Bimmer 09 sails APEX to Iceland June 2023

[Bimmer09]

There is a monument on a hill in Newtownards called Scrabo Tower and from our school bus in the 1960's we could see it from 12 miles or so away once the bus turned onto Strangford Lough

Joyce and Tim would meet us at the parking lot near the summit.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scrabo_Tower

They were waiting and we walked the last 500 yards which was uphill. We walked at a leisurely pace as those yards were steep.

 

 

Pics of Joyce and Tim will follow at our next stop. I was here to take bird's eye photos of the town I went to high school in and later moved to when 17 and working in Belfast.

There's a golf course up this high which Tim declares very tricky. He's a rabid golfer as is Joyce.

 

The Mourne Mountains in the distance 

 

 

Strangford Lough appears at left

 

 

Strangford Lough now at left. Our school bus followed its contours-a very scenic way to get to school.

 

The runway is used by light aircraft and helicopter tours are available at the small airport

 

My high school is in this shot-halfway up the shot at right. Look for the green rectangle which is the sports field-red brick buildings with pale green roofs to the R of the field.

 

 Rugby was the main sport played. Billy and I also ran for the cross country team and Scrabo Hill was a route we had to run.

 

The town of Newtownards has sprawled somewhat since the  1970s when I left 

 

 

It's time to move down the coast of the lough a few miles to our next stop which I had chosen with Carol in mind...

Edited July 2, 2023 by Bimmer09
add link

[Bimmer09]

                             MOUNT STEWART GARDENS

Our school bus passed this twice a day. I had last visited it in 2003 my last visit home.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Stewart

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Bimmer09]

The walkers

including my young sister Joyce and husband Tim

 

 

 

 

The CC photo software is often not up to snuff

 

 

 

 

More

[Bimmer09]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More

[Bimmer09]

Palm trees grow happily in the temperate N. Ireland climate

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More

[hcat]

Every photo is wonderful...great colors and composition!

[Bimmer09]

1 minute ago, hcat said:

Every photo is wonderful...great colors and composition!

 Thank you! I was using a camera which isn't a one-button press and so it is rewarding to see the result. 

[Bimmer09]

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Bimmer09]

My dear old friend Astrid, came to find us on her day off work. She's the friend, originally  from the Faroe Islands that I mentioned many pages ago.

 

 

 

We had to leave soon to keep to my schedule. Joyce and Tim were going home to prepare a garden buffet for us while Carol Billy and I were going to my birthplace and the place I lived until I was 17.

[bunnyette]

Love this part of your cruise!

[dani negreanu]

Norris, as always following and thoroughly enjoying your pics and review, but you had me with those flowers and the amazing gardening.

 

Thank you.

 

Glad you had beautiful weather for your visit "home" 😎

[Bimmer09]

Along twisty narrow roads we drove until Greyabbey before turning east to meet up with the Irish sea for our drive to Portavogie, the Easternmost harbor in Northern Ireland (Norn Iron as the locals pronounce it fondly). Here both Billy and I were born and grew up. A place where front doors were left open on warm days. When kids stayed out playing soccer under the streetlamps at night, where seldom was heard a discouraging word and neighbors mingled and respected each other.

Billy still has a home here-the home he was born into. He also has a home near London.

 

I lived with my grandparents from age 5 to 15. My parents took me there one night to visit and a storm came up so rather than have me walk home with them (half a mile) they left me with my granny. She spoiled me with treats and when I woke up and looked out the window in the morning and saw the harbor filled with trawlers and the sea crashing ashore I was hooked....and stayed 10 years. I went home to mum on Sundays for fantastic Sunday lunches. Most of my adult relatives were men who one to sea. Billy and I spent our free time on the beach or the harbor which was an exciting place to be at night when the boats came home to unload their catch of cod, haddock, herring, whiting and prawns.

 

In this picture the window under the 2nd chimney from the right is where I watched the harbor and the sea every day. If it was stormy it was quite a show. If sunny I could see the Isle of Man in the distance.

 

The dirty trawlers in this shot have been abandoned due to the expense of having them broken up. Not good behavior. In the 1960s the boats were all made of wood and varnished and painted with pride. Those days are gone. I had the keys to my grand dad's trawler and Billy and I could play on it on weekends. We destroyed a lot of German U Boats in our play acting.

 

My bedroom window as seen from the harbor-between the two chimney's at center

 

Billy who was an award winning Creative Director for some premium Ad Agencies in the UK made a plaque for my  old home

 

 

 

 

 

Alas the owner of the house heard us talking outside and opened the front door to see that was going on. Billy explained very diplomatically and there was no conflict. Billy was peeling off the sticker during this explanation.

More

[Bimmer09]

 

 

 

 

 

 

A mural honoring Britain's most famous footballer George Best from Northern Ireland. He lived in Portavogie in the later years of his life.

 

 

We leave Portavogie on time to make our last appointment-  a buffet at Joyce and Tim's and the appearance of my older sister Freda and her husband Stuart. We last saw them in Las Vegas in 2004, so they have met Carol before. 30 minutes would get us there on time.

[Jasperdo]

Love that Heritage Marker on your old home. Classic!

[theopup]

What a beautiful day you have had. Thanks for sharing the stories, and incredible pictures.

[Bimmer09]

 We arrived back in Newtownards 5 minutes early (A.B.E) Freda and Stuart were already there and we spent a wonderful 2 hours.

Tim was my bartender and poured me a welcome beverage

 

 A professional pour  by a Master!

 

We sojourned to their garden 

 

 

Joyce created a fabulous buffet including some Portavogie prawns in my  honor. We dined indoors with the french windows open. Two hours passed very quickly, in my case aided by Tim and his Jamesons pours. We had just 8 hours for all we have enjoyed today and soon Billy would be driving us back to the ship in Belfast.

 

Carol took a photo of the three Adairs

 

I hope to see everyone again next year on a land visit!

So much catching up to do...

[lola2013]

The photo of you with your sisters is wonderful. 🥰.  I can’t lie; I am a bit weepy thinking about how great it is that you had this family reunion after so long.

Susan

 

[Bimmer09]

Oh- I forgot to mention that while in the buffet on our June 13 sea day, I met the Eden waiter Desy who was at a host stand there. We got talking and I asked her if there was a chance of a window seat in Eden as we left Liverpool. She had her computer there and fired up the Eden booking page. She could give us a window table if we could eat at 6 p.m. I'll take it!

it wasn't in her section but she and her team would serve us. That's all I needed to hear.

Norris

[MisterMet]

4 hours ago, Bimmer09 said:

The walkers

including my young sister Joyce and husband Tim

 

 

 

 

The CC photo software is often not up to snuff

 

 

 

 

More

great that you got to see family and friends.  Must’ve been nice to be back home.

[Walt fan]

I have to say your day with friends and family made me a bit misty eyed; what an absolutely lovely day; your pic with your sisters is one to treasure; thank you for sharing your birth place and home town with us

[Bimmer09]

19 minutes ago, Walt fan said:

I have to say your day with friends and family made me a bit misty eyed; what an absolutely lovely day; your pic with your sisters is one to treasure; thank you for sharing your birth place and home town with us

It was a very special day for me after so long away. I put the cameras down and just enjoyed the company of people I have known for all my life. It was a private get together and I made a speech of sorts thanking everyone for playing a part in my very rich life. I was very moved.

Norris

[PurpleTraveller]

Thank you for another wonderful review of your journey. I am so pleased that you had a fantastic day connecting with your family and friends. Such a great thing to do while travelling. I'm thoroughly enjoying following your travels and look forward to reading more. Thanks again.

Allison 😊

 

[perfect match]

On 6/23/2023 at 1:06 PM, Bimmer09 said:

                                   APEX

We checked in at 12.30 and were onboard by 1 p.m. Cabins were ready by 1.30 and we found our way to 8310 all the way back at the stern a couple floors above Eden. We booked an SV (Sunset Verandah) which has a door to a short corridor shared with 8308 a Sunset Sky Suite. Quiet but you can hear people in the cabin next door (8312) talking when in the 8310 bathroom.

Designed by British designer Kelly Hoppen whose favorite color is beige/blah and who has a fetish regarding toss pillows in profusion. I tossed most of them.

 

 

 The room is well designed when it comes to storage except half the wardrobe is too short to hang pants (mine) by their bottoms using the crocodile clips provided so they have to hang folded in half. First world problem and no biggie. Our clothes including Polar jackets for Iceland (there's a clue to the climate in the name) were stuffed in. Lots of drawer space and desk-top space. There's a white box on the desk to charge things designed by someone who never charged things in a  ship's cabin (close but no cigar) but luckily another charging place by the starboard side of the bed where my Canon battery chargers fit. USB sockets in the white box got plenty of use. No major complaints about the cabin. Nice job.

 

Top marks for the bathroom!

 

 Superb spacious shower with its clamshell door which stays closed. No water gets spilled. Great pressure, temperature controls. Decent towels. No plumbing issues for 12 days. No bar soap (bring from home) just pumps with bath gel, shampoo and conditioner of unknown origin.

 

Space, space and more space. Sink long enough to bath a baby in or for passengers with giant hands and hot dog fingers.

 

The balcony didn't get a lot of use in Iceland but fab in the UK and for the sunny sailaway from Rotterdam.

 

 

A small home that served us well for 12 days. 

As is her custom Carol uses Clorox wipes to clean the surfaces one touches- handles, faucets, phones etc before unpacking. I get out of her way for a short while.

Norris

We just booked our first Celebrity cruise thanks in part to the Beyond moving back to the Caribbean next year. I know that move was bad news for you since you were looking to book a Med cruise, but good for us because it allowed us to book an 8 day cruise to the ABC islands. I’ve been wanting to get back there, so we’re booked in a Sunset Verandah on deck 10, 10297 to be exact. I went back and looked at your post because even though you were on Apex and we’re on Beyond the main difference I found with regard to our respective rooms was the way the cabins were numbered. 
 

Barry and I love aft cabins so I’m sure we’re going to love this one. I was originally looking to book deck 8, but when looking at cabin videos saw some where the poster, who was on deck 7 said there was enough noise from the entertainment space below them on deck 6 to keep them awake at night. I decided to book a few decks higher than my usual choices just in case deck 8 might be noisy too. I know you said you could hear people in the cabin next door to you so I’m wondering if you could hear the noise from deck 6 as well.

 

My mother went on a land trip to Iceland back in 1975 or so. At the time I had no idea why she came home all excited and saying what a wonderful trip it was. I don’t know if she took any pictures because I really don’t ever remember seeing them if she did. She was definitely not the photographer in the family so it’s quite possible that there were no pictures, and even if there were, I’m sure that they’re long gone by now. Anyway, after visiting Iceland virtually with you I finally get it! I now have Iceland, Norway, and Amsterdam on my bucket list. I don’t know when or if I’ll get there, but I’m definitely motivated! 
 

My favorite ❤️ part of this GSJ so far though is your stop in Ireland 🇮🇪 and your visit with friends and family there! It sounds to me like you had a perfect day! Thank you very much for sharing it with us! 

[macsford]

Norris, every one of your pictures of Co. Down is a beautiful memory of a place so very familiar to me.

Mountstewart really is wonderful.

Most people who visit Norn Iron seem to talk of the scenery of the Antrim Coast and Giant's Causeway but for me nothing can touch the Co. Down coast. 

 

I am waiting to see if you have any pictures of my home area (Ballyholme and Bangor) to starboard as you sailed out of Belfast Lough.

Sandra

 

 

 

[Bimmer09]

 

We are back onboard Apex with a lot of swag. Billy gave us a framed photo of Portavogie taken when the boats were looking their best as I had described. Freda gave us a big bag of British candy bars including some Cadbury chocolate bars. Luckily Carol had just bought an expandable suitcase! I was totally out of room before we left Chicago.

The only thing missing was my Sony camcorder. I recalled setting it on the ground to shake hands with Billy as he was leaving. I scampered back to the dock to the spot in question. Not there. I figured someone might have found it and (a) kept it or (b) handed it in. So I went to Customer Service on Deck 3 and told them to let me know if found. It cost mucho but more importantly had this cruise's videos. The camcorder could be replaced.

 

We sailed at 8 pm. My sister Freda told me she saw Apex pass Portavogie at 10 p.m and she mentally waved but we were asleep by 9 and had no dinner as we were well stuffed at Joyce's buffet and worn out by the fun of our brief visit.

In the morning we would be docking in Liverpool at 8 a.m.