PRE-TRIP JOURNAL:
Wednesday, June 6, ’12

At dinner we watched a video in German that looked like something from German T.V. It was about the Queen Mary 2. They followed a German couple about the ship. They actually followed them to the laundry room. It’s the first time I’ve seen it. I asked questions about it during two interactive cruises and never received an answer. At least something so prosaic is of interest to somebody else besides me.

If the couple had spoken English instead of German they would have reminded me of friends of my parents back in Pittsburgh.

Thursday, June 7, ’12:

I’m bothering to take my Canon dedicated Video Camera with me on my trip to Europe even though it means carrying a camera bag instead of just keeping a digital point and shoot camera in my purse. It takes much better quality pictures. The zoom is better than either of my point and shoot cameras — a Leica and a Lumix. Also the sound is superior. It will involve another step, having to put the film on my computer when I return. It’s more complicated than just sticking a memory card into the slot in my laptop and downloading photos to iPhoto. It’s worth it. We’re renting a car, and I’ll be taking movies on the autobahn.

Friday, June 8, ’12

Gary’s calling all the European hotels to make sure they have our reservations. He called Hotel Kriemhild near the Nymphenburg Palace outside Munich today. They seem to have the best deal. They include breakfast, parking, and internet in a triple room for only 142 euros. The only hotel that rivals it is the Hilton Nuremburg that includes all the above and dinner, too, but doesn’t have as good a location, though it’s the closest hotel to the Nazi Documentation Center on the edge of town.

Saturday, June 9:

At breakfast we were talking about our upcoming shore excursion to Salisbury and Stonehenge on July 13. I recalled the three Tuesday It Must Be Belgium tours of Europe that I took in high school with my family. On bus tours we always kept our eye on the tour director. When at an attraction, we tended to follow him around. If he went to a particular restaurant, we went there, too — in this case in Salisbury. That way we couldn’t get lost or left behind. The tour never left without the tour guide. And since this is a Cunard shore excursion they won’t leave without the tourists on the bus.

Why do I keep on buying high definition digital video tapes? You can’t get enough of them despite the price, I figure two back and forth to NYC, two back and forth on the ship, two for the two shore excursions in England, and ten for the German portion of the tour — one for each day.

Sunday, June 10:

Each high definition video tapes has 63 minutes. If I have only one tape to go three weeks from here to NYC that means I get to film only three minutes per day. Coming back would be the same. Since we’ve just added a diversion for the dog at the La Quinta at Virginia Beach in August, that calls for at least one more tape. It would be labeled the Virginia Beach tape. I might as well throw in a second tape so I can film 6 minutes per day going to NYC.

The shore excursion is at most six hours. A 63-minutes video tape would be OK for the highlights. And 63-minutes will have to do for filming the Queen Mary at sea for 9 days minus the shore excursion. I’m on firmer ground with one tape per day in Europe for filming the autobahn and the sightseeing attraction of the day.

The same thing goes for the smart cards. I plan on using 2 back and forth to NYC, 2 back and forth on the ship including the shore excursions, and 2 in Europe. I’ve got one spare.

Monday, June 11, ’12:

I tried to find a tourist website for Windsor Castle. All I got was windsor.gov.uk — that and a focus on the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. There is a special exhibit called 60 Photos for 60 Years. If you’re lucky, the Queen won’t be in residence and we can see the Royal Apartments. If not there’s St. George’s Chapel, which I remember from my previous visit as a teenager. I found out that there are carriage rides, but not on July 27. There doesn’t seem to be much tourism in the surrounding town either.

What could be valuable for me is a walk around Windsor. In my novel I could substitute Windsor for Oxford.

Tuesday, June 12, ’12:

Gary confirmed our reservation for the Comfort Inn Brooklyn Cruise Terminal for the night of July 5, ’12 and asked them how we eat lunch on July 6, the day we board the QM2. They’re supposed to run a shuttle to the cruise terminal at 11:00AM. Before that’s too early for lunch. There’s no food in the terminal. Apparently you’re supposed to enjoy a late lunch aboard the ship.

Wednesday, June 13, ’12:

Today we started to turn our focus on getting out of here on Friday morning. Instead of thinking of impossible things like going to Europe, we should focus on the day by day goals of driving across the country. On Friday I should think that I’m going to have lunch in Willcox and dinner at Kranberry’s in Lordsburg. Take it in small segments. My main focus on the road will be managing my photos, taking road notes, keeping records, and writing my blog.