Thursday, May 14, 2009
Get Off the Bus
On one of the sea days a nice man sat down with me for lunch. He buys and sells movie lighting in LA and is on the cruise with his girlfriend. As we talked about travel adventures, he told me always remember to 'get off the bus'. He said tourists go around and get into the bus together, look out the windows at all of the fabulous places, get off the bus together for the tour, and never get to know the real places. I told him in education when things change they say do it or get off the bus and you know me, I usually get off the bus quickly! However, when it comes to international travel, since I am alone, I am quite content to 'stay on the bus' and look out the windows! But I realized, while talking to him, that I do 'get off the bus' a little more each trip and this trip was no exception. Seeing the bull on a back road in the hillside of Spain was an example I am sure! Of course I was there with Cesar so I felt safe, sort of. But there were other examples of getting off the bus too...
Monday, May 11, 2009
Surprises
SURPRISES aren't all good. I was signing on this morning to say how excited I was to meet my friends soon in Dover and then write about all the surprises that yesterday held, and the captain made an announcement that because of very high winds we were unable to land in Dover! He said the winds were over 40 MPH and expected to get as high as 70 MPH and our safety was the greatest concern. We were close enough that I had already taken the pictures of the white cliffs from my balcony and my cell phone worked. I hated making that call, I had to call Diana to let her know that my ship was not going to make it in so to wave to me from shore! She and Alec drove hours to reach Dover last night to meet me today. Terry drove in 3 hours from where he was and it was going to be a surprise that I got to see him too. However, the surprise was for all of us, I was not going to even get in to see them at all. NOT all surprises are good! I am so disappointed and still in disbelief this is really happening. The passengers all understand but imagine the disappointment of not getting to see London and other exciting places they had so looked forward to. It was the first trip for many people. So almost 3000 people are wandering around disappointed. The captain also announced the weather was expected to be in Belgium tomorrow so we might not be able to land there either. That was not good news either, but we just had another announcement that they are going to try to get to Belgium tonight and dock so we can beat the storm there. The downside of that is that we have now picked up speed and the ship is really rough as we go through these rough waters at a higher speed. We had been going quite slowly to save us this rough journey. I had quite a day in France yesterday so I might just get back to my cabin and sleep through this part of the trip.
Yesterday, a dream day in France! I was met by my driver and the experience was nothing like I expe4cted! The taxi was a new SUV, nothing like the little old taxi cab I'd imagined. My guide spoke very good English with a wonderful French accent and was the nicest man. We took off for Giverny and arrived there just 10 minutes after the gardens opened. My driver knew a back way into the gardens which saved me from waiting in a very long line in the front. (just heard another announcement that we may not be going to belgium because of the weather after all!!!) So I entered the gardens with a minimum of waiting and the scent of the flowers was a great tease as I waited in line. The gardens were magnificent! More flowers than I remember and I loved knowing I could wander and photograph without my 1 hour time limit that was there the first trip. The beauty, the colors and the scents were a delight! Because it was Sunday the gardens were packed shortly after I arrived and it was the only thing that kept it from being a perfect day! But I was able to stroll along the garden and relish the experience. After a couple of hours I visited the gift shop and then left and found my private driver. He had found a little outdoor cafe where we ate a little French lunch together. It was wonderful having someone to speak French and translate for me, of course I am used to that when I am with César, but it was nice having someone else who could help me in France. He told me about a lovely garden behind the hotel where we were eating and I had time to go out and enjoy that as we waited for our meal. We ate out on the street and enjoyed watching the people wander by. The food was delicious and we ate and walked back to the car. My driver Franz, asked me if I would like to visit a monastery that was actually a working one, with monks there too. He said it was a way in the French countryside and I would never pass up an opportunity to see anything in the countryside! And so I was in store for quite a nice surprise! We had a gorgeous drive into a tiny village and we visited a monastery that was built in 600AD! The church was interesting, very old, very plain, nothing like the oppulence of the cathedral we had visited in Spain. There was an old monk praying and when we left we saw a young monk walking along. There are 50 monks of all ages at the monastery. We went in the little gift shop and a monk was running it and there was such a feeling of peace around him. The shop was filled with things made from monks at different monasteries. Evidently they used to sell their own products but now they have started selling other products from the other monastaries and the choices were amazing. I bought a tiny glass angel to take home and use to remember my first visit to a monastery. She is so sweet!
By the time we were through with that visit there really wasn't time left to go to the seaside town of Etretat but the driver told me he would still take me there. He was so pleased I had accepted his suggestion to see the monastery that he said the rest of the day was on him!! For 2 1/2 years he had offered that to tourists and I was the first who had been interested. So we drove more through the beautiful country and found a place to park near the beach, lucky us because it was so crowded! I walked along the boardwalk and enjoyed the cool breeze and the variety of people there. I stopped at a little outdoor cafe on the boardwalk and went in for a crepe. I ordered one that had butter inside and sugar on top, that seemed to be the way the people there were getting them and I decided the French would know best. Always do what the locals do?? So I sat and savored the delicious crepe while looking out at the lovely arch that Monet painted so many times. I tried not to take too long and after a little shopping, headed back to the car and we drove back to LeHavre. One last stop was the final surprise of the day. My driver took me to a spot where Monet painted his famous painting, Impression Sunrise. Do you know why that was important? A newspaper reporter wrote about that picture and called him an Impressionist and that is the painting that led to the term Impressionists for the painters who painted like Monet. I stood next to the sign on the street and Franz took my picture there. And then we went back to the ship. I felt so lucky, I was supposed to be on the trip for 6 hrs, but it had turned out to be 10 and filled with delightful surprises! Franz and I exchanged email addresses and I am sure we will stay in touch. He is a nice 50 year old man with a wife, yes, and 3 children and a grandchild. He gave me a European goodbye, a kiss on each cheek and we said goodbye. The manager of the Shore excursion office was there so I introduced them and Arcadieuz told the driver that I show up all over the world so the driver would probably see me again, everyone does. Cute!
After a nice dinner I went to bed early for my big day in England! Surprise again!
So from the sea, goodbye!
Yesterday, a dream day in France! I was met by my driver and the experience was nothing like I expe4cted! The taxi was a new SUV, nothing like the little old taxi cab I'd imagined. My guide spoke very good English with a wonderful French accent and was the nicest man. We took off for Giverny and arrived there just 10 minutes after the gardens opened. My driver knew a back way into the gardens which saved me from waiting in a very long line in the front. (just heard another announcement that we may not be going to belgium because of the weather after all!!!) So I entered the gardens with a minimum of waiting and the scent of the flowers was a great tease as I waited in line. The gardens were magnificent! More flowers than I remember and I loved knowing I could wander and photograph without my 1 hour time limit that was there the first trip. The beauty, the colors and the scents were a delight! Because it was Sunday the gardens were packed shortly after I arrived and it was the only thing that kept it from being a perfect day! But I was able to stroll along the garden and relish the experience. After a couple of hours I visited the gift shop and then left and found my private driver. He had found a little outdoor cafe where we ate a little French lunch together. It was wonderful having someone to speak French and translate for me, of course I am used to that when I am with César, but it was nice having someone else who could help me in France. He told me about a lovely garden behind the hotel where we were eating and I had time to go out and enjoy that as we waited for our meal. We ate out on the street and enjoyed watching the people wander by. The food was delicious and we ate and walked back to the car. My driver Franz, asked me if I would like to visit a monastery that was actually a working one, with monks there too. He said it was a way in the French countryside and I would never pass up an opportunity to see anything in the countryside! And so I was in store for quite a nice surprise! We had a gorgeous drive into a tiny village and we visited a monastery that was built in 600AD! The church was interesting, very old, very plain, nothing like the oppulence of the cathedral we had visited in Spain. There was an old monk praying and when we left we saw a young monk walking along. There are 50 monks of all ages at the monastery. We went in the little gift shop and a monk was running it and there was such a feeling of peace around him. The shop was filled with things made from monks at different monasteries. Evidently they used to sell their own products but now they have started selling other products from the other monastaries and the choices were amazing. I bought a tiny glass angel to take home and use to remember my first visit to a monastery. She is so sweet!
By the time we were through with that visit there really wasn't time left to go to the seaside town of Etretat but the driver told me he would still take me there. He was so pleased I had accepted his suggestion to see the monastery that he said the rest of the day was on him!! For 2 1/2 years he had offered that to tourists and I was the first who had been interested. So we drove more through the beautiful country and found a place to park near the beach, lucky us because it was so crowded! I walked along the boardwalk and enjoyed the cool breeze and the variety of people there. I stopped at a little outdoor cafe on the boardwalk and went in for a crepe. I ordered one that had butter inside and sugar on top, that seemed to be the way the people there were getting them and I decided the French would know best. Always do what the locals do?? So I sat and savored the delicious crepe while looking out at the lovely arch that Monet painted so many times. I tried not to take too long and after a little shopping, headed back to the car and we drove back to LeHavre. One last stop was the final surprise of the day. My driver took me to a spot where Monet painted his famous painting, Impression Sunrise. Do you know why that was important? A newspaper reporter wrote about that picture and called him an Impressionist and that is the painting that led to the term Impressionists for the painters who painted like Monet. I stood next to the sign on the street and Franz took my picture there. And then we went back to the ship. I felt so lucky, I was supposed to be on the trip for 6 hrs, but it had turned out to be 10 and filled with delightful surprises! Franz and I exchanged email addresses and I am sure we will stay in touch. He is a nice 50 year old man with a wife, yes, and 3 children and a grandchild. He gave me a European goodbye, a kiss on each cheek and we said goodbye. The manager of the Shore excursion office was there so I introduced them and Arcadieuz told the driver that I show up all over the world so the driver would probably see me again, everyone does. Cute!
After a nice dinner I went to bed early for my big day in England! Surprise again!
So from the sea, goodbye!
Saturday, May 9, 2009
A Lot of BULL - continued
And so there we were on an old country road in the mountains. While I was going through my suitcase for the hotel paperwork, César decided to go into the trees to pee, the joy of being a boy! While he was gone I thought it was interesting that there was a big wind that had picked up in the trees across the road. It dawned on me that the 'breeze' was accompanied by a loud thudding noise and I looked closely across the street and at that time César came running up to me at the car and asked what it was. I thought wind at first, but then we could make out the shape of animals just beyond the trees along the road. We froze in surprise as the thundering passed by, and then from no where we heard the sound coming back our way and out of the trees ran a big bull!! We all three stared at each other, a stone's throw apart. I'm sure the bull was quite surprised and what a picture it must have been to see César and I run to the doors and jump in his car. We stared at each other for a moment, or an hour and I finally got the camera and we backed up to get a picture and when we did, the bull ran back into the trees, lost to us forever! Once the fear and shocked passed, it was hilarious that we had met a wild bull in Spain! I so regret not thinking to get out of the car long enough to get a picture or two! But who knows what our bull would have done, seeing me so close again. And so quite relieved, we called the hotel and got directions and went on our way,sure that seeing a wild bull across a small road from us had to be the thrill of the trip! What could top that? And I much preferred seeing him run free than in a bullring being killed!! And believe me, this story is not a bunch of bull!
We finally arrived at our hotel and it was as incredible as I remembered it from the tour that went there for snacks. We checked in and enjoyed a nice dinner in the restaurant and spent quite a while outside on our private balcony overlooking the beautiful ocean hitting the rocks below. We had snacks I'd taken and the wine the travel agent sent me and before we knew it, it was 2AM! César fell asleep quickly and I knew he was tired from working the night before and driving so far that day. I couldn't sleep so I went down to use the internet and spent almost 2 hours talking to the night manager and couldn't fall asleep until 5AM! The time change is so hard for me. I was awake at 9 and somehow made it through the morning awake! We had breakfast and decided to make the 'one hour' drive to Santiago de Compestela, the famous pilgrimage site. The 'one hour' drive was much closer to 2 hours and when we got to the town we couldn't find the church right away. We did laugh about believing the time that Europeans tell us something will take. We learned better on other trips. The cathedral was absolutely amazing! It was beautiful and ornate and very impressive. We arrived at the end of the mass and the organ music was gorgeous! After purchasing a cd from the Spanish serenade singers who were there, we walked back to the car and decided to have a nice lunch in Vigo before I got back on the ship. We were both so tired and when we got to Vigo the ship was much further away than we had expected and I later found out that another ship had taken the pier where we were supposed to be. By the time we found the ship we were not anywhere to have lunch and I knew he was concerned about his long drive home alone so we said goodbye much sooner than we had expected. That is always hard for me, not knowing if and when we will be together next. I won't be going to Portugal for my birthday this year,he just can't get off work so the future is unknown.
I am so used to being alone but after spending time with such a wonderful friend who takes such good care of me, it is hard to be alone again. I couldn't resist tears when I was asked how the trip was. The nice crew member who okayed my paperwork had to meet me at the ship and get me reregistered to get back on. She was so sweet and said that she really liked me and would I like to have dinner with her and some friends to keep the tradition of knowing crew alive on this trip too. How sweet that was! And I believe I mentioned that César's roommate from his Australia contract is on the ship, and he said he would like to get together with me too, so that will be fun. He knew all about me from César and had seen pictures of me. Small world in the cruise industry after all. And so, I have now adjusted back to my lone existence on the ship and the pleasure of company for 24 hours is history now.
And luckily I have so much to look forward to ahead of me, it will help. Tomorrow we arrive and I will be spending the day with my own taxi and driver and spend as long as I want at Monet's Garden, a perfect day! And then the next day I will already be back with friends again! Alec and Diana, who I met on the Antarctica cruise will meet the ship and we will get to spend the day together! I'm excited to see them and be together to see England. We might be joined by Terry, who I also know from another cruise, but I haven't heard yet. How lucky I am to have so many friends to be with this trip. If it is indeed the last long trip I get to take, what memories I will have! Bull, and all! And so, hasta luego!
We finally arrived at our hotel and it was as incredible as I remembered it from the tour that went there for snacks. We checked in and enjoyed a nice dinner in the restaurant and spent quite a while outside on our private balcony overlooking the beautiful ocean hitting the rocks below. We had snacks I'd taken and the wine the travel agent sent me and before we knew it, it was 2AM! César fell asleep quickly and I knew he was tired from working the night before and driving so far that day. I couldn't sleep so I went down to use the internet and spent almost 2 hours talking to the night manager and couldn't fall asleep until 5AM! The time change is so hard for me. I was awake at 9 and somehow made it through the morning awake! We had breakfast and decided to make the 'one hour' drive to Santiago de Compestela, the famous pilgrimage site. The 'one hour' drive was much closer to 2 hours and when we got to the town we couldn't find the church right away. We did laugh about believing the time that Europeans tell us something will take. We learned better on other trips. The cathedral was absolutely amazing! It was beautiful and ornate and very impressive. We arrived at the end of the mass and the organ music was gorgeous! After purchasing a cd from the Spanish serenade singers who were there, we walked back to the car and decided to have a nice lunch in Vigo before I got back on the ship. We were both so tired and when we got to Vigo the ship was much further away than we had expected and I later found out that another ship had taken the pier where we were supposed to be. By the time we found the ship we were not anywhere to have lunch and I knew he was concerned about his long drive home alone so we said goodbye much sooner than we had expected. That is always hard for me, not knowing if and when we will be together next. I won't be going to Portugal for my birthday this year,he just can't get off work so the future is unknown.
I am so used to being alone but after spending time with such a wonderful friend who takes such good care of me, it is hard to be alone again. I couldn't resist tears when I was asked how the trip was. The nice crew member who okayed my paperwork had to meet me at the ship and get me reregistered to get back on. She was so sweet and said that she really liked me and would I like to have dinner with her and some friends to keep the tradition of knowing crew alive on this trip too. How sweet that was! And I believe I mentioned that César's roommate from his Australia contract is on the ship, and he said he would like to get together with me too, so that will be fun. He knew all about me from César and had seen pictures of me. Small world in the cruise industry after all. And so, I have now adjusted back to my lone existence on the ship and the pleasure of company for 24 hours is history now.
And luckily I have so much to look forward to ahead of me, it will help. Tomorrow we arrive and I will be spending the day with my own taxi and driver and spend as long as I want at Monet's Garden, a perfect day! And then the next day I will already be back with friends again! Alec and Diana, who I met on the Antarctica cruise will meet the ship and we will get to spend the day together! I'm excited to see them and be together to see England. We might be joined by Terry, who I also know from another cruise, but I haven't heard yet. How lucky I am to have so many friends to be with this trip. If it is indeed the last long trip I get to take, what memories I will have! Bull, and all! And so, hasta luego!
A Lot of BULL
As we roll around on the Bay of Biscay, many memories of my road trip from Lisbon to Vigo roll around in my head! We are sailing through 'swells' of 12 ft. and the ship, as large as it is, is swaying quite a bit from this encounter. For the first time in days there is sunlight with scattered clouds, rather than the cloudy days we've had.
César and I agreed that a little over 24 hours is just not long enough to be together and enjoy a trip. Of course we liked being together but everything was too rushed with the schedule. He was at the pier before the ship even docked waiting for me. I had to wait a while after the first passengers went on shore because I needed immigration and customs approval. When I finally got off and walked through the 'safe zone' and through the terminal and saw him waiting for me, we both just smiled! First was the American greeting, a big hug, and then the traditional European greeting, a kiss on both cheeks. We went to the car and talked a lot and he opened the surprises I had for him and they brought laughs as always and then we headed out for our big road trip. We got on a different highway than we had been on before and from the beginning it was a beautiful drive. Although I am not sure drive is the word for it. We had gone a long way before I commented that I wasn't comfortable with him going 140 miles an hour. He laughed and said it was kilometers and I felt much better! We were only going 100 miles an hour!! Then I got excited and said that the 299 to Porto, was so much closer than I thought since it was km. not miles! The whole trip seemed shorter to me because of the numbers being km, notmiles and he thought that was pretty funny. I really wanted to see the ocean so we took a side trip which turned out to be a very long way, to eat our Portuguese lunch near the beach. I was sad that we didn't stop for any pictures along the way and you can't get good pictures when you are flying by at 100 miles an hour. Next time we will do this trip with a lot more time to enjoy the sights along the way. We were both frustrated at the pace we had to keep to get to Vigo that day. But we could admire the beauty as we flew past it! We tried to enjoy Porto, what I saw was beautiful! But the traffic was horrible so I wanted to just turn around and get out so we didn't really visit anywhere in Portugal. We arrived in Spain with no big welcome. We took a turn to Vigo, which I don't think we should have taken because rather than being on a freeway we were on gorgeous back roads through mountains. However, we had no idea where we were and it was getting late, and we didn't want to be lost up there in the dark. So we stopped on a country road for me to get out the hotel info from my suitcase in the back of the car so we could call and see where to go. WEll, that is when the bull story begins...but it is time for my French class so I will have to continue the big bull story later, what an adventure that was! so for now, Au Revoir!
César and I agreed that a little over 24 hours is just not long enough to be together and enjoy a trip. Of course we liked being together but everything was too rushed with the schedule. He was at the pier before the ship even docked waiting for me. I had to wait a while after the first passengers went on shore because I needed immigration and customs approval. When I finally got off and walked through the 'safe zone' and through the terminal and saw him waiting for me, we both just smiled! First was the American greeting, a big hug, and then the traditional European greeting, a kiss on both cheeks. We went to the car and talked a lot and he opened the surprises I had for him and they brought laughs as always and then we headed out for our big road trip. We got on a different highway than we had been on before and from the beginning it was a beautiful drive. Although I am not sure drive is the word for it. We had gone a long way before I commented that I wasn't comfortable with him going 140 miles an hour. He laughed and said it was kilometers and I felt much better! We were only going 100 miles an hour!! Then I got excited and said that the 299 to Porto, was so much closer than I thought since it was km. not miles! The whole trip seemed shorter to me because of the numbers being km, notmiles and he thought that was pretty funny. I really wanted to see the ocean so we took a side trip which turned out to be a very long way, to eat our Portuguese lunch near the beach. I was sad that we didn't stop for any pictures along the way and you can't get good pictures when you are flying by at 100 miles an hour. Next time we will do this trip with a lot more time to enjoy the sights along the way. We were both frustrated at the pace we had to keep to get to Vigo that day. But we could admire the beauty as we flew past it! We tried to enjoy Porto, what I saw was beautiful! But the traffic was horrible so I wanted to just turn around and get out so we didn't really visit anywhere in Portugal. We arrived in Spain with no big welcome. We took a turn to Vigo, which I don't think we should have taken because rather than being on a freeway we were on gorgeous back roads through mountains. However, we had no idea where we were and it was getting late, and we didn't want to be lost up there in the dark. So we stopped on a country road for me to get out the hotel info from my suitcase in the back of the car so we could call and see where to go. WEll, that is when the bull story begins...but it is time for my French class so I will have to continue the big bull story later, what an adventure that was! so for now, Au Revoir!
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Time
Time is an interesting thing. Flying from Denver to Ft. Lauderdale wasn't too much of an adjustment, it was 2 hours later there and with the long trip, that seemed to work well and there wasn't much of a difference. However, almost each night crossing the ocean we have had to turn the clocks up an hour and now we are on Lisbon time. We are 7 hours ahead of where I started in Denver and that concept alone is interesting. I used to think of César being 7 hours later than me and this time I think of my friends in the US being 7 hours earlier. A comedian made a cute joke about the cutbacks that are being made on the ship and that by taking an hour a night away from us they are saving money. I guess they are! But the body does not seem to change time zones as easily as the clock. The first couple of days I was okay, but now I am sleeping until noon which isn't bad when you consider that really is 5AM at home. And I can't fall asleep at night because it is the middle of the afternoon at home. Oh well, I will adjust I am sure. Others are having the same problem the room steward told me so in the long run I am sure we will adjust. We always do, maybe the older I get the harder it is to change times.
We are at sea today so the sleeping was not an inconvenience at all. Once we are at ports we will have to be up early, ready for the day's events so I'm looking forward to feeling normal again. Today the sky is dark and cloudy. Too bad there is no sun, and it is quite cool and windy. I'm just so thankful that the water is calm! People are complaining about the weather. Actually people are complaining about everything! Amazing to me and so sad. Yesterday I saw the lady again who is blind and has the cutest small yellow lab as her companion. She was so sweet and positive and should be an example for the others who complain so much. I told her that her dog was beautiful with the sweetest face and she said that is what she has heard. I told her it was very hard not to pet her dog and she said that she doesn't like to tell anyone they can't pet her so if she isn't holding the lead, it is okay, and she dropped the lead and picked up the leash so I could pet the dog, Cypress. Cypress knew she was okay to sniff me and she was quite interested in my tennis shoes that must have had Bram's smell on them. What a nice lady and dog, I hope I see them again soon. She is with her husband and imagine what it would be like not to be able to see the incredible sights that lie ahead. That makes me feel even luckier than I already do, I can see these wonderful things.
We are currently on the same course as Columbus took, only in the opposite direction. He even stopped in the Azores to restock for the long trip. We have almost 24 hours before we arrive in Lisbon tomorrow afternoon. I am excited and hope the time goes quickly. I have to turn in my passport today to have the immigration officer okay my disembarkation and I have to pay my bill, just in case I don't return. I plan to be at each port with the ship, so I hope the rendevous and road trip go well! They say I will be one of the first off of the ship because I have to be approved and go through customs. I hope that no one takes away the fragrant smelling pineapple I bought at the greenhouse yesterday for us to enjoy along the way. Other than that, I don't think I have anything that is not legal to take on land.
So once again from the sea, ciao!
We are at sea today so the sleeping was not an inconvenience at all. Once we are at ports we will have to be up early, ready for the day's events so I'm looking forward to feeling normal again. Today the sky is dark and cloudy. Too bad there is no sun, and it is quite cool and windy. I'm just so thankful that the water is calm! People are complaining about the weather. Actually people are complaining about everything! Amazing to me and so sad. Yesterday I saw the lady again who is blind and has the cutest small yellow lab as her companion. She was so sweet and positive and should be an example for the others who complain so much. I told her that her dog was beautiful with the sweetest face and she said that is what she has heard. I told her it was very hard not to pet her dog and she said that she doesn't like to tell anyone they can't pet her so if she isn't holding the lead, it is okay, and she dropped the lead and picked up the leash so I could pet the dog, Cypress. Cypress knew she was okay to sniff me and she was quite interested in my tennis shoes that must have had Bram's smell on them. What a nice lady and dog, I hope I see them again soon. She is with her husband and imagine what it would be like not to be able to see the incredible sights that lie ahead. That makes me feel even luckier than I already do, I can see these wonderful things.
We are currently on the same course as Columbus took, only in the opposite direction. He even stopped in the Azores to restock for the long trip. We have almost 24 hours before we arrive in Lisbon tomorrow afternoon. I am excited and hope the time goes quickly. I have to turn in my passport today to have the immigration officer okay my disembarkation and I have to pay my bill, just in case I don't return. I plan to be at each port with the ship, so I hope the rendevous and road trip go well! They say I will be one of the first off of the ship because I have to be approved and go through customs. I hope that no one takes away the fragrant smelling pineapple I bought at the greenhouse yesterday for us to enjoy along the way. Other than that, I don't think I have anything that is not legal to take on land.
So once again from the sea, ciao!
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Land Ahoy!
At last! After 5 1/2 days at sea we reached the beautiful islands of the Azores! We spent the afternoon at Ponta Delgada, a beautiful spot, a Portuguese island. There are a group of 9 islands, all formed by volcanoes and the land was green and lush. I was here 2 years ago and took a lovely ride in the countryside up to the crater lakes, where two lakes connect and one is blue and one is green. This time I took a tour to the other side of the island and saw Fire Lake, the lake in the crater of a volcano. Absolutely beautiful! Sometimes I feel badly when I talk to people who say they are jsut going to walk around the town because I know how much beauty they are missing. I was lucky to be on this tour and I knew the roads to the top wouldbe curvy so the wonderful tour manager who I know from the past made sure I got a front seat and that was a good thing! I like having friends around and he is the only one on the ship I know. He is from Poland and has a very difficult name to pronounce, of course I still have trouble with Tue, who is my Danish friend in Copenhagen so imagine my trouble with Archadeinsz! Anyway, once I was situated in a front seat and the other passengers got on, we were on our way!
First stop a pineapple plantation! Fascinating how they grow them and I do have pictures of young pineapples, and I did purchase one that they said I could take off in Lisbon so César and I can enjoy it for our drive through Portugal. The flowers were exquisite around the island! We then drove to Ribiera Grande, a beautiful little village, one of the oldest on the island. After a short time there we headed to the top of the volcano to Fire Lake. Ithought it wasinteresting to know that no human inhabitants were on the islands until a couple of centuries ago. And as for animals, well the bat was the only one that is native, although now there are others. Nothing dangerous though. And the plants and flowers and trees are almost all transplants from all over the world, flowers from the Himalayas and trees from Japan. When wealthy people started settling on the land there, they had almost a competition to see who could bring in the most exotic and they are now spreading all over the island. A truly beautiful place to see! And I lucky that I did get on a tour and see beautiful places outside of the charming little town of Ponta Delgada.
And now another sea day and then at noon on Thursday we will arrive in Lisboa! What a lot of paperwork is involved in spending one night off of the ship. I am sure it will be worth it when I am once again laughing with César!
It is cold and windy out and I beleive it is a good time to head to bed! A wonderful day back in Europe!
First stop a pineapple plantation! Fascinating how they grow them and I do have pictures of young pineapples, and I did purchase one that they said I could take off in Lisbon so César and I can enjoy it for our drive through Portugal. The flowers were exquisite around the island! We then drove to Ribiera Grande, a beautiful little village, one of the oldest on the island. After a short time there we headed to the top of the volcano to Fire Lake. Ithought it wasinteresting to know that no human inhabitants were on the islands until a couple of centuries ago. And as for animals, well the bat was the only one that is native, although now there are others. Nothing dangerous though. And the plants and flowers and trees are almost all transplants from all over the world, flowers from the Himalayas and trees from Japan. When wealthy people started settling on the land there, they had almost a competition to see who could bring in the most exotic and they are now spreading all over the island. A truly beautiful place to see! And I lucky that I did get on a tour and see beautiful places outside of the charming little town of Ponta Delgada.
And now another sea day and then at noon on Thursday we will arrive in Lisboa! What a lot of paperwork is involved in spending one night off of the ship. I am sure it will be worth it when I am once again laughing with César!
It is cold and windy out and I beleive it is a good time to head to bed! A wonderful day back in Europe!
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Finally...
Today was a relaxing day at sea, finally! Seems hard to do much of anything constructive. I slept well and had breakfast late and met some interesting people to chat with once again. I'm glad the passengers are so friendly this trip, it is not always the case. Breakfast was the same food, lunch was delicious sandwiches I remembered from before on this ship, and I broke my rule not to have dessert anytime except dinner and had a delicious caramel tart. I read a while and slept more and had a wonderful dinner at Sabatini's with Jenny and Bernie. The food is incredible and you only get a spoonful of each so you really don't get full until the end of the meal, they doubted me, but agreed I was right at the end. Such delicious food! Jenny spent some time visiting in my cabin, although it was too cold for her to sit on the balcony tonight. I love the balcony and the sound of the ocean so I leave the door open often.
Last night walking through a hallway I saw a crew member I knew from 2 past cruises. He remembered me so I got a nice European greeting kiss from him and we spoke for a while about where he had been and what he'd been doing. He is from Poland and is the manager of the Shore Excursions Dept. so he is already reserving my front seat on the one tour in the Azores that is along quite curvy roads. I'm not taking that many tours with the ship this time, but it is nice to know the manager. His name is difficult to pronounce so he said I could just call him my friend. It is always nice for me to see people smile when they see me. Whether itis a good thing or not to be remembered so well, is questionable, although he assured me it was a good thing. Very nice man, has been on the ship for 10 years.
I got clearance today to go ashore and spend the night on the Lisbon stop. I will get a list of instructions the night beforeI get off and I was told about going through immigration and customs to stay overnight on land. Such a big deal for a night, but I am glad that it is that organized. I even have to tell them where I'll be for the night, which is probably a good thing, and we do already have our hotel reserved in Bayona, Spain. I feel safe with the procedures they require. I hope it doesn't delay my disembarkation that day because I am very excited to get off and see César again.
That is the update for today, not much, but the way it is supposed to be on vacation!
Last night walking through a hallway I saw a crew member I knew from 2 past cruises. He remembered me so I got a nice European greeting kiss from him and we spoke for a while about where he had been and what he'd been doing. He is from Poland and is the manager of the Shore Excursions Dept. so he is already reserving my front seat on the one tour in the Azores that is along quite curvy roads. I'm not taking that many tours with the ship this time, but it is nice to know the manager. His name is difficult to pronounce so he said I could just call him my friend. It is always nice for me to see people smile when they see me. Whether itis a good thing or not to be remembered so well, is questionable, although he assured me it was a good thing. Very nice man, has been on the ship for 10 years.
I got clearance today to go ashore and spend the night on the Lisbon stop. I will get a list of instructions the night beforeI get off and I was told about going through immigration and customs to stay overnight on land. Such a big deal for a night, but I am glad that it is that organized. I even have to tell them where I'll be for the night, which is probably a good thing, and we do already have our hotel reserved in Bayona, Spain. I feel safe with the procedures they require. I hope it doesn't delay my disembarkation that day because I am very excited to get off and see César again.
That is the update for today, not much, but the way it is supposed to be on vacation!
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