tennisbeforewine

Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Stanley,  Falkland Islands - I don’t think so!

John and I are now 1 for 3; we’ve had The Falklands on our itinerary three times and actually were able to land only once.  When we awoke this morning, the seas seemed fairly calm, so we thought that Captain Jonathan was right; he’d told us that he’d give it his best try.  Tender tickets were handed out beginning at 7:30; when I got there our ticket number was 7, indicating that we’d board our tender about 8:30.  

Then the news came.  Captain Jonathan announced that the harbormaster had contacted him to say that the seas were quite rough and that waves were breaking over the tender platform.  That put paid to our intentions, and everyone was assured that their HAL tours would be refunded to their accounts.

In addition to our little ship, there was the Celebrity Eclipse, holding about 2800 passengers, 200 of whom had already been tendered to shore.  After the harbormaster made his decision, they had to bring their chicks back to the nest and we watched as tenders tried to align themselves with the ship - a difficult task in this weather.   Finally our captain decided to just sail around them and leave, but the entrance to the bay is so narrow that we only cleared them by about 200 feet.  

Now, by actual count, we’ll have ten straight sea days from Montevideo, including four which are our “Antarctic Experience” but which don’t include going ashore.  Actually, by international rules, ships with more than 500 passengers may not go ashore in Antarctica,   If you really want to set foot on Antarctica, you may sign up for an HAL shore excursion from Punta Arenas, Chile to Frei Base, Antarctica.  It costs $3,599, and if weather prevents the flight, a tour to Torres del Paine  is substituted, at a cost of $1,199, resulting in a $2400 refund and a great disappointment.  We’ve never even been tempted - not for that kind of money.

* * *

Last evening was the second Sommelier Dinner with a French theme.  The food was wonderful and the wines chosen to pair with each course were perfect.  We began with a foie gras terrine paired with a late harvest sauvignon blanc from Chile.  We didn’t think a sweet wine would work at the beginning of a meal since they’re usually served with dessert, but the combination was perfect.  

Course number two was soup - not regular soup by any means. It was oxtail consomme filled with vegetables, served in a little cast iron pot and covered with puff pastry.  When you poked a spoon through the pastry, steam and a wonderful aroma emerged.  There was no wine with the soup.

The fish course was butter poached lobster served on a parsnip puree with a bit of foam on the side.  I really don’t like turnips, and for a long time I assumed that a vegetable with a similar name must taste the same, but I really do like parsnips.  I just don’t run into them very frequently.  The lobster was excellent, and it was paired with (I love this name) Rupert and Rothchild Baroness Nadine Chardonnay from South Africa.  Generally I really dislike chardonnay; I refer to myself as an ABC wine drinker - anything but chardonnay.  However, this one had very little oaky flavor, and I managed it quite well.  

Then it was time for the “palate cleanser.”  I thought this was the most creative course.  The chef had cut apples into wedges, removed the “meat” of each wedge, used it to create an apple sorbet, and then molded it back atop the skin of the wedge and froze it to create the appearance of an apple wedge but actually being a very flavorful sorbet.  Yummm!

We reached the climax of the meal and it was time for the main course.  Paired with Long Shadow Pedestal Merlot from Washington, it was a small filet mignon and a large tortellini filled with chopped beef tongue.  While I have nothing personally against beef tongue, I was not unhappy that my bit of pasta wrapping it was a bit too firm to cut.  I just focused on the filet and the creamed quinoa underneath it.  Now you’d think that creamed quinoa would be something like creamed corn (and IMHO totally disgusting), but it was just a little creamy and had some very nice spices flavoring it.  I ate every bit.

Finally it was time for dessert, always my favorite course.  The name of it was “Textures of Mango,” and that’s exactly what it was.  One part of the plate had mango sorbet, another part had a creamy mango “pudding,” and part was a jelled strip of mango - what we called “fruit leather” when our daughter was small.  Since mango is my current favorite fruit, the combination was a hit with me.  If that wasn’t good enough, it was accompanied by Le Grand Courtage Brut, a wonderful French sparkling rose.  Since it’s also on our wine package, I think a bottle will be in order fairly soon.

Before I had a chance to sample the cheeses and chocolates brought around to each table, John had waved them away, much to my disappointment.  I have to admit I was stuffed by then, but what difference should that make?

We had booked a table for two as a “date night,” but midway through dinner we were joined by Henk, the Hotel Manager, who has been a friend through many cruises.  He stayed, drank the Merlot and chatted with us until we were all very politely kicked out at the end of the meal.  Since we always enjoy his company, it was a pleasure to have him keep us company.  

So . . . today becomes another sea day, the first of eight until we set foot on land in Ushuaia, Argentina, the southernmost city in the world.  When we’re there, it always seems like the coldest, too.  More sea days - heaven, even if we’ve had to break out the sweaters and down jackets.  

Monday, January 27, 2020

At Sea en route to Stanley, Falkland Islands

Two days ago it was 85 degrees in Montevideo; today is’s barely 50 degrees at sea, with waves so strong that the Lido pool is permanently in a “surf’s up” situation.  We all walk more carefully, holding onto railings where possible.  I really feel for those passengers who suffer from motion sickness; I’m sure some of them don’t even leave their cabins.  We do love the motion, and instead of keeping me awake at night (as a friend complained), it seems to make both of us sleep better.  Nothing like taking us back to the cradle!

Because of the heavy weather, which always seems to be prevalent around the Falklands, there is some question about whether we’ll be able to go ashore tomorrow.  As I mentioned earlier, it’s a tender port so the requirements are quite a bit higher.  We’ve had The Falklands on our itinerary twice before, but we’ve only been able to go ashore once.  In fact, our friend Eloise had been on four or 

five cruises and never been able to go ashore until she was with us.  We’ll just have to wait and see.

Since yesterday was a Sunday and a sea day, it was once again time for brunch.  We’re always guaranteed our regular table as long as we arrive when brunch begins at 11:00.  The routine is always the same, with a “cold sampler,” followed by the main course, or “hot sampler,” then followed by the “Sweet Ending Sampler.”  The food is excellent and the selections are just so cute and tiny.  There are apparently five rotations of menus, so yesterday was #2.  Some tasty mimosas complete a wonderful meal.   

Last evening was a Gala Night with a black and white theme, so we got ourselves all fancied up and headed to the Crow’s Nest.  A man in the hallway passed us and said, “If you’re headed for the show, it’s been cancelled.”  The Amsterdam Singers and Dancers were scheduled for last evening in a show called “Dance,” and it’s just not smart to dance with this kind of weather.  Surprisingly, they didn’t replace it, though.  Usually any cancelled show would have another in its place, or at the very least a movie, but not last night.

Since it was “officer night,” we had two really lovely young ladies hosting our table.  Isolda is the Assistant Cruise Director and Claudia is the computer teacher.  Coincidentally, they’re both from Monterrey, Mexico, although Claudia and her family moved to Texas (where her dad is an engineer) when she was eight.  We’d met them both earlier, and they’re both bubbly and outgoing and perfect company throughout dinner.  

We’ve got a new dinner “game” which was a gift from Will and Nancy.  It’s called “Do You Remember?” and it’s a little metal box filled with 50 cards.  Each has a question on it.  Last night’s were “What was your first kiss” and “What was a family tradition that you remember fondly?”  It’s a great way to encourage conversation (not that we need that), but it also includes everyone, since we go around the table answering (or trying to answer) each question.  Since it’s my game, I made an arbitrary decision that we’d do two cards each evening, preferably between dinner and dessert.  Everyone seems to love it and we’ve had some great discussions resulting from it.

Since we’re heading into cold (and then colder) weather, our “pillow gift” last night was a matching set of scarf, gloves, and beanie.  I had packed the scarf and gloves, but I was glad to see that beanie.  My IPhone weather app tells me that the current temperature in Antarctica is -15 degrees - yes, that’s 15 degrees below zero.  When we’ve been here before I loved walking outside to appreciate the frigid beauty of the place, but I’d better remember to dress for it.  

P. S.  Apparently cannabis is quite legal in Uruguay, and John couldn't resist the photo in front of an advertisement.  

Saturday, January 25, 2020

Montevideo, Uruguay

This is our third trip to Montevideo, and we like it just as much as we did the first two.  It’s the capital of Uruguay and has half of the country’s three million people.  It’s nice being here in their summer, with school out and many people away on vacation, resulting in a quiet city.

The city is extremely walkable, with several traffic-free streets.  We began the morning with our usual stroll, finding Avenida 25 de Mayo easily, with stores just opening at 10:00.  Locals were setting up small market booths along the street, and pedestrians had not yet crowded the area on a Saturday morning.  I found a second-hand store and, while I tried on a few things, nothing “spoke to me,” so I left empty handed.  Our friend Nancy always comes out of these kinds of stores looking wonderful, but I guess it’s not my lucky day.  

Since It was almost 11:00 by then and my stomach was telling me that it needed nourishment, I was only too happy to find a Starbucks ready to provide it.  While I love little sidewalk cafes all over the world for my cappuccinos, I know that those that I buy at Starbucks will always be exactly as I like them.  While there we ran into our friends Larry and Bill from the San Francisco Bay Area, and after a short chat, we headed back out to see what we could find.

Finally, at about 12:30, it was time to head to The Market, our usual lunch stop in Montevideo.  The first time we were here, we thought The Market was a collection of fruit and vegetable stands inside a huge metal building.  When we entered, however, we found out how wrong we were.  Throughout this structure, all you find is a collection of small restaurants and grills which worship the art of beef and pork.  The fires are burning, and the steaks, ribs, chicken, sausage and their relatives are merrily cooking.  

On our maiden voyage to The Market, we decided on La Chacra Del Puerto because it looked the best.  There were no tables available, so we sat at the bar and put in our orders.  We didn’t know what to drink, but the guys there suggested a couple of glasses of Media y Media, a lovely frizzante white wine.  

Since then, we’ve always bellied up to the bar, both to watch the cooks tend the fire and the meats and to chat as much as we could with our limited Spanish and their limited English.  Today was no different and lunch was wonderful.  As someone who generally skips over any beef choice, this is my once in a great while adventure, and I make sure to enjoy it thoroughly.  Having finished off our large plates of grilled steer and a bottle of Media y Media, it was time to head back to the ship for a well-deserved nap.  

Since Montevideo is the beginning of our second segment, it was time for another evacuation drill, disliked by most passengers but willingly attended in the interest of safety. Having finished that, many headed upstairs for our sailaway on the back deck.Today is Chinese New Year, so the Lido is decorated with bright lanterns and stuffed dragons.  I’ll have to find something that fits in, although I don’t think the dining room is joining in the celebration.

Now, after three port days in a row, we head into two sea days and then, hopefully, tender into The Falkland Islands.  We’ve had them on our itinerary twice on previous cruises and once succeeded in going ashore.  It’s going to get cold soon, and The Falklands will begin that experience.

Friday, January 24, 2020

Buenos Aires, Argentina

What a busy and vibrant city this is.  We’ve been here a couple of times, been to two different tango shows, used the time to visit Colonia, a World Heritage City, as well as traveling to Iguazu Falls, a true wonder, but this time we’re here with friends who’ve never visited, so we decided to see the city slowly.

Using Toursbylocals.com, we set up a half-day tour with Mercedes, a native of Buenos Aires who knows the city frontwards and backwards, as well as knowing the history of every part of the city.  We met outside the port exit, introduced ourselves, and were off.  Will had expressed a wish to see some interesting architecture, so we walked through a beautiful area of the city dotted with 19th Century mansions.  Some were now embassies, one was a grand hotel, and a couple are actually still family homes.  

As we continued, we learned about the founding of Buenos Aires and the declaration of independence in 1822 (I think).  For almost a century, Argentina had a strong economy but then, in the 20th Century, military rule took over and problems began.  We were entertained by the story of Juan and Eva Duarte Peron (Evita) and how they formed a team which, on the one hand, was supportive of the military (Juan), but on the other hand fought for the rights of the workers and women (Eva).  Eva died of cancer at the age of 32, and her fame and popularity were so widespread that her enemies shipped her body to Italy, where she was buried under a false name.  It sounds like the plot for a novel.  Several years later, she was discovered, brought back to Argentina, and buried in her (Duarte) family crypt.  She is still considered a heroine in Argentina.  

Our walk continued, but after almost three hours in 90 degree heat, we were ready for a break, so Mercedes led us to La Biela, a coffee shop and cafe founded in the 1920’s.  We enjoyed beverages (of various varieties), pastries, toasted sandwiches, and all kinds of snacks.  Two “men” greeted us outside - in plaster, and when we walked in, two more of their “friends” were seated at a table near the door.  We spent a pleasant hour there and then continued on.

Across the street was one of the highlights of Buenos Aires, Recoleto Cemetery, where Eva Peron will spend eternity.  Instead of plots of land with headstones, to which we’re accustomed, there are acres and acres of concrete, marble, and adobe “houses,” some of which contain caskets and others have urns with ashes.  We’ve been here before, but I had forgotten that most of these crypts go down three stories, with a lot of space for generations of families.  It’s a fascinating place.

By then, we had been walking for more than four hours and five miles (thank you, IPhone app), so we hopped on the bus and headed back to the pier.  We thanked Mercedes both verbally and financially, and then boarded the shuttle for the short ride back to the ship.  It had been a wonderful tour, excellent exercise, and a great lesson in Buenos Aires and Argentinean history.

Many times in ports the ship brings in cultural shows, and last night was no different.  We had a three-person group called “Pampas Devil’s Gauchos,” and the large audience (uncommon for the late show) was enthralled.  They treated us to tango, Argentinean tap dancing (almost nothing like our tap dancing), and, best of all (in my opinion), the use of bolas, or small  balls on long strings which are flung around in amazing patterns and, along with taps on their boots, create patterns of sounds that had the audience at the edge of their seats.

It was a wonderful day in port, and the only improvement could have been two days in port.  

Thursday, January 23, 2020

Punta del Este, Uruguay

Serendipity:  the phenomenon of finding agreeable things not sought for or expected.  

Today was an excellent example of serendipity.  We’d never been to Punta del Este and really didn’t expect much of it except another Uruguayan port.  Boy were we wrong!  A wonderful port was not expected, but that’s what we found.  This is a great deal like a port on the French Riviera, with rich South Americans making it their summer home and condos with wonderful sea views costing more than we could afford.  The tender ride into the port was only about 15 minutes, and the weather was perfect:  blue skies and low 80’s.  

Since Punta del Este is a peninsula between the Atlantic Ocean and the Rio de la Plata, we decided to walk from one end to the other and see as much as possible.   My IPhone app tells me that we walked 6.8 miles and over 17,000 steps, so I think we did see as much as possible.  The Rambla General Jose Artigas is a boulevard which circles the peninsula, and we walked up one side of it and, eventually, down the other.  In between, we wandered side streets and the main shopping street, Avenida Gorlero, home of every upscale brand you can imagine.  We found the city to be clean, the people friendly, and the shops very expensive.  I found a sundress that I thought I might like, but when I got out my calculator and found that it cost $350, I decided that I’d just keep looking.

We did do a bit of shopping, though, but only in a small way.  I had forgotten to bring bobby pins, of all things, but I found them in a small pharmacy/beauty shop.  Because of the wind on Deck 9, pickleball has been out of the question and John and friends have been playing deck tennis.  Since that sport uses tennis balls, he felt bad that our Spanish friend Alex had provided all of them, so we found a sports store and bought two cans.  We also had a postcard for our granddaughter from Rio, so we bought one from this beautiful town and headed to the local post office (carreo) to buy stamps and mail them.  We’ll be in Montevideo, Uruguay in two days, so we just bought extra Uruguayan stamps.  

When we walked to the Atlantic side of the peninsula, we discovered a large sculpture park, but even more interesting, we found “The Hand.”  I don’t know its real name, but in a sand dune overlooking the ocean, an artist has sculpted five fingers - or at least the tops of them - sticking out of the sand.  It really is fascinating.  

Then it was time for lunch, and John wanted to go back to a little restaurant/coffee shop which advertised itself as having “The Best Chivito in Punta del Este.”  What is chivito, you ask?  We did too, and it turns out that it’s a multi-meat sandwich, made with a variety of types of meat but always including some beef (since this IS South America).  We had to have one, of course, and when we saw the size of our neighbor’s sandwich, we decided to share.  It contained a thin, grilled steak topped with cheese, ham, bacon, tomato and lettuce and sitting inside a wonderful ciabatta roll.  All I can say is Yummmmm!  It came with cooked potatoes that were little wedges, lightly salted, and way too easy to eat.  They may not make the best chivito in town, but we were very pleased with the one they served us.

By then it was time to head back to the tender.  This port had some unusual times; we arrived at 7:00 and the all aboard was at 2:30.  The captain explained that we need three hours to to the mouth of the Rio Plata and then twelve hours to get to Buenos Aires, tomorrow’s port.  

I do love discovering new places, but seldom do I find one where I ask myself, “I wonder what kind of a condo I could rent for a couple of weeks on AirBnB?”  This was the perfect vacation spot, and the great numbers of vacationers and summer residents illustrated that point.  There are many other ports I’ve loved, but this is one I won’t forget.

Tuesday, January 21, 2020

At Sea en route to Punta del Este, Uruguay

We continue our course southward, headed for Uruguay, Buenos Aires, and then Montevideo, Uruguay.  It’s easy to tell that we’re in a hemisphere which is in the midst of summer,  When the sun shone in our windows this morning we assumed it was “wakey, wakey” time, but when I looked at the clock it was only 5:30, so I headed over to the curtains, closed them securely, and went back to sleep.  It reminds me of sleeping on a yacht/hotel in Stockholm once when we were awakened by the sun shining in our faces at 3:30 in the morning.

I’m still fighting with the internet from time to time, as it can be both slow and frustrating.  The text parts are not so much a problem now, but uploading photos requires that I sit in the library near the ship’s main server and bring a book to read while they very slooooly appear on the website.  This location, while seeming to take forever (last night 6 photos took an hour to upload), requires that I bring a book with me.  At least that’s given me an opportunity to finish my Book Club selection early.  Actually, however, I do prefer this year’s internet over the system which required us to buy minutes (which were never enough).  Now we simply pay for the entire cruise and can log on whenever we choose.  It also makes it easier to keep in telephone contact with home, since our conversations with our daughter’s family usually last about 30 minutes on What’s App.  

When I answered the question about how many passengers were on for the full world cruise, it turns out I underestimated.  While talking to Henk, the Hotel Director, at the sailaway yesterday, he told us that of almost 1300 passengers, 1200 are full world cruisers.  Only 13 are disembarking (and embarking) at Buenos Aires, the end of our first segment.  In Sydney, which usually has about a hundred, there are only 30 passengers off and on.  On previous world cruises, the number of passengers usually declined as passengers disembarked, once arriving in Ft. Lauderdale with fewer than 1000 passengers, but Henk said that he expects to arrive in Ft. Lauderdale with a full ship.  As of right now, we have only two empty staterooms, and I think they’re full of empty luggage.

Our friend Jacques, the Cellar Master, sets up Sommelier Dinners in the Pinnacle restaurant.  A few years ago there were only about three per cruise, but on this cruise there will be three per month.  We skipped the first one, but we’re signed up for next week’s dinner, called Moulin Rouge.  It has a French theme and since we love all things French, we’re looking forward to it.  

The other thing we’re looking forward to is having the Tango people come on board.  They put on such wonderful shows and encourage many people to attend the dance lessons at which they instruct us in the finer points of tango.  My only disappointment is spending only one day in Buenos Aires, but we’re planning to take full advantage of it by being signed up for a walking tour through Tours by Locals.  We did this the last time and saw a great deal of the city, both by walking and using public transportation, including the oldest subway system in South America and Cafe Tortoni, the oldest cafe in Argentina. 

Since I didn’t get to include photos of some of the beautiful wall art at the port in Rio, I’m going to show you more of it today.  Enjoy!

Monday, January 20, 2020 - Happy MLK Day

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

What’s better than a day in Rio?  Two days in Rio, of course.  We had planned for today to be less intensive than yesterday, and we succeeded in our goal.  When we parted with Carla yesterday, she said “I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”  We figured we could use another half day of touring, including a trip to Corcovado, the mountain on which stands Christ the Redeemer.  

When we found the Ben Brothers shop in the terminal, Carla waved at us, but her boss came to tell us that while they’d be happy to shuttle us to Ipanema, home of their main store, we wouldn’t have a tour guide and vehicle available.  We read between the lines and realized that we hadn’t spent enough at the store yesterday to justify another day of touring.  Oh well.  

One of the nearby tour companies told us what a wonderful job they would do of taking us to Corcovado for only $48.00 US per person, but of course that didn’t include the $12.00 ticket to the statue.  We decided we needed a group meeting, so we kept walking and were set upon by the taxi drivers, who had offers aplenty for us.  One of them, Andreas, who spoke almost no English, was very low key and offered us a half-day tour for $30.00 each, including the entry ticket.  It’s amazing how much communication can take place with just a few words and hand gestures. He would drive us up the hill, pay for our tickets, and then meet us when we were ready to leave.  Such a deal!  We took him up on it, and then hopped into his van for Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride.  As we raced through the streets of Rio, we realized that for Andreas, red lights were mere suggestions.  When we headed up the mountain, turns were taken at head-spinning speeds.  What an adventure!

When we were here in 2012, our CSI tour included a nice train ride up the mountain and then enough time to see the statue and take the requisite photos.  This time, we drove up the mountain and somehow Andreas talked to the guard in charge to allow us to drive clear to the entrance.  I guess it’s not what you know but . . . 

Disneyland has nothing on Corcovado in organizing groups.  Our tickets told us the number of our group and what time we should line up.  We had to wait all of ten minutes and at exactly 9:55, we were sent down some ramps to board vans which took us up to the statue itself.  

The statue of Christ the Redeemer does inspire awe.  It’s the tallest art deco statue in the world at 98 feet atop a 25-foot base, and Christ’s horizontally outstretched arms span 92 feet.   It was begun in 1921 and completed in 1931.  It’s made of soapstone and concrete atop a granite base.  The crowds which flock there each day take millions of photos, many with their hands outstretched and many while lying on the concrete viewing platforms to take advantage of the best view.  

We spent about an hour there and then headed down to the ticket office to meet Andreas.  Our “wild ride” resumed in reverse, and before we knew it we were back at the ship. Lunch was in order, followed by a walk of the port in order to spend our remaining 102 Brazilian Real, worth about $25.00 US.  By the time we returned to the ship, John had a new Brazilian tee shirt, I had a fancy black top advertising Copacabana Beach in rhinestones (I’ve never had a top with rhinestones), and we had two boxes of chocolates.  I would have just changed the money at the front desk (even though the exchange rates are terrible), but they had announced that they were not exchanging Real.  

A nap was definitely in order, and afterwards I had enough time to finish my Book Club selection before it was time for the sailaway party.  One of my favorite things about cruising is watching the ship push away from the dock; it feels like we’re heading into areas unknown.  Today was no different.  The best thing about this particular sailaway was that Captain Jonathan took us on a slow “drive” around the bay, enabling us to get good views (and photos) of Sugar Loaf Mountain and Christ the Redeemer.  Lots of friends were around, including our old friend Henk, the Hotel Manager, so we chatted and wandered and then spent quite a bit of time getting acquainted with the new Food and Beverage Manager, Roland.  He’s Dutch but his wife is Chilean, and he’s really looking forward to our port of San Antonio, Chile, when she and his six-year-old daughter come aboard for a month.  His daughter is already tri-lingual, speaking Dutch, English, and Spanish fluently.   

We now have two sea days coming up (Hooray!) and although this was a wonderful port, I’m looking forward to the rest.

S.  Thank you for your concerns about John.  He’s recovering slowly and may even try a little pickleball or paddle tennis tomorrow.  He’s missing them.  

The photos of murals I’ve included yesterday and today are from the walls near the port.  There are some incredibly talented artists who have contributed them.  

Also, we had a wonderful walk through the port, including a stop at the largest aquarium in South America as well as a Ferris wheel fashioned after the London Eye.  

Sunday, January 19, 2020

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Rio - What can I say?  It’s huge (12 million people), old (lots of colonial buildings), new (the ultra-modern Museum of Tomorrow is right next to the ship), and the energy never stops.  We’ve been here once before, in 2012, when we visited the “Big Two,” Sugar Loaf Mountain and Corcovado, home of  Christ the Redeemer.  We drove past Copacabana and Ipanema Beaches and had lunch at a crazily decorated restaurant where purses had to be clipped under tables to avoid “snatch and grab” thieves.  

This time, we were offered a “free” two day tour by Ben Brothers, one of the local jewelers, so we took them up on it.  Unfortunately, our “free” tour only cost us about $500.00 - but who’s counting?  More about that later.

We met Carla, our guide, at 9:00 this morning and headed out in our 12-passenger van to the Cathedral of St. Sebastian, designed by Oscar Niemeyer, an enormous structure that resembles a beehive gone crazy.  The interior, we were told, seats 20,000 worshippers, and its stained glass windows are beautiful.  We then continued to St. Candelaria, oldest church in Rio and the church of the rich and famous.  We’d visited those churches before, but our next stop, the Escadaria Selaron, was a new attraction for us.  Between 1990 and 2013, Jorge Selaron asked people from all over the world to provide tiles to cover 215 steps up a hillside between buildings.  There are over 2000 tiles from over 60 countries.  We saw a row of Holland America tiles, several from San Francisco and San Diego, and lots and lots of others.  Since today is part of a three-day weekend, the place was mobbed, and people stood in line to have their photos taken on the steps.  

Then it was time for lunch, so we headed to Copacabana Beach and, coincidentally, Carla suggested the same restaurant we’d visited eight years earlier.  Marius is absolutely unique; it has nautical decorations jammed in everywhere.  The ladies’ room had sand on the floor, sinks which are huge clamshells, and a ceiling covered with seashells.  The food is wonderful, too.  Diners help themselves to a huge array of appetizers, everything from cubes of avocado to fish soup to spicy shrimp to oysters.  Then, as you’re trying to eat your way through your (way too full) plate, the waiters begin coming around with the “real” meal.  There were two types of fish, grilled sirloin, grilled lamb chops, grilled T-bone steak, enormous grilled shrimp, and so on.  Oh my.  I was so full that tonight is the first time this cruise when I’ve skipped dinner and am writing instead.  Then we asked for the bill.  Oh my again!  It turned out that we paid more than we’ve ever paid for lunch except for one memorable meal at Jules Verne restaurant at the Eiffel Tower.    All six of us decided to write it off as a “cultural experience.”  

Then it was time to pay the piper.  We headed to the jeweler’s headquarters where each couple met with an “expert” in jewelry, but of course the point was to have us buy something.  If you ever do this, please remember that “no” is a very effective word.  Unfortunately, we didn’t think about that until later.  Our friends learned it well and didn’t buy a thing.  We did, however, get a beautiful gift for a dear friend. 

It was finally time to return to the ship, $500 poorer but richer for wonderful experiences.  We never got to Christ the Redeemer, but that will no doubt be our first stop tomorrow morning.

Friday, January 17

At Sea en route to Rio de Janeiro

As usual on a day after a hot and humid port, it’s pretty darned quiet on board this morning.  Even though the gym was almost completely full, the only noise was that of the torture machines . . . I guess I mean fitness machines.  Sitting on the Lido for breakfast with Rich and John, it was still fairly quiet.  Tonight will no doubt be different, though.

This evening is our third gala night in less than two weeks.  That’s really a lot, but after this one I think it’s almost two weeks before we have another one.  John and I like dressing up, but we have friends who dislike it so much that they always have dinner in the Lido so they don’t have to change out of shorts and tee shirts.  Of course that does make it easier (and lighter) to pack.

. . . . .

Continued on Saturday, January 18

The Gala Night turned out to be pretty interesting.  The ship’s description was, “Gold, Glitz, and Gleam Gala:  a great night to let it shine for wealth, grandeur and prosperity.”

As I looked around in the Crow’s Nest, I remember thinking that if I had a dollar for every sequin on display, I could sail in the ship’s penthouse for the rest of my life.  A few women were wearing long dresses, primarily in gold, completely covered in sequins.  A Dutch couple we’ve met, Jan and Leon, prepared well for every special event on this cruise.  Last night they wore sequin covered dinner jackets, one in blue and one in red.  Our friend Nancy had a short, gold-sequin-covered dress, but she wanted “a little extra,” so she went into the dining room while they were decorating with gold streamers, snagged a few, and added a shiny gold fringe to her dress.  It was spectacular. Not to be satisfied with just that, she took some of the gold fringe and added it to Will’s shoulders, creating some impressive epaulets.  Captain Jonathan told Will that now he must outrank him, so Will was now in charge of the ship!

I’m always amused by the fact that a gala night provides some consistencies on the menu.  If there are men in tuxedos, there will be surf and turf, escargot, and some kind of souffle as choices.  My choices were a bit different.  My first course was a chicken and soba noodle soup - much better than Campbell’s chicken noodle.  For a main, I had the mushroom risotto, since risotto is one of my favorite dishes.  Nancy ordered it too, explaining, “I really like rice.”  However, she’d never had risotto and after a few bites, she asked, “Why is it so mushy?”  I don’t think risotto will be on her list of favorite dishes after tonight.  

John’s main was five-spice lamb chops, and the bite he shared with me was excellent.  For dessert, we decided to share the vanilla souffle, but since Leslie, on his other side, had ordered two (!) desserts, he also shared with her, since both of hers were chocolate.  I love the way they serve a souffle, hot out of the oven with a small pitcher of warm sauce to pour over it.  Last night’s sauce was like a thin custard, and I didn’t let a bit of it go to waste.

We managed to leave the dining room shortly after 9:30 so we could get to the show almost on time.  The entertainer was Tim Abel, a pianist and raconteur (I don’t get to use that word very often) whom we had seen on last year’s WC.  We’d run into him on our way into the Crow’s Nest, and he’s just as friendly and pleasant as can be.  His piano playing is excellent, and the songs are interspersed with stories about his career and his young days in Newcastle, UK.  I do love his accent, too.  

After the show, it was time to call home, and we really are enjoying the ability to keep in touch with our daughter’s family while we’re away.  We’re using What’s App, an app that costs nothing and only requires that we be online to use it.  Since the ship’s internet, while still not anything to write home about, is all-inclusive, we can call any time we’re online, only being aware of the time difference.  Since we’re now five hours ahead of California time, we simply adjust and chat.  

Since this is the second of our two sea days before Rio, I plan to take full advantage.  I’d love to finish my book (right now I’m at 225 out of 500) so that I’m ready for book club, get in a bit more exercise, and catch up with some friends.  I might even get to this afternoon’s movie, Judy, a biopic of Judy Garland starring Renee Zellwegger. At least I’ll try to get in a short nap, always a hit on sea days.   

Thursday, January 16

Recife, Brazil

Well . . . it started out to be a good day.  Recife is a city of about four million (including the outlying suburbs) and sailing in reminds me of New York City with all the high rises.  The weather was beautiful (but a bit hot and humid for me).  Six of us had decided to take a taxi to Olinda, a suburb which is a World Heritage City based on its beautiful colonial buildings.  The shuttle took us into the city, specifically to the Casa de Cultura, a former prison in which the cells have been made into little shops selling Brazilian arts and crafts.  Several years ago we came here with our friend Sky and we had lunch in one of the “cells” on the second floor.  It’s quite an experience.

Our purpose was to find ourselves a taxi, so we went through the building to the street where they were located.  As we were negotiating with the driver, a young man and woman (probably early 20’s) ran up to Will and grabbed the heavy gold cross which he wears all the time.  They just ripped it off his neck, and in their hurry to escape, they knocked John over.  He fell backward, landing first on his back and then his head hit the concrete.  It was really scary for a while, but the cultural center security guard came to help and she called the police who came to check things out.  

The bottom line is that John has a sore tailbone and a headache, but no other signs of a concussion.  He even took a nap when we returned to the ship, but if he tries to play pickleball tomorrow, he’ll have to deal with me!  We did continue on to Olinda where we spent a couple of hours, but the morning’s events put rather a damper on the visit.  John and I walked off by ourselves and explored several of the side streets to appreciate the buildings.  Since it was hot and we need some hydration, we found a really nice open-air restaurant on the side of the hill with great views over the countryside, all the way into the city and our ship.  Since we weren’t hungry, we just ordered the national drink, called a caipirinha, made with sugar, limes, and a type of rum called cachaca.  We decided that alcohol was medicinal (thanks, Jan), and it did indeed help John’s headache.

We had originally intended to taxi back into Recife to investigate a couple of other areas, but with all that had gone on, we just had the driver take us back to the ship.  

One thing you need to realize about a world cruise:  there are no secrets!  By the time we went topside for sailaway, at least half a dozen passengers and a few officers came by to ask about “the incident.”  Having taught junior high for as long as I did, I did see the similarities.  Everyone was really quite kind and concerned and made us feel quite warm and fuzzy.  

I really do love Brazil, even though I know they have a high crime rate.  I know that the higher the poverty level, the more common this kind of crime is, and Brazil has a great deal of poverty.  I have learned a lesson, however:  don’t wear jewelry when you go ashore in Brazil!

P. S.  Regarding the photos, while I have mastered the job of transferring and choosing the photos I want, sometimes they just don't upload correctly.  For example, for Samba Night, I wanted to upload five photos, but only two "worked."

Today's experiment is trying to upload photos while sitting in front of the ship's main server at the end of the library - and it seems to have worked.  

A next day update on John:  the headache is gone, but the tailbone is really sore, so no threats are necessary regarding pickleball.  He's going to give it a couple of days (and a lot of Ibuprofen) and see if it gets better on its own.  Thanks in advance for your kind thoughts.  

I believe the number of passengers is just over 1200 and that about 1000 of them (a record) are on for the full world cruise.

For SJSU Librarian, the first book selection is The Air You Breathe by Frances DePontes Peebles, a Brazilian-American author.  

Wednesday, January 15, 2020

At Sea en route to Recife, Brazil

Our day yesterday started off fairly slowly, but boy did it liven up in the evening.  In Trivia, the maximum score possible is 15, and our team’s goal at this point is just to get to double digits.  Hamish, according to his girlfriend, spent a good amount of his time off before the cruise making up each day’s fifteen questions, and boy did he do a good job.  The questions are harder than ever this year and our scores are suffering for it.  For example:  On which Chinese holiday do the celebrants eat green noodles?  Whattya think?  Chinese New Year?  The Moon Festival?  No, it was an April holiday we’d never heard of (and no one got right) that celebrated the sweeping off of gravestones.  What is he thinking?  Another one asked which fighter had the most knockouts, and we could use the real name or the nickname.  Was it Sugar Ray Leonard?  Was it Joe Louis (The Brown Bomber)?  No, it was Archie Moore whose nickname we had never heard.  Oh well, perhaps today will be our double digit day.

John and Rich went up to play pickleball in the afternoon, but because the game uses a wiffle ball, the wind made it impossible.  Then Alex and Marina showed up, and Alex had four paddle tennis rackets.  Since the game uses tennis balls, which are heavier, it worked just fine, so 90 minutes later I found the guys at the Sea View Bar enjoying a beer.  

At dinner the celebration of all things Brazilian began.  Some of the choices were really delicious.  I began with the chicken and rice soup which had just a bit of a kick, and John had a starter that basically was an empanada but had a Portuguese name (since that’s the language of Brazil.)  The big hit for main courses was a full plate of meat, including slices of filet, slices of tri-tip, and grilled sausages.  That’s what Nancy had, and she was very enthusiastic about it.  John had a main that was Brazilian shrimp, and it came in a spicy sauce and was served on really nicely seasoned rice.  I should have had that too, but I really wasn’t hungry, so I ordered a small baked potato which Indy served with a few vegetables.  One of the things I like about this ship is that I can order things that aren’t on the menu and get them.  Sometimes I just want a baked potato and a shrimp cocktail, and after being with him on three world cruises, Indy knows me well enough not to ask, “Are you sure that’s enough?  Would you like anything else?”  

Since we finished dinner at 9:30, we intended to go to the show which featured a “multi-instrumentalist.”  However, it seemed that we should first check out the Crow’s Nest, which was celebrating Brazil Carnival Samba Night.  We never did get to the show downstairs!  I don’t know if the dancing we were doing was the samba, but it was really fun and the dance floor was packed.  The Station Band was playing, but when they were done with their set, recorded Samba music just continued on.  We must have danced for an hour, and it was great fun.  Finally we decided that these old folks needed to get to bed, so we left about 11:00 and slept like babies.

People always ask me, “What do you do with all that time?”  My answer is that you do what you want, have fun at it, and last night was a great example.  

Message to 1st in Santa Maria, CA - Did I have you in class or did I teach with you?

Sounds like you know me fairly well.

Tuesday, January 14

At Sea en route to Recife, Brazil

It was a wonderful anniversary dinner, and the tiara did look lovely.  Since we never did find an appropriate card, Ginni just came back to the ship and painted one with a globe on the front showing North and South America.  What she can do in an hour I couldn’t do in a lifetime.  

The Pinnacle, as most of you know, is one of two specialty restaurants on board (the other being Canaletto).  Its featured entrees are meats of all kinds, particularly beef.  There’s a list of about a half dozen types of steak, from the petite filet to a plate-covering rib eye steak.  I’m not much of a beef fan, so I always go to alternatives, as most of us did.  

Each couple ordered “Clothesline Candied Bacon” to share as a starter, along with another first course.  Since bacon is that one food which tastes wonderful and is terrible for you, we only eat it on special occasions.  Last night was such an occasion.  The bacon is dipped in maple syrup and then strung up on a metal contraption that looks like a clothesline and cooked.  Since each serving has three pieces of bacon, there was a total of 12 of those delightful strips and not one of them went to waste.  

As his first course, John had adorable little crabcakes, so we shared both of them.  He had one of my pieces of bacon and I had a tiny little taste of one of his tiny crabcakes.  Not fair!  Rich and Ginni shared the bacon and a really nice looking wedge salad.

Then it was time for main courses, which I dithered about for some time.  I finally decided on lamb chops and John on scallops, with the idea that we would again do some sharing.  The lamb was seasoned and cooked perfectly, just medium and melt-in-your-mouth tender.  John’s scallops were good too, but they’re not as big as they used to be.  Dinner includes a choice of ten sides, but our server, Natasha, said that since there were eight of us, she’d just bring all ten of them - and she did.  We shared plates of veggies, baked potatoes, mushrooms, French fries, and six others.  Unfortunately, we couldn’t finish most of them.  Ginni was so full by the time they brought her petite filet that she just sliced it up, put it in a zip-lock bag, and took it back to her refrigerator for steak sandwiches today.  I’m hoping we get to share!

There are several choices of dessert, but as it was a special occasion, there was a delicious chocolate cake with two layers of dark chocolate cake and two layers of ganache.  A few people asked for vanilla ice cream, but the cake pretty much finished me off.  In fact, today I had tea for breakfast and blueberries for a mid-morning snack.  I guess this is my example of giving my body a break.  

We have two sea days before Recife, and most of the passengers are really looking forward to the break between ports.  I’ve just booked a toursbylocals.com walking tour for seven of us in Buenos Aires, so now its time to look up one in Rio. 

P. S.  The asterisks in yesterday’s post (placed there by Cruise Critic) refer to “little blue pills.”   

Monday, January 13, 2020

Belem, Brazil

The last time we were in Belem eight or ten years ago, we booked a tour which took us by boat several miles up the Guama River, a part of the Amazon River system.  This time we decided to take the shuttle into the middle of town to wander around, since last time we saw nothing of the city.  One of the great perks of HAL’s “Grand Cruises” is that shuttles are free whenever they’re needed.  

Belem has an interesting history, since it benefitted from the discovery of rubber in the 19th and early 20th centuries which triggered an economic boom and the building of many beautiful colonial structures.  

Since this is a tender port, I waited in line for almost an hour for our #3 tender tickets.  Then it was another half hour before we were able to board.  The tenders used are usually the ship’s lifeboats, but because of the way the dock is situated, we had to use the old dilapidated boats owned by the city.  They did at least have enough life jackets 

for all passengers and I know that the water is warm!  

The tender ride to the dock was only about ten minutes, and then the shuttle to the center of town was forty minutes.  As we disembarked the bus, we realized that Rich and Ginni were on the same bus, so we set off walking together.  Our first stop, which took most of our morning, was the Mercado Ver-O-Peso, reportedly the largest open-air market in South America.  It sits at the waterfront, and began with a long strip of very modern restaurants with indoor and outdoor seating.  Then we entered the market proper, where we could have purchased tee-shirts, any type of clothing, fruit, vegetables, and any number of unidentifiable things including “Natural *****.”  Who would’ve known?  By the time we finished our walk at the fish section, the smell was driving us out, but it was fun to watch huge birds that looked like turkeys feasting on fish parts thrown their way.

Then we headed into the city, feeling like we were almost the only non-Brazilians in town.  Our general goal was to see as much of the city as possible, but our specific goal was to find an anniversary card for Leslie and Handler, whose 23rd anniversary is today.  We never did find the card, but Ginni is going to paint one so we can all sign it.  The two fun things we did find were a really tacky beaded tiara for Leslie (as the “anniversary girl”) and a blow up “Feliz Aniversario” in gold foil.  The tiara is still in the plan, but the blow-up is in the trash.  We couldn’t blow it up and when we took it out of the package we realized that every letter was separate and that each letter was about a foot tall and a foot wide.  There wasn’t room in The Pinnacle restaurant for the whole sign!  Since it was only $4.00, we decided it wasn’t a great loss.  

Our walk continued, and as Rich looked up and said, “I think we’ll have an afternoon shower,” the rain began and we tried to stay under awnings and overhangs.  As California people, we’re not used to 85 degrees and rain.  Oh well.

We kept walking and walking, just enjoying seeing the people and the lifestyle.  Everyone seemed very relaxed, chatting with their friends and the merchants.  I never heard a cross word spoken all day.  We finally headed back toward the market with the idea of having a beer and some lunch, but most of the restaurants were closed (which happens on Monday here), and those that were open were only serving a buffet lunch.  That told us one thing:  it’s time to head back to the ship to eat.  By the time we walked to the shuttle, drove the 40 minutes to the pier, and took the sad little boat for ten minutes to the ship, the Lido lunch was closed so we were “forced” to share a burger at the Dive-In, which makes some of the best burgers around and accompanies them with possibly the best fries on the planet.  Our hunger taken care of, John and Rich headed up to the pickleball court, followed by sailaway on the back deck, and then back to the cabin to shower and get ready for the anniversary dinner.  And what would an anniversary dinner be without a tiara?

Monday, January 13, 2020

Belem, Brazil

The last time we were in Belem eight or ten years ago, we booked a tour which took us by boat several miles up the Guama River, a part of the Amazon River system.  This time we decided to take the shuttle into the middle of town to wander around, since last time we saw nothing of the city.  One of the great perks of HAL’s “Grand Cruises” is that shuttles are free whenever they’re needed.  

Belem has an interesting history, since it benefitted from the discovery of rubber in the 19th and early 20th centuries which triggered an economic boom and the building of many beautiful colonial structures.  

Since this is a tender port, I waited in line for almost an hour for our #3 tender tickets.  Then it was another half hour before we were able to board.  The tenders used are usually the ship’s lifeboats, but because of the way the dock is situated, we had to use the old dilapidated boats owned by the city.  They did at least have enough life jackets 

for all passengers and I know that the water is warm!  

The tender ride to the dock was only about ten minutes, and then the shuttle to the center of town was forty minutes.  As we disembarked the bus, we realized that Rich and Ginni were on the same bus, so we set off walking together.  Our first stop, which took most of our morning, was the Mercado Ver-O-Peso, reportedly the largest open-air market in South America.  It sits at the waterfront, and began with a long strip of very modern restaurants with indoor and outdoor seating.  Then we entered the market proper, where we could have purchased tee-shirts, any type of clothing, fruit, vegetables, and any number of unidentifiable things including “Natural *****.”  Who would’ve known?  By the time we finished our walk at the fish section, the smell was driving us out, but it was fun to watch huge birds that looked like turkeys feasting on fish parts thrown their way.

Then we headed into the city, feeling like we were almost the only non-Brazilians in town.  Our general goal was to see as much of the city as possible, but our specific goal was to find an anniversary card for Leslie and Handler, whose 23rd anniversary is today.  We never did find the card, but Ginni is going to paint one so we can all sign it.  The two fun things we did find were a really tacky beaded tiara for Leslie (as the “anniversary girl”) and a blow up “Feliz Aniversario” in gold foil.  The tiara is still in the plan, but the blow-up is in the trash.  We couldn’t blow it up and when we took it out of the package we realized that every letter was separate and that each letter was about a foot tall and a foot wide.  There wasn’t room in The Pinnacle restaurant for the whole sign!  Since it was only $4.00, we decided it wasn’t a great loss.  

Our walk continued, and as Rich looked up and said, “I think we’ll have an afternoon shower,” the rain began and we tried to stay under awnings and overhangs.  As California people, we’re not used to 85 degrees and rain.  Oh well.

We kept walking and walking, just enjoying seeing the people and the lifestyle.  Everyone seemed very relaxed, chatting with their friends and the merchants.  I never heard a cross word spoken all day.  We finally headed back toward the market with the idea of having a beer and some lunch, but most of the restaurants were closed (which happens on Monday here), and those that were open were only serving a buffet lunch.  That told us one thing:  it’s time to head back to the ship to eat.  By the time we walked to the shuttle, drove the 40 minutes to the pier, and took the sad little boat for ten minutes to the ship, the Lido lunch was closed so we were “forced” to share a burger at the Dive-In, which makes some of the best burgers around and accompanies them with possibly the best fries on the planet.  Our hunger taken care of, John and Rich headed up to the pickleball court, followed by sailaway on the back deck, and then back to the cabin to shower and get ready for the anniversary dinner.  And what would an anniversary dinner be without a tiara?

Sunday, January 12, 2020

At Sea en route to Belem, Brazil

If I haven’t mentioned it before (or a thousand times in the past), I love sea days.  I just love, love, love them.  It isn’t necessary to get anywhere, decide what to go see, or do anything you don’t want to do.  Since today is a sea day, we were able to sleep until 7:00 (I know, not very late for many people, but late for us).  Then, since the gym was being ignored, the only deadline I had was church at 9:00, which has now been moved from the Mainstage to the Wajang (wah - yang) Theatre, a much smaller and cozier venue.  

Last world cruise, the dining crew came up with the most delicious idea:  a Sunday brunch sampler on Sundays at sea.  It’s a wonderful meal, with three courses.  The first is a “cold sampler” on a tray with 7 tiny courses, from a spoonful of Caesar salad to a deviled egg with a bit of caviar on top.  

The main course is a “hot sampler” consisting of such delights as an incredibly tender bit of minute steak, a little biscuit and gravy, and a tiny little two-stack of pancakes with maple syrup (as well as four other little treats).  

My favorite course is the “Sweet Ending Sampler.”  Today it consisted of chocolate creme caramel, pecan pie (which was really more of a muffin), and apple strudel.  I had the creme caramel and the apple strudel, but I traded off the pecan pie as we had done with a few other bits and pieces of our brunch. 

That’s why it is so much fun to go with friends; we can trade things around.  I’m not a biscuits and gravy person so mine went to Will.  I love, love, love deviled eggs, but I’m not so much for caviar, so I traded my caviar to Ginni for her eggs.  The best accompaniment for a brunch, of course, is a mimosa, and at the brunch they’re two for one.  

A nap was called for, of course, followed by watching Papillion, to see what they made of the story and the place.  It was a brutal movie which I turned off in places, but it was an excellent representation of a brutal time in history.

Tomorrow is Belem, Brazil.  Last time we were here we took a boat up the end of the Amazon for several miles, but this time we’re going to take the shuttle into the center of the city.  It will be another hot day, but it’s going to be a good one.  

Saturday, January 11, 2020

Devil’s Island

It’s hot, humid, and plants and flowers grow wildly everywhere, but it’s not Kauai, my favorite island in the world.  It’s Ile Royale, Devil’s Island, made famous by the book and movie Papillion.  Actually, the island on which the prisoners were kept was Ile Royale, with Devil’s Island across a small channel, but the whole group of three islands is now called Devil’s Island.

We hiked around the ruined stone buildings, looking into many buildings, including the prisoners’ quarters, the guards’ family quarters, the children’s cemetery, and the chapel.  Right now, however, we’re at the island’s hotel having a cold beer and a sit down while enjoying a bit of a breeze.  

We wanted a postcard, so I checked out the shop, where the cards were all copies of museum representations of the island.  I had a hard time choosing, beause one showed a beheading and another a flogging, so I settled on a picture of prisoners pushing a cart for the guards - figuring that it would be more appropriate for our granddaughter.  

As we sit on the terrace, we’re watching a flock of peahens and their peacock run around the grass in search of chunks of baguette thrown from the lunch buffet.  As part of the French colony of Guyana, we were able to use some of our saved euros to buy both the beer and the postcard.  

It’s wonderful to call at a new port, and this one is unique in its history.  Like Alcatraz, Devil’s Island was the most maximum of prisons, where to escape took some strong swimming across strong ocean currents.  Many political prisoners were sent here and most prisoners never left the island.  It was opened in 1854 for the worst criminals and repeat offenders and wasn’t closed until 1953.  What surprised me the most was that the guillotine was in active use here for capital crimes committed on the island.  The history of the island tells that 40% of prisoners died in the first year (many of malaria) and over its century of operation, only 5000 (out of 70,000) survived to see their release date.  Even the trip to the island was dangerous, and many didn’t even make it off the boat.  

Of the two successful escapes from Devil’s Island, the more famous was by Henri Charriere, or Papillion.  Another famous inmate was Alfred Dreyfus, who was wrongly accused of treason in 1895, and after a decade spent in horrifying conditions, was finally released in 1908.  His story was told by Emile Zola in J’Accuse.  

Overall, it was a fascinating day, and one which made history come alive.  The movie today on board was Papillion, (the newer one, not the one with Steve McQueen), and since it will be on TV tomorrow, I think I’ll give it a look.  

P. S.  There were a couple of good Devil's Island photos that wouldn't upload; I hope you enjoy the ones that did.  

I'm very sorry about the photo situation.  I'll try to work on it (or get instruction) tomorrow before we arrive at Devil's Island at noon.  

Friday, January 10, 2020

At Sea en route to Devil’s Island

I don’t know about you, but I love it when the ship is rocking and rolling.  In his noontime message yesterday, the captain warned us that rough seas were to be expected between St. Lucia and Devil’s Island, but he did say that they would only be six feet or so.  However high the seas are, it was a bit of a challenge to walk down hallways in a straight line.  During the night, the bed rolled enough to keep me in a deep sleep - always a good idea.  Some people have more trouble with this than others; I saw a woman holding on to the stairway bannister with both hands while walking down the steps one at a time.  We can always tell if high seas are expected because saltines and green apples are available at the front desk.

The shows so far have been, by general opinion, pretty good.  We actually attended three in a row:  The Amsterdam Singers and Dancers, and then two back to back comedians.  The first one was Jeff Buenger,  a comedian/singer/pianist and he was not only funny but played a mean piano.  The second comedian, Jeff McBride, made me laugh as hard as I can remember.  If someone had told me in advance that there would be a show where a comedian pulled up about ten people from the audience to act out The Wizard of Oz, I think I would have taken a pass, but it was hilarious.  Three of our friends, Rich, Will and Nancy were among those on stage.  Rich was a flying monkey (perfect for a retired pilot), Nancy was Dorothy, and Will was the scarecrow.  By the end I had tears running down my face and I’m happy to report that both of them are putting on a combined show tonight.  

Tonight is our second formal night (now renamed “gala”).  It seems really early to have this be the second, but such it is.  It turns out that Leslie and Handler have been invited to another table, so Ginni is inviting her watercolor teachers (and good friends) Carol and Siri (yes, that’s really her name).  We’ve been told we’ll have an officer, but we don’t know who yet.  After dinner there’s a ball in the Mainstage (formerly the Queen’s Lounge), but since it begins at 9:30, we’ll probably be late.  We’ve partially solved the “late to the show” problem by beginning dinner at 7:45 instead of 8:00, but I’m still trying to avoid desserts, so I substitute tea.  

I am really looking forward to Devil’s Island tomorrow.  It’s our first tender port, so I hope the rough seas settle down enough to be able to land.  As you probably know, Devil’s Island was a French penal colony made famous by the novel (and movie) Papillon.  Today the island is mostly uninhabited, and a long walk takes us past the old barracks, cemetery, and other buildings.  Our map of the island says that there is one hotel/restaurant, but no other modern buildings.  I’ve read about the island many times, and now I’m anxious to see if it measures up to my imaginings.  

John had a nasty cold attack him last night, and he coughed and sneezed his way through the rough seas.  Right now I’m going to head upstairs to wake him from his nap, and we’re hoping that the medications he’s taken will at least alleviate the symptoms, if not end the cold.  Preview attachment IMG_0500.jpgIMG_0500.jpg71 KB.webloc

Preview attachment IMG_0493.jpgIMG_0493.jpg82 KB.webloc Preview attachment IMG_0499.jpgIMG_0499.jpg65 KB.webloc

Thursday, January 9, 2020

Castries, St. Lucia

As we looked out the window this morning to see where we were docked, I noticed another ship approaching the harbor.  It turned out to be the Carnival Fascination, one of their older ships.  But that wasn’t enough!  Soon a huge ship pulled in behind us and it turned out to be a massive Royal Caribbean vessel called the Freedom of the Seas, the type of shp our friend Bob refers to as The Enormity of the Seas.  Of course that added thousands of people to this small island, but we managed to see much of the downtown area without any trouble.

We headed out this morning with the idea of walking to the beach, but we found out that to do that, we’d have to cross St. Lucia’s airport runway - never a good idea.  So we turned around and walked along the harbor, passing both our ship and the Carnival vessel, and headed into the downtown area.  Our goal was Derek Walcott Square, the center of the downtown area.  It’s named for the winner of the Nobel Prize in literature who was born and raised in St. Lucia.  His statue is in the middle of the square near a 300-year-old Saman tree.  The library is on one corner of the square and the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is on another.  I love to walk through churches, occasionally lighting a candle, but there was a mass being celebrated and the cathedral was filled to overflowing with adorable little uniformed kids, so we just took a peek and continued on.    

Since the missing flip-flops are still a mystery, I found a nice shoe store and chose some  new ones.  They were marked at $80 East Caribbian dollars, or $30 US (they really are nice), but it turned out that they rang up at $15 US. Lucky me! Next we headed to the Castries Market, a fascinating place with sellers of produce as well as straw bags and hats and other hand-made goods.  We found the required postcard, but no stamp, so that would have to wait until later.

Since Rich and Ginni have upgraded to a suite, they host the parties, but we all bring snacks and beverages for each event.  That was our excuse for finding a really nice supermarket, where we bought such necessities of life as crackers, spreadable cheese, and salt and vinegar chips.  Since we were all given a bottle of (bad) Champagne on sailing, the first party will be a mimosa party, where the bad Champagne will be cut with fresh-squeezed OJ.  We all believe that life is too short to drink bad Champagne, but there’s no such thing as a bad mimosa!

We finally headed back to the ship, passing through the shops at the port.  We were fortunate enough to find a stamp and then hunted down a post box.  Our granddaughter should have three postcards within the next week.  

While John took a nap, I typed yesterday’s blog and fought the computer, trying to upload photos.  I finally managed three of them, but then for some reason the first one copied at least three times.  I think today’s photos will be better.  

Sailaway began at 4:30, with the plan being that it would last until about 5:30.  Well that didn’t happen.  At about 5:15, as we were sailing out of the harbor, huge raindrops began descending upon us, and you’ve seldom seen so many people move so fast to find shelter.  

Now it’s time to dress for dinner (I feel like I’m in Downton Abbey) and then head up to the Crow’s Nest for our usual pre-dinner get-together.  As with most port days that include more than five miles of walking, I should sleep well tonight!

At long last!

Wednesday, January 8, 2020

Roseau, Dominica

For an island which has been ruled by both the French and the British, Dominica has a personality all its own and is distinctly Caribbean.  We docked at 8:00 in the morning, just across the street from Roseau’s downtown, so it was easy to just walk and walk, stopping along the way to check out shops and chat with the friendly locals.  Many people from the ship even found pharmacies to purchase items they had left at home.  

John and I began by walking up, up, up the main drag, King George V Street.  It was about a half mile to reach our destination:  the botanical gardens.  These gardens stretch over forty acres, and include virtually every tropical plant one can imagine, from a bamboo structure similar to a large tent to bouganvilla to everything you would imagine as an indoor plant at home.  There was even a parrot “house,” where those birds are studied and helped to multiply.  

A part of the gardens is Jack’s Trail, which climbs (according to my IPhone) 22 flights by using stone steps which must have been installed in the 19th Century.  They’re irregular and slippery, and by the time we got to the top, we knew we had really accomplished something.  The view was worth every step, however, and we felt somewhat sorry for the tour members who came to the viewpoint by bus.  We could see all the way to our ship, the enormous cemetery, all the buildings in between as well as the beautiful blue Caribbean.  

We took the coward’s way out for our return, and walked down the road to the center of town.  One thing that I kept noticing is how lush and fertile these islands are.  I even saw a car that, in addition to being covered in mud, had plants growing outside and inside it and even a small lizard enjoying the vehicle.  

Once we got downtown, it was well past lunchtime, so we found the Ft. Young Hotel, which had a beautiful terrace overlooking the sea where food and drinks could be purchased.  John had a local beer and I had a rum punch which was extra delicious having been made with spiced rum.  John’s tacos were a no-show because they were “out of tacos” but they were replaced by calimari which were crispy and delicious.  The dipping sauce just about burned my tongue off, but I just went back for more.  

Then it really was time to head back to the ship, tired, hot and sweaty, but with five miles under my belt (plus the two from this morning’s treadmill).  I really did need that nap and I fell asleep almost immediately upon hitting the pillow, sleeping for an hour to power up for the rest of the afternoon and evening.  What a great day!

P. S.  I'm trying to upload photos from Dominica, but having little luck.  I'll try later today.

Tuesday, January 7, 2020

At Sea to Dominica

We’ve now “survived” our first formal night with no scars except for a blister on my left foot from my spike evening heels.  I won’t be wearing those for awhile.  

After two hours of pickleball which turned into paddleball for John and Rich,, I met them  on Deck 8 aft to share a couple of draft beers.  At home, I’ve been complaining about the cold weather for some time, even though in Central California a cold day is in the 50’s, which definitely calls for red wine.  Now, however, it’s about 80 degrees with soft breezes and light humidity.  I do love it, and the beer was a perfect accompaniment.  

The first formal night is always preceded by a Captain’s cocktail party in the Queen’s Lounge (now The Mainstage), and boy, do people show up in droves.  The trays and trays of adult beverages might have been a bit of a draw, but most people do want to hear the captain’s welcome message and listen to him introduce his senior officers.  Captain Jonathan is an amazing man.  He manages to run the ship, charm people as he runs into them, has a wonderful sense of humor and even answers such questions as “Why are they out of my cereal?” with a straight face.  Last evening he introduced about twenty officers without using a single note, telling us their names, responsibilities, their training and at least one personal bit about them.  For example, I didn’t know that the Chief Engineer races motorcycles, but that was part of his introduction.  I think a good time was had by all.

Dinner was excellent, as usual.  However, there were no officers to be seen, which was explained by Philip, the dining room manager.  He told us that the officers were extremely busy this early in the cruise but that there would be several of them on the next formal night, a week from today.  It’s always fun to guess who will grace our table.

The evening show has always been at 8:00 and 10:00, and it’s been easy to get to the later one.  However, the time has now been changed to 9:30, and since formal night desserts are always good (last night my choice was a lovely vanilla souffle), we got to the show late and sat in the upstairs “getaway seats.”  The comedian/singer was really funny and very talented on that piano.  When I asked Bruce (who was our Cruise Director several years ago but is now the Production Manager) about the time change, he said that the attendance at both shows had increased by 40% across the fleet.  The advantage, of course, is that we get out at 10:15 instead of 10:45.  It all seems very complicated to me.  We found out that we can go to dinner at 7:45, however, so that will start this evening.  

Today is the last of our three sea days and everyone seems to have settled in nicely for this wonderful cruise.  We’re now down to 125 days, which seems like a very long time, but I’m sure, like most cruises, it will fly by.  

P. S.  We've finally figured out how to add photos on the new program.  Hope you enjoy them!  The photo of John was taken on our balcony just after sunset.