Saturday (8-8-26) Scott and I will start a 14-Day West Ireland Gems & Solar Eclipse cruise on the Seabourn Ovation. Note, the word “Gems" refers to the scenic coastal ports and historic towns visited along the route, specifically destinations like Galway and Killybegs.
We will depart from Dover, England, and debark in Reykjavik, Iceland on 8-22-26. On 8-12-26 we will be out at sea and experience a total solar eclipse. The eclipse will pass over the Arctic Ocean, Greenland, Iceland, Atlantic Ocean, Portugal, and northern Spain. But more on the eclipse and our cruise later.
The following attachment shows our cruise route and where we will experience the total solar eclipse.
The next attachment shows the path of the eclipse. The eclipse will start in northern Siberia then move from east to west, then curve south through Greenland and Iceland, and finally southeast across the Atlantic Ocean (where Scott and I will experience it) and then on to northern Spain. The entire global event will last about 4.5 hours from start to finish. However, at any single local spot in the path of totality, the total darkness phase will be about 2 minutes.
This last attachment is a photo of our ship (taken from the Seabourn site).
Monday, 08-03-26: Touring Bath, Lacock, and BoA in England
Today Scott and I had a great time with some friends in Bradford on Avon (BoA), a historic town in west Wiltshire, England, that sits on the River Avon. We met Mary and Matthew on a cruise in Bordeaux. They toured us around to Bath, Lacock, and BoA.
The following photo shows Scott, me and Matthew in front of their home in BoA. 
In Lacock we went to the Fox Talbot Museum and the home (aka Lacock Abbey) of William Henry Fox Talbot, who invented the process of printing from negatives.
The following is a photo of the Oriel window at Lacock Abbey, the subject of the first-ever negative photograph taken by Talbot. Talbot and Louis Daguerre (inventor of the daguerreotype) were competing for attention in the photography world. Talbot's actual negative of the window is housed in the National Science and Media Museum located in Bradford, West Yorkshire.
The following photos is of an informational plaque that details the history of Lacock Abbey, identifying it as the birthplace of photography. It highlights the window where Talbot made the world's earliest known surviving paper negative. 
Lacock Abbey is also where they filmed a lot of the Harry Potter films. I was so enthralled I forgot to take photos. OY!!!
Tuesday, 08-04-26
Scott and I took the train from Bath to London and struggled to find our Best Western Hotel which was clean. Nothing more to say about that.
Wednesday, 08-05-26 (Visiting the Tower of London)
We made a decision to do one major event a day and the first day in London was the Tower of London which neither of us had been to. The entry included a tour by a Yeoman Warder (also known as a Beefeater), the protectors of the tower and the royalty. The tour was fascinating and gruesome as it was mostly about who had been executed or tortured by various means. Including Anne Boleyn and Thomas Cromwell who were buried in the chapel. The Yeoman Warders live right inside the fortress grounds with their families, and applicants must have completed a minimum of 22 years of active service in the British Armed Forces before being considered for the role.
Below are a few photos from our first day in London.
Below is the Tower of London, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The photo below is the memorial for those executed at the Tower of London. It features a glass pillow intended to suggest the head of the executed person.
The following photo shows the Beefeaters as they were guarding the Crown Jewels which were awesome, but no photos allowed of the jewels.
The ravens below are part of a superstition that if there are less than 6 the royalty will die or the country will cease or something like that so they have 7, one for a back up, in case one gets sick.
Next, the 1540 Armor of King Henry VIII at the Tower of London. Note that the suit features a prominent codpiece that was a political statement of virility and power.
And last, the chapel for St. John the Evangelist where everyone went to pray. Many before they were beheaded.
Thursday, 08-06-26: Royal Observatory
The observatory is a historic scientific site in Greenwich Park, famous as the birthplace of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and the Prime Meridian line (longitude 0°), dividing the eastern and western hemispheres.
This was an unexpected delight. Because walking extensively is problematic for Scott, we decided to go to the Royal Observatory because I read that the underground was a level transfer. WRONG! Duh, an observatory needs to be elevated and it was a steep incline but we made it. From the following photo of the view of London you get how high the observatory is.
The following photo with me is the Shepherd Gate Clock showing the accurate Greenwich Mean Time. Note that it has a 24-hour analog dial rather than a 12-hour one. Also note that my body is also keeping accurate Greenwich Mean Time.
Speaking of clocks, the next photo shows the Thomas Tompion clocks housed in the Octagon Room at the observatory. These clocks are famous because their maker is celebrated as the "Father of English Clockmaking."
We took two tours of the Observatory and learned about the Royal Astronomers including Halley of comet fame. For those of you keeping track, this comet won't reappear until 2061.
The big silver globe in the following photo is a replica of the moon with over 9000 craters and several hundred mountains. The guide is pointing to where “we” walked on the moon the first time. Luke Jerram was the sculptor. Sorry about all the reflections, that happens with mirrored surfaces.
There were several meridian lines before many nations met and agreed on Greenwich. There was one holdout guess which country…. Yep.. France. They finally caved many years later. I tried to take a photo of where New York City is, the light is bad but you can see LA.
In the next photo I’m straddling the line, one foot east and one west. Didn’t feel any difference. The whole meridian, longitude and latitude thing boiled down to time and the need for accurate time on ships for navigation. Too many ships were being lost at sea. And none of the time pieces ( clocks) could keep time on rough seas. Kind of technical but very interesting.
Normally I would have gone to Art Museums, alas that didn’t happen. I can go to the best in NYC, the Met.
I love London and want to come back for a longer time.
Friday, 08-07-26 and Saturday, 08-08-26: Dover
Scott and I are left London on the high-speed train this Friday afternoon for Dover. The train ride took about one hour plus a few minutes and we hit speeds up to 140 mph.
The following photo shows the "minus-2 Star" hotel we stayed at in Dover, the Park Inn Palace Hotel. Google gave it a 4.5 out of 5-star ratings. Never believe Google. The hotel gave us only one towel, water glass, etc., and when we asked for a second water glass, they said they didn’t have any more because the clients kept breaking them. You have to laugh. The hotel was clean at least, or mostly so.
Dover is a small town given how important it has been. Most notably in our recent history for the rescue of 338,226 Allied troops from the beaches and harbor of Dunkirk, France. Around 200,000 landed at Dover. And the locals joined the military to rescue them, the townspeople set up hospitals and kitchens. At the local information center and museum was a black and white footage on a small TV that showed footage of the rescue from Dunkirk from the point of view from Dover, and the tunnels. It was an old TV, maybe 24 to 26" and at least 12-15" deep.
Also at the museum we saw the famous oldest seagoing vessel in the world, from the Bronze Age (around 1550 BC). The vessel was made of wood and some rope that was treated to make it last a long time. It was in a dark glass chamber and impossible to photograph and even difficult to see. It isn't a dug-out canoe, but it is reminiscent of one. 12-15 feet long, 5-6 ft. across, and very flat, no metal on the boat. It is their proudest artifact. No photo from me, but I stole the following photo from the Internet.
The following photo was taken of Connaught Hall, the largest and most spectacular room inside the historic Maison Dieu (also known as the Dover Town Hall). Maison Dieu is a historic building that reopened in 2025, features meticulously restored Neo-Gothic architecture, including a detailed wood-paneled ceiling. It was originally built as a hospital and hospice to accommodate travelling pilgrims. The building at one time was also a “gaol" aka jail.
The next photo shows St. Mary's Church, it was originally built as a Norman church in the 11th century, but is now an Anglican Church.
Below is a photo of a historic interpretation panel about the origin of St. Mary’s church, located just outside of the church.
The following selfie of yours truly was taken in the Market Square. In the background you can see a "mist tunnel" or hooped walkway designed to cool visitors, particularly during warm weather. The “misters” are also an art installation located not far from the three level helix known as the Grand Shaft, a 140-foot deep triple-spiral staircase carved down through the chalk cliffs of the White Cliffs of Dover, but we didn't go there due to lack of time.
If you want to read the history of Brittannia it sort of starts with Romans and goes through 1066 when the Normans invaded. One of my relatives was a soldier in that invasion. So… ooh la la… I’m part French if that counts.
We also considered going to Dover Castle but were told that the famous tunnels were closed, so it wasn't worth it. Also, that was true for going to the famous white cliffs and that we would see them better from the cruise ship. And we did have a lovely view from the ship with the Dover Cruise Terminal between them and our ship. There are white cliffs all along the coast. Below is a photo I took of the White Cliffs of Dover from our ship. The cliffs are white because they are made of pure, soft chalk.
Saturday, 08-08-26: Sailed from Dover, England
We boarded the ship around 2 pm.
Sunday, 08-09-26: Cowes (Isle of Wight), England
We arrived in Cowes on the Isle of Wight in the morning. Cowes has been known for international yacht racing since 1815. It was once the retreat for Queen Victoria; a big deal is made of that. Mostly is a beautiful, tranquil harbor town with the dominant building being the Castle of Cowles, now the home of the Royal Yacht Squadron. We tendered in and walked along the promenade reading the nicely posted information panels on the sea wall. My favorite being one of the early racing yachts, many were built similarly but the following was the best photo.
We had been greeted by a tall ship with many sails unfurled and I expected it to remain so, didn't get a photo until later when I got the contrast of it unfurled and the ferry moving across the harbor. Not a very exciting photo, nor exciting stop.
Our stroll didn't take long as we had just missed the annual yachting regatta by one day so all the ships were gone, but a locals tribute remained (photo below), a crochet version of the event on top of a defunct mail box. It amused me.
Then back to the ship for lunch, nap, and Trivia games.
Monday, 08-10-26: Fowey, England
The following day we landed in Fowey, pronounced FOY (rhymes with joy and boy). Another yacht harbor, this time an estuary as opposed to rivers, a more interesting town. We walked around here as well. It is in Cornwall and I think the heart of tin mining.
This was the home of Daphne Du Maurier, so of course I downloaded her novel Rebecca (about a young second wife haunted by the memory of her husband's first wife) to listen to at the gym. The photo below is the memorial to her, titled Rook with a Book, referencing her short story The Birds, which was later made into a movie by Alfred Hitchcock. The plaque partially reads: "Rook With A Book celebrates author Daphne du Maurier's legacy, inspiration and love of Fowey where she lived."
Fowey was also home to Robert Fitzroy, an English officer of the Royal Navy, and also inventor of the barometer, and also coined the word "forecast." Below are photos of the plaque to him.
Fowey Harbor was charming and very busy with both sail and motor boats. The stone foundations and seawalls are lovely.
The big deal in Fowey was the "Cornwall pasty." For lunch the miners (mostly tin, copper, but other minerals also) took them to work and ate them in the dark. They didn't use knives and forks, they ate holding the crusts as their hands had toxic stuff on them. Then they threw the crust into the mine shafts to avoid poisoning and for good luck. Of course Scott and I had to try the pastries. A traditional Cornish pasty features chunks of beef, potatoes, rutabaga, and onions.
Another short day ashore. This voyage is about the eclipse, so anticipation is high as the skies are clear. And off we go into the mid-Atlantic. A sea day to reach the right longitude and latitude, a day for viewing, and a day to return to land in Galway. Stay tuned.
We walked into the city to see the landmark Spanish Arches. The Spanish Arches were once part of the historic wall encircling Galway. The following photo shows the open arch, the other one is blocked off and was used for storage. Renamed Spanish as that is where the Spanish merchant ships docked to off load their spices and cargo. Built in 1564 as an extension to the Norman construction. The guy playing the flute or recorder in the cropped version of the photo was playing mournful Irish tunes. Set the mood.
In the next 2 photos (original and a crop) I thought this was a seagull but the beak Isn’t right. Do any of you readers know Irish ornithology?
After our walking tour in the city our afternoon was spent touring the countryside. The next two photos are some scenes along the way. We saw lots of turf and people digging it. Some still use it for fires. Especially it’s used for making poutine, Irish moonshine, made from yep you guessed it ... .potatoes.
Later we stopped at Powers Thatched Bar & Restaurant, a traditional 19th-century pub and seafood spot, for scones and a cup of tea. It was in Oughterard, a small town about 15 miles northwest of the city of Galway. We are always charmed by thatched roofs. We whizzed by the reeds that they still use but thatching is a dying craft.
I thought the following photo represented the inside of the place very well.
Oban Harbor (shown below) was good for fishing until the area was overfished. The port is the primary hub for ferries and boats of most anyone on the Argyll Western Coast. Fishing is now concentrated on shellfish. And most are shipped to France and Spain.
Oban is also known for the natural Atlantic rainforest and for very clean air. Discovery was made during some excavations of people living there soon after the ice age. Lots of beautiful trees.
Here’s another bird question for you readers that know your birds. The bird in the next photo is hard to see, but it’s busy shifting stones around to get to little shellfish. So do any of you recognize this bird? The mystery bird in my previous email from Galway, Ireland was identified by several readers as a young herring gull.
The following is another photo of the harbor and the typical weather. It’s almost always wet and windy, is rarely even warm and it never snows.
And following is a panorama of the bay and barrier islands.
Oban is a lively little town. I messed up our reservation so we didn’t get to go into the distillery and drink single malt scotch. We did go on a two hour walking tour where I got the above measly history lesson.
Monday, 08-17-25: Oban, Scotland, United Kingdom
