This blog is mostly comprised of the Facebook posts that I started writing after we were able to get Internet service on the ship.
March 7 - On the Way to Ft. Lauderdale
This morning was the first time we've had to wait for our plane to be de-iced. We took off a half hour late and still got to Dallas on time. Bill had the perfect next-door neighbor on the flight from Dallas to Ft. Lauderdale. She slept on his leg most of the way.
We didn't do much in Florida. We Ubered to a restaurant for dinner and I fell walking back the day before the cruise. I messed up my left eyebrow but wasn't hurt too badly. We didn't mention the incident to anyone.
We got to the ship via shuttle, and our boarding process was wonderful. We found out cabin and explored the ship, which is beautiful.
We had Cabin Baja 303, a disabled cabin, so we had plenty of space. We got unpacked quickly and did the muster drill via the TV, which is so much better than having to gather under the lifeboats funtil everyone arrives.
We ran into Joe and Gee after being on the ship for an hour. All our mouths were hanging open in amazement. It was amazing that we ran into them that way, neither couple knowing the other one was on the ship. We encountered them so many times on the ship, without ever really making plans to get together. We enjoyed sitting with them to enjoy the music on many evening.
It was so much fun hanging out with them on several evenings, watching the dancers and joining them quite often.
We did the usual things on the ship, playing cards and Rumikub, enjoying the buffet, the dining rooms, daily tea and the wonderful frothy drinks. We swam and read and walked a lot. Each evening, we went to a show or the Piazza to dance. It was just a wonderful time. Of course, we went to afternoon tea on most of the sea days, and the scones and Devonshire cream did not disappoint us.
One spot on the ship was a bit intimidating. We had some rough water a couple of times, which makes them close the pools.
We tried not to eat too much, because we don't want to gain a ton of weight on this trip. We admired the dancers in the piazza so much. They were so much fun to watch. One couple, Tom and Tam, we spoke to, and Tam asked me if I minded if she danced with Bill. She gave him a lesson, which actually helped him to dance with a bit more rhythm. They suggested that we take Zumba and Bill told me that he is willing to do it!
March 17
After eight days, we reached out first port, Funchal, Portugal. We took the Hop On Hop Off around the area and we walked several miles, enjoying the beautiful architecture. When we first got off the ship, we found this rock formation, which we had to climb. Wow, that was a workout.
After exploring for several hours, we needed this. 
March 19
We spent the day at the lovely 3000 year-old Town of Cadiz, Spain. Another four miles of walking. We found the pharmacia and the panaderia, so we were all set with decongestants and a loaf of fresh, hot bread. Such simple pleasures.
We reached a new level on Princess, so we were able to go to the Captains's Circle party. We could have been going every night but we've been busy doing other things. The appetizers are so good and very different from the other did offerings. We will be coming here every evening for the rest of the cruise, which would have ended in four days. We have added on six days so we'll be going to France. Instead of driving to Gibraltar, we will cruise there. We have nine days to go until the end of the voyage.
That night, still March 19
We're going through the Straights of Gibraltar right now. I'm imagining camels trotting around Tangier.
March 20
Today our port was Malaga, but because we'll be spending a few days here after the cruise, we took a tour of Marbella. A little over one hour on a bus each way, and no access to public restrooms without making a purchase once we got there. We split a huge churro with chocolate dipping sauce and Bill had a beer. The bathroom was up two very steep, very narrow flights of stairs. We did go into a beautiful church, unlike any we have ever seen. Instead of pictures and status, there were whole elaborate scenarios. A lot of the pieces were solid gold. I can't think what that kind of presentation is called. Maybe "relief" but I'm not sure.
It was a waste of our day and it would have been a waste of money, but we used Princess on board credits so it didn't cost us real money.
Sunset over Malaga.
March 21
Cartagena, España. Beautiful architecture. We are proud of ourselves for finding the train station, using an old-fashioned paper map, and negotiating a schedule change totally in Spanish. We got a partial refund on our non refundable train tickets that were for March 25 and bought new tickets to go directly from Barcelona to Malaga on March 29. That way, the trip will only be six hours instead on nine hours because we don't have to go by way of Madrid.
After our business was completed, we walked through the streets for a little over three hours. We found a supermarket, and went in to buy some aspirin or Tylenol (basically, we wanted something for screaming feet.) We found out that markets don't sell pain meds, so we walked to find a pharmacia. They had to go into the back room for a box of aspirina.
At the moment, we don't have the strength to make it up to soak in one of the ten hot tubs. Bill just ordered pu'pus and cocktails. After a nap, we'll have a swim and a soak.
Gigi's on the Promanade Deck of Enchanted Princess is the best restaurant on the ship. And it is included in the fare. The service is impeccable. The minestrone soup is the best we've ever had, even counting homemade. The pizza is perfect. The tiramsu is also perfect. I forgot to take a pic of the pizza but here are the soups and desserts.
Today's stop is Majorca. We did a Hop On Hop Off, and discovered that there is a senior rate of $10.00. The ones we did in Portugal and Cadiz were $25.00 each with no mention of a senior rate. Now we know to look at the rate chart for the rest of the trip. We hopped on but didn't do any hopping off until the end because Bill is feeling very tired today. Too much partying, I guess.
Majorca is the most big-city port we've visited on this trip. It is pretty and looks clean and modern. We were inside the bus instead of taking our usual seats on the top because Bill didn't take his hat. He was wearing sunscreen but he didn't want to sit in the direct sun for a couple of hours. Also, the stairs are steep and with our feet still recovering from yesterday, we didn't want to climb them. So, the photo opps were not as good. We did get a few shots.
We have to pack up all our things because tomorrow we will be moved to our new room on Dolphin Deck, number 724. It has a premium balcony, so we'll see if that was worth the $20 extra that we paid for it. We will have to leave our room so it can be cleaned for the next guests and we won't be able to go to our new one until it is cleaned. The good thing is that they will move everything for us. We can even leave our clothes hung up in the closet.
So we will explore Barcelona if Bill is up to it and if not, we'll be in one of the bars or lounges playing Hand and Foot or Rummikub. We're sure glad we brought our own cards and a game because this ship, unlike every other ship in the world, doesn't have a game room with all sorts of games available to play.
Our morning in Barcelona was rather miserable. We left our room at 8 as instructed, and went to wait in a lounge area. Luckily, friends Joe and Gee came along and said that we had to meet with the rest of the "in transit" passengers in order to leave the ship and go through customs. So, after another hour of waiting, we went to see the policia in the cruise terminal for our first foreign country courtesy stamp. Columbia, Panama, Nicaragua and Costa Rica never stamped our passports when we visited them. More waiting. Gee was feeling about the same as we were after spending the night coughing. Finally we were able to get back on the ship. More waiting for our rooms to be ready. We got to our new room, Dolphin 724; at noon. Our luggage and hung-up clothes were delivered. With the last of our strength, we put everything away, and went to bed. Bill's cough was a little better. Mine was awful. Gee came to the rescue by sending Joe over with some decongestant pills. I took one, and two hours later, I woke up without a pounding headache and my nose was dryer. We went for a walk, stopped to listen to the beautiful music in the Piazza. We even had one dance! Drugs are wonderful things. We came to Gigi's Pizza for a cup of hot, delicious minestrone soup. We're going to head back up to our room to watch sail away from our balcony.
We went to bed early and watched several episodes of the Love Boat, since we couldn't stop coughing long enough to sleep.
March 24
It is 1:34 pm in Marseilles, France and this is what we can see from our portside room. I ordered tea and fruit for breakfast this morning. We've been sleeping for three hours. We have decided that we need to move, so we're going to go out for some soup.
March 25
We slept a little bit better last night but the creeping crud is still with us. We forced ourselves to go up for breakfast which neither of us felt like eating. I had a bowl of cereal and some orange juice. Bill had two glasses of juice, some water and coffee along with some eggs, bacon and fruit. In honor of France, he also had croissant. The most important thing is to keep him from getting dehydrated. He would rather not have to go to a hospital in a foreign country.
At this point, I think I have all the photos of Corsica, France that I'm going to get. The town is right there, only a couple of hundred feet from the ship, but we had trouble getting to the elevator and the buffet, which is right next to our elevator, and back to the room. We can't imagine trying to walk anywhere today. It's a shame because this is probably the only time we will ever visit France.
What we can see is lovely, the air clean and all the buildings looking as if they are wearing their Sunday best.
We just discovered that people with Covid-19 like symptoms can get a free examination at the medical center. I wish we had known that three days ago. So, we have an appointment to see the doctor at 4 pm. Maybe he'll have a miracle drug that will instantly cure us.
We went to the ship clinic and found out that Covid tests are complimentary but the visit is not. We didn't need the tests because we brought 12 with us and we have tested ourselves multiple times. Our insurance should cover the almost $400.00 charge for the diagnosis of sinusitis as well as the Z-pac and saline nose spray. We got a couple of sandwiches and some Earl Gray tea and had dinner in our room. Now we are continuing our Love Boat binge.
March 26
We both slept a little bit better last night. Bill's cough is worst than mine so he had a rough night, though.
Today is our last sea day. We're on the way from France to Gibraltar. I was up in time to catch sunrise.
Last night, we ordered breakfast in for this morning. I got Bill up at 7:45 for a shower. Breakfast was supposed to arrive between 8 and 8:30. It arrived just before 8, so I was able to get it set up on the coffee table by the time Bill was done with his shower. We have no appetite but we ate the cereal and drank the juice. The breakfast sandwich and yogurt are in the refrigerator in case we don't feel like going out to find dinner.
After breakfast we were ready for a nap. Joe left some cough drops in a baggie at our door. Gee sent me a message to let me know. But when I woke up at noon and opened the door, there were no cough drops. Who would steal cough drops? I went out on the balcony to sit in the lovely sun to read. Joe brought more cough drops but this time he didn't leave them at the door. I woke Bill at 1:30 to make him go for a walk. We came to the Piazza to watch the salsa dancing. We also went to tea, our last until our next cruise.
Special desserts are included in our cruise package but in the 17 days we've been on the ship we haven't tried one yet so we decided to indulge. They are fancy Sundaes made fresh with Gelato, whipped cream, some sort of thick pudding, cake, cookies, and chocolate. They were good but there was way more than either of us wanted. Really, we would have enjoyed a scoop of gelato much more.
We saw Joe there at the Gelato cafe. He had just come from the wonderful English luncheon at the Crown Grill. They only have that once or twice on a cruise and I'm quite unhappy that we missed it. They serve the very best fish and chips. Bill always gets the Shepherd's Pie. That's what I get for not feeling well enough to look at the events for the day.
We hate to miss out of the evening festivities again, but I don't think either of us is in any condition for dancing and being around people. That breakfast sandwich and yogurt might be our dinner.
We're back in our cabin relaxing on the balcony. Tomorrow we'll be in Gibraltar and we HAVE to be will enough to walk off the ship!!!
March 27
We did a bit better last night. We slept between bouts of coughing. We had a little breakfast and left the ship at about 10.
We walked to City Center to see about getting a hopper pass for the city bus. The walk turned out to be a bit over 1 and 1/2 miles in the sun so we walked slowly. Next to the bus stop, we found Casemates, which is a huge plaza with shops, galleries, and restaurants. Heather Shannon gave us great information on where to go and what to do, but Bill just has no oomph.
After walking to the downtown, we walked around Casemates for a bit and found a bench from which to people watch. But the bench wasn't empty. There was a large leather purse right in the middle of it. We sat down, being very careful not to touch the purse. There was a man about four feet away, sitting on a scooter, who was sort of lurking and glancing at the purse. After ten minutes there, I left Bill and went to look for a policeman. I found one right away. He looked and spoke like a proper British bobbie. He walked back to the bench with me to find that the purse owner, we hope, had just taken the purse. Bill had asked her if that was her prese and she mumbled in a foreign language. The policeman didn't seem to concerned. But, and here is the best part - he agreed to having his picture taken. So we have a different kind of photo for today's account.
We decided to go over to the bus stop and take a bus around the area. They offer a Hopper fare, so, just like the Hop On Hop Off, you can get off whenever you like and get back on. You can even take different routes. After choosing route 2 and paying $18.00 Euros, we found some seats and waited for the bus to go. Then we both started laughing, because, boarding our bus were Joe and Gee .They could have chosen any one of four other buses. Again, what are the chances?
We were disappointed that there was nobody on the bus giving us information about where we were and what we were seeing. That's the difference between a city bus and a Hop On, Hop Off. The bus stopped several times, but none of us felt like getting off. Gee, Bill, and I were pretty pooped. I think Joe is the healthiest one of us. We wanted to do more, but I knew we would pay for it later. We all left the bus and chose not to take another bus. Therefore, we totally overpaid for the ride because I think the fare to ride a bus is $2.00. We keep telling ourselves, "It's only money," but it sure seems like we are spending a lot of it.
We caught the shuttle back to the ship, went to our cabins and took a much-needed nap.
Sail away will be in a few minutes. It was hazy, but we were able to see Africa from the ship after leaving Gibraltar.
March 28
Thank you to all of our friends who sent good vibes to us. The coughs always last a couple of weeks when we get sick like this, but we slept until 10:30 this morning and we feel so much better after not being awake all night.
Our last sea day was spent in our cabin for the most part. We fritzed around, got our packing done and watched The Love Boat. At 3, we went to tea. After that we took naps. We are back down at the Piazza for our favorite entertainment on this ship, Virginia's Trio. They will play from 6:30 until almost 8:30. Joe and Gee Weckerle are going to join us for our last cruise night of fun.
We had a great last night of the cruise, even though we still don't feel well. We danced several times and we really enjoyed Virginia's Trio to the fullest. Gee and I even got out there and danced together to Dancing Queen.
Craig posted about when he tried to get his tickets changed for the trip home from Amsterdam.
March 29
We made it of the ship at Barcelona and took a cab to the train station. There are no lockers and we can't check in for our 3:15 train until 2:15. We can't drag our luggage with us, so this is what we're able to see of Barcelona. We're at McDonald's as you can see, and we don't even like McDonalds food. But it's somewhere fairly quiet to wait for four hours.
We shared a bacon and egg sandwich, Lay's potato chips, and a delicious bottle of water for lunch. Then we checked in at 2:15, waited in line for 50 minutes, and just got settled on the train. Tomorrow, we will conquer Malaga.
Finally, we boarded the train and were on our way to Malaga. The scenery was nothing special, and, with the train windows being dirty and the reflections, we didn't get any good pictures of the trip.
March 30
We're in Malaga, Spain. The 6-hour train ride from Barcelona was nothing special. Luckily, we both used the restroom early because by the last hour it was so nasty that old ladies were fighting in the aisle with the staff about the condition of it. The scenery was disappointing. Most of it was brownish green. We went through a few towns but didn't see anything worth seeing.
What can I say about the Hotel Zen? I guess minimalist is the right word. Nice clean bathroom and the shower has good pressure and hot water. There is a closet with no hangers, no drawers or hooks for clothes. The large bed is very comfortable. There is a desk with a chair with one leg that is 3/4" shorter than the others, so that's fun. We have no phone and the front desk is down a long stairway with no handrail so that's adventurous. They gave us a kettle for making tea, but after 40 minutes, the water is barely more than lukewarm. That's ok, because we have no cups or glasses anyway.
We woke up at 9:30 this morning. Bill trekked down to ask about breakfast. The buffet is pretty typical. The coffee machine dispenses 12 different kinds of coffees and hot chocolates. We had croissants, w juice for $12.00 each.
It has an Irish Pub, which is not yet open. We sat at the pool for a while. 
The loungers are ok but very hard for us to get out of. We thought about taking the shuttle to somewhere but decided that another day of rest is needed.
The loungers are ok but very hard for us to get out of. We thought about taking the shuttle to somewhere but decided that another day of rest is needed.
One more thing. We were prepared for the charging problem in Europe which uses a different system. But our original plan was to share a converter with Craig and Jackie at the Villa we were going to share. After they had to cancel their trip, we should have bought one but we forgot. The hotel has leant us one converter, so the phones and tablets are having to share it. We'll make do until we are able to find a Tiendo de Electronico to buy one.
March 31
We had a very good dinner last night at the little restaurant downstairs. We were there at 7 pm, and there were three other diners. For a place that is full, it's amazing that we have seen a total of seven people since yesterday morning. We had Penne Bollinaise and Pizza Margherita. Both were delicious. We were so hungry that I forgot to take a picture, but I did snap one of Bill with a beer.
I just made reservations for the shuttle to take is to Playa Mar at 11:20. We plan to walk on the beach, put our feet in the Mediterranean, wander into shops, find a meal and sightsee. They will pick us up at 4:00 so that will give us plenty of time to meander.
Okay, here's what we did today, so far. My grand plans have dissolved into a pile of dust
For breakfast, we had oranges and an apple that we took from the breakfast buffet yesterday. They don't allow food to be taken. However, when you pay $12.00 for breakfast, it seems that two oranges and an apple should be allowed to be taken out.
The hotel shuttle took us to Playa Mar, which was our only option. The temperature was 68 when we got there. Instead of a cute little beachy shopping and restaurant area, we were taken to a pretty street that fronts the beach. Walk to the left or walk to the right. The stores and restaurants are few and far between. That's it. I had envisioned Venice Beach, or Ventura, or Kihei in Maui. There were quite a few people milling about enjoying the beautiful day. We did wander through a few little shops, and we checked out many restaurant menus.
We figured that, since we had until 4 pm, we could wait to find just the right place for lunch. I put my feet into the very cold water, and then we walked back to the street so Bill could get a beer at one of the beach restaurants.
Unfortunately, though they looked quirky on the outside, they thought they were The Ritz on the inside. I refuse to pay $25.00 each for lunch on a plastic chair at a plastic table, even if said table has fine China and upside-down cocktail glasses on it. There were no sandwich shops (ie Subway) no bakeries or fruit stands. No taco or hot dog stands. Just sit-down restaurants.
We had taken our books along with us, envisioning a lovely oasis, maybe a park with comfortable benches or a hotel lobby, where we could rest and read after our meanderings while waiting for the shuttle. By then, the temperature had gone up to 80, and there was no shade area to sit and relax. We couldn't sit in the restaurant for three more hours with Bill sipping on beer. We realized we weren't going to be able to handle staying until the 4 pm pick up, so I asked the owner of the place where we got the beer to use his phone to call the hotel. Luckily, I had a hotel card. He dialed the number for me, and I was able to arrange for the shuttle to pick us up at 1 pm.
At that point, with 50 minutes left, we thought we might be able to find some ready-made sandwiches to take back with us. But the only food the stores offered was ice cream, beverages, and snacks, like chips and candy bars.
I don't speak anything even close to fluent Spanish, but I can speak enough to get by. I've found that it really is difficult to have to think hard before saying anything. It was a pleasure to walk into a store and have the clerk say, "How can I help you?"" In English, he told me that nobody sells the kind of food we were looking for. We bought two ice cream bars for lunch. In the next store, I found some fruit, so we bought a banana because Bill has been having leg cramps from not eating bananas.
The shuttle arrived and brought us back. Bill fell asleep the serving his head hit the pillow. I will read until he wakes up, and then we will decide what to do with the rest of the day.
I did so many things wrong, and he is not blaming me for anything. I had picked a perfect hotel, Hotel Bajondillos, in Torremelinoes, to stay in, when we thought we were going to be here for only one night. Then I changed the train tickets in order to stay in this area, in the perfect by hotel, for three nights. I thought it would be less stressful if we got the train trip out of the way so we could relax for a couple of days instead of dysfunctional in Barcelona for two days first. But when went back to add the first two nights to the perfect hotel, they couldn't put us up for all three nights. So, I searched to find another hotel in the same area for three nights and found the Hotel Zen. My top needs were that it have a free airport shuttle and a high rating. It is in the same area, but not in walking distance to anything. The other problem was that I did all this from the ship that had no Internet for eight days, and spotty Internet for the rest of the trip. So going to different websites was much like using the Internet in 1994.
We feel so out of our element here. I guess the stories about entitled Americans are true. I know I'm sounding like a brat, and I don't mean to, but we are old and set in our ways. We spent more money than we should have for this once in a lifetime trip, and we wish we could go back and change some of my choices. Despite all this, we had a fantastic voyage until we got sick. But that wasn't anyone's fault.
We are looking forward to Amsterdam, where we understand, English is spoken by a good portion of the people.
April 1
We are never leaving the USA, again!
We're at the airport in Malaga. The shuttle dropped us off without a word. We walked in to find 50,000 people in one line heading towards something that looked like a check-in area. I put Bill in the line and went to see if I could figure out if we were at the right place. I found a lovely family who were fluent in English. They happened to be going to Amsterdam on the same flight. What were the chances? The mom said to go with them. I ran to get Bill out of line. But when she saw that we had a bag to check, she said she was sorry, but we would have to wait in that original line first. So, back to square one, only we had lost our place in line. I figured that if we ever reached the front of the lounge, they would point us to the next step.
Then, because I saw a waiting area with people in wheelchairs, I remembered that I had planned to get Bill a wheelchair. I walked up to the person at a window, and after showing our passports and boarding passes, we waited for less than five minutes for Bill's name to be called. A wonderful young lady loaded our luggage, helped Bill into a chair, and we were off. She took us to the head of a line, completed the check- in process and us took us through security, again, at the head of a long line and brought us to our gate. We would never have found it.
Now for the bad stuff. (Anthony, do not read this.)
We knew our luggage was going to be a problem, but we condensed everything into one large suitcase and two carry-ons. We made the suitcase as light as possible and put anything heavy in the carry-ons. Our suitcase was still 11 kilos over the weight limit because we bought flex tickets, which have a lot of restrictions. This cost us an extra $148 after paying $75 when I bought the tickets online. Also, our carry-ons were too large to fit under the seat (another restriction associated with our ticket type). Other people had the same sized bags, and they were allowed on board.
So the nice lady left us in the handicapped waiting area at the gate. We had almost an hour until it would be time to board the plane. We had been sitting for about 40 minutes when I opened my big mouth, "At least they haven't announced a gate change." Not more than three minutes later, they announced a gate change. We took our single carry-on and found our new gate, which, of course, was standing room only. Boarding time came and went. People started exiting the gate. That went on for just over 20 minutes. We don't know how all of those people fit on the plane. Finally, we were escorted right to our seats. Then the rest of the passengers came on and we took off, over a half hour late.
The beverage service on US flights is wonderful, compared to the offerings here. We had a choice of a glass of water or pay for juice, beer, tea, or a bottle of water. I chose a glass of water. The attendant said she would bring it later. For snacks, you can buy potato chips or sunchips. Or candy bars. We bought some Lay's potato chips. I didn't get my water. We have asked again. Luckily, we have a bottle we filled in the airport. The point is, they offer water so they should bring it. Beverage service is being offered for the second time. I just got a glass of water. Yay.
Were about an hour and a few minutes away from landing. When we get to our hotel, we will be able to enjoy the rest of the trip because it is going to be wonderful.
PART 2
We are in beautiful Amsterdam. The very friendly assistant at the airport got us to the shuttle stop, C13. . 
He wasn't able to wait with us but the shuttle was due in a few minutes. We had a covered place to wait so we were out of the rain. After several minutes, Bill asked for the name of our hotel. It's Corendon. There was a Corendon bus pulling away from the curb 100 feet away from the sign we were waiting under. I jumped up and waved. He stopped and we scrambled on. We were pissed that he hadn't been at the right place, but glad we stopped him in time. The bus was full and the driver didn't load our luggage.
He wasn't able to wait with us but the shuttle was due in a few minutes. We had a covered place to wait so we were out of the rain. After several minutes, Bill asked for the name of our hotel. It's Corendon. There was a Corendon bus pulling away from the curb 100 feet away from the sign we were waiting under. I jumped up and waved. He stopped and we scrambled on. We were pissed that he hadn't been at the right place, but glad we stopped him in time. The bus was full and the driver didn't load our luggage.
We got to the Corendon Hotel pretty quickly and everyone piled off. The complex was quite upscale. At the check- in, they couldn't find our reservation. After several minutes, with three people working on it, one of them realized that we were at the wrong hotel. We wanted Corendon City. The shuttle driver hadn't asked which one we wanted. But it wasn't her problem. I asked if he could come back to get us. No. We would have to take a cab. She called a cab for us. Twenty-five minutes later, we were on our way.
We got to the right hotel $25.00 later. The check- in went fine. I asked if we could possibly be reimbursed for the cab fare since the shuttle driver hadn't taken us to the right place. The reason the shuttle went to the wrong hotel is that our Corendon doesn't have a shuttle. Ohhh. So, that means that when we leave here, we will have to go by cab or Uber.
I'm done for the day. I will post about our evening in Amsterdam tomorrow.
We got settled in at the very nice Hotel Corendon City. The room was very warm so I adjusted the thermostat, which was at 24 c or 75 f. 
Note - this is important. We decided to take an Uber to City Center. It was a fun 30-minute ride, with our driver narrating the whole way. There are so many bikes in Amsterdam, more than we have ever seen anywhere. The Uber driver said they call the bikes insects. We found out about places that we do and do not want to go. He pointed out many museums and tourist favorites along the way. He dropped us at a corner on a main street because there was no traffic allowed on the street where our chosen restaurant was located. He said it was just a few seconds "that way. "
Note - this is important. We decided to take an Uber to City Center. It was a fun 30-minute ride, with our driver narrating the whole way. There are so many bikes in Amsterdam, more than we have ever seen anywhere. The Uber driver said they call the bikes insects. We found out about places that we do and do not want to go. He pointed out many museums and tourist favorites along the way. He dropped us at a corner on a main street because there was no traffic allowed on the street where our chosen restaurant was located. He said it was just a few seconds "that way. "
It was drizzling and a bit windy, so being wet was bothersome. We walked a few blocks but didn't find the restaurant. We stopped in at a shop, and the clerk looked it up for us and told us how to get there. We walked some more, enjoying the sights and all the people. It was very busy. We never found the place, but we found a cute little restaurant where Bill had a delicious hamburger and I had Hake fish, which was also very good.
After dinner, we had fun walking some more, but we knew we should have taken the umbrella provided by the hotel because the drizzle had become rain. We went to a hotel on the corner where we had been dropped off, and sat in the lobby to get an Uber, but the app kept telling us we were already at the Corendon. So, we gave up and got a cab. The cost to get there by Uber was $12.00. The cost to go back by cab was $30.00. The cab driver was very different from the Uber driver. He didn't speak to us at all.
Back at the hotel, we started to get ready for bed when the lights went off. It wasn't quite dark outside, so we could still see. Bill hit the light switches. Nothing. When the bathroom door is opened, the light comes on, so he did that. When the front door opened, the room lights come on, so he did that. We walked around, pushing on all the light switches. None of them did anything. Bill called the front desk to ask how to turn the plugs on. He was told to insert the key card into a slot by the door. We never would have thought of that.
The room was still very warm I checked the thermostat. It was still on 24. It tiny print it says that the temperature can be adjusted up 2 degrees of down 2 degrees. That it. We didn't need any covers. I got to skeptical but woke up at 1 am. It was still at 24. It was stifling. We keep our house at 60 at night. Bill called the front desk. They sent a man up with a fan. He explained that if a neighboring room had theirs set high, it will affect ours so it won't cool down very much. I don't think a four degree difference is very much and I don't think it is unreasonable to want to have some air. We're going to have to see what they will do about this. Maybe a different room?
April 2
Wow! Have we had a busy day, We woke up to cloudy skies with a temperature of 39 degrees. We got ready for a day of discoveries. On the way out, we stopped to ask if someone could check our thermostat. I asked if I understood the temperature thing correctly. Yes, it is set at a temperature that most people enjoy, and it can only vary by two degrees up or two degrees down. I am amazed by that. Are there really that many people who like the temperature to be between 71 and 78 degrees?
We were directed to walk one block to the metro. She pointed to the left and said to go that way until we reached City Center. We both heard her and watched her point the way. She said we couldn't miss it. We braved the cold, Bill with a jacket and hat and me with a long sleeved top and a hoodie. The day was expected to warm up, and we weren't going to miss Amsterdam because of a little cold.
At 9:00 am, we bought 24-hour passes from a machine and went up the stairs to wait for the train. 
With great difficulty, we figured out what our station was called so we would know where to go when we came back. There was no English to be found and the station didn't have a number. The train came in about 10 minutes. It was a little bit warmer on the train because we were out of the wind but still cold. But, we soon realized that we were going the wrong way because none of the upcoming stops looked like anything close to "City Center." There were periodic announcements, but none of them were in English. We figured we would just see a bit more of Amsterdam that way, and at the end, the train would go the other way, eventually taking us to City Center. We figured wrong. When we reached the end of the line, the train stopped. There were no more people left to get off. We were the only ones left. The empty train looked spooky. And we just sat there waiting. Suddenly, an announcement came on. Thank goodness, that one was repeated in English, because it said that everyone had to exit the train as it was now going to be placed in the status of Out Of Service. Ok then. We got off. The train left and three minutes later another one, going in the right direction, came. We hopped on that, and after about a half hour, we reached City Center and made our way up to the street.
With great difficulty, we figured out what our station was called so we would know where to go when we came back. There was no English to be found and the station didn't have a number. The train came in about 10 minutes. It was a little bit warmer on the train because we were out of the wind but still cold. But, we soon realized that we were going the wrong way because none of the upcoming stops looked like anything close to "City Center." There were periodic announcements, but none of them were in English. We figured we would just see a bit more of Amsterdam that way, and at the end, the train would go the other way, eventually taking us to City Center. We figured wrong. When we reached the end of the line, the train stopped. There were no more people left to get off. We were the only ones left. The empty train looked spooky. And we just sat there waiting. Suddenly, an announcement came on. Thank goodness, that one was repeated in English, because it said that everyone had to exit the train as it was now going to be placed in the status of Out Of Service. Ok then. We got off. The train left and three minutes later another one, going in the right direction, came. We hopped on that, and after about a half hour, we reached City Center and made our way up to the street.
How beautiful it is! Even the train station is beautiful. The architecture, the canals, the boats, and the people were fascinating. We started walking along the canal. I didn't make note of the street names, but we had a map, so we could figure out approximately where we were. And we knew that when we wanted to go back to the metro, we could just walk in the other direction. 
Bill has been having some trouble for quite a while with his hands being so cold that he loses feeling in them. When we got off the train, he had no feeling in them at all. He needed to be in a warm place for a while. We had planned to have breakfast anyway, so we went into the first place we found that was serving breakfast. 
Bill had a proper English breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausages, toast, and baked beans, and I had a pancake. We both had coffee. Our meals were so good. The coffee wasn't. They make it super strong, and even the English speaking server had no idea what cream, half and half, or even milk was. He tried, though. He brought me two little cups of steamed milk and a big dish of canned whipped cream. The most important function of the coffee was to warm us up. Art first, Bill couldn't even pick up his cup, but after warming his hands on it, he got feeling back in his fingers.
Bill had a proper English breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausages, toast, and baked beans, and I had a pancake. We both had coffee. Our meals were so good. The coffee wasn't. They make it super strong, and even the English speaking server had no idea what cream, half and half, or even milk was. He tried, though. He brought me two little cups of steamed milk and a big dish of canned whipped cream. The most important function of the coffee was to warm us up. Art first, Bill couldn't even pick up his cup, but after warming his hands on it, he got feeling back in his fingers.
At breakfast, we poured over the tour guide, which gave us some ideas of where to go. We decided not to go on a boat tour of the canals because of the cold. We plan to do that tomorrow. So, we just walked. The first place we stopped was the store next to the restaurant to buy Bill some gloves. They made a world of difference as we continued on our way. 
We enjoyed every step. We have never seen so many people in one area except in Manhattan. We stopped once for a coffee and a hot chocolate, just so we could rest. We went in and out of shops, marveling at all the different types of goods. We wandered through the Red-Light District, with so many explicit sex shops, and found that the stories are true about almost nude women standing in picture windows, advertising themselves. Nothing is showing that you wouldn't see on a family day at the beach. Picture taking is not allowed, but I took a picture from the end of one of the streets, showing the red lights over the doors. 
I may have gotten a tiny side shot of one of the ladies. We even found a shop that sold food out of little windows like the Automat of yesteryear.
I may have gotten a tiny side shot of one of the ladies. We even found a shop that sold food out of little windows like the Automat of yesteryear.
We stayed in City Center until almost 4 pm. By then, Bill was simply dragging, so we had to come back. We bought some fruit, a sandwich, a beer, and two apple turnovers to bring back to the hotel for dinner. We want to get an early start tomorrow, and we'll go back to City Center using our 24-hour metro passes to get there. There is a canal boat tour that serves a breakfast buffet. We think that sounds like a great way to start our day. Then, we will walk in a different direction, probably toward the museum district, to see what we can discover.
She shopping district is amazing. There so many different shops and restaurants all with different wares.
So many bikes, everywhere. 
April 3
After resting yesterday afternoon, we went to the front desk to arrange a couple of tours for today, one being the buffet breakfast canal boat ride. When you arrange a tour through your hotel you get a discount of about $3.00 to $25.00, depending on the price of your tour. There were two problems. First, both tours we wanted to go on were sold out. We had two alternate tours, so we asked about those. Yes, they both were available. The second problem was, because the hotel is being remodeled, they can't get to the machine in a back room to print out tickets, so they directed us to go to one of the tour stores in City Center. I asked how we would get our discount. They apologized as they said, unfortunately, we couldn't get the discount. So much for honoring their offer.
Last night, we had dinner in bed. We had bought some fruit and a sandwich while we were at City Center and thought we would find a place to have our dinner in our hotel. It turned out that there is no place to sit down except the lobby. That has some little chairs but no tables. There are no meeting rooms and no pool. So, we put a towel on the bed and had a picnic while watching Last Man Standing with Dutch captioning. We were tired, so we went to bed at 8 with David Attenbourough. His voice is so soothing that I was asleep long before we found out what happened to the water after it entered the estuary.
We got a nice early start to our day. We shared a banana, planning to find breakfast in town. We walked to the tram, which, to us, is a streetcar. The tram took us to the same area of City Center as the metro had done. It took a little bit longer than the metro, we think because of traffic. We got there at about 8:30 am.
We walked to a little restaurant to get some coffee and go over our brochure to figure out what we wanted to do. We decided on a Hop On, Hop Off bus and boat combo. We bought tickets and made our way to the bus stop to catch the first bus of the day. We had fun seeing all the sights from the relative comfort of the bus. We went to the Jewish Museum, and found it to be disappointing. We expected it to have a lot about the 20s through the 40s, regarding the treatment of the Jews in the years leading up to and during WWII, as well as the post-war years. I have read a lot about that period and I am very interested in it.
There was very little information about that. We saw the Anne Frank house, which looks nothing like it used to. It has been modernized. The only way to know what it is was a photo on the front wall. We saw a windmill and several really interesting types of architecture.
We only went around one time but had hopped off and on several times in almost four hours. We walked around to the boat and got on. Our captain was very funny. She joked with the passengers and told stories that made the trip very interesting. There are lots of houseboats on the canals, most of them looking similar to mobile homes that have seen better days. We found out that the cost for buying a home space on a canal is between 500,000 Euros and 1,500,000 Euros. The cost for the houseboats run from 500,000 Euros up to 2,000,000 Euros. Several of the houseboats are pictured here. I don't think they look like they are worth such a price.
We never did have breakfast, so when we got to the Hard Rock Cafe, it called to us. We got off at 3:00 and had delicious burgers for lunch/dinner. After eating, we walked a little and then got back on a boat. But it was very crowded, and neither of us enjoyed riding backwards, so we got off and walked back to the metro station. We had decided to take the metro instead of the tram because it would be faster.
We got back to the hotel at 6:15, so it was a very long day. We want to watch some TV to get into sleep mode but it won't turn on. We've been waiting for over an hour for someone to come up to look at it.
So, a very nice young man came to explain about the TV. Because they are remodeling, and turning the hotel into a Marriott, several services, including some of the TVs have been affected. He offered us breakfast tomorrow for our trouble. Breakfast here is $19.00 each for, what we hear is a sumptuous buffet. We think that will adequately compensate us for not having a TV. We can go to sleep to youTube.
It has been a long, fascinating, wonderful trip with lots of highs and a few lows, mostly due to us getting sick. Now, we are ready to go home.
Tomorrow to Iceland for three hours, and then Seattle.
April 4
We had a delicious buffet breakfast this morning, complements of the Corendon. We also made sandwiches to bring with us on the planes, as well as lots of fruit and some cheese. We will have a thirteen hour day from the time we head to the airport until we land in Seattle. That is rather daunting.
When we got to the airport, we were greeted at the handicapped area by a man who offered to fill out water bottle which we had just emptied. They allow people to take drinks through security in The Netherlands. We also didn't have to remove our shoes, since they were below the ankle slip-ons.
As we sit, waiting for our plane to arrive, we're reflecting on the trip. We met many really good people. On the ship, there were Tam and Tom. We saw them dancing our first night, and we thought they were such perfect partners, graceful, and so much fun to watch. By the third night, we got to talking with them. They are from the USA, but we don't remember what state. They kind of took us under their wings, giving us dance tips. Tam came to me to ask if it would be alright if she danced with Bill. Tom asked me to dance and it was like floating. They said that we should join Zumba class. That's how they learned to dance so well just five years ago. We also talked with Bosil and Arianna, from Iran and Ukrain, who were also wonderful dancers.
There were a lot of people playing games in a bistro where we played almost every day. We spoke with lots of them. We met many people at dinner and at tea. We found out where people were from and exchanged stories about families and travel. On past cruises, we have made lasting friends, like Rob and Karen Piccoli Cannon, who we got to know on our Panama Canal cruise. That didn't happen on this cruise, and that's okay. We always have fun just being together.
We ran into We had fun hanging with old friends, Joe and Gee Weckerle and just being by ourselves a lot. We did whatever we wanted whenever we wanted. That is the best part of cruising. The freedom.
On the advice of Gee, we used wheelchair service for Bill in Malaga and upon arrival in Amsterdam. We are using wheelchair assistance for both of us from Amsterdam through to Seattle. We are both so tired. Partly from being so busy but mostly because we are both still coughing a lot, especially at night, which means that we haven't been sleeping very well. Gee said the customs line in Seattle is a bear to get through. After sitting on a plane for so long, we'll be happy to have some help.
We went to four countries in 20 days on the cruise and visited two countries afterward. We were amazed by the huge crowds of people we saw in the public markets and squares, especially in Amsterdam. We spent way more money than we planned, and we will be working to pay ourselves back for quite some time. We were proud of ourselves for figuring out how to maneuver the Metro, without having any English signs to refer to.
We are glad we made the trip. Will we do such an ambitious trip in the future? We don't think so. We think will plan for shorter trips, but anything is possible.
April 5
The flight home was loooonnng, but there were no issues. We were very lucky on the trip from Iceland to Seattle because we had seats 22 a and c. Nobody came to sit in b, so we had an entire row to ourselves. That was like sitting in first class...well, not that good, but, it was quite nice.
When we got to Seattle, the trip through customs took quite a long time, but, because we were in wheelchairs, we did fine. We had brought food onto the plane but didn't finish all of it, so we had two bananas, an orange and an apple left over. No fruit can be brought into the country. So, when the customs man asked if we had anything to declare, I said we had some fruit. We had to go to a separate area and wait for someone to go through our stuff to confiscate the contraband. Other than that everything was fine.
We got to the shuttle which took us to the Radisson Country Inn and Suites pretty quickly. The hotel was so nice. After getting settled, we walked across the street to a little casino, for some dinner. Bill had delicious potato cheddar soup, and I had a BLT. We shared and enjoyed every bite.
We had a good sleep, except for the coughing. Breakfast was good, with homemade waffles, eggs, sausage, fruits, yogurt and juice and coffee. We got to the airport in plenty of time, and were home by 2:30
Tony picked us up and took us to Safeway for a few provisions.
It is great to be home.
