Just Cruises Plus

Contest Photo 11/15/13

In last week’s photo contest, twelve of you correctly guessed that the location of the contest photo  (shown at right) was Kotor, Montenegro.   The winner of our $25 gift card is Edward Korte, of Weaverville, NC, whose name was randomly selected from those who responded correctly

If you are on a Mediterranean or Adriatic itinerary, consider it a bonus to have the picturesque town of Kotor as one of your ports of call.  Located on a beautiful bay on the coast of Montenegro, Kotor is a city steeped in tradition and history, with remarkable scenic views. A UNESCO World Heritage site, the old city was built between the 12th and 14th centuries and is filled with medieval architecture.

The bay is the deepest natural fjord in the Mediterranean Sea, and the scenery around it is spectacular.

Here are some additional views of Kotor.

Spectacular Coastline View

Approaching the Port

Kotor up close with mountainous backdrop

Architecture of Kotor

Last week, we asked you to respond with the one glaring error in the following paragraph:

The Ridgefield was a true tramp steamer.  She was originally built as a World War 2 cargo ship and changed owners and names several times.  She was one of 2710 Liberty ships built during the war.   On a frigid December night in 1962, the Ridgefield was sailing toward Galveston, Texas with a load of grain and beer when she struck a shallow reef off of the East end of the island.  She has been a permanent resident of Grand Cayman ever since.  The ship is still there but time and weather have taken their toll on the wreck and the bow and stern are pretty much gone –  but parts of the ship can still be seen.  However, we don’t know if the beer is still there.

What was the glaring error?  There are no frigid nights in Grand Cayman, even in December.   The lowest temperature ever recorded in Grand Cayman is 52 degrees Farenheit.  The average daily high in December is 84 F with an average low of 72F.

We receved 12 responses to this challenge.  Congratulations to Ken Young of Frederick, MD, the winner of the $25 gift card, whose name was randomly drawn from the correct responses.

Contest Photo - SS Ridgefield

Last week’s photo contest was a tough one.  Only 2 people correctly identified the island (Grand Cayman)and only one correctly identified the ship (SS Ridgefield).  We took the photograph 30 years ago while visiting Grand Cayman.  We rented a moped and rode to the East end of the island and came upon the rusted old Liberty ship.

The Ridgefield was a true tramp steamer.  She was originally built as a World War 2 cargo ship and changed owners and names several times.  She was one of 2710 Liberty ships built during the war.   On a frigid December night in 1962, the Ridgefield was sailing toward Galveston, Texas with a load of grain and beer when she struck a shallow reef off of the East end of the island.  She has been a permanent resident of Grand Cayman ever since.  The ship is still there but time and weather have taken their toll on the wreck and the bow and stern are pretty much gone –  but parts of the ship can still be seen.  However, we don’t know if the beer is still there.

The winner is Rocky Cestroni who will receive a $25 gift card.  This brings us to next week’s contest.  There is one glaring error in the above paragraphs.  Can you identify the error?  Those who email (or call) us with the correct answer by Thursday, October 24th will be entered into a drawing for a $25 gift card.

PS. If you would like a daysail on a real World War Liberty ship,  Check out the website for Project Liberty Ship.

Contest Photo - Cape Cod Lighthouse

For our 8/30 photo contest, we asked the name and location of the lighthouse in our contest photo (shown at right). 

The lighthouse is named Cape Cod Light and is commonly referred to as Highland Light by New Englanders.  It is located in Truro, Massachusetts, which is on the northeast part of Cape Cod, on the way to Provincetown. 

Cape Cod is a Mecca for lighthouse lovers and, of the 14+ lighthouses marking the Cape, Cape Cod Light has the distinction of being the oldest. The lighthouse was erected in 1797 after multiple shipwrecks and numerous fatalities finally prompted congress to designate the $8,000 in funds needed to construct a lighthouse. 

Cape Cod Light was enhanced and ultimately reconstructed over the years and by the 1930’s, it was considered the most powerful lighthouse on the east coast.

By the early 1990s, decades of erosion had eaten away at the coastline putting Cape Cod Light just over 100-feet from falling into the ocean and being lost forever. A committee formed within the Truro Historical Society that raised and received over $1,500,000 in charitable donations, state and federal grants. In July of 1996, the 404-ton, Cape Cod Light was successfully moved 453 feet back from where it once stood.

Congratulations to Alan and Elsie Saylor of Downingtown, PA who are the winners of the $25 gift card.  Their response was randomly selected from 17 correct responses.

Recognize this Caryatid?

Caryatid which stands in the British Museum

For last week’s photo contest we asked in which European museum this caryatid is located and where did she originally stand?  Congratulations to Ann Marie Danvers, of Philadelphia, PA,  whose name was randomly selected from the 27 correct responses.

This Caryatid stands as part of the “Elgin Collection” in the British Museum in London.  It was taken from the site of the Acropolis in Athens.  Caryatids are female figures which serve as supports.  This is one of six that held up the roof of the Erectheion (the temple of the Acropolis).

Between 1800 and 1803, G.B. Lusieri, acting on behalf of Lord Elgin, removed this caryatid, which stood second from the left on the front of the south porch.  During the Greek War of Independence (1821-33) the Erectheion was reduced to ruins, although the caryatids survived.  It has since been reconstructed.  The BritishMuseum’s caryatid is better preserved than her sisters, which have now severely weathered.  They have recently been removed to the Acropolis Museum and replaced by casts.*

* Taken from an excerpt of The Elgin Marbles by B.F. Cook

Contest Photo May 17, 2013

For last week’s photo contest, we asked where the pink bus was located. The correct answer was “Bermuda”.  In addition to the “pink” hint, some of you benefited from noticing that the bus driver was sitting on the right side of the bus.  Congratulations to Donna McNelis of Lansdale, PA, whose name was randomly selected from the 47 who responded correctly.

Bermuda’s Public Transportation

Bermuda is one destination where we encourage folks to use the public transportation.   Ferries provide service between Kings Wharf and Hamilton (approximately 20 minutes) and between Kings Wharf and St. George (approximately 45 minutes) with great scenery to view along the way.

As an alternative,  and to experience a more local flavor, regularly scheduled buses operate at frequent intervals to most of the interesting destinations throughout Bermuda.  Bermuda essentially has three major roads:  North, Middle and South and there are buses along each of these.  Buses and bus stops are clearly marked and color coded.

Individual rides can cost up to $4.50 depending on which zone you are traveling to.  If you are making multiple stops, (for example, if you want to visit multiple beaches along South Road)  it’s worth purchasing a day pass.  According to an anticipated spring 2013 fare increase,  the daily pass is expected to be about $15.00 for adults and half that for children 5 and older.  If you buy a pass for multiple days, the cost per day is decreased. Children under 5 are free.  Passes are good for both ferries and buses, so you can take the bus in one direction and then experience the ferry in the other.

Passes are conveniently sold just outside of the cruise terminal at Kings Wharf and in Hamilton.

Contest Photo 4/26/13 - S.S. John W. Brown

The answer to last week’s photo contest question is the S.S. John W. Brown.  The photo was taken of the ship as she was hosting a Project Liberty Ship cruise from Baltimore.  Congratulations to Donna Cunningham of Philadelphia, PA whose name was randomly selected from the four correct responses.

The John W. Brown is one of two surviving Liberty ships out of the 2,710 built during World War II.  The other is the Jeremiah O’Brien, based in San Francisco, California.  During the first few years of World War II, the Allies were losing more than twice as many ships as were being built.  Most of these losses were the result of U boat torpedoes in the Caribbean and Atlantic.  To counteract these unsustainable losses, the Brits and Yanks designed an expendable vessel that could be built cheaply and in great numbers.  Thus, the Liberty ship came into being.  They were built in an average of 6 weeks with the record being less than 5 days.

John W. Brown - on deck

The priority was quantity over quality.  Some were so poorly constructed that they broke in two while at sea.  They were slow and made good targets for U boats. Over 250 Liberty ships were lost during the war.  Their design life was 5 years, so it is a tribute to the men and women who keep the memory alive by the loving care they give to these two surviving septuagenarians.

We cruised for a day on the John W. Brown last year and can tell you that they only thing it had in common with today’s luxury cruise ships was that there was plenty of food.  However, the hot dogs and hamburgers were not served in a splendid dining room with white table cloths and attentive waiters.  They were served buffet style in a converted cargo hold.

If you want to experience hot, visit the engine room where the temperature reaches over 110 degrees.  Watch the massive connection rods as they pound out a rhythm of power.

Japanese World War II vintage aircraft

A highlight of the cruise was the “attack” by several Japanese World War II vintage aircraft and the victory of the American P-51 over these “aggressors”.

Project Liberty Ship will operate 4 special cruises this year from Baltimore.  If you would like to experience one of these “living history” cruises, go to www.liberty-ship.com for dates and rates.

Contest Photo 3/15/13 - Ortakoy Mosque

Last week, we asked you to name the domed structure shown in the contest photo (on right) and to tell us the city in which it is located.  Congratulations to Alan Heller of Baltimore, MD, whose name was randomly selected from those who answered correctly.

The name of the structure is the Ortakoy Mosque (officially, the “Buyuk Majidiye” Mosque).  And the city, of course, is Istanbul, a city with a “split personality” in more ways than one.  First, it is a city in which the modern and vibrant coexist with a history that goes back over 3000 years.  Second, the city resides in both Europe and Asia.  It is split  by the Bosphorus Straight which connects the Sea of Marmara to the Black Sea.

Our visit to Istanbul was both adventurous and amazing.  The adventure included a public ferry ride, which zigzaged along the Bosphorus between European and Asian ferry stops.  Although we tried to blend in with the locals, our oohs and ahs must have given us away as tourists and a kind local took us under his wing  and gave a running commentary of the sites we saw along the river, albeit in Turkish.  However, we still appreciated the friendly hospitality and asked for repeat pronunciations of the sites he was naming.

Fishing from the Galata Bridge

Our adventure also included an unsuccessful pickpocket attempt on the Galata bridge  (unsuccessful due to Wayne’s quick reaction to the unfamiliar and unwelcome hand in his pocket) and a mild fender-bender that occurred when a Mercedes Benz cut in front of our Taxi.  Words between the drivers ensued and, because at that point we were a 5-minute walk from our destination, we quickly paid the driver and continued on our way.

While in Istanbul we also visited the amazing historical sites located in the Sultanahmet section of the city.  These included the Topkapi Palace (the sultan and his his harem lived here), the Hagia Sophia (at one time an Eastern Orthodox church, later a mosque and now a museum), the extraordinary and multi-minareted Sultan Ahmed Mosque, (commonly known as the “Blue” mosque due to the blue cast of the intricate tilework on the inside of the mosque).  Our nostrils were delightfully stimulated on our walk through the Egyptian Spice Market.  The Grand Bazaar is a sight to behold but is a bit on the touristy side (practice your negotiating skills).  We ended our stay in Istanbul with dinner and a local street fair in Ortakoy, a neighborhood located on the European bank of the Bosphorus.

If you are cruising to or from Istanbul, consider extending your stay for a few extra days to experince this wonderful city.  See below for a sampling of  photos taken on our trip!

View of the Old City from the Ferry Terminal

Coming Home from Work

Moving Day?

Waiting for the Ferry

Fishing Boats on the Bosphorus

The Egyptian Spice Market

Blue Mosque

Hagia Sophia

Ortakoy Street Fair

Last week’s photo contest asked for the name of the village shown in this photo.  We provided two hints:  (1) It is located on an island in Europe, and (2) Two famous lovers stayed here — one a composer and the other a writer — in the winter of 1838/39.

Contest Photo 1/4/13 - Valldemossa

The name of the village is Valldemossa.  The winners of the contest and the $25 gift card are Matt and Rhoda Refsin of Huntingdon Valley, PA who were randomly selected from 11 correct responses.

Valldemossa is a tiny, quaint village nestled in the mountains of Majorca, one of the most beautiful of Spain’s Balearic Islands.  Its main landmark is a former Carthusian monastery built in the 14th century.  The main church is still in use but most of the monastery is now a museum.

The most famous guests of the former moastery, now known as the Royal Charterhouse of Valldemossa, were the Polish composer, Frederic Chopin and the French writer and early feminist, George Sands.   The particular room in which they stayed is a point of controversy. 

We loved our one-day visit to Valldemossa (and the Monastery) and recommend  a visit here  if your ship stops in Majorca.   Additional photos of the village and the monastery are below.

Valldemossa - a picturesque street.

An outdoor cafe in Valldemossa.

Valldemossa with a blanket of fog.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

View of monastery gardens through glass door.