Kirkwall, Scotland July 8 2015

Today is the Disney Magic’s Inaugural visit to Kirkwall, Scotland.  We arrived at around 9:00 a.m. I am watching our arrival on television from the stateroom and the weather is looking overcast and rainy.  Natalie says on her morning announcement it is a real windy day and cold, so dress like an onion, so you can peel off the layers when needed.

Kirkwall is called the City of Chains and is the capital of the Orkney islands with over 70 islands located north of mainland Scotland and strategically situated on a broad bay at the dividing point between the East and West Mainland.  However, only 20 are inhabited.

Kirkwall was founded in the early 11^th century when Earl Rognvald Brusson established his kingdom here which was a historic seafaring empire.

The roads are long and winding and are more like twisting one land roads and you have to pull over to the “passing place” (pull outs in the US) in order for other cars to get by.

Since I am still battling this infection and on antibiotics, I wander down to the Health Center so they can give me a note so I can get a refund on the walking tour of Kirkwall.  I really want to go, but walked out on Deck 4 for a minute, and decided with the cold, cold breeze, it was probably not a good idea.

So, I go ahead and do some packing and a load of laundry since I have some time before my afternoon excursion.

I am going on the adult only departure of the Ancient Standing Stones and Dramactic Cliffs.  Our guide tells u that there are 30,000 sheep on the island and 120,000 cattle.  There are 22,000 residents!  In Kirkwall there are 8,000 residents.

First we take approximately a 45 minute drive to the magnificient sandstone Cliffs of Yesnaby.  

While we were traveling down the road, we came across a house where the homeowner painted a mural on the side of his house.

Then we continue to the great ceremonial stone circle known as the Ring of Brodgar.  This monument is the third largest stone circle in the British Isles.  The Ring of Brodgar comprises a massive ceremonial enclosure and stone circle probably dating from between 2500 and 2000 BC. Around it are at least 13 prehistoric burial mounds and a stone setting (2500-1500 BC).

 

This is how the lanes look that we are going on.  Here we have a house that just comes out onto the road.

We also go to the Standing Stones of Stenness.  The Watch Stone stands outside the circle to the north-west and is 5.6 m (18 ft) high. Once there were at least two stones there, as in the 1930s the stump of a second stone was found. Other smaller stones include a square stone setting in the centre of the circle platform where cremated bone, charcoal and pottery were found. This is referred to as a "hearth".  It is believed that this could be the oldest from 3100 BC

We come across another standing stone.   I forget what our tour guide said the name was.

On our way back, we come to a rise in the road and can see the beautiful Disney Magic.

We arrive back to the ship right at 5:45 p.m. for departure.   Right when we board, we have a wonderful cup of Hot Chocolate awaiting us.

The town has come off to give us a send off.  We have the bagpipers, some dancers, and a whole lot of World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, Brownie age, who are wearing their uniforms and sashes.  We have families that have brought their dogs along with them.

It is quite the celebration.  Mickey, Minnie, Goofy Pluto, Daisy, Donald and Chip and Dale all come out at varying times to wave to the crowds.  This reminds me of our inaugural visit to Curacao on the Panama Canal Inaugural Voyage back in May, 2005.  It is very heartwarming and brings tears to your eyes when you realize that for many of these children, this is the closest they ever get to Disney characters.  It is just an awesome moment.

Tonight, Michelle Mallardi from Disney Theatrical is performing in the Walt Disney Theatre.  She played Belle in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast on Broadway, as well as roles in national and international tours including Phantom of the Opera and Les Mserables.  She sings two of my favorite songs from the stage version of Beauty and the Beast, "A Change in Me" and "Home".  She was phenominal.  Incredible voice.  She has been on the ship the entire voyage with her family and I know she has at least one child, because she talked about the significance of singing "A Change in Me" while Belle on Beauty and the Beast while she was pregnant with her son.  The words just really brought tears to the eyes.  (Boy, there are a lot of tears today!)

Plus, it is also our last port, so a sad day knowing that the voyage is ending soon.

Tonight is semi formal night and we are in Lumiere’s for dinner.

After dinner it is time to head off to another round of the adult show with Junnk who has arrived back on board.

Then it is off to bed.  What a great day!  Can’t believe the journey is about over.  Until tomorrow……Goodnight from the Disney Magic!

Sea Day July 7, 2015

Today we are enjoying a day at sea.  Well most everyone is enjoying a day at sea.  This is actually a picture from yesterday leaving Akureyri

I didn’t sleep at all last night because I had a pain on my right side in my rib cage and I could hardly breathe, so by 6 a.m. I decided it was time to go to the Health Center and see the doctor.  I was in pretty bad pain.  I had to call guest services to get them to connect me with the RN whose name was Sorin and then he contacted Dr. Pierre, who got out of bed to come see me.  He checked me out and wasn’t sure what it was, so they gave me a pain shot so I could get a few hours sleep and then told me to come back at 10 a.m.

So the pain shot did work and I got a few hours sleep and then back to the Health Center at 10 a.m.  Dr. Pierre was great.  They took an xray and decided I have an infection in my lungs so I am on a course of antibiotics and pain meds for the next 10 days. 

Not that I would recommend going to the Health Center, but Disney Cruise Line actually has a third party vendor that manages and staffs it.  It is by Vantar Health Services.  I found them to be friendly, professional and very concerned about my well being and if you find it necessary when you are on a cruise to go visit them, I would not hesitate to go see them. 

I did have a massage at 1:30 p.m., so headed off to do that, but the ship was moving so badly that by the end of the massage I got sick, so that wasn’t very beneficial.

Then I headed to the stateroom and proceeded to sleep for basically the next 20 hours.

I did call room service and get a cheese pizza about 9 p.m. because I needed to eat something in order to take my pain meds.  

But besides that, it was a pretty uneventful day.

Okay, next port is Kirkwall, Scotland.  I am suppose to be on a port excursion to walk through the town in the morning, but think I will get a doctor’s note to get excused from the morning excursion.  Don’t think I would be good to be outside in the cold.  But will try for the afternoon excursion of the Standing Stones.

Goodnight from the Disney Magic!

Akureyri, Iceland July 6, 2015

Today is the Disney Magic's inaugural visit to Akureyri, Iceland.  We are not arriving until 11:30 or so.  All ashore is 12:15 p.m. so we will be getting off as soon as the ship is cleared.  We have a private excursion planned with Ice Limo with Ryan.  It is the same company we used the last two days.
Beautiful landscape as we make our way into Akureyri.

This morning there is lots going on before our arrival time.  This morning in Cabanas they made special loaves of bread for breakfast.  I stop by and get an Orange Bread with a Chocolate Sauce.  It is yummy.

Then I see Princess Sofia and she doesn't have a line, so I have to get a picture since my daughter Jamie, is a close friend of the Princess.

More beautiful scenery as we are arriving

Ryan from Ice Limo welcoming us to Akureyri

Off we go on our tour and I get a magical picture of the ship as we head out.

Our first stop is about 45 minutes away, so I take some pictures of the countryside on our way:

We finally come to Godafoss.  Godafoss is the waterfall of the Gods.

See the person in the blue coat walking over the stones to get back from the rock on the left?

Well, after some friends talked me into doing that (peer pressure) I proceed with my camera to walk over the stones towards the rock, except for that one stone that was wobbly and I proceeded to land directly down into the stream.  Well, I was soaking wet from the waist down.  However my camera was dry (gotta keep the important things safe).  This picture is of me after my fall and I am wet, literally soaking.  If you look close at the second picture you can kinda tell the pants are wet.  I get a towel afterwards to sit on and try to dry out the pants on the van.  At the next stop I buy a pair of argyle socks.  Then I start using everything bathroom on the excursion that you dry your hands on to try to dry my pants out somewhat.  They were wet all day long. 

Now we head to Lake Myvatn.

At Lake Myvatn we go to Dimmuborgir.  Theory has it that Dimmuborgir was formed from lava spills over a water filled depression forming a lava lake.  It is estimated that Dimmuborgir was formed 2000 years ago.  Our tour guide explains this to us.  For those fans of Game of Thrones, some of the shows were filmed here.

Our next stop is Namafjall Hverir.  This is a high temperature geothermal area with fumaroles and mud pots.  The hot springs produce considerable sulfur deposits.  In previous centuries sulphur was mined in Iceland and was used to produce gun powder.

Then our driver takes us down a dirt road to go to Grjotagja.  This was a popular bathing place until the 1976-84 volcanic eruption at Krafla which brought magma streams under the area which caused a sharp rise in the water temperature to 140 degrees fahrenheit.  Today it is down to 114 degrees fahrenheit.  Bathing is still prohibited but you are allowed to explore the area.

It is now time to start heading back towards the ship as we are only in port for about 6 hours today.

As we get closer we see the Disney Magic and then stop to take pictures:

We are on our way at 6:45.  I am in the Walt Disney Theater watching the Beatlemaniacs.  I saw them last year and they were awesome.  Lots of singing along to Beatles tunes!


The sun is out as we sail away and I grab a few more pictures.

I run into Mickey in Preludes:

Right after the show I run into Goofy!

Next it is off to the Freezing the Night Away with Anna, Elsa and Friends.  I run into Natalie and Carly and we dance the night away!  It is definitely cold outside.

Now it is time to head to Carioca's for our Freezing the Night Away Dinner with the Frozen Menu.  The guys are all goofy tonight!  We have a special Key Lime Pie for dessert!

Then I decide it is time to head to bed.  I am not feeling really well tonight, I have this pain in my right side that I have had since we arrived in Iceland, so taking some Ibuprofin to see if it will help.

Goodnight from the Disney Magic!