North to Alaska Part 5

 

North to Alaska Part 5

Wrangell

 

Last night our dinner at the Tuscan Italian restaurant was like a production. The bread basket served was more like a bread bouquet. It featured a variety of seeded rolls, sourdough, ciabatta bread, bread sticks and roasted garlic arranged like a work of art. Then we were offered a selection of infused olive oils and vinegars.  After our veal dishes we finished with a quartet of desserts: biscotti, panna cotta, tiramisu and cheesecake. In a word, buonissimo.

This morning, we arrived in Wrangell. In the daily cruise newsletter, it describes Wrangell as quaint, charming, and authentic. Those are all code words for small, dull and basically not much going on. Why cruise ships stop here is a mystery except that it fills another day on the itinerary and give guests time to wash their socks. Wrangell is a small working man town. Businesses are marine centered. A walk down Front Street and you have seen it all. It has a few  shops, cafes,  bars  but not a tourist mecca by any means. With its 2,000 residents they welcome cruisers because it’s somebody new to see and chat with.

On our walk we had a cup of coffee at the quaint Sea Tides Bakery and watched the locals pick up homemade cinnamon rolls piled high with cream cheese frosting. We passed on buying one because at this point we can’t button our pants …too much food.

The highlight was going to the IGA grocery store and buying some shoelaces for Jay. Often on our trips overseas we like to go to grocery stores because they provide an insight to the culture. Our visit to IGA was no different. We looked at the prices of goods noting the price of 4 rolls of toilet paper was $15.99.  The store had a large selection of liquors, and lots of fish, fresh fish. That tells you a lot about the community.

We also noticed a few very large signs posted on buildings promoting Sophia Martinsen for Fourth of July Queen. I sure hope she got elected. We found out later she is 16 years old and she was the sole candidate and that her team was working very hard to keep the town’s beauty queen tradition alive. Now that is hometown pride.

Anyway I will end this story because as you probably have figured out by now there is nothing to report to you this day. We are off to the Jacuzzi to watch the fog drift in.

 

Klawock

If yesterday’s port Wrangell was small, today’s port Klawock is really, really, small. It is home to about 700 residents. The town  wasn’t even described as “charming” but as “serene.”  We will have to take their word on that cause we are not going ashore probably like most of the ship. Unless you have booked a whale watching or fishing expedition, tendering into the port, riding a bus into town to see the oldest fish cannery in Alaska and more  totem poles doesn’t seem as good as staying on the ship admiring beautiful views and soaking up some sunshine.

Yep today will be about 70 degrees and bright and warm. Even the cruise Director said in his 15 years cruising Alaska he can’t remember a cruise having better weather.

 Klawock is a new port that opened last year with the help of Oceania cruise line money. It is a growing trend for cruise companies to develop a port’s infrastructure with gift shops, restaurants, entertainment under the premise it supports local communities. But the reason, of course is that they get the cut of the money spent.   These sanitized theme parks mimic local culture without requiring guests to venture far from the ship.  It is a trend that is happening all over the world, and not a good one. We are fortunate to have travelled all over the world and not felt we were in Disneyland unless of course we were in Disneyland.

Tomorrow is a sea day and I love sea days. Then the next day we will be in Victoria Canada until 10 p.m.

For now, “ta ta”.