July 29 - Cruising the Norwegian Fjords

This has been a great week!  Lyle and I are on a seven day cruise in Norway.  Not only that, but our Calgary family are with us on the same cruise.

The cruise ship left Amsterdam and sailed directly to Oslo.  I had been to Oslo many years ago but now I don’t recognize the city.  It has grown and developed so much in those intervening years.  On our day in port we walked for miles and miles.  I think that the problem with the day was that 24 hours was just not long enough.  There was so much to see and do.

From Oslo we sailed on three different fjords, spending a day each in the towns of Kristiansand, Edifjord, and Flam within each fjord.  Surprisingly, each town had a slightly different flavour.

At Kristiansand we walked though the fish market and spent time in the sunshine on a small beach.  At Eidfjord we walked beside the river on a nature trail towards the mountains.  At Flam we took a small train towards one of the picturesque waterfalls in the area. I loved them all but my favourite was Eidfjord.

Below is a picture of me standing on our ship balcony with one of the fjords in the background.

Sue in front of a fjord

July 26 - The House of Anne Frank

Visiting the house where Anne Frank and her family spent just over two years in hiding was a sobering experience.  It was disconcerting to think that it was actually less than one hundred years ago that the Nazi regime inflicted such cruelty on an innocent population.

I was glad that I had read the published version of Anne’s diary only days before our trip to Amsterdam.  Somehow it brought even more significance  to our visit.  The rooms of the house were empty of furniture, but filled with echoes of the past.  The audio descriptions were powerful with many of the words being verbatim quotes from Anne’s diary.

We were able to walk from our hotel near Central Station to the warehouse where Otto Frank hid his family.  I suppose it was an easy walk but Lyle and I would have had major problems locating it if it hadn’t been for the technical savvy of our son-in-law.  Andrew has been an amazing tour guide for our walking trips around the city.

I was surprised when we arrived at the warehouse.  Apart from the crowds sitting outside, it was relatively indistinguishable  from the surrounding buildings.  The receiving staff were very professional and helpful when I arrived with my cane.  They advised me that I might not be able to complete all the various stairways.  Indeed, the stairs were very narrow and steep.  I felt unable to climb the last steep stairway to the attic.  According to my family who did climb these stairs, walking in this space was a very solemn experience.

If you plan on visiting Amsterdam I would highly recommend a visit to the house of Anne Frank.  I would also recommend reading Anne’s diary before the visit.  Finally, I must add that reservations for the tour are absolutely necessary, and must be made at least a month in advance to coordinate with your travel plans.  Thanks again to Andrew for talking care of this as well.

July 23 - Amsterdam

We are in Amsterdam.  It is our first visit to this city. I was mildly surprised at how many tourists were wandering around and a little taken aback, not so much by the number of bicycles, but by the speed that they raced up and down the bike lanes.

Now bicycles have the right of way - yes, even over pedestrians.  I found this somewhat disconcerting.  I was never sure when to cross a lane as I had no idea when a bicycle was approaching and had to rely heavily on Lyle.

On our second day in the Netherlands we decided to avoid the crowds and took a train to Zaandam.  It was great wandering down the pedestrian mall (no bikes) and eating lunch at an outside cafe.  The only problem was that public washrooms were in short supply and hard to find.

From Zaandam we took a further train to Zaanse Schan where we walked to a series of traditional Dutch windmills.  The structures were quite large and the wind kept the blades turning.  I suppose the scenery make me think of my childhood pictures of what things looked like in Holland.  I was glad that we had taken the day for this excursion.

Tonight we will go to the house of Anne Frank.  I am looking forward to this so will write more in my next post.

July 18 - Smart phones

I am not very technical but I do like my smart phone. It’s great all the things that I can do when I speak with Siri. Every so often, I learn something new.

This learning process has all happened over time. With my first phone, I had a lot of trouble when I asked Siri to call specific phone numbers. Then I discovered that it was my Australian accent that was causing the problem. Lyle discovered that Siri could also speak with an Aussie accent and when he changed the setting on my phone, my particular problem was solved.

Lately I have been using my phone to check the temperature and even the air quality. You know by now that Lyle and I like to travel, so I am often checking the weather around the world at different times of the year.

For instance, recently my sister, Jill, was travelling in Australia. A couple of weeks ago she was in Darwin at the “Top End” and the temperature was 32 degrees. This weekend she will be in Canberra where it is typically much colder. This morning, when I asked Siri, he reported that it was only four degrees there. It’s interesting to imagine Jill in these different weather patterns.

Tomorrow, Lyle and I are leaving for Amsterdam. When I asked, I was pleased to learn that northern Europe isn’t experiencing the same torrid temperatures as southern Europe. Oh, how climate change is affecting our weather all around the globe. Siri also let me know that it wasn’t raining in Amsterdam. Good to know when it comes to packing!

Of course, Siri doesn’t always get my pronunciations right. Some of his translations are even quite comical. Nevertheless, I truly like my smart Phone. And even though I have fun with it, it is a valuable tool when it comes to daily living with vision loss. Siri is my private secretary. He dials phone numbers on my verbal command and sends and reads  text messages for me.  I use my smart Phone every day.

 

 

 

 

July 7 - I Really Don’t See Very Well!

While I know that I don’t see very well, sometimes I need to explain this to other people. Indeed, this was the case just the other day.

We were away on holidays and our granddaughter was to come to spend a few days with us. Lexi is an avid reader so we decided to go to the library to borrow a few books for her for the time she was going to be with us.

Now I am also an avid reader, but my audible books are all mailed to me from the CNIB Library. I rarely go into the physical space of a library with printed materials. This is all to set the stage for what follows.

Lyle and I were out for a drive and decided that there was time to stop at the library. I didn’t have my white cane with me and I wasn’t wearing my low vision identity badge, but I was sure I could manage. While Lyle went off to the adult section I approached the front desk. I explained about the request for children’s books and asked if she could help me. However, I felt I needed to explain why I couldn’t find the books myself.

As I uttered the phrase, “I don’t see very well,” I leaned forward to make sure she heard. Shmuck! My face planted itself against the plexiglass over the counter. I am not sure who was more surprised - the librarian on the other side of the glass or me with my shmucked nose!

Needless to say I didn’t need to offer any further explanations about my poor vision as the librarian rushed around the counter to help me!

July 1 - Can You See the Parade?

July 1 is Canada Day, and in many towns and cities across the country there will be a parade. Will I go to the parade in our town?  Absolutely! Will I be able to see the decorated floats and the smart uniforms of the marching bands? Very unlikely! So why do I go?

Well, there is far more in life than what I can see. For starters, on parade day I will go with my family.  

We will get up early, slather ourselves with sun screen, don our sun hats, and grab our lawn chairs. We want to be there in time to reserve prime viewing spots on the curb.

There I go again. Why do I want the best “viewing” spot if I can’t see. The answer is that I want to be close to the action. I want to hear the delight in our granddaughter’s voice when the clown stops to pass out some candy to her. I want to feel the vibrations of the drums, horns, and bagpipes when the marching bands pass by. I want to jump at the sound of the cymbals and duck when the youngsters on the floats turn their water pistols and hoses our way. I want to feel the excitement of the people around us. No, I might not be able to see it all, but for sure I can experience it.

There is more to life than just seeing, so why would I deny myself all those other wonderful experiences.

July 1 Canada Day, July 4 Independence Day, Disney’s Magic Kingdom any day, let’s face it. I love a parade!