Izmir, Turkey excursion today…Off to see Ephesus…Rioting in the area…

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For news on Izmir, Turkey, please click here.

Last evening, as our ship the Norwegian Spirit, pulled away from the pier in Istanbul, Turkey.
Turkey’s interesting architecture.

At 11:30 am this morning, Turkey time,  which is eight hours later than the US Midwest, ten hours later than the West Coast, our ship will dock in Izmir.

Feeling a bit concerned about visiting Istanbul, Turkey we stayed behind yesterday planning to visit Izmir, Turkey today on a prepaid excursion, feeling an organized excursion would be safer than wandering around on our own.
We took these photos facing the sun as it set yesterday in Istanbul.
Our new friends, Nicole and Gerry had called yesterday, asking if Nicole could join Tom and I since Gerry sprained his ankle and won’t be able to go on the tour to Ephesus after all. Of course, we’d love for Nicole to join us. We planned to meet at the designated meeting area at 11:45 this morning. 
The excursion is scheduled to depart around 12:15 pm, returning to the ship at 5:30 pm. 
A haze obstructed the view as the sun was setting, a combination of heat and pollution, a result of the big city along the sea.

Last night, after attending yet another Latitudes members cocktail party in the Galaxy of the Stars venue at 7:00 pm, later dining in Windows Dining Room, another wonderful evening was behind us. Dining alone for a change we chattered on about our experiences thus far and our dreams for the future, albeit some of which is uncertain which much to our surprise, is fine with us.

The spires of the many mosques dotted the skyline in Istanbul.
Returning to our cabin around 10:00 pm, typical for us since we awaken quite early, we found these two items on the bed:
This adorable frog was sitting on our bed last night when we returned from dinner, made from one of our beach towels and a few washcloths!
This letter was on our bed last night when we returned from dinner.

Feeling committed to our non-refundable tickets and our plan to meet up with Nicole for the excursion, we decided to forge ahead. When in the future with so much “world” left to see when would we ever return to Turkey?

Most likely we’ll be safe. Wouldn’t it be great if our Uzi welding, security guard, Mohammad from Egypt, was riding on our bus and following us around! 
Ironically, there I was writing yesterday, providing all the reasons to avoid risk and here we are today, walking right into it.  So off we go today, camera in hand, ready to shoot what we hope will be better photos of our expedition as we explore the ancient city of Ephesus.

It’s a one hour drive each way to Ephesus, where we’ll spend approximately three hours.  I’m hoping it’s as exciting as Petra minus the difficult three-hour walk uphill half of the way.  In any case, if we prove to be safe, I’ll crawl through mud to return without incident (and take photos of that as well).

We’ll be back tomorrow with our story, hopefully safe and sound and grateful for yet another enriching experience as we continue on in our worldwide adventures.

Ancient buildings at every juncture.
Goodbye Istanbul.  May your citizens (and visitors) be safe from harm.

Istanbul, Turkey…Story and photos…

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Mosques and churches are abundant in Istanbul.
What a view of Istanbul!
The contrast between old and new is breathtaking in Istanbul.

It was not an easy decision, deciding not to visit Istanbul, Turkey today. Tomorrow, while our ship will have docked in Izmir, Turkey we are going on an excursion to Ephesus, not returning until late in the day, posting the story and photos on Thursday. 

As our ship overlooks this magnificent city, it is quite tempting, to simply walk off the ship and venture out on our own.  From the information provided to us by the excursion desk, it’s about a 30 minutes vigorous walk through the city to arrive at the mosques, the Grand Bazaar, the Underground Cistern, and many other renowned historical sites of interest.
We were able to zoom in on many historic sites from the deck of the ship.
Google Maps
Taksim Square wherein lies the political unrest in Istanbul, Turkey, is across the bridge from the Blue Mosque.  The far-left point of the blue line is the Port of Istanbul.  The end point of the blue line toward the right is the Blue Mosque and an area of most of the tourist attractions, a little too close for comfort by our commitment to safety.

Staying behind is not based on fear as much as on practicality and logical thinking. Most likely, if we did go out, we’d be safe. The odds are in our favor.
Honestly, it’s more my being cautious than Tom. 

Looming in my mind is all the bus bombings and terrorist attacks that have occurred whereby tourists have been killed, injured, and captured. In many ways, Turkey is safer than in many other countries.  But, in our own US, who would have thought the Boston Marathon would be a high-risk area, on that particular horrifying day?

When we planned this year’s long adventure, we made a commitment to each other: we will protect ourselves from the “things we do know” since we have no control over “the things we don’t know.”

Today, Istanbul falls into the category of “things we do know.” Thus, we stay behind, perhaps viewed as overly cautious and “chicken” by some and sensible by others.  Whichever the case, we’ve made peace with our decision.

Here again, old and new intertwined in Istanbul, Turkey.

We reminded ourselves that only four weeks ago, we traveled the Middle East, visiting many high-risk areas, reveling in the adventure of it all, grateful for the experience.  We’re not pushing our luck to see yet more mosques, shopping areas and historical buildings, however magnificent they may be.

We find this French style of architecture not only in parts of the US, but in other cities throughout the world.

We remind ourselves of our personal travel objectives: to focus our time, money, and energy experiencing amazing wildlife, vegetation, natural wonders. And most of all, living in and learning the culture of people all over the world.  This makes us happy.  Historical buildings?  Nice to see, but not as life-changing for us as it may be for others.

This simple church spire adds to the Istanbul skyline.

The Panama Canal, Petra, and Mykonos tell us a story that fills our hearts and minds with awe and joy.  Wearing the burka and thobe in Abu Dhabi visiting the Sheikh Zayed Mosque gave us a gift of cultural differences that will remain with us forever. 

Mingling with the Mayan people, eating their food from their shops and markets in Belize was so meaningful to us.  Tom getting a haircut from a Creole barber while sitting under a tree on a plastic chair atop cement blocks was a delightful experience for us both. 
Also, on our trip to the Monkey River in Belize, seeing the howler monkeys, the manatees, crocodiles, dolphins, the unusual birds and vegetation, the likes of which we’d never seen before, left us reeling with pure pleasure.  And, the lunch at Alice’s Restaurant will be etched in our minds forever, as Alice and her family ran circles around us to serve us their perfect version of local lunch.

Who’s to say what “trips one’s trigger?”  Luckily, both of us have similar expectations.  Five days from today, we’ll plant our feet in Italy for the summer, living for two and half months in a non-English speaking area, learning their ways of daily life, eating their locally grown foods, attending their summer festivities, enjoying their rolling hillside all the while and making friends along the way.

The Port of Istanbul, where we sit today, a 20-minute walk from the unrest in Taksim Square.

Yes, we are doing what we want, when we want, what feels safe to us while enriching our lives daily to the world around us. It’s not perfect.  It never will be.  But for us, this, our friends, is as good as it gets.

The tender took us to Mykonos, Greece…Pure heaven…Lots of photos!

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Our MiFi is working again after the company Xcom Global gave it a hit from their San Diego, California location.

This is Mykonos! Oh, my!
Mykonos from the tender as we approached the dock.

Early this morning our ship maneuvered into the harbor of Mykonos, a virtual paradise of crisp white houses, similar in design, dotting the hillside of this historic and quaint Greek city. 

Our first steps into Mykonos after stepping off the tender.

Island houses scattered about the clear blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea follow suit in their pleasing design and mystery, making one long to enter any one of these to see what lies beyond the white facades.

Mykonos, as we walked along the shoreline.

Awakening at 5:45 this morning, we dashed to the window after hearing the roar of the thrusters and anchor as the ships locks it in position, a short distance from the shore, requiring us tourists to travel by tender to step foot on the land.

Gerry, Nicole and Tom outside this quaint little church.

At 9:00 am this morning, tender tickets in hand, we’ll meet our new friends from Canada, Nicole and Gerry, to share a day’s outing by bus and on foot, exploring the sites of this interesting area.

It was s crowded in this tiny church, I couldn’t straighten out my elbows in order to take a level shot.

Having seen photos of Mykonos over the years, our curiosity was peaked to visit this appealing area and, much to our delight, we will see more today.  Ironically, since we left the US on January 3, 2013 our bucket list continues to grow, not diminish, as we hear more and more from other passenger extolling the virtues of a new place to visit.

The vendors along the boardwalk offered a wide array of fresh flowers and produce.

My current ‘song and dance” is Petra in Aqaba, Jordan and Tom continues with his passion for the Panama Canal which, up until Petra, was my favorite. The next few days could hold some treasures that possibly may top Petra for me.  But Tom, I suspect, will stand firm on his #1 choice as we travel along.

Look at those “real tomatoes!” They invited squeezing, but I kept my hands to myself.

Last night we dined at the prearranged dinner in the Windows Dining Room, with the two other couples having the time of our lives.  We’d met at the muster station drill on the first day, chatting on endlessly until the leader of the group hushed us to shut up. 

Three of the four in their group are school teachers and for some reason they were determined to sit with us to pick our brains. Of course, we were flattered, almost embarrassed, to be so chosen for such “brain picking.”  In any case, they all were fun to spend time with, each with their own interesting and unique story and perspective of life.

We can’t wait to buy fresh produce in Tuscany in one week as we prepare to begin cooking for ourselves! Mykonos didn’t disappoint.
The water was crystal clear.

At the late end of our evening, four hours later, we commented how in essence, we all are very much alike, seeking fulfillment of our own hopes and expectations of how our latter years could and should be spent. 

Amid the white everywhere on the island, the flowers offered a majestic backdrop.
The narrow walkways through the shops and houses was enchanting at every turn.
Nicole and Gerry, our French speaking new friends from Montreal were delightful touring companions.
Here’s these crazy retirees traveling the world. My pockets were so full, I look fat! No longer do I carry a purse.  Tom calls himself the “pack mule” since he always carries my overflow.

The common message:  Feel free, doing what you love and fulfillment will come. 

Tom referred to this little shop as “the Greek Victoria’s Secret!”
Shops and cafes lined the narrow stone walkways.
One narrow stone street after another.  Narrow vehicles serviced the areas deliveries and  trash pickup. It was impeccable everywhere.
Trinkets and souvenirs, not allowable in our tightly packed luggage, were in abundance in Mykonos, many passengers eagerly grabbing mementos of their travels.

 At every turn a new view awaited us, as endless lines of passengers paraded past

From time to time we’ve seen artwork from Mykonos.  Seeing it in person explained the charm this island has to artists worldwide.


Restaurants and cafes lined the boardwalk.
The streets were comparable to a maze, leading us to one more enticing view after another.
Stopping for a moment to rest, we looked up to behold  this olive tree filled with bunches of ripe olives ready for brine.

Feeling unencumbered by “stuff” that binds one to a life that can by suffocating and restricting. Spreading one’s wings, however that may be: riding a Harley in your old age, sailing in a regatta, falling from the sky, living in a jungle far from civilization, learning to sculpt, or ballet dance may all offer the tranquility we all desire. 

 The windmills of Mykonos, close to the shore for ships to unload the grain.
 Although all the buildings were white, many of the properties had colorful doors, roofs and window trim.
Churches were in abundance on this small island.
 An occasional stop was relaxing after the steep walk up the hilly roads.
Is that a bread oven up on that roof?  Ah, the days of home baked bread!
Stopping at a popular café for a cold beverage with Nicole and Gerry.
 I wandered into the main part of the café to find a restroom, which required a walk through the busy kitchen.
In the kitchen I discovered shelves of prepared foods appealing to the palate.
 Octopus?  I’d eat that!  Tom, not so much!
Prawns and what appear to be stuffed Portabello mushrooms.
 Moving right along through the crowds didn’t diminish the quality of our experience.
 Hand made fluffy scarfs.
A dirty faced kitty, among many stray cats wandering the streets.
 It was difficult to resist some foot stomping as this musician played. “Oompah!”
A single home overlooking the sea.  It would have been fun to go inside!
Our walk back to the area above where our tenders awaited the returning passengers.
As our tender pulled away from the dock to return us to the ship.
One last shot of Mykonos, a fine day to be had.

For us, we chose this life, however encumbered it may be at times, with its own weights and restrictions, ultimately leaving all decisions in our own hands.  We know we’ve made the right decision.

Tomorrow morning we’ll arrive in Istanbul but we have yet to hear as to our safety in visiting this troubled city. 

Stay tuned, we’ll be back with news.

Livorno, Italy…Later…

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As we pulled into the port of Livorno, Italy.
Views from the ship were limited.
Historic buildings lined the streets in Livorno.

Yes, we have now been in Italy for the past 24 hours, yesterday in Livorno and today in Civitavecchia, the port that brings us within an hour and a half drive to Rome.

It may have been easy for us to board the bus and visit Rome now. But, the excursions priced at as much as $395 per person, would leave us only five hours to explore. We’d decided awhile ago to save touring Italy including Rome when we can drive on our own from Florence, where we’ll spend the summer with a car. 
Exactly how we envision Italy, isn’t it?
At $865 per month for the rental car, most certainly we’ll be heading out to explore the many points of interest all over Italy throughout the summer,perhaps staying overnight in a few areas in the process.
The cruise ships and ferries were lining up to let off the tourists.
Boarding yet another bus with sneezing and coughing passengers was hardly appealing to at this point, let alone while still recovering from our recent illness which lingers in its annoying subtleties.

As the time nears to move into the house in Tuscany, we’ve contacted the owners to complete the payment.  Originally, they’d asked for cash in Euros for the balance for the two and a half months. With all this cruising and frequently moving about, we’ve preferred not to carry much cash with us based the dangers of pickpockets. 

From afar, we could see the Norwegian Epic, the ship we didn’t like due to poor design and…where we experienced the 50 foot waves while crossing the ocean.
When one travels for a few weeks, it’s no big deal to get cash off of a credit or debit card at a cash machine, paying fees upwards of 10% in a foreign country. For us, traveling constantly, this would be an outrageous expense. Carrying around large sums of cash is also foolish. Thus we’ve used PayPal and credit cards (not debit) for rental payments which has worked quite well up to this point.

With the owners  of the Tuscany property asking for cash in Euros for the extended period, we’ve been in aquandary. We could go to any bank and pay more fees to have our bank wire the funds to us to convert to Euros. 

We could use a cash machine each day in order to accumulate smaller amounts, paying huge fees, or we could open a bank account at a European bank which we’d prefer not to do, not knowing at this point how long we’ll be in Europe for the long haul.
This is not an issue for any of our future rentals. Thus, it didn’t make sense to go through all of this. As a result with angst looming, yesterday we contacted the owners of the property by email, offering to pay PayPal or credit card fees which most certainly would be considerably less than the up to 10% fees we’d pay at a cash machine.
An old grain elevator close to the port.
Much to our delight and gratefulness, they wrote back (using Google translate since they don’t speak English), telling us not to worry and that we could pay however we’d like, at any time we’d like. Their kindness prompted us to offer to pay the entire amount now using a credit card, paying the appropriate fees. We shall see how this rolls out but at least we can stop fussing over this at the moment.
It’s peculiar to us how the worries of our daily lives have changed as we’ve traveled; transportation from here to there, dirty laundry, exchange rates, runny noses, decent food, and most of all, time zone differences allowing us to Skype with family.  
The sunset shortly after our shipped pulled out of the harbor.

Part 2. Off to Abu Dhabi then Dubai…Photos and video of the world’s fastest roller coaster….

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Wow! Wow! Wow!  Tom took this photo from the 124th floor observation deck of the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa with a total 163 stories. For more photos Tom took at the top,  see toward the end of today’s post.

Yesterday, we received a comment from an anonymous reader with a story about the dangerous Coronavirus spreading from the Middle East.  Last night, we saw the same story on CNN about this virus spreading to a French traveler who had visited Dubai, UAE, which proved to be fatal. 

With dozens of cases throughout the Middle East and, considering the places we’ve visited, I was concerned.  Tom, was less worried than I.

After taking my 4th dose of Z-Pak, I’d expected to turn the corner.  It had been 16 days since the illness began. What would happen if this continued until next Tuesday when we board the ship for the Mediterranean cruise and we wouldn’t be allowed on the ship, although we’re no longer contagious?  Oh, dear.

I had an idea in my desperation to improve; put a large pot of boiling water on the stove leaving it on all day at a slow boil.  Perhaps the moisture in the air would lessen the sinus infection. 

Second idea;  follow the guidelines espoused by Dr. Bruce Fife, of the benefits of Oil Pulling, using coconut oil twice a day as a mouthwash for a full 20 minutes, swishing and gargling and then spitting it out.  Coconut oil, which we have with us, is a powerful antibacterial. 

Starting these two modalities or merely coincidence, I started to improve late afternoon. I’m much better today.  Whether it was the Z-Pak finally kicking in, the coconut oil, the boiling water putting moisture in the air,  just “time,” or a placebo effect, I don’t care the reason.  It’s only the result that brings us much relief.  Tom, struggling with the sinus issue to lesser of a degree is also feeling better.

So now, we can rest one more day with a plan to begin tomorrow to sift through our stuff, one more time, to further lighten our load in order to avoid extra baggage fees when we fly away on Monday from Dubai to Barcelona.  It will be done!

Now to Part 2 of our day trip to see some sights in Abu Dhabi and Dubai…

After leaving the mosque on Monday, Umer was anxious to show us other favorite tourist attractions.  In my weakened conditioned, I reminded him that walking was difficult for me in the heat and if we’d be getting out of the car, it must be to air conditioning with places to sit.  This limited us to a degree.

Most intentionally crooked skyscraper in the world in Abu Dhabi, Capital Gate, built at a full 18 degree angle. Oh.

With this in mind, he drove to a popular destination, Abu Dhabi’s world famous seven star hotel, the Emirates Palace Hotel, an extraordinary architecturally interesting hotel filled with Arabic works of art, its own marina and heliport and the finest of amenities. Again, we were enthralled by its creative design, tasteful amenities, massive structure and opulence.

One of the entrances to the Emirates Palace Hotel.
Looking up, as we stood in the main foyer of the Emirates Palace Hotel.
The main foyer.
Happy to sit in the air conditioned comfort of the Emirates Palace Hotel.
Looks like a cash machine.  Nope!  Its a gold machine.  Put in a credit card and out pops a chunk of gold at your choosing.
This is a full view of the Emirates Palace Hotel depicted on an enormous wall.  Its actually a handmade tapestry!  The detail in person was breathtaking.
We stepped out on the veranda for a better view of the ocean front.
One of two open staircases at one end of the hotel, with its handmade carpeting and stained glass railings was worth a shot.
As we drove away from the Emirates Palace Hotel, took this photo of one of the fountains.
A small portion of the Abu Dhabi skyline as we drove away.
The attention to detail is at every turn.  Notice the shaping of these trees along the boulevard.
From every angle the views are amazing.
Umer drove us past the Sheikh’s new home currently under construction.  This photo is only a small portion of the massive estate.
World’s largest roller coaster is located in Ferrari World, the Formula Rossa. Here’s the link to watch the seven minute video.  No, we had no interest in riding this so we just breezed by.

By the time we returned to Dubai it was after 1:00 PM, anxious to get to the Burj Khalifa so Tom could ride to the observation deck on the 124th floor.

Tom taking photos at the 124the floor of Burj Khalifa.

More views…

This is the highest view from any structure on earth.

Breathtaking!  He loved seeing it firsthand.  Wish I could have joined him but these photos are quite gratifying.
Miles of views.
Tom took this photo of the portion of the Burj Khalifa remaining 39 floors all above the 124th floor observation tower.
The freeway system is evident in this and the photo below, indicative of Dubai’s efficient systems.
Unreal views.  Great job, Tom!
Although these look as if they are black and white photos, it was taken in color.  From the distance, everything appeared in monotones.
A peek of grass and water shows the colors seen from above.
A photo of a photo on New Year’s Eve as fireworks were being shot from various floors of the Burj Khalifa.  Now that would be fun to see in person!
Winding down our day, he drove out to Palm island to see the gorgeous properties.
Our final stop on Palm island, the renowned Atlantis, The Palm Hotel & Resort that doesn’t allow tourists to visit except dining or as a booked guest.

Finally, returning to our condo after a gratifying day, although cut short in part by my illness, we were so happy to have gone to see some of the highlights of this amazing country and two of its extraordinary cities, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the capitol city. 

Although we’ve seen but a small portion of what these great cities have to offer, we’re grateful for the experiences we’ve added to our repertoire of fine places to visit, as we continue on our worldwide journey.

Part 2…A day to remember…Petra…Aqaba Jordan…photos, photos and more photos…Plus pirate drill!

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Part 2.  Our experiences in Petra, the lost city.  Part 1 was posted yesterday on May 15, 2013.
For the detailed history of Petra, please click here.

Yesterday morning, after posting our Part 1 of our expedition to Petra, everyone aboard ship was to participate in a mandatory drill in preparation for our upcoming passage into the Gulf of Aden.

All passengers in the inside cabins would be required to stay in their cabins in the event pirates boarded the ship. Passengers in balcony cabin (us) and suites were to move to the hallways after locking their cabin doors staying in place until directed otherwise. 

The drill lasted 30 minutes as security maintained their stations to ensure all complied. The quiet was unsettling. 

As described to us, most often, pirates attack larger ships during the night. Thus, we’ve been instructed that tonight and over the next three nights, beginning at sunset and ending at sunrise, to keep our curtains closed and all outdoor lights off.  Also, all outdoor nighttime activities will be suspended during this four day period.  Walking along the decks at night will also be prohibited.

After speaking with a ship’s officer a short time ago, he explained upon my polite pressing, that an escort convoy of naval ship from multiple countries will be accompanying us over the next four days as we navigate toward and through the Gulf of Aden.

Are we frightened?  Not at all. The likelihood of pirates boarding a cruise ship at full speed with naval escorts is slim to none.  Although, we must admit that the excitement of it all adds to our varied experiences as we travel the world.

Who we are as individuals is comprised of all of our life experiences, good and bad.  Every step of our journey, now almost seven months since leaving Minnesota, has changed us in subtle ways, has changed our view of the world and, our view of our world.  These discoveries continue each and every day as new opportunities and challenges are presented to us, such as the visit to Petra.

__________________________________

Now, back to where we left off yesterday in Part 1 ending with this photo as we inched closer and closer to the Treasury at the lost city of Petra, Jordan:

This was the photo we posted at the end of yesterday’s Part 1 of our trip to Petra.
This was the next scene as we entered “the city” to see the world renowned “Treasury.”
We couldn’t stop shooting.  It was breathtaking!
In Jordan, the camel owners proudly let us take photos.  In Egypt at the Great Pyramids, either they’d grab your camera and smash it or demand $50 to get it back.
More of the Treasury, illustrating the rose hue to the daunting structure.
Actually, Tom was much happier than he looks in this photo!
Imagine, they said tourism is down.  What would it have been like if that wasn’t the case!
Check out the intrigue detail of Treasury performed by craftsmen over 2000 years ago. The twelve pillars represent the twelve months of the year.
The seven cups along the border illustrate the seven days of the week
After the long walk, sitting down for this not so smiley photo was a huge relief. The grates behind me at the front of the Treasury are protecting more intricate design.
Much to our surprise, vendors were set up by the Treasury but in Jordan, they weren’t “pushy” as they were in Egypt at the Pyramids.
We continued on past the Treasury to yet another area full of wonders.
This camel posing for us preferred his side view!
Visitors aren’t allowed to enter the various tombs and chamber.

The ride back was nerve racking, the bus bobbing along on the rough roads. Luckily, the day was cool which made a huge difference in our three hour walk. But when we got onto the bus, the driver put the heat on full blast. It was so hot, it felt as if it was burning our feet as it blasted out down below. No one on the bus said a word.

This donkey, high above us was standing on the rocks, waiting to be beckoned for his next passenger.
Tom, sitting on the aisle jumped up and approached the driver, kindly asking that he turn off the heat and put on the AC.  He agreed and the people on the bus cheered as the cool air came on.
Our tour guide positioned himself in an advantageous spot in order to take photos of passengers in our group using each of our own cameras.  He took the photo of us at the top of this page.

The ride continued on until about five miles from our ship.  Suddenly, a warning sound on the bus blared, startling all of us.  The driver stopped the bus, turning off all of the lights, as he pulled toward the curb.  Moaning ensued by the passengers. 

Wouldn’t it be interesting to crawl into these openings?

We heard one person say, “Oh, I knew this day was too good to be true.”

The open area by the Treasury make me wonder what it would have been like 2000 years ago filled with townspeople, animals and vendors, typical of the era.

My mind was spinning. It was already 7:30 pm. We could be stuck on this road for hours waiting for another bus, a hazard on the road with no taillights turned on.  Both the driver and the tour guide were speaking in Arabic on their cell phones trying to figure out what to do. Fifteen minutes passed.

More interesting formations.

Tom looked angry. I was worried. Soon, they both got back on the bus and the driver started it up. It sounded alright. We could see our ship at the far distance, its lights twinkling in the dark. Much to our delight, we were on our way once again, the driver mumbling something about a “bad sensor.”

More interesting entrances.

We didn’t get back to the ship until 8:00 pm. We were hungry, exhausted and anxious to move about. Rather than spend time showering and dressing for dinner, knowing the main dining room closed at 9:30, we dropped off our heavy bag, changed into clean clothes and headed to dinner.

Imagine the hard labor for the artists who crafted these stones.
Falling into bed by 10:30, we had smiles on our faces over an overall enriching day that neither of us will ever forget.
A doorway to…
Thank you, Jordan, a peaceful country rich in history and treasures they have gifted to the world to see.  We’re grateful, once again.

Traveling styles…Where do we fit in?…

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“Dino,” our towel, pet last night.

Time changes continue. At our present location, 12 hours from entering the Straits of Gibralter we are 9 hours later than Los Angeles and 7 hours later than Minnesota.

Last night during the night, we hit rough seas again, not as bad as a few days ago, the three torturous days of 50 foot swells. 
Sleeping still seems to be an issue for us but also other passengers revealed that they, too, continue to be unable to go to sleep until 2:00 or 3:00 am, awakening at 9:00or 10:00.  It’s the nature of the beast.

Yesterday, after only four hours of sleep, we awakened early. Sluggish all day, I’d hope an
early night would be in order. After dinner and a live show last night (comedian/magician) we returned to our cabin at 10:45 pm to find yet another card on the bed informing us to forward our
clocks yet another hour.

Suddenly, it’s almost midnight with nary a desire to sleep. By 2:00 am Tom dozed off. At 3:30 am, I did as well. We awoke at 9:00 am, still tired, struggling to get up and ready for the day.

During the night I was up several times with a funny stomach, not “ha ha” funny but “oh oh” funny.

Never one to suffer with abdominal distress,immediately my mind went to either food poisoning or norovirus. My fish tasted funny last night at dinner,not “ha ha” funny but “oh oh” funny. With an absence of other distress or nausea, I dismissed it as a fluke, refraining from eating anything yet today.We’ll see how it goes.

Still reeling from the joyful experience yesterday of meeting Gina, the owner of the house we’ll rent in Madeira Portugal next yearand having an opportunity to tour of portion of the tiny island of Madeira.

Pilot boat picking up the pilot that had come aboard as we approached the pier to aid in maneuvering the ship to the dock, which we’ve observed as we enter each port of call.

Today, we’re content to spend a lazy day, reading our books and perhaps watching a movie on the giant screen in the Atrium, the main lobby area of the ship. 

Every three or four days, I consume a novel, many of which either free or under $5 on Amazon.com, mostly books popular a few years ago with four and five star reviews. Mostly some simple stories,  some more significant.


Tom, a slower reader has been wrapped up in many books written by Vince Flynn, a Minnesota author who’s series of well-written novels center around CIA stories of international intrigue, an ongoing saga of a character, Mitch Rapp. So far, he’s read five lengthy novels with many more to go.

Most of our reading occurs at night in bed with only an hour or less during the day. With no US
TV shows other than a few news networks, we seldom watch anything. Occasionally, a 10-15 year old movie runs, many about baseball.  We’ve seen “Field of Dreams” three times and “The Natural” four times, mostly in bits and pieces since there’s no way to know in advance when a movie is on.

When we’re online for short periods each day to read email, look at Facebook, handle financial matters and post this blog, Google often comes up in German, Portuguese, mainly based on the majority of the populace in the areas we’re sailing

“Pirate” type boat for tourists, observed while still in the Port of Madeira.

Last night, we dined in the “included” Manhattan Room, the food again mediocre, but made memorable by the four women at our shared table, many experienced travelers, two coincidentally from Minnesota. 

It’s enriching to hear the suggestions by other travelers with much more experience than us.
We’ve observed how each traveler has their own specific style of traveling. Our human nature is
to believe that “our” methods are the best. We are no exception, although we’re curious about the methods of others. 

Many factors determine the style travelers we all choose to be: financial constraints or desires, time constraints, need or desire for comfort, personal interests, personality and lifestyle. 

Pier as we pull away from Madeira.  A ship, the MSC Sinfonia remains at the pier.

We find many travelers content to backpack, stay in hostels and sleep in tents if need be. Others are in the middle, as we are, desiring comfort while willing to pay a little more for it. Others will only travel staying in the most plush cabins, finest hotels and dining in the most posh restaurants. 

Whichever style the travelers we meet choose, we find them interesting, often picking up a tidbit of information that we may find useful in the future. On we go, to the port of Barcelona in two days while we continue on our second leg of this back-to-back cruise for four more days to Majorca and Marseilles. We’ll have get off the ship to go through customs but able to keep our stuff in our cabin.

Goodbye, Madeira.  See you again next year.

On May 5th, we’ll be back in Barcelona  for our next leg of our journey, the 15 day cruise through the Suez Canal to the Middle East. Some say we’re crazy to explore this highly charged area of the world while we feel excited for the opportunity. We plan to explore Barcelona, sharing photos and stories of how we’ll avoid the rampant pickpockets, for which Barcelona is so well known.

Another time change…We’re now 8 hours later than Los Angeles, 6 hours later than Minneapolis…

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This morning, we awoke at 10:10 am, new time, after yet another time change during the night.  By the time we showered and dressed and sauntered to the Garden Cafe it was after 11:00 am. We decided on lunch as opposed to breakfast requiring we only wait until 11:30 am when lunch is served at the buffet.

Once again, our favorite booth was awaiting us while all booths around us were filled. In October 2014, we’ve booked this same ship back-to-back to return to the US to work our way toward Hawaii to be with our family at Christmas. At this point, we’re considering canceling both cruises and booking another line for this long journey. As soon as we can use our MiFi, we’ll be contacting our cruise guy Joaquin, at Vacations-to-Go, to make the changes.  This far out, we won’t be charged cancellation fees.
Without a doubt, this is a beautiful ship mostly appealing to the older population, but with many amenities most passengers don’t use: a rock climbing wall, giant slides, two bowling alleys and a wave pool.

Also, there’s the Ice Bar, with a temperature of 27 degrees requiring one to wear a coat provided (who wants to wear a coat someone else wore???) paying a $20 cover charge per person. We’ve yet to see anyone enter. Most passengers aboard this ship are from cold climates. Why would they want to sit in a freezing bar sipping a frozen drink, the only options available?

When booking a cruise, all of these amenities are appealing. Once on board, we find little interest by us or others to partake of many of these “attractions.”

With lifeboats consuming all of the deck space, there is no deck on which to walk, read and relax. With our romantic expectation of lounging in a chaise, covered with a blanket, reading an enticing novel as we cross the ocean, we  are sorely disappointed.

Then, there’s the food. Today, after a full week aboard the Norwegian Epic, we’ve come to a conclusion: the food aboard this ship is by far the least desirable we’ve had after cruising on three cruise (five cruises) lines: Celebrity, Carnival and now Norwegian since January 3, 2013.

However, the overall service although good, leaves much to be desired in their communication with one another. When the same mundane tasteless plate of food is placed in front of me each night, I’ve become bored with eating: a salad, a piece of unseasoned fish, a plethora of bland steamed vegetables. 

Last night it was tilapia, the prior night a 3 oz steak and a few unseasoned small shrimp and the prior night, a small chunk of bland snapper riddled with bones. (A properly prepared snapper shouldn’t have any bones).

To avoid liability, they require that I order my meals the prior night, so the cooks can ensure the pan is free of corn oil, flours and sugar. I’ve asked for seasoning other than salt and pepper but have yet to have a bit of flavor in the food. 

Pre-ordering is awkward with other guests at the table curious as to the special attention paid to me by a man dressed in formal attire waiting while I select something from the next night’s menu. Inevitably, I’m asked by the rightfully curious table mates as to why I require this special diet leaving me no choice but to graciously explain. 

If I didn’t explain, assumptions may be made that I’m a prima donna, on an Atkins diet trying to lose weight, inconveniencing the staff and the table while I rattle off all of my restrictions.

Little do most know that I have to eat huge amounts of fat along with the foods I can have, to
avoid losing weight. I don’t want to lose weight. Is it any wonder that Tom lost 45 pounds
following along with me? Neither of us can afford to have clothing that doesn’t fit us!

On the Celebrity Century, their regular menu included several exquisitely prepared gluten-free options using natural juices, seasoned to perfection. The side dished were varied options, such as mashed garlic cauliflower or pureed carrot soufflé. Although the Carnival Liberty didn’t have an
exclusive GF menu, they provided me with some good options, varying the menu each night.

Here on the Epic, most night, my order arrives with an item on the plate that contaminates the entire plate, requiring I send it back. Last night, while dining with two delightful world traveling couples, I sat there without a main course while the others were into their dessert. 

They’d brought gluten free bread (no GF flours allowed except nut flours) with the tilapia covered
in a flour-like red sauce sitting atop a pile of white rice (no starch allowed for me). They knew this.

There is a file under each passenger’s cabin number that appears when they check into the restaurants each night. The kitchen, the chef and the servers receive a printout of what each passenger may and may not consume along with a list of what was pre-ordered for the night.Not rocket science.

The conscientious assistant maitre d, Steven, seems equally frustrated that my food continually goes back to the kitchen to begin anew. He has carefully outlined my diet: any meat and sauce without sugar, flour or starch, steamed or olive oil or butter sautéed non-starchy vegetables, cheese plate (no fruit, no bread, no crackers) for dessert. It’s not that hard.

Tom is equally frustrated, almost having had the same dinner and dessert night after night, bland and uninteresting. Presentation lacks originality and appears comparable to what an inexperienced cook would throw on a plate. 

Tonight, we’re booked a reservation for dinner in the Moderno Restaurant, a Brazilian barbecue with a variety of seasoned meats, none with starch, sugar or flour coatings. Last night, we spoke to Clive, the Moderno chef and he assured us there won’t be an item served by skewers that I won’t be able to enjoy. The salad bar literally made me jump for joy with most options suitable for me. 

At $20 per person for this specialty restaurant, plus drinks and additional tips, most likely our bill for tonight won’t exceed $65. Should we dine in specialty restaurants the remainder of this leg of the cruise, ending on May 1st, we’ll still be well within our budget of $900 for the 11 day ocean crossing.

Currently, our bill is around $575, $300 of which was for the Internet connection, the remainder for drinks and mandatory daily added tips of $12 each. We’ll post the actual amount of our bill once this leg ends. 

The second leg of this back to back cruise is only four days for which we’ve budgeted an additional $400. Our Internet bill will be considerably less since we’ll spend two of the four days in port, making it possible for us to use the MiFi to post our photos. Plus, in each case, we’ll be getting off the ship to explore Majorca Spain and Marseilles, France.

Tomorrow, we’ll be in port for the first time in eight days, spending the day in Madeira Portugal.
As mentioned earlier, Gina, the owner of the house, we’ll be renting from 5/15/2014 to 7/30/2014, is meeting us at the pier to show us the house and to tour the island. How exciting! 

Photos will follow tomorrow afternoon as soon as we return from our tour with Gina. With the
MiFi working again, we won’t have difficulty uploaded photos.

So, please look for us tomorrow with photos and story of the island of Madeira, Portugal, 1200 miles off the coast of Lisbon, Portugal and our experience with Portuguese speaking Gina.

Challenges of crossing the ocean…

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Towel pet on our bed last night.  The eyes are inverted coffee creamers.  Too cute.

Challenge #1:  Time changes

Since leaving Belize on April 9, we’ve experienced a number of time changes. Although a small amount in terms of world travel, it has affected us. We had wrongfully assumed that the gradual time differences occurring while crossing the ocean would be insignificant.  With Belize not observing Daylight Savings Time resulting in a two hour difference in Miami, at this point, the four hour difference has hit us.
Since boarding the Norwegian Epic on April 20th, we’ve had two time changes with another coming tonight. Why I thought we’d be invincible to these changes escapes me.
The almost full moon taken from our veranda last night.

Each of the past four mornings, we’ve awakened around 9:00 am. I can’t recall a time in the past 20 years that I awoke this late. Tom with his prior work schedule occasionally slept a little later. I’ve always felt that half my day was over by noon upon awakening most days between 5:30 and 6:00 am.

It appears that the only way to adjust as we venture toward Europe is to start getting up earlier. At this point, still on Belize time, when we awaken at 6:00 am, it’s still 2:00 am to our bodies.  This morning, we committed to getting up by 7:00 am going forward, starting tomorrow morning. We’ll set the alarm.

Doing so, and following this concept as we traverse through time zones in our travels, will allow us to adapt more quickly. Also, leaving the drapes open at night to allow morning light to awaken us along with eating our two daily meals at regular intervals, for us, within an hour of awakening and five hours before going to bed, should get us on track in no time.

Challenge #2:
Rough waters at sea

We were warned by our captain a few days ago. When nothing major occurred, I dismissed it as a stroke of luck, again making a wrongful assumption, that this crossing of the Atlantic Ocean would be “smooth sailing.” Ha! 

As I write this, we are sitting in our favorite booth (coincidentally available, three mornings in a row) in the Garden Cafe, after a satisfying few cups of coffee and breakfast, watching the horizon rise and fall through the walls of glass surrounding us. For the past 20 minutes, I contemplated getting up and getting a cup of tea, wondering how I’ll carry it the short distance from the beverage area back to the booth.
The magic of moon appeals to all of us, wherever we may be. (The orange line in the upper left corner is the overhang on our balcony.  To avoid including it, I would have had to hang over the railing.  No thank you!)

Alas, I made my tea, while practically trotting to and fro as the rolling waves attempted to catapult me across the room.  Tom, of course, after 42 years of rocking and rolling on the railroad, experiences no such sensation.

Thank goodness, at this point, I don’t feel seasick. Why, not?  I don’t know. The captain made an
announcement about the rough seas over the loudspeaker a few minutes ago, but people wouldn’t shut up long enough to be able to hear what he was saying.

Perhaps it is better that way. Ignorance is bliss. Bouncing and rolling, not so much. Will it get worse? I imagine so. We’ve heard stories since boarding this ship, of rough waters resulting in order that passengers stay in their cabins, taking everything off of the shelves. 

We have our zillions of bottles of vitamins on a shelf in our cabin which I expect will be all over the floor when we return.  Tom just went to the window here in the Garden Cafe to look out, in awe of the waves, coming back with a big smile, loving the adventure of it all. 

As long as we don’t get seasick, I’m OK.  This surprises me.  During the first few nights on our first cruise on the smaller Celebrity Century, I was unable to sleep as the ship rolled from side to side. Now, on our 5th cruise since January 3, 2013, I am at ease, although well aware of the sensations.

How quickly we adapt, we humans. Ironically, I think we are designed for change by possessing the emotional and physical where-with-all to grow, to learn and to adjust to a new environment, a new way of life and ultimately of a new way of observing the world around us. For this, my friends, we are grateful.

Thumping is over…We moved to a new cabin!…

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The luxury yacht we passed as our ship sailed through the channel in Miami to the open sea.

After sleeping for seven hours without awakening during the night, I feel like a new person today after moving to a new cabin last night.

As we traveled through the channel we saw the Norwegian Epic ahead of us.  We’ll be on this ship on our way to Barcelona next Saturday!  Its huge!

After a quiet dinner in the main dining room, we’d decided it would be best if only one of us pressed the customer service desk to give us a new cabin. I volunteered while Tom moseyed over to a nearby bar while I stood impatiently in the long line. (Coincidentally, while at the bar he met a young couple from Maple Grove, Minnesota, only 30 minutes from our old neighborhood. Small world).

Joaquin, our cruise guy was aware of our noisy, drainage-problem cabin from reading our blog, having contacted us by email late yesterday. He was very concerned for us taking the initiative to contact Carnival asking them to move us. They informed him that all of the cabins were booked and we’d have to stay put.

The side view of the enormous Norwegian Epic.

We appreciated Joaquin’s efforts, but we were determined to do whatever it took to move to another cabin in order to get some sleep.  My eyes were bloodshot from only three hours of sleep for four nights and I’d begun to feel out of sorts, comparable to a bad hangover. Having consumed only one beer since boarding the ship on Tuesday, a hangover was not the issue.   

Standing in line for 20 minutes, it was finally my turn. Diplomacy, I reminded myself, was the order of the day.  Taking a deep breath, I forged ahead graciously explaining the difficulty of the sleeping atop the noise thumping nightclub asking for a manager to intervene.
A 50 caliber machine gun was manned by the Coast Guard escorted our ship as we traveled through the channels.  Tom explained that these boats have three outboards each at 300 HP.

An hour later we were packing after a thorough inspection of our new cabin, two floors up, far from the nightclub.

The move was tough. It made no sense to repack all of our unpacked clothes into the remaining five large suitcases. Pulling clothes from hangers, cupboards, and drawers, we hustled while a cabin attendant stood by aimlessly in the hall, waiting for us to hand over our “stuff” as he loaded it onto his cart.

After three trips between the old and new cabins, everything was moved.  By midnight we finished unpacking, exhausted but relieved to finally be in a quiet room. The sink drained when I brushed my teeth before bed;  while this morning the shower water drained nicely. 

This ferry pulled past us with passengers sitting in their vehicles waving at us. Notice the stretch limo in the middle of the vehicles.

Today, anchored a few miles from shore at Half Moon Cay, the Bahamas, the tender boats are taking passengers to the cruise line owned beach and shops.  Once again, we’ve opted to stay onboard having made a definitive decision to avoid gimmicky man-made cruise line owned “spending” traps. 

Our goal is to see nature’s natural gifts of our planet and explore cultures and people.  For us, little is to be gleaned from a man-made money trap.  Also, neither of us is interested in spending a full day sitting on a beach towel in the sand with no respite from the sun, especially with our goal of a maximum of one hour per day of sun exposure. 

This morning, after a great breakfast of “real egg” omelets with mushrooms, onions, and cheese, bacon and sausage, we were content to roam around the ship, go to the health club for my workout, eventually working our way to the pool. Lasting only 45 minutes in the scorching sun, we went to the Serenity Lounge, and in the shaded outdoor area with comfy chairs and fabulous views. It is from this vantage point that I write now.

After yesterday’s errands in Miami and last night’s packing and unpacking, a lazy day is definitely in order. According to my pedometer, we walked over 11,000 steps yesterday.

All of our accumulated snail mail was included in the box of supplies we received at UPS yesterday, most of which were either retirement documents, our new health insurance documents, or duplicates of financial information we’d already reviewed online. 

The cost to ship the two large bags to my sister Julie in LA, totaling 102 pounds, was $202, including the $10 charge for the 24-hour storage of our incoming box of supplies, plus postage for a document that we signed on the spot, to be sent to London for our health insurance.

Prior to leaving the US, we had requested that all mail be sent to us online as opposed to the necessity of our paying our mailing service to scan or snail mail it to us.  Some complied, others did not.  In this age of technology, there’s no need for paper. And yet many companies insist on a “paperful” relationship with their customers. 

Yesterday, we scanned everything we needed to keep placing it in the appropriate folders in our Dropbox cloud while using our tried and true “shredding process” of soaking the paper in water, rolling it into little balls, subsequently tossing the little balls. Considerate of being on a ship, we didn’t flush the tiny balls instead we tossed them into the trash.

With our new camera still in the box, today we’ll begin the process of learning how to use it. For once, I plan to read the instruction booklet.  Hopefully, within a few days, we’ll notice a further improvement in the quality of our photos.  

For the next six days, we’re feeling settled and content. From time to time, my mind
wanders back to Placencia, Belize, our little villa on the ocean, the friends we made, the simple life we lived, and the memories we will carry with us forever.