Next, security which is similar to customs as we are leaving the EU for the UK. We did not have to wait long and were soon on the train.  No photography allowed.  Security people are shy. 😂. Find our seats on the Eurostar and head for London.  ​

After some time seeing fields and farms, we enter the Chunnel.

The ​Channel Tunnel is the longest underwater section of any tunnel in the world at 31.4 miles. The lowest point under the Channel is 377 feet BELOW Sea Level.  Our ears popped from the pressure change.  This is almost 100 feet lower than Death Valley.

Nothing to see out the windows and we relax for the next half hour it takes to get back to the surface in the UK.  Soon we arrive are out of the tunnel and on our way into London at the St. Pancras Station.

Wow, the London stations are impressive.

After a few confusing signs, we are on our way to the Underground (subway) or "The Tube".

After a few changes of trains, we arrive at Waterford/Southbank/Waterloo Station.  The walk to our hotel was not too bad.  It is the Nox on Lower Marsh. Lower Marsh is mostly pedestrian other than delivery vehicles.  Still, we have to remember to look both ways not just right before crossing.  Almost directly across the street is an Iceland which is a small grocery.  On the next block is Vaulty Towers a very non conventual pub.

Around the corner and a short walk, we found, The Hercules, a pub.  Very nice food, we came back several times while we were in London.  The bathroom made me think I had walked back in time.  It turns out that those types of toilets are still fairly common in the UK. 

We had some time in the afternoon and walked down to see Big Ben, Westminster Abby, and Buckingham Place.

I wish we had more time here but if we wanted to see everything that appealed to us, we would be here for a month. Though London is not a place I would want to be for a month.  We are not fans of big cities.

Our walk to cross the Thames on the Westminster Bridge will take us past the Florence Nightingale Museum, the St Thomas Hospital (that will be important later), London Aquarium...

Soon, we reach the bridge.  Wow!  The river, Westminster, Big Ben...

We were not able to get tickets to see Westminster, Big Ben, or Parliament so we walk to Buckingham Palace.  Westminster has been the home of the House of Commons and House of Lords for over 300 years and is what we based our Senate and House of Representatives.

There were several interesting buildings like Churchill War Rooms, The Institution of Civil Engineers, The Institution of Mechanical Engineers,

Soon, we passed the Place Guard Regimental Barracks.  We were lucky to see the new class having their picture taken.  Sadly, we missed the changing of the guard which is only on a few days each week.

The Palace was huge.  Sadly nothing going on because the Royal family was in Residence. Just lots of tourists.

The Queen Victoria Memorial was impressive.  Wow, that is a lot of gold.

On our way back across the Westminster Bridge, we heard a commotion.  It was some undercover police grabbing two pickpockets.  We actually saw them give the Police Caution.  "You do not have to say anything. But it may harm your defense if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence.".  Then out came the cuffs.  The two people were working together.  She had a large bag that he would put anything he stole.  The idea was that if he were caught there would be no evidence on him and she could just walk away undiscovered.

Any big city will have pickpockets, and they will concentrate in areas of tourists.

Back to Lower Marsh to get some dinner and back to the hotel to plan for tomorrow.

Off at 9am and in a cab that ripped us off for the fare.  It should have been close to 25 euros but he wanted 40.  Really!  I made the mistake of not asking how much before having him load the luggage. The taxi driver dropped us off at the hotel.

We were too early to check in, and our room would not be ready until afternoon. They stored our luggage and we took a walk down through the city.  
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They have some interesting sculptures in the median of the road we walked down.

We were hungry and stopped in a cafe for coffee and some cinnamon rolls. 
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Watched a marathon race for a few minutes. Next walked along past tourist trap junk shops and other stores.  I was tempted to stop in the 5 Guys for a burger.  Yes, they have a 5 Guys in the Netherlands. 

We walked into a store for a minute and I was surprised to find this.  I have never seen this before.

The mall had lots of stores, and one was Dunkin Donuts.  We bought some for a snack and breakfast.  3.49 euros. Or about $4.

​Other than the mall, they also have a very interesting apartment complex.  The Cubes.  There is a tour, but we did not have time for that.  Floors are level but the wall is crazy.

Very few buildings survived the WWII bombing by the Germans.  We walked past one that did.

Off the ship by 9am to catch the local shuttle bus.

First stop the castle, which opens at 10 am. After a harrowing bus ride through very narrow streets, we arrived at the castle at just 15 minutes before we could enter.

WOW! If there were ever a castle that looks just like you would expect with Medieval Knights.  Right out of an old movie.  For the last 100 years, it has been used almost every year in movies and tv shows.

​At one point, we could look back at the ship.  The fog was even thicker in the port.

Inside and out this castle is amazing.

We walked down the lane inside toward the WW2 secret tunnels. We had a guided tour of the WW1 and WW2 tunnels that were part of major events in both wars.   The tunnels were 16 meters 7 below the surface.  Later additional features were installed as a Cold War nuclear shelter, which we were not able to tour.

The interior castle structure is just as impressive as the walls.  The castle is high above the city. The Castle was huge and amazing.  Lots of furnished rooms.  The main hall, banquet hall, … kitchen. Several chapels. We went up on the roof and then back down long circular stairs down to the courtyard.

Inside the castle, there are restored rooms and even some reenactors who answered questions.  The flooring is the original wood.  It was so worn down.  The Grand Hall, Banquet Hall, Chapel, and Kitchen were amazing.  So much history for so many hundreds of years.

Impressive. From the outside, inside, and even the roof.

Back to the highway to catch the bus to town.

​We were dropped off in the middle of town and walked to the museum where they have a 3000 year old seagoing boat which is thought to be the oldest in the world.  Some interesting exhibits.

Back to the ship by 2pm for something to eat and a nap. I still need to recover from my cold. 

This evening, we will start our trip back across the Channel to Rotterdam.

​

Later in the day, the ship Lido had a "Cake-Me-Away".  They had a lot of cakes and soon started serving.

We had a talk on Dover and its historical significance.

Of course, the cliffs of Dover are known worldwide for the bright white chalk cliffs that can be seen from the shores of France.

The Strait of Dover is the shortest distance between England and mainland Europe which became the primary source of ship traffic between the island and mainland.

During the Stone Age, it is known that this was used as a port because the remains of the world’s oldest sea-going boat from that time period was found in an excavation.

Roman influence was shown to have started before 56 AD and in that year a lighthouse was built to guide ships from Europe to reach the port.

A castle was built during the Napoleonic Wars in 1180 and later the Leeds Castle

Medieval Period
During the medieval period, Dover continued to thrive as a key trading hub. Its strategic position made it a target for invasions, including attempts by Julius Caesar and later by William the Conqueror. The port's defenses were strengthened, leading to the construction of Dover Castle, which has stood as a guardian of the town for centuries. 
dovermuseum.co.uk

In the 1500s, improvements were made to the harbor by Henry VIII, who funded the expansion of the port to improve shipping.

More improvements were made in the late 1800s to support larger ships and cargo.

The port has been a primary site for the British military for wars with France and Spain then later with Germany during World War One and Two.

Near the end of World War II, the castle was used to plan and execute the D-Day Invasion.

The wind was blowing hard, and the waves were high crossing to the dock. One wave crashed so high that it went over the whole tender. The pilot of our tender had the top hatch open to see better while leaving the ship. When we hit the wave, the water came in and soaked the pilot, and nearby passengers got wet. Finally, we arrived at Hawes tender dock in South Queensbury.

Andy was our tour guide and Luke our driver. It will take 90 minutes to reach Dryburgh Abbey. During the drive, Andy told us about history and surrounding areas of interest. Such as, Queen Margaret, Saint Margaret is the same person. She married King Malcolm and had 8 children.

​History was made in this port, just across the Firth of Forth from Rosyth, when the future Queen Margaret of Scotland arrived around 1071. Her devout religious attitude established "Queen's Ferry" as the place for pilgrims from abroad to alight on their way to St. Andrews—Scotland's ecclesiastical capital in the Middle Ages. Margaret's legacy continues less than a dozen miles away at Edinburgh Castle. A key attraction up on the castle's rock is St. Margaret's Chapel, believed to be the oldest section of the fortifications and the place where she worshipped.
There's more to Scotland's capital than the Castle, though. Edinburgh proudly displays multiple exhibits on national and international scientific achievement at the National Museum of Scotland, as well as some fantastic works of visual art at the National Galleries of Scotland. South Queensferry's moorings are also within easy striking distance of Scotland's largest metropolis: the city of Glasgow. Transformed in many ways since the post–WWII days when it had a reputation for grime and crime, the city is among the most vibrant in the U.K.: It is Scotland's de-facto capital of modern culture, with the hippest DJs and most accomplished conceptual artists.

On the drive, a Red Deer crossed the road from the hills towards Edinburgh. They have done well in Scotland. Only man controls population, there are no wolves or bears in Scotland to prey on them.

Arthur's seat, an old volcano, can be seen in Edinburgh.

​Sir Walter Scott loved this middle area. Wrote many poems and stories from here. He stopped every time to look at this view, so that his horses would stop on their own when taking this road.  When they were taking his body to be buried at Dryburgh Abbey, the horse as usual stopped on their own at his view.

First stop was Dryburgh Abbey.

Sir Walter Scott tomb is here. 

As is David Steuart Erskine 11th Earl of Buchan. 

The Abbey was nearly destroyed after England split from Catholicism.

The Abby was an interesting place to visit. I tried to imagine what was like to live there.

Next, Floors Castle in Roxburghshire, south-east Scotland, is the seat of the Duke of Roxburghe. It really is a grand estate not a castle. The family still resides in the buildings so no inside pictures are allowed. So, all pictures are of the outside and the gardens.  All the gardens and all the spring flowers were beautiful. At the time of my visit, the grounds were being set up for a huge concert by SkerryVore, a Scottish Celtic rock band.

Last stop in Edinburgh. The bus parked near the Albert Memorial on Charlotte Square.

​ On the way there, I was able to get a photo of the Edinburgh Castle on top of the hill.

I walked a few blocks to see the Ross Fountain and to get a better picture of the castle.

Still had a half hour until meet the bus and head back to the ship. So enjoyed a beer at Whighams Wine Cellars. The bar tender had a good recommendation for local beer.

​Boarded the bus on time and had a 30-minute ride back to South Queensferry dock. When I arrived back, there was an extremely long line for the tender. The weather had worsened and the tenders had to stop going between the dock and the ship. I texted Mike to let him know I was at the dock and was waiting for the tenders. I was supposed to be back on ship by 9pm, instead it was 11pm. Oh, it was raining the whole time, and the sun had not set yet.

The crew from the ship were being very careful as people were boarding the ship from the tender. My raincoat held up very well. The outside looked very wet, but I was dry underneath. It was a very long day but so interesting.​

We had an excursion scheduled to take a boat to a small island that has very old ruins, but the weather is not cooperating, and it was canceled.  Instead, we have a bus tour which is pretty fantastic.

The ride through Lerwick and into the countryside was very nice.  Lerwick is the largest city of just over 7000.  Only 16 of the Shetland Islands has permeant residents.  
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Shetland ponies!​ Shetland ponies are common as are Shetland sheep both are smaller than other breeds.  They both have an extra coat to protect them during winter. The current count is 8 sheep per person.

Our drive will take us past several ruins of old building are scattered around the island, but we are visiting a very important ruin called the Jarlshof Prehistoric and Norse Settlement.  This is on the most southern part of the Shetlands, and we will have to drive across the runway of the only airport on the islands.  Yes, the only two-lane road on the island crosses a runway to access the rest of the island.

When the Neolithic people arrived, the islands had large forests.  Over the next several hundred years all the trees were cutdown to be used for construction or firewood.  None of the original species of trees exists today.

The broch would once have been a massive round stone tower, with several floors above ground level.  One surviving broch on a nearby island is from the same time period and is over 40 feet tall.  The iron age settlement failed long before the next group arrived.

Vikings from Norway settled at Jarlshof in the 800s. The traditional longhouse was built. 

Next a medieval farmhouse was built here in the 1200s but it was just an improvement on the Viking long houses.  For 300 years, a small community lived on the site.

Later Earl Patrick Stewart's son of Robert ruled the area.  In 1608, Robert Bruce was a tenet of the home but after a quarrel Patrick sacked the building to drive Robert Bruce out.

Sir Walter Scott visited the site in the 1800s and it inspired him to use the site in the novel he was writing at the time called "The Pirate".  He then named the site after the ‘Jarlshof’ or earl’s house in the novel. Its proper name is Sumburgh, from the Old Norse ‘Borg’, meaning ‘fort’.

The site is very large and has lots of history.  With close access to the sea and the many large rocks along the shore it was easy to see where the building materials were found.

We stopped into a small village for a toilet break, shopping, and possibly a hot tea or chocolate.  They even had an electric car charging station.

Lots of nice views of the countryside on our return trip.

As the bus got back to Lerwick, it started a very cold rain.  Soon we were back on the ship warming up and watching the city as we pulled away.

We arrive in port and are greeted by rain, lots and lots of blowing rain.  We were glad we did not have an excursion planned. The weather did not clear until late afternoon and all aboard was 5:30pm. 

We relaxed and watched the rain and the wet people walking on the pier.

Rant Warning: 
Personally, I think wind turbines are a horrible idea.  Land based turbines are bad for the environment and offshore they are worse.  Yes, I said it.  Just a small amount of research will teach you about the massive amount of pollution produced to make each turbine and that does not include the birds killed along with insects.  I know some insects are annoying but that includes lots of dead butterflies and who doesn't like butterflies. 

Don't get me started on the impact of ocean wind turbines on sea wildlife.  These things are loud on land.  Stand under one you will find out they put off a very low frequency "womp" as each blade passes. You can feel it in your chest. Imagine an undersea mammal trying to navigate by sonar and call out to others with 100s of turbines nearby creating noise.  A passing ship may be a noisy annoyance, but these never stop and the ship will eventually leave.  Countries are installing 1000s each year creating huge swaths of ocean near shore that must be to marine mammals like an enormous rock concert in the ocean.

It is nearly impossible for an individual wind turbine to generate enough green electricity to offset the amount of electricity used to make it. It is impossible to overcome the amount of pollution generated to make a turbine into "green" electricity.

​All of the material used in the construction was mined.  
Iron, Coal, Limestone, Manganese, silica sand, soda ash, kaolin, feldspar, alumina, Quartz, calcite, micas, tourmaline, copper ore, Bornite, Malachite, Azurite, calcium, clay, gypsum, .....  ALL mining is done with huge equipment that operates on diesel.

Then all that material is transported (diesel trains and trucks) to a forge that processes it into raw materials like large blocks of aluminum, copper,  steel, ....  Then that is transported to the manufacturing site that makes the different parts.  Generators, Steal structure, blades, cables, liquid concrete, ....

Once parts are made, they must be transported to the installation site along with 40 or more concrete trucks.  All operating on diesel.

The standard land-based turbine uses:
More than 250 tons of forged Steel and offshore turbines each use more than 1,000 tons.
Copper 4 to 5 tons in the generator and wire to transmit to the base.
1,200 tons of concrete for the base dug in the ground. 100 ft steel columns offshore.
The aluminum, carbon, or graphene blades are environmentally "expensive" to create.
Of course, there are the transmission lines between the towers and the substation.

That does not include the diesel used to transport all the parts and the enormous diesel crane that lifts it into place.

Wind turbine service life is hoped to be 20 to 25 years. The blades rarely survive 20 years.  Most will never reach that because of damage or becoming obsolete as new more efficient systems are discovered.

Don't get me started on solar panels.

Sometimes it is just better to be blissfully ignorant.

End Rant.

A huge offshore grid connection system derrick was near us in the port.  It was nearly ready to be installed offshore to manage power from the enormous wind turbine installation.  There are 1000s of offshore wind turbines around the world and more installed every year.  Off the shores of Europe, there are huge swaths of turbines.

We did plug into shore power at this port.  This will become common in the future. 

Tonight was a fancy dress evening.

When we got back to our cabin we were greeted with a towel animal and chocolate.

Our excursion tour in this port will take us to a Viking Long house, beach, and an overlook.

It is a pretty island with some really creative architects. One building was just bazar looking.

First stop is the Viking Long House. We will take a guided tour, see the museum, and visit the gift shop.

The original house was built in around 500 AD and was modified several times. Final version was the largest long house that has ever been found. The reconstruction is based on the final house built in the year 900 AD.

As we enter the Long House, we are greeted by our Viking guide.  Women commonly managed the houses and kept the oral history of the clan.  She had us pick a seat on one of the benches which were covered by reindeer fur.

After her presentation and answering lots of questions, we were able to look around the house.  It is huge.  This is a reconstruction of the remains of the real house that is a nearby archeological site. The house was enormous and it measured over 270 feet long, 30 feet wide and tall.  This reconstruction was constructed to exactly what they found. 

These houses contained everything of the village chief, from his home, meeting hall, kitchen, horses, armory, and treasury.

As we leave, we walked through the museum of items found here.  There was an actual Viking ax head.

The view from the parking lot of the long house was impressive and I am sure that was the point.  Anyone approaching the house was to think. Power!

The next stop was a beach.  Very different from our beaches in Pensacola.  These are surrounded by mountains.

Shells

Back toward the port but first a stop for an overlook.

Back in the port we are getting some rain and with the bay getting rough the tenders are slowed some.  There are some huge cod fish here.  Examples were hanging to dry near our dock.

Being Norway, a long company name is normal.

Tromso has the nickname of the "Gateway to the Arctic".  A long skiing and hiking season attracts students to the University.

We went to the local university to see a science museum on the area and Northern Lights planetarium.  It was down two levels below ground.  It is common for the majority of a building to be below ground.

There are lots of older buildings here.

As we drove through town we passed the most northern Burger King, and Hard Rock Cafe.

Next, we crossed the bridge to the other side of town to see the cathedral.

​The Arctic Cathedral which has a cold war bomb shelter in the basement and is currently used as classrooms for the church. The big shelter doors are still in place.

It may be a surprise but somewhere in the world almost every flower grows wild and may even be considered a weed.  These grow everywhere.  Even in ditches on the side of the road.

Pulling away from port gave us mountains.