December 13, 2016 - Atlanticness

Today I went to a talk on Tips and Tricks for the iPhone and iPad. I actually learned a number of useful things.  One thing I learned is that we are now in the Grytviken time zone. OK. I also learned how to change the time on the iPad when it doesn't automatically change for whatever reason. 

Other than that, this was a pretty standard day at sea, albeit a little on the rough side. We didn't see any other ships. I suspect we are way outside the regular shipping lanes.  

Apparently I climbed 36 flights of stairs today. I would have guessed 10 or 12, but FitBit doesn't lie, right? So, I'm thinking FitBit counts all those ups and downs (or just the ups) from the big swells. 

The other day I spoke with a man who told me his pedometer was linked to a GPS. He walked a few laps around the top deck and found he had gone 15 miles. 

It gets a little surreal to be out here, just chugging along, living on a little floating island. But I really do enjoy it. It is relaxing and easy to give yourself permission to do nothing. 

In the evening saw the "contemporary ventriloquist," Kieran Powell, again. He had also been on our first cruise segment. He is billed as "Real Genius in Puppet Form," if you are keeping track. Ummm, no. He was ok, but not my idea of Real Genius. 

That is really all I have to say about this day.

December 11, 2016. Cheating Death: Fun in Funchal

So, more bad weather, yada yada yada, we are going to go to Madeira on Sunday instead of the Azores on Monday. OK by me. I love Madeira. This time we decided to take a Princess tour that included a cable car ride, a visit to Monte, a toboggan ride, and wine tasting. We had not done the first three things before and we thought we had not done the wine tasting before, but it turned out that we had. We were picked up at the ship by our guide, Rosanna, and our bus driver, Rui (Roy), and whisked away to the modern, clean cable car station in Funchal, which means "fennel" in Portuguese. The cable car ride was totally wonderful. It lasted 15 to 17 minutes. That is much longer than most cable cars. It was a GORGEOUS day and we had a spectacular view. Completely worth it. Photos will be posted when I get home. At the top we took a short walk to a village called Monte. It was peaceful, and clean, and there was no graffiti. From the town square we could walk up 175 steps to a cathedral or we could hang out in the square while the others went up. We walked up. The cathedral was not awesome and not super old, but it was a nice example of Portuguese Baroque architecture and Charles I of somewhere was buried there. The view from the front of the cathedral was beautiful. After we returned to the town square in Monte we walked over to the toboggans. This is something that you can only do in Funchal, according to Rosanna. You sit in a wicker basket that is mounted on wooden runners. There are ropes strung through little holes in the front of the runners. Portuguese men pull the ropes and you slide down the road for 2 km. It is a very steep and very winding road and it is a road used by cars.  The Portuguese men, called "carreros" or something close run alongside and pull the toboggan and then they jump onto the runners, just like a dogsled, and you ride down the mountain. No seat belts, no helmets, no brakes, no steering wheel. I'm not sure it's relevant, but the carreros wear a traditional outfit consisting of a straw "boater" hat, a white suit, and shoes made out of leather and old tires. They kind of look like a croquet team. It takes a long time to go 2 km, even on a steep hill, and there was a lot of screaming. There were many 90 degree turns and walls and ditches on the edge of the road and other hazards. I did discover during the ride that you could sort of steer by screaming. If it looked like you were going to crash into a wall or plummet over a cliff, I found that if you screamed a lot the toboggan would turn at the last minute and you would not hit the wall or go over the cliff. How do you spell adrenaline? Yes, it really was scary. I've done it and I am done. I don't have to do it again. Fortunately, nobody from our bus got hurt, and we all lived to go to the next stop, Pico dos something, where we saw more stunning views and beautiful plants.  We returned to Funchal for the wine tasting. The wine tasting was at a place called Blandy's, which we had been to before. It was much more like a store than like a winery. I suppose it is technically a winery because they do some aging in barrels there, but it wasn't what we were expecting. We were led through some rooms where we saw old wine presses and barrels and tools for making barrels. It was very tourist-trappy. In the final room we all got a small glass of sweet Madeira. I didn't like it. It was strong and tasted like that medicine that tastes like furniture polish. We got a ticket we could use to get another glass of either dry or medium-dry Madeira. I got the medium dry, and it was even worse than the first kind. I will never be a wine connoisseur. Funchal is charming, clean, graffiti-free, and, today, it was also very festive. There was a Christmas market and a parade and folk-dancing. We had about 15 minutes of free time so we walked around and looked at the Christmas market. We bought some kind of baked good that was delicious and some "poncha," which is a local drink. It looks like fruit juice, but let me tell you, it goes down like a punch in the stomach. Super strong. Back on the ship we lazed on our balcony for a while and enjoyed the sun. It is finally warm. I fell asleep and when I woke up it was time to get ready for the Captain's Cocktail Party. We learned that 89% of the passengers on this segment are repeat Princess cruisers, with 65 gold level passengers, 51 ruby, 235 platinum and 232 elite. After dinner we went to the Burt Bacharach show called "What the World Needs Now." Good show. I really like the ship's singers and dancers.    

December 10, 2016 - Atlanticity

We are very much in the Atlantic today. No land in sight at all today, but quite a few ships. A typical sea day involving doing nothing and being surprised when it is suddenly dinner time. It's been just a little rough; really not bad, as long as you don't have to wear high heels (see below). Instead of going to the lecture on water (really) (wait, really?) I went to the Knitters and Knitters group and sort of zoned out on cross-stitch. I finished a book and resumed the book for the book club, "Your Heart Is a Muscle the Size of a Fist". I didn't like the first few chapters, but it is getting a little better. Before dinner we had two shows. The first was a (different than the other night) show by Sean Alexander, The Confusionist. He is good. I can't figure out how he does what he does, but I would NOT want to play poker with him.  The second show was a musical performance by E Sarah Carter, "the fabulous funky fiddler, Star of Lord of the Dance." She was good, too. She came out in a black and gold cat suit and gold shoes with 4-inch heels and she played Irish music and predictable popular songs ("The Devil Went Down to Georgia") and she even played standing on her head. Towards the end she was doing some kind of a little leap and the ship lurched and her heels slipped and she fell, but she made it look like she meant to do that. After dinner we went to listen to The Piano Stylings of Jere Ring in the lounge. He is very entertaining although his music is more aimed at people slightly older than us. He told a very funny story about his participation in the crew drill the previous day. He had never done a drill before, and he didn't know what to expect. He was told to "Pass Out on Deck 7 Forward."  So he did. The medical people didn't recognize him because he had only been on the ship a few days and took him for a real passenger who had really passed out. He played the role through a stretcher trip to the medical center, a blood draw, and an IV. They wanted to do an EKG and he finally said something and the medical staff just cracked up because they had not known he was part of the drill. Funny, funny.  One by one the guest performers all appeared in the lounge to sit and listen to Jere play - Brenda, Sean and E Sarah. They would all be getting off in the morning and they were relaxed and enjoying the free time. Only on a small ship. Love it.

December 9, 2016 - A Monkey on a Rock

David Letterman always used to say something like "I wouldn't give his problems to a monkey on a rock." The Monkey:  It's a tailless monkey - a macaque, to be exact. Also known as Barbary Apes, they are not really apes. There are 250 of them. They have been inoculated against everything that could be transmitted to humans. They have been chipped and they have birth control implants.  The fine for feeding them is £500. AS a result, they don't crowd around you like pigeons expecting a handout. They do not run away from you either. Mostly they ignre you, just like cats. The Rock: You know this rock. It is "iconic," to use an over-used word. It is mostly limestone and is full of caves and tunnels. Gibraltar: Gibraltar is a territory of the UK. It is a small bit of land and rock (2.6 square miles) on the end of a little peninsula at the southernmost tip of Spain. It is 14.7 miles from Morrocco. The population is around 30,000. They speak English and Spanish. About 7,000 to 8,000 workers from Spain cross the border each day. The currency here is the British pound, but your change is given in Gibraltarian pounds, which are not accepted anywhere else in the world. In the morning we walked through the main streets of the town. It is a duty-free shopping area and there are a lot ofstores selling jewelry, cosmetics, and alcohol. There are a lot of resturants selling fish and chips. There are a lot of souvenir shops selling cheesy monkeys. There are a few red British phone booths. There are some bakeries selling "japonesas," doughnuts filled with cream. There are some British department stores such as Marks & Spencer. There are some churches, at least one mosque, four synagogues, a couple of kosher restaurants, and a Jewish day school.  I noticed a lot of older folks walking around in the main street (and they were not from our ship). I noticed several dress shops selling clothing that someone my age would wear. I wondered if most of the young people moved away. I later found out my theory was wrong. There is no unemployment in Gibralter, hence the large number of Spanish workers. Most of the jobs are white-collar, in industries such as banking and on-line gaming. Carl, our tour guide, met us in the Market Square after we had walked around for a few hours. He was from Inside-Out Rock Tours. He drove five of us around in a van and barraged us with facts and dates about his hometown.  After seeing the airport and driving across the runway to get to the Spanish border we proceeded to St. Michael's Cave. It is a large cave inside the Rock, filled with stalactites and a concert hall - a drippy, damp, concert hall. We made many stops on the tour to take photos and admire the view from various points on the Rock. We saw the Great SIege Tunnels, first used during the Great Siege of 1779-1783, but also used during WWII. Of course we stopped for an interaction with the monkeys. We also stopped to see a 100-ton gun, Europa Point lighthouse, ruins of a Moorish castle, and the Pillars of Hercules. The weather wasn't great so we could just barely see mountains off in the distance, which purported to be Africa. Back to the ship at 4:15, just in time for our 4:30 "all aboard." I was not anxious because we were never very far from the ship in this tiny town. After dinner we saw Brenda Cochran perform. It was the same show she did on our first cruise segment, but we enjoyed it very much, and she received a standing ovation. Shabbat Shalom!

December 7, 2016 - Putting the "Bar" in Barcelona

In a break from tradition, we are in port here from noon to 11 pm. This enables us to hit the tapas scene. 

But first, we wanted to take advantage of the daylight to see some parts of the city we didn't get to see last time we were here. We walked off the ship and into a beautiful, modern terminal. We caught a taxi to our first destination, Park Güell. This park was designed by Gaudí in 1900. Barcelona was already a modern city, but Gaudí pushed the boundaries. The Park was intended to be a sort of gated community for well-off families on the side of a mountain. It never really succeeded as a housing development, but it did become a popular park, and eventually it was declared a UNESCO Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
 
 
The park is well-maintained and access is limited to a certain number each half hour.  

I was so struck by the area called the Hypostyle. Gaudí must have visited and been inspired by the unforgettable mosque in Córdoba.  
I also loved what was done with the tile-shard mosaics. There's a quilt in there somewhere. 

 While Gaudí was inarguably ahead of his time, his work does echo elements of Barcelona's existing architecture, and it was fun looking for quirky structures and wondering if they influenced Gaudí, or vice versa.

Did this influence Gaudí?

Our next destination was Plaça de Catalunya, a large busy square and a gateway to Barri Gòtic, the Gothic Quarter. The plan was to follow Rick Steves' self-guided walk of the Gothic Quarter, but we had trouble following his route, and it didn't really matter. The main street was the pedestrianized Avinguda Portal de L'Angel. It contained a mix of upscale shops, flea markets, Roman ruins, and medieval churches. 

From here we took a taxi to Arc de Triomf to meet our guide from Devour Barcelona for our evening tour of "Tapas, Taverns, and History." It is off season, so we were not surprised when it turned out to be just us and Norah, our delightful guide. We would be spending the evening in the Born district and Barri Gòtic and we would be visiting several interesting historical spots during our 4-hour walking and eating tour. 

First up was Gran Bodega del Maestrazgo where we drank cava, which is similar to champagne, and sampled local cheeses, sausages, and olives.  
 
 
What a great way to spend a little time with your friends after work or before shopping or just because. I have to look for a place like this at home. We ended with some vermouth, made by the owners of the bodega. It was sweet but quite herbal tasting. 

Norah showed us the remains of a Roman temple which stand inside an apartment house. This was built upon a high point, Mont Taber, elevation 16.9 meters. That is not a typo.

We walked around the Cathedral of Barcelona (14th century) and the former Royal Palace. Plaça de Sant Jaume, the square where the Roman Forum was once located, now holds the City Hall and the home of the Catalan government. We also saw some steps which have been immortalized in a painting of Columbus reporting in to Ferdinand and Isabella upon his return from the New World. 

The Church of Santa Maria del Mar is slightly older than the Cathedral, and beautiful in its simplicity. 


 
Our second tapas stop was a small place called La Plata, in operation since 1945.  
There is no menu. They have always made just 4 tapas: fried anchovies, sausage, tomato salad, and cured anchovies. Everything is home-made and fresh. 

 

 
After a little more sightseeing we finished the evening at Bar del Pla. Here we were treated to tapas, fusion-style. An amazing salad of eggplant, beans, hard-boiled quail eggs and marinated cold-smoked salmon was the centerpiece. We also enjoyed patates brava, grilled bread with tomatoes, Iberian pork with quince paste and pine nuts, and croquettes. House wine, of course. And for dessert something like French toast served with a sweet muscatel.  This was a superb tour and we hated to end it, but we needed to get back to the ship before the 10:30 all aboard call. We grabbed a cab and got back quickly. We really weren't that far away. 

When we returned a flamenco show had just started (José de la Vega) so we were able to see most of it. It was nice to be in port late in the evening and enjoy a little of the night life. I think we were almost the last ones back to the ship.  

December 5, 2016 -- Messin' Around in Messina

Note: I still don't have the photo problem solved. I think I have exceeded my limit for photo uploads, but I am not sure who imposed the limit or what to do about it You'll just have to wait until I get home to see more photos.   We arrived in Messina, Sicily, with no specific touring plan. I know that anyone who knows me will find this shocking and hard to believe, but it is true. Messina is one of those wonderful ports where you just walk off the ship, cross the street, and you are in the middle of town. (It is also one of those places where a lot of good things are closed on Mondays - in this case, shopping.) Messina is very pretty. The mountains form a small bowl and the city is nestled in the bowl and up the sides of a lower ridge just inside the mountains. On the other side is the 3-mile-wide Strait of Messina, the narrowest part of the water between Sicily and mainland Italy. This strategic location means Messina has attracted inhabitants since at least the 8th century BCE. Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing takes place here. There are a couple of prominent churches that dominate the skyline. The apartment buildings and commercial buildings do not generally exceed 6 or 8 stories, perhaps because this region is earthquake prone. There was a big one in 1908 that destroyed 80% of the city and killed 60,000 people. Say what, Anchorage?  We walked to Cathedral Square (the Duomo) where we bought tickets for a tour with Discover Messina. The first part of the tour was a ride on a pretend train. (Photo eventually) For 45 minutes we tootled through the the town and up into the hills, stopping at one point to take photos. It was hard to hear the tape explaining the tour because the people sitting around us were like kids on a field trip and they would not shut up. But it was such a nice day that the open-air ride was enjoyable even without hearing everything. Our ride ended at the Duomo and we had a little time to peek inside the Cathedral and photograph the pre-Baroque Orion's Fountain. The Cathedral was built in the 1100's, damaged in the 1908 earthquake, and damaged in WWII. It still has the massive style typical of pre-Gothic churches.  The real highlight of the Duomo was the 180-foot tower housing the world's largest astronomical clock. This one beats the one in Prague by a mile, though it is much more recent, having been completed in the 1930's. We were there at noon to see the spectacle, as was every other tourist n town, and two or three busloads of school children. Our tour continued with a guide explaining the clock tower just before it struck noon. First two mythical women struck the bell 12 times. (You really have to see the photos.) Then the lion reared up, moved his tail, turned his head and roared very loudly - 3 times. Then the rooster flapped it's wings and crowed - 3 times. Then the Dove of Peace flew around a mountain while a church grew out of the mountain. Then Christ and the Apostles raised their arms and another dove flew around. Finally, a parade of people passed the Virgin Mary, gave her a letter, and then took it back at the end. It lasted almost 15 minutes. And that does not include all the astronomical parts that move too slowly to be noticeable but show the day of the week, the phase of the moon, the sign of the zodiac, and the day, month and year. Phew! Next came the tasting portion of the tour. We walked to a bakery and everyone got a cannoli. Mmmmm. Finally, we saw another church which was very Moorish and older and smaller than the Cathedral. This was really quite a nice tour. Being a Monday, the shopping district was closed, We wandered around a bit and then decided to try out some street food. No, the cannoli were not lunch. We walked up to an area that seemed to be next to a university and found a one-step-above-a-hole-in-the-wall establishment selling local goodies. It was called Rosticceria Famulari, in case you ever go.  We decided to try the "arrancine rustici".  It was a cone-shaped fried ball of rice. This particular type had tomatoes, cheese and meat in it. It was really a treat. We strolled back to the ship, hoping to find some open shops, but they take their Mondays seriously. However, the custom of closing on Mondays does not apply to food, and we passed several open bakeries until we finally broke down and stopped for some cookies and an apple pastry. It's so much fun to buy things at an Italian bakery. You just point and you are never sure exactly what you are going to get, but it's always good. They wrap everything up so beautifully, you feel like you are opening a present. Goodbye, Messina. Despite all the damage suffered due to earthquakes and war - or maybe because the damage allowed for modernization - Messina seems to be a fairly livable city. At 250,00o it is not too crowded. It is not as dirty, not as graffitied over, just a pretty, understated place. Back on board we relaxed a bit before dinner and basked in the sunshine. Our after-dinner show featured a comedian, Tony Daro. He was pretty funny - he is a good observer of human foibles.

December 3, 2016 - Rome Alone

Today was a "turnaround day." Our second cruise ended and the third one started. While we were out, our possessions were moved to a new cabin - a mini-suite - and we love it. On the Pacific Princess the mini-suites are huge. We took a tour called "Rome on Your Own." This is basically a bus ride from the port of Civitavecchia (I know how to pronounce it) to Rome, 6 hours of free time, then a bus ride back. Even though it was a not really a tour, we had a guide, Luca, who rode on the bus with us and talked to us about Rome. When we arrived at our drop off point in front of the Vatican it was practically deserted - so different from our mid-summer visit several years ago. We planned to follow Rick Steves' self-guided "Walk Across Rome" so we got a cab and headed to Campo de Fiori. We arrived at a "square" filled with market stalls. In addition to lots of flowers, we saw stalls selling fruits, veggies, cheese, and local artisanal products such as olive oil, jam and honey. It was crowded and bustling. At one end of the square was a bakery called Forno. As recommended by Rick, we tried their pizza blanco. It was plain pizza crust brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with salt and it was just perfect. We ate it standing in front of the shop along with a few other aficionados. The walk continued to Piazza Navona, site of Bernini fountains. The Four Rivers Fountain was wonderful. The rivers are the Nile, the Ganges, the Danube, and the Plata (Uruguay), representing the four known continents of the time. I don't know what happened to North America, or how Bernini got away with depicting pagan river gods.  We peeked in a few churches and continued on. The church of St. Agnes was a beautiful Baroque building. Such a departure from all the Gothic one is used to seeing. There are ancient obelisks from Egypt everywhere. Amazing. So much to see around every corner. The most amazing building of all is the Pantheon, built in 27 BCE. It is hard to imagine how they got the dome to be a perfect circle and how they managed to get it in place. A 142-foot diameter sphere would fit perfectly inside. It is made from concrete! it gets thinner as it reaches the top, decreasing from a thickness of 23 feet to only 5 feet. The coffered ceiling allows the dome to be lighter without compromising strength. The Romans were very sophisticated engineers. The Pantheon is one of the most influential buildings in art history. Basically, any domed building you can think was probably inspired by the Pantheon. The US Capitol and numerous state capitols, St. Peter's, etc. The Pantheon started out as a Roman temple honoring several gods. It later became a Christian church. It now contains statues and tombs of famous people, including Raphael and two kings of modern Italy, Victor Emmanuel II and Umberto I. Umberto's wife Queen Margherita is also there. She may be the most famous, as she has a pizza named after her. More squares, more churches, more obelisks, more fountains, and finally, the Trevi Fountain, the most famous fountain of all. Trajan's Column was fantastic. I would have liked to know more about the story told by the carvings spiraling around the column. Our walk ended at the Spanish Steps. On a previous visit we had seen the Colosseum and the Vatican, so now it felt like we had seen the rest of the best of Rome. It was enjoyable to be able to walk along at our own, snacking and stopping whenever we wanted to. From the Spanish Steps we walked all the way back to the Vatican. There was so much to see on the way. We soaked up the atmosphere as much as we could. The ride back to the ship went by so quickly. Maybe I fell asleep. A lot of people felt like Rome was too far away from Civitavecchia so they stayed on the shop. I am so glad we made the effort to go into Rome. The bus ride was about one and 3/4 hours each way, but it was very relaxing. We returned to our new stateroom, did a little unpacking, went to dinner (open seating), and went to a show featuring comedian Tony Daro. When I get the photos posted you will see what I mean about our walk through the Heart of Rome.

December 1, 2016 - From Catatonic to Catania

The catatonic part was yesterday. The water was so rough that is was hard to do anything but lie there. The wind was Force 8 or 9. I don't know what that means, but it sounds pretty bad. The swells were 12 to 16 feet.   Needless to say, our planned stop in Katakolon was canceled. It was not safe to get in, and if we did get in, we would not be able to travel at the fast speed that would be necessary to reach Sicily on schedule. So we skipped Katakolon and steamed westward at 11 or 12 knots through the bounding main. The ship was really rolling, but fortunately it was not pitching too much. It was cold, too. Some people said they saw snow. Ken and others saw a waterspout.  We went to the show, which was another good show by the singer, Phillip Browne. Ken left abruptly during the show. It just suddenly hit him. He skipped dinner. I went to dinner and had a strawberry smoothie, a roll, and a scoop of ice cream. The dining room was much emptier than normal. After two nights and one day of rough water, the captain promises smooth sailing the rest of the way to Rome. Let's hope so. Waking up this morning to calm water was nice. We soon arrived at Catania, overlooked by a snow-capped Mt. Etna, thanks to yesterday's bad weather. We have already been to Mt. Etna and Taormina, so we went with a half-day tour of Catania. This is not a major tourist destination, so there really isn't that much to see here. We boarded our bus and met our guide, Giovanna. While we drove to the Cathedral area she filled us in on Sicily's history. By now it was starting to sound familiar. Pre-historic Sikels, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Vandals, Visigoths, Swabian (Germans), Saracens, Aragonese (Spaniards), Italians, and a few others. Like everywhere else in this region, Catania was destroyed by a major earthquake - in this case, it was in 1693. It was also destroyed many other times by natural disasters, pirates, invasions, and Allied bombing in WWII. This tour could have been called the Lava Tour. Giovanna faithfully pointed out everything built from lava and every visible outcropping of lava. Aa. Aa. We drove past a few beautiful marble statues lacking heads - I have no idea why - and arrived at a bus station. We got out and walked to the Cathedral of St. Agatha. One of 6 cathedrals of St. Agatha here. She is their patron saint and about half the women are named Agatha. It was not a particularly impressive cathedral. It had a small bit that was Norman. The rest was destroyed in the Great Earthquake and rebuilt after 1693. It was a busy place. There was another busload from our ship, two or three large groups of school children, an over-amplified childrens' choir being vigorously conducted by a very stereotypical choir leader, some Italian naval officers with swords and sashes and dress suits, some elderly war veterans wearing numerous battle ribbons, a bunch of firemen in full gear with helmets under their arms, some altar boys perhaps, and some women carrying baskets of uncooked food. In the midst of all this commotion Giovanna was trying to explain things to us about St. Agatha and the crown donated by Richard the Lion-hearted and you really couldn't hear or see anything. Only in Italy. We did get to see the tomb of Bellini inside the cathedral. He was a famous Sicilian composer and the inventor of a drink. One hour and fifteen minutes into the tour we arrived at the point where we were supposed to go to the bathroom, and Giovanna was going to see that we went to the bathroom even if the other bus had arrived there 10 seconds before us. We must stick to our schedule. After the 20-minute bathroom break we went outside the bathroom building and stood there while Giovanna enlightened us about the history of the University. It occurs to me that we could have done this part while Bus 1 was using the bathrooms and then gone in to use the bathrooms and still be finished at the same time. We walked back to the Cathedral square and listened to Giovanna answer passenger questions for 5 minutes. Then we were told that we had 30-minutes of free time and should be back in 25-minutes. It was fun walking around through the local market. There was a lot of purple cauliflower, which was very pretty. Giovanna said the color was caused by - can you guess? - lava! We saw several other vegetables which were not familiar to us. We also stopped at a little bakery to try some cookies. For whatever reason, the symbol of Catania is an elephant, and they are all over the town hall area. We went inside to see a fresco which was very hard to see, and even harder to photograph, because it was in a locked and darkened room. It was Julius Caesar visiting Egypt. Very unusual to see a non-religious fresco. The symbol of Sicily is even weirder. It is a creepy Medusa head with three legs. What would Freud say? After milling around at our post free-time rendezvous point for 20 minutes we trooped back to the bus and began the driving portion of our tour. This consisted of being in a traffic jam and looking at more lava. Eventually we got to a point where we could see a Norman castle. See it, not visit it. Guess what it was made out of? Lava! Guess what kind of rock it was built on? Lava! This whole tour felt like a desperate effort to come up with some interesting tour-worthy things in a place that just isn't that special. We asked if we could be dropped off in the town rather than take the bus back to the port. They dropped us off on one of the main streets and we walked back to the tourist information office to get a map and find out where we could get some pizza. The signorina immediately recommended a place called "7+" and marked it on the map for us. It looked like a pretty long walk and I said something and she said no, it was only 5 minutes away, maybe 4. She must have seen my Brooks Ariel shoes and taken me for some kind of a fast runner. SO, 30 minutes later we arrived at the sot marked on the map and there was no restaurant there. We asked at a coffee stand and they directed us to walk one block, turn right, and walk two or three block, but they didn't know if it would be open for lunch. It was open and we had a nice lunch but not outstanding. We had one of their award-winning combinations: fresh tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, "Philadelphia", arugula, ground pistachios, and "speck" (meat).   After dinner we had another chance to see "Do You Wanna Dance?" We love this show, but we were tired so we decided to skip it.

November 28, 2016 - The Old Colossus

Note: I still haven't gotten the issue with photos settled. Be sure to check the online version of the blog to see both of my posts today. The Old Colossus Emma Lazarus wrote a poem called The New Colossus, about the Statue of Liberty. "Give me your tired, your poor . . . " etc. So I am guessing that the old Colossus would have been the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It was a bronze statue of Helios, the sun god. Built in the late third century BCE, it was 110 feet tall on a 50-foot pedestal (maybe one pedestal for each foot?), about the same size as the Statue of Liberty. It only stood for 56 years, falling victim to an earthquake. The remains of the statue have been lost, but the supposed location is marked by two pillars on either side of the entrance to Mandraki Harbor, topped by small bronze statues of deer. However, after showing us the pillars, our guide told us all the reasons why this robably wasn't the actual location of the Colossus. Never on Monday For the second time we have arrived in Rhodes on a Monday. Everything is closed on Mondays, including museums, archaeological sites, and the walk along the top of the Old Town wall. Boo. Don't come here on Monday. Most of Rhodes is also closed for the season now. Rhodes is part of the Dodecanese group of islands. It is just off the coast of Turkey, but it is part of Greece. Rhodes is supposed to be sunny over 300 days a year. The law of averages was not working for us today. It was overcast, and later on it rained. It was also very windy. Rhodes Trip Having walked around the closed for Monday/closed for the season Old Town last time, we opted for a tour this time. It was a Princess tour called Villages and Traditions. We drove around the island for most of the day (50 miles long x 25 miles wide). The tour wasn't particularly good, but it was ok. Our guide, Demetrius (James), was pretty good. Some of the places we went were kind of lame and the lunch was really not very good. We stayed much too long at several of our stopping points. We visited the site of Rhodes' ancient acropolis. There were only 3 1/2 pillars left, and they were surrounded by scaffolding. We also saw the ancient sports stadium, which was very large and in good condition. Next we drove out of town on some winding mountain roads (my favorite kind). We stopped at a tiny chapel that was sort of old and sort of crumbling. It had damaged frescoes that were hard to see. Stayed too long.  After more driving we arrived at the village of Appollona, where we visited a "museum." Three small rooms showed 1) what a village house would have looked like 200 years ago, 2) traditional clothing inside dusty display cases, and 3) farm implements, olive presses, and stuff like that - none of it labeled. Of the two shops in the village, one was open, and some of our busmates actually bought home-produced olive oil there. Another local specialty is soap made out of olive oil and donkey milk. Don't worry, I am not bringing any back as gifts for my friends. Stayed here too long. But we did get to see an interesting thing while we were waiting for our time in the village to be up. A small van drove up, stopped in the middle of the main intersection, and the drive started shouting things in Greek using an amplified megaphone. Some local woman walked up and he opened up the back and he had fresh (I assume) fish for sale. A few minutes later another guy drove up, parked on the other side of the intersection, shouted, jumped out, and opened up his boxes of fish - different types of fish. Within a few minutes they were both gone. Next stop was a tourist trap where we got to taste ouzo, local wines, local honeys, and jams. After that we stopped in a little village for lunch at a place only tourists on buses would eat at. I asserted myself when the guy next to me coughed and blew his nose and then tried to pass a plate of food to me. I really don't want to get sick on this trip. Then a long drive back down the other coast and back to the ship in the wind and rain. I didn't really see anything that would make me want to come back to Rhodes. We sailed away with a little extra help from a giant tugboat. The wind is howling and we are rocking and rolling. The entertainment tonight was another "mentalist" named Alex Crow. Kind of lame and boring. I think I slept through half of it. Tomorrow at dinner we will discuss how he did some of his "tricks."    

November 27, 2016 - Blog Updates

Here are some updates on our trip. I am having some technical problems with my blog. I think I have reached my limit on photo uploads and I am trying to find out what to do to resolve the situation. I can't easily research this with my limited internet access, but I am getting a little help from "my IT guy." We have hit some rough weather. Today the captain announced that the weather will be with us for a while, so our stop in Khios on Tuesday (a tender port) has been cancelled. Tuesday will be a day at sea. Wednesday, which was originally to have been a day at sea, will now find us at Katakolon, close to Olympia. We haven't been to either place, so it is not a big deal to us. I am way behind now in blogging, but I can't do much until I get the photo problem fixed. We REALLY like the small ship (670 pax vs. 3000). There are a few drawbacks but they are outweighed by the positives. There are never any lines for anything. On our first segment we had a very pleasant group of dinner companions. On the current segment, not so much. The first night we sat at our old table with a couple from Australia and a very entitled couple from Florida (VECFF), who sat in our old seats. The third couple failed to appear (MIA-C). Conversation was awkward. Also, it was really hard to hear Mr. VECFF. The second night We decided to try harder and hoped the MIA-C would show up and the dynamics would improve. The Australians did not appear and neither did the MIA couple. We thought the Aussies were staying away because they didn't like formal nights. Petros said he would get another couple for our table. I sat in my old seat because I though the acoustics would be better. I could tell that Mrs. VECFF didn't like me sitting in "her" seat the minute she arrived. We had an awkward dinner with VECFF.  The third night was Thanksgiving and I was dreading it. We saw the Aussies being seated at another table. VECFF wasn't there. Petros did not get us another couple. I didn't want to eat alone on Thanksgiving. We got another table after a bunch of attitude from Petros. VECFF showed up late and ate alone at the old table. Our new table is really nice. We are always the last table to leave the dining room because we are talking so much. I look forward to dinner. So glad we bit the bullet and changed.  We keep running into VECFF around the ship. Awkward. Sorry about all the gaps and layout issues with the blog. When I get home I will make it all look pretty. Meanwhile, I will blog on as time permits. It helps me process our trip, it allows me to vent when I need to, it creates a record of our trip, but most importantly, it connects me with friends and family. Keep checking in. Better yet, sign up to receive automatic notifications when I have added a post. (I think that if I add two or more posts in one day you only get one notification, so be sure to look at the online version to see if you missed anything.) I love getting comments. This evening the show starred Phillip Browne, a vocalist. He played Mustafa in The Lion King in the West End. His show included Circle of Life, pop, gospel, jazz and R&B. A good time! He even had Ken dancing.

November 26, 2016 - Mastering the Art of Moussaka

Today in Corfu we had a Princess tour of the town combined with a cooking demonstration and lunch. Our tour guide, Fofo, was so-so. She was kind of boring. It was hard to stay focused on what she was saying. The cooking demonstration was underwhelming, but the lunch was quite nice. All in all, I would say I should have known better. We could have taken a taxi in to town and eaten lunch in a nice place, and come out a little ahead. Though it may have been hard to find a place that was open. The Old Fortress:  

We went to a restaurant calle Rex ("the oldest restaurant in Corfu" - 1932). In a very cursory fashion we were shown how to make moussaka (moo-sa-KA, not moo-SA-kuh), tzatziki, and Greek salad. No chef's secrets were revealed, and we did not get copies of any recipes. However, I will venture to say that the secret to Greek salad is good tomatoes and the secret to tzatziki is full-fat Greek yogurt.    

 

 

Lunch is served!

I am starting to understand the geography of this region a little better. The "Greek Islands" are actually several very distinct groups of islands. Corfu is one of the Ionian Islands. It has been ruled by just about everybody at one time or another: Romans, Venetian, French, English, Germans.

 

Corfu has a very Venetian look, thanks to 400 years of Venetian rule.

Tower of St. Spyridon Church

 

The Palace of St. Michael and St. George, now the Asian Art Museum:

A trireme, Corfu's coat-of-arms

We stopped at a park honoring the Durrells, "writers and philhellenes" who lived in Corfu from 1935 to 1939.

   

Gerald Durrell

Lawrence Durrell

Everywhere you go in Europe (and everywhere else) people get the notion that if you rub the nose, foot, hand, etc. of a statue, you will have good luck. How silly.   15th century old fortress St. Spyridon church Kumquats, 2,000,000 olive trees Spianada - esplanade Where Odysseus was washed ashore Cinematastic - Deanna Julian

 

November 21, 2016 - Adventures in Venice

Today our first cruise ended and our second cruise started. While most of our fellow passengers were either disembarking or embarking, we took advantage of the time in Venice to pursue some unconventional Venetian experiences.  Adventure #1 - Rowing Standing Up We took a rowing class with Row Venice, a woman-owned and operated company. The lesson was so much fun. We learned how to row a batele. It is similar to a gondola but more stable. The instructor stood in the back on the top of the boat and steered. One of us stood in the front, inside the boat, and rowed. It was fairly easy to do and my muscles did not become fatigued. 

Some other rowers passed us

Each boat has two or more forcula. This is a piece of hand-carved word that looks more like a sculpture than a art of the boat. They are very expensive and are removed when the boat is not in use.

The forcula in the front

The forcula in the back is more complicated

We rowed around Venice for over an hour and got a nice sightseeing tour of the less busy canals. Nellzica was a good teacher and an amazing oarswoman.

Venice as seen from the canals:

Adventure #2 - Opera in the Palace In the evening we went to a site near St. Mark's for an evening of opera by Musica a Palazzo. It was La Traviata tonight. This was an opportunity to experience opera in an intimate and unique venue - an old palace. We moved to a different room for each act - a living room, a study, and a bedroom. Some of the seats were no more than an arm's length away from the performers. There was a very good 4-piece chamber orchestra. The soprano and the tenor were outstanding. Their voices were bright and clear and none of the words got swallowed. Most of the opera was staged using candlelight, or primarily candlelight.

Act 1 took place in this room

Act 2 was here

Act 3: the bedroom

On the way home the soprano got onto our vaporetto. One of many commuters going home from work. Adventure #3 - Getting There Getting somewhere in Venice is always an adventure. If you like orienteering, you'll love Venice.   You cannot get anywhere in Venice quickly. You cannot get anywhere cheaply unless you are prepared to walk and you are good at map-reading. Venice is fairly small, but we needed over an hour to get anywhere each time we left the ship. From the cruise terminal you can walk to something called "The People Mover" in 10 to 15 minutes. That is its name; it is not a translation from Italian. The People Mover costs 1.50 Euros per ride. It is an elevated tramway and it only goes to one place, Piazzale Roma, and the ride lasts about 60 seconds. It is totally automated, from ticket sales to operation of the cars. This makes it rather creepy in the evening when few people are around. We figured out that you CAN walk from the cruise terminal to Piazzale Roma, but it is not the nicest or most comfortable place to walk, though it isn't terrible and probably doesn't take any longer than The People Mover including the waiting time. From Piazzale Roma you can either walk or take a vaporetto. You really can't take a taxi, so you can't be in a hurry. There is a water taxi, but it is super expensive ($80 and up). If you walk, you have to plan your route very carefully. Venice is made up of about 118 islands. You have to make sure you include bridges in your walking route. You have to pay close attention because the "streets" are not always well-marked. Maps don't seem to be all that accurate. I carried three or four different maps at any time and referred to them frequently, like a good orienteer. One map was good for riding the vaporetto, but bad for walking. One had a lot of detail but was very hard to read. One was easy to read because it left out a lot of detail. One showed the landmarks. The other option is the vaporetto. The vaporetto is like a floating bus. It is 8 Euros per trip. Most tourists would not put up with that for a land bus, but this is Venice and you pay it. Each vaporetto stop consists of one to four pontoons, which are like the bus stops, but they actually float on the water. You have to figure out which pontoon to wait on and which vaporetto to board, since there are several lines. We didn't always figure this out correctly, but we bumbled along and always got where we were going on time. There is another waterbus service called Alilaguna. It's ideal because they have a stop right at the cruise terminal so you can skip the People Mover, but: it only runs once an hour, it stops Fairly early in the evening, and it doesn't go to very many places (and this information was not easy to come by). Once you learn the system it is time to leave Venice. But there is nothing like riding through the canals and just experiencing Venice, especially at night.