Tag: https://www.travelalaska.com/

America, Canada, Countries, Cruising

On a Royal Caribbean poop deck

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We all do it, live vicariously through our friends… your life might be poop but someone’s up on a Royal Caribbean poop deck.

That someone is an old Travel pal who’s only been rubbing it in on a Royal Caribbean Quantum of the Seas trip from Seattle to Alaska.

We’ll leave John and his lovely wife Karen to their reindeer sausage, wild boar burnt ends and Grizzly Poop (chocolate malt balls).

As they skirt the Eastern Canadian Seaboard and lyrical names like Juneau and Sitka.

And show you what you can get on your bucket list cruise.

Quantum solace

Walking on water: On Quantum

Quantum of the Seas is a seven-nighter Alaska adventure skirting towering glaciers and snow-capped peaks.

Of course this being Royal Caribbean there are special features on board.

From the North Star, the tallest viewing deck on a cruise ship to the RipCord by iFLY skydiving simulator.

Now we all know the old adage about cruise being for the ‘newly-wed, overfed and nearly dead’.

Spray it again: With Royal Caribbean

John, the oul’ romantic that he is is treating Karen to a special anniversary cruise.

And judging by what he’s been saying they’ve been loving the food… and who can blame them?

Food and fun

Poop up and away: Rockies fun food

Venturing into Alaska, Of course, there’s plenty of Americana fare.

Like Americana steakhouse and classics at Chops Grille.

And fresh hand-rolled sushi at Izumi…. watch out too for those funster chefs getting you involved.

And Tuscan favourites at Jamie’s Italian by Jamie Oliver.

Then cap off your meal with robot-crafted cocktails from the future at Bionic Bar.

Quantum offers original production Starwater.

As it dives into the nature of human emotion in a groundbreaking fusion of live performance and technology.

Top deck

Water trip: The Alaska trip

And if we know cruises and Royal Caribbean, and we do, and the Royal Parties…

Then we know they’ll be only too happy to show you around and behind the ship.

So if your life is poop check out what’s happening on a Royal Caribbean poop deck.

Fly to Seattle with Aer Lingus and check out fares and dates online

 

Africa, America, Asia, Countries, South America, UK

Brasaleia and other sold countries

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For the day that’s in it when The Dutch Republic sold New Holland to Portugal in 1661 here’s Brasaleia and other sold countries.

No, you didn’t know the Dutch took 63 tonnes of gold from Portugal for what would become Brazil.

They had run the north-east part of the country we now know as Sambaland for 31 years before cashing in after a war.

The Dutch were the great merchants of their day and dealmakers.

And the best dealmaker of our day, and most famous living New Yorker, Donald Trump, would have approved of another deal.

Manhattan transfer

The art of the deal: With The Donald in New York

Dutch governor Peter Minuit bought Manhattan from the native Americans in 1621 for trinkets to the value of $24.

And when the Dutch relinquished it in 1674 to the English who rechristened it New York they got the rich sugar and cotton territory of Suriname in South America in return.

Now you might remember Trump offering to buy Greenland a couple of years ago probably thinking we still deal this way.

United Stakes

The table is set: In Vegas

And in truth that is how America completed their manifest destiny.

Through most famously the Louisiana Purchase from France for $15m to help the Gauls fund the Napoleonic Wars.

And having got a taste that spending money is better than spending blood they went back 16 years later with $5m for Florida.

The growing US splashed out $18.25m to buy California, Nevada, Utah and Arizona from the Mexicans in 1848.

All of which would be a poor take on a weekend in a Las Vegas casino.

LA is my laddie: In Los Angeles

Ten million greenbacks got them southern Arizona and New Mexico from their neighbours five years later.

But they weren’t finished there and sealed the deal of all deals when they waved $7.2m under the Russian Bear’s nose in 1867 for Alaska.

And again that proved to be mere loose change compared with the oodles of money they’ve taken in oil since.

While the Americans have waved the chequebook more than anybody the British haven’t been slow in flashing cash either.

Rate Britain

Water island: Singapore

And at various stages they have bought bits of India and Africa from the Danes.

All of which makes you think Trump could have done a deal with them over Greenland.

While Singapore was purchased from Johor, a state in Malaysia, for $60,000 in 1824.

Scots bank it

Leg it to… the Isle of Man

Who would have thought too that the Scots were at it too long before any of them.

When they forked out 4,000 marks sterling and 100 mark annuity to the Norwegians for…

The Hebrides, Kintyre, islands off the Firth of Clyde and get this, the Isle of Man, from Norway in 1266.

It’s ironic then that the Scots were “bought and sold for English gold such a parcel of rogues in a nation” when they surrendered to the union with England which created Great Britain.

And which you can read all about in the excellent Price of Scotland from historian Douglas Watt.

All of which we’ll reflect on on this lazy Saturday afternoon… Brasaleia and other sold countries.