Eltz Castle is one of the few castles in Europe that’s never been destroyed, by fire, by war, by anything. We spent some time walking the grounds and touring the interior of this pristine noble home, and came away with an appreciation for how life could have been for the very wealthy in the middle ages.
Early History
It all began in the 12th century, when three branches of the Eltz family jointly built this castle along a trade route between the Moselle River and the Eifel Region. The Eifel Region is an area of mountains in western Germany and eastern Belgium. According to the information we’ve read, the idea of having more than one part of a family jointly owning a castle is simply one of economics. One family by itself could not afford to build, own, or maintain a castle, but by pooling resources, several families could enjoy the status and more importantly, the security of having a large, defensible castle.
The castle has only been attacked one time, between 1331 and 1336. There was a dispute between the leader of an area known as the Trier region of Moselle and the knights of several houses, including Burg Eltz. It seems that these knights had been allowed to wander away from loyalty to the previous Trier Leader, and when Archbishop Baldwin took power, he decided to set things straight.
Ruins of the siege castle that was built by Archbishop Baldwin during the Eltz Feud of 1330. The ruins are approximately 230 meters away from Eltz Castle and uphill, which provided a good strategic position from which to launch a five year attack. Photo by Bonnie Fink.
The Archbishop made a direct assault on Burg Eltz, but failed, so he built a “siege castle,” which was a fortified structure about 230 meters away from Burg Eltz and slightly uphill. The purpose of the siege castle was simply to give soldiers a safe place from which to lay siege to Burg Eltz without being in danger themselves. Archbishop Baldwin pummeled Eltz Castle for several years, using rock filled trebuchets and an early form of cannon.
The purpose of the siege was not to destroy the knights of Eltz, but to bring them under control of the Trier government. After five years of siege, the Eltz knights finally agreed to recognize Archbishop Baldwin and the feud ended.
Where is Burg Eltz
Burg Eltz is located in southwestern Germany near the town of Wierschem. We were staying in Cochem, along the Moselle River when we visited, so it was simply a matter of driving along the river to Moselkern, where we headed inland towards Wiersham. Using a rental car, it wasn’t a problem to find the castle. There was a parking fee, and from the parking lot there were two choices to get to the actual castle site. First, there was a walking path of about 1.3 kilometers (about .8 miles), and there was a shuttle bus. This is a downhill walk to the castle, so it’s easy getting there, and a little more difficult getting back to the car. The shuttle bus was €2.00 each person, each way. We rode the shuttle bus, but had we known that the tickets were only good for one way, we probably would have walked downhill into the castle grounds, and ridden the shuttle back out.
What will you see at Burg Eltz
Rooms for worship were often built high above the ground, outside of the main building. The rules requiring a private worship place were complex. One could not live above the chapel, for example, which is probably the reason they were attached outside the main building. Photo by Bonnie Fink.
There are no photographs allowed inside the castle. This is highly annoying to folks like us who are trying to bring stories to folks like you, but we understand. They are probably concerned about flashes damaging artwork, tapestries, and wall paintings. And we know that they can’t simply say, “No flashes” because of the large number of people who won’t read their manuals on their phones and cameras, and have no idea how to turn their flashes off. Plus, it’s their castle. Their rules. So we’ll show you no pictures from inside.
The interior is only open for tours from early April through the first part of November, but the grounds and the interior court are open year-round .
There was a small gift shop where you purchased tickets to take a tour of the interior of the castle. The cost was €10.00 per person, and there were tours in German and English, with French and a few other languages on request.
The castle is divided into three separate family spaces which were used for the three separate branches of the Eltz family. This works to an advantage here because on the tour, we were able to see a complete set of rooms, from the entrance hall, through the living quarters, and finally right down to the kitchen. We did this without infringing on the Eltz family’s private living space, which they still maintain elsewhere in the castle, apart from the spaces set aside for touring.
Many of the walls were hand painted with artwork as was the style in medieval Europe, with tapestries on the walls, carvings and paintings on the bedroom furniture, and so on. There were several examples of various chests, tables, and chairs from earlier times, and apparently these furnishings are pieces that have been in the Eltz family throughout the centuries.
There was a “treasury,” which was a museum that displayed personal family items from jewelry, to tableware, to clothing. There was also a large assortment of weapons, including swords, bows, cross bows, various long guns, pistols, and derringers. This was included in the price of the tour, but was self-guided, so you could take your time in this area.
There were two areas to grab a bite to eat, or have a drink, and there was a set of stairs leading down to the Eltz River. The river area was a treat because it gave a sense of how the forest would have been, and still is, for that matter.
Overall
We think that touring Burg Eltz is worth the time if you happen to be in Germany, and happen to be passing through this area. It’s a relatively small castle in a remote area of the forest near the Moselle River, but considering its long history, and its pristine condition, we think it’s worth it. We’ve seen many castles that were well conditioned and furnished, but it was an extra special treat to know that the furnishings in this castle were actually family possessions, from the original and current family. And that the family has had this home longer than a great many countries have even been in existence was extra special as well.
Yeah, that’s a mouthful for a hotel name. We stayed at the Hotel Jagschloss Kranichstein for just a night on our way to Cochem because we thought it would be fun to stay in a four star hotel with some serious history. It turns out that it was kind of anti-climactic, in that we were expecting “rustic,” and what we got was well maintained and modern on the inside, and historic on the outside. Rustic was nowhere to be found.
The rooms were as modern as it gets with the exception of air conditioning. There was none, but there wasn’t any real need for it either. Keep in mind that we’re at 47 degrees north latitude, or the equivalent of a bit north of Seattle, so air conditioning even in August isn’t a priority. The windows being open in the evening were adequate for comfort. There’s even WIFI in the building. Speed tests showed about 5 MB/s up and down, so no problems there.
There was a well-appointed “Bistro”, which looked to us like a combination bar and morning breakfast area, and in fact that’s how it was used. And there is a restaurant on the property. We didn’t try the restaurant because there was a private event in progress the night we stayed. Instead, we went for a walk in the forest.
Near the town of Darmstadt, this building was constructed in or around 1580 By Georg I of Hesse-Darmstadt Landgrave. The idea then was to build a hunting lodge, or castle among the forests of the area, and it remained a hunting lodge through the centuries. It gradually changed purposes until it finally emerged as a premier location for the elite to vacation and unwind. Queen Victoria was known to visit here in the mid-19th century.
Today, it’s a four star hotel that houses travelers from around the world as well as hosting weddings, meetings, small conventions of all sorts. It’s still among the forests and we found a walk in the woods was quite inviting. There is a large pond (about three acres) in the immediate back of the hotel grounds and the forest is crisscrossed with hiking and biking trails. The landscape, to us, looks very much like Tennessee, but without the humidity.
The question now is, how can we find more excuses to stay in this great hotel in the future?
We’ve spent the last few days wandering around London, playing American Tourist. For us that means seeking out the Starbucks stores—of which there are many—watching the Changing of the Guards, hanging with the street performers at Trafalgar Square, and so on. Mostly for us, we’ve just been staring at the buildings. Weather has been excellent this trip, so it was a good time to be outside.
London is a busy place. There’s traffic and pedestrians in nearly every square inch of its surface, except possibly the parks, and everything seems to be precisely choreographed and timed. Apparently they are used to foreigners visiting their city because many of the streets even have signs on the pavement telling you which way to look before crossing the street. We found that, like most big cities, ignoring the pedestrian traffic signals could put you in serious peril very quickly if you didn’t understand the flow of traffic. While some folks seemed to be able to judge when to cross the streets, we seemed to have better luck just following the rules.
Since this is our third trip to this vibrant city, we thought we would pass along a few things we’ve learned and observed for those who might be considering a trip to England at some point in the future.
Seeing London for the First Time
The London Eye. The building behind the London Eye holds gift stores, food courts, the Shrek Adventure, and many more. Photo by Bonnie Fink.
If you’re seeing London for the first time, you might want to stick to the big tourist items: Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, Trafalgar Square, Big Ben, and so on. You could pick a tour operator that can take you to these places, or you can simply go, using available transportation, at your own leisure. We’ve done it both ways, and had a good time in each case.
One advantage to using a guided tours is that you don’t need to do your own research to understand what you’re looking at. Also, you have quicker access to places that often require you to stand in line. Windsor Castle comes to mind in particular. You also have access to places out of town, like Stonehenge, or Bath.
Doing your own thing has its advantages too. First, you can do your own research to know what you’re looking at. This often means simply that you slow down a bit and read the signs along the way. If you’re like us and like to take a lot of pictures, doing your own tour means you can spend as much time as you need to get the shot you want. We’ve actually been left behind by tours because we had a lapse in attention while trying to get a good shot. Doing your own thing also means that you can change plans at your whim. You may plan to ride the London Eye today, but it’s overcast, so you go to the Tower of London instead and save the Eye for another day.
Moving around London for us Americans is easy. They speak English. They’re polite. They answer questions. Never despair. Moving around this city is easy and we’ve found it to be a pleasant experience.
Ways to Get Around London
The one way to NOT get around London is to rent a car and try to drive yourself. This is a big city, and it has big city traffic. It also has big city lack of parking. In fact, one thing we see a conspicuous lack of while walking around all the tourist parts of London is parking garages. Not one garage. Nowhere.
There are several effective ways to travel the streets of London:
If you’re reasonably fit, walking is the best way. We spend most of our time walking. Of course, one strategy is to walk till you drop then hail a cab to get back to your hotel. We’ve done that a couple of times, but if you’re planning to hit the main tourist attractions centered around Big Ben, for example, walking is very effective. We carried a good mapping app in our phones, complete with a good data package, and used it on more than one occasion to figure out where we were trying to go.
Taxis are iconic in London. The famous Hackney Carriage (cab, black cab, hack, or London taxi), is the official taxi found in London. These famous vehicles are strictly regulated in terms of vehicle mechanical requirements and driver knowledge. Our information tells us that the drivers pass a rigorous knowledge test before being allowed to drive.
In a previous trip, we stepped into a cab and gave the driver the name of the hotel where we were staying. He didn’t recognize the hotel, but after we gave him the street address, he took us directly to it. The problem was that the hotel was brand new, less than a year old. He knew the street, but didn’t know something had been built in that particular space.
One minor “gotcha” using the Underground in London is that numerous trains may arrive on the same platform. Notice the sign above that shows a train to Uxbridge, which is probably the one arriving now in this image. In eight minutes, the train to Heathrow Terminals 4,1,2, and three will arrive. Photo by Bonnie Fink.
Try the Underground. The subway system in London is extensive. And once you embrace the idea, it’s not all that hard to figure out. In our case, we walked down to a station for the first time after studying maps and getting ready. We bought a ticket by specifying the destination, and the ticket told us what line to get on and what lines to change to. There are nine lines that make up the Underground, so a bit of planning is a good idea. You can buy tickets that substantially reduce the cost to just a few pounds a day for basically unlimited travel.
When we thought about it, the Underground in London was only a little more complicated than the Disney Bus system around Walt Disney World in Orlando. Most of the extra complication comes from the fact that the Underground has multiple payment options, where the Disney transportation system is free. Having been on the Underground exactly once, we’re big fans. Next time we’re in London, we plan to make extensive use of its services.
You can find stands like this all over London, rent a bike for an hour or a day. Photo by Bonnie Fink.
There is an extensive system of public bicycle rentals around London. The cost at the moment seems to be 2 pounds for a 24 hour period, then an additional 2 pounds for each 30 minute period during that 24 hour period while you’re actually using the bicycle. There are maps available that show where to obtain the bike, and where to return it. We weren’t too excited about bicycles as tourists, primarily because we were more interested in walking around, gawking at the incredible architecture, not interacting with heavy traffic that we didn’t fully understand. We thought that the bicycles had potential, but mostly for the more seasoned traveler or the local.
Busses give a couple of options. There’s the hop-on/hop-off, open air, double decker tourist busses that run around to the major tourist stops all over the city. The cost is moderate, at anywhere from 40 pounds to 60 pounds and more, depending on what you decide to do. Truthfully, we didn’t use this service simply because we preferred to walk. We can’t help it. We like walking.
The public busses are another option that tie in with the Underground system. This is of course how a local gets around, and it’s how a local can afford to get around on a regular basis. The public busses seemed to be clean and in good repair, and although we didn’t ride them, it is only because the need didn’t present itself on this last trip. On our next trip, as we embrace the public transportation system more completely, using more flexible payment options, busses could very well be part of our method of expanding our reach as we explore this city.
Where to Stay
We keep talking about how to get around London, and we keep stressing walking. It might be reasonable to understand that in order for this to work, location must be factored into the equation. We’ve stayed in two different hotels in London. The first was a bit out of the way and almost required a cab to get to the usual tourist haunts. The next two times we came here, we stayed in a hotel that was about a mile from Big Ben, maybe a bit less. It was located on the opposite side of the Thames River in the Vauxhall area, the Borough of Lambeth.
On this quiet little street in the Vauxhall area of London, you’d never guess that there’s a state-of-the-art American style hotel. The building on the left of the vehicle in the street is a Staybridge Suites that’s less than two years old. Free Food, Fast Wifi. All the stuff you expect, and a central location too. Photo by Bonnie Fink.
The last hotel was a Staybridge Suites, which is a chain and part of the Holiday Inn hotels. We like them for lots of different reasons, but in the context of this report, the primary reason was location, followed closely by cost, but mostly location. We would leave the hotel each morning and make our way over to the Thames River and turn left or right, depending on our destination for the day. On one day we were heading to Hyde Park, so we crossed the River at the Vauxhall Bridge and continued down to Wellington Place and Hyde Park. On other days, we would walk along the River Thames and cross at either Big Ben on the Westminster Bridge or at the Golden Jubilee Bridges. Both of these bridges put us in the middle of the tourist action, with Big Ben, Parliament buildings, Trafalgar Square, Buckingham Palace, St. James’s Park, and Hyde Park.
We’re not saying that the Staybridge Suites London-Vauxhall is the best place to stay in London because we’re still relatively new to visiting this town, but it was good enough that we stayed there twice in two years. Next time we might try some place different. We might not. Some of the positives about this hotel are that they operate in much the same way as other Staybridge Suites in the US. There are kitchenettes in the rooms and a Tesco (grocery chain) within easy walking distance, the wifi is good. There’s a free wifi and a paid wifi, like most places in Europe. Since we’re frequent guests in the Holiday Inn bubble, our fancy wifi was at no extra charge. There’s also breakfast in the mornings, like you would expect in a Holiday Inn facility. Rooms were clean and quiet. Actually, our room looked out over the train tracks, and the windows were so good at sound absorption that we were never bothered by the noise. Most of the staff did not speak English as a first language (which seems to be normal in London, New York, Miami, wherever), but they were generally proficient, and always courteous and helpful. The one English word they didn’t seem to know was “no.”
What To Do
The new Guards marching into Buckingham Palace to become the Queen’s Guards. Photo by Bonnie Fink.
It would be silly to pretend that we could make a comprehensive list of things to do in London. There are books on the subject, and when you visit, you should certainly invest in one or more to see what the options are. We’ve made three separate trips to London over the years, and we’ve just touched on the surface of what’s possible, so we can list some of the things we have done so far, and what we would like to do in future trips.
A lot of what we’ve seen here centers around the River Thames, which makes sense because much of the oldest parts of London are near the river. That’s why it was important to us to have a hotel near the river, so we’d be in easy walking distance to the more touristy attractions.
A partial list of sites to see are:
Big Ben. Photo by Bonnie Fink.
Big Ben
You know the famous bell song from the clock tower. You’ve grown up hearing clocks playing the chimes that emulate Big Ben every quarter hour. There’s just something about standing on the Westminster Bridge and hearing the real deal.
London Eye
It seems like every tourist town has an eye these days, but the London Eye was the first. The view over the Thames river and across to the Government buildings and even St. James’s Park is remarkable. On a clear day, you can see all the way out to Windsor Castle. The Eye holds 800 passengers in its 32 capsules. The 32 capsules, by the way, represent the 32 boroughs that make up London. When the 135 meter tall wheel was built in 1999, it was the tallest Ferris Wheel in the world.
House of Parliament of Westminster
You can book tours on Saturdays and most weekdays during Parliament recess. Here’s a link.
Entrance to Buckingham Palace. Photo by Bonnie Fink.
Buckingham Palace
No, you can’t go to London and not see Buckingham Palace. What would you say to your friends? The trick is to see the changing of the guards, and we say trick because it’s not always clear when a guard changing will occur. The best advice we can give is to visit the British Army’s web site. They set the schedule based on a number of factors. The ceremony usually takes place around 11:00 am on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, but do check the web site for specifics of when you plan to be there. Also, this is an extremely popular event, similar to a popular parade at a Disney park at Walt Disney World. If the changing of the guards is scheduled for 11:00 am, we would suggest that you arrive no later than 10:00 to get a spot next to the fence where you can see the actual ceremony. We were a few dozen rows out from the fence, and while we had a great view of the guards and the band as they approached the Palace, we saw absolutely nothing of the actual ceremony.
Tower of London
Don’t forget the Tower of London. This is where the history of London goes back to as far as 1078, when this fortress was built by William the Conqueror. You could spend an entire day at the Tower of London, or just pop in to see the Crown Jewels.
Changing the Queen’s Life Guards
Another guard change that’s not quite as popular as the main event at Buckingham Palace is the changing of the Queen’s Life Guards, or the Horse Guards. This display originates at Hyde Park Barracks and travels down Constitution Hill in Green Park, The Mall through St James’s Park, and finally to Horse Guard Parade, where a changing ceremony takes place.
Trafalgar Square
Fountain in Trafalgar Square with the National Gallery behind it. Photo by Bonnie Fink.
One of the more vibrant areas of the city was Trafalgar Square. Named after the Battle of Trafalgar, where Admiral Nelson defeated the Spanish and French in the decisive battle off the coast of Spain. The prominent stature in the square is of course, Admiral Nelson, guarded by four lions. On our latest trip here, we found street performers with the expected crowds. On another visit, we found a rock concert in progress. Still other times, you might encounter a demonstration or rally since this appears to be the symbolic place to hold political, religious, and other demonstrations.
The Parks – In central London, there are many parks that are worth a visit. We spent time in St. James’s Park near Buckingham Palace, and Hyde Park. Both parks have lakes with a considerable number of different bird species. Anything from the common pigeons begging for food to Egyptian Geese, who were also hanging around for a handout. Still, the parks offered a quiet place in the midst of one of the busiest cities we’re visited; a bit of breathing room among the chaos.
What to Eat
We’ve always heard that England is not the place to go if you want good food on a vacation. Our experience has actually been a bit different. As we’ve been moving about the city, and even during some of our trips up into Northern Scotland, we’ve found that finding a pub with good food is quite easy.
During this last stay, we found a couple of pubs that are worthy of mention.
The pub on Velliers Street, called simply Villiers, was a great lunch spot. Photo by Donald Fink.
The first is called Villiers. It’s located on Villiers Street, which is near the north side of the Jubilee Bridge, at the Embankment Station for the London Underground. We found this place because it’s right across the street from a Starbucks. We happened to be wandering the street around lunch time, and didn’t think another Double Chocolate Supreme Muffin from Starbucks sounded good for lunch, and there was Villiers, looking inviting and cozy. For those of you who prefer establishments that are not chains, this is it. We each had simple hamburgers, non-alcoholic drinks, and chips (fries). The burgers were excellent, cooked properly, and the wait staff was friendly and prompt. There was a large selection of ales and other drinks, but we can only assume that they were good since Don had a glass of tea and Bonnie tried the bottled Coca-Cola.
The next place we’d like to mention is called The Black Dog. This pub sits in the Vauxhall area, near our Staybridge Suites hotel, and it’s worth visiting even if you’re not staying in the area. If you’re staying in the Staybridge Suites, this could end up being your go-to place to eat. They’re open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and stay open late into the evening serving ales and desserts. Something unusual happened during our lunch at the pub: the waiter approached the table and actually served us water. This has never happened before in Europe. Not even in some of the American chains. Then, when Don asked for good ol’ iced tea, the waiter went in the back and made some. Another first. Finally, the wait staff came by every so often and checked on us, to be sure everything was OK. Again, an absolute first in our travels in Europe.
We tried the Fish and Chips, which was the best fish and chips we’re ever had. Ever! The fish was cooked properly, the batter wasn’t soggy, and the tartar sauce was homemade. The chips were hand cut and cooked to perfection too.
Both of these pubs are good candidates if you ever want to gauge the level of cuisine in London. We thought they handily laid to rest the notion that food isn’t worth bothering with in England. And we’re pretty squeamish when it comes to trying new and different things.
Final Thoughts
We were here only a few days, and as with the times before, we’re leaving London with a long list of things to try and do next time. Often, our trips here have been in conjunction with another part of a European journey of some kind, and we always seem to leave wanting more. On our next visit, we’ll use the public transportation more-especially the Underground-to branch out and see more of the outlying areas. We’ll probably use the train system to see Windsor Castle. One item big on our list for next time is to venture a bit out of town and see the Warner Brother’s Studios where much of Harry Potter was filmed. We tried this time, but tickets weren’t available on short notice. We’ll plan better next time.
If you’ve been to London in recent years, or if you’re planning a trip, we would be curious to hear your thoughts. Any concerns, or tidbits of wisdom to pass along would certainly be appreciated.
The Queen Mary 2 isn’t small by any stretch of the imagination, but it isn’t one of the largest ships by today’s standard in terms of big Wow factor. At 1,132 feet long, 131 feet wide, it houses only 2,691 guests (with a crew of 1,292), which could be considered small in some circles. Intimate is not quite the word that comes to mind when we think of her, but appropriate for the work she does.
The Queen Mary 2 was first introduced in 2004, and re-mastered in 2016 with a complete overhaul. We were fortunate to cross the Atlantic immediately after her re-mastering, so we got the “new ship smell” during that ride across. So far, a year later, the ship still seems new.
If you look online for the ships currently in the Cunard fleet, you’ll find only three, the Queen Mary 2, the Queen Victoria, which came into service in 2007, and the Queen Elizabeth, first sailing in 2010. Of the three ships, the Queen Mary 2 is listed as an Ocean Liner. The other two are termed cruise ships. We’re not sure what the distinction is, but we’ve heard it said before that the Queen Mary 2 is an Ocean Liner, not a cruise ship.
There was another Queen Elizabeth, called the Queen Elizabeth II, which made her maiden voyage in 1967. She was in service until 2002 and is so far the longest operating passenger ship ever, with over 5 million miles of travel. She was the Cunard Flagship until her retirement. That title now belongs to the Queen Mary 2.
Early History
In 1839, Samuel Cunard, from Prince Edward Island, partnered with Robert Napier to form the British and North American Royal Mail Steam-Packet Company. They had won contracts to carry mail across the Atlantic from England to Halifax and Boston. They started with four steam powered paddle ships, and built an empire from there that lasted until the beginning of aircraft service across the Atlantic in the early 1960s’.
Beginning in the first part of the 20th century, there was a speed war of sorts between cruise liners from England, France, and Germany. Each country competed to build the fastest ship. Finally, the Queen Mary (the original Queen Mary) set a record of 30.99 knots during a crossing in 1938, still hauling the mail. To put this into perspective, we’re aboard the new, modern Queen Mary 2. We’ve been averaging 21 knots across the Atlantic so far, which we thought was reasonably fast. No doubt we could go faster if the Captain wanted, but we’re not trying to break any records. Still, 31 knots might be a bit out of our reach in this ship.
Cunard has had a unique history with the British government. Since the early days of hauling mail, the relationship has been one that allowed the ships to be converted into military machines when needed. In fact, it’s a Cunard ship, the original Queen Mary, that still holds the record for the most personnel carried at over 16,000 troops, which was set in World War II. Keep in mind that the original Queen Mary weighs in at just under 81,000 tons, while today’s Queen Mary 2 is over 151,000 tons.
You can still see the original Queen Mary. She’s still afloat, but converted to a hotel, in Long Beach, California.
Today
Looking down at the Grills Terrace and the Minnow Pool. Photo by Bonnie Fink.
Cunard was purchased by Carnival in 1998. Carnival has several cruise lines and they have made it a point to keep Cunard in their niche, which is one of maintaining the elegance and grace of cruising the world’s oceans in luxury and style. Many of the things cruisers have come to expect aboard a typical ship cruising the Caribbean, for example, aren’t found aboard a Cunard ship. There won’t be any Zumba classes like we found on the Norwegian Epic, nor will there be dancing parades of Shrek and Friends like we saw on the Royal Caribbean Line’s Liberty of the Seas. Not that there’s anything wrong with Zumba and Shrek. They’re just not on this ship.
But on the Queen Mary 2, or any of Cunard’s other ships, you’ll find a high elegance that strives to match the luxury that began nearly two centuries ago. On most ships, where you find tiled floors, you’ll see carpet on the Queen Mary 2 in keeping with the décor of a time long ago. Make no mistake about it, the carpet is not old, nor is it worn. In fact, it’s nearly new. But the style is of a time long ago. It’s kind of the point.
You’ll even see a hint of class distinction in passenger accommodations, but to be truthful, there isn’t any more class difference in Cunard’s passenger structuring than any other cruise line today. There used to be a first class, second class, and tourist class aboard not just Cunard, but any of the ships of the day. Aboard the Queen Mary 2, there’s just one main dining room. Well, sort of. There’s also dining facilities and lounges for folks staying in suites, but that’s really not unusual. We have special privileges aboard Royal Caribbean ships, not because of the rooms we stay in, but because of the number of cruises we’ve made, so the class distinction is there in pretty much all cruise ships. Speaking of which, have you tried to board an airplane lately? With all the class distinctions there, you’d better pay attention lest you find yourself in the wrong line being admonished severely by the gate people.
Cunard is more formal than other cruise lines. This is intentional as they work toward maintaining a certain decorum. On this crossing, it takes seven days. There are three formal dining nights. Seven day cruises would normally have only one or two formal nights. But the part where they want to maintain their decorum comes by asking men to wear at least a sports jacket—necktie optional—on non-formal nights. At any other time the dress aboard this ship seems to be the same as any other cruise ship. Except that at the moment we’re in the North Atlantic, and, well, it’s cold outside. Shorts are being worn by the die-hard, “I’m on vacation and I’m gonna wear shorts” kind of folks. But the rest of us know it’s cold.
The food aboard the Queen Mary 2 is a cut above most other cruise ships we’ve sailed. They’re especially good at desserts, which is good, because we’re especially good at seeking out and eating desserts. Many of the main dishes we can’t pronounce, but there’s always a hamburger, hot dog, or pizza. So like most other cruise ships, there is always something to eat, no matter what your mood might be.
This is our second Atlantic crossing aboard the Queen Mary 2. It will no doubt not be our last. We’ve come to enjoy crossing the Atlantic the old, slow way, by ship instead of flying. And as far as we know, Cunard is the only line that has regular service across. Other cruise companies have re-positioning cruises twice a year, and we’ve made a few of those, but Cunard is the only company that seems to specialize in this service.
A Final Word
It would be irresponsible to put up an article about cruising and not mention this, but for those of you who have not been on a cruise, this is not the cruise for you. We’re making this crossing in seven days. Keep in mind that this means that we’re at sea for seven days. So far, we’re in day five of this cruise, and we haven’t seen another ship since the very first night when we saw some lights way out on the horizon. This is not unusual. It’s a big ocean. We’re all by ourselves out here. If weather comes up, we’re in that too, although the ship is more than capable of handling anything the Captain will take us through.
We recommend that you make your first couple of cruises on something a little closer to home, or at least on a ship that makes a stop every once-in-awhile. If you learn that you like being on a ship, then by all means, join us with an Atlantic crossing. We can’t think of a better way to get across the ocean and are grateful to Cunard for still providing this elegant and luxurious way to travel.
We posted another story about crossing the Atlantic aboard the Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas during one of her repositioning cruises. You can see it here.
Now, enjoy some of our images from aboard the Queen Mary 2:
While Bonnie was walking about New York City taking interesting photographs, Don was following close behind with a GoPro, capturing things that moved, and there was a lot of movement. Here is a quick video of our Impressions of New York City.
If you caught our previous post, you’ll know that we were staying at a hotel with a view of Times Square, so it will be no surprise that the video clips are centered around Times Square, the surrounding neighborhoods, and Central Park, all in Manhattan.
So please, take a look at our video and get a feel of what we experienced in our two days in Manhattan.
It’s not going to be possible to see this city in two days. Probably wouldn’t be possible to see it in a lifetime. Two days won’t even provide a good overview, but it’ll have to do this time. That’s all we have. So far, from what we’ve seen, we’ve been impressed enough that we plan to come back. We’re staying in the Crowne Plaza Hotel, in a room that overlooks Times Square, so there’s quite a bit of vibrance and color right outside the door. We didn’t come here for peace and quiet, and we’re not getting it. After all, it’s New York City. The Big Apple, the city that never sleeps.
Our first day was spent walking around Times Square, through the Theater District, and a few blocks either direction.
Traffic
Traffic in New York City is about what you would expect from any major city in the world. Photo by Bonnie Fink.
Traffic—in terms of motor vehicles moving about the street—is what we thought it would be. We’re not driving in it, so it’s hard to care too much. It wasn’t any worse or any better than, say, London, or downtown San Francisco. It’s hard to imagine living here and using a car as our primary transportation. Driving would be pretty slow, but parking would be nearly impossible. If we lived here, the best strategy would probably be to sell the car, or park it somewhere in storage outside the city. Maybe New Jersey. And use it only when we have to go outside the city. In town, we would be best served to use public transportation; the Subway or a taxi comes to mind. Indeed, to get here from La Guardia, we used a town car service, and have the same service booked to get us to the ship on Saturday morning. Driving in from La Guardia was about eight miles, and took a little over an hour. Getting to the ship is again about eight miles over to Brooklyn, and should take about an hour to get there. Like we said, driving is easy. Just let a professionals do it.
There’s a real estate show on TV featuring some of New York City’s high end real estate brokers. We found it interesting that they all have drivers to take them around town. We now see why.
Walking About
View of Times Square on a Thursday afternoon. Photo by Bonnie FInk.
Walking around Manhattan—in Times Square and the immediate area—was about what we expected, except that the vendors trying to sell things we didn’t want were as bad as anywhere we’ve ever been. Worse even than Caribbean towns on days when a cruise ship is in. The worst of the bunch were the guys and girls selling tickets to Hop On Hop Off buses. Truthfully, only a couple of the vendors were truly bad, and years of dealing with it on our part made it relatively easy to dismiss.
We made a venture outside on a Friday evening, when things in Times Square were just starting to get busy, and busy they were. The crowds were quite large and for the most part, moved about in an orderly fashion. Once in a while there would be a tourist that stops in the middle of the pedestrian flow to take a picture, and muck up the works, and some folks would just stop for no particular reason, and fowl up the flow then too. But for the most part things moved along reasonably well.
Pedestrians and traffic signals work a little differently here too. It seems that most folks would watch the yellow light opposite their flow of traffic and start across the street when the yellow illuminated. This worked much of time. And of course, sometimes it didn’t work very well at all. We know that most people have grown up ignoring traffic signals, but doing so here can have consequences. If you come to New York, pay attention to what the locals are doing, and learn quickly.
Shopping
Lots of “I love NY” coffee cups. Photo by Bonnie Fink.
There is (of course) lots of shopping in the area, from clothing stores to New York souvenir shops. Again, this is what we expected for an area inhabited mostly by tourists. Our shopping consisted of a quick walk down to Best Buy to pick up a cable we forgot to bring on the trip, a stop in at Walgreens for some things that didn’t fit in the luggage aboard the airplane, a stop at Starbucks, and lunch at Bubba Gump’s.
Central Park
Thursday we walked south to Central Park. We made it through North Woods and as far south as The Lake before heading back. Again, there’s too much to see in the little time we have, so we’ll make it an overview of some of the very limited things we have time to visit.
Looking toward the Bow Bridge on The Lake. An algae bloom was occurring so the lake was a little green. Photo by Bonnie Fink.
If you do anything at all in New York City, go to Central Park. This place is such a contrast to the city surrounding it that it’s almost hard to believe. If we lived here, in the city, we would certainly spend time in Central Park as often as we could. It’s a place where city dwellers can go that gives them a sense of the outdoors, a place to roam, a haven with room.
Construction for Central Park began during the American Civil War. It was originally 778 acres of city owned land, but ended up at its present size of 843 acres. It is generally considered to be the most visited urban park in the world, with 40 million visitors in 2013.
Central Park is free to enter and use, by the way. It’s paid for mostly with privately donated funds managed by a private organization called the Central Park Conservancy. They contribute about 75% of the park’s 63 million dollar annual budget. The rest, presumably comes from the City, with no doubt a state or federal grant thrown in here and there.
There was a time in the 1970s’ when Central park was considered a dustbowl by day and a crime scene by night. City budget cuts to the Parks Department left them with virtually no way to effectively manage and maintain the park system in New York City. That’s when the Central Park Conservancy came into being and, through the influx of private money and private sector management, the park system, including Central Park, has made a dramatic restoration. We never saw it in its declining years, but we had heard of its reputation of being less than a stellar place to visit; the reputation is no doubt left over from the declining years of the 60s’ and 70s’.
You can take a Gondola ride on The Lake in Central Park. Photo by Bonnie Fink.
Central Park is clean, well maintained, safe, representative of the outdoors, and seems to have an activity to match just about any mood. We saw walking trails, horse drawn carriages, pedicabs, meadows for sun bathing, café and restaurant choices, and more. There were row boats to rent, volleyball courts, baseball diamonds, you name it. We saw people enjoying the sun, several dozen people rowing boats around the lakes, plein air painting, and a few just curled up under a tree, reading or taking a quick nap. In our short half day hike around the park, we encountered several different kinds of small wildlife, from squirrels, to a racoon. Several species of birds were about, including a flock of Canada Geese. After all, what park doesn’t have a flock of Canada Geese these days, usually with attitudes?
This horse was all decked out with a feather. Photo by Bonnie Fink.
What we did not see was a large homeless population, or a large population of people in our faces trying to sell things. There were venders in one area, but the atmosphere was more like a farmer’s market, where we were welcome to approach and engage the vendors, but they weren’t chasing us down the street. Our experiences with other urban parks in the last few years had really prepared us for the inevitable homeless population camped out in the underbrush and panhandling from everyone who walked by. No such thing here in Central Park. And we covered a large part of the park, walking a loop from 7th Avenue down around The Lake and back up to 7th Avenue. What we saw in terms of people was New Yorkers, using their park in the way it was intended. We’ll no doubt return to New York in the future, and a trip to Central Park will certainly be on the list.
We came to New York primarily because it’s where we need to be to catch a Cunard Lines ship across the Atlantic to the United Kingdom. We threw in a couple of days in the city just to get an overview, and see if we wanted to bother to come back as tourists. What we learned was that we should have scheduled a week at the very minimum to see this incredible city. No doubt we’ll return at some point in the not-too-distant future with more time and a better, more thoroughly researched agenda. There is so much to see and do that two days was only enough to make us want more.
Here are more pictures of our two days in New York City:
Not long ago we made a short Caribbean cruise aboard the Royal Caribbean Jewel of the Seas. Our trip took us along the western Caribbean and into some interesting ports along Central America. One stop that we found fascinating was Colon, Panama. This is the Caribbean entrance to the Panama Canal, and we had a chance to view the locks in operation. Continue reading →
One of our favorite parks for photographing animals has to be Custer State Park in the southwest corner of South Dakota. We’ve been traveling there for years and any time we even come close, we usually manage to find a way to stop by.
The terrain is mostly rolling hills, green with vegetation and a smattering of trees here and there. There’s also some high country with mostly trees, and we’ve spent time there day hiking. But our primary interest has always been down in the lazy hills, where the animals are.
At Custer, you’ll find several different species, usually grazing herd types. Bison, deer, and pronghorn are common. In fact, the animals that sparked the most interest for us was the pronghorn, or antelope. Usually you can’t approach a pronghorn close enough to get a good image. They’re too wary of people, and in fact they base their defenses on having lots of open space, and keeping a big distance from predators. In Custer State Park, all that seems to be irrelevant. We wouldn’t say they’re “approachable,” because we don’t approach animals, but they’re easily spotted, and very often they’re spotted near the roads where pictures are quite easy. Since most animals at this park are used to humans, and know that they don’t represent a threat, they’re not bothered by our close proximity.
Other animals we enjoy seeing at Custer include wild burros, prairie dogs, and an occasional coyote.
How to get to Custer State Park and Where to stay
We’re usually driving up Interstate 25 out of Denver when we visit Custer State Park. From there we go up 25 to Cheyenne, then head out on State Highway 85 to Lusk, north from there on 18 to Newcastle, then right (east) on State Highway 16 into Custer State Park.
There are five lodges you can stay at if you want to stay in the park. If you like to camp there are also several very nice campgrounds available. Photo by Bonnie Fink.
There are five lodges you can stay at if you want to stay in the park. If you like to camp there are also several very nice campgrounds available. Photo by Bonnie Fink.
We’ve camped at some of the campgrounds within the park using our tent, and we’ve stayed in hotels in Keystone and Custer. We’ve also stayed in some of the many RV parks in our 5th wheel trailer. South Dakota in general and the Black Hills-where Custer is located-in particular is a seriously popular summer travel destination, so there are a lot of choices in terms of accommodations.
When tent camping, we’ve stayed twice at the Blue Bell Campground. It’s a quiet state operated facility near the town of Custer. Also nearby is an active horse stable with trail riding, and a rustic lodge, also called Blue Bell. We’ve not stayed at the lodge, but the Buffalo Burger for dinner was good. There’s a general Custer State Park web site that’s a good place to start your research if you plan to go. To learn about the many lodges and cabins within the park, here’s another site to check out.
When traveling with our 5th wheel trailer, we’ve usually stayed in Custer at the Beaver Lake Campground. We can’t say it was the best because we haven’t stayed at them all, but it was good, and to us, worth the money. We’ve actually stayed there a couple of times over the years, so it was good enough to go back.
When staying in a hotel room, we usually have stayed in the Holiday Inn Express located in Keystone. We like the consistent good quality of Holiday Inn Express, and since we’re usually pretty loyal, we get points that translate into free nights with the chain. It offsets the price and actually makes staying with Holiday Inn Express a reasonable deal financially.
We recommend reservations well in advance when visiting Custer State Park. This location is easily as popular as some of the major National Parks, and demand on lodging and camping is high. See the next section if you might want to visit during the last part of July or first park of August.
Motorcycles
A drive on Iron Mountain road will give you a view of Mt. Rushmore. If you visit during the week of Sturgis you will also see more than one Motorcycle. Photo by Donald Fink.
A drive on Iron Mountain road will give you a view of Mt. Rushmore. If you visit during the week of Sturgis you will also see more than one Motorcycle. Photo by Donald Fink.
Have you heard of Sturgis? It’s the absolute American Mecca of Motorcycle rallies, bringing in as many as 750,000 motorcycle enthusiasts every year. We’ve been twice, and from the perspective of a motorcycle rider, it’s a unique and phenomenal experience. It’s called Sturgis because that’s the town where the activity is centered, but it’s grown so large that the entire region is engulfed in the rally. Every little town for miles around is swarming with bikes, bikers, and vendors for the period of the rally.
This is not the time to show up with your 40 foot motorhome or 5th wheel. We’ve been there once with our 5th wheel, but we showed up slightly before it started, and parked the trailer and truck the entire time, making our way around on the Harley during the rally. No problem for us, but when we’ve seen folks with their trailers and motorhomes stuck in traffic in a town where the bikers are parking in the middle of the street, they weren’t usually looking happy.
As we mentioned, we’ve been there during Sturgis twice, and loved every minute of the experience, but we were there with our bike for transportation. So, as we saw quoted in one publication, “If you like motorcycles, Sturgis is the first full week of August, and the weekends on either side. If you don’t like motorcycles, Sturgis is the first full week of August, and the weekends on either side.” This year (2017) that’s August 4th through August 13th.
If you do plan to go to Custer State Park during Sturgis week, get your reservations for your lodging or campgrounds well in advance. We recommend a year out. Yes, we said, a year out. This event is seriously popular. You can learn more about the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally at their web site here. Dates for future rallies are listed here.
The Animals
Profile of an Antelope buck near sunset at Custer State Park, South Dakota. Photo by Donald Fink.
Profile of an Antelope buck near sunset at Custer State Park, South Dakota. Photo by Donald Fink.
This post is supposed to be about the animals, so let’s get to it. As we mentioned earlier, our reason for originally traveling to Custer State Park those many years ago was to find good opportunities to photograph antelope. We had heard that these animals were not as wary of humans as they normally are, and it turned out to be true. What we didn’t expect was the large number of herds of American Bison that roam the park. Yellowstone is usually known for their large herds, but Custer has got to be a close second. Actually, Yellowstone is usually home to between 2,300 and 5,500 bison. Custer State Park has around 1,300 animals. Of course, Yellowstone is 3,471 square miles in size (over 22 million acres), and Custer State Park is around 71,000 acres.
One event we’ve never attended at Custer State Park is the Buffalo Roundup. Each year, on the last Friday in September, park crews, cowboys and cowgirls saddle up and herd the park’s buffalo into corrals. It’s part of the park’s management plan to keep the population at a sustainable level. About 200 animals are sold off (usually), and the calves are vaccinated before being released back into the park. The large bulls are not rounded up because they’re, “just too darn hard to control.”
The roundup is open to the public for viewing. If you’re a cowboy or cowgirl and want to participate, we have no idea how that happens, but a good place to start looking is at the Travel South Dakota web site.
Other animals we routinely encounter at Custer, other than buffalo and antelope, are the herd of wild burros. These guys seem to hang out near the corrals along the Wildlife Loop Road. We call them wild burros, but they’re actually feral burros, meaning that they are domesticated animals that were released and have reverted back to a wild state, sort of.
Keep in mind that these burros are potentially more dangerous than many wild animals. The reason is because they will approach you, not only begging for food, but in many cases expecting it. They’re fun to view, but exercise extreme caution when you’re around them. They have no fear of humans, and have learned to expect to be fed when humans are around. They sometimes get a bit on the aggressive side. Our advice? Be very careful around them, and never, ever feed them. If you do, you might not like the reaction when the feeding stops.
Now please, take a moment and have a look at our images below. We’ve put together some of our favorites from Custer State Park. If you have an experience related to visiting Custer State Park, or just a question, we would appreciate hearing from you in the comments below.
