September 24 & 25
Two more days at sea and have managed to stay sane through rough seas. It’s a pity we didn’t lose our appetites!! Managed to play several games of scrabble and listen to numerous lectures on Greenland then at night went to the show after dinner. We have met some really nice people on board, in particular a young couple from Louisiana who have been living in Lisbon, Portugal. He is a pilot with the US Marines & they have a terrific little 3 ½ year old called Arthur!! We manage to get together as often as possible for a drink before dinner. After the show last night went up on deck to look for the northern lights but they were very faint. Will try & catch them tomorrow night. Did see a few icebergs late in the afternoon and again into the night. They are quite spectacular & you wouldn’t want to have a drunken captain!
Friday September 26
At last, Greenland!! Boy have we all been looking forward to arriving somewhere! Have been out of range for phone, internet & any other communication for 3 days. Am wondering what is happening at home.
We were taken ashore by the ship’s tenders at around 8.30am onwards. Qaqortoq is the most picturesque town you could imagine. Nestled into mountains of granite it’s houses are all brightly painted in strong reds, blues & yellows and they all look pretty much the same so I think there is only 1 architect in the town! There are 3,100 people living there so with over 3,000 from the ship today it was a treat for them to bring out all their souveniers etc. Not much to buy, though unless you want a sealskin coat, boots or handbags all of which would be confiscated by customs on our return! The townspeople put on a special treat for us all with choir performances in the church, lectures on Greenland, open pre-school visits etc. All the schoolkids acted as tour guides & generally it was a fantastic experience. George & I had lunch at the hotel – we had a mixed grill which consisted of reindeer, musk ox, lamb & (for George) whale meat! It was all very delicious & served with local vegetables. Of course we sampled the local beer, too.
Back to the ship by 5pm for sailing at 5.30. Am now watching Greenland as we leave through the fiords & head into the Atlantic for the journey to St Johns, Newfoundland. The view here is spectacular with the steep snow covered mountains in the distance as well as icebergs dotted around the sea.
Dinner will be on shortly, but George is planning to retire as soon as it’s over so he can get up to watch the Grand Final! I may pass on that. But I guess it will be great excitement in Melbourne on Saturday especially with two Vic teams playing.
Hello to everyone – sorry the personal emails are not forthcoming but the internet is really slow and I find it hard sometimes to log into my Adam website.
More as soon as possible.

I know the Grand Final results & still say "Go Pies". Disappointment for Cats & congrats to Hawks. James S will be happy!!

September 23rd My sister’s birthday!
Happy birthday, Patricia. Hope it is less windy where you than it is here.
We had a terrific day in Belfast. As I said yesterday, we toured the city on the Hop on Hop off bus then we parted company for a few hours. George wanted to have another look at some historical sights while I explored the shops. Back to the ship by 4.30 for a 5pm sailing but we were late leaving as some passengers didn’t have the correct visas for Greenland so had to disembark. We watched them leave in tears! Next thing we have an announcement from the Captain telling us that we would not be going to Iceland due to the extreme weather conditions there – all a result of Hurricane Ike! Disappointment all round but safety is the main concern. We are now sailing direct to Greenland and will be there on schedule on Friday. Unless we see an iceberg! We actually saw the dry dock where the Titanic was built in Belfast and there are great plans underway to celebrate the centenary in 2012.
During dinner last night the ship started to rock & roll. Has been doing so ever since and they expect more movement later on tonight. The winds are at around 30 knots & seas very choppy. Three days at sea will certainly test everyone – we are well stocked up on tonic for the gin, plus beer & wine fortunately.
Played mini golf with a lady from BNE today. Then went to a Talk/Singing show on Rogers & Hammerstein. Following that I saw the movie ‘What happens in Vegas’. Light entertainment but it filled in a couple of hours. In fact the ship is full of fairly old people and today’s show reminded me of singalongs at a nursing home. Guess it’s time we got in a bit of practice!
Heard the Brownlow results. Good for the Bulldogs that Adam Cooney won.
Not much else for today. We are gearing up for our first G & T!! Before the detox programme starts when we get back.

Monday 22 September

Had a fantastic day in Dublin with our friends. Met the Kettle's one year old son, George, and had lunch with them then a guiness or two at another pub. Didn't have any cultural experiences other than that!!! Dublin was very busy with lots of sightseers and as the weather was so nice it was lots of outdoor eating & drinking. Nice to hear a little bit of Irish music. Everyone is so friendly. Watched the first half of the Irish Footy Grand Final. Go Pies, ooops I mean
Cats

Sunday 21 September

Hello from Dublin. We arrived at 2am & left the ship 9am to come into town. It is the most beautiful day & today is the Final of the Irish Football so heaps of people around. Not in Cats & Hawks colours though! We are meeting our friends the Kettles after church - yes you heard right - George is quite keen to go & hear a good choir! Guess he will also be doing a bit of praying for next weekend.
We had a great day in Dover on Friday. Met up with Sally & Dave White (she was G's secretary for 12 years) & spent most of the day in Canterbury. Loved the city, hadn't been there before, & then back to Dover where we found a great restaurant with a courtyard for lunch. Enjoyed a couple of bottles of NZ sav blanc & I couldn't front up to dinner that night. No surprise that George did, though.
A nice day at sea yesterday - the only problem is food. Too much of it. The detox programme will be VERY necessary when we get back. Caroline says we'll be lucky to last 3 days - wait & see!!!
Belfast tomorrow, haven't been there so should be fun.
Haven't done anything cultural for a few days, maybe when we get to Iceland that will happen.

THURSDAY 18 September
Another well needed day at sea today. The pace has been hectic for us seniors. My God, if you ever want to feel young then come on a Princess Cruise – and we’re not the most overweight either!
Monday was another sea day so we had an appointment each to look into a detox plan – don’t laugh – and we had an Ioethermie treatment which was supposed to reduce the waist by up to 3 inches! Have decided to start the detox regime when we get home – far too hard on this ship.
On Tuesday we arrived in Oslo at 7 am. Walked downtown, very close to the ship, and visited the Palace but too early for changing of the guard. Everything pristine, people quietly going about their business and everything seems so well organised. But nothing much to buy, and things very expensive. We are pretty much palaced, churched out!!! In fact I came back to the ship in time for a cup of tea before lunch. As we sailed at 2pm it really wasn’t worth going that far anyway. But of course the fiords and gorgeous houses along the shore were worth seeing.
In the afternoon I flew the flag for BCNA. Princess Cruises support a walk for breast Cancer on every trip. Called the ‘On Deck for Cure Foundation’ this is a walk organised by Susan G Komen for the cure – she is a global leader in the fight against BC and works through a network of US & international affiliates. I wore my pink lady on my cap! Did the 5mile walk with my newest best friend Ivan who is married to Derek & they were at our table for the first 10 days. Nice guys.
Wednesday we were in Copenhagen. Once again, we didn’t do a tour with Princess but took the train to the city and walked around, went to the changing of the guards, saw the beautiful cathedral where Mary & Fred were married. Footsore & weary we returned to the ship and met the new people at our table for dinner. It’s food, food & more food! And of course the occasional drink.
Looking forward to seeing Sally & Dave White in Dover tomorrow. And then on Sunday we will meet up with the Kettles.
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Monday 15th September

We have a day at sea after a hectic past few days. No time to access the internet but will try to do so now. Everthing has been really fantastic - hard to describe some of the places we've been. But must start with Helsinki where our old friends Robert & Anna Brit picked us up at 11am & took us to all the sights in Helsinki before a delicious lunch at one of the main restaurants. They look just the same after all those years- We met them at an IBA conference in Berlin in 1980. They send their regards to Beverley Smith! After lunch we drove an hour or so to their country house - a fantastic place on a lake and we had afternoon tea. Loved Helsinki - would like to return some day.
On to St Petersburg for the next two days. That was unbelievable - we are all 'palaced out' but it truly is magnificent. Russia is a bit run down still and you wonder how there can be so much grandeur - they would only have to sell 1 painting to fix the roads.,
The Ballet was terrific, I had a front row seat. Very impressive.
We really enjoyed Tallin, Estonia. The Medieval old town is beautiful and then we went to a shopping mall which could have been a mini Chadstone!
Yesterday we spent a day in Poland, docked in Gydinya and drove to Gdansk. We were on a Cathedral/city tour and the highlight was an organ recital in the Oliver Church where Lech Walesa worships!
Will add some more later. Was sorry to hear the Pies lost - I doubt we would have beaten the Hawks anyway so best we are off the hook.

Wednesday -Stockholm

Haven't had access to internet for past couple of days. We are in Stockholm today and have been to the Vasa Museum & visited the Palace. Now in an internet place at the Tourist Bureau so not much time.
The ship is really nice, in fact massive in size and it will take 28 days to discover everything. Have met some nice people, a lot of Aussies, Brits & a couple this morning at breakfast were from Browns Bay NZ. Didn't know the Fitzgeralds!
Weather is bleak but not raining. Everything looks so nice here and people friendly.
Had a day at sea yesterday which was very welcome. Food is delicious & plentiful but we are being careful.
Our room is colourful with a beautiful arrangement of flowers & we enjoyed the crudites, Caro. Looking forward to the icecream!!!
Hope D & J are enjoying the snow.
Have to go,my time is running our. Will try for another posting in couple of days.

Friday 5 September

Now in a town in Denmark called Fredericia. We have checked in to a hotel which has to be seen to be believed. I think the rural Danes must eat out but never sleep anywhere but at home. For AUD 180 we have a dump but at least they have the internet.
Congrats to all those Hawk supporters out there. Just heard the score.
Beverley, you will be biting your fingernails by now as have also heard that our captain won't be playing. But we live in hope of a second chance.
Diana, have heard you are now at Jane's. Give Happy a cuddle for me. Hugs also for J & A and for Caro.
We will probably stay in Odense tomorrow night. May run into Hans Christian Anderson. Will also be phoning Mary & Fred to arrange a cuppa on Sunday morning.

Friday 5September

Left the Braacks place after lunch as Nico & Maren needed to have their afternoon siesta - a tradition they have kept up. We spent a couple of hours in Kappeln & ended up buying a polar fleece top each as we think it will be quite cold on the ship. We are now prepared for anything.
Stayed overnight in Flensburg which is a beautiful city of about 100,000 people. Ancient churches & buildings & this morning we visited the Rum Museum and Shipping Museum. Will head on now up to Denmark & see what happens!!! Have just heard result of first quarter of tonight,s game. Wonder if we'll hear how the Pies & Cats go.
May be a few days before we see another internet cafe.
Swinburne girls - hope you are all OK. How is the drive, Diana? Dad has his mobile & any messages can be sent by text if necessary.

Terrific dinner last night with Peter & Edit. She made THE most delicious fish soup I've probably ever tasted. Their house is fabulous and the gardens not unlike the Botanical Gardens in Mel and nearly as big!!!
This morning we went back into Schleswig and visited some beautiful gardens then went to the Museum which is housed in the Schloss. Museums are a bit ho hum for me but this was fantastic as so much history exists around this area of Schleswig/Holstein and in fact the Vikings were very active here. So we are all lucky that they didn't get as far as OZ or we'd be speaking another language.
We will leave here after lunch & drive back into Denmark for the next 3 nights.
May have less access to internet from now on.
Thanks for the messages Lyn, Lynne & Caro. Probably best I don't mention football but guess I have to say Go Pies, Go Cats, & Go Saints. At least you Saints people have a second go!! And hello to all the girls at BCNA - the pace here is much slower!

Wednesday 3 September

The last posting should have read 2 September. Obviously the dates are in Eastern Standard time.

We have been driving this morning around the small villages in this area and visited the smallest town in Germany which is called Arnis. It is on the fjiord Schlei and is absolutely beautiful. Nico's daughter was married in the Lutheran Church in Arnis 2 weeks ago so we went in for a look and were blown away by how beautiful it is and of course it is hundreds of years old. Also drove past Nico's old house where we spent part of our honeymoon all those years ago and have visited several times since then. It is a massive thatched house with extensive lawns, orchard, and many barns. Tonight we are having drinks and dinner with old friends we met in 1972 and who still live next door to the old house.
Go Pies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Anyone out there going for the Crows???

Nico took us to the island of Sylt today. Sylt is the German version of the French Riviera but like chalk and cheese. Although is is officially still summer, the weather was anything but and in fact everybody was dressed as if going skiing. Sylt can be reached from Denmark by ferry or from Germany by train. We took the ferry from Romo in Denmark and spent the day touring the island. Had lunch in Westerland after a long walk along the boardwalk, for which we had to pay - something like 3 euros each - and no seniors discount! However, that price included a concert and amazing sights - never have we seen so many seniors in one area - certainly the place to be if you are looking for a geriatric! But since we each have one that wasn't a problem.
Then drove to the northernmost village and continued to be amazed at the beautiful houses, mostly all thatched. Sylt is a haven for rich people apparently and that was obvious by the number of exclusive shops and galleries, none of which I was able to investigate! Doesn't really matter as I have my bag full of Dimmey's and Target numbers anyway!!!
After coffee, cake and a beer we then drove the car onto the car-train back to the mainland and have just arrived home after a fantastic day.

Arrived safely in Copenhagen at 7.15am 1 September. No problems with flt into Bangkok despite protests everywhere else in Thailand. Thai still offer fantastic service and we were able to catch a few hours sleep en route.
Drove to Suderbrarup, which is just south of the Danish border in Germany and will be staying here for a few days.