Glaciers Unlimited

For the past couple of days we have been up and down fiords, floating by glaciers, mountains, mountains and more mountains.

Friday;
Glacier Bay was magnificent and the weather even played its part by being a little overcast and drizzly, so great for photos. Ice floating around the ship makes you feel like you’re floating on top of a load of washing.

The glaciers enormous, like the white cliffs at Dover, only tinged with blue, turquoise & green. Majestic! Then the rumble, not unlike thunder, splash! Another great chunk slides into the bay. We spent the day drifting along (I’m sure there was a purpose and direction)

With so many mountains, draped in snow, the views never become boring (except when you at home have to sit through viewings of our hundreds of pictures of snow and mountains!). At we sailed by twenty or more ‘Southern Alps’ it just got better and better every minute.

Formal dinner tonight, boy did we look glamorous and we have the photos to prove it!

Saturday;
Another sea day and this time College Fiords. Today we saw more wildlife – otters, Pacific Dolphins, sea lions, humpbacked & orca whales. Plenty of bird life today too.

At midnight the sky was still quite light, then sunrise was scheduled for 4.13am. It never really got dark. A romantic moonlight night (and no-one to be romantic with). Michelle got some great photos – most of us were asleep.

Sunday;
Seward - no fanfare, we just arrived. Bit sad as we have really, really enjoyd the Indonesian crew on the boat, with their 'towel' sculpture, smiles and amazing service. The towel sculptures ar gob-smacking. Over the eight evenings I had the following left to decorate my room; stingray, dolphin, swan, rabbit, frog, dog, crab & (can't remembr the other one) - all made just from bath towels, hand towels & face clothes. Crazy, but true!!

Smooth disembarkation at 9am, into coach - goodness knows how many bags now. I'll find out tomorrow. Mike, driver/guide was wonderful. full commentary, complet with history and trivia. short tour around Seward - a bit lik a short tour around Huntly, then onto Portage Glacier for a lunch stop. The lake is still closed (frozen), but a lovely place to stop.

Then a magnificent drive along the glacial rivers and inlets to Anchorage. Saw eagles and mountain sheep.

First stop Dina's Quilt store in Eagle River. Great BIG building and very hot! Then onto Seams Like Home Quilts. Lots of fun there too. these 'gals stayed open late for us.

Finally Springhills Hotel. Across the road to the Outback - an Aussie restaurant chain, great food. Tired now, want to go to bed, but if I don't get this updated what will you have to read tonight?

Tomorrow it's early start again. Mike will be here to pick us up at 7am. A truck, yes, a truck, will be here to collect the bags and will deliver them straight to Fairbanks. We stop tomorrow night in Denali National Park. most of us are going to the Fanny (something) show & dinner. We have had a lot of laughs about the name of it.

Tuesday morning lots of us are going to meet the husky pups, then back on the train in the afternoon to Fairbanks.

Later.......................