Tag: Chess

“THE RETIREES GO AROUND THE WORLD –CHATEAU RHIANFA PLAS RHIANFA, TO DOVER AND DAY 1 ROTTERDAM.”

DOVER

Our plan to travel to Dover was going smoothly until we arrived in Dover and got an understanding of the location of the bus terminus and the Cruise Ship port – they are a long, long, long way apart and there were no taxis due to the backed-up trucks collecting goods from the shipping port. With no other choice and time to spare , we set off on foot dragging our luggage. Fortunately, we met some passengers returning on foot to the same vessel and with their guidance we knew we were pointing in the right direction. Along the way we picked up another couple dragging their suitcases and the six of us were able to help each other to handle this tortuous walk. It seemed such a long trip on foot.

After boarding the SS Nieuw Statendam and accessing our cabin, we were able to look back at the path we had traveled or at least a small part thereof. We were jealous of those arriving by coach and later found out these were returning passengers from cruise excursions. My photos below show the very last part of our walk, the terminal building and the vessel departing from Dover Cruise Terminal.

We spent the rest of our time that afternoon acquainting ourselves with the ship – which was fore and aft, and which was port and starboard and registering that we had found our way to our evacuation station. Where things were located on the ship remained a point of annoyance for the whole trip. Many times, we were confused as to whether we were on the SS Nieuw Statendam or the SS Noordam.

Our voyage was 14 days circumnavigating the United Kingdom – Scotland’s isles, bits of Northern Ireland, the Isle of Mann and Eire returning to Dover. For ease I have broken the cruise into 3 – 4 day blogs. So my next blog will be “THE RETIREES GO AROUND THE WORLD – SS NIEUW STATENDAM – Queensport & Edinburgh then Shetland Isles.”

SS NIEUW STATENDAM

First I will give you a short tour of the ship the SS Nieuw Statendam.

Our cabin was nice and roomy with bathroom and cupboards, bedroom, TV/Lounge room and a deck. We had spent a bit more than usual with our choice of cabin to give ourselves a treat. We were about one third of the way from the fore deck and 9 floors from the water line with floors 10 to 17 above us. Set between two sets of lifts our position was reasonably good. Our cabin steward seemed like a ghost – we would rarely see her and we only knew she was there as things continually moved in the cabin.

The dining was split between 3 decks – decks 11, 7 and 6 with the a la carte restaurants on 6 & 7 and the banquet style on 11 with multiple bars, a disco on deck 17 and one coffee shop. Deck 11 had 2 pools/spas, one for adults only the stern had 3 verandah decks overlooking the adults only pool. More about the ship later.

After a big day we needed to rest but there was no coffee shop with views of the ocean on this ship and we missed Deck 12 of the SS Noordam.

ROTTERDAM

With the morning we found ourselves at sea on our way to Rotterdam; the ship’s home port. We continued to find our way around the ship which rocked a bit too much for some guests. The following morning we arrived in Rotterdam and here are a few snaps I took where the ship tied up. Note there are swans swimming in the river – I have not seen flocks of birds other than gulls this close to the ship.

We did not know much about Rotterdam other than Kerry thought the city had some unusual architecture and I thought of canals and sailing ships from the centuries before. So we were both interested to see the city but not excited about the ship’s excursions. We decided we would explore by canal boat and on foot.

On disembarking from our ship, we made our way on foot to the Holland America building – the design was from centuries past – to the canal ferry station to travel into the CBD of Rotterdam. Our ferry took us past our ship and under the bridge we had observed from our deck and into a different world of architecture and history. One building we passed seemed to have had an extension built on top but they had made it too big. Then we turned into a canal proper (we had been on the river before hand) and passed the canal gate to prevent flooding (the boy with his finger in the dyke inspired this) in the CBD. Boats of all shapes and sizes were tied up in the marina many with murials of the sea adorning their hulls. Our stop and disembarkation point for the ferry was in the midst of the maritime wharf museum. Cranes of many various discription struggled for space amongst all the other parafenalia of sailing the ocean.

Part of our day at sea prior to arriving in Rotterdam had included a talk by the Tour director about seeing Rotterdam on foot and it had proven very useful. We learnt that in this part of the CBD there we some buildings of the more extreme architectural design so we did have some clues about where we were going. One building we were looking for was the market which had been designed as a large hangar with residential units built into the side walls. Now we were there on Sunday and the markets did not open but we found the building and it is as remarkable as its description. Just nearby is the building that could be mistaken for a pencil or a rocket and another building where it appears to have been built by 3 different builder each with the position of the floors being displaced. Finally the buildings we sought – the cube houses.

One of the apartments was opened as a gallery and we chose to look inside to see what space the building provided. My pictures below give you the idea of the space and the unusual aspects seen from the windows. As we left the unit we noticed some commercial space and people playing chess outside of a chess piece museum and a coffee shop. I don’t know which came first the chess players or the museum but I was taken back and excited. I have not played chess for years and it was only this year while visiting Son #2 and his family that I had sometime with 2 of our grandchildren and they were playing chess. So bravely I engaged them in competition and realised the enjoyment I used to get from competition. We ordered some coffee and I went to inspect the museum. Had a long chat with the proprietor who said she had over 1,000 chess sets. Something truly unexpected.

We continued to make our way through the cube apartments until we came upon another branch of the marina. We decided we should make our way back to the ferry uncertain how far we had travelled whilst exploring the architecture. The mixture of the styles of architecture kept us enthralled – we had not expected anything like this. As we made our way along the canal bank Kerry saw a local working on his boat and innocently asked him about his boat and she was met with a rude and hostile responce. Not aware that he was telling her to “piss off” Kerry continued her enquiry. Gradually he softened his tone and engaged with Kerry explaining that this was a particular style of sailing ship developed in Rotterdam and he and his father had started work restoring it. His father had died but he had continued with the restoration using the ship as his accomodation. He also explained that he thought tourists were rude asking questions as though he was part of the tour. At one stage I was certain he was going to climb the ships rail and clock her one but in the end they chatted happily ignoring my presence entirely. He had found that Kerry was genuinely interested in the history of the ship and his determination to save the vessel. Ultimately Kerry acknowledged me and he lost interest in Kerry.

We had seen the unusal architecture but now we were amongst all the house boats, boats making believe they were hotels and boats making believe they are “B&B’s”. Rotterdam has it all. By the time we made our way back to the ferry and then to our ship the sun was going down and I was able to photograph the sunset on a interesting day.

As the sun set in the west we sailed north west to Queensport and Edinburgh. We have been to Edinburgh a few times so we had decided to catch the Hop on Hop off bus rather than take in the main attractions. So be prepared for “THE RETIREES GO AROUND THE WORLD – DAY 2 SS NIEUW STATENDAM – Queensport & Edinburgh then Shetland Isles.”

Retirees Go Abroad – Ordinary Lives living in the UK – Working once again

For the last six years we have visited London for the Move It Dance Expo at Olympia Kensington. Although the decision has been made to sell on line and not have a bricks and mortar presence in the UK, we did one more show between February 12 and February 16, 2015.

Our journey started on Thursday February 12 with Kerry’s birthday, a cab trip to Nottingham Coach Station and a three hour forty minute coach trip to London – coach is just so cheap. We arrived at Victoria Coach Station in central London and caught a cab to Olympia at Kensington.

Olympia is an exhibition centre, event space and conference centre in West Kensington, London. Opened in 1886 as the National Agricultural Hall, it was built by Andrew Handyside and covered an area of 4 acres (16,000 m2). The Grand Hall, 450 feet (140 m) in length, by 250 feet (76 m) in breadth, was said to be the largest building in the United Kingdom covered by one span of iron and glass. It now features four event venues and a conference centre.

The event is staged in this building and is filled with Universities (dance and theatre are major courses at Universities throughout the UK), Academies, Dance Schools and vendors in interested industries (like fabric specialist Glitter and Dance). This year we had only a mouse hole sized cubical in which we displayed our fabric and website, meeting all the customers and convincing them that although based in Australia they could still buy our fabrics and costumes.

The days were long and tiring sometimes busy but always deafening from the music and dance troupes performances.

Thursday after setting up our display we dropped our cases at the hotel and caught the underground to Selfridges and the Le Chalet Restaurant. We had seen a documentary on Harry Gordon Selfridge and the emporium he created which wetted Kerry’s appetite to visit the London store. I arranged a booking at the restaurant for her birthday and thereby killing two birds with one stone.

Le Chalet does not feel like a department store eatery as it has its own dedicated lift and is built on the roof in a ski lodge/chalet style. The menu is reasonable and prices on par with other places. The main thing was that Kerry was excited to visit Selfridge’s and be taken to dinner in the same night. After dinner we had a very quick stroll around the store which still attempts to lead the retail industry with presentation and range.

 

Our room at the hotel was described to us as a small room. This overstatement proved to be wrong – not the smallest room we have stayed in but in that category. Nevertheless we managed and on Friday morning Kerry awoke with disturbed disposition so I walked the 2 klm to Hammersmith Rd with our suitcase of samples and paraphernalia to open the shop. I felt somewhat out of place hiding in my mouses hole and watching the team at Bloch handing out goodies to the passing parade. Kerry arrived around lunch time feeling recovered and we worked through til five o’clock at which time we packed up to go back to the hotel whilst the other retailer’s tried to attract the few remaining members of the public until seven o’clock.

We decided that we would try our hand at the casino over near Edgeware Rd. We caught the underground and quickly found the place. We lined up to register (you must register to join just as we do at home) only to find that our registration from Brighton 7 years earlier was still current. A bit of a worry. Nevertheless we were treated as first timers and given the tour at the end of which we were given a complimentary drink each. We ordered dinner from the bar menu and looked upon the scene of gamblers hunched over the tables hanging on a card or ball. Dinner was fine. As usual with meals over here there was too much carbohdyrates so we shared the chips.

Time to try our hands. Kerry went to the poker machines whilst I tried the roulette games. The poker machine devoured Kerry’s stake so she joined me as I played my 25p roulette machine. My stake rose from my initial £10 to £22 and dropped back to £16 at which time I took the money and ran. Kerry had better luck on these machines but never recovered her earlier loses. Sharna if you are reading – TITO (ticket in ticket out). Home to bed to dream.

Saturday we walked together to Olympia and I then went exploring whilst Kerry watched the shop. I strolled down Kensington High St toward Kensington Palace and Hyde Park, ducking up small side streets and lanes to see what I could see. I came across the Church of St Mary in Kensington Church St and the grave of some poor individual who had been buried in the footpath to be walked over and parked upon for centuries to come. Inside the church the vicar was conducting a baptism and others came to light a candle. I was amazed by the remembrance plaques around the wall dating back to the 18th century and many in remembrance of loved ones who died in the empire but not in Kensington. One chap, a member of the East India Trading Co, had died in service to King and country in Bombay in the mid 1700’s. Outside, the graveyard that once encircled the church had been confined in part to a lane way where the headstones now rested against the wall of the lane and some graves (like the unfortunate mentioned earlier) were now the footpath for the living.

I continued walking ending up in Gloucester St then hung a left to Baden Powell House, the Natural History Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum and on to Harrods. I had lost track of time so when I rang Kerry I was greeted with “where the hell are you!” and an invitation to return to Olympia by the quickest means possible. Which I did. Finished the day at the show and returned to the hotel, dinner and bed.

Sunday saw the same routine except that this time we packed up and ended our last trip to Olympia and the Move It Dance Expo. That evening we dined at the Checkmate Restaurant in Cromwell Rd. Not bad but they were having a bad hair day in the kitchen and service was slow. Meanwhile I was trying to determine who the players were in a very serious picture of a chess match on the wall. The picture had been blown up to a size where the figures were fuzzy. Even so you would expect the staff to know but No not one. I guessed it was Boris Spassky but uncertain as to whether it was his 1970’s game with Bobby Fisher (when he lost his World Champion title to Fisher) or the 1980’s game with Gary Kasperov (the eclectic Russian Master and World Champion). Later research I found the picture – it was Fisher.

The following day after a stroll through Kensington and a coffee at Carluccio’s and a sticky beak in Bill Wyman’s “Sticky Fingers”, we returned to Long Eaton on the coach – happy to be back home.

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