FRENCH RESTAURANTS, SHOPPING, AND BEACHES!

Tuesday, January 30, 2018

World Golf Village

St. Augustine, Florida

50s F

On this sunny, but cool day, Judy showed us the homes of her daughters near St. John, Florida, about 25 minutes away. Her move from Nebraska last year made sense because two of her three families live in Florida. Her oldest daughter lives in Arizona.  JJ’s Bistro de Paris was nearby, just outside of Jacksonville, and we had an enjoyable French lunch. JJ’s took us back to France again, Croque Monsieur (ham, swiss on brioche, grilled), Spinach Quiche, and grilled flounder over rice.  For dessert TK had double chocolate cake, I had a lemon meringue tarte, and Judy had strawberry Grand Marnier cake—we all chose well! The French music, the cozy and charming atmosphere, the attentive server, all added to our intimate experience. I wish we still had a French restaurant in Erie.

JJ's Bistro de Paris-TK, Janie, Judy

Jacksonville’s Town Center Mall is a large shopping complex that kept us busy for awhile on this chilly day. Judy then took us on a long drive to the elusive Ponte Vedra Beach that we had difficulty finding. Along the way we saw coast side mansions appropriate for kings and queens and football players. Despite the cold we walked a short distance to a public beach to pick up a few seashells—there were no swimmers, but a few brave souls were walking along the ocean on the white sandy beach.

Ponte Vedra Beach--chilly!

During our visit, Judy and I worked on Ancestry and Family Tree Maker-it would be nice to live closer to each other so we could figure out the intricacies of genealogy together.  The time went by so quickly—it was really special to connect with such a good friend again.

TK’s Takes: He really enjoyed riding instead of driving. Sunny, the little fluffy dog, enjoyed TK very much!

Note to Donna: HaHa! Now this blog is not so short!!

DOWNTON ABBEY AND THE LIGHTNER MUSEUM-LOVE THE LOOK!

Monday, January 29, 2018

World Golf Village

St. Augustine, Florida

60 F

Judy is a great organizer – we headed to A1A for lunch at Reef restaurant on Vilano Beach for fresh shrimp, the very best French fries, and a wonderful view of the Atlantic Ocean. The tide was out, and the waves were rushing the shore. 

She had also purchased tickets for a tour of Dressing Downton, Changing Fashion for Changing Times, a fantastic inside look at 36 exquisite costumes and their accessories from the PBS series, Downton Abbey. Since the Lightner museum had so many period pieces, their exhibit included settings for the time which totally augmented the exhibit.  http://lightnermuseum.org/dressing-downton/ 

British World War I Uniform

After that tour, we had a personal behind the scenes tour of the Lightner Museum, formerly the Alcazar Hotel, built in 1888 by Henry Flagler. The Alcazar was originally for very wealthy guests with new money and Flagler’s Casa Monica, just across the street, was for guests with old money. Casa Monica is now the home of Flagler College. Our guide gave us detailed information about Henry Flagler, oil magnate, who had a vision for Florida as a vacation destination for wealthy people and built a railroad with that in mind [that is the short version]. Louis Comfort Tiffany was the interior designer. I was especially intrigued by the indoor pool, 12 ½ feet deep, that is now a restaurant. I took a picture from the balcony overlooking the pool/now restaurant. Our guide told us that in days past guests would be dressed for formal balls that took place on the 3^rd floor, then afterwards walk down to the 2^nd floor and dive into the pool with gowns and tuxes on! That is my idea of fun.

Pool area, now a dining room, photo taken looking down from the 2nd floor balcony

The Alcazar had a Russian bath (hot showers) and a Turkish bath area (dry heat), 4^th floor rooms for the employees [they stayed from about the end of November through March—the season], electricity, bowling alley, ladies’ lounge, and more to attract the wealthy guests from the north seeking warm weather during winter time.

Alcazar, St. Augustine, Florida today--now the Lightner Museum

The museum had more collections and TK and I focused on the glass, Tiffany, Fenton, and more.

Mostly Tiffany

A fabulous epergne

Judy did a fantastic job of selecting restaurants and tonight we went to Salt Life Food Shack right off St. Augustine beach, and a fantastic view of the Atlantic Ocean and the intercoastal seaway.

 Salt Life Food Shack

Tonight we watched Notting Hill, a comedy that Judy especially liked. It was definitely lighter than the movie we watched Sunday night, Downfall, a German movie with English subtitles about the last ten days of Adolf Hitler’s life. Downfall, which came out in 2004 and was nominated for an Oscar, is partly based on the story of Traudl Junge, Hitler’s final secretary.

FLORIDA MEANDERINGS AND A 50 YEAR FRIENDSHIP

Friday, Saturday, Sunday, January 26, 27, 28, 2018

World Golf Village

St. Augustine, Florida

57 F

As I write today, I can look out into a Florida preserve affected somewhat by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, some tree damage and water. The setting is at the home of my dear friend Judy who moved to St. Augustine last year from Nebraska. As the poets say, time melts away and we feel like the nineteen year olds who met in school in France when we are together. Last night we had dinner at Iggy’s in Fruit Cove, Florida on st. John's River , with two of her beautiful daughters, Natalie and Megan, Megan’s husband Shane, and three of her six grandchildren. The first thing Natalie asked was about what could I tell her about her dad, a question that took me right back to France and memories of how much her father adored Judy from the first time we all met in Italy while on a Fall break from school. 

It was such a sweet question that led to many stories. It seemed that Judy did not tell her daughters much about those halcyon days in Europe so long ago. The girls delighted in the tales of the Marseilles train station, how we skipped school for over a week and stayed near the U.S. Army's Camp Darby in Italy, the 6th Fleet and how what seemed like the whole U.S. Navy descended on Aix en Provence, , because they heard there were American girls there, dinner at the Captain's table on board the aircraft carrier, U.S.S. Roosevelt, and so many more. 

Easton and Callie enjoying a cotton candy milkshake at Iggy's--next time I want one!

All three of Judy and Chuck's daughters were state champion athletes and attended Division I universities, recruited and awarded athletic scholarships by Nebraska,  Temple, and WVU, . Meredy (living in Arizona  now) competed in the high jump, and both Natalie and Megan competed in volleyball. I don't think too many families have such bragging rights.

On Friday, the 26^th, Scorchy drove his 30 year old, 200,000 mile Ford F350 diesel to their daughter Kathleen’s new home in Englewood, Florida, to deliver a sofa bed Mary Lou had bought for her. I restrained myself from writing goodbye notes to our sons, just in case [you may read between the lines here—ask me about the merge lane and Ford vs. cement truck]. I had a flashback to when we made a left turn across four lanes of oncoming traffic a few years ago and I don’t think I have ridden in that truck since then-until the 26^th. Others have been known to hyperventilate while riding with said person. I admit I counted down the minutes (4 hours round trip) till we returned safely to TRR. "Drive friendly," says Scorchy.

Kathleen’s home is a one bedroom, one bath, perfect for her and very cute—I loved the lanai. She will be very comfortable there and she can walk to the beaches and the quaint downtown area from her home. We all went to lunch near Manasota Beach at the Lock and Key. The shrimp basket was delicious. After lunch we walked across the road to the sandy beach. We saw people scooping the sand and rocks from the water’s edge and Kathleen told us they have underwater metal detectors and look for jewelry and money. It was too cool for swimming, but plenty of people were sunbathing.

Scorchy wanted to take the long way home so we drove through Venice, Florida – now we can say we have been in Venice California and Florida, but not Venice, Italy. Lots of traffic and many people on the streets. It was dark by the time we got back to TRR.

Saturday, the 27^th, we went to the Pancake Breakfast, a fundraiser for the TRR firefighters and first responders. Lines were long. The firefighters, who are also served sausage, applesauce, and orange juice, were using five large portable griddles (about 2 ½ feet by 2 ½ feet—on wheels) to make the pancakes. It was quite a production.  I thought of my brother’s Maple Taste and Tour and how handy such a nice griddle would be, but they do not need one as big as that.

Since Mary Lou was feeling tired on Saturday after the breakfast, we cancelled our Kumquat Festival trip to Dade City and decided to start heading north. Mary Lou and Scorchy were really active with us this year and we really kept busy every day. After packing up and saying our good byes, we headed to St. Augustine to stay with Judy for a few days.  

Today, Sunday, we had lunch at Murray Bros Caddy Shack, and according to literature actor comedian Bill Murray and his five brothers, chef Andy, actors Brian, Joel, and John opened the restaurant in World Golf Village. I have to say the cheeseburger was excellent, juicy.  http://mbcshack.com/

Judy and I with a new friend outside Caddy Shack

Judy drove us to the St. Augustine Flea Market which has 500 vendors but is quite different from Webster and Fleamasters. There were fewer people and wider aisles, so no congestion. I found more replacement rocks for my brother there.

On the way back to her home, Judy drove through the historic area of St. Augustine, through narrow streets, alley ways, and one way streets. Many homes are either restored or in the process of being restored and I just love the history associated with this city, the oldest city in North America.

As I write this blog I think of Marisa’s words—about writing my personal reflection on what I am writing about—I have many excuses, including trying to be succinct, so perhaps when I return home I will reflect on this trip. While traveling, I feel the need to be in the moment.

TK’s Takes: He liked that Judy was driving in the narrow streets of St. Augustine. 

TAMPA’S INTERNATIONAL MALL WORTH THE TRIP!

Thursday, January 25, 2018

Travelers Rest Resort

Dade City, Florida

70 F, Sunny

It seems like we have been away from home for longer than 3 weeks. B1 is surely enjoying her snowboard at the Peak and B2 is swimming and dancing away. I am so pleased that they are so active. I can picture Randy ice fishing and Brian bowling—did he get another 300? We are also thinking of Denise and her dad—we hope that he is doing better. That darn flu. The cats are keeping Coleen warm, I am sure, especially fluffy Oliver, the Rag Doll cat. I can picture all of our dear family and hope that the weather is not too bad in Erie and Jamestown.

Last evening we took a walk in the TRR garden and noticed that the frost really did a lot of damage—many plants won’t come back until next year, and some did not survive at all. I could not believe how well the staghorn ferns did, but the hydrangea did not fare well.  Usually we see poinsettia and other flowers blooming, but not now.  When we are here, the garden is a highlight, refreshing and lush, but this year it is suffering.

Today TK was willing to return to Tampa so we could shop at the International Mall, one of the best in the East. It isn’t quite as big as Sawgrass Mills Mall near Fort Lauderdale, but the trip  was fun! Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Dillard’s, Rolex, Tiffany’s, Louis Vuitton, and so on. Even a Tesla showroom.  I am good at window shopping, but Dillard’s was having a killer deal of 30% extra off items on sale. TK scored a beautiful TB shirt for $26, regularly $150. Actually I bought it for him for Valentine’s Day—thinking ahead, of course.

We had lunch at Cheesecake Factory, always a favorite. TK had meatloaf, AGAIN-the 3^rd time since we got off the ship. Key lime and lemon meringue cheesecake are the best!

Despite missing our family, I know it is good for TK to be in warmer weather with the added benefit of spending time with his family. It is so much easier not wearing boots, heavy coats, Cuddle Duds, scarves, mittens, hats. We do have the heater on at night, but by morning we can turn that off and be on our way with just a sweater. Sandals, capris, and shorts are healthier, aren’t they?

A few days ago we went to a small get together at Scorchy and Mary Lou’s friends in “The Village,” a part of TRR with one story homes. Stan and Sharon, from Toronto, sold their cabana and RV in TRR and bought this home for $120,000. They have a share in ownership of the park, just as before, pay modest property taxes, and a modest annual fee. The home has two living rooms, a large dining room, three bedrooms, two baths, a beautiful large kitchen, a screened porch, and a large deck.  Their back yard is on the creek that runs through TRR and there is ample space between homes. TK and I know that we could live in such a home rather than a condo or RV/cabana combo, or in a Florida community. Every year we ponder this idea, but we still could not leave family behind and paying that amount for two months of living does not seem prudent.

Today was a good day and it sure was one less day of wearing boots!

TK's Takes: He has seen few policemen and more speeders on Florida highways. He loves meatloaf.

Note to Donna: Dale Chihuly was wearing TB shirts in the film we saw yesterdaym--three different ones!!

THE WONDROUS GLASS OF DALE CHIHULY!

Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Travelers Rest Resort

Dade City, Florida

75 F, Sunny

Just 40 minutes away in St. Petersburg, stunning glass exhibits by Dale Chihuly, glass artist extraordinaire, are housed in the first ever building specifically designed for his work—art and architecture work together. Originally the TRR Garden Club had planned a trip tomorrow to see the Morean Art Center ($17.95/pp), but not enough people signed up. Thank goodness TK was willing to drive and we benefited from the beauty today!

Each room of the permanent collection was amazing, a testament to the vision of a man who was not afraid to find out if glass blowing and glass art had any limits. I have seen Chihuly’s work before, but today every single step I took through the art center made me gasp with delight.

The “Ruby Red Icicle Chandelier,” approximately 4 feet tall, hung alone in a room,” approximately 4 feet tall, hung alone in a room projecting straight spikes of warm fire. 

Ruby Red Icicle Chandelier/Dale Chihuly

Another chandelier, all blues of different hues, projected spirals, corkscrews, and curls tumbling and glowing overhead and seemed to energize the room like the waves of an ocean.

Blue Chandelier/Dale Chihuly

Blue Chandelier closeup

A boat full of glass “Niijima Floats” looked adrift in a sea of floats, yellows, reds, blues, greens, shining brightly –akin to marbles though up to a foot in diameter.

Niijima Floats

After viewing the exhibit we watched a film of one of Chihuly’s week long lecture series that 10,000 people attended a few years ago. Dale Chihuly, born in 1941, attended several universities for interior design, but became interested in blown glass. He also studied Murano glass in Italy and there learned the benefit of teamwork.  I will not pretend to be his biographer, but he certainly is an important glass artist of our time. TK and I have visited many art glass factories, like Blenko and Fenton Art Glass in West Virginia, and Vitrix in Corning, New York, yet none were on the scale of Chihuly. He is known for pushing the limits of molten glass and the size of the sculptures.

The film described different styles of his art—

Baskets-large basket-like bowls with fluted edge

Chihuly Baskets

Seaforms—glass forms reminiscent of sea urchins and sea shells

Macchia series—soft cylinders (3 ft. high x 3 ft. wide) using 300 colors available in glass

Glass designs inspired by Navajo and Pendleton blankets--rolling the hot glass spheres in shards placed in a design reminiscent of the weft and warp of the blankets

Persian series-starting with a geometric shape and then letting them take their own shape—using a mold to flute the form

Chihuly Persians displayed overhead

Piccolo Venetians—free form creative

Putti—the artist forms a cherub like figure with glass and then attaches it to another form, like a cylinder

Lobster-“some animals look good in glass”

Ikebana—named for the ritualistic form of Japanese art arranging

Ikebana Closeup

Niijima Floats (some 40 inches in diameter)—inspired by the glass floats used by Japanese fishermen-his most complicated

Fiori—a compilation of all his other forms

I am so grateful that we were able to see this permanent collection at the Morean Art Center today—glass structures a delight at every turn.

Mary Lou wanted us to dine at the 4-Star Vinoy Hotel on the waterfront for lunch. This grand hotel was restored in the 1990s and the classic, historic dining room did not disappoint—good service and excellent food, burgers ($18) done to perfection, Caesar salad complete with anchovies, and perfect flounder sandwich.  https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/tpasr-the-vinoy-renaissance-st.-petersburg-resort-and-golf-club/ 

Vinoy Renaissance Hotel

  

TK’s Take: Driving in Florida is a challenge.

JK’s Lesson Learned: B1 would not be pleased with her grandma today. I decided not to take my new DSLR to the museum because most museums do not allow photography. As I walked into the art center today, I read, “Photography Welcomed.” Oh my, I was upset with myself. Doubly upset since I forgot my phone—to walk into a museum so full of beauty without a camera is a sin. (almost as bad as taking one’s camera, but not reinserting the SD card like I did last week). I had to pry TK’s cell phone out of his hands so that I could take the photos posted today.

MONDAY IS WEBSTER WESTSIDE FLEA MARKET DAY!

Monday, January 22, 2018

Travelers Rest Resort

Dade City, Florida

80 F, Sunny

It’s Monday, time to hit the Webster Westside Flea Market, about 35 minutes away from TRR! Central Florida is very dry right now so the fields and grass were brown as we drove along. Everyone on the road seemed to be headed for the same place—hundreds of cars and thousands of people! Entrance fee is $3 for parking and we got a nice spot in the shade. Webster’s is open from 5 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Mondays only and even with our 9:30 a.m. arrival, we found a good spot to park. All four of us went our separate ways—I like to start in the open field where the antiques are and TK likes to look over the new items first. Scorchy and Mary Lou like shopping at their own pace. This flea market has been operating more than 50 years and has 35 acres of any item one can imagine, including fruits, vegetables, seafood, antiques, jewelry, watches, plants, firearms (old and new), rocks, baked goods, furniture, electronics, tools, dogs, birds, modified fire sticks, Yeti items, clothing, used books, records, cleaning supplies, bungee cords, and so much more. 

I was looking for World War I posters and Franciscan Apple ware-none of that to be found. I did see jardinières, railroad lanterns, Griswold pans, old stained glass lamps, architectural items (window frames, wrought iron, iron fencing), china, glass, Pyrex, old toys, all in the antique open field section. In the enclosed pavilions near the fields, I saw Star Wars toys, more antiques, military items, etc.

After about 2 hours with antiques, I headed for the pavilions with the new items. I found 5 novels by my favorite detective authors (Baldacci, Cussler). I did buy a rock for my brother to replace some of the rocks he lost--oh that was marbles. Just kidding, Brother--you will like this one! When I met up with TK, I saw that he bought me a World War I book of photographs.

I noticed that there were many dogs shopping with their owners. Most seemed well-behaved, most were small dogs, many were in strollers. I saw a dachshund with a visor cap on, a Chihuahua with a sweater. My favorite was the Welsh terrier that reminded me of our Airedale, PG. When I see so many dogs shopping, I do wonder how happy they are. I keep in mind that dogs love to be with their owner, so probably they are content. There were very few children. They would not be as content at a flea market. (http://websterwestsidefleamarket.com/

By 12:30 we were finished with the flea market and on our way to find a restaurant. I would like to point out to a particular driver that finding a restaurant while a truck is in motion is not easy. By the time one finds a restaurant in Webster, the truck is already in Bushnell. By the time one finds a restaurant in Bushnell, the truck is already in Brooksville.  Not mentioning any names—just sayin.’

We ended up at Sunrise Eatery in Dade City-Zephyr Hills, a good Greek restaurant with reasonable prices. It is always busy and TK’s Take today is that everyone in the restaurant was over 60 years old. That attests to good food at reasonable prices.

DESTINATION: TAMPA PREMIUM OUTLET MALL

Sunday, January 21, 2018

Travelers Rest Resort

Dade City, Florida

78 F, Sunny

Wow! What a nice warm sunny day! Today’s Game Plan included a trip to the Tampa Premium Outlet Mall in Wesley Chapel. That area has grown so much over the past 10 years that. The mall itself is OK—no Chico’s though. I enjoyed walking in the warmth and sunshine. We also explored Costco where TK gassed up the truck for $2.46/gallon.

The Angus burgers at Ford’s Garage Restaurant tasted very good—we have visited Ford’s in Estero near Ft. Myers.  http://fordsgarageusa.com/  

While driving around the area very close to TRR, we have seen many beef cattle farms—Black Angus and longhorn are the cattle breeds that I recognize. I believe this part of Florida is known for its beef cattle.  I have mentioned before that George Steinbrenner owned one of the nearby large cattle ranches that was passed on to his sons. I do not know if they still own it.

There are orchards of oranges everywhere we go, too, but this year there were problems with frost and I don’t think the crop did too well. Perhaps I will find out in the next few days.

Now TK is too busy watching the football game to give me a “take.” I sure do  hope that the Philadelphia Eagles win tonight, but I won’t realize my dream of an all Pennsylvania Super Bowl this year.

GOODBYE CARNIVAL SUNSHINE, HELLO TRAVELERS REST RESORT!

Saturday, January 20, 2018

Depart Carnival Sunshine, Drive to Travelers Rest Resort

Dade City, Florida

70 F, Sunny

Our disembarkation went smoothly this morning although our luggage was in two different places. Fortunately the porter knew about the 2^nd place and our luggage was easy to spot with its glittery  turquoise ribbons. Of course we each had three pieces plus my laptop bag and TK’s backpack. After all, we were aboard ship for 13 days. Yesterday when we were packing for departure I could not believe how hard it was to cram everything into those darn three bags. That does it. From now on I am only buying jewelry! What makes anyone think we will pack less??

By 10 a.m. we were on the road to TRR in Dade City, about a 2 ½ hour drive. We adore Mary Lou and Scorchy who always make us comfortable. I have written many times in previous blogs about Travelers Rest Resort. Look at https://www.travelersrestresort.com/ and you will find this description. “Nestled among the rolling hills of central Florida citrus country is a piece of paradise, an emerald oasis teeming with activity and restful excitement. Whether you are looking for a nice place to park your existing RV, or for something more permanent, our cozy community is just the place for you! Resort Living at an affordable price!”

We can surely attest to that description. Over many years we have made friends with Mary Lou and Scorchy’s friends here—working with the TRR Garden Club, attending genealogy seminars, health presentations, breakfast coffee meetings, golfing (TK), weekly picnics, garage sales, professional shows, fashion shows, and more. It is a friendly community here! We have even considered buying a property here, but we have never made that plunge. Zephyr Hills (super shopping), Tarpon Springs (Greek food, quaint shops), Brooksville (antique shops), Dade City (history), the area is full of adventures nearby.  Mary Lou has already planned a trip with the TRR Garden Club for us to visit a Chihuly exhibit in St. Pete’s. I think we will be busy this week!

Note to Brother Bill and Marge: Our friend Donna is the one whose nephew is Matt Dieterich, the photographer whose image was chosen as one of the USPS postage stamps celebrating the National Parks Service in 2016 . His website is stunning:  http://www.mdieterichphoto.com

HEADED NORTHWEST ON THE ATLANTIC!

On the Atlantic Ocean

Thursday/Friday, January 18, 19, 2018

Cooler Temperatures, Cloudy 70 F on Friday

Dear Readers,

My blog writing has definitely been better in the past. Last night Donna reminded me that I had not finished St. Kitts, and now I have—if you have been reading this blog, you know it has been something like this: We got off the ship in ________________, we shopped or went to the beach, and we returned to the ship. Very exciting adventures!

Sometimes I threw in what we ate and so on, but I am sure that those sons of ours have fallen asleep reading “Exploring the World.” Granddaughters B1 and B2 reminded me at Christmas that I need to test their dads when I get home to make sure that they have read the blog.  The girls are so insistent on that. Maybe this will be the cruise blog to test them. “You got off the ship, you shopped, you got back on the ship.”  End of story.

All that said, we have had fun. Donna and Lawrence are great friends and we have enjoyed being with them. Donna is a kindred spirit—we love the same colors, the same kind of clothes (especially TB swim suits), we enjoy a lot of the same things, books, TV, and so on. She appreciated the World War I story I am writing about my great uncle (I showed her my PowerPoint presentation) and she loved my bullet journal and plans to create one herself.  She is going to retire soon from Walgreen’s and I hope that we can shorten the distance between Janesville, Wisconsin, and Erie, Pennsylvania. After all, the Mall of America is only about 3 ½ hours from her house!  Lawrence is a very funny guy and we have a lot of laughs when we are together. His mind works in mysterious ways.

Random Thoughts

For some reason this has been a rocky cruise, not so much as to make one sick, but we do roll and rock a lot. At night the waves lull us to sleep—it does seem like I sleep better with such motion. Walking around the ship is not difficult so the rocking is just not that bad. Perhaps it is the effect of the storms in the East on the Atlantic..

When Carnival Destiny met its destiny by floundering around the Gulf of Mexico without propulsion and was dry docked, fixed, and reincarnated as the Carnival Sunshine, the designers added more staterooms and reduced the size of public areas. Our stateroom is adequate, but it would not be considered roomy. The bathroom is tiny, but better than the “capsules” on the NCL Epic. (reminder: there were two plastic floor to ceiling capsules on each side of the stateroom door—one was for the toilet and one was for the shower, allegedly opaque, hahahaha.) The sink in the Epic was in the stateroom itself. Worst design ever.

The Sunshine has very tastefully appointed décor—some Carnival ships are gaudy (though we do love Gaudi’s art and architecture in Barcelona from which the word gaudy came from). We have noticed there is not much space between tables in the dining room, the public bathrooms are very tiny (one has to be able to do acrobatic feats to even close the stall door), and there are not enough shady areas near the pool for shade seekers like me.

We have not gone to one show production, but the lounge musicians are very good. I have enjoyed Jason R. Rich’s “Academy of Fun” lectures. Thursday’s lecture was about using technology for stargazing/astronomy and I plan to download a couple of his recommended apps.

We have only seen one comedy show, Sheila Kay, and 45 minutes of menopause and doctor’s visits, while humorous to a point, was enough comedy for one cruise. Maybe the biker comedian we missed on Thursday because the show was full would have been better.

At the televised Morning Show this morning, Friday, we saw the spa manager wax Cruise Director Lee on his chest, legs, and underarms-a challenge for raising money for St. Jude’s. To his credit, well over $11,000 was contributed on this cruise alone—an extraordinary feat. Apparently the captain, the hotel director, and another officer jumped in the pool with uniforms on to kick off the challenge a few days ago.

The food has been OK. My absolute favorites were: Guy Fieri cheeseburgers, the beef empanadas in the Havana Bar, the arepas (grilled corn meal with mozzarella cheese) in the Blue Iguana Cantina, and the lobster (twice). The flat iron steak was good too. Yesterday I had cherry Napoleon-what’s not to like about layers of crème and puff pastry? That was the best dessert on the ship by far. We have said so many times on many cruises that the food looks good and is presented well, but it does not always taste as good as it looks.

I have read five books: Greg Iles' Mississippi Blood, David Baldacci's Split Second and Hour Game, Jeffery Deaver's Hell's Kitchen, and Lee Child's Echo Burning, all quite a departure from my World War I books, but all engaging! No research while cruising!

We will spend the rest of the day enjoying the ship, taking photos, and packing. So far we do not have the last day blues—mostly because our adventure will continue in Florida with Mary Lou and Scorchy and then Friend Judy in St. Augustine. First thing tomorrow, after we disembark about 9 a.m., we will call our sons and see how our families are doing, including son Brian’s father in law, John. We hope to find out that everyone is fine and that our house survived all the snow.

After our prime rib dinner tonight, it was very hard saying good bye to Donna and Lawrence. We have had such good laughs with them. They fly out of Orlando for Wisconsin as we head to Dade City and TK’s sister at Travelers Rest Resort. Until we meet again!

TK’s Takes: He saw butterflies in every port. So many men are wearing shorts in the dining room in the evening, he thinks he will no longer have to bring long pants. (JK note: hahaha)

He found out today at the debarkation seminar that we no longer have to fill out a customs form (unless we spent $1600 total between us—we did not). Plus we can now bring home 100 Cuban cigars apiece. Now they tell us that-another hahaha. Bringing Cuban cigars stateside was forbidden on past cruises.
The elevators are fast, so fast that you can miss them if you are not paying attention.

SUNNY, BREEZY ST. KITTS

Wednesday, January 17, 2018

St. Kitts, West Indies

Sunny, 82 F

Since our time in sunny St. Kitts, our last port of call, was short, we decided to disembark early, about 8:30 a.m.  St. Kitts is a hilly island, presumably volcanic in origin.  

Shops were open and there were enticing items to purchase!  Because it was windy there was not as much humidity as in San Juan yesterday. I wandered in and out of shops, with lots of colorful variety in colorful clothing, bags, and souvenir items-the usual key chains, t shirts, and more. 

Every island but St. Maarten and Puerto Rico had brightly dressed dancers outside the ship, their flamenco type skirts echoing the island rhythm. Every island also had an ambulance, even two, that took passengers to the hospital. Perhaps that is an indication of the age of the cruisers. There is an age span, but the average is probably mid 60s.

For me choices were sparse in the buffet (same choices as the dining room). We decided to watch the movie under the stars, Spiderman: Homecoming. Entertaining. After the movie we tried to go to the comedy club, but it was too crowded and there were no seats available. 

TK’s Takes: The WiFi in St. Kitts was the best ever. 

You know the cruise is almost over when you see people in the buffet with bathrobes on.

SAN JUAN MAKES A COMEBACK!

Tuesday, January 16, 2018

San Juan, Puerto Rico, Caribbean Sea

Sunny, 85F

After St. Maarten, we did not know what to expect in San Juan. The four of us disembarked about 10 a.m. and noted that there was no straw market in the terminal as usual. We walked along the waterfront a couple of blocks and saw many signs of reconstruction—communication trucks, generators, and flood lights for night work. Many shops were open, others were closed but their open doors suggested rebuilding. Carpenters and other tradesmen were hard at work inside with hammers, paintbrushes, tarps. Even Diamonds International was closed for remodeling/rebuilding.    

Traffic always seems to be an issue in Old San Juan and then we learned that festival begins tomorrow. From what we heard, Puerto Ricans are ready for a festival.  Donna and I dodged along the narrow sidewalk in and out of jewelry stores and arts and crafts shops. Tim and Lawrence worked hard at finding places to sit and wait while we examined pottery, lamps, watches, and other fine items.

I love the colors in the Caribbean, bright and sunny and cheerful. Again I noticed the spirit of the people, grateful for what they still have, despite storms that have destroyed the source of electricity for at least 70% of the population, and other problems like water supply, sanitation, and loss of income. It has only been in the last few weeks that tourism has started to pick up.

We continued our walk to Barrachina, the restaurant/bar known for being the first to create the Pina Colada. When one enters Barrachina, one walks into a courtyard for a vision of palm trees, lush greenery, flowers. Wrought iron tables and chairs await guests. We were seated inside and ordered our American lunch –sandwiches. The colorful exotic birds we usually see were nesting on eggs. After lunch we ordered Pina Coladas without alcohol—the best on the planet! Pineapple and coconut—what’s not to love?

After lunch TK and Lawrence decided to return to the ship while Donna and I continued to walk along the blue cobbled streets. With only two cruise ships in port, we did not see many people. One shop had necklaces, bracelets, and earrings that the shop owner said were made by a 73 year old lady who makes lace with a needle. The colors were sumptuous, and each piece was unique. It reminded me of my grandmother’s crochet work. I could not resist buying a pair of earrings—red flowers I will wear for Christmas. I love thinking about how someone works so carefully and thoughtfully to make a piece of beauty.

At Walgreen’s on the way back to the ship, we encountered a man from Louisiana who said he had been in the area since September working on rebuilding cell communications on the island. We wish for the best for the people of this island. They deserve a fine festival celebration in the next few days-they have endured.

ST. MAARTEN, WE LOVE YOU!

Monday, January 15, 2018--Martin Luther King Day

St. Maarten, Caribbean Sea

Sunny, 85F

When we disembarked from the Sunshine about 10 a.m., it was raining lightly, but soon St. Maarten welcomed us with its own sunshine and warmth. From our ship’s balcony I saw blue tarps on roofs, construction materials, and a little different outline on the shore, but I was shocked when we walked into the city. Some say this island suffered the worst during the two hurricanes in September 2017, Irma and Maria, an island finding itself and trying to reconstruct. Ours was the only cruise ship in port today.

Since we have visited this island many times, we knew how it had changed. Many shops are shuttered closed, others are rebuilding, and some are open. The hotels right on the beach were truly affected and some have not yet reopened. In the past we would walk along the shore on a wide sidewalk lined with palm trees. Hotels and their open air restaurants and colorful umbrellas in the sand would be filled with customers enjoying cool drinks. Now many palm trees are struggling to grow back their fern like fronds, the beaches are almost empty, and only a few hotels are open. One shop clerk told us that there has been a dramatic change for the better in the past three weeks.

Donna and I did some damage to our credit cards—she sure loves London Blue diamonds! She was buying something for her daughter and I decided to make the same purchase surprise for both our two daughters in law. TK loves the Cariloha bamboo shirts. After some significant shopping to help the economy, I wanted to see the area where we always have lunch. I was very happy to see that the Green House was doing well. They told us they had suffered water damage and our server said her home had severe roof damage. What is most remarkable about the residents is their spirit-grateful they and their loved ones survived the storms. Our server told us 200 residents died in St. Martin, the French nation that shares this island with St. Maarten, the Dutch nation.

I had my DSLR camera with me, but decided not to take any photos except one sign at the port, “St. Maarten Loves You,” on a building being reconstructed. I hope to post that photo when Internet is better.

THROWBACK SEA DAY AND A SLOTS TOURNAMENT

Sunday, January 14, 2018

At Sea

Sunny, 80F

What a lazy day today! Reading, brunch, more reading. We decided to have Sunday brunch in the dining room about 11:30 a.m. There were many choices but we settled on old standbys, steak and egg for TK and pancakes for me.

  After brunch, I read on the balcony overlooking the sea for several hours. I am the shade seeker.  TK decided to take part in a Slots Tournament and met me just before my enrichment class on the “Cloud” to tell me he came in 2^nd and that earned him a place in a $100,000 Slot Tournament on the Carnival Magic in May. He would get a discount for the cruise, but I sure was not counting on cruising for a week in May.

Tonight was another “Cruise Elegant” night and I could not believe that lobster was offered again. We have never been on a cruise during which lobster was served two different nights. Nice! We sat next to an interesting couple from St. Helena Island off South Carolina. Our snowstorms do not compare to their hurricanes, Matthew, Irma, and Maria in 2016 and 2017.

TK’s Takes:  1. Yesterday the water temperature in the main pool was 100F—he uses his watch to determine the temperature, just as at home with our pool. He mentioned this to an attendant. Today the pool temperature was 84F. Big difference. 2. Carnival has introduced the “Carnival Hub,” an app that allows passengers to communicate by text with each other via their cell phones. Cell phones are in airplane mode, but Wi-Fi is turned on.  The cost is $5/pp for the 13 days—not bad, but the service is also sketchy—although better than the Internet. 3. TK has sent out laundry twice already. Each time it was returned the same day!! (free for Platinum)

Random Thoughts: We were thinking about our friend Ann W. who is on a cruise now—hope she is having a good time in the Western Caribbean!

We hope that melting snow in Erie, Pennsylvania did not cause more damage.

We do not have much access to news and since the Internet is sketchy we have not been able to access Erie weather reports. 

Today was called Throwback Sea Day because the ship had 80s photo ops all over, there was a midnight buffet at 11:30 p.m. just like years ago, and the bands were playing 80s music.

SPICY GRENADA!

Saturday, January 13, 2018

Grenada, West Indies

80+F, sunny

I was looking forward to reaching Grenada (pronounced Gruh nay duh) because in previous visits we could smell the spices as we stepped on the island. Today the smell was that of gas and oil. Perhaps one of the two cruise ships in port was refueling, but we could still smell the oil/gas on the waterfront and the water had an oily sheen in some places.

As we walked through the cruise terminal, a Girl Scout troop was standing patiently with nice big smiles. We later learned that they were going to tour the Sunshine.

We walked to the waterfront via a one way tunnel with no sidewalk—the alternative was climbing the hill with narrow steps—so we bravely dodged the cars.  The Sendall Tunnel, 350 feet long, was built in 1894 and is considered an engineering milestone for the island. Since Grenada is a volcanic island, I am imagining the hill is volcanic material-rock solid. Tim said the last time we were in Grenada we took the steps over the hill. I doubt it.

Dot’s Plaza Spice Shop, a shop we visited twice before on previous trips, was on the waterfront and I did buy boxes of spices for Denise and Coleen and a couple friends (and me too!).  Nutmeg, cinnamon, turmeric, and ginger are all cultivated on Grenada. This time Dot’s did not have cloves. The cloves that I buy stateside do not have long enough stems for pushing into our baked ham. The cashier told me to try the nearby grocery store. What a treat that was—I love going into local grocery stores with hardworking people bustling around as they find the special items on their grocery lists. There were no cloves in the grocery store either.

After visiting the House of Chocolate/Museum-Boutique Chocolaterie-Cafe (Grenada is also know for its cacao) on Young Street, we went back through the Sendall Tunnel to the cruise ship terminal. TK said the wi-fi was very fast there and I found some things for B1 and B2. I really miss them. I also found one bag of cloves. It must not be right season, or a bad year. 

Tonight at dinner one of the dessert choices was popcorn pot de crème. TK ordered it for all of us to try because that sounded quite unique. It turned out to be basically crème brulee with caramel popcorn on top---we won’t ever have to try that again. Good thing we ordered the blueberry pie too.

TK’s Takes: 1. TK was building up takes, so here they are. 2. The people on this ship do seem to be friendly. 3. The booth seating in the dining room is too close to the ground—difficult to get out of. 4. The ship’s time stays the same no matter the time zone—this is the first cruise where we did not have to change our watches for island time zones.  I hope TK does not think that this fulfills his obligation to provide “takes.”

BARBADOS SUN!

Friday, January 12, 2018

Barbados

75 F, Sunny—a few sprinkles of rain

For some reason we are late again as we approach Barbados. I hope it isn't that propulsion thing.

We joined Donna and Lawrence for a short ride to a beach recommended by our driver, near Branson Beach. ($5/pp-one way) The fine, white sand and azure, warm waves certainly were inviting. The sun was blazing brightly-this would be a good beach day!  Since trees were sparse, I asked the attendant for an umbrella and lounge chair ($10 for me) and I stayed in the shade. Donna, definitely a sun seeker, enjoyed every ray. TK loves water and he floated in the waves for a very long time. Lawrence is very fair, and this day he got a little too much sun.

Barbados is an island of coral—we saw lots of coral on the beach and actually there was a monument made of coral in honor of the work of Barbados’ Coastal Zone Management. After 3 hours of sun, we were ready return to the ship.

Tonight we ate in the Lido Buffet, which serves the same selections as in the main dining room. The butternut squash soup was excellent, better than Panera Bread’s sweet version, and that was my dinner. Because we dined a little earlier, we were able to catch another “Dive In Movie,” Guardians of the Galaxy, #2 . There certainly was a lot of action and despite its PG rating; it certainly had a lot of innuendoes and language.  There was no rain tonight, the seas seemed calmer, and we could see the stars while watching the movie! The luxurious blankets Carnival provides for the movies are sure comfy.