The Fleet Report and Daily for Friday July 8th, 2022

[Overhead Fred]

We are back in Saint Paul a day early. We were about to check out of the motel yesterday morning when the SIL called. She just came down with Covid so no stopping for our planned visit!

 

She thinks she picked it up at an outdoor 4th of July event...

[Cruising-along]

Good morning all!

Rushing to leave for DD's in an hour, to do last minute fill-in  babysitting while she has an in-office meeting in Seattle.  

 

No body painting for me, I've never cared for motorcycles, and since DS got badly injured riding his, I really don't like them.  He still has problems with his leg from that injury (needless to say, he dumped the bike).  Blueberries are "ok" but I'd much rather have just about any other berry.

 

Will pass on the meal and drink, but the wine sounds nice.  We were in St. Peter Port once, and spent the day at Castle Cornet.  My photos are too much like those already posted, so won't post mine. The quote is a little amusing.

 

Well, off I go -- into the morning Seattle traffic.....have a good day everyone!

 

 

[kazu]

16 minutes ago, Overhead Fred said:

We are back in Saint Paul a day early. We were about to check out of the motel yesterday morning when the SIL called. She just came down with Covid so no stopping for our planned visit!

 

YIKES 😱. Hope she is feeling better soon and so glad you found out in time before your visit 👍 

 

1 hour ago, Lady Hudson said:

Got a call last night that we can now go to visit DSIL at rehab tomorrow.  Covid protocols seem to have lessened.  So that is our Saturday plan.

 

that is really good news 👍 Enjoy your visit.

 

17 minutes ago, dfish said:

Thank you to both of you for your kind offers.   Maybe one of you would like to do the first week and the other the second week?    Email me so we can decide how we want to do this and I can send you the list of meals for the dates in question.    My email is dsilverstein at neo dot rr dot com.   Put Meal of the Day in the subject line and I'll know it isn't spam.   

 

You have mail 😉 

[kochleffel]

There was no bloodshed in the meeting yesterday -- difficult to do that online -- but there was one naturally bossy person who got on my nerves. I wanted a drink afterward, but didn't get it until much later.

 

I'm trying to remember to go to the farmers' market this afternoon and maybe there will be blueberries.

 

[cruzn single]

I though I was fairly early for today, and it is already Page 3!  Definitely no early bird postings are usual for those of us in Mountain/Pacific time zones?  Interesting group of days.  Not sure about the meal--can't quite get over the fish eyes staring at me!  I love it when my DSIL takes me in his sidecar motorcycle.  I always feel quite safe with him.  He was a motor cop for number of years and actually had specialized training at the big track at Daytona.

 

It is a beautiful day here.  Currently not a cloud in the sky, but by afternoon, that will be changing.  Thankfully, it seems that we are having somewhat of a monsoon season.  Fire danger is quite low right now, but that can change quickly.  For right now will take monsoon rain, in whatever amounts we get.

 

Got a long day in yesterday for Red Cross.  Back to the office today to finish our project from yesterday.  Then this afternoon, I will be doing my afternoon of volunteering at my DsD's church for their Food Bank ministry.  Usually about 200 families receive a good amount of food to help them get through the month. Then out to dinner with a friend - Mexican food here I come.

 

I love the stories of getting foreign currency.  When I tried here locally, no bank would order it for me.  Wells Fargo is the only one, and then I would have to have an account with them.  Guess that the fact that I have WFC stock isn't enough!  I love living in a small town!  I will just plan to use an ATM when I get to Amsterdam in October!

 

Have a great day, everyone!

[1ANGELCAT]

@marshhawk, I have ordered foreign currency thru my AAA club pre Covid. 

[rafinmd]

Greetings from Moynihan Train Hall, sort of the new Penn Station.  Disembarkation was pretty good except for the amount of walking while loaded down.  Transfer was a bit slow but very easy and I arrived about 9:45 for my 2PM train.  Sitting on the balcony of the Metropolitan Lounge enjoying a blueberry muffin, my answer to Blueberry Day.

 

Roy

[StLouisCruisers]

2 hours ago, TiogaCruiser said:

Good Morning All,

Love blueberries, usually have them with my yogurt for breakfast and the past decade we’ve been able to get them fresh year round. Costco usually has a good deal. All these pictures are making me want to go to Britain even more. Maybe one of these years we’ll book with P&O and cruise the islands.

 

The book sounds interesting, so I found this trailer when I googled it. I think I’ll do the movie so I can see the scenery, and the clothing. 😀

I think I recognize at least 2 faces from Downton Abbey, no?
 

Today is clean the house day, an appointment with podiatrist and one with my car dealership for new tires. The latter I find almost unbelievable, but they are offering the exact tires my car came with at about 60% of what the tire store wants for the same model, and I really like them. I’ve put 52k miles on them. And I get a $75 rebate from Subaru. ( I’m still wondering what I’m missing here.)

Have a great day everyone!

 

I really, really want to see the movie version!  I've read the book twice and enjoyed it both times.  

[SusieKIslandGirl]

@ger_77Fajitas?? I thought today was Friday. 😜

[kazu]

14 minutes ago, SusieKIslandGirl said:

@ger_77Fajitas?? I thought today was Friday. 😜

 

You are one sharp cookie. Yes, @ger_77what happened to the pizza??? 😂 

[ger_77]

35 minutes ago, SusieKIslandGirl said:

@ger_77Fajitas?? I thought today was Friday. 😜

 

21 minutes ago, kazu said:

 

You are one sharp cookie. Yes, @ger_77what happened to the pizza??? 😂 

OMG, you just blew me out of the water . . . I thought it was Thursday from the moment I woke up this morning!  Heck yes, the fajita fixings are staying in the fridge - I'll be perusing the online menus to see what pizza appeals to me!   Thanks for bringing me back to reality, girls !!

[Cruise Suzy]

10 minutes ago, ger_77 said:

I thought it was Thursday from the moment I woke up this morning!

 

[kazu]

13 minutes ago, ger_77 said:

 

OMG, you just blew me out of the water . . . I thought it was Thursday from the moment I woke up this morning!  Heck yes, the fajita fixings are staying in the fridge - I'll be perusing the online menus to see what pizza appeals to me!   Thanks for bringing me back to reality, girls !!

 

Oh good to know things are normal at the frozen tundra household 😂 

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

18 minutes ago, ger_77 said:

 

OMG, you just blew me out of the water . . . I thought it was Thursday from the moment I woke up this morning!  Heck yes, the fajita fixings are staying in the fridge - I'll be perusing the online menus to see what pizza appeals to me!   Thanks for bringing me back to reality, girls !!

 

Maybe @Horizon chaser 1957 needs to start posting the elevator mat pictures again.😉

[kochleffel]

I used to subscribe to a morning newspaper partly to find out what day it was.

 

[Horizon chaser 1957]

Good morning, all! This is normally the height of blueberry season, but everything is late and I haven’t seen the pickers out on the blueberry farms yet. This is a good day to use up one of the last bags in the freezer from last year and make a blueberry pie. I have my motorcycle license, but haven’t ridden one in years except as a passenger. In college, my room mate and I used to drink rye and apple juice. Bars didn’t serve that, but we drank it in our room. Who knew it would grow up to become an actual cocktail some day?  Like @0106 I enjoyed reading The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, although I haven’t been there.

DH’s doctor called this morning, and the MRI was normal. Whatever that brain lesion is they discovered a few years ago may be, it’s not changing and is not anything of concern.

@marshhawk we always use a Currency Exchange locally before we travel. They have better rates than the bank does. Just type currency exchange into the Google search bar and it will give you a map with exchanges near you. Although, since you just need one currency and not multiple ones, your bank would be a good option. I would get it before you go. Keep it in the safe in the cabin and only take ashore what you need for that port. Use a money belt or secure INSIDE pocket. Pickpockets are common and can smell tourists a mile away. In those tourist spots that take US dollars, you pay a very heavy price. Things are always cheaper in local currency. For major purchases use a credit card. Visa and MasterCard are widely accepted, AmericanExpress isn’t. You can usually exchange money on the ship, but the rate isn’t good. There are also ATMs on shore if you run short, but be cautious of who’s around you.
Above all, avoid the trap of converting everything to US dollars before you spend. That way lies madness and squeezes the joy out of your day. Know roughly what equals $10 and $100 USD in Euros and estimate. You want to know if the necklace you’re  buying is roughly $20 or $200. You don’t need to convert the price of a sandwich, unless having lunch in the US instead is a viable option. Just compare the Euro price against the cafe across the road.

Wow, sorry to carry on like that. I hope some of it helps though. You’re going to have such a great time!

Happy Friday, everyone. Maybe I should have stuck with a BHB elevator mat photo after all!😂

Edited July 8, 2022 by Horizon chaser 1957

[Tbay]

4 hours ago, kazu said:

The book is better than the movie - but that is true for so many movies made from books

Just borrowed the ebook from our library. Anxious to read it.

Thanks everyone for the pictures of today's port.  One for the bucket list.

I live in a city named after Sir Isaac Brock.

If you like blueberries......nothing like wild blueberries from Northern Ontario.  Yummy

[grapau27]

5 hours ago, marshhawk said:

So my question today is regarding money on a cruise.  

 

Cruising the Caribbean, every where we have gone people accept American dollars.  But we are going to Italy, Greece, Turkey, Spain and Portugal.  How do we get dollars changed into Euro?  I can book the excursion here in the states, but when I'm in Italy and need cash for several days,  for tips to tour guides in other countries?  Do the ships carry a bank of foreign cash?  Do I go to certain bank in the US before I leave? 

 

I have decided to create a "book" of your responses, I have printed out the suggestions, ideas and knowledge that you have all shared with me about my Trip of a Lifetime (Toal)so far. And I really need  your knowledge!  The last time I was in Europe was 71, and then it was in school, and I was given my allowance weekly from the school.

 

Thanks, have a great day!

Be careful with ATMs especially if exchanging small amounts as the charges are sometimes fixed per transaction.

Most European resorts have foreign exchange shops and kiosk's.

Usually the rates improve at these outlets if you buy over 100 Euro's.

Personally I buy my Euro's and Dollars from my TA but have exchanged £ sterling for Euro's many times in European resorts.

Graham.

 

Edited July 8, 2022 by grapau27

[JazzyV]

Good afternoon. Thanks for the Fleet Report/Daily.

Face painting is ok for me, but no body painting. I just bought blueberries today. Motorcycles look like fun, but I'd be scared to ride one for fear of being hit by a car. Funny quote.

I'll pass on the meal (fish), drink and wine. 

I haven't been to St. Peter Port. Thanks for the pictures @StLouisCruisers @Quartzsite Cruiser @kazu .

 

Whew. Quite the morning. When I got up this AM and looked at my iPhone, just a blank screen. I knew it was charged. I tried the recommended pressing of buttons, but not until after I set off the SOS by accident! I think I stopped it before it got to BFF, since he didn't call. I set up an appointment at the Genius Bar, but then tried connecting it to the PC. Lo and behold it started up and was fine, so I cancelled the Apple store appointment. I had backed up the phone just a few days ago, but that wasn't needed. Then I ran a couple of errands, to the pharmacy and grocery store. I was masked and about 10% of others were too.

 

@rafinmd Welcome back! Have a safe trip home.

@StLouisCruisers Prayers that Buddy is pain free, and prayers for the family.

@kazu The more plants the merrier? 😄

@dfish Good luck getting the plane tickets straightened out. It shouldn't be this hard.

@marshhawk I have used bank ATM's to get Euros in Europe. I do let my bank know I will be using my ATM card overseas so they don't flag it as stolen or something.

@cunnorl It sounds like the party plans are coming together nicely.

@Lady Hudson Have a safe trip to visit DSIL.

@Quartzsite Cruiser I know that some neurosurgeons around here were using a type of glue/cement in spinal surgeries.

@0106 I'll have to look into that book.

@Overhead Fred Sorry you had to miss seeing SIL due to Covid; hopefully she has a mild case.

@Horizon chaser 1957 Good news on DH's MRI results. 

 

Prayers for the Care List; also the people of Japan. Cheers for the Celebration List.

Stay safe everyone.

[JazzyV]

A couple of pictures from my cactus opening yesterday. It was closed by this morning, and the stalk will turn black and fall off in a few days.

 

Early evening

 

10PM

[bennybear]

Good morning and thanks all!    So many  great photos of Guernsey,  loved the book and the movie!  I’m going to check out the series Foyle’s war too.  DH had a number of motorcycles including a chopped Harley sportster in the seventies.   A lot of fun, And I could always hear him before he arrived 🤷‍♀️
 

We did have some tornadoes touch down, but luckily no loss of life.  We escaped the worst of it. 

@ger_77 I too was upset about former Prime mInister Abe, so senseless and such a shock for Japan and the rest of the world. 
@TiogaCruiserour dealership was cheaper for tires than Costco,  who knows? 
@dfish what great recipes and photos!  
@cat shepardinteresting wine,  couldn’t tell if it was Oaked? 
@JazzyVbeautiful bloom! 
@Quartzsite Cruiser glad you have a good doc, hope all goes well!
 

my Japanese peony is blooming!

Edited July 8, 2022 by bennybear

[HAL Sailer]

@marshhawk I echo the advice to only use a foreign ATM at/in a bank.  

 

Another tip: One of our banks provided us with a separate ATM card tied only to a separate, permanent Travel Account. That way, if that ATM card was ever lost or stolen or hacked, a criminal could only access the limited amount of money we have in our Travel Account and could not access our checking, savings, money market, or brokerage accounts held at that bank.

 

We always keep a small amount in that Travel Account to keep it active and before each trip (foreign or domestic) we add the additional amount that we guestimate we might want to withdraw for cash during that trip.That gives us access to ATM cash without worrying that other accounts could be emptied.

 

Fair warning: A couple of banks were not willing to set up this type of separate account with separate ATM not tied to our main accounts. You may need to seek out a bank that will.

 

-Melisa

[TiogaCruiser]

18 minutes ago, HAL Sailer said:

@marshhawk I echo the advice to only use a foreign ATM at/in a bank.  

 

Another tip: One of our banks provided us with a separate ATM card tied only to a separate, permanent Travel Account. That way, if that ATM card was ever lost or stolen or hacked, a criminal could only access the limited amount of money we have in our Travel Account and could not access our checking, savings, money market, or brokerage accounts held at that bank.

 

We always keep a small amount in that Travel Account to keep it active and before each trip (foreign or domestic) we add the additional amount that we guestimate we might want to withdraw for cash during that trip.That gives us access to ATM cash without worrying that other accounts could be emptied.

 

Fair warning: A couple of banks were not willing to set up this type of separate account with separate ATM not tied to our main accounts. You may need to seek out a bank that will.

 

-Melisa

That’s exactly what I did some 8 years ago.

When I fist inquired about it, maybe 10 years ago, my bank, a very large one here in the US, would not allow it. Not sure why they changed their tune, but we have the additional “floating” account with its own ATM card.

[Tbay]

24 minutes ago, HAL Sailer said:

Another tip: One of our banks provided us with a separate ATM card tied only to a separate, permanent Travel Account.

That's a great idea.  Will check with our bank. Thank you.

[kochleffel]

26 minutes ago, TiogaCruiser said:

we have the additional “floating” account with its own ATM card.

 

In my case, the ATM card for travel is associated with an account that I don't use for anything else, but it's my only checking account at that bank. The original reason was to avoid foreign ATM fees.

 

Based on experience, though: always have a backup ATM card for a different account, and be sure also to inform that bank that you'll be traveling, just in case something goes haywire.