Robin's NCL Transatlantic Cruise- Spring 1999   

Norwegian Dream
April 18-May 6, 1999

Overview and Sunday April 18th

A transatlantic crossing of the Atlantic Ocean, stopping in European ports, visiting London for 3 days at the end... all sounds so romantic, doesn't it? And incredibly expensive... the kind of cruise we'd always dreamed about, but never really thought we'd ever be able to afford to take. But through a great deal on a travel auction website, that's just what we're going to do!

The plan: the kids and I are using frequent flier miles to fly from Orlando to San Juan, and then back from London to Orlando. We'll do the entire cruise - the first week at sea, and the second week of various ports of call. Vic didn't want to take that much time off work, so he bought an airline ticket to Lisbon, Portugal. He will fly in there the day before our ship arrives, and stay in a hotel for a night, then board the ship in the morning and join us for the rest of the cruise. After the 15-day cruise is over, we will take transportation to London, spend 2 days there, then all fly home together. The costs: $1299 for the cabin, $400 for the upgrade (oceanview), $180 each for port charges, and $350 each to add the kids - $3117. Retail price: over $9,000! Also, we're using frequently flyer points for me and the kids, and only $415 for Vic's airfare. His hotel in Lisbon is $125, and we are using Disney Vacation Club points for the hotel in London. How could we not go?!

The packing was a project - what kind of weather to expect? Leaving out of San Juan, I expect warm weather at the beginning... maybe even shorts, probably bathing suits, even if it's just for the hot tub. We're going the southern route, with our first stop in Madeira - an island off the coast of Africa - so how long would it stay warm? Also, 3 formal nights on the ship, and no shorts in public areas after 6 p.m. The current weather in Europe showed 45 in London, 55 in Lisbon, but it appeared to be a cold spell. No washers and dryers on board, but I could pay them to do my laundry. So I packed for a little of everything, and figured we'd have to do laundry at least once - probably $100 each time - maybe twice. As it was, I ended up with 2 large suitcases, 2 smaller ones, and a hanger bag, plus the laptop, camcorder bag, my backpack, and the kids' rolling suitcases!

Our journey started Saturday afternoon - due to availability of frequent flyer seats, we flew to Atlanta on Saturday, spent the night at a hotel there, then flew to San Juan Sunday morning, and took a $20 taxi ride from the airport to the ship.

Finally, we see the cruise ship! There are 3 in the harbor - Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and ours - but ours is the biggest. The taxi let us off at a rather unimpressive door - looked like the loading dock - and we went into a big building with a couple stands where they processed our papers, gave us some fruit punch, and took our picture. Then we carried all our carry-ons out to the gangplank, where someone stepped forward to help us with the bags, and show us to the room.

The room is nice - when you walk in, the bathroom is on the left - stand-up shower no bathtub - and closets on the right. Just past the bathroom on the left is a very small desk where we put the laptop, and then the bed with small nightstands on either side. When you walk past the bottom of the bed, there is a dresser on the right with a TV on top and a chair, the window is straight ahead with a small glass table under, and a couch on the left, which pulls out to a bed at night. The cabin steward actually piles all the furniture on the glass table to make room for the bed.

We almost left the laptop at home - I had read that there was only a plug in the bathroom for a small razor, and nothing else, so I called the cruise line. They checked, and said that there were no other plugs in the cabin, and nowhere else on the cruise ship to plug it in - in fact, it wasn't allowed because it would interfere with the ship's navigation. I didn't quite believe them, so I brought it anyway, figuring I could always plug it into the outlet in the bathroom - which after much research I determined to be powerful enough to charge the laptop - and just charge it there and run it on batteries in the room.

The kids relaxed for a while and I sorted through all the information in the room and then unpacked. I had a hard time getting it all to fit. I can't find anything - it's all kind of stuffed in there as best as I could. I don't know how we're going to fit Vic's clothes when he arrives!

We weren't terribly hungry - we had nibbled on a lunch buffet on the pool deck shortly after we got on board - but if we didn't eat now we wouldn't make it to the Kids Korner for the open house at 8, so we went to dinner. The ship wasn't scheduled to leave until 10 p.m., so many weren't on board yet. Therefore it was open seating - no set time, restaurant or table, so we ate at The Terraces, as we thought it would be our only chance to have dinner somewhere besides our appointed table #30 in the Sun Terrace restaurant. Dinner was very good - Trevor had shrimp cocktail and steak, Alyx had salad, and I ordered Cream of Cauliflower soup, salad and steak. The kids tried my soup and absolutely loved it - Alyx had a cup and then a bowl, and Trevor had a bowl too. Ice cream for dessert...then we went to the open house at the Kids' Korner.

The two staff members in the kids' club said that there more kids on this crossing than any they had ever remembered - about a dozen! The activities are 10 a.m. to noon, 2:30-5, and 8-10 each day, except when we're in port, and then there are only activities 8-10 p.m. unless you hire a private babysitter - one of them or another crewmember. They have video games, arts and crafts activities, they go swimming, and do treasure hunts and"Where's Waldo" searches around the ship. Lots of fun stuff to do!

Then we went back to the room. They don't have a movie theatre on board, but they show movies occasionally in one of the lounges, and have movies running continuously on a TV in our room. It's the same schedule every four days, and movies start every 2 hours, and includes many movies that only left the theatres a couple months ago and aren't on video yet.

The kids wanted to go on deck to see us leave the port at 10 p.m. and attend the"Departure Party." It had just rained, so the party was taken indoors... and after waiting on the top deck for a half hour, we found out the departure was delayed until midnight, so we went back to the room and went to bed.

Monday, April 19, 1999

Our first full day on the ship! We woke a little late - I got in the shower at 8:30. The lifeboat drill was scheduled for 10 a.m., so I had to wake the kids and rush them to get dressed so we could eat before the drill. We ate in the Terraces again, and Trevor had a ham omelet, I had a mushroom omelet, and Alyx had cold cereal. We got our food at 9:50, so had to eat quickly to rush back to our room and grab our life jackets, then go to muster station K for the drill. Our room is the fourth from the back of the ship on the 6th deck, and there is a set of stairs and a bank of elevators about a half dozen rooms down towards the bow. We went up the stairs and out the door to our station, and they checked us off. We brought the lift jackets back to our room, and ran into our room steward. He explained that he had pushed Trevor's rubber snake out of the way, but he didn't want to touch it - I think he was afraid of it - so he didn't put it away. We promised him we'd keep it hidden from now on! He looked quite frightened of it!

The Kids Korner opened at 11 this first day, so they were there when the doors opened. We missed the formal lunchtime - 12 p.m. - so we grabbed a snack at the pool while the kids swam with their new friends. They hadn't been swimming long when they asked everyone to leave the pool, because one of the master chefs was doing an ice carving - they brought a huge chunk of ice out and put it in the very shallow edges around the pool, and he used sharp tools to carve an angel fish that was about 4' high! Then it was 2:30 - time for the kids to go to the Kids' Korner and me to go to the salon. Before I left on the cruise, Vic told me to make sure and get a massage, pedicure... whatever I wanted so that I wasn't stressed by the time he got there. So I signed up on Sunday for a"Silver Package" - a seaweed wrap/massage - never did that before - a manicure and pedicure, and a facial. I'm not excited about the facial - I've had them done before and wasn't thrilled - but it was cheaper as a package. The hardest part is they always try and sell you all their really expensive products too. I also wanted my hair cut because it was just a little too long.... We scheduled one treatment every other day while we're at sea.

Anyway, the massage was quite something! I filled out a questionnaire about the parts of my body that needed the most attention - stiff neck and back, etc. - and she made up a personalized mixture of seaweed powder and other things. She rubbed it all over my legs, belly, back and arms, then wrapped me in a piece of tin foil and covered me with piles of blankets. While I"baked," she did a scalp massage. Then I showered and washed it all off, then while I was still wet she wrapped me in foil and blankets again, and massaged my feet. Then I showered again and then she gave me a back, shoulder and neck massage. By the time she was done, I could hardly walk. She said the seaweed mixture pulls out the toxins in your body that slow you down... when you move your arm, your body releases toxins that create the movement... and you never really get rid of them. She said after the massage I would feel relaxed, but then I would feel energized for the next few days. Anyway, I guess I was in there for almost 2 hours - I came out at 4:30 and got a quick hair cut and blow dry and got the kids as the center closed at 5.

It was our first formal night - dresses and suits, and portraits. The kids didn't really want to dress up, so we thought we'd do room service. But when I called, they said they only had sandwiches. We hung out in our cabin until 6:30, when we finally decided we'd have to go in search of food. We had missed our assigned time at 6 at the Sun Terrace... we could have sat down and eaten in the Bistro - a supper club alternative - but the kids didn't want to sit. The maitre d' there, however, informed us that room service would bring us the dinner menu selection - what they were serving in the dining rooms - they just didn't tell us that when we called. We checked the menu, though, and I didn't think the kids would be interested. So we went up to the pool area where we'd eaten lunch, but there was no food. Finally, we checked the Sports Bar, where I'd seen a lunch buffet, and we found food. There was pizza, a cheeseburger - which looked like it had been there a while - hot dogs, french fries, salad... we were set. The trays were a little difficult to carry, and I was concerned they would be dumped before we got back to the room, so I made them sit there and eat. There were a few others there who had opted out of formal night...

The kids' activities were 8-10 p.m. again, and Alyx wanted to go, but Trevor didn't.... so she went alone, and Trevor and I came back and played together.

Tonight was their first Chocolate Extravaganza of the cruise. It was scheduled to start at 11:30 p.m. - and the kids wanted to stay up and attend. So after dinner, we went back to the room. At 11:30 we went up to the 9th floor to the Four Seasons restaurant. It was the longest line I've seen on this ship yet! And what a spread! Cakes, pastries, mousse, fruit dipped in chocolate - dark, milk and white... there were even a few"buildings" that were painted to look chocolate, like a miniature Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomph. There were even ice cream and M&Ms and chocolate sprinkles. We waited our turn in line, and then sat down and ate. The kids' eyes were bigger than their stomachs - we really didn't eat much. And when we left, the line was longer to get in than we had waited in! Back in the room, we went to bed quickly.

Tuesday, April 20, 1999

We have had our first time change - as we cross the ocean, we will gradually be putting our clocks ahead, an hour at a time. Last night we had to set our clocks ahead an hour for the first time, so when I woke the kids at 10:30, it was 9:30 to them. That's the last midnight buffet we'll attend!

We had breakfast at the buffet near the pool again - Alyx wanted to go directly to the Kids Korner, so she didn't eat. Trevor had scrambled eggs and I had cold cereal. Just as we entered the buffet area, they started taking the food away - it closed at 11, and we had made it just in time. Then I left Trevor at the Kids Korner too, and I went to the Shore Excursions desk. I had lots of flyers from the past 3 days that I needed to sort through - first and most importantly, they had to know today if we needed transportation from the dock at Dover, into London. I chose the bus, for $50 per person, to take us to Victoria Station, and then we'll take a taxi from there to the hotel. Fun.

I also asked about some of the tours at the other places we'll be... with the kids, it's hard to do a really long tour. In Madeira, I will probably just take the shuttle into town, and then wander around there with them. The crewmember also suggested we take a taxi to a snowless sled ride, which he thought the kids might enjoy. I'll read up about it more and decide later. I'll have to choose all the tours myself if we do any, because they all need to be arranged prior to Vic coming on board the ship.

I could call him - communication has turned out to be cheaper than I expected. It's $5.95 per minute if I call home, and it's from the phone in my cabin. I remember the first cruise Vic and I took in 1990, when Alyx was 10 months old, on Carnival Cruise Lines. We had to go to a special area where they had phone booths, and then they would place the call and let you know which phone to pick up, and you sat in the booth to speak. And I remember the price too - like $25 a minute! Vic called us yesterday to make sure we had gotten on all right - we had phoned him from Puerto Rico, but had only gotten his voice mail.

We were glad we did - the kids' food was good, my food was good, and the waiters performed for us as well - when they brought out the flaming dessert, they played some calypso music and all danced around the restaurant. The kids had fun.

Wednesday, April 21, 1999

I think the kids' internal clocks are all messed up. We went to bed rather early - relatively speaking - and I thought they'd be up at a reasonable hour. I was sure we would actually have breakfast in the restaurant, which runs from 7:30-9:30. I finally woke the kids at 9:30, because I was concerned they wouldn't go to bed until late again tonight. We missed the sit-down breakfast again... we did the same thing today as yesterday. They dressed, and Alyx was at the Kids' Korner shortly after it opened at 10. She skipped breakfast, and Trevor and I went to the buffet at the pool just outside. He had eggs and I had cold cereal again. We brought an apple to Alyx. Yesterday's craft was a sand art tube, today they painted styrofoam polynesian masks. I went to the library on board and sat and read my book until I went and got them at noon.

We stopped in one of the lounges and picked up some board games - Alyx chose Chutes and Ladders, and I chose Clue.

Tonight's dinner theme is"Traditional French" - a little more on the quiet side. After dinner, Alyx went to the Kids' Korner - of course - and Trevor decided to stay with me. So we started to get ready for bed as soon as Alyx came back, but we didn't turn off the lights until 11:15, which was 12:15 with the time change.

Thursday, April 22, 1999

We did make it to breakfast today, but the kids were really hard to wake up. But hopefully that will mean a little bit earlier bedtime tonight.

I have been very impressed by this cruise - it's my fifth cruise, and definitely my favorite. It's extremely relaxing, lots of pleasant people - probably because they are mostly older retired couples and groups. The staff is great, the layout of the ship is big but comfortable, the number of kids on board is just right - Alyx and Trevor have someone to play with, but there aren't tons of kids every where you turn, and the ones that are here seem to be pretty well behaved. We have chatted with a number of interesting people, from all over the world. It's nice to have these 7 days at sea to totally relax, then a day of excursions, another day to relax, 2 days of excursions, another day to relax, a last day of excursions, a day to pack, and then to London. None of the itinerary feels overwhelming.

I still have not decided what to do about the shore excursions. The problem is, very few of the tours would appeal to the kids, as they are generally long. For example, in Madeira on Monday - where I had thought to take an organized tour because I will be alone on the island with the kids, the only port Vic will not be with us - there is a great Jeep Adventure Safari. But, it's 7 hours long, with heavy walking, and $98 per person. I just don't see the kids on this tour. Then there's a tour of a vineyard, high cliffs, and an embroidery factory for 3 hours. There's a botanical garden tour and wine tasting for 3.5 hours too. Finally, there's a tour that includes something they would be interested in - the snowless sled ride - but the tour itself is 4 hours long, and I can't see them making it through the whole bus tour and embroidery factory tour. Our next port after that, on Wednesday, is Lisbon. We'll meet up with Vic there, and I don't think we'll take a guided tour... the options are Lisbon Orientation - a 3.5 hour tour of the history of the city; A tour of homes and palaces on the seaside near the city for 4 hours; Countryside & Wine Tasting for 4 hours; Lisbon Promenade, a 3.5 hour walking tour of the main part of the city; and Fatima and Batalha, a 9 hour tour through interesting major religious sites outside the city. Hopefully Vic will have found something of more interest for us to do... I believe there's also an aquarium, and a combination of that and the major area downtown will probably be all we'll do. Besides, Vic will probably be anxious to get on board the ship.

Thursday is Vigo, Spain. Our three options are: Rias Bajas, a 4.5 hour journey which takes you to picturesque seaside villages and a mussel farm; Santiago de Compostela, a 5 hour trip to one of the most important places of pilgrimage during the Middle Ages; and Vigo & Bayona, a 4.5 hour to an old port, fortress, and towers. Tough choice there.

Saturday is LaRochelle, France. The city tour is 3 hours through the medieval town; a 4.5 hour tour of Marennes & Brovage Oyster Beds; 9 hours through Saintes/Cognac, visiting 1st century arena, and wine sampling; and 9 hours through the countryside to a church from the Middle Ages, the traces of the ramparts of an old castle, and lunch at a Chateau.

The hard part is, there is no childcare while we are in port. Some of these tours may be of interest to Vic and I, but not the kids. You can request a private babysitter - at nearly $10 an hour - but a big part of the cruise was to introduce the kids to other cultures. When the kids got back from Kids Korner, we discussed the options too. They generally leaned toward exploring on our own, not taking guided tours. I think I have decided, however, to take the 4-hour guided tour. I must admit I'm not nervous about going on my own with the 2 kids into town, but the snowless sled ride in Monte sounds interesting, and I'm not sure how I feel about venturing into the countryside with just a taxi driver that may or may not speak English very well. So we'll do the tour, which includes beautiful views of mountains and ravines, an 18th century church with a crypt and jeweled image of Our Lady, the snowless sled ride, and an embroidery factory. There should be enough to keep the kids' interest without boring them too much. Then when we return to town at 12:30, we can wander around if we want.

From Alyx: I really like the cruise. I only like the part at sea, because I really don't want to get off the cruise ship. I especially like the Kids Korner, and I met a couple girls my age and we're friends. Yesterday I made a bracelet, and it's kind of cool, because it was weaving, and I really like weaving. The weather has been nice, but the pools have been kind of cold. But the pool where you can go to the bar is really warm. It's ocean water, so I guess the ocean is that warm. I dropped my glass lizard once through the crack in the elevator - it was sad for a little bit, and then the guy at the restaurant came over and he got it back for me, and that was very nice of him. One night at midnight we went to a chocolate buffet, and I really liked it.

From Trevor: I like shuffleboard, but we haven't played it yet. I like the room service, and I like all the rooms. I like the Kids Korner a lot - they have neat video games. You can buy your own captain hat - and we got one for me. They don't have any bunk beds that pull out of the ceiling - like on the Disney Cruise Line - but they have couch beds that pull out of the couch, and it's a really big cushion. I like the waves in the pool, swimming past the waves. I like the ice carving that we watched - the chef made an angelfish from a big piece of ice in the pool. We didn't get a porch, but we have a window in our cabin. One time in Kids Korner, we did a"Where's Waldo" hunt, and a scavenger hunt, and we won both times! We won beach balls and frisbees.

At 2:30, we went to a class on weaving bracelets and Alyx and I each made one - black with multiple colors. Trevor played with the strings while we worked. It took quite a while - we didn't finish until almost 4:30! Tonight's dinner was semi-formal. Afterwards, Alyx again went to Kids Korner, and Trevor stayed with me.

I had left the curtains open last night, and the sun woke me at 6:30. Since we had only gone to bed at 11:30, I closed the curtain and went back to sleep. I was lying in bed awake when the phone rang at 9, asking if we were ready for our breakfast. I said yes, and the knock came on the door only a few minutes later. They left the tray on the bottom of the bed, and then I took a shower. I finally woke the kids at 9:30 and they ate. It was only cold cereal, yogurt, muffin, fruit, and hot chocolate. They don't offer eggs, pancakes, etc., for room service. They didn't rush off to Kids Korner this morning. At around 11, Trevor decided he wanted to go to the kids club, so I walked him upstairs. Then I stopped at the tour desk and put in our reservation for the tour in Madeira, as the deadline to sign up was today at 12. We were going to go to a lounge and play Clue while they cleaned our room, but decided that lunch looked good, so we actually sat down for lunch - our first time. The kids had macaroni and cheese, and I had English fish and chips.

It occurs to me that I haven't described the layout of the ship in much detail. We are on the 6th deck, in an outside cabin with a large window - category A. Our cabin is the 4th from the back of the ship - nice and quiet. Cabins start on the 4th deck, with very small portholes - the cabin we were supposed to get before we paid the $400 upgrade price. Other than the medical office, there is nothing on the 4th, 5th and 6th decks except cabins. On the 7th deck, midship, is the"lobby," a small area with a reception desk, credit desk - there is gambling on board - the tour desk, and a concierge desk for those in Owners Suites. Around the 7th deck is a promenade, with walking on the left, and jogging on the right, going counterclockwise. From here you can look at the undersides of the lifeboats, and it's on this deck that all muster stations for lifeboats are located. Deck 8 also has just cabins.

Deck 9 has restaurant at the back - The Terraces, lounges through the middle - including the small library, Four Seasons restaurant in the center, and cabins in the front. Deck 10 has shops at the back - 5 in all - then lounges and the casino in the center and the Stardust Lounge in the front - a large performance area where the shows take place, which is actually 2 stories high.

Deck 11 has the Sun Terrace restaurant at the back - this is the one we're assigned to - the Kids Korner and meeting rooms next, then doors to the outside where there is a pool and a buffet line for light breakfasts and lunch. Then there's a wet bar - a pool at the bar - and hot tubs, the ice cream parlor, and that's as far as you can go, because the rest of the deck in the front is the upper level of the Stardust Lounge.

Deck 12 is the top - except for the basketball and shuffleboard on the Sky Deck. At the rear is the Sports Bar and Grill, with 24 hour service - where we ate dinner the second night. Then there's a video arcade, then open to the outside with lots of lounge chairs. At the rear, you can go inside again to the Spa, Beauty Salon and Workout area, and also the Observatory Lounge at the very front.

One thing I really like is the location of the restaurants - with the exception of the Four Seasons, they are all at the rear, with lots and lots of windows. When we arrive at dinner, the blinds are down because we're facing the sun. At some point during dinner, the blinds rise electrically, and we have a wonderful view of the sunset. It's so nice not to be stuck somewhere in the middle of the ship, in a room where you can't tell if it's day or night to eat. I'm so glad we paid the extra money for the large window, too... sunshine makes such a big difference! And that's what we've had so far - in the high 70s/low 80s every day, with lots and lots of sun. Also quite windy too. On deck 7, the same category cabin as this has the large window also, but it faces the promenade - people are walking past your window all day long. A category just below this in price is on deck 8, where your view is obstructed by the lifeboats hanging outside your window. The Owners Suites are the only rooms with balconies. Otherwise, the other 2 categories above this have rooms are just slightly bigger, a slightly larger window and on a higher deck. We couldn't upgrade that far, though, from the cabin we had originally purchased on-line.

We relaxed the rest of the day. In the evening, we called Daddy. He's looking forward to joining us in a few days! Alyx asked him how soon we're going to take another cruise like this....

I tried to get the kids to bed, but it was hard, because their clocks are so messed up... we have to set the clocks ahead another hour tonight, so with the new time change, they didn't actually go to sleep until almost 1 a.m.

Saturday, April 24, 1999

One full week gone! Already! Hardly seems possible - we're so relaxed and enjoying ourselves, it seems hard to believe it's been a week already! I woke up around 9, and didn't wake the kids until almost 10:45. I didn't mean to wake them - I spent a bit of time sorting through the dirty clothes and marking the laundry order form, then was putting the clothes into bags (3 of them). Our cabin steward is good - he has a lot of work with our cabin, I think. When we leave in the morning, we put out the"Please make up room" sign, and it's always done by the time we come back. Same thing when we leave for dinner, as he knows we're at the 6 p.m. seating. Just rearranging the kids' bedding is a project - they sleep on the couch that folds out into a bed, but he has to move the glass table to the wall, stack the chair on top of it, remove all the pillows, fold out the bed, and make it with the pillows. He also takes the bedspread off my bed and puts it under the bed, as well as vacuuming, bathroom, garbage, etc. I try to keep the toys picked up so he doesn't have to do that as well.

At our assigned table for lunch and dinner, we always have the same waiter, busboy, and"wine steward". I'm a little disappointed that I still have to ask for Trevor's apple juice at every meal - on the Dolphin cruise we took, the first one with the kids, they had our drinks sitting there when we arrived for each meal. The girl who is our"wine steward" also gets us any drinks that cost extra, including soda, liquor drinks, etc. She's very nice - she uses origami to fold our bill into funny shapes. Alyx asked her if she could make a crane, and by the next day she had learned how and gave it to Alyx! It's a little cooler today - the captain said at 9 a.m. that it was only 70. I put us all in long pants and short sleeves today, but if we were outside, I'd probably have long sleeves on with the wind. I sent all the shorts and warmer clothes out for cleaning anyway, just in case it gets warmer.

The kids got ice cream at the ice cream parlor - open 2-4 daily - and brought it down to me - lemon ice cream. They didn't feel like going back up, so they called and let the counselors know, and stayed down here with me. Alyx and I played Clue again, and she won. It was formal night again at dinner, and this time the kids did want to dress up. We looked quite nice, if I do say so. A photographer took our picture during dinner, and it will be available after 5 p.m. tomorrow at the photo shop. I took a picture of the kids in the room before dinner as well.

We came back to the room after dinner, and Trevor and I put our pajamas on, and Alyx went to Kids Korner. They were having a big dance/musical tonight, and I thought about going alone, but I wanted to get Trevor down early tonight, so I skipped it. We were all ready for bed by the time Alyx returned - she and the other kids had gone to the show, and said I would have loved it, as it was really well done and fun. We set the clocks ahead again tonight an hour, which makes a total of 4 hours now ahead of home. And we have to set them ahead another hour tomorrow night!

Sunday, April 25, 1999

Tomorrow is going to be tough - we set our clocks ahead another hour tonight, and the tour starts at 8:30 a.m. tomorrow in Madeira. The kids aren't going to the kids program tonight, so that we can all be in bed really early.

We went to the photo shop to see if they had the pictures from dinner last night, and they told us not until after 5 p.m. We then went up to the Observatory Lounge - front of the ship, deck 12 - to get our passports. They had told us when we boarded that they would keep them for us the entire cruise, as they would be needed at the various ports, but evidently we will need them to depart the ship tomorrow in Madeira, so they have returned them all. We were right next to the beauty parlor, so Alyx asked if she could have her hair braided. They did it very quickly - french braid - and didn't charge us! I told Alyx we would have to bring something up for the girl later. When we got back to our room, our laundry was back! I thought it said if it was in by 9 a.m., it would be back by 6 p.m. the next day. Since they didn't get it until noon yesterday, I thought it would be tomorrow after 6 p.m., not today! Anyway, the total was $117 - about what I thought. BUT since 75% of it was kids' clothes, they took off 50%, and it was only $58! What a nice surprise! So what have I been doing with all my"free time" while the kids at the Kids Korner? Well, lately Trevor has been with me more than not, so I've also been entertaining and playing with him. Otherwise, I have been working on this journal - 20 pages so far. I've also been reading, as I had been saving magazines for a couple months to bring on the cruise - they're a quick read, and you don't have to bring them back home with you, so you have extra room on the way back It's 4:30 now, and I just got back from a presentation on future cruises. I admit, we've got a problem - I believe the kids and I are hooked. We've taken cruises before, but they've been to just the Caribbean. Okay, been there, done that... but this cruise has opened our eyes to a completely new way of travel and exploration. The cruises that Norwegian has take you practically around the world.

There are Alaskan cruises on ships that only hold 800 people, and sail right in to the bays where you can see bears and animals right from the front of the ship. They have Alaskan cruises that travel through the inland waterways, so there's always land on both sides and the water is as smooth as glass. They have cruises to Hawaii, to north of Norway to see the solar eclipse, to south of South America. There's Australia, the Mediterranean, the British Isles, through Russian cities. They have one in the fall that spends time in Israel and the pyramids of Egypt. There are fall foliage tours that go to New England and Canada. There are multiple itineraries for crossing the ocean. The neat part is, you stay on the ship, so you don't have to worry about hotels, restaurants, moving luggage, etc. The service onboard is first-class, so it's like a guarantee that you're safe and cared for - pampered and spoiled - while you visit these exotic locations! What a perfect combination! Norwegian offers a future booking credit - if you book a future cruise while still on board this one, you can reserve your cabin for only $25. When you return home, you give your deposit to your travel agent - all of which is fully refundable if you cancel within 90 days of departure - and by booking now you save 30-50% off the brochure price. That could be an even better deal than we got on-line!

There are quite a variety of ships in the Norwegian Line, as well. As I mentioned before, their smallest ship holds only 800, and cruises Alaska in the summer, and the Caribbean in the fall. There are a variety of sizes in between - including Norwegian Wind, which is the sister ship, and identical, to the Norwegian Dream. Their newest ship is the Norwegian Sky, and that starts in August. It holds 2,000 passengers, and is 70,000 tons - this one is 50,000 tons. It has unique amenities, such as 250 cabins with balconies, internet access in all rooms, and a 12-story atrium.

The only problem is, cruising is not cheap. Okay, we've paid our $3100 and we're on board and port charges are taken care of. What else? Well, water and juice is included with meals, but no drinks. We're paying $200 for the 4 of us to get to London from Dover at the end of the cruise. It's $10 per person for launches - round-trip - at each port. The one tour we're taking is almost $180 for the three of us. Of course, I didn't need to spend the $220 for the spa treatments, but I did - and I'm glad of it. I haven't even been in the casino, so I can't say I'm guilty of blowing money that way, although Vic hasn't joined us yet... the laundry bill - only $58, but I'm going to have to do it again before we're done... only $11 in pictures so far, but I'm sure there will be more... but the biggest single expense is yet to come - the tipping. At the end of the cruise, according to the Gratuity Guide, figuring me and the kids at 15 days, and Vic at 5 days, we'll pay the waiter $150, the bus boy $75, the cabin steward $150, and the maitre d' $75. That's $450 in tips, and Vic wasn't even with us the entire cruise. But I have to say, the service has been very good... so I'm not saying they weren't worth it, it's just a lot of money to come up with at the end. We decided to skip dinner at the restaurant. We didn't have to dress up - it was a casual night - but I just sensed the kids needed a break. Besides, we weren't all that hungry, as the time change is really messing us up. Around 6:30, we went up to the Sports Bar and Grill on deck 12, where they serve a buffet of"snacks" during dinner. Trevor grabbed a hot dog, and Alyx grabbed hot chocolate. Nice small, quick dinner. Then we went down to deck 10, and picked up our pictures from last night's dinner - they turned out very nice. I got the 5x7, 2 wallets, and another 5x7 that had four smaller pictures of the ship, with our picture inset in the middle - total $15 for all... without the wallets it was $14, so I figured it was worth it.

Then we stopped at the 7th deck for reception, so I could ask about the temperature tomorrow. They said they weren't sure, but that it would probably be like today - about 70. She made a comment about it being warm, and I said we were from Florida, and actually quite chilly! She laughed and said it was warm for her, as she's from London. It's all relative! We'll dress in layers tomorrow, but I doubt we'll take our jackets off.

When we got back to our room, there was information about Funchal, Madeira, on the bed with the Cruise News. I guess I need to get some Portugese Escudos, as they don't accept American dollars generally. Besides, Alyx would like to have some for her currency collection. The foreign currency desk is open at 7 a.m. We have to meet in the Stardust Lounge at 8:15, and bring our passports, boarding cards, and tour tickets. Breakfast is from 6-9 a.m. tomorrow. And we have to set our clocks ahead again tonight. Yes, they'll be tired tomorrow afternoon!

In general, I have been pleased with the kids program - they have had a variety of activities, the counselors are great, and the kids have had fun. But, like the other cruises we've been on - except Disney - there is no childcare while we're in port or during dinner. Our tour is 8:30-12:30, and I tend to think the kids will want to come back to the ship after that, rather than walk around town more. Lunch is open from 12-2. The Kids Korner is not open until 8 p.m. tomorrow, so I guess we'll hang out and relax when we get back on board the ship - everyone has to be back on at 5:30 so the ship can leave the port on time. The spa is running some"in-port" specials, and I would have liked to take advantage of them, but again, no childcare....

Monday, April 26, 1999

The Madeirans are descended from the seafarers, soldiers and fortune- seekers who passed through the island over the centuries. Madeirans are firmly wedded to the culture and language of the original settlers, the Portuguese. Their common characteristics are unfailing courtesy and deep pride in their paradise island. Madeira was discovered and claimed for the Portuguese in 1419 by the explorer Joao Concalves Zarco, whose statue you can see in the main intersection of Funchal. Because the uninhabited island had at the time been covered with nearly impenetrable forest, Zarco named it Madeira, which means"wood" in Portuguese. Legend has it the island was set on fire by Portuguese and burned for over 7 years. British colonism evolved following the marriage of Portuguese Princess Catherine of Branganca to England's King Charles II.

Well, I guess we'll be going to bed real early tonight! We all had a real hard time falling asleep last night, and our wake-up call was at 7 a.m. this morning. At first Trevor didn't want to wake, but when I mentioned we were at the island, he jumped out of bed faster than Christmas morning!

The island of Madeira is very mountainous - the city of Funchal was where we put into port, and it is all built right at the harbor. Nearly 1/3 of the 100,000 inhabitants of the island lives in this area. The homes climb up the mountainside very nearby, and the rest of the people are scattered in various towns around the rest of the island.

We left the cabin at 7:45 and went up to the 9th deck, to the Four Seasons restaurant, where they were serving a buffet breakfast. The other restaurants were serving breakfast also, but I didn't want to wait while they cooked it - I knew the buffet would be our fastest option. Trevor had eggs with sausage - he thought it was ham - Alyx and I had Frosted Flakes and yogurt. I took some apples and put them in my backpack in case they were needed, and we went to the Stardust Lounge to meet the tour group when they announced our tour on the PA system at nearly 8:15. When we arrived, there was a long line - we presented our tour tickets and were given bus number cards. Then we went down the 5 flights of stairs, and waited in the hallways of the 4th deck until the doors opened and it was our turn out. A lot of people were all leaving at the same time.

We climbed on bus #6 - the kids chose the rear. Trevor sat in the second to the last row by himself, and Alyx and I sat alone in the very back. We left the port area, and drove out into the main part of town. If we weren't on a tour, we could have walked it - 30 minutes - or paid $10 per person round-trip for the shuttle. The streets were very European - relatively small cars, small streets, lots of flowers. In fact, in between the two directions of the main street was a canal, which they were covering with wires and growing flowers on vines to cover.

After driving through town, we went up into the hills, far up into the hills, to the area called Monte. The bus had to pass other busses on the narrow streets at times, and once I thought he was going to take off the sideview mirror of the other bus, he was so close. But they have no choice. The bus dropped us off at the bottom of some stairs, which we climbed to an 18th century white stucco church of Our Lady of the Mountain. Inside is the tomb of Emperor Charles I of Austria, who died while in exile in 1922. A jewel-encrusted image of Our Lady, often credited with miracles, is in the church. It was beautiful - paintings on the walls and ceilings, small, but inspiring. Outside the church we had a beautiful view over the harbor - we took a good picture of our ship. We then walked down the other side of the church, and took our snowless sled ride. There were many men and baskets, and everyone went down at once, one after another. We were last, and they took out a bigger size basket for us - me, the 2 kids, and a cruise crew member. The baskets are wicker, with cushion seats. You ride down the actual streets of town –which meant that from time to time we had to pull over and let a car go past. Two men ran behind us pulling the ropes to act as our brakes, and at times running in front of us to get us moving faster. The scariest part was when one was pulling harder than the other was, and we were almost skidding down the road sideways! The roads have been used for this so often they're almost smooth, so the ride was not bumpy. The tour guide used my camera to take a picture of us as we started, and then as we came around the first corner - going rather fast - the photographer from the cruise ship was there and snapped our picture. They'll be available tomorrow on board.

At the end of the ride, there were tables of locals selling merchandise. While we were waiting for the bus to pick us up, we looked over the souvenirs. Alyx decided to use part of her allowance money that she had been allowed to use as spending money on this trip for a doll. It was $12 US - we did not get Portuguese Escudos because the credit office did not have any. They said American money was well accepted, which it was. There are 180 Esc. to the American dollar. Trevor wanted ice cream, which was in a store next to the tables, and we were just about to get it when the bus pulled up. They put us back on quickly, and we went to our next stop. From there, the drive got a little scary - a very thin road carved into the side of the mountain, only one lane wide. Again, passing busses on the other side so close you could almost feel the breath of the passengers in the other bus. The couple in the seats in front of us must have had a fear of heights, because first she moved away from the seat at the window on the cliff side, then she couldn't look out either side, and just turned sideways looking down in the middle. It wasn't a drive for the weak-hearted!

At the end of this interesting drive, we arrived at another stop for the bus. We walked from the bus up to an overlook of the Socorridos ravine - the tour guide described it as a volcanic crater, but I've seen one of those in Hawaii. This was more like beautiful mountainous valleys. The walk up to the overlook had railings at only portions, and it was right on the edge, so I was very nervous taking the kids up there! And of course, they did their best to try and scare me, too.

At the gift shop at the end of the walk, where the bus was parked, we bought post cards and stamps. Back on the bus, another interesting drive, this time to Pico do Serrado. The kids wanted to stay on the bus, but the driver assured us it was a beautiful view. It was pretty - the mountains to the left, the town and harbor to the right... but we didn't go into the gift shop and try the Madeira wine.

The tour was advertised for 8:30-12:30, and we had to be back on the bus at this stop at 12, so I assumed this was our last stop. Wrong. Evidently the next stop was actually an embroidery shop and markets downtown for shopping, from which they would depart at 1:00 for the return trip to the ship. The kids were done - remember, they were running on practically empty as far as sleep, and the organized tour thing isn't generally their"cup of tea." So I asked the tour guide to catch us a cab, and we went back to the ship. I was hungry and wanted lunch, but the kids were so glad to be back in the room, they didn't want to leave, so we munched on crackers and cheese in the room.

At 3:15, Trevor and I went up to the Observatory Lounge on deck 12 to catch the Bridge Tour - Alyx wasn't interested. Trevor and I got a good overview of what the bridge looks like, then left. He noticed they were lowering a lifeboat off the port side, so we tried to find a place we could watch what they were doing. We ended up in a couple places we had not been before - the first is the pool that we look at almost twice a day as we sit in the restaurant and eat - the pool at the rear of the ship on deck 9. You can actually get to it only from an exterior staircase and walkway from deck 12. Then we noticed another set of stairs going down, and it led to a rather shaded area with pool chairs, again facing rear - smaller than above, but with a unique feature - two"portholes" through which you can look and see underwater the people swimming in the pool on the deck above! From there, we walked down to the Promenade deck, then inside and down to our cabin. We told Alyx of our new discovery, and took her there to see it as well. On the way back, we got a close up view of that lifeboat they were lowering - it's quite large and well protected from weather!

We came back to the room again, but only for a short stop - the kids wanted to participate in the"Win, Lose or Draw" game at 4:30. Our team won - 10 to 8. The kids got NCL koozies, and I got a deck of cards.

Again back to the room, but we weren't there long when we realized the ship was leaving the harbor! I grabbed the camera and we rushed up to the 12th deck to get the best view. After watching for a few minutes, we decided to go down to dinner, where both kids had chicken noodle soup, Trevor had steak - he only ate a few bites - Alyx had peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and I had potato soup and veal parmigiana. Then the kids went to Kids Korner - they managed to convince me to let them stay there until 10, with the promise that we'll be in bed as quickly as possible after that. I don't want them going to bed late and getting up at 10 a.m. again tomorrow. I'd like to make breakfast again, which ends at 9:30.

While we were at dinner, I told the kids that Daddy was now on his way - he left Orlando at 2:15, which is 7:15 our time. He will be landing in Lisbon tomorrow morning at 6:45 a.m.

It took nearly an hour to get past the island of Madeira - we went around it and saw the back, less populated area. Actually, while I was typing this - 9:00 p.m. - I looked out the window behind me and saw another island in the Azores, which the captain said we'd be passing. The sun set late today - 8:45, so we didn't see the sunset at dinner. But Alyx still asked the maitre d' to put the blinds up when the sun went behind the clouds - she asks every night, because she knows I love to look out the windows.

We really planned the timing on this cruise to take advantage of the best of both worlds.... When we first got on, the kids were excited about checking out the ship, playing with other kids... then they just wanted down time... now that they're looking for a little more adventure, we're visiting ports, with downtime days in between. I started out the trip using my"alone time" at the spa... then went to reading and computer, then taking care of Trevor when he didn't want to go to Kids Korner. Now Vic is joining us, and I'll enjoy some of the things I haven't done yet - the evening entertainment, the casino, and the Bistro - the nice, quiet, romantic dining available at no additional cost, but with reservations. The night we go to the Bistro, though, we'll have to find a babysitter for the kids...

At dinner, we were speaking with the couple at the table behind us. I asked how many other Norwegian Cruises they had taken, and they said quite a few. Most were to the Caribbean - eastern and western - but they had also taken the Panama Canal cruise, and a cruise to Alaska. I asked about the cruise to Alaska, and they said it had been wonderful, that the kids would love it. I know they would! The Orlando Science Center recently had an Imax movie called"Alaska," which the kids and I saw together - the scenery was beautiful, the animals were magnificent... someday!

Tuesday, April 27, 1999

Trouble today - there's a high-pressure front north of us, and the waves were rather large. I believe at one point I heard the captain say something about 10-12' waves. I could tell in the middle of the night that we were in some rough water, as I kept having to change my sleeping position. If I was on my side, I would roll and feel like I was falling off the bed, so I kept changing to lie on my back or belly. It got worse after we woke.

We had put our breakfast request on the door last night, and asked for an 8:30 delivery. That way, the kids could munch on breakfast in between their showers, and be at Kids Korner at 10. At 8:15, the phone rang, and room service asked if we were all up yet. I said yes, even though I was the only one awake, and they brought breakfast down a few minutes later. Every time I tried to get up, I felt really sluggish, and extremely nauseous. Our boat is definitely in motion. Finally, a little before 10, Alyx decided she wanted to go to Kids Korner. None of our stomachs was up to food, so the kids took Dramamine then Alyx ran up to the Kids Korner, and I left the room a few minutes later with Trevor, so the room steward could come in and make up beds. Our first stop was a quick walk outside on deck 7 - I thought the fresh air would help us get over the major nauseous feelings we had. It helped, but Trevor didn't like the cold wind, so we went inside halfway around the ship. Then we stopped and got our photo from yesterday - the photographer from the cruise ship was taking pictures at the first corner in the sled ride, and I knew it would be a good photo. It was, and even though it was $7.50, I got it. We brought it up to the Kids Korner to show Alyx and the counselors.

We went to the medical center later in the afternoon to have Alyx's ears checked. They did finally pop last night, from the trip up the mountain yesterday, but she said they were still bothering her. It's not an ear infection, but the doctor said she had some fluid build- up, and she'd feel better, especially on the plane on the way home, if we dried up the fluid, so he gave us some decongestant - Sudafed. Then we came back to the room and watched a National Geographic special on Superliners, showing cruise ships dating back to the 1920s. It was done in 1980, before the revival of the cruise industry, so the entire tone of the special was that we were looking at a bygone era. Not true - the ships being built today are larger than those built in the past, and the entire industry is growing every year. The show"The Love Boat," from the late 1970s, is credited with reviving the entire industry.

We didn't want to go to dinner tonight, as it was Semi-Formal, and not one thing on the menu appealed to me. So, around 6:45, we went up to the 12th deck Sports Bar and Grill for dinner. We had hot dogs and pizza.

The motion of the ship has been up and down all day - literally. At times it's like it was last night and this morning - rolling a lot. At times it was rainy and overcast, cold and a little windy, but the waves were calmer. It's now almost 8:30, and it's rolling quite a bit again. We'll all take dramamine before we go to bed tonight. Tomorrow we'll get off the ship as early as we can, and Vic will have taken a taxi to the port and be waiting for us. He'll bring his suitcase on board, and then we'll all go into town exploring. If the weather is like it was today, I don't know how long we'll be interested in exploring - highs in the 60s, cold, windy, rainy. Tomorrow night we have to set our clocks ahead one more hour - the last time change. We'll be at Vigo at noon the next day - nice change, as we don't have to get up so early to get off the ship. Vic is in Lisbon - he arrived this morning at 6:45 a.m. our time. He was scheduled to check into the Tivoli Lisboa Hotel, at Ave de Liberdade 185. I made the reservation through Microsoft Expedia, on- line. We didn't know if they would let him in early, or if he'd have to drop his bags off at the hotel and wander around until check-in time. Considering the fact that to him it would be 1:45 a.m. when he arrived, he was definitely hoping for an early check-in.

I reorganized our things tonight, to try and make room for Vic's things. I put all the shorts and clothes for warm weather in one of the suitcases under the bed, and managed to clear 2 entire shelves! I hope that's enough.

Wednesday, April 28, 1999

LISBON, PORTUGAL - By the river Tagus lies Portugal's beautiful capital Lisbon. This city has been a cultural center since its origin, and today Lisbon proudly presents itself as a modern city with a large touch of ancient history. An earthquake greatly damaged the city in 1755, and Lisbon has since then been through radical changes. Particularly charming are the areas of Alfama and Bairro Alto, with their narrow, twisting streets, attracting artists, painters and poets, as well as visitors from all over the world. The origins of Lisbon are unknown, although it may have been founded - 1200 BC - by the Phoenicians. Developed by the Romans during the 3rd century BC as Felicitas Julia, it was captured by the Germanic invaders in the 5th century AD. In the 8th century the city was taken by the Moors, who called it Lixbuna and held it until 1147, when it was taken by the Christian Portuguese coming from the north. In 1256 the seat of government was transferred here from Coimbra. Lisbon began to grow significantly with the discovery of the sea route to India and the development of oceanic trade. It became one of Europe's leading cities and the chief port serving the vast Portuguese empire. The city declined, however, during the period of Spanish rule, 1580-1640, over Portugal. During the Napoleonic Wars, Lisbon was occupied by France, 1807-08, and Britain, 1808-20.

Another rough night - a lot of rolling around in bed. The phone woke us at 7 - the wake-up call I had placed last night. I could see us passing land on the port side - the side our window is on. I took a shower, and woke the kids when I came out. Alyx had been asking me to wake her at 7, as she wanted to see us pull into port, but I had a hard time waking her at 7:30. We dressed quickly in the warm clothes I had laid out last night, and went up to the 9th deck for the buffet breakfast. From our table, we could see the dock area where passengers get off and on the ship, and couldn't see Dad yet... we went downstairs, and ended up waiting until past 8:30, due to some confusion. There are two places in Lisbon the cruise ships can come in - the port on the northwest side, where most cruise ships pull in could be seen while we were pulling in, and the captain said there were 2 in port now. Then there's the other port area, near the train station, in the Santa Apollonia area. That's where we docked... but not where Vic first went. He got in his taxi early enough to be at the dock waiting at 8 a.m., but the taxi driver went first to the other cruise ships, then had to come back across town in rush hour traffic to get to ours.

Vic spent the night in a nice hotel on the main shopping street, similar to the Champs de Elysees in Paris. He had arrived very early yesterday morning quite tired, and luckily the hotel let him check in when he arrived. After a shower and a nap, he wandered around a little while in the rain, bought some postcards and stamps, and mailed them. Dinner was a buffet at the hotel, and after dinner, he went to sleep for the night, trying to adjust to the new time. He was actually looking out the window when our ship pulled in the harbor, and he saw us!

Anyway, we brought the bags onto the ship and left them in our room, We were surprised - they looked at our 3 boarding passes, looked at Vic's customs form, and let him board - no passport, no ticket, nothing else! He didn't even keep a copy of the form! I guess we could have sneaked anyone on board. Then we brought him up to the 9th deck to grab some coffee, and eggs. We stopped at Reception on deck 7 to show his passport and get a blue boarding card, although he only needed the boarding card they gave him when we left the ship. Then we went exploring!

We caught a cab right off the ship to the St. George's Castle - Castelo de Sao Jorge. It was up on the hillside above the city, although right in the heart of the city. The castle was constructed by the Visigoths in the 5th century, the Moors in the 9th century, and then modified during the reign of Alfonso I. It has since been turned into a flower garden. The views of the city from up there were beautiful!

Then we got the kids some ice cream, and walked down to the Lisbon Cathedral, which was very large and pretty. From there, we caught a cab to Jeronimo's Monastery, a 16th century masterpiece and one of the architectural highlights of the city, built to celebrate the return of Vasco de Gama's discoveries. Across the street, we could see the unusual architecture in the Monument to the Discoveries, which was erected in 1960 beside the Tagus River on the 500th anniversary of the death of Prince Henry the Navigator. Earlier in the day, Trevor had seen the trams, which look like old cable cars, and wanted to ride them. So we took a taxi to the area where, according to Vic's map, there was a tourist information booth. We couldn't find the information, but we found a McDonald's, and the kids were thrilled to have"normal" food for lunch - cheeseburgers and chicken nuggets. The shake machine was broken, but otherwise it tasted pretty much the same as home. Cost was about the same too, which is surprising - in Paris and Hawaii, it was twice the price. We also got directions to a booth where we could purchase the tickets for the tram, figuring we'd ride a few stops, get on another one going back in the other direction, and then take a taxi to the ship.

While Vic was waiting in line for the tickets, I took Alyx across the street to a square with thousands of pigeons. An old woman was selling dried corn kernels by the bag, and I bought one for $1. The pigeons were literally eating out of Alyx's hand! Mine too, until I kept my fist clenched. They were climbing up her arm, landing on her shoulder, and even on her head! She was in heaven - she said if she lived in Lisbon, she would visit the square every single day. It was a little confusing figuring out why we couldn't get on the first few trams - we think they were ending their route and not taking any more passengers. Finally, we got on a tram and rode for a while. Then we got off to catch a tram going back to where we had gotten on. A bus came by, which Trevor had wanted to ride earlier - a double-long, nice new style bus - but didn't work. Anyway, I looked at the map and saw that the bus, #28, looked like it was going past the port where our ship was docked, so we hopped on that instead. Sure enough, it dropped us off right at the ship. Worked out great! We got back on board around 2:15 p.m.

We came back to the cabin and Vic unpacked and put his things away. We timed the return to the ship perfectly again - just like in Madeira, shortly after we got back on board, it turned cloudy. Unlike Madeira, it then rained very hard, and there was even thunder and lightning. By 3 p.m. when I walked Vic up to the spa, we took the indoor route so as not to get wet. It's a little after 4:30 now - we all had to be back on board by 4:30 - and the sun is just starting to peek out again. It will be pretty weather in which to leave the port. We actually travel a short way on the Tagus River to get back out to the ocean.

Evidently, the area we were in yesterday is notorious for bad weather and rough seas - it's where the water from the Mediterranean comes past Gibraltar - the north tip of Africa - and goes out to the Atlantic. The water should be relatively calm the rest of the trip. Uh, correction - the captain just came over the PA system and said that we would have some choppy waters tonight. We all just took our dramamine just in case. The weather tomorrow will be the same as today - high near 70. We were also warned the water would be as rough when we cross from Vigo to Dover. Vic says he joined the cruise at the wrong time!

We pulled out of Lisbon at around 5:45. There is a beautiful suspension bridge under which we had to pass to get back to the ocean, and we went up onto deck 12 to watch... then we went down to dinner. Trevor seemed a little tired this afternoon, but at dinner, he put his head on his hands and fell asleep! Luckily it was after the soup course, but he slept right through dinner, so we brought his peanut butter and jelly sandwich back down with us. When we left the dining room, Vic carried Trevor out. I said something to our waiter tonight about the last time change, and he corrected me by saying that after we leave France, we will again set our clocks back one hour, as England is on daylight savings time. So, in a few days, we'll be back on the clock we're on today. Confusing, eh?

Thursday, April 29, 1999

VIGO, SPAIN. Vigo, the most important fishing port in Spain, is also a large industrial city due to its role as a foreign-trade zone - canning, shipbuilding, metallurgy, and engineering. Vigo dates back to Roman times. From the 16th to 18th century, its active commercial trade with North America - authorized by Charles V in 1529 - attracted English and Turkish corsairs to its waters. In 1589, Drake had attacked the harbor and sacked the town. In the 19th century, modern Vigo was born, rapidly becoming with Corunna one of the largest cities in Galicia.

Vigo's setting is outstanding both for beauty and its maritime advantages. The old town and fishermen's quarters are unusual; the Alcabre, Sami and Canido sand beaches, south of the town are very popular. The entrance to the port is through the beautiful Ria, well worth being on deck to admire.

Today we were rather lazy. With the time change, we didn't wake until nearly 10:30 this morning. By the time we got up, watched us come into port, took showers and dressed, we missed breakfast entirely. We finally got upstairs for lunch around noon - we ate in the Terraces on deck 9, as it was open seating. Then we went into Vigo - weather was about the same as yesterday, in the high 60s, and it felt warmer when we were in the sun, which wasn't often. Our first stop was to exchange some money, as we had not done that on board prior to the credit office closing at noon. We stopped in the Tourism Office to ask, and they referred us to the main street just past the port building, where there were 3 locations at which we could exchange money. We also asked about going to Bayona, where the replica of Christopher Columbus' ship the Pinta could be visited. She said it was 25 km, and was not sure of the cost. Then we exchanged money at the bank - the exchange rate is 150 pesetas per dollar, and we exchange the 6500 Portuguese escudos - worth about $36 - and $100 American, for a total of 20,000 pesetas. Sounds like a lot, doesn't it?

Our next challenge was finding a taxi, which we did after about 10 minutes. We asked to be taken to the Castillo del Castro, a castle ruin on the top of a large hill downtown, which is now a park. There were pretty views from up there - and nice and peaceful. We walked around there for a little while, letting the kids lead us. Then we took another taxi down to the old part of town, as we wanted to visit the Church of Saint Mary, but it was closed. Actually, by this time, nearly all the shops downtown were closed - from 1:30 to 4:30 for siesta. With all the shops closed and not much else to do, we wandered the streets a little bit.

As we rounded one corner, there was an outdoor café, and two of Alyx's friends from on board the ship were there with their family. We sat down and ordered 2 hot chocolates, 1 hot croissant with strawberry - not sure in Spanish what else he said about that, but I got caliente, for hot, and frescia, for strawberry - and Vic ordered a"white" coffee - with milk. Right next to us was a shop that sells ice cream, so we bought ice creams for the kids, including Alyx's friends, as her family hadn't exchanged money and weren't able to get them. They chose ice creams that came in plastic containers shaped like a toucan and a bird with wild pink hair, so they'd have something to keep. The hot chocolate was incredible - it tasted like rich chocolate, maybe pudding or a godiva chocolate bar - melted and slightly thinner, though not much. I drank mine and Alyx's, because she didn't care for the richness of it. Lucky for me! The croissant was toasted, and came with strawberry jelly, which was actually quite good, and we ordered another. Altogether, including tip, we spent about $17.

From there, we walked toward the ship. One shop was open for postcards, so we stopped. We were back on the ship around 4, and came back to the room. Then we went to dinner, which was Spanish Dinner tonight.

A sad event tonight - they dropped off the luggage tags for when we leave the ship. I'm surprised they did it on Thursday night, when we don't depart until Monday morning. Just a little reminder that our cruise is almost over...

We've been going to bed late at night and waking up late... the time change has been really tough on us. Of course what's happening this minute doesn't help - it's 9:00 p.m., and the sun is shining brightly. For some reason, the sunset is 9:31 tonight, and sunrise is 7:38 a.m. So we've been letting the kids stay up until Kids Korner is over at 10, and then getting ready for bed, going to sleep usually after 11. We have only made it to sit-down breakfast a few times on this cruise... but other than the difficulties on the days we're in port, I'm not too concerned... the time doesn't matter much. On Monday, though, we have to leave the ship to catch our transportation to London at 8:00 a.m., so that will be an early day...

I had been having some second thoughts about our plans to leave London. Originally, I had said I wanted to spend 3 days there, so since we're arriving Monday morning, I booked us to leave on Thursday morning. Vic, however, wanted to take as little time off as possible, so since it would be difficult to leave the day after we arrive in London, I booked his flight out for the day after that. But the big picture is that he is leaving Wednesday afternoon and I'm leaving to fly alone with the kids on a very long flight the following morning. We discussed whether or not to change my flight - since mine is frequent flier, it's easier to change than his ticket, which was purchased - but in the end, I guess it's okay the way it is.

I wonder is if the kids would have appreciated the cities we visited more if we they were older. They were a little bored with the one tour we took, and we never spent more than a few hours in the city before they were anxious to get back on board the ship. We have discussed possibly taking a Jerusalem/Egyptian Pyramid cruise, but I think the kids would have to be much older to really appreciate it, and partake in the long"field trips" that such a trip would involve. But I have fallen in love with the life on the ship - the rolling motion, the excellent service, the relaxation.... I would do it again in an instant.Another late night... to bed after 11...

Friday, April 30, 1999

We slept late again! It was rainy and overcast this morning, so they closed the buffet on the 9th deck, and Vic had to go to the Sports Bar on the 12th deck, along with what seemed like half the ship. He just got through the line and had a tray full of food that he temporarily left to get something he had already passed.... When he came back to get the tray, it was gone - cleaned up already! So he had to do it all over again! The kids ate quickly when he came back - Frosted Flakes, banana, yogurt - then ran to Kids Korner around 10:45. When the kids came back, Vic took them swimming. The rain had cleared, and it was still chilly, but they went into the heated pool and then the hot tub. I joined them up there wearing a jacket that I had gone back to the room to get. After swimming, we played shuffleboard - the kids won 21 to 20. Then they were hungry again, so we went to the lunch buffet on the 9th deck - which was open now - and had pizza and butterfly pasta with alfredo sauce.

After a while, it was time for Kids Korner again, at 2:30. Vic and I dropped them off there, then Vic wanted to try the Casino. No one was playing craps, so we bought $20 in quarters, and each played the slot machines. Vic was doing really well until I ran out of money and used up all his. Then they announced that it was almost 3:00, and they were having Jackpot Bingo, plus chances to win a free cruise for 2. I played 6 cards, and had fun, even though I didn't win anything. The final game was a Jackpot, with the winner getting the $2,600 jackpot, so Vic bought me a second group of 6 cards, and then left me to play all 12. We also had 12 chances for the free cruise, but didn't win it. Didn't really expect to, but it would have been nice. I should have played Bingo the other times they had it - I enjoyed it. There's another game on Sunday, and someone will definitely win the Jackpot then, so I will probably play.

It feels like the cruise ship is kicking us off already, even though we still have 2 full days and 3 nights. First it was the luggage tags on the bed last night, and the embarkation talk scheduled for this morning - which we didn't attend. This morning they slipped the bill under the door.

Anyway, tonight was the Captain's Farewell Party and Farewell Dinner - again, I don't know why they are acting like we don't have 2 more nights after tonight! It was formal, so we had our portraits taken, went to a party in the Stardust Lounge, and then had dinner. The meal that almost everyone ordered was the lobster, and the kids enjoyed the waiters dancing while bringing out the Baked Alaska for dessert.

Saturday, May 1, 1999

LA ROCHELLE, FRANCE - Halfway between Les Sables d'Olonne and Royan is La Rochelle, one of the most important trading and fishing ports on the Atlantic coast. A lively little town, La Rochelle has something for everyone - a beautiful beach runs down to the Parc Charruyer, through which meanders a stream which occasionally forms pools where swans nest, the old harbour is filled with fishing boats and surrounded by high towers and the quays are lined with shops, cafes and bars teaming with activity.

La Rochelle is one of the most interesting ports from an architectural and historical point of view. La Rochelle was once a great Protestant stronghold until its defeat by Cardinal Richelieu in the 16th century, the town is a mixture of 14th century stone work and 16th century wooden houses and markets. To protect the harbour at night and in times of war, a chain used to be stretched between two 14th century stone towers at the harbour entrance, la Tour Saint Nicholas and la Tour de la Chaine, further along the city wall stands la Tour de la Lanterne. The latter was once used as a prison and a lighthouse, but now houses a museum. Being the most important trading port with Canada, the city suffered a great blow when the French lost Canada to England. The port of La Pallice was constructed in 1891 and during WWII the Germans built their submarine bases in this port, these can still be seen today. The town was heavily bombed by the Allies during WWII, but has been well restored.

What a beautiful, wonderful, fantastic day! We absolutely LOVED La Rochelle! I wish every town that we stopped in had been like this one!

Our day started a little early - the kids woke at 7 as we were pulling into port. They jumped up and looked out the window, and then climbed back in bed and fell asleep again. By the time Vic ran upstairs to exchange the rest of the Spanish Pesetas, and some American money - $150 in total, giving us almost 900 French francs - we were all at breakfast, at the Sun Terraces restaurant, by 8:45. After breakfast, we took Alyx to the medical center, where the doctor confirmed that her pierced ears were infected, and gave her some antibiotic pills and ointment. He also said the fluid in her ears had cleared up nicely, but since we'd be flying at the end of the week, it was safer to continue giving her the decongestant. We left the ship around 9:45 - we were going to catch the shuttle, which was $10 per person round-trip, but decided a taxi was just as cheap, and would take us directly where we wanted to go first - the Aquarium. When we got off the ship, the was a tent set up with maps, souvenir coins, free postcards, and information on local attractions - our first sign that this was the first tourist-friendly city we had visited yet. Vic had been told the weather would be overcast, a high of 56 today... but it seemed warm when we went out, so we had on shirts and sweaters, but no coats.

We really enjoyed the aquarium - it was small, but very well done. We saw lionfish, rays, crabs, ribbon eels, sea anemones, sea urchins, and many, many other fish. Then there was a glass tunnel that led to a big round aquarium in which there were sharks, sea turtles, and sawfish. The glass above us gave us a great view! Then there was a small green room, in which there were turtles.

Then we went outside to have some ice cream and kill some time until the taxi driver returned for us at 11:30. Alyx had strawberry sherbet, and Trevor had a chocolate sundae cone. While the kids were eating, a van pulled up in the small circle in front of the aquarium, and brought out four robot-looking machines. For 10 francs each - about $1.65 - the kids drove these things around the circle for about 5 minutes - they didn't go very fast, but the kids loved steering them around in circles and almost running into things. They loved them. They each rode their own once, and then they shared another 5- minute ride just as the taxi driver came back.

We had him take us then to the Natural History Museum, where there were supposedly mineralogy, paleontology, and other natural exhibits, but when we arrived, we found out it didn't open until 2 p.m. The taxi driver had already left us, so we walked through the town. Most of the shops were closed - hard to tell if it was because today is a holiday here, May 1st, also known as May Day in Europe, or because it was"lunch time," when all the shops are closed from 12-2 anyway. First we came upon a beautiful old church, parts of which dated back to the 12th century. The paintings, sculptures, woodwork, stone work.... absolutely incredible. The most amazing part is that it was all hand done, of course, and it took centuries to build. Vic and I were discussing it at another church the other day... today we consider it a long time if it takes 5 years to build something. Back then, the people who started the church would never see it completed in their lifetime, nor would their children, or likely their children - it could take 5 generations to see a church completed. And they spent their whole lives working on something they would never see done.

After the church, we walked into a town square, and found the farmers' market! What fun! We saw all kinds of fresh fruit and vegetables - bought some strawberries. Then we saw all kinds of fish - whole fish, crabs, shrimp, oysters - we bought some shrimp. We saw bread stands, pastry stands, flower stands, and egg stands - Alyx saw some chicken, duck, and goose eggs. There was also a building that had more stands, and there we saw fresh dairy products, including lots of cheeses, meats, more fish, more pastries... it was such fun to look at!

As we continued through the city streets, we found a sidewalk café, and sat down for lunch. Vic and I split an American burger, Trevor had chicken nuggets, and Alyx didn't eat anything. I also had a salad, which was very good. Then we went into the harbor area, and saw a lot of craft items for sale. Alyx was particularly intrigued with the jewelry made from pieces of glass around which wires were wrapped to create jewelry. We took pictures so she could make her own at home. There were also some nice paintings on display. Then we went to the two towers that used to protect the harbor. We walked along the stone wall, overlooking the harbor, which was very picturesque. The kids and Vic had already taken off their sweaters, because it had become quite warm, but I was wearing a turtleneck shirt under my sweater. I took my short-sleeve shirt that Vic had carried in the backpack, and went to the public restroom to change. The cost was 1.50 francs, or about 25¢. Then we came across the public beach, where people were sunbathing, swimming, and flying kites. As we continued along the wall, it ended at the street - Vic was guiding us by a map we got as we came off the ship - and we were in a beautiful park. Right at the beginning of the park was a small"zoo," where we saw ducks, swans, and other birds, deer, peacocks, and small horses. Alyx even saw a duck egg at the bottom of a tree, and would have stayed there all day just looking at it, if she couldn't take it home with her, that is. There were also the cutest"bicycles" that the kids rode. They looked like a jockey cart and horse, like at the flat track, but they were powered by pedals and wheels. The kids hung onto the reins to pull the wheels and steer, and they rode along a straight long oval-shaped path. Trevor loved it! He was a bit of a crazy driver, of course. Alyx had a lot of fun too...

Then we walked through the rest of the park - quite a long distance. Along the canal, over hills covered with tiny white and yellow daisies, under bridges... it was a beautiful walk. Then Vic led us to a hotel, where they called for a taxi for us. While we were waiting, Vic ordered a"lemonade," which turned out to be a 7-Up type drink with lemons in it, and chocolate milk for Trevor. It was about 4:45, and we had to be back on the ship at 5:30 for the 6:00 sailing. We filled out our postcards very quickly, and Vic brought them up to mail. He got there about 5:30, and they sold him the stamps, but said it was too late to mail them from there. Vic ran back down to our deck, 6, where the gangway was today, and found someone there, an officer of some sort, that was willing to take them and mail them for us.

Vic and the kids were rather warm, so they all dressed in their bathing suits, and ran upstairs to swim. I didn't go, because they didn't leave until almost 5:30, and we had to be dressed and to dinner by 6. So I stayed and got myself dressed, and pulled out the kids' clothes, so that we could move quickly once they got back. At 6:00, we pulled out of port. They must not get many cruise ships - it was the first time Norwegian Cruise Lines sailed into this port. The tent that the Chamber of Commerce had at the ship when we got off was very generous, and the people in town were genuinely friendly. We had to pull into a fishing port, quite a way out of town, and to pull the gangway up, they used a container crane. When we left, there were easily a couple hundred people from town who had come down to the port to watch us leave. They were kept back behind gates until we were actually not connected to the port any longer, then they streamed up to the edge of the dock to wave good-bye. A tugboat, police boat, and quite a few pleasure boats also came alongside to say good-bye. A wonderful day!

Vic and the kids came down a few minutes after 6, and we hurriedly got them changed. The dress code tonight was"smart casual" - pant suits or dresses for the ladies, sports jacket for the men. Trevor wore a Nautica shirt and tan pants, Alyx wore her favorite white lace dress again, I wore a blouse and black pants, and Vic wore a nice casual shirt and pants - he didn't want to get dressed up. And most of the men in the restaurant weren't dressed up anyway. It was International Night, and there were a variety of menu options from different countries. I chose the German vegetable beef soup, and the French Duck a l'orange. We didn't have dessert, because tonight is another chocolate buffet at 11:30 p.m., and Alyx wants us to go. We set our clocks ahead tonight - maybe we'll actually make it to the interdenominational church service tomorrow. Even if the kids don't get up, they can stay with Vic and I'll go anyway. I really want to go.

I can't believe it - our last day tomorrow! I can't believe how sad I am to have the cruise end! You'd think I'd be anxious to get off after 2 weeks on board! But we're definitely hooked - we'll be keeping an eye on internet websites for cruise deals from now on. With our ability to travel at the last minute, we should be able to find deals like this one.

After dinner, we stopped at the photo shop, and bought one of the pictures from dinner last night - the formal picture won't be done until tomorrow. We also bought a book of photos of the cruise - the ship itself, the restaurants and lounges... but most interestingly, the pictures of the ship during its renovation, when they cut the ship in half and added 130 feet to the center of the ship. It looks to Vic and I that they added the area in the middle where the Four Seasons restaurant is on the 9th deck, which would also be where the reception area is on the 7th deck, the casino on the 10th deck, and the hot tubs, wet bar and ice cream parlor on the 11th deck. They did the same thing with the sister ship, the Norwegian Wind, so the pictures show the before and after - the two ships next to each other, one already having been expanded and one not, so you can see easily where the center went in. You can also see the 3 pieces floating independently in the water - great pictures.

Kids Korner ended at 10, and we went up to the Chocoholic Buffet around 11:30. It was better this time, I think - there was more there I liked. Either that or I took more, knowing I wouldn't like everything, so I could try a lot of different things. There was a coconut cake with chocolate that was very good, and a chocolate cake too... but the rest were okay. Vic and Trevor even managed to stay up for it.

Sunday, May 2, 1999

Kids Korner started at 10, but they didn't make it there until after 10:30 a.m. I went to play Bingo at 10:30, so I left them with Daddy to dress. There was a jackpot round worth over $3500, so I thought I'd give it a try. I didn't win, of course. In the afternoon, we went photo gallery on deck 10, where they had our formal pictures from last night. We chose one 8x10, although there were a few I would have liked - Trevor looked so cute in all of them!

There has been a map on the wall outside the elevator on deck 9 aft all through the cruise, showing our path of crossing. It has been replaced by a map of the British Isles and France, showing the cities they will be visiting next. They go back to La Rochelle, Bordeaux, then north in the British Isles, then back down to Cherbourg and Le Havre - Paris - France. I think it's a 10-day cruise. What I wouldn't give to stay on board! The one thing that has been difficult on the cruise, however, is the space. It's hard to find things anymore, because things are piled on top of each other, hidden under the bed...

And now, the time I have been dreading - packing. I started packing before dinner, but wasn't done before 6, so we left the suitcases on the bed and went upstairs. Last dinner - tip night. We gave out the envelopes to everyone... I finished packing just about 9, which was when Kids Korner ended tonight. I went up and got the kids, so I could give Clint and Lisa a little token of our appreciation. Then we went to sleep, knowing we'd have an early morning tomorrow. The distance from La Rochelle to Dover is actually not that long, so we have been going very slowly all day. The weather was chilly, and the fog was incredible. When I was in the Observatory Lounge for the church service this morning, the fog was so dense I couldn't see what was beyond the front of the ship. Anyway, since we're going so slowly, there isn't much"rocking" motion - I really miss the feeling of being rocked to sleep.

Monday, May 3, 1999

Good-bye Norwegian Dream!

We woke early.... I had set a wake-up call for 6:15, but they started ship-wide announcements of the transfer departures at 6, and since it was broadcast in all the cabins, I guess that's what time everyone woke up. We got up, showered, packed the rest of our things into the overnight bag we had kept, and went up for breakfast. We thought there was a buffet in the Four Seasons again, but there wasn't, so we went up to the Sun Terrace, our usual restaurant, for breakfast. They even let us sit at our usual table, #30, with our own server. Just as we were leaving the restaurant, we heard an announcement for a group of transfers. It was almost 7:55, and ours was due to be announced at 8. We walked outside on the 11th deck and over to the Owners Suites, where Vic asked if we could look at one. There was one already vacated and clean, so we got to look - very nice! When you walk in, there is a LARGE closet on the right, and then the sitting room is straight ahead, with lots of windows. I mean, it's still small spaces, but definitely larger than ours. There was a small couch, table, chair, TV and stereo. On the left was the entrance to the bedroom and then around again to the bathroom, which then led to the entrance again. I think they cost about double what our cabin cost.

Anyway, we went from there back to our cabin to wait for the announcement for Dark Blue, the transportation to Victoria Station, the nearest location they were transporting people to in London by our hotel. When we got into the room, at about 8:08, I called Reception, just to make sure that the announcement they made 15 minutes before wasn't for Dark Blue. Reception said no, dark blue had not yet been called. We were surprised, as we were supposed to be called at 8, so we waited. Around 8:12, we heard an announcement, "Last call for those holding Dark Blue tags." We ran quickly down the hall - luckily they were departing from our deck - and found out we were the last ones to leave the ship for dark blue. Everyone else was already on the bus, having had their passports stamped, gone down the long, long, long gangway, claimed their luggage, and gotten on board the bus. So, we managed to run through most of that - it was easy to find our bags since they were the only ones sitting there... they had to squeeze our bags in because we had a lot and the baggage areas had already been filled, and got quickly onto the bus. It wasn't until the bus pulled out that Vic realized he hadn't tipped the porter because of all the confusion - we felt bad.

I thought I had been told at one point that it was a one-hour bus ride to Victoria Station, but the bus driver told us almost 2 hours. Vic's cold by now was really bad, so he fell asleep pretty quickly. It took a little under 2 hours, and we drove through beautiful countryside. There were a lot of fields that were covered with some sort of yellow flower that was very colorful.

I was surprised there were no highways or express way into the city, but we drove for quite some time through downtown to get to Victoria Station. There we gathered up all our bags from off 2 different buses, and Vic found us a cab. Of course, we had been assured by the cruise line that we could exchange money in town, as their desk had run out of British Pounds, but since we were getting right into the cab, we weren't sure how to pay for it. The driver said he didn't take dollars, but Vic said he'd run into the hotel and exchange some money, then run out and pay the cab, and the driver said that was fine. The cab was large - the driver in the front, on the right side of course. Behind him there is a wall with windows, and then a lot of floor space, and a small chair that folds down. The bench is in the back, and a small trunk. We put some bags in the front left, some on the floor in front of us, some in the trunk, and Trevor sat on my lap. I thought we might have to take two taxis, but we did it! Our hotel is the Royal Garden Hotel, on Kensington High Street, in the Kensington area of London, the far west. It overlooks Kensington Gardens, which used to be part of Kensington Palace, where royals, including Princess Margaret, have apartments and currently reside. It was 11 a.m. when we arrived at the hotel, and we were pleasantly surprised to be able to check-in right away. Our room is #415, at the end of the hallway, overlooking the park and Kensington Palace. I had seen pictures in their brochure, in the Disney Vacation Club information - since we used our Disney Vacation Club points to stay here, we booked it through them - and on the Internet, and the rooms looked very small. I warned Vic that the room would be small, in fact I wasn't sure where we would put all the suitcases, and maybe we could leave the ones we wouldn't need in London in some type of storage. Disney Vacation Club told me that they wouldn't book more than 3 people in the room, so they had advised me to book 2 rooms. I didn't want to pay that much, so we agreed we'd fit into the one room somehow. Besides, it had to be bigger than the cabin on the ship that we'd just spent 2 weeks in, right?

We were very pleased when we opened the door and discovered a much bigger room than we expected. On the right is a closet, big enough to hold all our luggage. The bathroom is on the left. Straight ahead is the main room, with a couch and chair on the left, and 2 twin beds, a desk, and dresser on the right. Definitely bigger than our cabin! And we overlook the park!

The kids weren't anxious to leave again yet, so we hung out in the room for a short time - I unpacked, the kids played with their toys and checked out the TV. Then we went out to explore, see some sights, and have lunch. We walked out of the hotel - dressed warmly, as we were told to expect highs of around 61, and headed toward the nearest Underground, or subway, station. As we walked along the streets, we realized it was already past 61, and we all took off our jackets. By the end of the day, it had to have hit a high in the mid 70s - we were warm!

As we walked along the streets, we saw a lot of store names familiar to us - Laura Ashley, Levi, etc. We passed a camera store and went in to get camera batteries - and walked out about $40 poorer, just for 2 batteries. We were almost to the underground station when we passed a McDonald's. Everyone was hungry, and it was certainly the easiest thing in site, so we decided to eat there. We ordered our food and ate in their dining room in the basement.

The entrance to the underground was through a small shopping area, and we were passing a pharmacy, so Vic went in to get some cold medicine. Then we bought our one-day tickets for the underground, and went on. We took the train one stop, then transferred to another train for 6 stops, and got off close to the British Museum. Alyx was really looking forward to it - they had quite a collection of mummies, including one of a cat. We had to walk a few blocks, and stopped in a gift shop on the way. Alyx got a key chain that says"London," Trevor got a key chain of a double-decker bus, and I got a bunch of postcards. They were funny postcards - one showed small pictures of a bunch of famous London sites, and appeared to have written on them notes from us from our trip, like"got arrested here" at the photo of the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace, etc. The other postcard was a photo of Buckingham Palace, and again writing saying"My hotel room is here." Vic sent a bunch of those to people at work.

We walked into the Museum, and there was a sign saying that the mummy collection was closed because of construction and expansion in that area. Alyx almost cried - she had been so excited. But we went up to the Egyptian area anyway, and saw a number of statues, sarcophaguses, weapons, jewelry, and hieroglyphics. We could see the area where the Egyptian Mummies were - they had curtains across the entrance to the room. Vic put Alyx on his shoulders, and she could look over the curtains and see the mummies - she took pictures too. She felt better.

We went from there into the early Roman-Britain area, and saw the"Lindow Man" - a 25-year-old man who had been killed apparently in a religious ceremony, probably Druid, over 3,000 years ago, had then been dumped into a bog. The chemicals and lack of sunlight had preserved his body, and 15 years ago his foot was found in the bog. Archaeologists were called in to excavate, and they found the upper torso, including head, chest and arms, intact. You could still see the hair on the top of his head and face, where he had a beard and mustache, but the chemicals in the bog had bleached it. The skin looked almost leather-like in color and texture. Alyx had read about him in some of her Mummy books when we did the unit study on Mummies last year.

Then we went down the stairs, heading to the section on Egyptian sculpture, but Alyx sidetracked us and led us into the Oriental Collection. I told her some of the history of China, and related things there to things I had seen while in China in 1982. Then we went to the Egyptian Sculpture area, where we saw more sarcophaguses, and a large statue of Ramses II. We talked about what happened to end the reign of the Pharaohs in Egypt, and how civilizations end and change and evolve.

The kids were tired from walking, so we went outside and got some lemonade, or lemon squash, and sat down for a few minutes. Then we walked back to the underground and rode back to the area of our hotel. We stopped at a little shop and picked up some drinks, and Vic picked up a menu from a Chinese restaurant, which we later ordered from, and Vic went to pick up. We ate the Chinese food in our room - it was good, even though their selections and names are a little different from home. For example, they didn't have lo mein, so I ordered fried noodles, thinking they were probably the same. They were similar, but much thinner and not as soft. Actually, the kids liked them better! The chickens with vegetables in white sauce was really good, especially the broccoli which even Alyx loved, but the portions were really small, so it didn't go far. But the prices weren't shy - $40 for 3 soups, one small order of chicken with vegetables, one small order of egg fried rice, and one small order of fried noodles with bean sprouts. Everything in this city is so expensive! Even the ride on the subway was $15 for the 4 of us. We have large windows in the room, and decided to leave the drapes open so the sun would wake us up.

Tuesday, May 4, 1999

The hotel offers a continental breakfast buffet, and it is free for two people per room. The cost would have been 13.5 pounds, or $24 per person - ridiculous for cold cereal, juice, pastries and fruit! It was half that for Alyx, but Trevor got a ham omelet, so his was $15.75. The service was terrible - the girl kept acting like we were bothering her. And since it was a buffet, we really weren't asking for much! Vic didn't leave much of a tip.

Trevor really wanted to ride the double-decker buses today, since we did the underground yesterday, so we were going to take the bus to Buckingham Palace, to see the changing of the guard, at 11:30 - it was 10:30 when we walked out of the hotel. But the greeter at the door said there was no direct bus, which it would be difficult, so we decided to go to the Tower of London instead. I got us pretty close on the bus, and then we took a cab the rest of the way, rather than figure out another bus, since the maps for that aren't as easy as the underground maps. Another inexpensive stop - $52 for us to get into the Tower of London.

The Tower of London included parts of what used to be the royal castle, quite some time ago. We first visited the area that was the royal residence of Edward I, in 1300. The first room was left as they found it, and the other rooms were renovated. It was interesting to see what they go through to renovate historical buildings - they use the clues of the buildings themselves, including the differences in the age of materials in the buildings, plus artistic information, such as paintings that took place in the historical location, and comparative information about what other historical places looked like in the same time period. So the room that we first saw included portions of the original royal residence in the 1300s, plus many renovations and improvements, and even wallpaper on one section of the wall that was only done about 10 years before it became a museum.

Then we went into the White Tower, which at one time was the tallest structure in London. There were displays of weapons, armor, paintings, architecture, etc. It was a long, but interesting tour. Then we went across to the building that holds the Crown Jewels. There video presentations on the way in, showing the jewels as they have appeared in various works of art, and the coronation of the current queen, Queen Elizabeth II. The jewels themselves were magnificent - they claim that the largest diamond in the world is in one of the scepters. I thought the largest was the Hope Diamond, in Washington, but I must be wrong... I'll look it up.

When we went outside, we saw where some of the beheadings took place in history, and we discussed some of what might lead kings or queens to be killed. We also discussed the 2 princes who disappeared in the Tower and were believed to have been killed by their uncle, who later became King Richard II. Their skeletons were found in the foundation of the White Tower hundreds of years later.

We left the Tower of London and walked down by the Thames River, to a restaurant for lunch. Unfortunately the service wasn't any better there - we ended up complaining to the manager, who in turn tried to justify all the things the waitress had done. Anyway, the potato soup was good. I ordered"lemonade" to drink, which turned out to be the very sweet Sprite - they do have Sprite here, but it is definitely different, - much sweeter, and lemonier!

After our lunch break, which was longer than we expected, we walked over the Tower Bridge. It would have been nice to walk on the top, high part, but you have to climb 300 steps to get there, and Vic, with his cold, and the kids weren't up to it, so we walked along the same level as the cars. On the other side, we walked over to the HMS Belfast, a battleship from WWII that is now a museum. We spent quite a bit of time exploring and climbing all around the ship. By the time we were done, it was 4:30, and all the museums were closing for the day, so we found a taxi to go back to the hotel. On the way, Vic asked the driver to drive past Big Ben, so we could see it. He actually stopped on a bridge right next to it, and the kids got out and Vic took their picture in front of it and the House of Commons. When we got back to the hotel, we talked about us going back with Vic, especially now that Trevor's sick, because if he really has what Vic does, we won't be doing anything tomorrow anyway. We called Delta and found out we could do it if we wanted to, so we discussed what we would be missing by going home tomorrow (a day early). What we had planned on doing was Westminster Abbey, the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, maybe Madam Tussaud's wax museum, and Harrods. Vic was leaving at 10:30 from the hotel, and everything closes at 5, so with lunch, we were giving up 5 hours of sightseeing. And on Thursday, to catch a 10 a.m. flight from Gatwick, we would have to leave the hotel at 7 a.m. anyway, so it would have been very difficult. So, we called Delta and changed our flights.

We are now confirmed to leave tomorrow at 1:35 p.m. from Gatwick, arriving in Atlanta at 5:35, a 3 hour layover there, and arriving in Orlando at 9:40 p.m.

I'm sorry that we'll miss some big sights, but I'm not heartbroken. We've seen a lot of wonderful sights in the last couple weeks, and I'm positive we'll be back in London at some point. It's such an expensive city, too, that I feel guilty spending all the money we've spent - cabs are $20 every time we hop in, even the bus this morning was $14, and then we paid the cab after that too... I would have liked to have seen Harrods, but I doubt I would have bought anything. And I guess after 18 nights away from home so far, I'm kind of anxious to get back home...

Alyx and Vic went out for a walk, because Alyx wanted to see Kensington Gardens before she left, as she said it looked like a pretty park. When they returned from their walk, they brought pizza with them.

Wednesday, May 5, 1999

After breakfast, we still had some time to kill... the flight is at 1:35 p.m. So we went outside, found it rather chilly and we hadn't dressed warmly for this travel day, and we got a cab. We figured we'd check out a bookstore down the street. Then we walked back to the hotel, got our bags, and caught a cab to Victoria Station. I guess there is no direct route via roads to Gatwick Airport, so they have these trains available from Victoria Station that are express to the airport. They are cheaper than a cab - 28 pounds instead of 55 - and take 1/3 the time, as the cab would have taken 1.5 hours, we were told. There was someone there to help us get the bags on the train, we paid by credit card on the train, were served beverages and snacks –at a cost, of course - and we were there in 30 minutes. When we got off, we had to wait for someone to help with bags, but then he took us all the way through the terminal to the Delta counter, where we checked in.

When we were done with all this, it was 11:30. We stopped at a newsstand and got a magazine and newspaper, so we went into the international departure area, and had Burger King for lunch - not my choice.

It was a long flight - 8.5 hours of flying time. I forgot to order the kids' meals for the flight - I realized that when we checked in for the flight.

We got home at nearly midnight, or 5 a.m. to us. I was surprised how odd it felt coming home - like we were gone for a very long time. The weather is going to be mid-90s today...