Wednesday, January 22, 2020

I'M ALWAYS GOING TO SHOP IN ST. THOMAS!


Wednesday, January 22, 2020
Regal Princess
St.Thomas
84F, sunny

I am in our Regal stateroom as I write, and live Caribbean music is wafting through the open sliding door to the balcony. Now this is the way to write!

The title of this day’s blog has always been a clear message to TK, so that is what we did today! The ship docked by 9:15 a.m., the ship was cleared (every port’s customs officers must clear the ship before passengers disembark), and we were among the first off. The Norwegian Encore was already in port, competition for the great deals!

We prefer docking in the Havensight area because there are many shops right near the dock, just in case we missed anything in downtown St. Thomas before we leave. After securing an open air bus ($4/pp, one way), we were on our way downtown.

We can see that some shops are still not open after the two Category 5 hurricanes hit in 2017, Maria and Irma. Note to Friend H: We checked on the beautiful Marriott resort that was perched atop a hill on the peninsula and was ruined at that time. It has not reopened, but work is being done on it.

TK and I sauntered along Dronnigens Gade (main street), and I popped in and out of old favorites until I reached Alpha Jewelers where I bought a ring about 4 years ago. I wanted Sonny (first name basis) to check out the prongs and tightness of the gems.  I wanted to look at other rings too. I may have purchased a simple ring there.

King TK at Alpha Jewelers, patiently waiting

After stopping at Alpha’s, we went to lunch at The Green House, our favorite spot here. It is located right on the bay and we were early enough that we got a window seat with a view of the Regal.  Cheeseburgers, fries!

TK at lunch at the Green House
We love the open window seats!

It was easy to grab a taxi back to Yacht Haven Grande, near the marina next to our ship. That area was hard hit by the hurricane too and many of the upscale shops have not yet returned. After a short walk to Havensight, I finished looking.TK abandoned me here and went back onboard the ship.


The Regal Princess is obscured by one of my yachts at Yacht Haven Grande


From this view, the Regal Princess is intimidating!


I left my writing for dinner and then we went to another show with the comedian, Troy Thirdgill. He is very very funny. We must go to his show when he returns to Erie, even if he tells some of the same jokes. We wandered around the ship a bit and watched the end of Wrecking Crew.

TK’s Takes: St. Thomas did not seem as busy as usual. Three cruise ships were in port with at least 10,000 passengers.  [Note: Our time in port was 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., but we can tell the shops at Havensight have not closed.]

TK's Surf and Turf last night 

More about Wrecking Crew, a movie I think I will watch in its entirety on Netflix------
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wrecking_Crew_(2008_film): “Popular music of the 1960s was dominated by young bands like the Beach Boys, the Mamas & the Papas, Jan and Dean, and the Monkees. 
Record companies happily supplied the public with new songs and musical groups, all packaged with artistic photographs and biographical profiles. Left out of the story was an important historical fact: the bands, in some, but not all, cases, did not play the instruments heard on their records. Instead, the task of recording the perfect tempo, pitch, and timbre fell to a small group of accomplished session musicians.
The Wrecking Crew documents the work of studio players who recorded the tracks for such hits as 'California Dreamin,'  'These Boots are Made for Walkin, and 'Good Vibrations' "




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