We had a great sail away from Amsterdam last night. From inspiring modern architecture to various ships going past it’s a fascinating place.

A day at Sea means lectures and dining, and we seem to be doing plenty of both! I’ll have a few laps around the decks later on as the weather is very mild and the ship has a number of fitness tracks. Tonight we dine in one of the four speciality restaurants on board, Toscana, after the Captains champagne party of course!

Peering out from the cabin curtains this morning saw us motoring down a long canal to Amsterdam. Docking was accomplished whilst having Brekky and involved some skilful manoeuvring. Our tour today started out at the Hermitage Museum, a satellite museum of the one in St Petersberg we visited a number of years ago. Sadly one wing was closed, the cafe was closed, and the feature film about the 6 Rembrandt’s they have on display was in Dutch. So not a brilliant start, though I loved the giant tiger!

Afterwards got better, with a great cruise along the canals. An extensive variety from private dwellings along tiny tree lined ones, to the large rivers fronted by modern museums. Some of the old houses were leaning on their neighbours as their foundations gradually give way.

Of course there was a large variety of boats, from elegant Dutch barges to floating houseboats in various states of disrepair.

The many intersections and bridges produced wonderful perspectives, but were hard to catch in a moving boat behind glass. Overall an interesting place, especially for boaties! Tomorrow we have a day at sea, so I’ll blog about the ship internet permitting.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

    That mark our place; and in the sky

    The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

    Loved and were loved, and now we lie,

        In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

    The torch; be yours to hold it high.

    If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

        In Flanders fields.

Then a visit to the Menin Gate and the excellent In Flanders Field Museum. This gave a personal, and deeply moving account, of people caught up in the war and it’s dreadful effects. Feeling quite somber we exited to explore further and sample some excellent Belgian Waffles. We were strong and resisted the chocolates….

So after a nice limo ride to Southampton, not so nice for the Chauffeur who accidentally hit a bollard, we are aboard Riviera. After a mandatory lifeboat drill we aim to explore and relax for the next fortnight. Hopefully the blog will give you a taste!

Our stateroom is very comfy, and has been updated with new carpet, the only thing we could fault last year. Our favourite place to hang out, Barrista’s, has also been updated. Great to have Italians serving coffee onboard ! Tomorrow we will be in Bruges, see you then. Cheers Tasotter.

Southampton Water from our balcony.

It’s officially a scorcher !

It’s definitely hot, we are shady tree hopping our way back to Pyrford. Walsham Gates had a perfect spot for morning tea, which turned into lunch then afternoon tea !

We made it as far as the pub opposite our Marina entrance. Since there is shade here and not in the Marina, nothing to do with cold cider, we will stop here tonight. Tomorrow will be a quick clean job after mooring and then a limo ride to Rivera at Southampton.

After a very pleasant evening moored at Guildford Meadows we decided to head upstream as far as Catherine’s Lock before it got too hot. Guildford was initially sited on a river crossing where the Pilgrams Way crossed the River Wey. The exact spot is marked by a band of golden sand on the banks and a plaque to mark the many drownings.

The River was peaceful this morning with some lovely reflections.

Turning around we passed our mooring spot and headed through Guildford lock. The old Town wharf has a great boatsman sculpture.

After toping up with water at Dapdune we met up with Victoria and her crew, who we’d done some locks with yesterday. Our little convoy went through 3 more locks, sharing the work makes life a lot easier, especially when they’ve got good boat skills.

My sleepy little birth town of Woking has undergone a major transformation with numerous high rise buildings on the go. A cooling drink at the New Inn at Send sees us moored for the night at a favourite spot, High Bridge near Send. We are waiting for the the afternoon to cool down, it’s been over 30 today! Tomorrow we will return to the Marina and fit a visit into Wisley Gardens before packing for our big ship cruise.

Thankfully we both got some sleep last night, and after adjusting to our commodious bathroom arrangements, set off. At first it started out well, but then every lock was set against us, we had to share with some inexperienced hirers and got squashed, and it’s too hot ! I was steering under an umbrella to keep from burning when I noticed the engine note changed, oh no……..not a lot of water coming out from the exhaust? As we are raw water cooled and silenced it needs a continuous supply of water, so out with the old coat hanger and prod around under the waterline. Start the engine, all ok now, must have been some weed blocking the intake, still took an hour to fix though. By then numerous boats had overtaken us, slowing us through the locks even more, especially when Angel Blue appeared, all 65′ wide beam taking up the whole river. No lock sharing with her, and friendly girls who said size does matter looking T42’s 27′!

Pushing on we pair up with some experienced crew, bliss, we wizz through the next 3 locks and call in to Dapdune Wharf to empty the black water and top up the fresh. Then onto Marks and Spencer’s at Guildford for some groceries. Being Sunday my favourite watch shop will be closed, but I’ll go and look through the window…..some days you are lucky….they are open and haven’t sold the piece I was looking for!

Then onto Guildford Meadows to try and find a shady mooring, after going through Millmead Lock and all it’s gongoozlers. Success, it’s been a long day but satisfying, all problems fixed and objectives met.

Following up from our last blog…..

We used the air conditioned Hop On Hop Off bus to get to the National Botanic Gardens which have stunning displays of orchids.

However an hour later we had melted, so collected our luggage and retreated to the Qantas Lounge at Changi. The showers were heaven, but it was a long wait for our midnight flight. There was heavy turbulence flying out, something I don’t appreciate, but the super attentive crew looked after us well. We arrived just after 6am, a 13 hour flight, and Heathrow was filling up. Kendall cars picked us up and we were driving to the Marina by 8am ! A quick pit stop for food and we were reunited with T42, in body but not mind. Sleep deprivation made everything difficult, so we forgo Wisley Gardens today and are currently moored at Walsham Gates. The weather seems to be following us, with a predicted high of 30 degrees later on ! Dongle and UK phone activated meant time for a quick blog before crashing. Good Night

After a superb meal last evening, and a better nights sleep, we managed a fairly early rise to sally forth once more. Gardens by the bay again, but this time by an audio tour in an oversized golf buggy. Got to see a few more areas and learn a little about the history of this amazing place. We then walked to a few highlights for closer viewing.

“Jane” next to a topiary King Kong. By now the heat was intense, so we retreated to a cooler food court and a salted caramel waffle, Yum !

Then onto the hotel for this blog, shower and late check out. We don’t fly out till midnight so might try the hop on/hop off bus, or hop on/stay on if it gets any hotter. I’ve loved my time here, but it’s time to fly, see you in England.

After a slightly warm night, the aircon doesn’t seem to want to go below 23, and brekky, we set off for the gardens. Direct access from the hotel also provided stunning views looking back.

It was starting to warm up so we bought a multi ticket and went straight into the flower dome. A huge cooled glasshouse with a lot of familiar Mediterranean plants. However the main feature at ground level was an orchid extravaganza, with a stunning range. I’m not so certain about some of the “sculpture”, and it’s the first glasshouse I’ve been in with muzac playing full belt !

Next up was Cloud Display dome. This is AMAZING, from the 5 storey waterfall to the overall planting. Basically you go up 7 storeys by a lift and make your back down by a series of suspended walkways and internal escalators around “mountain”. The textures and range of foliage varies with the “height”. Some great carnivorous plants, not sure about the LEGO ones, and stunning orchids again.

By now the legs were starting to tire, so Satay by the bay for an early lunch. A timed entry for Floral Fantasy saw the last of the biomes. More flower arranger than greenhouse, it nevertheless showcased a variety of plants, water and poisonous tree frogs!.

A final walk thru the Supertree Grove, then back to the hotel to cool down before this evenings foray. Overall very impressive and well worthwhile visiting.