We spent a lazy morning in Amsterdam packing and eating breakfast. We had Dutch pancakes. The version that Caroline had was not much different than Swedish pancakes, but had more flavor. The version I had were little bite size pancakes that were cooked in a dimpled pan. There were quite good.
We got to the embarking area and saw several of our friends from previous cruises. There are a set of groupies, if you will, that go on the these cruises. Many of them have been on all of them. We have been on all but one. Holland America does a wonderful job handling luggage and gathering the necessary paperwork geting people on board. That is one of the great things about a cruise. You are in one bedroom for the duration and you don't need to unpack and repack frequently.
The first activity on all of the cruises we have been on is a life boat drill. Everybody is assigned a life boat station and everyone gathers there at a very loud signal which you could not miss. Roll is called and if you are not there, they claim you will not sail. It is a bit comforting to know that they take safety seriously, and on this ship.
After the safety briefing, it was off to the sail away party on the AFT deck. This might be a good time to introduce the reason we choose these cruises. A Prairie Home Companion is a radio program that has been airing on public radio for 40+ years. It is hosted by Garrison Keillor and includes music, radio drama, "commercials", and the highlight of the show is the "news from Lake Woebegone." Garrison tells stories about the residents and events in Lake Woebegone, a fictional small town in MInnesoata populated by Scandinavians and others. It is based on his experiences growing up in a similar town in Minnesota.
The show has a house band called the Guys All Star Shoe Band, or just the shoe band. The band is led by Rich Dworsky, a very gifted keyboard player. One of the regulars is Pat Donahue, an incredible guitar player. There is a "radio acting company" of Tim Russell, Sue Scott, and Fred Newman (a unbelieveable sound effects man) who perform with Garrison in skits like "Guy Noir, Private Eye," "The Lives of the Cowboys," and others.
I know it sounds hokey, and I am sure to some it is. But, if you grew up in a small midwestern town, like we both did, you will find that it resonates at least a little with your life. As the BLOG continues, I'll elaborate a bit more on the characters.
The sail away party consisted of Garrison, Pat Donahue, Robin and Linda Williams, the DiGiallonardo Sisters, and others. Garrison started by leading us in the National Anthem and then God Bless America. He said we sang it loud so all the Dutch boaters drifting by could hear. Then the group sang a series of old songs, some with special words for the cruise. I am sure they picked Sweet Caroline just because my Caroline was on board. Here is a short excerpt from that song.
It got very hot in the sun, so we moved another spot where there was shade and where they were serving food around the pool. We listened to Pat Donahue, Dan Newton, and incredible accordian player, and more from the Shoe Band play blues and cajun music. It was a taste of the great music on the ship, one of the reasons that it is so much fun. Just a taste of what we heard.
As the music ended, we noticed that the sun was setting so we headed forward to take some pictures. We were treated to a special show by mother nature. Here are just a couple of pictures.
It was a long day and we headed for bed. We were greeted by two chocalates and a lobster on our bed.