I decided to stop in California to see my Mom as the last stop on my big Amsterdam/Queen Mary 2 trip. I visited relatives in Missouri then hopped a US Airways flight from Kansas City to Palm Springs.

My flight was on a US Airways Express CRJ-200. I mentioned in an earlier post that we should all get used to flying on smaller regional jets and here it is happening to me on this last leg on my trip.

While I do grumble about being on smaller planes there are a few positives… with a two by two seating configuration there is no middle seat, beverage service is still offered (usually) and nothing beats loading the plane from the outside in my book. I love that feeling of the hot tarmac air hitting my air conditioned skin as they open the terminal door for us to load. Diesel fumes dart in and out and for a brief second I feel more connected to my flight.  It doesn’t have the same sterile feeling as boarding a plane usually does.

I changed planes in Phoenix and took a Mesa Airlines CRJ-200 to Palm Springs. My phone was dead by this time so I did not get any pictures. This flight was on the same kind of plane as the one above but there was one difference. The beverage service came by once and only offered two things to drink, water or orange juice. No refills either. This was a short flight between Phoenix and Palm Springs but I found it odd that if a beverage service was offered, why only two selections? Is this just what Mesa Airlines offers? It was a quick uneventful flight.

My brother Rick picked me up and I hit Casa Mama in style.

The pool was the most logical place to be in the 100 degree plus heat. A pitcher of Iced Tea on the side and watching the underbellies of planes as they land at the airport….. I  was in the groove.

I floated around soaking it all in. Just a few short days earlier I was pulling into Brooklyn Harbor on the Queen Mary 2 and now I am poolside in sunny California.

I just love it here. So peaceful, so beautiful.

Mom suddenly blocked my sun and said I needed to do something productive… with her… tomorrow. I’m game. She told me about this jeep excursion that goes out along the San Andreas fault for a four hour tour. We made reservations for the next day and hit the sack early, we had to show up at the designated parking lot at 8 the next morning.

We met up with our jeep and guide the next morning and headed into the hills outside of Palm Springs. The jeep company leased the private land that the fault runs through. We headed up some dirt roads and hit this grove of trees. I love how they sprout out of the barren ground. These are real, native palms.

There were two others in our group, a couple from Chicago. Diane and her partner whos name escapes me now. They were total city folk and Diane told me that she was more used to horns and gunshots than wolf howls and flying insects. She freaked out when a walking stick landed on my arm but she was a lot of fun to hang out with. Here we are looking into the actual fault (which stretches for miles).

Mom and I in the fault. There is also a tiny little spring that wets the surrounding ground down here.

The company has recreated an Indian settlement that would have been native to the area and run separate tours that highlight that history. We stopped at the recreated village complete with two ponds. This would have been a hard, hot life.

There are some serious geological pressures happening back here. Rock layers are thrusted at different angles making for some pretty interesting scenery.

My view while hanging on.

They had also built a little frontier town in the middle of nowhere. It was a bit cheesy but they rent the whole thing out for corporate parties and do a pretty good side business with that.

Mom at the Sheriffs office.

We hit the road and explored some areas on foot. It was nice and cool in these shady spots.

This was pretty darn cool.

The red jeep had to hit the road so we packed up and went back to the parking lot to pick up the car. It was a fun trip and something that I am glad I did. It was also fun making some memories with my Mom.

I stayed in California for four days then found the closest thing to a non stop flight home I could find. Horizon Air now flies into Palm Springs so I flew them on a CRJ-700 with one stop in Sacramento where we don’t have to change planes. For some reason, when we were in Sacramento, we had to get off the plane the back on. No big deal to me, I was one step closer to home.

When I got back to the Portland airport it felt great to be back home. I collected my bag and walked out the same door that 24 days ago I walked through to start my trip to Amsterdam. I had come full circle. No matter what I will always have this trip filed away in my memory. I did it… no I wish or what if…. I did it.

I could feel the life flowing through my veins again. It was good to be home.

I decided to stop in Missouri on the way back from my big trip to visit family in the far Southern part of the state. My Aunt Jan makes the worlds best biscuits and gravy hands down. Yes, it will be nice to see Uncle Burl and the gang but they all know that when I show up it is time for some serious home cooking. Did I fly to Missouri and drive eight hours for biscuits and gravy? Yes… but it was worth it.

I left the airport and hit the rental counter to get a car. There were a dozen companies and none seemed to be busy. The car was 24.99 a day and I got it for a week with unlimited miles on one of their packages. I chose the option to pre-pay for a full tank when I get back at $2.16 so I could bring it back on empty. the taxes and fees were huge and the guy behind the counter admitted it saying the voters had voted in all the fees. The grand total for me to rent a car for a week was just over $400. Holy cow. I was not expecting that. It would not have mattered which company I used so I picked Thrifty so I could get the airline miles.

I wanted to get out of Kansas City so I hit the freeway to head East for bit then South, I would drive till “later” and find a hotel along the way. I found a highway that went half the way down the state so I took it and stayed in the town of Sedalia. They had a Holiday Inn Express and I am a fan of the chain. As I layed in bed that first night It was too much to think that that very morning I was in the bosom of Cunard and now I’m in hot, sultry Missouri.

I eventually made my way South and hit Caulfield Missouri, population 1,678 officially but I don’t believe it.

This is the view as you get closer to ‘home’. A network of dirt roads that have only been numbered in the last ten years.

I stopped at my Granny Way’s first. She had 88 acres that I practically grew up on. Grandma passed two years ago and her property got gobbled up by her side of the family that haven’t done anything with it. All this tall grass used to be the parking area of all the various trailers. That mail box was her lifeline to the outside world. I used to play for hours on this dirt road in front of the compound. It brought back so many good memories but also a twinge of sadness that someplace I called home was now gone.

I then drove down to my Aunt Jan and Uncle Burls. They live on my other Grandparents farm about 3 miles away. This is my other home down here. I would split my time each and every Summer between my two Grandparents. I grew up with my cousins and I going to the swimming hole and eating watermelon from the garden every night. It was heaven.

Uncle Burl.

Grandpas Ford Tractor. My cousin Bruce and I would ride on top of the fenders while Grandpa tended the fields.

Jan really out did herself. For my first dinner that night she made me Biscuits and gravy, pan fried steak, corn and tomatoes / cucumbers from the garden. I ate like a condemned man. It was so good it brought tears to my eyes. this was my first home cooked meal in a long time and it was Jan’s cooking which I adore. This is old fashioned comfort food. She and Burl sat in the living room and cracked jokes about how quiet it was in the kitchen,the only noise was my fork hitting the plate.

Sunset over the horse fields at the Roberts farm.

I did some exploring the next day and went to the Amy Union Cemetery to go visit Granny Way and Grandpa Bob. When I got there I noticed a new church along the way and the old church looking like a tornado hit it. This is an old rock style house and it was a shame to see it like this. It was wrecked.

The ceiling still had some of the pressed tim showing. This would have been beautiful when first installed and very ornate. This had been painted over many times.

The outside.

Bob and Rose Way. GrandMa and GrandPa.

I hit the road back North on the night of the Fourth of July. I was hoping to get some storm chasing in on this trip but they were just to far away. It was like they were teasing me.

It made the drive more interesting.

I stopped at Buffalo Missouri to grab a sweet tea at the local McDonalds. These were the bar stools! how cool is that? As I stood in the parking lot drinking my tea and having a smoke, I watched the various fireworks around me. The fireflies lit up and the night clung to me like a shirt that was too small.  It felt like a different world.

The beauty of traveling alone is getting to do whatever I want to. I decided to explore Boonville Missouri because of its Civil War history. The town is extra charming being mostly built of brick and stone. The feeling was small town neoclassical. This is Thespian Hall in downtown that was built by slaves. It was the epicenter of culture at the turn of the century hosting plays, readings and musicals.

In town I ran into Kemper Military School. It was fenced off and thoroughly deserted having been shut down in 2007. The dwindling enrolment couldn’t support the school anymore and the city ended up with it. They tried to sell it but no one was interested. It sat for a year and has recently been fenced off meaning the wrecking ball is close. This place had a “Taps” vibe to it and I could imagine the plebs lining up on the quad along the faded yellow lines. It was beautiful.

There must have been a mile of fence all around the school. There were probably a dozen buildings on the campus and lots of open green spaces including athletic fields.

That building on the right is old. Real old.

There was one or two spots where the fence didn’t quite meet. Bonus for me.

A deserted hallway.

Slate and marble stairways.

The administration building seemed to be accessible.

This is the main entrance. Very cool.

Kemper Military School with a note on the front door with a number for alumni to call for more information.

The parlor of the main entrance.

I bet this banner flew proudly in the past. Now it is a forgotten relic.

I left Boonville with an appreciation for it. I liked this town quite a bit. There was a  feeling to it. One of community. I trapsed down the road a few miles and ran into an old actual Plantation house… Ravenswood.

The front gates were open and it had a faded sign about tours being available. When I pulled up it was not open for anything. The occupants were in the backyard swimming pool. The dog came out and started barking but no one peeked out so I took a look around the outside. One of the front columns is being replaced.

This is a carriage step. Think of the days that a horse drawn carriage pulled up and a long gowned lady had to disembark. The “R” in the concrete are small white disks pressed into the concrete. This is at the entrance gate to the house.

This is the view you would then have as you entered the gate into Ravenswood.

That’s the step on the left and the entrance gate on the right.

It has its own water tower and the building in front of it is a glass paneled solarium. The glass is missing but the frame work is still there.

I wish I could have got inside, I’m sure it was twice as gorgeous. I live for this sort of thing, it just oozes history.

I found a pioneer Cemetary down the road and stopped for a look. The oldest grave in the place was 1910 and the earliest was 1801 with the people being born in the 1700s. These were true pioneers and I later found out the site was named after on of the women burried here which was the first white woman West of the Missouri river.

The crack in this stone goes through the sentence, “He was a Royal Arch Mason”

I decide to start heading West as I need to get to Kansas City to catch the next leg of my trip to go see my Mom in Palm Springs.

Topless midgets, I knew I liked this place.

SO… I am driving along and glance out my window and what do I see? A tick! crawling on the inside of my window. That little bastard. I hate these guys. I only got two or three of them on this trip but if I did more farm time I would have had more.

I pulled over, got that little bugger and flicked him into the ditch on the side of the road. Lord knows how many more are crawling in the car.

I stayed in Sedalia again because it was a good jumping off point to get into Kansas City. I really like the Holiday Inn Express chain. I signed up for their points card so I stay with them whenever I can. The bed and bedding are way comfortable and the rooms large. The free breakfast in the morning is tasty so whenever I can, I choose to stay with them. The next stop was the Kansas City Airport and to drop off the rental car.

Next post: Flying Kansas City to Palm Springs

This is a continuation of my big trip to Europe and back on the Queen Mary 2. Last I had left off, I had just got off the Queen Mary 2 in Brooklyn.

When I walked out of the terminal doors at the ship’s pier, I could take either a Yellow Cab or a town car to the airport. The yellow cabs had just emptied their line when I walked up and the guy directing traffic asked where I was going and told me I could take a town car to Laguardia for $15 more than a cab. There was one waiting and I was anxious to get going so I took it. Plenty of legroom, some free drinks and snacks set up and a pleasant driver from Pakistan. It took about 25 minutes with no traffic and I paid $65 (plus $10 tip) when we got to the airport. With traffic, this drive can take 50 minutes.

My flight was on North West airlines at 11:30am from Laguardia with a connection in Minneapolis. The first leg was on a DC-9 and the second on an Airbus 319. I purposely booked this route because I wanted to fly on a DC-9, a relic of the industry but full of sexiness.

I hopped into line at the Delta check in at about 7:15 and the lines were already long. Aside of long, I could tell people were not pleased. There was an angy vibe coming off the crowd and everyone seemed tense. I decided to go chill outside for a while and let this squall pass before I got in the middle of it.

Outside the Delta terminal doors is an upper deck that looks into the taxi bullpen below. This is where they wait, by lane, untill they are called up to the taxi line for passengers.

I did some quick plane spotting from this corner, I wish the pictures were better but for a phone, I’m not going to complain.

The white plane on the left with the blue stripe said “Piedmont” on the tail, an airlines from long ago…but it was being actively loaded at the gate.

The Piedmont plane pushed back and within five minutes, a US Air 319 painted in the Philadelphia Eagles colors/logo pulled into that same gate.

I decided to go check in about 8am and the line was worse. So was the mood. The ticket counters were fully staffed and it was a madhouse in there. Pleople were cutting in line, screaming that they were going to miss their flight and sky caps were leading people to dead end lines in some roped off area. A twosome of 20 something girls were sobbing in line. Some previous days flights were cancelled and they put all those people in a separate line then proceeded to close both ends of the lane and forget about them all. This is one of those situations where I was thankful to be flying business/first calss because my line had about seven people in it versus the hell I was watching on the other sides of the ropes where the number had to have been 75-100 angry passengers trying desperately to check in. I made it to the front and the agent that I had previously watched being so gruff with people, put on a smile and checked me in fast. It was weird. I felt like a fish swimming in a pool of sharks, one false move would set off a frenzy. People were just so rude and pushing/shoving/running you over with their bag and there was no “I’m sorry” or “excuse me”.  It was just different that what I was accustomed to.

These were survivors. They could eat me alive.

Security was painless and I stopped at Chili’s Too for some breakfast. I chowed down, made a few calls and meandered down to my gate. It was at the very end of the terminal where it rounds out to accommodate multiple gates There were six gates that shared a common boarding area. Each gate had a flight and all of the flights left within 40 minutes of each other. Two of the flights were delayed so that meant that there were six flights leaving, almost, at the same time. That gate area was crowded! It had the murmur of a Colosseum and the smell of a locker room at the YMCA. I could not wait to get on that plane and out of this stress hole. As I stood in line a fellow traveler next to me started complaining about how bad the flight and NW Air are and we hadn’t even boarded the plane yet! I found my seat on that lovely DC-9 and settled in, grateful that I was getting out of New York.  We pushed back from the gate and started taxing to the runway…where the real excitement started for me. Laguardia is a huge airport and I got to see airliners that don’t even hit my edge of the States. This is a target rich environment for plane geeks like me.

A Delta CRJ-700. These are becoming so much more popular to fly because it is way cheaper to operate these that a traditional larger aircraft. Get used to smaller planes in the future. Another way to cut costs (and not provide drink services anymore).

That orange plane is a surprise. That is a Pacific Southwest plane actively loading at a gate. Another ghost from the past flying new gear, what the hell? Pacific Southwest used to be a player and they were the ones that had smiley faces drawn on the noses of their aircraft. I did some digging when I got home and found out that these were US Air planes painted in the schemes of the airlines that they had purchased over the years. US Air purchased Piedmont and Pacific Southwest (along with Allegheny and America West) to become who they are today (see picture below). Consolidation within the industry can read like a coat of arms with its heritage reading like a family tree.

This was a flight I took on US Air from Kansas City to Palm Springs. Notice the four logos in a circle on this plane. Those are the four former brands that ended up being US Air today. I think this is pretty darn cool.

An AirTran 717-200 taking on fuel. I don’t see to many 717s in my neck of the woods.

Here is a treat. This is Donald Trump’s personal plane. It is a Boeing 727-23 that has been fully pimped out in the Donald style. Gold fixtures in the lav, leather and mahogany trim, a full time crew and his name on the outside of the plane in 24k gold leaf. I learned it is registered in Bermuda. It looked pretty empty and alone on this day.

Out my window I start to see a back up of active traffic and the pilot announces that we are number nine in line to take off. That’s a NorthWest A319, an American MD-90 and a SouthWest 737 all meeting us at the end of the tarmac.

We turned just a bit and I caught a glimps of what was behind us. There are 10 aircraft lined up behind us, on three taxiways, with more behind that American that I couldn’t get in. Imagine being in the back of this lineup as the captain tells you you are number 19 in line.

My last shot of NY soil. It was good to be moving on.

I like this shot. It captures the feeling I had when I took it. Warm.

Lunch was served and for once I can say it was terrible. I will eat almost all airline food with a smile but this sandwich was terrible. On very thin piece of turkey with a half a thin slice of cheese on a huge, cold, hard roll. The lettuce and tomato were completely wilted. No condiments, no nothing. It was dry as the Sahara and I killed a can of coke trying to washing it down. I ate the red parts off the yellow strawberries and ate my four grapes. The cookie was the best part of this meal.

We hit Minneapolis and I caught a shot of this North West Airlines 747 getting ready to go. Since we were late leaving NY, I only had 10 minutes to catch my connection… luckily it was at the gate right next to where my flight was pulling in and I made it on time.

I hopped on my North West A319 for the trip from Minneapolis to Kansas City. The skies were perfect.

We did run into one big ass thunder cluster and our pilot flew around it.

Over Kansas City, I discovered a UFO landing base. Upon further review… it is a NASCAR track.

We landed with no problems and I will tell you, I liked the Kansas City airport. It was fast, efficient and well laid out. From the time off the plane to get my bag was about five minutes. No joke. The humidity slapped me like an older brother and it felt good to be back in my adopted home. I picked up my rental car and hit the freeway east. It was about 5:30 pm and I wanted to get out of the city as fast as I could.

Looking back on everything, this was possibly the coolest part of the trip.

The schedule was to be pulling into the Brooklyn docks at 6:30am so that ment that if you wanted to see the Statue of Liberty, going under the Narrows bridge and pulling into the harbour, you were going to have to get up early. Since we were docking at 6:30am, I knew we would all be up early regardless. I packed the night before and got everything ready for my disembarkation. I went to sleep about midnight and woke up at 4:15am before my alarm was set to go off. I opened my eyes to see blue flashing lights outside, flashing against the ship and my balcony in the black early morning darkness. I sprung to the balcony like a kid at Christmas and saw a US Coast Guard boat along side of us escorting us in. After four days of seeing nothing on the water it was sensory overload to all of the sudden see all the lights and sounds of the hustle and bustle of life. It was pretty darn neat. As I looked up forward I could see the bridge that our ship had to get under. I got dresses and did a commando mission for some coffee on deck 7. This was the only unorganised part of my voyage. The line quickly got long with java heads waiting to get a cup off coffee before the excitement started. Some people didn’t realise there was a line and it almost got to the mob stage. I secured two cups, I do have two hands after all, and hit the deck outside.

This is the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. Our ship has something like 5 meters of clearance when we go under it. Many people stand on the very top decks but I stayed down below.

We passed with fanfare and the early morning commuters honked their horns as we went underneath… good morning everyone.

The Coast Guard boat was on our side and a New York City Police helicopter came down and joined us. It would fly low and shine it’s spotlight along our waterline looking for activity. You could tell this was a high security deal with us going under the bridge.

The sky started to get lighter as I decided to pass on revisiting the coffee mob and head back up to the room. All of this was happening on my side of the ship so why not enjoy it while I could.

The Coast Guard kept all the other ships clear, there were many foreign flagged ships using the lanes this morning. The Statue of Liberty  is visible on the right side of the photo.

The helicopter and Coast Guard boat worked together the whole way. The helicopter is above the boat in this shot.

Then the copter got much closer. It was right off our starboard side and you could hear it quite loud. The flashing lights, the helicopter, the whole feeling of it all, I could only imagine the foreigners on board that were getting their first taste of New York just like they have seen in the movies. It all felt larger than life. The Statue of Liberty is behind the police helicopter in this photo.  It was low enough to create rotor wash next to us.

The skyline seemed to be shooting up out of the mist. It was surreal.

The helicopter left us as the sun started to rise. The channel was blocked as the Captain swung the ship around in the harbor and got ready to dock.

We started to pull into the dock and I could see all the TSA agents checking in for their morning shift at the port, 6:30, right on time.

I took one last deep sigh in cabin 11096, my home on the high seas.

And one last drink of an early morning sunrise over the Big Apple.

I had signed up for self disembarkation meaning I carried all my own luggage off the ship but it also meant I was one of the first ones off board. I picked this option since I had an 11:30 am flight out of Laguardia and I didn’t want to cut it close by being hung up getting off the ship. Those that signed up for it met in the Queens Room at 6:30 sharp and our group of 20 was the very first group off the ship. It was such a dreary feeling walking off the covered gangplank knowing what I was leaving behind me. We walked through the warehouse where you would normally meet your luggage and lined up for Customs. There were about seven stations open and I was immediately directed to an open one. I could see how this would take a huge chunk of time if your right in the middle of the scrum. The Customs agent was recruitment poster material and asked how my trip was and where I was off to next. He stamped my passport and said “welcome home” and with that, I strolled outside… I was home.

I walked out the doors and took one last long look at the Queen Mary 2 newly parked in its berth.

Cunard treated me well and it was something I can cross off my bucket list. It was expensive but you don’t do this sort of thing because you are looking for a cheap travel option. Tin can flights are a dime a dozen, but traveling between the continents by ship is something different. Something exciting. It makes your brain fire happy thoughts and you are left with memories of a lifetime. Thank you to the wonderful Cunard staff that all took good care of us. Thank you Reynaldo, Conrad and Ivanka for making my first voyage a memorable one, you three are stars in my book.

I am home safe and sound.

Now time for some tin cans… that’s the next post-LaGuardia to Kansas City!

The previous post detailed the first day but this one is going to be a summery of the next four days at sea.

Each day for me began about 10am or whenever the hell I wanted to get up. Somedays I ordered breakfast delivered to my room and other days I wandered the buffets downstairs.

This is what I woke up to daily. I would sit on that balcony and drink coffee feeling the muggy ocean air on my skin. The only sounds were of the waves as they broke back against the ship as we plowed through them. On the first morning I am standing out here looking and a French military plane all of the sudden flew very low and buzzed us. It wasn’t a fighter but more of a transport or reconnaissance looking plane but as it flew by it was unmistakably French military. It was about 400 feet off the ocean and flew down our starboard side bow to stern. It was so cool to be standing there at that exact moment to see that. So random… so neat. I also found some sort of interest in that the boys from France were giving the boys from Brittan a bit of a friendly row. Thumbs up chaps.

Exploring the decks on a sunny day. Each day there was sun and there were clouds and only twice was there a small enough sprinkle that you couldn’t lay out. The seas were never rough and all was well. I would walk sown the sides of the ship on those outside decks with the wooden lounge chairs and lifeboat stations and could not help but be filled with a swell of history. I, in a very small way, was tracing so many steps. Those of my ancestors. Those of people looking for a better life. Those of wealth and privilege. Those of the Titanic. Those of the soldiers that fought in war. Here I am a simple guy from nowhere, feeling that wood under my feet as my ship steams to a destined port.

Some days I layed out and just watched the world go by. Reading was the favorite past time and sometimes a band would show up, plug in and start a Caribbean 30 minute set. It was always fun to explore around the out side of the ship, I just loved the elements.

But it was also clear when it was time to hunker down in the room, order a bacon burger and ice tea from room service and take in the show out my door.

I liked walking the top deck(s) where it was really windy. At times it was difficult to walk from one end to another. There were all sorts of nooks and crannies that you could explore but it was mostly empty up here. There was a golf area with nets all around it and a set of clubs in there so I did take a swing or two on a non windy time.

I rented a tux on board for the three formal nights. I am glad I did but plenty of men were in dark suits. I really wish I would have gone ahead and brought my Coast Guard dress uniform, it would have been a hit.  I took the later seating in the main dining room and got tabled with a Mom and her two daughters from Scotland and two wonderful gay English gentlemen in their 60s. Graham and Derrick were a blast and I looked forward to hearing their stories each night. The Scottish ladies were neat but I must admit that I had some trouble understanding them. I mentioned this to Graham and Derrick one night after dinner and they said they did to. The dinners were very good especially thinking that they have to serve thousands of people and not run out of anything at anytime. We would sit around the table for 1.5 to 2 hours with everyone then go our separate ways. The guys always took in the late stage show after dinner, a sort of Vegas review. The girls liked the Commodores lounge for chocolate martinis. I went to the casino and would wander to the Brass Lion pub next door to take in the karaoke.  Dinner at 8, party at 10, back to the room and wound down by 2. I love these hours, I am a night person all the way.

This is my table, number 68 with the youngest Scottish daughter. I think she was stuck reading somewhere while Mum and Sis tied one on. That is the grand staircase in the Britannia Dining room. On the last night, all the cooks line those stairs and every one gives them a hand.

One day I look at the water and there is a school of dolphins darting around the ship. They were small to the eye and dark grey but you could see them under the water as they played in the waves that were on the sides of the ship. In the picture above, all the little white dots are the top fins breaking the water, there were more underneath.

One day I saw a whale. It was not a blow hole sighting but I clearly saw the big split tail come up, out and then back down into the water. I grabbed my camera and got the shot above. It is that tiny little white dot just above center. I know, weak. But, I take all my pictures with the camera on my phone and it does not have any sort of settings to adjust, like a zoom. But this picture serves another purpose. Observe my friends, the fury of the North Atlantic ocean! Just look at how calm that water is.

The nicest view from a designated smoking area I have ever seen.

This was one of the many long hallways on the popular decks where the entertainment/food was located. All the sides were a brass relief and each one different with each panel showing a different world wide exploration of some sort. This was a classy ship, no doubt. The only thing bringing it down was the average traveler, including me, where we all looked out of place. Graham and Derrick never looked out of place though. With their paisly accented tuxes and ascots worn for the deck, those dudes were the epitome of class.

I would break the trip down like this-

The first day-

The four full days-

The last morning.

The last morning is a whole experience within itself when the ship pulls into Brooklyn harbor in New York. It was so exciting, it needs it’s own post. Stay tuned!

I took a cab from the Premiere Inn hotel to the cruise ship terminal. I ended up not staying at the Holiday Inn as I previously wrote that I was going to but I do not regret it one bit. My cabbie was a nice local guy who gave me a quick rundown of the town as we whizzed by. We all seem to have the same problems, immigration, health care etc and it was nice to feel like we are all in this together. A global solidarity so to speak. He took me to the docks and pointed out the Titanic’s berth that they just tore down to make way for progress. He drove into a big warehouse and my trip began. 

 

You put on your luggage tag and drop your bag in the big pile on the side where one guy is loading them onto a conveyor. You then proceed inside the terminal and stand in line waiting to check in with an agent. It was very much like checking into a large hotel in Vegas. The excitement was palpable and smiles were everywhere. I checked in and got my cruise card with my name on it and went through security and made it to the waiting lobby on the second floor.

We waited here for the boarding call. I checked in downstairs and at 12:15 and waited here till we were called by groups (you get a colored boarding tag in the security line) to get on the ship. I was called at about 1:45. When I was called to board it was pretty cool. The ship security officers line the doors and the glass walled entry way seemed to magnify the immensity that I was boarding. They scanned my card, saw my room and directed me to the right or left all depending on the location of your stateroom. There were employees stationed to heard you in the right direction toward the elevators and I made it up to the 11th floor-stateroom 11096, about amidships on the port side.

I was giggling for some reason as I cracked the door for the first time and took this shot. It was sensory overload. That shiny thing on the bed is a cover for you to put your luggage on and unpack. It had a double bed, writing desk, love seat and a table that could move up and down and swivel around to use as you need to. I would sit on the love seat and use that table for everything. I booked in a B-4 category and ended up getting upgraded to a A-1 with a fully glassed balcony out my doors. This is sweet! Let’s look around. 

The bathroom with shower just inside to the left. Plenty of room and everything had it’s place.

The goodies were to notch and plentiful. A few made their way home as souvenirs.

On the table I found a chilled bucket of Champagne and a welcome card signed by the Captain. I found out not everyone gets this and I assume I got it because I was a first time traveler or because of my stateroom category. I am still not sure but I did not hesitate to pop the cork and drink half a glass on the spot.

I wandered to the stern and people started to gather to watch our 5pm push off. There was plenty of room and the weather was great.

The Police boats came out and escorted us out to a certain point. 

There was another big NCL cruise ship leaving at the same time as us and she followed about a mile behind us as we both left Southampton.

It was beautiful as we left England with the seas calm as can be.

We did the big Lifeboat drill required of everyone and it was an easy deal with everyone meeting in a certain place. With the formalities over, lets go have some fun.

I went back to my room to get ready for some food and a night of exploring the ship. This was the view off my balcony if I looked down. It looked like the people on the 9th floor got screwed with awesome orange lifeboat views. I watched them do maintenance on them during the voyage so it was a nice security blanket. 

I put on my town clothes and hit the ship. This felt good.

This ship is not a traditional cruise ship and you are not to refer to it as a cruise, it is a voyage. This is a ship that is built to withstand the North Atlantic and her rough seas. It is a very sturdy feeling and you never forget your on a ship, I liked that. This is one of the back decks on floor 5.

I went to the Kings Court Buffet to get some food for that first night, the formal dining was on the following nights of the voyage. The food was good but nothing too special and I ended up getting a cup of coffee when I was done to watch the sky get dark as we sailed away. It was intoxicating to let myself stop and soak in that I was really doing this.

The moon came up and it was time to move on, there would be plenty of time to feel the ocean air on my skin during the next five days.

I hit the casino, naturally, and on the very first machine I play I hit the true jackpot on the third push of the button. I won $275 on this push and got a hand pay from the attendant. All the other people were watching and talking it up, it was an excellent way to start this voyage. The casino payed out very well from what I witnessed. I had a handful of three number hits and I saw three or four jackpot payouts of 3 to 5 thousand dollars. They do not have a ticket in/ticket out system so it was fun using coins again. There were a good variety of name brand slots and even a slot tournament twice on my voyage. $20 to enter with a $500 top payout and paying for the top three places. Not too bad and on honest tournament machines. The five dollar machines seemed to be on fire. I ordered a coffee from the steward guy and ended up paying $1.65 for it on my card. My first lesson that it is free in the food courts upstairs (and room service) but costs anywhere else. I was rollin pretty hard having a good time but it was getting late and I was ready to bunk down for the night.

When I got back to my room, Reynaldo my room Steward had turned my room down. On the bed are door hangers for privacy/make up room, a room service hanger for breakfast in bed, A copy of the US News-a newspaper like thing, Cunard chocolates and a slipper and robe set. The drapes are all closed and my God I could get used to this.

I didn’t want to have anything go wrong when catching the ship I scheduled so I decided to spend the night in Southampton England before the sailing of the Queen Mary 2. I booked a direct flight from Amsterdam on Flybe Airlines, a low cost airlines. This was my first experience of being “nickle and dimed” to death which now seems to be the emerging norm for everyone. I talked about the cost break down in a previous post where my 59 euro ticket ended up costing me almost 160 euro-http://mentalejecta.wordpress.com/2009/06/16/my-upcoming-trip-its-the-big-one-weezy/. I did not end up getting dinged with the over weight bag fee but I know I was 3kg over the limit. Maybe being nice to the agent helped. 

The Amsterdam Airport has a wonderful smoking area just outside the front doors which is a great spot to people watch.

Gorgeous… where in the states can you find this?

All of them healthy and well cared for.

I checked my bag and after getting through security, hit the concourse to find my plane.

It’s not this one… this is a KLM 747 Jumbo. This was the absolute tops in airplanes in the 70s-80s. The thing myths are made of. No matter what, this will always be airplane porn to me.

It’s not this one… this is an Easy Jet Airbus 319 that serves all of Western europe.

It is this one. A FlyBe Bombardier Q400 Turbo Prop. It was snug but nothing unbearable and having a direct flight instead of connecting through London was worth every euro. They sold beverages and sandwiches on board but the flight was only about an hour long so it was no big deal. The employees did not seem overly friendly and seemed surprised when I smiled and thanked them when getting off.

The view of the engine out my window.

My first glimpse of the English countryside. It looked different than the countryside in my beloved states. How could that be? I could not help but think of the hedgerow fighting that the soldiers experienced during the war.

We landed and got through immigration, one guy welcoming us to a tiny airport. Right on. This was the smallest international airport I have ever been through. I can’t remember more than six gates or so but I might not have seen the whole thing. I found a hotel within walking distance from the airport called the Premiere Inn at Southampton Airport. I drug my wheeled bag behind me for about two blocks and easily hit my new home for the night. A cheery greeting awaited me and this hotel was fabulous in every way.

I didn’t care one bit it was a twin room and the price was right at 63 pounds a night. I ordered a pizza from the restaurant below and chowed down. There was a breakfast buffet for the morning and the place was super clean and quiet.

After all that quaint viewing in Amsterdam it was only right to get back to the real world. This is my view of the highway right behind the hotel but it was kinda fun to see the different kind of cars driving on the “wrong side of the road”. I was beat after the traveling and the food so I hit the sack and was out. Tomorrow is going to be exciting.

I should have brought different shoes.

Blisters were common so I would trudge through my tourist walks in the morning then cool my jets at the apartment for a mid day pit stop before a small slice of nightlife. I ended up buying some cheese/crackers and salami at the corner store and washed it down with a local can of ice cold beer. It was the best lunch I could imagine.  On my last full day I decided to check out a museum So I hit the road early.

This is the World War Two Dutch Underground Museum. This city was taken over by the Nazis during the war and this is a museum that chronicles the Dutch life before, during and after occupation. It was a great experience and I recommend it to everyone. It was an easy subway ride from the Royal Palace/Dam square and the entrance fee was reasonable. It is also right across the street from the Zoo entrance which seemed popular with families. The museum houses many displays in different rooms but I only got a few pictures.

This is a display of the Nazi propoganda posters used to inspire the local population that they were really on each others side. They created the N.S.B. as the Dutch detachment of the Nazi empire. The local population saw their fellow countrymen join this group and deep wounds divided the nation. Some said felt trapped and joined the party and others believed the ideas behind the Nazi beliefs. Many more resisted joining this movement and saw their Countrymen as traitors. When the Country was liberated by the Allies, these “traitors” had their houses burned and asses kicked.

Another poster.

 

The old man is smiling with forgotten pride. Pen and ink by the original artist… very powerful.

The entrance to a local park down the street. How very cool. 

 

Time to wrap up my stay in Holland and say my goodbyes to the city I am now so enamoured with.

Goodbye wonderful old apartment…

Goodbye tour boats of tourists from my window….

Goodbye unbelievably beautiful streets…

Goodbye wonderful Dutch attitude….

Goodbye good friends….

Goodbye blue skies…

Goodbye.

I’m gonna put up some pictures in no real order of the absolutely beautiful things I am seeing in Amsterdam.

First off, I am in love. I am in love with this city, it’s people and the feeling here. I can’t put my finger on it but I feel right at home in this culture. Everyone is so tolerant yet full of common sense. The streets are clean, the people are beautiful and the European feeling that I get here really hits home with me. There is a culture here that is older than my Country ten times over. Sex is everywhere yet not sleazy one bit. I don’t know how else to say it other that I am in love.

As I worked my jetlag off on my first full day I found myself greeting the city by Sunrise on an early Sunday morning. The entire city did not stir until 9am. The streets were deserted and not even a cafe was open to get a cup of coffee let alone breakfast. I don’t know what this place is but it sure was impressive.

The streets that were teeming with people the day before were absolutely deserted at 7:30 in the morning. This was a regular picture, not really sure why It got the effect that it has.

It was very special walking around that early, quiet morning seeing the details of history bathe in the morning sunlight.

Where did all the people go?

I am super excited to see this guy. Creepy.

I found a place to eat and it happened to be a ‘coffee shop’. Behold the “Irish Breakfast” for 13 euro at Barney’s. I frickin inhaled it.

When in Rome, do as the Romans right? Being a coffee shop I decided to partake in one of the national pastimes. One gram of Laughing Buddha (13e) and one gram of Amnesia Haze (15e). So this is pot…. interesting.

You can also buy pre-rolled joints of whatever you like. they come in these tapered caped tubes so you can pop half a one in there and not smell like a burnt joint as you walk around. Interesting….

Even in Amsterdam I still get my dose of family. Tsunami forever! (waves to the gang)

This is the Royal Palace and the square in front of it. Lots of old landmarks surround this square and the pigeons seem to rule the roost here. Performance art goes on for tips in the square. Do you see something in this photo that looks a wee bit out of place?

This is Madame Tsuseaus Wax Museum.

This old church was pretty cool. You can’t see it in this photo but the circular clock at the top of the peak is a sundial with numbers only on the bottom of the circle. I sat in the square and watched it for a while, truly fascinating.

The Ann Frank house is in Amsterdam and is a very popular tourist attraction, like #3 out of 100. I went and the line was around the block so I decided to check out a few other sights. This is the Ann Frank memorial around the corner from her house.

It is neat seeing the different cars around here. Not a ford or Chevy in sight but I did notice that all the ambulances are GMC vans. Plenty of Fiats, Opals, Peugeot’s and this…a Smart Car Sport model.

I arrived in Amsterdam at 7am and called for my pre-arraigned ride to my Apartment. I decided to stay at an apartment instead of a hotel for the experience of it. It was after all, about the same price. I scoured the Internet and found this place called “the Caesar 3″ right on one of the famous canals. I have rented the front unit, it is ground floor with a bedroom and bathroom downstairs.

My door is the right one of the two dark doors just left of the center tree. The orange porta potty was a great landmark when all the cute corners started blurring together.

 

That is my door open and the two large windows that I kept open most of the time. People would walk by and look in, we would all smile and go about our business… very Dutch.

The view outside my living room window. This was my perch and I loved sitting here watching the world go by.

The unit is shotgun style, this is the living area on the first floor. I crashed on that red futon for 12 hours when I crashed out on that first day.

This is the other end with the kitchen and dining area. I found a grocery store and ate in more than going out. There is a small courtyard on the other side of those lighted windows.

The apartment is full of period touches. Pocket shudders pull closed from the inside, there is an old marble fireplace and the ceiling has touches like this.

The canal bridges get quite crazy with pedestrians, bikers and cars. It is a beautiful dance of motion and a wonder that more people don’t get hit. Walkers are at the bottom of the food chain here.

Houseboats are everywhere along the sides of the canals in various states of habitability. 

Everywhere I look, it looks like this. how very cool.

 

That is it for now, I will post the sights soon. I can not even put into words how beautiful it is here. The weather, the culture, the city… it is all just fabulous.