Windsor Castle Yesterday, Paris Today

The Queen was in residence yesterday at Windsor Castle, and today I saw her on her way, in London, in the State Carriage, to open Parliament. It was thrilling, the Brits know how to do the pomp thing. Saw Prince Charles and Camilla too, even got a wave!  Windsor Castle is extraordinary, an occupied palace for 900 years, I spent hours there, then had a beer.  No photos allowed inside, you'll have to take my word that it's are amazing.  The weather was beautiful my three days in London.  Just arrived in Paris via the 200 mph Eurostar, that was a thrill too.  Here's some pix of my day yesterday at the Castle:

Even the Queen is subjected to the jets from Heathrow, here an A380

Been Busy In London

London is beautiful!  The weather is great, the city is friendly, the prices not as fearsome as I remembered and I've been covering the territory.  Yesterday Kensington Palace (the residence of William and Mary in the 1600s, of George III during our revolution, childhood home of Victoria, and more recently romping ground of Charles and Diana), then the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Tate Modern, St Paul's Cathedral, back to the hotel for a bit of a kip (nap) and out to the West End (theater district) for a couple of pints.  Kind of ridiculous, but a good day.

Diana's Gate, where they piled flowers upon her death

The coolest light fixtures ever

Paster Casts (full scale) of Trajans Column at the V&A

In London Town Now

It's amazing how fast two weeks can pass onboard a ship.  The Adventure of the Seas was a great experience.  Fun times were had.  The food was really good, service excellent, made lots of new friends, loved the ports, and then they threw me off the ship!  Here are a few pix from on board

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Heading Out Tonight Across The Atlantic

The Caribbean adventure is over, and now it's five sea days to the Azores.  The internet down here has been too slow to upload photos, and it's way spendy and too slow on the ship to bother with, so this will be it for a while.   Last night there was a big midnight buffet and party on deck, complete with a suckling pig.  We had a blast.  Today was St Kitts and a few of us got a taxi tour around the island, a highlight was the plantation owned by Thomas Jeffersons great, great, great grandfather.  Really cool!.. The ship sails in 20 minutes, so I'd better wrap this up, and board.  Ciao for now!

St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands

This island was also discovered by Columbus, also on his second voyage. It's where his ship almost ship-wrecked, and he and his crew spent many months here making it sea worthy again.  A few of us walked from the dock into town, enjoying the architecture, flora and fauna (roosters, hens and chicks), and a delicious bowl of conch chowder.  Very friendly.  There were two ships in port, a day later there was to be six, good timing!

Lovin' The Caribbean, Man

The trip's off to a great start!  We've already called at St Thomas, St Maarten, and today in port at St Lucia, where I've got high speed internet all afternoon for $5, so I'll be able to upload a few posts with plenty of pix.  The weather down here is balmy, partly cloudy, partly sunny, breezy and in the low eighties: comfortable.  She ship is great fun, the food is quite good, service excellent, lot's to do, no complaints at all!   I've gone ashore each stop with different new friends and had fun every time.   Here's a few pix of the ship, then I'll do port pix in separate posts.   Cheers!

Colorful Old San Juan

As a tourist destination I'd give this place a solid A.  Friendly, safe (polite cops on foot all over),  beautiful well preserved buildings, compact walkable cobblestone streets, good food and those great forts.  Well worth a few days.  My days are up here, off to the ship in a couple of hours, yay!  Here's a few photos from around town.

A great old cemetery with a sea view for eternity

Finally lunch, it was great

The Forts Of San Juan, San Christobal and El Morro

Shortly after Christopher Columbus discovered PR on his second voyage to the New World, Spain began construction of defenses as this is the first island found to have a deep water port.  Building continued for 250 years as Spain fiercely held on to the island for 400 years, until the US snagged it in the Spanish American war in 1898.  The US military took over the Forts, adding to their defense during WW2 to defend against the Germans and stayed till 1962.   They are now run by the National Park Service.  They are enormous, in fact the largest in the Western Hemisphere.   Really cool to see.

The Blog Lives, Live From San Juan, Puerto Rico

I'm calling this the trip of eight islands and a continent.  On island two today, flew from Denver here yesterday on Jet Blue, via JFK (Long Island- hey, if it's wheels down I count it).  Staying at a real find, the Pop Art Hotel(!) in Old San Juan.  It's a great little place, a block from the plaza, a block from the bars filled with locals, restaurants all around, $80 per night, a super quiet room, a living room-like common area w/ wifi, and breakfast.  Love it!  There's a fun family group staying here from the unlikely combination of York, Pa and Medellin, Columbia. They're a hoot, we hung out till midnight last night with beers and pizza.  They are joining 60 of their closest friends on the Carnival Valor Sunday night.  I'm down here to join a ship as well (surprise surprise), Royal Caribbean's Adventure of the Seas, also Sunday night.  Off on a 14 night transatlantic, 4 islas down here, then across the pond to Southampton, UK (an island) with a stop in the Azores.  I have to brag re the cost of it, $636 for an inside cabin, solo occupancy.  Best deal ever!   Then it's on to London, Paris and Budapest, all by train.

A Bronzed Local, His Eyes Follow You

Tonight, A Beautiful Picture Of Boston From The Bridge Cam Of Queen Mary 2

The Mary About To Enter The Northern Portion Of The Canal, The Port Of Suez Right Ahead

And The Mary Is Socked In At Sokhna, Egypt, About To Transit The Suez Canal