Hot In Alaska, Pt 2: Settling Into The Noordam, Melting In Juneau & What I Forgot

LAUNCHED in 2006, the Noordam is only 9-years-old yet already shows signs of being a faded beauty. The bust of Juliana, former Queen of the Neatherlands, and other decorative features add gravitas and character to the ship. But if one looks closely past the decore the rust and wrinkles are also there. Perhaps that is to be expected with some two-thousand tourists day-after-day traipsing through the lovely façade of what is considered to be a mid-sized ship.

As with any cruiseline, you are meant to feel like a star at Holland America.

I was charmed by this large brass and glass artifact dangling over the spiral staircase to the ship's office. Is this a nucleus orbited by electrons or an artistic impression of a mariner's imagined constellation? Nautical themes, of course, could be seen throughout the Noordam.

This was my first cruise so I explored the ship with interest and imagined being as happy as a clam in chairs designed for mermaids, queens and emperors. An ancient throne replica (below) overlooked the pool.

There were nooks and crannies where one could read quietly or gaze at the scenery away from the crowds. I could feel royal yet comfy in the chair below.

People once roughed the seas in vulnerable vessels, including my parents, but my first cruise was about pampering as well as adventure.

I would have cheerfully slipped into that robe and relaxed were it not for realizing the first night on board that I forgot to bring important tickets and details of the three tours my travel agent at Flight Centre booked for me.

Because I did not forward this information (as I should have done) to my Hotmail address, I was not able to access it. I was also surprised to learn our pre-paid non-refundable tours had NOT been booked through Holland America.

This translated into stress and needing help from onboard customer service. A fellow named Jason who appeared to be a Dutch officer saved the day. It took several phone calls and the weekend to access the data but eventually he was able to provide me with the necessary papers. He even sent a bouquet of flowers to our room because he could see how upset I was. Thank you, Jason!

Hooray ... I could finally relax and look forward to Juneau and our first tour.

The statue (pictured with me below) is of an English bull terrier named Patsy Ann, the town greeter. The much-loved pet of a local always knew when a ship was coming around the bend even though she was deaf. She was laid to rest in 1942 near where her statue and welcoming spirit still remain.

Little did I know how hot it would get in Juneau ... hotter than the weather we left behind. Although I was sweltering in my sweater, it was the last layer left to take off so I was stuck wearing it.

The rush to find our aptly named Last Chance tour made my temperature soar even higher.

Our cruise ship did not dock at the pier in Juneau. Rather, passengers boarded covered lifeboats to get to the shore. People booking tours with Holland America had priority to disembark. Since ours was not one of those, we were scheduled to get off last. Luckily, our tour was delayed so we need not have worried about being late.

As our mini-coach skirted through the bustling waterfront, I learned that jobs in Juneau are mainly in government and tourism nowadays.

The gold that once attracted adventurers was replaced by store after store of souvenirs made in China and diamond jewelry mostly owned by cruise ship companies. Our guide pointed to one of a few shops owned by locals.

The House of Russia (pictured above) was a reminder that in a remarkable lack of foresight Russia sold Alaska for a pittance, giving strategic advantage and a wealth of natural wonders to the United States.

We set off for what I expected would be mountains of glorious shimmering finger-numbing ice. The most impressive "diamond" of all was the shrinking but stunning glacier that is attracting tourists from around the globe.

This once powerful glacier seemed headed for extinction. Mendenhall Lake at the foot of the mountain resulted from a run-off from the glacier. The lake has continued to grow since its formation in the early 30s.

I dipped my hand in the water. It was refreshing but far from cold. Temperatures are warming in southeast Alaska as evidenced by the fallen ice sculptures melting into the water.

For a brief moment it could have been Shangri-La when we approached Mendenhall Glacier at a respectful distance.

Mini-mountains rose from the glacier like frozen sand dunes. The blue hue is a natural phenomena. As I understand it, when ice is extremely old and dense it absorbs the entire spectrum of colours except blue, which it then reflects.

With hot summers like these, I wondered how long this glacier had left before it disappeared completely into the lake.

A robin grooming its feathers in the sun was the only wildlife I saw in Juneau.

We bid farewell to the little bird and the glacier and began our journey back into town to board a lifeboat to the ship where I would thankfully swap my sweater for lighter wear. Next stop Skagway and perhaps cooler weather!

Links to each of my Hot In Alaska cruise posts are as follows:
Pt 1: Setting Off From Vancouver
Pt 2: Settling Into The Noordam, Melting In Juneau
Pt 3: Skagway & The Historic Route To The Yukon
Pt 4: Margerie Glacier Interlude
Pt 5: Picturesque Ketchikan
Pt 6: Sunrise To Remember
Pt 7: Service With A Smile

Visit Postcards From Penelope Puddle to view BC scenes.

To see more sights from around the globe visit OUR WORLD at the sidebar.

Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms

BCers Visit Italy, Switzerland & France; Pt 17: What I Did & Didn't Know On My Travels

MY WORLD is in BC as well as the places I travel. I needed a nudge to leave the comforts of home to visit Europe, particularly in these times of travel frustrations. My husband and I did our best to prepare for what awaited us in countries we never set foot in but felt we knew through books and media. There was much we didn’t know in hindsight, not only about the emotional experience but also about the small peculiarities.

There were a lot of firsts in Europe. We could not anticipate how seeing Venice for the first time would make us feel. As we sailed closer to the city seemingly suspended over water, we marveled at how ancient yet futuristic it appeared on the horizon. The crumbling magnificence of the Colosseum in Rome took our breath away. The perfection of David in Florence made history and art intertwine masterfully. Mona Lisa, a surprisingly “little” painting wrapped in mystery, almost brought me to tears. Perhaps it was the right mix of weather and mood, but it was surprisingly more heavenly on top of Mt. Pilatus in Switzerland than in any elaborate church we visited. (This was totally unexpected since I thought I didn’t like heights.) Picturing places didn't compare to soaking in the atmosphere with all five senses of sight, sound, smell, taste and touch.

When traveling to unfamiliar destinations, practical matters needed attention. We planned some things right. My cap, vest and big purse turned out to be good things to take on our trip. Since I'm prone to earaches, the red cap came in handy on a breezy October evening during a boat ride on the river Seine in Paris. My vest with its upper pockets was handy for glasses and for the ear pieces we required during guided tours. Since it didn’t have pockets on the inside, I wore a passport/money purse around my neck under the vest and a "dummy" purse (suggested by the travel agent) containing small change over my shoulder. A woman on our tour had a significant amount of cash stolen from her purse when on public transit. This can happen in any country.

The large purse I brought turned out to be a good idea since knapsacks needed to be stored upon entering many museums. I think this was less about potential threats and more about bulky knapsacks accidentally knocking into exhibits in crowded places. It was a nuisance for some who had to collect their knapsacks after a tour rather than simply exit the building. I'm not sure if men's shoulder bags (or purses) avoid storage. But this might be a solution.

We were glad the hotels booked by our bus tour company provided breakfast. Most included eggs, fruit salad, yogurt, croissants, oatmeal and other cereal as well as fresh fruit. I took an apple with me one morning to snack on during a long bus ride to a new location. I probably should have done this every morning because it was sometimes a while between stops.

Unlike on a cruise, luggage must be transported from bus to hotel at each new location. We thought smaller would be better but noticed other tourists had relatively large suitcases. Our tour director explained bigger pieces of luggage are less likely to get snatched while waiting to be moved from hotel doorways, lobbies and streets where the tour buses park.

I packed comfortable footwear with good support. This is essential since walking is the major activity on tours. Despite my sensible footwear, I managed to have a serious fall.

This quickly made me realize I should also have packed a greater variety of over-the-counter drugs for different aliments. Although I did bring a few things, I didn’t bring the right thing for swelling. Luckily, a fellow passenger offered me an appropriate and familiar brand.

I was surprised to find NO facecloths in our hotels in Italy or Switzerland. I didn’t pack any because I assumed they were common as towels in hotels. Hand towels were too large and awkward to wash my face with and I would have appreciated a lightweight cool facecloth to nurse my wounds after I fell.

On a boat ride in Lucerne, it was nice to see one of these (pictured above) since our tour director discouraged us from using a similar facility on the bus. This REALLY surprised me and is probably because emptying lavatory contents doesn't occur until the completion of a bus tour. Although travel tips suggest drinking lots of bottled water, I felt compelled to limit the intake of fluids while on the bus. In most tourist locations the restrooms had incredibly long waiting lines for women and short to non-existent lines for men. So to the ladies ... it might be wise to bring liners for undergarments just in case.

My husband made a couple of excellent purchases prior to the trip: a battery operated shaver that worked on four AA batteries that lasted the entire two weeks. He also purchased an electric plug adapter for charging the camera battery in hotel rooms. As it turned out, we didn’t need to take the electric hairdryer as one was provided in each of our hotels.

I should have brought a strap for my camera. I missed several good shots not wanting to hold it over water or edges of things. In fact, the camera did escape from my hands once ... and just missed falling into the water in Venice.

Speaking of "shots", I probably should have gotten a flu shot before my travels. There was a very sick little boy near me on the flight home. Whether I got his bug or caught it elsewhere, I was sick for weeks after getting home.

As I said in an earlier post, I was glad my husband wore a brightly colored jacket. I often wore a red sweater under my black vest. It is incredibly easy to get lost in the crowd. One person on our tour did wander away and was eventually found by her husband after a long and worrying search.

I realize now that although we wanted to be prepared, it is the "not knowing" that made our trip an adventure. New experiences, unexpected situations and different ways of doing even simple things like turning on a tap increased the fun. Bumbling through an unfamiliar language just to say “thank you” added humility, joy and laughter to our journey.

Below are links to my stories about Italy, Switzerland and France from the moment our trip began:

Pt 1: The Travel Agent In My World
Pt 2: The Lufthansa Plane That Wasn’t
Pt 3: Insight Vacation Bus Tours
Pt 4: Time Traveling In Rome
Pt 5: Watery Wonders In Rome & Venice
Pt 6: Fragile Enchantment In Venice
Pt 7: The Selling Of Saint Francis In Assisi
Pt 8: Spirit Of Opulence & Art At The Vatican
Pt 9: Graffiti Begs For Attention In Rome
Pt 10: Artistic Flourishes In Florence & Bologna
Pt 11: Sky High At The Eiffel Tower
Pt 12: Through The Looking Glass At Versailles
Pt 13: Art Decorates A Hill Over Paris
Pt 14: Mona Lisa's Million Dollar Smile
Pt 15: My World On Cloud Nine In Lucerne
Pt 16: My World Of Ups & Downs In Lucerne

BCers Visit Italy, Switzerland & France; Pt 16: My World Of Ups & Downs In Lucerne

IN MY WORLD, the cloudy days in southwest BC are reminiscent of the climate we experienced on a recent visit to Switzerland. It was sunny when we toured the peeks of Mt. Pilatus in the Alps but dreary when we boarded the waiting bus below to nearby Lucerne where we would spend the night. Our exhilarating trip up the mountain was followed by a tour of the pretty town where I enjoyed a few sights before stumbling and falling on a church floor.

Surrounded by picturesque mountains, Lucerne rests along the northwest of Lake Lucerne where the Reuss River also flows. It was last October when we were there and geraniums were still in full bloom.

We strolled the waterfront along a mix of traditional and modern art.

I couldn't help notice a blazing red 1991 sculpture called Life by Rotraut.

The plane trees (a type of sycamore) on the path were turning from green ...

to a lovely orange-brown shade ...

before falling to the ground.

The architecture seemed solidly built to withstand natural and other disasters. I believe the Swiss design (shown on flag top right of photo) depicting a white cross in a red background inspired the reversal of colors for the Red Cross emblem adopted at the first Geneva Convention in 1864.

Lucerne buildings (pictured above) were unmarked by the graffiti we noticed in neighboring Italy.

We visited the monument honoring Swiss Guards who died during the French Revolution. They mistakenly thought King Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette and their children were at the Tuileries Palace. Over 700 guards died there, trying to save the royal family from a Parisian mod.

The lion with a broken spear in its shoulder was carved into a cliff in the early 1800s and is mirrored in the pond below it.

A perpetual fair seemed to be going on in modern Lucerne.

Balloons were sold from a cart. In a nearby restaurant, my husband had the most expensive hamburger he ever ate. He said it was delicious. The cost was 30 Canadian dollars.

Along the way, we spotted a brightly painted carousel.

The swans on the river were a picture of grace.

Some swans floated to folks who tossed them food purchased at the walkway.

The covered Chapel Bridge was built in the 1300s to protect the city from possible attacks. There were once historical paintings from the 17th century inside the bridge. Unfortunately, most were destroyed in a fire in 1993. The bridge was restored and many paintings recreated.

An abundance of impatiences flowed over the edge of the bridge railings.

A visit to Old Town was like driving through a movie set of medieval times.

The houses appeared homey and designed with simple charm.

Splashes of color filled some building walls.

Switzerland is historically neutral in armed conflicts but part of peacekeeping missions around the world. Most able young Swiss men must participate in months of basic military training.

The discipline of military training, hiking and boating all contribute to a fit society that enjoys the outdoors. It rained earlier and I noticed a puddle formed in the tarp of this waiting boat.

We stepped into the historic Jesuit church constructed in the late 1600s The decorative baroque features inside were added a century later. I was enthralled by the peaceful atmosphere. There were few people there so I took a moment to meditate (praying for good health) before taking more pictures.

An inconspicuous statue on a wall in the foyer caught my eye. Focusing on the figure, I missed a small step down and fell hard on the floor, clutching my camera. The fall caused major swelling and bruises on my foot, leg and hand.

I went ahead with dinner plans after applying several ice packs at our hotel and taking medication for the pain. The comical “cow” that came to our table later at a restaurant seemed about to lick my wounds.

The jovial talented entertainers on stage provided a much needed distraction.

I was relieved to return to our hotel where I applied more ice to the swelling. I also used hand towels dipped in cold water. I would have appreciated a small face cloth. But there was not ONE facecloth in our hotels in Rome, Venice or Lucerne. I was glad when a doctor who happened to be on our tour examined my wounds and concluded I probably did not have broken bones.

I tossed and turned all night in utter discomfort but was determined to carry on to France where we would spend two more days before returning to BC.

The next morning we drove out of Lucerne through a serene countryside. I was wondering how my sore foot would handle walking in Paris. I did NOT want to miss seeing Mona Lisa at the Louvre Museum.

We passed by an ancient castle sitting on a knoll as if in a fairytale.

Ignorance is bliss. The sun came out as we traveled to France. I had no idea of the awful seating that would await us two days later on our long flight home from Frankfurt to BC. I also didn't know I would spend weeks recovering from flu-like symptoms added to the aches caused by my misstep.

As soon as I got home and before I could unpack, I discovered the swollen bruise on my thigh was pitch black and the size of a loaf of bread. Someone suggested Arnica gel. I don’t know if this would work for everyone but it helped me. Maybe it was luck but after a few days of applying the gel, the color mellowed completely. I no longer have the bruise but I still have some gel to remind me of my rise AND fall in Lucerne.

Explorers can find more sites from around the globe at My World.