Here, there and everywhere – October – Olympia, Greece

The Philippeion

Today we dock at the seaside town of Katakolon, Greece and then make our way by bus to  Olympia where the ancient Olympic Games .

The information about our day in the Cruise Compass read, “Katakalon, your gateway to ancient Olympia.  Galleries and seaside tavernas make Katakolon a charming place to soak up the local culture.  From here, it’s just a quick trip to the famed Olympia, once the site of the ancient Olympic Games.  All of its buildings, temples and monuments existed for one purpose only…to service the games and worship the gods.  The first Olympiad was held in 776 BC.  After that, ancient Greeks gathered here every four years – for more than a thousand years – to watch or compete in the athletic competitions”.

Kronion Thermae

Our tour, “Ancient Olympia and Archaeological Museum with Free Time” did not begin until mid-morning so we joined Doug and Sue for a leisurely breakfast before preparing for the day.  The air was warm and the skies blue as we started our journey.

It was a short ride to Olympia.  During the ride, our tour guide shared some information about Greece and the games.   We learned that Greece is a country in southeastern Europe with thousands of islands throughout the Aegean and Ionian seas.  She mentioned that Greece is mountainous with Mt. Olympus being the highest reaching a height of 9,573′.  In 1989 the ancient site of the Olympic Games was declared a UNESCO world heritage site.

Nymphaion (fresh water fountain)

 

Mt. Olympus is home to the gods of Greek Mythology.  Zeus was the king of gods and ruler of Mt. Olympus and his wife Hera was queen of the gods.

 

 

The Olympic Games are held every four years to honor Zeus.  During the time period the games began, people were always at war so a rule was established that 3 months before the games there was to be a sacred truce with no war.  Because of this rule, the games became a symbol of peace among all countries and provided ‘safety and a peaceful environment for both athletes and spectators’.  The modern games began in 1896.

During our time at the site, we were guided to the Gymnasium, Palaestra, Temple of Zeus, Temple of Hera, and the original stadium where the games were held.  At each site, our guide would hold up a picture of what the buildings and monuments would have looked like if still intact.

The Crypt (entrance) to Olympic stadium

What I found most interesting is the stadium. According to an article written on the website of the Penn Museum, “The ancient Olympic Games began in the year 776 BC, when Koroibos, a cook from the nearby city of Elis, won the stadion race, a foot race 600 feet long”.  Other games included wrestling, discus,  horse and chariot racing, long jump and boxing.

Sue and I standing inside the stadium

 

While we were there several members of our tour group lined up on the marble starting blocks and ran the length of the track.

During the games, spectators could watch from the embankment around the track.

Temple of Zeus east pendiment

 

From there we made our way over to the Archaeological Museum. Our first stop inside the museum was at a scale model of Olympia.

Temple of Zeus western pediment

Hermes of Praxiteles

 

 

As we moved from room to room, we saw a variety of sculptures, pottery and other pieces of history. “Wonderful, just wonderful”, I thought to myself.  I loved our time at the museum.  I was fascinated at just how many relics had been unearthed and saved over time.

 

Nike of Paionios

Roman Emperor Hadrian

 

 

We walked through the several rooms and marveled at what we were seeing.  Before we knew it, it was time to leave the museum.  We gathered at the snack bar and waited for the bus that would take us to the nearby village of Olympia.  While we waited we enjoyed a nice, ice cold Greek beer.

 

 

Then it was off to the village of Olympia for some free time.  We walked around a bit stopping an outside café for a bit of lunch.  We were lucky we managed a table, it was very busy and only one person taking care of all the tables.

Randy and I each ordered a gyro while Doug and Sue ordered a Greek pizza and gyro.  It was very tasty.  It was so nice to just sit after walking around for the last few hours.  The food was tasty and the beer refreshing!

We returned to the ship and prepared for the evening.  Once again, we enjoyed a lovely dinner time with our friends and then made our way down to the Centrum to watch one of our favorite events; the ‘Parade of Flags’.

This is always a colorful event as members of the staff and crew parade with flags that represent the many countries they come from.  It was announced that on this voyage 59 countries were represented among the staff and crew.

Tomorrow we are at sea as we make our way back to Venice to start our next cruise adventure.

Enjoy,

Mary

 

 

 

Here, there and everywhere – October – Santorini Island, Greece

Today was a lovely day!  Today we be visited the Greek island of Santorini located in the southern Aegean Sea.  The population of Santorini is 15,500 and has a land area of 76 square miles.

During our visit we spent on the beautiful Greek island of Santorini, we visited the cities of Oia and Fira, enjoyed a wine tasting event at a local winery, enjoyed a wonderful lunch at Greek restaurant overlooking the sea; and in all cases were treated to magnificent and beyond eye pleasing vistas.

View from the ship of the city of Fira high above the steep cliffs of Santorini

We met Doug and Sue for coffee and breakfast then prepared to catch a tender and meet our tour group on shore.   The forecast called for temperatures in the upper 60’s but sunny so light jackets were the dress of the day.

Church of Panagia of Platsani in Oia Caldera Square

We started our tour with a coach ride to the northernmost town of Oia.  Once we arrived, we had a bit of a climb up steep stairs to the town.  Oh wow, I thought as we reached the top.  Before me was a sight that can only be described as beautiful.  A town of beautiful whitewashed buildings, blue domed churches, cats everywhere and amazing views of the blue waters of the Aegean.

One of the many views of the caldera.

We walked along the winding, narrow cobblestone streets just enjoying the morning.  The streets were lined with interesting shops, beautiful flowers and very crowded.  This beautiful place is definitely a photographers dream and mine too.

As we walked around the beautiful town, we noticed many, many cats walking around.  Of course, Randy and Doug had to stop once in a while to give them a little attention.  Then I came across this very funny sign.

 

 

We eventually had to make our way back to the starting point to make our way back to the bus.  On our way we ran into Sal sitting and people watching as he waited for Anna to return after visiting some of the shops.

Back on the bus, we were taken to the Santo Winery.  A representative of the winery met us as we entered and shared some interesting information about the winery and the various wines they produce. Presentation over, we were treated to a lovely wine tasting and sampling of Greek foods.  I must say everything was very good.

I enjoyed the wine and the tapas, but the best part of this stop was the amazing views from the patio.

Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral

 

From the winery, were driven to the capital of Santorini; Fira.  Here our tour guide pointed out a shopping and food area that we enjoy which was also in the direction of the cable car station.

We walked along for a while stopping here and there taking in all the restaurants, small shops and eventually returned to a restaurant that had a wonderful patio and view.

 

We ordered a Greek beer and gyros and just sat and enjoyed talking about our day.

View of the cable cars from the restaurant patio.

It was time to make return to catch a tender and return to the ship.  There are actually three ways to make the journey up and down the cliff.  Walk the old “Karavalades” stairs  made up of 588 stairs, ride a donkey or take the cable car.  We decided to take the cable car back down to the pier.

 

Once back on the ship we prepared for a very nice evening of celebration.  We were invited to the Crown & Anchor Society “Top Tier Event” and we were going to be recognized as reaching our 490^th milestone.  The milestone means that we have cruised spent a total of 490 nights on Royal Caribbean Cruise Line ships. In honor of this milestone, we were given a certificate, a crystal block of the Rhapsody of the seas and a photo with Captain Juan Caranti and Hotel Director Mark Rook.

Today was truly a lovely day and one I would love to repeat someday.

Tomorrow we will be visiting Katakolon, Greece.

Enjoy

Mary

Here, there and everywhere – October – Kotor, Montenegro

We woke up early excited about going on another excursion in a place we have never been before.  New place, new people, new sights; it is always very exciting.

Today we arrive at the coastal city of Kotor, Montenegro.  We were up early and watched as the ship slowly made its way into the Bay of Kotor.

The coastal city of Kotor is in the Balkan country of Montenegro and is over 2,000 years old.  Kotor is a UNESCO World Heritage site built between the 12th and 14th centuries.

We met Doug and Sue for an early breakfast then made our way down to the tender boats for our ride to the pier.  Today we are taking part in a bus tour called, “Montenegro Highlights”.  During this tour we were to be treated to culinary delights and picturesque scenes as we journey through the Lovćen Mountains.

It was a chilly morning but the forecast was calling for sunny skies and temperatures in the upper 70’s.  We met our tour guide Vasco and he introduced us to our driver for the day, Milan.  I knew it was going to be a good tour because Vasco was friendly and upbeat.

Our tour would take us up the winding road through the Lovćen Mountains, a stop in the Village of Njeguši for a snack then on to the historic Centinje and tour the museum of King Nikola, a ride along the Budva Riviera, a stop to see a leather fashion show then on to the walled city of Kotor.  It sounded like a very busy day indeed.

Okay, I am not sure I can share how I felt about today’s excursion without a volume meter on the blog.  The words ‘steep slopes’ were included in the description but, oh my, the ride up the mountain was for me very disconcerting.  Nowhere in that description did we see that the road we would be traveling would be a one lane road with 25 hairpin turns and switchbacks.  Hair-raising!!!

As we rode along, Vasco shared that the road was built by the Austrians and was finished in 1873.  The road was built in the shape of the letter M and reaches an elevation of 5,348′.  Vasco kept up a constant dialogue of  interesting facts and humorous anecdotes drawing and our attention to interesting sights as we moved higher and higher up the mountain.

Vasco would periodically interject humor about Milan’s driving ability as an answer to the collective exclamations of, “Oh, that isn’t good” or “I can’t look anymore” and, of course the proverbial “Are we there yet?”, from the passengers.  He would say things like, “We are in very safe hands.  This is not his first time, it is his second.  He is very experienced because very few drivers survive the first time”.  Well, that brought about peals of laughter from everyone on the bus.

Once we arrived at the top of the mountain, whatever feeling you had about the journey was forgotten as you cast your eyes below.  We looked down to see the beautiful blue waters of Kotor Bay, our beautiful ship and the coastal town of Kotor.  Someone asked Vasco if the bay was a fjord.  “No, because it was not caused from a glacier,” he replied.

Milan took a different route down off the mountain so it was a much more comfortable ride.  As we descended the mountain we stopped in a charming restaurant in the village of Njeguši for a snack consisting of cheese, smoked ham, homemade bread and a choice of drinks that included wine, beer, soft drink or water.  Randy had the beer and loved it.  I had the wine and enjoyed it too.

Our next stop was to Cetinje and the museum of King Nikola.  Vasco explained that Cetinje was the old royal capital of Montenegro.  Cetinje is also the historic and secondary capital of Montenegro.  It is also where the official residence of the President of Montenegro is located.  According to Wikipedia, “Nikola I Petrović-Njegoš was the ruler of Montenegro from 1860 to 1918, reigning as prince from 1860 to 1910 and as the country’s first and only king from 1910 to 1918”.  (No pictures of the interior were allowed).

 

As we made our way down the mountain, we passed a few small, picturesque villages and farms; lovely rock formations; beautiful vistas of blue waters sprinkled with lush green islands off the coast of the resort town of Budva.

I found the changing of landscape to be both beautiful and dramatic.

 

We finally made it to the resort town of Budva and the Tracia Leather Center where we were treated to a fashion show of beautiful men and women’s leather jackets.  We were then enticed to walk through the showroom with a promise of large discounts on whatever we chose.  Several women did try a few jackets but in the end did not buy anything.  Sue and I loved the same jacket and checked out the price but decided not to buy.

Our next and last stop was Old Town Kotor.  We entered the city through the sea gate.  I just love the walled cities we have visited.  I love learning about the history of these towns; enjoy walking down the winding, narrow alleyways, exploring each square with their shops and cafes and, of course the beautiful buildings within the walls.

St. Tryphon Cathedral

We walked around the town stopping to here and there to get a feel for this beautiful historic city.  We will be back next week and will spend a little more time exploring the many beautiful buildings, shops and hopefully enjoy a nice meal at one of the many cafés.

Our attention was definitely caught as we walked along by the many cats that easily roamed the streets and the many shops that displayed cat souvenir merchandise.  Well, of course, Doug had to stop periodically and pet these little animals.  Very funny!

 

We eventually made our way back to the ship and prepared for an evening of cocktails and dinner with our friends.

Tomorrow we will be at sea as we slowly cruise to our next port-of-call.

Enjoy,

Mary

Here, there and everywhere – October – Dubrovnik, Croatia

A very busy day in Old Town Dubrovnik

What a wonderful day!

In the few hours we spent in this wonderful city on the Adriatic Sea we were treated to beautiful views along the Adriatic coastline, enjoyed a snack in a restaurant on the grounds of an ancient mill, visited a lovely small seaside resort and were taken on a walking tour through Old Town Dubrovnik.  It was a very wonderful day indeed!

But I am getting ahead of myself.  Today we will be visiting our first port-of-call, Dubrovnik, Croatia.  Dubrovnik is situated in southern Croatia on the Adriatic Sea and is known for its distinctive Old Town.  It is believed that the city dates back to the 7^th century and as of 1979 joined the list of UNESCO list of World Heritage sites.

Randy and I slept so hard we missed the sunrise. I stepped out onto the balcony and was greeted with warm air and a sun that had already popped above the horizon.  As always it was a beautiful reminder of an awaiting beautiful day.

Although still tired, we were anxious to start our day.  Our tour did not leave until 11:00am so we took our time getting ready, enjoyed several cups of coffee and a light continental breakfast in the concierge lounge.

We returned to our cabin and spent some time on the balcony as the ship made port.  As we stood there we watched at several boats passed by that Randy called, the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria.  We learned later in the day that they were actually reproductions of 1600 merchant ships.

We were greeted by our lovely tour guide Danielle and settled in for the first part of our tour; a leisurely ride first along the Adriatic coastline and were treated to a wonderful view of Dubrovnik from on high.

We continued our journey through the countryside as Danielle pointed out many points of interest.  She mentioned that Croatia is called the, “Country of 1,000 islands”.

 

The setting for the Kovavoski Dvori National Restaurant could not have been more picturesque with its lush green surroundings, rushing river and multi-tiered waterfall. The restaurant is noted as a national restaurant because it prepares classic Croatian dishes.

Bell topped pots used to cook traditional Croatian foods over burning embers.

We were greeted by a staff dressed in traditional and very colorful clothing.  Once seated, we were offered a choice of drink and then served a lovely snack.  We were served one slice of homemade white bread with a little mayonnaise, cheese and pickle.  A second slice of homemade bread was covered with two pieces of prosciutto and tomato.  I put them together and enjoyed a tasty sandwich.  I especially enjoyed the bread.  It seems as though wherever I have traveled in Europe, the bread is just wonderful!

The Church of St. Nicholas was built in the 15th century.

After our snack we walked around the grounds a bit and returned to the bus.  Our second stop for the day would be a small seaside resort called Cavtat.   What a lovely setting. This small resort town is on the Adriatic Sea.  After a short introduction to this lovely place by Danielle, we were off on our own.   We decided we would visit the 15^th century Church of St. Nicholas before walking along the waterfront.

We stepped inside this lovely church for just a few moments.  As I walked around I thought, “It is always nice to see that when visiting a church people will take a few moments to just take a seat in the pews and meditate for a while”.

 

 

We returned to the waterfront and started to stroll along looking at the souvenir shops and sidewalk cafes.  Along the way we spotted several cats walking about.  Of course, Randy and Doug had to stop and pat these lovely creatures.

 

We also spotted several sculptures here and there on our walk.  Two seemed very interesting to Randy and Doug as they eyed car parts; one had mostly clutch pressure plates that were cut in half, brake shoes, exhaust manifolds, tailpipes, mufflers and more.

Our attention was drawn to the white structure atop the hill.  Danielle explained that the dome of the building was made of stones from the island Brač and was the same stone material used in the construction of the White House.

We stopped at an ice cream stand and bought cones filled with a gelato called Kava.  Well, we thought we going enjoying a coffee flavored ice cream but none of us could taste coffee but the gelato was cold and delicious.

It was time to return to the bus for our ride back to Old Town Dubrovnik.  This completely walled medieval city was founded in the 7^th century.  Within its walls can be found a 14^th Franciscan Monastery, an 11^th century Rector’s Palace, the Sponza Palace; a Dominican Monastery and St. Blaise Church.

The Onofrio Fountain was designed in 1438 by Italian architect Onofrio di Giordano della Cava

After walking us through the city gates, Danielle stopped for a moment beside the large Onofrio Fountain just inside.  She gave us a brief talk about what we could see and experience as we walked around this medieval city and then released us for free time to enjoy on our own.

St. Blaise Church built in 1715 by Venetian architect and sculptor Marion Groppelli.

 

This beautiful walled city was very crowded the day we visited.  We walked along looking at all the shops, alleyways and cafes along the way.  We stopped at the St. Blaise Church for a few moments.  We then walked through the Rector’s Palace to the marina and enjoyed the view before making our way back to the bus.

 

 

 

We returned to the ship and prepared for the evenings activities.  We joined with Sal and Anna and had a wonderful dinner at Giovanni’s Table.

 

 

As I said in the beginning, this truly was a wonderful day.

Tomorrow we dock at Kotor, Montenegro.

Enjoy,

Mary

Here, there and everywhere – October

Our newest adventure will take us to the blue waters of the Mediterranean and countries I have only dreamed of visiting.  I was very excited.

This new cruise adventure actually comprises three cruises that will be taking us two back-to-back cruise that will start and finish in Venice, Italy.  The third will be a transatlantic starting in Barcelona, Spain and take us back to home port in Miami, Florida.

The first let of these three cruises is a 7-night cruise that starts in Venice, Italy with ports-of-call in Dubrovnik, Croatia, Kotor, Montenegro, Santorini, Greece and Katakolon, Greece then return to Venice.

But first, we are off to Orlando to catch the first of two flights ending in Venice, Italy where we will board the Rhapsody of the seas.  We have cruised on the Rhapsody many times and just the staff and crew.

Our first flight on Delta was wonderful.  The seats were very comfortable and the entertainment units were large, service was very nice and the flight was very smooth.

We had a bit of a layover at JFK airport but it was comfortable.  Now here is where the beginning of our wonderful trip took a turn for the very uncomfortable.  We were very excited because Randy and I would be sitting in a row of two seats.  What we discovered was the rows against the bulkhead were closer than the center and extremely uncomfortable for anyone who was the slightest bit tall.  Randy’s legs were up against the seat in front of him.

As soon as the plane lifted off the gentleman in front of Randy, without warning, pushed his seat all the way back slamming the back of his seat into Randy’s knees.  Randy spent the rest of the flight with his legs spread wide to avoid anymore injury to his knees.  The seats were also a bit narrow making them very uncomfortable to settle down for a bit of sleep.  To add insult to injury, our entertainment units did not work.  The Captain did reboot the entertainment software, but for us it did not help.

By the time we arrived in Venice we were so exhausted all we could think about was getting into our cabin and resting a little before the safety drill began.  Of course, we did not dare fall asleep because once asleep we were sure we would not even wake up when the drill was sounded.

It was a nice day when we arrived in Venice.  As we drove through the city to the pier, I thought I would see some of Old Venice.  Instead we drove through a more modern area with tiled roofed homes and apartments with lovely balcony railings festooned with colorful flowers cascading downward.

Checking into the ship went quickly and we were happy to learn that the cabins were ready for occupancy.  We went directly to our cabin and proceeded to fall onto the bed hoping to catch a few winks before the safety drill.

Randy was able to get a little nap but I was not.  Straight from the drill, Randy and I went up to the concierge lounge where we met Doug and Sue to enjoy a cocktail before dinner.

As we were enjoying our cocktail, the ship started its slow journey away from the port and out to sea.  We looked out the window and were excited to see that we were passing by the old town Venice.  Oh my, Sue and I grabbed our cameras and we were on our way to the deck below and found a spot along the railing. “Beautiful, just beautiful,” I thought as we passed by the city.

How beautiful the city looked as the sun cast a golden glow on the buildings.  We stood for a very long time snapping away.  We will definitely make arrangements to see the city when we return to port next week.

We returned to the lounge just in time to make our way to the dining room for dinner. I cannot even remember what I had for dinner.  But once dinner was over, we returned to the cabin, put away some clothes and went directly to bed.

Tomorrow we arrive at our first port-of-call; Dubrovnik, Croatia.

Enjoy,

Mary

Relaxing cruise to the Caribbean gone awry

Today marked the end of our Ireland-Azores-Transatlantic cruise on the Brilliance of the seas and the beginning of a back-to-back 5-night cruise to the Western Caribbean.

I was up early as I love to watch the sun come up as the ship makes its way into port.  Florida sunrises and sunsets are so beautiful with their yellow, gold, red and pink hues.

One of the nicest things about this turnaround day is that we were able to book the same cabin for this short cruise so no packing.  We met Doug and Sue for breakfast then made our way to the designated waiting area for consecutive cruisers.  Eventually, an escort came along and escorts us down to immigration and brought us back on board.

Once back on board we usually retire to our cabin until time rolls around for the Consecutive Cruisers special lunch.  The luncheon is always a lovely event with a special menu.

The rest of our day was filled with attending the mandatory guest assembly drill, meeting Doug and Sue for cocktails and dinner and then attending the “Welcome Aboard Showtime” in the theater.

The welcome aboard show is a nice variety show featuring song and dance numbers by the production cast, a performance by the orchestra and a short routine by comedian, Billy Garan. What a funny routine.  I really needed this funny man to start this cruise.  I laughed and laughed.

It was a very hot and humid evening but we decided to spend a few quiet moments on the balcony watching a lightning storm far in the distance light up the night sky.

Tomorrow we arrive at our first port-of-call, Key West, Florida.

Picture taken on one of our many visits to Key West over the last few years.

I love visiting Key West and was really looking forward to walking along Duval Street and enjoying a delicious lunch at one of the many restaurants up and down the street. Caroline’s Cafe is one of our favorites.

I was up early and watched the sun come up.  It was very windy.  I had had a very restless night and a little tired when we met our friends in the concierge lounge for coffee and talk about our plans for the day.

I mentioned to my friends that I was having a little difficulty with persistent discomfort in my chest.  I told them I thought it was indigestion but that even with medication it persisted.  After some conversation, everyone agreed that I should make my way down to medical just to make sure it was not something more serious.

Randy and I made our way down to the medical office and only had a short wait to see the doctor.  After spending time with the nurse filling out paperwork, taking my vitals and explaining why I was there I was asked to wait until the doctor could see me.  After my consultation with the doctor, it was decided that I should be examined and take an electrocardiogram.

“Okay”, I thought that does not sound good.  The doctor was very thorough, nice and calming as he explained why after he finished his examination that it would be a good idea to go on shore for a second opinion.

The medical office made arrangements for me to be escorted by a ship’s agent to take us to a local clinic. With paperwork in hand, our ship’s agent, Stephanie took Randy and me into town.

As we drove through the streets I kept thinking what if I was having a heart problem, “Will this take all day? What would we do if we had to leave the ship? How would be get home?”

When we arrived at the clinic I was a little dismayed, the waiting room was full.  But to my surprise, I was taken to a room right away.  The doctor came in.  She was very funny.  She looked over my paperwork and proceeded to hook me up again.

And there I sat.  I was just a little on edge and started to engage in non-stop nervous chatter.  Fortunately for me, Randy has a lot of patience and good sense of humor.

When the doctor returned, she read me the results and made it clear that I could not continue on the cruise, asked me if I had a heart doctor.  I assured her that I did.   “Oh my”, I thought.  I said, “Okay, we will make arrangements to fly home”.  To that she said, “You will not be flying anywhere.  You will have to make arrangements to rent a car and drive home”.  “Well, that was a little worrying,” I thought to myself.

Stephanie had given us her business card and told us to call when we were ready to return to the ship.  She picked up us and escorted us back onto the ship.

While all this was going on, we had been in constant contact with Doug and Sue. I let them know that we were coming back to pack our bags and leave the ship.  They met us at the cabin and what ensued what can only be called a funny skit from the Keystone Cops.  I was on the phone trying to get an appointment with my doctor for the next day while everyone else in the room was packing all our belongings.  I seem to remember saying, “Don’t worry about how it looks just throw everything in”.

Once checked out, Stephanie brought us to the airport to rent a car.  What I found amazing is that she stayed with us to make sure we could indeed get a rental car.  Once we did we said our goodbyes.  Stephanie was wonderful!

For the next few days I saw my doctor, took a myriad of tests including a stress test and was declared; fine.  My doctor concluded that the results of the tests I had taken in Key West were an anomaly which was a great relief.

While I was disappointed that I could not continue on with our friends, I was very thankful to have been taken care so wonderfully.

Our next cruising adventure will take us to the Mediterranean and the Greek Isles.

Enjoy,

Mary

Here, there and everywhere – September – Homeward bound!

From left-Dick and Mary, Sal and Anna, Doug and Sue, Earle and Carol, Randy and Mary

Today starts the portion of the cruise that I love most, six days cruising across the open seas to our home port in Tampa, Florida.

Our sea days, as I mentioned earlier, tend to fall into a kind of routine.  We rise early for coffee, meet our friends for breakfast, participate in one or two activities, and spend a good deal of time just relaxing on our balcony and then joining our friends once again for cocktails and dinner.

That said, I will share some of the highlights of our homeward bound cruise.

Our first day started with a beautiful sunrise that cast brilliant hues of yellow and gold across the morning sky.

Tandoori Chicken Breat with Crispy Poppadum’s Raita and Indian Salad

Delicious Profiteroles Rolls for desert with cream and served with chocolate sauce.

The highlight of our first day at sea was a ‘Meal with an Officer’ lunch.  I really enjoy this event as it gives us an opportunity to get to know members of the ship’s staff.  The lunch is always delicious and the conversation with the staff members is always lively and illuminating.  Today we had the privilege of sharing our table with Shore Staff member Mykhailo Tsubera and Spa Therapist Mitos Abao.  They were both delightful and patient answering all the questions from everyone at the table.

The second day at sea was marked with a beautiful and emotional event held in the Centrum at noon to mark the anniversary of September 11, 200l, first responders and all veterans on board. The tribute was to “Remember and honor the families and friends of the 3,000 victims of 9/11.  We will never forget the bravery of those members of the police and fire departments who died in the rescue effort”.

 

“We will also pay tribute to our veterans and active serving military, who sacrificed so much for our freedom”.

I must tell you, the tribute was very moving.

Now, day three was very special indeed.  Today was Doug’s birthday!  The celebration started at breakfast with a candle lit yogurt and fruit parfait in the concierge lounge and followed by an absolutely delicious dinner at Giovanni’s Table.

Sometime around 1:00 o’clock the ship started to rock and roll a bit. We learned that there was a hurricane moving across the Atlantic.

We woke on the fourth day at sea not knowing what kind of day it was going to be.  The sky was full of dark clouds and the sea swells were rocking the ship to and fro.  But, by the end of breakfast the skies had cleared revealing a brighter day.

The highlight of the day was two-fold.  First, we attended by far one of the best enrichment seminars we have ever attended.  The lecture was conducted by comedian David Naster entitled, “You just have to laugh”. During his presentation, David explained how humor can dissolve any type of stress.  He did this by sharing real examples from people who have been through tough times.  I was totally captivated by this funny man who belly laughed at his own jokes.  There was no way you could sit in the audience and not laugh along.  Too funny!

We woke to another warm, lovely day on the fifth day of our journey across the royal blue waters of the ocean. We only had one commitment today to attend a Consecutive cruisers meeting for those of us who would be remaining on the ship for a 5-day cruise around the Caribbean once we return to port in Tampa.

A beautiful sunrise for our last day at sea.

Ducky came with me to watch the sunrise.

Day 6 was a beautiful, warm and relaxing day!  The early morning air was balmy promising a great day poolside.  But first, I was up before the sunrise and made my way up to deck 12 to watch the sun pop over the horizon.  I grabbed a cup of coffee first then took my place along the railing with many others who were doing the same.

I returned to the cabin to get Randy and we made our way to the Solarium. With café lattes in hand, we found our seat just as Earle, Doug and Sue came along.  After a while of chatting, we made our way down to Giovanni’s for a hearty breakfast.  Earle joined us today.  Carol remained at the pool deck.  As soon as breakfast was over, Randy and I returned to the Solarium for a morning of reading and taking a dip in the pool.

Later in the morning we made our way to theater to attend the Captain’s Corner event with Captain Cavala, Chief Engineer Konrad Kwiatkowski and Hotel Director Adrian Theodoru.  We enjoy this event as it gives everyone a window into how the cruise line is doing, what the future holds for the cruise line, what new ships are coming on line, etc.  Within a few moments of the question and answer period, several people in the audience complimented the captain on his decision to steer our ship around the hurricane brewing in the Atlantic.  We did too!

We returned to our room to find several presents from the staff and crew to mark the end of our cruise.  “How wonderful,” I thought as I looked over the beautiful note card bearing the images of some of our wonderful crew with the message, “Looking forward to avoiding more hurricanes together!”, a little nesting doll and a certificate celebrating the fact that we had sailed 5,200.5 nautical miles together.

Later that afternoon we met Doug and Sue in the concierge lounge for cocktails.  We shared a cocktail then decided to go and find our other tablemates.  We walked over to the Diamond Lounge and found Dick, Mary, Earle and Carol.  Everyone was having a great time.

Our favorite servers: Allan and Soren

 

It was time for dinner so we made our way down to the dining room where we met Sal and Anna.  To our surprise, we learned that it was Sal’s birthday.  Congratulations, good wishes and, of course, a special dessert from the dining room staff made for a festive birthday celebration.

 

The sun setting on our last night at sea. Dark clouds filled with rain.

Tomorrow we dock in Tampa, Florida.

Enjoy,

Mary

Here, there and everywhere – September – Ponta Delgada, Azores

Portas da Citade (18th Century City Gates)

What a beautiful day!  As soon as I stepped out onto the balcony, I knew it was going to be a wonderful day.

São Sebastiãn (Saint Sebastian Church) – Main parish church built in the 15th century.

Today we dock in Ponta Delgada, Azores.  Ponta Delgada is on the southern coast of the island of San Miguel and is the capital of the Azores archipelago of Portugal and the largest and most populous of the archipelago.  It has a population of around 150,000.

State of Gonçalo Velho Cabral by João Fragoso in front of city gates.

There were several tours here but they would take us away from the city center so we decided to discover the city on our own.  I was so glad we did.

One of the many beautifully tiles squares around the city full of stars.

When we first arrived we spent a little time walking around the city center.  We spotted a fort a little further away and decided to look it over.  As we did, we noticed a cute little bright lime green tourist train and thought, “Let’s see what they have to offer about taking us around the city and then decide where we would like to spend some time on our own”.  Again, this was good decision.

Reflecting pool and statue of the Archangel Michael in front of City Hall.

 

We arranged to take the historical tour and we were off.  The first thing that struck me as we rode around the city was all the black and white buildings and the beautiful tiled mosaic streets, squares, sidewalks and pedestrian walkways along the way.  We learned that these beautiful mosaic tiles are paved with limestone with black basalt inserts. I loved them all.

 

There were so many wonderful designs it was hard to choose which I liked best.

Another beautifully tiled street.

São José (Saint JosephParish church built in 1790)

 

The train drove around the city while our tour guide gave us a little history lesson about the island, its early inhabitants and pointed out many of the beautiful churches, statues and other historical buildings along the route as well as a short ride away from the city center to talk about the pineapple and tea productions on the island.

 

Fort of São Brás (Fort Saint Blaise built in the 16th century.

At the end of our tour, we turned our attention to see what we could see at the fort.  São Brás Fort (Fort Saint Blaise) was built in the 16^th century to defend against pirate attacks.

Today, the fort is used by the Command of Azores Military Zone and has been designated as a National Trust Building.  We learned that there was a military history museum within its walls and went inside.  We were charged just a few euros and were welcomed to look around.

I loved this museum.  First we went up top to see the battlements and were treated to a lovely view of the harbor.

We walked around a bit and then descended down into the museum.  The museum was filled with weapons of all shapes and sizes, motorcycles, helmets, medical and hospital equipment.  All of these artifacts represented many, many conflicts over many, many years.  It was all very impressive.

After we left the fort, we decided to walk around the very large open square just a short walk away.  At the front of the square was a lovely bronze sculpture by Ávaro França commemorating those who left the islands to seek a better life.

I also spied a very large, beautiful tree that I just fell in love with.  I learned that it is called the New Zealand Christmas tree. According to what I read in Wikipedia, “The New Zealand Christmas tree is a coastal evergreen tree in the myrtle family that produces a brilliant display of red (or occasionally orange, yellow or white) flowers made up of a mass of stamens”.   “I wish I could be here when it blossoms,” I thought to myself as I walked around it.

One particular sidewalk we passed had a definite nautical theme.

 

We decided to walk a bit to find a place to enjoy a nice lunch.  We eventually made it back to the first square we encountered when arriving at the city.  As we walked, we passed many small shops along the way selling clothes, souvenirs and occasionally passed a small snack shop or restaurant.

 

We finally decided to have lunch at the Café Central.  This was a lovely small café just across from the main church of Ponta Delgada, San Sebastian Parish Church.  It truly was a lovely setting.

Ducky joined us for lunch.

The day was just lovely, warm with a gentle breeze.  We sat outside under a large umbrella ordered a local beer and lunch and sat back and enjoyed our afternoon.

We eventually returned to the ship and prepared to rest a bit before getting ready for the evening.

Our evening was filled with good conversation, cocktails, dinner and wonderful entertainment.

The evening’s entertainment was just plain fun.  Various members of the crew came up to the stage to perform singing and dancing talents.  But the most fun was a group of crew members who emerged from behind the curtains in Greek togas and performed what can only be described as incredible feats with water.

Over a period of time this group of people drank, spit, spurted water in ways that were unbelievable.  In the end they formed a water fountain.  All the performances were wonderful.

Tomorrow we start our cruise across the Atlantic and back to home port.

Antigo Convento da Graça (Old convent of grace)

Enjoy,

Mary

Here, there and everywhere – September – Two glorious sea days

These two days at sea were truly glorious.  We experienced two days of beautiful sunrises, beautiful sunsets, warm breezes, calm seas, the companionship of good friends and a wide variety of activities to fill our days.

I relish the days that we slowly cruise toward our next port-of-call or spend many days crossing the earth’s oceans. And, I truly loved being on one of my favorite Royal Caribbean ships, the Brilliance of the seas.  The Brilliance is a beautiful ship with a very friendly staff and crew.

I stepped out onto the balcony on the first day to a brisk breeze and the sun hidden by dark clouds. But, before too long the sun rose above the clouds promising a beautiful sunny day.

Our days always start with me stepping out onto the balcony to see what kind of a day it is going to be.  Then off to the lounge to meet our friends and enjoy cups of hot, delicious café lattes.  Once Doug returns from his morning walk, we make our way down to the dining room for breakfast and talk about our day’s plans.

Our first morning was a busy one.  First on our agenda was attending a lecture by Chris West entitled, “Espionage Missions to Steal the Cure for Malaria”.  I found this lecture to be very illuminating as he shared a history of how the British organized the theft of the traditional cure for malaria from Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia in the 1850’s.  What a tale!

I enjoyed the lecture very much but I must say the Colony Club is not the room for a lecture.  The light from the large windows made the screen almost unreadable, the equipment went in and out and Chris could not be heard by those in the back of the room.  But to his credit, Chris soldiered on and gave a very interesting talk.

As soon as the lecture was over, we were off to attend a Top Tier event in the theater.  This event is sponsored by the Crown and Anchor Society and is always a nice event to thank platinum members and above for being loyal guests of Royal Caribbean International.   This is always an informative and nice event.

Cruise Director Mike started the event off with another of his very funny magic tricks then introduced Captain Cavala.  After the captain welcomed everyone, he introduced the senior members of his staff.  We were then treated to a wonderful demonstration of the Tango.

 

Our afternoons were busy too.  Early afternoon would find us on the pool deck cheering on our friends Doug and Sue who were participating in a progressive bean bag competition.  Doug and Sue love these competitions and take them very seriously.

 

 

When all the scores were tallied, Doug and Sue won the first day.  Tensions were high on day two as everyone watched as a member of the activities staff tallied up the scores.  In the end a new team won.  They all played very well.  I must say that it was very interesting to watch as each competitor approached the line and tossed their bean bags.  They all had very distinctive styles.

Once the competition was over, we would run to grab a bite to eat before heading to the theater to attend, on day 1, a destination talk called, “The Azores & Ponta Delgado” by Chris West.  I love these destination presentations as it gives you an idea of where to go and what to once you arrive at your destination.  Even after the presentation, I could not make up my mind what I wanted to do.

On day two, I decided to spend the rest of the afternoon on the balcony enjoying the warm air while Randy attended an afternoon lecture by Chris West called, “The Vikings”. “How a group of sea borne warriors shaped Ireland and Europe and were the first known European visitors to America.  Randy loved the talk very much.  We both enjoyed our choices.

Once the competition was over, we made our way back to the cabin.  On our way, we spied a wonderful and whimsical towel animal display and changed course.

 

How wonderful these whimsical towel animals are!  One of my very favorite times of the day is returning to our cabin at the end of the day and finding one of these cute animals sitting on our bed or hanging from the ceiling.

The best part of our afternoon are the hours we spend on our balcony basking in the sun, reading or just relaxing while looking out at the ocean’s deep blue waters.

Our wonderful tablemates – from left-Carol, Dick, Mary, Anna, Sal, Doug, Sue, Mary, Randy and Earle

Our evenings are always wonderful.  We meet up with our friends and sometimes make new friends, enjoy a cocktail or two, engage in lively conversation with our tablemates during dinner and sometimes attend the evening’s entertainment.

The first night we attended a performance by ventriloquist Serge Massot.  Evidently, he can perform his act in six languages.  I thought that was very impressive.  We both found Mr. Massot to be very entertaining and funny.

 

Another beautiful sunset

The second night we both decided to retire early for an evening of just sitting on our balcony and engaging in some serious star gazing.

Tomorrow we arrive at Ponta Delgada, Azores.

Enjoy,

Mary

Here, there and everywhere – September – Cobh (Cork), Ireland

Today we dock, once again, in the seaport town of Cobh (Cork), Ireland.

Cobh is situated on the south coast of Ireland n County Cork and is only 20 minutes from Cork city.  According to the information provided in the ship’s Cruise Compass, “The city was originally built as a monastic community in the16th century but quickly became a center of trade”.

Blarney Castle

Randy and I were here in 2015 and spent a wonderful day visiting the nearby Blarney Castle and the Blarney Woolen Mills and, yes, kissing the Blarney Stone.  The experience of kissing the Blarney Stone was fun but I do not think I gained the gift of eloquence as promised as I find myself many times at a loss of words.  Too funny!

There are so many wonderful activities to engage in in and around Cobh.  There are scenic tours to nearby villages, walking tours, a trip to Waterford to watch craftsmen sculpt beautiful blown glass treasures, tours of St. Finbarr’s Cathedral and several tours that included stops at an Irish pub.

While all these tours sounded wonderful, we decided to discover this pretty seaport town on our own.

The Cobh Museum as seen from our balcony

We were up early to meet Doug and Sue for coffee and breakfast and plan our day.  As we pulled into the port, we could see that it was going to be an overcast day, chilly with a chance of rain.  Nevertheless, we decided to forge ahead with our plans.

The one place I really wanted to visit was the church up on the hill that seems to tower over the town and then perhaps find a nice place enjoy a good Irish beer and lunch.

Annie Moore Monument by sculptor Jeanne Rynhart of Bantry

The first thing you see as you disembark is the statue of Anne Moore and her brothers, Anthony and Phillip.  Annie was the first immigrant to pass through Ellis Island immigration facility in New York Harbor on January 1, 1892.  The seaport of Cobh is also the Titanic’s last port-of-call on April 11, 1912.  I thought, “Such a mixed history of happiness and sadness”.

We then walked into the Cobh Heritage Centre housed in the city’s restored Victorian railway station.  There was so much history in this small but well used space. There were displays about the Titanic, the Lusitania and the area’s naval and military history as well as an ability to obtain record to research a particular Irish ancestor.  We walked around a bit, picked some information and continued on our way.

The city is built on a steep hill so it was going to be a bit of a challenge.  We took our time and enjoyed looking at all the lovely and colorful buildings along the way.  I spotted a familiar place as we walked along. I have fond memories of enjoying a bite to eat and listening to lively Irish music with our friends, Sal and Anna when we were here in 2015.

Lusitania Peace Memorial by Irish sculptor Jerome Connor

We passed the Lusitania Memorial on our walk through town.  The Lusitania was a British passenger ship built for the transatlantic passenger trade.  During World War I the Lusitania was sunk by a German torpedo, resulting in great loss of life.

This memorial is dedicated to, “All who perished by the sinking of the Lusitania on May 7, 1915 and in the cause of universal and lasting peace.”  The inscription under the fishermen reads, “They helped in the rescue, gave aid and comfort to the survivors and buried the dead.”

We finally made to the last steep hill before reaching the church.  We stopped for a moment to catch our breath and look down at the town and our ship tied up at the dock below.

 

We arrived at St. Colman’s Cathedral and took a peek inside.  Like so many churches and cathedrals, the interior of the church was breathtakingly beautiful.   The construction of the cathedral started in 1868 and was completed in 1919.  The cathedral is dedicated to St. Colmán of Cloyne, who founded the Diocese in the year 560.

 

As quietly as we could, we walked around looking at the beautiful stained glass windows, the tiled mosaic floor, marble communion rails and altar tables and an intricately carved, oak pulpit.  The tower contains a carillon which is one of the largest in Europe with 49 bells.   “Lovely, just lovely,” I thought to myself.

Just across from the church is a row of brightly colored houses.  We learned that they are sometimes called the Deck of Card.  According to what I read, “These houses were built in 1850 and are called the Deck of Cards because, as the locals joke, if the house at the bottom fell down, all the others would pile on it, just like a deck of cards.”  

After walking around the grounds, we started our trek back down the hill this time in a different direction.  As we walked along the city streets, I was struck by a site down an alley and just had to stop and see.  “How funny,” I thought as I saw this bathtub flower pot replete with a female mannequin holding a wine bottle with flowers cascading down the sides.

 

 

By now the search for a place to have a bite of lunch was uppermost on our minds.  We stopped for a moment at the Titanic Experience attraction and noticed a hotel just across the street.  The Commodore Hotel looked very inviting and had, within it walls, O’Shea’s Bar and Restaurant.  We looked over the menu and decided to walk in.

 

 

 

The restaurant was completely full but there was a table available in the bar area.  We all thought that was just perfect.  First things first, we had to choose a tasty Irish beer to start our lunch.  I think we chose wisely.  The Smithwick’s Blonde Ale and Red Ale were cold, refreshing and wonderfully tasty!

 

 

We then turned our attention to the lunch menu.  We ordered the deep-fried fresh haddock in beer batter with tartar sauce, fries and peas.  Everything was delicious!

It was time to return to the ship but not before we stopped at the Cobh Heritage Centre one more time.  While Doug and Randy walked around looking at the displays, Sue and I went shopping for souvenirs.

This truly was a wonderfully relaxing day.  We returned to the ship and prepared for an evening of cocktails, dinner and the evening’s entertainment.

The next two days we will cruise the dark blue waters of the Atlantic ocean to our next port-of-call in the Azores.

Enjoy

Mary

PS-The small purple duck on the Annie Moore Monument is something I bring along on my travels.  I found this little duck one evening while staying in an EconoLodge motel in Pennsylvania.  A note was attached that read: “If you so choose to give this ducky a new home we ask that you take it on your travels and take some pictures and then share them on our social media pages“.  And, so I do.