Thoughts on Avalon Waterways (Illumination): Magnificent Europe - Eastbound

Quick digression before I get back to posting the rest of the trip! This is wayy behind, but as usual life has gotten crazy! As always, I like to give my two cents on the trips/tours that I do so here goes!  

First off, I should start off by saying the Avalon cruises are meant for pensioners - typically older retired folks.  Similar to Topdeck, the cruise was made up of people primarily from Australia and New Zealand (though we had a fair amount of Canadians on this one as well).  So already, this isn't necessarily an accurate representation of the average experience since I'm in my early twenties.  Either way, I still had a pretty great time.  In the beginning of the cruise I was pretty bored - I'm used to seeing as much as I can in a short period of time, and planning every single part of my trips (like last summer).  It was very unnatural for me to be on a boat with everything already planned.  I was pretty restless to begin with, and I was visiting the gym multiple times per day.  Then I started getting used to relaxing and doing nothing, and before long I was having a grand ol' time.  

The Boat 

The Illumination is pretty new (2014), and it was really nice.  In more than one instance we were docked up against another boat which we had to walk through to get to the port.  This gave us a chance to check out the other ships which were most definitely dated compared to the Illumination....I'd say our ship was definitely better than the other ones we saw.  There were three floors in the ship - the bottom floor had a fitness room, the formal dining room as well as staterooms.  The main floor had the main lounge and bar and state rooms on the other side, and the third floor had more state rooms, a hair dresser and another lounge.  Above that was the sky deck which could be accessed from the main floor and third floor lounge where the captain and crew were situated as well as a hot tub, a whole bunch of seating, and a giant chess game.  The entire boat had fantastic wifi which only faltered once (and we were warned ahead of time) while entering a very very big lock.  You can probably find better photos on the website, but to get an idea: 

bedroom

bathroom

lounge on the third floor

main floor lounge

dining room

sky deck

The staterooms were really comfortable; my sister and I were given single beds shoved together with separate bedding (hallelujah!!!!) and we always had plenty of space.  The windows were fantastic giving us the option to see the view without going to the sky deck (yayyy laziness), plus there were TONS of movies available on TV so we were pretty happy xD. 

The Schedule/Program 
The program for this cruise was well thought out and accommodated everyone.  Quite literally.  After our first guided walking tour, the tour manager noticed that some individuals were having a trickier time keeping up, so she created a "gentle walkers" group for those who wanted a more leisurely tour.  

The schedule was dependent on when we arrived at the port.  On days where we arrived in the morning we would have breakfast, have a guided tour either walking or by bus (we would be bused into the city if the port was far), we'd come back to the ship for a buffet lunch, and we would either set sail in the afternoon, or have free time/an optional tour in the afternoon.  There would be cake and coffee at around 4pm, followed by a port talk to go over the next day's itinerary, then dinner and some form of entertainment (usually a music performance).  

If our arrival was planned for the afternoon, we would usually have a later breakfast, followed by scenic commentary along the river, or perhaps a lecture.  Once we arrived in the city we would have a guided tour and free time with the option of going back to the boat for cake.  

For this particular cruise, the first half of the trip was much more leisurely than the second half.  The first week or so had planned activities in the afternoon and long stretches of sailing which meant we could sleep in and lounge around.  The second half of the trip focused on big cities where we would spend the whole day on planned activities with much earlier wake up times.   Staying on the boat was always an option, and having the opportunity to tour with a local guide was a great way to see the cities. 


Food and staff

The food.  I can't. We literally had six course meals.  And they were GREAT.  Even the buffet style meals were fantastic.   They literally fed us every 4 hours with cake in the afternoon!  The head chef was Hungarian, so our meals were very authentic and.....ughh SO GOOD.  


The staff were so nice!  Well, okay, EVERYONE was really nice.  But on such a small cruise, you get to know everyone personally, and everyone was so incredibly nice!  The cleaning staff were fantastic, super efficient and really kind.  The kitchen staff knew us so well, they would switch the cutlery on the table as I was sitting down (left handed eating habits) and put the napkin on our laps.  The tour manager was especially fantastic.  She was very accommodating and kind - she knew all the tips and tricks to traveling in Europe, and really made it that much better!



And that's it!  That's my take on Avalon cruise we went on this summer - the average 17-22 year old might find it boring.  But my sister and I really enjoyed the chance to actually relax, and be forced to do almost nothing for two weeks :) 

 -M

Miltenberg & Würzburg: Avalon Waterways (Illumination)

The day started off quite relaxed as the boat continued sailing to Miltenberg.  My morning involved food, sleep and a quick trip to the gym before we were invited to watch a zither performance in the lounge.  The zither player was amazing, and the performance was really good!  Our boat got delayed arriving to Miltenberg because of delays with the lock schedule (we've started entering the locks which was quite interesting in the beginning, then quickly became really boring).  We ended up arriving later at another port (the Miltenberg port is under construction), and we were bused to the town where we had a guided tour of the buildings and squares.  Unfortunately it was pouring during the tour...we even saw a bit of hail, but it was overall pretty cool to see the medieval architecture in the town.  

Miltenberg & some of the copious amounts of food we've been consuming

Overnight we sailed into Würzburg and were bused into the city after an early breakfast.  The first thing on our schedule was a walking tour of the famous Würzburg residence (which is a UNESCO Heritage site).  Oh my goodness, the building was gorgeous, each room we went into was even more spectacular than the last.  The ceiling fresco in the main staircase is actually the largest painted fresco in the world, and my favourite room (the mirror room) was decked out in the most gold I've ever seen.  Unfortunately we couldn't take pictures in the building, but we had a chance to explore the gardens and city after our tour!  



Going through the locks really highlights how massive the boat is.  Andddd next stop: Bamberg!



-M

Cologne and Rüdesheim: Avalon Waterways (Illumination)

So from Amsterdam we headed to Cologne overnight and the day was mostly spent on the boat.  We ate way too much food and hung out on the ship visiting the gym every so often.  At around three in the afternoon, we arrived in Cologne where we were greeted by a local tour guide.  The tour guide showed us around town and he w as hilarious!  He was German, and he was actually completely fluent in Chinese which was pretty awesome xD  .

After we got back on board and had a tasting dinner with small portions of different foods as the ship left the dock towards Rüdesheim overnight.

In the morning we continued along the river to Rüdesheim which was an incredibly scenic morning with castles, vineyards and statutes along the shore of the river.  Our guide provided commentary over the speaker system talking about the history of the area.  We arrived in Rüdesheim after lunch and went on a tour of a musical instrument museum and had a Rüdesheimer Kaffee tasting (aka a LOT of brandy with coffee).  We spent about two hours in the city before boarding the ship again...onwards to Miltenberg!

Cologne

On the way to Rüdesheim 

-M

Amsterdam: Avalon Waterways (Illumination)

Amsterdam is fantastic! The city is full of young people (who know english), the "coffee shops" are where they sell weed (not that I smoke...but I like to think this has to do with why everyone's so laid back), and the buildings are georgeous!  Definitely a city I'll have to come back and visit!

We arrived in the city early in the afternoon and boarded the boat before dinner.  I've never been on a cruise before, and so far this one is great!  It's quite small (less than 140 people), and generally the people here are quite a bit older than me, mostly from Australia and New Zealand.  The food is ridiculously good, and there's just so much of it; they literally feed us every three hours, and there's a coffee machine and cookie upstairs!  Our bedroom looks out into a full size window (which currently faces another boat; but once we start moving I think it'll be amazing!).  There's a fitness room which I've already had to visit (ALL THIS FOOD), a lounge, and a great deck with a giant chess game (Harry Potter style) and a mini hot tub.  

On the second day of the cruise we started off with a canal tour where we saw Amsterdam's amazing architecture.  We then had the option for a walking tour, but my sister and I headed off on our own to find the famous "Fault in our Stars" bench.  On our way back to the ship for lunch, we passed the tulip market, a giant food market, we sort of wandered past the Red Light district, as well as Chinatown!  In the afternoon we did a tour of the Anne Frank House before sailing off to Cologne Germany!
 

Floating Flower Market	Chinatown

-M

Another Europe Adventure :)

So newest relatively last minute adventure has started! Europe trip 2k15!! This time it's much different; my family is going on a river cruise aboard Avalon Waterways! The entire trip is 17 days (15 for the cruise and 2 on our own).  Its a bit weird not having control of an itinerary but I have to admit it definitely makes it more relaxing.  I feel almost a bit guilty for not doing the research and planning...

Anyways, this is our itinerary:
- Amsterdam to Cologne
- Cologne to Rudesheim
- Rudesheim to Miltenberg
- Miltenberg to Wurzburg
- Wurzburg to Bamberg
- Bamberg to Nuremberg
- Nuremberg to Regensberg
- Regensberg to Passau
- Passau to Linz
- Linz to Melk
- Melk to Durnstein
- Durnstein to Vienna
- Vienna to Bratislava
- Bratislava to Budapest

-M

Spring in Toronto (PTX, Cherry Blossoms & Doors Open Toronto)

Well, not being in school is pretty fantastic.  Spring has just "sprung" in the most bipolar way possible (34 degrees yesterday and 9 today...what the heck is going on), and already I've had the chance to do loads of fun things in the city.  

A couple months ago, I saw Pentatonix in concert again!  Last year it was at the Danforth Music Hall which was probably the best venue for an acapella group.  This year it was the Sound Academy which ironically has the lamest sound possible.  But anyways, Pentatonix....I used to watch the Sing Off on TV & on Youtube where I first discovered Pentatonix (before they became a viral sensation); so yep.  We lined up about 2 hours before the doors opened, because vertically challenged individuals have to do things like that if they want to see anything at a standing concert.  Ah well, I can confidently say it was 100% worth it!  

View from the Sound Academy

Then in April, the Cherry Blossoms erupted causing the entire city to gather in High Park.  Obviously I decide to go for the first time after I've moved far away from Bloor West...instead of the during 17 years I lived in the Village.  

This month was also Doors Open Toronto, which I've never gone to either.  I happened to be strolling around downtown for other reasons, but figured I might as well check out some buildings.  I ended up visiting the Canada Life Building (observatory), Osgoode Hall, the HOK offices, Knox College and the Coach House Press.  Twas cool....who knew the city had such neat buildings!?  

View from the Canada Life Observatory

-M

Summer (Spring) Reading

This summer (or I guess...Spring) is the first summer in a long time not spent in a classroom.  I've been in University for so long, I forgot about my love for books.  The problem sort of begins when I find myself with a spare week where I have time to read...but then I head into a library or bookstore, get a bit overwhelmed by the many options, choose a book by it's cover (oops) which I'm not a huge fan of, then fall out of reading again. 

BUT this summer will be different!  It's already been a bit different...solution: the friend.  One of my closest friends is an avid reader, and luckily we have the same taste in books.  She's become my human library and I'm so incredibly grateful xD 

 
I started off the month with some fantasy: the All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness (A Discovery of Witches, Shadow Of Night & The Book of Life).  SO GOOD. SO INCREDIBLY GOOD.  It's written so well...Deborah Harkness is a historian and she uses her expertise in such a clever way giving history a fantastic twist.  People say it's like Twilight...which, okay even I have to admit there are SOME similarities.  But it's SO much better than Twilight, it doesn't even matter.  Yep, fan-girling right now!  

 
Next, I asked my amazing friend for some non-series books.  I found my mind wandering during the work day wondering what would happen in the next book...so I needed something a little bit lighter.  She recommended Fangirl (Rainbow Rowell) and One Plus One (Jojo Moyes).  Both great books - very different, but very very good! :)  I won't say more.  You should read it.  


I'm now trying to mix up the fiction and non-fiction reads.  I'm starting a book called "Quiet: The Power of introverts in a world That Can't Stop Talking" (Susan Cain); so far it's really interesting.  The book itself starts off with a lot of very strong statements, with discussions of "closet introverts" and the "Extrovert Ideal."  So let's see where this goes!  Whooooooo books! :D

-M

When I grow up....I want to be a Student Affairs Professional

"You work at the University?  So like...in administration?  But you don't plan on doing that forever right? With a Bachelors of Science in Psychology and Criminology...I mean, you're much more educated than that....what a waste!"

Within ten minutes of meeting this guy, I can confidently say he wasn't quite making the best impression on me.  He went on to complain about the disadvantage that he (as a white male) faced with affirmative action laws, and went off on Toronto property taxes (how cheap they are compared to the suburbs) and how terrible the transit system is.  I didn't really argue or attempt to defend any opinions I had (and I did agreed with some of his points), it was just one of those conversations which wasn't worth wasting your energy on.  But he did ask the question which I suspect a lot of people have on their minds, they are just too polite to ask.  What is a "Masters in Higher Education" and why would you want to work at a University for the rest of your life? In part, I'm writing this post for myself - a reminder to why I have decided to pursue this field, and a perspective (in the beginning of this journey) to look back on.  

I started working in the University in my third year of undergrad as a casual staff. I'm now in my third year as a contract staff, and I identify myself as a wanna-be "student affairs professional" (which means very little to the average person).  I was pretty directionless in university, I switched majors at least 4 times, and even after graduation I still had no idea what I wanted to do.  It wasn't until my third position within the university when I realized what I enjoyed doing.  I enjoy working with students and playing a role in improving the student experience.  

I didn't have an amazing experience in university...my grades were lower than I hoped, I struggled a bit with the work/school balance, and as a commuter I felt I was missing the full university "experience".  Looking back, many of the close friends I made, and the things I enjoyed spending time doing revolved around student groups and organizations outside of the classroom. It turns out, the things I did outside the classroom - leadership roles, exchange programs, undergraduate research etc., were the things which set me apart from other students and have actually benefited me the most in my short experience with life after university.  

A Student Affairs Professional provides services and support for students outside the classroom.  Things like housing, accessibility services, leadership programming, career planning, health and wellness, academic support, mentorship programming....all of these things are run by dedicated staff who use student development theory to create programs. I guess this is what makes me so attracted to working in Student Life - I have the opportunity to help others, just like me, gain the skills which are needed in the "real world", skills you can't develop by being in a classroom.  I have the chance to help students experience a sense of community and perhaps make their experience a bit better than mine.   A Masters of Higher Education is a chance to learn about student affairs and programming, to learn more about the world of post-secondary institutions and to understand how to serve students better (and just to be clear - this is a discipline rooted in research and assessment).  

It's interesting how life turns out.  Four years ago if you told me I would want to work in a university, I would have laughed...hard...really hard.  Right now I'm still in a position where my future is unclear - I'm still on contract and I have no job after August.  Yet I have a goal and I'm surrounded by amazing people who just want to help other students.  Who knows, in ten years I might want to do something else...by then I might be a jaded crabby nutter.  But for now...yes. I will study Higher Education, I will work in a university, and  I will be a part of the student experience. 



-M