Italian Artifacts...

A few days ago we arrived in a new place for me, Naples, Italy. Napoli!! Ahhh, the city itself didn't offer much, but we got out in the short amount of time we had and took a trip to Pompeii. Mount Vesuvius rose up about 30 minutes away from us while we were sitting in Napoli and Pompeii was right at its base. Eons ago this massive mountain erupted with such force, it devastated the town and people below and even some of the surrounding islands. All these people had to warn them were a few pre-quakes and they didn't even know what to make of them. They had no idea what an eruption was. Mt. Vesuvius only erupts once every 1,000 or so years, and it hasn't erupted since Pompeiii's devastation in 79 AD nearly 2,000 years ago. I remember watching a reenactment on HBO some time ago about how the people might have reacted to such an event. They characterized social behaviors based on classes and social structure at the time. Apparently the quakes were just taken as signs from the Gods and people made decisions based on them. They thought the Gods might be angry. Suddenly Mt. Vesuvius spout a great explosion in 79AD shooting black smoke and fire straight into the air. They perceived this as a wondrous event watching in awe as the mountain shot fire into the air. They didn't realize that the mountain was spewing molten lava about a mile into the sky where it dried because of the cold air temperatures at such heights. The black clouds of the eruption spread for miles and then because the lava hardened and gained weight, it began to fall as pumice rock to the ground. It was lights and airy rocks for the most part, but there were some that crusted together to be the size of basketballs. It rained ash and pumice for a while a few hours after the initial eruption. Falling from such heights, the little rocks were like bits of hail. Annoying, but not too painful. It was the big ones people were getting killed by. Also where hail melts, pumice does not. So it builds up on rooftops and collects in the streets. If you happen to pass out from the sudden change in air quality from all the ash or sudden warming, you will get buried in pumice rock. Even if you get knocked on the head and pass out, you can get buried alive in a matter of minutes. Roofs would cave in and people began to run through the streets. Also the oxygen in the air began to deplete because of the sudden rise in Sulfur content. People became dehydrated and began to lose consciousness. Just when you thought it could get worse, it actually did. The eruption finally fell weak and gravity took over. All the hot molten gas that was spewing miles into the air began to fall. Suddenly a cloud rushing down the side of the mountain with hot air in temperatures that can cook where traveling down the mountain and through the cities at over 100mph. People were encrusted and burned alive with ash, rock, and dust. If they weren't dead already from falling pumice, dehydration, or heated air from a rise in temperature, they were cooked instantly by this rushing cloud. You could see in Pompeii today some of the figures that were frozen in time in ash from such high temperatures. It was breathtaking to walk through the city and see all the pieces still standing after such devastation. A lot of it has been restored, but to walk on such an archaeological dig that dates back to almost 2,000 years ago. It was easy to get there. We hopped on a train from port and it was merely 2 Euro round trip. A subway ride to Pompeii. We wandered through all the ruins much like the ruins of Athens or Ephesus in Turkey while taking in all the things that could've happened here. There were now beautiful gardens amongst the ruins and it was packed with tourists. After being overwhelmed with my senses, we stopped at a local stand where I had some Napolian pizza and gelato before we left to go back to port. We encountered a windy rain storm before we boarded again, but at least we had a gorgeous day to take in all the beautiful things we were able to see and be so close to the unpredictable Mount Vesuvius. Geologists and Archaeologists predict it still has the potential to erupt again and can erupt in a matter of years now. The city around it has now built up to over millions of people compared to the mere 10,000 of Pompeii back in 79AD. They are trying to predict when another such violent eruption may come to give ample warning to evacuate. Personally, I love the scenery of the countryside, but it's not worth living so close to something so unpredictable and violent.

The next day was a busy day in Rome. We actually docked in the small port town of Civitavecchia. It was a rocky night sailing from Naples to Civitavecchia because of the stormy weather. Oy! It was still raining when we arrived so I decided to stay with my friend Alice and tour the religious area of Rome in the Vatican City. The others went and did a city tour of Rome by foot in the rain. It was a lovely day, although we didn't plan it so well. We should've seen the Sistine Chapel first before the Basilica, but we didn't know where the Chapel was and there was a huge line for something so we stood in it. It took us about 40 minutes in line to get through security and into St. Peter's Basilica. It was absolutely breathtaking all the art and beautiful marble inside. My words can't describe how vast and gorgeous it is in there. We wondered around for about an hour just taking it all in and then we took a tomb tour to see the burial places of past popes. Here we saw the most recent grave of Pope John Paul and I couldn't believe it. We tried to make it to the Sistine Chapel just to see Michelangelo's work, but the line was immense by this point. Next plan of attack would be Sistine Chapel first and then the Basilica later as the lines in the afternoon were much shorter. I was still in awe and had a good day as we wondered through Vatican City. The area even has it's own post office. Next time in Rome, I will definitely see the Chapel and then find the Trevi Fountain. The one sight I didn't get to see on my visit to Rome in 2000.

We're off to the Black Sea now. I've seen most of these ports already so it'll be nice to revisit some and then others I will just take a day on board. Ahh the exploration continues.

A Taste of Sicily...

Today was a nice day in Messina, Sicily. We had rehearsals in the morning so I didn't get to go on to any fascinating tours to Mt. Etna or Taormina today. We also have a show tonight so it would've been exhausting anyway. I went off on land after rehearsal though and just "got lost." Sometimes that is the best way to see interesting things. It was Sunday anyway and almost everything was closed for the day. All except the postcard stands or the souvenir shops around certain tourist sights. A random café or gelatoria would be open as well. I just started walking through town. It was an odd weather day. It was cool on the outside decks because of the strong breeze, so I wore jeans and took a jacket. A good 15 minutes into my walk I took the jacket off because it was still warm in the sun. I realized later that the jeans were kind of warm as well. Especially with the hilly landscape of the town. It was freakishly quiet today. As I walked through the streets I could hear the sound of my footsteps on the pavement. When I was a good hour into my walk, I realized I should've brought my iPod, but then again the silence and the natural sounds around me were very nice. The flowers were all blooming bright and vivid colors wherever I went. It was so gorgeous. The city is built mostly on a hillside as well so the living spaces offered some interesting views and perspectives. The old style in the architecture was everywhere. Right in the center of town is the astronomical clock. I was told everyday at noon it goes off and there is a 20-minute presentation of the glockenspiel clock with many moving pieces and a story line. I missed it today since I was in rehearsal, so I hope to catch it next time around. We do come back to this port again. I walked up the hillside to the cathedral at the top for some fascinating views of the city. It was so beautiful up there I didn't want to come down. I didn't spend much time out since everything was closed for the day, but it was a lovely escape from the madness that was our rehearsal today with this horrific sound system.

We had a great time in Palermo, Sicily as well the other day. Between ports was Valetta, Malta but we are there another few times. Palermo was a one-stop port. We got out early and started exploring. It was HOT! Whew! It didn't look like much since we were in the main city and it was crowded and all. The streets were very narrow and the city was overcrowded with cars. We walked along the streets stopping occasionally to look into a boutique or two before they closed for siesta. We stumbled upon a palace and church up the ways that was the beginning of a wonderful day. We go lots of pictures here since the gardens were so beautiful. There was a park along side of the palace that was just sprouting with new life. My allergies weren't so fond of the beauty, but my eyes were very pleased with it. There was a cool breeze blowing at times to take the bite out of the heat. Once we were through with all the sightseeing, we stopped at a local café in the park. We saw a delight in the window we could not resist. A Sicilian pizza. It was on a roll though, but it was ever so tasty. It was a roll with a layer of garlic butter, then prosciutto, then pesto, then fresh tomatoes, and finally spices and cheese on top just baked to perfection. Yum!!! It was so good I had two. No sauce at all! Just tomatoes. Yum. Afterward I had some real gelato. I was in heaven. We sat there for a while just enjoying the atmosphere. We were in the middle of the park as people walked by. Feeling very satiated, we headed back to the ship. The heat and sun were very exhausting. Its days like this I'm happy to be traveling the world. Our next stop is the mainland of Italy with stops in Naples and Rome. I can't wait. Then we're off to Greece. Woo hoo!! The Med is definitely my favorite area.

Sangria Overdose...

Sangria overdose I think would be the key to the last 3 days. Not particularly me, but for all of us in general. We're now heading towards Italy with full bellies of Spanish dishes and sangria. Good sangria. We started off in a new port for Holland America, Cartagena in Spain. I got off the ship early despite the party I had the night before with one of our youth staffers to see the sights. We strolled around town and went to the castle, the Castillo de la Concepcion. The view of the city below was gorgeous from up there. It took us a while to find it though because we got side tracked from all the little cute shops that were open along the main strip. Soon enough we found our way there. You could tell that this city wasn't used to having so many English-speaking tourists since none really could master communicating with us as they do in other popular destinations. Once we got up there for the sights the grounds were full of beautiful peacocks. Who knew? I heard the familiar cry that sounds like a baby calling for help and knew instantly what it was. Sure enough there was one straight ahead. We tried to rustle its feathers, but it only walked away and I'm sure it walked away annoyed. There was a spattering of them all over the place. It was fascinating. There were ruins of an old cathedral below the castle and an old Roman theatre. It was fascinating to see how the Romans influenced this little town. Surrounding the castle was a wall that fortified the old city and the ruins inside. We had a whole day there and I was pretty much sangria free today since there was a show the next day. My counterparts, however, took part since 3 of them don't have to perform in the show. After the morning excursion, we sat down for a nice iced coffee and then I spent the afternoon just taking in all the beautiful scenery and the gorgeously hot day. The next stop was Palma de Mallorca. I was on a treasure hunt for a hair stylist since I'm in need of one. I went off after the rehearsal and spent the day mostly on my own. I found others sipping the candied wine later in the day and became jealous. No worries, Barcelona would be my day of relaxing and sangria. There was a show that night so I definitely could not partake. No luck on the hair stylist since we got out of rehearsal so late. I'd been in Palma before and loved it. This time all the shops were OPEN. Dangerous!!

Our next stop yesterday was in Barcelona. I knew what to do and where to go so I rented a bike from the ship. Other's followed suit and joined me. It was a repeat tour of what I did last year with my friends when we rented bikes from the city. They wanted to see the Cathedral of La Sagrada Familia. I figured we should just have a Gaudi day. We started off kind of rough since one of the girls discovered she rented a bike and they gave her one with only one pedal. We met her in town and she rented one from the city's center. Right under the statue of Christopher Columbus. It was 11 Euro for about 4 hours. Nice! I had my map and we were ready to go. I knew our path and how to get to the destinations. I figured this time we'd shoot for the park far into Barcelona where most of Gaudi's work was displayed. We never made it there, but it was a good goal. We started off in the park right off the coast. We followed the beautiful waterfront past the post office into this huge garden park. It was a memory come alive from the last time I was here on bikes. We scooted through it real quick to get to the first sight, which was the Arc de Triomf. Many pictures were taken here. Barcelona all around just has a wonderfully hip vibe and youthful energy. The buildings are so ornate and a mixture of classic and modern plays throughout the city. We went along with our goal in mind. I knew what was coming up, but the others didn't. We strolled along Passeig de Sant Joan to Mallorca Street where we made our turn for the cathedral. As we approached, you could see it coming into view and everyone gasped. Of course we spent a lot of time here since the cathedral is so detailed. There are just many photo opportunities here especially if you've never been. I paid the 5 Euro (I posed as a student, tee hee, normally 8 Euro) to get in with the prospect of going up in the lift this time to see the top. As we got to the other side, we discovered the lift was under construction. Booo. We decided at this point we wouldn't make it to the Gaudi museum about 25 minutes more into the city so we stopped for a little sustenance and we were on our way to some other sights. On our way to another sight, La Pedrera, we passed up another Gaudi work. It was the Casa Calvet. I recognized the architecture and pointed it out, but didn't realize it was a stop to see until checking the map later. It turns out that this was part of his project for enhancing Barcelona. All throughout Barcelona you can see Gaudi influences in all the architecture around town. This house that we just passed up he tested the union of lit courtyards and staircases that resulted in the Casa Botló, which we visited later. We came up on the Casa Mila or "La Pedrera." You could go inside and see all the fascinating and imaginative things Gaudi did with this particular house, but the cue was too long and our time was diminishing. They say that with every turn in this house, it's like a box of surprises and from what I've seen of Gaudi so far, I can believe it. We stopped next at the famous Casa Botló. It's situated right in the middle of the street between modern and old buildings and sticks out like mad. It looks like someone put a mushroom house right in the middle of the street. A fantasy home. I swear there's not a corner in this place it's so curved. It's nicknamed the bone house simply because of its basis. The outer columns look like leg bones and the balconies resemble skulls. I ended up going inside because our group got split up. We found each other except for one and we all turn and notice him waving from the inside of the house. The girls went shopping and I joined him inside. It was a stiff 13 Euros to see the inside and 16 Euros if you weren't a student, tee hee. Inside you could listen to the commentary where I learned that he pulled together light and color in this house. It's all based on the rib. He used the natural curve of ribs to solve problems within the house architecturally in interesting ways. In the upper rooms of the house you can see these rib arches and it's so interesting and peaceful. I never noticed a corner or sharp edge in this house as I walked around. Everything was curved. It was like looking inside of a Dr. Seuss creation. The roof offered some splendid views of the main shopping area below. Afterward, we met up with the girls and headed off to the park near the shore. Here we visited Gaudi's fountain (which happened to be off today, boo) and took pictures with the stone elephant. We scooted back to the center to return the rented bikes and had a stroll up Las Ramblas to see all the various street performers, have a little gelato, and do some shopping. It was a fabulous day of exercise and fun as we rode around the city. We topped it off with 4 pitchers of wonderful sangria, delightful atmosphere, and hip Spanish cuisine in the evening before we sailed out around 11:00pm. Ahh. That's the Europe I like. Now we have a sea day to rest. After 7 sea days in a row before, I never thought I'd want another, but after 7 port days in a row, you get exhausted. Whew!!

Going Ape...

Another new place today as we stopped in Gibraltar, U.K. Territory. I woke up especially for breakfast this morning because I was expecting the Lido to serve an English breakfast since we were pulling into an English port. It was only regular breakfast. Oh well. I just ate a hearty one since I didn't know when we'd be stopping for a meal again today. We left the ship bright and early and as we walked down the dock we encountered our first offer for tours. It was just 3 of us since some had partied late last night and some went on Holland America tours. Our tour guide was John and he pitched a good sale, so we took it. After all he said we'd see the Gibraltar apes and get to some of the higher points of the rock. As we left the port area we drove past a Safeway grocery store or what is popularly known in England to be Morrison's. Our British cast member was especially delighted to see this store so I knew we'd be hitting it up later. We also passed something some people would be very interested in and that's the gaming headquarters for the online poker tournaments. Yes, every time you play a tourney in one of these online poker sights, you are logging right on to Gibraltar right here by port. I knew I was very close to some people today in that respect. Just as we passed these two things our Brit girl piped up that WE were on the wrong side of the road. We were driving on the other side and NOT the British side. I was slightly surprised since it was indeed a British port and here we were driving as I'm used to. Ha. We traveled up to our first stop, which were the caves. St. Michael's Caves. On the way up I learned from John that the rock is not as solid as some may say. It's mainly limestone deposits. He said the rock itself is actually inverted. The part that faces up today used to be entirely underwater. I guess during the Ice Age the two continents of Europe and Africa were merged together and what is now the Mediterranean Sea was about 80km away from the area that is now Gibraltar. As the ice melted and tectonic shifts occurred in the earth, the continents divided leaving a narrow strip of land between these two continents. Because of the large land mass in this strip that was below the water, the land flipped over like an iceberg would if the bottom was too heavy creating the face of Gibraltar as we know it today. He then went on to say that the Atlantic Ocean began spilling into the valleys east of the strip and over 100 years the Mediterranean Sea was born. It's suggested that early man lived within the caves that have formed in this narrow strip. We saw St. Michael's Caves, which had been restructured a bit to hold a concert hall. Inside are the amazing formations of stalactites and stalagmites created from the moisture dripping off the limestone. At certain times they have it set up inside so there are sound and light shows put on. It must be amazing with the acoustics in there. We left the caves and headed to an area where they have managed to gather the free roaming apes. After we arrived at that area it was simple to see why since a cute furry friend and a few of his friends jumped right up on the windshield as we pulled in and right into the car through the window. These animals know who we are and what we bring. After we got out of the car I noticed a huge area filled with chopped up fruit and veggies. AHA!! Food!! A good way to get ANY animal to gather including the seagulls crowding the air just above. The Barbary Apes are the species here. They are so friendly. Especially if you have food for them. They climb right up on your back for a munch on some delicious treats. I have the picture to prove it, although the delicious treat had already been devoured by then. My friend Alice was trying to get the attention of one of the apes on the wall and a little baby crawled up my other friend (who was standing next to her) just to get on her back and nab the treat. These furry friends were all over the place and not very afraid of us. They posed in pictures and stood their ground as if we weren't even there. Meanwhile I got some great scenic shots from on top of the rock and into the harbor below. The sun was out and we were all enjoying life at that moment. We were shuffled into the car again and taken to the Siege Tunnels on the other side of the rock. The Spanish War of Succession set the stage for a series of battles. The American Revolution inspired a French-Spanish expedition to reclaim Gibraltar in 1779. A British-Dutch force set out to capture strategic points on Gibraltar and ordered troops to dig out areas of defense. These tunnels grew to 370 feet of winding tunnels through the limestone rock with various caves overlooking the land below where a cannon would stick out. These ingenious tunnels defeated the French-Spanish revolutionaries and they remain here on the island where they were essential in the WWII Allied effort. It was yet another great place to view the city and see how this strategy was a superior one. You can barely notice the openings from below and the tunnels were extremely fortified by the landmass around them. We came out of the tunnels and we had friends again. They just followed us from the pervious point or some new ones heard all the noise from the tours coming through for the day. More apes. This was so much fun to see. We headed back to town where we wondered through this cute little British town. I was told if you want to live here, it might cost you about $1,400/month to rent a 1-bedroom apartment. If you want to buy one of the nice coastal 1-bedroom apartments that are being built at the bottom, then you'll have to shell out a mere $2 million!!!

After all the sightseeing we sat down for a nice English Sunday dinner. Most of the shops in town were closed because it was a Sunday, so we didn't walk around town too much. English Sunday dinner consists of a meat (mostly roast beef, but it can be chicken, lamb, or pork) in gravy with roasted and mashed potatoes, broccoli, carrots, cheesy cauliflower, and a Yorkshire pudding. My British friend Kerry explained that all Yorkshire puddings are would be the equivalent of pancake batter mixed with pepper and spices and poured into a muffin tin. They get baked and puff up like pastries. When you cut into the tops, it's mostly air and then there's the gooey batter at the bottom. It was sooooo good. I had a Magner's Cider with my Sunday dinner and afterward we had a delicious cup of English tea with a scone. Now this scone was more like a biscuit with raisons in it that we smattered with butter, jelly, and whipped cream. YUM!!! I was in heaven for the afternoon as we enjoyed our meal under the cool breeze and the light rain that fell for the afternoon. We headed back to the ship satiated, but before we made our way completely we stopped at the grocery store. Yes, the Morrison's. She was able to get over $70 worth of English groceries that she could have in her cabin and I bought a few English delights that I had been craving, including 3 bottles of Magner's Cider. As we pulled away from the rock, I was amazed that I got to see such a wonderful port.

We had an interesting even in the night as well. We were scheduled to host a James Bond 007 Martini Night in the Ocean Bar with the guests. We would get free martinis while we socialized with the guests. I was a tad nervous since hobnobbing is not my specialty or forte in life. Just before the event started, the fire alarm went off and it was for real. The bridge came on with an announcement saying that they have isolated the reported smoke and other announcements would be made upon progress. The captain came on shortly later and out of breath from running from the dining room up 4 floors and all the way forward to the bridge saying that fire teams were assembled and they are trying to locate the source of the smoke, but not to worry. It was in the incinerator area so it may just be a cause of smoke leaking out of the incinerator. We went upstairs all decked out and began the event. All through the first 20 minutes or so we kept getting updates until finally the problem was solved and the smoke had been contained and dispersed. It was just a slight problem with the incinerator. I took a friend of mine around with me as we greeted the guests. It was very crowded in there and people were just enjoying the dancing and the music. We made our way around the room and decided to sit at this table where there was one guest who was all by herself. We thought we'd give her company and she was delighted to have us there. In the first 5 minutes of broken and hard conversation we both realized she was not just drunk, but stinking drunk. She was all by herself, so Alice and I felt like we really couldn't just up and leave her at this point. The conversation was thin even with my sociable friend, Alice. Finally I asked her to come up and dance since she was pestering Alice and I to dance and according to house rules, we really can't dance together as cast members. We can only dance with guests. This was mistake number one. I was holding her up on the floor and now sweating in my formal. This happened for 2 dances because I didn't want to offend her. She would go crazy too and just let loose dancing. SHE was having a ball. I guess that's all that matters. I was worried about her falling on the floor and after some of the stories I heard about this woman from bar staff, I guess she did just that a few nights prior. So Alice and I eventually steer away from the table. We had to stay longer than we wanted because she bought a round of drinks. Another lady was on the dance floor and her husband refused to join her. She looked like she was having fun and a nice lady, so I joined her on the floor. Mistake number 2. She was ALSO stinking drunk. She said I made her night, which was fine and eventually Alice danced with the husband. This brought the husband and wife together for the next dance. While I was dancing with her though I had to hold her up, she hit on me, and then asked me to be her son. This is why I do not dance with passengers on a regular basis. I don't usually have to hold people up when I dance with them and if I do, I put them back. However, I felt like tonight it was my job to be a little more lenient and schmooze a little. Bring up the ratings so to speak. According to our Cruise Director, it may just bring up the ratings because the folks loved it. I also felt like most of the folks were out there doing ballroom dancing of which I know very little of. Cha Chas, rumbas, fox trots, and such. Things I couldn't lead because I don't know the dance. Get me on a disco nightclub floor and I don't have to lead anyone and if I do it's just some fun stuff and nothing proper. Needless to say it was an interesting evening.

Casablanca...

From Cadiz, Spain and Lisbon, Portugal to Casablanca, Morocco. I had been to Cadiz and Lisbon before on several occasions so those days were just nice to walk around and visit familiar areas and shops. Today was a day in Casablanca. Just like the movie. The last time I was here was in 2000. I didn't regard it too highly then and I don't regard it too highly today. I did realize a few things though. One, I'm not a shopper and especially not one that encounters pushy salespeople. It's just a different culture. They present you with so many things with the prosper to buy. I like to shop casually and kind of away from a salesperson unless I need one. Not the case here. They are right up in your face pushing the items fast and furiously. It was way too intense for my liking. Secondly, I realized how inept most Americans are (including myself) for international travel and communication. These people knew at LEAST 3 different languages. They knew Arabic (the language of the land), French (the language of the owners or previous colony owners I'd assume), Spanish, and some English. The last two being languages of their most popular visitors. Most know only 3 of the 4 and all the ones I encountered today knew very little English. French IS the second language though, which I should know from all I learned in high school. However I've been out of practice. The United States needs to start incorporating Spanish as a second language since Spanish-speaking countries are so near by AND French since French Canada is our next-door neighbor. We should also be offering Japanese, German, and a variety of other languages to our elementary children as a requirement so they can communicate with others outside the United States. I wish I learned a second language earlier so it would be more second nature than a recall. Needless to say I was frustrated I couldn't talk and jealous these people knew so many ways to communicate other than the way I knew how.

It started out as a rough day since I had a little too much wine the night before. My glass just kept getting refilled by the generosity of the people around me. Whew!! I walked off the ship early (since we had rehearsal later) with much the same feeling as I did in 2000. The port area isn't very nice and it's very busy. I just tried to walk into town like I did back then and didn't make it like I did back then. There were truck loads of cargo going by, things getting dumped and flying through the air, oil on the pavement, and workers everywhere. I had about 5 cabbies approach me and ask if I needed a ride and I finally caved for a $5 trip. He took me into Medina, which is the old town and the central market area. I spent about 45 minutes there wandering through the shops and not really enjoying the shopping since it was so intense. I had seen the Mosque when I was here last time so I didn't feel the need to go on that little side trip. I checked things out before heading back to the ship for rehearsal. I would've liked to see Marrakech today, but it was a 4-hour trip in either direction AND we had rehearsal mid-day. Oh well. Maybe someday.

7 Days...

This morning we saw our first sight of land since the past 7 days!! Wow. I was so happy to be off the ship and exploring again. We arrived in Funchal, Madeira, Portugal. It's named after the fennel plant and it has some of the most beautiful sights and gardens. We headed off the gangway early for a stroll through the town. Our mission was to find the cable car that would take us up 2,000 feet into Monte for some spectacular viewing. The city gave off a good vibe as we walked down the coastline past the Santa Catarina Park and into the shopping district. Just like in Lisbon, the streets were all tiled with cobblestone (for the most part) and there were little shops for everything you could need. There was even a McDonald's close by. We weren't bothered too much with the shops just yet because we wanted to get to the cable cars. We wandered through the maze of streets before stumbling into old town (well after asking for directions twice). We dropped 10 Euros and took the cable car 2 miles to the top. It was almost like a theme park at the bottom with gift shops and the Madeira Story Center where you could learn about the history of the island. Just as you pulled onto the wire, a photographer came around and nabbed your picture. We decided to give them a sour face just to be different. We headed up over the old town and into the town of Monte. We were told before we got here that we MUST take the basket sleigh ride down the mountain. It only goes a little down the mountain, so we'd have to get a cab the rest of the way. Intrigued we decided we'd conquer that after we walked around for a bit. We walked around the grounds taking in all the fresh air while climbing the many steps to get up as high as we could. The gardens here (where a hotel was placed) were so beautiful with so many vibrant colors. We also got great shots of the harbor below. After a refreshing glass of lemonade, which some will argue was just a Sprite with lemon; we headed over to check out this basket sled idea. I got excited as we came up to the sleds. After all by this point we learned they were actually called toboggans so I was thrilled by the idea this could be a fast ride down the mountain in a chute or something. We walked down the street where all these people were gathered. There was a group in front of us so they were all getting situated while we tried to figure out what was happening. All of a sudden a big truck came up the road ahead and we dodged to get on the sidewalk. That's when we realized that this toboggan run was actually a sleigh ride down the streets of Monte. The asphalt streets of Monte. The sleighs were lined up as people got into them and two Portuguese men got a good running start and rode with them as they slid down the hill on the slick asphalt. We all looked at each other as if this might be a joke and then we also realized they were charging 12.50 Euro a piece to ride. What the hell? We were already there, so we took the plunge. Three of us in one wicker sled and 2 in the other. Yes, I did say WICKER sled. Just your ordinary patio furniture looking chair with some slicked down skis attached to the bottom. Each pusher was equipped with especially thick rubber soled shoes for stopping and running. We got in and we were off sliding down the asphalt slopes of Madeira. These slopes were pretty steep too and you could really get going. What actually made it thrilling were the cars and other large vehicles coming at you up the hill or the occasional parked car on the side of the road they had to dodge. Also the fact that these were STREETS with no curved guidelines like a chute would provide. All the turns were done by the pushers and their stopping abilities on the rubber soled shoes. It was so much fun as we careened down the mountainside. Thank God it was a slightly mild day too, which meant the asphalt was a little cooler than normal. About halfway down I smelled the ever so familiar smell of burning wood. I looked at the sleigh in front of me and it was smoking!! I'm sure we were doing the same at this point with 3 in a sled. I didn't THINK about friction. There was no moisture or ice to cool things down a bit. Just raw wood rubbing on asphalt. It was hilarity. We finally reached the stopping point and a picture was already waiting for us of our adventure down the hill. These folks sure like to capitalize on those pictures. We took some video and snapshots of our own though and decided not to buy as I was clearly focused on getting video in the picture I saw. We got a cab back to the city where the local shops were enjoying their siesta. Hmm. I forgot about that little closure, but no bother. We were hungry anyway. We sat down at a local dive and had some good eats and some Sangria. Yum! After we were satiated we took a little walk around the city taking in all the gardens and sights (more cathedrals and forts). There was definitely something brewing for later since all these small daytime events were happening. It was a book festival of some sorts, but there were also small staging areas lining the streets and even the amphitheatre was set in the park in the city. We were unfortunately going to be making our way to Portugal mainland by the time the festivities began. We sat down for some more Sangria on this gorgeous day before heading back to the ship. It was our goal to make the most of our first land day after 7 and I think we did fabulously.

New York State of Mind....

As we sailed into New York Harbor at 5:00am this morning I didn't know how chaotic and precious this day would be. Whenever working on a cruise liner that has most of its itinerary outside of the United States, a U.S. port is a valuable day for a U.S. citizen. It's a day of memories, phone calls, familiarity, family, and meeting friends. There's no sightseeing involved after all the places I've lived in and even seen in America. After all according to mapbuddy.com I've seen 29% of the world so far (of course this is a U.S. based sight and at least 10% of that figure are places I've seen in the U.S.). As much as I wanted to phone everyone today though, I couldn't because of the plan I chose to go on for cell service. It's actually more beneficial for me to call from the ship or from a calling card than from my cell. I still made the connections I needed to make for NYC today and I will do more extensive calling from the familiar and busy calling station in Ft. Lauderdale.

Today's venture started out early as I said before. I was up bright and early just before the sun came up at 5:00am. I went upstairs to grab a coffee and in the distance I could see the Verizzano Bridge connecting Long Island to Staten Island. I knew I had more time before we approached so I took a quick rinse and headed upstairs just as we were sailing under. That was a sight to see as we crossed over the threshold from the Atlantic Ocean into NY Harbor underneath one of the many bridges connecting the island networks of the city. The wind was brutal as we sailed in and I had my winter clothing and coat on while outside. The sun started rising over Long Island as we turned the corner and Long Island blocked the western seaboard. We got closer and closer to the New York skyline. We came in from the south so we were headed for the Wall Street region and the Statue of Liberty. She was on our port side as we came in. The wind was strong and cold, but I braved it until we were right up along side of her. There she was in all her glory holding her book and flame as we passed by as so many immigrants past have done coming into this country to find opportunity. Not moments after we passed our lady we sailed by Ellis Island where a ship in the past would normally dock to process all of its incoming passengers for immigration. My understanding is that enough would come through at one time that they had to stay on the island for long periods of time while they were processed for entry into the United States. We sailed onward though to our locale at the 92nd Street pier on 12th Avenue and 52nd Street. We tied our mooring lines and the chaotic shuffle began. Immigration and clearance took nearly 4 hours to complete before crew were allowed to go ashore. We were also told we had to be back on board a whole hour earlier than expected. Boo. I got off the ship and met one of my friends who just happened to have the day off work. All throughout the day I was meeting friends in the city coming in for a lunch or just a short visit. It was great. I'd get a phone call here and there. I wish I could've seen and talked to everyone, but its just not possible in the short amount of time I had on land for this visit. I did get to one of my favorite local restaurants in town. Only the best Thai food in the city, I believe, and that's Pam's Real Thai on 49th and 9th. That is the original old location and I was informed today that there was now a new locale on 47th that I was unaware of. Pam's is spreading out. Other good eats found by other cast and recommended by my local friends are 44 1/2 on 10th Avenue near 43rd Street and Arriba Arriba on 9th Avenue. We also visited the Coffee Pot, which I highly recommend over Starbucks only to support the small coffee vendor (although Starbucks provides many jobs and health insurance for some of my friends). The day ended sadly as I said goodbye to friends on the pier and then to one of my friends who was able to take time out for the ship's tour. He didn't get the tour though since I found out I was too late to bring him on board for security clearance. The whole day was nice and warm with sunny skies. Who could ask for a more beautiful day?

The sail away was exciting, but not as thrilling. I wished we had more time to spend ashore in this port. However, I heard a rumor that it cost the company about $80,000 to port here today in the timeframe we had. Whoa! Talk about dropping cash. On a completely different subject I heard it also costs roughly $140,000 for the ship to transit the Panama Canal. It takes quite a lot of money to port in these places. Whoa. I got to see us pull out of NY Harbor and past Battery Park before I had to go inside for a rehearsal. Now we are in the open water again and heading for Florida.

Sailing the Ocean Blue...

Well now I'm on my way to a homeport of New York City. Funny to come full circle since November 2006 and pulling into New York Harbor on a ship. Now that's something I've never done before. Since I last wrote about my travels I just left Valetta, Malta and was on my way to Tunisia. Little did I know when we arrived that it would be for the last time. This was an unscheduled stop since we were originally supposed to stop in Tripoli, Libya. However for whatever reason the country of Libya does not allow Americans. Obviously since most of our clientele is American, we couldn't go. We re-routed to La Goulette, Tunisia. Next time we will re-route to Naples, Italy (nice) and then again we will be revisiting Katakolon in Greece. I didn't know this until a few days later when I received the updated itinerary under my door. At the time I thought all the Libya stops would be replaced with Tunisia. It was kind of gloomy that day and it was a hassle getting out of the port area so we decided to just go into the city. Only 2 of us with the group that got off. The rest went back on the ship and for a moment I thought of it. We only had a few hours since we had rehearsal that day. I wish I had experienced it more since it was our last visit, which just goes to show you should take advantage of what's put in front of you as if it were never happening again. I don't know now when I'll be back in Tunisia. It was a fabulous place with a French feel. Everything was in French and I loved it. Good practice. We left La Goulette for Palma de Mallorca in the Spanish Isles. We will see this place again and good thing since it was a Sunday when we got there. Everything was closed up for the day. There were tons of cute shops and little side streets. The Spanish artist and architect Gaudi had his influence in various buildings around town including the main cathedral in the heart of the old town. We just took in the sights most of the day exploring all the little nooks and crannies eventually landing us at a seaside café to take in some sangria and eats. It was expensive because it was on the shoreline, but later on we found a nice little English pub that was cheaper. Although we didn't have traditional English dinner there since it closed up early on a Sunday. Instead we had some tapas and sangria at a local street café for the evening. The sangria was fabulous and came with these overly long straws so everyone could share. A gimmick, but a hilarious one. This little town is actually an English vacation hot spot. I can't wait to get back. We cruised on stopping in the African port of Ceuta, Spanish Morocco. We also would only be here once and I technically had in port manning to cover, but I got off around siesta time to take a walk. Siesta time in these Mediterranean ports is not the best time to walk around since all the shops are closed, but probably better for my pocket book. It was a cute place and very much like Palma in style. A definite Spanish influence as the name would indicate. Although the locals still call it Moroccan. After leaving here we sailed onward into the Azores. It was a bumpy ride getting there since the Azores are just off the European coast in the Atlantic Ocean. Our lead singer had some trouble with the seas since this ship gets tossed quite a bit in inclement weather. This was a lovely place. We walked all around town despite the rainy day. It was cool and the place we were told to see was the two lakes up in the hills. Evidently there are two lakes side by side that are two different colors. One has a blue tint (natural cool water) and the other green due to the algae growing in the overheated sulfuric water. No one really wanted to go and a cab ride would be very expensive with the fewer people that went. The clouds were low as well so the sight lines from higher up were dismal. We just walked around town and enjoyed the Portuguese flair of the city. I actually found a mall out there and we shopped around for a bit. Later on we all got together and enjoyed some cappuccino and beer at a local café. I separated from the group and just walked through all the narrow cobblestone paved streets. It was a mixture of the Falkland Islands and the city of Lisbon. Then we headed on our 4-day trek that landed us in the city of Hamilton in Bermuda. I got up at sunrise to see us sail into the Bermuda region. After all, we were sailing into the Bermuda triangle known for ships and planes getting lost apparently caused by paranormal activity. It's a sailor's legend of course. We made it just fine. I did get out today for a bit. It was supposed to be my IPM day as well, but I just walked around this cute little town very similar to Grand Cayman Islands. The city near the port is filled with cruise ship tourist traps like jewelry and trinket shops. It's a British colony so everything was a tad more expensive here. The houses were all Caribbean colorful. Pink being the predominant one. Supposedly there's a pink beach here. I didn't get to go to any beach (it was too cold anyway), but I didn't see any on the sail in. The whole colony is hook shaped, so it was a very interesting sail in getting close to various reefs nearby. The sail out was just as nice although I wish we could've stayed longer and I wish we didn't have a show to do tonight. We've been so fortunate so far that we've only had shows on sea days and with the plethora of sea days on the way over, I thought for sure we'd luck out. Alas, we had one on a day we left port early AND we have early shows. As far as the Bermuda Triangle goes, I'm still here. At least I think I am or is this another space-time zone in the universe? Hmmm. Supposedly there's a legend by Christopher Columbus that he saw light dancing on the water, which in turn sparked the whole theory of paranormal or alien activity in the Bermuda Triangle region. The only light I saw that evening was the bright moon shining down on the water as we sailed away. Shortly I'll have the absolute pleasure of taking the trip so many of our ancestor's have as they entered this country. We'll be sailing into New York Harbor bright and early and sailing past the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. It will be an experience to behold.