Come Along with Bill & Mary Ann Going Full Circle on the 2015 World Cruise -114 days+

Report # 104 Katakolon, Greece April 12, 2015 Sunday Sunny & 71 degrees

Katakolon is the port city for both nearby Pyrgos and Olympia, Greece. But on this particular cruise, Katakolon may as well be the port of call, since today is Easter Sunday for the Greek Orthodox Church and most of the local citizens. Olympia, the site of the Olympic Games and one of the most incredible archeological sites in Greece is closed today. It is the birthplace for the modern Olympic games which began way back in 776 BC. Many of the ruins seen there can be dated back to the 9th century BC. Even back then, the games were held every four years, where only men competed to honor the king of the gods, Zeus. After many natural disasters, the site was destroyed, leaving the ruins which we see today. Foundations, parts of columns, and marble stairways are all that is left. However, the sheer size of the complex shows the importance of the site back then. The temple of Zeus actually held 40,000 people, the largest of its kind. It can all be seen in the Archeological Museum of Olympia, one of the most famous of museums in all of Greece. Lucky for us, we have had the opportunity of visiting this sight more than a few times over the last 20 years. We remember standing next to the spot where the eternal flame is still lit for the modern Olympic Games. We also went in the Olympic Stadium, where we playfully posed for photos with our foot on the block to begin a race, just as the ancient Olympians did.

A few years ago, we took a different type of tour out of here to the countryside. It was more up our alley with a visit to Magna Grecia Farm, a private ranch property in the heart of the agricultural region. Full of olive groves and farm animals, it felt like home to us. We had a light lunch of Greek food. But it turned out to be a meal of fresh bread with olive oil, briochetto with more olive oil, seasoned feta cheese slices, kalamata olives, a dish of fava beans, plenty of grilled sausages, tzatziki, and finally a dessert. Wow. We even tried the liqueur, ouzo, which tasted like licorice. Turned out to be one of those unexpected great tours.

Today, we planned to go ashore and wander around the village. Little did we know where we would end up.

As always, we began the day with a hot breakfast, then caught up with yesterday’s report. By the time we left the ship at 11am, most all of the tour groups had gone off. We had seen a total of four buses waiting to go on three different excursions.

Even though many of our buddies teased us about wearing our shorts, we knew they would be shedding their heavy jackets, hats, and scarves very soon. We remember the weather always being nice this time of year. And the way this port is situated, it is protected from the coldest of the winds.

Strolling around the pier area, we felt like we had just been here, although it was in 2012. The only difference was that we could not locate the jewelry store, where a gal from Carmel, California, created some unique items. Nothing stays the same forever.

We got to St. Nicholas Church, built in 1906. That’s where the sidewalk ended. If we kept going down towards the water, we would have run into a stretch of beach with some cafes and bars. That’s where we ran into friends Peggy and Rich, who told us about the hike they just took up the hillsides to a lovely hotel. They pointed out the directions to take the road, so we were game to try it. We had plenty of time to explore.

As long as we did not have to do stairs, it was good. However, the beginning of the road was all the way back to the ship, but the hotel was somewhere halfway back in the village, but up the hillside. So we came upon a set of stairs leading uphill. They looked innocent enough, so we took them to the first level. Thinking the road was up around the bend, we saw more stairs that led between hillside houses with lovely gardens. Did we mention the fact that today was Easter for the Greek Orthodox Church? Yes, a major holiday, everyone was barbequing lamb in one form or another. Gosh, it smelled good. We could see the plumes of smoke rising from almost every yard or rooftop.

Continuing on, we climbed more winding stairs straight up until we reached a cobbled alleyway. Since it was choked with weeds, we figured not too many people used this path. Perhaps in the ancient times, this would have been an ideal path for donkeys. Eventually it led to a graveled road, and we found ourselves at the ridgeline.

Up here, we discovered farms with orchards of olive and fruit trees, and ranches with sheep, chickens, rabbits, and dogs….guard dogs. The further up the road we walked, we eventually saw the Orizontes Hotel, the place our friends had told us about. As we approached the hotel, we saw two men at a large BBQ with two spits of meat roasting above the coals. They immediately invited us up to the garden to see the lamb cooking. Turned out one of these men was the owner, and he invited us to see his hotel.

He escorted us inside and through to the back patio. That’s where we saw Captain Jonathon, Karen, and his family that had joined the ship in Piraeus. They had a corner seating in the far end of the patio, so we waved to them, not wanting to intrude on their privacy. We took a few photos of the fabulous view of our ship down below in the blue waters of the Ionian Sea, then proceeded to leave.

That’s when the owner approached us, and said the Captain had told him of our many days sailing with HAL. He asked us all about the world cruises we had done, and where we were from. He could not have been nicer. He invited us to stay, but we thanked him for his hospitality, and continued on our way. He was very busy getting ready for the main meal of the day, as he went back to tending the BBQ.

We were not sure that if we followed this road, it would lead back to the pier. The trees were so dense up here, you could not even see the port. Two more passengers that were hiking, had come back from that road, and said it looked like it took a sharp right turn. So they headed back down another cobbled alleyway heading downhill. It had to lead somewhere.

Taking our time because it was so steep, once again we wove our way between homes and gardens on the old cobbled pathway. It was worth it to see and smell the blue flowering wisteria vines on the trellises of the local houses. More people were outside cooking now. Eventually, we came upon a set of steep stairs that led right back to town.

The funny thing is that it dropped us at a shop that was selling exactly what one of us was looking for…….an almost Burberry cashmere scarf in a black, white, and red plaid. Yes, a knock-off, but a good one. It will come in handy for the rest of the sail away parties on the back deck.

We played with the idea of getting something to eat and drink, but since most all of the places were selling seafood, we decided to eat back on the ship instead. We did walk through the shops and by the many cafes on the way back. One café owner, who was barbequing lamb, stopped us and gave a slice of the meat for us to taste. There was one lady selling some hand-made jewelry across from the shops. They were fashioned with copper wire and different colors of stones. We purchased a set from her for the price of 8 euros. Good deal and a nice souvenir from here.

We had sandwiches from our favorite sandwich maker in the Lido, and got ice creams from the cute girl who serves them every day, also in the Lido. Watching a movie, and downloading photos took the rest of the afternoon. After navigating all of those stairs, it felt great to sit down for a while.

Also, when we came back from shore, we found a surprise gift of a large photo, compliments from the special President’s Club dinner with the head honchos. We sure have been treated royally on this voyage.

A reminder that this trip is wrapping up, we had a disembarkation form to fill out for Ft. Lauderdale. Need to turn it in to let them know if we will be taking a tour, a flight, or staying in town.

Sail away came at 5:30pm, but the turnout was small. That is the beginning of dinner for the majority of the guests so they seldom get to go to these events. Once we left the pier, it did get cold, but we were bundled up with jackets and the new scarf. Worked rather well.

Tonight was dedicated to Greece with a Toga Party planned in the Crow’s Nest from 9 to 11pm. You would be surprised how many folks came dressed for dinner wearing sheets or costumes of some kind for this occasion. Very amusing. We guessed that by the time our group would arrive to that party, like 9:45 or 10pm, all of the hot appetizers and prizes would be already given away. Heard that happened last time when they had a party starting at 9pm. No fair…………….

And if you missed the Toga Party, there was Mel Mellers, who promised an amazing, amusing, and very eccentric magic show. Also supposed to be funny. We shall ask tomorrow, how funny?

Speaking of tomorrow, we will be in Sicily by noontime for our substituted port of Messina. Looking forward to it. And we will have an extra hour of rest this evening, since the clocks went back one hour. Nice.

Bill & Mary Ann

Report # 105 Messina, Italy April 13, 2015 Monday Partly sunny & 62 degrees

Several weeks ago, when it was announced that we would be missing the ports in Egypt, the city of Messina on the island of Sicily was substituted, along with the two ports in Israel. So, here we are, entering the harbor after sailing around the tip of Italy and continuing up the Straits of Messina.

The third largest city of Sicily, Messina is located on the northeast top of the island, just opposite the city of Villa San Giovanni on the mainland of Italy. It is a very busy port with military, commercial, ferry, and cruise ship traffic. From what we can see, we are the only large cruise ship here today.

Messina was founded first by the Greeks in the 8th century BC. Ferocious battles, devastating earthquakes, and disease took its toll on the population. However, they made a comeback over the centuries producing a city of diverse cultures with many signs from the past. Numerous statues, monuments, cathedrals, churches, museums, botanic gardens, forts, parks and fountains can be seen within walking distance of the port. For those who choose not to walk, a ho-ho bus or the little train cars pulled by an engine are the way to go, especially on such a nice day as today. Even old fashioned horse and buggies driven by fellows in period costumes are available to hire.

The most famous landmark is the Campanile, or the clock tower with one of the largest astronomical clocks in the world. Right next to this tower is the Chiesa del Catalani, a church with Arabic architectural influences with the famous statue of Don Juan of Austria.

All of the tours offered today through the shore excursion department went to either Taormina, a medieval city located 31 miles away, Tindari Ruins, or Mt. Etna. Taormina sits high on Mount Tauro overlooking the Ionian Sea. This town dates back to 39 AD, and has an impressive Greco-Roan theater to see. We took a tour there three years ago, but had a much longer amount of time to tour it. Since all onboard today is 5:30pm, the excursion today is a drive up there, a walk around the Corso Umberto, a pedestrian street full of shops (no bargains), and a drive back to the pier for 4 ½ hours. When we did that tour, we had a most wonderful lunch at a hotel on the way. It was perched high above the sea with breath-taking views. So there was no need to do the short version for us today.

The tour to Tindari Ruins for 4 hours, went to the city founded by the Greeks and later rebuilt by the Romans. It’s a small town with lots of buildings to tour. Free time for shopping will attract some guests. Always does. Guests with walking difficulties were warned against taking this trip. Doubt they would have a problem with the notice to wear modest attire with knees, shoulders, and midriffs covered. It was really cold outside, anyway, so most everyone bundled up.

Their last option was a drive to view majestic Mt. Etna, Europe’s most active volcano. At 11,000 feet in elevation, the drive up there is scenic with switchback roads, forests of pine tree, chestnuts, lemon groves, orchards and vineyards. The travel time up there is 2 hours, and the views are weather-dependent. From what we could see, the peaks were covered in heavy fog even at noontime, when we arrived to the port.

Even with the extra hour of sleep last night, we still got up later than usual. Sometimes the hiking in the ports, day after day, with no sea days in between, catches up with us. And since we were not arriving to Messina until noon, we were in no hurry to get going.

The sailing into the harbor was accompanied by a commentary by Barbara H. It could be heard on all outside decks and on our stateroom TV’s. It was scheduled to begin at 11am, but by the time we remembered it, we were already coming into the harbor. Walking up to the bow, we found it was really cold outside, but very refreshing with the cool, crisp breeze.

Once docked, we watched as the passengers loaded up on eight waiting buses. We would spend the afternoon in town, since we never saw much of it the last time we were here. There was a tiny terminal set of tents set up, but we were not required to walk through it. So we did not find any city maps, which would have been nice. All we had with us was the ship’s map that we had torn out of the booklet. Few of the major sites were listed, so we simply wandered around until we found the clock tower and nearby church.

Getting out of the harbor area was a chore in itself. You have to run by vendors selling scarves, magnets, and local baseball caps. Then there are the gals who were pushing the mini ho-ho bus rides. They had maps to show where they stopped, but not willing to give these maps away. We made the mistake of eating breakfast late today, so lunchtime would have to be later. Just as well, because most of the cafes and restaurants were getting full of customers. With all of the locals coming out at noon for lunch, our timing was not the best.

This city is jammed with historic buildings ….some well-preserved, but some closed, abandoned. It wasn’t until we reached the busier area of the clock tower that we saw most of the guests and staff from the ship. Bet the best pizzerias are close by here, because we saw the dining room manager and port lecturer heading into the largest one in the square.

We continued walking up a main street, but found mostly small delis, clothing, and jewelry stores. Most shops were like 7-11 or tiny bakeries. We saw one very unusual church up the street, but could not read the name on it. Across the street was a school where the kids were coming out into the playground. Good place to sit on the low wall off of the sidewalk, we rested up for a few minutes. Just then, a lady got in her compact car, and proceeded to drive away, clipping the fender of the car parked in front of her. We heard the scraping of plastic (not metal), and saw the damage to both vehicles. So did the army vehicle waiting for her to leave the parking spot. With that, she slowly drove away, and we never did see her come back to the scene.

Enough excitement for the day, we headed back towards the ship and had lunch in the Lido. The rest of the afternoon, we watched a funny movie, My Life in Ruins, all about a bus tour with 2 guides, 2 buses, and quirky passengers, much like some of the ones on this ship, touring in Greece.

It was so cool outside, and we had already taken sail in photos, we decided to skip going outside on the aft deck. The scenery may get interesting later this evening, when we will be passing by Stromboli, another active volcano in Italy. Many years ago, we sailed around this volcano during the daytime. Back then, we did see smoke coming from the peak. However, we sailed past here three or four years ago during the evening, and saw nothing. Will have to check this out after dinner tonight.

Speaking of dinner, it was good tonight. You would think the menu would tend to be on the Italian side, considering where we are located. However, tonight it was Mexican. Perfect, since we love it. We both ordered tortilla soup, and skirt steak with salsa, guacamole, soft tortillas, and seasoned rice. Really nice for a change. Rocky road ice cream and yes, lime jello with diced fruit finished the meal nicely.

The entertainment this evening was “The Look of Love” performed by the Amsterdam singers and dancers with music of Burt Bacharach. Of course, we went outside to see Stromboli, but alas, there was no sign of it anywhere, same as the last time we were here. It is there, but if there is no activity, you see nothing but darkness. What we did see in the chill of the night, were stars….many of them, promising that perhaps tomorrow will be a nice day.

And that day will be spent in the lovely city of Naples, Italy.

Bill & Mary Ann

Report # 106 Naples, Italy April 14, 2015 Tuesday Partly sunny & 63 degrees

Italy is Europe’s iconic land of effortless style and easy living. They have an unending need to be super cool and chic. From the monuments of Rome to the masterpieces from Renaissance Florence, to the romance of Venice, you find pride everywhere. Italy spares no expense to the traveler’s experience. The passion of this country never dulls, especially when you see the Amalfi Coast to the remote mountains of southern Italy.

The best time to visit: April, June, and September

The top things to see: Ancient Rome, the Colosseum, the Forum, Palantine Hill, and the Pantheon. Don’t miss the masterpieces in Florence’s Uffizi, and the statue of David at the Galleria dell Accademia. The town of Verona, famous for Romeo and Juliet romance, Venice and the Piazza od San Marco will not disappoint. Pompeii, the thriving commercial town until Mt. Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD is also a place to see.

Things to do: A walking tour of Rome will sweep you off your feet. Ski the alps, hike the Dolomites, or dive off Sardinia’s golden coast. See Sicily’s Mt. Etna, or go to the opera in Milan. Devour pasta, pizza, and wine in every part of Italy.

What is there to eat? Trippa alla Romana or tripe with potatoes, tomatoes, and pecorino cheese. Bistecca alla florentina or a t-bone steak. How about pizza in Naples…..an absolute MUST.

Drink: Wine……red, whites, rose, it doesn’t matter. It is probably drunk from breakfast through dinner and late night.

Trademarks: Renaissance arts, ancient ruins, pizza, pasta, and olive oil, espresso, Pavarotti, mad drivers, Vespas, and the world’s best ice cream.

Random fact: On average, 3000 euros a day is tossed into the Trevi Fountain, Rome’s lucky fountain, that promises a return trip to the capital in exchange for a coin. Remember the movie, Three Coins in a Fountain? Yep, that was here, and yes, we also remember it. We flipped the coins over our shoulders back in 1997, and here we are….back again for the umpteenth time.

Some things you can thank the Italians for: The invention of scissors in 100 AD by the ancient Romans. Eyeglasses in 1280 by Salvino Armati, parachutes in 1483 by Leonardo da Vinci, and the thermometer in 1593 by Galileo. The piano was invented in 1709 by Bartolomeo Cristofori. Very interesting……

Now we come to Naples, our port of call for today. People have inhabited this area since the 9th century BC, making Naples one of the oldest cities in the world. Greek and Roman ruins reflect the ancient history. Including the Medieval, Renaissance, and the Baroque periods, you can see their progression of the architecture over the centuries. The oldest opera house is Teatro di San Carlo, which is near the Galleria Umberto, a public shopping gallery with a majestic glass dome ceiling. Museums are everywhere, as are churches, cathedrals, and upscale shopping.

After seeing all of this, you can enjoy an afternoon with wine and pizza, which just happens to be the place where it was born. Yes, the margherita pizza was made for a queen by the same name, and it has been a hit worldwide ever since.

Tours we have done here include a trip to see Pompeii and Herculaneum, where lava from the volcanoes buried cities in minutes. A drive on the Amalfi Coast to Sorrento is a must do. Or take a high-speed hydrofoil craft to the beautiful Isle of Capri. We did that back in 1997, and came back with the neat wooden music boxes that played the tune “Isle of Capri”. Perhaps corny, but at least we have them for a souvenir.

Another fun tour was Piazzas and Pizza, where we toured the cities plazas and went for a pizzeria tour, where we watched how pizza was made and cooked in a wood-fired oven. At 500 to 600 degrees, these thin crust pizzas cooked in one minute flat. The biggest surprise, was that each of us got a 16 inch pizza to eat for lunch. Ever since then, we have made an effort to go to the same place every time we visit here.

There were many ships in the harbor today, but the biggest one, besides us, was the Sovereign, of the Pullmantur group. She was the former Sovereign of the Seas, a Royal Caribbean ship. It was taken over by Pullmantur in 2008, and has a gross tonnage of 73,192. The total passenger capacity is 2,733 people, and has a three star rating. There are 1153 cabins, 62 of which are balconies. It is described as a busy ship for the Spanish-speaking crowd with families. It is all inclusive in that drinks and wine, all gratuities, and port taxes are included in the fare. Also, there are no formal nights.

OK, what did we do today? Leaving the ship at 10:30am, we headed across the gangplank on deck two, and into the marble-clad terminal. This place looks more like an airport terminal, because of its size and the stores they have inside. At one end, you go down a flight of stairs to the parking lot, and follow the 3000 people heading for town. Well, almost, since some of them between the two ships probably took tours. You could take a Ho-Ho bus for 20 euros or hop in a taxi with one of the dozens of cabbies offering trips. These fellows were persistent, but nothing as bad as yesterday in Messina. A simple, no thanks, sent them to the next guest behind us.

There was a very long walk on a raised wooden bridge to get to the street from the dock area. A massive construction project had the streets torn up with a cavern being dug to China, or perhaps the Americas. We learned later that this is part of the new metro system going in. Eventually, we ended up coming out right next to the Castel Nuovo, a medieval castle built in 1279. The only map we had of Naples was the one from our booklet, so as far as identifying all of the historic sites, we cannot. Even the Info desk inside the terminal building had run out of their maps, so we would have to wing it.

From the Galleria Umberto with the vaulted glass-domed ceiling, we began our walk up one of the major pedestrian-only streets. This entire area is filled with narrow alleyways, all beginning with the street name of VIA. You can find just about everything there is in the way of everyday necessities, souvenirs, veggie and fruit markets, and meat and fish vendors. No need for big box stores here. Although there are the usual highend upscale stores in one section, many better bargains can be made on the side streets.

For a couple of hours, we kept going slowly uphill. Slowly, because there were so many locals out and about doing their shopping for the day. Don’t think we saw one person we recognized from the ship at this point. Every other store was a pizzeria, since this is what Naples is famous for. Checking out the menus at every café, we came to the conclusion that pizza is much more affordable here than back at home in California. Many of the restaurants offered take-away for pizza and a soda for 5 euro. Since it was still early, we thought we would end up at our favorite little pizza café on the other end of town. It would mean one heck of a long walk however.

By the time we reached the end of the pedestrian walkway, which by the way, was not restricted for Vespas, we had gone at least two miles. Heading back, we made it down to the beginning near the Palazzo Reale. It was here that something was going on with an ambulance and police cars. A crowd had begun to form around someone on the sidewalk, who was down on the ground. It became apparent to us, that this person had died, and the medics were attempting chest compressions. Unfortunately, this person did not make it. Coming back to this intersection two hours later, we spotted a hearse taking that person away. So sad, but it probably happens somewhere in this huge city every day. A reminder to be grateful for each and every day we spent on this earth……..

The crowds thinned out by the time we passed the huge square. Street vendors from Morocco were playing drums, and having groups of young fellows on tour dancing in the streets. While they got your attention watching this, several of their buddies came along with sunglasses, magnets, purses, belts, and costume jewelry to sell. They were very low pressure, and polite when you said no thanks.

As we followed the street along the coastline and above a small marina, it wrapped around to Via Partenope, where several of the large hotels were located. They face the Bay of Naples with a wonderful view of the ocean and the seaside traffic below. Just beyond these hotels, were a series of cafes…..all serving Italian food, of course. Most all the tables were outside, under huge umbrellas, and sure looked inviting.

What drew us in, was a waiter, who came across the street to show us a menu. Thinking that we had already hiked 5 miles, and we had a few more miles to make to Toto’s, we made the decision to stop here and try some place different. And it was a good move. We chose a table that was mostly in the sun, but still had a cool breeze. Once we sat down, we were served a flute of champagne. How civilized…… They did have margherita pizza, the most ordered pie in all of Naples. It was a bit of heaven being able to sit and relax, watching the runners, tourists, and local walk by. After enjoying one pizza that we shared, our waiter arrived with two shotglasses full of lemoncello, a delightful liquere made in Italy.

This was funny. Next door to this café, was a similar establishment. But they had a clown who worked the passing crowd. Yes, a clown with whistles, a plastic baseball bat, and even a water gun that shot a stream of water 15 feet. And yes, he used each of those to taunt the locals. Not sure how much they liked the water gun, but most seemed OK with it. Sure amused us, but we made sure we ducked out when he was at the far end, teasing others.

On the way back up the hill, we stopped for a couple of scoops of gelato, the creamiest ever. Again, we were pleased to find that it only cost 4 euro for two servings. And as much as we decided we did not need a knock-off purse (small suitcase really), we ended up bargaining for a genuine fake Prada leather handbag. The final price was too good to pass on it.

Then we walked back over the wooden-planked bridge that led to the pier. Now it was filled with vendors from Morocco selling all types of leather wallets and more designer purses. There were so many of them with their wares on blankets, that it reduced the foot traffic to one lane. Bet they made tons of sales, because the folks from the Sovereign were mostly all young, and these handbags were right up their alley for sure.

We were back to the ship by 4pm, and glad to relax in our room until the sail away. That took place in the Lido pool area from 5 to 6:30pm, and was a complimentary gourmet pizza party sail away. The staff was serving six different kinds of tantalizing? Gourmet pizza, and the beverage team was giving away house selection wines, beers, and sodas. Since we prefer to watch the ship leaving the port from the aft deck, we only took photos of the party from deck nine. Crowded and noisy, we never did join the party there. In fact, all of the reports from our buddies were negative saying the pizza was no good, and they had run out of regular pizza, and only had fish pizza left. Oh no. We passed, and no one served anything at the back deck, which was fine. If this party was like the last one, people acted badly, so we missed nothing.

The sail away was fun, although chilly. Many birds, all gulls, floated overhead, probably looking for some of that fish pizza. We did see some of the vendors feeding these seagulls on the wall this afternoon. They were very talented at catching bits of sandwiches mid-air, and flying away with it.

Dinner was fun as usual, but we were very shocked to see our friend Barb, bruised from a fall in town today. Sometimes you just don’t see those tiny steps in the dark hallways going into a restaurant. Can never be too careful, we always say.

Tomorrow will be the port of Civitavecchia for the city of Rome, another awesome day for all.

Bill & Mary Ann

Thank you so much for all these updates and reviews.

Report # 107 Civitavecchia, Italy April 15, 2015 Wednesday Partly sunny & 66 degrees Part One

If it’s Wednesday, it must be Rome. That is how our voyage has been progressing for the last week or so. It seems like we have visited a port a day….non-stop exploring. It’s fun, but oh so exhausting. The best part for us this morning, was waking up, knowing that we would not be among those who booked all day tours to Rome or the surrounding areas. For the first time visitors, Rome is a must, and we remember our previous visits quite well. So today, we plan on seeing the port of Civitavecchia, a most interesting and sometimes over-looked destination.

For those who are interested, we will give you all some info on Rome and what we have seen and done there. Rome wasn’t built in a day. The “eternal city”, as it is nicknamed, was founded in 753 BC, actually built on seven hills. The founders of ancient Rome wanted it known that this city was destined for greatness. A blend of the old and the new, you can be run over by Vespas or Maseratis near the ruins of the Coliseum, or the Pantheon. In the Vatican City, you can spend a day touring St. Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel. Walking into that church left an impression on us for life.

Things to do and see in Rome and the surrounding area: See the Vatican, the center of Catholicism…it has the most history and artwork than most cities in the world. Visit the Vatican Museum, the Sistine Chapel (no photos please, or you will be arrested) to see Michelangelo’s magnificent ceiling, but also the disturbing scenes of his impression of heaven and hell. (the really disturbing one). St. Peter’s Basilica, the largest most beautiful interior of any Christian church in the world, is drop-dead impressive. Even the detailed tiled frescos will leave you mesmerized.

The Colosseum, built in 70 AD, seats 50,000 spectors, used for bloody gladiator contests in ancient Rome. If you close your eyes, you can feel the vibes from this eerie place. You think…if only the walls could talk……. Guess we had a very good guide, a school teacher on vacation, at the time. He really impressed us with his lectures at each site.

The Trevi Fountain, where you throw in a coin, and you will return another day. Unfortunately, it is closed for restoration during our visit, and can be viewed through a glass window. Too bad, not the same.

The Spanish Steps, 138 stairs between to famous streets. Last time we saw them, they were filled with students on summer trips…they were all eating bag lunches.

The Pantheon, a temple to all gods of ancient Rome. The architecture is flawless.

Getting out of town: A visit to the pope’s summer home, situated on a pretty lake (cannot recall the name). This home is along the Appian Way, cobbled for many miles, and still used today. Not sure this home is open to the public anymore for security reason.

The Catacombs are very eerie, since they were underground tunnels where Christians practiced their religion in secret to avoid persecution. These tunnels also became a burial place as well, with their remains (simulated) seen in cubbyholes along the tunnel pathways. Completely eerie.

Tarquinia is a village built in the 7th century BC on the windy hilltops of the outskirts of Rome. It was the center of the Etruscan civilization. The highlight of this tour was seeing the burial grounds, a necropolis of thousands of tombs, many still not excavated. Another truly eerie sight.

Or stay in Civitavecchia and enjoy a day with the locals shopping and dining. So many options….so little time.

And we have some more inventions from Italy: The battery in 1800 by Alessandro Volta. The ice cream cone in 1896 by Italo Marcioni. The nuclear reactor in 1942 by Enrico Fermi. The espresso machine in 1946 by Achille Gaggia. And last but not least, liposuction in 1974 by Giorgio Fischer.

So here we are, staying in the “port of Rome” as Civitavecchia was known since the ancient times. Built between 103 and 110 AD, the city housed the goods in their warehouses for all of the surrounding areas. The harbor was surrounded by a large basin, with sides and wall, with towers and forts for protection. The basic structure has not changed since the Roman period. Over the centuries, different Popes added monuments and built new defensive structures. Some of the work done was directed by none other than Michelangelo and Bernini. Some of the most imposing structures are Forte Michelangelo and Porta Livorno, the ancient entrance to the city.

For those of us who chose not to take a tour to Rome or the other places of interest, shuttle buses were provided to take us close to town. We were not alone today. The ships the Sovereign from yesterday, and the MSC Lirica were already docked here. The Lirica is a mid-sized ship at 59,058 gross tons. She entered service in 2003 and holds up to 2069 passengers, mostly all European. There are 780 cabins, 132 of them balconies. Described as a large Euro-style informal family friendly ship, the onboard currency is the Euro and she has a four star rating, like us on the Amsterdam. For the young and lively set, they have The Blue Club, the ship’s throbbing, ear-melting discotheque. Can you imagine that on this ship? Although she is slightly smaller thaan thee Amsterdam (maximum 1653 passengers), she has many more guests. That means their space ratio is 37.5 compared to ours, at 45.4. We have much more room to stretch our legs, so to speak.

The bus dropped us off at a central bus station, but not as close to downtown as we usually are dropped. With the help of a map handed out by the local information lady. At least they did not run out of maps today. Having been here in 2011, we sort of remembered our way to the main part of town at the pedestrian walkway, the Corso Centocelle, starting from Largo Plebiscito. This street is lined with historical buildings including a very interesting museum, which has free admission. The buildings now house many shops and boutiques, surrounded with cafes and gelato shops. Somewhere in the middle of this pedestrian only street is a glass viewing square, where you can see the remains of the ancient city buried below us. Parts of broken pottery and plates add to the mysterious sight you are seeing. As many cities build up from the sea, the old cities eventually get buried. That’s a good thing, because underground, most all of the remains are preserved from the elements.

Many of the historic sites in town were destroyed during World War Two, and have been restored to what we see today. One of those sites is the Cathedral of St. Francis, built on the remains of a small Franciscan church in 1600 AD. The architecture is baroque and has two large statues of St. Francis and St. Anthony of Padua.

The next place we found was the Piazza Regina Margherita where the locals shop. It is the traditional market for the townfolk, and a fun place to visit. It is like the beating heart of the city. You can find every kind of food available, a flea market, and even bedding plants like flowers and veggies. It reminds us of the work we have in store for us when we get home…..planting a veggie garden. Wandering around the stalls of fresh produce is always nice. Some of the veggies were huge….like the bellpeppers. Never saw anything so big and bright red or green.

There were rows and rows of stalls with bakeries, cheese shops, and delis with their parma hams and salted anchovies in bowls. At one bakery, the vendor offered us a taste of her biscotti cookies, and of course, after tasting the buttery nut cookie, we had to buy a small bag of them.

Continuing on, we walked towards the water, and the park where we remembered the best pizza café we had lunch the last time we were here. Had to be 2011, but then it was raining and a very cool day. How lucky we are that today was sunny and actually warm if you found a place out of the wind. Eventually, we came out of an alleyway behind the church and past the Subway. That’s where we spotted the dining room manager, Tom, our port lecturer Barbara H with Leslie and Handler having lunch at the Ristorante Italiano da Vitale. Yep, that’s the place and everyone who knows good food knows it too.

Thinking it was a good idea to eat lunch now, we pulled up the last of the chairs at a table for two. The longer we might have waited, the more crowded it would have gotten. As it turned out, our order of margherita pizza with extra tomatoes and onion slices arrived in a short time. It was every bit as good as we had remembered. And once again, sitting in the warm sun was great.

After lunch, we went further down the beachfront and ran into a much older section of town. A row of small cafes and shops lined the walled waterfront there. However, as the time neared 2pm, it appeared that most all of the places were closed for siesta time. That would be the case all of the way back.

We ran into Joe and Roxanne, taking a short break from riding their bikes all over town. They sure have fun doing this. We chatted for some time, then we all went our different ways. Later on , usually at sail away, we will share what we all did for the day. Riding bikes, they can cover lots of ground, and can share a much different sort of experience. Of course, the only one he wished he did not have to share was the dog attack in Tonga. Lucky for him, it never happened again, and probably never will.

And what would make a meal complete, but a couple of scoops of creamy gelato? We made a stop near the main pedestrian street and soon each of us had a caramel/cherry vanilla cup of ice cream. From here, we slowly made our way back to the bus stop for the shuttle ride back to the ship.

Got back by 4pm, then worked on reports and photos until the sail away around 6:30pm. Since it was technically being held in the Crow’s Nest, only a few of us hardy folks went to the aft deck to watch. This time Rosie and Randy came out with their glasses of wine, and later joined by Randy’s sister and brother-in-law, Ed and Susie. They were all smartly dressed for the cold weather, except us. We had remained in our shorts, since the weather had been beautiful today. We did last long enough to watch the seagulls flying around us once again, and also watch the MSC Lirica sail out of the harbor at a fast clip. Once clear of the opening to the port, we headed inside.

Dinner was in the Pinnacle Grill this evening. One of us had a 7 ounce filet mignon, and one of us had an order of the lamb chops. Both entrees were excellent, cooked perfectly. We split a baked potato, then shared a bowl of mushrooms. We saved a little bit of room for dessert which was one baked Alaska, and one cheesecake. What a way to end such a nice day. Since it was so cold outside, we skipped the usual walk on the promenade deck. Now we are missing some of that warm, sticky weather in Indonesia.

A day at sea tomorrow will be most welcomed by all.

Bill & Mary Ann

If I read the blog correctly the owner of the hotel was also the pilot that came aboard to lead the ship to the dock. He owns a resturant and a hotel.

Maybe you know this.

Report # 108 Sailing Towards Cartagena, Spain April 16, 2015 Thursday Partly cloudy & 66 degrees

A sea day, finally. After so many ports in a row, we really needed this one to kick back. However, the weather was not exactly to our liking. The morning started out promising, with the overcast and high clouds clearing for a while. The sun did come out for a few hours during our walk on the promenade, even though the wind remained quite cool. Perhaps later on, it will be nice enough to sit on the aft deck.

Barbara H gave a talk all about the upcoming ports in Spain, starting with Cartagena, Malaga, and Cadiz. The only ports left after that will be in the Azores, so her job is almost at the end as far as lectures go.

A very different type of talk was conducted in the Queens Lounge this morning. The new guest speaker, Joanne Gabrynowicz introduced the crowd to the basic elements of space law. Not sure where she is going with that, but someone may be able to give us a clue later.

Our go-to officer behind the front desk, Olga, called and asked what we would like for our last President’s Club room amenities. Since the bottles of water have begun to stack up, we requested a case of diet sodas, along with the usual bouquet of flowers. She has been very consistent with calling us every two weeks for our preferences. And we will surely miss this extra attention once we go to the Disney Cruise to sail back to San Diego. As first time cruisers with the Disney Line, it will be like starting over, or like being the “pollywogs” crossing the Equator.

The Dancing With The Stars At Sea dance class and competition began today at 3pm in the Queens Lounge. This is the third year that HAL has entered into a collaboration with the most popular dance show, Dancing With The Stars. Onboard, this is a contest where the passengers can compete for a chance at a free cruise and, of course, the famed mirror ball trophy. If you win, you can go head-to-head in the finale where they will crown one guest as the 2015 champion. These contests have taken place on every ship in the HAL fleet, so there is a whole lot of competition.

There are some rules, however. You must be 21 years of age or older….definitely not a factor on this cruise. Due to some state and country laws the folks living in Arizona, Connecticut, Maryland, Nebraska, North Dakota, Vermont, and Quebec are not eligible to win, but are still encouraged to participate.

Today’s dance lesson was the waltz, taught by the Amsterdam dancers, although the description mentioned the jive. Best to begin with the waltz, we think. The judging panel will be looking for finalists at every class. Now that is pressure.

We went to the ship’s shop to check out their watches, since we have some shipboard credit to spend. Ended up buying two nice ones, with 35% off of one and 15% off the second one. Now we have no idea how much these cost at home, but it doesn’t matter, since this is something we probably would never shop for at home.

We had a good talk with our host Tom this morning. He will be hosting the South Pacific cruise in the fall, and gave us some info on some potential tablemates for that cruise. He plans on making our table his home base, but will be joining other guests as well. He also told us that one older fellow in our group had died a couple of nights ago. He had recently joined the ship in Dubai, and was not in the best of health. It is always sad to hear such news, but life continues no matter where we are.

On a lighter note, this evening was one of the last formal nights. Our tablemate Ruud, had been invited to the Captain’s Dinner in the Pinnacle Grill, and to our surprise, we were joined by the ship’s doctor, Ron and his wife, Helen. Usually on the nights with the Captain’s Dinner, all of the officers including Dr. Ron have to host tables in there. He must have had a night off, and seemed glad to sit with us. Even they agreed with us that the decorations used this evening reminded us of the flags used at a gas station. The waiters, however, were dressed for the occasion and looked like bull fighters. Deep down, we think they really like the look. The menu did have a spattering of Spanish entrees, but none of us ordered one. The BBQ chicken salad and the rack of lamb looked a whole lot better to us. And we all got little tokens from the dinner……the guys got one maraca (we asked for another one) and the ladies received a black-lace fan. Nice touch.

The scheduled entertainer this evening was supposed to be Nestor Torres, a Latin flute artist. For some unknown reason, Gene announced that he would be unable to perform this evening. We suspect it was sea sickness. So a group of four fellows already onboard, did a Beatle’s Show instead. We could hear them practicing while sitting across from the Ocean Bar at 5pm to 6pm, while visiting with Joe and Roxanne. Bet they will pack the house tonight.

Tomorrow’s port is the first one in Spain, Cartagena. Sure hope the weather improves, since it only got colder and cloudier this afternoon. Sitting on the aft deck? Absolutely not.

Bill & Mary Ann

Love reading your posts. Will you be posting any pictures?

Report # 109 Cartagena, Spain April 17, 2015 Friday Partly cloudy & 66 degrees

Spain may be Europe’s most exotic country - a mix of strange traditions and a never-ending energy that propels Spaniards into the future. Spain’s architecture, Gothic cathedrals, and the Islamic influences of Andalusia reflect these traditions. Creations of Gaudi take that a step further. The food has become iconic, a combination perhaps of three generations working in one kitchen. Celebrate one long fiesta by climbing up the jagged sierras, walk the wild coastline, watch a soul-stirring flamenco dance, or visit the world-class art galleries.

The capital of the country is Madrid, and 40,525,002 people live there. The area encompasses 194,486 square miles. The official language is Castilian Spanish.

The Best Time to Visit: May, June, September and October.

Top Things to See: The Alhambra, a long ride from Malaga, but so worth the trip to see Andalusia’s Islamic architecture. Been there, done it, and glad we did. Cordoba’s Mezquita – with 300 mosques and cathedrals. Everything Gaudi in Barcelona – the towers of La Sacrada Familia, and Gaudi’s house. Madrid’s art galleries and Santiago de Compostela’s Cathedral.

Top Things to Do: Eat tapas, hike the Pyrennes, drive the dramatic coastlines, enjoy the sun on the beaches of Mallorca and Menorca. Visit the old pueblos in the interior of Spain.

Eat: Wafer-thin slices of jamon iberico de bellota. Paella, especially in Valencia where the dish was born.

Drink: vino tinto – red wine or vino blanco – white wine or fino – sherry from Jerez de la Frontera…..Tio Pepe anyone?

Trademarks: Flamenco, paella, bullfighting, football, fiestas, Picasso, Dali, and Goya. Summer invasions of northern Europeans on the Costa del Sol.

Random fact: Spaniards spend more on food per capita than anywhere else in Europe.

Cartagena, our first Spanish port, is a very old port (223 BC). It is located on the southeast coast of Spain. Since the 16th century, it has been a major naval port and defensive harbor in the Med.

Right from the dock, we should be able to take a walking tour to see the indoor Roman Theater Museum, only recently discovered in 1988. Although destroyed during the Spanish Civil War in 1939, the ancient remains of the Cartagena Cathedral can be seen. Hiking up to Conception Hill, you get the panoramic view of the city and harbor to the Byzantine Rampart or the old sea wall. This castle was used as a shelter from air raids. You end up at Muralla Punica, the remains of the old wall, built in 227 BC, which protected the people from the Carthagian occupation.

We have never taken the time to tour the city of Cartagena, because we went on a tour to visit Elche, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, an hour out of the port city. You travel through mostly agricultural acreage where our guide said many melon waters were grown. Took us a while to figure out she meant “watermelons”. Of course, someone immediately corrected her mistake with the English, and she said that she had trouble putting the description first, and not second, like they do in Spanish. Funny how some things you never forget, as she handled the comment quite well.

At Elche, we toured part of an area containing 250,000 palm trees…one of the largest palm forests in southern Europe. Another thing we will always remember was almost getting left behind after our group was given free time to explore the park. Unknown to us, everyone had come back early (too cold). Our escorts had taken them back to the bus, which was blocks away and around the corner, out of sight. So when we came back exactly on time, we saw no one, no bus. We knew that if we waited, someone would surely come. They did within a ½ hour, but in the meantime it was not a good feeling trying to figure out how we could get back to the port an hour away. They did apologize profusely once they figured out their count was off by two people. At least we got to take more photos of the Imperial Palms with many trunks…..world famous.

So we arrived to the old port around 9am to see that the Eurodam had already gotten there ahead of us by 2 hours. She is still considered a large luxury ship with a gross tonnage of 86,273. Christened in 2008, she holds a maximum of 2671 passengers. There are 1052 cabins, with 708 of those balcony rooms. With the two ships moored nose-to-nose, they took up the entire docking space for cruise ships in this harbor. Quite an impressive site. Too bad we were not able to visit the ship, because we have never been on an HAL ship of that size. Always nice to be able to compare them. Back in 2011, we were docked next to the Nieuw Amsterdam, and at that time, we were able to tour each other’s ships. But then, we had signed up ahead of time, and the passport numbers were on a manifest to clear us. Unfortunately at that time, we had been on an all-day trip to Elche, and got back right before the sail away. So we never saw her.

We waited until 10:30am to leave the ship. There was an excellent information kiosk at the gate, where they gave us a very detailed map of the city. The docent there gave directions for a self-walking tour that would take about 4 hours to complete. Following her directions, we found the elevator that took people up to the Concepcion Castle, built in the 17th century using Roman ruins. She had told us that we could hike up there using the side streets, so that’s what we decided to do. And a hike it was, following steep narrow lanes that switched back and forth and eventually to the top. Once at the top we had a panoramic view of the city and the harbor….360 degree view. Now we could spot every major historical site in the city. Never realized how big Cartagena is.

On one side of this castle is the remains of a Roman Theater, and nearby, is a new arena built for modern-day concerts. Looking down from the opposite side, we could see an old bullring, the Technical University, the old fish market, parts of the old defensive walls of the city, and many church steeples. Actually, we will remember the exact time we summited the castle, because all of the bells in the towers chimed noontime. That was preceded by a cannon going off somewhere near the entrance to the harbor.

If we continued to the very top building of the castle, there was a museum. But since it was indoors, we nixed the visit there, and stayed outside in the warm sun. After taking a whole lot of photos, we found the staircase that led down towards the main pedestrian shopping area of Cartagena. There seemed to be hundreds of marble stairs, and most of them we quite steep. Some areas had hand railings, while the majority of the staircases had none.

When we got down to the street level, all we had to do was follow the signs on the corners, and we found the main street. We ran right into Barb, Ellen, and Aart and a friend of his. They were already settled in with their beers, and their ipads. Must be free WIFI here. In fact we saw lots of the crew and passengers in town doing the same thing. We stopped and chatted for a while, then continued on to the main drag.

Since we have never seen this part of town, we were pleasantly surprised. It reminded us of the last two stops with the pedestrian-only streets lined with shops, cafes, and bars. Only here, it was nicely done with brick-sized granite rocks and slate. The shops were mostly all boutique and higher-end than the last few stops. Did not appear to be any bargains here, or craft markets. Walking towards the end of this shopping mall, we found a sidewalk café that served pizza and paella. The name was Il Caffe de Roma, and they offered a dozen types of a rectangular pizza. The one closest to the kind we prefer was a cheese and ham pizza. It arrived on a metal baking tray, piping hot, and placed in a wooden holder. With it was a cutter made like a tomahawk. We laughed when or waiter took it, then rocked it back and forth over the pizza to cut it into “tapa-sized” pieces. He only went halfway, then said the rest was up to us. With that, he brought us two tall beers, ice cold. We were set. The other food they served here was paella…..several different varieties. One of those was called negre, and looked like it had black rice. Reading the menu closer, we discovered it had squid ink to give it that color. Guess it is an acquired taste.

We still had a little room for dessert, so we asked for that menu. They had a list of a dozen types of gelato to choose from. We picked a bowl with chocolate and coffee ice cream with Kit Kat bars crushed over it. It was served on a bed of whipped cream. Glad we shared just one.

The sun had left the patio, and it was getting cooler by the minute. Time to go, we walked further up to the end of the walkway. At that point, we turned around and made our way back, going up and down all of the side streets. Back to the harbor, we took more photos of the monuments and historical buildings there off of the main square. By now, many groups of uniformed school kids were coming on tour to this district, crowding the streets even more.

Taking our time walking back to the ship, we noticed there were dozens of red or pink jellyfish in the waters of the marina. They were floating everywhere the closer we looked. Perhaps they attract larger fish, or even the dolphins. We would find out later on if we would see more sealife. Strangely, we have seen none since we started into the Mediterranean Sea after leaving the Suez Canal.

The Eurodam left shortly after 3:30pm, then it was our turn at about 6pm. Going to the aft deck, we watching the pleasant sail out of the historic harbor, while listening to the band play music for Darcy to sing. This time, the crowd, mostly ladies, got into the swing of things, and danced to almost every song from the 60’s and 70’s. Always fun to watch.

By the time most everyone left the deck, we began seeing the dolphins jumping alongside the ship. They were not the really large ones, but did jump in small numbers as we sailed away. Really nice to see, finally.

Dinnertime found us all there. Ruud did not have the best Captain’s Dinner last night, since he knew no one at the table. We have learned from past experience to check with Tina, the manager, and request our host and tablemates for that special night. Sure saves a lot of stress. Tonight our entrees were great. The roasted half chicken was moist and tasty, while the Asian noodle dish was perfect with a sliced grilled chicken breast.

Tomorrow’s port is Malaga, where we plan a day similar to today’s. Hope the weather is as nice as it was in Cartagena…..warm and sunny.

Bill & Mary Ann

Were can I find the photos of your trip that you have been taking?

Report # 110 Malaga, Spain April 18, 2015 Saturday Partly cloudy & 73 degrees

The day began with a Happy Birthday sign on the door and a bunch of cards……yes, it was Bill’s birthday today. It was a nice beginning of a great day spent in the country of Spain.

Our port of call for today was Malaga, a city of ½ million residents. Having been here several times in the past years, we have always gone out of the area on shore excursions. So we had no idea how large this city really was. Malaga is situated on the Costa Del Sol, 60 miles away from the Strait of Gibraltar. The fifth largest city in Spain, it dates back to 770 BC, making it one of the oldest cities in the Mediterranean. It is also the second busiest cruise ports in Spain. Malaga and the nearby resort of Marbella, boasts a sub-tropical climate, making it one of the warmest spots in Europe during the winter months. Pablo Picasso was born here, and a museum dedicated to him is located in the center of town.

Places to see: The Picasso Museum, where oddly enough, the ruins of the oldest Phoenician city can be seen from the basement. The Roman Theater, dating back to the first century, which was not discovered until the mid- 20th century. The Alcazaba, or the citadel, the best preserved citadel which now houses the archaeological museum. Right near the harbor is the Malaga Cathedral, which took three centuries to construct. It is called “The One Armed Lady”, since one of the towers was never completed. There is the Castle of Gibralfaro over-looking the city and harbor. The Plaza de Torres, which is the old bull ring that holds 15 thousand spectators. Today, only the façade of the ring is visible, but the interior is a fully functional football stadium. And the Church of Santiago dates back to 1490.

Places we have toured out of town: Granada, the site of the famous 14th century Alhambra, a Muslim fortress. Surrounded by walls and towers, inside the structure you will find palaces, military buildings, and an administrative center. Its beauty lies within the interior where you see beautiful detailed mosaics, prism-style cupolas, and stonecast latticework done with marble and blue tiles. Terraced gardens with fountains surround the summer residence of the Moorish kings. Travel time to Granada is 2 ½ hours each way, but we remember it was well worth the time.

Mijas, a white town village built on the top of the mountainside was another nice tour we took out of Malaga. We got a taste of the Spanish countryside with this tour, and also a look at the feather-decorated donkeys they have up there that are used for rides.

Other tours available were a ride to the resort area of Marbella. We found out that if we had gone there, we could have found a Hard Rock Café, and a chance to buy a city t-shirt. Oh well, maybe next time.

There was also a visit to Cordoba, an 8 ½ hour day.

Favorite food in Malaga: You can go to the old quarter of the city to find fried fish, white garlic, almond soup, Malaga salad, potato and fish soup with vinegar, and many delicious wines from all over Spain.

What did we do today? After breakfast, we left the ship, crossing over the bridge that tied us to the terminal on deck three, then found our way to the waiting shuttle bus. The first thing we noticed was that the Regent’s Mariner was in port with us. We crossed paths in the beginning of the trip, and here we are again. We had some really fun-filled months traveling on that ship around South America and also around New Zealand many years back. The Mariner is “all-incluso” now….very elegant, but very expensive too.

The shuttle bus dropped us off right across from the main pedestrian walkway and the Malaga Cathedral up the road. There was an information booth at the bus drop, but they were overwhelmed with customers. At least we had a good walking map given to us by the bus driver.

The majority of the crowd was walking across the street, so we figured that was the right way to begin our hike. This town is so full of historic sites, that it would take more than a few days to see them all. Having about six hours, we had to be picky. So we headed up the pedestrian walkway towards the shopping district, sprinkled with the old buildings from past centuries. Ducking in and out of stores, we ended coming out at Pablo Picasso’s Museum. He is most famous for his paintings, but also for the fact that he was born and christened here in the 19th century. We happened to come out at Plaza le Merced very near the Castle of Gibralfaro. There was something mystical about seeing this imposing structure so far up the mountain, that it seemed to be calling us up there.

The history of this imposing castle dates back to the Phoenician period. Abderraman the 3rd, created a fortress on the existing ruins at the top of the mountain. He added a lighthouse (now gone), which the Arabs called Yabul Farah, meaning the mount of the lighthouse. In 1340, Nazari King Yusuf the 1st, extended the grounds and built a castle. This is a powder keg and an exhibition which shows the everyday military life in the castle. In 1487, the castle was conquered by Catholic kings, who used it as a prison for the defeated Muslims. It was destroyed in 1812 by the French Army and only recently restored.

So, we began our hike up an innocent-looking side road , hoping it eventually led to a path that would take us to the top. There was an obvious side road with a series of stairways, but it was blocked off with a rod iron gate. The steep switchback rocked path began ascending rapidly once we went through the tunnel. Although the pathway went up rapidly, we certainly did not. One of us had a hard time , going 20 feet at a time, just a to catch a breath. Seemed like it took forever, but the view from every level was spectacular. It was worth the overwhelming hike to enjoy the most impressive views over the city and the bay of Malaga.

Once we summited the top, we walked into the turnaround plaza with souvenir shops and the ubiquitous Ho-Ho bus. We figured there was an easier way to get up here. But now, we have bragging rights along with a handful of other brave guests from our ship and also the Mariner, who hiked up and back (also difficult) and survived it.

Once down at the bottom where we began, we found our way back to our reward……….lunch at Malaga Ciao for a margherita pizza and a shared entrée of linguine with Bolognese sauce. The best part of the meal were the two tall beers, ice cold, and most appreciated at this point.

Walking back, we took in more of the historical sites such as the Malaga Cathedral, which is massive, but unfinished due to lack of funds in 1782, leaving the south tower undone. If the church doors were opened, we would have taken a peek on the inside. However, they wanted 5 euro to do that (no photos allowed), so we were happy to take the photos outside instead.

It had been a long day, so we hopped on the waiting shuttle bus, and rode back to the terminal. Had lots of photos to download and research to do to keep up-to-date with the reports. And besides, it was nice to relax for a little bit before sail away.

Normally, the sail away festivities are announced throughout the ship. Today, all we heard was static coming from the speaker in our room. It was already after 6pm, and the party should have started at 5:30, the all onboard time. Something was wrong.

Turned out that the PA system was having problems, and it did not work. Captain Jonathon said he would not sail until it was functioning perfectly. He did some testing with it, found it was back in working order, and we began our sail out of the harbor by 7pm.

Now the good thing about the delay, was that from the aft deck, we could watch a young couple flying a drone over the ship. First time we ever saw that. Assuming there is a camera in that little flying machine, it hovered over the decks, before being brought down in the parking lot down below. Sure did attract a lot of attention from us. Guess there is no law preventing the intrusion into our privacy, because there was no attempt on shore to stop them. Even though the Mariner was docked directly across from us, he did not fly it over them.

Once out of the confines of the harbor, it got really chilly, so we bailed down to continue the work in our warm room.

Dinner for us was in the Pinnacle Grill….a birthday celebration. We both ordered the lamb and skinny French fries, which were delicious. Before we had a chance to see the dessert menu, a small chocolate cake, decorated for Bill’s birthday arrived with the waiters in tow to give their best wishes. With a small scoop of vanilla ice cream, we enjoyed every bite. Great way to end a marathon day. Unknown to us, they had wrapped the remainder of the cake in foil, but we were gone by the time they brought it out. Within two minutes of getting back to the room, there was a knock on the door, and our waiter was standing with the foil-wrapped cake. Very nice, we thought.

Another surprise, were the two Steiff bears named Alex, in a blue and white striped ditty bag….so adorable. They are always a welcomed gift for the whole world cruisers. And toad to that, the final bouquet of flowers from being President’s Club members arrived along with some sodas. It was a day of cards and gifts.

Tomorrow, we will be in Cadiz, the final port of Spain.

Bill & Mary Ann

Happy birthday to Bill. Thx for the update.

Report # 111 Cadiz, Spain April 19, 2015 Sunday Partly cloudy & 73 degrees Part # 1

The first order of the day is to wish Bill, our son, a very happy birthday!!

The Amsterdam slipped into the port of Cadiz early this morning when the sun was coming up. Cadiz is a Spanish naval port and has been one since the 18th century. It is the oldest continuously inhabited city of the Iberian Peninsula dating back as far as 1100 BC. The Old Town within the remnants of the ancient city walls, has a series of winding streets where you can easily get lost.

What is there to see? Museums, churches, cathedrals, a Roman Theater, castles, parks, and plazas. It seems that every time we stop here, it is on a Sunday, and many places were closed or only opened for a few hours. That will probably be the case today as well.

Getting out of town, you can visit Seville, Spain’s fourth largest city. Or you can go to the sherry capital of the world at Jerez de la Frontera. Another very nice tour from here is to see the Andalusian horses at the Royal Andalusia School of Equestrian Arts. We took that excursion back in 2001, and actually got to see the full performance of the horse show. Fabulous was the only way to describe it.

Another fun tour was a short one with a walk through the old city, ending with a flamenco dance and tapas at a local café.

Today we hope to find a suitable place for lunch, and since we have always been on tours, we never had lunch on our own here before. Usually pizza is our target, but we do know their favorite foods are dogfish, flounder, sole, tuna, John Dory, king prawns, crab claws, and sea snails. Yep, we shall look for pizza.

We left the ship around 10:30am. Noticing how extra chilly it was on deck after we ate breakfast, we toyed with the idea of taking jackets with us. However, we knew it would warm up once we started walking into the Old Town. Some older folks even teased us when they saw us wearing shorts, but we knew that being dressed for Alaska would not work today. We took a gamble, and it turned out that the weather could not have been more perfect. Glad we left the heavy stuff back in our room.

It became apparent that the city folk were not up yet, as most everything was closed this morning. In Spain, we have learned that most locals are not morning people, but night owls. And we also suspect that Saturday night is probably saved for party time. Even the tourist kiosk was not opened yet, and there were two ships in town….us and what looked like the Legend of the Seas, an RCI vessel. Without a map, we sort of knew our way around town, but a street map sure would have helped. The ship’s map is basic, but is missing a whole lot of detail. And many times, the information on those maps is obsolete. Little did we know that our hike would take us completely around the entire peninsula….full circle so to speak, a total of 7 kilometers, not counting the walk up and down and back and forth in the interior.

We began with a walk to the main square, but then veered back to the Bay of Cadiz, once we found that most everything was closed. Old growth trees lined the streets too. Several local people were fishing from the sea wall here. We reached the end of this park, and found ourselves at Baluarte de la Candelaria, one of the old bastions of the city. It panned out to be a good stop for restrooms.

Continuing up the high sea wall, we found ourselves at a beautiful garden called Parque Genoves , the city’s botanical garden. It followed the Bahia de Cadiz on one side. That was where we ran into a nice fellow that raised racing pigeons. He had a pigeon house, similar to the ones we saw while transiting the Suez Canal. Just our luck he was outside filling a tub with fresh water for the birds to bathe in. Seeing our interest, and the fact that we were taking photos, he came over and introduced himself. He glowed with pride, talking about his racing pigeons, each one banded with a number and also a microchip. That way, he can keep track of each bird’s timing from point A to point B. The distance they fly is about 100 kilometers, but sometimes, it can be much further. He claimed to have only lost a few birds over the years to seagulls, who compete for the food. He added that the biggest danger to his birds were the wind generators which line the hillsides outside of Cadiz. He was about ready to open up the door to the house to let in all of his birds, so we left him to his work. Very lucky encounter, since we have also raised homing pigeons, and have had them fly over 60 miles away from our home. They beat us back to their pen before we got back by car, over an hour’s drive away. Pretty hard to believe.

We ran into friends Ken and Edna, who were also walking like us. They shared their map with us, that showed another information kiosk was close by. We did find it by the beach at Playa de la Caleta, right near the Castle of Santa Catalina. Walking the wall above the beach, we noticed that the tide was out and the boats were stranded in the mud. Halfway down this beach was a former La Palma Spa, in the shape of a Moorish building. Down at the end of the beach was another castle by the name of San Sebastion. You had to walk out a long road to reach it, since it was a built an island with a very tall lighthouse.

We had reached the tip of this peninsula, and the road turned. We followed the sea wall, well above the crashing waves on the wall. Now we were facing the Atlantic Ocean. Down below the wall were large stones, manmade to help protect the old sea wall from water erosion. Living among these large rocks were many cats. There has to be a food source for them, which we suspect are rats and mice. Someone saw fit to place some cat boxes made from wood along the wall, which we think may be used by the pregnant females. The cats looked very docile, but we are certain they are all feral.

Eventually, this part of the walk was a very long one, but it did end up at the back of the Cadiz Cathedral, built in the Baroque fashion. We have toured this church a few years ago, and found there was a museum in it that housed priceless jewels. But before we continued on, we needed to make a pit stop. Restrooms were marked on the map, but we could not locate them at first. It was then that we found the tiny round kiosk actually hid a portable toilet. For .20 cents euro, you could use it. We put the coin in, but the door only opened an inch, then stuck. Prying it opened, it was a squeeze to get in, but I did. Now I was worried about getting out. And I had all of the coins, so Bill could not open it without the 20 cent piece. Duh….. Cannot imagine being stuck in something not much larger than a big light pole. Didn’t know how to work the buttons ( directions? All in Spanish), and since the door was ajar, nothing worked anyway. Bill took a turn, but found when he closed the door, it locked. Now it worked correctly, and following directions the door opened up. Always learning something new…….how not to get stuck in a portable restroom.

Following directions given to us by the young info worker back at the kiosk, we located the Pizzeria Osare off of Calle Columela, which was off of Plaza de la Candelaria. If it had not been for asking the young info gal for directions, we never would have found this place. It was small for a café, but had the most important thing to cook great pizza……..the wood-fired brick oven. Assuming the pizzas were a personal size at 4 euro, we both ordered one…..margherita, of course. We were surprised when they came and were over 14 inches in diameter. Good thing they were thin crust, and baked perfectly. We were happy campers when the pint beers arrived. They were only 2.50 euro each. So lunch was a bargain today.

But we were not done quite yet. There was room for gelato, which we found at Plaza San Francisco at El Mantecao, a small ice cream stand. This could easily become a very bad habit. Hard to pass by such nice treats as this. Along the way, we stopped in a bakery, and picked up six almond butter cookies. So good…..

We made our way back towards the Plaza de San Juan de Dios, the main square in the old city. The massive town hall looms over the square of diners and drinkers at the sidewalk cafes. We wandered up and down some of the side streets on our way back to the ship.

We ended up back on the ship after 4pm, where we rested up while working on photos and reports. The sail away was delayed because one or more of the buses from the Seville tour was late. We actually left closer to 7pm. Once out of the harbor, we hit choppy waters and very cold winds. So we did not hang around too long.

Dinner came at 8pm, but it was still light outside. We would definitely be due for a time change tonight, we prayed. Tom M, our host and friend, joined us for a belated birthday celebration. That came with a special pineapple-upside down cake decorated with whipped cream. Great way to spend a birthday with nice tablemates and good company, and a raucous birthday song by the waiters.

And yes, we did have one hour to put back on the clocks tonight. After our long walk today, we believe we earned it.

We now can look forward to two days at sea, while we sail towards the Azores of Portugal. Hope the weather holds up. Back in Cartagena, we ran into former cruisers we remembered from the Statendam. They had just come transatlantic and reported that they had run into force 11 conditions……higher than hurricane winds. Surely by now, that system would have passed, right?

Bill & Mary Ann

Report # 112 Sailing Towards Ponta Delgada, Portugal April 20, 2015 Monday Partly cloudy & 63 degrees

Well, here we are, sailing across the Atlantic Ocean, on our way towards the Azores. Captain Mercer has already mentioned something about running into a system heading towards the archipelago right now. We are experiencing deep swells and high winds, making walking outside on deck three rather difficult and downright cold. It is unnerving to watch the horizon disappear as we walk towards the aft on the ship. Not much different than riding on a merry-go-round horse. It is something to remember when you book a room. The further forward or the aft will give you a much different ride. And the higher you go, the more movement you get. Since our room is located low and more center, we don’t seem to feel the motion until we go outside and actually see it.

Sometimes it helps to read the daily newsletter ahead of time. We missed the short meeting of the 2016 word cruise passengers who have booked the trip. It was held in the atrium on deck three at 9am with coffee and croissants. It was hosted by Thom and Tina, the future cruise consultants. Too bad we were still at breakfast in the dining room, or we would have gone.

Sea day ship life went forward today with Barbara H giving a talk on the upcoming ports of Ponta Delgada and Horta, Azores, Portugal. The morning guest speaker, George Fisher, gave a lecture on the founding father of the American Navy.

Probably the last Mongolian Cookout was held in the Lido pool area from 11:30am to 2pm. They would have to close the retractable ceiling, or the wind would carry the food away. It still remains a popular venue.

The afternoon speaker, Joanne Gabrynowicz talked more about space law, and how it has evolved for half a century.

Dancing with the Stars at Sea continued today with a class to learn the cha-cha. The ship’s dancers teach the moves in a very short time, then the contestants dance for the judging panel. They pick the finalists that will compete for the “Mirror Ball” later in the cruise. We heard that the ones that have been chosen have been the flamboyant and smiling ones.

Since there would be no pool time today, we ended up watching two movies…one in the morning, and one during lunchtime. We ordered room service salads and a cheeseburger. Very good as always.

There was also an art auction, which has been fairly low-keyed this trip. On shorter cruises, we see much more of these auctions. Today’s event included free champagne, and a chance to win prizes. It did attract some of our friends, who admitted later that the prices were started quite high, in their opinion. It is not one of our hobbies, so we cannot give an opinion on it. We just know that more is involved when you buy something such as shipping charges, and extra taxes and fees when you get home. So unless you know your prices, it could turn out to be an expensive activity. Of course, the best reason to purchase art is if you like it, then buy it.

Future cruises are being pushed now with several flyers arriving to our room almost daily. The best deals can be booked now with a minimum deposit. And most of those are completely refundable if you change your mind. We always put a few deposits on cruises we know we will do, and that way we can get our same room, and usually the best prices and perks. Later on, sometimes it appears that the cruises are a better deal, for instance, when they offer a drink package for the duration. If you compare the per diem, usually the “extra perks” deals cost much more. Or if that suits you better, you get to drink a whole lot more than you think you could or should.

Izabella Zebrowska, a violinist, was the entertainer this evening. We heard most of her performance while visiting with friends outside the Ocean Bar at 6pm.

And we got to put the clocks back one more hour tonight. We are now 5 hours ahead of New York time. That is going to catch up with us soon.

Bill & Mary Ann

We know that you have several more days left on

this world cruise, but we want to thank you for

taking the time to post your travels. We have

enjoyed them and taking some notes to use

when we visit some of the ports. We have

enjoyed hearing about the perks from the

Presidents Club. We do hope that you

will post -possible when you return home

your impressions of your cruise to the west coast.

We will interesting in hearing your thoughts. Again,

have a enjoyable cruise across the Atlantic.

Where will you post about the Disney cruise? Continuing here or on the Disney forum? Have loved all your long and detailed posts! Thank you!

Report # 113 Sailing Towards Ponta Delgada, Portugal April 21, 2015 Tuesday Partly cloudy & 63 degrees

Well, today was a typical cold day as we sailed westerly towards the Azores. The seas have remained rough with deep swells that have kept the ship rocking and rolling all night, and today too. Being that one of the upcoming ports, Horta, is a tender port, we are having serious doubts that we will be able to get ashore there. While we were walking this morning, with just a handful of passengers we might add, a letter had been left for us in our room.

It was from Captain Jonathon and it said that due to a low-pressure depression, the Amsterdam will be in the middle of the swells and winds from the 22nd to the 24th of April. Our second stop on the Azores, Horta, will experience “awful” weather with up to 4 meter swells and 25 to 30 knots of wind gusting. Going along with his strong suggestion, the head honchos in Seattle agreed to cancel the port of Horta, and spend one night and an extra day in Ponta Delgada. The bad news is that the awful weather will still be with us even in the port for two days, but at least we will not be at sea in the worst of it.

We had a little something different in mind such as, skipping Horta, but sailing towards Half Moon Cay, in the Bahamas, for a day. Wishful thinking, but it would have worked for us. At least there will an extra day for folks to book a choice of two added tours for that second day.

Since the biggest event for us today was getting some sun at the aft deck, we might as well get a jump on the country of Portugal. The capital is Lisbon, and the total area is 35, 547 square miles. The population of Portuguese and Mirandese-speaking people is 10,707,924. It is also the final country we will visit before arriving back to the good old USA.

Portugal is a slow-paced, siesta filled place that lays in the Iberian sun. This city can be compared to a very pretty lady with palm-lined plazas, brightly-colored houses, and ivory white domes.

It is full of stylish boutiques, edgy bars, and dining hideouts that line the tangle of cobblestone streets. You can find medieval castles, white-washed villages, old fashioned wine estates, and rambling cork groves in the interior of the country.

Up north, you will find granite peaks, river valleys, and virgin forest. Locals are family-orientated and exuberantly gracious to visitors. And that barely describes the beauty of the Azores, the islands off of the coast where we are headed.

The Best Time to Visit? March to June, and September, and July and August to bake in the sun on the beaches.

Top Things to See: The views from Lisbon’s Castelo de Sao Jorge. The tourist icon of Portugal – Torre de Belem in Lisbon’s Belem quarter. Modern art, Moorish architecture, and fairy tale palaces in Sintra. And the walled 14th century Evora, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Top Things to Do: Visit their ultra-cool bars, restaurants, and clubs down dusty alleys in Lisbon. Look around Alfama, a charming old-timer. Hike the rugged peaks of Parque National de Peneda in Geres.

What’s there to eat? Caldeirada, a seafood stew, cataplana, seafood and rice stew cooked in a copper pot.

Drinks? Legendary tipple in Porto and wine with every meal. Try a vintage port from the Douro Valley.

Trademarks: Football, salted cod, cork, and wine.

Random fact: The sleeves-up people of Porto have an old saying about the country’s biggest cities. Porto works, Coimbra studies, Braga prays, and Lisbon plays. Guess they have their priorities right…..

And now, we will have two days to see what we can in this one city. We have been here back in 2007, and did the tours to the volcanoes and highest peaks. Very dramatic. Very steep. But beautiful.

The guest speaker once again dealt with the subject of European Space Law and its evolution since the 1970’s. Also George Fisher spoke about the first circumnavigation of the world by Ferdinand Magellan.

The Grand Dollar redemption took place for ½ hour in the Hudson Room this afternoon. People could exchange their hard-earned dollars for exclusive Grand World Voyage prizes. Too bad it was on a first-come first served basis. Our tablemates have come up with some ways to improve the distribution of these dam dollars on future cruises. The games and events held to earn these dollars have become brutally competitive. Driving some folks to cheat, or so we have heard. The downside of handing out merchandise is that those in line first get the best stuff. Availability is based on first-come, first served basis. When they run out of certain popular items, you are out of luck.

Dancing with the Stars at Sea had the contestants dancing the jive. Bet that was a hard one, if not impossible. Today’s class and competition was the final one, so sometime after we leave the Azores, the dance-off will begin. Should be interesting.

Dinner time found four of us, since Barb had an invite elsewhere. We ordered the prime rib, and although it was not over-the-top great, it was tasty enough and ample.

We heard that the “Beatles” singing show was on again tonight. They seemed to be a hit the last time they played. Seems like yesterday that we were listening to that music day and night, except “yesterday” was in the 1960’s.

Keeping our fingers crossed for no rain tomorrow, but that might be asking too much.

Bill & Mary Ann

PS Thanks for your positive comments! We shall continue posting here for the Disney Cruise......stay tuned......

Happy birthday to Bill. Thx for the update.

Happy Birthday Bill and thank you for posting.

As your cruise is winding down I wanted to take the time to thank you for all your posts. You have filled many a winter day with pleasant "envious" reading. Thank YOU!!

I also follow your Captain's blog. He gives us a different point of view of the cruise. So when I read his posts and yours I understand the cruise from his most difficult job at times. Especially when it comes to docking the ship sometimes....it's nail biting.

It is our dream someday to take such a cruise, thank you for taking us along. I look forward to your impressions of the Disney Cruise. Friends have gone and have loved it. I'm sure you will get a jolt of energy just watching all those children.

Safe Travels,

Sandy

Report # 114 Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal April 22, 2015 Wednesday Chance of showers & 60 degrees

We had a pretty bumpy ride as the Amsterdam entered the port of Ponta Delgada very early this morning. The wind was blowing a gale, just as the Captain had said yesterday. Once safely alongside the pier, we watched as the Regal Princess backed into the harbor, and docked directly across from us. This ship is huge with a capital H. At 141,000 gross tons, she holds from 3560 to 4610 passengers, with a total of 1346 crew members. There are 1780 cabins, 1438 of those are balconies. The Regal is the sister to the Royal Princess of the Grand Class of ships. An interesting fact is that there are dance hosts on all of her cruises. We heard later on that bad seas and adverse weather landed her here today, as they were unable to dock in Ireland, after a transatlantic crossing from Halifax, Canada.

Ponta Delgada is located on the island of Sao Miguel, one of the nine islands in the archipelago of the Azores. Once a fishing village in the mid 1400’s, it became the capital after the original one was leveled by a devastating earthquake.

Back in 2007, while on the world cruise, we had a surprise visit here, after some ports in the Med were cancelled. We remember it being a very unique destination compared to the rest of the European ports we had just visited. Happy to finally make it back here.

So what is there to see? Three major churches…St. Sebastion, St. Peter’s, and St. Joseph from the 15th to the 18th centuries. Town Hall with a 17th century bell tower. A harrowing ride up the volcanic peaks, 1900 feet above sea level. The many lakes in the craters…some green and others blue. Deep plunging canyons, and rivers in the gorges. Those with problems with heights may have trouble going to Sete Cidades and the Furnas Valley. That is, unless there is fog, when you cannot see the views.

Another tour offers a zodiac boat ride to see 59 foot and 44 ton sperm whales, or humpbacks, minke, blue, or sei whales. Six species of dolphins may be viewed…..maybe, because all of the wildlife sightings are likely, but not guaranteed. Since the waters are so rough, we doubt that tour happened.

There is a large mall and also a market with fresh produce, fish, and handicrafts. Some of the items that can be found here are embroidery, lace items, corn husk dolls, and scrimshaw carvings on whale bone. They also do framed art and jewelry made from the smallest fish scales. We bought a pendant here in 2007 that was made from the scales in the design of flowers on black velvet and covered with glass like a cameo pendant. Finding some matching earrings would be great, since we have never seen these crafts anywhere else in the world.

So with all this information, we headed off of the ship after 10am. Despite many dark clouds and strong winds, it was not raining, although it might. We could see enough blue sky, that we left the umbrellas behind. A handy map and a brochure helped us find our way to most of these sites previously described.

Finding St. Sebastion’s Church was really easy, because it was directly across the main avenue from the harbor. From there, the cobbled and rock-decorated alleyways and impossibly narrow sidewalks were difficult to figure out. For one thing, the name of the roads and side streets change every block. So trying to locate the local produce market was like finding a needle in the haystack. Between other folks asking us directions, and us inquiring from some locals, we eventually stumbled upon the building. It was a lucky find, since besides the colorful fruit, veggies, and fish market, there were souvenir stalls. And a few of them were selling local handicrafts that included the fish scale earrings I was looking for. Not expensive, but a nice keepsake of possibly a disappearing form of art.

That was when the first of several showers blew over the town. Seems that they hit quickly, but are gone just as fast. By the time we toured the market and took our photos, the rain had stopped. From here, we made our way to all of the sites we could find on the map. High on the hillside, we located both gardens of two palaces….one was The Jose do Canto Palace with a 3.50 euro entrance fee, and right next to it, the Palace and Gardens of Santa Ana with a fee of 1 euro. We were able to take pictures of the grounds from the bottom, and decided tomorrow would be a better day to explore the grounds.

At this point, we ran into walking buddies from the ship, who had just come from the Parque Atlantico, their large 3 story modern mall with large chain stores, a food court, and a huge grocery store. Our friends had mentioned picking up some salt and vinegar potato chips, and we were sold. Since we have exhausted our snack supplies, we headed for the mall for some similar purchases. The upper level had a very decent food court with recognizable fast food places like Burger King, Pizza Hut, KFC, and many more. The big draw here for most of the passengers from both ships? Free WIFI, of course. Packs the folks in like sardines. For us, it was still too early for lunch, so we continued on with our hike.

Stopping at some parks, past the library and archives, churches, and hidden side alleyways full of pastel-colored houses with decorative balconies, we found our way downtown in the pedestrian-only shopping district. With dozens of boutiques, cafes, bars, and restaurants crowding the squares around the Town Hall, we found them to be full of too many people. The Town Hall was neat. It was the former home of a very wealthy merchant and his family back in the 17th century. It has the tallest bell tower, that can be seem from all over the city.

Most of the cafes were small, and served primarily fish, with some pork entrees, as well as hamburgers called hamburguers. All of those places were full of customers. We did run into Barbie, Aart and Ellen enjoying the local beer. It started to sprinkle, threatening rain at this point, so we continued looking for a suitable place for lunch. Never finding one, we walked back to the ship and ordered cheeseburgers. It worked for us, and the price was certainly right.

After doing some computer work, we headed back out around 4pm to walk the sea wall past the swimming pool and small boat marina. Despite the wind blowing a gale, we bundled up and walked fast. The reward was being able to see the two ships docked across from each other, along with the wave activity on the coastline, which was impressive. The spray blew up the heavily-rocked wall as we walked for about 2 miles. We even had a chance to talk to some locals who were here to photograph the huge Regal Princess. They told us that two ships in port never happens. Many asked us when that ship was leaving tonight, but we did not know. As it turned out, the Regal left, with her horns playing a song, at about 6:30pm. As she cleared the pier, we saw half of a rainbow that she had been blocking over the ocean. Yes, she is that big, but nothing like some of the RCI ships that have a gross tonnage of 225,000. Now that is really BIG.

We finally warmed up by dinnertime, and enjoyed our appetizers of almond crusted chicken tenders and the entrees of beef brisket with mashed potatoes. Good old home cooking works for us every time. And the rain came down in buckets by 8pm, continuing all throughout dinner. Rainbows appeared and disappeared before sunset. Sure hope the storm passes over this evening.

We heard that the entertainers last night, The “Beatles”, drew another rowdy crowd, some of whom threw underwear on the stage. Red ladies underwear. Wonder if the same will happen with the singer Heather Sullivan tonight? Sure hope not.

With one more day in port tomorrow, that will wrap up the last of the ports for this world cruise. Sure went by fast for us………………….

Bill & Mary Ann

It sure went fast for us here at home. Its so good to know that you will continue to post on this site when you transfer to Disney. Can't wait to here your comparison between the two ships.

Bill & Marianne, I wish there was a way to tell you how much I myself have enjoyed this cruise you have shared with us over the past months. Its the first thing I do in the morning and am always disappointed when there isn't a posting from you. Though I will never see most of the sights you have visited I feel I have "seen" them because of the two of you.

Helen

A little correction on the Regal's route to the Azores. We skipped Halifax due to a storm in the North Atlantic and sailed directly to the Azores from Fort Lauderdale. Cork in Ireland is our next port.

Bill & Marianne,

I will also miss your postings...it has been wonderful seeing the world thru your eyes..your writing has been so interesting and informative..I have so enjoyed sharing the trip with you both.

thanks so much!:)

I appreciate your efforts very much. I've enjoyed this thread a lot. Thank you.

and thank you Maryianne & Bill!!!

I along with many others that have enjoyed & learned about your world cruise through your most informative & entertaining posts these past few months & prior years cruises They certainly are the best of the best here on CC and a daily gift to those here on land.

Personally I have been taking note of the restaurants you enjoyed along the way for 2 reasons - first because I am looking to book a WC and we all know how hard it is to find good local eateries... and secondly , being a New Yorker the pizza issue is big(along w/ bagels - but that's another issue) so your note of good pizza around the globe is an official guide for us New Yorkers(you know other than Italy we have the best pizza).

Thank you once again and I wish you full moon & smooth seas on your journey home. Your efforts have been so generous and have brought insight, laughs & has fed a thirst for travel.

Bon Voyage & thank you both.