Into the Arctic Circle

Thursday 7 August

An "at sea" day as we crossed into the Arctic Circle around 9.30am with about 350 nautical miles to Tromso, our next port.  Expect to have no darkness tonight, if not the midnight sun.

The ship has recognised Australia's National Day of Mourning to honour victims of flight MH17.

Weather is fine as I record these notes sitting on our verandah - light clothes and tracksuit top. Colder tomorrow.  At sea days are no less busy, but more time to relax over breakfast and lunch and to choose activities from the many available.  Have taken two more Windows 8.1 classes this morning and a briefing on our next two ports.  Shortly to head out for a few laps of the Promenade Deck - never got there!!!

The Rotterdam is a beautiful ship, although now 17 years old.  780ft long, 106ft wide, 10 decks, 1316 passengers and 593 crew.  Our verandah cabin is mid-ship and very quiet.  The sea has been amazingly flat with minimal wind - none of those visions of the wild North Sea seem imaginable at present. The weather has been very mild to date - the first need for a light top over a shirt has been today. We have also been free of other cruise ships to date, so nowhere has been crowded. 

The routine for the evening will be our standard 7.15pm for cocktails, 8pm for dinner and 10.30pm for show - and we never tire of it, but some of us need to train!!

Last day Abu Dhabi and on the way home

Friday 22 August

Post breakfast trip to World Trade Centre Mall and Souk.  Friday is the beginning of the weekend and with the local propensity toward night shopping we were not expecting crowds.  How right we were.  The Mall is another big one, but with numerically less, but more upmarket, shops than Marina Mall.  Apart from us, the sales staff, and big numbers of cleaning and security staff, the place was empty.

Once again, big wide passages, spotlessly clean, many toilets and seats.No different at the adjacent very modern souk (and can you imagine a middle eastern market where the carpets are on display but no one is there to sell them - well here it is!!!!!  Tonight both places will be packed.

Back to Jumeriah for time by the pool - got a 4pm checkout but not the 6pm I would have preferred.  After check out, read the papers overlooking the pools and sea before a cab to airport.

Jumeriah was an excellent (read "grand" hotel), very well positioned, many, many smiling helpful staff and with excellent facilities.  So much marble you could not imagine, a very big bedroom (bed more than 6 feet wide) and a bathroom half as big as the bedroom (and with full width floor to ceiling window). 

Abu Dhabi is a great 2 or 3 night stopover at this time of the year but you have to enjoy the heat outside.  I need to comment on the taxis as they are such a contrast to Melbourne.  Each car is checked for cleanliness, inside and out before each shift, the drivers are finely uniformed (and checked out before shift), all taxis are metered and they are cheap ($22 for our 36km ride to the airport - but of course petrol is less than half our price).  We used taxis every day as the city is very widely spread and walking any reasonable distance at this time of the year in the heat is not realistic.

I am on a 'winner" with Etihad auctions having been advised yesterday that I was successful with another Business Class bid (at the price I bid, there was a better than even chance).  Not sure if other airlines do this,  but all the "yield" managers will all be onto it soon - no more complimentary upgrades, big dollars for every seat upgrade!!!  One of us thinks it well worthwhile, with personal attention from the time the taxi pulls up, no luggage to manage from the taxi, dedicated terminal entry, fast track immigration and security etc, etc, etc - and now writing this from the lounge.  Not sure who the check in rep thought I was but he called me "Sir Norman" - perhaps Tony Abbot has been at work in our absence!!!

Home tomorrow.

Abu Dhabi

Thursday 21 August

Another 40C+ day and I am surprised that day time winter temperatures are as low as 12 - 15C.  Laps of each of the two levels of exclusive stores after breakfast (how about a hand made, gold inlaid, tablet for just $21,000US - no buyer queue!!!).

Up to Observation Deck 360 (74th floor on one of the five towers of this complex) for a bird's eye view of Abu Dhabi and a coffee.  There is a significant sun haze (probably exacerbated by dust and sand) which distracts from an otherwise spectacular view.  Obviously, it also impacts on photos.

Time around the pools on one of the huge shaded lounges and in the cooling pool waters.  I think they must recirculate the pool water via iced pipes as the pool is about 8 degrees cooler than the beach.  As well as being very warm, the sea water is extremely salty and floating is a breeze.  Did a bit of reading, including China Daily where I noted that the Chinese government has banned outdoor BBQ's irrespective of whether they are for profit, or where they are located (13, 900 cases investigated in the first 7 months).

Late afternoon off to the Grand Mosque about 15km away.  Very pleasant drive along 4 and 5 lane, one way, roads - very clean with a lot of green wedges and beaches.  Absolutely spectacular Mosque covering more than 15,000 square metres (about 65% open air courtyard), has a capacity for 41,000 worshipers, 82 domes, more than 1, 000 columns and the world's largest hand knotted carpet - as well as extensive reflecting pools and gardens.  Pat Initially thought the required hijab was "cooling", but changed her mind after 45 minutes.

Came back via Emirates Palace Hotel.  Jumeriah is luxurious, but Emirates Palace is pretty well indescribable - it is rolled gold.  All the time we were there it felt like we would be thrown out as "not worthy".  Something to behold!!!

Into Abu Dhabi

Wednesday 20 August

We eventually got off the ground close to 7pm yesterday and with the time zone change were on the tarmac in Abu Dhabi sometime after 3am.  Immigration, a long wait for one case, a 30 minute taxi ride at 100km/hour and check in, saw us hit the sack just on 5am.

Corner room overlooking sea and city on 50th floor of this extravagant hotel- Jumeriah at Etihad Towers.  Everything is push button - drapes, maid service etc, etc and all the toileteries are in the shape of the hotel's towers.  10.30am breakfast in preparation for a relaxing day - and relaxing it has been.

Within the Hotel there is a two level mall entirely made up of all the luxury brands.  They are all here about 50 of them (together with a Waitrose supermarket).  The Cartier store has a frontage of almost 60m.  Have not seen a customer in any of the big name stores - but with their prices, they probably only need a couple of sales per week.

Time around the pools (3, plus private beach) this afternoon.  Not many around as it is a quiet period, so no competition for sunbeds etc - and complimentary coolers.  Temperature around 40C, but main pool is well shaded.

Early evening to Marina Mall about 1.8km away but after Pat's experience of walking the Corniche in Doha last year, walking was so not an option!!!  Very big Mall with hundreds of shops over a very big and pristine complex.  Toilets everywhere and even seats for male shoppers.  Very strong customer service culture.  Ate in a "Parisian" cafe overlooking an ice skating rink and back by taxi for a "catch up night".

Like Doha,  Abu Dhabi is an ongoing development, but on a much bigger scale.  The airport had massive road plant (new runway?) working at 4am this morning.  Roadworks too, as well as building construction seems to be a 24/7 activity- and of course, all of this (and hotel services) is undertaken by expatriate workers.  One apparent difference is that Doha was lit like a Christmas tree, whereas Abu Dhabi does not seem so brightly lit - perhaps it just seems that way because it is so much bigger.
It is great to have the feet up for a couple of days.

Not quite the au revoir planned

Tuesday 19 August

Flight confirmation from Etihad, transfer booked for 8am, bags packed and an early night.   A little off the rails when 6am mistaken for 7am and further off the rails with an overnight email from Etihad advising 5 hour delay - quick arrangement to reschedule transfer.

Make the most of extra time in Paris, so walk via St Germaine thru Sorbonne and university campuses for breakfast on edge of Pantheon (dome under canvas while renovations being undertaken).  On to Luxembourg Palace and gardens on a beautiful cloudless Paris morning. At 10am, in the sunshine and without crowds, this has to be the best and most relaxing spot in Paris.  Back via the surrounding streets and St Sulpice Cathedral.  Everywhere you walk there is something that turns your head - and most don't make the maps.  Returning via Notre Dame,  the queues are as long as yesterday (both close to 100m at 11am).

Just a little on Paris:
Don't go if you are looking for a pristine city, but what you get is something to excite you at every turn - and look up, not down!;
Don't believe that Paris closes down for August, it certainly does not for tourism (95%+ of shops and cafes are open);
The locks on bridges craze has reached its zenith here - no wonder bridges are falling down.  The souvenir sellers on the left bank even sell them - fortunately, the more intellectual right bank has not followed suit;
There are some interesting beggars in Paris - most seem to have mobiles, I saw one who promoted his own facebook page, and the big majority seem to have dogs (having passed through two pet shops yesterday, I can tell you that the cheapest "mutts" in Paris will set you back $1000+, with breeding, the price sky rockets);
Apart from the two "petitioners" when we transferred stations on our way to Rotterdam, we never saw even a hint of annoyance of any sort - but you still need to be "alert but not alarmed".

Sorry,  I digress!!!

12 noon transfer to airport for our delayed flight thinking we would be first to check in.  In fact, it seems, almost last because most did not receive the "delayed" message.  Checked in via the Diamond First Class check in, but alas no good news.  The flight may be delayed even more because the incoming flight had been turned around to Abu Dhabi due to "mechanical problems" - €52 vouchers!!!!

Uh oh, just got the news of a further two hour delay (and the offer of more food vouchers - but how much can you eat and drink).   Stories to tell ............ but the editor in chief has precluded publication!!!!!!

Anyway, there is entertainment here!!!!

Paris Again

Monday 18 August

Headed off to St Germaine and Latin districts this morning with breakfast on the way.  Spent walking time along the streets (too early for shops as most don't open before 11am).  Every corner, every street has something and all the food shops were receiving stock, so a lot of fruit & vegetables in the streets.

Met up with Marie and Mary Emerson at 11am near Notre Dame (long queues), quick walk to our hotel and then Metro to Lafayette for shopping time for the women.  I intended to tour Opera Garnier but my patience did not cope with the queues, so I did what I love best in Paris- walked more streets.  While waiting for the women, saw a big police operation on the move - 6 motorbikes, 7 cars and 2 big wagons, all with sirens screaming.  Late today we heard there had been a 250,000 Euro robbery on a Saudi prince's cavalcade. 

Had lunch at a restaurant adjacent to Opera Garnier.   Very pleasant on the street dining on a good day of 21C (not the forecast showers).  Glad we ate outside as, having seen the extravagence of the inside, I am not sure I could have paid the inside prices.  Set Marie and Mary on the Metro to return to their river cruise boat and we returned to Pont Neuf, walked to, and around the Louvre, to top of Jardin de Tuileries and then home via Rue Rivoli and the "right bank" - and past Notre Dame, where the queues were as long as they had been 6 hours earlier.  Another day with 8 hours on the move ended with a last french onion soup, a last Berthillon ice cream, a lap of I'lle St Louis and an early crash.  Last night in Paris - and worn out!!!!!  Au revoir Paris!!!!!!

More Paris

Sunday 17 August

Change of plan for the day.  Decided we needed more time in Paris and had seen plenty of chateaux in the Loire Valley, so moved away from the bike tour to Versailles.

Breakfast at Cafe St Regis (an old favourite - but now dropped off a bit).  Walking across Pont Marie it seemed like the swim leg of a small triathlon in the Seine.  Then Metro to Sentier to experience Rue Montorgueil (referenced in a couple of "living in Paris" books we have read recently).  Nice and quiet on a Sunday morning - but local shops, cafes and market stalls where the locals hang out.  As always, many magnificent buildings and statues with quite a bit of restoration work proceeding - but a lot more needed.

Wander then toward Palais Royal via Galleries Vivienne and surrounding streets.   Apart from cafes, shops closed because it's Sunday.   Through Palais Royal and its gardens and up Avenue de Opera to Opera Garnier and Rue Haussmann to Galleries Lafayette and Printempts but Pat had to do with the windows (thank heaven for Sunday in Europe!!).  Onward to the Champs Elysees and a late lunch in one of the "pay for position" restaurants on the "Champs"  (value for money?? - but we were seen!!).

Shopping time for Pat, but the Champs Elysees is drowning in people (queues to get into YSL, a Thai wedding, even three Ferraris to test drive - very popular with the middle easterners) and it's not the sort of shopping that Pat enjoys (how lucky am I??).  It is  amazing how the Tour de France riders race on the Champs Elysees with its poor surface, exposed cobble stones and cracks that often seem wider than the riders narrow tyres.  On to Grand Palais and then, just before 4pm we crashed (after walking 10km+) so Metro home for feet up.  We have now had four Metro rides for a total waiting time of less than 7 minutes (on a Saturday and Sunday!!!).

Went to a wonderful Orchestral concert (Vivaldi Four Seasons) last night at Saint le Chapelle.  Lucky to get walk up tickets as there were only a handful of spare seats.  Saint le Chapelle was an amazing venue - 180 degrees surrounded by 12m high stained glass windows and with good light coming through for first half hour.