Day 9…Henderson, Nevada.. Posting photos from “White Night” on Azamara Journey…One day and counting…

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We won’t post more photos from our Norway cruise going forward other than today’s posting from the fabulous “White Night” aboard Azamara Journey, as shown on this post, not in a separate post. I appreciate your patience while we shared photos from our first cruise when the WiFi signal was too weak to post photos. We excluded a few ports of call for expediency.

The decor by the pool was decorative and festive for the occasion of “White Night.”

Day 11…Norway Cruise…Last night’s fantastic “White Night”…Today…Alta, Norway…

We were looking forward to posting the photos from the Azamara “White Night” but had decided to post them after we’d posted them from the ports of call on the Norway cruise. Now that it is completed, I can relax and return to preparing one post each day.

This was my delicious plate! It was amazing that there were many items I could eat.

We hope you enjoy the photos from that night, which we consider our favorite event on the two cruises. It wasn’t so much about the socialization, which was great, but more about the festive atmosphere on a night that put the Azamara staff to work on many aspects of the event.

There was plenty of seating for the ship’s 578 passengers.

Officers were serving food, and it appeared most of the staff was in attendance, ensuring it was a memorable night for each one of its passengers. It was flawless, with every aspect prepared and executed to the most finite detail. We couldn’t have asked for more.

The food was not only delicious but also presented beautifully.

We’ve had a busy morning. We slept until around 8:00, and by 9:00 am, we were comfortably seated in a booth in the restaurant for our usual delicious breakfast. There’s only one more breakfast, and we’ve both loved our delightful meal. Over the years, it has been a real highlight for us when we’ve stayed at the Green Valley Ranch Spa Resort and Casino in Henderson, Nevada.

There were more options than I had room for.

Once we finished breakfast, we headed back to our room to put together a pile of clothing to donate to the Goodwill store close to the DMV, where we went on Tuesday to renew our driver’s licenses. The licenses will be sent to our mailing service in a few weeks, and we’ll have them forwarded to us at the hotel in Minnesota where we’ll be staying for the next month.

We didn’t eat any of these items.

Next, we headed to Richard’s office to scan a pile of documents left from the mailing service pickup a few days ago, none of which we needed to keep hard copies. We don’t carry “papers” with us, adding to the weight of our bags. After we left Richard’s office, we drove to the Goodwill store, a 15-minute drive. Then, we filled the rental car with petrol and returned to the hotel.

Neither of us selected cheese with so many other exciting options.

Once back in our room, I completed communication with the owners of a house we’re renting in Ecuador, beginning on October 24, after the Galapagos cruise. Negotiating a reasonable price, details we’ll share with photos tomorrow. We’re excited about this new place where we’ll live until January 8, 2024.

Mouth-watering offerings.

From there, we have nothing booked at this time. However, in Ecuador, we’ll decide on future plans in South America or wherever we may travel. It’s all up for grabs. Since the pandemic, we feel comfortable not booking too far into the future, based on the hassles we experienced when we had to cancel many trips, flights, cruises, rental cars, and holiday homes.

The white theme was visually appealing to everyone.

I picked up a copy of our hotel bill so far and found an error this morning. They hadn’t credited us the 50% off we got on the resort fee when we first checked in. A few minutes ago, I received a call from the VIP reception staff, and she’s since made the corrections that will show up on our bill when we check out tomorrow at noon.

As we looked around, we realized how many wonderful people we’d met, all of whom were having a great time. Six sat at our table for more lively conversation.

Late this afternoon at 4:30, my son and his girlfriend will pick us up at the entrance to the resort to head to Summerlin for dinner and a movie. It’s been fun hanging out with them several times since our arrival. This has been a fantastic stay in Nevada, with quality time with family and friends. I am getting a few things done and enjoying this lovely resort.

There were many items I didn’t try when I didn’t want to bother the staff enquiring about ingredients.

Tomorrow, we fly to Minnesota and will attempt to get a new post uploaded before we fly away at 3:45 pm. Thanks for “traveling along with us” on these past journeys. We look forward to more in the future.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, September 8, 2013:

Our new vegetable stand in Diani Beach, Kenya, is a short walk from our holiday home. Notice the motorcycle. The produce is delivered by motorcycle each day! For more photos, please click here.

Day 11…Norway Cruise…Last night’s fantastic “White Night”…Today…Alta, Norway…

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Note: I cannot add a single photo today due to the poor WiFi signal aboard the ship. Once we arrive in Nevada in early September, we can post our photos from Edinburgh and this cruise. Of course, we’ll continue to try to add photos each day! We are sorry for the inconvenience. Perhaps, when this cruise ends, we can start posting photos while on the upcoming Celebrity cruise in 7 days. We’ll continue taking photos and writing text daily, if possible.

Ah, if only I could load last night’s photos of White Night! It was spectacular, most likely the most decorative, well-planned food, drink, and music event we’ve ever attended on a cruise ship. It truly was indescribable! It was incredible!

The evening began at 6:00 pm when the most extraordinary buffet was set up on Deck 9 poolside. It was amazing how the staff rearranged the entire pool area, removing all the chaise lounges and other poolside equipment to create a festive and decorative environment in white with balloons, lights and white tablecloths, and formal place settings on each of the many tables.

The area could easily accommodate all 567 passengers with plenty of space for the fantastic band, singers, and dancers and a sizeable dance floor. As soon as we arrived, dressed in our all-white outfits, we found many sharing tables already filled with passengers. We found an empty table for six, plunked ourselves down with drinks in hand, and prepared for the exciting night ahead.

In no time at all, our table filled up with two more couples, both of whom we’d met along the way, and lively conversation and laughter ensued through the remainder of the evening while we all dined on the epicurean delights and danced to our favorite tunes.

Nothing was spared in presenting a beautiful evening. The food was over-the-top, the most varied and delicious buffet we’d ever experienced, with tons of seafood, meats, and exotic dishes from many cultures. The vegetables and fruit were aplenty, and any way of eating could easily be accommodated.

At one point, early on in the evening., I approached the many stations of the buffet, happily taking many photos we’ll share in the future when we’re able to upload photos again.

After the festive outdoor party ended, during perfect warm weather, many of us gravitated to Deck 10’s  Living Room, where the party continued with live music and again enthusiastic dancing on the dance floor.

We approached the North Cape of Norway close to midnight, where we all witnessed the extraordinary “Land of the Midnight Sun,” where we couldn’t stop smiling while taking photos of this fantastic phenomenon of the light sky at midnight. It’s hard to believe how light the sky is at midnight in this part of the world.

BY 12:30 am, we wandered back to our cabin on Deck 7, giggling over our fun night, hoping we wouldn’t have trouble falling asleep with the excitement of the evening still flooding our minds. But, an hour later, we dozed off, not awakening until 9:00 am, ready to begin another new day.

With little to see in Alta, Norway, we decided to stay on the ship and feel less rushed in completing today’s post’s text. We have almost a week until this cruise ends, and surely, we’ll continue to enjoy every moment.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, August 11, 2013:

There was no post on this date ten years ago.