It’s a good thing we pretty much knew the drill for this morning, because none of us were given any heads up as to when to put our luggage outside the room last night, or when breakfast was being served in the Lido or dining room today. Usually, we are given an amended end of the cruise flyer, outlining this important information, as well as the statistics for the 18 day Panama Cruise. We did have a disembarkation schedule which had the list of colored tags and numbers and approximate times for getting off the ship today. The most stressed thing was telling us not to congregate around the gangway or stairwells waiting your turn to debark. Of course, that is what a whole lot of people did, getting the attention of the Captain, who came across with a strong message to wait comfortably in your stateroom or public areas. And when he speaks….everyone listens.
Breakfast in the dining room was 6:30am, and we were about the first ones to arrive. By not advertising a time, we think most folks went to the Lido, assuming this was not opened. Better for us, our food arrived quickly. We took our usual walk around the promenade deck to find it was closed off since the gangway was hooked up here to the terminal. But we did watch the new supplies waiting to be loaded, and also the luggage being taken off. What are the odds that we would see some of our duffels in one of those huge baskets? A good sign that it might be ready for us when we get off.
The ship was cleared by 8am, and many of us wondered how the customs, immigrations, and border control would work here. We had not been given the US form to fill out, so it was unclear as to the procedure today. Was it possible that the terrible line we encountered in Vancouver yesterday would be all the clearance we needed? That would be nice.
With our President’s Club status, we could get off the ship anytime we chose. However, arriving too soon, the six pieces of luggage might not be there yet. Our color red 2 was called exactly at 8:15am, the promised time for us. The latest the tags were called was 9:15am, but we had to remember that 500 people were getting off with just hand luggage or expedited. That did help.
Once in the terminal, we found our stuff easily. And the best news was that we did not have to haul it through customs, as there was none here. We had completed the customs check for the US yesterday, even though we were technically in Canada. No more forms to fill out, at least here as well as in Florida. We did not even need the use of porters, because the officials said to leave it right where it was, and it would be collected for the Fed Ex pick up later in the day. Perfect.
Since we had pre-purchased the transfer to the airport, all we had to do was find the right bus, and sit back and relax. There were three types of transfers offered by shore excursions in Seattle. The one we took was an airport transfer only. The other two included a tour, but were for those with flights after 1:30 or 3:30pm. So it was the Best of Seattle for 4 hours, or the Ho-ho bus with luggage service. The four hour tour was $135 and the ho-ho was $59. Ours was $59 for two, whether we had luggage or not.
It took the driver about 35 minutes to reach the airport. And since we were flying with Delta, we were able to check in right there in the garage entrance. One good reason to fly Delta. We took our time walking to the terminal, because it was a long haul to find it. You have to take a round- about way to get there, but along the way, we had people giving good directions. They also took care of the new folks coming to board the Amsterdam for her first 2 week trip to Alaska.
Although our flight was after 1pm, it was on time. That gave us plenty of time to catch up on photos and reports while we waited. The flight was quick, only about 2 hours, so by the time you got comfortable, you were landing. Again, getting off was easy because we had no luggage to pick up.
Having arranged a ride home, we met up with our driver at the baggage carousel, where we walked to the garage to begin our ride home. Of course, it was right in the middle of commute time (4pm), and we knew no matter which way our driver took, we were in for a two hour ride. One thing for sure, the weather was quite warm today. Once we got across the Bay Bridge, the temps began to climb to well over 90 degrees. Summer was here, but we were not complaining.
Home by 6pm, it seemed like we had been gone forever in some ways, and in other ways, it’s like we just left. Go figure….. And we had a surprise package waiting for us on the front door step. It turned out to be a gift from HAL, sent by Orlando Ashford. It was a commemorative Delft plate welcoming the newest ship to the fleet – the Nieuw Statendam. That was a “first” receiving a gift like this. Guessing it arrived around April 14th, we were lucky it was still there. Never thought to ask anyone to check the front door, although had we known, we could have alerted our son. All is well that ends well.
Our work will be cut out for us for many weeks to come, but it will be nice to go to sleep in our own bed tonight with our comfortable pillows. We will miss the “motion of the ocean” until our next trip. Until then, thanks for following along once again. It’s been a pleasure.
Bill & Mary Ann
Thursday, June 6, 2019
Report #136 Seattle, Washington June 3, 2019 Monday Overcast
Wednesday, June 5, 2019
Report #135 Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada June 2, 2019 Sunday Partly cloudy & 70 degrees
The city of Vancouver was founded in the late 1800’s by the British. It was originally a lumber mill village. A man named Gassy Jack was the first person to see a need for bars to serve the thirsty mill workers. The story goes that Gassy Jack gave a barrel of booze to the men that built him a saloon. His name is now transferred to Gastown, which is an area of boutique shops and restaurants these days. Vancouver’s famous steam clock is also there.
Captain George Vancouver sailed on Captain Cook’s expeditions, and later chartered the area for the British. The city was named after him, George Vancouver.
There were three tours here, including the highlights for $60 per person (2 ½ hours), or Northwest exploration and Suspension Bridge for $100 (3 ½ hours). The hop-on, hop-off bus for $50 had 29 stops and covered almost all of the city and surrounds. We have done this tour many years ago, and found it fun. And since many passengers would be leaving today, somewhere near 500, a highlight tour with an airport transfer was also offered for $80.
The Amsterdam arrived to the port at 7am, with two ships also docked there. One was the HAL Westerdam, while the other was the Celebrity Eclipse, one of the big ones. Breakfast was served early in the dining room, although we did not go until 7:30am. It was not crowded.
Leaving the ship was like going into a hornet’s nest, due to so many people debarking those two vessels and ours too. However, had we known what it was going to be like getting back onboard later, we may have changed our minds, and stayed onboard the ship. We had been given “in transit” cards, which we would need later to go through the US Customs and Border Protection in the cruise ship terminal on our way back. The time allowed for this inspection was from 10:30am to 3:45pm. All aboard was at 4pm. The procedure here is very different from everywhere else we have been.
Once clear of Canada Place, we took a right turn to walk the seawall along Burrand Inlet. The Vancouver Convention Center is located on this corner, and it was bustling with activity with all of the cafes and shops on the ground level.
Walking further, we came across the seaplane terminal, which is reportedly the world’s largest multi-user terminal. A 20 minute flight for sightseeing ran about $138 for 20 minutes. These planes were taking off the entire time we were there.
Coal Harbor Quay was next, where some mighty fine small boats to luxury yachts were docked. It is also home to many houseboats, complete with verandas and potted rooftop gardens. Some of these boats were also for sale.
The Westin Hotel and other condos and apartment buildings are situated here over-looking Coal Harbor. Turning the bend, we entered Stanley Park, a 1001 acre public park almost entirely surrounded by the waters of the Pacific Ocean. One of the highlights of this park that draws many customers, young and old, are the horse-drawn trolleys. This pleasant ride lasts for one hour and costs $50 for adults, or $46 for seniors. This is all in Canadian dollars by the way.
Some of the horses are a rare Grey Shire imported from Yorkshire, England. Other breeds used are Clysdales, Belgiums, and Percherons. Back in the 1800’s, these animals were used to haul logs in the lumber industry. Some of the larger breeds stand 2.4 meters tall, have feet the size of frying pans, and consume 27 kilograms or 60 pounds of feed a day. They can drink 100 liters of water a day as well. The trolleys are aluminum-framed with signal lights and hydraulic brakes. And they run completely on hay and oats!
The walk in the park was delightful. We did see one Douglas squirrel, and a Canada goose. What we did not see were raccoons, river otters, beavers, and great blue herons. All reportedly in this huge park. There are a whopping 20,000 bald eagles in all of British Columbia, but we did not see one here. What we did see were the trees, in fact there are ½ million trees in this park, some are over 100 years old. However, in December of 2006, a hurricane-force windstorm destroyed 10,000 trees here. That probably why we spotted many young trees planted in their space.
There are 17 miles of trails through this park with towering red cedars, hemlock, and Douglas firs to name only a few. Logging went on here from the 1800’s to the early 1900’s, until it was declared a park. Walking the seawall around the park presents stunning views of downtown, the Lions Gate Bridge, English Bay, and many sandy beaches. Sure would have been nice if we had more time to explore here. But it was time for lunch.
Backtracking at this point, we ended up at Steamworks Brewery on the other side of Canada Place. There was still a mess of people coming and going, as the two bigger ships were beginning a new run to Alaska, while we were loading an additional 500 or more folks for a one night cruise to Seattle.
Lunch was very good with a shared cheeseburger, fries, and one apple crisp with ice cream for dessert. Beers were the special draft of the day….pale ale – ice cold. Sure was nice to relax for over an hour. In hindsight, we should have lingered longer.
Finally, we made our way back to the cruise terminal with at least one million other passengers from three ships doing the same thing. Our “in transit” cards meant nothing. What we found was a long line where all of us were funneled into a row of chairs. Each row had about 100 seats, and there were six rows. Every 15 minutes, a row of guests was released to line up for the customs check. We guess we waited for about I hour in total before getting to the kiosks.
These are self-explanatory passport scanning and questionnaires for the US clearance. As long as you followed the directions, it was simple and quick. Then we lined up to see a live agent, who took our receipt, checked our photo page, and finally we were free to go back to the proper ship. Last time we did this, the Eurodam was the only ship in port, so the line was short and it moved really fast. Later on in the day, we talked to Sue, who also has sailed on this Panama cruise after the grand voyage, and when she saw the process of getting back onboard, she changed her mind and went back on the ship. Probably a good choice.
As we said, all aboard was at 4pm, when a mandatory muster drill was held for only the newly boarded guests. At least that was a good thing. Around 4:30pm, we went up to deck nine to find it was still warm outside, although the skies had become totally overcast. Around that same time, the Celebrity Eclipse began their sail out of the harbor. They were barely on their way, when the Westerdam pulled away from the pier, turned around, and followed them. We were last to leave around 5:30pm, doing 12.8 knots after we went under the Lions Gate Bridge, and headed out to sea. We would have 178 nautical miles to sail to Seattle, according to the cruise log.
Speaking of the cruise log, during this 18 day trip from Ft. Lauderdale to Seattle, we will have sailed 5807 miles, using 227,186 gallons of fuel. Once again, the egg consumption was high at 46,570.
Our last dinner was with our favorite waiters. We had soup, salad, and one pork chop and one pasta dish with sliced chicken. Dessert was one date pudding and one rocky road ice cream. Naturally, Slam snuck us some biscotti cookies, and Marco found some ginger. It was hard saying goodbye, but we hope to see them again soon. Saying goodbye to Ellen and Aart was harder, but they will be back on the 2020 world cruise, which is only months away. By the way, we had a most beautiful sunset this evening, as the ship wove in between the dozens of islands of the coast.
There was entertainment this evening. Part of it started during dinner ,when we watched with amusement the diners down on deck four. They were part of the party-hardy one-nighters here to have fun. And fun they were having. Later, the show was a performance of the singers and dancers doing Crossroads, one of which we did see on the world cruise.
Hauling our luggage outside the room was fun (NOT). At least we will not have to carry any of it home, as we are shipping all six of them.
The final goodnight saying for this trip is: No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old familiar pillow.
- Lin Yutang -
Bill & Mary Ann
Monday, June 3, 2019
Report #134 Victoria, British Columbia, Canada June 1, 2019 Saturday Partly cloudy & 65 degrees
Today’s port was quite a lovely one…..the city of Victoria, situated on the southeastern end of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. It overlooks the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Victoria was the original trading post for the Hudson’s Bay Company in 1843. The gold rush hit here in the 1860’s, and this company was the main supplier of the equipment needed to find it. Now the city is the provincial capital for British Columbia.
Today Victoria is a thriving haven for tourists and the retirement community, mostly due to the mild climate. There is much to see and do here, especially the Victorian-style Parliament buildings and the Empress Hotel – all within walking distance of the pier.
Shore excursions offered nine tours today. Sightseeing of the city either by walking, a horse-drawn carriage ride, or by bus took up four of them. The hours ran from 1 to 2 ½ hours for $40 to $75. Food-based tours were royal tea time or craft beer tasting for $75 to $129. Whale-watching for orcas was 3 hours for $130, and two tours went to Butchart Gardens, the 55 acres of spring blooming plants and trees. They ran $95 to $105 for 5 hours.
Originally, we were supposed to be docking here at 1pm and leaving at 11pm. But last week, that had changed to an arrival time of 10am, leaving at 6pm. And that was fine with us as it gave us time to enjoy the city during the daylight hours. The Amsterdam was docked at Ogden Point by 10am, and we were off by 10:30am. Even though the forecast said 65 degrees, we think it was much warmer than that once we reached the city center.
There was a shuttle service which would depart from the pier to downtown and back for $16, but it was such a beautiful day, walking was by far the better choice. And besides it was fun watching the helicopter and float planes taking off for commuting or sightseeing. Following the signs, we made our way to town passing some Victorian tea houses and hotels along the way. This area has many condos and apartments over-looking the bay as well.
We walked past Fisherman’s Wharf, a small version of the one in SF, but full of good views and good eats. Staying on the main drive, we came across Coho Ferry and the Steamship Terminal where you can catch ferries to Port Angeles, Seattle and Vancouver. Also a good place to book whale-watching tours.
We began to see the horse-drawn carriages that offered rides for 15 to 90 minutes for $60 to $295. These carriages hold six people and the price is for the carriage for up to six. These rides were right next to the Provincial Legislature and the Parliament, probably the most impressive Victorian buildings in the city. Then adjacent to this, was the Empress Hotel, now owned by Fairmont. It faces the Inner Harbor, that has a life of its own. Besides the ferries, there are fishing boats and yachts to watch from the Harbor Walkway down below the street level. There are eateries and vendors that line this walkway that are most entertaining. There were street artists today, one dressed totally in pink, like a mime, and one balloon-making fellow. Arts and crafts of the area were the most common souvenirs to buy here.
Our destination was lunch…anywhere there was pizza and beer. This time we were able to research local pizzerias online. Now with the new internet system on the ship, we have the freedom to research anything we like. That was not always possible when using the “by the minute” plan. Anyway, we located a possible restaurant on Johnson Street, close to Chinatown. Taking our time walking, we easily found it, and it was perfect. And we were lucky it was not too crowded yet, since today was a Saturday, and a very busy weekend.
We ordered a Margherita pizza (like that is a surprise?), with side Caesar salads. The beer was a local pale ale on draft. Dessert was a Nutella pizza calzone, something totally new for us to try. And of course, we liked it. We had a window seat with a view of the Esquimalt Road Bridge, and were surprised at the amount of traffic coming into town.
Taking our time walking back, we window-shopped, picking up one novelty t-shirt. This shop did not accept the credit card we were using, so we paid cash in US dollars. Guess they can adjust the rate, since they quoted $1.10 Canadian to $1 USD. We were told it was $1.35 to the dollar, however, they take the fee for using US into account. Using a credit card really does get you the better rate, but then the store has to accept it. And, of course, no other store sold this special t-shirt. It will be treasured.
We usually walk around the waterside of the road back, but there was a renewal project taking place there, so we went back the way we came. Getting back to the ship by 4pm, we had time to catch up on photo-sorting, before going to the sailing out of the harbor. While we were doing this, another ship pulled in across from us….the Oosterdam, another HAL vessel. Up to now, we had been the only cruise ship here. But soon to follow was the Star Princess, and even bigger, the NCL Bliss. With those huge ships, the town will be inundated. Good for business.
By now, the wind had come up, and it was really cold on the aft deck. Going down to deck seven aft was a little better, but still cold. We lasted outside, getting all the photos we needed, then went back inside to warm up by 6:30pm. We know we were close to Vancouver, our next port, but checking the TV, we found we only had about 85 nautical miles to get there. No wonder we were going at 6 to 8 knots, because our arrival time in Vancouver is 7am. If we have as nice as a day as today, we will be most lucky.
Dinner for us was in the Pinnacle Grill, ordering the wedge salad, lamb chops, and a steak. Fries, rice, and carrots were the sides, as well as one order of the delicious bacon. Who knew you could mix smoked peppered bacon with maple syrup, lemon juice and a slice of pickle, and it would be so tasty? Dessert was small servings of sorbet and ice cream.
Bill & Mary Ann
Saturday, June 1, 2019
Report #133 Day at Sea May 31, 2019 Friday No forecast
Our forecast ……very cloudy, also very cold, windy, and slightly rough seas. Not exactly the way we wanted to spend our final day at sea, but for most of this extended cruise, we have had fairly good weather.
Our day was simple. Eat, pack, get a haircut, and eat some more. Since it was not a fitting day to be outside for any length of time, we needed to continue with the majority of the packing. It’s the little odds and ends that take time.
The best part of the day was lunch in the dining room, where we shared our table with guests…..Ellen and Aart. We had so much catching up to do, it would take months, let alone days. The perfect meeting spot would have been at the aft pool deck, but with this weather, no one has gone out there that we know of. The wind would have been a factor today for sure. At least we could linger over a fine lunch in comfort, with the expert help from our waiters.
That worked out perfectly time-wise, because we wanted to watch the movie “The Kid”, yesterday’s Wajang feature. It was a western based on the times of Billy the Kid, but had a different twist to the story. Glamorized, it was not. Made you happy you did not live in those times of the wild, wild west. It was also a good time to catch up on yesterday’s photos and report.
When finally reading the When & Where paper, we noticed there was a sale on some of the 2019 world cruise logo wear. Whatever was left was 50% off. This morning, we asked Slam if these t-shirts and sweatshirts ever went on sale for the crew. The answer was yes, and they did get it at 75% off. Whatever does not sell at that time, is possibly donated. Funny thing was we were riding in an elevator with a lady that just purchased a world cruise sweatshirt. She said it was a good idea, since she needed something warmer, and no one will ever know that she did not actually sail on that cruise. Always a good reason to buy these items.
Tonight’s suggested dress was gala attire, the final one of this 18 day trip. The late seating at 8pm had many fewer guests, but the open seating on deck four had even less. Despite that, the wait for the surf and turf entrée was long, as most folks ordered that. The rack of veal was equally as good. Usually we try to pass by the desserts, but we did have one flourless chocolate cake and one orange-glazed cheesecake. This will be a hard habit to break once we go home. And that is coming up soon.
Around 9:30pm, we noticed some waiters coming into the dining room dressed in white vests. Turns out they were going to be passing around chocolate treats throughout deck five. This is something that also occurred on the grand voyage too. Sure looked like a big hit, because people were indulging in the lounges, bars, and the casino as we made our way to the forward elevators. We’re guessing most all of them had dined much earlier. And for about 500 guests, this will be about the end of their trip as they will be debarking in Vancouver.
The good news is that we will be arriving early to Victoria tomorrow at 10am instead of 1pm. It’s such a beautiful city that we appreciate the extra time to explore and enjoy.
The saying for today is a very good one to ponder: Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do, than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. - Mark Twain – We did, and intend to continue.....
Bill & Mary Ann
Report #132 San Francisco, California May 30, 2019 Thursday Partly cloudy & 63 degrees
Founded in the 1700’s by the Spanish, San Francisco continued to flourish from the California Gold Rush in the 1800’s. In 1906, a devastating earthquake hit, causing massive damage. And the quakes have not stopped since then. As native-born San Franciscans, we have lived through many of those earthquakes over the years, yet we have continued to live in the Bay Area despite that.
Today, we came into the city via the Amsterdam, going under the famous and most photographed bridge in the world – the Golden Gate Bridge. The bad news was that it was pretty foggy, so it was difficult to see a lot of it. Much was the same story with passing by Alcatraz Island, named for the pelicans that nest there. During the Civil War, the US Army used this island as a prison. It became a maximum security penitentiary in 1934, earning it the name of “The Rock”. Although there is no recorded history of anyone surviving an escape, this prison closed down in 1964, as it became too expensive to run. These days it is a really popular tourist destination.
We passed by all of the places we would walk to later in the day, then docked at Pier 27, the newest Cruise Terminal. Once we were alongside, we had to attend a mandatory immigration inspection shoreside. We had been given notices with a group letter on it, and an estimated time we would be called. Even though we would be called sometime between 8:45 to 9am, we decided to go to breakfast as usual, then go off closer to 9:30am. This would be a zero count, and no one would be allowed back onboard until 11:30am. So we planned on continuing with our outing for the day, and come back later in the afternoon. Many other guests used this time to take advantage of the free wifi in the cruise terminal.
We lined up to see the agent, and when he scanned our passports thoroughly, he looked up and said welcome home. Sure is a good feeling to be greeted this way, as these officials usually are not that friendly. We were free to go and make our way to Pier 35. There was an hour before we were to meet our youngest son for lunch at the Hard Rock Café, so we toured Pier 39. The best fun there is watching the massive sea lions perched on the floating platforms at the back end. They will sometimes fight with each other, sleep, or slither off the side to hunt fish. One thing for sure….they all stink.
We checked out all of the shops, especially the salt water taffy candy store, and the Ghirardelli Store. The clothing shops really had some good deals on t-shirts and souvenirs. But we had to chuckle when we spotted the very same round purse we bought in Bali, selling for $50. We saw a similar one in Cabo for $97. Bought in Bali? Try $10. Can’t blame them for trying
It was wonderful seeing our son, and spending some quality time together. Would have been great for our oldest son to join us, but he works quite a long distance from here, it would have been impossible. With traffic in and around the city, nothing is easy these days. Our time was short, but it was soon time to say goodbye.
We were on our way to Fisherman’s Wharf, and Ghirardelli Square, taking in the scenery along the way. For a Thursday afternoon, it was really busy, especially the restaurants along the wharf, where they were serving lobster, crab, and shrimp sandwiches. Round loaves of French bread were made into bowls for clam chowder. All types of fish and shellfish were on the menus, which the city is famous for. Highly allergic for one of us, we had stuck with the burgers instead. Dungeness crabs were being cooked in big steaming cauldrons, while the lobsters waited their turn in the pot.
The fishing fleet docks were next, where we were treated to a display of a very hungry sea lion ripping into the carcass of a halibut, tossed to him by the fisherman who just fileted it. The seagulls also fought for bits of the chewed up pile of bones, head and tail. Nothing is wasted. There were several boats available to take folks on ½ or full day fishing trips for salmon, squid, abalone, sand dabs, sole, bass, ling, rock cod, maceral, and halibut. Pier 45 houses up to 300 commercial fishing boats, which is the largest concentration of commercial fish processing and distributors of the West Coast. Also located here are the ships, USS Pampanito, a WWII restored submarine, and the SS Jeremiah O’Brien, a D-Day Liberty ship, both available to tour.
The main street, Jefferson St, has shop after shop of souvenirs, and some really good buys. One happened to be a reversible water-resistant lined jacket for $25. Having already packed our arctic jackets (who knows where?), buying one of these was a great idea, even if it will have to be worn home on the plane.
Coming out at Hyde Street Pier, we saw more ships from the past….namely, an 1888 square-rigged sailing ship, an 1895 lumber schooner, a 1907 steam tug Hercules, and an 1890 walking beam ferryboat, Eureka. Ranger-guided tours were available as this is the only floating National Park in America. So intriguing to visualize living in those centuries and actually sailing on one of these historic ships. Can’t imagine it was pleasant…..
From here, we made our way through Victorian Park, but not before seeing the Powel-Hyde Street Cable Car Turnaround. And no visit is complete without taking a ride on one of these icons. Actually, these cable cars have no engines. They are pulled by a steel cable embedded in the street. And that cable is always moving at 9.5 miles exactly. There are three Cable Car lines, which we recall riding frequently when we were kids, and even adults. More of a form of transportation in those days, now they are filled to capacity mainly with tourists. And with the risk of sounding “dated”, we paid 10 cents or used a transfer from a bus to ride them. It’s quite a bit more now we heard.
On the hillside, we went to Ghirardelli Square, full of specialty shops as well as the famous chocolate candy store. It was here that we found another bargain of the day…..pumpkin pie spice chocolates for 75% off. Yes, the date was soon to expire, but they will not last that long.
Down at the water’s edge, was the South End Rowing and Dolphin Clubs, another icon of the city. There were swimmers in the sheltered Aquatic Park, as cold as that water must be, they were having a race. Also here is the Maritime Museum, where the admission was free. A great place to explore if you have more time. A kids, we also recalled going out on Municipal Pier and fishing. One of us remembered buying hot French fries on the way to fish, a good way to stay warm on this windy long pier.
Time to head back, we took our time watching the busy shops and restaurants with all of the people enjoying the variety of food offered here. One such place was Boudin Bakery, where we watched an experienced baker creating loaves of French bread….specifically, sourdough bread. We did not know this, but the French baker, Isadore Boudin, created a tart and tasty loaf of bread that had that special crust with a chewy soft heart. His creation has stuck around ever since then. The secret? It was replacing the yeast with the bacteria from yogurt that made the sourdough rise. So all of the bakers save some of the “mother dough” to use the next day, and so the story goes. Just thinking about eating this bread, makes our mouths water.
With one stop at a local CVS for some supplies, we got back to the ship by 3:30pm, an hour before the all onboard time. That left a little time to work on photos before we went out to watch the sailing out of the scenic harbor. If we had more time, we would have made our way to the Ferry Building, but that was another long walk, so maybe next time.
Heading up to deck nine, we found many guests that were going to the Crow’s Nest instead of going outside. Even though the sun had peeked out briefly, it was still cold and the wind was picking up. By the time the lines were dropped, we weathered the sail out under the Golden Gate Bridge, glad we had bundled up, and one of us very happy to have bought the new SF jacket. The only disappointment was that Captain Eversen did not go around the backside of Alcatraz Island this time. On past cruises, it gave us a closer look at the prison that once stood there. Although it was still overcast, most of the bridge was visible as we sailed under it. This time we did not see any whales, like we did last year. The views of Ocean Beach, Seal Rock, the Cliffhouse, and the coastline of Marin county kept our interest until the ice cold winds and rough seas drove us back inside the ship.
Now we are headed towards Canada for the final two ports of this journey. The next time we will see San Francisco will be when we land at the airport on Monday.
Bill & Mary Ann