Dec. 31, 2017 - Boarding the Carnival Conquest

Sunday, Dec. 31, 2017

We were up at a decent time and down for breakfast together, this time. I made better choices this time, and wasn’t overly full. Then back to our room, get our suitcases packed up again, put on our baggage tags so they would know where to deliver them, and then wait for the bus to the ship.

We were supposed to load at 12:00, but one of the buses went to the wrong hotel, so we weren’t ready to leave until 12:45. Our boarding appointment was 12:30-1:00, so we were late and had to wait in the regular line. Still, we were on fairly quickly.

We found our cabin, and then had to wait for the bags to arrive, so we went for a look around. It was a fairly nice day, warm and mostly sunny. There were 4 ships in dock when we arrived. We saw a lot of the sights of the Port, which we had seen before a few times. Things didn’t look a lot different.

Then we thought we would head back to the room to check on our bags. Dawn’s was there, and her backpack, but mine and the CPAC weren’t delivered yet. She began unpacking. My suitcase arrived a little later, but still no CPAC machine, which worried us somewhat. Our room steward (Erwin) arrived and introduce himself. He assured us it would be there before tonight.

Then the evacuation drill, which was somewhat a joke. We stood around for a long time, and then people wouldn’t stop talking when instructions were given. Finally we were released and allowed to carry on with our sailing. We were in our room when we notice that the ship was moving, so stood on our balcony to say farewell to Ft. Lauderdale for about a week.

The tour company had a Welcome Reception for us in one of the bars at 5:00, we got our t-shirts, had our drinks, met some more people (most had been on one or more of the other tours, but a few were just starting out), and basically had a conversation. Then it was down a deck to the restaurant for dinner.

Our whole group had a number of tables (there are 85 of us) in the same area. Our friends from Windsor (Carl and Martha) are with us, another couple from Kamloops (Anna and Al), and three other couples who we know, but aren’t sure of their names. Our server is Waian from Indonesia, and his helper is Ilona from Minsk. He is very slow and not overly organized, so it will be difficult to get through our dinners in time to return to the hockey games, once they start for us on Jan. 2.

The dinner took a couple hours to get completed, and then we went back to our cabin. We decided not to participate in the New Year's Eve celebrations. We were tired, and just wanted to rest and relax. Watched some TV, then off to bed. Tomorrow we will be in Nassau, Bahamas.

Dec. 30, 2017 - Fort Lauderdale

 Saturday, Dec. 30

A fairly quiet day today. We slept in to catch up on some sleep. Finally got up to go down for breakfast which closed at 10:00. Dawn didn’t make it, but I did. Scrambled eggs, waffles, sausages, fruit salad, juice, and coffee pretty much did it. There was far more to select from, but I couldn’t see taking so much that I couldn’t walk.

After we got ready, we went for a walk to see the area around the hotel. We weren’t sure what we were going to see, so didn’t know what direction to go. However, we found some stores and souvenir shops and looked through some of them. Bought a few postcards so Dawn could send a note off to her friends.

Then, back to the hotel to read and write, and generally rest up. We had to be down in the lobby at 5:00 to pick up our tickets to the hockey game, and get boarded on the bus, so we were a bit early. Lots of folks there already.

View From our Seats

Then it was off to the BB&T Arena to watch Montreal play Florida. It is quite a place. Our group was booked into an area called Lord Stanley’s Loft which was located on the 300 level. It took a while to find how to get there because it wasn’t on the regular 300 level, but just above it. Entrance there allowed one to get buffet food and water or pop. We hadn’t eaten since breakfast so were quite hungry.

When Dawn saw how steep the steps were, there was a bit of panic, but we finally found our seats, got out our shoe horn, and squeezed into these narrow, confining seats. There wasn't a lot of leg room and the seats were quite low, so my knee quickly got sore

 We did have a pretty good view of the ice, though. We were sitting higher than the top of the clock and it was like watching the game on TV, but it was easy to follow the play. The game started out well with Florida scoring first. The first period ended 1-0, and the shots were even (13-13).

Famous Names in the Rafters

Florida started playing harder in the second period and really outshot the Canadiens. They pretty much stifled Montreal, not letting them get too many opportunities. They have a good defense, preventing Montreal getting in close to Reimer. They seemed to be able to get in on Price for some good shots, but he pretty much held them off.

Front of the BB&T Arena

Finally, the Panthers scored another goal and then Montreal started to press as we got close to the end of the game. This allowed a number of odd-man rushes, but Price wasn’t letting anything in. He was pulled with about 2 minutes remaining and Montreal put on lots of pressure but nothing. They did stop Florida from scoring a couple times, but that was only going to help if Montreal scored. They didn’t.

Then, back to the bus and off to Ft. Lauderdale and our hotel. We went to our room and got ready for bed. I was able to get the Blazers game in Everett on my iPad, so we listened to the second period. It was 1-0 Everett when we started, and we shut it off at 5-0. Sounds like we weren’t very good luck for any of the teams we were hoping for.

Oh well, we are off to the ship tomorrow and the beginning of our cruise.

Oldest Building in Miami

Dec. 29, 2017 - Flying to Ft. Lauderdale

After getting up at 5:00 in a hotel room in cold Toronto, we had to get back to the airport for the next part of our journey to Florida. The temperature was about -13C and it was chilly again. Our shuttle to the airport left shortly after the breakfast area opened so we didn’t get breakfast at the hotel. The shuttle was quite full with lots of suitcases filling the suitcase area.

The ride to the airport was about 20 minutes, and traffic was pretty heavy for 6:45 in the morning, but who cares; I wasn’t driving and we got there in plenty of time.

When we got to the airport, there were many kiosks to print our boarding passes and luggage tags so we got to one. We were already checked in due to flying yesterday from Kamloops, so it was a fairly simple process. It is far easier after doing it a few times in the past, too. From there, we had to go and unload our baggage, which was also electronic. Put your luggage on the belt and if it was okay for size and weight, scan our boarding pass and away it went.

Then on to security. Of course, we went to the domestic area first, so had to get out of line and then find the security area. Not too far though. The lineup wasn’t bad and within 15 minutes we were through. We thought we should find our boarding gate first, so we did. Once we were in that area, we decided to have something to eat at a crowded little fast food area.

Then, we had about an hour’s wait until we boarded our plane. It was a 737, smaller than the one we flew from Calgary on, but we fit, so all was good. We were late leaving the gate because they were waiting for 2 people who were on a connecting flight. I don’t know if they made it because I don’t recall anyone getting on while waiting. Then, off to get de-iced. That area was busy and it took about 20 minutes to get there and get cleaned off (it was lightly snowing at that time). Finally, we were in the air and on our way to warmer temperatures.

It was a 2-hour 47-minute flight (they said) and we read and watched a video on our tablet (had to have the Westjet Connect app which I had downloaded onto my iPad last night). Again, basically coffee, pop, and/or pretzels for snacks. The coffee was great (it was McDonald’s coffee which I like anyway, but. they only came by the one time so no second cups).

Landing at Ft. Lauderdale

Arrived at Fort Lauderdale at about 2:00, found our luggage, and then off to wait for the shuttle to the hotel. There were two other couples (1 from Kamloops and 1 from Salmon Arm) who we have been on our World Junior trips with before in Toronto, and we all got the same plane to Florida and are at the same hotel. I guess that is the way it works when going to the same place and same cruise.

We got our car to the basketball game in Miami. The driver was 20 minutes late picking us up, but we got there in time. It was fun, of course. Entering an arena, braving the crowds, finding the souvenir shop and buying some things, then finding our seats are all things I look forward to. We were in the 100 level, so fairly close to the floor (but far higher than any place in Kamloops) and behind the net that Miami shot at in the first half.

Warm-up at Miami Heat

The game started well but then fell apart. Miami couldn’t hit any long shots (I think they were just over 3% for the night while Brooklyn was over 47%). They also didn’t appear to be able to defend against Brooklyn, either. All in all, it was quite a thumping. One highlight was the Miami coach having a temper tantrum because the refs didn’t seem to be calling the game equally; lots of fouls for Miami, and few for Brooklyn. After that, it seemed to even out a lot, and calls began going both ways. However, Miami missed quite a few free throws, too.

Some pretty important names

It took a while to locate our driver after the game, but we finally did and were on our way back to Ft. Lauderdale. While on the freeway, we almost got nailed by a car that came across a couple lanes, smacked into the cement guard, then spun around and smacked into it again on the other end of his car. Our driver managed to slow down enough and pull way over so that we didn’t get hit, but it was really close. He was shaken, and so were we.

Then back to the hotel to find out Canada had lost in the shootout to the USA, so all in all, not a great night. Oh well, tomorrow we go to see Montreal and Florida play hockey, and the next day off to the ship. Better things are coming.

Outside of American Airlines Arena 

Oldest Building in Miami across the street from Arena

August 10 - Londonderry / Derry

When we got up in the morning and ready for the day, we went on another of the optional tours we had purchased. This one was a tour of the Inishowen Peninsula (Grianan of Aileach). It was a raining, cloudy morning, and we weren't sure what we would see. However, after driving for a couple hours, we went off the main road (narrow as it was), and onto another, even narrower road, beginning to climb up into the hills.

3-ring Stone Fort

Entrance to the Fort

Near the top of the hill, we came upon a stone fort, which was built in a round format. The walls were about 20 feet high, and entry was through a low, narrow doorway. This is where they watched for the enemy ships (Viking, English, French, etc) and brought the people living around the fort inside if they were attacked. There were tunnels inside the walls where the women and children hid during enemy attack, while the men manned the walls and fought off the enemy. Because of the low cloud, we couldn't see too much, but there was a view of the ocean where the enemy ships were trying to come ashore.

View From the Road

After that, we carried on to another view site, but Dawn and I didn't get off the bus. The road was so narrow, that the bus had to stop on the road because he couldn't get turned around if he had gone into the viewing site. Another vehicle came along, and he had to back up until we could get past him. I was sure glad that we weren't driving the bus. My goodness, these roads were narrow. Then it was back to the hotel and lunch.

After lunch, we had a walking tour along the city walls with our guide, Ronan McNamerra. He was a man of Irish / Chinese decent and had a great accent and a great sense of humour. He was a lot of fun to listen to and kept our attention as he gave us some of the history of this city. It was one of the memorable tours because Ronan was so engaging. He had a way about himself that made you pay attention.

City Wall

City Hall

The city wall was built around the city as a means of defence. There was only a small part of the wall left standing for historical purposes. It was about 12 feet wide, and perhaps up to 20 feet high. There were gates to the city built into the wall, and we walked over a couple of them. Then, he took us on a short tour of part of the old town. He talked about the various merchants that were in different locations and gave us a good overview of what life must have been like back in those days.

A highlight was walking past one of the cafes, and the sign that was in the window. It shows in the following picture.

A Sign of the Times?

Finally, he took us back to our pick-up location, and we had a bit of time until the bus was to pick us up. Then it was back to our hotel for dinner, and off to bed. Tomorrow, we were travelling on to Belleek and Galway.

August 9 - Titanic and Giant's Causeway

We were up and off by 8:30 am this morning. Our first stop was in Belfast, where the Titanic was built. They have an exhibit in a very large building that showed the process of the building of the Titanic. It took us through the whole process, right from the time the keel was laid, until the ship was launched. It took us through what life was like for the workers, the riveting of the plates of steel to the keel and struts, the fitting out of the ship, what the rooms in the various classes were like, where the crew lived, and so on. It was different than the exhibit we saw in Victoria because that was to display the artifacts that had been recovered from the sunken ship. This was about the construction of this giant ship.

Rope Bridge to an Island 

From there, we were off along the northwest coast to visit a site known as the Giant's Causeway. This is an area where the volcanic matter was laid down to create a very rugged coastline and some islands off the coast. Of course, there is a legend about how a giant laid down the huge columns of basalt to create a causeway to the Scottish lands where he messed with another giant's wife. That giant came home, and the one from Ireland barely escaped back across the causeway, being chased by the Scottish giant.

When the Irish giant got to his home, he ran into the house and his mother told him to get into bed. When the Scottish giant came in, he was still looking for the Irish giant. He pulled open the bedroom door, and there was the Irish giant in bed, pretending to be a baby. The Scottish giant saw a picture of the Irish giant on the wall, and it looked just like the baby laying in the bed so he ran away, not wanting to meet the father of this giant baby.

As the Scottish giant ran back to Scotland across the Causeway, his heavy steps caused the Causeway columns to collapse, leaving a couple islands in a line across the Irish Sea.

Cement Fence Post

Peace Bridge

From there, it was on to Londonderry / Derry. It is called this because the Protestants are supporters of England, and want it named after London. However, the Catholics want nothing to do with England, and only want it called Derry. It depends who you talk to what it is called.After checking in to the hotel, we went on a walking tour of Derry and the Peach Bridge. This is a walking bridge spanning the river, joining the old part of town with the British fort on the other side. It is an attempt to heal the rift between the religions after the "troubles".

Leaving the Restaurant

After that, it was on to an award-winning restaurant, Tiberquay, for an optional dinner that night. Then, it was back to the hotel and off to bed. Tomorrow, we have a couple tours in and around Londonderry.

August 8 - On to Belfast

We were up early and on the bus by 8:15 am. This morning, we drove to Belfast, with a pit stop on the way. When we arrived in Belfast, we were taken on a Black Cab tour. These were mostly typical Black Cabs that can be seen on British TV. Some of the cabs were small vans that held more people.

One of the Cabbies

Protestant Mural

All the cabs went to the same places, and at times, we stopped and heard from a couple of the drivers who spoke about what Belfast was like during "the Troubles". The cabbies were a mixture of Catholic and Protestant drivers, each having a good sense of humour, but wanting us to see, and get a feel for, what life was like in Northern Ireland during that time.

Mural in Protestant Section

First, we stopped at a Protestant area and one of the cabbies who was Protestant spoke to us about the characters involved, the murals that were painted, and tried to explain why they were fighting to stay as part of the United Kingdom. He talked about some of the leaders who were fighting for their convictions and the many who were killed.

The Wall Between Catholic and Protestant

Then we drove to the wall that is still standing and helping to keep one of the Catholic areas apart from the Protestants. Now they are living in peace, but the wall is not something that they want to take down.  It is a very tall wall (40 feet high) and over a mile long. We stopped and heard about it, and about the people who have written slogans of peace on the wall. Dawn wrote our name on it, along with people like John Lennon.

Catholic Cabbie

Catholic Mural

From there, we went inside the wall and stopped at a Catholic memorial to those killed during the fighting. A Catholic driver gave this presentation, and it was quite a different point of view from the Protestant presentation. He spoke of the sociopaths and psychopaths who shot many innocent women and children. What a sobering set of presentations, even though these cabbies were good friends, with many living in communities of the other religion.

After checking into our hotel, it was back on the bus to take a guided walking tour of the back streets of Belfast. Our guide was a woman who had a great sense of humour. We only walked through a small part of the city, but she took us to many places that we likely wouldn't have gone to. She spoke of them as places the locals went. In all cases, she was a fast-talking, humorous guide.

Mural outside Pub Wall

Carved Wood Door in Pub

We visited one of the local pubs that had a door made of special wood and beautifully carved. Then she took us to another bar (her favourite) where we were treated to a drink as part of the tour. When we were finished there, we re-boarded the bus and drove to a fish and chip shop that had stayed open just for us. This was another favourite of our guide and I have to admit, it was very good.

Then it was back to our hotel, and get ready for bed. Tomorrow, we do some more touring in Belfast, and then drive on to another town.

Bookmaking Shop in Belfast

August 7 - To Ireland

We were up and ready to leave by 4:55 am. Our car arrived, we loaded our bags in the trunk and set off to Munich airport (Dawn and I were the only ones leaving this early). The driver spoke English well, and got us there in plenty of time. Dawn rode in the back seat, and could see the speedometer, and noticed that at one time, we were going over 150 km/h. It didn't feel like that, but he got us there inside of 2 hours.

I had checked in the previous day, so we just had to check our bags, go through security, and then head for the boarding gate. It was quite a walk, and when we got there, there were only 2 other people there already. However, by the time we boarded, the gate was full of people, sitting and standing.  We boarded the plane, found our seats, and flew off to Dublin.

At Dublin, we collected our bags and then found our travel company greeter.  She took us to where the bus was located, and when the driver arrived, we set off for the hotel in Dublin. It was a Radisson hotel, very nice but hot inside the room. We had a bus tour of the city at 3:00 pm so when that time rolled around, off we went to view the sites of Dublin.

We viewed some sites of the city, and finished at a graveyard, for a graveyard tour. The tour was led by a local guide who knew an amazing number of facts and dates. She pointed out the tombstones of some famous people of Ireland, who were instrumental in Ireland being the way it is. The chronology of the walk developed the players in what is known as "the Troubles", and problems between the Catholics and the Protestants. It was an interesting introduction to this country and although the wind was blowing pretty hard, we enjoyed the information.

The tour was followed by a welcome reception at the cafe in the graveyard where we met some of the other people on the tour, and got some drinks and appetizers. We were up and off to Belfast by 8:15 in the morning, so it was back to the hotel and off to bed.