Author Archives: RDoug

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About RDoug

Published author, amateur photographer, amateur astronomer, expert bridge player, gourmet cook and wine connoisseur, handguns, extensively traveled.
July 31, 2023 · 5:35 am

Jewel of the Seas — Arriving to Dover


The White Cliffs of Dover

As you may recall, this is the second of three back-to-backs aboard Royal Caribbean’s Jewel of the Seas, which in turn was the fourth voyage taken this trip in 2022 starting with a transatlantic crossing aboard Vision of the Seas followed by a Mediterranean cruise aboard the same ship. Interspersed between those voyages were trips to Limburg an der Lahn, Germany, and Utrecht, Netherlands. We’re now approaching the end of this voyage, which was followed up with a cruise to…. Well, we’ll get to that beginning Monday, 14 August. For this week and next I’ll be showing you our final destination before heading back to Amsterdam for our third Jewel voyage — Dover, England.

Dover Castle

Unfortunately, the skies did not cooperate on the sail into port. The was overcast and gray. Nevertheless, I was determined to get some shots during the approach:

Dover Castle, White Cliffs, and Dover all in one shot
Another view of the immense Dover Castle

Setting out on foot, Ursula and I made our way into town. And one of the first sights greeting us was St. Mary’s Church on North Downs Way:

St. Mary’s Church

After that we hit Castle Street where, at the northeast end of the street, we saw Dover Castle in the distance:

The view of Dover Castle from Castle Street

A right turn northwest bound on Cannon Street gave us these charming village views:

The Elephant and Hind, N. Downs Way and Cannon Street
Cannon Street, Dover
West side of St. Mary’s Church
There’s no escaping Subway, even on Cannon Street in Dover
Ask not for whom the bells toll… all eight of them
Looking back south down Cannon Street

Now, let’s finish today with a great view of St. Mary’s Church as seen from Dover Western Heights:

St. Mary’s Church from Dover Castle

On Wednesday I’ll show you the Dover Museum and a Bronze Age boat

Слава Україні! (Slava Ukraini!)

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July 28, 2023 · 5:35 am

Fun Food/Photo Friday — Dunmore East Favorites and Fish ‘n’ Chips at East Pier


Dunmore East Park

As I intimated on Wednesday, Ursula and I were getting a bit peckish from our pedestrian exploration of Dunmore East. And, being a fish ‘n’ chips aficionado from my time in England many years ago, I remembered we had passed a promising looking establishment shortly after disembarking from our tender. It was time to grab a bite, which is why today I’m combining a Fun Photo Friday with a Fun Food Friday. Behold East Pier Fish and Chips:

East Pier, Dunmore East, Ireland

Are these the best fish ‘n’ chips ever? Not quite, but close. That title goes to Murphy’s on the Corner in Akaroa, New Zealand. But these are quite good. Sure, the outdoor dining is rudimentary, consisting of cable reels for tables and blocks of wood for seats, but so what?

East Pier

Nobody was complaining because the food was so good.

East Pier

The fish ‘n’ chips came in boxes reminiscent of the nostalgic days when your local chippy served up the grease in newsprint:

East Pier Fish ‘n’ Chips

Open the box and you are greeted to passable chips and flavorful, crispy fish fillets:

East Pier food fare

If you want something a bit more exotic, their menu also offers up lobster, crab “toes,” oysters, and more. Now onward to this week’s Fun Photo Friday:

Слава Україні! (Slava Ukraini!)

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July 26, 2023 · 5:35 am

Jewel of the Seas — Walking Dunmore East and Meeting a New Friend with a Shared Passion


Ladies Cove, Dunmore East, County Waterford, Ireland

Continuing our trek northward through Dunmore East we stumbled upon a couple of items of interest when we turned right off of Dock Road. The was a pathway to Ladies Cove, which I showed you from a vantage point above as seen from Dunmore East Park. Once we made our way down to the cove, I managed to capture an image of Jewel of the Seas:

Ladies Cove and Jewel of the Seas

As we made our way down to the cove we passed the Round Tower. Don’t ask me the origins of this ruin, as I’ve absolutely no idea. You can find it on Google Maps, but information is practically nonexistant. Here it is:

Dunmore East Round Tower
The Round Tower as it appears on the path back from Ladies Cove

Returning to Dock Road we took the opportunity to photograph Saint Andrew’s Church, which we passed a short time before. Here the exterior of the church and its graveyard are rather impressive for so small a town:

Saint Andrew’s Church
Saint Andrew’s Church graveyard
Saint Andrew’s Church

Heading south, past the Haven Hotel which I showed you on Monday, you’ll find some interesting woodworking just north of Circular Road:

Nice Stump Recycling

We were getting a tad peckish by now, so we were heading back toward a place we saw after disembarking the tender (you’ll see that place on Friday). Meanwhile, I continued snapping away on the trek back.

Something Fishy About That Weathervane
Charming Wall at the corner of Dock/Convent and Island Roads

Just south of where Dock Road becomes Convent Road my heart went aflutter when I stumbled upon a near-pristine example of one of my all-time favorite GT automobiles. This is an MGB GT, the shooting brake GT coupé version of MG’s classic MGB:

Early MGB GT with chrome overrider bumpers and wire wheels
MG MGB GT

As I was drooling over this automotive masterpiece of affordable motoring, snapping away from several vantage points, the owner came out to meet me. Below is proud owner Mike, who has won several awards for his restoration of this bit of history. We chatted for quite a while, with me reminiscing about my old MGB roadster in Brooklands Green when Mike asked me to wait while he went in to retrieve a souvenir for me. Here is Mike with his thoughtful gift of an MGB GT badge, which I now proudly display on a bookshelf alongside my books on classic (i.e., Abingdon) MG automobiles:

Mike, his MGB GT, and the badge he gifted to me

I really wanted to reimburse Mike for the badge, but he insisted upon gifting it to me. Needless to say, I was extremely humbled and grateful, as these things are not cheap.

Thanks again, Mike!

Слава Україні! (Slava Ukraini!)

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