Steve & Rosemary Blasdale

Juneau and Whale watching

Posted on May 5, 2025 by SteveJune 11, 2025

5th May 2025

Overnight trip to Juneau, where we arrived in the morning. Breakfast at the restaurant. Today we had a trip out to see whales. Bus trip up the estuary, to where it joins the main water which goes on up to Glacier Bay. The weather forecast was poor, but the trip started dry with sunshine. Later it descended into showers, including hail. We were loaded onto a double height boat, and headed out into the bay. There were several other boats out searching for whales. Yes, we had several sightings, blows, and tail shots,plus a seal. Back on the ship, we heard how another trip had seen a calf with the mother making a leap into the air. All their cameras and phones had been put away as they were on the way back to harbour and it was wet! Likely story.

Several drinks followed by a late supper in the main dining room. This time we were on our own table. Next time we must go earlier and get a shared table. So much more fun. Service can be awfully slow,

Juneau was full of cruise liners, at least 3.

Koningsdam Cruise Day

Posted on May 4, 2025 by SteveJune 11, 2025

4th May 2025

Sunday, so ate a Brunch, again shared a table with some Australians and British. All are still working. Good chat about music and Glastonbury. Rest of day looking around ship, visiting Library and having coffee, reading.

Alaskan beer tasting, interesting conversation about beers with a young couple from Vancouver, who had met each other through their love of craft beers.

Supper at Rudis, which was meant to be one of the posher restaurants, though we were a bit disappointed. This evening was also the opening with the captain, very scruffily dressed, R thought. He introduced us to the other officers, also mainly scruffily dressed.

In the sea we saw a few birds and maybe some fish jumping. Nothing spectacular or interesting. The day also was descending into grey.

Vancouver and the Koningsdam

Posted on May 3, 2025 by SteveJune 10, 2025

3rd May 2025

Today we were boarding the ship, scheduled leaving time was 4.00pm. We were asked to be there at 14.00, and no later than 14.30.

So breakfast at the hotel, and then a walk around Vancouver. Went to see the Marine Building, once the tallest building in the British Empire. Actually, several buildings were so labelled.

Then we headed to the Gastown and Chinatown area, but got hijacked by the Vancouver Lookout, a tower with a lookout. Around the 360-degree viewing platform, were pictures to help you to id the buildings and areas. You didn’t know whether the object was close or 10k away, so we spent some time looking for buildings and areas.

Made our way back to the hotel, picked up our bags and walked over to the terminal. We were early for the checkin. This was very quick, until we got to US immigration. We were in that queue for more than two hours. The US immigration was processing both boats at the same time. The mistake we made was to check in early. We should have waited until 2.30, by which time the queue had seriously diminished.

Both cruise ships left a little later than scheduled, at about the same time. We, the Koningsdam, were in the lead though!

Our cabin was in the basement, should really have had a cabin on floor 4 or upwards, which came with a balcony. All documents and passes were quickly made available to us. This was all well-organized. Met our cabin cleaner who explained to us what he did.

Next we explored the ship, headed to the bars, and supper. At supper we shared a table with 4 others, two each from America and Australia. The Americans were Trump supporters. I soon learned they hated the ‘corrupt’ Biden administration, and when I said Biden had started economic growth, they vehemently denied it. The Australians were ardent royalists.

The day and evening were lovely and sunny.

Marine Building

Canada – Vancouver Sea Wall and Stanley Park

Posted on May 2, 2025 by SteveJune 10, 2025

2nd May 2025

After waking up throughout the night, and going back to sleep, I was finally up at about at 6.30. Actually, for the whole month I was waking up at 3.30 in the morning, and ensuring R was awake, too. It was a lovely sunny day outside; the forecast had been for another “dreary” day.

We ate breakfast in the hotel. We could not understand the charging mechanism, other than it seemed expensive, especially with the Canadian tax, and state tax all added on after the perfectly rounded dollar price, and finally after a 20% tip was added, it was even more so.

We went for a long walk along the shoreline, ending up walking to Brockton Point lighthouse and back. On the way back we saw two Canada Geese with their goslings on the cycle path. They took offence at a small handbag dog; knocking a cyclist to the ground. Some signs showing photos of Canada Geese were captioned “Not all Canadians are friendly”.

In the many marinas, there was the odd ‘house boat’, amongst the motorboats. There was one with a very realistic house built on top. We passed the rowing club as we entered Stanley Park, where there were separate tracks for running, cycling, walking and driving. Vancouver is a very friendly cycling and pedestrian city. Most of the roads have these segregated tracks.

There are some totem poles, which we viewed. We eventually made our way to Brockton Point and the lighthouse. Across the water were the container and coal ports. We could see a huge pile of a yellow substance, this turned out to be sulphur, a biproduct from the oil fields in Alberta.

Back at the restaurant area, we stopped for a snack and a pint at the Tap and Barrel at the Convention Centre, accompanied by some good pita and hummus. Met a few English tourists, who were also here for a cruise. There seems to be a cruise ship in port every day. Tomorrow there will be two ships. We are heading out tomorrow on a seven-day cruise to Alaska and back on the Koningsdam. The other Brits were there on an eleven-day cruise to Alaska and back on the Coral Princess. They were both due to leave tomorrow at 16.00.

We had a walk around the empty ferry port to get the lay of the land. We also checked we could store our luggage at the hotel after we checked out and before we boarded the ferry.

We again ate supper at Rogue Kitchen and Wet Bar. Started to rain, so slightly damp on the walk home to the hotel.

Canada – Flying to Vancouver

Posted on May 1, 2025 by SteveJune 10, 2025

1st May 2025

Phil picked us up from home and drove us to Terminal 2 at Heathrow. Checking in, passport, and baggage check were all easy to do. There was a new system, hand luggage & pockets did not have to have bottles of liquid and electronic gadgets removed. We also did not have to take our belts and shoes off.

We boarded the flight, and were herded towards the back, but we did have a spare seat next to us. A man kept on saying “water” to one of the cabin crew. She turned around to face him and told him that if he said “please”, she could probably help him, which she later did. Great stuff.

Of the films on offer, I watched Black Panther both of us watched Paddington in Peru.

Air Canada was quite good on the food and drinks side of flying, I managed a couple of beers and a wine. I even turned down a beer for a fourth round from the trolly.

The captain, a woman, was retiring at the end of this trip after 40+ years service. Ground breaking. Lots of cheering on the flight. She said goodbye to each of us as we left, R gave her a good hug. (Actually, we were routed through business class to meet her at the posh aircraft door.) I believe there were water canons doing an arch of honour in front of the plane to commemorate her retirement.

Passport control in Canada was a first for us, all machines, and open, not like the intimidating UK ones. Where you are locked in. No questions on entry so we were automatically herded through with almost zero human interaction.

Bags picked up, and the driver that Trailfinders had ordered was there in a Tesla model X to take us to the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel opposite the cruise terminal. I have not seen so many Tesla cars on the road together. There were at least five, all next to each other. And we saw two Tesla Cybertrucks. One downside of the X, was that one gullwing door did not open at the airport, but it later opened when we exited. I suspect the Tesla thought the door was going to hit an obstruction.

It was a lovely day in Vancouver, quite warm, and no clouds. Better than the forecast, which, according to Air Canada was for “dreary” weather.

We arrived at the Fairmont, and were soon in our room. Time was around 7.0 We headed out for supper. The lift was full of people, huge queue at the lobby. It appears a group from the Rocky Mountaineer was checking in.

We found an ATM which charged us $3.50 to use it. We ate in the Rogue Kitchen and Wet Bar. It’s part of the station. Good selection of beers, I had a cloudy IPA (a very cloudy IPA, never seen one so cloudy, even had swirls in the cloud), and a Stout. Kept the food to one course, bowls of rice and salmon.

An American ship, The Ruby Princess with 3700 passengers, was in port on its way to SF, leaving at 10pm . Our ship, the Holland and America Koningsdam, was heading south from Alaska, to arrive on Saturday. It will spend the next six months back and forth between Vancouver and Alaska, then when winter arrives it will head to the Gulf of Mexico and the West Indies

Back to the hotel for an early night, we had been up for 24hours, but R found the bed problematical. Too high! Above her waist!

Glastonbury 2025 Music PlayLists

Posted on April 25, 2025 by SteveMay 16, 2025

These playlists have been created by Glastopia, a Glastonbury fanatic. They have been created on Spotify, and I have converted them to YouTube Music. There is a complete lineup playlist, and a stage by stage playlist. Check Glastopia’s Blue Sky account for new playlists and updates. The YouTube Music playlists nearly match the Spotify playlists. The are the occasional missing tracks where the software was unable to match the track.

Looking for Foxes #12 and Badgers

Posted on April 14, 2025 by SteveApril 23, 2025

14th April 2025

The recent weeks have felt noticeably quieter on the animal front, which is why the video updates have been on hold.

However, the grey squirrel still provides some entertainment with its acrobatic dashes up and down the tree, culminating in a daring branch-assisted crossing of the pond.

Our regular visitor, the Grey Heron, continues its foraging trips between our pond and the neighbours’. While I’ve only observed it catching frogs, I did hear a report of one elsewhere preying on the protected Great Crested Newt.

Adding a much-missed face to the local wildlife, a badger made an appearance, initially by the pond and then on the lawn a few days later.

Finally, the Moorhens are still active on the pond and seem to have successfully displaced the ducks, a change from their peaceful coexistence in the previous video.

MK Gallery: Andy Warhol: Portrait of America

Posted on April 14, 2025 by SteveApril 25, 2025

14th April 2025

A trip to Milton Keynes and the MK Gallery to see the Andy Warhol Portrait of America Exhibition. The exhibition was run in conjunction with the Tate and National Galleries of Scotland. Despite being bombarded with emails and asked to book tickets, we ventuured forth in the hope of gaining entry without pre-booking. The gallery was not at all busy, and there were plenty of Andy Warhol paintings and drawings, from the early years up until his untimely death. Some images were provocative, the electric chair featured quite a few times. I enjoyed this exhibition far more than our visit in 2024 to see Vanessa Bell: A World of Form and Colour. I could imagine wallpapering the sitting room with the image of the pink cow head on a yellow background. Although it must be produced for the exhibition, R is lucky I have not found any of it for sale.

As it usual on these days out, we ate in the cafe, where the same chef as last time was on duty.

Coton Manor Gardens

Posted on April 10, 2025 by SteveApril 23, 2025

10th April 2025

On yet another bright and sunny spring day, we ventured north to explore Coton Manor Gardens, while meeting up with friends. This was a new destination for all of us. The spring day turned into a surprisingly warm one, making it particularly lovely to relax outside in the courtyard while enjoying coffee, then lunch, and then tea.

We all arrived a little before the scheduled opening time of 11:30 am and met up as we queued at the entrance, eager to begin our exploration. Our first order of business was a visit to the café for coffee and some tempting cakes. We found a table in the sun-drenched courtyard.

We soon discovered that the gardens are privately owned and meticulously cared for. During our visit, we spotted the owner, Susie Pasley-Tyler, diligently tending to her plants. One member of our group, perhaps mistaking her dedication for something else, made the slight faux pas of asking if she was a volunteer helper. The polite and direct reply came, “No, I’m the owner.”

We wandered into the gardens themselves. Laid out on a picturesque hillside, they feature a network of ponds and flowing rills. The water originates from a natural spring. Remarkably, this natural water source is consistently reliable, having continued to flow even during the severe drought of 1975/1976.

Beyond the tranquil ponds, waterfalls, and flowing water features, the gardens are also home to an array of animals including birds. A couple of endearing Kunekune pigs basked contentedly in the warm sunshine before eventually seeking the cool shade of their sty as the day grew warmer. Various duck species, including Mallards, elegant Tufted Ducks, and the more exotic Fulvous Whistling Duck, make their home within the garden’s boundaries. On the lowest pond, there was a small flock of flamingos adding a splash of vibrant colour to the scene.

For R, a particular highlight was discovering a large and flourishing patch of Cowslips, her favourite wildflower. She noted with a touch of disappointment that the Cowslips in our garden weren’t faring as well this year, perhaps a consequence of the preceding wet winter followed by the current dry spring.

Returning to the café for lunch, we enjoyed an excellent meal that was served promptly and efficiently. Then we took a further leisurely walk around the garden, revisiting some of our favourite areas and finding new spots to relax and soak up the afternoon sun. The gardens became pleasantly quieter as the afternoon progressed.

Two areas of the gardens were not yet open, indicating it was still a little early in the season. These were the bluebell woods, which we were informed should open later in April, and the wild flower meadows situated at the bottom of the garden. For those who anticipate multiple visits throughout the year, there is a special season ticket available, which proves to be a worthwhile investment for three or more visits.

The car park is located on the opposite side of the road from the Manor house and gardens. The adjacent fields by the car park are currently planted with elephant grass, a crop grown for biofuel production. Given its brown and dry appearance, I would assume it was awaiting harvesting.

Camsoc Ephemera visit

Posted on April 9, 2025 by SteveApril 25, 2025

9th April 2025

The Berks & Oxon Cambridge Society recently organised a visit to the University of Reading’s Department of Typography & Graphic Communication to explore its fascinating Ephemera collection. You might be wondering, what exactly is ephemera? Simply put, these are items that weren’t initially intended for long-term keeping but have been, through chance or deliberate action, collected and preserved. (The term itself comes from the Greek word ephēmeros, meaning “lasting only a day,” highlighting their transient nature. Interestingly, the word “ephemera” functions as both a singular and plural noun.) Think of everyday items like concert tickets, advertising leaflets, or even old postcards – these can all be considered ephemera.,although there is some disagreement over whether postcards are ephemera or not.

The exhibition we were shown was based around a theme of entertainment, showcasing remarkable collections from the 17th and 18th centuries, including advertising posters for various events, shows and sales. The department is located in a series of functional brick buildings dating back to the 1940s, constructed during World War II. While these buildings were initially slated for demolition and redevelopment, they are now undergoing a process of gradual refurbishment.

Our tour also included a visit to an area where a collection of historical printing presses is maintained, so showing a tangible connection to the methods used to create some of the ephemera we had seen.

The visit sparked an interesting discussion about the fate of modern ephemera in our increasingly digital and seemingly disposable world. It certainly raises questions about what future generations will collect and how the ephemeral items of our time will be preserved and understood. Of course, we were all faced with the problem of what to do with the printed car park passes & visitor labels we’d been given. Preserve or throw??