Since visiting the North Cape, I've gone on quite a few tours in Norway, and have enjoyed the incredible scenery. We're up here all week again this voyage, and will be back again for a few ports next cruise as well. I want to take a moment now to acknowledge that Norway is going through a very tough time right now as a result of last Friday's attacks. All the newspapers at every port around Norway are covered with the news, still, and many of the cathedrals are collecting flowers as a remembrance to the dead. What I find perhaps most tragic is how many of those killed were just kids, with such promising lives ahead of them. When I see their pictures on the news it is heartbreaking. Norway is a country of only 5 million people, and everyone feels directly affected by the tragedy. My tour guide today in Stavanger has a close friend who lost someone. I try to be sensitive to the situation since we are in Norway at the same time as all this is going on. A few events in our ports have been canceled in honor of a period of mourning. Even now I am listening to a a band member take a break from performing in the town square to take a moment for some comforting words to the Norwegian people regarding the events. They are now playing "Be Thou My Vision.", what a touching moment this is. I feel lucky to be here.
Today, though, spirits are high again in Stavanger as the Tall Ships Races 2011 are in port here this week. The harbor is stunningly full of these beautiful ships, new and old. Walking down the waterfront is like moving back in time. I love the feeling. I visited one historic ship today called the SS Svanhild, and decided that I have no more right to complain about my cabin or living quarters on the QE. This is the second time I have been in a port with a Race of this type, the first time was in Bermuda with NCL's Majesty. It is wonderful to have happened upon it again. I saw a ship I consider an old friend - the Christian Radich, which is a Norwegian tall ship. I first was in a port with her in the Azores, on a transatlantic crossing years ago. I saw her symbol painted on a wall in Madeira, and island in the atlantic belonging to Portugal. I was delighted to see her here today and take yet another photo.
Mont Blanc
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Thursday, July 21, 2011
North Cape!
Yesterday I made it out to the North Cape! I didn't get a chance last time I was here, so I was very glad that it worked out this time. The cape is about a half hour drive from Honningsvag, and the terrain is really stark and dramatic. There are no trees, only tundra. We saw quite a few reindeer! In fact, we even had to stop the bus twice to let a few cross the road in front of us. The North Cape is known as the northernmost point in Europe - 71 degrees 10'21'' North to be exact. As it turns out, there is another point that is a thousand meters further north, and technically since its an island, the northernmost mainland point is something else altogether, but there you go. It is marked with monuments and visited by thousands of tourists every year. There are shops, museums, exhibitions, and a film to see. I did it all in the short 90 minutes we had there, including sending home a postcard from this unique location (on its way to you, Mom!).
A few days ago I mentioned a guest entertainer with the unusual name of Kuba Kawnik. It turns out his show was actually really interesting. He is a young man from Poland whose emphasis is on vibraphone, though he is billed as a multi-instrumentalist. The other two instruments he chose to showcase in the show a few days ago were also pretty unique - the Kalimba and the Theremin. Now, you may be thinking you've never heard of these before in your life, but I but you have heard the sounds before. The Kalimba is of African origin, also known as a "thumb piano" - you have probably seen a simple version in any tropical souvenir shop, or if you grew up in my house, in Tyler's box of percussion toys. If I mimed playing one, these days one might think I was miming texting on my phone. Anyway, Kuba plays a professional one in the show. As for the Theremin, remember the beach boys song "Good Vibrations"? The noises that sound like a tuned radio frequency? That's the Theremin. It was invented by and named after a Russian physicist. The Theremin is played entirely without being touched, as it has two perpendicular antennae that sense the proximity of the player's hands. Simply, vertical position controls volume and horizontal controls pitch. It is really interesting to watch it being played, as the artist literally picks the notes out of thin air. Amazing....I was fascinated. Every once in a while you get to play a show that is great fun and interesting like this one. Thanks, Kuba! For those interested you can watch his demo here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rG0BigO3bU and get an idea of what I'm talking about.
Last night we played the show "Sing", and one of the singers (Simon) changed bits of the script that are usually always the same to throw the others for a loop and give us all a good laugh. We also are developing those little traditions that come of playing the same shows over and over again, like making eye contact with a certain person at a certain moment of the show, making a face, or imitating some choreography with the singers. It is starting to feel like it is settling in for all of us (the singers are new as well). I went to see the production of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, which involves the 5 actors, and two of the singers (who also act, obviously) from the production company. It was really enjoyable. Maybe next time I see it I'll catch more of the lines...my but Shakespeare is wordy. :-)
Here is my first batch of photos from this contract:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.673012016930.2152622.56903845&l=e42defc1d7&type=1
A few days ago I mentioned a guest entertainer with the unusual name of Kuba Kawnik. It turns out his show was actually really interesting. He is a young man from Poland whose emphasis is on vibraphone, though he is billed as a multi-instrumentalist. The other two instruments he chose to showcase in the show a few days ago were also pretty unique - the Kalimba and the Theremin. Now, you may be thinking you've never heard of these before in your life, but I but you have heard the sounds before. The Kalimba is of African origin, also known as a "thumb piano" - you have probably seen a simple version in any tropical souvenir shop, or if you grew up in my house, in Tyler's box of percussion toys. If I mimed playing one, these days one might think I was miming texting on my phone. Anyway, Kuba plays a professional one in the show. As for the Theremin, remember the beach boys song "Good Vibrations"? The noises that sound like a tuned radio frequency? That's the Theremin. It was invented by and named after a Russian physicist. The Theremin is played entirely without being touched, as it has two perpendicular antennae that sense the proximity of the player's hands. Simply, vertical position controls volume and horizontal controls pitch. It is really interesting to watch it being played, as the artist literally picks the notes out of thin air. Amazing....I was fascinated. Every once in a while you get to play a show that is great fun and interesting like this one. Thanks, Kuba! For those interested you can watch his demo here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rG0BigO3bU and get an idea of what I'm talking about.
Last night we played the show "Sing", and one of the singers (Simon) changed bits of the script that are usually always the same to throw the others for a loop and give us all a good laugh. We also are developing those little traditions that come of playing the same shows over and over again, like making eye contact with a certain person at a certain moment of the show, making a face, or imitating some choreography with the singers. It is starting to feel like it is settling in for all of us (the singers are new as well). I went to see the production of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, which involves the 5 actors, and two of the singers (who also act, obviously) from the production company. It was really enjoyable. Maybe next time I see it I'll catch more of the lines...my but Shakespeare is wordy. :-)
Here is my first batch of photos from this contract:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.673012016930.2152622.56903845&l=e42defc1d7&type=1
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Pining after their fjords....
Grandma and Grandpa went home in Southampton, it is strange not to have them here and go talk to them after the first show every night and have dinner with them. It was wonderful to have them on board and get to spend more time with them than I usually get to. I got to go on a tour with them around town and the canals in Copenhagen, Denmark. Grandma and I went to the traditional English afternoon high tea they have in the Queen's Room here 3 times. We really love the scones! Another highlight was a private backstage tour for Grandma and Grandpa that the production manager of the theater, Chris, led personally. He was kind enough not only to suggest to me that I could feel free to show them around backstage sometime, but then took the time to take them around himself. It was very generous of him, and they loved the tour.
A new cruise has begun, number 3 for me! I kicked it off with a bang - seeing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part II as soon as it came out, July 15th! I found a 10:30am showing in Southampton and went for it. I got a student discount, so it sounded very cheap at five pounds and sixty pence, but when you do the math I think thats more like 10 bucks. Not the best deal for a matinee…pounds are deceptive. But anyway the movie was great. I laughed, I cried….it moved me Bob. My only complaint is that I wanted more. Everything happened so fast, and major events were glossed over. I know it was already 2 hours long, but I could have easily been engrossed for another hour. :-) Anyway I'm glad I got to see it.
This voyage we are on our way up the coast of Norway, to the North Cape and back. Today we are based in Bergen, and I went on a tour outside of the city to a neighboring fjord (hadangerfjord?) We drove along the coast and saw some gorgeous scenery, visited an old church (Holdhus Kirke), saw an amazing waterfall, and had a great norwegian buffet lunch. Yum. I sat out in the front of the ship to watch the sailaway this afternoon - I have a favorite spot on the ship. In the very front of the bow there is a big white box about the size of 4 washing machines pushed together in a square (its the only visual I can come up with, don't laugh) and I have no idea what's in it, but I can sit on top of it and have a great view of where we're headed, only 3 feet or so from the very front railing of the bow. Its an amazing spot. Tomorrow we are in Geiranger, a new port for me. We will also be performing a show backing up someone named Kuba Kwanik. I'm not sure if I should be scared about that….more details after I've rehearsed with him.
A new cruise has begun, number 3 for me! I kicked it off with a bang - seeing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part II as soon as it came out, July 15th! I found a 10:30am showing in Southampton and went for it. I got a student discount, so it sounded very cheap at five pounds and sixty pence, but when you do the math I think thats more like 10 bucks. Not the best deal for a matinee…pounds are deceptive. But anyway the movie was great. I laughed, I cried….it moved me Bob. My only complaint is that I wanted more. Everything happened so fast, and major events were glossed over. I know it was already 2 hours long, but I could have easily been engrossed for another hour. :-) Anyway I'm glad I got to see it.
This voyage we are on our way up the coast of Norway, to the North Cape and back. Today we are based in Bergen, and I went on a tour outside of the city to a neighboring fjord (hadangerfjord?) We drove along the coast and saw some gorgeous scenery, visited an old church (Holdhus Kirke), saw an amazing waterfall, and had a great norwegian buffet lunch. Yum. I sat out in the front of the ship to watch the sailaway this afternoon - I have a favorite spot on the ship. In the very front of the bow there is a big white box about the size of 4 washing machines pushed together in a square (its the only visual I can come up with, don't laugh) and I have no idea what's in it, but I can sit on top of it and have a great view of where we're headed, only 3 feet or so from the very front railing of the bow. Its an amazing spot. Tomorrow we are in Geiranger, a new port for me. We will also be performing a show backing up someone named Kuba Kwanik. I'm not sure if I should be scared about that….more details after I've rehearsed with him.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Ship Life
It has been great having my Grandparents on board this week. I have been able to join them for dinner in the dining room a number of times and went to the formal afternoon tea in the Queen's Room with Grandma. They came to our dixieland set this afternoon, and grandma says she is getting her money's worth for what she paid for my trombone years ago. :-)
A few days ago we were in St. Petersburg, Russia, definitely one of the most interesting places we visit. I tried to get on a tour with my grandparents, but unfortunately it didn't work out and I ended up on the same tour, but a different departure time, and it couldn't be fixed. I was a little bummed about being on the tour without them, but we all ended up having a nice day regardless. After my tour I had planned to meet up with my friends for dinner in town, since we didn't sail until nearly midnight and we had the night off. But, as fate would have it, I was delayed in getting to the meeting point, and a sudden downpour convinced them it was time to give up and get back on board out of the rain. So there I was, in front of St. Issac's Cathedral, after the rain had soaked the streets, without any friends in sight, with a great recommendation for a restaurant that my Russian guide had given me. What to do….give up and take the shuttle back to the ship, or go it alone?? I decided to stick it out, and found the restaurant on my own. The street was full of puddles, and I had chosen the absolute worst pair of shoes for wet weather - ones that soak up water at the slightest provocation. So I decided the best option to save my shoes was to simply take them off, roll up my jeans, and brave the streets of St. Petersburg barefoot. It was quite liberating, really….its amazing and ironic that when you have no shoes, stepping in puddles really doesn't bother you so much. I found the restaurant (Terrassa) with no trouble, and had a fantastic meal there (also fantastically expensive…..I really should have looked up the exchange rate since spending Rubles on my credit card means almost nothing to me until I see the conversion on my statement later), after which things had dried up enough for me to put my shoes back on and high-tail it (read: "run") back to St. Isaac's to catch the last free crew shuttle back to the ship. I was the only one on it.
Last night was another crazy night of what we call "ship life" - things that would never happen on land, but are commonplace in this strange environment I call home. I ran into our harpist Chiara, from Italy, and she invited me to stop by her set later that night. I did, and listened to her play beautifully in the midship lounge. After that she and I wandered the ship a bit as we were all dressed up for formal night, and then she invited me to "Napoli". Where is Napoli (since we aren't actually there in Naples, Italy)?? Well, apparently it is the nickname for the cabin where two Italian contractors (temporary project crew, guest cabins) live, and where all of the Italians on board (8) spend much of their free time socializing. I went with Chiara to Napoli, met the other Italians, and then enjoyed their hospitality (food and drinks) as they occasionally remembered to speak in English so I would understand the conversation. VERY occasionally. I learned some new Italian words and gestures (Italians are pretty intense with their gestures….its nearly sign language sometimes), many of which I wouldn't ever use in polite company. Italian is similar to Spanish, so it was a fun challenge to try to pick out some words and ideas. Most of the time I didn't say much, but it was a fun night. Ahh, ship life….
A few days ago we were in St. Petersburg, Russia, definitely one of the most interesting places we visit. I tried to get on a tour with my grandparents, but unfortunately it didn't work out and I ended up on the same tour, but a different departure time, and it couldn't be fixed. I was a little bummed about being on the tour without them, but we all ended up having a nice day regardless. After my tour I had planned to meet up with my friends for dinner in town, since we didn't sail until nearly midnight and we had the night off. But, as fate would have it, I was delayed in getting to the meeting point, and a sudden downpour convinced them it was time to give up and get back on board out of the rain. So there I was, in front of St. Issac's Cathedral, after the rain had soaked the streets, without any friends in sight, with a great recommendation for a restaurant that my Russian guide had given me. What to do….give up and take the shuttle back to the ship, or go it alone?? I decided to stick it out, and found the restaurant on my own. The street was full of puddles, and I had chosen the absolute worst pair of shoes for wet weather - ones that soak up water at the slightest provocation. So I decided the best option to save my shoes was to simply take them off, roll up my jeans, and brave the streets of St. Petersburg barefoot. It was quite liberating, really….its amazing and ironic that when you have no shoes, stepping in puddles really doesn't bother you so much. I found the restaurant (Terrassa) with no trouble, and had a fantastic meal there (also fantastically expensive…..I really should have looked up the exchange rate since spending Rubles on my credit card means almost nothing to me until I see the conversion on my statement later), after which things had dried up enough for me to put my shoes back on and high-tail it (read: "run") back to St. Isaac's to catch the last free crew shuttle back to the ship. I was the only one on it.
Last night was another crazy night of what we call "ship life" - things that would never happen on land, but are commonplace in this strange environment I call home. I ran into our harpist Chiara, from Italy, and she invited me to stop by her set later that night. I did, and listened to her play beautifully in the midship lounge. After that she and I wandered the ship a bit as we were all dressed up for formal night, and then she invited me to "Napoli". Where is Napoli (since we aren't actually there in Naples, Italy)?? Well, apparently it is the nickname for the cabin where two Italian contractors (temporary project crew, guest cabins) live, and where all of the Italians on board (8) spend much of their free time socializing. I went with Chiara to Napoli, met the other Italians, and then enjoyed their hospitality (food and drinks) as they occasionally remembered to speak in English so I would understand the conversation. VERY occasionally. I learned some new Italian words and gestures (Italians are pretty intense with their gestures….its nearly sign language sometimes), many of which I wouldn't ever use in polite company. Italian is similar to Spanish, so it was a fun challenge to try to pick out some words and ideas. Most of the time I didn't say much, but it was a fun night. Ahh, ship life….
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Hamburg, Germany
Its a slightly gloomy day here in Hamburg. I'm sitting at Starbucks (what a surprise) availing myself of their free wifi and guarantee to have soy milk for my cappuccino. You can't find that everywhere! Today is a second embarkation day for the voyage, which is a bit different. Guests could cruise the full 2 weeks, Southampton to Southampton, or they can do 10 days - Hamburg to Hamburg, or either of the two-day cruises, Southampton to Hamburg and vice versa. Its a little confusing, but today 800 of our guests who were only on the ship for 2 days disembark, to be replaced by 1200 mostly Germans who will do the 10 day cruise and leave again in Hamburg, to be replaced by others only doing the 2 days back to Southampton from Germany. Confused?? Me too. Oh well. There are certainly a lot of German guests on board.
Grandma and Grandpa came to see the show last night (a Scottish singer named Stuart Gillies) and really enjoyed it. We got to wave to each other, which was nice. I also got to admire the first of Grandma's new outfits from Nordstrom's picked out especially for this cruise!
Grandma and Grandpa came to see the show last night (a Scottish singer named Stuart Gillies) and really enjoyed it. We got to wave to each other, which was nice. I also got to admire the first of Grandma's new outfits from Nordstrom's picked out especially for this cruise!
Friday, July 1, 2011
First Voyage Finished!
17 days later....I've finished my first voyage on the QE. All voyage we've had two sets of dancers on board, the old and the new cast, and today the old one left, after being on board since before the ship launched last October. So the original cast of the QE has finally all finished their extended inaugural contract. This voyage the new dancers will finish their install and perform everything involved in their contract for the first time, though they have opened a few shows last voyage. Its a little confusing, but the QU Theatre Company is made up of 3 groups, who have been staggering their handover from old to new: 4 singers, 5 actors, 12 dancers. The actors changed over first, then the singers, and now we're in the final dancer stage. These three groups perform alone or with each other in different ways to create the variety of production shows on board. For example, the actors on their own present a Neil Simon double bill, Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, etc. The dancers do one big show on their own, plus several 10-15 minute feature show-openers. The singers do a caberet with us on their own. Then the three groups combine in different ways for other shows. One show, A Slice of Saturday Night, uses everyone, and is an original musical with a light plot. (It doesn't use brass, so I get the night off). Anyway I still haven't worked out exactly who is in what show....and there are a few I haven't seen yet....but I'll figure it all out eventually. At least now I won't be mixing up the new dancers with the old.
Today we also lose our guitarist, Stevie "Stud", a 27-year Cunard employee, 59 year old Jewish-English man, a legend among all Cunard musicians past an present. I can't really describe him in a way that does him justice...suffice it to say that he is a character and will be missed. Last night we had final drinks with him, and he said to me, "I"m 59 years old, you know....and I'll be 60....on my birthday." "The other day I woke up and tried not to be me....it only worked for about 5 minutes, then I was me again." He also brings along a banjo just for the dixieland sets, and dances while playing. Tim gave him the mic at one point, and he said, "Not only am I the youngest person in the band, I'm also the best looking....the lady on the bass is my mother, and the lady on the trombone is my grandmother," The guests love him. Bye, Stevie!
Today my grandparents are coming on board!! Exciting!!!
Today we also lose our guitarist, Stevie "Stud", a 27-year Cunard employee, 59 year old Jewish-English man, a legend among all Cunard musicians past an present. I can't really describe him in a way that does him justice...suffice it to say that he is a character and will be missed. Last night we had final drinks with him, and he said to me, "I"m 59 years old, you know....and I'll be 60....on my birthday." "The other day I woke up and tried not to be me....it only worked for about 5 minutes, then I was me again." He also brings along a banjo just for the dixieland sets, and dances while playing. Tim gave him the mic at one point, and he said, "Not only am I the youngest person in the band, I'm also the best looking....the lady on the bass is my mother, and the lady on the trombone is my grandmother," The guests love him. Bye, Stevie!
Today my grandparents are coming on board!! Exciting!!!
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