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Approaching the east coast of Scotland

As I read over the comments on my previous posts, I can see that some might think that this trip was a disappointing one.  As I said to Nickie, I am sorry it sounded as if I was disappointed with our cruise.  It might seem that way because when writing about our memories and our experiences I do attempt to cover all of it, the good, the great, and some of the not-so-good.  We don’t in the least regret our choice to experience this cruise on a beautiful ship to beautiful locations.  

There were momentary disappointments, sure, but in retrospect, as I write, I am so grateful that we did the trip.  I am grateful for Oceania, and even for the tours.  As Mo said this morning, “For the time we had, the places we wanted to see, the area to cover in just a short time in port, I think the tours did a very good job.”

Approaching Edinburgh along the eastern coast of Scotland

There are only so many ways to experience the outer islands of Scotland, the Hebrides, the Orkneys, and the Shetlands.  Fly there directly, fly there from Scotland, or take a ferry from the mainland to each of the islands.  Any of those choices would require a lot more time and money than we chose to spend.  Our beautiful cruise on a beautiful ship allowed us to see parts of the country we might not have seen on a land tour.

So, as I continue to write about this trip, if I sound a bit negative about some things here and there, please understand that in the end, overall, it really was a great trip.  It just takes a bit of time to return home, rest up, review the photos, and begin to integrate the experience into our life.

The Queensferry Crossing bridge on the Firth of Forth

On this day, as we cruised along the coast of Scotland and up the Firth of Forth, with the Queensferry Crossing bridge in the distance beyond Edinburgh, I was excited.  I learned that a “firth” is basically an estuary, but in this case, the Firth of Fourth is geologically a fjord, formed in the last glacial period between 11,000 and 100,000 years ago.

This was the heart of Scotland and a city I had wanted to see since forever.  Before we left home, I didn’t book a tour for visiting Edinburgh, thinking that we could find public transportation easily and visit the city on our own.  Early in the cruise, however, we realized that the possibility of visiting a port on a short day was limited by tender service and the distance to the city center from the pier.

On day three of our cruise, I went to the Destination Services desk to inquire if there was any chance of a tour to purchase for our day in Edinburgh.  We got lucky, and for a reasonable price were able to get two tickets for “The Royal Mile Walking Tour”.  This tour didn’t include a visit to the castle in Edinburgh, but we loved the idea that we would get transportation from the port to the downtown area with some interesting tidbits about the city as we walked.

We enjoyed a nice morning on the ship, with breakfast on the terrace of the Terrace Cafe, one of the first mornings when the weather was actually nice enough to dine outside. Above is a photo of one of the waitstaff that cared for us often, and sadly I have forgotten his name, but never his smile.  He was from Indonesia, as were many of the employees on the ship.  It seemed that the happiest people were the folks who told us they were from Bali.  Such smiles!

We had some time to play with our puzzle, enjoy the views as we approached the city, have a light lunch, and read a bit as we waited for our afternoon departure for the city.

When visiting Edinburgh, a walk on the Royal Mile leading up the hill toward Edinburgh Castle is a must-do. The Royal Mile is a group of streets that form the main thoroughfare of the Old Town of the city.  It is the traditional processional route of monarchs, between Edinburgh Castle, occupied by humans since the Iron Age, to Holyrood House, the official residence of King Charles III when he is in Scotland at the beginning of summer. 

The ride from the pier to the city was about 20 minutes through interesting complex neighborhoods, and once we reached the downtown area we were especially happy that we hadn’t attempted this part of Edinburgh on our own.

There were so many huge buses and so many people trying to get off the buses that it was nearly impossible to keep track of our tour guide.  We nearly got lost in the crowds, and with the craziness, I was very grateful I had my little red walker as a sort of buffer between all the people.

Our guide was quite short and used a small umbrella as her marker for us to follow.  The problem was that she didn’t hold it high enough above her head and it was difficult to find her in the crowds, much less hear her commentary. After a bit of squeezing through the thousands of people trying to do what we were trying to do, she led us up some stairs to show us a view of Edinburgh Castle.  It was a bit of a bust however because Rod Stewart was setting up for a big show that night and we couldn’t see anything.  The castle was actually closed for the day because the new King Charles III was visiting Scotland, so I was glad we hadn’t booked a castle tour.

After that bit of wasted time walking through the crowds toward the castle, our tiny tour guide took us back down the main road and then suddenly slipped into a hidden quiet courtyard.  It was so different from the crazy bustle of the Royal Mile that it was almost disorienting.  

Here she explained to us about living in the “tenements”, actually very nice apartments with private and quiet courtyards on the side streets of downtown Edinburgh.  I noticed the plumbing attached to the outside walls of the buildings, which I found a bit fascinating.  I guess with thick stone walls there isn’t much room for plumbing, or wiring for that matter.  I wondered about the wiring.

She led us through more side streets to Makar’s Court, with another ancient stone building that housed the Edinburgh Writer’s Museum, which we didn’t have time to visit.

The juxtaposition of these ancient stone and cement buildings stacked with what appeared to be modern apartments with more outside plumbing was endlessly fascinating to me.

I do have to share a photo of my dazed expression that I took, trying to get a selfie amid the Royal Mile Crowds.

What struck me most about Edinburgh, and Scotland in general is how old it is and how massive the architecture is.  I felt like I was wandering through the dark castles of Game of Thrones, with such huge stones blackened with age everywhere I turned.

St Giles Cathedral

St Giles crown steeple is one of Edinburgh’s most famous and distinctive landmarks.  The steeple has been dated between 1460 and 1467, and it has been said that Edinburgh would not be Edinburgh without it.

A visit to the interior of the St Giles Cathedral wasn’t included in our tour, but our guide provided a great deal of information about the cathedral, the famous tower, and surrounding landmarks in the square.  Sadly, due to the crowds and her lack of voice projection, we couldn’t hear much of what she was saying.

I had hoped for a bit of shopping for some Harris Tweed or tartan woolens for gifts, but our tour kept moving with no time for meandering or entering any of the dozens of shopping venues.  The finer shops were at the upper end of the Mile, close to Edinburgh Castle, with the more touristy (read inexpensive) shops down the hill toward our final stop at the Holyrood Castle.

At the end of our tour, we were given 20 minutes of free time to shop, find a pub, drink a beer, and get back to the courtyard.  It was daunting to make a decision as to what to do, but finding an open pub in the crowded city was a priority, and with a couple of new ship acquaintances, we finally found a space open with an available table.  I looked longingly at the shops but knew that there wasn’t time for both and I was tired from all the walking and noise and really looked forward to relaxing, if only for a few moments.

After meeting our guide again in the courtyard of the cathedral, we walked to the Holyrood House, where King Charles was currently in residence.  We could only take photos through the heavy wrought iron gates and no tours are available when the King is at home.

Scotland is steeped in legend and history, and no place more so than Edinburgh.  I would love to stay at an Airbnb just on the edge of town and walk everywhere for days and days, reading about the history and experiencing the city in ways that are only possible on a more extended land tour.  Still, I was thrilled to spend even a few hours immersed in all the dark stone surrounded by gargoyles and colorful family crests.  Below is the crest for the joining of the royal houses of Scotland represented by the unicorn, and the royal house of England, represented by the lion.

Listening to our guide recounting so much of the complex history and relationship between Scotland and England was fascinating as well, even though we couldn’t hear all that she said.  I am a fan of Outlander and understood a bit more of that complex history after visiting Edinburgh, but still, so much to learn and understand.  My Kindle list of books to purchase now includes several volumes of Scottish history, both real and fictional.

Back on the ship, just in time for the sail-away, we changed our clothes for another dinner at a specialty restaurant.  This evening our restaurant would be Jacques, the fine French restaurant, on the 5th deck.   I was delighted that there were windows and our waiter offered to open the curtains for us so we could watch the sail-away.

Dinner was truly superb, and when I couldn’t decide between the Coquille St Jacques, so classicly French, or the Maine lobster baked in the shell with a mushroom cream sauce, the waiter said, no problem, I will bring both to you. 

The scallops won hands down, with a divinely silky sauce that I wanted to eat like soup. 

Mo enjoyed a beautiful herb-roasted chicken that was done in the Julia Child French style, and it was perfect.  

The wine we chose for our meal was a surprise to the waiter, who recommended all sorts of French wines, but when we chose a great pinot noir from our own Willamette Valley, he gave us a great big smile. A good price point and a truly delicious wine that went perfectly with our dining choices.

The cheese cart for dessert was delightful as well, and I have no idea what this hard French cheese was that our waiter cut with a spinning knife, but I loved it with the wine we still had left from the meal.  In fact, we only drank half the bottle and once again had the rest of the bottle sent to our room for the next day.

I really can’t say which of our two favorite restaurants, Jacques or Toscana, I enjoyed most, with the food at each one being simply superb.  I watched the coast of Scotland slipping away on the western horizon as we finished our dinner and sailed toward Newcastle, England.

After our long day visiting Edinburgh and our delectably slow delicious dinner, neither of us felt like doing anything but returning to our stateroom for the rest of the evening.  There is entertainment on board for the taking after the dinner hour, but Mo and I weren’t inclined to stay out late partying and dancing.  I guess that just isn’t our style.

This was the view from our stateroom early on this morning approaching the mythical Orkney Islands and the town of Kirkwall. As you can see, the seas were smooth as glass, and the skies promised some sunshine in between possible bouts of rain.

I say mythical because the ancient cultures of the Orkney Islands have fascinated me for a very long time.  When we booked the original cruise for 2020, the visit to Kirkwall and the Orkney Islands was high on my list of reasons why I wanted to do this cruise.  Our current cruise altered many of the ports that we visited, but Orkney and the town of Kirkwall were still on the list of places we would see.  I was thrilled.  

Riviera anchored in Kirkwall Bay with a German cruise ship docked closer to town

Originally, our friends Erin and Mui were to be with us on this cruise.  Erin often arranges private tours for the ports she visits, and we would have enjoyed her private tour with a woman Erin arranged for that year.  When the cruise was moved to 2021, and Erin wouldn’t be aboard, I arranged a private tour with the same person.  I am sure it would have been wonderful.  

By 2023, when we finally sailed with Oceania, I was mentally exhausted and decided to simply book one of the three ships tours that were complimentary for us with our O-Life package.  After all the changes to planning and sailing dates and ports, I chose to skip the extra stress of planning a private tour.

Our photo from the bus window as we passed the archeological site of Skara Brae.

We picked one called “North Orkney Exploration”, touring the Neolithic Heartland of Orkney, a World Heritage Site.  What I realized later was that we would not be visiting one of the most interesting ancient sites on Orkney, the Skara Brae Prehistoric Village, occupied from roughly 3180 BC to about 2500 BC and Europe’s most complete Neolithic village.  Although I was a bit disappointed that we wouldn’t be visiting Skara Brae, our chosen tour passed by the site, crowded with visitors, and a bit smaller in reality than I had imagined.  I can read about the village, the history that has been uncovered carefully, and the story of the restoration, all at length on the internet.  I was less disappointed as we passed by the site, happy with the parts of Orkney that we did get to see on our tour.

Once again we were anchored off Kirkwall Bay, with tender service to the pier just a short walking distance to the lovely town of Kirkwall.  The city is first mentioned in the Orkneyinga saga in 1046 when it is recorded as the residence of Rognvald Brusason, the Earl of Orkney.  Kirkwall dates back to Norse times when it was called Kirkjuvagr (Church of the Bay).  At that time, the sea lapped at the steps of the great cathedral which we explored on our visit, but now much of that land has been reclaimed and the sea is a bit away from the town.

We enjoyed our morning on the ship before departing at 10 when the tenders first began taking passengers to shore.  We wanted as much time as possible to explore the city before meeting our tour bus at noon on the pier.  

Kirkwall was a huge surprise.  After visiting the previous towns on our cruise, where shopping was limited, I was enthralled with the charming streets of Kirkwall, lined with amazing shops, wonderful shop windows filled with Harris Tweed, original art, beautiful handmade crafts, and flowers.  

I was meandering about, and Mo waited outside with my walker as I slipped into a small shop filled with beautiful jewelry, sculptures, paintings, and painted silks.  I chose a scarf, made of thin airy muslin, painted by one of the artists in concert with a jewelry maker. They made the two items to be worn together, but the jewelry was something I didn’t want or need.  I am a scarf wearer, and this lovely thing is painted with the soft sea and land colors of Orkney, and I will treasure it as my favorite keepsake of the trip.

Once back outside, Mo was a bit impatient with me.  She isn’t much of a shopper, but her main concern was that we needed to find the magnificent St Magnus Cathedral.  The skyline of the city is dominated by the great cathedral, and it didn’t take long for us to find it.  

Stepping into the great sandstone cathedral was a breathless moment for both of us.  The huge red sandstone pillars are massive, dominating the view toward the center of the nave.  The warmly colored red sandstone was quarried near Kirkwall, with yellow sandstone from Eday adding more warmth.

St Magnus Cathedral was founded in 1137 by Earl Rognvald, nephew of St Magnus, who was the Earl of Orkney in the early 1100s. When it was first built, the cathedral was part of the Archdiocese of Nidaros (Trondheim) in Norway. Orkney became part of Scotland in 1468, and a few years later, the cathedral was given to the people of Kirkwall by the Scots king, James III.  

A memorial to Dr, John Rae, an employee of the Hudson Bay Co and explorer of the Canadian Arctic

After the Scottish Reformation in 1560, the cathedral was used for Protestant worship.  Today, the cathedral belongs to the people of Orkney and is looked after by Orkney Islands Council.  It has a Church of Scotland congregation, and by arrangement can be used by any Christian denomination.

Several restorations took place, in the 1850s, and again from 1913 to 1930.  The present floors, the woodwork, stained glass windows, and the spire were installed at that time. 

The cathedral structure is constantly monitored to safeguard this magnificent example of medieval architecture that remains in Great Britain.

I wished for more time to explore the stones in the church cemetery, but we just had time to get back to the pier for our excursion departure.

Once on the bus and out in the countryside, it began to rain.  Our destination was a visit to the Standing Stones of Stennes, a 5,000-year-old circle of stones.  People throughout the world are familiar with Stonehenge, the standing stones in England, but there are many standing stone sites throughout the British Isles, including the two sites we would see today on Orkney Island.

By the time we reached the shores of the Loch of Stenness, the rain lessened.  

Our first view of the stones was impressive, even from the parking lot and surrounded by tourists. First cut from Orkney flagstone and erected before the Egyptians began constructing the pyramids, Orkney’s stone sentinels have withstood rain, sun, and wind for millennia.  Visiting these stone circles was as high on my list of must-sees as Skara Brae.  

Only four of the original stones remain, with the tallest about 19 feet high,  The stones were originally laid out in an ellipse.  Although it was thought that the monument was once made up of 12 megaliths, excavations in the 1970s suggest that the ring was never completed, with at least one or possibly two of the 12 stones never erected.  Radiocarbon dates from the excavation show that the site dates from at least 3100 BC, making the Standing Stones complex one of the earliest stone circles in Britain.  

The stones are behind a gate designed to let people in and keep the sheep from getting out.  The guide made sure to warn us that sheep do leave poop around and that we should watch our step.

We made our way back to the bus, sad that we only had 20 minutes or so to actually visit the stones, or to sit quietly and contemplate the possibilities of the culture that created these circles.  The bus did make a slight detour from the main road to drive us past the Ring of Brodgar, just about a mile west of the Stones of Stenness.

Because the interior of the Ring of Brodgar has never been fully excavated, or scientifically dated, the monument’s actual age is uncertain.  However, it is generally assumed to have been erected between 2500 BC and 2000 BC and was the last of the great stone circles to have been built on the Island. It was thought that there were originally more than 60 stones in this circle, however today, only 27 stones remain.  Of course, we saw this one from the bus window.  So much to see and so little time on a bus for more than 4 hours on North Orkney Island.

Our bus continued on our circular route around the island with wide open views of the countryside.  The Orkneys seemed to be a bit less rocky than the Hebrides Islands that we visited yesterday, but were still just as open, without trees in the way of the expansive views.

We reached the lakeside town of Stromness with time for a short visit.  The guide showed us the line for ice cream and a crowded tiny establishment, and we declined.  She said, “You have fifteen minutes, that is where you get your ice cream”.  Um.  Nope.  We also needed bathrooms and they were about a block away.  

Stairs in Stromness…nope

Mo and I found another small shop that did have ice cream and managed to get a cone for each of us before we returned to the bus.  The little town of Stromness looked charming and historic, and we would have loved to explore it a bit more.

Back on the bus, we traveled north toward what turned out to be a beautiful stop at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean.  The walk at low tide to the lighthouse would have been doable if we had more time.  Still, it was a beautiful place to walk around and rest a bit and listen to the ocean.

I am not sure why these tours seem so rushed.  The buses travel from place to place with very little time to actually explore or enjoy each site.  Is it important enough to show everything possible in an afternoon rather than exploring fewer sites with more time at each one?  

Ripples marking the meeting of the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea, another bus window photo

I don’t understand how these tours are created or who is actually responsible for choosing the tours that are available.  But after experiencing three of Oceania’s available ship tours I very much understand why Erin spends so much time planning private tours whenever possible.  I think I learned a lesson here, but I also don’t expect to be traveling on a cruise ship again any time soon.  When and if we do, I will be more diligent about researching private tours.

We returned to the port of Kirkwall just in time for the very last tender, which was too full for the rest of our group.  Instead, we were loaded onto a ferry that carried many more people than the tenders could carry.  It was a fun trip back to the ship, if a bit slower.

We were just barely back in our staterooms when Riviera set sail and we traveled into the Atlantic Ocean, leaving the Orkney Islands in the rear view mirror of memories.  

I felt a bit sad.  It had passed so very quickly, these two days on the outer islands of Scotland, and I was hungry for more.  Tomorrow we would visit Edinburgh, on the mainland of Scotland, so I had one more day to get a feeling for the country that bred my ancestors.

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Beautiful Bantry Bay with scallop traps floating on the water

It took some time and a bit of research before we figured out what all these black floating things were.  That research led us down a rabbit hole of information about scallop and mussel farming in this part of Ireland and the effects on the salmon industry.  Many of the articles were from the early 2000’s so I assume the environmentalists backed down and the beneficial economics of a good industry for this part of Ireland won. 

If you look at the map of our cruise route around the southern edge of the Republic of Ireland, you will see that even though Cobh and Bantry might be more than 100 sea miles apart, they are quite close together on land.  This might explain why the shore excursions for Bantry were very limited and didn’t entice me to purchase one when we planned our outings for this cruise.  Much of what was offered was similar to excursions offered the previous day from Cobh.  In addition, departures were very early for a few hours touring the countryside in a bus with few stops.  

Bantry looked quite beautiful in the early morning light as we cruised in the picturesque Bantry Bay.  The winds were blowing and the seas were still quite rough.  In fact, the previous night I took my first meclizine tablet to be certain that I didn’t get seasick.  I had a prescription for the scopolamine patch, but really wanted to avoid them if possible.  It turns out that I never needed the patch during the entire cruise for which I was grateful.

As we watched the tenders rocking and rolling on their way to the port, we were very happy that we hadn’t signed up for anything.  Our plan was to take our time, and perhaps ride a tender into town later in the day to explore a bit.  Reading up on the sights to be seen in Bantry, we weren’t very impressed with the possibilities available to us on foot. Later that evening we learned that the tenders had a very difficult time getting back to the ship that afternoon, with some trips taking more than 90 minutes while they tried to line up with the ship for the passengers to return.  The ship was a couple of hours late departing the port that evening as well. 

The bay is deep and large, with one of the longest inlets in southwest Ireland.  There are several islands in the bay where there are small villages and a castle.  There was no way to see these islands without more time than we had to spend.  Whiddy Island is at the head of the bay and is the main petroleum terminus for Ireland, with the harbor suited for large oceangoing tankers.  The historic Bantry House and gardens are high on a hill overlooking the town.  There is a rope walk that leads along the shoreline for a few miles that would have offered dramatic views, but I wasn’t sure I could manage that kind of hike. The town has a lively Friday market, pubs, restaurants, and some shopping.  However, it was Sunday, and we were warned that most establishments might be closed.  The Currents newsletter offered daily on the ship touted the lively nightlife and music in Bantry that echoes through the summer night.  Not an option for us, since we were sailing at 5pm.

Even with the strong winds, it was a perfect day to stay on the ship with time to explore more of the nooks and crannies tucked away on the different decks.  After breakfast, we tackled one of my favorite things to do on a ship, get to the very topmost deck for the views.

This time around, we stopped to play 9 holes of miniature golf.  The game involved much laughter because the combination of the rocking ship and the high winds made predicting where the balls might go impossible.   The winds even blew the balls several feet away from their intended course.

We saw the cute little pickleball court but weren’t the least bit inclined to play after our bout with the winds for our golf game.

By lunchtime, we had enough of the wind and rolling seas and decided to explore the several lovely spaces available to us.  We were especially impressed with the library.

Just two of the six well-appointed rooms of the ship library

The game room was enticing as well, with comfy chairs and four square top tables for games.  There were all sorts of games in the cupboards.  We actually found several Dowdle puzzles, one of our favorite brands, and before the cruise was over managed to complete a 500-piece puzzle of the Bahamas.  It was a relief to discover the puzzle as we had left it when we returned the next day to finish it.

On another afternoon we played cards in the room of the library in the photo above when we found all four tables of the game room in use.  It might be a good idea to convert one of the library rooms to a game room in my opinion.

We explored the Horizons Lounge, where afternoon tea at 4 is an elegant affair, with scones and little sandwiches.  Sadly, we never made it to afternoon tea on this short cruise, with too many choices taking our time.

Mo and I are not night people, preferring the early mornings, so we never made it to the nightlife affairs of music and dancing that are held after 11 PM in this lovely lounge.

Instead of going to “tea” on this day aboard the ship as we originally planned, Mo and I napped a bit and prepared for an exciting evening of dining and another great production show.

One of my favorite photos of Mo from our cruise

Our reservation for Toscana, the Tuscan-style restaurant on the 14th floor, was for 6:30.  I planned that hour specifically for dinner so that we would have plenty of time to eat before the 9:30 production show. 

Dinner was every bit as wonderful as I expected, without the tiniest imperfection in the food or the service.  Mo had a Tuscan-style filet and I enjoyed a treat that I only eat once every decade or so, Osso Bucco.  Don’t remind me that I am eating a baby cow.  Please.  It was perfect, as was Mo’s steak.  

We loved the fancy Italian-style breads but the favorite of the evening was the rolling cart loaded with some of the finest olive oils and aged balsamic vinegars that Italy has to offer.  I found one that was very similar to the treasured bottle I brought home from Italy in 2018 and have yet to replace.  Drizzled in the olive oil for bread dipping, and over my delicious roasted veggie salad was a bit of heaven.  

Oh, I mustn’t forget my second course of pasta carbonara, possibly the best thing I ate on the entire cruise.  A truly epic dinner at a lovely table with a view of the Atlantic Ocean as Riviera departed the Bay of Bantry.

Our sea day aboard the ship ended perfectly.  We were well rested and ready for the next three days of the cruise, with an excursion booked for each of those days.

Since I took this photo in 2015, the port at Cobh has been dredged to make room for bigger ships

When Mo and I visited Ireland in 2015, we spent some time in Cobh as part of our land tour from our hotel in Killarney.  Reading about the tours offered by Oceania for our short time in Cobh, I realized we had done most of what was offered on our last visit.  I had already kissed the Blarney Stone, we had ridden in a horse-drawn carriage in Killarney National Park, and seen much of the countryside of County Cork. You might enjoy reminiscing with me about what we saw in Cobh on that trip by clicking on the link to the blog for that day here. 

Sue and Mo in 2023 in Cobh, Ireland

In addition to me trying to lean backward toward the Blarney Stone, you will see photos of us 8 years ago standing next to the same statue of Annie Moore that Mo and I posed with today.  Annie Moore, at 15 years old, was the first immigrant to be processed at the newly opened Ellis Island in New York in 1982.  

What I realized as I looked at our photos from 2015 and read my blog is that back then we were longing to have more time in the little town of Cobh to explore.  Tada!  We needed no formal tour on this day.  We planned to enjoy our time walking the town and hopefully finding the legendary Irish potato “chips”, and a Guinness.

This morning we disembarked easily at the dock where we anchored right at the edge of the colorful, and charming town.  We had no need to visit the wonderful Cobh Heritage Center because we did that the last time.  Instead, we decided to walk the streets of the town and enjoy the shops and eventually reach the cathedral at a high point above the town.

Cobh is incredibly colorful and picturesque.  On this day, it was also very busy with tourists from the cruise ship and I was grateful our ship only carried 1200 passengers and not 5000.  With a population of just 12,800 people, I can imagine that the influx of tourists from a big ship might be overwhelming.

What I didn’t know as we walked the charming streets along the river Lee, is that this would be our only chance to “shop” for the rest of the cruise.  While shopping isn’t high on my list of priorities, I did hope to find a few keepsakes and possibly some small gifts for friends and daughters.  We stopped at a little place with a slightly grumpy proprietor who cheered up considerably when I actually bought something.  Three pretty Irish dishtowels hardly qualified as a big purchase, but he appreciated it. 

He gave us directions for reaching the cathedral at the top of the hill that avoided the steep stairs leading there directly from the city center.  Our meandering route wasn’t difficult, and I did manage to maneuver my walker along the narrow sidewalks and up the hill. 

Once we reached our destination, the view of the port was wonderful, with the sleek and elegant Riviera docked below. I loved the colorful houses stair-stepping up the hill behind the cathedral with small gardens along the pathways in front of the houses.

St Colman’s Cathedral was built on the site of the existing parish church built in 1808.  The planning stage for the “new” cathedral lasted ten years, from 1857 to 1867. The first mass was held in 1879 and the church was restored between 1992 and 2002.  As European churches go, it is a fairly young building but very lovely with the afternoon light illuminating the many stained glass windows.

After a leisurely visit to the cathedral, Mo and I retraced our moderately sloping route back to the center of town, skipping the steep stairs once again.  Near the main square, we found a small pub and slipped inside to sit at the bar for a brew.  We had hoped for some of the famous Irish fries, but the pub didn’t have a kitchen.  The bartender was very helpful, however, and pointed us in the direction of a place that just might have some original chips, but said that most of the pubs didn’t actually have kitchens, so finding both beer and chips in one place might be difficult.

I took a photo of the two of us in the bar mirror which has become somewhat of a tradition for us when we find ourselves something to drink in a bar.  This is one of many over the years, but wouldn’t be the last one on this trip.

After relaxing and listening to the lilting voice of the barmaid as she chatted with her customers, we left the bar in search of the chips part of beer and chips.  

With just a little bit of walking, we saw some folks enjoying what looked to be fresh burgers with some perfect-looking chips.  Sure enough, we finally had our Irish chips as we sat and enjoyed people-watching in the square.

We returned to the ship in time to rest a bit before dressing for the evening meal in the Grand Dining Room.  Oceania doesn’t require reservations for dining in this venue, and we were happy to see that there were several tables for just the two of us.  

Mo and I don’t particularly enjoy sitting at a large table for six or eight dining with people we don’t know.  Some people love this aspect of cruising, with a chance to meet and visit with people from all over the world.  Sometimes it can be interesting, but sometimes it can be a bit of a nightmare, and you never know what it might be.  We still remember our first cruise where we had to sit with the same truly boring and tiresome people every single night.  Another time on our cruise to the Panama Canal we were seated at a table for eight where one person ruined the dinner for everyone with her obnoxious very loud voice dominating the entire evening.  So, no, we will do whatever we can to be seated at a table for two where we know we will enjoy the company. 

Our meal in the Grand Dining room was nice, if not spectacular.  The ship sailed at 7 and it took nearly three hours for us to complete our meal, including dessert.  I cannot remember what we ate, and I didn’t keep track of the menu in my notes.  Who knows.  I do not remember what this dessert was called but the name was enticing.  The dessert was ok, but not nearly as exciting as the creme brulee I had on the previous night.

We were tired from our day of walking the town and decided that staying up until the 9:30 show in the Riviera Lounge was a bit too much.  In retrospect, I wish I had researched the show more than I did.  The artist was a well know flutist, performing “Irish Party in Third Class”.  I saw “flutist” and let it go at that, thinking there was no way I would stay awake.  I later read that this may have been the most truly Irish entertainment we might have experienced on the cruise.

Instead after our dinner, we settled happily into the incredibly comfortable bed and let the ship rock us to sleep as we made our way to our next port in Bantry, Ireland. Cobh was one of my favorite ports on this cruise.

Mo and I visited many sites in Dublin when we enjoyed a land tour of Ireland in 2015, including a visit to the iconic  Temple Bar

When we woke on this first full day of cruising this morning, my first thought was to get downstairs to the medical offices which opened at 8.  Breakfast began at 7 AM so there was time for a bite before I attempted to see what was involved in getting replacement prescriptions for the ones I had lost.

We found breakfast upstairs in the Terrace Cafe to be a somewhat lackluster affair.  The presentation was lovely, and the best part of breakfast on this entire cruise was the beautiful fruit.  On this first morning, however, I decided to order an omelet from the omelet station, freshly made in front of my eyes.  In spite of the delicious ingredients I chose, the omelet was rather terrible, flat, and tasteless.  The hash browns looked like the ones you get at Macdonald’s, except they were tasteless and soggy.  I think the problem with the omelets was the big vat of mixed-up eggs that were used to create them.  I never tried one again.  After a few days on the ship Mo and I learned to eat fruit, bagels and cream cheese, and an English muffin now and then.  I did try a pancake one morning and it was also soggy and I couldn’t eat it.  Mo tried the french toast one morning, one of her favorites, and it was a very large, very thick piece of doughy bread with only a bit of coating, and again, tasteless.

I would have to say this was the biggest disappointment we found on our cruise. This highly-touted luxury cruise couldn’t seem to manage a tasty, hot breakfast.  Even the yogurt came in paper cups, or in a parfait cup with soggy tasteless granola.  I found myself daydreaming of the thick, rich yogurt that I enjoyed while traveling in Turkey, with honeyed apricots and other fruits.  Certainly wasn’t something we would find on this cruise. I also remembered tasty ground oats on the coast of Ireland at a hotel that served a condiment table for the oats with everything my heart could desire, including Irish Cream.  The oats on the ship were runny, and there were no raisins or brown sugar to disguise the taste.  Ah well.  It is a cruise for seeing the world, not necessarily for the food.  Except…wait…isn’t a cruise often about the food?  We would experience some grand food on this ship, but never at breakfast.

After breakfast, Mo returned to our stateroom while I rode the very fast, and always-ready elevator down to the medical office on the 4th deck. The nurse was quick and efficient, and within minutes the doctor had prescribed my needed medications and I was on my way.  No questions asked, just a hefty bill, with 28 synthroid pills for my thyroid coming to a hefty 240 bucks!!  The visit was $150 and the gabapentin was only a few dollars.  Never could figure out the thyroid thing, and I certainly could have done without it for two weeks if I had known the cost.  The gabapentin I need for leg pain and such related to my disease, so whatever the cost it was worth it.  When I returned home, instead of turning it into my travel insurance, I needed to claim it on my blue cross plan.  We will see what happens when they get that processed for overseas care after a minimum of 30 days.

Mo and I had decided that since we spent several days in Dublin in 2015, we didn’t need to pay for an excursion to enjoy the city.  We discussed using the tender to get to the dock at Dun Laoghaire but then learned that it would be a considerable distance on public transportation to get to the part of the city where we could pick up the “Hop on Hop off” bus to possibly get to the Temple Bar for old times sake.  

The beautiful library at Trinity College, where the Book of Kells resides

Reading about all the things to do in Dublin was simply checking off all the things we had already done during our previous visit.  There were caveats for the onshore excursions stating that the visit to Trinity College no longer included a view of the Book of Kells.  Been there, done that, and loved the college, the library, and seeing the book.  We also loved our time at the Museum of Archeology where we viewed the incredible bog people of Ireland.  We had visited the cathedrals, and the churches and walked along the River Liffey, and the only thing left on the list was a visit to the Guinness Brewery.  We decided not to waste our time doing that in 2015 and certainly didn’t need to deal with tenders and buses to try to do it on this trip.

Instead, we relaxed and spent our day exploring the ship a bit, and yes, taking a nice long nap.  It was a wonderful way to spend a rainy day in Dublin, or at least in the vicinity of Dublin.  We enjoyed a very good lunch in the Terrace Cafe, with a Mexican theme, which appealed to both of us.  

The Terrace Cafe is a pleasant space and was rarely overcrowded

Another walk around the ship to the very top deck where we found a small pickleball court and a creative 9-hole golf course.  The big surprise on the ship was the beautiful library on the 14th deck. There were six well-appointed galleries with comfortable chairs and tables and a great selection of books in many categories. Not surprisingly, all the travel books for Ireland and Scotland were gone.

Yes, I did go in the pool and the spa, but only once since the weather was quite chilly 

We were too worn out from our relaxing day to go back upstairs to the Horizons Lounge at the very top of the ship for the Captain’s Cocktail Celebration, with music and complimentary cocktails (proper attire required).  I guess afternoon jammies wouldn’t do.   I guess this is one of the nicer gatherings on the ship and in retrospect, I wish we had made the effort to participate.

Back to the stateroom for some quiet time and a nice shower in order to dress for our anticipated dinner at the Polo Grill.  This was to be our first dining in one of the four specialty restaurants on board and we were looking forward to the experience.

The restaurant is on the 14th deck aft.  Walking into the lovely space was a delight, with claret leather chairs, white tablecloths with several layers of cutlery, and a beautiful view from the windows.  With our reservation at 6:30, we were among the first diners for the evening and were led to a lovely table for two by the windows.

Dinner was superb, with a lovely prawn cocktail for me and a Caesar salad for Mo.  But first I had to try the pork belly appetizer, which was tender and crisp and perfectly flavored.  Mo’s filet was a tiny bit less than perfect but my ribeye, cooked medium rare and slathered with not only blue cheese but bearnaise sauce was delicious.  We ordered a bottle of wine with dinner, consumed only half of it, having the bottle sent to our room to be delivered by room service when we returned. Somehow I took photos of the appetizers and the desserts and never managed to take a photo of the rest of our meal.  Fun side note about cruising, you can order as many desserts as you might like, notice the cheesecake AND the creme brulee. I discovered when I returned home that I had lost 4 pounds overall on the trip.  Lucky me.

After dinner, we found our way back down to the 5th deck where the show of the evening would be performed.  On this night we were treated to a stellar performance of Broadway in Concert starring the Riviera Production Vocalists, accompanied by the Riviera Showband.  The music was wonderful, the voices were good enough that my vocalist daughter Melody would have approved, and she is a stickler for perfect pitch.  We enjoyed the show immensely.  

Dublin is on the 53rd parallel north, approximately the same as the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia, and Edmonton, Alberta.  This far north, the sun rises early and sets very late.  We fell into bed accompanied by a lovely sunset toward the west as the ship sailed south from Dublin toward the next port in Cobh, Ireland.  With just a gentle rocking that evening, I slept like a baby, without a hint of motion sickness.