Silver Explorer Live Voyage Report – Day 8

Killybegs, Glencolmcille, and some Scenic Cruising

The Silversea house flag flies proudly on another gloriously sunny day in Ireland. Photo © 2012 Aaron Saunders

Guests aboard Silversea’s Silver Explorer awoke to another gloriously sunny morning today, as we made our way to the small village of Killybegs, Ireland for an afternoon call and excursion.

Slight change of plans: Captain Golubev sets a new course for Silver Explorer to allow for scenic cruising of Ireland's tallest cliffs. Photo © 2012 Aaron Saunders

Captain Golubev continued to impress this morning, altering course to take us on an unexpected sail-past of the tallest cliffs in Ireland, towering over 2,000 feet in height. They even opened up the forward foc’sle on Deck 4 for guests to use to get better photographs.

The wind here was ferocious! Photo © 2012 Aaron Saunders

The cliffs here are tall and windswept, and could almost pass for the Cliffs of Dover if they were white. The wind was blowing ferociously off the starboard side of the ship as we swung around, and it’s easy to imagine this area would have been quite treacherous on a smaller boat or in the days of sail. For the Silver Explorer, the wind doesn’t pose a problem – but I do love how far she heels when the helm is put hard over!

Some photos of this totally unexpected event that ended up being one of the highlights of my day:

Scenic cruising aboard the Silver Explorer. Photo © 2012 Aaron Saunders

Peace and tranquility on the bow of Silver Explorer. Photo © 2012 Aaron Saunders

The distinct cliffs here were formed by the retreating glaciers during the melting of the last ice age. Photo © 2012 Aaron Saunders

Silver Explorer is both sturdy and nimble; check out the heel angle during our turn to port! Photo © 2012 Aaron Saunders

Our morning of cruising also allowed time for two lectures. The cornerstone of a Silversea Expeditions voyage, these lectures are delivered by members of the onboard expedition team, each of whom is a master in their own field.

Today, Chris Harbard is talking about the best of Scottish and Irish Birds in the Theatre, while Hans Peter Reinthaler will give guests an overview of the Natural History of Europe at 11:30AM.

Hans Peter enthralls guests during an enrichment lecture this morning in The Theatre on Deck 6 forward. Photo © 2012 Aaron Saunders

Far from being boring or uninteresting, these enrichment lectures provide guests with a greater insight about the things they’ve seen and the experiences that may still lie ahead of them. I particularly enjoyed both as I know next to nothing about birds, and the only flowers I can identify with any sort of confidence are roses and gerberas. But I think I learned more about these two subjects in a single morning than at any other time.

Enjoying a rather happy Latte in the Panorama Lounge. Photo © 2012 Aaron Saunders

The morning also gave me the opportunity to reflect on this expedition so far, and the number of places we’ve seen and experiences we’ve had. I’ve been on plenty of cruises where the ports are secondary to the ship but on this voyage, the ports (and their relative remoteness) is an undeniable draw. Even our embarkation port of Portsmouth was chosen over Southampton, the de-facto embarkation port for many ships leaving from the Hampshire region.

To show you just how trailblazing this itinerary is, have a peek at some of the articles I found online regarding our arrival in past ports. Make no mistake; the Silver Explorer has a great following in this part of the world.

• May 26 – the Galway Independent
• May 24 – the Bridport News
• May 24 – This is South Devon

I doubt whether my calls to places like Nassau or Puerto Vallarta on other ships ever commanded the same amount of media recognition.

Since the weather is so nice today, the Outdoor Grill on Deck 6 aft was once again open for lunch, and dinner reservations could be made outdoors for 7:30PM by ringing up the ship’s Maitre D’. Every crew member I talk to tells me how rare it is for us to be able to do this in the British Isles, which are normally known for their wet, rainy conditions.

The bar area of the Panorama Lounge this morning; personal space is never an issue here. Photo © 2012 Aaron Saunders

But I spent part of my morning relaxing in the Panorama Lounge and enjoying a latte. Well, not just any latte: a smiley-faced latte!  Silversea recently adopted new a new coffee and tea strategy fleetwide, installing new machines and coffee products from Illy. The old coffee was good, but the new coffee is excellent (and I used to work as a barista a long time ago.)

Photo © 2012 Aaron Saunders

I’m not a cigar man myself, but I have to say how much I enjoy the Connoisseur Club onboard Silver Explorer. Located on the starboard side of the Panorama Lounge, there’s seating in here for about 24 guests, and usually only one or two are present. If you crave some quiet relaxation after a long day ashore, settle in here with a nice brandy or cognac and just enjoy the gently rhythmic whump, whump, whump of the ship.

Setting out on an exploration of County Donegal. Photo © 2012 Aaron Saunders

After a lunch on the Pool Deck in the warmth of the Irish sun, guests onboard the Silver Explorer set out on a 3.5 hour tour of County Donegal and remote Glencolmcille – a small Irish-speaking town known for its traditional music and folklore.

On the roughly one hour coach ride, I noticed that nearly every house we passed had their front door propped wide open. Neighbours were out chatting with each other, and sheep lazily made their way across the narrow, winding highway.

Glenbay Beach, with 170 steep steps leading to the sand. Photo © 2012 Aaron Saunders

We made several photography stops along our way to the Glencolmcille Folk Village, where we would see recreations of typical Irish dwellings in the 17^th, 18^th, and 19^th centuries before enjoying some tea and scones.

The most impressive of these photo-stops was just outside the village of Glencolmcille, at Glenbay beach.

Hang on! Photo © 2012 Aaron Saunders

Looking out over the vast expanse of the Atlantic, the coach stopped at the top of an embankment leading down to the beach by way of 170 individual stairs. And being up for the challenge, I walked all the way down, dipped my toes in the Atlantic, and walked all the way back up again!

At the foot of Glenbay beach. Photo © 2012 Aaron Saunders

This area is quite remote, though, and the Glencolmcille Folk Village did an excellent job of illustrating what the typical family in the region would have lived in, particularly during the time of the Great Famine in the mid 1800’s.

The Glencolmcille Folk Village helps to illustrate traditional Irish living through the centuries. Photo © 2012 Aaron Saunders

It’s pretty, it’s beautiful, but it’s remote, and I could understand what our guide meant when she said that residents in County Donegal always felt as if they were a little bit forgotten by the boys in Dublin, because nothing could be further from the capital – both geographically and metaphorically – than this.

Early living quarters, like this master bedroom, would have been spartan. Photo © 2012 Aaron Saunders

Early homes would have been lit by candle or oil lamps. Photo © 2012 Aaron Saunders

While homes may not have been much to look at, this relatively simple way of living - and more inward-focused activities - contributed to a strong sense of national pride. Photo © 2012 Aaron Saunders

Teacher's desk in a typical rural Irish school during the last century. Photo © 2012 Aaron Saunders

On the coach ride back to the ship, it again struck me how valuable these tours are, and how nice it is that they are included in the cost of the trip. Some guests, like me, take each and every one that’s on offer, while other guests may prefer to stay on the ship, do their own thing, or explore on their own. The choice is theirs. But for me, I love soaking up as much history and experiences as I possibly can while I am on any cruise, and this expedition-style cruising fits me like a glove.

Delicious scones! Photo © 2012 Aaron Saunders

Once again, we were welcomed back onboard with some refreshing drinks at the top of the gangway, and again on the Aft Pool Deck on Deck 6 – though I imagine the F&B department figured they’d be serving hot tea in every port instead of refreshing drinks!

Welcome back! Sailaway drinks are prepared aboard the Silver Explorer. Photo © 2012 Aaron Saunders

The weather could not have been better today! Photo © 2012 Aaron Saunders

As Day 8 draws to a close here onboard the Silver Explorer, it saddens me to know I only have three full days left onboard before flying home on Wednesday. But tomorrow promises to be one of the most exciting, as we call on remote Rathlin Island for a morning of birdwatching before heading across to Portrush, which serves as our jumping-off point to two of County Antrim’s best-known sites: Dunluce Castle and the Giant’s Causeway.

They’re the only two places on this entire expedition that I’ve visited before – and I cannot wait to return to them.

My favorite time at sea, when the fading daylight turns the superstructure of the ship into an off-orange color as the sun sets on the Silver Explorer, Saturday May 26, 2012. Photo © 2012 Aaron Saunders

Our Live Voyage Report from aboard Silversea’s adventurous Silver Explorer returns tomorrow as we sail into Northern Ireland for a full day of exploring on both remote Rathlin Island and Portrush – gateway to the famous Giant’s Causeway!