Monday 19 November 2012

relief

The verdict is in...the foot is not broken as we had feared...it is a case of platar facietis....so there is hope for our upcoming trip to south America...how releved am I...although it is still   very sore...am hoping that it will improve with time and pysio

in the meatime we re home again and continuing to plan our trip which is coming on quickly...we have a mere 5 weeks left to complete the final details

Thursday 15 November 2012

Six days at sea

We left Horta headed to the West with high hopes that we would leave the rainy weather behind us and move into sunny and calm seas...not to be unfortanately...we were hounded by rain, seas and swell...many passengers found it too difficult to stay upright without drugs...

This was not a problem for us old sailors, so we took full advantage of the ship.  We participatated in many games of Trivia...winning sometimes with team mates that we met on board...a couple from Switzerland and a couple from USA...together we made an awesome team for travel trivia which included much about geography...

The ship was the MS Prinsendam...a 25 year old ship with much charm.  We discovered half way across the Atlantic that the ship was headed for dry dock at the end of our voyage.  The crew started to appear and to prepare the vessel...this included taking down awnings over seating areas (not great for rainy conditions); starting electrical work...putting outside chairs away...not altogether convenient for us passengers, especially those with no balcony (this included us) as we struggled to find places to sit and relax inside...
Nevertheless..we found time and places to kick back and get lost in books and puzzles...the time seemed to slip away.



Eating on the ship became somewhat of an olympic event as going to the dining room became a major event every day...three times (at least) each day...by the end of six days we were all groaning under the gained weight...

We had an excellent lecturer (from Canada) who gave us an opportunity to get better acquainted with the stars...which were excellent when we had a break in the cloud cover...one night in particular when the heavens opened above us and we could see nothing but stars on a moonless night.  The lecturer pointed out constellations which we had learned about earlier in the cruise and the moment was magical indeed.

We saw several shows on board which also filled much time...

I would be lying though if I didn't admit that I was looking forward to seeing land again...and when we did it was lovely indeed...in the far distance Grand Bahamas!!! together with a great sunset...at the end of the first rainless day we had had!


This morning (November 15) we arrived in Fort Lauderdale and said goodbye to Mom and Dad and then went ashore to stay the day on the beach.  We met up with Sascha and Danielle (Trivia team mates) in the disembarkation line and they spent a few hours on the beach with us...using our room to house their belongings until they could make their way to the airport in Miami...It was great for us to have the company of such a young and energetic couple on our last vacation day!!!


Tomorrow it will be back to Ottawa from the beautiful and sunny shores of Fort Lauderdale where we have enjoyed the heat.  We discovered during our trivia pursuits that there is a name for the skin which is lost after a sunburn...bylpe...so now we know what to call it once we experience it...and we are sure to as we have been exposed to enough sun in one day to be thoroughly roasted!!!

Thursday 8 November 2012

November 8

So...since my last post we have been exploring Portugal...we had a stupendous experience in Lisbon...we took the train to Sinatra...where we visited a castle at the top of a mountain....it was an adventure in the truest sense as we had to take a bus....followed by a tram and then a walk through the rooms and apartments of an incredible old castle that inspires thoughts of mystic experiences...we took the train back into Lisbon and spent the evening wandering through Alfama.   We had a great meal in a small restaurant where the owners fortunately spoke French!!!



This has been followed by two days at sea and we ate now in Horton...where we have visited a volcano caldera and an area created through a volcanic explosion...fun fun fun....


Will be spending the next six days at sea and will be out of touch for that entire time....hope to survive the isolation :-)


Sunday 4 November 2012

november 4

It has been quiet on board the ship.  We have been forced to slow down...which has its advantages indeed... but makes for a strange new rhythm to life...we are of course experiencing the food phenomenon which is common to cruise ships....not easy to resist!!! I can only imagine what the scales will say when we return.

We are currently in Cadiz Spain...which is our last stop before Portugal.  Last night we sailed past Gibraltar... at night and in the rain...made it hard to see...but not impossible...even with these conditions it looked fantastically exotic and I could imagine all sorts of weird and wonderful things in Casablanca, just to the south of us!!!

Cadiz is another quaint town with...you guessed it...a cathedral...



We decided to go into town with Mom and Dad...so due yo our combined mobility issues we took the hop on hop off bus.  We ended up in the botanical gatdens...lovely and a good distraction from religion!!!


We will be sailing again in a couple of hours and  are looking forward to Lisbon where we will be trying to take the train to Sintra to visit a castle of some repute...


Saturday 3 November 2012

November 3

Our adventure has continued apace since my last post.  We have had considerable difficulty finding a way to get to a computer to add to the blog...this is something I had not anticipated as we both have smart phones and I thought that their ability to get onto the internet through wifi would be enough...but not so...they either do not ¨see¨ the available wifi or they are too small to make posting possible for these old eyes to see...in any case...here is what has been happening.

After our experience at St. Peter´s we felt that we would have to return when it was NOT Sunday and when the Pope was not there to get in our way...so we decided to go back...what a great experience...there were many parts that we had not seen including Bernini´s last sculpture

and of course the Pieta...which was breathtaking...


 In keeping with Paul´s desire to stay out of basements...we spent only a little time in the crypts (the most striking part-the crypt of St. Peter himself) and found our way to the top.  As my leg was inconveniently in a cast, the guards led us to an elevator and let us in for free...what a great bonus...although I would rather be able to walk up....

We got up to the dome of the church and it was spectacular....really there are no words to describe it...


We could see for many miles and the city stretched out before us on a beautiful sunny day...

This though, was not high enough...so we made the climb to the cupola.  This you can see behind us in the picture above below the golden globe...

It was difficult to climb...with 1,000 of our best friends pressing behind...especially with my gimpness slowing everyone down...but eventually we made it...



The view was even more spectacular from this higher vantage...with the snow covered mountains off in the distance...and the square below...



We had already seen the Sistine Chapel on the free Sunday before, so we did not take time to go there again...


We decided instead to visit the bizzare church where the museum of the purgatory is located.  This includes a small collection of items which supposedly have signals from the dead who are trapped in purgatory awaiting masses and prayers from the living.  Subtle reminders like burnt books, handprints on cloth and actual apartitions which are described by the living...bizzare indeed.  No one made any special suplications whilst we were there, so they will have to stay in Purgatory a bit longer I guess.

In the last few nights that we were in Rome we searched out small restaurants in Trastevere and saw more beautiful churches and (gasp) statues and fountains.


In truth...it got to the point where we had to go to a cafe to escape the beauty of all the things to see in the city.

Before we knew it...it was time to arivedercci Roma and the B & B we had been staying in....




We made our way to the train station where we were pretty well confused by most everything...fortunately there were ¨wanderers¨about who wanted to do nothing but help us...for a fee of course.  The rain was pelting down and we were happy to give a couple of euros to find the right train...once there and figuring out where to sit (not where we had booked of course) we were off...an uneventful trip got us to the coast where the train left us on a soaking wet platform in a torential downpour.  We were soaked within minutes...and no taxi´s were to be found...after 10 panic filled minutes (where Paul tried to ask passers by to drive us to the ship) a taxi arrived and ignored all the others who wanted to use his service to take us...at a premium of course to the ship.

We arrived...more wet than dry...after wading through 6 inch deep water to get to the terminal...and got to the ship where Mom and Dad were waiting for us...my Dad was quite worried thinking that we were too late...

Ah...so...the next leg of our journey started damply, both physically and in spirit...

We arrived two very rough sea-days later in Alcaliente Spain...a quaint, small village nestled into hills.  It was hot and sunny and we wandered through streets which were really stairways straight up...I was reminded of many movies we have seen over the years.  We enjoyed the sunshine at a small cafe on the steps and drank in the local colour (mostly blues and whites to my delight)...the woman who owned the cafe came to our table unbidden at one point and dropped a bowl of soup on the table...on the house (we think)...a delightful lentel concoction...great fun and lovely to be away from the ship for a few hours.

The ship is older and small...not as many amenities as we are used to...but as old as the ship is...the other guests are even older.  There are as many walkers, canes and scooters as there were statues in Rome.  Makes me feel very young indeed.

Today we are in Malaga...and found an internet station where we could catch up on e-mails and add to the blog...tomorrow it is off to Cadiz, and we will be passing ( not to running into) the Rock of Gibraltar at some time in the night...so are hoping to see it as it is lit up apparently...

Then we will be in Lisbon, where we plan to go to Sintra to see a castle there...

Unfortnately the bridge instruction and duplicate games on board suck the big one...so we will be looking for other things to pass our time for the seven days we are at sea...

Will post another update at the earliest opportunity.