Fun, busy day at sea

I woke up at 5:30 a.m. and stepped out onto the balcony to a morning shrouded in fog. This seems to be the way each day has started since heading west. However, the seas were calm and there was a very warm, gentle breeze coming across the balcony.

I was unable to go back to sleep so Randy went up early to get us some cafe lattes and we sat for a while catching up with the news before preparing for the day. We planned to meet Dick and Charmaine for a nice breakfast in the dining room.We spent breakfast having a lovely conversation over delicious cheese and tomato omelets and hot cups of coffee.

We returned to the cabin to spend a few minutes taking care of some housekeeping. I prepared a bag of laundry before settling down for a quiet morning of reading on the balcony.

We decided to play a game of mini golf.  I love playing mini golf on ships especially when it is windy.  It is so much fun hitting the ball thinking it is going one way and then the wind picks up and it goes in an altogether direction.  On a par 3 you could end up with a par 7.  Very funny indeed!

Sculpture by Shona Kinlock, Scottish, 1962 (Fore-Bronze)

As always the game was fun with Randy beating me by one point.  The ending scores were 29-30.  There is always next time.

Beautiful view of the ship’s wake from the sports deck.

Game over, we decided to take a walk around the ship.  We stopped for a bit of window shopping, stopped by the photo shop and looked at some pictures, went up to the pool deck to get an ice cream cone and then back to the cabin to cool off.  By noon the temperatures were a comfortable 82° but by early afternoon the temperature had risen to 92°.

I sometimes find myself zeroing in on a particular painting, sculpture, or structure around the various ships we have cruised on.  On the Jewel, I found myself always stopping at three large paintings in between decks 9 and 8.  When I first noticed them, I thought they were paintings on canvas.  But, on closer inspection, I realized that they were actually many square metal plates in one frame forming a beautiful landscape.  Loved them!

This beautiful set of paintings were done by American artist Andrew Galloway (1964).  “Either side of Winter” was done with oil on tin.  The accompanying plaque read: “I like to collaborate with the natural state of metal and use the qualities as a creative jumping-off point.  Often a single image is illuminated by discovery within the natural qualities of the metal.  New possibilities are awakened so the end result is a collaboration of my intentions and Mother Nature.”  

Looking down on the Centrum from deck 12

Loyalty Ambassador’s office

 

An area on the ship I thought was very interesting was the Loyalty Ambassador’s office on deck 12.  In the middle of the room is a large round, wooden and glass structure.  When I approached the area I was amazed to look over the edge and see all the way down to the Centrum eight decks below.  Wonderful!

 

We returned to the cabin to prepare for the rest of the day and heard a light knock could be heard on the door.  Once again, a very nice crew member delivered a plate of delicious dark chocolate covered strawberries.  Very nice!

Ready for the evening, we headed down to the theater to attend a destination lecture on Costa Rica called “Preserving Nature in the Land of National Parks” by John and Diane Stockham.  We learned that Costa Rica is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world containing 5% of the world species and a lush wild natural environment.  Randy and I both found the lecture to be very informative.

Captain Dustin Castelsky

As soon as the lecture was over we returned to our cabin to prepare for the Crown & Anchor Society’s Top Tier event.  This very nice event is the society’s way of thanking all those who have reached the Platinum and above level for being loyal to Royal Caribbean cruise lines.

The event includes cocktails for all in attendance, a bit of entertainment, a visit from the captain and recognition for the top cruisers plus those who have risen to a new level.  It is always nice to hear the captain of the vessel recognizing that it is the loyalty of so many who keep coming back to cruise that makes Royal so successful.

Marinated Grilled Chicken Breast with mashed potatoes and vegetables. Simple and delicious!

We joined our dinner companions for yet another evening of lively conversation as we enjoyed a delicious dinner.

Tomorrow we arrive at our next port-of-call, Puntarenas, Costa Rica.

Enjoy,

Mary

Cruising through the Panama Canal on a hazy day

What a day, what a day, what a day!

“Oh my,” I thought as I look out over the balcony, “It is going to be another hazy, hot, and humid day”.

My excitement about cruising through the Panama Canal today woke me up at 3:00 am. I walked out onto the balcony to see a large number of ships of various sizes waiting for their appointed time to make the journey through the canal.

We finally got under way around 7:30 am passing by the breakwater. We made our way up to the concierge lounge to grab a quick breakfast before finding a good vantage point along the railing. We found a perfect place on deck 12 forward and planted ourselves. Once you found a spot you did not dare leave it.

Brilliance of the seas-2007 cruise to the Panama Canal. Entering Gatún Lake. It was sunny during this transit.

We actually had cruised to the canal in 2007 on the Brilliance of the seas, however, on that trip we only traveled to the Gatún Locks went into the lake then turned around and left.  That trip was exciting so imagine how I felt about going all the way through to the Pacific!

To the right is the old locks, to the left are the new locks. We went left.

According to the daily Cruise Compass, “The 48 mile-long international waterway known as the Panama Canal allows ships to pass between the Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean, saving about 8,000 miles from a journey around the southern tip of South America, Cape Horn”.

Preparing to enter the first lock.

The canal has three sets of double locks: Miraflores and Pedro Miguel on the Pacific side and Gatún on the Atlantic. A 10-year expansion completed in 2016 added two three-chambered locks, allowing the passage of super-sized ships.  We would be transiting through the Gatún, Pedro Miguel and the Miraflores locks.

We started our journey going through the Gatún locks. This set of locks has three sections. I found this to be so incredibly fascinating. It took 2 hours to make our way through the three locks.

Watching the water rush in to raise us up to the next level.

Certified guide of the Panama Canal, Mrs. Patricia Holmes, spent the day describing our transit though the canal explaining the history of the canal and giving little pieces of human history that explained the toll this incredible engineering feat had on those who built it.  I must say, I appreciated this on-going dialogue as it gave us an appreciation of what we were experiencing.

Just one of the many trolleys that help guide the ship through the locks.

We learned that. “France began work on the canal I n 1881, but stopped due to engineering problems and a high mortality rate.  The United States took over the project in 1904 and opened the canal on August 15, 1914”.  Mrs. Holmes explained that during the French attempt at building the canal 26,000 workers died due to injuries and tropical diseases.  Another 6,000 workers died during United States building of the canal.

Gatún lake in view.

Even though we had cloud cover a great deal of the time, it was very hot with temperatures reaching into the mid-nineties.  After spending the entire morning standing outside, we finally gave up our place to make our way back to the cabin for a bit of lunch and to cool off.

We settled on our balcony as we cruised through Gatún Lake.  The foliage on either side of the lake was lush and beautiful.  One thing we noticed as we cruised along was the deteriorating condition of the shoreline.  Where once there was a road, parts of it were gone.  There were a line of light posts along the shore line many of which had fallen into the lake.

We eventually made our way back out on deck to as we cruised through the Culebra Cut which is the narrowest part of the Canal.  As we approached Centennial Bridge, we learned that the bridge was built to ease traffic on the Bridge of the Americas and replace the route of the inter-American highway.  Since the bridge’s opening in 2004, it has become the second permanent bridge across the canal.  There is a third bridge currently under construction.

As we approached the bridge, Ms. Holmes brought our attention to the terraced hills on either side of the cut.   On one side was Gold Hill on the other was Contractors Hill.  The funny thing about Gold Mountain is there has never been a piece of gold discovered there. Contractors Hil was named for all the contractors who worked on the canal.  According to Mrs. Holmes, “Both hills were responsible for many landslides hence the need for terracing and both hills are closely monitored”.

We cruised along on Gatún Lake for over two hours and finally arrived at the Pedro Miguel Locks. This had only one lock to transit. Then it was off to the Miraflores Locks. It took 8 trolleys and 16 tethers to escort us through the locks.

By the time we were going through the Miraflores Locks it was cocktail time.  We made it to the lounge just as the ship was passing through into Panama Bay and watched at the swinging gates opened allowing us passage through to the bay.

We finally made it out of the locks and into the Bay of Panama and the Pacific Ocean. Today was a truly wonderful and fascinating day!

 

That evening when we returned to our cabin we found certificates commemorating and celebrating ‘this special sailing’.  I thought this was a very, very nice touch.

Tomorrow we are at sea for two days as we make our way to our next port-of-call, Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala.

Enjoy,

Mary

 

A hazy, hot and humid day in Colon, Panama

Today was our second port of call, Colón, Panama. The city of Colón was founded in 1850 and is situated beside the Caribbean Sea, lying near the Atlantic entrance to the Panama Canal. Colón is the capital of Panama’s Colón Province.

We opted not to take a tour here but instead just get off the ship and see what was to see in the port area. I knew as soon as I walked out onto the balcony that it was going to be a very hot and humid day.

We made our way up to the concierge lounge for a quick breakfast before meeting our friends to go onto shore.  As we were looking out the window we spotted one of our favorite Royal ships, the Monarch of the seas.  The ship had been sold to Pullmantur a few years ago and is simply named Monarch.  We have so many wonderful memories of our cruises on this beautiful ship.

As soon as I walked out onto the port I was hit with a blanket of humidity and heat that took my breath away.  The weather forecast called for temperatures in the low 90’s. In my mind I was thinking, “It is only mid-morning and I just know it is in the 90’s already”.

Well, other than a cool sign Colón sign there really was not much else. We walked around a bit stopping in several shops and finally stopping in a local restaurant for a cold beer.

Everyone in the group was on the hunt for different little things to shop for.  We walked in and out of several shop looking for post cards, magnets, tee shirts, etc.  I learned that Dick and Charmaine always stop in a shop that has postcards and stamps so they can send their friends a postcard from the different countries they visit.  I thought that was a very nice idea.  Me, I was looking for a magnet. Randy was looking for a tee shirt.  We did not get either.  Perhaps on the way eastward.

This little shopping area had several souvenir shops, a grocery store, a hotel and two casinos. As we walked around, we were struck to see heavily armed SWAT officers at the port. I could not make up my mind if they made me feel safe or wonder what they were trying to protect us from. I found it interesting that many tourists stopped to talk to the officers.

 

 

We returned to the water side of the port looking for a restaurant and a cold beer.  It was too hot to sit outside so we made our way to a small Mediterranean restaurant at the end of the walk.  We had a great time talking as we drank cold glasses of Panama Lager.

 

Before returning to the ship we walked beyond the restaurant and discovered a colorful sign with the city’s name.  We were fortunate to find a lovely tourist to take our picture.  Of course, then I had to take a picture of the sign for our friend Vilma whose last name is Colón.

We returned to ship and prepared to have cocktails in the Safari Club and attend Giovanni’s Table interactive mystery dinner, “BA DA BING-BA DA Boom”.  We attended a really fun mystery dinner theater on the Freedom of the seas back in 2015 and loved it.  So we were looking forward to tonight’s event.

 

 

What fun! While we enjoyed our dinner, we watched an over-the-top mystery performed by the ships production entertainers.  Between the lighting and the constant movement of the actors it was very difficult to catch the play as it unfolded on film. Every picture was a blur.  Oh my!

As you can see from the menu, there were many delicious choices to be had.  We decided to share the Giovanni’s Plank of cured meat, cheese and pickled vegetables. For my dinner I choose the Mozzarella de Bufalo with heirloom tomatoes and fresh basil, the filet mignon, with roasted garlic potatoes and Barolo sauce and a lovely helping of Tiramisu for dessert.  An endless amount of white or red wine was poured as we enjoyed our meal.  Every morsel was delicious!

At the end of the play we were all given a small sheet of paper to choose who we thought committed the heinous crime of murder.  What I found interesting and amazing is that our group all chose a different ending. In this production the wife did it. Very funny! Charmaine was the only one in our group that guessed correctly.

What a nice day!  But now it was time to call it a day and return to the cabin for a good night’s sleep.  Tomorrow the ship will start its journey through the Panama Canal.

Enjoy,

Mary

A lovely day visiting Cartagena City

Old Harbor fortifications

After two days of rough seas, it was nice to be cruising into the bay on calm waters as we arrived at our first port-of-call, Cartagena, Colombia.  Cartagena was founded in 1533 and is one of the oldest European cities in the New World.

Today we are off on a ship sponsored tour called “Cartagena City, Inquisition Palace and Folk Show” with Dick and Charmaine.  Bob and Lucille decided to arrange a tour at the port.

The Castillo of San Felipe de Barjas-was completed in 1657 and is equipped with 63 cannons, sentry boxes, and buildings for water, food and weapons storage.

Our first stop was a photo opportunity outside the San Felipe de Barajas Fortress built during Spanish colonial times. The first thing you are struck by is the amount of strolling vendors there were on the grounds selling hats, handicrafts, souvenirs and, yes, an opportunity to take a picture with ladies in very colorful costumes with baskets of fruit atop their heads.

I must say though, all the vendors would accept a simple, “No gracias,” and walk by. The fortress was huge. We were only there for a few minutes and then we were off again

 

Our next stop was at the shopping area of the Las Bovedas Artisan Center. These little shops were used as dungeons during the inquisition. Our guide said that stall #1, 2 and 3 was where we could find many items that were made by local artisans. There were so many emeralds on display.  I walked around a bit and found just the perfect hand-made magnet for my daughter Kristine.

We left and went on a walking tour of the walled city.  The Old Town was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984.  We walked through a very nice alley with Elkin pointing out the lovely wooden balconies draped with vines and beautiful bougainvillea.

 

 

As we walked along, Elkin introduced us to a local artist who could produce a painting on a mirror in two minutes.  We watched and were amazed as he did just that.  Several people in the group purchased these little  paintings.

 

Our next stop was the Historical Museum of Cartagena founded in 1924. Here we, through videos, pictures and statuary, were witness to man’s inhumane treatment of other human beings.

 

The accompanying plaque read: “Replica de La Horquilla del hereje” – The fork of the heretic -“With four razor-sharp tips that dug deep into the flesh under the chin and over the sternum, the fork prevented any movement of the head, but allowed the victim to murmur, with an almost muffled voice, “abiuro” (word that is recorded to one side of the fork). “abiuro” translated means to recant, to renounce, to repudiate.

The building that houses the museum was built in 1770 as headquarters to the Court of the Holy Office of the Inquisition, established in Cartagena de Indias in 1610. According to museum information, “Today the museum offers two main thematic areas: one, on the presence of the Inquisition in this part of America, located on the first floor of the House; and the other, on the trajectory of the history of Cartagena throughout its distinctive moments, located on the second floor.

According to information at the museum, “The Court of the Holy Office of the inquisition established in Cartagena de Indias in 1610 was the third of the courts in America, after Mexico and Lima. The Court investigated, processed and punished nearly 900 people during the 200 years of its permanency in this city. Five of whom were sent to the stake; they were accused of practices considered heresy by the Catholic faith such as witchcraft, enchantment, reading forbidden books, solicitation, bigamy and many others offenses”.

We left the museum and took a lovely walk over to the Plaza de San Pedro Claver. The center of the plaza was a beautiful church with the center of the plaza filled with interesting and fun sculptures of children at play by Colombian artist Edgardo Carmona Evidently, all kinds of artistic activities (theater, dance and music) are held here.  It was quite lovely.

San Pedro Claver – Saint Peter Claver

Iglesia de San Pedro Claver

 

 

There is also a sculpture of Saint Peter Claver who is known as the patron saint of slaves and the Republic of Colombia.  “The square takes its name from the church and the convent where the remains of San Pedro Claver lie”.

 

 

Then we were off to the Naval Museum. Our tour guide, Elkin escorted us through the museum pointing out many interesting times during the countries varied history. We spent a bit of time looking at the many displays around the museum and then were escorted to a large room to see a folklore presentation.

 

The dancers were dressed in very colorful clothes as they demonstrated the Cumbia and one other folk dance of the region. The dances were very fast paced and fun to watch.

Before returning to the bus, we were given a spate of time to stop at a local restaurant and enjoy a nice cold, local beer.  In every port we try a local beer.  Here it was Club Colombia.  A little bitter but good and cold.

The bus picked us up and whisked us back to the port for our return to the ship. We were dropped off at the beginning of a walk through a nature preserve called the Port Oasis Eco Park that was filled with such exotic birds and animals as peacocks, scarlet macaws, etc. It was very interesting.  I must confess, it was a very pleasant walk back to the ship.  We stopped here and there to admire all the animals and birds within its confines.  Very nice.

By the time we returned to our cabin, we had just enough time to prepare for cocktails and dinner. We all had a wonderful time sharing stories about our tours around the city.  An additional stop for Bob and Lucille was the La Popa Monastery located on the highest hill in the city. Evidently the location of the monastery offers sweeping views of the walled city, the Caribbean. It sounded wonderful.  It had been a wonderful day for everyone!

Tomorrow we dock in Colon, Panama.

Enjoy,

Mary

 

Two days of relaxing on the Jewel of the seas

What a glorious morning. We slept in today so I did not rise until after 8:00am. When I stepped out onto the balcony the sun had already risen high into the morning sky.

We have established a tradition of ordering a continental breakfast from room service for the first morning of each cruise. We sat out on the balcony watching schools of flying fish leaping out of the water as we enjoyed a breakfast of orange juice, fresh fruit, pastries and hot cups of cafe latte. “It is going to be a very nice day indeed!” I thought to myself.

After breakfast we dressed and took a walk around the ship stopping at the shops to purchase a Jewel of the seas tee shirt then moved on to the theater for a shore excursions talk. The talk covered our first port-of-call, Cartagena, Colombia and was very informative.

I love the Centrum on the Jewel. I think of it as simple and elegant.

We then made our way to the Centrum to find some seats so we could spend a few minutes going over the shore excursion booklet and make some decisions. While there, Dick and Charmaine came along. We talked for quite a while and decided that we would talk about the upcoming tours and decide a few that we would like to take together.

While we were talking, Charmaine asked if we had ever attended a mystery dinner theater production offered on some of the ships. After a short conversation we decided we would sign up for the mystery dinner being offered in Giovanni’s later in the cruise.

They went on their way and we settled down to read over the tour offerings and try to make some decisions. The first thing Randy noticed was the length of times listed for the various tours.  Many of the tours listed lasted as long as 6-8 hours.  He expressed a reluctance to take part in any long tours.  We did, however, decide to take a city tour when we arrived in Cartagena. That done, we returned to the cabin for a relaxing afternoon of reading and just doing nothing.

As we enjoyed our relaxing afternoon a gentle knock could be heard on the door.  To our surprise a very nice crew member delivered a plate of delicious looking dark chocolate covered strawberries.  They were delicious!  A very nice surprise indeed!

from left to right-Dick, Charmaine, Mary, Lucille, Bob and Randy. A very nice group indeed!

Tonight was our first formal night. Everyone looked beautiful and handsome as we gathered in the Safari Lounge for cocktails. We learned that there were a considerable number of diamond, diamond plus and pinnacle Crown & Anchor members on this cruise hence the use of the Safari Lounge.

The first time we entered the Safari Lounge at cocktail time, I was blown away at the hors d’oeuvres on display.  There were hot and cold choices, fresh vegetables, cheeses, meats and desserts that were all beautiful to look at and delicious to the taste buds.  My thought was, “How in heaven’s name could anyone resist?”

As we enjoyed our cocktails, we all discussed whether we would engage in taking tours.  Charmaine and Dick had already signed up for a tour in Cartagena. Coincidentally it was the same one that Randy and I had agreed to take.  In the end, we all agreed that, at least westward, we would see what was to see at each port and then make decisions about tours on our return cruise.

Carved Tenderloin of beef-Morel-crimini mushroom sauce, creamy mashed potatoes and asparagus. YUM!

Dinner was nice once again as we got to know our table mates a little better.  We learned that they were from Bruges, Belgium.  We visited Bruges, Belgium in 2015 and enjoyed a wonderful walking tour around the city.   I always love the menu on formal night.  I love the beef tenderloin meal.  The meat is always fork tender and delicious.

After dinner we attended the Captain’s reception and had a photo opportunity with the captain.  It had been a nice day but we were a little tired so we returned to the cabin for a quiet evening.

Turbulent waves and high winds made for a bumpy evening and day on the hsip.

Little bags at the bottom of each staircase for those passengers experiencing difficulty with the movement of the ship. (They are all gone).

Our second day at sea, we woke early in the morning after a very bumpy evening. We rocked and rolled so I was not surprised to see indications around the ship that some passengers were having a bit of sea sickness.

There is always so much to do on the ships.  There is always a little something for everyone.  There are trivia quizzes, shopping, relaxing by the pool, movies, competitions, exercise classes, dance lessons, sports events, games and so much more.

For us, today was a day filled with learning. We attended two lectures and an art auction all of which were quite interesting and entertaining. I actually bid on a painting but was outbid.

The first lecture covered Historic Cartagena – Spain’s Treasure Chest in the New World. The second lecture covered the history and operation of the Panama Canal. The lecturers, John and Diane Stockham worked in tandem to present all the information. I must confess I prefer one lecturer. At times it was confusing as one or the other would talk over the other. But in the end I heard all the information and felt I knew a little more about both the city of Cartagena and the Panama Canal and was looking forward to visiting both.

At the end of the second lecture, we had just enough time to prepare for the evening with our friends.

While we were dressing another gentle knock on the door.  This time we were presented with a plate of tiny treats.  Very nice.

 

We made our way down to the Safari Lounge and had a lovely time sharing the different experiences we all had during the day around the ship.

Dinnertime was very nice with a nice flow of conversation with our table mates as we enjoyed our meals.

Three-Cheese Tortelloni – sauteed mushrooms and mascarpone cheese sauce.

Tomorrow we arrive at our first port-of-call, Cartagena, Colombia.

Enjoy,

Mary

Off on our bucket list cruise through the Panama Canal

Randy’s cool photo of the Miami skyline from our balcony on the ship

Well today we embark on our bucket list trip through the Panama Canal. We will be making this journey on Royal Caribbean Jewel of the seas.  We booked this trip over a year ago and have been enthusiastically awaiting its arrival.

This wonderful cruise will take us first westward to ports in Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico and ending in San Diego, California.  Then we will stay on the Jewel and do the return trip eastward returning to Miami, Florida.  In all, the trip will take 32 wonderful days.  I was so excited!

Another wonderful aspect of this cruise is that we will be cruising with two wonderful couples. We met Dick and Charmaine last near while cruising in the Mediterranean and crossing the Atlantic on the Symphony of the seas. And, we learned that friends and neighbors, Bob and Lucille, would also be taking this cruise. How wonderful!  As I stood at the bed packing I thought to myself, “It is going to be a fun cruise”.

We were up at 5:00am and out the door by 5:45am to meet our bus at a local shopping center. Our wonderful neighbor, John, drove us to the meeting point. As we unloaded the car we heard Bob and Lucille say, “Hello”. We exchanged pleasantries as the bus drove us to the ship in Miami. It was a pleasant ride with one stop for a quick cup of coffee and then we were on our way again.

Check-in at the port was quick and after only a short bit of time before we heard the announcement that the cabins were ready.

We arranged to have a junior suite on this trip as it is so long and at the time we signed on the price for the junior suite was remarkably reasonable. We have stayed in junior suites in the past but we were so excited when we approached our door. For the first time ever we had a doorbell. Now, I know that might seem silly to some but to us it was a small wonder.

The cabin was very spacious with a couch, high-backed chair with hassock, coffee table, a comfortable bed and a very generous amount of storage. The bathroom was equipped with both a shower and full tub. You have no idea how wonderful it is after a long day touring it to step into a tub filled with hot water and bubbles; positively invigorating.

 

After we took several pictures of our doorbell and texted it to our friends, who were cruising in Asia, we settled in for a little while before the safety drill was to commence.

 

Randy, Maary, Charmaine and Dick.

How wonderful when we entered Chops Grille for the safety drill and heard someone exclaim, “Look who is here!” Hello”. It was Dick and Charmaine. We sat with them and spent time catching up before the drill began. We made plans to go to the Safari lounge for cocktails immediately following the drill.

We were joined by Bob and Lucille and had a wonderful time making introductions and getting to know one another. It is going to be a great trip!

Dinner was a bit interesting. We arrived at our table only to see that the table was already full. As it turned out, the people at the table originally had reservations for late seating, thought the reservation had been changed but unfortunately it had not. Eventually, after speaking to the head waiter for our section, they left and we were seated. Earlier that afternoon Bob and I had gone down to make arrangements so that we would sit together for dinner. Dick and Charmaine prefer late seating.

We were at a table for eight. We learned that our dinner companions were visiting from Belgium. We had a very nice time getting to know one another during a nice dinner.

After dinner, the four of us returned to the lounge for an after dinner cocktail before retiring for the evening to our respective cabins. Our luggage had been put into the cabin and we wanted to get settled.

I put away all the clothes, changed and settled down for a quiet evening before turning out the lights.

The next two days will be at sea as we make our way to the first port-of-call, Cartagena, Colombia.

Lovely “Welcome Aboard” cake in the Windjammer Cafe.. Sweet treat way to start our cruise.

Enjoy,

Mary

Here, there and everywhere – September – Dublin, Ireland

The outside air today is a cool 49°.  Today we dock in Dublin, Ireland

Dublin was founded by the Vikings in the 9th century.   Dublin, the largest city and the capital of the Republic of Ireland, is on the east coast of the mouth of the River Liffey and bordered on the south by the Wicklow Mountains.  Dublin is also the largest port in Ireland.

We were in no rush this morning so we made our way up to the concierge lounge for our morning coffee then down to Giovanni’s for a hearty breakfast with Doug and Sue.

Before long it was time to gather with other members of our tour group for a trip through the Irish countryside to visit a monastic site founded by St. Kevin in the 6th century

Probably the hardest decisions to make when we visit a city in a new country are what to do and where to go.  We take into consideration all the ways one can explore a new place, and there are many, and hope in the end that we have made a wonderful choice.  We made a wonderful choice.

Of course, visiting the beautiful Ireland includes many opportunities to visit castles that have withstood the ravages time and assaults by invading army’s and Irish pubs that offer lively music and pints of refreshing brews.

But today, we decided to step back in time to visit a destination that offers a look at Ireland’s ecclesiastical past.  Today we will be on a tour called, “Irish Countryside & Glendalough”.   Glendalough means “Glen of two lakes” is a glacial valley in County Wicklow, Ireland and is considered one of the top attractions on Ireland’s east.

Once we drove through the city, we were treated to a ride through miles and miles of beautiful, verdant farmland.

The ‘Hollywood Stone’ – “The original location of this stone is near “St. Kevin’s Road”, the medieval pilgrim road from Hollywood to Glendalough and this suggests that the stone was carved in the medieval period, in connection with the pilgrimage route to Glendalough”.

We finally arrived at the visitor’s center for the Glendalough monastic site.  We spent a bit of time in the visitor’s center with our tour guide Jim as he pointed out several exhibitions such as the Market Cross, and a very large stone called the ‘Hollywood Stone’.

A sign on the wall above the stone read, “This large granite boulder bears a maze-like pattern, known as a labyrinth, on one flat surface…Labyrinth patterns of various forms are known from many different areas and periods, including the prehistoric rock art, and it has been suggested that this carving is of prehistoric (perhaps Bronze Age) date.  However, this design is also known from Christian contexts.”

Market Cross

The sign at the bottom of the cross read, “This ornately-carved granite cross was located outside the main settlement, and may have marked the site of the early marketplace.  Its features place it in the tradition of a group of crosses that represent twelfth-century changes in the Irish church…”.  The detail was amazing after so many centuries.

View of the monastic site as we walked over the wooden bridge from the visitor’s center.

We were told that within this beautiful site we would see a round tower built over 1,000 years ago, seven churches, a gateway into the settlement with a Sanctuary stone, two High Crosses, the Priest’s House, a graveyard and more.

As you can imagine, there were many tour groups ahead of us and behind.  We were finally given the signal that we could proceed to the site.  We walked over a small wooden bridge and came to the Gateway to the settlement.  The Gateway is Ireland’s only surviving example of a medieval gateway to an early monastic city.

As we walked through the site our tour guide Jim shared that most of the buildings that we would be seeing today date from the 10^th through 12^th centuries.  Glendalough was considered a place of great ecclesiastical foundations and schools of learning until the Normans destroyed it in 1214 and the diocese of Glendalough and Dublin were united.

The Tower

We walked through a graveyard filled with stone headstones marked by time leaning this way and that.  Jim led us to the Round tower which stands 33 meters (108’) above the ground.  It was built by the monks of St. Kevin’s monastery.   The towers were used for various purposes such a bell tower, refuge for monks when the monastery was under attack, lookout posts and as a beacon for traveling monks and pilgrims.

As we listened to Jim, we all looked at how high the door was from the ground.  Jim explained that the people who lived here used a ladder to reach the door and then pulled the ladder inside the tower thus preventing invaders from entering the tower when under attack.

The Cathedral

Headstones lined up along the inner wall of the Cathedral.

We moved on to Cathedral.  The Cathedral is the largest of the seven churches.  The cathedral was built over a period of time from the 10^th to the 12^th and early 13^th centuries.  As we listened to Jim talk, I found myself walking around to see a number of headstones lined along the wall.

St. Kevin’s Church

 

Our next stop was St. Kevin’s Church better known as St. Kevin’s Kitchen.   The church is a nave-and-chancel church of the 12th century. It is called St Kevin’s kitchen because people believed that the bell tower was a chimney to a kitchen but really no food was ever cooked there.  Unfortunately, the doors were locked preventing a peek inside.

 

View of the monastic site from atop the hill.

We then walked up the hill where Jim continued his talk about the area surrounding the monastic site and offered to take people on a hike to the lake. Some in our group went with Jim, others decided to take a leisurely walk around the grounds.

We walked back through the Gateway after visiting this wonderful site.

Doug, Sue, Randy and I decided to backtrack through the site in hopes of getting a bite to eat before boarding the bus.  As we parted, Jim reminded us that we had to be back to the bus no later than 3:30pm as it was a long drive back to the pier.

Apple Pie from the Past – Hand rubbed short crust pastry filled with fresh apple pieces and cooked apple compote served with vanilla ice cream. YUMMY!

We found a seat on the patio of the Glendalough Hotel and waited to be served. We hoped that Casey’s Bar & Bistro would be a wonderful place to kick back and enjoy a quick bite before returning to the bus. We waited quite a while and then realized that perhaps we had to go inside.  We did and learned that the ordering was done inside and the food brought out to the patio.  We had precious little time left so we decided to stay inside near the counter.

Sue ordered a bowl of soup while Doug, Randy and I ordered a piece of ‘Apple Pie from the Past’. Sue loved her soup and we loved our very delicious apple pie.  With the delay on the patio and waiting quite a bit for our food, we were three minutes late getting back to the bus.  Oh my, we were the last ones on board.

On the bus ride back to the pier we caught sight of the Wicklow mountains.

I enjoyed the ride through the city of Dublin admiring some of the buildings with their brightly colored doors, the beautifully crafted lamp posts and pubs adorned with many hanging planters filled with colorful flowers.

By the time we were back on board the ship we had barely enough time to run to our cabin, freshen up before making our way to the Colony Club for cocktails.  While there a ship’s photographer walked over and asked if we would like to have our pictures taken.  “Absolutely,” I replied.  And, if I do say so myself, I think it turned out quite nice.

Beef Bourguignon

We joined our tablemates in the dining room and over a delicious dinner of Beef Bourguignon, I had a marvelous time listening to everyone’s stories about the activities they participated in on shore.

Our next port-of-call is Belfast, Ireland.

Enjoy,

Mary

Here, there and everywhere – September – Waterford, Ireland

What a wonderful, relaxing day!

Although very tired, I was up early. I walked out onto the balcony and was treated to a beautiful sunrise. Today is day two of our journey and we are at sea as we make our way to our first port-of-call in Ireland.

We met Sue and Doug for breakfast in Giovanni’s.  After breakfast, Randy and I took a leisurely walk around the promenade deck stopping to spend a few moments leaning over the railing watching the wake as the ship cut through the bright blue waters of the ocean.

Eventually, we made our way to the Minstrel dining room to attend a mandatory face-to-face immigration inspection.  I remember thinking that this brief punctuation in our day was actually wonderful as taking care of customs on the ship would cut down on long lines once on shore.  Passports stamped, we returned to the cabin for a little relaxation before attending an enrichment seminar.

There are always so many activities to participate in and around the ship on sea days but we find that attending the educational seminars have become some of our favorites.  Today we decided to attend two.

The first seminar was entitled, “Ireland: British Colony to Celtic Tiger” by Chris West.  The seminar was a wonderful look at Ireland’s early beginnings.

The second was entitled “It’s All about the Craic” by linguist Karen Woodman.  Craic (crack) is a term for news, gossip, fun, entertainment, and enjoyable conversation, particularly prominent in Ireland. This was an information seminar about the history of Ireland, “Through the lens of language, history, food and culture, focusing on the key sites and activities for the upcoming port”.

Ms. Woodman seemed to have a bit of trouble getting her stride as the previous seminar covered a good deal of the same information.  But in the end we felt that both lecturers presented us with enough information to have a sense of the country and its people.

Our cruise director Mike and Captain Cavala welcoming everyone to the Brilliance and offering a toast for a wonderful cruise.

Tonight was the first formal night of the voyage and is always marked by a captain’s welcome aboard reception.  With glasses of Champagne in hand we listened to our cruise director Mike and Captain Cavala give a short welcome and toast followed by the introduction of senior staff.

ABBAMAX

Then it was off to the theater for an evening of entertainment by an ABBA tribute group called  ABBAMAX.   We have seen this group on other ships and enjoyed them very much.  And they did not disappoint.  Abba music never gets old.  It was obvious from the singing along by members of the audience.

It had been a very nice day but oh my we were still tired from our flight so we returned to our cabin and turned in for the night.

Tomorrow we arrive at our first port, Waterford, Ireland.

View of the Kilkenny Castle gardens from a window in the castle.

What a busy, fun day!

It seemed as though we had just gotten to sleep when the morning light slowly lit up our cabin.  We had to be up early today to prepare for a very long day on shore.  Today we dock at Waterford, Ireland.

Waterford is a city in County Waterford in the south east of Ireland.  Waterford is the oldest and the fifth most populous city in the Republic of Ireland.  Waterford is known for Waterford Crystal.

Today we are off on a 7-hour bus tour called, “Crystal and Castles” that will take us to visit a Kilkenny Castle, enjoy lunch in a cozy pub and then on to the House of Waterford.

The day started on the cool side of 50 degrees so we bundled up in layers for our trip.  The ride from the port through the countryside was everything I thought Ireland would be; green.  We enjoyed our ride as the tour guide gave us a history lesson on Ireland’s turbulent past.  As she talked we passed beautiful farm land, neighborhoods and small towns.

Randy managed to get a panoramic view of the Kilkenny Castle as we waited for our tour to begin.

We eventually arrived at Kilkenny Castle. The stone castle was built in 1195 and, according to our tour guide, houses a wonderful collection of artwork and antique furniture.  But before our tour started we were given a bit of time to take in the gardens across the street behind the old stables.  The stables are now house to stores featuring many beautiful things made by local artists.

Butler House

We stepped into one store just to look around then made our way to the grounds behind the stables.   We strolled the gardens admiring the flowers, shrubs and lotus pond.  At the end of one of the paths we spotted the Dower House of Kilkenny Castle.  Butler House is over 500 years old.  We stopped in the hotel just for a peek; it was lovely

A few rooms in this beautifully restored castle.

It was finally time for our tour. We walked from room to room admiring the woodwork, tapestries, Moorish staircase and so much more.  As we walked along my eye caught sight of the gardens.  I just had to stop and take it all in before moving along.

A view of the beautiful Moorish Staircase. The white marble fireplace in the Picture Gallery Wing.

Our walk took us through the base of the west tower, Chinese drawing room, state dining room, entrance corridor, reception, entrance hall, up the grand staircase, the tapestry room, the ante room, library, drawing room, up the cantilevered stairs, along the bedroom corridor, Victorian nursery, private sitting room, blue bedroom, Chinese bedroom, down the Moorish staircase and finally into the beautiful picture gallery wing.

There is a series of tapestries called “The Story of Decius” adorning the walls in the castle. This one is called “The Consecration of Decius Mus” They were all beautiful!

Everywhere we went there was something beautiful to set our eyes upon.  My favorite room was the picture gallery wing.  The paintings, tapestries and marble fireplace were stunning but without a doubt my favorite thing in this room was the ceiling.

The Picture Gallery Wing – It was like walking inside an museum of art. Beautiful!

According to a placard nearby, this entire beautiful ceiling “was hand painted by John Hungerford Pollen (1820-1902), then Professor of Fine Arts at Newman College, Dublin, using a combination of motifs ranging from the quasi-medieval to the pre-Raphaelite, with interlace, gilded animal and bird  heads on the cross beams”.  It was spellbinding to look at.  I loved it!

Mary, Dick, Sue, Doug, Randy and me waiting for our tour guide and the next leg of our tour to begin.

We left the castle grounds and started down this lovely street for what our tour guide said, “just a little bit of a walk”.  It was and it was lovely.

Dedicated to all who Hurl for Kilkenny by sculptor Barry Wrafter 2016

Once outside the castle, our tour guide led us on a short walk to our next destination. The walk was a pleasant one stopping only once to learn about a statue near the bridge dedicated to “all who hurl for Kilkenny”.  Our guide explained that hurling is a stick and ball game played outdoors of ancient Gaelic and Irish origin.  The game is played by teams of 15 on a rectangular grass pitch with H-shaped goals at each end. The primary object is to score by driving the ball through the goals or putting the ball over the bar and thereby scoring a point.   When I first looked at the stick I thought I it resembled lacrosse stick.  Alas, there was no net.

Rings Farm, Kilkenny, Free Range Roast Chicken Supreme –
lentils a la francaise/ roast shallots/ balsamic glazed carro/ potato puree

Bailey’s and Brown Bread ice cream Gateau
with almond brittle & hot butterscotch sauce –  Decadently yummy!!

We finally arrived at luncheon destination.  Our lunch at the Garden Room Restaurant located in the Langton House Hotel was absolutely delicious.  We were given salad, a choice of two entrees, choice of two desserts and a choice of ice tea, coffee or beer.  Well, of course, I choose a local beer called Smithwicks Blonde.  It was very nice.  The setting was lovely, the service top notch and the food mouthwatering.  Very nice indeed!

Then we were off to Waterford Crystal.  The tour took us through the area where we watched as artisans blew, cut and engraved molten crystal into beautiful works of art.  I found it incredible that these men worked without a care at all of we walked through their work space without skipping a beat. 

Plaque for this beautiful piece of artwork read: In Remembrance of Fr. Mychal Judge Who was one of the 343 FDNY, 37 PAPD & 23 NYPD Officers who lost their lives on September 11, 2001 while trying to save others. “This piece is dedicated to all the Rescue Workers”.

Before leaving we stopped for a few moments to admire some of the beautiful pieces before leaving the work area.  They were all lovely.  I especially loved the piece dedicated to 9/11 rescue workers.  I must admit that looking at this beautiful piece of craftsmanship tugged at my heart.  It was beautiful.

After the tour we had a bit of time to browse the showroom.

It had been a wonderful tour but it was time to return to the ship.  We arrived just in time to get to the dining room and join our friends for dinner.  I was sitting by the window and spent most of my time enjoying the view as we slowly made our way away from Waterford to begin the journey to our next port-of-call Dublin.

We skipped the evening entertainment and returned to our cabin, sat out on the balcony and watched the sun dropped below he horizon.

Tomorrow we dock at Dublin, Ireland.

Enjoy,

Mary

Here, there and everywhere – September

Finally the day arrived for our trip to the land of rolling green hills, shamrocks and leprechauns. Today we board a plane in Orlando to Oslo, Norway then on to Amsterdam for an overnight stay and then the next morning board the Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the seas.

Our wonderful 16-night cruise will take us to the Emerald Isle of Ireland and the Azores.  Our ports-of-call in Ireland includes Waterford, Dublin, Belfast and Cork, Ireland then a stop in Ponta Delgada, Azores.  The rest of our trip will be spent leisurely cruising across the Atlantic as we make our way to Tampa, Florida and home.

The flight over was quite comfortable, the dinner was delicious and, because of my difficulty in sleeping, I spent the entire flight playing endless games of solitaire on the computer screen.  We had a five-hour layover in Oslo, Norway which I must say was a bit bothersome.  We made our way up to customs only to wait for over two hours before we were finally processed.

With three hours to wait, we decided to find a nice restaurant to grab a bite to eat before boarding the plane for Amsterdam.  We walked around the airport for a bit looking here and there and finally decided to stop at Jamie Oliver’s Italian restaurant.  Doug and Sue had eaten at this restaurant before and said it was good so off we went.

 

The Porkie – Sweet tomato sauce, pepperoni, smoky pancetta & spicy salami with mozzarella & oregano Pizza. YUMMY!

Lovely tasting Hansa beer.

They were right!  The atmosphere was quite lovely, we had a wonderful waiter who pointed us all the best choices on the menu and the food was really delicious.  We all ordered something different which gave us an opportunity to have a little taste of each dish.  They were all wonderful!  We topped our meal off with a local beer and our appetites were deliciously sated.

View from plane window as we approached Amsterdam airport.

The short flight to Amsterdam was quite nice.  As we approached the airport I did so enjoy looking out the window at all the canals, windmills and green, green parcels of land below.  We arrived late in the evening and quickly got our bags and made our way to catch the hotel bus.  We stayed at a lovely hotel called the NH Schiphol Airport. Very nice accommodations and a wonderful breakfast buffet the next morning.

The Green House restaurant at the NH Schiphol Airport hotel

Up early in the morning and had a great breakfast at The Green House restaurant.  The buffet style meal was a thing of beauty.  There was a fruit, pastry, cereal, juice, hot food stations arranged around the room so that you never felt crowded.  There was also an omelet station where the cook prepared the most wonderfully delicious tomato and cheese crepe-style omelet.  No, no picture.  It looked so appetizing that as soon a I sat down, I devoured it.

Our bus finally came and we were on our way to the terminal.  Just a few minutes into our trip a passenger told the driver he had left something back at the hotel.  After a few moments it was decided to return to the hotel.  We waited as the gentleman ran into the hotel and reappeared holding of all things a hat.

We all laughed and continued our journey to the pier.  We checked in and were on the ship in all what seemed like no time at all.  We stepped onto a ship that was ready to return home after being overseas for the summer season.

We were greeted by members of the staff and crew, handed glasses of Champagne and other libations, flags from around the world were hanging along the deck railing and a small group of musicians were playing 50s and 60s rock and roll music.  We each accepted a glass and enjoyed the festive atmosphere before heading up to the Windjammer to eat a bit of lunch while we waited for our cabins to be ready.

For the first time in a long time, we were greeted by a beautiful ice sculpture as we entered the Windjammer.  It was a true piece of artistry.

The first night on any cruise is always a time of anticipation as you meet the people you will be breaking bread for the rest of the cruise.  We started our first evening with a bit of a start as we learned that we were not seated together.  Add, we learned that friends Sal and Anna had requested to be seated at our table and were not.  Oh my.  It would take a few more days to straighten out the seating arrangements but in the end we had a wonderful table!

As we ate dinner, we enjoyed beautiful views from our dining room window.  We cruised by so many windmills it was amazing.  We have seen many windmills on our travels to Europe but never this close.  They are so tall!!

After dinner we made our way to the Colony Club to enjoy the views from back of the ship as we left the canal.  As we watched, we realized that we were being put into a lock.  Everyone there watched as the lock slowly closed and water started to rise allowing our ship to go to sea.  It was really quite amazing to watch.  I supposed this gave us a small glimpse of what it will be like when we cruise through the Panama Canal next year.

The last few days had been long, hectic and sleep deprived so Randy and I retired to the cabin in hopes of getting a good night’s rest.  Randy and I stood on the balcony as day became night and watched as our ship and others slowly left Amsterdam for other destinations.

Tomorrow we will be at sea as we make our way to Ireland.

Enjoy

Mary

Here, there and everywhere – August Part II

I looked around the dark cabin this morning and thought, “Can it really be morning?”  It was 5:30 am and we were up, getting dressed and making our way down to the dining room to meet Doug and Sue to grab a quick breakfast before meeting our tour group at 7:00 am.

Today we are off on a 7-hour tour called “The Best of Havana”.  The itinerary of the tour includes a visit to the city stopping at several notable areas around town with historical and significant importance.

As we made our way through the terminal I remember thinking that I was so glad that the manager of the hotel we stopped at last evening was kind enough to exchange our currency.  You see, yesterday our tour was late and by the time we went through the terminal the currency exchange counter was closed.  Today our tour was so early that the exchange counter had not even opened.

I was also glad to see that the tour buses we would be spending so much time in were modern and comfortable.

As we traveled down the Malecón our tour guide Eddie gave everyone a short history lesson about Cuba’s beginnings, the 1959 revolution making Cuba a socialist country and the reopening of the United States embassy in 2016.  With the opening of the embassy a few things have relaxed between the two countries.

Someone asked Eddie, “What is the main source of income for Cuba today?”  “Tourism,” he answered.  I thought that was an interesting answer as tourism is not officially recognized but instead everyone who visits Cuba is coming to experience a, “People-to-people cultural exchange”.

We drove along the waterline eventually descending into a tunnel built in the late fifties that connects Old Havana to East Havana.  As we drove around towards the entrance we passed by a beautiful statue of Dominican born general Maximo Gomez who helped José Marti fight for independence in the 1800’s.

As we drove along we caught sight of many buildings and neighborhoods that were in terrible disrepair.  Many buildings covered in mold and mildew, no paint, windows broken, and people were living in these houses.  Yes, we did see some that were quite nice but I felt as though that was the exception not the rule.  With an unemployment rate of 48% and the average wage being $25 a month for the average citizen and $50 for doctors, I can understand why painting a building takes a back seat to other life necessities.

The legend below Che Guevara’s image says: “Hasta la Victoria, Siempre” (Until Victory, Always).

The legend says: “Vas bien, Fidel” ((You’re doing fine, Fidel).

 

 

Our first stop was Revolution Square which is the political and administrative center of Cuba.  Displayed on the buildings around the square are the effigies of Marxist revolutionary Ernesto “Che” Guevara and Cuban revolutionary, Commander Camilo Cienguegos.

 

 

 

 

Across the square is the tall, star-shaped marble memorial and statue of Cuban national hero José Marti whose writings played an important role in Cuba’s independence.  Unfortunately, we did not have time to visit the museum and gardens that are on the grounds of the memorial.

Our next stop was the Colon Cemetery.  As soon as we entered the gates I thought of New Orleans.  All the gravesites were above ground.  Our tour guide explained that the cemetery is over 100 acres and contains 500 major mausoleums, chapels, and family vaults.

Eddie brought our attention to a beautiful 75-foot memorial for firefighters who died in a citywide fire in 1890.  He spent a bit of time pointing out several other important memorials before sending us along to walk along the paths on our own.

 

We noticed at the center of the cemetery was a small church.  It is called the Chapel de Colon.  It appeared that several funerals were in progress so we did not go inside.

 

 

 

After leaving this beautiful cemetery we traveled to a small cigar and rum store.  The store did a brisk business with many of the passengers from our bus.  While inside, Randy spotted a few classic cars outside and took some pictures.

 

The tower

 

We then traveled back through the tunnel and started our journey to Ernest Hemingway’s house, Finca Vigía (Lookout Farm).

The ride was comfortable and Eddie spent the time talking about Hemingway’s friendship with Fidel Castro.

We were on our own to walk around the grounds and peek into the house.  We were not allowed inside however, all the windows and doors were open.  Everyone took turns walking up to the openings to take their pictures.

I loved the house.  I loved the simplicity and hominess of the interior.  Leaning in I could see many animal trophies on the walls from his many African safaris.  One room I liked the most was the office at the top of the tower.  There, on a small desk was his typewriter and a copy of one of his hand-written manuscripts.  I must tell you that the women who were inside the house were so kind taking pictures inside rooms that we could not see.  This was very nice indeed!

We walked around the grounds to see his boat Pilar, the pool and the graves of his dogs, Black, Linda, Neron and Negrit.

 

On the grounds of the Hemingway House was a small souvenir store.  Outside in the parking lot was a wonderful grouping of American classic cars.  Randy and Doug had a great time looking over all these wonderful cars.

 

 

 

Our next stop was one of whimsical fancy.  We stopped at a place called “Fusterlandia”.   The name Picasso came to mind was we walked around this colorful neighborhood.  Everywhere you looked was touched by Cuban artist José Fuster.

We walked around even climbing up to the roof to look down at this interesting display of artwork.  You could see the ocean from this vantage point.  My eye caught the building next store and stopped for a moment to read what was written on the water tanks: Viva Cuba.

After enjoying our tour of the grounds and taking a few pictures we made our way back to the bus.  Along the way I noticed a row of cars and, of course, I had to stop and catch it on film for Randy.

Our next destination was lunch.  We drove along and came to a seafood restaurant called Don Cangrejo.  We were pleasantly surprised when we entered an air-conditioning room with lovely tables for four covered in blue and white tablecloths.  From our vantage point, we had a lovely view of the ocean.

Appetizer of seafood and vegetables

Grilled Cuban lobster, yucca fries and vegetables

I was also pleasantly surprised at the dishes served.  We were given an appetizer of fish and vegetables, main dish of grilled Cuban lobster and a delicious dessert of flan and chocolate ice cream.  On the way to the restaurant Eddie discovered that several of us did not eat lobster so he contacted the restaurant and asked that they prepared something else.  We enjoyed a wonderful dish of beef, yucca fries and vegetables.  We also enjoyed a local Cuban beer called Cristal.  The meal was delicious and the beer was tasty and refreshing.

Beef, yucca fries and vegetables

Absolutely delicious desert of flan and chocolate ice cream. YUM!

 

 

Another surprise was the entertainment we enjoyed as we ate our meal.  There was a small group of three playing instruments as we were serenaded by a local singer.  I thought this was a very nice touch indeed.

 

 

One more American classic before boarding the ship.

Our last stop of the day was a short one and one we wished we had more time for.  We stopped at the Artisans Market on the Port of Havana.  We had precious few minutes to walk around and look at all the beautiful handmade and painted items within its walls.  I was on a mission to get a magnet for Kristine and accomplished it.  Randy was on a mission to purchase a bottle of rum to take back home and he accomplished his.  But that was all we had time for.

We returned to the ship tired but happy that we had made the decision to take this tour.  It was formal night so we quickly made our way back to the cabin to prepare for an evening of cocktails and dinner.

We retired early because tomorrow we will be cruising to one of our very favorite places in the Caribbean; Cozumel, Mexico.

Beautiful flowers on the grounds of the Hemingway House

Enjoy,

Mary