Lands of Fire & Ice

Our next cruise we are off to Iceland and then to Norway (which is why this cruise is called "lands of fire and ice") for the last time! In Iceland we are going to the famous blue lagoon for a crew tour, so that should be the chance of a lifetime. This is another 13 day cruise so the update wont be for a while.

- t

TLF Graphics goes to Gibraltar!

I was wearing my TLF t-shirt when I had this picture taken and there is probably no better photo opportunity than this. The picture below was taken at the tip of the rock. It is hard to make out the background because of the fog but on the left is part of the African coastline and the Mediterranean Sea, on the right is Spain and the Atlantic ocean. Two continents and two bodies of water in the same picture!

Gibraltar, UK

After every Mediterranean cruise the last stop the ship makes is Gibraltar. A small peninsula off the coast of Spain the city is part of the UK. Its famous for its “Rock of Gibraltar” and the monkeys that live on it. After my third trip to Gibraltar I finally decided it was time to take a tour of the rock and go see these monkeys.



Just past the airport is Spain.

Monte Carlo

Located on the coast of France and part of the French Riviera, Monte Carlo is home to the Grand Prix, and playground to the rich and famous. After looking at the pictures you will understand exactly how much money flows through this place.




(yes you can actually test drive a ferrari around the grand prix track)

Vatican City

We were back in Rome for the first time since I picked up the ship there exactly two months ago. This time I got a chance to actually go into the city. A bunch of us went to Vatican City and saw the Sistine Chapel along with St. Peters square. Here is a video of the square and the long line to get into the Basilica.

Late Update

The last post I had was right before the party cruise. Unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to post after the short two day trip but here it is anyway.

Although very short, the party cruise did have its moments such as the meeting of the Queen Victoria (the newest Cunard ship) and the QE2 in Zeebrugge, Belgium. The two ships were both docked nose to nose and crews from each ship were allowed to visit the other one. I brought aboard the Chief printer from the QV for a tour of the QE2 then she took me aboard the QV and showed me around. The two of us had trained at school together before leaving for our stint aboard the ships. Here is a video of the QV sailing away, you can hear both ships horns blowing in the background.

Party Cruise

Our next cruise is what they refer to as a party cruise. It involves a two day trip to very close ports and then back to Southampton. We leave today and then tomorrow will be in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Then the next day we will be in Brussels, Belgium, and on the third day back to Southampton. Apparently it’s a party cruise because the passengers who sign up for this type are usually a bit younger and mainly just eat and drink lots for two days straight (at least that’s what I’m told). Anyway Rotterdam is the biggest port in the world which should be interesting and when we hit Belgium the Queen Victoria will be in port with us as well, so we are making arrangements to visit the ship.

Back in a few days . . .

-t

Pictures of Malta

Malta is a small island off the coast of Italy, way at the bottom. The ancient ruins found in Malta date back 1000 years before the pyramids of Giza. However at one point in time the entire race of Malta disappeared and no one knows why. Then in the 14^th century it was inhabited again by Great Britain. We went to the city of Valletta in Malta which is the oldest part of the island. The film Gladiator was shot on scene in Malta. Below are some pictures.

Return from the Med

The Mediterranean is without a doubt kick ass. Good food, great weather, and beautiful cities. Dubrovnik, Italy, and Malta were my favorite stops along this trip, mostly because the cities themselves looked like a small little paradise. Below are some shots from Trieste, Italy.

Mediterranean Splendor

We are on our way to the Mediterranean, which means Portugal, Italy, Greece, and Croatia. Good food and warm weather! This next cruise will be 14 days long so the update won’t be for a while.

Laterz,

-t

Video

Here is a cool video of us sailing away from the ship on a tender headed for our tour.

Norway Recap

We have returned from our week long cruise in Norway and after being there twice in the same month I have formed some opinions.

Great scenery, (both the women and nature) and . . . oh wait there is not much more. Norway is cold, expensive and has very little to do. We have been to all the major ports in Norway except Oslo and they are all pretty much the same. They do have beautiful scenery and the fjords are pretty sweet. But Norway is one of the most expensive European countries. It costs about $8 USD for a can of soda. If you go for lunch then a cheeseburger and a drink will run you about $50 USD.

I did however get to go on the tour of a lifetime this past week. I escorted a day long tour that started in a village called Hellesylt then we took a bus through the fjords and across a frozen lake to the village of Geiranger where the ship met back up with us. Below are just some of the amazing pictures I got from the trip.