Our room
First stop -- Hamburg. It was an early/dreary start: 6:00 am & rain. Weather improved as the day wore on though. We took a bus tour around the city with a couple of stops for pictures and a boat ride with lunch on the Alster Lake? Sea? Not sure what it's called but it sure waz purdy.
Women in red shirt was the first shush-er of the cruise. At seven fifteen in the morning! On day two! And it's not like they were even saying anything important!
Hamburg is like a lot of German cities in that it doesn't have a whole lot of old, old buildings. Too much damage from WW II. Still, what it does have is quite interesting. I especially enjoyed some of the brick construction, the warehouse district and of course the elegant residential area by the Outer Alster Lake/Sea. Russell enabled us to avoid the fish sandwiches that were for lunch (they had a few plain cheese sandwiches and he snagged us a couple). The drive back to the boat took extra long because the driver suddenly parked the bus at a rest area before announcing that it was mandatory that he take a thirty minute break commencing immediately (something about work rules and too many hours behind the wheel -- never mind the fact that we had just had a stop in the city (for all of fifteen minutes) that easily could have been extended in order to satisfy his requirements -- much better to stop alongside the highway!)
Back on the boat tonight we are missing our dining room attendants from the Mediterranean cruise -- Heru and Eko. Not that the people we have now are bad but they just aren't quite the same. Managed to avoid eating bread and having appetizers for second night in a row! Only twenty seven more nights (and thirty pounds) to go!
Hi there Russell, (2 s + 2 l), & Stephen, (with a ph),
ReplyDeleteJust found your blog and having a good laugh whilst reading it.
Firstly the word is "absolutely" not "actually" but at least you have remembered the conversation. Some good and sneaky underhand photo's, well done.
Using an iPad is too obvious for those stern faced, frustrated, "lady" guards.
We have arrived back on sunny Lanzarote after a good cruise going to where you had just been. Kiel Canal was interesting and we hit some lumpy stuff on entering the North Sea. Practically had the dining room to ourselves and most of the waiters were green. A rogue wave hit us at 0200 and stove in two dining room windows and made an indoor swimming pool. Crew cleared lower deck and had it sorted for breakfast, pretty impressive.
Just about back into routine and looking to book our next / vacation for our 30th.
Will leave this for now as I may be saying too much for a blog, (war baby you know) and don't know any better. Will continue on email.
Cheers
M & D