August 16 (Day 20) - Kiel Canal

At last a day where we didn't have to go anywhere or do anything! We were set to be on board the entire day to enjoy the views of the Kiel Canal.

Every evening we received a newsletter called the "Princess Patter" that gave us information about the next day's port and on board activities. Some interesting facts about the Kiel Canal:

~Most frequented canal in the world
~The canal is 61 miles long
~It saves approximately 250 nautical miles for ships traveling between the North Sea and the Baltic Sea
~An average of 115 ships pass through the Kiel Canal everyday

It was a lovely relaxing day...

Upon our arrival into the canal we were met by a German band!

I don't remember if this boat was guiding us in or making sure we left when all was said and done, but he got awfully close to the ship...

One of the on board events of the day was an ice carving demonstration (there was a martini mixing demo earlier on, but I was too busy taking notes to take pictures)

Constance enjoying the ice carving demo...

...and me enjoying some quiet time by the pool...

...the German band came on board for our trip through the canal...

While the day started off sunny, it soon turned to rain so we moved into the Tahitian lounge for some reading and watching the views...

...it's cow country in this part of Germany - and one horse apparently...one of these things is not like the other...

The canal was lined with bike paths on both sides and people were out riding and walking and running all along the way...just imagine - how I would love to go for a run here!

Soon we were back in our room to sit and enjoy the view from our balcony...

...and a little afternoon cocktail!

Then we got gussied up and went to the Tahitian Lounge for a little happy hour cocktail...

...this is me gussied up...

Constance looking at the view while we're leaving the canal...gussied up.

And, yes I did...after dinner we found ourselves back in the Tahitian Lounge and I was dragged up for  little line dancing...I know...

...I'm not having any fun at all...

Sunday, August 15 (Day 19) - Amsterdam

It felt that we had been going and going and going since we left Vancouver and we were under the impression that being on the cruise would provide a little bit of a respit, but how wrong we were. Our first morning on the cruise we landed (docked? made port? dropped anchor?) in the lovely city of Amsterdam.

We decided to forgo the overpriced guided tour offered by the cruise and took off on our own, which proved to be relatively easy once we spoke to the tourist information folks right at the cruise terminal. The main point of interest for us was the Van Gogh Museum and being that we would have to take a tram there and back, they suggested we buy a city pass which would give us a day pass on the tram and free admission to the museum. So we did!

But first we had to walk from the cruise terminal to the train station...

Constance is Amsterdam on our walk to the train station.

On the tram to the Van Gogh Museum. I think she's trying to look like a local.

Stand up straighter, Maile! We took a walk before the museum opened and happened upon this nice little park. If you look closely, you can see a German shepherd swimming in the pool.

While waiting in line before entering the museum we started chatting with a very tall man who turned out to be from D.C. I think he thought I was Canadian at first (the jacket), but said my accent gave me away. There was also a lady who noticed my jacket and thought I was Canadian - or that I had been to the Olympics. Of course I quickly corrected her on both points, though afterward I thought I should have just told her that not only was I Canadian, but that I also competed in the Olympics.

The museum itself was great. Too many people to properly enjoy, but still very interesting and cool in that it not only included works by Van Gogh, but also by his contemporaries, those who inspired (and taught) him and those who were inspired by him.

Part of our Amsterdam pass could get us on a canal cruise and since we were both a little tuckered out by the museum we thought a relaxing trip on a boat...seems we've been here before...would be nice.

Oooohhhh!

Cruising...

House boats all over the canals...

...and bridges...

...and cool buildings - these used to be warehouses.

All in all, Amsterdam was...okay. Constance wasn't impressed with the city itself, but I think she enjoyed the museum very much. We were back on the ship by 1:30, ate and napped the afternoon away.

Dinner was the first of two "formal" evenings and since neither one of us had anything fitting to wear, we opted for the more casual buffet and the early show called Cinematastic - a musical review of songs from the movies over the years. It was fun and silly - the ship was really rocking that evening and so the most amazing thing about it was that no one fell over!

Saturday, August 14 (Day 18) - Embarkation Day!

I know, I know - I've been getting a little long winded again haven't I?
I'll try to pare everything down a bit...again:

Early morning: Rainy but I ran anyway - got a close up of the White Cliffs of Dover and saw the ship we'll be sailing on for the next week - the Ocean Princess!

Mid morning: Constance and I walked up the pedestrian shopping street to a little coffee shop called Costa Coffee. Constance ate a croissant; I had an egg sandwich which was loaded with butter - I am amazed at how much butter the British use!

Late Morning: Walked along the seawall again; regatta going on; food booths; craft booths; sweet booths; hat booths; booths booths booths! We didn't buy anything, thank you very much.

Late late morning: Walked, sat, coffee, shared a scone. Just wandering to kill time because, according to our paperwork, we weren't allowed to board (or should I say embark?) until 1pm.

The morning dragged on forever!

We took a cab to the cruise terminal a little before noon - way early in true Holck fashion - and discovered that they began boarding early. Before 11am in fact! Ach - so much wasted time!

The boarding process was surprisingly quick and easy. There were no crowds and they were incredibly organized. We were on the ship in no time and found our room:

Upon meeting us, our Stateroom Steward (we're so fancy), Marlo, quickly offered to change our bed into two twins rather than force us to suffer sharing one.

The gigantic mirror makes the room look much bigger than it actually is.

We then walked around the ship which took all of 10 minutes because the Ocean Princess isn't one of these large ships you think of when you think of cruises - they call the cruise we were on "small ship cruising" because the vessel holds just under 700 passengers (not to mention the over 300 crew members!) whereas the larger ships hold over 3000 passengers (and goodness only knows how many crew members!).
 
Regardless of how small the ship was to some (we overheard one woman commenting on how everything seemed so miniature - clearly, she had been on a few cruises in her life), it was still all new to us and we were pretty intrigued with every nook and cranny...but mostly the view of the cliffs (again):

There'll be bluebirds over

The white cliffs of Dover,

Tomorrow

Just you wait and see...

~Vera Lynn

 
Brevity, Maile, brevity...
 
Dealing with Dinner: Because it's a smaller ship, they have two - and only two - seatings: 6:15 and 8:15. Constance and I found ourselves in the 8:15 seating which, of course, for these two old ladies was far too late! We were told to talk to the maitre d' upon arrival and he would take care of it. Well. We were apparently not the only ones who wanted to change our dinner arrangements. We went to the dining room and upon telling the host what we were there for, we were led to a row of chairs where another couple was waiting to speak to the maitre d'. I suddenly felt as though I were back in the 5th grade waiting to be called in to the principal's office. Not that I was ever called into the principal's office. Long story short, he could not accommodate our wish to eat earlier and so we were stuck to the 8:15 seating. Who knows what kind of trouble being out that late will bring?!
 
BUT before all that, it was happy hour somewhere, so Constance and I got as dolled up as we dared and went up to the Tahitian Lounge for a cocktail!

Before Constance's cocktail arrives...

And after Constance's cocktail arrives...

and me and my Manhattan!

 
Having dinner at the 8:15 seating was not terrible - after a cocktail in the Tahitian Lounge, nothing can be that bad. Constance and I had a table for two all to ourselves (we don't like to be forced to socialize with others), but our table was situated extremely close to a table of six so it was little like we were with them...but not really. It wasn't until the end of the dinner when we were having dessert that Constance began making conversation with the couple closest to us. They were the oldest of the three couples at their table - which wasn't very old as the other two couples couldn't have been more than 25 years old. The couple Constance chatted up was probably in their forties. Interestingly enough, we never saw them at dinner again - we think the difference in age between them and everyone else at their table made them a little uncomfortable...well, either that or Constance said something terribly offensive.

Friday, August 13 (Day 17) - Canterbury to Dover

In the morning I went for my usual run - looking forward to exploring the city, but ever slightly so worried that I would get lost. There are twists and turns all around and I didn't have a proper map to get acquainted with the lay of the land so I was a little nervous.

I went anyway and about 40 minutes in I found myself in a residential area, but still felt like I knew which direction I should go in order to find my way back to the city center. I even found a path that had a sign that pointed me in the direction of the city center. I wasn't worried in the least.

That is until I came to another sign that said the city center was in the direction from which I had just come! Had somebody fooled with the sign to trick silly tourists like myself? If so, did they fool with this sign or the sign before? I decided to get off the trail and try the streets and ended up heading straight...out of town. Thankfully, I managed to figure it out before I got too far and backtracked a bit - back up a hill I just come down (ugh!) - set aside my ego, saw a nice lady and asked her for directions.

She turned around to point down the hill I had just run up and there it was, clear as day: the rooftop of the Cathedral (granted, it was a bit in the distance but it was still a significant sight). If I had only looked around while I ran I would have seen it and wouldn't have had to ask at all. Oh well. It's not a big deal, of course, but still...

Grrr....

The important thing is that I did eventually find my way back to the inn, and once I cleaned up and before we went to breakfast, Constance and I decided to take one last look around the area and we soon found ourselves walking along side a little river...

...where we saw a family of ducks...

...a very pretty swan...

...a "wee" bridge (Constance has used this word a fair bit on this trip - it even comes out in a Scottish accent!)...

...and a last look at our little inn.

Moving on - to Dover! We once again hopped on a National Express Coach and made our way to Dover. It looked like a quaint enough town from the bus window, but the first person we spoke to was a little old lady from a nearby town called Deal. She was very nice in trying to help us find our way to our hotel, but the first thing she said was that she hoped we weren't staying in Dover very long, "Dover is a weird little town," she said a little too ominously.

With that bit of knowledge we trudged - cautiously - to our hotel which was, as it turned out, just a couple of blocks away. As was the case with our B&B in Canterbury, this B&B didn't have an elevator - or lifts as the Brits say - which meant Constance and I had to hike up a flight of stairs (it was two flights in Canterbury!). It seems to be the way it is with a lot of the old buildings here so it seems we will getting our fair share of exercise while we're adventuring. Logic would have it that by the time this trip is over we'll both be svelte and ready for the runway.

Or not.

Aaaanyway, Dover turned out to be a quaint - if not slightly strange - town. We had a couple of nice walks along the waterfront and to the end of an extraordinarily long pier where we saw a bunch of kids on some sort of organized outing playing around in kayaks, some fisherman and a lighthouse.

On the waterfront - the windy waterfront!

Laughing Constance - I think she was trying to look tired because we just walked up a hill...but she started laughing...and couldn't stop!

It was even more windy at the end of the exradordinarily long pier we walked!

I have loved England, dearly and deeply,

Since that first morning, shining and pure,

The white cliffs of Dover I saw rising steeply

Out of the sea that once made her secure.

I had no thought then of husband or lover,

I was a traveller, the guest of a week...

~Alice Duer Miller

(In looking for the lyrics to the song I came upon this poem and this part of it very appropriate!)

Dinner was a couple of sandwiches and some raw veggies with hummus bought in a local supermarket called The Coop. We also shared a bottle of wine...but I swear wine is sold in smaller bottles in the UK than they are in America. Really! No joke. They're teeny tiny in comparison....

Thursday, August 12 (Day 16) - A Canterbury Tale

You'd think after all that - 24 (TWENTY-FOUR!) hours of traveling - we'd take a nap or something, but nooooo, Constance wanted to take a walk and visit the Canterbury Cathedral, but first...

The view from our room...

...and the view in our room...would a nap be nice first?

So, of course - because Constance always gets her way - we did and it was gothic and interesting and...old. There is so much history here it would be impossible for me to really absorb it all in the one visit we had, and I certainly wouldn't know where to begin writing about it here, but I will say there was something awe inspiring about standing inside - and outside for that matter - this great building. I'm not religious, but I don't think you need to be to feel a deep sense of spiritutality while in the midst of such a place.

To distant shrines well known in sundry lands

And specially from every shire's end

Of England they to Canterbury wend

The holy blessed martyr there to seek

~Chaucer from the Prologue to the Canterbury Tales

Just one of the many stained glass windows in the Cathedral

Inside...

...and outside in the cloister...

While I realize that the Cathedral is meant to be the main attraction of Canterbury, what I enjoyed most was walking along the cobblestone streets and admiring the old houses and buildings that line them. I enjoy this in any new city or town the way I enjoy running in a new city or town. I think it's one of the best ways to get a feel for a place.

On our walk to the Cathedral - no cobblestones here, but still a pretty walk...

A cool view of the roof of the Cathedral

That night we had a drink in the bar of the B&B - I had a pint of the locally brewed beer, Shepherd Neame - "Britain's oldest brewer."

See - I told you it was Britain's oldest brewer (this is the entrance to the inn)

Dinner that night was good - we had a nice young server who I think we somehow intimidated by asking far too many questions about the menu. That's how Constance rolls - she likes for everyone to know who's boss.

We were in bed at a ridiculously early hour - 7:30 - which is early even for Constance and I who are typically out by 9:00...10:00 if we're living dangerously.

Wednesday, August 11 (Day 15) - Travel Day

Travel day with a capital "T". Up at 5:45am. Checked in at 6:30am. Through customs at 7:00am. Breakfast at 7:15am. Bathroom at...too much information? On board at 8:30am. Chicago at 3:00pm (Chicago time). On board flight bound for London at 4:00pm. Heathrow Airport in London at 6:04am (London time). On bus at 9:30am. London city center at 10:30am. On another bus at 11:30am. Canterbury at 1:20pm.

And finally we arrive at our Bed and Breakfast called the Miller's Arms Inn at approximately 1:45pm on Thursday.

WHEW!

Tuesday, August 10 (Day 14!) - Saying Goodbyes...

We spent our final morning in South Surrey with Uncle Colin and Auntie Pat before they drove us to the Fairmont Hotel at the Vancouver Airport. We had a free night there courtesy of my sister and her husband (who just celebrated their anniversary - 10 years! Happy Anniversary Coco and Jon!!) who bought us a night at the hotel at a silent auction fundraiser a few months ago. Thanks Coco and Jon! The hotel was great and uber convenient as it is located literally at the airport. We had a 5 minute walk to check in for our flight the next morning! It doesn't get any easier than that. But I'm getting ahead of myself...

Saying goodbye to Uncle Coin and Auntie Pat was swift and easy, but I couldn't help but feel a little melancholy about leaving. We joked about finally giving them some peace and quiet (Constance can be quite rowdy when she wants to) and Uncle Colin told us to give a call in case we had any problems with our flight (because he wanted to be sure we actually left), but all joking aside...I had a lovely time and I will miss them. We don't get to see them - or any of the Thompson family for that matter - often enough. And I wish we did.

Monday, August 9 (Day 13) - Packing Up

Oh my goodness...it's only been a couple of weeks and I can't remember what we did this day! Oh, that's right - laundry. No wonder I forgot. Laundry and packing! BUT, we did end the day with a nice dinner in White Rock at a place called the Boathouse with the family.

Sunday, August 8 (Day 12) - BBQ at the Kitto's

After breakfast Constance and I joined Uncle Colin on his daily walk through the woods at Campbell Valley Regional Park - I'm not sure if I've got the name right, but it's a huge park filled with trails that, if you didn't know your way around, it seemed you could get lost in forever. Uncle Colin, however has been walking these woods almost everyday for the last 15 years so getting lost was highly unlikely.
The evening was spent at my fabulous cousin's house in Pitt Meadows which is about a half hour from South Surrey since the Golden Ears Bridge was built (I have no idea where this name comes from, but I will find out as soon as I have internet access again!). Uncle Colin's daughter, Jen, my cousin, married a guy named Dan (they just celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary - happy anniversary Jen and Dan!!). They live in a great house - with a pool! - that they were kind enough to offer up for a Sunday BBQ. Dan had recently gone fishing and so we had some tasty salmon and halibut along with an array of yummy side dishes. Neil and Siena even got in the pool!

Constance with Jen - the Hostess with the Mostess - on the newly roofed deck...

Constance and Dan - the Host with the Most (and master builder - he did much of the work himself on this beautiful house, including the new roof for the deck)

Jen and Dan - Happy belated 20th Anniversary!

The Women...

Uncle Colin and Auntie Pat enjoying the deck...

Crrrraaaazzzzy kids Neil and Siena in the pool!

Tundra enjoying a bone on the deck...

...and a drink of water afterward - did I mention this is a saltwater pool?

Mmmmm....Sunday BBQ at the Kitto's!

This picture was actually taken on our first day in South Surrey when Jen and Dan (and Tundra, obviously) stopped by to say hello...I think she was admiring the bouquet of the wine...

Our dinner with at the Kitto's was fantastic - thank you Jen and Dan for hosting and to Neil and Marisa for the yummy samosas and salad...so goooooood!