Against the Wind

Tomorrow we’ll arrive in Venice early for the end of this cruise.  Exhilarating, frustrating, relaxing, and an experience I won’t be looking to repeat because, frankly I’m living above my raisin! 

The revisit to Greece has been an emotional roller coaster.  My first love was in Greece.  That first blush of excitement always looks wonderful in retrospect.  The visit to several islands I’d never seen and memories of a language long forgotten is like visiting a previous life.  Memories that are faded with time, and color shifted with emotions follow me around. 

Corfu is screnery that lets you know why people have lived on these Greek islands since before history, plying the seas, being pirates and pirated, fishermen and cultivators of olives and grapes for millenia.  All sorts of deities have come and gone here, the olives and the sea remain.  I can’t wait to share some of the photos.  Souvenirs and liquor coming home from here.

We took a tour that included the music, dancing, eating and plate breaking on Santorini, so Betsi really enjoyed that I think.  Mikonos is allegedly lovely.  The 50 mile an hour winds blew the gangplank away for a time.  We’d already decided not to take our colds and miseries off the boat for that one.  Today we had a morning on Crete, so we hired a taxi, got a nice tour including the palace of Knosos (civilizations back 8000 years ago), the burial place of Nikos Katzanzakis (writer of Zorba) as well as the Venetian walls around the old city.  Sorting and remembering all this by photos is a treat I’m looking forward to.  

Thanks to all who have passed and commented.  I will be home now in less than a week.  They seem to be getting on without me, but I’m looking to rejoin my life in progress in South Louisiana.  We have a baby and a wedding and a lot of excitment upcoming.

Years I yearned to return to Greece,
The rocky isles tossed carelessly by a creator
Into Posiden’s blue, grazing goats and ancient marbles.

Now, with the Island of Corfu in sight, dazzling in the sun,
I know the comfort of home. It’s beauty is marred by a
new longing. The boring routine, the friends of ordinary days.

Nope… it’s hopeless. Not a poet. Nor an original emotion.

Yesterday, from Split on the Dalmatian shore of Croatia, I took a tour to Krka National Park. Travertine waterfalls as full course… we are here in the spring after a wet winter, so everything is green and lush, and the many cascades were spectacular. B didn’t go, so I was probably the slowest stepper there. Great guide. Old soviet era apartments in the newer sections of Split are dreadful.

Corfu has a strange manufactured plateau at one end of the harbor area. I doubt the hill was turned into a table without the help of man’s hands. The morning sun makes these building near the coast sparkle. We’ll be out exploring shortly.

The truly good news is that my iPhone had a strange resurrection last night. Funny… all that sunlight really does move my happistat up several notches. Now I’m wanting to go explore a bit.

These minutes are at premium price, so I’ll log off, but know that I miss home more than I’ve ever in my life been touched by homesickness. Never ever thought I’d be here!

A small tragedy.  The iPhone died.  That was the portal I used to type what missives I could, so as to not be buying the minutes.  Also it allowed me to check my e-mail.  Alas, that is gone.  Now learn yet another way till I get home and find out what can be done with a toasted iPhone.

Venice is magnificent.  St. Marks Square is set up as is Jackson Square in New Orleans, for tourists.  I wonder where the natives live?  The tiles in the floor of the cathedral St. Mark the Evangallst are patterns a quilter might dream of, but such an insignificant part of the whole that they are walked on, century past century without respect to the wear. 

We are cruising into Split, Yugoslavia this morning.  I don’t know if this is the Dalmatian coast, but we’re passing another cruise ship, and the tours begin early this morning, so I’m thinking we’ll be in port shortly. 

On St. Mark’s square, we sat and ate a little lunch, B- wanted to visit every tourist shop around the square which were many.  I finally left to walk around on my own, found the entrance to the Doge’s Palace, but gave up on ever finding B- there, so went back to the boat just before sailing.  I was able to see hints of the charm of Venice, but it’s really just a tiny taste you get in port. 

Now I’ll try to check e-mail.

I was told that a must see was the Alhambra in Granada.  I would have gladly given up the huge hotel type luncheon buffet to spend more time exploring one of the most beautifully exotic sites in the world. UNESCO agrees.  The Alcazar was a moorish castle renovated for Spanish catholic use. But the Alhambra was left mostly as the last of the Moslem dynesty left it. Of the 800 years of Moorish domination, the court was last in Granada for 200 years through the reconquest. The Moores were gone by 1492.  This was when the four Spanish kingdoms reunited after the reconquest, the Jews were expelled from Spain, and hmmm, there was something else important that happened that year?

The gardens alone are worth the trip. And there is just so much more. B does not do mornings and she agrees that it was so worth the rising before 6 a.m.

The palace is built with the hanging gardens of Babylon in mind, and the gravity fed fountains and pools, courtyards, within courtyards are a feast for the eyes.  I can’t wait to get to Washington Irving’s stories that caught the imagination of tourists.  They have 8,000 tourists every day, one of the most visited places in Europe.

Linda asked about time zones, we’ve crossed six since NYC, and I believe that’s the lot until we get to Venice. We may lose yet another hour when we go to the Greek Isles. Spain is on the same clock as western Europe, so we’ll have a blessed four days in the same tine zone.  Little things make me happy.  I’m up before six a.m. this morn.  Will soon enjoy the sunrise in its splendor.  

Lisbon was our port today. B and I decided to go it alone. That included the metro, which we took to the Museo do traje.   It was a costume and clothing museum, located well away from the center of town. 

The museum was located in a duke’s home, which was replete with architectural detail, much like the plantation homes which were patterned after European styles. The part that was significantly different was the use of tile. Decorative tile is distinctly Portugese. 

B wanted to see this museum, but was full throttle complaint most of the day.  I recall this because she is waking up with advanced sinus complaints and will likely go with to Seville today.  But she won’t be happy. Give me a break!

Anyway, I’m thinking that Anival Cruz moved from Honduras to Sevilla so I’ll watch for a painting or artwork of his. 

I really don’t recall what was Seville’s claim to fame, and don’t have the Internet access I had counted on to do research on our ports of call. Anyway, there is a 2 hr bus ride through Spanish countryside to look forward to. I think I shall enjoy this day.   

Sevilla visited my soul! Lovely and so much history. Not enough time but a lovely sampler.

These time zones are a challenge. My Timex which I can manually reset decided it had taken one too many baths, and gave up the ghost.  So tonight we lose yet another hour and go to EDT + 5 hours.  My cell is my timepiece. 

Bets and I visited Ponta Delgada, PT today. We found tubing for her medical equipment at a medical supply shop, but alas no lens cap for my camera.  The buildings in the town are mostly painted bright white with dark brown trim. We visited one of several churches in the little town. I’m estimating the population at 6K. Anyone with fast google access care to look it up?

Near the multibank ATM a young kid asked in a nearly Brooklyn accent, how we liked Alcatraz. He was in fact from Toronto, though it was never clear to ne why he’d been there for four if he disliked it so.  

In a stationery/book shop a girl ask if we were from “that shop.” Seems she had read in the local scandal sheet about the med evac that woke us one morning. A young crew member apparently was sent out with symptoms of appendicitis. She was Indonesian. This we figured by reading the borrowed paper in Portuguese. Reminded me of the book and movie, “shipping news,” where the protagonist in Newfoundland found his niche and much of interest in the local news of boats in and out of port.  Good read or movie if you missed it. 

I wrote Q-man a picture postcard. Hope to mail it from the mainland in Lisbon.

I also stopped in a couple orthree little coffee shops.  Really afun day.  But I’d like to stay a while on the island and experience “Alcatraz.”

Thanks for comments and notes. One week out, not homesick yet, but missing my people. 

The last of five days at sea today. The first shore day is at Ponte Delgaga, (narrow bridge?) on San Miguel in the Azores.  I still need to get a few Euros for off ship activities. 

The time at sea has fallen into some routines.  The last five days have been very calm seas, smooth waters. Today is overcast and the seas are a bit more choppy. 

It’s tax day, and I’m recalling a trip I took about four years ago when Tania & Bartley made the midnight dash to NYC’s big main post office. There were television crews and active yelling matches between some Arabs and some Jews well off camera about sending taxes to fund “Bush’s was in Iraq.” It was not seeen as our country’s war then, was it?  Have we as a nation ever bought into the use of our troops in the middle east? Here in the eastern Atlantic, it all seems so far away. But I was startled to wake up to ??? a plane buzzing the ship. Two captain’s announcements before eight a.m. were unintelligble, but it develops that a crew member was med evacuated to a island of the Azores. 

Four 23 hour days and I’ll be most glad to NOT set my clock back tonight.  

I miss everyone. 

This morning I availed myself of the Christian non-denominational bible study. Lo and behold it was led by the same lovely lady who joined me for lunch the other day as Betsi slept. And Sheila from Vancouver Island was there a tad late. So, as the cruise progresses we’re getting to know several people. 

Betsi wanted to participate in the Jeopardy tournament, and sure enough her name was selected right away. She and her partner won the event. Then she stayed and played some Bingo.  I’ve no idea how much she payed for that but it wasn’t inexpensive. 

The stage show this evening was a comedic juggler.  Enjoyed seeing him juggle on his tall unicycle, and remembered when bro D would do that stuff, heading to juggling conventions and having a ball. I have a photo of him on the unicycle w/ Tania on his shoulders.  Where do all the years go?

Bets and I are negotiating to make a bridge lesson and game go on this cruise yet.   The beat goes on.  Two more days at sea, then the first port of call.  I truly wish I could share photos, alas.  Maybe I’ll add them later?  Like 3 weeks later?

Wonderful morning. Awoke to a wee bit of dawnish cloudiness. Quickly went topside for some morning sun.  After walking and locating (with some dificulty) the chapel for a quiet medtative moment, I  enjoyed bagels w/ pickled herring, smoked salmon.

Now I could have said all that by saying, “LIFE IS GOOD.”

I am reminded of my father, rounding yet another jungly mountain corner in Guatemala, and seeing another Indio going about his business in traditional dress exclaiming “and who would have ever thought little Paul P would ever be HERE!”

Taking a transatlantic cruise was as far from my realm of possibility as Daddy’s jungle. And equally enthralling.

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Deb enthused about the wisteria photo.  I took one that was almost as good, but am having the very devil of a time moving photo files from gizmo to gadget, and text presents difficulties as well. So it was an internet find pasted in the blog. I’d really prefer using my own photos. Is not to be.

For the cost of blogging per minute that may not last much longer.  But I enjoy it, so I’ll aim for better efficiency in using my minutes.

The schedule of events included some trivia and some bridge for in the morning. 

Bridge was just a few hands which as B said, took the edge off. 

I bought an Internet package which got me so far no Internet services. Now the next adventure is aiming for a refund if I can never use it. 

Freestyle cruising is just that. You can do what you want when you want.  The only downside so far is that I’m rarely sure what I want to do. Betsi doesn’t care to see the show this evening as it was too hot.  I’m not sure I care to go alone.  And so it goes.