Month: May 2018

It appears that the touch screen feature on my Apple Watch is not working. I have checked on the Internet for possible remedies and tried doing a hard re-boot, but still a no go. The other functions are still working but the touch screen, is a must.

Today I spent a good part of the day straightening up the garage. Over time, tools and equipment get scattered all over so it takes a lot of time putting them in their spot. I have always said that there should be a place for everything and everything in its place. 

Today, MY Jane and I were up bright and early to do a few chores around the house including weeding the flower beds and straightening out some crooked border stones surrounding the front kidney shaped bed. Jane did the weeding and I worked on the stones.

We had most of this done before noon and after a light lunch, I worked on freshening up a few fence ornaments that were looking kind of bland.

It was a hot, but satisfying day.

Right after breakfast, MY Jane and I packed up some dinghy stuff and headed up to Honey Harbour.

The water level this year is much higher than last year as is evidenced by lack of usual beach there and the signs surrounded by water.

We spent all day there enjoying the sunshine and watching the red wing blackbirds flitting about. There was very little boat traffic making it a very quiet day…ok with us!

We left about 5PM and headed back to Barrie

Yesterday and today, MY Jane and I made a couple of trips to the local garden centre to pick up some annuals for the various urns and flower pots we have.

It’s a very hit and humid day so we’ll wait a bit before doing any more planting.

Had a nice Face Time chat with Steven and Sara. Jane got up to speed with wedding plans and Steve told us about the excellent time they all had in Germany including a high speed run around the famous racetrack near Nuremburg. Can’t wait to see the video he is in the process of editing.

Yesterday, MY Jane and I spent most of the day working at getting back into our daily home living.Our Sleep pattern is still off, consequently I was up at 4AM.

It’s coming along quite nicely and in the next few days we’ll purchase and plant some annuals like impatiens and dusty Miller.

In the meantime, most of the day was spent doing laundry and re-stocking the fridge.

It was a great trip, but nice to be back. Thanks to our neighbours, Jenny and Allan, who kept an eye on the place and Minnie while we were away.

We were up bright and early yesterday at the suggestion of our Scenic rep, Petr. He wanted us to see the famous Charles Bridge before too many tourists showed up. Sometimes there are as many as 40,000 a day at peak times.

We were able to get some great pictures of the bridge and surrounding buildings.

Jane has her fingers on the icon embeded in the bridge that, legdnd has it, allows a wish you make to cone true.

After that we toured the marine museum at the bridge and then had a “locals” lunch at a Deli near the hotel.

We were up early yesterday morning to take in a guided tour of  Prague Castle, a well known and popular tourist attraction.

Our guide, Petr, did a great job explaining the history of this place and that of his country.

On the way, Petr showed us an alleyway that is only wide enough for one person to walk at a time. To avoid situations where two people get stuck meeting in the middle, they put in a traffic light at both ends.

We finished the tour and  continued on our own for the rest of the day fir a total of about 11 km of walking.

We were up early yesterday morning to get ready for our all day bus trip to Prague. Everything went almost according to schedule. The Scenic people are great and it was sad to have to leave the Ruby.

But because the bus we were on was not registered in the Czech republic, we were not allowed to drive the 100kph speed limit, instead we could only go 80kmp.

We stopped in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, for a “light” lunch which turned out to be a full meal.

It’s also a location for a large Kia manufacturing plant.

On the way, we noticed many wind turbines, a seemingly sharp contrast to the ancient architecture prevalent in the area.

We were delayed by an hour because of traffic, but finally made it to our hotel, the Cosmopolitan, in the centre of Prague.

Jane did a brief orientation walk with our guide, Petr, and then we went to a nearby food court for some
Czech food. I had Czech ham and mashed potatoes while Jane had schnitzel. Delicious.

Tired but happy.

We arrived in Budapest at our scheduled time of 8 AM And, once again after breakfast, we were taken on a tour of the city by bus with several stops in the way.

We were driven around and our guide provided an insightful description of the historical significance of many monuments and buildings.

Our last stop was at a school for the blind where we were entertained by a local pianist who entertained us with a half hour classical music recital.

After returning to the ship we were invited to take in a tour of the ship’s kitchen. It is remarkable how they put out such good meals from such a small space.

After another great dinner, we were given a final evening river tour up and down the Danube.

What a beautiful way to end our river cruise. Today, its off to Prague.

 

After breakfast, and still tied up in Vienna, we elected to take in a tour of the  famous Schunnbrunn Palace.

After our tour, we returned to the Ruby in time for lunch and some relaxation on the sun deck.

Here’s the Captain in his dress uniform – a great guy.

Yesterday morning, after an early breakfast we were bussed to the city centre of Vienna and then taken on a walking tour that lasted about an hour.

It was fascinating seeing all the old buildings with the  spectacular architecture and imposing statues.

We were impressed by St. Stephen’s Cathedral with its tall spires and striking architecture both inside and outside.

We did stop at a nearby cafe for a coffee and delicious pastry after which we toured the Hapsbug Family crypt  where dozens and dozens of heavy and ornate steel coffins were on display.

We took a shuttlebus back to the Ruby and, after an early dinner, we were taken to the Lichenstein Palace for a musical concert exclusively for Scenic guests.

Another busy day!

Yesterday, we arrived in Passau Germany around 7:45 AM just after breakfast and, shortly thereafter, we departed by motor coach toward Salzburg.

We were shown the house where Mozart was born.

After the tour, we once again boarded our motor coach for a ride up the mountains on a narrow, winding road finally arriving at a rustic restaurant called Zistelalm where we had lunch.

After lunch we were entertained by a number of musicians who played a number of songs with singing accompaniment, some of them from the Sound of Music. Here’s a link to a video clip of the opening number:

It was a delightful day despite the intermittent rain.

We sailed from Salzburg to Melk during the night, arriving very early in the morning and, after breakfast, we were taken on a walking tour of the nearby Benedictine Abbey of Melk.

This monstery was founded in 1089 AD and is still active with about 30 monks still living and working there.

The highlight was a visit to the church within the abbey, a magnificent and stunningly beautiful edifice that is truly awe inspiring.

The church is of the Baroque atchitectural style, a style that includes a great deal of ornate detail.

There are several hundred guest rooms in the abbey used for visiting royalty and VIP’s.

There is also a museum containing several original manuscripts and original artifacts from as far back as the 14th century.

It is certainly the best of our tours so far. 

We continued on to the small village of Durnstein where we stayed for the afternoon.

We bought a few souvenirs and discovered a beautifully kept cemetery just off the main street.

Soon after, we departed for Vienna and got a very nice look at the village of Durnstein which was all lit up.

After we returned to the Ruby, we decided to take advantage of the room service option and have a quiet dinner on the balcony.

After travelling all night, we woke up to sunny weather and beautiful scenery.

I was invited by the Captain of the Ruby to join him in the  wheelhouse where he kindly answered all my questions and allowed me take over the helm for a bit.

I was curious as to how he controlled the stern of the ship when leaving the dock without stern thrusters and he showed me thisillustration.

I had my answer.

One of the things I learned was that the City of Regensburg decided to memorialize the murders of Jewish people because of religious persecution by placing permanent bronze markers amongst the cobblestones of some streets. 

Regensburg is our favourite City so far.

Yesterday we spent all day in the City of Nuremberg. The city centre was a 25 minute bus ride and once there, our guide took us on a walking tour. Afterward, we were left on our own to explore this beautiful City.

The highlight of the tour was the Bishops residence at the Imperial Castle.

The square itself was bustling with vendors displaying their wares.

There were many museums and examples of Gothic architecture.

We did not tour the city outskirts, the venue of the darker side of the city’s past during the Third Reich.

Yesterday, after breakfast, we arrived in Bamburg, a beautiful Bavarian town of 50,000 where we were taken on a walking tour that lasted about 45 minutes.

The streets of this town are cobblestone and very narrow. It is famous for having nine breweries, one of which makes smoked beer. Jane tried a sip and said it tasted awful.

After our sojourn, we returned to the Ruby and a short time later, had a great dinner followed by a Face Time call with everyone back home. Of course they all wished Jane a happy Mothers Day which nade her day that much better.

Our day began with our arrival in Wurzburg around 8AM and after a light breakfast, we were taken by motor coach to the medieval city of Rothenburg, an hour and a half away.

The tour was great and the scenery spectacular overlooking the Tauber Valley.

We returned to the Ruby where our day got better with a dinner invitation to Portobellos for a splendid Italian Dinner with a select group of clients including Paul and Diane from Meaford, Ontario.

 

Yesterday morning we sailed on toward Rudesheim. On the way, we passed several castles and more beautiful scenery.

You can check out a video of one of these mechanical instruments in action by going to this You Tube link:

https://youtu.be/ZHfHqCKQ0ik

Jane sampled the delicious coffee after we had gone up the cable car to see view the river vista below.

You don’t want to have too many of these coffees because the crowded sidewalks are pretty narrow and difficult navigate even when you’re sober.

After our tour of Cologne, we set off toward Andernach where we would be dropped off at Bonn and from there, we were bussed to Marksburg Castle, about an hour and a half from the Ruby.

The trip there was through some very scenic countryside with great examples of typical German countryside.

Marksburg Castle is the one castle that was totally undamaged over the years and well preserved. It was built in the 13th century and serves today as a beautiful monument to the past.

The bus could not make it all the way to the mountaintop location of the castle because of the steep hairpin curves, so some people walked the final 100 yards up a steep cobblestone path while MY Jane and I took a small van.

Once inside the castle, steps that had been carved into the slate rock, led us up to the castle proper where we saw canons of various sizes as well as displays of suits of armour and weapons used as far back as the 1200’s.

After our tour, we were seated in a huge dining hall and served an assortment of delicious food and drink.

After an enjoyable meal, during which there was lively conversation all around, I was selected out of the audience to participate in a humourours skit with the court jester wherein I was crowned King of Canada a couple of other audience members acted as a Tower and Rapunzel.

After travelling all night up the Rhine, we had breakfast and shortly after, tied up at a small jetty just before Cologne. We the took a half hour motor coach ride to the city for a walking tour.

We were taken back to the Ruby in time for lunch and to get ready for a further run up the river to enjoy a medieval feast at Marksburg Castle later tonight. 

This morning, bright and early, MY Jane and I had breakfast and headed with a Scenic bus to a nearby location Zaanse Schans just outside Amsterdam where we had the opportunity to see some actual working windmills and a wooden shoe manufacturing shop.

We are now aboard our cruise ship, The Ruby. We arrived in Amsterdam right on schedule and were picked up at the airport and taken straight to the Amsterdam Pier where the Ruby is docked.

We are all set. Just a last minute check of carry on luggage and we can zip everything up.

Double check our list and then wait for our Transportation Service to pick us up.

After some discussion, MY Jane and I decided to upgrade to Business Class for the outbound trip. The seats were on sale for 50% off and provide much more leg room as well as allowing a full reclining position so maybe we can get some sleep. 

We want to be rested as much as we can so we can take advantage of our time in Amsterdam before setting sail on the Scenic Ruby.

Yesterday was notable because of the extremely high winds, in some places exceeding 100kmph. One of our neighbours behind us had a large section of shingles torn right off.

Several other houses in the area had similar damage. I checked our house and it was fine as was our next door neighbour’s place. Colter, the young man who looks after our grass cutting, was also outside checking things too. 

This morning everything is back to normal weather wise with the sun shining, no wind and temperature at 19C.

Time to finalize packing in readiness for tomorrow’s departure!

The robins nest that I recently posted with a Robin sitting in it has been abandoned.

Quite an engineering feat when you think of it. All the dried grasses along with fresh blades of grass held together with bits of mud ending up as a sturdy safe place for eggs and hatchlings.

This morning, before breakfast, I was checking out YouTube videos of Scenic Cruises in Europe and found a half hour video that had me absolutely enthralled. Here’s the link:

Several weeks ago we bought brand new lightweight luggage in preparation for our upcoming vacation. 

We will put one change of clothes in our carry on bag “in the unlikely event our luggage is lost”. That’s the wording used in the brochure.

We have also downloaded an app called “Whatsapp” that we intend to use instead of data roaming which can get very expensive. So as soon as we get to Pearson International, we’ll be putting our phones on airplane mode.

Not long now. 

A couple of days ago, MY Jane discovered a robins nest under construction on my ladder which I have hanging on the fence. I was uncertain as to whether this nesting site would continue to be used because of its low height (about 4 feet off the ground) and its proximity to the gate and hose bib.

This morning, I got my answer. When I looked out our kitchen window, I could see that a robin was working there.

This means that I will have to be careful using the hose and try to avoid using the gate. And the ladder won’t be available for awhile. But it’s a great vantage point from the window to observe the eggs and nestlings after they hatch.

Readers may recall that, a few weeks ago,  I constructed a nesting box specifically for robins and fastened it to the corner of the house. Apparently the ladder location is more suitable.