Title : Our First Glimpses of Ireland
link : Our First Glimpses of Ireland
Our First Glimpses of Ireland
Brain cancer is...
...off the Irish coast.
This morning the view at breakfast was of the Skellig Islands. "Skellig" means "rock" in Gaelic, which makes sense because the Skelligs are uninhabited rocky isles known for their bird life. We circled them a few times to get some great views. We saw thousands of gannets, who were working hard to build their nests of seaweed. We also saw some puffins (phew!).We'll make port at Valentia Island after lunch. Darrell and I will wander Knightstown on our own.
I'll insert some pics after using land-based internet to transfer photos.
A Note on Our Expedition Cruise
Our Alaska cruise on Sillversea was a traditional cruise. It was very elegant, and life onboard was the centerpiece of the experience in many ways. This cruise is also a Silversea voyage, so it has the same delicious offerings and great service. But life onboard is definitely a backdrop for the real focus: Seeing, learning about, and appreciating the world's amazing places.I would say that Darrell and I are slightly younger than the median age on this ship, and yet everyone aboard is out for the adventure, doing these walks, soaking it all in. It's very much a shared adventure.
There are several naturalists on board. When we passed the Skelligs Nigel (of course a birder's name should be Nigel) was there to identify birds and explain their behaviors.
Whenever take an expedition, one of the naturalists accompanies us and adds (when appropriate) to what the local guide has to say.
We are loving the microphone technology they use. The local guide wears a mic that transmits to the receivers we wear around our necks. We use earpieces to hear the guide's narration. It's great because it enables the guide to speak at regular volume, and we can wander a bit, looking at things of interest, and still hear the guide. Darrell estimates the range to be 100 yards.
One more thing about our receivers: Because lots of groups go out at the same time, we need to set our frequency to match our guide and not someone else's. We do that by scanning a color code with our receivers. We aren't sure what information is being scanned, which makes it even cooler.
Another difference is that every day there is a recap/precap where members of the Expedition Staff answer questions about what we've seen that day and give us briefings of what's next.
"Expedition" also means "zodiac cruising." Zodiacs are motorized rubber rafts that hold about 8 passengers. They go out and cruise for up close sightings...like puffin hunting.
Darrell is once again a super hero in pushing the "comfort zone" envelope by climbing aboard the Zodiacs to get to shore. (Keeping Optune dry is an important consideration for us, as you know.) I think the remainder of the landings have us taking Zodiacs ashore. Rock on, super hero Explorer Darrell.
Pics to follow this evening, after Valentia Island.
Happy Saturday, Team D. We wish you awesome adventures!
Thus Article Our First Glimpses of Ireland
That's an article Our First Glimpses of Ireland This time, hopefully can give benefits to all of you. well, see you in posting other articles.
You are now reading the article Our First Glimpses of Ireland with the link address https://cancerallin.blogspot.com/2019/05/our-first-glimpses-of-ireland.html
0 Response to "Our First Glimpses of Ireland"
Post a Comment