Interesting Road Signs in Scotland *** an extra post

Some of these are very helpful, but I always find myself shaking my head and laughing at others every time we visit:

 

 

This one I am sure has saved my life a few times:

 

in a museum:

 

 

on a ferry:

 

Hidden Summit warning:

 

This is a great one:

Sheep!

 

Help!

 

Oncoming vehicles in middle of the road--I had to stop and think about this one the first time I saw it--well, tell them to get OUT the middle of the road:

 

bumps?

 

oh no!

 

nice signs:

 

Heavy Plant Crossing--I had to ask Colin about this one--PLANT over here means equipment, like construction equipment:

Guess it means roundabout, which for me should also have a huge exclamation point!!!:

pedestrian crossing:

saw this sign and within 100 yards there actually WAS a cow standing in the road that I had to ask to please move along:

 

Hidden Dip sounds funny:

 

At our ibis hotel in Edinburgh, this sign looked so strange to me.  It looked like he was dancing down the stairs!  I guess it means this is the way to go in an emergency?

 

Way out--cool:

 

Red Squirrels are treated like royalty over here.  I love all creatures, but I guess red ones are rarer here?  They would have a fit over my totally white squirrels:

 

Ducklings crossing:

Last day of cruise and long trek home Wednesday, November 23

Nice place to wait to get off the ship:

Then waiting at Miami airport for flight to Atlanta then connect for flight to Asheville then rental car home, but all went well.  At Atlanta airport, we had a wonderful meal at Carrabba's, so big and nice that we decided not to do a Thanksgiving meal the next day.  It's good to be home!

***Extra for Today--Monday

Had to add this to today's notes--at tonight's show, the singers did songs of Abba and put the words up on the side screens so you could sing along.  Ray was amazed that he now knew the words to some of the songs because he always thought they were singing in Swedish!!! "Waterloo" was a real surprise for him. He can be so cute at times.

Calm and Sunny Day at Sea. Monday, November 21

Such a beautiful sunny day with calm seas as we sailed along the coasts of Georgia and Florida.  Now abeam Jacksonville.  Sat out on deck for a few hours, just watching for whales and flying fish, but we've seen none so far.

Tomorrow morning we dock at Port Canaveral and we'll spend part of the day repacking for our flight home as we get off the ship Wednesday morning in Miami and fly home to Asheville.

It's been a relaxing cruise but it has had its moments, mostly the lack of delicious food that you'd expect on a cruise.  More about this later.  Service has been impeccable, but the constant trying to get you to buy another cruise, or jewelry, or go to a specialty restaurant has been irritating to say the least.

This will definitely be our last Royal Caribbean cruise.

But 13 days on any ship away from the constant news of the President elect has been refreshing.  Forced withdrawal from the news.

Looking forward to getting home and having my washer and dryer at my disposal again.  Going to Umi and Soy y Luna and Waffle House.  The fact that I'm craving Waffle House on his ship should tell you everything you need to know about the food on the ship.  And even when it is okay, the portions are so small, Ray has taken to going up to the cafe AFTER eating in the main dining room for a second meal!

High Seas. Sunday, November 20

We are really rolling as we make our way south along the coast.  I love it!  I was rocked like a baby in
 A cradle all night long. I slept so good.. Seas are really high and winds over 40 mph with huge sprays being sheared off the tops as they curl over on top.  Very pretty.  One huge spray just came over the bow of the ship, so that wave must've been pretty high.

Tonight is a formal night and I wonder how many people will show up in the dining room.  Ray is off to another lecture by the NASA engineer--about cars this time ???  I am surfing the web and the seas and fighting a nap.  So relaxing.  Except when I hear neighbors on either side of me throwing up.  Haven't heard a peep out of them until now.  Oh well. Maybe a nap would be good.

Noon update:  captain reports winds are 46 mph with 15 foot seas and will last until late this evening.

I report, no nap taken yet.

Interesting sunbeams through the clouds:

 

Oh, New York, I do so love you... Saturday, November 19

...but I couldn't live here.  Winters would be so cold!  We had breakfast and we're off on our walking adventure by 7:45.  First we zigzagged our way from Pier 90 to Times Square past the Chrysler Building then all the way over to the Empire State Building, almost reenacting the scene from "An Affair to Remember" because I was certainly looking up and not paying attention to traffic.  Thank goodness Ray had my hand!

We found the New York Public Library with it's majestic lions--named Patience & Fortitude-- today with Christmas wreaths ringing their necks.  The sidewalk and canopy in front of Lord & Taylor's was amazingly dressed in light and had the cutest windows with moving animals at Christmastime.  Sacks Fifth Avenue was decorated lavishly, too, but I like Lord & Taylor's best.  At 42nd Street we saw Macy's then walked into Grand Central Station to see the zodiac constellations--actually painted backwards as if seen from outside the celestial sphere--painted on the dome ceiling, the sun streaming through the soaring arched windows, the marble Beaux Arts interior, and to buy a vanilla cupcake and some coconut macaroons from Magnolia Bakery (of Sex and he City fame, though not at this location).  Evidently there are secret passages under the station with a train platform entrance and an elevator straight up to the Waldorf-Astoria hotel.  There is also a "whispering gallery" where if you stand in one corner under he domed ceiling and a friend stands in the opposite one, you can whisper and your friend will hear it as a shout!  Then we found the skating rink at Rockefeller Center and the huge Christmas tree that is still crated up, ready to be revealed and decorated next week.  Saw the sign for the Rainbow Room and walked past Radio City Music Hall.

We had only planned to see the outside of St. Patrick's Cathedral, but the doors were open so we went inside--beautiful stained glass and arches.  Very stark white.  Then it was a walk past MOMA and on to Central Park and the Plaza Hotel (the Eloise and Madeleine books and John Lennon come to mind).  Also filmed here were the movies North by Northwest, Home Alone 2, The Way We Were, The Great Gatsby, and Sleepless in Seattle.  John Lennon stayed here when the Beatles first visited America and went to the Oyster Bar often while he lived here.  Photos of Central Park from the road turned out looking impressionistic.  Walked through Central Park and saw a Big Bird and another ice skating rink and out the other side to make our way back to the ship.  All together we walked for almost 4 hours non-stop for a total of about 8 miles.

We passed by 2 Potbelly restaurants, but they were closed.  Just thinking about the milkshakes I used to have there in Chicago had me craving a shake, and when we got back to the ship again we went to the Ben and Jerry's onboard for a Cookies and Cream milkshake.  Then it was lunch time and time for a nap.  Seeing clips of the UGA game in our cabin on TV.  Wish I could see the whole game.

Heard the news about Pence at the Hamilton performance last night--wish I could've been there.  Apology?  No way!  How I wish Trump had called for a boycott of Hamilton months ago--maybe then I could've gotten tickets!

Ray refigured and we think our actual mileage today was more like 10-11 miles.  No wonder I'm exhausted.  Just getting over bronchitis and food poisoning and I go walking 11 miles without stopping.

Ray went to see the Intrepid while I tried to nap.  Much to tired to even eat this evening, but I gave it a good try.  And I ate my Magnolia Bakery cupcake--oh my, so good!

Times Square:

 

 

Lions at the New York Public Library:

 

Lord & Taylor, all decked out for Christmas:

 

 

Macy's:

 

Grand Central Station:

 

Constellation ceiling at Grand Central:

 

Magnolia Bakery in Grand Central:

 

White icing with sprinkles one has my name on it:

 

St. Patrick's Cathedral

 

Angels on the street that for some reason made me think of Dr. Who:

 

Rockefeller Center ice skating rink:

 

back to St. Patrick's:

 

Rainbow Room entrance at 30 Rock:

 

Radio City Music Hall where the Rockettes were performing this afternoon:

 

Iconic New York symbol:

 

Explanation necessary--I don't know HOW these next photos came out looking like an Impressionistic painting.  I did no special buttons on my camera, just point and shoot, but I was amazed.  Looking down into Central Park:

 

Plaza Hotel--oh the memories of The Way We Were, when she gently brushes his hair from his eyes.  Also the land of Eloise and the Beatles and so many others:

 

Into Central Park:

 

and who do we meet there, but of course, BIG BIRD!  Probably charging exorbitant prices for photos with him, but still...

 

After passing TWO Potbellys this morning before they were open, I was craving a milkshake.  Thank goodness Ben & Jerry's on the ship to the rescue.  Cookies & Cream milkshake made the day:

 

Two Poets pub on the ship:

 

Our waiters in the main dining room: