When in Rome . . .

I decided to forego the usual sights; I mean once you've seen St Peter's, how interesting can the rest be. The Trevi Countain is overrated - OK, I'm just being cute. But, based on my upbringing in a funeral home, I decided to tour the catacombs. What a disappointment! I wanted to see bones and skulls and stuff. Ooops. Wrong catacombs. We saw a sterilized version and then back on the bus. Then off the bus, then back on the bus, then off the bus. And, so the day went. We did visit the summer village of the Pope. Casel Gondolfo - a lovely little village with a great fresh bread store where I availed myself of some hot fresh bread that was a tad salty and crunchy. Then off to lunch. it was billed as a farm house but was really a high-priced B&B. Two of the tour rats helped to make the pasta and then we devoured a fairly good lunch. Of course, anything you eat off the ship is fairly good compared to food on the ship. The tour guide was great; she had bronchitis and kept coughing and sneezing into the mike. Oh yes, and even though the tour said it was along the Appian Way, what they really meant was along the new Appian Way, which is a four-lane highway. The bus did slow for pictures as we crossed the old Appian Way. I hope I remember what the picture is when I get home.

Monte Carlo

Well, we survived a storm on the way to Barcelona - 77 mile an hour winds and 16 foot seas. Time for a patch, green apples and ginger. Joe's scooter came on board, and he's happy exploring. I went into Monte Carlo and had a great croque monsieur and a glass of wine (it was vinegar not long ago). Then into the Grand Casino and what to my wondering eyes should appear but the ever lucrative meerkats. I put 10 Euros in and in a matter of about four minutes was able to cash out with .20 Euros. It'll make a great scrapbook addition. We're back in the closet, but I had them take all the bed-making stuff out of the drawers and bring me a clothes rack. Can't wait til we set sail for Livorgno, then i can get back to my favorite little meerkats. Obviously French snootiness has attached itself to the meerkats in Monoco. Au revoir.

I have just got ot get a grip . . .

There are a few positive things happening on this cruise, but I am overwhelmed with how inaccessible it is. We went to a pub crawl the other night and I won a lighted glass cause I was the oldest one there, which is certainly not to imply that I am the oldest one on the ship. We visited four different bars and savored a variety of fruity drinks. The casino staff is really friendly and always encouraging. Gee, wonder why but we've been very lucky at the craps table and a totally addicting slot machine consisting of meerkats and another with lemings. Today is Livorgno, tomorrow Barcelona, then back to our crackerbox for the remainder of the cruise. But our new travel agent (not the one who booked this stupid ship) has been able to get Joe and electric scooter tomorrow all the way to Ft Lauderdale.

The weather's turned cool (cold when you don't have enough warm clothes) and rainy. Some cheery sort just told us a bad storm was brewing and it was going to be ugly tonight. That's OK, I still have a supply of Transderm patches. Yesterday I visited some catacombs and the Pope's summer palace. And I found a oven-grilled bread store. Yummy.

There are some fun people on board. A young couple on their honeymoon share our disgust with the food and tours. Misery loves copany regardless of the age. Well, think I'll go sit in the hydrotherapy pool and warm up. There are worse options.

Second Leg

Things have gone down hill since we left Celebrity. Handicaapped water taxis, a broken electric wheelchair, exhorbitant manual wheelchair rental. poorly organized ground crew, disgusting room, inaccessible swimming pools, mediocre food, but hey, we're cruising in the Mediterranean.

There are a few items that I don't send to the laundry - mostly underwear - but I've always put it on the verandah to dry. The Aegean Sea is apparently a little windier than most because my La Mystere bra ended up on the verandah two doors down - the one belonging to two gay guys. The stateroom steward got a great chuckle as did the neighbors. My job is to keep people amused.

I've checked the boxes for Croatia (Dubrovnik is a beautiful walled city that is clean and grafitti-free) and Albania (remnants of Communist poverty in abundance) and Santorini. There was only our ship in port and the cities were packed. The next day there were supposed to be seven - that should be disgusting.

I'm going to try accupunture from a wholeistic practitioner from Austin, TX. My trust level is high.

Athens

After a day's rest at sea, we docked in Pirreaus and I took a trip to the Acropolis - one of those things you just are supposed to do if it's your first trip to Athens. Been there, done that. I appreciate the fact that they're trying to preserve the structure, but it's really being rebuilt. And, the last time they preserved it, they did it incorrectly, so now are fixing previous mistakes. Next time I'll go to Corinth. My knees went on strike after four days of climbing. And what to my wondering eyes should appear, but no Motrin. I found all sorts of little stuff that didn't get packed. Urghhhh. And all sorts of stuff that I could do without. So, I've convinced a great couple that we met to take my rolling carry-on home with them to Colorado Springs to be collected at some later date. I'm not sure what I was thinking, or maybe more importantly, I wasn't thinking. I feel lighter already. Today, we're in Messina, tomorrow at sea, and then into Rome before flying to Venice. We still have four weeks left. Good grief. What were we thinking.

One more for the Bucket List

Egypt greeted us with high 90s and sun, lots of sun. Our tour guide met us as promised and we were off to Cairo. A great guide - he filled us in on the history of the Upper and Lower Kingdom. We headed for the Giza Pyramids only to discover that the wheelchair they provided for Joe was broken. When he put his feet on the footrests, they fell to the ground. As usual, he was undeterred. This was the highlight of the cruise for him. I crawled into the Great Pyramid and had the obligatory pictures taken. The, off for a camel ride. Having a guide is a good thing. It seems culturally, that Egyptians make the most of any opportunity to get money. Of course, when you see the poverty all around it's understandable. The camel owner led me off and then turned over the rains to one of Oliver Twist's small crooks. He told me a tip of $5-10 would be appropriate. (I'd left all money in the van.) After several charming photos, he pocketed my camera. Being of sound mind, I wasn't going to argue - I'm on top of a tall camel, afterall. The guide met us when I returned and I asked he could tip the small thief and he said he would take care of it. I pointed out that my camera was in his pocket, which earned him a swat from the camel owner. Then there was face-saving ministrations.

We then checked into the hotel - a beautiful old British hotel. (Always go for 5 stars in Egypt.) They upgraded us to a room with a pyramid view. There was nothing between us and the Great Pyramid but a few palm trees and a narrow road. The view was worth every penney. Supper was meager as we were concerned about what was safe to eat and what wasn't. The sign in the bathroom saying not to ingest the tap water was our first clue. I left Joe to nap and went to the light show, which was beautiful. The next morning, after eating granola with no milk, it was off to Sakkara as well as the Alabaster Mosque built by Mohammed Ali. After a stifling visit to the Egyptian Museum, we set off for Alexandria. The state of the museum is disheartening. No air conditioning, thousands of artifacts in old glass cases, an elevator that barely works - certainly not the Smithsonian. I think a perfect setting for a third "Night in the Museum" movie.

One thing that we did notice is that (like Bangkok), everywhere we stopped, the guide simply motioned to some guys standing about and they all pitched in to lift Joe out of the van or carry his wheelchair up or down steps. Try that in Atlanta. Where did we lose sight of common courtesy? We returned safely to Alexandria after a death-defying stop in the middle of the highway because the driver was waiting for something. Another car drove up, parked in front of us (again, remember this is on a four-lane highway with no shoulder) and gave the driver a package which turned out to be a stuffed camel for me. Joe, who hates camels, was nonplussed.

Whew!!

Jerusalem seems a distant memory. The second day included a trip to Palestinian Bethlehem. And, of course, to shop in a store run by Christians. The tour guide explained that it's important to support the Christians in Bethlehem or they'll leave Bethlehem to the Muslims. Hmmmm. There was a different feeling in Bethlehem. Rushed, pushed, . . .. Then back to the Old City of Jerusalem. In restrospect, the Garden of Gethsemene had the most impact. A quiet oasis in the heat of the continuing struggle between Jews and Palestinians. We returned late in the day to the ship and collapsed - only to get ready the next day for an overnight trip to Egypt.

The Holy Land

A whirlwind tour of the Holy Land is complete. You can't upload pictures on the ship's computers, so I'll have to do that when we get home. Also, I'm writing this without notes, so I'll fill in later. The first day consisted mostly of getting on and off the bus. We began in Nazareth at the Church of the Annunciation - where Gabriel appeared to Mary. There is a continuing struggle with the Muslims in Nazareth and they are currently protesting because they want to build a mosque adjoining the church. Sound familiar? Then it was off through a thick haze (the guide said not smog, just dust and humidity) to the Sea of Galilee. Up the mount where Christ delivered the Beatitudes, then down to Sea. My left brain was amazed at distances - how far it was from the mount to the sea to Capernaum. I washed my hands in the Sea of Galilee but was distracted from any contemplation by a guy doing figure 8's on his jet ski. From there we visited the ruins of Capernaum, which are under excavation. There is a church built on stilts over what are purported to be the runis of St Peter's mother-in-law's house. I say purportedly because I believe many of the sights in the Holy Land are built on estimations or are simply memorials to the idea. Not that it matters. After that, a wonderful meal at a Kibbutz and a stop at the River Jordan.

Then off to Jerusalem, through the Judean Desert where temperatures were at 38 degrees centigrade. I'm not sure of the conversion, but it was hot regardless. I had not paid attention to the politics and learned later that the agreement to halt building in the West Bank expired at midnight. Now I understand the bulldozers and cement trucks along the side of the road. These week is Succoth (sp?) and it is a week-long holiday. When we arrived in Jerusalem, it was the Priest's Blessing Day, which occurs during Passover and Succoth. We visited the Old City at about 10 p.m. and it was packed with people. The ultra-orthodox Jewish men with hats of every size and fabric made quite a display. Then it was back to the hotel.

Monday was clear and hot. But I shall have to leave y'all handing as Joe and I are off to Egypt in a few minutes. Let me just say that the Holy Spirit is ever-present in the Garden of Gethsemene.

Full moon over Vesuvius

As we pulled away from Naples, the moon highlighted Mt Vesuvius. Maybe not breathtaking but certainly worth noting. Yesterday seemed like old home week. Two waiters in the dining room hugged me and welcomed us back (we must have tipped well). Then, I thought I saw an old co-worker from the Pentagon, but wrote it off as the "I've been away from home so long people are starting to look like someone I know" syndrome. But, later I saw his wife. They live in San Antonio, but it takes an ocean to meet up.

Today was a long road trip. The Amalifi Coast (55 kilometers of curves)and a short stop in Positano - a village built into the side of the mountain. Then back to Sorento for sightseeing and lunch at a 5-star hotel. Ok, the Italians have pasta down to a science. Then, on to Pompeii, somewhere I've wanted to visit since grade school history class. The eruption that buried the city was in 79 a.d. The last eruption in 1944. Pompeii was a city of 10,000 to 20,000 people complete with 143 wine bars, several bordellos and assorted other places of note.

When we could barely walk another step, a woman and her husband whom I met during the course of the day, convinced me we could not leave without sharing a piece of pizza. Just like Julia Roberts in the disappointing "Eat, Pray, Love." Unlike her I do believe I gained 10 lbs today alone - and we have 40 days left. Ah well, swimming tomorrow and maybe even the gym. I am proud to say, it's been four days without a soda. Way to go, Janny.

Arrivederci Roma

Well, I have no idea how to spell "goodbye" in Italian, but that was my best shot. The luggage, Joe and I have arrive on the Celebrity Equinox safely, although he had just one blip left on his wheelchair, and if the battery goes dead, there is no resurrection. A long 9 1/2 hour flight to Rome made easier by a last minute upgrade to Business Class. i think I'm spoiled. A suicide driver in a Mercedes mini-van got us safely to the Hotel Cicerone, which was close to the Vatican. We checked in, had a good lunch, followed by a nap and a good dinner, followed by several Italian white wines and a Benedictine and Bailey. I was able to find the air conditioning switch about 3:00 a.m. this morning and it made it much more comfortable. After another harrowing ride to Civeteveccia, we are save and sound. Ciao.

Off on a great adventure tomorrow

Well, the party has come and gone. 100+ people, family, and friends all enjoying football and great conversation. Bob and the crew worked their magic once again. Barb and I did have to sneak six large black trash bags to a closeby dumpster cause something in the garbage was smelling like chicken left outside in the heat - and we didn't have chicken.

Now I'm on to packing and trying to keep the suitcases under 50 lbs. That's hard for a 42-day vacation. And, every weather forecast seems to predict temperatures diametrically different than one another. But, right now, I wish the suitcase didn't weigh so much empty. I'm getting cheated out of 14 lbs. Of course, I've had lighter suitcases which the airlines manage to annihilate in one brief trip. Fortune did smile briefly today while checking in on-line. Your could upgrade to Business Class for a high, but manageable amount. So, for 9 hours and 15 minutes we should be as comfortable as possible. Bring it on and Ciao.

Ooops

I forgot to put the pictures from the World War I Symposium in Kansas City at the WWI Museum. Here they are. Why would I want an SLR camera when I can barely work this one. The field of silk poppies gives pause. There are 9000 poppies, each one representing 1000 people who were killed during the war. Lest anyone forget . . . . It was a moving place to remember 9/11.

On the road again. . .

After a couple days at home (think laundry), we took off again to a World War I Symposium in Kansas City. A simple journey north on I35. Unfortunately, Tropical Storm Hermine also decided to go north along I35 the entire three days. They closed 35 in Dallas as we went by; it rained 11.6 inches in Killeen as we went by. Boy was that fun. Good times in KC. I had lunch with an old friend from Pentagon days, who hasn't changed a bit. It gave me hope that I hadn't either. Saturday was the piece de resistance, however. We got up early and I got Joe off to the seminar. And, Daisy got a chance to run and run and run. Then it was my turn. I crawled back into bed and watched two Law and Orders and drifted in and out of sleep. Utter decadence. Then Room Service. A personal pizza, apple pie and a Diet Dr. Pepper. Back into bed and watched Runaway Bride. Mindless idiocy, but I can't remember the last time I got to do that. Maybe the morning Princess Di and Charles got married. That maybe an exaggeration but not by much.

Now the National Baptist Convention was at the hotel and the membership really knew how to dress. Hats, suits, hats, bow ties and more hats. I wish I could carry off some of those outfits. I owe a big vote of thanks to two of the guys standing outside the hotel. I went out to walk Daisy, and they called after me, gesturing wildly. Seems my cute little skirt was tucked in my panties. See, I could never carry off the elegant outfits the women were wearing.

The 9th anniversary of September 11th has come and gone. Polly called to tell me she was thinking of us. That touched me more than I would have anticipated. The memories continue to fade; the only concrete remnant is a strong startle response. I guess I'm at peace with what was done or not done. Someone said today that we should focus on the survivors of that day. I liked that. Virtually everyone was changed in someway. Maybe we should all take a moment to thank God that we're survivors and to savor that fact.

Well, after too much to eat at a rib place in Norman, OK, I guess I snuggle in for a long winter's nap.

I'm Baaaaaack

I can hardly believe that it's been almost a year since a sallied forth. But, good friends reminded me of the obvious. Joe and I and our favorite lap dog started out on a two-week roadtrip to points west. We hoofed it to Ruidosa with a stop in Ft Stockton, one of our favorite resting places (that was tongue in cheek) but if you live in San Antonio and want to go west, it's stop there or nowhere. We descended on Bruce and Nancy and Daisy's sister, Pali. Daisy decided to stay with them when we went to Chandler to Creative Escapes scrapbook extravaganza.


We made the yearly pilgrimage to the Heart Attack Grill and stuffed ourself with lard, cream and Mexican cokes - the really syrupy kind. Fred and Joe had found it (by accident) last year, so we invited Nancy and Bruce and we all had burgers dripping with grease. After 3 hard days of scrapbooking, we left Patty and Fred at the airport and went to retrieve Daisy.
Joe and I had decided to drive to the Grand Canyon but when we learned Nancy (another highschool friend) and Don, her husband, were back in town, we opted to have lunch with them and then the six of us could drive to Vegas instead. What a great choice.
Boys in one car and girls in the other. We told funny stories, reminisced, and just had an all around good time. Once there, we had great Italian food; bad craps tables, good Oz and Monopoly slot machines. It must have been a good time cause we never left the hotel. You just can't take for granted friendships that last over time. We have been truly blessed. And another blessing is that our husbands really appear to like each other. I'm sure sometimes they feel left our of the stories, but they benevolently hang in there. Here's to them.
After all of that, the ride home was a bit of an afterthought, but Daisy joined us in the front seat and we returned home to laundry, mail, and other assorted mundane stuff. And packing for a trip to Kansas City. Thank you Lord for friends.