Vic Rempel

traveled in 10 countries Read more

2019 Mediterranean cruise
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- May 1, 2019
- 🌧 15 °C
- Altitude: 18 m
- Croatia Dubrovnik Uvala Danče 42.645187, 18.09807242°38’43” N 18°5’53” E
Day 19
Dubrovnik
May 1, 2019 in Croatia ⋅ 🌧 15 °C
We are fortunate again to come to this beautiful city. The walk to the city was lovely, blue skies with a little bit of cloud. They told us that it would rain or perhaps thunder showers this afternoon, and Just as the bills began to peal at noon, the rain began. We are enjoying lunch at Barracuda. They have great wifi and the pizza smells fantastic.Read more
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2019 Mediterranean cruise
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- Apr 30, 2019
- ⛅ 17 °C
- Altitude: 44 m
- Portugal Azores Ponta Delgada Jardim António Borges 37.7432, -25.676137°44’36” N 25°40’34” W
Day 18
Corfu
April 30, 2019 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
The day began with a rain shower during breakfast and quickly changed to beautiful blue skies for the rest of the day. 20C and another 8 miles exploring the city on foot allowed us to see lots of the Old Town and part of the residential are of the city. Lots of bedraggled cats here, and in old dog who waited patiently at the cross walk until the light turned green before slowly making his way across the very busy street to lie in the sun in front of the Welcome to Corfu sign all day. He was still there when we came back to our ship.

The souvenirs are a bit different from the last time we were here. The island produces 3% of the world’s olive oil, or so they say.

Lunch of gyros and Greek salad and house made Greek wine was wonderful outside at Prosilio, complete with white tablecloths and a red rose on each table. Good wifi also helps.

Of course no exploration day is complete without gelato, which we enjoyed on the steps of the church where we had attended Easter services a few years ago.

It’s a bit comical to walk through Marks and Spencer’s in Greece and to find the temperature hotter inside than out.

Managed to fit in a nap before dinner and enjoyed a coconut shrimp salad and ricotta raspberry torte for dessert before watching David Copperfield. No not that David Copperfield. This one is an aging Scot who does ventriloquism, sings, tells bad jokes and plays a mean guitar. Good entertainment all in all, so much so that Vic went back for the 10 o’clock show.Read more
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2019 Mediterranean cruise
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- Apr 30, 2019
- ☀️ 16 °C
- Altitude: Sea level
- Ionian Sea 38.074058, 16.8767538°4’27” N 16°52’36” E
Day 18
On the way to Corfu
April 30, 2019, Ionian Sea ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C
Our clocks went ahead again by one hour in preparation for our day in Corfu. Had a wonderful sleep and enjoyed a relaxing day at sea, with a tour of the galley , an invitation to the Mariners’ lunch and watching our ship sail past Stromboli, an island with an active volcano, through the Strait of Messina with the help of a local pilot. We watched the beautiful scenery until it was time to attend the EXC location guide Tom talk about Corfu, Kotor and Dubrovnik.

Our dinner reservation is now at 5:45 and so dressed for gala night and met for a glass of wine before dinner. Rack of lamb and chocolate souffle certainly hit the spot.

Captain’s welcome toast before the production show Dhroom.Read more
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2019 Mediterranean cruise
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- Apr 28, 2019
- ☁️ 17 °C
- Altitude: 26 m
- Italy Latium Rome Regola Orto Botanico 41.891155, 12.46812241°53’28” N 12°28’5” E
Day 16
Roma
April 28, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C
Today is Carolynne’s birthday so we’re glad you’re be able to celebrate with her in Rome. Up by 5:30 and at breakfast shortly after 6. Carolynne was the first one off the ship in honour of her special day. We four were the only ones plus Rod from Florida on the first shuttle bus so ended up sharing a taxi to the train station. Caught the 7:59 train and arrived in Rome around 9:22. Partly sunny and a high of 18 predicted.Read more
Traveler Happy Birthday Carolynne!
4/28/19Reply
Traveler Happy Birthday Carolynne!
4/28/19Reply
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2019 Mediterranean cruise
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- Apr 27, 2019
- ☀️ 20 °C
- Altitude: Sea level
- Tyrrhenian Sea 39.780737, 10.17709239°46’51” N 10°10’38” E
Day 15
On the Med and onward to Rome
April 27, 2019, Tyrrhenian Sea ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C
Had such a good sleep, napped yesterday afternoon and woke up at 6:15, just before Vic’s alarm went off. Once turned off, we slept again until 8:30. Had a lovely relaxing day, attended the Captain’s talk. We have had confidence in his abilities during the voyage. Though he is only 37 yrs old he is very competent and has piloted the Prinsendam through the Amazon.

After lunch we listened to the EXC presentation on Rome. Got some good tips.

Today is King’s Day in the Netherlands so people are wearing orange.

Discussed our plans for Rome and attended the show. A juggler and international entertainer.Read more
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2019 Mediterranean cruise
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- Apr 26, 2019
- ☀️ 19 °C
- Altitude: 12 m
- Spain Murcia Cartagena Plaza de los Héroes de Cavite 37.59852, -0.9856737°35’55” N 0°59’8” W
1
Day 14
Cartagena
April 26, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C
Had a very short visit to Cartagena today, all aboard was to have been 12:30. We walked through the streets of old town and enjoyed a pastry and cafe and wifi before returning to the ship on time.

Visited the City Hall where there were a couple of galleries we could visit for free.

As we were leaving the pier the captain reversed his direction to go back to pick up a member of the housekeeping staff who had not made it back in time. Apparently he works the night shift and so had not taken note of the all aboard time. He was delivered by a police car to the Pier.

Tonight was Gala night so it was nice to see people dressed up. We enjoyed steak and lobster tail for dinner with shrimp cocktail and a lovely dessert. Also a chocolate event at 9:30 tonight with Irish coffee in honour of King’s Day Eve.Read more
Traveler Nice!
4/28/19Reply
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2019 Mediterranean cruise
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- Apr 25, 2019
- ⛅ 17 °C
- Altitude: Sea level
- North Atlantic Ocean 35.849628, -7.39242535°50’59” N 7°23’33” W
Day 13
Last day on the Atlantic
April 25, 2019, North Atlantic Ocean ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
Today was our last day on the Atlantic Ocean. We will pass through the Strait is Gibraltar at approximately 11:30 pm tonight. Enjoyed our walk on the deck this morning in warm weather and attested the port talk about Malaga and Cartagena. Looking forward to Spain again. Tom who was our port expert the first time we crossed the Atlantic was brought out of retirement and gives lots of good tips for seeing the ports on your own.

Attended the cooking class this afternoon before we met Vic and Garry at the jewelry auction. Not many people bought at auction but three items were purchased, two at minimum bid. HAL is getting out of selling jewellery and will rent the space to a third party. I expect they will make more money that way.

The florist was changing his arrangements this afternoon and we stopped to chat with him. As a result he shared three anthurium each with us since they would go to compost anyway. we appreciate his generosity.

Dinner this evening was wonderful and the seas gave calmed as we look forward to entering the Mediterranean. Shades of Buble will sing this evening, their last concert on our ship as they are joining the Rotterdam in Malaga tomorrow.Read more
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2019 Mediterranean cruise
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- Apr 25, 2019, 6:06 PM
- ⛅ 17 °C
- Altitude: Sea level
- Alboran Sea 36.629303, -4.09816436°37’45” N 4°5’53” W
Day 13
Cellar Master's Dinner and onward to Car
April 25, 2019, Alboran Sea ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
What a great experience we had on the Caminito del Rey. So much so that we welcomed a nap before our 6 pm Cellar Master’s Dinner. This time it was held in the Canaletto, the Italian restaurant onboard. Five courses with appropriate wine pairings, the main course being a slice of tenderloin and a lobster tail with accompaniments. We caught the end of the nightly entertainment, a couple of opera singers who play guitars. Nicely done but not enough to stay up for the 10 o’clock show. We walked another 1.5 miles before hitting the sheets at 10 in order to help speed up digesting all that food. Hope it helped.Read more
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2019 Mediterranean cruise
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- Apr 25, 2019, 9:56 AM
- 🌧 16 °C
- Altitude: 62 m
- Spain Andalusia Cártama Arroyo de Torres 36.720453, -4.60892436°43’14” N 4°36’32” W
Day 13
Malaga and Caminito del Rey
April 25, 2019 in Spain ⋅ 🌧 16 °C
Woke up early as we arrived at Malaga at 6 am. I slept through watching the lights of Gibraltar as I had seen them before.

It seems the rain has stayed in Malaga as the farther west we travel, the lighter the skies become.

We had a perfect day for this walk. Partly cloudy and around 16C.

This Caminito was originally built for workers to build the hydro-electric system for Malaga.Read more
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2019 Mediterranean cruise
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- Apr 22, 2019
- ☀️ 15 °C
- Altitude: Sea level
- Portugal Azores Belém Ponta do Rosto de Cão 37.730733, -25.63975837°43’51” N 25°38’23” W
Day 10
Ponta Delgada and onward
April 22, 2019 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C
The day ended beautifully with encouraging conversation and back on board by 4:30.

As we were headed toward a high pressure weather system, our 37-year-old captain said he’d urge all five engines to try to get us around the bad weather by going south. Experienced 13 foot swells during the night but nothing terrible.

Because of the possibility of rocky seas, they showed the movie The Green Book morning n place of live entertainment. Excellent story based on actual events in the 1960s.

Clocks ahead again and slept til 9 as a result.

Attended the Collectors’ Voyage lunch with the traditional Indonesian menu of nasi goreng, pork skewer, tender chicken and Asian beef. Followed by the traditional rice pudding. One of the tastiest meals of the voyage.

Listened to the members of Shades of Buble talk about their careers and shopped in the jewelry shops. We never buy anything but it’s fun to look.

Entertainment tonight was a BBC film with live music accompaniment called Planet Earth II. Amazing photography and original music.Read more
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