The following excerpts were written by Dad Diederich.

To the Dock, a lineup, passports, got a souvenir picture taken. To our cabins. Mom had paid for the less expensive cabin which included the "other" dining room. We got upgraded (for free) and the cabin was spacious and the dining was an upgrade, too. A lady steward was helpful not intrusive. Had our bed turned down every night, etc.

Movie star Gene Hackman was aboard, and neither we nor any others that I saw intruded on him. But a fellow passenger reported he had been very nice. She did not recognize him--was painting with others in a group (they had all kinds of activities on the ship). This other man was quick and good with his work-- and showed her he had painted her! He gave it to her, and at her request he signed it. Not till she got to her cabin, with husband, did it click who the artist was.

Dining was really fine. Choices, courses and all very good. Only the booze was for us to pay for as we went. Lots of attention, but not the American intensity--a young eastern European man and a young lady from England. We were seated with four others for the crossing--though had choice of going to another dining room that was more casual at any time. One couple was younger well-to-do Americans from Philadelphia. They had been to Europe before with their children, etc. etc. The other couple was British, and just a bit older than we. Very attractive, fit, friendly but very British. Enjoyed them.

Mom had found a pretty and fancy dress--they do go formal for dinner for four of the six nights. I got a used tux.

Every day was fine. The Captain talked to the passengers every day, and before docking he said this had been about the smoothest crossing he had known. Still there is a rhythm and one had to acquire a set of "sea legs" when waking about. Like a many-storied building, but one had the great wide walking deck. Always men about scraping and painting and fixing. Joggers and runners, but most of us walkers. The Ocean was the star attraction to me.

But there were shops, and the prices not bad. And a library, all kind of bars. I loved the English bitter--does not taste at all bitter. And shows: A fellow from Australia sang as good American rock 'n' roll as anyone could. Dancers, big band, and a classical orchestra--they were faculty & students of Oxford. The director was very witty and the selections were fairly brief but very good.

Good food: breakfast, lunch and dinner and gourmet Tea Time at 4 p.m. The tea was very good. And I never knew a cucumber sandwich could be so good. (lots of butter!)

We set sail on Thursday afternoon. New York Harbor was beautiful in the bright sunlight and a cool pleasant day. The Statue of Liberty shone--as if all was well with us all. Of course we all were aware of the "recent events" as the Captain said to us. He slowed the ship down so that we could still get television signals of the funeral in London that Saturday.

When we got to Southampton the following Wednesday, we went by train to London and then a cab--one of the classic "black cabs," with a well-trained driver. He took us by the Buckingham Palace--and it was crowded. And we saw the flowers then and again later. A lot!

The parks are very elegant if simple. We were on our own from Thursday till Sunday. Got a prepaid pass for bus and tube--got about pretty well. Got lost, got found. Convent Garden, Soho, Piccalilli and I especially liked Trafalgar Square. There was the National Gallery-- and we had a short look. (We had hardly any time in any gallery, or any church, but saw a lot of them!) Next door was an ancient church, not so large as many others-- and one that rang a bell for me. Saint Martin in the Fields--also the name of a good orchestra. Now there is a loose attachment, but the church has a lot of classical music played in it. We attended a brief Episcopal Service, with only a few parishioners. Then visited downstairs where they serve food, sell high class souvenirs, records (or CDs, etc.).

We did get "lost" now and again. Talked with people who were all very friendly. Oddly it seemed we got fuzzy instructions or we were fuzzy--but we were mostly pleasant to strangers and even to each other. Harrods was packed, and not appealing. Lunch across the street was very nice--I had a Welsh Rarebit--and toasted like I have never had before. Shirley had a smoked salmon club sandwich.

Looking back, those days gave us a sense of confidence that we could do London and UK without the Tour. And the Continent was magnificent--but our confidence in ourselves/each other did not beckon us to return there by ourselves.

Then on to the Tour!

Sunday we met our tour director, Sandra, a Brit with fine accent, and fluent in all the languages, and knowledgeable of the places, persons and such. Tall, nice looking, formidable yet not intimidating. Very hard working, with good ironic Brit sense of humor.

We did go through the area where our troops landed in France--D-Day and thereafter. And Sandra did mention this and told of other war stories. (On the way back, we were very near where the Brits got very lucky to escape the German Army). Saw the coast of France and pretty country and then on to Paris. Sunday, this was. Two nights in a Holiday Inn somewhat outside of the main areas. We were bussed by day, bussed at night, and took the boat on the Seine. (That was probably the most appealing part-- and note they do take care of the bridges-- and some go back centuries!) Notre Dame is probably the most beautiful church we saw ..Very imposing-- but they all were.

The Europeans somehow coped (still do) with the power of the Church-- and spend money on upkeep of the buildings and so on-- but may not take it as seriously as Americans who send tons of money to the TV Evangelists!

Napoleon was born in Italy! And he dominated and so on the French--messed up the democratic ideas of the French Revolution. And he left all these monuments! The Arch de Triumph, and so on. The layout is very nice--and we saw it again and again--the Champs de Elysees, and on a line with the Eiffel Tower, etc. And of course, we went into the Louvre with a local guide and about ten-thousand other people. Mona is still there. Many other pictures that one could only glance at.

Packing up to Lucerne, Switzerland--after seeing a lot of country, including the relic, sad useless "modern" fortress of the Maginot Line built by the French--useless against Hitler. Up up to an Alpine view, rather beautiful it was. Lucerne overnight and then Milan, Italy, overnight. Now what was there about Milan?

Rome for two nights. Now this is a city where one could spend time wandering about and still not have a grasp of what it was about. I wanted to find some live music, and our Director gave me a paper that advertised a free concert at so-and-so place. Well, we got a cab to Venice Square where it was supposed to be. Never did find it. But better still we met an Italian couple who spoke fair English--both retired from Italian foreign service and lived near our hotel. He was 67, same age as me. Livio & Renata. He loved to talk and showed us the buildings, ruins--some cats were cavorting about in one cavernous place--and nice ladies down a flight from the ground were feeding and petting them. Some had collars, all looked pretty good. He had opinions about everything--not much that I disagreed about (Well, he fussed that the U.S. did not intervene in Vietnam when the French were getting beat--but I had no desire to pursue that).

And they found still another square (I love the way Rome and other European cities have so many park-like areas and squares). An out-of-the-way restaurant--where they offer pizza and beverages (wine or pop for ten thousand lira--that is good price!) and the pizza was light and crisp, with a few tasty anchovies on mine).

We saw the Vatican--a vast place. The Sistine Chapel gave me a feeling of claustrophobia--so many of us gathered in and the voices continually telling us to shut up. St. Peters is just so big that is hard to comprehend. Then the catacombs--and just as dreary as the nuns had told me back in my boarding school days. Dank too. But one must do this!

Then to Florence--where the great museum was not open long enough for us to see Micheangelo's David. Then Venice--where one wonders about the tenacity of people. It was built on the water many many many years back--to avoid the Huns. But Napoleon did not have any trouble with it. So cumbersome. Seems to be a city for tourists, like an ancient Disney World. Still impressive St. Marks Cathedral is huge, imposing--almost vulgar. The Square is very big, but the crowds filled it. We bounced about.

Innsbruck, Austria--a smallish place tucked in the Alps. Dare I say "quaint." Another church, this one big for a small place, but more comprehensible. A graveyard next door--and the graves all of relatively recent vintage. A lady in black attending the flowers on a family grave. One of our group talked with her, learned that several of her family had been killed by the snow avalanche some years before.

Rhineland--Munich (ghosts of Nevil Chamberlain). More charm, another large, gray and not so pretty cathedral. A square. We had something akin to a continental meal-- German sausage, potatoes and sauerkraut (the latter was neither sour nor sweet--rather good).

Then to Amsterdam. Canals and a tour on them. Rich people on the canal, and maybe some urban flight out as people cannot afford to park to shop, (or so said the local tour talker). And a walk through the Red light district. Well it was interesting. But the ladies looked to be fit, bored, moved in mechanical ways, most were smoking. And with so many gawkers about, what guy is going to knock on the door? Well I guess they have customers. The guide books admit that this is by far the biggest tourist attraction in Amsterdam.

We seldom had time to find and look about in a museum. But there were two ladies, Afrikaners of South Africa--mother & daughter who we "bonded' with. We went off to spend nearly a whole hour in the Museum devoted to works of Van Gogh. Very nice it was.

Then back thru the coast to Calais, and again the crossing by ferry to the White Cliffs of Dover. (I could not get into voice or find anyone to join in the song: "There will be blue birds over, the white Cliffs...etc.)--Shirley just corrected me: Mississippi Leon did join me in a chorus of the WWII syrupy song).

London again, dinner with another bonded couple, Manny and Mary Ann of Texas--a restaurant near the hotel and nothing I will write home about, but adequate).

Rousted up for last time, a big bus to the airport. British Air proved to be quite good. The ticket man was most pleasant. The plane looked ancient as a 747, big. We were at the very back of the plane--so I could view all who came to line up for the. The Stewardess was an trim, "mature" lady--who said that the plane, like herself was older but reliable. Good service, food and such to help ease the jet lag time of nearly eight hours! Thru our U.S. customs--no hassle. Then back home.

And jet lag is a syndrome!

Did we enjoy it? Well, as someone said, a tour is not a vacation. It was a useful exercise for us--but we are retired and past the vacation stuff. So many places, and the brain cannot take it in properly. But we know they are there. And maybe will go back one day on our own--well, to England anyway. Maybe...one day.

But the leadership of the tour made it work. Sandra really had it together. Smiling through the flaps and such. Using the fax to plan ahead...seeing that our baggage was loaded, unloaded. And Harry, a short stolid guy from Belgium with a big belly and fuzzy mustache--but a great driver. And he was a wit as well!.

Glad we had the "crossing" so that I can visualize the great Atlantic Ocean that was so sweet to us--- on our way to Europe.

The following is from the QE2 home page

The Queen Elizabeth 2 has clocked more than four million miles carrying more than two million passengers to all corners of the globe, but more commonly back and forth between England and America as the last remaining floating palace of a bygone Atlantic passage era.

But her life, like a number of today's young royals, has been anything but plain sailing. In the late seventies she was costing Cunard a small fortune to keep afloat. Even when sailing full to her 1,791 passenger capacity she was running at a loss, and few were putting money on her surviving into the 80s.

But Britain's "pride of the seas" did survive and, following a recent multi-million refurbishment is in better shape than ever as she moves majestically towards the 21st Century, still pulling the crowds wherever she goes and enjoying center stage in a booming cruise industry.

Here are some of the milestones which the QE2 has left in her wake.

ROYAL SURPRISE

September 1967: The Queen launches job number 736 at John Brown's on the Clyde and on impulse attaches the number 2 to the name of the Queen Elizabeth, much to the surprise of Cunard.

THERE SHE GOES

May 1969: The QE2 sets sail on her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York.

FREE PASSAGE

June 1969: The wives of officers, petty officers and ratings were told they could have one free voyage on the QE2 a year - ending a 129-year Cunard ban on freebies.

QUEEN'S RANSOM

May 1972: An extensive security operation is launched after an anonymous caller threatens to blow up the QE2 on her way home from New York unless Cunard pays £135,000 ransom. Six months later the caller is jailed for 20 years after admitting the hoax.

ACTION STATIONS

1982: The Ministry of Defense announces its decision to use the QE2 to carry 3,500 troops to the Falklands conflict. Two helipads are installed and 8,000 8ft by 4ft squares of hardboard are laid on the floors and walls to minimise damage. Some 650 of the 1,040 crew volunteer for service.

MISSING LINK

July 1987: A 28-year-old Chicago man vanishes en route from the West Indies to New York after leaving a "do not disturb" sign on his cabin door.

LATE SHIFT

July 1987: Two maintenance engineer working on the liner take a nap and wake to find the ship has sailed. They are allowed to complete their work, and the cruise, but have some explaining to do when they arrive home a week later.

WHAT A NIGHT

March 1989: Japanese newly-weds fork out £3,438 for one-night honeymoons on the QE2 while she spends 72 days berthed in Yokohama as a centrepiece for the city's 130-year anniversary celebrations. It costs the Japanese £53 million to charter her.

FAST LADY

July 1990: The captain pulls out all the stops for the QE2's fastest east-west crossing of the Atlantic in 105 hours 57 minutes to mark the 150th anniversary of the Cunard Line.

BARGAIN PRICES

March 1991: The cheapest QE2 transatlantic holiday for 10 years is offered to win back passengers after the Gulf War. A five-day crossing, three nights in New York and return flight costs £595.

FIVE STAR

February 1993: The QE2 becomes the first ship in the world to be awarded five-star status by the RAC, an honour normally exclusive to top hotels.

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