Flying to Fort Lauderdale

Tuesday, April 25

It was an early start as we had peak hour traffic to contend with as we made our way to Austin airport. We did well and arrived about 8am, so we had a couple of hours before our flight.

We took off on time and got into Fort Lauderdale early as we had a tail wind. There was a bit of a wait for the shuttle bus but we finally made it. We then got a shuttle to the nearby shops where we had 2 hours of retail therapy before returning to the hotel. We had dinner in their restaurant and then got ready for the start of tomorrow's cruise.

We'll be at sea for 2 days so will be off the air for a few days. We've loved our time in the south and especially Texas, and a big thank you to the Brooks and Buchanans for taking care of us so well. Thanks for the memories.

Fredericksburg, Texas

Monday, April 24

After a drive to the preserve behind Pat and Burgess' home and a short walk to Lake Pointe, we set off for Fredericksburg. We arrived about 11:30 and started off at the Pacific War Museum. After looking at the beautiful and touching memorial plaques on the walls in the gardens, as well as some of the exhibits in the gardens, we realised there was too much to see in an afternoon! So we walked along the Main Street looking at all the quaint shops and restaurants, and it was 2pm before we sat down for lunch! 

After our lunch in a German restaurant we returned to the Pacific War Museum to look at an exhibit on fashion in the 1940s. This was fantastic, but alas we didn't have time to go through the main rooms in this building, let alone the other 2 buildings that make up this complex.

Our first stop on the way home was in Luckenbach for a beer and to listen to some music. The signs say the population is 3, but the tourists there everyday ensure there is always something happening. It was very old worldly and very quaint!

Back in Austin we visited Pat and Burgess' son Stuart and his beautiful daughter Berkeley, who at 10 months old is very cute. Some drinks and nibbles were enjoyed by all, then we said goodbye and went to a fried chicken restaurant for dinner - this was really good! We finally arrived home after another big day touring the sights of this part of Texas, but as we didn't get to do everything we'll just have to come back!

Austin, TX - Day 2

Sunday, April 23

We attended church with Pat and Burgess at Westlake Hills Presbyterian Church, their local church, and really enjoyed meeting some of their friends. The service was great too, as it was a special musical program presented by the children - they did a great job along with the musical team who directed them. It was a great way to start the day.

After church we had lunch at the Buchanan's local Italian restaurant, and were joined by Lorraine and Jack. The food was fabulous and we had a great lunch.

We made a quick pit stop at home to get changed and then we headed into Austin for the big adventure - a Segway tour! Apart from Burgess none of us had been on a Segway, so there was some trepidation as Alex our instructor and tour guide showed us the basics. We had a bit of practice as we rode around the grounds of the Capitol building, and then it was time to hit the streets. During the 1.5 hour tour we went from rank amateurs to confident riders, and really enjoyed the experience. We also enjoyed learning about the history of Austin and the downtown area, as well as more about the Capitol.

We were excited about our achievements and the buzz that comes from doing something for the first time. It was good to relax a bit at home before Keith (Pat & Burgess' son) and his 2 daughters dropped in for a visit. It was great meeting them all as we had heard so much about them.

We had a quiet night in just chatting and watching some tv, as there is another big day planned for tomorrow.

Austin, Texas

Saturday, April 22

We awoke to inclement weather, so we had to reschedule today's activities! Burgess did a great job changing the schedule to fit the weather, so we set off for a tour of the Capitol Building in Austin.

The grounds it is in is superb, and the Capitol really stands with its tall dome and its strategic location in the downtown area. The guide gave us all the information we needed, and the workmanship in the building and chambers was amazing. Even the hinges on the doors were impressive, as was all the woodwork in the various rooms.

We then moved on to the Bullock Museum, where we learnt more about the history of Texas. It was good that we'd been to the Alamo yesterday as it gave us a good background for all that we read and learnt in the Museum. Again the exhibits were well presented and informative so we really enjoyed it. We had a quick lunch in the cafe before driving to the University of Texas campus.

Burgess had booked a tour of the UT Tower to get an over view of Austin - it was also the University where his sons went to college. The tour was conducted by students and they did a good job, while we enjoyed the views from the 27th floor of the tower.

Next was our "rest" stop where Noelle and I got our hair cut at Burgess' hairdresser - she also cuts ex governor Rick Perry's hair! 

It was then time to drive to the Hula Hut on Lake Austin for dinner. We were all full after consuming a cocktail, entree and dessert within an hour from when we arrived to when we left! We waddled to the car and headed to the 6th St entertainment district.

Burgess had booked tickets for us to see Esther's Follies, a revue type show that contained magic, jokes and parodies about life in Austin/Texas/USA, as well as local, state and federal politicians! It was very well done and reminded us of Beach Blanket Babylon which we saw in San Francisco. We all had a good laugh and it was a great way to finish and very long but highly enjoyable day.

San Antonio, Texas

Friday, April 21

We were sad as we said goodbye to Bill and Linda, who are such fun and fabulous hosts, as they headed back to Dallas and we headed for San Antonio with Burgess and Pat.

San Antonio is famous as the site of the Alamo, but before we visited it we took a boat ride on the river that runs through San Antonio. The river area has beautiful trees growing beside it and lovely gardens, as well as many bridges, and the whole area is now known as Riverwalk. We enjoyed hearing about the history of this town and the buildings that line the banks of the river as our guide pointed out the many points of interest.

It was a sunny day, and refreshments were required before we hit the Alamo. Prickly Pear Margaritas and guacamole made at our table by the river hit the spot, then we walked back to the Alamo. Our tour guide explained the layout of the Alamo as it was in 1836 and where the Mexicans attacked after a 2 week siege. Unfortunately the defenders were outnumber massively and they were overrun and all 200 of them were killed, including Davey Crockett and Jim Bowie. This is an important event in the history of Texas, and the USA have used the battle cry of "remember the Alamo" ever since. The whole complex and the museums inside the compound are really well done, so we really enjoyed seeing it.

We then had a 2 hour drive back to Austin where we kicked back and had a quiet night after another wonderful day.

Port Aransas, Texas

Thursday, April 20

We slept late and then enjoyed a wonderful brunch to start the day. It was sunny and warm, so after feeding the turtles and birds in the local pond we walked along the beach where they were setting up for Texas Sandfest 2017. This is a huge event and lots of the top sand sculptors from around the world we're setting up for the coming weekends competition. There were lots of RVs parked along the beach, and the road runs along the sand as well!

On our return to the hotel we swam and sat in the sun and chatted the afternoon away - it was so relaxing and enjoyable being with good friends and enjoying a few drinks and nibbles. For dinner we ordered take away and sat around the pool just enjoying the good food and company on a lovely spring night.

This is what travelling is all about!

Drive to Port Aransas, Texas

Wednesday, April 19

We set off from Austin with Pat and Burgess, and arrived at Port Aransas around 2:45pm. We had to wait about 35 minutes before we drove onto the ferry that took us across the water to Padre Island where our hotel was located.

We enjoyed pre dinner drinks around the pool before we set off to Corpus Christi where we had a very enjoyable dinner with Linda's brother Clarence and his wife Susie, along with Linda's cousin Georgina and Rick at their house. It was a great night, a lovely meal and their house was beautiful.

Driving to Austin, Texas

Tuesday, April 18

We left Bill and Linda's house and headed south for the 4 hour drive to Austin, where Pat and Burgess live. Around 1pm we stopped at a rest stop for lunch, and then continued the drive to Austin, reaching the Buchanan's about 2:30pm.

It was time for happy hour while we settled in, and after a few drinks we were ready for dinner. We went to a Texan BBQ place called Saltlicks, and it was really good food and a fun place. We were all full after the meal so took it easy and planned the next few days activities - it's going to be a lot of fun!

Dallas, Texas

Monday, April 17

We drove to the nearby DART station and left the car in the car park. The train came and we headed into downtown Dallas to visit the George W Bush Library. When a President leaves office they set up a Library to document their time in office and their achievements. As his father's Library is in Austin then it made sense for G W's to be in Dallas.

The Library was really well done, and there is even a replica of the Oval Office from his time in the White House. Since his time in office he has taken up painting and supporting injured soldiers and their families, so he set about painting portraits of some of the wounded soldiers he has met. They were very well painted and it was quite moving when you heard the story behind the painting.

After some technical problems with the DART trains getting into downtown Dallas to make our next appointment, we finally made it. We arrived at the 6th Floor Museum from where Lee Harvey Oswald is meant to have shot President Kennedy. Just as we arrived the heavens opened, there was lightning and a double crack of thunder - suddenly the lights went out and the power went off! We waited for about an hour but when they told us the power company didn't know what caused the problem or how long it would take to fix, we decided to leave!

Linda called Uber and before long we were heading back to the car in Plano, as the rain continued to pour down. After a stop to get some wine we finally reached home and kicked back and relaxed. We enjoyed leftovers for dinner, then sat outside and watched a glorious Texan sunset to end another memorable day!

Allen, Texas - Day 2

Sunday, April 16

We attended church with the Brooks' family at the Messiah Lutheran Church. On the way to church we were impressed to see police cars blocking lanes to allow cars to turn into the massive church parking lots, and there are so many churches around here!

The family returned to Bill and Linda's home where we had a beautiful meal and we were made to feel very much a part of the family. After lunch we joined in with games and then sat around chatting and getting to know everyone.

Later in the afternoon when everyone else had left Bill drove us around the Allen area to show us the biggest school in the State, and its magnificent new football stadium that holds about 20,000 people. We couldn't get over the scale of the school and its facilities, and it certainly makes Australian facilities look second rate. We also got to see Southfork Ranch where the "Dallas" tv show from the 1970s was filmed.

We ended a beautiful Easter Sunday sitting on the back porch looking out over the golf course and watching lightning bugs flying around after another lovely sunset.

Allen, Texas

Saturday, April 15

After breakfast we drove straight back to Allen, where Bill and Linda live. We had a drive around the Allen area, and saw some of the beautiful wild flowers growing amongst the grass near the roadside. The famous blue bonnets were so colourful and numerous, along with pink and white buttercups.

The afternoon was scheduled for a tour of the local Nine Bands micro brewery, as well as tasting some of their craft beers. The beers went really well with the pizzas that were ordered in, and we also caught up with Andy (Bill and Linda's son) and his wife Tonya there, and we had a good fun afternoon.

Later in the day we did a 1 hour walk around the Twin Creeks estate and golf course. There was great excitement when I stood on a snake on the path, but it was a harmless one. Next up we saw a turkey in the open, which Bill and Linda had never seen before on the estate in all the time they've lived here! It was a lovely sunset as another fabulous day in Texas came to an end.

Fort Worth, Texas

Friday, April 14

We set off about 9:30am for the 1 hour drive from Bill & Linda's to Fort Worth, the "twin" city with Dallas. We found our way to the historic stockyard area, where there's lots of history connected with the longhorn cattle drives that took place in the late 1800s.

We wandered around on a perfect weather day, and eventually took our positions along the route of the cattle drive. The longhorn cattle can have a span of up to 2 metres for their horns, and they are an impressive breed. They were herded by cowboys in period dress, and it was fun to watch this "mini" cattle drive.

Afterwards we wandered along the old streets, taking in a saloon for a cold beer. There were plenty of cowboy boots and hats in here, and it had a great atmosphere. Billy Bob's, the largest honky tonk in the world was nearby, so we visited there. We were blown away by the size and facilities of this place - it has an arena for live bull riding, a showroom for major concerts, hundreds of pool tables and seating for thousands of people! 

Next we drove to the downtown area where we checked into the Sheraton, as we are staying the night here. We walked to Sundance Square where we had a beautiful lunch, then walked around this lovely town. The Sid Richardson Art Gallery was a highlight, and we checked out lots of the historic markers that were dotted around town and informed you of the history of people, places and buildings.

We were all tired so after some refreshments and snacks we called it a day, but what a fabulous day! Thanks Bill and Linda.

Flying to Dallas, Texas

Thursday, April 13

Today we just had to get the shuttle from the hotel to Orlando Airport, then the usual waiting around before we boarded our Southwest Airlines flight to Dallas (Love Field).

We arrived in Dallas and met up with our friends Bill and Linda, who then drove us for nearly an hour in the peak hour traffic to their beautiful home in Allen. We all sat around on their upstairs balcony looking over a golf course enjoying the views and a drink! Linda's sister Tina arrived and we all headed off to dinner at their local Tex-Mex restaurant. The food was great and it was the best way to end the first day of our visit to Texas.

Drive to Orlando, Fl

Wednesday, April 12

We left St. Augustine and headed for Orlando, a 2 hour drive. About half way near Daytona Beach there was a big Tanger outlet mall beckoning, so we pulled in for some retail therapy. We spent more time here than planned and both of us found some nice bargains.

Our faithful Tom Tom took us to our hotel, where we unpacked before dinner as we had to return the car tonight. After dinner at a Cuban restaurant we found our way to where we had to return the car at Orlando Airport - never an easy feat at these huge airports!

We covered a bit over 1,000 miles (1600 km) in the 10 days we had the car, so it wasn't too bad, although we had 5 driving days where we did most of the miles! The Ford Fusion was a nice car to drive, and had the biggest boot for a car of its size which easily held our 2 big cases and 2 carry on cases!

St. Augustine, Florida

Tuesday, April 11

Today we set off to explore historic St. Augustine, the oldest continually populated town in America. It started with the Spanish in 1565, then alternated between the British and Spanish until the Spanish ceded it to the Colonial government of Florida.

There are a lot of claims of "oldest" this and that, but it does have the old Spanish fort (Castillo de San Marcos) and an original city gate, which was part of the wall that ran around the city. The historical sites were well sign posted and the information on them was very helpful. A lot of the shops on St. George Street, which is a pedestrian only area, were very tasteful and was popular with all the tourists in town.

Some of the other old buildings such as the Lighthouse and the Keepers house, as well as others, have been restored over the years by various organisations and are now run by the National Parks service. They have a strong educational and historic focus which is good for the city.

Another feature we liked here were a couple of luxury hotels that were built over 100 years ago, but were gifted by their owners to the city in their wills. The hotel that railway magnate Henry Flagler built is now the Flagler College - he also built a Memorial Church to honour his wife when she died and gave it to the congregation!

We enjoyed walking around in the warmth of the afternoon checking out the many beautiful homes in the streets of this unique city. Yes it's touristy but it has a lot longer and mixed history than any other American city we've visited.

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Drive to St Augustine, Florida

Monday, April 10

We set off after breakfast and did well for the first 2.5 hours without any traffic holdups. Just before we were going to have lunch we came to a standstill - again all 3 lanes were going nowhere! We crawled along for about 30 minutes, and then once we got in the clear there was hardly any traffic around - it just goes! We stopped for lunch, then had a good run again all the way to St. Augustine, and arrived in time for dinner.

Charleston, SC

Sunday, April 9

We headed into Charleston and went straight to Mt. Pleasant park which is across the river from the downtown area. It was lovely walking in the sunshine although there was a bit of a cool breeze, and the park and views towards Patriots Point were great.

We drove into town, parked the car and walked up and down the 2 main shopping streets, King and Meeting. On the second Sunday of each month the city closes King St to traffic at Calhoun St and turn it into a pedestrian mall. There were lots of people walking along this street, along with many buskers who were very talented, so we had lots of entertainment as we window shopped.

Later in the afternoon we went and got the car to drive to the Battery area, which is where the cannons and mortars were located to protect the harbour during the Revolutionary war as well as the Civil War. These along with Fort Sumter which is in the middle of the harbour provided a great line of defence. There were also lots of magnificent houses in the Battery area, so it was fascinating seeing where most of the wealth is located.

At 6pm we went to one of the nearby old churches where we had seen they have a Jazz Vespers service every second Sunday, so we lucked out on 2 special events on the day we were in town.

Drive to Charleston, South Carolina

Saturday, April 8

After a delicious breakfast we said goodbye to Tom and Sandy - what a marvellous time we had with them. During the drive to Charleston the car beeped and a symbol showed a fault with the tires - we pulled over to the verge of the interstate and all the tyres looked ok. Then I saw a display on the dashboard showing one tyre was down to 27psi, so we turned off at the next exit, put some air in it and set off again.

We encountered a few slow patches during the trip where all 3 lanes just crawled along for no apparent reason! We stopped at the South Carolina welcome centre which was housed in the old Frampton Estate plantation house, and the history of the area and the house was really interesting. 

Dinner tonight was at Boxcar Betty's, where we had southern fried chicken and pecan pie - both were delicious and a good introduction to this southern state.

Savannah Georgia

Friday, April 7

We headed into Savannah this afternoon for a look around, and Sandy was the tour guide who lead us on a walking tour. We immediately loved the period buildings and homes as well as the many beautiful squares that abound in the city. The big old live oaks with the Spanish moss hanging from them is so southern and low country, it really added to the atmosphere of the squares.

We arrived at Telfair House and Museum, which is a gorgeous building and now serves as an art gallery. The Telfairs were interested in art and with the help of advisors built a big collection. When the last heir died she left the house and collection to the city, and they have preserved it as a museum.

On our way to Tom's favourite coffee shop we passed Chippewa square, which is where Forest Gump sat on the bench waiting for the bus and telling his listeners that "life is like a box of chocolates..." From there we visited Colonial Park cemetery, which is now a city park, and the resting place of many patriots from the revolutionary war of the late 1700s. It was really well sign posted as to who was where and what they had done to deserve so much recognition, with many being in public office at city, state and federal level.

It was now dinner time so we made our way to 17 Hundred 90 restaurant, and this was a great choice by Sandy. The food was delicious and it had a fabulous atmosphere, maybe due to the 3 resident ghosts who are meant to frequent the building!

After dinner we strolled to the Trustees Gardens where Sandy had booked tickets for us to go to a zydeco concert as part of the Savannah Music Festival. The band was fantastic and lots of people were dancing, and we all had a great time.

As we were near the Savannah river we walked to it after the concert, and were fortunate to see the Georgia Queen paddle steamer returning to its dock. There is a really nice boardwalk along the river and it was a fabulous way to end another memorable day.

Richmond Hill, Georgia

Thursday, April 6

After a late breakfast we headed off to Kilkenny Creek where Tom & Sandy keep their boat. It was still windy after last night's storm but at least the sun was shining. They took us along the river and explained about the marshes and river system that winds its way to Savannah in one direction and the ocean in the other - we were also hoping to see dolphins but we weren't successful today.

After lunch we went to Fort McAllister, which was built during the Civil War to protect Savannah from the Northern States forces. It was very successful at doing this and was never defeated in a battle with ships trying to get up the river. However it was eventually captured from the land by General Sherman's army who had over whelming superior numbers. The museum and fortifications were great, with most of the original fortifications restored by Henry Ford in the 1930s.

We had dinner at a quirky cafe at McAllister's Marina near the fort, and it was a great way to end another fabulous day in Georgia.

Drive to Richmond Hill, Georgia

Wednesday, April 5

We left Bob and Max's about 11am and set off on the approximately 4 hour drive to Tom and Sandy's home in Richmond Hill. It was a pretty easy drive on I95 North, and we had a few stops for petrol and lunch. There was an unexpected halt on the interstate as all 3 lanes stopped before we crawled along for about 15 minutes until the traffic started flowing again. We were thankful that our GPS was working and it directed us to Tom and Sandys around 5:30pm.

They have a lovely home and made us feel so welcome. Sandy cooked a great meal, which we ate on the enclosed porch while listening to the rain and thunder and watching the lightning - it was quite a storm. Just before we were going to retire to bed an alert sounded on Sandy's phone - it was a tornado warning!! We put the TV on and watched the Weather Channel as it tracked the potential path of the tornado. Luckily it was just going to miss us by about 5 kilometres, but there were a couple behind the first one so we didn't get the all clear to go to bed until about midnight, so it ended up a later night than we had planned. Definitely not something you encounter every day, and a first time experience for us.

Melbourne, Florida (continued)

Monday - Tuesday, April 3-4

We were treated to French toast on the deck overlooking the golf course for brunch, and sat and chatted into the afternoon. Later on Max drove us to an outdoor shopping mall and then onto a nearby one that had a different range of shops. It was fun seeing the different shops compared to what we have at home, but we aren't too far behind in style, there's just a bigger selection to choose from in the US.

As it was getting late for dinner we decided to order Italian and eat in, making it a nice casual night. We also watched a movie about Savannah Georgia, our next stop, called Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil - it was a good movie and definitely got us into a "southern" state of mind!

Tuesday - Bob and Max took us on a picnic brunch on the shores of the Indian River where there are nice pavilions to sit in, as well as BBQ facilities. It was a lovely spot and we all enjoyed making our own sandwiches and trying to eat healthily for a change! We also met some other people there and had a good chat with them, as well as watching squirrels trying to get some of the food scraps - they are always cute to watch.

As we were driving home a big thunderstorm struck so we arrived home to flooded streets. Fortunately there were no leaks in the house, so we sat on the patio looking out over the golf course watching the rain. The white herons flew in to feed on the worms and it was cool just watching them as they are local to the area. We were happy to stay in again and watched some more episodes of Perry Mason and Gunsmoke - it's certainly fun to watch these old TV shows.

Melbourne, Florida

Sunday, April 2

We disembarked from the Koningsdam just after 9am, collected our luggage and went to the rental car shuttle area. Unfortunately we had to wait about 40 minutes in the sun before it came and took us to the office. After doing the paperwork we went to the car and turned our GPS on - alas it still had us in Canada from when we last used it in 2015!

We headed down the highway hoping a satellite would pick up our location, and after 5 minutes of driving it hadn't so we pulled into a Dunking Donuts store to give it some more time. Bob and Max had given us directions to their home in Melbourne so all we had to do was find the I95 North! A man gave us directions and we set off for the 2 hour drive, hoping the satellites would find us. 

As we got closer to Melbourne we decided to forget the GPS and just go with the directions we'd been given, and these were all we needed to arrive at Bob and Max's home. It was great to see them again and they made us so welcome. Bobs new toy is a 1969 Pontiac GTO convertible, so to show us around Melbourne we all went for a spin in it - what a great experience and the local area is very pretty with 2 rivers nearby, lots of golf courses and some beautiful homes. This tour was a real highlight for us.

We ate in and talked and talked, and later in the evening we watched old episodes of Perry Mason. We had so much fun and it brought back memories of watching this TV show when we were kids. It was also lovely to have a home cooked meal after 21 days of cruising and to just chill out with friends as we celebrated their 50th anniversary and our 35th!

Half Moon Cay, Bahamas

Saturday, April 1

Another fun time was had at Half Moon Cay! This is a picture postcard beach when you mention the Caribbean, and Holland America have set it up so everything runs very smoothly. We loved walking along the soft, white sand, swimming in the turquoise coloured water and lying in a deck chair listening to the gentle waves lapping the shore under clear blue skies.

We enjoyed the barbecue on shore before returning to the ship to face the dreaded task of packing as we finish this cruise and prepare to leave this beautiful part of the world.

Day at Sea

Friday, March 31

We attended a Mariner's recognition meeting before being taken to lunch where we caught up with Disney and Robin. After lunch we chatted with them some more, then went for a walk around the Promenade deck until it was time to get ready for dinner!

It was Gala Attire night again so we dressed up for dinner, enjoyed another lovely "surf and turf" meal and then watched the production show with the singers and dancers - they certainly work hard but are very talented. Another great day at sea.

Charlotte Amalie, St Thomas, US Virgin Islands

Thursday, March 30

Our plans for the day changed just before we left the ship when we got a call from new friends Disney and Robin. They had booked an excursion in the afternoon but Robin had hurt her neck so they weren't going to go and asked if we wanted to use their tickets. We said yes and thanked them profusely - the excursion was a catamaran trip to 2 dive sites, one over a shipwreck and the other was with turtles!

We did a quick walk to the shops near the dock so we could use wifi, but the bar we picked had very slow wifi so we didn't achieve what we wanted to. Then it was back to the ship for an early lunch before we met the other passengers at 12:30 for the excursion. The catamaran was the Castaway Girl 3, and it was a lovely cat. We were excited, especially Noelle as it was going to be her first real snorkelling tour, and what a fantastic place they took us to first up over an old wreck.

It was about 40 feet down but the water was so clear you could see all the details clearly from the surface, and the water was so warm! Our guide Sienna told us about the fish and coral we could see, as well as the history of the wreck. We were snorkelling for about 35 minutes before we reboarded the cat and headed to Turtle Cove. The water here was only about 20 feet deep with a sandy bottom which also had some vegetation which the turtles feed on. Immediately we could see 3 turtles beneath us, all happily eating away, and then surfacing for air before returning to their food. We swam around and watched them for about 25 minutes, an absolutely fabulous experience. Thank you so much Disney and Robin.

On our way back to the ship we were provided with either rum punch or champagne, and we enjoyed chatting to some of our fellow snorkellers. We got back just in time before we sailed, a bit sunburnt and tired, but exhilarated by the whole experience.

Dinner in the specialty Asian restaurant Tamarind capped off a wonderful day in the US Virgin Isands.

Basseterre, St Kitts

Wednesday, March 29

Our ship docked a bit out of town today so we took a short taxi ride to reach the town and main port area. This had a Princess and Celebrity ship docked there today and it was very busy in the port shops. In all these islands the shops that cater for the tourists consist of jewellery, watch and clothes shops, and most of the clothes are in the bright Caribbean colours which look good here but "over the top" at home!

We wandered into town to check out the main sights, taking in the local market, the National Museum, St. George's Anglican Church,  a nice old clock (that wasn't working) in the middle of a roundabout called The Circus and Independence Square.

The locals were very friendly, and at St. George's we could climb to the roof to check out the view - Al chose to do this and it was very strenuous! After climbing a twisting stone stairway he then had to climb 4 very steep wooden ladders, with the last one leading directly onto the corrugated tin roof. The view was spectacular, but then the decent was even harder and it really took its toll on his legs.

After some refreshments we returned to the port for some shopping before heading back to the ship. We had planned to sit around the pool until we sailed but the sun disappeared behind some big clouds so we showered and went to early dinner.