WE WARM UP IN TO KEY WEST

Saturday, January 14, 2017      72 F, warm breeze and sunshine

Aboard HAL MS Oosterdam

The bright full moon last night cast a wonderful light on the Gulf as we cruised south. Our wakeup call this morning was breakfast-ham and cheese omelet for TK, and pastries, juices, and coffee delivered to our door. We were not due to arrive in Key West until 10:30 a.m., so we decided to go to a Digital Workshop on Windows 10-about Cortana, Microsoft Edge, and the Action Center. Georgia, the teacher, has been trained by Microsoft. TK and I decided we could benefit from learning more about MS WIN 10, so we may as well take advantage of the classes.

By 11:00 a.m. we were walking the interesting streets of warm Key West, chickens and all. We found our favorite Key Lime Pie Co. for an exquisite taste of this special treat.  We strolled past Sloppy Joe’s Bar, Hog’s Breath Saloon, Hard Rock Café, and many other familiar places. Roosters’ crowing offered a backdrop that reminds visitors this town is very colloquial and laid back.  The hop on hop off trolleys were doing a good business. The architecture is reminiscent of Spanish and Old World influence.

Our ship, HAL MS Oosterdam

Key Lime Pie Company

Sloppy Joe's Bar

A little friend we encountered

We never had a gnome before-he is so cute!

Even though we returned to the ship for a late lunch on the Lido deck, we could not resist spending the rest of the afternoon on our port side balcony that overlooked three small islands off the coast of Key West. We could see parasailers in the distance and hear the buzz of jet skis passing by. Schooners, catamarans, ferry boats, small sailboats, even the Appledore (a schooner that visits Erie often in the summer, especially during Tall Ships) sailed on by. Helicopters and small planes, and a bi plane flew overhead while I read.

At dinner (chilled coconut/pineapple soup, prime rib, and baked potato), TK and I talked about how very laid back this cruise is. For example, there were no photographers taking photos as we disembarked. We are definitely among the youngest cruisers, with the exception of a one year old. The shops, bars, and casino seem empty. That means good service for us! I will say though the black coffee is worse than the strongest coffee in Europe. Tim cuts it with cream and sweetener, but that is not my style. Oh my gosh it is awful.

We lose an hour of sleep tonight--we will need that strong coffee tomorrow!

TK’s Takes: His iced tea was delivered in a juice glass at dinner—a very funny sight. Maybe they did not have spare glasses?  He said they played 50s music on the Pool Deck. This cruise makes the Panama Canal and Alaska cruisers look like teenagers. He did not want to say much more about the average age of cruisers on this ship, but they make him feel awfully young. It turns out that the photographers for this ship missed the cruise in Tampa-they will join us in San Juan.