The Fleet Report and Daily for Monday August 7th, 2023

[richwmn]

 

Today is Friendship Day, International Forgiveness Day, and National Lighthouse Day
 

A baby is God's opinion that life should go on. - Carl Sandburg

Meal Suggestion for today - Vegetarian Moussaka
Drink of the Day - Laphroaig Back Yard Collins
Wine of the Day - 1000 Stories - Bourbon Barrel Aged Zinfandel 2020
Destination of the Day - Heraklion, Crete Greece

Today in History:
1955 Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering, the precursor to Sony, begins selling its first transistor radios in Japan

Ship Locations
 

Eurodam

Juneau, Alaska 1300-2200
 

Koningsdam

Tracy Arm/Endicott Arm/Juneau, Alaska 0900-0930
 

Nieuw Amsterdam

Hubbard Glacier, Alaska 1500-1800
 

Nieuw Statendam

Flam, Norway 1000-1800
 

Noordam

At Sea destination Ketchikan, Alaska eta 08 Aug
 

Oosterdam

Trieste, Italy d1700
 

Rotterdam

At Sea destination Lerwick, Shetland Isles eta 08 Aug
 

Volendam

Ketchikan, Alaska 1100-1900
 

Westerdam

At Sea destination Juneau, Alaska eta 08 Aug
 

Zaandam

At Sea destination Isafjord, Iceland eta 08 Aug
 

Zuiderdam

At Sea destination Rotterdam eta Amsterdam
 

[portofrome]

Thank you for the Fleet Report.

[puppycanducruise]

Good morning and thank you for the Report.

 

We had rain overnight.  This morning it's overcast and humid with more rain showers off and on all day.  It's Civic Holiday here so a lot of people have the day off.

 

A good collection of days.  Friendship is extremely important.  I know it's important to forgive, but sometimes it's hard to do it.  I like lighthouses.

Good quote.

I like moussaka so I'm happy to see a new recipe.  I think I'll like the drink but I'll pass on the wine.

I haven't been to today's port.

 

Prayers for many.  I hope there are lots of reasons to celebrate.

 

Have a wonderful day.

[grapau27]

Good morning.

It is 63°F and sunny here.

Thank you for today's daily reports.

If only countries adhered to international forgiveness our world would be a much safer place.

There is a lot of friendship on here because we are honest,caring and nice people.

A good quote today.

Herakleion is a nice port.

We visited Crete in May 2013 on Royal Caribbean Navigator of the sea's.

I hope everyone had a safe and well weekend and everyone has a lovely day.

[seagarsmoker]

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

[StLouisCruisers]

Good morning friends! Well the clocks moved forward another hour last night and we're getting tired now!  The time changes can stop!  Thanks Rich @richwmn for posting our Daily and Fleet Report.  We are at sea and every time I leave my cabin I'm notified I've left my air tags behind in the Greenland Sea.  Thankfully they stay put and I always return to them.

 

Such nice days today, friendship, forgiveness and lighthouses!  I applaud them all.  Love the quote too.  Want to say thanks to our food and beverage ladies even if I don't mention the items.  Thanks Tina @0106, Dixie @summer slope and Ann @cat shepard for your reports.  Also thanks go to Vanessa @JazzyV for the lists today.  Prayers for our group and others not mentioned that we know need our good wishes.  Cheers to the celebrants and cruisers!  Report from DS that last night's game with Miami and FC Dallas was a good one.  The score was tied at 4-4 until penalty kicks took Miami over the edge.  Messi is just too good, DS says.  They had a wonderful time at the game.

 

Port today is Heraklion (otherwise known as Iraklion), Greece.  We had that port Sept. 2, 2021 and Sept. 26, 2022 so here are the links.  And guess what?  My photos appeared in those posts!  I'll post them below too.  Thanks to all who post their pics today! 

 

 

 

I had to check our 2014 Prinsendam Holy Land cruise itinerary to see if I had actually been to Iraklion (Heraklion), Greece.  Yes, we had on Oct. 30, 2014.  So I looked at the photo book I made to see what the story was for that port.  Apparently it rained very hard, but we and our two friends walked off the ship anyway.  I don't remember much except I believe we stood under an overhang for a while to escape the downpour.  Luckily it didn't rain hard all day so we were able to walk around the town some.  This would be a great port for a re-visit so I can learn more about it and see things through fresh eyes.

 

Iraklion, or Heraklion Greece.  This is the Koules fortress on the western pier of the harbor.

 

It appears that you should build with what you have, so they did.  Must be a lot of rock/stone here!

 

 

The Town Hall also called the Venetian Loggia

 

A marketplace

 

 

 

STAY!

 

A good place for people watching

 

The Cathedral of Saint Minas is a magnificent Greek Orthodox cathedral which took 33 years to build due to major political interruptions.  

 

 

 

 

Can you believe the woodwork?

 

It's beautiful inside.

 

 

 

 

As we left you see the front elevation.  The rain had stopped!

 

This is the older, smaller Saint Minas.  It was too small to meet the needs of the community  so they built the larger cathedral next to it.

 

Yes, I'd like to go back.  I'm sure there's plenty of things we missed that day.  Watch for Iraklion or Heraklion on your Greek itineraries.

 

Have a great day today!

[rafinmd]

Happy Monday.  Thank you Rich, Vanessa, Tina, Dixie, and Ann for the Monday report.  I have not been to Heraklion.  I think Forgiveness and Friendship are a nice matched pair, and I love seeing lighthouses, most of which are majestic.  I wonder if Sony really knew what that first transistor radio would lead to.  I just love the Sandburg quote.  No idea what the meal is.  My alternative is Assorted Garden Greens, Marinated Pineapple Spears and Tagallatelle Verdi Alla Conti as served on MS Prinsendam August 7, 2011.

 

If memory serves me I believe this is @Mr. Boston's first work day of retirement.

 

Roy

[summer slope]

Laphroaig Back Yard Collins cocktail:

 

Ingredients
1 1/2 parts Laphroaig® Select
3/4 part Lemon Juice
1/2 part Orange Juice
1/2 part Vanilla Syrup
3/4 part Heering® Cherry Liquor
1 Dash Angostura® BittersLight
Lager 1
Lemon Wheel

Instructions
Combine all other ingredients except lager in a cocktail shaker and strain into a Collins glass with fresh ice. Top with a light lager beer and garnish with a lemon wheel.
Vanilla Syrup:
1 cup Water
1 cup Sugar
1 Vanilla Bean
Instructions: Combine vanilla syrup ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil (1 cup water, 1 cup sugar, 1 vanilla bean split open). Let cool and strain.

 

[grapau27]

8 minutes ago, StLouisCruisers said:

Good morning friends! Well the clocks moved forward another hour last night and we're getting tired now!  The time changes can stop!  Thanks Rich @richwmn for posting our Daily and Fleet Report.  We are at sea and every time I leave my cabin I'm notified I've left my air tags behind in the Greenland Sea.  Thankfully they stay put and I always return to them.

 

Such nice days today, friendship, forgiveness and lighthouses!  I applaud them all.  Love the quote too.  Want to say thanks to our food and beverage ladies even if I don't mention the items.  Thanks Tina @0106, Dixie @summer slope and Ann @cat shepard for your reports.  Also thanks go to Vanessa @JazzyV for the lists today.  Prayers for our group and others not mentioned that we know need our good wishes.  Cheers to the celebrants and cruisers!  Report from DS that last night's game with Miami and FC Dallas was a good one.  The score was tied at 4-4 until penalty kicks took Miami over the edge.  Messi is just too good, DS says.  They had a wonderful time at the game.

 

Port today is Heraklion (otherwise known as Iraklion), Greece.  We had that port Sept. 2, 2021 and Sept. 26, 2022 so here are the links.  And guess what?  My photos appeared in those posts!  I'll post them below too.  Thanks to all who post their pics today! 

 

 

 

I had to check our 2014 Prinsendam Holy Land cruise itinerary to see if I had actually been to Iraklion (Heraklion), Greece.  Yes, we had on Oct. 30, 2014.  So I looked at the photo book I made to see what the story was for that port.  Apparently it rained very hard, but we and our two friends walked off the ship anyway.  I don't remember much except I believe we stood under an overhang for a while to escape the downpour.  Luckily it didn't rain hard all day so we were able to walk around the town some.  This would be a great port for a re-visit so I can learn more about it and see things through fresh eyes.

 

Iraklion, or Heraklion Greece.  This is the Koules fortress on the western pier of the harbor.

 

It appears that you should build with what you have, so they did.  Must be a lot of rock/stone here!

 

 

The Town Hall also called the Venetian Loggia

 

A marketplace

 

 

 

STAY!

 

A good place for people watching

 

The Cathedral of Saint Minas is a magnificent Greek Orthodox cathedral which took 33 years to build due to major political interruptions.  

 

 

 

 

Can you believe the woodwork?

 

It's beautiful inside.

 

 

 

 

As we left you see the front elevation.  The rain had stopped!

 

This is the older, smaller Saint Minas.  It was too small to meet the needs of the community  so they built the larger cathedral next to it.

 

Yes, I'd like to go back.  I'm sure there's plenty of things we missed that day.  Watch for Iraklion or Heraklion on your Greek itineraries.

 

Have a great day today!

Excellent presentation of photos and descriptions Sandi @StLouisCruisers.

[0106]

Moussaka is a traditional Greek eggplant casserole made of eggplants and potatoes, a rich, tomatoey beef or lamb mince and topped off with a deliciously creamy bechamel sauce. It is a traditional comfort food.  Today’s vegetarian moussaka will eliminate the meat and sub a vegetarian protein.

 

Vegetarian Moussaka from the Mediterranean Dish  Layers of roasted eggplant, potatoes, and zucchini with a tasty chunky tomato-lentil sauce nestled in, and topped with creamy bechamel sauce.  This dish uses black lentils which are petite and cook fairly quickly. They have a wonderful, creamy consistency, a full-bodied and earthy flavor. Not to mention, they're a great source of protein, polyphenols, iron, and fiber.

 

Eating European's Vegetarian Moussaka adds zucchinis, spinach and feta to the layers of eggplant and potatoes, and tomato sauce with a hint of cinnamon and cheesy béchamel.

 

My Greek Dishes' Vegetarian Moussaka For this veggie moussaka recipe, meat is replaced with a delicious juicy mushroom based sauce. To prepare the sauce chopped mushrooms are sautéed in olive oil, flavored with onions and garlic and then simmered in white wine and tomato sauce. 

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

[RedneckBob]

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

 

Both National Friendship and Forgiveness Days were yesterday 8/6/23.

National Lighthouse Day. Let’s shine a light on this day.

No new cruise stories yet.

[richwmn]

10 minutes ago, RedneckBob said:

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

 

Both National Friendship and Forgiveness Days were yesterday 8/6/23.

National Lighthouse Day. Let’s shine a light on this day.

No new cruise stories yet.

I guess I should find a better list to highlight days. The list I have doesn't seem to handle days that are listed as things like the first Sunday in August.

We can substitute Beach Party Day, National Sea Serpent Day, and Purple Heart Day.

 

[cat shepard]

Thank you for today’s R & D, Rich! Another wild T-storm last night. This one didn’t start until 10, so at least Bindi and I had finished her bedtime walk. I could feel the thick moisture in the air. Quite different this morning!

 

Vanessa, thank you for taking the time & trouble to keep up with all of us. Gym, Bindi walks, chores & pool time will keep me busy. And the continuing quest for my Sister’s supplemental health insurance. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

I couldn’t resist adding this one…

 

 

Prayers for all who need our support. Cheers to all who are celebrating! @Mr. Boston savor today!

 

Get well & stay well everyone!
 

 

********

1000 Stories - Bourbon Barrel Aged Zinfandel 2020

I laughed when I bought my first bourbon barrel aged Cab at Aldi. Until I tried it. I have since tried a red blend aged in bourbon barrels & enjoyed both of them. The barrels add a smooth, rich feel to the wine when sipping it. Not bad for a $10.99 wine.
 

Critics and consumers give this Zinfandel a very good rating, and it is reasonably priced. Online prices start at $14.95.

Winemaker Notes

This is a transparent fruit-forward style Zinfandel with juicy red fruit flavors like strawberry, raspberry, and black cherry. The wine is plush and soft in the mouth supported by a mouthwatering acidity and warmth of the extra touch of residual alcohol, vanilla, coconut, and toffee notes contributed by bourbon barrel aging. 

WW92

Wilfred Wong of Wine.com

 The 2020 1000 Stories Barrel Aged Zinfandel delivers excellent satisfaction on the palate. TASTING NOTES: This wine shines with aromas of red berries and oak. Enjoy it with grilled short ribs.

[GTVCRUISER]

[aliaschief]

Good morning. Let’s prepare for another hot and very humid day. We did get more showers yesterday with an additional two inches of rain. So I have turned off the sprinkler system and saving a few bucks.

Hopefully, the tree service work crew will show this morning and will get that project completed so I can get other things checked off on my “to do” list.

We have been to today’s port of call and thanks for the pics.

Thanks for the reports and featured daily post. Have a great week. Bruce

 

 

[JazzyV]

Today’s Care list:

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

Mamaofami’s DH Sam back in the hospital for brain bleed

1Angelcat’s friend Barb post-surgery for pancreatic cancer

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

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

Ill pets – 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:

Lady Hudson’s DH needing PT for leg strength

Rafinmd working on getting stronger

Smitty34877’s DH Lou having side effects from chemo

Catmando to start immunotherapy this week

 

Celebrations and Shoutouts:

Retirement of Mr. Boston

Cruzn single’s move almost complete

Catmando ok to cruise

Kochleffel getting accepted into graduate program 

Kazu’s Ivan doing better

The Daily Gardening Club posting wonderful flower pictures

All the contributors to the Fleet Report/Daily

 

Upcoming Cruises or At Sea:

 

AV8rix (Nieuw Amsterdam to Aug 13), Copper10-8 (Nieuw Amsterdam to Aug 13), Dfish (Zaandam to Aug 23), StLouisCruisers (Zaandam to Aug 23) and NextOne (Zuiderdam to Aug 25)

[Mr. Boston]

Good morning everyone.  Thanks for the daily report, recipes and lists.  Great collection of days friendship, forgiveness and lighthouses.  I like the quote.  Probably pass on the meal and drink suggestions today. I haven’t been to today’s port.  For my first official workday as a retiree I have the dentist, lunch and laundry on the agenda, so many decisions!  Prayers for all on our prayer list.  Cheers to those of you who are celebrating happy events today!🥂

[dfish]

Good morning, everyone!

 

Sea day today.

 

 

 

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Thanks for the info. 

[Heartgrove]

Thank you Rich, thank you Tina, thank you Vanessa, thank you Ann, and thank you Dixie for all your work. And thank you everyone for being here!

 

We visited today's port by default. On our second leg of our Mediterranean Collector aboard the Nieuw Statendam we were scheduled to call on Piraeus but do to weather conditions it was cancelled with Heraklion substituted. That year it was not on HAL itineraries so I was pleased to go there instead. HAL did a great job with rallying together excursions. We elected to just take the port shuttle (another container port so no walking off the ship) to the HOHO bus stop. That took us to the Palace of  Knossos which was rather crowded. Sue gathered more material for her art work while there. Then we took the HOHO on the remaing part of it's route to the Eleftherias Square for a snack. Then back to the ship. On that cruise I learned to carry a guidebook for the region as we had three port substitutions over our 20 days aboard.

 

Stay Safe, and prayers for those in need today.

 

- Jack

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 7, 2023 by Heartgrove

[cruising sister]

Good morning,

I am recovering from a busy weekend with the grand kids. It is a good tired. No new news on Murphy. The surgeon will be back from vacation today and difficult conversations will be had. 
 

I am happy to celebrate Friendship day both in person and online. Friends have helped me get through tough times. Thank you my online friends. 
 

I am behind on reading the daily so I want to offer prayers for those in need and well wishes for celebrations I have missed. Everyone have a great day. 

[RedneckBob]

31 minutes ago, richwmn said:

I guess I should find a better list to highlight days. The list I have doesn't seem to handle days that are listed as things like the first Sunday in August.

We can substitute Beach Party Day, National Sea Serpent Day, and Purple Heart Day.

 

Thanks richwmn.  Now I can handle National Sea Serpent Day. Can we say Loch Ness or is it Elliott Ness? 

[aliaschief]

16 minutes ago, dfish said:

Good morning, everyone!

 

Sea day today.

 

 

 

Love sea days. Enjoy!

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

Good morning from central Texas where the sun is just beginning to make an appearance.  It is already 83F and feels like 88F.  The humidity is up a little to 69% with with a dew point of 72F.  There is a 10mph wind which will help when I take my walk.  Our high will be at least 104F.  

 

I'll celebrate friendship day and international forgiveness day even if it is a day late.  We enjoy seeing different lighthouses around the world, some of which are unique.

 

I like the Carl Sandburg quote.

 

I like moussaka, but am not sure about vegetarian moussaka.  I made the meat version once, and it took most of the day to get everything ready to assemble and put in the oven.  It was eaten, but the family was not wild about it.  We'll pass on the drink, but I would like to try the wine.

 

In 2019 on Veendam, we spent a day in Heraklion.  I'll repost my pictures in a few minutes, some of which will probably be the same as Jack's @Heartgrove

 

Today marks another leap forward in communications and sharing news, information and music.

 

Of Rich's @richwmn alternate days, I'll celebrate Purple Heart Day.  We are too far from the coast to celebrate Beach Party Day and Sea Serpent Day.

 

@Mr. Boston  I hope hope retirement is everything you expect it to be.  It will take some time to adjust to the new normal.

@cruising sister  Lorraine, I hope the surgeon has some ides for helping Baby Murphy.  I'm sending positive thoughts the family has the strength for whatever comes next, and that it is a good outcome.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lenda

[ottahand7]

Good morning,  no sea serpents here or a beach to have a party. We should recognize Purple Heart achievers every day.  A good quote by Sandberg.  Pass on the moussaka, take my Laphroaig neat and will pass on today's wine.  @StLouisCruisers and @Heartgrove thank you for the photos of Heraklion.  

Prayers today for Baby Murphy and her family.  Prayers for all on our Care list and the people of Ukraine.  Prayers for the three lost CA firefighters who perished in a helicopter crash and the victims of flooding in Juneau.  

A quiet day here, we hauled firewood and stacked it in the deck.  Today it might be cutting up a fallen Cedar tree on my property up the road.   Have a nice Monday. Nancy