Maverick Rover World
Blog Post #86
Celebrity Eclipse Repositioning Cruise
(Photos of Dover England (White Cliffs) and on to debarkation in Amsterdam, The Netherlands
White Cliffs of Dover
It is from here that many swimmers traverse the
English Channel for that chilly swim
from Dover to France (Cap Gris New, near Calais)
The distance is 21 miles in a straight line one way
(unless the winds and tides decide to change,
at which point the swimmers are blown off course and the
journey biomes much more difficult.)
Only about 40 swimmers have every swam both directions concurrently,
but about 2,400 have made it one way
Any Takers ?
Start / Finish and Monument to swimmers
Dover does have an historic area,
but otherwise unremarkable
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The last day of the cruise is from Dover to Amsterdam, The Netherlands (we have been here before) so we immediately boarded a local train to Rotterdam,
our home for the next 10 days, the 1 1/2 hour train journey was smooth and bucolic.
signage in our building
Our AirBnB may be the best we have every had, so I am willing to post photos of it.
The Calypso
we live in the white building on the 14th floor
One day while exiting our lovely building, I asked a young gentleman where the best place was to
search the weather forecast:
He said, with a gentle smile, "Outside"
Ron working on his journal
A little view out our window,
what do you think?
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A walk about Rotterdam to the
historic Delfshaven neighborhood,
where it's all about the live-aboard boat.
Many of these boats are well over 100 years old.
An infamous windmill along the canal
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Markthal
Market Hall
This building has 228 residence units,
with 1200 underground parking spaces
and over 90 stalls, shops & restaurants under the arch.
Ron & Roger in backdrop of Markthal interior, most of the food venues are amazing, ethnic entrees.
We had the BEST ever Fish N' Chips and Baklava.
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The CUBE Houses, and yes people live here.
Steps to view the model were way too scary, so we just enjoyed the architecture.
The Erasmusburg Bridge,
better know as The Swan Bridge designed by Ben Van Merkel
crosses over one of the many canals in the city. It is pedestrian and bike friendly, so of course we walked across the bridge.
RET trams around town along with the Metro
and buses are plentiful and easy to board.
NO Card, NO cash, NO hassle,
just use your debit card to tap in and again to tap out to deboard.
It only charges you for the time you are actually on the train.
We found these squeaky little monsters (Nile Ducks) under a bridge as we were crossing over the Maas River.
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Another poem to share
with a bit of US immigration attached.
morning walk
an elephant and a dolphin
meet in the clouds
after an early morning storm
then melt into a blue sky
a random rustle catches my ear
as an obscure animal
forages for breakfast
grandfather calls me to his side
from across the mown hayfield
tobacco breath slides over my shoulder
into my boyhood nostrils
a rough hewn hand rests on my arm
crystal blue eyes conceal stories
I will never know of the old country
the transatlantic crossing
with brothers and wives
babies who died at birth
an iridescent blue green dragon fly
lights on my forearm
awakens my morning
ramosser
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