Valletta to Kercem, Gozo

Sunday, July 31

Today was a travel day, which started just before 11 when our taxi driver Dylan arrived. He drove us from Valletta to Cirkewwa where we caught the ferry to Mgarr on the island of Gozo. It was another beautiful day, and the beaches were packed - there were also some very nice boats in the bays and harbours that we passed. We then caught a bus to Victoria (the biggest city on Gozo), but via the long route as we just missed the express bus to Victoria - we didn't mind as we saw a bit more of Gozo along the way! We got off in Victoria and changed to the bus to Kercem, about 15 minutes away.

We finally arrived in Kercem - the trip from Valletta to Kercem took about 3 hours. We had been instructed to get off at the bus stop near the church and then to ring the owner of where we were going to stay. However a "friend" of the owner was at the bus stop and he said he would take us to our hotel, so off he set with one of our cases! We followed behind and in about 50 metres he turned into an alley, which was more like a tunnel that led to the Rigiana Guest House. The owners, Emanuel and Esther, are from Switzerland, and they made us very welcome, and more importantly brought our cases up the 2 flights of narrow twisting stairs!

We went for a walk to look for a restaurant for lunch, but being a Sunday afternoon everything was closed. However there was a little pub across the road that was open so we had a beer and a burger there before returning to the  Rigiana. We knew from the photos on Booking.com that the Rigiana was lovely with a very high rating, but the reality was better than the pics! Our balcony overlooks the pool, which is set in beautiful landscaped gardens. After unpacking and settling in we had a sun bake and a swim, which was very refreshing.

The peacefulness of lying in the sun and listening to the birds tweeting was shattered after 30 minutes of bliss by what sounded like a cannon. This was followed by more bangs, which we soon realised were fireworks, and the booms were echoing around the hills. This barrage went on for about 40 minutes! I asked Emmanuel about it, and he said a nearby church fires them off every Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 8am and 5:30pm - it is part of their tradition! A noisy one at that!!

Valletta - Day 6

Saturday, July 30

Today was our last full day in Valletta, and there were a couple of places we wanted to see. The first was the Saluting Battery for the firing of the noonday cannon, and we watched this from the Upper Barrakka Gardens - it was a good boom with lots of smoke.

We also visited the Archaeology Museum, which covered Malta's history from about 5000BC when the first people were recorded living and building monument's here. Some of them are dotted around the islands, but we didn't get out to see them "live", but the exhibits in the museum certainly gave us a good appreciation of what they built and how they lived.

After lunch at a traditional Maltese artisan baker we headed to the Hospitaller Knights of St.John experience, which covered the 700 year history of the Knights in the building where the Sacra Infermeria was located. For the times they had a good approach to healing and running a hospital, while being generous in looking after the needy as well as the Knights and well off people. Their history covered the Crusades to the Great Siege, and it was all contained in underground caves and great halls where the sick were cared for and treated. It was very well done!

We had to pack in preparation for moving onto Gozo tomorrow, but after dinner we went for a stroll around Valletta at night and it was very charming. We even saw some fireworks in the distance for a festival that was being celebrated this weekend. There seems to be a festival on somewhere every weekend, but we have missed them so far.

Valletta - Day 5

Friday, July 29

We were up early this morning, as we had to walk to the ferry dock at Valletta and then catch the ferry across to Sliema by 9am! We boarded a Turkish Gullet called Fernandes II, which is a 38m long two masted gaff rigged vessel (I copied this description from their brochure!). Our first destination was the island of Comino and the Blue Lagoon.

It was another beautiful day and very pleasant sitting under the covered deck, admiring the coast of Malta as we cruised by. The Captain pointed out some of the highlights as we went, but the landscape was very dry and with the buildings built in the local sandstone or limestone they blended in to the countryside - it reminded us a bit of the coastal scenery in Oman.

We arrived at Comino and moored alongside many other tourist boats, and admired the amazing colours of the water. We signed up to do the jet boat ride to some nearby caves, and these rides are always a lot of fun as the driver always makes sure you get a bit wet! After that it was time for lunch on board, and a little later we took our first plunge into the Mediterranean for a swim.

I decided to check out the beach area just over the point, and was amazed at how small it was, but also how crowded it was! In Australia we have so many lovely beaches with lots of sand, so it was incredible to see a strip of about 50 metres jam packed, and the overflow of people who couldn't fit on it (or those who didn't want to pay 25 Euro to rent 2 deckchairs and an umbrella) sitting and sun baking on the surrounding rocks!!

A few hours later we headed off for a secluded bay on the island of Gozo for some more swimming and snorkelling. You could see fish from the boat, but not the numbers and different colours that we have seen at the Great Barrier Reef and other spots in the world. We spent about 2 hours here and then it was time to head back to Sliema. The day had gone really quickly, but it was a fun day in the sun seeing some of the natural beauty that Malta has to offer.

Valletta - Day 4

Thursday, July 28

Today we caught the ferry across to Sliema to book our boat trip for tomorrow. It was a pleasant walk in the sun, then we headed back to Valletta to see Malta 5D. This consisted of a 3D movie depicting Malta's history, with an extra 2D of moving chairs, smells tickles and splashes. It was good fun and at  least the theatre was nice and cool after our time in the sun.

After all the big, rich lunches we've had the last 3 days, and with the thought of getting into bathers tomorrow we decided to go healthy and have a salad for lunch. The Maltese filled us again with large servings of salad, with some local specialities and everything freshly prepared and top quality.

Then it was off to see some more churches - this time a quick visit to St. Dominic's, which is just around the corner from where we are staying. They are getting ready to celebrate their 800th anniversary, so the street front has bunting and banners, while inside men were working away to have it looking good for the celebrations.

Next up was St.Paul's Shipwreck Church, which has Paul the Apostle as their patron saint, as he was shipwrecked on Malta on one of his missionary journeys. They even purported to have part of his right wristbone as a relic on display, as well as a section of the marble pillar that he was supposed to have been beheaded on - both very significant items for this church.

We are loving Malta more each day, and certainly plan to return for another visit.

Valletta - Day 3

Wednesday, July 27

There is so much to see and do in Valletta, and although it is relatively small and easy to find your way around there are some hills, so our legs are getting a good workout! Also with the weather being hot and sunny every day it takes its toll - as does a long lunch! We have found the Maltese food to mainly have an Italian influence, especially Sicily as it's so close and people have obviously moved here and set up restaurants. However it's more like home cooked food, and very fresh.

Our main objective today was St. John's Co-Cathedral. We hadn't come across a "co-cathedral" before so I asked why it is called that - the answer was that there is a cathedral in Mdina (on Malta) but only one Bishop which both cathedral's share! St. John's was built by the Order of the Knights of St. John after the Great Siege in 1565 for their use, and was completed in 1577. The exterior is quite plain and looks more like a fortress, and the interior was originally simple as well. But in the 17th Century one of the Grand Masters ordered a redecoration of the interior, and as the Baroque style was in vogue it is now very flamboyant and a celebration of Baroque art!

The paintings on the barrel vaulted ceiling are amazing, and not too far behind the Sistine Chapel!! The inlaid marble floor was the best we have seen, and consisted of a collection of tombstones of Knights from the Order. The side chapels were dedicated to the 8 langues of the Order, and each one looked like they were trying to outdo the others for grandeur and rememberance of their Grand Masters. The workmanship was amazing in all of them!

The highlight was definitely the Oratory, which contains the largest painting done by Caravaggio of the "Beheading of John the Baptist", and it is the only one signed by him! There were also other works by Caravaggio but not on the same scale. We followed the audio guide for most of the time but towards the end we skipped some as we were definitely getting information overload!

After lunch we checked out a few other sites, and later in the afternoon caught the ferry across Marsamxett Harbour to have a quick look along the Sliema waterfront. The views across to Valletta were fabulous, and we are glad to be staying in Valletta.

Valletta, Malta - Day 2

Tuesday, July 26

Today we visited the Grand Master's Palace, which included the State Rooms with pictures of famous Grand Masters and a pictorial record of the Great Siege against the Ottoman Turks in 1565. This building was a bit like Government House in Melbourne, but a lot older and with amazing history! Who were the Grand Masters? They were the elected leaders of The Knights of the Order of St. John, who arrived in Malta in 1530 after being defeated by the Turks and kicked out of Rhodes where they ruled. The Maltese Cross became their symbol and the eight pointed star stands for truth, faith, repentance, humility, justice, mercy, sincerity, and to endure persecution. All of these are good qualities that we should all live by today!

Also in the Palace was the Palace Armoury, which had the best preserved sets of armour I have seen, including full sets of armour that could be traced back to individual Grand Masters. There was also a great display of weapons from swords, cross bows, canons and all sorts of pistols and muskets, again in amazing condition.

It was now time for lunch, and again we enjoyed a fabulous feed - this time mixed seafood which was cooked perfectly and delicious, and a very big serve for a lunchtime meal!

We headed for Fort St.Elmo and the National War Museum, and again this was really well presented. It traced Malta's history from medieval times, but focused on the Great Siege of 1565. Other important events over the next 350 years included being invaded by Napolean Bonaparte for a short while, until the British defeated him and Malta became part of the British Empire. This meant that during both world wars Malta was strategically important to the British, but it also meant Malta endured bombings in both wars, and in 1942 it was awarded the George Cross for its bravery in holding out against the Germans and Italians.

After getting kicked out at closing time we visited the nearby Malta Siege Memorial and Lower Barrakka Gardens. It was lovely just sitting there looking out over the Harbour and enjoying the cool breeze on another warm sunny day.

Valletta, Malta

Monday, July 25

We slept really well in our new digs, and had a leisurely breakfast before heading off to explore the surrounding area. We wanted to find a mini supermarket to buy some supplies, a fruit shop, and buy some drinks etc so we were all set up in our self contained apartment. Although Valletta doesn't close for siesta we thought it made more sense to have a good lunch and then a lighter dinner. Our theory is that eating and drinking late is what contributes to putting on weight!

Our exploring made us realise just how central we are to most of the main attractions in Valletta. We walked up and down most of the small, narrow streets and alleyways that form the city grid in Valletta, checking out the various attractions and museums as we passed. It was another clear blue sky, with lots of sunshine, but usually with a nice breeze blowing off the Mediterranean Sea to keep the temperature around 30C. We can take lots of this!

We reviewed our research over a glass of red wine with cheese and nibbles, and have planned our time for the next few days as to what to see and do. 

Amsterdam to Malta

Sunday, July 24

Today was a travel day, so it was an easy shuttle bus ride from our airport hotel to Schipol to catch our Air Malta flight. We arrived in Malta mid afternoon - there were no customs formalities, it was just walk right in! Being a Sunday afternoon it was very quiet in Valletta - not even the owner was there to meet us at our 1 bedroom house! However she had left the key under the letterbox lid, so we let ourselves in, and she rang shortly after to see if we had any questions! It was a nice touch for her to leave some groceries for us as it is a self catering house - very typical for here with the kitchen downstairs and the bedroom upstairs.

After settling in we went for a walk to find somewhere to eat, knowing it was very early for dinner in Malta. The Sicilian restaurant we selected was recommended to us by a local guy called Charlie, who had been in the Royal Navy and regaled us with stories about his connection with the Queen when she was courting Prince Phillip,  and about being a "bodyguard" for Charles and Andrew when they were young. He certainly entertained us, but he was right about the food - it was delicious.

Walking back to our house the place had come alive, with lots of people eating outside and enjoying the cooler temperature. We're looking forward to exploring more of Malta, as well as having some time at the beach, over the next 2 weeks. 

Amsterdam - Day 2

Saturday, July 23

We had to check out of the Crowne Plaza today, but we left our luggage there while we walked around Amsterdam to see some more of the city. We headed for the flea market, again battling the ubiquitous bikes and of course the many tourists who come to this exciting city. We passed lots of interesting sites, but the flea market was disappointing.

Lunch was the best fast food in Amsterdam - fresh herring with onion and pickles. Delicious!

As we didn't have a lot of time we set off for our next goal, the Amsterdam Antiques Centre. It was a beautiful day for a walk, but the centre didn't have anything we were looking for. We picked our luggage up and caught the train to Schipol Airport, then caught the shuttle to our nearby hotel. We fly to Malta tomorrow morning so we have to juggle our cases in preparation for the flight!

Amsterdam

Friday, July 22

Today was spent travelling from Leiden to Amsterdam. However we arrived early at our hotel so we went and did a boat ride around the canals of Amsterdam - it has been 31 years since we were last here so it was great seeing it again and getting our bearings on the main attractions.

We had arranged to meet our friends Jaap & Ageeth for dinner, and they met us at our hotel. We went for drinks across the harbour, catching a ferry for the short ride which reminded us of the Star ferries in Hong Kong. It was then back across the harbour and a walk to a Spanish restaurant called Duendo, where we enjoyed a lovely tapas meal as we reminisced about old times and caught up on more recent times. I met Jaap in the USA in 1974, and we visited he and Ageeth and Jaap's parents when we were last in Amsterdam in 1986, so we had a lot to catch up on!

Leiden, Holland - Day 2

Another lovely day in Leiden - just perfect for checking out many of the attractions in this beautiful city. We started at the De Valk windmill museum, which gave us an insight into how windmills work and especially this one which was originally a corn mill here. Next we saw one of only 2 remaining city gates which was very impressive, followed by a reconstructed flour mill that was totally different in design and operation to the De Valk windmill.

After a delicious cake and coffee stop we continued along one of the canals that led to the Hartebrug church, a very fancy and quite different Catholic Church. Nearby, but hidden by the city that grew up around it, was The Fortress. This was a mound that was built by the townspeople as early as the 9th century as a refuge against floods and attackers, and then in the 11th century a stonewall enclosure was added. If this structure wasn't shown on the map you wouldn't know it was there! However you got some great views, especially of the Hooglandse church which was our next stop.

The biggest church in town is the Pieterskerk, a 12th century building that contains a huge pipe organ with pipes that go back to the 15th century, as well as lots of old memorial stones of famous people who lived (and died) here. There was also a memorial to the Pilgrims who lived nearby before they sailed to America. This church was very impressive.

We loved walking around the old town, especially along the canals, admiring the buildings and shops, but always keeping an eye out for bikes in the small streets and alleyways. The last church for the day was the Marekerk, a 17th century church with beautiful bells which we heard often as we had dinner on a floating terrace on a nearby canal!

After dinner we had time to check out the birthplace of Leiden's most famous son - Rembrandt. In the square where he was born there is a statue of Rembrandt as a boy, with a bronze of him as an older man. We also saw the school where he learnt Latin and Greek and had painting lessons. They obviously paid of for him! Another great day in Leiden.

Leiden, Holland

Wednesday, July 20

Sadly our first cruise ended this morning, so it was back to being totally independent travellers. Our travels took us from the cruise terminal via bus to Haarlem Central, a taxi to the station, a train from Haarlem to Leiden, and then a short walk to the Golden Tulip Hotel. It was hot and sunny today, and it felt like home with this burst of hot weather - we have waited 5 weeks for summer here!

We rested for a while in the afternoon heat, and then set out to explore Leiden on foot. Like most of Holland it is flat and easy to walk around as long as you keep an eye out for bikes coming from all directions! With the heat we think most people here had gone to the beach as it was quiet in town. We checked out some of the canals, the lovely old houses along the canals, and checked out the sights to visit tomorrow, as well as looking at potential places to eat.

We picked the Grandcafe Barrera for dinner, and what a good choice it was. Nice cold beer, confit duck with chips and salad, and apple pie with ice cream! The other big plus was the location - we sat on the sidewalk beside the famous Rapenburg Canal, watching people coming and going on their bikes and on foot, as well as in boats of all sizes cruising along the canal - everyone was taking advantage of the balmy sunny evening. We were glad we had a long walk back to the hotel, but I'm not sure how much of dinner we walked off! 

Sailing towards IJmuiden

Tuesday, July 19

The Captain changed plans and we stayed anchored off St. Peter's Port on Monday night, then set sail early on Tuesday morning for the run into IJmuiden. It was smooth sailing under sunny blue skies, but we had to pack so it was a bit sad, but the next phase of our travels begin.

Guernsey Channel Islands

We docked at sea and caught a ship's tender to the harbour. A 20 minute walk under sunny skies brought us to Castle Cornet, an imposing fort built in the 14th century. There were a number of different museums to visit, and we were in the right spot at the right time to see and hear the noonday cannon firing. The museums were great and we spent a few hours there, and the views were fabulous over the harbour and along the coast.

Back in town we met a couple from the ship who told us we could get a bus and go around the island in about 1.5 hours, so we decided to see the whole island instead of just St. Peter's Port. The ride was very good and there are some beautiful places to explore on another visit. Before we caught a tender back to the ship we tried a Guernsey ice cream, which was delicious.

Weymouth, Dorset

Sunday, July 17

Our ship docked in Portland and we caught the provided shuttle to Weymouth which is a traditional seaside resort. It has a very impressive beach (by English standards) which stretches for nearly 2 kilometres, backed by an elegant sweep of Georgian buildings. The beach is rated number 2 in the UK, and we could see why in the hot sunny conditions we got today. The beach was packed!

King George the 3rd was the beach's most famous visitor and put the place on the map in the late 1700s - early 1800s when he brought his family here regularly for holidays and to bathe in the sea. There was a reproduction bathing cart that he used to use located near a statue of the King. 

More recently the large man made harbour between Portland and Weymouth that was built in the mid 1800s recently hosted the 2012 Olympic Sailing Regatta, and there was plenty of boating activity today. We walked around the harbour and along the beach esplanade, and it was lovely not wearing jackets and finally getting some sun!

Today was a nice relaxing day, and we can recommend Weymouth as a nice place to spend some time when in England during the summer.

Ilfracombe, Devon

Saturday, July 16

Today was another port where the ship couldn't dock, so the ship's tenders were used to get us to the dock. Ilfracombe is an old Victorian seaside holiday resort, and some of the older buildings need renovating, but at least it hasn't succumbed to the multi storey high rise apartment blocks with flash shopping centres. It is still a quaint town where you can walk around it easily, and the High Street is the main shopping area.

Today we were in town when it was holding its "All Things Morris" annual event, which has to do with teams (or Sides) of Morris dancers competing against one another. We have seen Morris dancing before, but didn't realise the diversity of costumes, styles and music associated with Morris dancing. We enjoyed watching some of the different Sides, but then we moved on to Devon's main attractions - a Hockings Ice Cream with Clotted Cream on top, followed by a Devonshire tea of scones with jam and more clotted cream. It was a good thing we walked around town before and after these indulgences!

Tonight's show was by Stephen Clark, a very talented Scottish flautist, followed by a traditional show put on the Indonesian crew. Both shows were excellent.

Dublin, Ireland - Day 2

Friday, July 15

We again caught the shuttle bus into town, and were encouraged by the forecast of a sunny day. We aimed to cover some different areas today, and spent some time in George's Arcade, another old covered shopping arcade. When we came out it had been raining (just like Melbourne) so our timing was good. Another light shower made us decide it was coffee time, so we dived into a cafe called The Bald Barrista - this was a good choice! 

By now the sun was out again so we set off and visited St.Patrick's Cathedral, the antiques quarter, and Christ Church Cathedral. We didn't go into these churches as we have many more ahead of us to visit!

On our way back to catch the shuttle we couldn't resist some more retail therapy, and were happy with our purchases. Overall we felt that Dublin was a "poor mans London", as it didn't have the charm we expected and the mix of old and new buildings didn't blend together to make it an attractive city. Maybe this is a result of the politics that have shaped Ireland's history over the past 100 years in their fight for independence.

Dublin, Ireland - Day 1

Thursday, July 14

The ship had again arranged a shuttle bus to take us into town, and it dropped us off very close to Trinity College. This was our main priority as the old Library there holds the Book of Kells. This ancient book was written around 800 AD by monks in Latin, and is a highly decorated book of the 4 Gospels of the Bible. The skill in writing the gospels out in Latin, and the decorations added to various pages in different styles and symbolism really amazed us. That it has survived since it was finished is also amazing, given the fires, wars and travelling it has done!

After learning about how they did it, and seeing just 2 open pages, we moved upstairs to the Long Room of the Library. This vast hall is 65 metres long, with beautiful wooden barrel vaulted ceilings, and holds about 200,000 of the Library's oldest books! There was also an old harp on display, which dates from the 15th Century, and it is this harp that appears on Irish coins.

It was time for lunch and a pint of Irish ale, which was very nice. We then took in the Molly Malone statue, crossed the Liffey River, and made our way to the GPO and the Millenial Needle. It was outside the GPO that the Irish Declaration of Independence was read out during the 1916 Easter uprising.

It was now time for some retail therapy as we walked along some of the pedestrian only streets and through to the Temple Bar or legal section of town. The City Hall and Dublin Castle are nearby, so we checked them out before moving on to St.Stephen's Green shopping centre, which was very classy and really well renovated for a 100 year old (or there a outs) shopping complex.

After dinner we went to the Irish Folk show that had been arranged on the ship. It was good hearing some old Irish folk songs and seeing some Irish dancing.

Belfast, Northern Ireland

Wednesday, July 13

Once again the ship provided a shuttle bus to get us to the city square, so we caught this and began our walk to Titanic Belfast in sunshine but with partly cloudy skies. The walk started at City Hall and took us past St.George's Market (which was closed as it is only a weekend market!), the Belfast Barge (a museum which was closed), Thanksgiving Square, the Albert Clock, Custom House Square and the Big Fish. We were only about halfway to Titanic Belfast as we crossed the Lagan Bridge, which is a pedestrian bridge built above the Lagan Weir. The river walk took us around the huge SSE Arena and brought us to the SS Nomadic.

This vessel was used as a tender for the Titanic, and was based in Cherbourg, France, as they didn't have a dock big enough for Titanic to berth at. It was built at the same time as her "big sister", and is the last White Star Line vessel still afloat. The Titanic Experience covered 9 galleries across 3 floors, and included lots of interactive displays and the very clever use of multi media presentations to bring the story of Belfast and the Titanic to life. It even included a Shipyard Ride to take you from the gantrys to the keel and explained how the hull was built, the riveting of it and the fitting out of the ship. The most poignant galleries were the ones covering the sinking, the aftermath and the myths and reality about Titanic.

During our lunch break the rain returned - it started just as we got to Titanic Belfast, and now meant a change of plans on how to spend the last 2 hours we had on shore. We arranged a taxi tour to take us to the areas around Belfast that have seen so much fighting between the 
Nationalists and Unionists, both between themselves and against the 
Army who were sent in as peace keepers! Our driver Cam filled us in on the history as he drove us around, and we were happy we were in the taxi as the rain got heavier and more frequent. It reminded us of Melbourne as the sun would come out between showers/downpours.

We saw the political murals on buildings, the streets where marches and confrontations took place, the gates that are still locked at night and the "Peace Wall" that separates Catholics from Protestants (and vice versa) as well as the Crumlin Road Gaol where political prisoners/terrorists were detained without trial. Cam gave us a fascinating insight into Belfast and Northern Ireland's history and ongoing "problems", and we were sorry we couldn't spend more time with him.

Killybegs, Ireland

Tuesday, July 12

The local tourist information people were at the dock handing out maps of the town, so we took one and headed off to follow the suggested walking tour. First stop was the Killybegs Maritime & Heritage Centre, which was located in the carpet factory building where the world famous Donegal Carpets were made. After being shown a video of how the carpets were made (back in the 1970s when the demand was high), we were taken on a tour of the factory where the process was demonstrated using the looms that had been used for over 100 years. The detail and effort that went into each carpet was amazing, especially as some of the weavers started when they were only 10-12 years old!

There was also an exhibition on Killybegs other main industry, and that was fishing. This exhibition traced the history of fishing the local waters as well as the herring and mackerel curing business, along with the types of nets used and the size of the boats over the years. It is still one of Ireland's major fishing ports.

As we walked around we checked out some of the older buildings in town and a couple of their churches. We had lunch in one of the pubs and enjoyed our first pint of Guiness on Irish soil! We loved chatting to the locals and the slower pace of this small town, but again we found enough to keep us occupied.

About an hours sailing from Killybegs we passed the Slieve League cliffs, which are the highest sea cliffs in Europe at about 2000 feet! Very spectacular.

Portree, Isle of Skye

Monday, July 11

Today we moored in the harbour at Portee, so we caught the ship's tender to the dock in town. The weather was very overcast with low clouds covering the nearby hills, which added to the atmosphere of the dramatic shapes of the hills and cliffs.

We walked around this pretty little town, checking out some craft shops and a craft market held in the parish hall of the Portree Church which has a commanding view over the harbour. We then went to the historic Royal Hotel for lunch - it was at this hotel where Bonnie Prince Charles stayed before fleeing Scotland. The food and local ale were good, so we didn't do a runner like Charlie did many years ago!

With this being our last stop in Scotland the dining room had "Haggis, Neeps and Tatties" on the menu, so we had to try it. The haggis was nice, the "Neeps" were turnips and the "Tatties" were potatoes. The combination with a nice gravy wasn't as bad as we thought, though they didn't use a sheeps stomach for the skin!

We have really enjoyed what we have seen of Scotland and definitely want to come back and explore more of this country.

Kirkwall, Orkney Islands

Sunday, July 10

We didn't rush to leave the ship as we knew the shops wouldn't open until 10am, and being a Sunday we weren't sure if they would open at all! We had also read that the Museum was closed on a Sunday, and that the other big attraction was St. Magnus Cathedral, but being a Sunday we knew it would be closed to visitors while church was on.

The Cathedral was closed to visitors from 11am to 1pm, so we decided to attend the morning service at 11:15am, and we were glad we did. It is a Church of Scotland church, so this was a first for us. The people were friendly, and the service very traditional, but we enjoyed it. However with the service being held in such a lovely old Cathedral meant we had beautiful stained glass windows, amazing vaulted ceilings, old memorial stones with lovely carving on them and military standards hanging in some of the chapels to look at!

After the service we found the Orkney Museum was open, so we spent a couple of hours in it as it covered the full history of the Orkney Islands from about 5000BC to present times, and there were many rooms covering the different periods. They also had a special exhibition commemorating the Battle of Jutland, which was a big naval battle in 1916 where about 9000 German and British sailors died as many ships on both sides were sunk.

We returned to the ship after an uplifting and informative time in Kirkwall.

Invergordon

Saturday, July 9

The ship docked in Invergordon, about an hour from the bigger city of Inverness, but we decided to spend the day in Invergordon after reading about what it had to offer. We started the tourist walk at the Museum, which was very good and filled us in on the history of the area. We continued our walk down the High Street, checking out the lovely old buildings and quaint shops. On many of the buildings murals had been painted depicting various subjects, and these were excellent.

After a pub lunch of fish and chips and a pint, we set off again and checked out the main church, a pop up craft market, and the rest of town. It started raining later in the afternoon, so we returned to the ship for another local music show with pipes, singing and dancing.  As we departed a band of pipers and drummers bade us farewell, and we so appreciated them playing for us in the steady rain that had set in. More wonderful memories of Scotland.

Edinburgh Part 2

Friday, July 8

After the excitement of seeing the Queen, we wandered into the new Scottish Parliament building, and it was very impressive. There were tours of the art works in the complex and the architecture, special exhibitions, and of course a cafe and a shop on the way out.

We walked along the Royal Mile, which runs from Holyroodhouse Palace to Edinburgh Castle. With it being a sunny day there were hordes of tourists doing the same thing, and checking out all the tartan, cashmere, jewellery and other souvenir shops along the way. There were also plenty of buskers, with the pipers being our favourites.

We went in and had a look around St. Giles Cathedral, which is the main place of worship for the Church of Scotland in the city. The stained glass windows were magnificent, along with some of the smaller chapels. Nearby was a hidden gem - the Writers Museum. This was a small building which had separate rooms devoted to Scotland's 3 most famous writers - Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson. It was fascinating seeing some of the actual items used by these 3 great writers during their lifetimes, including their writing desks.

We finally reached the Castle, but unfortunately there was a big blue hoarding hiding the view of it perched upon Castle Rock. This was due to the upcoming Military Tattoo, and all the stands were set up so we could see what "the stage" looked like "in the flesh" after watching so many of the Tattoos on TV. We did get some great views, but didn't have time to do the full tour through the Castle.

We made our way back to the station and the train ride to Inverkeithing station (not far from the port) took us across the old Firth of Forth Bridge, an engineering marvel from the late 1800s. We were back on board just in time to catch the Sounds of Scotland show, which featured pipers, other musicians, dancers and singers, and it was a really good show which completed a fantastic day in Edinburgh.

Edinburgh, Scotland

Friday, July8

What an amazing day in Edinburgh! We walked to Holyroodhouse Palace to find it closed, but found out it was because the Queen was staying there. We went one better than seeing inside the Palace, we saw the Queen and Prince Phillip leaving for an appointment. It made our day and we were 2 excited Aussies - they weren't far away and there were no crowds to fight. Amazing!

IJmuilden, then sailing to Edinburgh

Wednesday - Thursday, July 6-7

We arrived in IJmuiden to end the Norwegian cruise on Wednesday morning. Fortunately our cruise continues this afternoon, so we had some time to catch up on wifi and also to go for a walk to check out the beach at IJmuiden. There are beaches on either side of the waterway that leads to the North Sea, and they are huge and well maintained. Overlooking the beach on both sides are beach huts which are all the same and set out in rows, one slightly above the other. On one side we counted 67 in each row, while on the other side there were 3 rows and twice as many, as the beach was a lot longer on this side.

We settled into our new cabin, and then attended a 4-5 Star Mariner reception in the Crows Nest, followed by the mandatory safety drill. We set off under sunny skies and smooth seas, and hope this continues for the next 14 days of our trip around the UK.

Thursday was a day at sea as we sailed towards Rosyth, the port for Edinburgh. The sea days are always enjoyable and relaxing, and are needed when you have so many ports coming up before we get another sea day!

Day at Sea, sailing towards IJmuiden

Tuesday, July 5

Today was a day at sea, and with this cruise ending tomorrow there was a bit of packing to do as we change cabins for the 14 days of the next cruise. There were a lot of expert talks to attend, as well as saying goodbye to people we have met on this cruise.

Before tonight's show the Captain thanked everyone and we all toasted him and the crew who have made this cruise so memorable. We would thoroughly recommend everyone do a Norwegian cruise on the Prisendam, especially at this time of year and with this captain.

Eidfjord

Monday, July 4

Today we joined up with friends Don & Norma, who had arranged to hire a car, and headed off to see the waterfalls and scenery around the village of Eidfjord. The road out of town took us through the spectacular and steep Mabodalen Valley, where the Voringsfossen waterfall is located. This is the most famous and most photographed waterfall in Norway, as it is very accessible and has a number of viewing points. The vertical drop is about 200 metres or 600 feet, and consists of two separate falls on either side of the gorge. Looking straight down while taking pics made you realise how far they fall!

We continued along the road to the largest mountain plateau in Northern Europe, and most of the houses here had grass growing on the roof for insulation - we even saw one guy on his roof with a whipper-snipper to keep it neat! A bit further along we came to the Sysen Dam, which had an impressive stone wall about 90 metres high and 800 metres long.

We returned to town and headed out on a different road, looking for some Viking graves and another big waterfall. We followed the road along the fjord, passing more massive stone walls that boxed the fjord in, but the road kept getting smaller and smaller. When we came to a dead end and saw cars parked there we figured we had to walk the rest of the way to see the waterfall, but due to our time in port being reduced by 3 hours we didn't want to risk it. Also there were no signposts as to which dirt track to take! (We later found out you could drive on one of the dirt tracks to the waterfall)!

The last thing we aimed for were some old Viking graves, but again the maps let us down, as well as the time factor - so we returned the car, took in the local art gallery and then boarded the ship. The Captain had picked up some local cheese in Flam, so we attended the wine and cheese sail away that was organised.

We had dinner at Canaletto Restaurant with Don & Norma, and had a huge window to admire the fabulous scenery we were sailing past. When we got to a glacier and another famous waterfall, the captain slowed the boat and rotated it so everyone had a good view of them. As we sailed out of the Hardanger Fjord we looked back and saw the most magnificent rainbow, with its own reflection beside it - an amazing sight to complete an amazing day!

Flam

Sunday, July 3

We had pre-booked a tour of the fiords around Flam before we left home, not knowing how great a view we would have from our ship. However we weren't sorry to be spending more time on the water with this adventure.

We kitted up with the gear provided - thermal full length suit and life vest, goggles, woollen gloves and waterproof gloves to go over them! We kept all our clothes and jackets on under the suit provided - the temperature was only about 14C, but the wind chill when doing 20-30 knots (about 35-50kph) meant you were ok except for the small amount of your face that was exposed!

We passed numerous little farms perched on the edge of the fiords and cliffs, as well as small towns and villages, as we travelled along the Aurlandsfiord, a 17 km arm of the world's second longest fiord, the Sognefiord. The scenery was magnificent with the cliffs rising 500m above the water, which is about 500m deep! There were so many spectacular waterfalls, snow capped mountains, lush bright green fields, dark green pine trees, partly cloudy skies and the water colour varied from dark blue to pale green, depending on the reflections. 

Our driver and guide Elenore then took us along the Naeroyfiord which is the narrowest fiord in the world and a UNESCO World heritage site. We could see why it was so special and one that cruise ships can't access. At the village of Gudvangen we turned around and headed back to Flam - on the way back we saw herds of goats grazing on the steep hillsides, with some even having a nap on the rocks. How they don't fall off the steep rocks was incredible to us!

After a quick tour of the museum and shops, we caught the ship's tender back to our ship. We had an early dinner as we wanted to get front row seats to see Patrick McMahon perform again. He is a talented and energetic Aussie performer who everyone has loved - he is so enthusiastic about everything and is definitely the best entertainer we have seen on the cruises we have done.

Alesund

Saturday, July 2

We left the ship in bright sunshine again, and headed for Alesund Park to begin the 418 step climb to the lookout on top of Mt. Aksia. After a number of rest stops we made it, and enjoyed the magnificent views from the top. There were also some WW2 German bunkers at the top - how they got the materials for the cement and solid steel up there would have been a huge job!  We negotiated the steps down and enjoyed walking around this beautiful town with its Art Nouveau buildings.

These are due to a fire in the early 1900s, so when the town was rebuilt Art Nouveau was in style, and they have kept that character over the past 100 years or so. Being on the water and a big fishing port there were lots of boats about, as well as the old warehouses we have seen in other ports. At the Alesund Church we saw a bridal party getting there photos taken, but we couldn't walk around inside due to the wedding - however the glimpses we had showed a magnificent stained glass window.

Trondheim

Friday, July 1

We arrived in Trondheim after breakfast, grabbed a map and headed off to explore Norway's 3rd largest city. We took in the old wharves and warehouses, which have now been converted to trendy apartments. As we were walking past the Courthouse we saw a crowd, and soon a bride and groom appeared. The crowd, who must have been a choir started singing to the bride and groom, and it was beautiful to see and hear.

Next up was the Nidarosdomen Cathedral, the largest one in Northern Europe, the Archbishops Palace which was next door, and the Army and Resistance museum. All of these were very good. On our way back to the ship we walked over the old bridge, looked in at Our Lady's Church which dated back to 1739, checked out the Royal Residence, but this wasn't open to visitors today!