TA HAL Nieuw Statendam | FindPenguins

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Début du voyage
26 octobre 2019
TA HAL Nieuw Statendam Two to Travel
Flying to Civitavecchia
26 octobre 2019, Turquie ⋅ ☀️ 55 °F
Time to leave Turkey behind for another year. By this afternoon we'll be in Italy.
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TA HAL Nieuw Statendam Two to Travel
In Civitavecchia, Italy
26 octobre 2019, Italie ⋅ ☀️ 73 °F
Uneventful travel day from İzmir to Civitavecchia via İstanbul. Checked into Sotto Coperta for our overnight stay.
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TA HAL Nieuw Statendam Two to Travel
Dining Al Fresco @ Locanda Magnifico
26 octobre 2019, Italie ⋅ 🌙 66 °F
Wrapping up our day with a yummy dinner at Locanda Magnifico in Civitavecchia, Italy. Despite the slight chill in the air, we opt for al fresco dining at a table on the street.
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TA HAL Nieuw Statendam Two to Travel
Stroll in Civitavecchia
27 octobre 2019, Italie ⋅ ☀️ 70 °F
After breakfast, we went for a stroll along the waterfront where we found a café to enjoy hot beverages on a crisp fall morning.
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TA HAL Nieuw Statendam Two to Travel
We're Aboard!
27 octobre 2019, Italie ⋅ ☀️ 72 °F
We're aboard Nieuw Statendam ... our home away from home for the next two weeks as we travel from the Old World to the New World.
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TA HAL Nieuw Statendam Two to Travel
R&R At Sea
28 octobre 2019, Western Mediterranean ⋅ ⛅ 68 °F
A delightful day at sea as the ship makes its way to our first port of call. A mix of R&R and activities, including a concert at the Lincoln Center Stage.
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TA HAL Nieuw Statendam Two to Travel
Cartagena, Spain
29 octobre 2019, Espagne ⋅ ☀️ 70 °F
Our first port of call ... Cartagena Spain. Since Mui and I had called on Cartagena once before, we acted as tour guides for mom and Aylin ... visiting some old haunts and exploring some that were new to us. While we enjoyed showing mom and Aylin around, we'll look for activities outside the city should we find ourselves calling on Cartagena again on a future cruise.En savoir plus
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TA HAL Nieuw Statendam Two to Travel
Málaga, Spain
30 octobre 2019, Espagne ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F
In short, we all loved our second port of call in Spain ... a first-time visit for us all. We paid for the roundtrip shuttle operated by the port authority to save our "steps" for exploring Málaga itself. In addition to strolling along the charming streets, we visited the cathedral, went to the Picasso Museum, checked out the Mercado Central ... near which we had a simple but delightful tapas lunch at El Marisquero. A bit of shopping and afternoon tea at a local pastry shop rounded out our day.En savoir plus
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TA HAL Nieuw Statendam Two to Travel
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Wine Time on the Veranda
30 octobre 2019, Alboran Sea ⋅ ⛅ 66 °F
After exploring Málaga, we returned to the ship. Taking advantage of the warm-ish temps, we had happy hour on the veranda and enjoyed a beautiful sunset after Nieuw Statendam set sail for our next port of call.En savoir plus
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Voyageur Gorgeous color!
22/12/2019Répondre
Voyageur Perfect sailaway
22/12/2019Répondre
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TA HAL Nieuw Statendam Two to Travel
Passing "The Rock"
30 octobre 2019, Strait of Gibraltar ⋅ ⛅ 66 °F
Before midnight we passed through the Strait of Gibraltar ... from the Med into the Atlantic. (We were too far for nighttime photographs, but to commemorate the occasion, I'm including a photo I took in 2015 when our ship had to approach Gibraltar for a medivac.)En savoir plus
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TA HAL Nieuw Statendam Two to Travel
Cádiz, Spain
31 octobre 2019, Espagne ⋅ ☁️ 68 °F
Our final port of call on mainland Europe was another one that we'd not been to before. With our ship docked close to the city, we headed off on foot after getting some proper sustenance at the Lido Marketplace.

After checking out the Monument to the Constitution of 1812 — in Plaza España — we cut through town to reach the waterfront promenade for a scenic stroll that took us through Alameda Garden to our destination — Parque Genoves ... the city's largest greenspace. Very charming with topiary trees ... our only disappointment being that the waterfall had been turned off.

The next stop was Playa de la Caleta further along on the waterfront promenade. On a sunny and warm day, Mui likely would have gone for a dip ... not today, though. Cutting through the residential neighborhoods, we eventually found ourselves at the public market where we wandered around for a bit before continuing on to Cathedral Square.

Then, off we went to get a bite to eat at Taberna la Sopresa, a tapateria hidden from the crowds on a side street. The proprietor did not speak a word of English, but we managed just fine in this eatery frequented primarily by the locals.

We wrapped up our day in Cádiz with a stroll back to the ship ... stopping to check out the Roman ruins on our way to the Town Hall Square where we sat down at a sidewalk café to enjoy dessert and tea.

My only regret ... we didn't get to a high point for the iconic view of the city's narrow streets designed so as to provide maximum shade from the buildings that line them ... a must in this city where the summer sun makes for unbearably hot days. All the more reason to visit again someday.En savoir plus
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VoyageurNice to see you writing again about your adventures. Definitely different than the blog, but as you said, probably a lot easier to keep up, and maybe easier for readers to keep up as well? No more embedded photos to slow down the reading as it always did for me. LOL I'll keep reading.
20/12/2019Répondre
Two to TravelThanks for being my first follower.
20/12/2019Répondre
VoyageurDoesn't seem to have a way to reply directly to comments.
20/12/2019Répondre
Two to TravelNope ... just a thread of comments with notifications. Still, considering how few comments I get, that's OK for me.
20/12/2019Répondre
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TA HAL Nieuw Statendam Two to Travel
Day At Sea ... En Route to the Azores
1 novembre 2019, North Atlantic Ocean ⋅ ☁️ 68 °F
Quiet day at sea as we make our way from Spain to the Azores. Thanks to a high-pressure system centered along our latitude, a calm day ... if overcast. A stroll on the promenade deck, R&R on our verandas ... followed by tea time on our veranda.

Our evening was a busy one, starting with two performances by the ship's quintet at the Lincoln Center Stage ... A Night at the Ballet was the theme for one of the shows ... La Musica Latina was the theme for the second show. The highlight after dinner was the performance by Juan Pablo Subirana, a virtuoso pianist who hails from Cuba but makes his home in the US. He was really, really good.En savoir plus
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VoyageurDefinitely looks like the perfect sea day!
20/12/2019Répondre
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TA HAL Nieuw Statendam Two to Travel
Day 2 At Sea ... En Route to the Azores
2 novembre 2019, North Atlantic Ocean ⋅ ⛅ 68 °F
A rinse and repeat sort of day. Meaning that we didn't do much that was different from yesterday. We checked out the New York Pizza and Deli for bagels at breakfast. Then we snagged one of the oversized sofas on the deck overlooking the pool to do a bit of knitting and reading. Lunch was in the dining room — a change of pace from the Lido Marketplace. Afternoon R&R on the veranda ... bundled in the fleece blankets HAL places in each cabin ... a nice convenience. The show tonight was another fun one ... Jo Little, a comedienne/vocalist.En savoir plus
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VoyageurI clicked on the "entire trip" and up came the map with the posts. Lovely touch! Time to explore more.
20/12/2019Répondre
Two to TravelSadly, No reply directly to comments. The map picks up the posts automatically as long as you set the footprint to be included...don’t recall exact description of the setting atmo.
20/12/2019Répondre
VoyageurWell, it is certainly fun to play with. I hope I don't make it one more thing that makes me feel that I am behind on my homework. It surely is fast though, and that is a real plus. More little details will emerge for both of us I am sure.
20/12/2019Répondre
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TA HAL Nieuw Statendam Two to Travel
São Miguel, Azores
3 novembre 2019, Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 66 °F
I don't know what it is about distant lands that make me want to visit them. Forget Paris or London. Give me the polar regions, or islands in the middle of nowhere ... like the Azores.

Today we made our wish to visit these islands in the North Atlantic a reality. Not a real visit mind you ... more like a peek at what the Azores have to offer. And after spending the day exploring a bit of the east end of São Miguel, we definitely would like to return for an extended visit ... perhaps in conjunction with a land vacation in Portugal. But that's for the future. Let's get on with today.

Of the two popular tours offered out of Ponta Delgada where our ship docked, I had booked the one to Furnas with a company called Funtastic Azores. We were not disappointed. Our driver/guide was awaiting us when we came down the gangway and we quickly set off on our flexible itinerary, driving through amazing scenery on our way to places with names like Caloura and Franco de Campo.

On the outskirts of Furnas, we stopped to check out an active geothermal site with smoking fumaroles and boiling mud pots ... Yellowstone in miniature. While here, we caught a glimpse of a couple of men placing a pot in one of the underground ovens used to cook the stew for which the area is famous.

Then into Furnas proper we went to check out another geothermal field, taste some of the spring water. We eventually ended up at a restaurant where we got a chance to eat some of the special stew ... the veggies cooked to perfection ... the meat falling-off-the-bone tender.

We were supposed to tour a tea plantation on the way back to Ponta Delgada. Alas, the chosen plantation was closed on Sundays. The one that we ended up stopping at was not worth the time as there were no guided tours, so after a quick glimpse and an even quicker sip of tea we continued on our way. To make up for this disappointment, our guide gave us a quick drive-through look at Ponta Delgada before returning us to the ship.

Arriving back in our cabins around 3:30p, we had time to relax before the 5:00p sail away from our last port of call of this Transatlantic cruise. Next stop — Ft Lauderdale.En savoir plus
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VoyageurNice to have an Instant view of the map to see exactly where the Azores are located.
21/12/2019Répondre
Two to TravelI thought it was further south before we went. But considering it’s Portugal, I guess it makes sense. Tested writing more like a blog with more words this time.
21/12/2019Répondre
VoyageurWorked out well. I liked it with the detail.
21/12/2019Répondre
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TA HAL Nieuw Statendam Two to Travel
Six Days Crossing the Atlantic
8 novembre 2019, North Atlantic Ocean ⋅ ⛅ 75 °F
Once we left the Azores on the 3rd, we settled into a routine for our days at sea. I lost count of how many hours we gained ... three or four, I think. It was interesting to note that on those days when we set the clocks back an hour, the Captain made a point of saying "the weather for the next 25 hours." 🙃

We began our days at a comfy poolside sitting area that I snagged each morning. When we were all gathered together, we'd get breakfast from the Lido and enjoy it poolside. Then we read or worked on crafts ... such as knitting. I finished the scarf I began before we left Turkey. The only problem now ... it is asymmetrical so I have to figure out how to wear it 😉

The afternoons found us on our verandas ... similarly occupied ... except on the last day of the crossing when waves in the 5m (~15 foot) range had the ship dancing on the high seas and the strong winds made it impossible to open the door to the veranda. Luckily none of us were adversely impacted by the stormy seas. Except for that one bad storm, the weather and the Atlantic cooperated for a smooth crossing.

Lunch usually found us at the Lido Marketplace. Tea time sometimes in the dining room; sometimes on our veranda. Happy hour on the veranda when the weather permitted. Dinner in the main dining room ... except for the one night when we took advantage of a 25% off offer to dine at Tamarind ... one of the specialty dining venues ... excellent meal.

As for the entertainment ... there was plenty each evening for us to pick and choose from ... though we stayed away from B.B. King's Blues Club and the Rolling Stone Rock Room as we found the music too loud. Having seen all the shows at the Lincoln Center Stage, we switched to the Billboard Onboard venue for our pre-dinner music fix ... enjoyed the dueling pianists performing there. On the main stage were some terrific shows — though I will admit that I didn't much care for Martin Brock (comedian/illusionist). We loved Ida, a quartet of British ladies singing pop opera; Jo Little was fantastic the second time around as was Juan Pablo's encore appearance.

And thus our six-day crossing is now mostly behind us. Our bags are packed and sitting outside the cabin door awaiting pick up. Though we had to take a roundabout way to circle around the worst of the storm to get to Ft Lauderdale, we're on track for disembarking the vessel tomorrow.En savoir plus
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TA HAL Nieuw Statendam Two to Travel
Disembarking Nieuw Statendam
10 novembre 2019, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F
Our ship arrived at its berth at Port Everglades in Ft Lauderdale, Florida bright and early. Our starboard cabin faced the open sea ... meaning we continued to have peace and quiet while on the other side of the ship I'm sure there was the hubbub of disembarkation activity.

Since our flight wasn't until later in the day, we had a leisurely breakfast in the main dining room, whiled away some time in our cabin (it's nice that HAL allows passengers to do so), then went up to Lido Marketplace for a cup of tea, which we are currently enjoying on the aft deck.

Our luggage tag has just now been called ... so I'll put a period here to wrap up our crossing. Welcome to the USA.En savoir plus
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TA HAL Nieuw Statendam Two to Travel
At FLL for DL2026
10 novembre 2019, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F
I'm afraid the terminal that Delta operates out of at FLL is quite miserable. Ongoing construction just makes it worse. We picked up a bite to eat and are now at our gate, awaiting the call to board our flight to ATL ... the first of two flights that will get us home later today.En savoir plus
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TA HAL Nieuw Statendam Two to Travel
DL2026 ... Arrived at ATL
10 novembre 2019, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 63 °F
An uneventful flight brought us from FLL to ATL. We had enough time to grab lunch at Phillips Seafood. Now we are at Gate C34 awaiting the second flight that will take us the rest of the way home.
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TA HAL Nieuw Statendam Two to Travel
We're Home!
10 novembre 2019, États Unis ⋅ ⛅ 37 °F
DL2336 landed at COS on time. A short wait for our bags and then a van taxi whisked us home. Thus our 2019 overseas travels are now in the completed column.
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Fin du voyage
10 novembre 2019