#best river cruise ships

[savvytravelers]

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Experience the joy of traveling onboard our luxurious ships with Savvy Travelers!

[tangotravel]

Luxor and Aswan Nile Cruises : discover the beauty of Egypt's ancient cities.

Egypt is a country steeped in ancient history and culture, and there is no better way to explore its rich past than on a Nile River cruise. Luxor and Aswan are two of the most popular destinations for Nile cruises and for good reason. These ancient cities are home to some of Egypt's most famous landmarks and historical sites, and a Nile cruise is the perfect way to discover their beauty.

Luxor

Luxor is often referred to as the "world's greatest open-air museum" and is one of Egypt's most popular tourist destinations. Located in the south of Egypt, Luxor was once the ancient capital of the New Kingdom and is home to some of the country's most impressive historical sites.

One of the most famous landmarks in Luxor is the Karnak Temple Complex. This vast complex is one of the largest religious sites in the world and is home to a series of impressive temples, chapels, and other structures. Visitors can explore the Great Hypostyle Hall, which features 134 columns, and the sacred lake, where priests once purified themselves before performing religious ceremonies.

Another famous landmark in Luxor is the Luxor Temple. This temple was built in honor of the god Amun and was once connected to the Karnak Temple Complex by an avenue of sphinxes. Visitors can explore the temple's impressive columns, statues, and hieroglyphs, which tell the story of ancient Egypt.

One of the highlights of any Nile cruise is a visit to the Valley of the Kings. This valley was once the burial place of pharaohs and nobles and is home to a series of impressive tombs, including the tomb of Tutankhamun. Visitors can explore the tombs and marvel at the intricate hieroglyphs and paintings that cover the walls.

Aswan

Located in the south of Egypt, Aswan is a beautiful city that is often referred to as the "jewel of the Nile." Aswan is famous for its stunning natural beauty and its historical sites, which include ancient temples, tombs, and pyramids.

One of the most famous landmarks in Aswan is the Abu Simbel temple. These temples were built by Ramses II and are located on the west bank of the Nile River. The temples are dedicated to the gods Amun, Ra-Horakhty, and Ptah, and are famous for their impressive statues and carvings.

Another popular attraction in Aswan is the Philae Temple. This temple was built on an island in the Nile River and is dedicated to the goddess Isis. Visitors can explore the temple's impressive columns, statues, and reliefs, which depict scenes from ancient Egyptian mythology.

Aswan is also famous for its beautiful natural scenery, and a visit to the Aswan High Dam is a must. This impressive dam was built in the 1960s and is one of the largest dams in the world. Visitors can enjoy stunning views of the Nile River and the surrounding desert landscape.

The Nile Cruise Experience

A Nile cruise is the perfect way to explore Luxor and Aswan and discover the beauty of these ancient cities. The Nile cruises usually last for 3 to 7 days and takes visitors on a journey down the Nile River, stopping at historical sites and landmarks along the way.

Most Nile cruises start in Luxor and end in Aswan, or vice versa. The cruise ships are usually luxurious and offer a range of amenities, including restaurants, bars, and swimming pools. Visitors can relax on deck and enjoy stunning views of the Nile River and the surrounding scenery.

The cruise usually stops at a number of historical sites and landmarks, including the Karnak Temple Complex, the Valley of the Kings, the Abu Simbel temples, and the Philae Temple. Visitors can explore these sites and learn about their history and significance in ancient Egyptian culture.

In addition to historical sites, Nile cruises also offer the opportunity to experience local culture and traditions. Visitors can enjoy traditional Egyptian cuisine, attend cultural performances, and visit local markets and bazaars.

Conclusion

A Nile cruise is the perfect way to discover the beauty of Luxor and Aswan and explore Egypt's rich history and culture. Whether you're interested in historical sites, natural scenery, or local culture, Luxor and Aswan have something for everyone. So why not book your Nile cruise today and experience the beauty of Egypt's ancient cities for yourself?

For more info. kindly visit www.tango-travel.com

or send your request to info@tango-travel.com

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[hiwelcometothemonstersancturary]

What's it like for swimming for them

Angel takes the group to a lake near the farm to teach everyone how to swim, but also to aid in their physical therapy. And, well...

Poppy is afraid. SOOOO afraid. Angel holds her close, and it takes her a lot of time before she's able to do it by herself. She's fine with bathtubs and baby polls, but something actually deep???? Her hair getting wet is also really annoying to her as well. She prefers splashing herself and using bigger toys as "boats" rather than just swimming

Huggy Wuggy likes floating in the water. Kissy Missy does as well, but she likes pretending to be a pirate's ship and splashing others in other to cannon ball them. Huggy joins in the war.

Catnap does not like swimming, it feels weeeird, but Dogday LOVES it. Drags him to the water like a mermaid dragging a sailor and laughs everytime when Catnap screams.

Mommy Long Legs is an AWFUL swimmer but she actually likes it!!!! Pretends to be a kraken. Poppy and Kissy like to pretend they're going to take her down with their pirate ship and the trio play fights a LOOOOT.

Bunzo love swimming so much he's vibrating and stimming until he's underwater. Pretends to be a shark, LOVES annoying Catnap with Dogday's help. Plays on Mommy Long Leg's side when she's "fighting" Poppy and Kissy's pirate ship.

PJ Pug-a-Pillar is carrying all the mini toys on his back and pretending to be a cruise ship. When not doing that he's running and splashing and swimming at 100 mph, he LOVES it.

Hoppy loves swimming!!!! She makes it her mission to annoy Catnap and MLL as long as possible.

Boxy Boo is an awful swimmer. Uses Hoppy to help him maneuver underwater.

Kickin LOVES it as well! He and Hoppy compete against each other whenever they swim together. It also helps his bad leg a lot.

Bubba is not as energetic as the others, and swims slowly and steady before going back to the surface. He loves how the water feels against him, even if he's not very good at it.

Crafty has to take it slow as well, and she's super clumsy, but she always has so much fun when they all go to the lake. First to learn how to swim.

Bobby tries to follow MLL's and Hoppy's pace, but in the end she's more like Bubba. Swimming is very relaxing to her.

Picky may not be the best swimmer but once she's underwater it's hard for her to leave. She loves floating above the river, loves sitting down with only her head above water. She's having a Moment and no one dares disturb her.

Miss Delight is one of the best swimmers of the group, and she also really loves it! She's there with Kickin and Hoppy, keeping score of their underwater races before OBLITERATING THEM. She always pretend she doesn't know what the duo is talking about when they tell her she's too good at it. Super smug about it as well.

Angel likes swimming!!!! They're helping the small critters and toys learn, and keep watch as everyone plays and has fun with each other. Dogday grabs them and throws them in the lake more than once just for the funsies, and also to force Angel to let HIM watch the little ones for once.

Prototype is fairly neutral about swimming as a whole. Only joins the fam two years post-rescue, and has to re-learn how to swim on his body. He likes playing with the small toys.

[wearethekat]

Anticipated New Releases of 2024

**As anticipated by Me. Mostly SFF. Links are to goodreads because that's what I use, sorry. Anything marked "new to me" I haven't read anything by that author before and therefore can't vouch for the quality. I just think the premise is neat.**

Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands, Heather Fawcett (16 January)

Sequel to the charming novel about the fairy anthropologist.

Exordia, Seth Dickinson (23 January)

Well, it isn't a new Baru Cormorant, but this modern SF about first contact may be the next best thing.

City of Stardust, Georgia Summers (30 January)

New to me. A young woman descends into the underworld in order to break her family's fatal curse.

The Tainted Cup, Robert Jackson Bennett (6 February)

New to me. A sherlock holmes flavored duo solves the mystery of the murder of an imperial official in a labyrinthine fantasy realm.

What Feasts at Night, T Kingfisher (13 February)

The sequel to the mushroom horror book What Moves the Dead.

The Warm Hands of Ghosts, Katherine Arden (13 February)

A ghost story set in WW1 about a woman searching for her missing brother.

The Fox Wife, Yangsze Choo (13 February)

New to me. A detective in 1908 Manchuria investigates a young woman's death in an area full of mythical foxes.

Redsight, Meredith Mooring (27 February)

New to me. Unpowered priestess and Imperial pawn is set on a collision path with a pirate with a grudge for the Imperium (Gay romance).

Sunbringer, Hannah Kaner (12 March)

Sequel about the professional godkiller Kissen.

Jumpnauts, Hao Jingfang (12 March)

New to me. A SF novel in translation from Chinese, with three scientists joining forces to deal peacefully with a first contact situation.

The Woods All Black, Lee Mandelo (19 March)

I liked Mandelo's debut novel very much so I'm excited to read this queer horror novella set in 1920s Appalachia.

Floating Hotel, Grace Curtis (19 March)

New to me. A series of cozy character vignettes on a space cruise ship after a murder has occurred. One of the four (!) space hotel murder crimes books coming out this year.

The Emperor and the Endless Palace, Justinian Huang (26 March)

New to me. Reincarnation gay romance set in 4 BCE China, the 1740s, and modern-day LA.

Alien Clay, Adrian Tchaikovsky (28 March)

Far future space xenoarchaeology by a man trapped on a prison planet.

Someone You Can Build a Nest In, John Wiswell (2 April)

New to me. Bizarre lesbian cannibalism monster romance from the point of view of the monster.

The Familiar, Leigh Bardugo (9 April)

Glad to see Bardugo writing more adult fantasy, and this one is especially exciting because it's a fantasy set in early modern Spain with a Jewish main character. Fun to see a more original historical period.

A Sweet Sting of Salt, Rose Sutherland (9 April)

New to me. Lesbian selkie romance.

Death in the Spires, KJ Charles (11 April)

Charles branching out from romance into historical Oxford murder mystery about a group of friends with dark secrets.

Audrey Lane Stirs The Pot, Alexis Hall (22 April)

The new Hall thinly veiled british baking show romcom. Libby says it's releasing in April but I've heard nothing from the author so I think it may be Alecto'd (shifted to next year)

Necrobane, Daniel M Ford (23 April)

Sequel to the dungeons and dragons-esque low fantasy lesbian necromancy book.

A Letter to the Luminous Deep, Sylvie Cathrall (25 April)

New to me. Sweet underwater epistolary academic romance.

How To Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying, Django Wexler (21 May)

New to me. A young hero caught in a fantasy time loop gives up and tries being the villain in an attempt to escape.

Goddess of the River, Vaishnavi Patel (21 May)

Another woman-centered retelling of Hindu mythology, this time based on the river goddess Ganga.

Escape Velocity, Victor Manibo (21 May)

New to me. Evil and toxic private school alumni jockey for position in a space hotel event in an attempt to escape a dying Earth.

The Fireborne Blade, Charlotte Bond (28 May)

New to me. Gay dragon slaying knight novella.

Evocation, ST Gibson (28 May)

New to me but looks very cool. Attorney and medium David attempts to escape his deal with the devil with the help of his ex boyfriend and his ex boyfriend's wife (Poly romance).

Service Model, Adrian Tchaikovsky (4 June)

In an SF future, a robot kills its human owners and ventures out into a world where human supremacy is beginning to crumble.

Lady Eve's Last Con, Rebecca Fraimow (4 June)

New to me. A con artist seeks revenge on the man who hurt her sister, who's coincidentally also on a space cruise ship (Sapphic romance subplot).

Triple Sec, TJ Alexander (4 June)

An actual mainstream published poly romance (!!) by trans author Alexander.

Running Close to the Wind, Alexandra Rowland (11 June)

Gay! Pirates! Scheming! Alt fantasy world! Monks! I liked Taste of Gold and Iron a lot and I'm very excited for this one.

The Knife and the Serpent, Tim Pratt (11 June)

New to me. Space opera about an interdimensional organization. Also, there's a sentient starship.

The Witchstone, Henry Neff (18 June)

A childhood favorite of mine's adult debut, featuring a demon who suddenly has to shape up at his curse keeper job after eight hundred years of slacking.

Rakesfall, Vajra Chandrasekera (18 June)

VERY excited to read more weird queer sff from this author after a fantastic debut. Looks weird. I'm in.

Foul Days, Genoveva Dimova (25 June)

New to me. A witch in a Slavic fantasy inspired world flees her evil ex, the Tsar of Monsters. There's also a plague and a detective.

Saints of Storm and Sorrow, Gabriella Buba (25 June)

New to me. Filipino inspired anticolonialist fantasy novel about a nun who is secretly practicing the religion of her goddess.

The Duke at Hazard, KJ Charles (18 July)

A queer regency with an incognito duke by one of my particular favorite romance authors.

Long Live Evil, Sarah Rees Brennan (30 July)

!!! Very excited to see a new adult fantasy by Brennan. A reader is dragged into a fictional world and finds herself the villain.

A Sorceress Comes to Call, T Kingfisher (20 August)

A retelling of The Goose Girl from reliably good fairy tale stalwart Kingfisher.

Buried Deep and Other Stories, Naomi Novik (17 September)

Collection of Novik's short stories.

Swordcrossed, Freya Marske (8 October)

VERY excited to see a new book by talented writer Marske. A man falls in love with the duelist hired for his arranged wedding. MEANWHILE. details of the fantasy world wool industry.

Feast While You Can, Mikaella Clements and Onjuli Datta (29 October)

New to me. Small town queer cave horror.

The Last Hour Between Worlds, Melissa Caruso (19 November)

Multiple reality murder mystery spy vs spy type antics, with lesbians.

[cruiseplan]

River cruising is one of the best ways to experience the beautiful cities in Europe that dot the Rhine, Danube, and Seine. Explore boutique ports that many larger ships can’t get to offering you more unique cities to visit. #RiverCruise

[disneytva]

Variety Interviews Ayo Davis, Meredith Roberts And Emily Hart On Disney Television Animation's 40th Anniversary And What To Expect On From The Past, Present And Future

40 years ago, Disney TVA was founded on the heels of challenging outcomes with features “The Fox and the Hound” and “The Black Cauldron.”

Initially, Disney TVA was restricted from using established Disney legacy characters, but nevertheless had huge successes with new shows like “The Wuzzles” and “Adventures of the Gummi Bears,” both of which became popular in syndication. As time went on, DTVA was able to use its limited rights to create shows like “DuckTales” and “TaleSpin,” which featured Disney characters. Today, the slate has evolved to include shows that travel across Disney’s streaming, linear and digital platforms, including Disney+, Disney Channel, Disney Junior and the Disney Parks

Over the 40 years of the studio has collaborated with Walt Disney Imagineering to bring beloved Disney Afternoon characters to the parks as well Mickey And Minnie's Runaway Railway and AquaMouse for the Disney Wish and Disney Treasure cruises from the Disney Cruise & Ships Line as well collaborating with Disney Yellow Two Shoes Team to redesing some heritage characters for the WDW Passholder Magnets.

Disney TVA characters also have gone to the realm of live action. In 2019 Disney Channel brought Kim Possible to the live action world as a Disney Channel Original Movie in 2019. In Spring 2022, Walt Disney Studios brought Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers to a new generation of fans trought a meta-driven live action/animated hybrid film which won an Primetime Emmy Award for Best Feature Film.

In April 2024, it was announced that Kiara from The Lion King II: Simba's Pride created at Disney TVA will make her live action debut on the motion capture/computer animated film "Mufasa The Lion King" with the character being voiced by Blue Ivy Carter. In Fall 2023, it was announced that Blumhouse Television and Atomic Monster where developing a live action reboot of Gargoyles for Disney+.

The future of the studio looks bright as the studio is slated to debut it's 100th show overall "StuGo" in 2025, as well new interations of beloved classics like The Proud Family, Phineas And Ferb, Sofia The First and Darkwing Duck trought revivals,reboots and spin-offs in the coming years with early talks of new interations of TaleSpin, Kim Possible and Recess since Early 2023.

“We have a wildly diverse development slate because we don’t have a house style,” says Meredith Roberts, executive vice president, television animation, Disney Branded Television and CEO of Disney Television Animation “Our styles are creator-driven, so that allows for real support of the artist or creator to fulfill his or her vision. Anything is possible, whether it's CGI. (“Monsters at Work”), hand-drawn 2D (“Big City Greens”,"Primos","Hailey's On It!"), rig-based 2D (“Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur”,"Kiff") and stop-motion (“Mickey Saves Christmas”,"Rhona Who Lives By The River".). Roberts continues, “We really try and solve all the problems and develop it. We look at the scripts and the story arcs. Every project has to have a strategy behind it that will complement the slate and separate it from other things. Each project has a distinct swim lane to attract an audience. And we’ve learned to meet the kids where they are, in terms of streaming and YouTube.”

Co-viewing, the viewership that happens when adults sit down to watch a DTVA show with the kids in their lives, is part of the studio’s secret sauce and long-term strategy. Many of the shows are written with jokes and plot points for both audiences so both groups will return.

“We double down on the kids and family space,” says Roberts. “We’re not just dipping a toe in the water. We’re diving in. I think we’ve seen a lot of churn with the competition, who just don’t have the patience to develop and are for this audience, which is a very specialized kid audience and co-view audience.” ("The Witchverse", "Rhona Who Lives By The River","InterCats","Fantasy Sports") Roberts reflects: “I think one of the things I’m most proud of is how stable Disney TVA has been for the last 40 years despite a lot of outside churn of the animation industry. Many of our crews feel that Disney is their forever home. I think the excitement they have to illustrate and create with this brand has been terrific because it’s harder to be funny and clean. And nowhere are we tearing down people to get that laugh. I think that’s the beauty of a Disney animated show.”

DTVA also sought to meet kids where they are by making their audience — which is made up of the most diverse generation in history — feel seen, with series such as “Elena of Avalor,” which featured Disney’s first Latina princess, and “The Proud Family,” franchise focused on the life of a teenage Black girl.

“We do have an amazing insights team that are constantly in the field, giving us general information about how kids are watching content, what they’re into,” Emily Hart (VP of Current and Development - Disney Junior) says. “Some of those things are evolving, as we know the ways kids consume content is changing. But there are some universal truths about kids, and it’s great to have that reinforced. Kids still like a lot of the same things that we like. So, there’s a combination that we’re always tracking with every new idea, and we do pilot testing. We get to sit down and talk about the content, and we invite our creators in so they can see the kids talking about it because they’re the audience and they’re the truest test of if the story is going to work.”

Ayo Davis, president of the Disney Branded Television and VP of Current and Development at Disney Television Animation says the division is a “driving force” for memorable kids and family entertainment.

“All of us at Disney Branded Television are so proud of the studio’s 40-year legacy as it continues to entertain future generations with shows like ‘Kiff,’ ‘Big City Greens’ and ‘Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 2.0" --- Davis says.

Those creators who come to DTVA often stay for a long time, partnering with the studio on a variety of different projects or expanding on a hit and reimagining it for the next generation of viewers. “The Proud Family” was a standout in 2001 on Disney Channel. Creator and executive producer Bruce W. Smith is now working on the Emmy-winning “The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder,” which is based on the original series. The show follows Penny Proud as she navigates family life and her own childhood.

“Being at Disney TVA has allowed me to realize all my artistic dreams,” says Bruce W. Smith. “As a kid, you always have hopes, thoughts, dreams, ideas and characters that can help lay out those ideas in your head. Disney has allowed me to really tap into my creative instinct, at the end of the day, you have to learn how to trust yourself. Meredith Roberts has been a true shepherd for me in all of this, allowing me to stretch my wings. Because of her belief in me and my ideas, she’s really allowed me to blossom as an artist. All that happened at DTVA.”

“They really seem to be a place that welcomes your ideas,” Dan Povenmire says of Disney TVA. “They want to find people with real strong ideas of the stories they want to tell, and then they let them tell those stories for the most part. They seem to put storytelling and characters over anything. With [‘Phineas and Ferb’], we would write jokes for the kids and the adults in the room because we knew the adults would be there too. We were just careful not to do any double entendres.”

[officialleehadan]

Three Brains

Hello darlings! Today's story was brought to you by Kat! Darling, thank you so much for all your support!

Prompt: Between Love and Duty

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Nick loved his job.

He worked in bioengineering, which was always a business fraught with supervillains. Mostly, the ones with an intelligence factor who were making weapons to sell to other villains. There were two in Nick’s lab, as it happened, which was probably why the villain with the Cube attacked in he first place. Rayan kept his identity well-hidden, so Nick was pretty sure they weren’t after him.

All the same, it made for an interesting situation for Nick. His coworkers were too smart to not realize he knew about them, and he wasn’t going to insult them by pretending otherwise. As a result, they had a very comfortable working dynamic in which the villains, Stevens, who also went by Doctor Unholy and Tariq, who also went by Gravity Crash, respected his space and didn’t try to recruit him.

It was for the best. Nick didn’t want to get into villainy. He was a talented scientist, and probably could do fine in the work if he wanted to, but he simply didn’t need the drama.

Of course, his fiancé was a Power himself, and his best friend was on the Hero path. His life already had plenty of drama going on.

Still, it did occasionally make for interesting afternoons when they were cleaning up for the day and the shop talk turned to shop talk.

“Word is that there’s a new development in play,” Stevens said as he loaded up the autoclave. Nick himself was wiping down all their counters and Tariq was sweeping, and would mop when they were done. “I heard from the north river lab that the attack here involved a device to remove people’s Powers.”

“I’ve heard the same,” Tariq said conversationally, but without any hint that he actually knew anything. Certainly he didn’t know where the Cube was, considering it was currently taped under Nick’s bed. Even the supervillain who actually slept in the bed didn’t know it was there. “The Heroes are very excited about it, for obvious reasons.”

“I’ve heard Mephit and Libra are working together on it,” Nick added. As he knew they were villains themselves, and enhanced mental abilities to boot, he knew, and they knew, that Rayan was Mephit. They didn’t know about Carolina being Libra, however, and he meant to keep it that way. Rayan knew about the two villains as well, and was alright with Nick talking with them about his work, as long as it didn’t put Nick in danger. “But no one knows where the thing is and it has both sides anxious.”

“it has me anxious too,” Tariq admitted. “Avia as well.”

Avia was his wife and was a Power on the villain side. She specialized in hydrokenisis and tended to target big resorts on the coast, and cruise ships. Lately she had formed an alliance with three other Elemental powers, all women, and they were making the news as environmental terrorists. Nick approved of their work all things considered. Cruise ships were sailing biohazards.

“I think all of us who have someone in the game are worried,” Nick said, since it was true, and also because he was considering bringing his fellow scientists in on his secret. “Does anyone know where the thing came from? That fellow who attacked our lab had it, last anyone knew, but where did he get it?”

“That’s a good question,” Stevens said, and turned on the autoclave before he moved to pipettes next. He eyed Nick, and caught Tariq’s eye. Nick looked them both over and sighed. He had been too obvious. “So, where is it?”

“I couldn’t possibly be able to say,” Nick said, since there was no point insulting them by pretending he didn’t know what Stevens was asking. They figured out that he had the Cube. Now it was up to them, and him, to decide what to do with that information. “But I might be able to mention something about how a scientist I know examined it, and couldn’t figure out how it works.”

“Did this scientist leave you lab notes to share?” Tariq asked carefully. They all understood they were on very dangerous ground. Everyone on both sides of the Powered community would kill to get the Cube, and only the three of them knew who had it. Only Nick alone knew where it was. “Or any other information that you might be able to give, safely, to a colleague?”

“Maybe,” Nick hedged. He wasn’t sure he wanted them to see his research not he Cube, but he needed help. So far, it had defied all his efforts to figure out how it worked, but it had to affect the body somehow. Powers were a genetic mutation. Whatever else it did, the Cube must hit those genes too. That put it firmly in their realm of expertise. “It has my friend very concerned, given the implications on his loved ones.”

Stevens shared a long look with Tariq, and then, very deliberately, reached behind the autoclave for a control panel Nick pretended he didn’t know about.

All at once, the noise from outside the lab cut off, and there was a slight shimmer over the windows as forcefields powered on. The lab security of a pair of villains who didn’t want their personal lives in danger if there was another attack. A reaction, Nick knew, to the attack that brought the Cube to his door.

“Right,” Stevens said when the lab was locked down. He set the pipettes aside and washed his hands as Tariq set aside the broom. Nick joined them at the nearest table and took a seat. “We have a lot of genius in this room. Tell us what you know, and we’ll see if three brains are better than one.”

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Between Love and Duty

Two-sided love (Subscriber Only!)

Close to Home (Subscriber Only!) (New!)

Three Brains (New!)

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MASTERLIST

[charlesandmartine]

Saturday 2nd November 2024

A much better night has passed without the orchestra of unknown players turning up. It was entirely peaceful with no interruptions. Having said that, we had just watched a TV documentary covering the murder a couple of years ago of the British girl, Grace Millane in Auckland NZ.

So after breakfast, much more refreshed than yesterday, we followed signs for the Hot Springs on the outskirts of Katherine. These are naturally occurring warm water Springs, although as far as I can tell, they are not thermal Springs, just warm ground water from a high water table. Well, hey, they are very popular with the local non-indigenous population and with the added attraction of a pop-up cafe, what's not to like? Martine had a little dip before finding what was not to like. The Springs followed a bending course, and just around one such bend was a tree absolutely full of fruit bats! Well, you can't have everything I suppose. There was a very nice signboard at the top of the steps which read: "Time is like a river. You can never touch the same water twice because the flow that has gone by will never go by again."

Let's just leave this as sentimental philosophy and not go down the Carpe Diem route. Just an interesting reflection of life. It's hardly Socrates, Seneca or Thomas Aquinas after all. Move on from there. The coffee was good in the pop-up cafe. The cafe will only be there another week and then there will be the wet season. The cafe uses a converted shipping container. The man told us that in a couple of weeks the whole thing will be shipped out. The wet season has produced floods which came pretty much to the top of the container before now. We find this all very hard to imagine, but it does explain why, even in such manicured grounds and springs, there are crocodile signs up. Flood conditions permit crocodiles to swap locations and move house, Love it or List it style.

A storm was brewing at 2pm but it just missed us, passing slightly to the west of us. Our next appointment this afternoon was not until 5pm. We had been told the Ghan train would be in Katherine Station this afternoon, so we very much wanted to revisit the service that we have travelled on a few years ago. In the meantime, Martine managed a couple of episodes of the Archers. As soon as the title music came on, a cow mooed in appreciation. Martine is about 2 weeks behind, so no spoilers, please.

Well, once again, best made plans and all, we showed up with plenty of time to spare at the Katherine Passenger Rail Terminal, and no Ghan. Had it gone, you ask? Well, we didn't know the answer to that. I mean, it is not easy hiding a 30 coach train after all. We shall investigate the return train for later in the week.

Big excitement tomorrow. We have a 2hr riverboat cruise on the Katherine Gorge, but an early start, so we are hoping the orchestra doesn't show tonight. Back to the little apartment and SB with rubbery chicken.

ps. We met a Timorese Art Teacher doing a pastel painting of the pop-up cafe. Nice bloke, and really interesting talking to him about teaching art to year 10 and 11 students.

pps. Although it was over 40 today, it dropped later on to 34. People around here put a jumper on if it drops much more than that!

[seabreeze2022]

Danube Cruise, Part 9,

Passau, Germany

A beautiful church on the bank of the Danube. We will pull into Passau, Germany shortly. It is the most visited city in all of Germany. Mainly due to its best preserved medieval town in central Europe. Today there is a population of 50,000 of which 12,000 are students of the University.

Passau is known as the city of three rivers. The river Inn is south of the city. The Danube runs along the north edge of town. From the north the much smaller river Ilz flows into the Danube. Note the three different colors of water. The Ilz is black, the Danube is known as blue-brown. The Inn has glacial runoff and is silvery-grey.

Our boat is moored along side a second ship. To get to shore we head to the top deck and then cross a small gangway to cross the top of the other ship.

Walking into the old town with our guide.

Narrow cobblestone stone streets. Note the building on the left. Not exactly straight or vertical. The city was rebuilt after a massive fire in 1662, built back in the baroque style.

This is one of the prettiest cobblestone streets we saw. The top of the fan design always points up hill. This engineering helps slow down water running downhill.

Munich has a couple of arches between buildings. But it was kind of normal in this town to see this.

On this street were several beer houses that have been in business for centuries.

Our guide and an interesting window design. Just to the right of the window is the flood mark in July 1954. Not to be out done, just above the window on the right is the flood mark March 2013 12.89 meters (roughly 42 ft.).

Several places in town near the river have marks on the wall showing flood levels. Interesting to note the wide range of months they occurred. The earliest recorded flood is 1501 with it flooding into town on an average of every 5 years. The river Inn flows from the Alps and is the source of the floods.

Beautiful architecture. This claims to be the Venice of Germany.

Straight walls?

In the background is St. Stephens Cathedral. There have been churches on this site since 700AD. This church was rebuilt after the 1662 fire.

This church has the second most organ pipes in the world. There are 17,774 pipes and 233 registers. The cathedral has 8 bells, the largest weighs over 16,000 pounds. P.S. All is not what it seems. The organ pipes above are only a picture of the real ones hung on a canvas. The real pipes are out for maintenance for a couple of years.

Note the sun dial on the building to the right. Did you realize that shadows on a sundial mounted on a flat surface in the northern hemisphere, rotate towards the right. The first clocks were invented in the northern hemisphere and the hands are said to rotate clockwise. If clocks had been invented in the southern hemisphere they probably would rotate the other direction.

Many doors in this town are outstanding.

Back to the boat, where we are greeted with warm towels and a fruit drink.

Happy hour, with fellow passengers Sarah and John.

Last nights dinner, everyone departs in the morning.

The Captain gives us a farewell salute. Note the folks in the ship tied to us in the background.

It’s the last night and the ship parties hard. Here Sarah, Heather and Nancy are looking at which song they are going to sing karaoke to. First they sing backup for Keith.

Nancy doing the song “YMCA” with the girls.

We hoof it through town, clanking across cobblestones for 15 minutes to the train station. Here we are crossing the Inn river.

We jump the train to Munchen (Munich) Hbf (Train Station.)

This is the last of our story of the Danube. We spend 2 days in Munich doing the hop-on-hop-off train, and walking around the old town. Drinking at the Hofbrauhaus, eating roasted Pork knuckles, hot nuts from street venders, and sausages.

If you enjoyed these post, we can highly suggest you check out Avalon Tours on the Danube. We traveled on the off shoulder of the regular tourist season Nov. 4-7. Booking two weeks out the price was close to half off. Now we are looking at cruising Portugal’s Douro Valley aboard Avalon’s newest Suite Ship®—the Avalon AlegriaSM. Sailing through vineyards clinging to steep slopes along the shores where 2,000-year-old traditions of winemaking are cherished in the charming villages in one of Europe’s oldest countries. Including a stay legendary Lisbon!

[littlemisssoulful]

First Three Dates and Wedding Location/Theme for My Shippings From The Mr. Men Show

Mr. Grumpy and Miss Chatterbox 💙🐟🩷📞

First Date: At a lake near the gazebo at night, and did a waltz and have fancy dinner.

Second Date: At a Maritime Museum and then went to the beach at sunset.

Third Date: At a butterfly garden and then went to get some ice cream.

Married: At a farm, and it was country theme.

Mr. Tickle and Mr. Bump 🧡🪶💙🚑

First Date: At a dance club and they won as the best dancers.

Second Date: At a picnic park, and Mr. Bump got bitten by ants but Mr. Tickle helped him.

Third Date: At a waterpark, and Mr. Bump was having more fun than Mr. Tickle.

Married: At a park, and it was outdoor theme.

Miss Scary and Miss Naughty ❤️🦇💜😈

First Date: At a Halloween Party and they dressed up for The Phantom of The Opera.

Second Date: At a haunted mansion and stay there for the night, but they ran away in fear.

Third Date: At a masquerade ball, they dressed in a gothic theme.

Married: At an old church, and it was gothic theme.

Mr. Happy and Miss Sunshine 💛🌈💛☀️

First Date: At a zoo, and Mr. Happy brought her lots of animal plush toys.

Second Date: At a beach, and they collected some seashells.

Third Date: They went to a movie theatre and then to a fancy restaurant.

Married: At a beach, and it was summer theme.

Mr. Scatterbrain and Miss Whoops 🩷🤹‍♂️💙👓

First Date: At a petting zoo, and they ended up adopting an emu.

Second Date: At an art gallery, and they did some arts and crafts.

Third Date: At a farm, and they went on horse riding together.

Married: At a zoo, and it was colourful theme.

Mr. Strong, Miss Daredevil, and Miss Calamity ❤️🥊💛🚀🧡💣

First Date: At a space museum and they get to go inside a big space rocket.

Second Date: At a roller skate park, and they did tricks, but Miss Calamity needed help.

Third Date: At a river cruise and the girls take turns to dance with Mr. Strong.

Married: At a hotel, and it was 80’s theme.

Mr. Nosey and Mr. Small 💚🔍🧡🎩

First Date: At a park to stargaze in the middle of the peaceful night.

Second Date: At the forest, hiking and singing some songs.

Third Date: Watching a theatre performance and it was ‘The Little Women’.

Married: At a winery, and it was classical theme.

Mr. Stubborn and Miss Bossy 💜🐂💙🪖

First Date: At a local cafe, and then they went to the maze garden.

Second Date: At an ice skating rink, and they were dancing together.

Third Date: Driving down to the countryside and kiss at sunset.

Married: At a regular church, and it was modern theme.

Mr. Quiet, Miss Shy, and Mr. Nervous 🩵🪽🩵🌸💜🧸

First Date: At a cherry blossom park, and they have a peaceful date.

Second Date: At a bakery shop and did a workshop on baking cookies.

Third Date: At an aquarium, and they get to see some baby turtles.

Married: At a botanical garden, and it was floral theme.

Miss Curious and Miss Tiny 🧡❓🩷🎀

First Date: At a hill, and have a fancy picnic and did this at night.

Second Date: At a local scavenger hunting ground, and their prize was a giant chocolate.

Third Date: At an amusement park, and they went on a carousel.

Married: At a museum, and it was historical theme.

Mr. Fussy and Miss Neat 💚🧽💚🧹

First Date: At a ballroom dance floor and then won first as the best dance partners.

Second Date: At an expensive restaurant, and they had a fancy dessert.

Third Date: At a horse riding competition, and their horse bet came 3rd.

Married: At a ballroom, and it was enchanted forest theme.

Mr. Bounce and Miss Fun 💛🏐🧡🎳

First Date: At a skydiving plane, and they made a heart shape together.

Second Date: At Miss Fun’s house for a house party, and have a disco theme.

Third Date: At an escape room, and they both made it out just in time.

Married: At a waterpark, and it was vintage theme.

Mr. Rude and Miss Bad ❤️🥐🩷👹

First Date: At a French restaurant theme, and then they went to watch a romantic movie.

Second Date: At a rock concert, and they were having a blast.

Third Date: At an opera theatre, and Mr. Rude ended up balling his eyes out.

Married: At the Eiffel Tower, and it was romantic theme.

Mr. Noisy and Mr. Chatterbox ❤️🥁🩷🎧

First Date: At a celebrity concert, and they got their own signatures.

Second Date: At a Summer Beach theme party, and they had a blast.

Third Date: At a dog cafe, and they got lots of puppy kisses.

Married: At a concert stage, and it was rock theme.

Mr. Lazy and Miss Helpful 💚💤🩷🔨

First Date: At a camping sight, and they swam at a lake.

Second Date: At Miss Helpful’s home, and watch many movies.

Third Date: At a shack, and they had the best meal ever that they go there weekly.

Married: At Miss Helpful’s backyard, and it was  60’s theme.

Mr. Funny and Miss Giggles 💚🤡💙😂

First Date: At a comedy lounge, and they were laughing so hard.

Second Date: At Mr. Funny’s home to watch a comedy movie.

Third Date: At a beach to have a nice yet sweet picnic theme.

Married: At a butterfly garden, and it was fairytale theme.

Mr. Tall and Miss Somersault 💙👞🩵🩰

First Date: At a skyscraper restaurant, and they got the best view.

Second Date: At the forest, and they wrote their love on a tree and kissed.

Third Date: At a flower garden, and Mr. Tall gave her a rose.

Married: At an aquarium, and it was ocean theme.

[electroniccollectiondonut]

Monthly Rec Lists In 2024: New Year's Day

For the last four or five years my New Year's resolution has been to get fit but I keep not doing that so this year my resolution is one I know can complete: making rec lists! So for the first rec list of the year I'm reccing some fics I read for the first time in 2023! I've tagged the authors' Tumblr if I could find one, otherwise I've just linked their Ao3.

Regularly Scheduled Miracles by TheSingingHoneybee (@starshinemaiden)

The thing about soulmates when you are a royal is that you don't get to keep them. Wu's mother's was shipped to the Outer Ring. His father's, never spoken of. His great aunt's was imprisoned if you believe the rumors. Wu believes the rumors. And when Wu becomes Prince Wu, heir to the Earth Throne, over night, his chances of finding and keeping his soulmate drop to zero. But despite that, when a soulmark appears on his arm the very evening of meeting his new, hot, firebending bodyguard, Wu can't feel anything but joy. The thing about soulmarks when you have a job that frequently leaves you bruised to hell and back is that sometimes you don't notice them until days later and now you don't know who caused them to appear. And the thing about being Prince Wu's newest bodyguard is that Mako has met so many people in the last week that his soulmate could be half of Republic City. The other thing about being Prince Wu's newest bodyguard is that half of Mako doesn't want to think too hard about his soulmate might be because there is no way someone like him would get so lucky as to have the next Earth Monarch as a soulmate no matter how lofty Mako's taste in people runs.

Cruising for a Bruising by kalechipbuoy

Crozier makes Fitzjames cry and cry and cry. Eventually, they reach something like an understanding.

Warm Sun, Fine Jade by DummyDipl0d0cus

Lan Xichen’s hair is up in a simple bun, careless. It’s a change from his half-tied hair. It uncovers his shoulders and neck, and Wen Ning gets a sinking feeling that they look more delicate now than ever. “Please stay warm, and eat well,” Wen Ning adds softly. Lan Xichen doesn’t say anything, just bows his head. Wen Ning turns to leave after a few long moments, as much as he doesn’t want to. Then hears the quietest request. “It’s raining. Please stay until it’s over?” - How Wen Ning helps Lan Xichen heal, and how Lan Xichen does the same for Wen Ning.

The Severing of Webs by chlodobird (@chlodobird-creations)

After Jon kills the world, he travels back in time. Once there, he gets ready to change the future, to save his Assistants, and to watch as everyone learns to hate him again. Unfortunately, the tapes wrap around him like a fly caught in a Web—he can't move. He's trapped reliving the original timeline, stuck acting out his past actions like an actor rehearsing his lines. Sasha will die. Tim will die. Martin— (Jon screams inside his mind, and someone hears him. Fate is not as immutable as he fears.)

Chameleonic by recrudescence (@re-crudescence)

When River finally takes a fall, the result of an ill-conceived equation and a screwdriver on the cargo bay floor, Mal gives her a knowing look and totes her to the infirmary.

7 rings by butterflywings6

random people watching kanej be rich and in love <3

Look into the Mirror (Tell Me What You See) by Drag0nSt0rm (@sweetteaanddragons)

His best guess for what had happened was some kind of head injury, given that he recognized almost nothing and had no idea what was going on. With few clues to work with, he was either going to have to confess the truth or bluff frantically. Gil-Galad had never in his life decided to confess anything.

A Little Mishap by Asidian (@asidian)

When the dust clears – and it is a frightful amount of dust, all told – Astarion is marginally surprised to see that no one has been left a bloody smear on the cave floor. Really, he can't be blamed for assuming the worst. The boulder is the size of the tunnel, nearly, the sort of impending doom that ranks with gale-force winds and approaching dragons on the list of things that might inspire a man to pray to any gods kind enough to lend an ear. Astarion isn't that sort – any god who might have granted him a boon has had centuries of prayers they might have chosen to answer before this, after all – and yet here they stand, miraculously intact, as though some deity just so happened to have glanced their way at just this moment. Perhaps Wyll is a religious man.

Underwater by euromagpie

About him, the world swam in dizzying degrees, pulsated with the throb of the veins at his temples. Beneath him, his legs, protesting against the movement like a couple of libertines, had gone frustratingly jelly like, and Hodgson stumbled, a landsman at sea, and crashed into the wall opposite. The wood was so cool, and he sank his burning forehead against it gratefully, for once gladly accepting of the biting freeze that prowled the desolate landscape. Booted feet clomped past his door and he jerked his eyes open, not having realised he'd closed them. Christ alive, but he wanted to stay there - in fact, he'd love simply to crumble and wait out the end of his days in a tidy pile of gormless flesh and lazy bones right in this place. Above them, Terror's bell rang in the turn of the watch, and Hodgson realised his plans of embracing mortality would have to wait. He had things to do.

That's 'Cause I Got People With Me by Castlewood_Bard (@r1ver-6)

Mal has to be sure he knows his crew

Beyond the Reaches of a Long-lost Life by elvntari

Feanor is reembodied at long last and Elrond attempts to reconcile the image that he has of him in his mind with the image of the man standing before him.

Fever Dreaming by dramatispersonae

Gerry encounters a plot by a nascent avatar of the Corruption. It should be straightforward enough to deal with, especially considering his apparently ongoing… "alliance" with Michael. But when have things in his life actually been as simple as they appear?

The World Was Young by Drag0nst0rm (@sweetteaanddragons)

This was not what Maglor had expected when he retreated to his brother's stronghold.

A Taste of Home by Twice2Ennien

"It's good, right?" Koveyook grinned all the way to his eyes, watching John's matching expression. This was the feeling that had drawn his family to restaurants: the warmth, the radiating comfort of a good meal, shared. John made a satisfied sound in the back of his throat, nodding. He covered his mouth as though tempted to speak but thought better of it. Still chewing, he took hold of Koveyook's right wrist and squeezed his thanks instead.

Refiner's Fire by JediRobertHogan

The men knew Hogan looked after them—more than was typical of a commander and his crew. It was in the little things, the details of everyday life, yet sometimes it struck them in undeniable ways. They saw Colonel Hogan as more than a commanding officer, and knew, somehow, that he saw them differently too. - or - Four times Colonel Hogan took care of his men, and one time they took care of him.

Wanted: Dead and Alive by Astereae (@astereaes)

“Hey, I do I... Do I know you?” Danny asks, a hand coming up to brush something off Tim’s cheek. “No,” Tim says. “We haven’t met.” “Oh, no, I do.” Danny says, and he smiles, teeth white and sharp. “You’re that guy who rearranged my guts!” Rearranged his- Tim glances at the knotted scars on the boy’s abdomen. He can see the shine and shadow of haphazard stitches that weren’t meant to hold forever, that tore and healed over. His- This- “WHAT!?” Nightwing shouts, equal parts confused and delighted. Tim’s fucked. OR Danny Fenton's been in GIW captivity for 4 months. Tim Drake gets kidnapped by the GIW one Tuesday evening in May. Considering how many of the Bats and the Birds have died and come back to life, it was only a matter of time for some people interested in the afterlife to come poking around. The detectives can't seem to uncover any information about the mysterious white vans, however. And they keep losing the mysterious boy who seems to be the one person in Gotham to know anything at all.

Like Melting Ice by pointyshades (@oughtnots)

Francis Crozier dies. Turns out he can't even do that right.

You missed a spot by Lookingkindofdumb (@lookingkindofdumb)

It is just like Dean, Sam thinks, to befriend the man who has chased them across the US in hopes of bringing them home in cuffs. AU where Victor survives and decides to become a hunter. He doesn’t stick around with them for long but they bump into him on occasion.

A Shot's Distance by Blue_Sparkle (@asparklethatisblue)

After digging the bullet out of James Fitzjames’ ribs, Dr Stanley kept it as a memento. A man needs something to hold on to while quietly pining after a friend after all.

we know nothing (so we hope) by TolkienGirl (@thelonelybrilliance)

Sometimes, Neal wonders if Kate loves him. (Mostly, not in so many words.)

A Pavlovian Approach to Honesty by Stratisphyre

“Are you feeling compelled to tell us anything?” Lan Xichen asked. “Not precisely. It does feel nice. I hadn’t associated honesty with anything pleasant before now.” “I don’t think you’ll appreciate this in the morning,” Nie Mingjue muttered. “Do you want us to leave you be? Or gag you?” “I’m finding this entire affair curiously enjoyable, actually,” Meng Yao stated.

Now Sure As the Sun Will Cross the Sky by providing_leverage (@providing-leverage)

Dean Winchester wakes up in his car quietly, heart racing. He reaches for his stomach where the metal bar or pipe or whatever it was had been but there’s nothing but flannel and leather. Leather he’d long ago lost. He rubs the sleep from his eyes and digs a phone from one of the pockets of his Dad’s jacket. Flips it open to check the date. “Well shit.”

Zapped by unholygrass (orphaned)

Gavin Reed used to think androids couldn't feel pain. He's proven wrong. He may hate Connor's fucking guts, but he wouldn't wish this on anyone.

[savvytravelers]

Best River Cruise Ships

Explore Savvy Travelers: Unveiling Our 20 Best Ship Features

Embark on a journey like no other with Savvy Travelers as we reveal the top 20 features of our exceptional river cruise ships. From luxurious accommodations to unforgettable experiences, let's explore what sets our ships apart and ensures an unparalleled cruising experience.

Twin-Balcony Staterooms: Enjoy the luxury of dual balconies, combining a French balcony and an outside balcony for breathtaking views of the surrounding landscapes.

Exquisite Dining: Indulge in locally-sourced cuisine crafted by expert chefs, ensuring a culinary journey that delights the palate with every bite.

Complimentary Wi-Fi: Stay connected throughout your voyage with complimentary high-quality Wi-Fi, allowing you to share your adventures with loved ones back home.

Bicycles and Nordic Walking Sticks: Explore destinations at your own pace with our complimentary fleet of bicycles and Nordic walking sticks, perfect for active excursions and independent exploration.

Green Award Certification: Cruise with confidence knowing that many of our ships hold Green Award Certification, reflecting our commitment to safety, quality, and environmental sustainability.

Spacious Stateroom Storage: Unpack and unwind in our staterooms, featuring ample storage space for your belongings, ensuring a comfortable and clutter-free environment.

Thoughtful Ship Details: From umbrellas to warm blankets, we provide thoughtful amenities to enhance your comfort and enjoyment during every moment of your journey.

Floor-to-Ceiling Windows: Immerse yourself in panoramic views from the Main Lounge, where floor-to-ceiling windows showcase the beauty of each destination we visit.

Sun Deck Amenities: Relax and recharge on our expansive sun decks, featuring heated pools, whirlpools, and wellness activities led by our dedicated Wellness Host.

Low-Draft Ships: Our purposefully built ships with low drafts ensure smooth navigation even in challenging water levels, allowing us to continue our journey uninterrupted.

24/7 Coffee and Tea Stations: Enjoy a refreshing beverage anytime with our 24/7 coffee and tea stations, providing a comforting pick-me-up throughout the day.

Innovative Activities: Stay active and engaged with a variety of onboard activities, from scenic hikes to wellness programs, designed to cater to every interest and preference.

Fitness and Wellness Facilities: Rejuvenate your body and mind at our state-of-the-art fitness centers and Zen Wellness Studios, offering a range of exercise equipment and wellness amenities.

Onboard Salons and Spas: Treat yourself to a pampering session at our onboard salons and spas, where indulgent treatments await to enhance your relaxation and rejuvenation.

Spacious Staterooms: Retreat to your spacious stateroom, featuring luxurious accommodations and modern amenities, ensuring a restful sanctuary after each day's adventures.

Destination-Inspired Decor: Experience the charm of each region with our destination-inspired decor, reflecting the culture and heritage of the places we visit.

Onboard Entertainment: End each day with a joyful celebration, featuring onboard entertainment from live music to cultural performances, creating unforgettable memories for all guests.

Festive Holiday Atmosphere: Join us for seasonal celebrations aboard our elegantly decorated ships, adding a touch of magic to your holiday experience.

Exceptional Crew: Our dedicated crew members serve as the heart of our ships, providing warm hospitality and personalized service to ensure your journey is nothing short of extraordinary.

Inclusive Guests: Join a community of inclusive and curious travelers who share a passion for exploration, creating lifelong memories together as we journey with Savvy Travelers.

Embark on an unforgettable journey with Savvy Travelers and experience the epitome of luxury aboard our river cruise ships. Contact your preferred travel advisor to learn more about our ships and embark on your next adventure today!

[wonderjourneys]

The 11 Best Spots of Amsterdam

Amsterdam is unique. In many ways. Compared to New York (aka New Amsterdam) and Tokyo it is compact and smaller. But it has so much more to offer. The Eleven Best Spots if you Travel to Amsterdam:

1. The Canals: a canal cruise is one of those "must do's" 2. Museum Plein: with Van Gogh and Rembrandt, and the famous instagram house on Weteringschans 3. Brouwersgracht: once voted the most beautiful area 4. Zuiderkerk: with the instagramable church 5. Nine Streets: quaint, small local shops 6. Central Station: the views on the basilica and houses 7. Prinsengracht: the longest canal, with lots of historic spots 8. Begijnhof: a hidden courtyard in the city center 9. Magere Brug: skinny bridge with views over the river Amstel 10. Keizersgracht: the famous corner of bridges 11. Dam Square: as a starting point to walk the center.

Amsterdam - the top 11 spots on your Amsterdam Travel.

Amsterdam is wonderful in all four seasons really.

This is Amsterdam on summer vibes. Amsterdam in a summer vibe. We took an Amsterdam Bike Tour - which was only about 20 euros for 24 hours of renting a bike - and toured and walked the city. There are so many Amsterdam attractions, like an amsterdam canal cruise which a sure recommend. And renting a bike gets you around the entire city very easily. We traveled by train.

First went to an art exhibition at Westergasfabriek, and then took a bike tour of Amsterdam from the beautiful Brouwersgracht over Prinsengracht to Rijksmuseum. Rijksmuseum is located on Museum-Square, and has the famous Rembrandt Night Watch painting. Other museums are: Van Gogh, Moco Museum, Stedelijk Museum. Across the Rijksmuseum is the Instagramable Weterinschans.

The Amsterdam live in summer has that relaxed, lounge, chill lofi feel to it. Boats drift by on the canals with people sipping wine. A Dutch cloud floats over in a big blue sky. Amsterdam is the Old one to New Amsterdam - now known as New York. Back in the Dutch Golden Age the ships sailed the entire world, from the warehouses you see in this video.

Things to do in Amsterdam: rent a bike, do the canal cruise, see the Dutch masters in the museums, shop in the Jordaan & Nine Streets. But overal: just wander and let luck guide your feet. “Meet me in Amsterdam” in this tour of the capital of The Netherlands. Amsterdam 4k

[airkewld]

September 7th 2023 | Cores for Heroes Submission | M. Ford | 1963 Beetle

I served in the USMC from 05-09. I went through boot camp at MCRD San Diego and School of Infantry at Camp Pendleton CA. I was sent to 7th Marines in 29 palms the end of January and February 14th we left for Iraq. I had to learn everything on the go, baptism by fire. My 1st tour was in a town called Husaybah Iraq, on the boarder of Syria, and the Euphrates river. Was a wild west kind of town. My 2nd tour was in a small town called Kubaysah, just outside of Hit Iraq. My journey took me to Baghdad to testify against two bad guys we caught throwing grenades at our patrols. The best part of that trip was swimming in Sadam Hussain's pool, and i have the picture to prove it! My 3rd and last tour was in Karma and NE Fallujah, sadly having to leave my post early I was sent home due to my Dad's untimely passing. Upon arrival back in the States I also lost my great grandmother within two days of being home, grateful I was able to tell her goodbye, wish I could have had that closure with my Dad. My Dad and Uncle Dave brought me up with a love of cars and Racing. My first car was a 69 bug that I drove while in HS and sold it before I joined the USMC. I regret selling it to this day and no pictures remain of it. My favorite past-time was cruising in my 69 bug all over the Columbia River Gorge corridor and county back roads. After moving from Oregon to Texas I decided it was time to build something. So I found a 1963 that I am currently restoring from the ground up. The theme for this bug will be USMC, going to call it the "Teuful Hunden" bug or as most people know it "Devil Dog". It will be painted red, with gold doors and rims, the Marine Corps colors. This build is really helping me find parts of me I left over seas. It's going to be a long build being a disabled veteran and on a budget. I have been ordering all the new body panels first. Was going to order a pro beam with disk brakes and a Freeway flyer with disk brakes from Air kewld but having a chance to win them is really awesome of you guys. Thanks for the opportunity and your time. M. Ford USMC

M. Ford is entered into our Cores for Heroes Program here - https://www.airkewld.com/Cores-for-Heroes-Program-s/2532.htm

To date, we have 12 submissions to win and we have raised $445 dollars of our $10,000 goal.

In our honest opinion, the US Armed Force members, are so under-appreciated. The PRO's are finally in a place to put a plan together that helps everyone that participates, but more importantly, those who served or serving.

Details will slightly change as we get more context, but here's the idea.

I want to give back to those who have fought for our freedoms, regardless of our political beliefs. I didn't fight for my country but my father did and he is fighting PTSD, mental disorders, agent orange, etc., etc. I get to build products for the greatest clients in the world because of it. So, how do I make something happen?

The PRO's need cores. The AirkewldArmy has cores. Within the AirkewldArmy community, reside members of the US Armed Forces that want/need/could use a boost in their life, whether it is financially or upgrades to their favorite VW.

To give some context on our Core Program, the PRO's need certain parts to make our PRObuilt Line of Classic Volkswagen Drive-Train Components. In the past, the PRO's would print out a prepaid shipping label and rebate an order if our client/s sent that core in and it checked out. Payment would be reimbursed to the client, store credit or trade for something else, would take place. With a unique but small twist, a BIG change can make a humongous difference.

If our current or past clients, the AirkewldArmy, sent their cores in, based on a value proposition, the PRO's would give them the opportunity to win two ways. The first, for every $10 in core value, would be one entry on a quarterly drawing to win Airkewld Swag, like work shirts, tee's, hats, stickers and air fresheners, $100 gift cards to Airkewld.com or even a $500 Visa/Airkewld gift card. The second, for every $10 in core value, once the PRO's accrue $10,000 in cores, the PRO's select a Hero, to receive a Complete Airkewld Drive-Train Package or $10,000.00 (Our CEO would fly to them and personally hand them the check), delivered to their door, FREE of charge. Heroes would enter by telling their story, both about their military experience and passion for their Classic Volkswagen.

Airkewld receives usable cores. The AirkewldArmy wins FREE Stuff. Together, the PRO's and the AirkewldArmy show appreciation to someone who deserves better, our Military Heroes.

Who's ready to make a difference today?

[kyndaris]

Monuments of the Past

We docked as Aswan during an known moment in the middle of the night. I certainly was not awake for it, although the water in our room temporarily halted and I had to find an alternate method to wash my hands. Thankfully in Egypt, bottled water is aplenty and the only real way to stay hydrated. Anything straight from the tap would be detrimental to both guts and stomach.

Heading back to sleep, I was rudely awoken by an early morning wake-up call and rolled out of bed around 3:15AM in the morning as we needed to drive down to Abu Simbel Temple. Of course, by then, the toilet to the room I shared with Popo were constantly flushing and I was required to find a fix to the problem. I managed it. Somehow. But I can’t say how or why what I did helped. All I know is that it was fixed and we were ready to head down to Abu Simbel. 

From Aswan, Abu Simbel was almost a four hour drive, made more complicated by the fact that the roads were filled with other large coaches, all needing to pass through a police check point.

It was almost 9AM by the time we pulled up at the temple and listened once more to the exploits of King Ramesses II, from how he defeated the Hittites, even though he was vastly outnumbered, to his vainglorious display of his love for his wife. After all, the small temple at Abu Simbel had been built in her honour. 

What we didn’t get to learn, although I did hastily duck inside the visitor centre to read it just as we were leaving, was that the Abu Simbel we saw was not the original Temple in its original location. After the Nile was dammed and a lake formed in the 1960s (more information will be revealed in a future post), the original Abu Simbel was at threat of being flooded. Egyptian authorities requested the assistance of UNESCO to help move the ancient site out of harm’s way. 

And thus, Abu Simbel was able to remain standing and frequented by tourists.

After drinking my fill of both the large Temple that was Ramesses II’s attempt to say that he was as strong as the midday sun (his statue was placed in the centre between the morning Ra and the afternoon Ra), as well as the Small Temple (although the line was so incredibly long), I started to make my way to the meeting point that our guide had indicated. That was until my hat flew off!

Sill me attempted to stop my hat but had forgotten that I was still holding a hefty water bottle in my left hand. As such, I managed to bludgeon myself with a mighty blow. There was no blood but it still hurt like the Dickens. And, of course, the blow sent me into a panicked anxiety-fuelled spiral. There I was, in the middle of Abu Simbel, wondering if I had suffered extensive brain damage, concussion or possible memory loss.

Let it be known, dear readers, that sometimes it doesn’t pay to read too many articles about sport-related head injuries and their consequences. While a little bump to the noggin can lead to long-term health complications if you’re unlucky, not every light tap will. And even if it did, well, there sin’t much I can do about it now, is there? The deed is done. Just learn to be careful for next time? Or live in a protective bubble!

Regardless, despite my best attempts to stay awake on the drive back to Aswan (for fear of concussion), the comforting rocking of the coach and the early start to the day had me falling asleep in mere minutes.

Once we arrived back at the Jaz Celebrity cruise ship, I had a quick lunch and barely any rest before boarding a sail boat to enjoy a lazy afternoon on the waters of the Nile river.

We then boarded ANOTHER vessel whilst on the water and headed to a distant Nubian village. And what a sight it was! The settlement was a myriad of different colours and the locals rode around on camels and motor vehicles alike. They also kept crocodiles in their own houses. 

It should also be noted that the Nubians also have their own spoken language. After learning my numbers and the Arabic alphabet (which I promptly forgot soon afterwards), we also learned how to say them in basic Nubian (which I also forgot). Afterwards, we enjoyed some tea and snacks at a local Nubian house, which was just as colourful as the other buildings we had seen. But instead of traditional floorboards or carpet, the Nubians liked to coat their floor with sand. 

As some of the tour members rested, including my grandmother, I and a few of the others left to wander the streets. I even bought a simple dress for my mother at a local stall before we returned to our cruise ship by motor boat.

Later, my grandmother was able to celebrate her birthday according to the lunar calendar and we all enjoyed some cake!

And so ended our third last day in Egypt. It was hard to believe that our time in this land of ancient mysteries was finally coming to an end.

[cruisinbob1]

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