Annapolis & the end of the line for American Cruise Lines

By

-

May 22, 2022

The last town we visited on a six day American Cruise Lines (ACL) cruise on the Chesapeake Bay was Annapolis, the capital of Maryland, the home of the US Naval Academy, and one more elegant, yet charming and historic town amid a handful of elegant, charming and historic towns on the Bay. Yet each has its own personality.

Annapolis was the only port where we anchored offshore and went by small boat into the harbor, the center of town and the naval academy campus both within walking distance. The town is similar to Highlands with its steep hills overlooking the water, but crammed full of 18th century homes, B&Bs, hotels, shops and services for everything from psychics to crab houses. (of course!) Here ACL cruisers had the option of signing up for a guided walking tour of the city, or better yet, doing it on your own, and counting on friendly locals to answer questions and tell you something about their town.

Because of Covid, tours of the Naval Academy were not allowed, but it was still possible to walk onto the campus grounds by way of the Barry Gate, and chat with cadets simply enjoying a bench in the sun, or in uniform, heading out to town for entertainment, amusement, or to meet old friends.

Just inside the Barry Gate is a great statue of the Commodore and founder of the US Navy, thanks to the Irish. The Hibernians wanted their Irish Founding Father to re recognized at the Academy so requested the statue. They got it ten years ago, after a long struggle, but then they also achieved the Barry Gate and Barry Plaza.

The Hibernians originally asked for a memorial; after years of arguing, meeting, being denied, fighting again, they finally were heard and the Barry acknowledgements on one side of the campus were created. The statue and memorial tell the story of the Irish immigrant who served his adopted country and its Navy and was commissioned by President Washington as its first flag officer.

Walking up the hill to St. Mary of the Assumption Church, I wanted to see the home of Charles Carroll of Carrolton, the only Catholic signer of the Declaration of Independence, as well as the richest man in all the colonies and the signer who lived the longest after the Declaration. He was born in the house still standing on the Carroll family estate, just behind St. Mary’s and across from St. Mary’s elementary and high schools. Tours to his house were closed due to Covid, however, high school kids enjoying the grounds at lunch time are full of the history of their local Founding Father and great fun to talk with. Even so, neither they, nor anyone within the church, nor anyone I spoke with in town, knew why he was known as Charles Carroll of Carrolton rather than Carroll of Annapolis, son of Charles Carrol, also born in Annapolis, and grandson of Charles Carroll born in Ireland, but not Carrolton. I never got an answer.

I did, however, learn from a crab marketer sitting at the Harbor and eager to talk about his beloved Maryland, about the feud between the Maryland crabbers and the Virginia crabbers. He, born and raised in Maryland, was happy to point out, of course, the Virginians ruined the industry, crossed over the line in the bay dividing the state, made laws not stringent enough to protect the crabs, and so much more, a great hour or so of friendly conversation.

Back aboard the Independence for our last night at sea, a farewell dinner and exchange of e-mails and addresses with new friends, a short trip to Baltimore, then an early rising the last morning to depart the ship by 8:30 a.m. to give the crew time to refurbish, scrub, clean, wash, and get ready for the next cruise that afternoon.

Was it a great trip! Absolutely! Is the Bay incredibly beautiful and full of history? Undoubtedly. Could American Cruise Lines have done it better! You bet. And they should, before they lose their reputation for excellence. But I have my doubts that they will. It seems that because of Covid, they have simply lowered their standards, and don’t think little things are important despite the high cost of the cruise.

I’ve cruised the Mississippi and a few other rivers on ACL and until now found them to be impeccable in their dedication to excellence, and downright pampering of their passengers. But Covid apparently gave them an excuse to lower their standards. It was understandable some tours would be cancelled, since the on-land museums or points of interest said no to visitors. We knew that before we boarded. But taking on new crew members with little experience, no knowledge of anything about the ship, the company, the towns visited, or even their jobs aboard ship, and expecting high paying customers to be guinea pigs in their initial training aboard ship is a bit much. Having room attendants knock on the door at 7:30 the last day to see if he could come in and “strip your bed” before leaving means he either had the day off as soon as he finished refurbishing the rooms, or there weren’t enough attendants on board to complete the job in the time allowed. Better to intrude on the customer to leave a lasting reminder the next customers are more important than those who are departing.

Having the daily Ship to Shore news sheet that announces events, times, programs, options and so much more be in error on several items, including the date, is one thing. But having the cruise director say what difference does it make, you’re here, makes me wonder why they took the time and money to print it every day in the first place. Saying there were ‘special treats’ for the Eagle Society members, those travelers who have traveled with ACL before, then inviting everyone aboard to join in is a minor insult if the announced special isn’t really special. Having another announcement that the Captain would meet with passengers, but then failing to do so, with no explanation or reason why, is downright insulting.

These were just the little things. It really started with inefficiency and lack of knowledge of staff members while I was booking the trip. Never got responses to those concerns either. But I booked anyway. So when a cabin for a single person, complete with a private balcony costs over $5,000 or approximately $950 a day, am I wrong to expect a company that has class to show that class?

Will I travel ACL again? Well, I filled out all their forms asking for comments on the trip. Didn’t hear anything. Wrote an e-mail outlining my major complaints. Didn’t hear anything. Wrote again. Got an e-mail back saying ‘Upper staff is looking at your complaints.” Never heard anything from “Upper Staff.” Finally wrote the President by certified mail. Haven’t had a response to that yet. But maybe that’s what generated the response to one of my earlier e-mails in the e-mail I just received. It was an email, a standard, corporate, let’s just shut her up response, allegedly from the president of the company, to whom I had written two letters to which he never responded. The e-mail standard response wasn’t signed, nor even with a stamped signature! Just the typewritten name of the ACL president. Sure, it said, we’ve received your complaints and we’ve made changes. But no apology. No explanation of what changes they made. However, the letter said, they did take the time to research the other cruises I’ve looked into and told me if I wanted to book something by the end of summer, they’d give me a couple of thousand dollars off the price. Really? So corporate’s answer is to buy me? For a lesser price, but another investment on my part, I should subject myself to the same problems I complained about without even an apology? I should pay a few thousand dollars once again with no guarantee anything I talked about was being improved? Isn’t this a business that’s supposed to cater to people? Don’t they need the business of a woman who has traveled extensively and who thinks that for $1,000 a day she should receive courtesy, respect, and at least attempts at perfection?

There’s always American Queen which I also know is spectacular from past experience. And there’s Pearl Cruises going to the Great Lakes, which looks exciting. If I wanted to go back to Europe, I know from several past experiences Viking is super spectacular. All of which makes it seem to me that ACL either wants, nor needs my $1,000 a day. They’ve made the choice. I’m so happy I have other choices!

Mi Visita a Cuba

By

Muriel J. Smith

-

May 22, 2022

0

Without addressing the political side of it, the news out of Cuba is particularly distressing and so sad for me because of memories I have, both of a couple of visits I was fortunate to make to Cuban three and four years ago, and also because of a friend several decades ago who had led another revolution when the people thought Castro would be better than Battista.

My Cuba visit was with a wonderful Highlands family who always go above and beyond in helping others, and were accompanying their teenaged daughter, whom they’ve raised to be as generous as they, because she wanted to interact with Cuban teens, show them the warmth, love and friendship of Americans, and make a difference, at least for a week, in the lives of teens who had little in the way of comforts of life. Yet they were happy and smiling, healthy with beautiful teeth and great smiles and truly loved the visit from their new American friends.

Although the entire week was an experience I could never forget, it was one that showed me firsthand that communism controls and cares little for the individual. Yet on the other hand, the Cuban people are resilient, make their own happiness, and certainly love America. The following story is a shortened version of one I wrote the day our Cuban guides…..we did always have Cuban guides……took us to visit a nursing home.

The next chapter will cover a former newspaper reporter from Keansburg, a truly great man who fled Cuba and made a happy life here after realizing Castro wasn’t going to be the leader they had all hoped for.

Visiting a senior day care center in the heart of old Havana was an unforgettable experience. As the oldest in our group of six spending five days in Cuba, and being short of four score in years myself by a couple of months, I was particularly eager to see the health, care, and welfare of senior Cuban citizens.

In spite of the best efforts of caring people, and the inherent happiness of people who have known far better times, it was pathetic.

We walked from our casa along streets lined with the magnificent structures of late 19th and early 20th century architecture, buildings that haven’t seen improvements since the 1950s but are still inhabitable and remarkable, to the building among them that serves as a gathering place for seniors most days. There’s a small courtyard behind the L-shaped hallway where we engaged with some charming oldsters, all properly seated in not-so-comfortable chairs lined up along the walls, fans in hand to ward off the temperatures in the 90s. But lack of shade and insufficient comfortable seating for older bodies puts the outdoor scene kind of off limits during the daylight hours. We learned the residents all live on their own or with their families, walking the streets from their own homes or apartments to the gathering place where they’re given three meals a day, the company of their contemporaries, and on apparently frequent occasions, visits from their family members and local youngsters.

Our friends, of the Proyecto Sociocultural Comunitario BarrioHabana, are as generous with their time and talents with the older citizens as they are with teens. Wrinkled, worn, tired faces literally lit up when Pavel, our soft -spoken ever smiling leader, walked in the door, himself with a broad grin and the announcement he was bringing guests from America. We were also accompanied by a dozen or so of the volley ball teens, all of whom apparently visit the care center quite often.

And what a reception we Americans got! As we walked from one chair to another, reaching out to shake hands and say our best Buenos Dias, gnarled, thin, bony hands reached out to bring us closer for hugs and kisses, words of welcome and joy. Clearly, here were people so happy to see us, not asking for anything, not seeming to want anything but the joy of seeing other people.

When Pavel told the older residents that I among his group was ochenta ( I understood 80 in Spanish!), they clapped, they laughed, they wanted to touch my face. And when Pavel then said I would sing, there was even more laughter.

I didn’t know the reason for it then, but because Pavel asked me to sing, I belted out “You are My Sunshine” in my very best alto, moving among the 30 or so residents as I did, amid much laughter and hand clapping. But the reason for his request was soon evident, as individual residents then stood up, each to present his own song. Pavel had used to me entice the seniors to show us their own talents.

There was the lady with the beautiful soprano voice and hand motions of a movie star; the 92 year old gentleman with the deep baritone and ballad song; the 80-something lady with the high pitched tones. Then came the magic, something Pavel called their Improv.

One woman stood up and began singing, her voice rising and falling with emotion that bordered on anger at times, love at others. She was joined by a man who put his arm around her and carried on his own soliloquy in musical tones. It appeared they were playing roles in a Spanish opera about love and devotion. Soon, a third senior, another woman, stood and joined the duo, vying for the gentleman’s attention and trying to shut out the other woman. We were mesmerized as these three senior citizens told in song a story they were making up as they went along, a story of love, intrigue, perhaps jealousy and ownership, each taking his turn, each singing in strong, forceful, beautiful tones, each telling a story in Spanish we didn’t need to understand to admire and enjoy. It was forceful, beautiful, a show of hidden talent, and a delightful experience. Pavel said many will get up and sing or dance, if someone gets them started. My Sunshine song, even without the singing talent, was able to accomplish that for them.

Guests that day ranged from the 70s to 102; Pavel said most are at least at the start of Alzheimer’s or dementia. He brings students from the local elementary school twice a week to interact with them, either playing chess, coloring, or simply talking with them.

One 92-year old presented us with handmade fans the seniors had fashioned from cut up cardboard boxes and covered with beautiful pictures from magazines; all shared smiles, laughter, hugs, kisses and fond farewells as we took our leave.

A few of us wanted to go back the next day. But we learned the Center was closed. There was no water to quench dry palates that day. Guess communism doesn’t always cover everything.

Ireland…it really is 40 shades of green!

By

Muriel J. Smith

-

May 22, 2022

0

This is the first of a series of articles that I wrote for the Atlantic Highlands Herald, the nation’s first official online-only newspaper back in 2015 after I returned from the rugged, wild, and just magical Ireland

It’s a funny thing. When you tell people you just came back from Ireland, everyone has a particular place they want to know if you’ve visited…Dublin, the Book of Kells, Blarney Castle and kissing the stone, the Cliffs of Moher, the Ring of Kerry…. the list goes on. The fact is, there are so many beautiful and memorable places in the Emerald Isle everyone has something to say about some place there.

Last month, with a group of friends from Our Lady of Perpetual Help and St. Agnes parish, along with other friends from across the state and even Florida, on a Nuovo Tour (they’re simply terrific) and under the guidance, if you will, of The Reverend Monsignor Selemi, we did manage to see all those wonderful places, plus a few more. In a well laid out, carefully planned, and perfectly executed 11 days, we managed to travel more than 1100 miles through 13 counties, including Belfast in Northern Ireland.

Traveling 1100 miles in any other country could be arduous and boring, but not in Ireland. Back in 1959, Johnny Cash had a beautiful song, “40 Shades of Green,” referring to Ireland…they don’t call it the Emerald Isle for nothing … and that’s the first thing you notice. Trees, bushes, grass, flowers, hills, mountains, valleys … they are all abundant in green and all in different shades. Honest. You have to see it to believe it.

Dublin is the largest city, the capital, and pretty much like any other big city, only a lot more fun.

Thanks to Peter from Nuovo, we managed to stay in the Temple Bar Hotel, a great place right smack in the heart of all the activity both inside and out. It was a most enjoyable walk to Trinity College and the Book of Kells, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, a magnificent cross-shaped structure standing where a church has stood since the fifth century because allegedly there was a park there where St. Patrick baptized thousands, or to the street corner, where at just about any time of the day…or night…a group of happy go lucky Irishmen were performing in impromptu concerts of voice and guitar, Bodhrán, tin whistle, and accordion. Or just staying in the hotel there’s a great pub with entertainment every night, and folks happy, eager, and so welcoming to a busload of Americans. That’s one more terrific thing about Ireland…. they love us!

Dublin was also where we got to hear our first concert and learned we had brought our own talent right along with us. Steven Denner from Florida and Mick Burke from Atlantic Highlands never met before this trip, but they certainly knew how to make beautiful music together. Late in the evening, after dinner, pub visits and entertainment in the hotel pub, the gracious staff gave us a meeting room of our own where Mick and Steve sat up their own stage… actually, two barstools in front of us … and harmonized with Mick on the guitar and Steve on the harmonica. It was nothing short of spectacular! Mick is a songwriter in addition to a self-taught musician, and his Irish ballads telling both sad and happy stories, were the envy of even the Irish who were peeking in the door to see what all the wonder was about.

The pair entertained us again in Galway, where again, a gracious hotel staff and professional entertainer at the pub gave us carte blanche in setting up another concert for our group, before Mick himself took to the stage and entertained a roomful of folks to great applause.

But that’s another story.

Trinity College is the most renowned college in Ireland, set right in the heart of Dublin, and is the home of the Book of Kells, the centuries old … make that more than ten centuries… book written and designed by monks living in monasteries in the town of Kells in county Meath.

Written in Latin, the book is lavishly decorated and printed, and while it tells the Four Gospels and the life of Christ, the artistry is a fascinating mixture of ornate animals, crosses, curlicues, and patterns.

But that’s not all to see at Trinity.

There’s The Long Room, the main chamber of the Old Library, which houses more than 200,000 of the library’s oldest books. The room itself is more than 200 feet long, hence its name, and the books are shelved to the ceiling, with huge ladders for easier access. There was a great exhibit in the Long Room when we were there, showing children’s stories, legends, and fairy tales over several centuries. Even the wooden harp, the oldest in existence in Ireland and the one which is the model for the harp that is on Irish coins, and the euros minted in Ireland, is in the library. Supposedly, it dates back to Brian Boru when he was king of Ireland in 1014, but there’s no one around to dispute the fact.

On the lighter side, there’s always Jameson’s and Guinness Storehouse, two fine old establishments where everyone is happy and their products flow freely. Guinness, in addition to a tour of the six stories where their beers are made, stored and displayed, also offers a spectacular view of the entire city from its uppermost floor where pints of the golden brew are served. The building itself is designed in the shape of a giant pint, and while the storehouse was at one time a fermentation plant, it’s now a museum to Guinness, displaying everything from their advertising over the years to how to pour the perfect pint.

Jameson, on the other hand, is considerably smaller, but it’s been around since 1780…as every label will tell you….and takes you on a tour that starts with a movie, then goes through the grain store, malting, milling, mashing, fermenting, and distilling, maturing and vatting of the world’s fastest growing whiskey.

The tour includes comparing Scotch, American Jack Daniels and Jameson’s, and while no one in the group opted for the Scotch, only a handful preferred Kentucky’s Jack Daniels to Jameson’s finest.

Still so much to see and do in Dublin itself, but so much more of the island to see, we spent the next day traveling to Belfast, the capital of Northern Island and the home of the Titanic Museum, at the site where the famed ship, as well as the lesser known Olympic and Canberra, were launched. But that’s another story……

The story will continue in the next article about Muriel’s trip to Ireland. Subscribe to be notified, or just keep checking back to read more!

Belfast

By

Muriel J. Smith

-

May 22, 2022

0

This is the second part of a series about my trip to Ireland that I wrote for the Atlantic Highlands Herald, the Nations first Official on-line newspapr!. It appeared in the Herald, in May of 2015 https://www.ahherald.com/

It was great to see Belfast, if only for a day. This largest city and capital of Northern Ireland is a couple of hours bus ride from Dublin and worth the time, if only to see that “the Troubles” are really over and the folks in Northern Ireland and the Republic really do like each other. Furthermore, the Euro used in the Republic goes a lot further than the British pound used in Northern Ireland these days, so it seems you see an awful lot of traffic going south with Northern Ireland license plates.

Still, it’s a very pretty city, partially because of the time, money, energy and love Queen Victoria poured into it, and partially, unfortunately, because outside of London it was the heaviest bombed city in the British Isles during the German’s Blitz in World War II. New construction is modern and efficient, statues, monuments and places named for England’s longest reigning queen are evident everywhere.

To put things in perspective, it was the 1921 agreement that separated Belfast in County Antrim and five other counties from the 26 counties that make up the Republic. And it was “The Trouble’s from the 1960s through the ‘90s that tore these friendly, generally happy people apart. It was great to see that at least on the surface, and in the trades, the Troubles are over.

The ride from Dublin to Belfast is both along a thruway and smaller roads, passing through farmland and hills with sheep everywhere….and plenty of lambs at this time of year! The main road between the two capitals passes through a valley formed by the Divis and Black Mountains, and Cavehill. Cavehill includes one mountain range that looks like a sleeping giant…at least it did enough to convince Jonathan Swift to write Gulliver’s Travels.

Always an industrial city, Belfast is best known for the Harland & Wolff shipyards, the largest and most productive shipyard of all time. That’s where the Titanic was built and launched, and on the site where the ship building took place, there’s a massive museum to the Titanic, as well as two giant cranes stretched up against the skyline and named Samson and Goliath; these are the cranes which helped the finished ship along the way to the river on its way to the ocean and a career at sea.

The Titanic Museum is six stories tall, resembles the ship and includes paintings on the walls at the lowest level showing where the engines were and what they did. Though we didn’t tour the museum…it would have taken several hours, it was great to see from where the ship was launched… we visited a far better and more understandable museum and waterfront a day or so later when we went to Cobh, the last port of call for the Titanic and other transatlantic lines before heading across the pond.

But that’s a story for another day.

The entire waterfront areas by the shipyard is known as the Titanic Quarter, huge renovations and tributes that have made the Quarter the largest tourism attraction in Belfast. In addition to the Titanic, the Olympic and the Canberra were also launched from this area; however, because of the disaster, the emphasis is clearly on the Titanic.

A group of us enjoyed a rather elegant lunch in Belfast at the Café Vaudeville, a wonderful place that up until a few years ago was a bank; the high ceilings and huge skylight from bank days remain but look so much better now with the formal dining tables, magnificent chandeliers, and terrific food.

There’s also a City Hall in the heart of town with large, lush lawns in front that cry out to residents and visitors alike to lie down and soak up sunshine; inside there are numerous mementos to the impact both world wars had on Belfast, together with incredible stained-glass windows showing historic scenes.

By the end of the day, we were happy to be back to Dublin, happy to pick up a few souvenirs, mingle with the crowds listening to the impromptu concerts and entertainment on every corner, and take a horse and carriage ride back to the Temple Bar Hotel.

Relaxing on the Rhine

By

Muriel J. Smith

-

May 22, 2022

0

PHOTO: The Rhine River is alive with all manner of watercraft, from the large luxury long boats of Viking Cruise lines and equally long barges toting everything from scrap metal to construction materials to youngsters in kayaks, small outboard motor boats, and even pontoons….. You’re never far from land along this narrow river.

I wrote this article for the Atlantic Highlands Herald, the Nations first official online newspaper back in 2015 when I took a River Cruise on the Rhine with Viking Cruise Lines

Just back from my second Viking Cruise, this may end up sounding like a paid advertisement for the company that does an incredible job both in cruising European rivers and customer service. It isn’t. It’s simply an account of the week fellow traveler Jane Frotton and I enjoyed aboard the Viking Sun, sailing from Amsterdam, Holland, to Basil Switzerland over eight spectacular days.

The Sun is different from the longboats Viking specializes in for most of its cruises, a bit smaller perhaps, with smaller cabins…though still big enough and most with great full wall sliding glass doors to let you breathe in the wonderful air, touch the side of the lock as you’re going through, or simply to say Hi to youngsters on the riverbank grinning and waving as you pass. The slightly larger longboats offer some cabins with verandas complete with table and chairs, but we quickly learned to live with the smaller cabin without a veranda. All come complete with private baths, big closets and drawer space, lots of little amenities, bottled water in the room, tvs, and beds high enough to let you shove your suitcase underneath and out of the way.

The Sun is about 400 feet or so long, with cabins on three decks, a dining room on the second, and a lounge and library on the third deck at opposite ends, with cabins in between. Up above, there’s the sun deck easily accessible to all, the wheelhouse and wings from which the captain operates the ship going through the locks. There were just under 190 travelers and a crew, from Captain Bartosz Balwierz to dishwasher, of 53…which works out to about just over three crew members per customer, an incredible ratio! It also means the waiter who serves you your cocktail in the lounge is the same one who serves your mushroom soup at dinner or helps carry the luggage off the boat. I never got to meet executive housekeeper Bilyanna Vancheva, but her standards are exceptionally high, given the excellence of her entire hard working and always pleasant housekeeping staff.

And you get to see and talk with them all, another great benefit of small ship cruising! They come from all over the world to work for Viking…. Bulgaria, Rumania, Hungary, Germany, Poland, the Philippines, South America, Portugal, Holland and more…and they’re all wonderful! They all speak far better English than I could muster in any of their languages, even with my three years of high school French…and they all know a lot about our country. Talking with some crew members from Portugal and Bulgaria late one night as they relaxed after their shift at the stern of the ship, they were delighted to hear I came from New Jersey….and eager to tell me of the greatest singer from here! To my surprise, it wasn’t Bruce! Or Frank! It was Bon Jovi and they asked if I could please tell him how much they love him and admire his style!

Viking Cruise| Holland

By

Muriel J. Smith

-

May 22, 2022

0

While the initial cost of a Viking River cruise might seem a bit high, read the small print, and look for their two for one specials which seem to always be available.

The good news is, other than beverages you might have during the day or evening (beer and wine are freely included at both lunch and dinner), and tips for staff at the very end of the cruise, it’s possible not to spend a single cent other than your initial payment for cruise and airfare, if Viking has arranged your flight accommodations as well. When they do, they meet you at the airport and deliver you back to it at the end of the cruise.

Also included in that initial price is at least one tour a day every time the ship is in port, educational programs relative to the sites during the day or early evening, and music and superb local entertainment in the lounge every night.

Take Kinderdijk, for example. Since it’s in Holland, the land of windmills, there’s a program, presented by the program director, on water management, and how the Dutch manage to keep their land beneath sea level dry.

You learn about water boards…the efficient kind, of course … the committee that maintains the water controls, essential because without them the entire country would flood within three days.

You learn that those picturesque windmills have been pretty much replaced by modern technology and efficient diesel operated plants.

You learn how Holland is giving up some sections of the country to the water and why, and that at the same time they are teaching other countries how to pump and adapt.

Then you are invited to leave the ship for a walking tour to the UNESCO site windmills, and you set out on your tour. A slight drizzle doesn’t dampen spirits at all…Viking not only provides each passenger with a bottle of water before heading off the ship, but also a large and sturdy bright red Viking umbrella.

If you’ve taken the time to read your daily schedule and information newsletter before breakfast, you know you’re in the province of South Holland, about 15 kilometers from Rotterdam, and the 19 windmills you’re about to see are among the 28 still standing across the country as opposed to the more than 150 at its highest peak.

At each tour along the way, Viking has local guides to ensure its passengers are learning from the best. Such was the case here, where the short walk led to a windmill and an almost instant lesson in all the terms associated with one… sails, millers, the language of the sails, how millers spread both good and bad news among themselves by means of the sails (those big paddles that keep the water moving from the polders by scoops into reservoirs.)

Guides will explain what determines the number of sails which are used and point out the huge beam that holds all the mechanisms to keep this very necessary process ever active.

You can take a visit inside the mill, where the miller and his family lived, since the mills had to be kept operating both day and night. It’s worth the climb up very steep ladders to the second and third ‘floors’ of the miller’s home and workplace.

The buildings are round, of course, and the huge oak trees used to create the beam where all those mechanisms are in the center. It’s probably a matter of efficiency, but I would have preferred the winding steps of a lighthouse to the straight-up ladders inside a mill.

It was only perhaps a half day stay in this part of the Netherlands, before getting back aboard the Sun, and a departure for Cologne, our first stop in Germany. Once back moving on the river, we had our mandatory safety program and safety instructions course before lunch and an afternoon program on Dutch Masters.

Of course, with three meals never enough on a cruise, there were some great Dutch treats at teatime and the opportunity to visit the wheelhouse and see Captain Bartosz happily at work as we slowly cruised upriver in a southerly direction.

Before dinner, the Captain and Jan Petersen, the hotel manager, also welcomed all guests to the Lounge for a meet and greet, a bit of the bubbly, and an opportunity to learn about the wonderful people who make life aboard a Viking cruise ship such a terrific experience. We also learned that every night there would be a brief briefing before dinner to let us know what’s in store for the next day.

If you still have energy enough, and travel partner Jane Frotton and I always managed to, there was music, dancing, and entertainment in the lounge, more time to share laughter and conversation with newly discovered good friends and a friendly and still efficient staff ready to do your bidding until the wee hours of the morning.

Tonight, it’s goodbye to Amsterdam because tomorrow, it’s our first day visiting Germany.

Kissing the Blarney Stone

By

Muriel J. Smith

-

May 22, 2022

0

So we climbed up Blarney Castle to kiss the Blarney Castle. Those clever Irishmen!

For 200 years they’ve been so coyly and sweetly convincing us it’s worth the walk up 100 or so thick, cold, winding concrete steps to get to the top of a run down castle so you can lie down, lean over backwards enough to see the ground 80 feet or so below you, then kiss a hunk of rock sticking out from the outer wall.

That, after walking through lovely gardens, along a long path, and up a few small groups of steps. All this to ensure the Gift of Gab. As if the likes of Jane Frotton and I needed that!

But thanks to our own nearness to the Twin Lights, even thick, cold winding concrete steps aren’t so hard to take.

But there’s so much more to Blarney Castle than the stone with the magic power. There are magnificent gardens that border on both the weird and the eerie.

The Fern Garden, for instance. It’s at the end of a grassy path that’s lined with wild flowers of many colors. All of a sudden, you’re at the edge of a limestone cliff…well … hill, after seeing the Cliffs of Moher….looking down on a waterfall that flows down one side of the hill.

Continuing down the path, you eventually come to a canopy of ferns…more than 80 varieties of them, including one fern that’s said to be the tallest of its kind in all of Ireland.

Then there’s the arboretums, several groups of many varieties of trees, again, among them the largest in all of the island. There are pines, and foxglove, the Ailanthus altissima, more commonly known as the Tree of Heaven which grows entirely too fast, yews, chestnuts, and other trees more than 600 years old. While a lot of the trees are rare and unusual, the Castle garden people add new specimens every year to keep the collection old and new at the same time.

There’s a Water Garden and a rock close, said to be on the site of an ancient Druid settlement. It’s a trail through yew and oak trees that form another canopy overhead, and a water garden with two waterfalls, along with the Wishing Steps. The fable here is….every Irishman has kissed that darn Blarney Stone….that if you walk down the 20 or so steps backward, with your eyes closed, concentrating on a particular wish, it will come true. At the very end, there’s a fascinating natural stone that truly looks like the silhouette of a witch’s head, complete with jutting chin and a crooked nose.

The best of all the gardens, though, is the Poison Garden, even with all its signs not to touch, smell, sample, or brush against any of the plants. Of course it includes the Wolfsbane and Mandrake from Harry Potter fame, but there are also numerous other beautiful plants, including some that were used for medicinal and health purposes…until users found they were more poisonous than healthy.

The garden is on the site of what was probably a Physic Garden, a common garden kept inside the castle walls to grow medical and culinary plans during Medievil times. A lot of the plants grow both in the wild and in gardens, and in actuality it’s really only the misuse of most of them that causes fatalities….the opium poppy, for one, can be used for medicinal purposes but an overdose will kill; both morphine and heroin come from this.

The Cherry Laurel is a pretty shrub with leaves that when handled, can release cyanide, and has the almond smell connected with cyanide. And that rhubarb you enjoy in pie and other desserts? It’s in the Poison Garden as well, since its leaves are toxic, contain oxalic acid that can cause burning in the mouth, nausea, and a few other unpleasant side effects. But the stalks are just fine.

Of course there’s a charming little town outside the castle walls, and a huge gift shop with mountains of Irish wool sweaters, hoodies, scarves, crystal, pottery, china, books, musical instruments, and every little souvenir the enterprising Irish hope will attract the eye.

Relaxing on the Rhine: Cologne Germany

By

Muriel J. Smith

-

May 22, 2022

0

I wrote this article for the Atlantic Highlands Herald back in 2015 after my terrific cruise on Viking cruise lines with my friend and fellow world traveler Jane Frotton of Atlantic Highlands

It was sometime during the night when the Viking Sun sailed into the Cologne, Germany area, and once again, it was evident that the Viking Cruise ships folks strive for perfection at every turn.

They also believe in precise, on time performances, so actually, the boat first docked in Zons, a fortified wall city from the 1300s, which in actuality is part of Dormagen, a town named after a chemist form the 19th century, where the Bayer company has a business now. It was there where we passengers could disembark and head to sparkly clean Mercedes Benz buses (after all, we are in Germany!) for a half hour bus ride to meet a guide and get ready for a walking tour of Cologne.

You don’t want to miss any of these tours; they’re all included in the price of the trip, and in every case, Viking has arranged for local guides, so you’re certain of having an English speaking person who really knows the area telling and showing you all the things that make it great. Even the slight drizzle (yes, Viking again provided everyone with bright red umbrellas and a bottle of water as they leave the ship!) didn’t cloud the magnificence and diversity of the city center and its cathedral.

Cologne isn’t the prettiest city along the Rhine, but it is Germany’s 4th largest city, a major cultural center, and the home of a University, so you know there are lots of college students and locals blending in with all the tourists. It’s also the site of the Romans’ first settlement, so there are plenty of ancient ruins.

The Gothic cathedral, the largest in northern Europe, is the primary focal point in the center and for very good reason. Aside from the magnificent architecture, the sheer awe that construction began back in the 13th century and continued for another 700 years to completion, the beauty of its twin spires stretching to the sky, it is a cathedral which remained pretty well undamaged during the Second World War Traveling through this part of Europe, as through so many other countries, the ravages and impact of war are horrific reminders we better find some means and ideas pretty quickly on how to get along with each other. It was nice to see the cathedral escaped unscathed.

The Cathedral also has magnificent stained glass windows, but I was more impressed by the windows at Notre Dame of Strasburg, and that’s a story for another day.

PHOTO: Courtesy of Jane Frotton

The bus was right there to bring us back to the ship for lunch, then we had the afternoon to either relax aboard in the lounge or library, or our rooms, or go back into the city for another look around.

While Atlantic Highlands’ Jane Frotton and I weren’t traveling with anyone else, once we met up with Norman and Jean from Scotland and Trudy and Heather from Canada, we became a sextet that was quickly recognizable, a force to be dealt with, and a half dozen travelers who managed to probably be a bit louder, a bit happier, and certainly a bit more outgoing than the others among the 157 aboard.

So it was an easy decision when all made our choices for the afternoon….Jane and Trudy were opting to try out the spa (yes, the ship’s staff made all the arrangements,) Norman and Jean opted to do more visiting around town on their own, and Heather and I decided to take the taxi back into town with the spa-goers and walk around that area, arranging to meet them later.

Cologne is a city divided by the Rhine, and it appears that all of the industrial part is on one side of the river, the shops, tourist attractions, museums, on the other. The thermal bath/spa complex was on the industrial side, so after leaving Jane and Trudy there, and walking a bit, Heather and I decided to take the tramway back across the river and the short walk back to the ship. It turned out to be a terrific choice! Like everything else in Germany, the tram is efficient, on time, and clean. And for about 5 or 6 Euros, it offers a scenic panorama of “Old Father Rhine,” the nickname for their beloved river, as well as the Cathedral city, all in a 15-20 minute ride in the sky. It was just one more very pleasant surprise on a very pleasant trip.

Later on, Heather headed back to introduce the spa-goers to the tram home, and I went up on the sun deck to see how the city looked from there.

Travel to Cobh Ireland

By

Muriel J. Smith

-

May 22, 2022

0

The Irish treasure their long history over thousands of years and the country is dotted with castles, memorials, remains of castles, grounds where castles once stood grandly ….and legends to remember them all, interspersed with the facts they really know and proudly re-tell.

The Irish take great joy in mixing up fact and fiction for the enjoyment of their guests..us tourists….make no mistake about it…the Irish are great story tellers and in the end, who knows?

Maybe some of the legends really are true. Leprechauns? I’m certain I saw one at the end of the rainbow I spotted near the Guinness Storerooms!

But the Rock of Cashel is real. And so is the charming waterfront town of Cobh, probably the town that most closely resembles Highlands.

The Rock of Cashel is in County Tipperary…it’s a long way to….and is actually an ancient fortress, or the remains of such, that was the home of the kings of Munster centuries ago. They’ve done excavating there and also turned up evidence of burials and church buildings from the 9th century as well as proof it was a matter century for the Christian faith as early as the 12th century.

It’s a long, steep, and slippery in the dampness, walk up a hill from the road to the Rock and only a handful of us decided it was worth delaying an Irish Coffee to make the trek. It truly was well worth it, and yes, made the Irish Coffee taste that much better upon our return!

The castle remains, but we weren’t able to see all of it since a part was closed to visitors while experts continued uncovering the secrets of centuries past. They have found some incredible paintings and sculptures etched in the walls and are in the process of restoring them; the areas not covered by canvas were proof enough there is magnificent ancient artistry to be seen on future trips to Tipperary.

There’s also a cemetery at the top of the hill within the fortress, and stones there date from the 1700s through the 1900s, each telling its own story of life and death. And the view from the top is spectacular, overlooking horse country, open fields, sheep and lambs, and more of those 40 shades of green. Stopping along the countryside for photo ops and inhaling fresh country air, we also met up with a few shepherds, who, recognizing American tourists like the different and the quaint, brought a few of their goats, lambs, dogs, and even peat to smell and feel, to be admired, photographed and petted. It’s wonderful being in a country where the natives really love us.

On to Cobh…pronounced without the H at the end….and another exhibition of how the Irish revel in the good, lament the sad, but cherish them both.

This unique port town stretches from the church on the High Road at the top of the hill, down the hill to the Heritage Center that captures so much of its past, and finally to the base of the hill where most of the villagers live. In between there’s a great little pub called The Quay, still high on the hill and overlooking the Atlantic.

But the Heritage Center is the biggest story in this charming little town once known as Queenstown. Since it’s a port, Cobh has also been the site of so many comings and goings of the Irish and others, and it’s depicted in all its harsh reality in one of the finest museums or cultural centers I’ve ever visited. There are the stories of the Coffin Ships, the cheapest way for Irish immigrants to escape the Great Famine and those others in the highlands escaping the great Highland Clearances. The ships were jammed packed with fearful Irish looking for a better life, disease-ridden, with little food and water, and in the end, leading to a mid-19th century typhus epidemic, all perfectly within the law at the time, but leading to the deaths of one out of every three passengers. The moving exhibits, audio and visual effects in the museum bring tears to your eyes but are ever mindful of what many of our ancestors went through to get to Canada or America.

There are exhibits of the convict ships that left Cobh for Australia in 1801, when sending prisoners to that distant country was the norm.

And not too far off Cobh, in Cork Harbor, is where the Lusitania was sunk leading to our entry into World War I, and the museum has horrific exhibits of that bombing and the loss of nearly 1200 lives.

On the bright side, there’s a monument in the museum to Annie Moore and her two brothers; Annie was the first emigrant to be processed at Ellis Island, and you can see a similar monument to her on this side of the pond at that Island.

But Cobh was also the last port of call for the ill-fated Titanic, and that experience is the primary make-up of the museum.

Between movies, newspapers, the relative recent history of the ship, and for us on this trip, a visit to the Titanic Quarter in Belfast, so many of the details and stories of the Titanic are well known. But at Cobh, instead of getting a ticket into the museum, you are handed a “Passenger Contract Ticket” for a specific passenger on the Titanic.

Because I was handed the contract ticket for Jeremiah Burke, I was eager to learn more about this young man who was provided with steerage passage from Queenstown to New York but did not survive. A 19-year-old teenager, Burke was traveling with a cousin from his farm life, half a dozen siblings and parents in County Cork to live with relatives in Massachusetts; his mother gave him a small bottle filled with Holy Water for his trip.

More than a year after the ship sunk, that bottle washed up not far from Burke’s home in Ireland, with a note inside, both of which were identified by his mother as coming from her son. The note said simply, “13/4/1912 from Titanic Goodbye, all. Burke of Glanmire, Co. Queenstown.” The note and bottle are part of the Heritage Center’s exhibit.

After the Center visit, we once again boarded the bus to continue our journey to Cork, and checked in to the Imperial Hotel, another magnificent hotel right in the heart of town, with huge comfortable beds, fluffy soft duvets, even heated floors in the tile bathrooms….

But that’s another story!

A Trip Down Memory Lane

By

Muriel J. Smith

-

May 22, 2022

0

I published this a couple of years ago for the Atlantic Highlands Herald, but it was written from a lifetime of love and laughter, family and faith

Taking the opportunity to ride from Monmouth County to Columbia South Carolina as my daughter Tracie took my grandson Angus back to the University of South Carolina, I knew would mean a fun, exciting yet relaxing trip and an opportunity to spend some quality time with my youngest daughter.

With Angus driving his own car down, and Chris his dad not able to get the time off work to make the trip last week, it was necessary for Tracie to drive the pick-up to transport all the accoutrements, clothes and furnishings which apparently are now necessary when a young man is off to for his second year at college.

Keeping her company in the truck for the ten to 11 hour drive each way, and armed with junk food and drinks, games, puzzles, and novels to listen to, we were looking forward to the drive, stopping only for fuel or emergencies, and taking in the beauty of western Virginia, a far prettier way of making the trip than the busy, heavily trafficked 1-95.

What I didn’t realize was that this very wonderful, unforgettable trip, would in itself conjure up memories of three different time periods in my life, memories of happy times, exciting times, and, in this trip, hopes and dreams for the future of another generation.

It all started as we neared the Delaware Memorial Bridge and Tracie told me to search through the bag of treasures she had brought and find the package marked #1.

My eyes filled with tears as suddenly visions of 50 years and more ago flashed through my mind. I could suddenly see our station wagon, four kids sitting in the back …no seatbelts, of course….and a rag top trailer hitched on to the rear.

That rag top magically transformed into a huge, (it seemed that way at the time!) double-sided tent where we six spent so many nights camping under the stars in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, the White Mountains of New Hampshire, the desert around White Sands, New Mexico, the shores of the Atlantic through so many states as far south as Florida. In another year, the rag top was replaced with a large canvas tent, also with dual sides to make plenty of room for six sleeping bags at every campsite.

They were wonderful memories, and those once little kids still talk about them today.

But every trip started with little numbered gifts. I’d wrap little mementoes for each of them, a coloring book, a comic book, a game, a toy. As we entered a state, I’d dole their gifts out so each could read the message on top: “open after you count five green cars and two trucks,” or “open after you see a dog in a car, or a diner on the side of the road…” Then for the next minutes, or sometimes half hour or more, the kids were cheerily calling out the things they had to find, then joyously opening the gifts and settling back to quietly enjoy them.

Wow, I thought. Tracie was going to have me count trucks, or cars, or wave to people in cars. She was treating me to what I knew my children loved when they were small.

I was partially right. It the difference came in the things I had to know before I could open my gift! As I read my first direction, I knew it would be a fun trip, and a bit of challenge for my mind. The message read: “Open when you can name the man who settled Delaware in 1638!” Come on, Tracie! I know it was one of the 13 original colonies, I know the colony was name for Lord De LaWarr, the first governor of the Virginia Company, but I don’t know any other names!

With a few hints, (Tracie had already done the research!) the information it was first settled by Swedes, and the first letter of the settler’s last name….M…I finally got it. Peter Minuit! The answer gave me the right to enjoy the package of Baby Ruth candy Bars neatly wrapped.

Maryland was easier. There are enough signs along the roadside to keep me informed that Larry Hogan was the state’s first Governor. A Republican. I answered that with ease and opened a LED cover lite she knew I wanted.

Virginia, one of my favorite states….eight different Presidents were born there… was the easiest. Or so it seemed. Name the state tree. Easy…the dogwood, it’s on their logo. The State Bird. Easy again, the Cardinal, again on every Virginia logo, sitting on a branch of the Dogwood tree. But the state flower? It threw me. I guessed all the spring blooms, determined with a hint from Tracie, it wasn’t a bulb flower, and finally accidentally hit on Dogwood, the right answer. Why would the tree and the flower be the same?

North Carolina caused a bit of controversy. Name all the US Presidents who came from North Carolina. Couldn’t think of one, let alone ‘all.” Narrowed it down with some hints from the all-knowing Tracie, and learned that Martin Van Buren, who I knew was the first President to be born an American citizen rather than a British subject, and James Polk, who I only knew was the 11th president, were both Tarheels by birth. The controversy came over Andrew Jackson, whom I was positive was from Tennessee…I’ve been to the Hermitage….but learned he wasn’t. The controversy is between the two Carolinas…he was born right on the border region and both states claim him. Research showed me that he himself claimed South Carolina as his birthplace.

I had a ‘gimmee’ if we had passed South of the Border, but since we since we had taken 81, I got to open a great little folding candle lighter without having to try to be smart.

But South Carolina was another tough one. “In 1954, Strom Thurmond was elected as a US Senator. What was so special about this particular election?” Really Tracie? I had just graduated from high school in 1954, I knew Thurmond was from South Carolina, and I knew he was a Democrat…isn’t that enough? What I didn’t know, but Tracie informed me, is in that election he became the only person elected to the Senate on a write-in ballot. And he did it with 63 per cent of the vote!

Even if I didn’t know it, my reward for opening the package was the best. A coin, similar to my collection of challenge coins I wear on neck chains; this new one recalls the honor, courage and commitment of a Naval officer or sailor.

The gifts had me come full circle. The times when we were a young family and enjoyed all our camping trips, the time in the 1980s when Tracie herself graduated from the University of South Carolina and was commissioned by the former Commandant of the Marine Corps, Alfred M. Gray, as her parents stood so proudly (and tearfully) at her side. And now, the 21st century, and a reminder I was once again in South Carolina, this time with my youngest grandson, Angus, who, in three more years, will be commissioned at the same university where his mom was commissioned and carry on the Naval tradition of both his parents.

They all make me so proud.

Veni Vidi Scripto

Veni Vidi Scripto

Veni Vidi Scripto

Veni Vidi Scripto

Annapolis & the end of the line for American Cruise Lines

Mi Visita a Cuba

Ireland…it really is 40 shades of green!

Belfast

Relaxing on the Rhine

Viking Cruise| Holland

Kissing the Blarney Stone

Relaxing on the Rhine: Cologne Germany

Travel to Cobh Ireland

A Trip Down Memory Lane

Veni Vidi Scripto

About us

Company

The latest

Regionalization – Making Attorneys Money

In Any Event, It’s the Shore Casino

The Season of Thanks and Giving

Popular

The Power of Positive Thinking Interfaith 21st Century Edition Book Review

Atlantic Highlands Regionalization- Censorship & the F-Bomb

Amy Gill “Keep going, no matter what”