Boston, Beantown, The Hub, The Athens of America, The City on a Hill

Posted on September 19, 2014 by Tim and Joanne Joseph

Thursday September 18th ~ Boston

Boston Skyline

Boston Skyline

Did you know that all of the above are nicknames for the city of Boston?

I got laid low with a bug and spent a big part of the past few days in bed, simply trying to get well. That put a serious damper in our sightseeing plans for Beantown. We still managed to get out and see a few of the items on the “must see” list including a 1/2 day inside the John F Kennedy Library, walked some, took a harbor cruise and a city tour.

I’m worn out and still not feeling 100%, so I’m just going to post a few pictures I took over a couple of days of sightseeing in Boston.  Continue reading →

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Five days at sea ~ No land in sight (Iceland to Boston)

Posted on September 18, 2014 by Tim and Joanne Joseph

Tuesday September 9th 3:00 pm

Restocking in Iceland before 5 days at sea

Restocking in Iceland before 5 days at sea

The Captain warned us last evening as we were leaving Iceland that rough seas were ahead and that anyone with a tendency toward getting seasick should be prepared to take precautionary measures. They plan on altering course to take us further south so that after Tuesday afternoon and all day Wednesday, we would have the worst behind us.

I located my small box of pills that we purchased on a prior cruise, and placed them in the nightstand drawer so that I knew where they were if needed. We have always been great sailors in the past, even under very rough seas, except for the Norway cruise where we both had weak tummies one evening. We thought at the time it also could have just been something we ate. Continue reading →

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Iceland ~ Thingvellir NP, Gullfoss, Geysir, Fontana Health Spa

Posted on September 16, 2014 by Tim and Joanne Joseph

Monday September 8th ~ Iceland, Day 2

Typical Iceland landscape

Typical Iceland landscape

An early nine-hour tour got us up at 6:00 a.m. and on the road by 7:30.Today’s outing was labeled Gullfoss, Geysir and Hot Spring and cost $149.75 USD per person. Described by Royal Caribbean as:

“A tour that takes in some of the most famous sites and sights in Iceland! The neo-volcanic rift at Thingvellir (A UNESCO site), a natural hot spring sauna experience, the spouting hot springs at Geysir and the spectacular Gullfoss waterfall. Traveling through what is considered to be the Golden Circle, an area of volcanic and natural wonders treasured above all others by Icelanders.”

Continue reading →

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Iceland, Day 1 ~ Geothermal Fields, Blue Lagoon, Viking Museum

Posted on September 15, 2014 by Tim and Joanne Joseph

Sunday September 7th – Reykjavik Iceland (Day 1)

Geothermal pools

Geothermal pools

I did not make notes while in Iceland. Our time there was limited and with two long excursions booked, I had little free time other than for meals and some sleep. I’ll reconstruct our time there mainly via the pictures we took with a brief explanation. We arrived at noon on our first day and would be overnighting with a 5:00 pm departure scheduled for the next day.

Our first tour was labeled Krysuvik Geothermal Field and Blue Lagoon. It was a 5 hour excursion and cost $89.75 USD per person.

What stood out immediately for me was that other than right in the main city of Reykjavik, which is the capital of the country, the rest of the land is quite barren and sparsely populated. We passed mile after mile of lava fields now partially covered over with green moss. In some areas there was decent red soil being cultivated with crops as well as used for range land for sheep, a few cows, and the pure bred Icelandic horses.

Continue reading →

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Faroe Islands ~ Still unspoiled, beautiful and welcoming

Posted on September 14, 2014 by Tim and Joanne Joseph

Friday September 5th ~ Faroe Islands

Faroe Islands

Faroe Islands

A little about the Faroe Islands (or Faroe Islands 101):

The Faroe Islands map

The Faroe Islands map

  1. They are in the heart of the Gulf Stream in the North Atlantic
  2. Located northwest of Scotland and halfway between Iceland and Norway
  3. An archipelago composed of 18 islands, 16 of which are inhabited
  4. The population is approximately 48,000 people and a larger number of sheep
  5. 687 miles (1,100 km) of coastline and at no time on the islands can you get more than 3 miles away from the ocean
  6. The highest mountain is 2883 feet (882 m) above sea level
  7. Local time is Greenwich Mean Time, the same as London.
  8. They have their own currency, the Krona and use Danish coins.
  9. They are an autonomous country, self-governing but within the Kingdom of Denmark
  10. The climate is surprisingly mild for as far north as they are located, and it rarely freezes here
  11. The population is well-educated, and every family has a computer
  12. The fishing industry is the most important source of income
  13. The language is Faroese, which is related to other Scandinavian languages. Danish and English are also taught in school.

Continue reading →

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England ~ Portland Port and Weymouth Harbor

Posted on September 4, 2014 by Tim and Joanne Joseph

Tuesday September 2 ~ Portland Port and Weymouth Harbor, England

Weymouth, England

Weymouth, England

Docking at the port of Portland, we hopped on a free shuttle that delivered us to the nearby town of Weymouth in the Brewers Quay area. With no tours booked and nothing in particular on our list to see, we simply enjoyed wandering around the town, crossing the bridge into the old town area, walking along the boardwalk at the beach, and then circling back around the enclosed harbor.  Continue reading →

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Normandy Beaches, American Cemetery and Memorial, Bayeux France

Posted on September 3, 2014 by Tim and Joanne Joseph

Monday September 1st ~ Le Havre, France and the beaches of Normandy

Bayeux France

Bayeux France

Northwestern France is beautiful. Quaint villages, brilliant long sandy beaches, bright colorful flowers and a fertile landscape. After our ship landed in Le Havre, most of the tour groups either headed east toward Paris, or west to visit the infamous beaches where the Allied Troops landed, on what has become known as D-Day.

When we landed in this port a couple of months back, Tim and I opted to take a local bus and went to the lovely town of Honfleur where we enjoyed a bucket of delicious mussels. Click here if you want to read about that day. I later regretted not taking the day trip to visit the D-Day beaches, but at the time we felt that the excursion on the Princess Cruise was too expensive. This time around we decided to just bite the bullet and go… Continue reading →

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Brilliance of the Seas – Transatlantic Cruise

Posted on August 31, 2014 by Tim and Joanne Joseph

Sunday August 31 – Bon Voyage!

This post will be just a short update to let you all know that we are safely on board our floating home for the next 14 days and just leaving the port at Warwich, England.

Our ports of call will include: Continue reading →

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Long Term Travel ~ Not always as easy as it looks

Posted on August 30, 2014 by Tim and Joanne Joseph

Saturday August 30th ~ Taking the train from York to Ipswich, England

Travel like being on a merry-go-round

Travel is like being on a merry-go-round

Sometimes traveling gets old.  There I’ve said it…

Have we been having an incredible, amazing journey?  You bet we have!  I will forever be grateful for this time away together.  We have passed through so many countries as we have traveled around the world, seen natural beauty that left us breathless, checked off UNESCO site after site, and visited more churches, Cathedrals, and museums than I can count.

However…

The small amount of clothing that we brought with us that all fits inside carry-on luggage is getting worn, stained and in some cases, thread bare.  And anything that is still decent, might as well be worn out because after wearing the same things over and over again, I am quite tired of it.  Continue reading →

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York ~ Final Hoorah, Sizzle or Fizzle

Posted on August 29, 2014 by Tim and Joanne Joseph

Friday August 29th ~ York, England

The Wind in the Willows

The Wind in the Willows

Over the past couple of days we managed to get a few more places explored, and fun times squeezed in.  One stop was to the Royal Theater where we took in a performance of “The Wind in the Willows”.  This delightful story based on an English classic children’s book written in 1908 by Kenneth Grahame, was made all the more special by attending a matinée where we were surrounded by youngsters.  Their laughter and squeals of delight certainly helped make this even more memorable.

Set for the play "Wind in the Willows"

Set for the play “Wind in the Willows”

Before the production started, we took a backstage tour where the living quarters for the animals portrayed in the play were reproduced in details to match the storyline.  Many of the children attending the production queued up and quickly pointed out items they recognized from the story. Continue reading →

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