Day 25 - Ft. Lauderdale

Well we're finally back in Florida...Thank God!   What a rough night last night!!  Hurricane Sandy may  be quite far away but her arms are far reaching...we were rocking and rolling all night long!!

Now sitting in Club Fusion waiting for our color to be called so we can disembark, which will be at least another 1.5 hours.  Then we need to get our luggage, go through customs, exit the terminal, decide how we're going to get the rental car...shuttle or cab (that should be a big argument!), then get the rental and then head home.   I'm figuring at the rate things are moving here we won't be home until after 5 tonight.  In reality...it doesn't matter...I'll be sleeping in our own bed tonight with my own pillow!!!   

DAYS 23 & 24 - Sea Days

Two more sea days down…tomorrow we go home…yeah!!!  

For those who have been wondering...Hurricane Sandy hasn't been too tough on us.  Weather yesterday was gray, foggy and very windy.  Last night, the ship was really rocking and rolling!  Today dawned sunny and bright, but still exceptionally windy and some decent wave action.  

It has been a wonderful vacation…a bucket list of beautiful places…London, Venice, Pompeii, Sorrento, Positano, Rome, Pisa, Florence, Cannes, Nice, Eze, Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Casablanca, Rabat and Madeira…Whew!!!   What wonderful memories we have made in these fabulous places!!  And so many pictures to view…I truly feel sorry for our friends and family! 

And we have met some of the nicest people…and made some wonderful new friends…Charlie & Maryann from Bradenton, FL…Lynne & Jim from Ocala, FL…Lisa & Jim from The Villages and Helgo and Nancy from Las Vegas.   We have had some great times with these people and look forward to seeing them back in Florida and on future cruises. 

Bill and I are so grateful to be healthy enough and to have had the time and money to be able to do this trip.  Thanks to Kean University for keeping me employed…it’s the funds from my assessment work that made this trip possible.  So, next time I complain about it…I will need to remember that without it, we couldn’t do trips like this!  And a big thanks to Lynda and John back in The Villages who drove us to the airport so we could start this great trip and then took care of our fishies and looked after the house…it certainly gave us the peace of mind to be away this long.  And thanks to all our family and friends who wished us well on our big adventure, who provided all types of tips and hints and took the time out of their busy lives to read our blog.  I hope you enjoyed it.

So…the inevitable question…which place was our favorite?   For me, I would have to say it was Eze, France…I just loved the charm and the fairy tale aura of the place.   But there are definitely other places I want to return to in order to explore:  The Amalfi Coast in Italy to see more of this Tuscan wonderland, London and Barcelona…there is so much to see there and we barely scraped the surface.   For Bill it was Rome and the Vatican…so much history…and London…and Venice…and Pompeii.   I think we need to do the whole trip over again!!!!   But not yet…now we just want to go back to our favorite place in the whole world…our home J

Days 21 & 22 - Sea Days

More sea days…ho…hum…I know we should be grateful to be on vacation and to be out here in the middle of the beautiful Atlantic, but I’m about ready to jump overboard and swim home!!   Way too much time to ourselves!

Have done a few interesting things though.  Watched a cake decorating demonstration by the pastry chef and a turkey carving demonstration by several of the head chefs.  They make it look so easy J  Mine never come out that way!

Also, one of the people on our roll call set up iPad/iPhone classes and they have been great.  I’ve learned quite a few hints about using both my iPad and iPhone…like swiping up with four fingers to see which apps are open and how to close them so I’m not using so much battery life…how to take a screenshot by pressing the home and power button at the same time.  Also learned about a lot of great apps to use for everyday as well as for travel and learned more about using the camera on my iPhone.  Kudos to this great couple for taking the time before and during the cruise to plan and implement these great classes! 

Speaking of technology, I am amazed at the number of “old people” on the ship who have ipads, nooks and kindles.   They are everywhere!   I guess people of all ages are realizing that you no longer need to carry lots of books or even games with you when you travel.  Just tuck your iPad under your arm and you’re ready to go!!

Speaking of “old people”, Bill and I saw one young couple on the ship today…we’re thinking they must be honeymooners.  Must feel pretty strange to know that everyone else on the ship is at least 25 years older than you!!   Well…not really…there are 5 kids on boards...two youngsters about 3 & 4 who are with their parents and grandparents (they were also at our hotel in Venice) and three young girls about 9 or 10 or so.  I’m guessing they are sisters or cousins cause they are always together.   Lots of people our age (or so it seems) and just a few who are a lot older (again, or so it seems). 

Did pizza and a movie again at MUTS tonight…saw Man on a Ledge.  It was a pretty good movie and you couldn’t beat the price!!!

Ahhh…we know the cruise is coming to end soon…we got our disembarkation luggage tags today.   We don’t leave the ship until 10:15 am on Sunday which means by the time we get to the rental car place and get our car we won’t be out of Ft. Lauderdale until 11 or so and won’t be home until probably after 4 PM…figuring we’ll most likely stop for lunch.  Thanks to Lynda and John back in The Villages we won’t have to worry about dinner…they’ve invited us over as they know we won’t have anything in the house….You guys are the BEST!!!

Days 19 & 20 - Sea Days

OK…just how much water is out here???   We just keep going and going and going…surrounded by the ocean as far as the eye can see.   Thank goodness the seas are still calm.  The Captain…Oh, I’m sorry….the Commodore…(what’s the difference?)…announced yesterday that there is a tropical storm in the Caribbean and instead of sailing due West which would put us in the path of the storm, we are sailing in a more southernly direction…we’ll pass Florida, turn around, come past Cuba and then head to Ft. Lauderdale.  Ahhh….land….can’t wait to see it.   I was hoping that maybe he would say that we were stopping at Princess Keys (Princess’s own island), but no.  It would have been nice to have a day somewhere to break up all these days at sea.

The ship has had a bout of Norovirus (stomach flu).  It hasn’t involved a lot of people, but thank goodness neither Bill nor I have had it.  People seem to think it came on board in Casablanca…which could very well be true. It sure wrecks havoc with the crew, though, especially in the dining areas.  They have taken everything off the tables, so that if you need a pack of sugar, or even a bit of salt for your scrambled eggs, you have to find a server to shake the salt on your food or hand you the sugar pack.  And, it is frustrating in the buffet line, to not be able to take your own food.  You have to wait for a server to put the food on your plate…which would be OK if there were enough servers.  The other night, Bill and I waited and waited with a plate a hot food for a server to finish with the guy in front of us just so we could get a roll and butter!  I understand that they are trying to stop the spread of this nasty virus, but they have even removed all the games (like monopoly, scrabble, etc) from the game room.  Really???  Just let us decide if we want to take the chance.   Oh, well.

The weather has been so nice that we have been having breakfast delivered to our room and eating on the balcony.  That avoids the whole server with the salt bit.  Maybe we’ll just go the room service route for the rest of the cruise.  It has gotten considerably warmer and more humid in the past day or so.  You can tell we’re getting closer to Florida….Yeah!!!!

Have been enjoying sitting up on deck reading and watching movies.  Watched Breakfast at Tiffany’s yesterday and Dirty Dancing!!!  Johnny Castle up on the big screen…be still my heart!!   I’ve read six books already and am almost done with the seventh.  And…Bill is wearing out my iPad.  He discovered a jigsaw puzzle app I had downloaded for him a while ago and has been doing puzzles ever since. 

The shows on board in the evening have been OK.  We’re not a fan of the big production shows so have not even gone to the one they have.  But have seen a few comedians, singers and magicians who kept us entertained. 

Food has been good…but definitely not great.   Last night was the last formal night and the lobster was this poor little thing they should have left in the sea…pretty tasteless too…thank God for butter!  And fussy Bill has tried a number of things and even had pheasant last night but there have been many times when he had problems finding something he likes in the buffet.  Lots of odd, regional foods in the buffet, that even I have looked at and said, “Yuck!”   Looks like I’ll be making meat loaf when we get home…and looking forward to it!!

As I’m sure you can tell, we’re starting to get to the point where we’ve had enough of cruising.   I’m ready for my own bed and a home that isn’t just one room.  Only a few more days…

Day 14 - Morocco

Of all the gin joints….

Well…today was Casablanca.   This was a bucket list destination, and I’m glad that we saw it, but it was nothing like I expected.   I guess I watched too many movies and expected a glamorous Morocco…very far from what we saw.

Morocco is a third world country and Casablanca easily threw that in our face.  It is a crowded city, filled with hovels (with satellite dishes on every roof!) that is sadly dirty and in disrepair.   Many of the women in Casablanca were dressed in traditional garb and the men in regular clothes.  Surprisingly, the streets are filled with cars and the traffic jams are worse than New York City.  The drivers are even more impatient than NYC cabbies and horns blare the second a light turns green.

Like other third world countries/cities, there is the contrast between rich and poor.  Our tour visited the Hassan Mohammed V mosque.  It is the 2^nd largest mosque in the world and one of the only ones open to the public.  It is exquisitely beautiful.  The outside area can accommodate over 100,000 people and the inside 25,000.  The mosaics and other tile and plaster work are breathtaking.  The minaret is the largest in the world and can be seen from everywhere.  Our guide was excellent and we learned so much information about the Muslim faith.

We then left Casablanca for a 1.5 hour drive to Rabat, the capital of Morocco.  It’s only a 1 hour drive but it takes a ½ hour to get through the traffic to the highway (which should only take about 5-8 minutes)!   Rabat is a bit more cosmopolitan but many areas are still very poor.  Here we saw many more women with just a head scarf.  Our guide explained that the younger women want to flaunt what they have and only “fat” women wear the traditional garb to hide their figures.  It was easy to tell that he was born and raised in this country. 

We visited the outside of the King’s Palace and learned that the King does not reside here…it is where he entertains visitors.  While we were there admiring the building, over the outdoor speaker came this loud yelling/chanting in Arabic.  We all looked at each other uneasily, not sure of what was happening,  and then we realized that it was 12 noon and a call to prayer.   Talk about taking us out of our comfort zone!!!  The Muslims pray to Allah five times a day and each time, in certain areas, the call and prayers are delivered aloud. 

Next we went to the mausoleum where a number of past kings are buried.  Again this was a magnificent building with beautifully garbed guards.  This was the fairly tale Morocco that Hollywood has portrayed.  

Lunch was included in our tour and, to be honest, after seeing the restaurants on the streets, I was very apprehensive about eating.  So, we were thrilled to discover that our lunch was being served in one of the top hotels in Rabat.   We were escorted to a beautiful room, seated around banquets of eight, and served a traditional Moroccan lunch.  We began with a vegetable plate that was not only delicious but pleasing to the eye.  It contained eight different vegetables each in a small mound cirling the plate.  There were carrots, string beans, beets, eggplant, spinach, onions, red peppers and a tomato/cucumber mixture.  All cooked with mild but exotic spices.  Then they cleared the center of the table and put down the largest serving bowl I have ever seen.  Inside this beautiful silver –domed server were four roasted chickens cooked in Moroccan spices with cous cous and olives.  It was so delicious!  Then, for dessert, they brought out the largest fruit bowl I have ever seen…it was overflowing with bananas, apples, pears, kiwis, grapes, plums and locally grown figs.   OMG…the eight of us felt like we were royalty and we enjoyed our lunch royally!!!  Even Bill…Mr Fussy Eater…sampled some of the vegetables and loved the chicken!!!  Who would have thunk it!!!!

After lunch we asked the tour driver to: “Take us to the Casbah” and he did!!   A casbah is a fortress and this one in Rabat dates back to the 1200s.  Much of the village inside is just as it was then.  The “streets” inside were reminiscent of being in Eze in France, however these were made of concrete and painted white and blue.  But they were winding passageways with many steps and they led down to the ocean.    It was a great experience!

Then it was back in the van for the trip back to Casablanca.  The wind began to pick up and by the time we got back to Casablanca it was raining and, hard to believe, the traffic was even worse.  We made a short trip to visit an old Catholic church with beautiful stained glass windows and then headed back to the ship.  Unfortunately, because of the weather, we never got a chance to go to the bazaar.  However, we were told by others that the people there were excessively pushy, so maybe it was for the best.

All in all…I am happy to say that we have been to Africa (OMG…another continent to add to our list!) and have seen Casablanca.  Oh…by the way…there is a Rick’s Café in Casablanca, however, we did not go in it.

Here’s looking at you kid!!!

Days 17 & 18 - Sea Days

Ahhh…they’re all sea days now.   It takes a voyage such as this to begin to understand how much water there is on this earth.   My God…how did ancient mariners and explorers stand it???   We know we’ll hit land…literally…six days from now.   They just trusted the stars and a higher being, I guess.

It’s easy to be philosophical out here…there’s not much else to do!   Oh, don’t get me wrong…the ship has lots of activities…bingo, bracelet making, lectures, but the sea keeps drawing me near.  I love to just sit on deck and watch the ocean…it’s gently undulating waves beckoning.   There is a peacefulness here that I don’t believe I’ve found anywhere else.   I thought I’d be bored…instead I find myself entranced!!

We’ve been fortunate…the weather has been great.   Yesterday was a bit more cloudy with a few passing showers, while today has been filled with glorious sunshine all day.  Temps are in the low 70’s with virtually no humidity…and the ocean…it is so calm that I am amazed.  I truly did not expect an ocean crossing to be calmer than a 7-day Caribbean cruise…but there is not a whitecap to be seen and the swells are less than the tide on the west coast of Florida.  I hear that we may be heading into a storm in the next few day…so I will treasure this part of our crossing.

We have met quite a few people on board, but unlike past cruises, we haven’t really connected with anyone or any couple in particular.  I think that may have to do with the great people we have waiting for us back in Florida.  It’s hard to find others who compare with them.  And we miss sharing our cruise with Chris and Kim whom we cruise with often.  I find myself thinking, “Wow…Chris should be here to see this!”, or “What would Kim think about that?”  But Bill and I are enjoying each other’s company and it’s hard to believe that 18 days into this adventure we have only had one small fight.   Ahhh…I guess after 35 years we’re content to just enjoy and not annoy!

So, life is good.   How fortunate are we!

Day 16 - Madeira, Portugal

So last night when we returned to our cabin, we discovered that we had been blown off course and were landing on a completely different island!    No, really,  there was a tropical storm very close to the Azores where we were scheduled to port and the captain thought the seas would be way too rough, so he decided to sail south to the Island of Madeira which is also owned by Portugal.  And I am so glad he did!

We awoke to a day awash in sunshine with clear blue skies and great temps and a view of this beautiful, mountainous island dotted with small cream-colored homes with orange roofs, covered in vegetation and flowers.  What a way to start your day!

We walked the 1.2 miles into town and did what we haven’t been able to do on the past few tour-intensive stops….shopping!   And shop we did.   Madeira, beside being known for their wine, is also know for their embroidery work, and we picked up some beautiful pieces, including the most beautiful dress for our new granddaughter.   It is so enjoyable to wander the meandering streets of this very European town and stop into the shops to see their beautiful wares.

After shopping we headed to the cable car to ascend up to the top of the mountain to a little town called Monte.    It was a bit scary heading up there…we were really high up but I tried not to look down…just out…and after what seemed like a lifetime…we reached the top.  What a view!!  You could see the entire city of Madeira, the ships in port and so much of the Atlantic.   We visited the beautiful little church at the top of the mountain which houses the body of the last emperor of Austria who was exiled to this beautiful place.  Not a bad deal!

Then we did something that you can’t do anywhere else in the world…we took a sled ride down the mountain… without snow!!   The locals have these sleds which seat two-three people, they oil the streets and the runners on the bottom of the sleds and guide you down the mountain streets, using their feet and ropes…it was amazing and so much fun!!!   

After sharing lunch in town with our friends Lynne & Jim, we wandered around a bit more and came across a festival and craft fair that was being held in one of the squares.  We felt like locals, meandering through the tent village, seeking that one perfect item we had to buy…which, by the way, we never found.  But it was fun.  Then Bill found a Portuguese Military Museum which we had to go see.  It was interesting and they gave you a booklet with the English translation of all of the exhibits.  Bill loved that they had some very old cannons and guns on display. 

Then it was time to return to the ship…and after all the walking we did, we only made it half way back before we resorted to paying a cab to take us all the back to the pier.  For 5 euros it was well worth it!!  

It was sad to know that this would be our last port.  We have so enjoyed visiting so many wonderful places and learning about different people and their cultures.  If anything has struck us, it is the fact that people are pretty much the same everywhere in the world…some are kind, some are rude, most are just going about the daily lives working, eating and enjoying their families…it is just their environment that is different.  The world is a very small but fascinating place.

Back on ship it is time for a glass of wine/rum and coke on the balcony as we watch the children of Madeira learn to navigate small sailboats.  Such a nice way to finish our day.  

As we sail away from Madeira, we realize that this is the last time we will be seeing land for an entire seven and a half days….YIKES!!!   We’re certainly hoping for nice weather as we finish this epic voyage.

Dinner tonight is the best…pizza and a movie…up on deck in MUTS we watch Snow White and Huntsman.  What a great movie!!  And Bill…wonder of wonders…actually enjoys it.  Now he can’t say anymore that he hasn’t gone to the movies since 1984!!   And if all movie theaters provided the service the ship provides…bringing you drinks, pizza, popcorn, ice cream and cookies and milk…he said he would go more often!!!