, these birds watch over the city and the sea. If these birds were to fly away, then the city would cease to exist.

I learned from my Google research that the building was one of the first buildings in the world to be built of reinforced concrete. It is 300 feet tall and until 1934 was the tallest stoned building in Europe. It remained the tallest stoned building in the UK until 1961.

Our first stop in Wales was Conwy, home of Conwy Castle. This castle was one of seven castles built by King Edward to control the Welch population in the 13th Century. This is a photo of an anchorage outside the city of Conwy.

King Edward I built the castle between 1283 and 1289 as part of the construction of the walled town of Conwy. It was critical to the defense of the area during several wars in the 13th and 14th centuries. According to our guide, UNESCO considers Conwy to be one of the finest examples of 13th century and early 14th century military architecture in Europe. She also told us that Edward I got many of his ideas for the architecture when he visited many European castles during the Crusades.

This photo was provided by Wikipedia, and shows the reconstruction of Conwy Castle and town walls at the end of the 13th century

This was our first view of the castle as we approached in our bus.

Once again, I couldn‟t resist taking this picture of Marcia outside the castle. She adds so much beauty and interest to our family history.

There was a lot of walking and climbing involved in seeing the castle. Just to get to this location required a major climb. At least we didn‟t have dodge hot molten objects as we climbed. In the picture, our guide was giving us a preview of the things we were going to see.

This picture of an anchorage near Conwy was taken from the first level of defense for the castle. To get to the castle, anyone attempting to enter the castle had to pass this point. Immediately above this location were defenders who were prepared to drop fiery materials upon the invaders below.

This was a courtyard behind the place where the initial defenders of the castle were placed. We were told that when King Edward was not present at the castle, only 24 men were assigned to defend the castle.

Today, this courtyard was an excellent place for us to rest after making the initial climb to the castle.

King Edward I strategically located the castle it on the “high ground” overlooking the river below. The river and the steep terrain limited the access of would be attackers. The river also restricted access to visitors in modern times. For many years, it took visitors to the castle many hours to reach the castle. Today, there is a tunnel and a bridge that makes access much easier. This is a photo of the modern bridge that was built.

This photo provides evidence of the “wear and tear” of more than eight centuries.

Believe it or not, our bus actually drove through this narrow opening. Our driver earned his pay.

After we walked through the castle, there were a few minutes left before our bus was to take us to the town of Hen Eglwys. Marcia decided to wait here for the bus while I ran into the downtown area of Conwy.

Marcia wanted to buy an Irish wedding ring. My purpose in going downtown was to buy her a ring. On my way I stopped to ask for directions to a jewelry store. A store clerk suggested a shortcut that would take me through the graveyard of a 12th century church, St. Mary of all Saints. I had to pass through the gate at the end and continue down this walk. I don‟t know for sure, but these walls probably date back to the 12 or 13th century.

I continued through the graveyard of this 1186 church. It was once a Cistercian Abbey Church and was a mausoleum for Welch princes. The church was restored in the 19th century, but most of the present church dates back to the 13th century. The church contains a 15th century carved screen and Tudor front. The grave site of the “seven brothers and sisters” is in the lower right corner of the photo.

The grave site of the seven brothers and sisters is marked by this sign, “We are seven.” It is believed that this marker inspired the poet William Wordsworth to write his poem of the same name.

A Simple Child, That lightly draws its breath, And feels its life in every limb, What should it know of death?

I met a little cottage Girl: She was eight years old, she said; Her hair was thick with many a curl That clustered round her head.

She had a rustic, woodland air, And she was wildly clad: Her eyes were fair, and very fair; Her beauty made me glad.

"Sisters and brothers, little Maid, How many may you be?" "How many? Seven in all," she said And wondering looked at me.

"And where are they? I pray you tell." She answered, "Seven are we; And two of us at Conway dwell, And two are gone to sea.

"Two of us in the church-yard lie, My sister and my brother; And, in the church-yard cottage, I Dwell near them with my mother."

"You say that two at Conway dwell, And two are gone to sea, Yet ye are seven!--I pray you tell, Sweet Maid, how this may be."

Then did the little Maid reply, "Seven boys and girls are we; Two of us in the church-yard lie, Beneath the church-yard tree."

"You run about, my little Maid, Your limbs they are alive; If two are in the church-yard laid, Then ye are only five."

"Their graves are green, they may be seen," The little Maid replied, "Twelve steps or more from my mother's door, And they are side by side.

"My stockings there I often knit, My kerchief there I hem; And there upon the ground I sit, And sing a song to them.

"And often after sunset, Sir, When it is light and fair, I take my little porringer, And eat my supper there.

"The first that died was sister Jane; In bed she moaning lay, Till God released her of her pain; And then she went away.

"So in the church-yard she was laid; And, when the grass was dry, Together round her grave we played, My brother John and I.

"And when the ground was white with snow, And I could run and slide, My brother John was forced to go, And he lies by her side."

"How many are you, then," said I, "If they two are in heaven?" Quick was the little Maid's reply, "O Master! We are seven."

"But they are dead; those two are dead! Their spirits are in heaven!" 'Twas throwing words away; for still The little Maid would have her will, And said, "Nay, we are seven!"

Some of walls survived from the original Abbey Church that dates back to the 12th century. The tower was completed in the 15th century. The lower parts of the tower, along with the transept and the porches, were erected in the 14th century.

After passing through the graveyard of the church, I found the jewelry store on this downtown street of Conwy. I discovered that Wales was not a good place to look for an Irish ring, and ran back to where Marcia was waiting for the bus.

Our shore excursion took us through the beautiful countryside of North Wales. I learned from my research that the area is “geographically old.” It has some of the most ancient rocks in the world. (I must remember to ask Mark about this.) It is also “economically” and “culturally” old. Its economy is still based on a “pastoral” or “sheep- rearing” way of life. Its traditions in poetry and music date back to the Bronze Age. Its language is old. According to our guide, the language heard spoken in the mountain villages of Wales is Europe‟s oldest living language.

After Conwy, our next stop was Betws-y-Coed, the principal village of the Snowdonia National Park. The park covers more than 800 square miles, and is located in one of the more beautiful areas we visited on this trip. The distinctive landscape of the area is marked by mountains and moorland that are separated by deep valleys where most of the roads were built. To get to Betws-y-Coed, we drove Waterloo Bridge through a valley where the Conwy River is joined by the Llugwy River and the Lledr River. We passed below the Snowdown Mountain Peak (elevation 3,560 feet) that is the highest mountain peak in England and Wales. The village was founded around a monastery in the late sixth century. The rivers of the area made transportation difficult, and the area‟s relatively slow growth was tied to the development of the lead mining industry. The area‟s growth was stimulated in the early 19th century by the building of bridges.

Pont-y-Pair Bridge over River Llugwy at Betws-y-Coed

When we entered the village, our guide gave our driver wrong directions, and ended up on a dead end road that was near St. Michel‟s Church and directly behind the railroad station of the village. Ahead was a small parking lot filled with vehicles. It appeared that our driver faced a major challenge as he attempted back out of this confined area. If you were standing behind the buildings on the left and were looking across the tracks, you would have seen our bus.

Frankly, I don‟t know how our driver got out, since we left him there. We took a long walk that took us to the other side of the tracks. We had to walk back to a bridge that crossed the railroad tracks. A relatively few minutes later, we were surprised to see our bus pass us as we approached the area where we were going to eat lunch and have some free time for shopping. I took this picture of a bread and breakfast shortly after crossing the bridge.

When we arrived at the shopping area of the village, our guide briefed us about the plans for the afternoon. We were to have two hours for lunch, shopping, and visiting the historic areas on our own. One of the placed she recommended for lunch was the Royal Oak Hotel.

To get to the hotel, we were to follow the walk where Marcia is standing. The walk took us through a lovely “green.” The weather was sunny and warm, and many families had gathered in the park area.

This was our first meal “on our own” for more than a week, and frankly we enjoyed this time of “independence. This freedom presented an immediate challenge. The hotel refused our American Express Card. We had not converted any or our dollars into the local currency, but fortunately, the hotel agreed to accept our Visa card. Otherwise, we might have gone hungry, which would not have hurt us after all the good meals in the Princess Grill.

Here we are at lunch. The window behind Marcia looks out on a patio area where we could have eaten.

After lunch, Marcia returned to the shopping area. Does this surprise you? I walked in the opposite direction to take some pictures in an area recommended by our waiter.

These photos were all taken within a short walk from the Hotel. I think you will agree they were worth the walk.

These photos were all taken with an I-Phone Camera.

I had to return to the place where our bus reached a dead end in order to see 14th century St. Michel‟s Church. This required me to walk back across the railroad tracks on the other side of the shopping area. It was well worth the walk. (I found this painting online.) The church was founded in the latter part of the Celtic Church era. The name of the village of “Betws-y-Coed” may have been based on this church. The Welch word, “Betws” meant house of prayer, and this was the earliest “house of prayer.” Nothing remains of the original “Betws.” Historians believe that the church was rebuilt during the 14th and 15th centuries.

The church was repaired and enlarged in 1843 to accommodate an increase in the number of people attending services. The gallery at the west of the church was removed and the north transept was added. Only part of what you see in this photo dates back to the 14th Century.

I took these photos outside the church as I walked back to the shopping area to meet Marcia.

This is the area where Marcia was shopping and our bus was to pick us up for our return to the Queen Elizabeth. While we were waiting, Marcia and I enjoyed some ice cream.

The drive back to the Queen Elizabeth took us through more of the beautiful countryside of North Wales. Although it is hard to get good pictures through a bus window with an I- Phone, the beauty of the hillsides and the rivers is well represented by this photo.

Along the way, we passed this monument dedicated to the Bishop William Morgan who translated the bible into Welch.

After returning home, I found this photo of the monument online with the following biography for Bishop William Morgan.

Bishop William Morgan (Ty Mawr Wybrnant, in the parish of Penmachno, near Betws-y-Coed 1545 – St.

Asaph 1604), Bishop of Llandaff and of St Asaph, translator of the first version of the whole Bible into Welsh from Greek and Hebrew. x

We wished we had had more time to see the city of Liverpool, but had no regrets about our decision to go to North Wales. These photos of Liverpool were taken as the Queen Elizabeth sailed away from the dock. Notice the crowd of people gathered at the dock to wave goodbye to the Queen. We waved back as we looked forward to our next day in Dublin, Ireland. Cunard always made the “sail aways” memorable and enjoyable events. As we listened to the music of the band on the 9th deck and acknowledged the wave of crowd on the dock, we continued to enjoy the memories of our shore excursion to North Wales.

August 7: Dublin, Ireland (Dublin Sights and River Cruise)

After disembarking from Liverpool, we sailed west across the Irish Sea towards Dublin. After passing Bennett Bank we sailed across Dublin Bay to anchor in the breakwaters of Dun Laoghaire Marina.

This photo of Dublin Bay was taken during our breakfast in the Princess Grill.

Because of my Irish heritage, I was particularly interested in our visit to Dublin. Before and after the trip, I went online to learn what I could about this great city and its history. Once again, I found Wikipedia to be an excellent source of information.

Clockwise from top: Samuel Beckett Bridge, Trinity College, Custom House, Dublin Castle, O'Connell Bridge, and Convention Center

I learned that Dublin is the capital and most populous Leinster House city of Ireland. It was founded as a Viking settlement in the 9th century and remained as a Viking settlement until the Norman invasion of Ireland in 1169. It became the island's principal city following the Norman invasion. The growth of the city in the 17th century made it the second largest city in the British Empire and the fifth largest in Europe. After the partition of Ireland in 1922, Dublin became the capital of the Irish Free State and later the Republic of Ireland. The Irish War of Independence and the subsequent Civil War resulted in considerable physical destruction in central Dublin. The government of the Irish Free State rebuilt the city center and located the new parliament in Leinster House. For our shore excursion, we chose “River Cruise” and Dublin Sights” because it appeared to provide a more comprehensive experience in Dublin. Here is what Cunard had to say about this excursion: „Dublin‟s Fair City‟, one of Europe‟s liveliest cities can be enjoyed on the excellent combination tour by river and land. Your excursion of discovery begins with a panoramic drive through the city. See the Georgian Squares of Merrion and Fitzwilliam and stop to photograph the renowned Dublin doorways and St. Patrick‟s Cathedral founded in 1190. The Cathedral is best known for its association with Jonathan Swift, who was Dean here from 1713 to 1745. Next drive past the Guinness Brewery, home of the famous „black stuff‟ for which Dublin is famous. Continuing to Phoenix Park, Europe‟s largest enclosed public park, you‟ll see the homes of Ireland‟s President and American Ambassador. On the north side of Dublin‟s River Liffey, you‟ll pass the Four Courts, Ireland‟s courts of justice.

Following your panoramic tour, you will board the „Spirit of Docklands‟ for a gentle and relaxing cruise (45 minutes) and hear about the story of Dublin, from the first arrival of the Vikings 1,000 years ago to the rapid development of the city. Listen to the story behind the iconic Ha‟ penny Bridge and hear about Gandon‟s masterpiece, the majestic Custom House. Follow the story of Dublin‟s Royal and Grand Canals and see where Oliver Cromwell landed in 1649. Learn how much of present day Dublin now sits on reclaimed land, including Trinity College and the spire in O‟Connell Street.

In this photo you can see the Queen Elizabeth‟s tenders being prepared to take us ashore. It was an exciting day as we prepared for our excursion into Dublin. The day started with a “panoramic bus tour” of Dublin. After lunch at a local park, we took a “river cruise” to see Dublin from a different perspective

This is where our tender let us off for our Dublin Shore Excursion.

Notice that Marcia is still wearing my yellow foul weather coat. I never wore it once during the entire cruise.

You may have noticed that I like to take pictures of boats at anchor or docked in a marina. I could not pass up taking this photo that was taken in Dublin Harbor.

Panoramic Drive through City of Dublin

As you would expect, Dublin is a very charming city. Our guide gave particular attention to the decorative features of the doorways and walls that we passed. This photo shows you one of the renowned Dublin doorways promised in Cunard‟s description of our shore excursion.

In addition to the “renowned doorways,” there were many ivy covered walls…

…and flowers that added beauty and color to the homes.

Some of the apartments have access to private gardens open only to owners of nearby apartments. Our guide told us about an unwary passenger who found an open gate and entered unauthorized into the garden. When the confined guest attempted to exit, he discovered the gate was closed and locked. Our guide had to knock on doors of nearby apartments until she found someone who would unlock the gate to allow the incarcerated guest to exit.

Because of the heavy traffic in Dublin, our bus could not stop every time we wanted to take pictures. I had to take this photo of Dublin Castle as our bus drove by. Dublin Castle was built in 1204 on the orders of King John of England. It became center of Norman power in Ireland. The area within Dublin that was incorporated into the English Crown was known as the “Pale.” It was a narrow strip of English settlement along the eastern seaboard.

You are probably familiar with the phrase, "beyond the pale." It dates back to the 14th century, when the part of Ireland that was under English rule was delineated by a boundary made of stakes or fences. These boundary markers were known as the “English Pale.” For the English residents, to travel outside that boundary was “beyond the pale,” which meant that he or she had left behind all the rules and institutions of English society. The English modestly considered this synonymous with civilization itself. When they used this phrase, they were referring to unacceptable behavior. “Beyond the Pale” is not a particularly popular term in Ireland. Our bus stopped near St. Patrick‟s Cathedral for some photo ops. Notice the bicycles parked near the bus. These bikes are for rent. A would be rider can release the bike with the use of a “Hire Card,” and take it to many other places in Dublin. When the “renter” returns the bike to a location of his or her choice, (s) he can use the card to secure the bike. Users must subscribe to an annual hire card that costs €10 or a 3 Day Ticket costing €2. The first 30 minutes of use is free. After 30 minutes there is a service charge that depends on the length of use.

When I did my online research, I learned that the Dublin City Council began installing cycle lanes and tracks throughout the city in the 1990s, and as of 2012 the city had over 120 miles of specific on-and-off- road tracks for cyclists. In 2011, the city was ranked 9th of major world cities on the Copenhagenize Index of Bicycle-Friendly Cities.

The primary purpose of this stop was to take pictures of St. Patrick‟s Cathedral. Queen Elizabeth I of England in 1592 as a solely Protestant university and ordered St. Patrick‟s and Christ Church to be converted to Protestant.

Our guide told us that although 88% of the citizens of Southern Ireland are Catholic, St. Patrick‟s Cathedral is still Anglican. Her tone of voice conveyed the impression that she was not pleased with this fact.

Trinity College Dublin

A panorama taken from Parliament Square. The row of buildings is framed by the Public Theatre on the left and the Chapel on the right. In the middle lies Regent House with its archway leading to the Front Gate.

Trinity College is Ireland‟s oldest college. Queen Elizabeth I founded it as a Protestant College after the Reformation in 1592 as a measure to “civilize” Dublin. For centuries, the Protestant owners of the college offered a free education to Catholics provided they accepted the Protestant faith. Catholics who wished to study at Trinity had to obtain a dispensation from their Bishop or face excommunication. Most of the buildings still standing today were built in the 18th and early 19th centuries.

Our next stop was in Phoenix Park. As we entered the park, we passed the Duke of Wellington Monument. It was built to commemorate the military victories of Arthur Wellesley, First Duke of Wellington. He was born in Dublin and was known as the “Iron Duke.” He was a political and military leader in the 19th century, and was noted for his defeat of Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo.

Phoenix Park is Europe‟s largest enclosed public park. In addition to the Wellington Monument, we passed by the homes of Ireland‟s President and American Ambassador. The park was beautiful and provided relaxing opportunities for the enjoyment of tourists and locals. Please note the beautiful old trees and the garden shown in the photos below. This was also a “comfort stop” where we could purchase coffee and tea.

Another highlight of the panoramic tour of Dublin was The Four Courts of Justice. It was involved in the 1916 “Rising” and the destruction of historic Irish records. The entire public records department that held thousands of years of historical documents was destroyed in 1922 when Republican forces fought the newly formed Irish Government aligned with Britain. To this day, both sides of the conflict accuse the other side for this travesty. Had we had time to stop and walk around the structure, we could have seen bullet holes deliberately left in its façade as a reminder of past events.

Cruise on the River Liffey

After our panoramic bus tour, we boarded “The Spirit of Docklands” for a “river cruise.” Don‟t let the sun glasses fool you. That is Marcia sitting next to the port side of the boat. Dublin is situated at the mouth of the River Liffey and is bordered by a low mountain range to the south and surrounded by farmland to the north and west. The river divides the city in two between the “Northside” and the “Southside.” Residents of the Northside are generally viewed as “working class,” and residents of the Southside are seen as middle to upper-middle class. This is the Half Penny Bridge as seen through a port of our tour boat.

The Half Penny Bridge (Aka Ha Penny Bridge) was built in the 19th century for pedestrians. It got its name from the toll required to cross it. Today, we could have crossed it for free, but we did not have time to do this. This bridge is both the object and platform for many photos taken in Dublin, including commercial movies.

This is another landmark on the River Liffey. It is a replica of an old ship. Our guide said this was a very expensive boat to build. The builder had to build a shipyard before he could build the boat.

The Convention Center is a very popular venue that attracts large crowds for important public events. The photo reminds me of the unusual and daring architecture of the building. Construction of the center began in 1998 and was completed in 2010. The building can hold up to 8,000 people, including a 2,000-seat auditorium. An interesting fact I learned about this building was that it was the first carbon- neutral convention center in the world. It used low-carbon cement and purchased carbon credits to offset the unavoidable carbon emissions. The building also features a thermal-wheel heat-recovery system and an ice- storage thermal unit to provide air conditioning for the building.

The Custom House

This impressive building was built in the 18th century and houses the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government. The Irish Republican Army burned the Custom House down in 1921. The original interior was completely destroyed and the central dome collapsed. A large number of IRA volunteers were captured. The Irish Free State restored the building after the Anglo-Irish Treaty. Further restoration took place in the 1980s.

I took picture of the Custom House from the tour boat. It doesn‟t do justice to the impressive nature of the building, so I decided to use the photo above that I downloaded from the internet.

Aviva Stadium hosted the 2011 UEFA Europa League Final. It is also the stadium where the Rugby union team, Leinster Rugby, play their home games.

I do not remember any details about this historic building. I have searched pictures online in an effort to find it, but so far no luck. I am hoping someone will recognize the building and contact me about it.

When the river cruise was over, we returned to our bus. You can see the bus parked facing us as we walked down the sidewalk on the right.

As our bus returned us to the harbor where the Queen Elizabeth is anchored, we passed the U. S. Embassy in Dublin.

Once back at the Queen Elizabeth, we quickly changed into our “finery” for an excellent dinner in the Princess Grill.

August 8: Sea Day en route to St Peter Port and Guernsey Island

August 8 was a Sea Day en route to St Peter Port, Guersey in the Channel Islands. Early in the morning, we left Saint George‟s Channel and passed St. David‟s Head at the southwest tip of Wales before entering the Celtic Sea.

We were up early for breakfast in the Princess Grill. Marcia greeted the morning with her ready smile.

I was smiling, but my smile can never match Marcia‟s. We had a quiet day, with my usual trip to the Fitness Center and Marcia checking out some jewelry at the Emporium.

After dinner, I took this picture of our waiter with the Pelhams and Marcia.

Then our waiter took this photo of the Abbotts and Pelhams. Shortly after this picture was taken, Marcia and I were in our “Princess Bed” in Stateroom 7060. While we slept, we passed between Land‟s End and the Isle of Scilly after crossing the Celtic Sea and before heading southeast. After crossing the traffic lanes of the English Channel, we changed course in a direction that took us parallel to the French Coast during the night.

We approached the Channel Islands early this morning (August 9). This picture of St Peter Port was taken from the Princess Grill during breakfast. In the foreground is the deck area for guests who live in the Princess and Queen Suites.

This is the Queen‟s Lounge where the “Grill” guests can have a drink or afternoon tea. Through the ports of the Queen‟s Lounge you can see the shoreline of St. Peter Port.

August 9: St Peter Port and Guernsey Island (Channel Islands)

We arrived in Saint Peter Port on August 9. It is the main port and capital of Guernsey. It is a small town with steep narrow streets and steps on the overlooking slopes. A trading post and town has been at this location since before Roman times.

One of the more interesting things I learned about Guernsey is that its land area was once connected to continental Europe. Around 6000 B.C., rising sea created the English Channel and separated Guernsey and Jersey from the Norman promontories of Europe.

Guernsey is a British Crown dependency in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy in France. Although its defense is the responsibility of the United Kingdom, Britain did not defend it during World War II because it was not considered strategic to the defense of the British Isles. The Germans occupied it without a shot being fired. This was the only part of the British Isles occupied by Germany. The Germans fortified the islands far out of proportion to the islands‟ strategic value. Occupation of the Channel Islands served no purpose other than the propaganda value of occupying British territory.

The British government decided to make available as many ships as possible to give islanders the option to leave if they wanted to. It quickly became clear that it would be impossible to evacuate everyone.

Thousands of children and their teachers were evacuated to England and Scotland. A number of schools were re- established in Britain for the duration of the war. The German occupiers deported some of the resident to camps in the southwest of Germany. This photo shows a group of girls who had been evacuated to Marple in Cheshire trying on clothes and shoes donated by Americans.

Memorial Plaque in St. Peter Port: “This plaque commemorates the evacuation of children and adults ahead of the Occupation of the Island by German forces in June 1940. Four fifths of the children altogether and almost half of the population of Guernsey were transported to England so scarcely a family was undivided.”

This photo of occupying German soldiers was taken in Jersey. The Germans occupied the Channel Islands from June 1940 until May 9, 1945.

From Wikipedia: A scene on board HMS Bulldog during the first conference with Captain Lieutenant Zimmerman prior to the signing of the surrender document which liberated the Channel Islands on 9 May 1945. Left to right around the table are: Admiral Stuart (Royal Navy), Brigadier General A E Snow (Chief British Emissary), Captain H Herzmark (German Army), Wing Commander Archie Steward (Royal Air Force), Lieutenant Colonel E A Stoneman, Major John Margeson, Colonel H R Power (all of the British Army) and Captain Lieutenant Zimmerman (German Army).

Shore Excursion. Although we were torn between taking a shore excursion that focused on “visible reminders” of the German occupation of Guernsey and an excursion that would take us on a “Coast & Countryside Drive,” we decided to take the bus ride around the coast. Here is the Cunard description that helped us make our decision:

A mix of stunning scenery, intriguing history and island living that will leave a lasting impression all who set foot on Guernsey. A perfect introduction to an island small in size but big on charm, spectacular with its scenery and historical relevance to World War II. See all that the beautiful island of Guernsey has to offer from the dramatic cliffs in the south, to the magical bays and sandy beaches in the west, and the capital St. Peter Port in the east.

Driving alongside the pretty harbor and shopping center of St. Peter Port, pass the 11th century town church and 12 century Castle Cornet. Discover the charming Little Chapel, a unique miniature church set in the quiet Guernsey countryside, which not only has an unusual appearance, but a unique history. Just 19 by 15 feet in size and decorated with seashells, pebbles, and colorful pieces of china, its tiny alcoves barely hold three people at any one time.

As your journey takes you through country lanes leading to the west coast, capture the beautiful seascape from the high vantage point of Plainmount cliffs during a photography stop. Breathe in the sea as you view coastal fortifications from the Second World War, and appreciate the magnificent scenery that makes the island of Guernsey a special place to visit.

A stop will be made for tea or coffee and cake, with time to browse for some souvenirs.

After breakfast we boarded our bus for a tour that took us on our “Coast & Countryside Drive.”

We found plenty of evidence of the wealth of those who live on the island. We saw small many marinas and anchorages for lovely boats and yachts. There were two classifications of homes on the island. Some could only be owned by natives of Guernsey. Others could be purchased by non-natives. The prices of homes that could be purchased by non-natives were substantially higher.

I don‟t know which classification of home is in this photo, but it was clearly owned by an affluent resident.

In addition to stopping for photo opportunities, we also stopped for morning tea.

After tea, I took this photo of Marcia in front of some colorful plants.

The shoreline of Guernsey was lined with beautiful beaches…

…and rock formations.

And of course there were many lovely churches and burial grounds.

This was a lovely overlook of the Atlantic Ocean where we stopped for photo opportunities.

This location also provided evidence of the German occupation during World War II

Not far away was a German bunker.

Nearby the gun emplacement were trenches…

… leading into underground protection for the German soldiers.

Our next stop was the “Little Chapel” created by Brother Deodat. His intention was to create a miniature version of the grotto and basilica at Lourdes.

The Little Chapel is a miniature church set in the quiet Guernsey countryside. What you see here is the third chapel built. The first chapel was built in March 1914. It measured 9 feet by 4.5 feet. As a result of criticism by other brothers, Brother Deodat demolished the first chapel and built a second one that measured 9 x 6 feet. When the Bishop of Portsmouth visited in 1923, the door was too narrow for the Bishop to enter. Deodat demolished the chapel once again.

The third chapel measures 16 by 9 feet. Unfortunately, Brother Deodat never saw the completed chapel. He went to France in 1939 where he died.

The Little Chapel is decorated with seashells, pebbles, and pieces of china. Its tiny alcoves barely hold three people at any one time.

Our shore excursion on Guernsey Island ended back at the St Peter Port dock where we boarded our tender for the ride back to the Queen Elizabeth. The ship then embarked on our return to Southampton.

It is hard to believe that our ten-day cruise around the British Isles had ended. We arrived back in Southampton August 10 (Saturday morning).

That afternoon, we continued our cruise as we re-entered the English Channel to head north…only this time we were headed for the fjords of Norway.

August 10-11: Southampton to Stavanger (including Sea Day)

The Queen Elizabeth arrived in the morning of the 10 and did not leave until late afternoon. We could have gotten off the Queen Elizabeth to go into see Southampton, but we decided to stay on board and relax after a busy ten days. We were tempted to go ashore to see Southampton because of its significance as a port and as a center of English commerce.

The port is the busiest cruise terminal and the second largest container port in the United Kingdom. It benefits from its sheltered location and its close proximity to motorways and rail links.

The mouth of its inlet is protected from the effects of foul weather by the Isle of Wight.

The port also benefits from its “double tides” that enable the largest ships to enter the port as much as 80% of the time.

According to Wikipedia the effect is…

“…caused as a result of tidal flow through the English Channel. High tide at one end of the Chanel (Dover) occurs at the same time as

low tide at the other end (Land‟s End). Points near the center have one have one high water as the tidal swell goes from left to right, another as it then goes from right to

left, making two for each one at either end, neither as high as the one at each end.”

We enjoyed the “Sail Away” from Southampton while having a beverage in the Queen‟s Lounge Saturday afternoon.

Later, we had dinner in the Princess Grill. Marcia clearly rested after our day aboard the Queen Elizabeth.

After a ten-day cruise around the British Isles, we are well acquainted with the staff in the Princess Grill, and happily accepted their invitation to move us to a table next to the window for the cruise to Norway. The object on the right is our bottle of wine. The object on the left is one of the markers for the channel.

Each day of our cruise, the Queen Elizabeth publishes a note “From the Navigator.” Here is the note for our “Sea Day,” Sunday, August 11:

Having sailed out through the Salent, north of the Isle of Wright on departure from Southampton yesterday, we disembarked our local pilot at the Nob Tower.

During the night we then sailed through the Dover Straights. A traffic separation scheme in the straits forces us to keep to the south side while westbound traffic keeps to the north. You may have seen the lights of Boulogne, Calais, and then Dunkerque which we passed on our starboard side at as close as five nautical miles. We then sailed into the North Sea, a relatively shallow expanse of water.

We did see the lights of Boulogne, Calais, and Dunkerque when we returned to our stateroom after dinner. At the time we did not know what they were. We crossed into the time zone for Western Europe and Norway at 2 a.m. Although we lost an hour, we found it where we left it when we returned to Southampton the following Saturday.

After breakfast this morning, Marcia went to the Queens Lounge for a pot of tea while I exercised in the Fitness Center. This photo was taken of the screen on my exercise bike in the fitness center. Reading from left to right at the top of the screen, I have been exercising for 24 minutes and 9 seconds, I have burned 157 calories, I have traveled 7.63 kilometers, and my heart is beating at the rate of 104 beats per minute. If I preferred, I could have watched one of the ship‟s TV Channels. My son, Mark, will appreciate the fact that in this photo I am watching Fox News with Mike Gallagher. I finished my exercise routine in time to take a quick shower and go to a 10 a.m. lecture by the Queen Elizabeth Tour Director, Kevin. He talked about our first two stops in Stavanger and Olden on August 12 and 13.

After lunch, we attended another lecture by Kevin in the Royal Court Theatre regarding the August 14 and 15 stops in Geiranger and Bergen in Norway.

This particular slide was for one of the more popular tours in Norway, “The Roof of Norway.”

In this photo, Kevin was showing a slide for our excursion to Mount Dalsnibba in Geiranger. Here are the tours we purchased for Norway:

Mon. Aug. 12 in Stavanger: Lysefjord & Pulpit Rock Tues. Aug. 13 in Olden: Nordfjord Panorama Wed. Aug. 14 in Geiranger: Mount Dalsnibba Thurs. Aug. 15 in Bergen: Leisurely Bergen

Following the afternoon lecture, we returned to our stateroom where I took this photo of the North Sea from our balcony. In case you don‟t recognize this location in the North Sea, the next photo will show you where this picture was taken.

One of the TV Channels in our stateroom shows our location in the North Sea. The chart on the screen indicates the Queen Elizabeth is on a latitude north of Kiel in Germany, south of Edinburgh in Great Britain, and north of Le Harvey and Paris in France.

Tonight is a formal night for the Queen Elizabeth. In the picture below, Marcia and I are standing outside the Queen‟s Lounge on the 11th deck. Doesn‟t Marcia look lovely?

Here we are at dinner.

We were never hungry for seventeen days. I had Dover Sole and Marcia had Peking Duck. Not a bad life!

One of the special treats for tonight‟s dinner was this rainbow. It extended from a point ahead of us to a point far behind us.

After dinner, we went to the Royal Court Theatre to see the show, “Palladium Nights.” The show featured the Royal Cunard Singers and Dancers, and paid homage to the much loved British TV Show, “Sunday Night at the London Palladium.” The evening showcased songs from the stars of the 60s and 70s.

When the four lead singers sang together, their voices blended beautifully.

When they sang solos, their voices were pure and strong.

The males also excelled in duets…

…as did the female leads.

The Royal Cunard Singers and Dancers combined to present an enjoyable and fun evening of song and dance.

This was their encore response to enthusiastic applause from the guests who filled the Royal Court Theatre. After enjoying the show, we retired to Princess Suite 7060 with very positive thoughts about our “Day at Sea” and the day to come in Stavanger.

August 12: Stavanger, Norway – Lysefjord

Online Photo of Lysefjord (I wish we could have seen the fjord from this angle.)

This collage was provided by Wikipedia. The text that follows the collage is Wikipedia‟s introduction to its report on Stavanger:

Stavanger a city and municipality in Norway. The city is the third largest urban zone and metropolitan area [ in Norway (through conurbation with neighboring Sandnes) and the administrative centre of Rogaland County. The municipality is the fourth most populous in Norway. Located on the Stavanger Peninsula in Southwest Norway, Stavanger counts its official founding year as 1125; the year Stavanger cathedral was completed. Stavanger's core is to a large degree 18th and 19th century wooden Stavanger houses that are protected and considered part of the city's cultural heritage. This has caused the town centre and inner city to retain a small-town character with an unusually high ratio of detached houses, and has contributed significantly to spreading the city's population growth to outlying parts of Greater Stavanger. The city's rapid population growth in the late 1900s was primarily a result of Norway's booming offshore oil industry. Today the oil industry is a key industry in the Stavanger region and the city is widely referred to as the Oil Capital of Norway. The largest company in the Nordic region, Norwegian Energy Company Statoil is headquartered in Stavanger. Multiple institutions of higher education are located in Stavanger. The largest of these is the University of Stavanger which offers doctorates in Petroleum Technology and Offshore Technology among others.

A lifelong dream was fulfilled on August 12. As a very young boy I saw Sonja Henne star in her ice show and also watched her in the movie, “Sun Valley.” I think I had a boyhood crush on her and for years have wanted to visit her home country of Norway. That dream came true when we sailed into Norway and the Queen Elizabeth docked in Stavanger.

Sometime the dream turns out to be more dramatic and beautiful than the reality of our waking moments. The experience of Norway fulfilled the dream.

Here is how Cunard enticed us to take the shore excursion to Lysefjord & Pulpit Rock:

Enjoy a leisurely cruise along the scenic Lysefjord and see the famous ‟Pulpit Rock‟ jutting out from the rocky mountain terrain above. Lysefjord. Norway‟s most southern major fjord stretches 25 miles and was formed more than 10,000 years ago during the last ice age. Experience a leisurely cruise along the scenic Lysefjord, as you pass steep mountains with their cascading waterfalls and the occasional dwelling clinging to its rocky terrain.

There will be a limited commentary providing information about the various points of interest including Preikestolen, better known as the Pulpit Rock. The Pulpit Rock is a famous natural rock formation which protrudes vertically from the mountainside. On a clear day, you will be able to see the rock with its flat plateau proudly jutting out above you.

During the tour a stop will be made for refreshments of tea or coffee and freshly- made waffles.

As usual, we gathered in the Queen‟s Room to await the directions for us to proceed ashore.

While I checked us in for our shore excursion, Marcia stood in line to purchase a bottle of water. I had to take three pictures to get this one. The grey haired man on Marcia‟s right kept moving between Marcia and my camera.

In only a matter of moments we were ashore and moving to the boat that was to take us to the Lysefjord, Norway‟s southernmost major fjord. Our tour boat was docked only steps away from the stern of the Queen Elizabeth…

…and after a few steps we were inside our boat an en route through the harbor of Stavanger.

Oil in the North Sea was discovered in 1969. The exploratory oil-drilling that followed had a major impact on Stavanger, which was conveniently located for the oil fields. Its harbor and excellent transportation services helped it become the on-shore center for the oil industry in Norway. People we talked to in Stavanger referred to it as the “Oil Capital of Norway.”

Early in our excursion, we saw impressive evidence of the commercial effects of the oil industry on the Stavanger waterfront.

Soon we were clear of the more civilized views of Stavanger and enjoying the natural beauty of Norway. In a matter of minutes we reached the spectacular scenery that extends along the 26 miles required to reach its end. The fjord was carved by glaciers during the ice ages. As the glaciers retreated, water from the sea flooded in to create the Lysefjord.

The fjord got its name from the lightly colored granite along its sides. Lysefjord means “light fjord.” As you will see from the photographs that follow, the fjord provides extraordinary scenery for its visitors. The light granite will be more visible when the sun comes out and the light is brighter.

One of the Cunard guests on board asked me to take her picture with her camera. I asked her in turn to take my picture. I apologize for blocking some of the natural beauty of the background.

One of the legends of the fjord is that in ancient times this rock formation was used by the early settlers of the fjord to take their baths. It looked a bit cold to me for that purpose. Perhaps they were more used to the cold water.

This is Pulpit Rock. Unfortunately, it would have taken too long for us to be able to take this picture. We were told that it would require five hours of hiking to reach the point where you see the people in this photo.

This is one of the pictures we took of “Pulpit Rock” from our tour boat. It is a famous natural rock formation which protrudes vertically from the mountainside. Today was a bit rainy, so we didn‟t see any climbers on the rock.

Up until now, many of the passengers on board had stayed inside the warm confines of the boat; however, the attraction of seeing “Pulpit Rock” brought many guests to the top deck for an unobstructed view.

Shortly after we reached the rock, this sailboat appeared with other would be viewers of the natural beauty of the fjord.

We had seen several waterfalls prior to spotting this one…

Our captain took us within a few feet of the cascading water for close-up photos.

As we pulled away from the water fall, I couldn‟t resist having my picture taken once again.

Our next point of interest was a place where seals tend to congregate. You will have to take my word for it. There were a number of seals sunning themselves on the rocks near the shore. It is hard to see them because their grey color blended in with the color of the rocks.

Our captain also put us in a position to take pictures of goats that inhabited the area. Unfortunately, mine didn‟t come out so I had to use this online photo.

On our way back to the Queen Elizabeth, we stopped for delicious Norwegian waffles served with coffee or tea. Our friends, Dick and Eva Dabbert, had been here when they took a Norwegian cruise on the Queen Mary 2. They recommended this excursion to us and told us we would enjoy the waffles. We did!

Looking out the window of the place where we had the waffles, we could keep an eye out to be sure our boat didn‟t leave without us.

This chart that covered one wall of the restaurant provides perspective on the ruggedness of the terrain around the fjords.

Our return trip to Stavanger provided us a second opportunity to appreciate Norway‟s beauty.

By noon we were back in Stavanger to enjoy the quaintness and historic significance of this city.

We were once again reminded of the wealth and affluence of this oil capital of Norway…

…as we returned to the Queen Elizabeth.

The “Old Town” of Stavanger was right across the street from where the Queen Elizabeth was docked.

Like most Norwegian towns, Old Town was on a steep hill. Although it was only a short walk from our ship…

…it was a challenging walk…

…and we took advantage of opportunities to stop and rest. After taking the picture, I joined Marcia on the bench.

After a brief rest, we visited a museum that demonstrated how sardines were once canned in Norway. The canning of sardines in Norway dates back to the 1880s. The industry was strong until the depression of the 1930s. After World War II, the industry faced increased competition from abroad and from newer technology. Our guide told us that today Norwegians buy their canned sardines from Poland.

Our guide showed us how the sardines to be canned were strung on skewers…

…that were smoked in wood burning ovens.

After cooking, the head of the sardines had to be cut off. At one time this was done with scissors. Technology intervened, and a form of horizontal guillotine was used to remove many heads at once. Unfortunately, this sometime resulted in the fingers of the operator being cut off at the same time. If an operator lost a finger, he was entitled to having two days of medical leave.

The next task was to pack the beheaded sardines in a can. Marcia received training in the skills for packing a can of sardines. She was not offered a job.

Our guide demonstrated how the cans of sardines were sealed for shipping.

Although Marcia and I would like to return to Norway for a longer visit, it is doubtful that we will be employed in the canning of sardines

After our tour of the sardine canning museum, we spent a few more minutes walking in the “Old Town” before returning to the Queen Elizabeth, where we viewed the beauties of Stavanger from the comfort of the facilities of our “Queen.”

Later that afternoon, we attended a cocktail reception given by the Captain of the Queen Elizabeth. A ship‟s photographer took our picture with the Captain.

Our Captain introduced key members of his staff at the reception

As you can see from this picture, we weren‟t the only ones invited to the reception. When the captain announced that there were 2093 guests on board, we felt a bit more exclusive.

After the reception, we were invited to have dinner with the “Purser” of the Queen Elizabeth and his wife. Six other guests were also invited. During dinner, we learned that our host was the senior officer of the Queen Elizabeth. One of his earlier assignments was to supervise the construction of the Queen Mary 2. Our dinner with the Purser was a fitting conclusion to a terrific day that included a scenic boat excursion into the Lysefjord and a relaxing stroll through the “Old Town‟ of Stavanger. Marcia‟s smile in this photo conveys the pleasure of our day in Stavanger. The photo was taken at the Queen Elizabeth stern just before we boarded the excursion boat that took us into the Lysefjord.

August 13: Olden, Norway and the Nordfjord

Sunrise on the 13th was at 4:55 a.m. This picture was taken at 7:26 a.m.

When we arrived at Olden, another cruise ship, The Saga Ruby, was already anchored.

When we were in Stavanger, I didn‟t think Norway could be any more beautiful than it was there. After seeing Olden, we realized it is impossible to make comparisons. Norway is so beautiful! Views like we saw in Stavanger and Olden defy comparison as they take your breath away with the spectacular views of the fjord, the mountains, and the glaciers.

Olden is in the Oldedalen Valley at the mouth of the Oldeelva River in the Nordfjord.

Olden

The Village of Olden is at the end of the Nordfjord, where there are three branches of the fjord.

One of the shore excursions provided the opportunity to “Admire the colors of the Briksdall Glacier as you paddle on the Bridsdall Lake.” The Cunard description included this statement: “…enjoy a 45 minute paddle on the glacier lake whilst admiring the surrounding scenery which is dominated by the dramatic Briksdall Glacier, with its blue and white colored ice.

We would like to have taken all of the excursions, but chose to go on the “Nordfjord Panorama.” Here is Cunard‟s description of this tour:

Enjoy a leisurely drive through stunning scenery before stopping for refreshments in the quaint village of Nordfjordeid. Your scenic extravaganza begins in the charming village of Olden right at the head of the Nordfjord, which penetrates some 60 miles deep into the country. The route passes alongside the northern banks of the fjord through the picturesque settlements of Blakset, Fjelli and Hapland.

There will be a further photograph stop at Kvalen before you descend to the Nordfjord and Nordfjordeid village. Enjoy refreshments of tea or coffee and cakes during your stop in Nordfjordeid.

The return route to Olden takes you via the crystal clear Horindalsvatnet Lake – northern Europe‟s deepest lake.

We were confident we had made the right shore excursion when we headed for our bus. Here you see Marcia walking to our bus at 9:47 a.m. By now you can figure out which one is Marcia. If not, look for the yellow coat.

By 10 o‟clock we were looking back at the Queen Elizabeth from a distance. If you are reading this on your computer and cannot make out our ship, you can left click on the picture and drag one of the corners to enlarge the photo. If you make the picture big enough, you will be able to see the Queen Elizabeth. I just did this as a test. When I enlarged the photo to the width of the page, I could see our ship.

About twenty minutes later our bus stopped for us to take beautiful photos of the Nordfjord.

I snapped this picture at 10:32 while the bus was moving. Traffic in the area made it impossible for the bus to stop for a better picture.

We stopped twenty minutes later for a view from this lovely vantage point.

This picture was worth the stop.

While at the stop, our guide used this chart to show us where we were, where we had been, and where we were going.

We stopped shortly after noon for some cake and coffee or tea at a hotel in the town of Nordfjordeid.

It was a lovely little town…

…where we took a short walk after having our cake.

After our morning “tea,” we headed back for the Queen Elizabeth, but still found a way to get a few shots from the bus.

I took this picture shortly after 2 p.m. just before we arrived back at our bus.

We spent the rest of the afternoon on the Queen Elizabeth, but couldn‟t resist capturing some of these moments with more shots like this one.

August 14: Geiranger Fjord, Norway

Each day the Queen Elizabeth publishes a “Daily Programme” that tells us about the events of the day. Here is what the “programme” said about August 14 in Geiranger:

Geiranger is a small tourist town in the western part of Norway, home to some of the most spectacular scenery in the world, and named best travel destination in Scandinavia by Lonely Planet. Norway‟s third largest cruise port, Geiranger receives around 130 ships each year, with several hundred thousand people passing through, making up the main business for the 240 permanent inhabitants. The fjord is one of Norway‟s most visited tourist sites and has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2005. A cluster of houses nestle on the water‟s edge, backed by rolling hills and walls of sheer mountains, down which waterfalls cascade to the fjord below. The scenery inland consists of unspoiled valleys, dotted with farmhouses, snow-capped peaks, ice-blue lakes and sweeping panoramas.

This was our first view a waterfall flowing into the Geiranger Fjord when we opened our drapes at 6:58 this morning. Remember, when this picture was taken you were probably sound asleep at 12:58 a.m. In Kansas City and Southlake, it was 11:58 p.m.

And the views continued to attract our attention as our Queen Elizabeth crew prepared to set our anchor.

If you look closely, you can see the wake of our stern thrusters as the Queen Elizabeth swung around to the desired position for our anchor. If you are having trouble seeing the wake, remember that if you are reading this on your computer, you can enlarge the picture by “left clicking” on the picture, and by dragging one of the corners of the photo to the outside of the page.

Here is another view of Geiranger from our anchorage. It‟s still a bit dark because of the overcast sky.

By the time this photo was taken at 9:29 a.m., the sun was brighter and provided more light for this picture that was taken approximately 1000 meters above sea level. You can see the Queen Elizabeth in the fjord.

You won‟t see Marcia in any of the pictures at Geiranger. She picked up a virus and was resting in our cabin. You are probably wondering who took this picture. One of the guests volunteered to take the photo.

Once again, there were so many options for a shore excursion. One of the options was the “Roof of Norway,” which was touted as the most popular Norwegian tour. We chose “Mount Dalsnibba.” Unfortunately, Marcia had bronchitis and decided to stay on board the Queen Elizabeth for the day. Here is the Cunard description of the Mount Dalsnibba excursion:

A cocktail of cascading waterfalls, serpentine roads and amazing views – sample them all on this popular scenic extravaganza. From Geirangerfjord savour the scenery of impressive mountains, numerous waterfalls and farms clinging to steep hillsides, all of which give this fjord its unique character.

Driving uphill, a short stop will be made at the Flydal Gorge Viewpoint. The top of the gorge is famous for its magnificent view of Geiranger village, the fjord and surrounding mountains.

Winding your way up a series of hairpin bends to Lake Djupvatn you will take the fascinating toll road to the summit of Mount Dalsnibba. Enjoy the stunning panorama of mountains, waterfalls and lakes, for which Norway is so popular.

From the wind-worn peak of Mount Dalsnibba it is sometimes possible to see for more than 100 miles (weather permitting). Not even the pictures shown in tourist brochures of jagged mountains and foaming waterfalls can convey the full impact of the scenery of this area.

On the return journey, a comfort stop will be made at Djupvasshytta Mountain souvenir shop. Set in picturesque surroundings, the lodge also has a small café and a souvenir shop.

Our main objective for the day was to go to the top of Mount Dashnibba, one of the highest elevations in this area. It is almost 5000 feet above sea level. Before arriving, our guide instructed us to go to the flag pole seen in this picture. From this location we would be able to take beautiful photos of the glacier to the right and of the lakes below to the left.

When we reached the top, this is what we saw. Only minutes earlier, the sky was relatively clear and we had excellent views. Our guide had encouraged us that the prospects for a clear view from the top were very good. This photo accurately represents what we saw from the top. Fortunately, as we returned from the top, we were able to get below the clouds and have excellent views of the valley.

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This was the least unobstructed of our views. If you look closely or enlarge the photo, you will be able to see the road we traveled to get to the top.

As the clouds moved from right to left, we could see two cruise ships, including the Queen Elizabeth, anchored in the fjord below. They are visible in the break in the clouds near the center of the picture. You would have to enlarge the photo to see the ships. By road the cruise ship is 21 kilometers away. As the crow flies, the ship is only three kilometers away.

On our way down from Mt. Dashnibba, we stopped for coffee at the Djupvasshytta Mountain Lodge.

Inside the lodge, I took this picture of a troll. This was the biggest troll I have ever seen. According to legend, they can get much bigger.

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While taking a few photos, someone volunteered to take this picture. Doesn‟t this make you miss Marcia? I know I missed her!

After our coffee stop, we went directly to our ship…at least as directly as one can go on a winding mountain road. Our bus dropped us off at the dock in Geiranger village where we could board the ship‟s tender.

This picture was taken on the 11th Deck at 5:18 p.m. as the Queen Elizabeth was beginning its “Sail Away” procedures. The “Sail Away” turned out to be one of the more beautiful experiences of our “Bucket List Cruise.” .

Most of the passengers went to one of the upper decks where they would have a better view as the ship exited the fjord.

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This morning, we had anchored at the eastern end of the fjord after entering the fjord the night before from the west. Our exit retraced the route taken en route to Geiranger. When we came in it was dark. When we left, we were able to see the beauty of the fjord we missed the night before.

I enlarged this photo to give you a better perspective of the setting for our exit from the fjord.

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We listened as our tour director, Kevin, used the broadcasting system to describe what we were seeing on either side of the boat. For example, he told us the story about the image of the face you can see in this photo.

You do see it, don‟t you?

The “Seven Sisters” waterfalls are only four miles from the village of Geiranger. We reached these falls within minutes. The tallest stream of the seven falls has a free fall of 820 feet.

Kevin told us the “Legend of the Seven Sisters”

The seven sisters are dancing playfully down the mountain.

Across the Fjord from the “Seven Sisters,” are the “Suitor‟s” Falls. They have fewer columns and are not as high. Kevin continued the legend: The “suitor” flirts playfully with the seven sisters from across the fjord. He figures the odds are favorable that he will be successful in wooing one of the sisters Frustrated in his wooing, he turns to wine. Note the separation of the two streams at the bottom part of the falls. They appear to leave the rocks in the shape of a bottle of wine. This is also part of the legend.

This picture was taken at 8:53 p.m. as we entered the Norwegian Sea. From here we were to go south towards our last port of call in Bergen, Norway.

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August 15: Bergen, Norway

Photos from Wikipedia

Bergen is the second largest city in Norway. As indicated by the pictures above, its beauty is enhanced by the seven mountains that that overlook the city. Many refer to Bergen as the “city of seven mountains.” It is estimated that the city was incorporated in 1070. According to Wikipedia, “The city is known as an international center for aquaculture, shipping, offshore petroleum industry and subsea technology, and a national center for higher for higher education, tourism and finance.”

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The many wooden homes of Bergen have made it vulnerable to fires throughout its history. The greatest fire in 1702 burned 90% of the city. The wooden houses of Bryggen were rebuilt after that fire, and are believed to be similar to the buildings built before the fire. Fortunately, a considerable number of these have survived, and most are still in use. An example of this is the Bryggen tracteursted that was built in 1708 and still serves food and drinks. During the civil war between the Birkebeiner and the Bagler factions in 1198, the Bagler-faction set fire to the city. Other fires include fires in 1248 (11 churches destroyed in Holmen and Syerresborg), 1413 (14 churches destroyed), 1428 (city plundered by German pirates), 1455 (Hanseatic merchants burned down Munkeliv Abbey), 1476 (Bryggen burned down by drunk trader), 1582 (fire in city centre and Strandsiden), 1675 (105 buildings burned down in Oyregaten), 1686 (231 city blocks destroyed in Stranisiden), 1751 (fire in Vagsbunnen), 1756, 1771, and 1901 (more fires at Strandsiden), Bryggen tracteursted 1916 (300 buildings burned in city centre), and 1955 (parts of Bryggen burned down).

Bergen was Norway‟s biggest city until the 1830s when the capital city of Oslo became the largest.

Akershus fortress in Oslo

Nazi Germany invaded Norway in April 1940. The occupation continued until May 1945 when Germany surrendered. The military occupation of Norway is usually referred to as the "war years" or "occupation period" in Norway.

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Bergen‟s port was turned into a U-boat base that was used to attack Allied shipping in the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans. The city was bombed by the Allies on several occasions. The Allied target was German naval installations in the Bergen harbor.

Photo to left: German type VII

and IX U-boats at Trondheim

after the war in May 1945

The oldest area of Bergen is around the bay of Vagen in the center of the city. Very few of the older buildings in this area remain. The most significant of the older buildings that do remain is the 12th Century St. Mary‟s Church. The construction of the church began around 1130.

Unfortunately, Marcia and I didn‟t know much of this history before we cruised to Bergen. Although our guide briefed us on this history, I had to do considerable online research after our return home in order to provide the details you just read.

Cunard provided us with this information about Bergen:

Affectionately known as the „gateway to the fjords,‟ Bergen is an enchanting city with a fascinating history and a spectacular setting. Become inspired by landscapes that influenced Norway‟s most revered composer by taking a visit to Grieg‟s home. Enjoy the scenery of the Hardangerfjord, visit the „Island of Light‟ and Ole Bull‟s house, or explore the interesting Bryggen area.

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Marcia is still suffering from bronchitis. She decided once again to stay on board as I ventured ashore for the “Leisurely Bergen” shore excursion. Here is description of this tour by Cunard:

Leaving the port, your drive will take you past the medieval King Hakan‟s Hall and Rosenkrantz Tower. The route then continues along Bryggen, the hanseatic quarter of Bergen, with its old picturesque wooden buildings to the Funicular station of Bleibanen.

The Funicular will take you on a short journey to the top of Mount Flalen, one of the seven hills that surround Bergen and stands at a height of around 1,050 feet. There will be around 15 minutes at the summit to purchase souvenirs or to just sit and enjoy the bird‟s eye view of Bergen and the fjord, before taking the Funicular back to the bottom.

Back on board your coach, you will head past the famous fish market and on towards the Peninsula of Nordines with its typical 19th century white-painted wooden houses and splendid views on both sides of the port.

Our shore excursion started in the “city centre” near where the Queen Elizabeth docked. I couldn‟t get very many good pictures because of the unusually bright sun. This was unusual. It rains in Bergen 235 days a year. We were happy the sun was out and the weather dry, yet it seemed my I-phone camera was either pointing directly at the sun or at objects that were in deep shadows created by the sun.

We passed the Bergenhus Fortress that contains buildings that were built as early as the 1240s. More recent buildings were built during World War II. Archeological excavations have revealed the foundations of buildings that date back to before 1100. We only drove by the structures of the Bergenhus Fortress, and did not stop to take pictures. The photos of Bergenhus building were downloaded from the internet.

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Among the medieval buildings only a medieval hall and a defensive tower remain. The medieval hall was built in 1260 and is known as Haakon‟s Hall. The hall is made of stone as a replacement for older wooden structures. During medieval times, Bergen was the capital of Norway. Haakon‟s Hall was the largest building of the royal palace of Bergen.

The Rosenkrantz Tower, built around 1270, contained the royal apartment on the top floor. In the 1560s, the commander of the castle (Erik Rosenkrantz) incorporated the dwelling into a larger structure, hence the name, “Rosenkrantz Tower.” The oldest part of the building is the medieval tower that was built by King Magnus in the 1270s as part of the royal castle of Bergen. In more modern times, the tower was used to store gunpowder. This is one of my photos. It illustrates the problem I was having with the sun. These are some of the picturesque wooden buildings in Bryggen. These are the buildings that were rebuilt after many fires, the most recent being 1955 when Bryggen was threatened with total destruction by a fire. Instead of being demolished, these buildings were either restored or reconstructed.

Panorama of the hanseatic buildings of Bryggen (Wikipedia online photo)

The photo above is a better photo of the Bryggen buildings. It is a Wikipedia photo. You will understand why I downloaded this photo when you see the photos that follow. I took them with my I-phone under less than favorable conditions.

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. Historic wooden buildings Historic Church Bergen‟s Famous In Bryggen in City Centre Fish Market

I thought this picture of the flowers turned out pretty well in spite of the glare of the sun.

It was a “beautiful day in the neighborhood.”

This is the entrance to the Funicular that took us to the top of Mount Flalen, one of the seven hills that surround Bergen. It provided a spectacular view of Bergen from a height of more than 1000 feet. It seemed that all of the tour buses arrived at the same time. In addition, the sunny sky attracted many people who wanted to take advantage of the unusually favorable weather for going to the top of the Funicular.

The lines were horrendous, and it took us an unusually long time to get to the top.

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This is a picture of the car that took our group to the top.

Now you can understand why so many stood in line for so long to see this view of Bergen. The view from the top was well worth the wait.

The Queen Elizabeth can be seen in the middle right of this photo.

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In this photo you can see one of the cars coming up the hill.

The long lines made us late in returning to the Queen Elizabeth.

I didn‟t hear anyone complain about being late. It was a great excursion.

To my surprise, I found Marcia dressed and ready to leave our stateroom when I returned. She was not recovered from her virus, but she felt well enough to join me for a pot of tea in the Queen‟s Lounge.

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I took this picture from the place where we were seated in the Queen‟s Lounge on the 11th Deck.

Before going to lunch, I stepped out on the deck to take some pictures of Bergen from the Queen Elizabeth.

I discovered I could take Marcia on a “Leisurely Bergen” tour without leaving our ship.

It was nice having lunch with Marcia in the Princess Grill. Because of her bronchitis, she had been eating her meals in our stateroom.

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I wanted to end this photo album on a high note, so I decided the best way to do this would be to feature photos of Marcia that were taken during the “Bucket List Cruise.” British Air Business Lounge in Miami

British Air 206 across Atlantic

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Princess Suite 7060 on Queen Elizabeth

English Channel

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Invergordon in Scotland

Betwys- Coed, Wales

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Dublin, Ireland

Guernsey, Channel Islands

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North Sea

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Stavanger, Norway

Olden, Norway

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Geiranger, Norway (Marcia missed this one because of bronchitis)

Bergen, Norway

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We returned home August 17 on British Air 209. Amazingly, we cleared customs in less than one hour. We were happy about this because it got us home sooner to see Bravo and Bentley, who were camping at “Camp Sabella

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