Hadrian's Gate

Climbing down from the Acropolis, taking a look back, there was the final major sight to see on the three-weeks-plus trip from Rome. At the bottom, near the hotel, a small park area is gated by Hadrian's Gate. Our final day on the trip finished at Hadrian's Gate, and our final day in Rome had included a visit to Hadrian's burial place in Rome. Another circle closed before one final great dinner and a long flight home. Thanks to Trafalgar Tours and Princess Cruise Line for the two segments of our trip of a lifetime!

Marjorie Glacier

Deep in Glacier Bay we stopped, still, for over two hours near Marjorie Glacier. Clearly the image of the frozen river works here. In one image we see the vista, the width of the glacier, and in the other a closeup peek at the colors and intricacies we stared at for such a wonderful period of time. As the ship rested, people interested and speaking to one another but quiet, almost respectful, we waited for the glacier to calve.

If a glacier is a frozen river, when a portion of it breaks off or separates, that is called calving. When a glacier calves, the resulting ice dropped into the water below is an iceberg. While the very word iceberg is intimidating in some ways, most icebergs are quite small and would not be harmless to any sizable vessel.

A poem:

MOUNTAIN OF MEMORIES

First visit to Alaska is sensory overload
Glacier Bay is so surrounding with images and sound
A mountain of memories comes home with you --
And a mountain make of rock, not ice,
Since rock will never melt.

After nearly two hours waiting, without success, for a calving, the captain announced that the ship would begin by turning to leave. We would have nearly another hour to hope for the sight of a calving. The result will be in the next post.

Still Cruisin'

We interrupt our photos and memories of Alaska this morning for a word about cruising. Our Alaska Adventure was built around a Princess Cruise, and our rail trip took us from the land portion to Whittier where we boarded ship on a Monday evening. We have sailed on three lines: Princess, Carnival and Holland America, all sister lines and all wonderful experiences.

As far as we are concerned, only a few types of people should cruise: those who enjoy food, shows, adventure, relaxation, other people, being alone . . . The vacation that gives you the choice every day how much or how little. Most of us go for the much and save the little for everyday life.

Most cruises board between 1:00-4:00 PM, but the long train ride to Whittier put us on deck nearer to 8:00. Coral Princess is, as expected, a beautiful ship. Dinner, some visiting, and a long day was over. A great night's sleep led us to College Fjord, subject of the next post.

The Alaska Railroad

Driving around big-city suburbs, Chicago in my case, usually involves avoiding railroad crossings as much as possible. Passenger trains are not too bad, all identical silver cars but short and quick. Freights, on the other hand, are long, often slow, and rarely picturesque. No more caboose, no one to wave to. Not what we might remember -- or imagine -- from our early Lionel days.

But every Railfan has a treat in store: The Alaska Railroad. Facing a 9-to-10 hour train ride from Denali south to Whittier to board Coral Princess, I had a wonderful day of railroad education and enjoyment. Much of the route south, we used a single rail line, something I had only seen in movies as distant to my actual life as Doctor Zhivago. How does a train pass heading in the opposite direction. Sure, I knew the term "sidetracked," but I certainly get it better now. Lacking automatic switch devices, our train would stop, a conductor would walk to the switch and make the adjustment. We were sidetracked a couple of times, and I had time to see how things work and to talk to the friendly professional railroaders, both men and women, who operate the lines.

An open-air platform within the width of the rear car gave photographers, poets and train enthusiasts a closeup look at traditional operation of railroads, and the fun of the day was matched with the feeling of learning something wonderful about the growth of the United States.

When we detrained, much of the Alaska adventure was yet to come. Next post up soon.