The Fleet Report and Daily for Tuesday August 1st, 2023

[richwmn]

 

Today is National Girlfriends Day, National Mahjong Day, and National Mountain Climbing Day
 

A children's story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children's story in the slightest.--C.S. Lewis

Meal Suggestion for today - Baked Eggplant Parm
Drink of the Day - Downward Facing Daiquiri
Wine of the Day - Blandys - Madeira Rainwater Medium Dry 0
Destination of the Day - Walvis Bay, Namibia

Today in History:
1774 English chemist Joseph Priestley discovers oxygen by isolating it in its gaseous state

Ship Locations
 

Eurodam

Glacier Bay, Alaska 0700-1600
 

Koningsdam

Skagway, Alaska 0700-2000
 

Nieuw Amsterdam

Ketchikan, Alaska 0700-1500
 

Nieuw Statendam

Copenhagen, Sweden 0700-1800
 

Noordam

Glacier Bay, Alaska 0830-1830
 

Oosterdam

Kusadasi
 

Rotterdam

Molde, Norway 0800-1700
 

Volendam

At Sea destination Vancouver, Canada eta 02 Aug
 

Westerdam

Juneau, Alaska 1300-2100
 

Zaandam

Sydney, Nova Scotia 0800-1700
 

Zuiderdam

At Sea destination Nanortalik, Greenland eta 02 Aug
.

 

 

[portofrome]

Thank you for the Fleet Report.

[rafinmd]

Thank you Rich, Vanessa, Debbie/Tina, Ann, and Dixie for the first Fleet Report and Daily of August 2023.  I'll pass on the Mahjong but celebrate the other 2 days.  I've climbed a few mountains in my younger days; the most challenging are probably Katahdin in Maine and Mt. Marcy in New York.  I've also climbed several times to the highest point in Maryland, but it's where the slopes of Backbone Mountain cross the state line, somewhat below the actual summit.

 

I'll also celebrate Priestly's discovery and like the Lewis quote. 

 

.I've been to Walvis Bay just once, 2014 on the Crystal Serenity.  I was due to return in 2020 on Queen Mary 2 but you can guess how that turned out.

 

I'm not sure about the meal.  My alternative is Fruit Pallet des Artiste, Iced Melon Bisque and Grilled Ginger Chicken Breast with Mango Lime Relish as served on MS Prinsendam August 1, 2011.

 

Looks like a beautiful August 1 in Maryland.

 

Roy

 

[puppycanducruise]

Rabbit   Rabbit   White Rabbit 

 

Good morning.  Thanks for the Report.  Welcome August, please be a good month.

 

Cool and clear here this morning, only 8C (47F) when Bertie and I went for a walk, a little bit cooler than I would like for this time of year.  It should warm up to a pleasant 24C (75F) this afternoon.

 

Girlfriends are important.  I'd like to learn how to play mahjong.  I don't climb mountains.

Love the quote.

I'll pass on the meal.  I'm sure I'll like the drink and the wine.

I've never been to today's port.

 

Prayers for everyone.  Cheers for all the celebrations.

 

Have a wonderful day.

[seagarsmoker]

Good morning Dailyites and thank you for the Daily Report! I hope everyone has a great day! 

[grapau27]

Rabbit, Rabbit white Rabbit 🐇.

Thank you for today's daily reports Rich.

64°F and partly sunny here.

I have never played Mahjong or climbed mountains.

I had plenty of girlfriends before meeting my lovely Pauline.

Prayers 🙏 for good health to all.

I hope everyone has a great day.

 

Edited August 1, 2023 by grapau27

[1ANGELCAT]

Good cool and sunny morning. It’s currently 62 and only going up to about 80. 
Today is also the 40th anniversary of National Night Out. This is a way for people to meet their neighbors and get together with first responders and police in a community celebration. Many locations have a cookout and other activities. All events are free. 
My friend B( Barb) had been diagnosed with early stage Pancreatic cancer. Surgery is scheduled for Friday, followed by chemotherapy. 🙏.   Blessings and prayers to all on our lists.

 

[puppycanducruise]

@1ANGELCAT  Prayers for your friend Barb.

[ottahand7]

Good morning everyone. Thanks for our Daily reports Rich.  I don't play Mah Jong, with asthma I never did any climbing in my youth but I stay in touch with my girlfriends back in MD and PA.  Good quote by CS Lewis.  Pass on the eggplant, we'll see about the daiquiri  it if I had one it would be dark rum.  I use that Blandy's for cooking.  Nothing better than a vintage Madeira.  Priestley really had a breakthrough discovering gaseous O2.  One of the fathers of modern chemistry. 

I hope all went well for baby Murphy yesterday, continued prayers for her recovery and her family who have had their world tipped upside down.    Prayers for all on our Care list and the people of Ukraine. 

We went to town yesterday since we are out of bait and John was bored. I am never bored here always too much catching up to do.   Have a nice day!  Nancy 

[0106]

 

🐇🐇🐇Eggplants, also known as aubergines, belong to the nightshade family of plants and are used in many dishes around the world. Although often considered a vegetable they're technically a fruit as they grow from a flowering plant and contain seeds. There are many varieties that range in size and color.  I love Baked Eggplant Parmesan.  It is usually labor intensive so it is frequently what I order in Italian restaurants.  When I have prepared it, I use smaller eggplants, I peel them and cut them into about ½ inch rounds.  Although many salt prior to cooking, I do not.

 

This Baked Eggplant Parmesan breads the slices with panko and bakes them before layering them in a casserole with cheese and sauce and placing back in the oven until the cheese melts.

 

Grandma's Baked Eggplant Parmesan This eggplant parmesan recipe is baked in the oven, takes about 15 minutes of preparation.   It is breaded with crushed cornflakes, unusual but the recipe’s author says that’s what makes it taste so good. No frying in batches.  The outside of the eggplant still gets crispy and flavorful before the sauce and cheese is added on top because of the  to a buttered dish. (I would substitute olive oil)

 

This recipe gives you the option to Bake or Fry the Eggplant: Classic Parmesan It includes an easy recipe for homemade San Marzano tomato sauce.  Homemade sauce always improves a dish.

Sending you peace, healing and all good wishes. May your life be good.

[Mr. Boston]

Rabbi rabbit rabbit.  Good morning everyone.  Thanks for the daily report, recipes and lists.  Nice collection of days.  While I’ve never climbed a mountain I did climb the Precipice near Acadia National Park a one and done for methanks.  I like the quote.  I’ll pass on both the meal and drink suggestions today, I’m not an eggplant fan.  I haven’t been to today’s port.  Prayers for everyone on our prayer list.  Cheers to those of you who are celebrating happy events today!

[ottahand7]

@1ANGELCAT  prayers for your DF Barb.  Although the surgery is massive and the chemo a test of her lifetime there is hope.  My dear neighbor back in MD was misdiagnosed for 18 months by a major Baltimore medical center she is now a 10 years survivor.  She went to hell and back but she is healthy again. They are making strides in the treatments. 🙏

[JazzyV]

Today’s Care list:

RMLincoln’s DH’s eye surgery today

Smitty34877’s DH Lou starting chemo

Cruising sister’s great niece Murphy post-op, lung infection, back on ECMO

NextOne’s friend Denny with a large stroke, and his DW Bonnie

Mamaofami’s DH Sam recovering from brain bleed

Sharon in AZ’s family member’s situation

All Dailyites going through worries and stress, whether mentioned or not

Ill pets – Kazu’s Ivan, Heartgrove’s Sam. Cruising sister’s Molly

 

Canadian/US/Greek wildfires, storms/flooding, dangerous heat conditions

Shooting victims again and again

Citizens of Ukraine

 

From the rotation:

StLouisCruiser’s friend’s DB Mark with bile duct cancer

Catmando with eye infection; cancer recurrence, treatment being decided on

Tana’s pulmonary issues

Lobsternight’s great nephew with bike crash, multiple fractures, surgery

Cruzin Terri still without AC

 

 

Celebrations and Shoutouts:

Welcome home Norseh2o!

Scrapnana completed chemo and recovering 

Ger_77’s DH showing some improvement from gout attack

Mamaofami’s DH Sam home from the hospital 

The Daily Gardening Club posting wonderful flower pictures

All the contributors to the Fleet Report/Daily

 

Upcoming Cruises or At Sea:

 

5 days for Copper10-8 (Nieuw Amsterdam Aug  to Aug 13)

 

AV8rix (Nieuw Amsterdam to Aug 13), Dfish (Zaandam to Aug 23), StLouisCruisers (Zaandam to Aug 23) and NextOne (Zuiderdam to Aug 25)

[summer slope]

Rabbit, rabbit, White rabbit.

 

Downward Facing Daiquiri cocktail:

 

Ingredients
1 part DeKuyper® Pucker® Watermelon Schnapps
1 part Cruzan® Aged Dark Rum
splash of Lemon-Lime Soda
Watermelon Wedge
Mint Sprig
2 parts Sour Mix

Instructions
Blend with ice and serve. Garnish with a watermelon slice and a sprig of mint.

 

[RedneckBob]

Thanks for the Fleet Update and General Info to all the contributors.

 

National Mountain Climbing Day. I use to climb mountains and still do. Every time I go home I have to climb a mountain here in Florida cause the house is 42 feet above sea level. I can even see Russia from here! 😀

Seriously the last major mountain I claimed was off the VoV cruise in 2010 in Iceland. We stopped at this small island on the southern end of Iceland where next to the port was the +800 foot tall volcano. This volcano actually erupted years ago and the locals had to constantly pour water on the lava from keeping it from blocking the channel into the port. It was interesting that as you climbed the volcano the hotter the ground got and at the top I would guess the ground was over 100 degrees.

[Lady Hudson]

Good morning.  Prayers for all in need.  Special prayers for baby Murphy.

 

Should be a beautiful day here in PA.  I am back to my walking regime now that the temperatures have eased up.  Hoping that temperatures will ease up in the parts of our country that still have not had some relief.

 

Girlfriends Day — I like it!  I am fortunate to have a close knit group of friends for the past 30 or so years.  All former teachers and we have other’s back.  I appreciate all of them.

 

Best wishes for a great day.  Katherine 

[kochleffel]

Rabbit, rabbit. None of the special days does much for me.

 

I would be fine with eggplant parmesan, and you can deliver it at 6:00 p.m. Pass on the drink, OK on the wine. Taylor's makes a so-called Madeira in the Finger Lakes but of course it is totally inauthentic. I haven't been to Walvis Bay.

 

My typical breakfast at this time of year is overnight oats, but this morning it was cold in the house and I warmed the oats in the microwave.

 

 

[cat shepard]

Thank you for today’s R & D, Rich! It is lovely this morning, though the humidity is already present.  Yesterday’s trip home was uneventful. We were a bit delayed taking off, but made up most of the time in the air. Traffic on 95 was decent, since it was only midday when we merged into it. Dropped my Sister and her grandson off, picked up Bindi and headed home. It was so good to be here.  I had a huge salad for “lupper”, did my laundry, took Bindi for a couple of walks and then just chilled. 
 

Vanessa, thank you for sharing our happenings. Today I head to the gym, then Aldi. Chores, Bindi walks and some picture sharing should keep me busy. If I am really lucky, I will get some pool time in. 
 

 

 

 

 

Prayers for all who need our support. Cheers to all who are celebrating! Get well & stay well everyone!

 

**********

Blandys - Madeira Rainwater Medium Dry 0

I do not remember ever having Madeira, but it sounds interesting. I would definitely taste it. Numerous online and local distributors with online prices starting at $14.99.

Winemaker Notes

A medium-dry Madeira which combines soft fruit and dry nutty quality. Serve lightly chilled as an aperitif.

WW93 Wilfred Wong of Wine.com

The Blandy's Rainwater Madeira is fresh, bright, and tangy on the palate. TASTING NOTES: This wine shines with aromas and flavors of nuttiness and a slightly salty tang. Serve it with a plate of lemon-accented, raw oysters. 

Edited August 1, 2023 by cat shepard

[grapau27]

50 minutes ago, 1ANGELCAT said:

Good cool and sunny morning. It’s currently 62 and only going up to about 80. 
Today is also the 40th anniversary of National Night Out. This is a way for people to meet their neighbors and get together with first responders and police in a community celebration. Many locations have a cookout and other activities. All events are free. 
My friend B( Barb) had been diagnosed with early stage Pancreatic cancer. Surgery is scheduled for Friday, followed by chemotherapy. 🙏.   Blessings and prayers to all on our lists.

 

Prayers 🙏 for Barb that the op on Friday is successful along with the chemotherapy.

[dobiemom]

Rabbit 🐇 rabbit 🐰 white rabbit! 🐇

[kazu]

Rabbit, rabbit, white rabbit.

 

thanks for our Tuesday Daily, Rich.

 

I will happily celebrate National Girlfriends day - I’d be lost without mine and even though it was yesterday, I’ll celebrate Mutt’s day every day - but especially today as that all important 2nd shot that I have hopes for is being given to Ivan today.  🤞 

 

 

Love the C.S. Lewis quote & I loved his books.  I still have his trilogy upstairs in my library.

 

Tina @0106 your recipes look delish.  If you would make it for me, I’d happily enjoy 😉 

 

Madeira is a tasty fortified wine @cat shepard I will definitely take mine with the oysters 😉 

 

So many daily-ites suffering or worried.  So sad.  Hoping Baby Murphy made out ok last night on her first night without her ECMO.

 

@1ANGELCAT  sorry to hear about Barb.  Prayers for her 🙏 

 

and prayers for everyone on the care list - those suffering loss, health issues and worries.  Cheers to those celebrating 🥂 

 

 

Have a good Tuesday all.

 

 

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

We have been to Walvis Bay twice, but not on a BHB.  In 2002, it was the next to last stop on the P&O world cruise.  In 2009, it was the next to last stop on the Tahitian Princes cruise from NYC to Cape Town by way of Greenland, Iceland, Dover, etc.  Walvis Bay is a small town, and Swakopmund is the bigger town several miles away.  My pictures will be a collection from both cruises.

 

In 2000, we took a airplane fight over the dunes and along the coast.  This first picture is of the tallest dune as we flew very close to it.

 

Salt from salt ponds near Walvis Bay is a big industry there.  These are the salt ponds, and the salt from the ponds that is read to ship.

 

In 2000, we found a taxi to take us around Walvis Bay and to Swakopmund, while we rented a car in 2009.

 

These are pictures from Walvis Bay.

 

The Hotel Swakopmund

 

The name of this restaurant caught my attention.

 

A couple more pictures of Swakopmund.  There is a definite German influence here and in Luderitz further south.  The Germans settled this area and mined diamonds at least 100 years ago.

 

Another tourist area near Walvis Bay is Dune #7.  We did not attempt to climb the dune, just watched the others.  The big ball is driven to the top of the dune, and once the people get in it through the hole in the end, it rolls down to the bottom.  The brave people in the picture are the singers and dancers/cruise staff from the Tahitian Princess.

 

Finally, from the stern of the Oriana, is Walvis Bay looking toward the dunes as the sun was setting.

 

Lenda

[smitty34877]

Good morning. The windows are open to a nice breeze and 67 degrees. It is a pleasure.

Thanks to all who wished DH well and sent prayers our way. Vanessa @JazzyV, thank you for his inclusion on the list. This will go on for three months and DH could be on the rotation if you agree. We are managing fairly well with a few complications. The patient portal works well to get quick answers to technical  issues with the pump and for questions regarding medications.

I met my best friend while a student in Boston. We have spoken to each other at least once a day since way back in 1972 when we met. 
My DB brought a mah jong set home from Vietnam and the family learned quickly. We played furiously for a few years and then went back to card games with family gatherings. I would love to play again.

Eggplant parm is saved for special occasions here as it is a pain to make whether baked or fried. I will try the second recipe next time though as it has cornflakes for the topping. Thank you Tina @0106.

Today I must get to the grocery store and then start cooking. I think today we will have hamburgers on the grill so I will make potato salad as a side dish.

Have a great day everyone.

[StLouisCruisers]

Rabbit, Rabbit, White Rabbit!  Good morning friends!  We are docked in Sydney, Nova Scotia today.  DH and I will go ashore in a short while and do our exploring.  No tours planned here.  It's 67 and partly cloudy with a chance of some showers this afternoon.  Thank you Rich @richwmn for our Daily.

 

Prayers for all those in need especially Maureen's DH @RMLincoln, Lou, Chuck, Baby Murphy and @1ANGELCAT's friend Barb.🙏  Cheers to those celebrating!🥂 Thanks to Vanessa @JazzyV, Tina @0106, Dixie @summer slope and Ann @cat shepard for their reports today.

 

 

DDIL and older brother Kai are flying to Frisco, TX today to visit a while and help pick out some furnishing for their Texas apartment.  Ren is practicing early in the mornings with the team and DS is trying to keep things running smoothly both there and back at his job in Ann Arbor.  DH and I will spend a week there in Texas in September so things should be running smoothly by then.

 

Last night the ship's time turned forward 1 hour and tonight it will move forward half an hour.  We are in Corner Brook, Newfoundland tomorrow.  That's followed by two sea days so I hope they let us move the clocks back that half hour.  I'm not a fan of the half hour time difference!

 

I have not been to Walvis Bay, Namibia.

 

Today we saw the Caribbean Princess backing up past our ship apparently to a dock nearby.  I haven't looked out to see the lay of the land yet.  Better get ready though while the sun shines!  Have a wonderful day!

 

 

[rafinmd]

Slight correction on my first post today.  My visit to Walvis Bay was not on Crystal Serenity but it was the same trip.  I sailed Crystal Serenity to Cape Town where I had a 3-day layover and then continued on MS Amsterdam to Fort Lauderdale, saving me a lot of flying while providing a lot of pleasure.

 

Roy