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Azamara Cruisers - How are things where YOU are


Grandma Cruising
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48 minutes ago, the mice said:

Happy to help.   We  ❤️ Canada and can't wait to be allowed back in.   Will probably be the first place we go once we can safely travel again.

 

I just got my first vaccine shot (Pfizer) this morning and DH goes Thursday.   Then 3 weeks later for shot 2.   So exciting.  DH said I was like a kid going to her first day of school.  Too funny.

 

Hope you and your wife enjoy your Valentine's day concert.


We certainly will be looking forward to the return of our American neighbours. 
We have a daughter very much involved with bluegrass music. She is already thinking of future plans to visit some of the festivals that are, for now, cancelled in the States.

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48 minutes ago, Mackdogmolly said:

Canada will probably be the first place we go, once we can travel again (and the borders are open) too. We miss Montreal so much!!


You probably know of Louise Penney’s Inspector Gamache mystery series largely set in Montreal and a fictional village in the Eastern Townships.
 

I will get my Quebec fix reading her “A Better Man”during this rather cabin-bound winter.

 

And what better way to think again about travelling to Paris than read the latest in the series, “All The Devils Are Here”? For the first time Gamache exercises his skills outside Montreal; namely, in The City of Light.

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20 minutes ago, Grandma Cruising said:

We got our first vaccine shot today, the Oxford Astrazenica one. We had to travel to York (about 30 miles away) to the new mass vaccination centre there to get it.

As the UK has decided it is a priority to get the vaccine into as many people as possible, we won’t get our second shot until April.

Wow - I had read that the dosing schedule for AstraZeneca could go as long as 12 weeks, so I guess they are using that schedule for you.  We are getting our shots at one of the large regional vaccination centers about 12 miles from us, so they schedule dose 2 when you get dose 1.   The distribution issues seem to favor the regional centers and that has caused some problems for smaller vaccination sites (I think some local pharmacies (you call them chemists) and other healthcare centers) that have had to cancel appointments.    So stressful for everyone.   

 

How's your arm?  Mine is a bit more sore than a standard flu shot.   I've heard reaction to the 2nd Pfizer shot can be more severe.  Well, no pain, no gain.   Just happy to be on the road to getting vaccinated and will be even happier when DH gets his shot Thursday.    You were lucky to be able to both get them at the same time.   Scheduling is a nightmare here.

 

One day I am going to get to York.   We were on an Oceania British Isles Cruise in June 2019 (seems like eons ago) and docked in Newcastle-on-Tyne. We had a late port day and I wanted to go to York, but was persuaded by others to go only as far as Durham .  Next time we get to London, we will head up to Yorkshire.  We also ❤️ the UK.

 

 

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1 hour ago, Grandma Cruising said:

We got our first vaccine shot today, the Oxford Astrazenica one. We had to travel to York (about 30 miles away) to the new mass vaccination centre there to get it.

As the UK has decided it is a priority to get the vaccine into as many people as possible, we won’t get our second shot until April.


We are now watching the new version of All Creatures...and still in the period of adjusting to the new actors.

 

For some reason I think the countryside was more beautiful in the original version. But would still love to visit.

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4 hours ago, nordski said:


We certainly will be looking forward to the return of our American neighbours. 
We have a daughter very much involved with bluegrass music. She is already thinking of future plans to visit some of the festivals that are, for now, cancelled in the States.

We love bluegrass music, and have been to a few festivals and iconic towns.  We are usually Florida snowbirds, so can stop on the there and back, and there are festivals in Florida as well.

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49 minutes ago, Wendy The Wanderer said:

We love bluegrass music, and have been to a few festivals and iconic towns.  We are usually Florida snowbirds, so can stop on the there and back, and there are festivals in Florida as well.

Thanks for that post.


You must really be looking forward to the return of “normal” travel patterns.


Since many of the professional musicians are not on the road, some of the fun elements of a festival are available on TikTok. She just played a duet with an excellent guitarist from Nashville.

 

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On 1/26/2021 at 7:57 PM, the mice said:

Wow - I had read that the dosing schedule for AstraZeneca could go as long as 12 weeks, so I guess they are using that schedule for you.  We are getting our shots at one of the large regional vaccination centers about 12 miles from us, so they schedule dose 2 when you get dose 1.   The distribution issues seem to favor the regional centers and that has caused some problems for smaller vaccination sites (I think some local pharmacies (you call them chemists) and other healthcare centers) that have had to cancel appointments.    So stressful for everyone.   

 

How's your arm?  Mine is a bit more sore than a standard flu shot.   I've heard reaction to the 2nd Pfizer shot can be more severe.  Well, no pain, no gain.   Just happy to be on the road to getting vaccinated and will be even happier when DH gets his shot Thursday.    You were lucky to be able to both get them at the same time.   Scheduling is a nightmare here.

 

One day I am going to get to York.   We were on an Oceania British Isles Cruise in June 2019 (seems like eons ago) and docked in Newcastle-on-Tyne. We had a late port day and I wanted to go to York, but was persuaded by others to go only as far as Durham .  Next time we get to London, we will head up to Yorkshire.  We also ❤️ the UK.

 

 

We did get our date for our second shot at the same time as they booked the first appointment. Apart from the very first over 80s who were vaccinated early (starting before Xmas) everyone else in the UK will have a gap of up to 12 weeks, whichever vaccine they had. The idea is to be give as many people as possible at least one shot. Some of our doctors are concerned about it, but currently that’s our strategy.

 

Our arms are a bit sore, and I had a couple of hours today where I felt quite unwell - shivery, headache etc. My DH has felt very tired all day,otherwise we’re fine. As you say, it’s worth it.

 

You should try and get to York, the centre is lovely, especially ‘The Shambles’ (very old street). The Railway Museum is excellent too - and it’s free! 

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13 minutes ago, Grandma Cruising said:

Our arms are a bit sore, and I had a couple of hours today where I felt quite unwell - shivery, headache etc. My DH has felt very tired all day,otherwise we’re fine. As you say, it’s worth it.

 

You should try and get to York, the centre is lovely, especially ‘The Shambles’ (very old street). The Railway Museum is excellent too - and it’s free! 

Glad you are feeling OK.  Definitely worth it - can't wait until February 16 for dose 2.  Hope my DH fares as well after he gets dose one tomorrow.

 

I did extensive research on York and planned out an entire day, planned walk, places to visit, etc. Railway Museum is on the list. I kept all that info so I can easily update it if my plans include a visit.  And doing it by land from London means we can plan for more than just an 8 hour day visit.   The list of places to see grows ever longer....😉

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2 hours ago, the mice said:

Glad you are feeling OK.  Definitely worth it - can't wait until February 16 for dose 2.  Hope my DH fares as well after he gets dose one tomorrow.

 

I did extensive research on York and planned out an entire day, planned walk, places to visit, etc. Railway Museum is on the list. I kept all that info so I can easily update it if my plans include a visit.  And doing it by land from London means we can plan for more than just an 8 hour day visit.   The list of places to see grows ever longer....😉

 

I would seriously suggested staying for several days if at all possible, one day would just be a mad rush.

The Railway Museum alone needs a few hours to do it justice,

We spend a lot of time in York and never fail to find something new, it is our main shopping  centre in normal times. 

 

Edited by Bloodaxe
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4 hours ago, Bloodaxe said:

 

I would seriously suggested staying for several days if at all possible, one day would just be a mad rush.

The Railway Museum alone needs a few hours to do it justice,

We spend a lot of time in York and never fail to find something new, it is our main shopping  centre in normal times. 

 

Oh, you are making me want to be back in the UK so much - we have so enjoyed every trip we have made there, with many wonderful memories.   We just hope you are all staying healthy and safe as we watch what is happening with Covid and Brexit.   (over here, we have our own "stuff" - sometimes I wish my next trip could be to another planet 😉).

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7 hours ago, Bloodaxe said:

 

I would seriously suggested staying for several days if at all possible, one day would just be a mad rush.

The Railway Museum alone needs a few hours to do it justice,

We spend a lot of time in York and never fail to find something new, it is our main shopping  centre in normal times. 

 

Another vote for the lovely city of York. I was born in North Yorkshire and used to visit often. The National Railway Museum is fantastic and is worth a good few hours. York Minster is beautiful. A trip on the river Ouse if the weather is nice. And York is nicely positioned for the Whitby and the North York Moors. 

 

Phil 

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3 hours ago, excitedofharpenden said:

Another vote for the lovely city of York. I was born in North Yorkshire and used to visit often. The National Railway Museum is fantastic and is worth a good few hours. York Minster is beautiful. A trip on the river Ouse if the weather is nice. And York is nicely positioned for the Whitby and the North York Moors. 

 

Phil 

 

Phil a Yorkshireman, that is a surprise, I an an incommer only having lived here for 42 years.

A visit to York and the surrounded area really does need several days

Our Australian friends (we met while cruising) spent a week here a few years ago staying in the City.

We took them up to Whitby on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway steam train from Pickering, that took up a full day but they loved it.

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12 hours ago, Bloodaxe said:

We took them up to Whitby on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway steam train from Pickering, that took up a full day but they loved it.

Is this something that you can do right from York?   We once drove a rental car in England (around Bath and the Cotswolds) and even though my husband is an excellent driver here in the USA (high powered sports cars to boot), he vowed "never again."  LOL.

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15 minutes ago, the mice said:

Is this something that you can do right from York?   We once drove a rental car in England (around Bath and the Cotswolds) and even though my husband is an excellent driver here in the USA (high powered sports cars to boot), he vowed "never again."  LOL.

 

Pickering the southern station of the Moors Railway is about a 30 min drive from York, you could take a taxi or a bus from York.

If you Google Yorkshire Moors Railway you will all find the information.

The ride over the moors by train or road is Spectacular and Whitby is well worth a visit anyway.

It is the home port of Captain Cook and features in the Dracula books.

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Since you have all recommended the Railway Museum in York, I realized I should tell you about our area.   We live quite close to the Croton-Harmon railway maintenance yard which services the Metro-North train system.  Metro-North operates passenger service trains along the east shore of the Hudson River from NY City up to Poughkeepsie (beautiful scenic ride).  We moved up here about 22 years ago from another part of the county.  At one time the facility used to have an Open House day in October where you could visit the maintenance facility, see the locomotives and train cars.  The workers seemed to enjoy sharing their knowledge and the children loved it.   It was quite fascinating to see, even for us big kids.   They don't do it anymore as far as I know, but it was very special.

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4 hours ago, the mice said:

Since you have all recommended the Railway Museum in York, I realized I should tell you about our area.   We live quite close to the Croton-Harmon railway maintenance yard which services the Metro-North train system.  Metro-North operates passenger service trains along the east shore of the Hudson River from NY City up to Poughkeepsie (beautiful scenic ride).  We moved up here about 22 years ago from another part of the county.  At one time the facility used to have an Open House day in October where you could visit the maintenance facility, see the locomotives and train cars.  The workers seemed to enjoy sharing their knowledge and the children loved it.   It was quite fascinating to see, even for us big kids.   They don't do it anymore as far as I know, but it was very special.

That sounds really interesting - what a shame they don’t do it any more.

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16 hours ago, the mice said:

Since you have all recommended the Railway Museum in York, I realized I should tell you about our area.   We live quite close to the Croton-Harmon railway maintenance yard which services the Metro-North train system.  Metro-North operates passenger service trains along the east shore of the Hudson River from NY City up to Poughkeepsie (beautiful scenic ride).  We moved up here about 22 years ago from another part of the county.  At one time the facility used to have an Open House day in October where you could visit the maintenance facility, see the locomotives and train cars.  The workers seemed to enjoy sharing their knowledge and the children loved it.   It was quite fascinating to see, even for us big kids.   They don't do it anymore as far as I know, but it was very special.

The Mice, not at all wishing to put down your local facility. The National Railway Museum is truly on a different level with memorabilia and hardware back to the very early days of trains and steam. It's part of the Science Museum Group. If you ever get the chance, also go to the Science Museum in South Kensington or in fact any of the major museums in London. They are truly spectacular. And most of them are free to enter. 

 

Phil 

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10 minutes ago, excitedofharpenden said:

The Mice, not at all wishing to put down your local facility. The National Railway Museum is truly on a different level with memorabilia and hardware back to the very early days of trains and steam. It's part of the Science Museum Group. If you ever get the chance, also go to the Science Museum in South Kensington or in fact any of the major museums in London. They are truly spectacular. And most of them are free to enter. 

 

Phil 

Phil,  I understand our local facility is not at all comparable to the National Railway Museum, and I don't take what you are saying as negative.   But since some of you had mentioned the Museum, I thought I would just share this.   We haven't been to the Science Museum in South Kensington, but we have toured a variety of the museums and sights in London (including inside Tower Bridge and the tunnel under the Thames from Greenwich).  We also took a trip out to the RAF Museum in Colindale which we thoroughly enjoyed.   We've made a half dozen trips to London and/or parts of the UK,  and there is still so much more to see.   Hopefully, this pandemic ends sooner rather than later, so that's in the cards.

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1 hour ago, the mice said:

Phil,  I understand our local facility is not at all comparable to the National Railway Museum, and I don't take what you are saying as negative.   But since some of you had mentioned the Museum, I thought I would just share this.   We haven't been to the Science Museum in South Kensington, but we have toured a variety of the museums and sights in London (including inside Tower Bridge and the tunnel under the Thames from Greenwich).  We also took a trip out to the RAF Museum in Colindale which we thoroughly enjoyed.   We've made a half dozen trips to London and/or parts of the UK,  and there is still so much more to see.   Hopefully, this pandemic ends sooner rather than later, so that's in the cards.

The RAF Museum Hendon is indeed a nice visit and gets better as the years go by. My dad used to take me there as a kid as I live quite close and the railway line links us so it was easy. And then I took my friends nephews to see it years later and thought it had really improved. 

 

You used to be able to hire the overhead walkways in Tower Bridge for parties etc. Not sure if you still can (notwithstanding covid). The Apprentice UK had one of its challenges in one of them. 

 

I love London and miss going there at the moment. Bring on the vaccines!

 

Phil 

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We had a wonderful walk on one of our local beaches today, Gorleston-on-Sea.  This is the beach from the concert scene in Danny Boyle’s Yesterday film.  The tide was in and the sound of the waves was lovely.  So good for the soul so I have added the video and some photos.  As we are back in lockdown here and the schools are closed, a family were holding a construction lesson on the beach building sandcastles 😉 

 

85EB0CD6-0A22-43DC-A354-AEFA6C1BC509.jpeg

CAA91AC5-2E56-46D6-8708-A9698BFD9220.jpeg

B8148E31-2AA3-4B83-8B06-FD8D9AF33012.jpeg

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