Day 175: St George, Bermuda

Friday, 30 June 2017 (Part II)
O/N @ the St George Cruise Terminal

Stats @ Ship’s Time 9:00p (ADT) … UTC 00:00a (July 1)
Temp: 78.8F (26C)
Position: 32.22.73N / 64.40.80W

Every day is a journey, and the journey itself is home.
~ Matsuo Basho ~

After writing about my Bermuda reminiscences (previous post), I joined Mui for breakfast at the Terrace Café with the Gelmans.  Following a leisurely meal, we returned to the cabin to get ready for the day ahead.  Then I sat out on the veranda to do what somehow never happened yesterday — relax!  Fume-free … comfy temps … a light breeze … and a veranda in the shade.  Perfect.  But not for long.

Day 175: Blast from the Past ... Bermuda

Friday, 30 June 2017

A morning at sea — especially towards the end of a long voyage … and even more so when the port of call is a familiar one.  Nothing could be better IMHO.  And when you wake up early — as I did at 6:45a — time for reminiscing a bit on the veranda is an added bonus.

Day 174: Auction @ Sea … Atlantic Ocean

Thursday, 29 June 2017
At Sea — Sargasso Sea … En Route to Bermuda

Stats @ Ship’s Time 8:50p (ADT) … UTC 11:50p (29 June)
Temp: 76.1F (24.5C)
Position: 35.10.12N / 67.27.52W

A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles.
~ Tim Cahill ~

Why cross the Atlantic Ocean to visit Bermuda?  It might well have something to do with the PVSA — the Passenger Vessel Services Act.  This is a law that was enacted more than 130 years ago.  It basically prohibits a foreign-flagged vessel from carrying passengers between US ports without first going to a ‘distant foreign’ port.  The law was enacted to protect US-flagged vessels.  It’s almost moot today since there are so few vessels that are US-flagged, and those that are work specific markets.  The wheels of cabotage laws are slow to turn, however, so cruise lines must still consider it in their itinerary plans … and so must cruisers … especially those booking back-to-back itineraries.

We have, of course, visited many ‘distant foreign’ ports on our Miami to Miami RTW, so the fact that Insignia’s country of registry is the Marshall Islands should not be a factor.  That said, there are passengers who boarded in Canada and who will be disembarking in Miami and that might require visiting a ‘foreign port’.  The PVSA has so many caveats that there might well be some other catch-all that requires this bump-out to Bermuda.  Cabotage laws are … well, a law unto themselves.  If someone wants to delve into it, here’s a link they can start with.

Of course, there is another possible scenario behind this zig-out-to-Bermuda and zag-back-to-the-US.  Perhaps the O itinerary planners ran out of US ports to fill up our 180 days.  Or they simply wanted to give us a chance to visit this Atlantic Ocean island nation.  Maybe they even figured that after so much time on the ship, we would need some days at sea to start packing for disembarkation ;-)

Whatever the reason, the brief sojourn to Bermuda will create more work for the ship’s crew … and a degree of inconvenience to the passengers.  Why?  Because we will have to once again go through US immigration at our next US port … after having done so in Bar Harbor already.

Day 173: New York City, New York … Next Day

Wednesday, 28 June 2017
At Sea — Atlantic Ocean
No Stats Collected

Roads were made for journeys not destinations.
~ Confucius ~

We were up at the Terrace Café for breakfast at 7:00a this morning … our second day in New York City.  Our goal was to get off the ship at 9:00a and go to the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) to see the Chihuly Exhibit.  The garden opened at 10:00a, so we figured an hour should be plenty to get us there.  Well, it might have been … had we been able to get a taxi or Uber to take us to the Bronx.

Day 172: New York City, New York

Tuesday, 27 June 2017
O/N @ Berth 1, Pier 88 — Manhattan Cruise Terminal

Stats @ Ship’s Time 10:45p (EDT) … UTC 2:45a (28 June)
Temp: 69.6F (20.9C)
Position: 40.45.96N / 73.59.99W

These vagabond shoes are longing to stray,
right through the very heart of it …
~ From the Lyrics for New York, New York … Fred Ebb ~

With a mid-day arrival scheduled for our overnight in New York City, we started our day at sea.  So I am writing this post in bits and pieces.

On the way to NYC …

Woke up to sunshine around 6:15a, but by the time we went to breakfast an hour later, the bright orb in the sky was playing peek-a-boo with the clouds.  Now, two hours later — still at sea — it is mostly overcast.  It would be a shame if conditions remain like this for our arrival in port.  Sunshine would make the sail-in so much better … but it will be what it will be.  CD Ray just announced that we should be going under the Verrazano Bridge around 11:00a.  That will be Mui’s cue to set up the GoPro if he’s going to do a time-lapse of our arrival in NYC.

Mui wants to resolve some transportation issues for upcoming Europe travels once our high-speed data plan kicks in again.  We might take care of business first and then decide what we want to do off the ship.  Whatever those plans turn out to be, they won’t include the New York Botanical Garden.  Wandering out in the open with rain in the forecast for this afternoon would not be ideal.  We exchanged texts with Alice and Tom who were going to join us there and they agreed, so we bagged the visit. 

Day 171: Boston, Massachusetts

Monday, 26 June 2017

At Sea — Cape Cod Canal … to the Atlantic Ocean

Stats @ Ship’s Time 9:20p (EDT) … UTC 1:20a (27 June)

Temp: 66.6F (19.2C)

Position: 41.44.16N / 70.37.53W

All Journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.

~ Martin Buber ~

Our day in Boston was a very quiet one — the highlight being meeting up and having lunch with friends who left Insignia in April.

Day 170: Bar Harbor, Maine

Sunday, 25 June 2017
At Sea — Gulf of Maine

Stats @ Ship’s Time 9:00p (EDT) … UTC 1:00a (26 June)
Temp: 56.3F (13.5C)
Position: 43.51.85N / 68.23.08W

Travel makes one modest.  You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.
~ Gustave Flaubert ~

I woke up at 5:15a … but refused to get up … even with the shining sun and the blue skies trying to induce me to do otherwise.  After a restless night on a ‘jiggly’ Atlantic, I wanted to sleep in a bit now that conditions had calmed down.  Crossing my fingers that the weather would hold, I turned my back on the veranda and promptly fell asleep.  When I woke up again shortly before 7:00a, I was delighted to see that Mother Nature wasn’t going to disappoint today.  I sat down to write a bit on the veranda before going up to breakfast.  Perfection!  The sun belied the temperature showing on the TV — 61F (16C) … it sure felt a lot warmer.

Day 169: Halifax, Nova Scotia … Canada

Saturday, 24 June 2017
At Sea — Atlantic Ocean

Stats @ Ship’s Time 9:40p (ADT) … UTC 00:40a (25 June)
Temp: 52.5F (11.4C)
Position: 43.33.90N / 64.43.82W

The bad news is time flies.  The good news is you’re the pilot.
~ Michael Altshuler ~

Woke up at 6:45a to pea-soup thick fog surrounding the ship on all sides.  The map on the NavChannel showed us off Halifax, but we could not see a thing … not even from the bow camera when I tuned into Channel 4 on the TV.

We went up to the Terrace Café for breakfast — sharing a table with friends.  The ship was docked by the time we returned to the cabin shortly after 8:00a.  We went on the veranda to see what we could see … not much.  But hearing the sound of bagpipes, we rushed to the deck 5 promenade to listen to the lone piper and show our appreciation for the welcome for which Halifax has won awards.  It was just one tune, but it was nice to have a special welcome on such a dreary day.

Day 168: Around Insignia

Friday, 23 June 2017
At Sea — Atlantic Ocean

Stats @ Ship’s Time 9:00p (ADT) … UTC 00:00a (24 June)
Temp: 52.3F (11.3C)
Position: 45.18.12N / 59.58.30W

I’d rather wake up in the middle of nowhere than in any city on earth.
~ Steve McQueen ~

Our day started in the Gulf of St Lawrence.  I did not intend to sleep in … and, if you go by Eastern Daylight Time, I didn’t.  But we are on Atlantic Daylight Time now and getting up at 7:00a was sort of like sleeping in.  Breakfast was at the Terrace Café … it was too cold to eat outside, though.  And then back to the cabin for a lazy day.

Day 167: Sept-Îles, Québec … Canada

Thursday, 22 June 2017
At Sea — St Lawrence River

Stats @ Ship’s Time 8:50p (EDT) … UTC 00:50a (23 June)
Temp: 60.1F (19.7C)
Position: 49.59.38N / 66.12.14W

Traveling — it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.
~ Ibn Battuta ~

Hello — or Kuei Kuei in the local Innu language — from Sept-Îles [Seven Islands in French; Uashau — meaning Bay — in Innu].  Our call on this Canadian city, which is situated where the Saint Lawrence River opens up to the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, was an inaugural one for Insignia.  The city does not see a lot of cruise ships stopping for a visit.  An article I read onshore indicated that Sept-Îles welcomed a mere four cruise ships in 2016.  About the same number is expected this year — mostly during the Fall tourist season.  For those who did not venture far from the port, I think today’s stop was a disappointing one.  I wouldn’t rate today an A+, but we wandered a bit further afield and are pleased enough with the way our day turned out.

Day 166: Québec City, Québec … Canada

Wednesday, 21 June 2017
At Sea — St Lawrence River

Stats @ Ship’s Time 9:40p (EDT) … UTC 1:40a (22 June)
Temp: 62.4F (16.9C)
Position: 47.33.23N / 70.07.82W

We should come home from adventures, and perils, and
discoveries every day with new experience and character.
~ Henry David Thoreau ~

I woke up really early — again.  This time, however, the sunrise didn’t have enough color to tempt me out of bed.  So I turned over and went to sleep, waking up a little before it was time to go up and have breakfast at the Terrace Café.  It was a cool morning, but not so much that one could not sit outside with a jacket.  The sky was overcast, with occasional sprinkles.  As we ate, Insignia finished docking at Wharf 22 in the heart of Québec City … in the province that shares the same name.

Day 165: Montréal, Québec … Canada

Tuesday, 20 June 2017
At Sea — St Lawrence River … En Route to Québec City

Stats @ Ship’s Time 9:00p (EDT) … UTC 1:00a (21 June)
Temp: 66.9F (19.4C)
Position: 45.44.72N / 73.12.80W

Every exit is an entry somewhere else.
~ Tom Stoppard ~

Welcome to Montréal, Canada!  Today marked an end as well as a beginning … the end of the port-intensive segment of the RTW that began in Civitavecchia … and the beginning of Buoys & Baysides … the last segment that will end in Miami, where we started our adventure 165 days ago.  We’ve added another 6,209 NM to the distance we’ve sailed, bringing our grand total since leaving Miami to 41,537NM.  We’ll add some more miles to this total before all’s said and done, but considering we are not all that far from Florida, I don’t expect a huge jump in the numbers.

Day 164: Trois-Rivières, Québec … Canada

Monday, 19 June 2017
Berth 3 on the St Lawrence River @ Trois Rivières

Stats @ Ship’s Time 8:30p (EDT) … UTC 00:30a (20 June)
Temp: 73.4F (23C)
Position: 46.20.53N / 72.32.17W

There was nowhere to go but everywhere, so just keep on rolling under the stars.
~ Jack Kerouac ~

It’s 8:30p and Insignia is still docked at its berth in Trois Rivières [Three Rivers] … our second port of call in Canada.  The ship is not scheduled to sail until 11:00p — waiting for optimum tidal conditions — but we’re done with our shoreside plans.  Not quite ready to call it a night, however … so I will do some writing.

Day 163: At Sea … Gulf and River of St Lawrence

Sunday, 18 June 2017
At Sea — St Lawrence River

Stats @ Ship’s Time 8:30p (ADT) … UTC 11:30p (18 June)
Temp: 53.2F (11.8C)
Position: 48.18.95N / 69.23.28W

I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning to sail my ship.
~ Louisa May Alcott ~

After waking up to find the ship sailing through foggy conditions, I snoozed for an hour before finally getting out of bed at 6:30a.  You see, I was hoping the pea-soup-thick fog would burn off and we would have blue skies for today’s cruise of the St Lawrence once we got into the river.  No can do.

At the time I got up, Insignia was in the Gaspe Passage … the river still a distance away.  The NavChannel showed the temp as 51.3F (10.7C) … not bad … and warmer than it looked through the glass door of the veranda.  Mui returned to the cabin from his morning coffee at the Waves Grill to say that it was no different elsewhere around the ship … fog in every direction … and the bridge was periodically sounding the fog horn.

Whether looking aft from the veranda (left) or forward
(on the NavChannel camera) the gulf is enshrouded in thick fog.

Breakfast was with the Gelmans … at the Terrace Café.  By the time we finished our meal, the fog was no more … it was mostly overcast but the sun was peeking through.  It would not stay that way long, but it was nice while it lasted.

Since we didn’t know exactly when we would be entering the St Lawrence, I decided to stay in the cabin today instead of setting up shop in the library.  Frankly, I’m not sure what all I did — other than polish up the Aqaba post for the blog — but before I knew it Mui was asking me if I was ready for lunch.

I joined him and the Gelmans at the Terrace Café, but I delayed a bit to listen to the captain’s noon report.  With Insignia sailing at 18 knots (21 mph/33kph), he said we were approaching the mouth of the river with about 300 feet (100 m) of water under the keel.  But then he said we would not pick up the river pilot until 8:00p tonight … meaning the narrowest part of the river was still quite a distance away.  Anyway, at the time it was a gray 59F (15C) day, with 340 NM to go to Trois Rivières.

Speaking of Trois Rivières — we canceled the rental car.  We’re going to stay in town and just stroll around even though many of the sights of interest aren’t usually open this time of the year.  I’m hoping an exception will be made because there is a ship in port.

A quiet afternoon led to us joining the Gelmans for the Gala Tea Event in the Insignia Lounge.  Nice … but way too much food.  Then at 6:30p, we joined the Gelmans and the Sweets for dinner in the GDR.  It was 8:30p when we returned to the cabin and I sat down to write this journal entry.  The ship was slowing down to pick up the pilot off Les Escoumins on the starboard riverbank.

Unfortunately, the weather remains crappy, so not sure what, if anything, we will see as we continue upriver on the St Lawrence.  A shame, but Mother Nature is in charge …  nothing we can do to change the hand she has dealt us.

We are gaining another hour overnight.  This will be the last time gain of the voyage … by tomorrow we will have sailed through all the time zones.  It won’t be the last time change, though … we’ll be shuffling this last one hour back and forth from here on out until we get to Miami.

© 2004-2019 All rights reserved by Erin Erkun.

Day 162: Corner Brook, Newfoundland … Canada

Saturday, 17 June 2017
At Sea — Gulf of St Lawrence

Stats @ Ship’s Time 9:15p (NDT) … UTC 11:45p (17 June)
Temp: 47.8F (8.8C)
Position: 49.02.93N / 59.15.57W

Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go.
~ T.S Eliot ~

Welcome to Canada!  Up at 6:00a, we found the sky was overcast, but the sea was flat … and there was no rain in the forecast.  We had a relaxing morning since we were not due to berth in Corner Brook, Newfoundland until 10:00a today because of a one hour delay resulting from the adverse conditions we encountered crossing the Atlantic.

Day 161: A Rough 4-Day Crossing = No St Pierre & Miquelon for Us

Friday, 16 June 2017
At Sea — North Atlantic Ocean

Stats @ Ship’s Time 8:45p (PMDT) … UTC 10:45p (16 June)
Temp: 46.4F (8C)
Position: 46.52.78N / 57.24.50W

I don't know who named them swells.
There's nothing swell about them.
They should have named them awfuls.
~ Hugo Vihlen ~

We had a rough four-day crossing after leaving Cobh, Ireland on 11 June.  Even with the three hours we gained, there simply was no way to make up the time lost due to the rough conditions we encountered and still arrive on time in Montréal, Canada — the port of embarkation for the next segment.  Something had to give.  That something turned out to be the cancellation of today’s call on St Pierre … in the French collectivity of St Pierre and Miquelon.

Day 156: Cobh, Ireland … Formerly Queenstown

Sunday, 11 June 2017
At Sea — Celtic Sea

Stats @ Ship’s Time 7:50p (BST) … UTC 6:50p (11 June)
Temp: 54.3F (12.4C)
Position: 51.26.86N / 8.59.45W

If we were meant to stay in one place, we’d have roots instead of feet.
~ Rachel Wolchin ~

Woke up before 6:00a.  An overcast sky and a wet veranda greeted me when I pulled open the drapes.  As we entered the protected waters of Cork Harbor, it started raining … the distant horizon becoming veiled with mist.  But by the time we finished breakfast and returned to the cabin around 7:30a, the sun was trying to break through … patches of blue with bits and pieces of the landscape spotlighted by the rays of the sun.  A good omen for a day of sightseeing.

Day 155: Dublin, Ireland

Saturday, 10 June 2017
At Sea — Irish Sea … En Route to Cobh

Stats @ Ship’s Time 8:30p (BST) … UTC 7:30p (10 June)
Temp: 64.2F (17.9C)
Position: 53.19.69N / 6.04.65W

It is good to have an end to journey toward;
but it is the journey that matters in the end.
~ Ursula K. Le Guin ~

We were up at 6:00a to find the veranda wet from overnight rains and Insignia already inside the breakwater on its approach to Dublin, Ireland.  Thirty minutes later the ship was docked in the commercial port — at Berth 30 Ocean Pier if our O port information was accurate.  We were 1½ hours ahead of schedule … and this despite the delay leaving Belfast last night.  It was overcast and cold … and more than a little dreary with some drizzle.  But these conditions would improve as the day wore on.

Day 154: Belfast, Northern Ireland

Friday, 9 June 2017
Pollock Dock, Port of Belfast (Delayed Departure)

Stats @ Ship’s Time 8:30p (BST) … UTC 7:30p (9 June)
Temp: 62.8F (17.1C)
Position: 54.36.87N / 5.54.96W

May your joys be as deep as the oceans
Your troubles as light as its foam.
And may you find peace of mind
Wherever you may roam.
~ Irish Blessing ~

Our well-earned day of rest at sea yesterday was a rockin’ and rollin’ one.  The seas moderated in the afternoon, though, so we got a decent night’s rest.  We were up at 6:00a this morning ready to begin a 12-hour day in port.   We had a leisurely breakfast but didn’t dally much since we had an invitation to meet UK immigration officials once Insignia docked in Belfast, Northern Ireland at 8:00a.

Day 153: At Sea …Celtic & Irish Seas

Thursday, 8 June 2017
At Sea — Irish Sea … En Route to Belfast

Stats @ Ship’s Time 9:15p (BST) … UTC 8:15p (8 June)
Temp:56.8F (14.8C)
Position: 52.58.32N / 5.37.60W

An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered.
An inconvenience is only an adventure wrongly considered.
~ G. K. Chesterton ~

Rockin’ and rollin’ across to Northern Ireland.  Up and down … left to right … repeat over and over.  That’s what most of the day was like.  Thankfully, the seas moderated in the late afternoon and the sun peeked through the clouds … we even had some blue skies.  Nice.

I was awake at 6:00a.  It was bright behind the curtains … we gained an extra hour overnight.  Mui had woken up and pulled the heavy drapes aside around 5:00a.  Normally I like to leave the drapes open, but as far north as we are, it’s been getting dark later and later.  So we’ve been drawing the drapes closed at bedtime.

We went to the Terrace Café at 7:00a for breakfast with friends.  It was quite chilly then … and through lunch as well … 54F (12C) I think Captain B said when he came on at noon to tell us that we were cleaving through the Celtic Sea.  By the time we returned to the cabin after lunch, the sky was more sunny than cloudy.  There was enough of the sun’s rays to keep me warm on the veranda as I finished reading the Daniel Silva novel I started earlier this week — The Black Widow.  An interesting story — probably all the more so because it relates to current terror events associated with ISIS … thus the plot has a ring of authenticity about it.  The book gets a thumbs up from me.

Dinner tonight was our usual group of six, but for a change of pace we went to the Grand Dining Room.  Food was good; conversation was good; service was a little slow, but it wasn’t like we had anywhere to be so we didn’t mind ;-)

We have a 12-hour day in port tomorrow.  I canceled our pre-arranged tour as the weather forecast isn’t looking too promising to go play on the Giant’s Causeway.  The decision to explore Belfast instead was made easier knowing that we will return to Ireland for a land-based vacation in a couple of years … 2019 if all goes as planned.  We’ll squeeze in some sightseeing in Northern Ireland then as well.

© 2004-2019 All rights reserved by Erin Erkun.

Day 152: Lorient, France … Last Port on the European Continent

Wednesday, 7 June 2017
At Sea — Bay of Biscay

Stats @ Ship’s Time 9:20p (CEST) … UTC 7:20p (7 June)
Temp: 58.6F (14.8C)
Position: 47.35.47N / 3.52.12W

Afoot and light-hearted, I take to the open road.
~ Walt Whitman ~

It was rockin’ and rollin’ last night in cabin 6090.  But we didn’t feel the motion of the ocean nearly as much in 4053 where we ended up spending the night.  Yes, fumes again.  We were fast asleep in our own cabin when I woke up to the smell of diesel fumes in the cabin.  That was around 10:30p.  I thought I must be imagining it.  But I wasn’t.  Mui was up shortly, too.  He went downstairs to see about getting another cabin to sleep in.  In the interim, I pulled open the drape.  The pilot’s boat was bobbing like crazy in Insignia's wake, waiting to pick up the pilot who had helped navigate the ship down the Garonne River and back into the open seas.  I felt sorry for the men on the boat, but I imagine they are used to it.  By the time we moved down to 4053, the pilot’s boat was alongside.  We didn’t stay up to see the pilot off.  With a sightseeing day coming up, it behooved us to get a good night’s sleep.  And so we did.

Day 151: Bordeaux, France … Exploring the Old City

Tuesday, 6 June 2017
At Sea — Garonne River to the Bay of Biscay

Stats @ Ship’s Time 8:20p (CEST) … UTC 6:20p (6 June)
Temp: 59.7F (15.4C)
Position: 45.23.54N / 0.50.10W

I demolish my bridges behind me.  Then, there is no choice but to move forward.
~ Fridtjof Nansen ~

With fingers crossed that our Bordeaux sightseeing plans for today would work out better than our dinner plans last night, we disembarked Insignia shortly after 9:00a.  It was still quite chilly … that would not change as the day progressed.

Day 150: Part 2 … Continuing up the Garonne River to Bordeaux

Monday, 5 June 2017
Overnight @ Berth 127 in Bordeaux

Stats @ Ship’s Time 6:30p (CEST) … UTC 4:30p (5 June)
Temp: 73.8F (23.2C)
Position: 44.50.89N / 0.34.18W

To be, is to exist, but to travel, is to live.
~ Gustave Nadaud ~

I left off the previous post just before we left Le Verdon, France, where Insignia docked this morning for what was essentially a service call.  Let’s now continue the story of our day with the sail up the Garonne River …

Day 150: Le Verdon Precedes Bordeaux … One Month to “D” Day

Monday, 5 June 2017
Overnight @ Berth 127 in Bordeaux

Stats @ Ship’s Time 6:30p (CEST) … UTC 4:30p (5 June)
Temp: 73.8F (23.2C)
Position: 44.50.89N / 0.34.18W

Only one who wanders finds new paths.
~ A Norwegian Saying ~

Sometimes plans work out as expected … sometimes they don’t.  This morning — with just a month left before “D” [Disembarkation] Day — fell into the latter category.  Amazing how five months of our RTW voyage have gone by in the blink of an eye … at least it feels like that to us.  This last month is bound to go by even faster as we countdown towards the end … sigh!

Day 149: St Jean-de-Luz, France

Sunday, 4 June 2017
At Sea — Bay of Biscay

Stats @ Ship’s Time 9:45p (CEST) … UTC 7:45p (4 June)
Temp: 61.7F (16.5C)
Position: 44.03.31N / 1.38.52W

Travel has a way of stretching the mind.  The stretch comes not from travel’s immediate
rewards, the inevitable myriad new sights, smells and sounds, but with experiencing
firsthand how others do differently what we believed to be the right and only way.
~ Ralph Crenshaw ~

An overcast morning at sea … that’s how our day started.  I woke at 7:00a, but went right back under the covers.  It wasn’t until shortly before 8:00a that I emerged to join Mui for breakfast at the Terrace Café.  Afterwards, we dallied as we got ready for the day ahead, hoping against hope that the weather would clear by the time we arrived at today’s port of call.

Day 148: La Coruña, Spain

Saturday, 3 June 2017
At Sea — Bay of Biscay … En Route to St Jean-de-Luz, France

Stats @ Ship’s Time 8:00p (CEST) … UTC 6:00p (3 June)
Temp: 60.1F (15.6C)
Position: 43.48.71N / 7.24.60W

It is only in adventure that some people succeed in
knowing themselves — in finding themselves.
~ Andre Gide ~

It was 7:00a when I woke up to overcast skies.  Though my body said it was only 6:00a — we lost an hour overnight — it was time to get up.  Still, we dallied.  By the time we went up to the Terrace Café for breakfast, Insignia was approaching the cruise ship terminal at the Calvo Sotelo Pier in La Coruña … one of the busiest ports in Spain.  Yes, we’re back in Spain again … for the last time on this trip.

Day 147: Porto, Portugal

Friday, 2 June 2017
At Sea — Atlantic Ocean … En Route to La Coruña, Spain

Stats @ Ship’s Time 8:00p (WEST) … UTC 7:00p (2 June)
Temp: 61.9F (16.6C)
Position: 41.41.98N / 9.04.02W

Just to travel is boring, but to travel with a purpose is educational and exciting.
~ Sargent Shriver ~

We rocked a bit last night as the ship made its way north to today’s port of call in Porto, Portugal …. situated along the Rio Douro estuary … and the second largest city in the country.  Let’s get the name thing cleared up first.  The Oceania itinerary lists this port call as Oporto … this is the English version that has come about as a result of a misunderstanding.  You see, in Portuguese, the city’s name is accompanied by a definite article — “o” Porto meaning “the” Port.  I’m going to use the name preferred by the Portuguese … it is their country after all.

Day 146: Lisbon, Portugal … Second Day

Thursday, 1 June 2017
At Sea — Atlantic Ocean … En Route to Oporto

Stats @ Ship’s Time 8:15p (WEST) … UTC 7:15p (1 June)
Temp: 63.9F (17.7C)
Position: 38.58.46N / 9.43.92W

You do not travel if you are afraid of the unknown,
you travel for the unknown that reveals you with yourself.
~ Ella Maillart ~

At first our plan was to get off the ship early to enjoy Lisbon for a second day.  But with yet a week to go before we get a relaxing day at sea, we decided to heed our own advice to take it easy.  So, it was 9:00a when we left the ship.  There was no HoHo bus in sight … we had missed the only early morning courtesy stop across the street from our berth and it would be awhile before the bus came anywhere near the port again.  But our timing for public bus #728 heading to Belém was good, so we joined the locals and went for a different kind of bus ride.