At sea

It’s the last day of the cruise. K band I are sitting outside on the Promenade Deck enjoying the calm sapphire seas, 73 degree temp. and warm breeze. It’s all the sweeter because we know we are heading back to gray skies and Arctic temperatures tomorrow. Yesterday was what I think of as an archetypical island day. We landed on the tiny island of Grand Turk to crystal clear blue waters and sunny skies. Bob spent some time on the beach but left K and me so we could go into the water. It was sandy and then we walked onto flat coral and could see fish swimming around our feet. After the beach K and I had a couple hours so we parked ourselves at the bar/pool/restaurant at Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville. I imagine it to be a tame version of spring break and thought she should experience it. It was packed with people from our ship and the Carnival ship that also had docked. There were a lot of college kids and twenty-somethings on both ships – quite different from our previous cruises of old people. So the DJ devised contests to pit the two ships against each other. Carnival won all. There was the beer drinking contest and then the “strongman” contest. Six buff bucks took turns having the same bikini-clad girl (a Carnival hussy) lie on their backs while they did push-ups. The winner was able to do 31 push-ups but then the Adonis DJ was persuaded to take off his shirt and compete and he did 33 pushups with the girl on his back. Ah youth! The weather was perfect last night so we watched Jim Carrey in “Yes Man” . This ship has a huge drive-in type screen on the upper deck. There are hot tubs and a pool and a bar. We had lounge chairs, the porters brought out blankets to protect us from the evening chill, delivered warm cookies, drinks and popcorn to us. The sea was calm and it was a perfect evening.

Sunny and hot, hot, hot

Warm and sunny day at last! Everyone onboard rejoiced and formed a long conga line to get off the (line, yes. Conga, no) We were just one of six ships docking in town today. The huge Oasis of the Seas was also here – so maybe it should count as two ships instead of just one. It holds 6,000 cruisers plus the staff. Walking down the pier was like being in Manhattan but instead of skyscrapers blocking out the sun, there were huge ships towering over us. We had the choice of going to the French clothing-optional beach or going to the Dutch side and shopping. In a unanimous decision, we went shopping. Actually, it was more of scavenger hunting for the freebie gifts that the stores giveout to lure gullible shoppers into their lairs. We left Kelly alone in her wheelchair on the street for 30 seconds and when we returned, a woman was wrapping jewelry around her arm, in hopes of making a quick sale. Apparently other families did decide to go to the clothing optional beach because we overhead the “Jersey Shore” family at the next dinner table talking about how unattractive everyone was on the beach. Everyone on the ship had all been warned that drugs are very common and people might approach us. Apparently we are just too old because no one approached us with that commodity. Tomorrow we have vowed we will not go in any stores. We go to St. John’s to visit the national park

Rainy Day at Sea

Rainy day at sea but there was something for everyone. Bob visited the casino because it was open all day and went to the wine tasting. Kelly played bingo twice and Paula enjoyed the demos of flower arranging, vegetable art , and towel folding. Dinner was formal so Bob put on his Santa tie and suit (NOT Santa suit) and we all got uncharacteristically dressed up. Meanwhile the ship gently rock and rolled enough that Paula took Dramamine and put on sea bands that are as tight as wrist tourniquets – but they did the job.

Welcome to the sunny Caribbean - NOT!

It may not be 20 degrees but today it is probably as grey and overcast here as it is in Western Pennsylvania. When the rain subsided, we swaddled ourselves in layers of beach towels and watched Mama Mia on the giant outdoor movie screen on the top deck of the ship. Kelly and I relaxed from our post-luncheon snack, in preparation for our pre-dinner ice cream, in anticipation of our special dinner at the Chop House. By adhering to a rigorous cruise eating schedule we are confident we will be total blimps when we roll back into Annandale. We tried to go to Princess Cay this morning. Getting K’s wheelchair onto the tender was an experience. Just like on the show “Glee” everyone should have to try using a wheelchair to see just how challenging it is to get around even places that call themselves “accessible.” Yesterday the spa folks sold Kelly and me a pass to use the “thermal spa” facilities but after at least an hour trying to find a wheelchair accessible way to get there – we gave up. Apparently no elevators that give access to that part of the spa are working – and only a few crew members knew that. Anyway, back to this morning - we rock and rolled our way in the tiny tender to the island. By the time we arrived on land, it had started pouring rain so we made the crew’s day and turned right around to return to the ship. Luckily, our stateroom is on Level 5 which has the piazza which is a stage for entertainment, the wine bar, the international café, and the internet cafe just steps from our room – something for everyone in our little trio. Tomorrow we are at sea so it will probably be a big day for eating – again. Right now K and B are enjoying the casino. At 4:00 Kelly announced she wanted to go to the casino but Bob sternly told her if she had any class she wouldn’t step into the casino till after 8 p.m. So off they went to the casino after dinner. He is such a good influence.

Farmer's Market

Naples, Florida

A breezy day here - only a few people were on the beach. We made a quick stop at the beach and then headed to the farmer's market in town. The booths were full of citrus fruits, a guacamole stand, a couple soap and herb stands, a few orchid sellers and some sellers of items made with sea shells. It's interesting how farmer's markets are always a great reflection of the local area. Then it was off to lunch with a friend who has a winter home here. We took the tram from her condo, through the mangroves on a boardwalk and saw two resident alligators(!) lolling in the water. We had a lovely lunch (indoors) on the beach. In the afternoon we went to the Naples Museum of Art to see an exhibit on calligraphy. It had two books from the St. John's Bible Project - calligraphers and artists created new illuminated manuscripts of the bible. The musueum also had quite a few installations by Chilhuly - that man is everywhere. There is also a permanent exhibit of miniature rooms. The detail and workmanship are startling. Take a look at the site http://www.thephil.org/museum/museum_collections/sculpture_3D.html#Miniatures. Then in the afternoon B&K went to the movies and I hit the JoAnn Superstore and teatime at Panera's before I picked them up. Must remember to skip the chain restaurants because they are so boring compared to local businesses.

Goodbye 2009 - hello 2010

A cloudy day in Naples made all the people disappear. The street along the beach that was so crowded yesterday was deserted today. Actually, we found the people at the movies. We went to Silverspot theater - a "luxury" cinema with big leather seats, a big screen, and only room for 75 people in each theater. Tres deluxe. The automatic faucets in the ladies' room look like Japanese bamboo pipes. (My personal theory is that you can judge a place by the ladies room.) The theater has a dining room and a lounge, no ticket sellers, it's all computerized - which seemed to baffle most of the people there. Avatar was sold out. We got the last three seats for Sherlock Holmes. As a fan of the Jeremy Brett Sherlock Holmes on public television, I found the film too action packed and not cerebral enough. Not a REAL Sherlock Holmes. Lots of $$$$$$ in this town and lots of really interesting architecture and great greenery.