Pics of Alaska

The pictures include our visit to Bites on Broadway in Skagway (a small intimate coffee shop); our visit to the John Hopkins glacier at Glacier Bay; pics of us with Faye Leung and with chef Karen Barnaby.

Pics from Alaska 2012

Homeward bound!

Day 6

Spent a quiet day at Ketchikan.  Roak arranged for us to dine with the famous Mrs. Faye Leung who joined us for dinner adorned with one of her fabulous hats.  Then we joined her and some of her friends from the staff of the Vancouver Sun for after dinner drinks. What a great time we had!! 

Again Roak’s footwear have become the centre for much attention-these are the beige, camel and green shoes.  The Vancouver Sun and CC have given us a gift a day.  We have received a blanket, box of chocolates, a bottle of champagne, a video picture frame, a free photo, and a free book chronicling the history of the Vancouver Sun.   

Today is our last full day at sea.  Home tomorrow!  We have had a spectacular time and would recommend such a themed cruise to everyone.

on our way home

Day 5

Last night at the casino we didn’t win at the machines but we won a ticket draw for a day pass to the Thermal Suite at the spa, a Tshirt and a bottle of French champagne.  

Spent the day at the Johns Hopkins glacier at Glacier Bay.  Wonderful site.  Extensive ice berg flow.  Saw eagles and seals.  

Attended a special cooking demonstration by our friend Karen Barnaby.  Dinner tonight hosted by CC and the Vancouver Sun.  On our way to Ketchikan and home. 

A star is born

Forgot to mention that last night there were 600 of us from the Van Sun group at the Salmon bake.   

A reporter from the local newspaper hovered around for awhile and then he chose his “star of the night”-Roak.  Roak gave a 20 minute interview that will be featured in the local Juneau newspaper this week! 

Today in Skagway we lunched at a local eatery recommended by our friends Harry and Marlene (who we met on the Panama Canal cruise earlier this year).  We had a great time.  We recommend it as well.  

Haven’t lost all of my winnings on the slots so that feels good.  We received a complimentary bottle of champagne from the cruise company so we plan to have that before our dinner at the Pinnacle Grill tonight.  

Roak wants  to get his picture taken with Faye Leung so I guess we will be travelling with the camera from now on.   

Juneau

Day 3

Won a little money on the slot machines last evening. 

Spent the morning listening to Vaughn Palmer give an overview of the past most recent Premiers of BC.  Fascinating.  He also touched on topics including the BC rail scandal and the HST. 

Drizzling and cool as we arrived in Juneau.  We got off the ship for a short while just to rekindle our knowledge of the city.  Tonight we were hosted at a salmon bake at Gold Creek.  Great time.   Tonight we sail for Skagway.  

Alaska Bound

Daily log Alaska 2012

Day 1 & 2

It was a beautiful sunny day when we boarded ship and embarked from Vancouver.  The Vancouver Sun hosted an embarkation party that last for over 2 hours.  Great appetizers and drinks along with welcomes from the Van Sun hosts.  Amongst the famous guests, Ms Faye Leung mixed with the crowd wearing her first glorious hat of the day, followed by an even bigger hat during dinner.

Breakfast with Vaughan Palmer and senior editors of the paper.  Great questions from crowd followed by even greater responses from the speakers whose candour is wonderful.  

Afternoon presentation by Shelly Fralic who overviewed the past, present and future role of the paper.  Anthony Gismondi provided us with a wine tasting of great wines. 

Tonight is formal night so we will be getting dressed up in our garb.  

The weather is great with sun, fog and beautiful scenery. 

Today, we saw dolphins, gulls and dragon flies the size of gulls.    

To Alaska on the Volendam

We leave this Wednesday for a 1 week cruise on the Ms Volendam.  We will be part of the group sailing to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the Vancouver Sun newspaper.  Many of the editorial staff will be sailing with us and presenting seminars etc with regard to past, present and future publications.  We'll be talking editorials, wine, food and movies.  Should be fun.  Read the posts!

Shopping in Amsterdam!

On the 27^th we strolled the Leidseplein and Leidsestraat.  Ate smoked paling (smoked eel) for lunch.  Spent a quiet afternoon on the Spui followed by an enjoyable bami goreng.  Today, Jun 28^th went to the de Bijenkorf to buy shoes for Peter.  Tomorrow, with the family in Haarlem.   

A day with Ted and Greta!

Jun 25 ate dinner at the Kantjil and de Tijger, Indonesian restaurant on the Spuistraat.  Great food and atmosphere.  Today, spent the day with friends from Naarden/Bussum, Ted and Greeta.  Walked the Jordaan.  Lunch at the Café Esprit.  Beers opposite the Westerkerk Toren.  Then Roak bought a pair of Amsterdamse Schoenen (geen klompen).  

The Bijerkorf, The Kalverstraat and the Spui

Warm and sunny day!  Walked along the canals and the Kalverstraat to Dam Square.  Visited the spectacular shopping centre on the Damrak called the Bijenkorf.  Then, back down the Kalverstraat where we bought the flag of the city of Amsterdam.  Then to the Spui for bitterballen where we met friends from Toronto.  

Yesterday, spent a wonderful quiet day rambling through the city ending on the Spui watching people enjoying the sunshine and wind that marked the day.  Quiet breakfast at our favourite bakery enjoying ham/cheese croissant and espresso.  Dinner in a small Greek café near our hotel.  Today, walked to the Leidseplein for lunch and pictures.   Ate at the Hard Rock café and watched children getting face paintings while they and their parents waited for a seat.  Walked home and spent a quiet evening at the hotel.

Great day in Venlo at the Floriade 2012!

The new photos are from our trip to the Floriade in Venlo yesterday. The weather was great and we walked the 62 hectares over a 6 hour period. Great day. Great flowers!

A exciting day with family.

Visited the Leideseplein and the Apple store there to buy a charger.  Beautiful store with a spiral glass staircase -3 stories high.  Then visited with Paula and her daughter Phoebe in their beautiful condo in Amsterdam on the Keizersgracht followed by a special dinner at the Broek in Waterland.   Today walking the city.  Sunny and warm.  Tomorrow off to the Floriade in Venlo.

Had a wonderful flight (long) from Vancouver to Amsterdam via Toronto and Frankfurt but no waiting at airports.  Just breezed through to Amsterdam!  Sunny and warm.  Today is our first day walking about and our first stop will be at the Apple store in the Leideseplein.

Home tomorrow!

Spent a wonderful day with our friend Ted at his home in Victoria.  Walked to his place had a delicious lunch and then walked back to the ship.  Now getting ready and packing to go home.  

On our way home. Today Victoria!

On Saturday evening, enjoyed a fabulous farewell dinner with our friend Anne, from Australia.  She disembarked in San Diego.  Sunday met Pat and Gregg in San Diego.  They took us to their beautiful home in the hills overlooking the bay and Coronado.  We enjoyed lunch and cocktails with them.  Also got to ride in their newly purchased Mercedes sports car!  Wow!  Then back to the ship to start our journey home.  Next stop Victoria where we will be lunching with our friend Ted.   Roak decided to play roulette and won.  We went back to room and got a call saying that he had won twice as much as they had paid him out.  So yesterday we picked up the rest of the winnings.  

San Diego tomorrow!

Spent a quiet day in sunny and hot Cabo San Lucas.  

Today, Saturday we are on our way to San Diego.  Temp is now 15C!  What a change from what we have been experiencing for the past 3 weeks.  Feeling more like home!  Have met some wonderful new friends during this cruise and look forward to keeping in touch with them in the future.  Had dinner with friends from Scotland via Coquitlam and friends from Australia.

Meeting friends tomorrow in San Diego who we met last year during our cruise to Mexico.   

Today PV Tomorrow Cabo!

Yesterday (Monday) we spent a quiet day in Guatemala.  We visited a beautiful little craft market where the talented local people offered their products.  Roak bought his fridge magnet after much bartering with both he and the vendor being happy.  

Guatemala isn’t very safe and pickpockets aged from 6-60 abound.  Sailed on to Ixtapa Zihuatanejo.  Arrived at Z on Wednesday Apr 9^th.  Beautiful little place.  Humidity is dropping which is good.  

Today PV.  Went to the Mexican fiesta night.  It was great!  Tomorrow Cabo San Lucas!

From thunderstorms to mangrove swamps

Quiet day at sea sailing along the coast of Costa Rica!  Fantastic thunder storm in the early morning with a light show.  Sounded like thunder in a tin can-strange.  Formal evening tonight-Friday.  Tomorrow we tour a mangrove swamp and see the wildlife. 

On Saturday we experienced a wonderful adventure in the mangrove forest and enjoyed a train ride through the countryside of Costa Rica.  We saw scarlet macaws, boas, crocodiles, and green quetzals.  Roak was amazed by the beautiful brahma cattle and the cowboys who tend to them.  We were so happy to see orchids growing in the wild as epiphytes-attached to trees in a symbiotic relationship.  Also saw termite nests (the size of basketballs) in trees, clearing the forest detritus.  Like Aruba, Costa Rica deserves a return visit.  

Today (Sunday) we visited Corinto Nicaragua.  Not a must see!

Horseflies the size of hummingbirds

Today we traversed the Panama Canal.  What a wonderful experience.  

We talked about Peter using a rock to wash laundry and ward off crocodiles but decided it best to use the laundry service.  Hot and humid the whole day!  

Early in the morning we saw parrots leaving their roosts to find breakfast and some of them roosted on the ship’s guy wires for awhile!  

Then the horse flies came and chewed everyone up.  Horseflies: definition: the size of hummingbirds with 4’ teeth, gently removing whole parts of you. Now we are in the Pacific Ocean and are on our way through central America!  

Aruba! Aruba! Aruba!

Roak has been speaking Indonesian for the last few days and all of staff are having as much fun as he is.  I am able to get a copy of the daily Dutch newspaper produced on board ship so I am keeping up with my studies that way.  

Today we spent the day on the beautiful island of Aruba!  What a quaint place.  Buildings the colour of pastel candies and just a cute!  It was the Queen’s birthday yesterday and the town remained festooned with flags, banners and flower displays.   

Visited Queen Wilhelmina Park where we saw a touching memorial to Anne Frank.  Saw lots of small doves and lizards, so Roak got his animal “fix” too. The weather was sunny, hot and humid.  Quite a change from Ft Lauderdale.  Tot ziens!

On our way to Aruba!

We had a great trip to Ft Lauderdale where we met up with our travel group.  Everything went smoothly and we have already met some nice people.

Roak has been studying Indonesian and has been speaking with the dining room staff who are totally enthralled with his ability and keep talking to him in Indonesian whenever they see him. 

We are currently 90 miles off the coast of Cuba on our way to Aruba.  

Vancouver Orchid Society Show 2012

We had a great time with our sales table and we WON, best in class for our Phal/Dtps Sogo Vivien variegated.