Our time in Alaska was never to be forgotten. So much so, I went back in 2021. More on that in the future. This post will be devoted to the transatlantic cruise we took in 2010. Since the cruise embarked from Southampton, England we decided to leave a week ahead. This was to be our first travel experience with Rose. She was traveling with her friend Ellie and they had also decided to leave a week ahead. She and Ellie planned to stay in a hotel and see the sights.
Butch was doing well. His stamina had increased enormously but he took his cane since he was in an unfamiliar country and wanted to be prepared in case he became unsteady. With Butch feeling more like his old self, this cruise seemed like the perfect blend of activity and relaxation. The bonus was we only needed 1 way flights to England and a short flight from Boston to Islip, Long Island at the end. The cruise stopped in France, Ireland, Iceland and Canada.
Getting to London was interesting. We flew on Iceland Air and had to change planes in Reykjavik. Unfortunately, I waited a bit too long to book the flight and we had an 8 hour layover in the airport. I walked the airport several times and finally decided to settle down and try to get some sleep. No mean feat on an airport bench! We didn’t realize that the airport dims the lights and lowers the heat at midnight. Although Iceland has a temperate climate, it gets cold without the heat. I never fly without at least a medium weight jacket and socks. I never wear open shoes. Butch on the other hand, against my advice, was dressed for summer and was a bit uncomfortable. Airport shops opened at 4 AM and I was able to purchase a fleece jacket for Butch who never again traveled without it. We finally made it to London where Butch’s cousin Greg picked us up with the quintessential London cab (minus the advertising). The cabbie, Butch and Greg had a lively discussion about US and UK sports on the ride to Greg’s apartment.
Greg and his wife Elizabeth had been living in London for several years and were thrilled to have us visit. They lived in an elegant apartment in Kensington where we had a large bedroom with an en suite. Their home was a beautiful testament to their travels and their incredible taste. This was an old building that had been completely renovated and had an elevator so we didn’t have to navigate stairs. We decided to fight through jet lag and after lunch we walked around Kensington. I loved it there. It was a true neighborhood. Everything you could want or need was within walking distance. London was exactly as you’ve seen it on TV. Amazing architecture, wonderful people and for first timers in another country, understanding the language was a huge plus. Greg had spent the past 30 years working in different countries overseas and when the opportunity arose to transfer to London he and Elizabeth seized it. We discovered that we were the first family members to visit. We settled in (temporarily) and had the opportunity to remember old times and plan new memories. That week was a perfect blend of sightseeing and family. Butch was truly happy to be reunited with his cousin and both enjoyed swapping stories of their younger years in Astoria, Queens. After the mini family reunion, I asked Butch what he would most like to see in London and of all the things I wasn’t expecting, he wanted to see Picadilly Circus! The next week was a whirlwind of London and English sightseeing. We saw Stonehenge and Bath, Buckingham Palace with the changing of the guard, of course Picadilly Circus, the London Eye, the Baker Street tube station and Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. I was also fortunate to have a cousin and her family living in England at the same time but this was out in the country requiring a train ride to get there. We had a wonderful time with a surprise overnight visit since the return train never showed up!
Our last night was supposed to be dinner and a London show. Seeing how much Butch and Greg were enjoying their time together, I decided to change things up. Both Butch and Greg had grown up in a large extended Italian family so instead of dinner and the show, I cooked a huge homemade Italian feast which Greg hadn’t had since he started working overseas. I made enough for several meals and froze the extra. Best decision ever. We all had a happy, memorable night that makes me smile every time I think about it.
Time to get to Southampton and our ship. Upon arriving at the Southampton pier, we were treated to a bagpipe review. I love bagpipes! Especially in Egypt when played by pipers dressed like pharaohs! Curious? You’ll have to be patient.
Next stop, France. Paris was a two hour bus ride from Le Havre where the ship was docked. We had made arrangements to have lunch aboard one of the floating restaurants on the Seine with free time to explore. There are not enough adjectives to describe Paris. It’s breathtaking.
To my complete surprise, Butch fell madly in love with Paris. I think for him, it represented an idealized version of the New York City he grew up in. My only regret was that we didn’t have more time there but the bus taking us back to the ship was ready to depart.
For anyone who has heard accounts of how badly tourists from the US have been treated in European countries or how unfriendly the people are, I would remind you, you are a guest in that country. You should not expect the people to speak perfect English or accommodate the way you live in the US. I was witness to a few individuals who were extremely rude and angry when they could not get what they wanted, because it didn’t exist at that particular place. I have found being extremely polite and courteous inspires people to help and leaves them with a good impression.
Off to Le Havre. This was the starting point for the excursion to Normandy and the site of the D-Day invasion. We decided to sit this one out since we had been on the go for several days and I wanted Butch to rest and recoup. However, being there was very pleasant and the weather could not have been better. It was a charming place to spend a few hours and have some ice cream!
Next stop Cork, Ireland. Yes, Ireland is as green as they say it is. In case you don’t know, Cork was the departure point for the last 123 passengers to board the Titanic. I don’t think I really needed to know that! We did have an interesting and informative tour through the city, capped off with lunch at a lovely hotel and the best REAL Irish Coffee ever. I’m not a big fan of Irish Coffee but that day I had 2 and Rose’s.
After Cork, we were on our way to Iceland. I was really looking forward to this stop since Iceland seemed so alien. Most people I know had never met anyone from Iceland and although we knew it existed, aside from the famous chess championship in 1972, not much is typically known. about Iceland. What a beautiful secret! Iceland is regularly named one of the happiest countries in the world and with good reason.
Most people have heard the line-Iceland is green and Greenland is ice. It’s true. The climate is temperate, warmed by the Gulf Stream. The weather was perfect. The country is a contrasting mix of beautiful lush gardens in the city and nearby countryside while the further inland you go, the landscape becomes stark with volcanic steam vents and further still, black sand and crushed rock everywhere. We were fortunate to be there AFTER the eruption in 2010. Iceland sits on 2 tectonic plates which guarantees activity. However, most of the population live near the coast which is typically safe. The most amazing thing we saw was a small pasture with peacefully grazing Icelandic horses directly across from the hot springs in the picture. These horses are very small and are unique to Iceland. We were told that if any of these horses leave Iceland they can never come back to keep the breed pure and disease free.
We journeyed to a little town on the north coast called Akureyri. Its roots date back to the Vikings but it is today a wonderful place with art galleries, a church, one of the most northern botanical gardens in the world and the most fun of all, an all year round Christmas store with some of the most unique decorations I’ve ever seen. Needless to say, I purchased a few and still enjoy unwrapping them every holiday season.
Butch’s favorite season was Christmas so getting him to leave was not easy but he finally did. Our next stop was Reykjavik. Like so many places in Europe, it is an interesting mixture of old and new, sometimes on the same street.
And then there are the uniquely Scandinavian buildings.
We visited a maritime museum housing a recreation of an early Viking ship which crossed the Atlantic to North America. In 1998, the builder decided to sail her across the Atlantic to celebrate Leif Eriksson’s voyage to Vinland. There were 9 crewmembers compared to the 70 on the original voyage along with livestock. Having seen the ship, those were very tight quarters.
No visit to Iceland would be complete without a visit to the famous Blue Lagoon. This now world famous resort and spa got its start accidentally. In the early 1980’s, local residents had been bathing in the silica, algae and mineral rich wastewater from the nearby geothermal plant and noticing incredible results. Today, this has evolved into Blue Lagoon, Iceland comprising the spa resort with a research component. The focus is on hospitality, wellness and sustainability. It has been named by National Geographic as one of the 25 wonders of the world. There is a wide variety of skin care products some of which we purchased. Butch claimed they were extremely soothing and healing to areas of dry and irritated skin which is a common problem for cancer patients. We actually spent so much time exploring the surrounding area and in the gift shop, we didn’t have time to get in the lagoon. Rose and Ellie did though.
It was now time to bid farewell to Iceland and travel across the Atlantic. We were looking forward to several sea days before landing in St. John’s Newfoundland. Two days later, we were informed by the captain that in order to avoid a large Arctic storm we would be bypassing St. John’s. That gave us a welcome extra sea day to relax or explore the ship. We were able to make the next scheduled stop in Sydney, Nova Scotia which was an amazing experience. Our tour guide told us this particular spot had been settled by people, from Scotland because it reminded them so much of home. There was an exhibit showing how the dwellings of the settlers had evolved over time. And of course there was the horse, who loved having his picture taken.
We visited Alexander Graham Bell’s home and what I found most interesting was the fact that I always thought he was from Brooklyn (probably because the old Bell Telephone Company main office was located in Brooklyn, New York). He was actually born in Scotland and lived both in the US and very near Sydney, Nova Scotia. Aside from inventing the telephone, he was a true renaissance man with a wide variety of interests not the least of which was learning the Mohawk language and translating its unwritten vocabulary into visible speech symbols. In addition, there was a wonderful gift shop with a huge selection of fun gifts for children that were actually based on science projects.
We sailed from Sydney to Boston where our cruise came to an end but I was given yet another opportunity to test my problem solving skills. Before we could disembark, US customs had to arrive. This day they were several hours late which meant we would miss our flight from Boston back to New York. Butch did not accept change gracefully, especially when it interfered with his ability to get home. Not seeing any alternative other than arriving the following day, he was not a happy camper. I was able to secure a one way car rental in Boston to be returned to Long Island MacArthur Airport, where we would have arrived by plane. We drove from Boston to the Bridgeport Port Jefferson Ferry, put the car on the ferry, crossed Long Island Sound and returned the car to the Airport. It was arranged that my friend would pick us up at the airport when our flight landed. The drive actually got us there only 30 minutes later than originally scheduled. A short drive home, time to unpack and plan our next adventure.
