A few comments on Mary Ellen's wonderful posts: We (my partner, Pat, and I) certainly agree with Mary Ellen and Jim that bus (call them "coach" or any other name - they are still buses) tours are usually pretty lame. There is always far too much time waiting around to load and unload the bus (oops, "coach"). Further, the times allotted for the mediocre lunches are usually twice what is needed. Therefore, we recommend that you try to organize your own little "private tours". In groups of two - eight, you can usually get a taxi or mini-van which will take you on the itinerary of your choice. And even though it would in fact be well worth it to pay twice what the tours charge for the flexibility of such private arrangements, they are usually (shocker of the day!!!) cheaper per person than the bus tours. It takes a bit of work to arrange sometimes, particularly in small towns; but it can well be done. Indeed, in Geiranger there are quite a few taxis and minivans available. The Concierge on board Voyager can arrange the whole deal for you. (Thanks, Ray & Penny, for pointing us to the Conciege to do the telephoning.)

Regarding the LCT dinner the infamous night of Dover Sole and Rack of Lamb, let it never be said that the LCT group let down the team. Ngaire herself consumed a prodigious number of chops, some sort of primordial channeling from her New Zealand roots, I assume. She also introduced us to the delightful idea of having a fish course (the above-mentioned Dover Sole)when otherwise we would have had to make the dreadful choice between that tasty main dish and the lamb. As it was, several of us had the equivalent of three or four main dishes, in addition to a few barriques of quite decent vino.

Finally, we will assure you that one could hardly find a more compatible group of fellow travelers (in the good sense, rather than in the McCarthy Hearings sense) than the LCT folks.

Thanks, Ngaire & Ken, Mary Ellen & Jim, Ray & Penny, and Steve & Arlene, for adding enormously to the enjoyment of this memorable cruise. So I will close before I become so teary-eyed that I risk rusting out the keyboard.

See you on another great cruise, Fred & Pat