The Mountain above Montserrat
A view of Montserrat from the summit above
Friday, May 14, 2010
May 6 - Montserrat
The Courtyard of Montserrat (the only original part left)
A view of the Abbey complex
Our last stop before heading home was a tour to Montserrat, the mountain monastery located about 45 minutes from Barcelona. The place is a Benedictine Abbey and the home to the oldest boy’s choir in Europe. The ride there is along a winding mountain road with spectacular views. When we arrived Jose walked with us to the courtyard of the church and explained the history of the place. Most of the original parts of the buildings were destroyed during the Napoleonic wars.
We took a funicular to the summit of the mountain overlooking the Monastery and from the 4000-foot height we could see the Pyrenees in the distance.
A little before 1:00 PM we entered the church to hear the Boy’s Choir sing. The nave is very beautiful and high above the main altar in the wall opposite the main entrance is an alcove containing the Black Madonna, a legendary statue of the Madonna. The choir sounded marvelous as the boys sang a Salve Regina and a Catalan hymn.
After the performance we were off to the airport for our trip home.
Despite the volcanic ash cloud disrupting air traffic over Europe, we were able to make our flights and get home only a little late.
It was another lovely cruise, although very tiring.
May 5 - Barcelona
The Geese at the Cathedral
Today we arrived in Barcelona and it was time to disembark. It was about the smoothest disembarkation we’ve ever experienced. Our trip wasn’t over though because we spent the day and night in Barcelona.
Our tour guide Jose Soler and his driver Valeriano from Pepito Tours picked us up for our Barcelona City Highlights Tour and transfer to our hotel. We were with our 6 friends and it was truly amazing to see Jose and Valeriano manage to get all our luggage and carryons in the van. They must be expert at jigsaw puzzles.
Our tour took us first to the Gothic quarter of the city, one of the oldest parts. It was drizzling lightly but that didn’t deter us from visiting the Cathedral. We saw the courtyard of the building, which includes the Well of the Geese. The residents are 13 very plump geese. Tradition has it that there are 13 because that was the age of St. Eulalia when she was martyred. The Cathedral is officially the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia.
As we wandered through the quarter we came to a building which contains a massive column, part of the remains of the old Roman city which was once on the site. It was unexpected to see such a huge thing inside a building.
Our next stop was in the Eixample district where we saw the houses designed by Gaudi. The fanciful colors and architecture were quite beautiful to see. One in particular, the Casa Battlo (known by the locals as the House of Bones) was especially stunning with its tiled roof and unusual balconies.
From Eixample we headed up the hill to Parc Guell, the park that lies above Barcelona and also includes designs by Gaudi. The park is a World Heritage site and includes interesting walkways and columns all designed to look like elements of nature. Many of the columns are built to look like tree trunks with spreading branches above. The area was to have been a residential complex, but only two houses were ever built. The structures that are there include lovely mosaics including a beautiful fountain at the main entrance to the park.
Our final stop was the Sagrada Familia Church, another of Gaudi’s works. The church was begun in 1882 and is not expected to be completed until 2026, though it will be dedicated by the Pope in November, 2010. The building is an amazing thing to see. When completed it will have 18 towers and three distinct facades representing the Nativity, the Passion and the Glory. We were able to go inside the building which is filled with scaffolding and where workers were busily working to complete the interior. It was awesome seeing the sparks from welders cascading down from the great heights of the nave. Below the building is a sort of museum where we could watch craftsman making models of architectural features yet to be completed. Perhaps the most intriguing thing we saw was a display of the system Gaudi used to calculate stresses to be borne by the columns. He constructed a model upside down constructed with strings with sacks of sand hanging from them to visualize the stresses. Next to the model he had a mirror placed to reflect his model right side up. I confess that I was confused by the thing and could only surmise that he was a genius who didn’t think the same way most of us do.
After checking into our hotel, the 1898 located on La Rambla, we set out on our own. Our first stop were some delicious tapas for lunch. We went back to the Gothic quarter to spend more time exploring the little streets and to visit the Cathedral again. Our final stop on the way back to the hotel was La Boqueria Market. It’s one of the largest markets in Barcelona and was wonderful to wander through. The variety of seafood, meats, produce and spices were wonderful to see.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
May 4 - Monte Carlo, Nice & St. Paul de Vence
Spices at the market in Nice
Another rainy day and our last day on the ship. We docked this morning at the new floating dock in Monte Carlo. The harbor around us was filled with an incredible assortment of yachts, including the one that looked like a small cruise ship with a helipad next to us.
Our private tour today (arranged by our friend) was with the excellent tour guide Sylvie di Cristo. Upon leaving the ship she first drove us through Monte Carlo so we could get a glimpse of the famous Casino, the Cathedral and other sights. The city was preparing for the Formula One Grand Prix coming up on May 16 so there were stands and fences everywhere. Tickets for the Grand Prix sell for between 250 and 450€ pp depending on how much of the racecourse you can see. Monte Carlo is home to a thousand businesses including a number of factories housed in high-rise buildings. Sylvie told us that real estate in the principality sells for as much as 30,000 € per square meter!
We drove along the Low Corniche (the low road) to Nice, our next stop. The amount of traffic heading to Monte Carlo was unbelievable. When we arrived in Nice Sylvie first took us to a hill overlooking the bay. We could see the promenade running along the beach. Around us were lovely homes, some of them belonging to celebrities. Unfortunately the rain hadn’t let up and the beach was empty.
We stopped at the market (one of my favorite things). Alas, the rain limited even the market. Many vendors hadn’t set up because they knew the weather would keep shoppers home. Despite that we saw a number of produce and flower vendors and even a spice stand. I love the smells from those!
Our last stop of our short visit (we sailed at 2 PM) was St. Paul de Vence. The medieval town was almost empty compared to my previous visits there. The little cobblestone streets lined with art galleries, little bistros and boutiques looked interesting in the rain with water cascading over the stones. After wandering around for a little while we stopped in a little café where we warmed up with the most wonderful cup of cocoa I think I’ve ever tasted (and a little fresh apple tart).
It was too bad that the rain didn’t stop but we enjoyed the trip anyway. As we prepared to sail, the skies cleared. Upon leaving Monaco’s protected harbor we did encounter the remnants of the weather system that had slammed Spain that day and caused our dreary weather. We did some pretty good rocking and rolling for most of the afternoon and early evening.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
The Best Picture from our Cruise
Katie took this picture in Monterosso and I think it's priceless. After we had lunch we were walking along the little streets. In a window at the back of the restaurant she spotted one of the cooks sitting looking out at the street and asked if she could take his photo.
May 3 - Cinque Terre
Despite a grim weather forecast the night before, we arrived in Genoa (Genova to Italians) to overcast skies which cleared off to a beautiful day. We were up and off the ship early for our tour to Cinque Terre, literally the five lands. The area is a collection of five little fishing villages on the coast southeast of Genoa. They are nestled at the foot of spectacular terraced hills. We drove on the Autostrada (the freeway) to La Spezia where we began the trip on a winding road to the village of Manarola, one of only two accessible by bus. As I said the road wound through steep terraces planted with grapes and olive trees. Below us were breathtaking views of the sea.
We left the bus and walked down to Manarola where we spent a little time looking at the brightly colored houses perched on the hills. After some free time we walked a portion of the via dell’amore, the path of love. The path is a beautiful walk along the cliffs between the villages of Manarola and Rio Maggiore. As we walked along we could hear the surf crashing on the rocks below. The view is incredible! From Rio Maggiore we were unable to take a boat to the next village we would visit, so instead we boarded a train (us and a ton of other people). We passed through the villages of Vernazza and Corniglia without stopping and got off in the last of the villages, Monterosso. This was our favorite. Katie and I went first to a little restaurant that I had eaten at during my last visit there, the Restaurant Chiak. We sat outside since the skies were now a brilliant blue with a fresh breeze blowing and we had a simply wonderful pasta with clams and mussels! After lunch we wandered the little streets of the village. Katie picked up a few gifts for friends and we had a gelato.
It was lovely sitting along the waterfront just enjoying the scenery and the day. Unfortunately, all too soon it was time to leave that beautiful place and we boarded our bus for the drive back to Genoa. This was our last stop in Italy.
May 2 - Florence & Pisa
Today we awoke to a rainy and dreary day as we docked in Livorno, the port for Florence and Pisa. We were booked on a private tour with our friends and we were off the ship by 8 AM and on our way despite the rain. Our first stop was Pisa where our driver Francesco took us right up to the Leaning Tower. The rain stopped and since it was early there were no crowds. None of us were game to try climbing the Tower but we took our pictures and enjoyed looking at it and the Cathedral and Baptistry next to it.
Then we were on our way to Florence. Francesco took us off the main road and we passed through some of the Chianti region before entering Tuscany. The area is renowned for its grapes and wine and the countryside was beautiful even though it was cloudy. Along the way we passed the little town of Vinci, the birthplace of Leonardo da Vinci.
Our first glimpse of Florence was from a hillside park overlooking the city. The park has a large replica of Michelangelo’s David, one of many around the city. The views of the city skyline looking across the Arno River were very spectacular since we could see the Ponte Vecchio, the colonnade of the Uffizi Gallery and the Dome of the Duomo and its bell tower. In the large parking area they were having a gathering of antique Seat cars. There must have been a hundred of them. It was hard to imagine four people in these tiny little cars.
We headed across the river to the historic area of Florence. Our first stop was the Piazza Santa Croce. There was a little market going on in the square so we had to check that out. Next Francesco took us to the Accademia to see Michelangelo’s David. Despite the fact that there were long lines, he dropped us at the reservation entrance and we walked right in. It’s impossible to describe the beauty of the statue so I won’t even try. Our next stop was the street close to the Duomo, the Cathedral. It was raining harder and after looking at the church, the bell tower and the beautiful Baptistry doors, we decided to find a place for lunch. Our hope was that the rain would abate. We found a nice little place on a side street where we had a very nice lunch for a reasonable price.
Unfortunately it was raining even harder when we left the restaurant. We were unfazed though and we walked to the Piazza de la Signoria next to the Uffizi Galllery to look at the statuary around the square. It’s impressive to see the collection there. My favorites are the fountain of Neptune, another replica of David , Perseus with the head of Medusa and the Rape of the Sabine women. Our last stop was the Ponte Vecchio. We walked across the bridge taking in the views from the midpoint both up and down river. When we finished our walk the rain was really coming down so we decided it was time to go.
It was unfortunate that the weather didn’t cooperate, but Florence is so beautiful nevertheless.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
The Trevi Fountain
Legend has it that if you toss a coin into the fountain, you will return to Rome. It's a popular thing to do. An average of 3000 € are thrown in every day.
The Interior of the Pantheon
The Pantheon is lit by a hole in the ceiling. In the center of the floor were two holes into which rain would drain. The hole precluded the need for any torches or candles in the building during the day.
May 1 - Rome, the Eternal City
This morning we arrived in Civitavecchia, the port for Rome. By 7:30 AM we were off the ship and on our way for a private tour with several friends. Our driver and guide was Marco of Rome Connection. What a great job he did! Today was a big holiday in Rome and despite that he managed to get us to everything on our itinerary.
Our first stop was the Colosseum or as it is properly called the Flavian Amphitheater. It is amazing to see this edifice that was completed in 80 A.D. Our guide told us that when it was built it seated around 30,000 people and would operate all day long. People would drop in for a little while to see events and then go on about their business..
We next did a whirlwind tour of ancient Roman sites. We visited the area that was once the Circus Maximus, the place where chariot races were held. Now all that’s left is a grassy oval with an area that approximates the track on which the races were run. At the time it was in use there were stands around which would hold 300,000 people. The city of Rome had an estimated population of 2 million even in its early days. We saw the Palatine Hill with the ruins of the palace of the Caesars and the Forum, the center of Roman life. Our final stop at ancient sites was the Pantheon. This was built as a temple to all the gods of ancient Rome. The present structure was completed in 120 A.D. and it is intact, not in ruins. It has been in continuous use since then, first as a temple and from sometime in the 8th century as a Roman Catholic church.
After lunch we visited some of the other must- see sights. We stopped at the Trevi Fountain and tossed in our coins to ensure our return to Rome some time in the future. After a quick stop at the Spanish Steps, we drove to St. Peter’s and the Vatican. Because it was a holiday the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel were closed. We were able to go into the Basilica though and look at Michelangelo’s beautiful statue of the Pieta and look at the magnificent nave. The scale of St. Peter’s is difficult to comprehend from photos. The dome over the center of the nave has a Latin inscription around the base of the dome. The letters of the inscription are about 6 feet high. The structure around the main altar includes columns that are four stories high. The building is magnificent!
After a lot of walking on a lovely warm, sunny day we decided we needed a treat. Close to the Vatican we stopped at what Marco told us is the best gelateria in Rome. All of us had a nice big gelato and it was delicious!
During our nine hour trip we saw lots of beautiful and interesting things but really only had a brief taste of this wonderful city.
Friday, April 30, 2010
April 30 – Cagliari, Sardinia and the ruins of the Roman city of Nora
Today we arrived at Cagliari, the capital of the island of Sardinia. The city is quite large with a population of 450,000 approximately. We boarded a bus and drove briefly through the city on our way out to the countryside and the ruins of the Roman city of Nora. Cagliari is busily preparing for tomorrow May 1st when the festival of their patron saint, San Esefio, begins. From what we saw of the city it looked fairly unremarkable.
We traveled out to the southwest corner of the island to Nora which was the site of the first Roman settlement in Sardinia. The city was built on a peninsula and has suffered from the ravages of the sea and wind and is totally in ruins. Many of the stones and bricks were stolen over the centuries and only recently did excavation and restoration begin. Our guide pointed out the areas which were the homes of patricians. These were identified by the elaborate mosaic floors of the structures, since only wealthy families could afford such decoration. One area of the site was a marketplace, while others were thermal baths and even a small amphitheater. In one of the patrician homes it was interesting to see a large amphora, used for storing grain, buried to its mouth in the middle of the house.
Our bus ride took us through farmland where we saw a lot of sheep grazing. Sardinia is famous for its pecorino cheese made from sheep’s milk. We also passed through a lot of olive groves. From the hill overlooking the city we were able to see one of the things that made Sardinia important in ancient times, the salt flats. Salt was mined there for shipment to the rest of the Roman Empire for food preservation.
It’s an interesting place and a relatively short touring day. That’s good because tomorrow we begin a series of long days as we visit Rome, Florence & Pisa, and Cinque Terre.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
April 28 – The Day the Lights Went out in Gibraltar
A pair of Barbary Apes at the top of the Rock
We docked early this morning in Gibraltar on the European side of the Straits of Gibraltar. In ancient times this was known as the Pillars of Hercules. We had booked a tour which would take us via cable car to the “Top of the Rock.” A minibus took us to the cable car station where we joined a very long line to board. As we waited the cable car stopped and sirens could be heard in the streets. The power went out, as it turned out, everywhere in Gibraltar. We waited nearly half an hour in the line hoping the power would come back on. When it didn’t, we went out on the street and with several other people hired a van and driver to take us on a tour.
( In retrospect we were truly lucky that we weren’t either stuck in a cable car halfway up or stuck on the top with no way to get down except by walking a very steep road which made many switchbacks.)
Anyway, the driver drove us up to the summit with a few stops along the way. The famous caves and tunnels of Gibraltar were closed due to the power failure so we missed them. At the peak we encountered the monkeys, Barbary apes, for which the place is known. We had been told that we needed to be wary of them because they would try to steal cameras, purses and sundry other things. We found them to be very placid creatures that just wanted to sit on the roofs of the cars or on the railings and trees along the road munching on fruits and vegetables. Some looked like babies and one of those sat on Katie’s head after being coaxed there by a driver.
From the summit we could look westward to the Atlantic, north to Spain, east to the Mediterranean and south across the Strait to Africa and the Atlas Mountains. The view was breathtaking! We continued our drive down from the peak and along the way stopped for a view of the runway of the airport. The main road connecting Gibraltar and Spain crosses the runway so traffic has to stop whenever a plane takes off, not a convenient arrangement at all.
We stopped briefly in the main shopping area, but with no electricity, the shops were dark and restaurants were closed so we headed back to the ship.
Gibraltar has a population of 30,000 and has 22,000 registered vehicles. Much of the land has been reclaimed from the sea and dredging for more reclamation was visible everywhere. It is, of course, part of the British Empire (much to the chagrin of Spain) and the residents are British citizens. It’s a big banking center and the main industry is exportation. I asked our guide how that could be since they don’t produce anything in Gibraltar. He explained that their taxes are so low, that they are able to import all sorts of things and resell them making a profit! If the number of ships lying at anchor are an indicator, that must certainly be true.
Now we’re sailing in the Mediterranean with our last sea day coming up tomorrow. Our next port of call will be Cagliari, Sardinia on Friday.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
April 26 - Land Ho! Madeira!
Around 10:30 AM we got our first glimpse of land in a week. Our crossing of the Atlantic was nearly over. Madeira is part of a small archipelago of islands which lies about 400 km off the coast of Morocco. By 2:00 PM we were alongside the dock in the capital of the island, Funchal, and cleared to land.
Madeira was discovered by the Portuguese in 1419 as they began their exploration down the coast of Africa on their way to the Spice Islands. When they found the island it was uninhabited and completely covered in forests. Later when they returned to settle, the Portuguese set fires for 7 years in order to clear land for cultivation. Now virtually all the usable space is terraced (it’s very hilly and steep) and planted with something. Everywhere you look there is a profusion of flowers and trees. The island produces lots of bananas – enough to export – and a variety of other fruits and vegetables. Despite the rich volcanic soil and lush growth, the island doesn’t produce enough to feed the population of 260,000 so food has to be imported.
Our driver/guide Daniel took us on a whirlwind tour of the island. Our first stop was the highest point above the city where we had spectacular views of the city and the ocean below. While there we took a very unique ride. We climbed into wicker basket sleds and rode 2 km down the hill with two Madeiran brakemen guiding our ride. This was a tradition started more than a hundred years ago when people at the top of the hill needed to go down to buy things at the lower levels. It was a truly different experience careening down the road in a basket.
Next we were off to the “Grand Canyon” of Madeira. Deep in the middle of the canyon is a place called Corral des Freiras , the Corral of the nuns. The story is that a convent of nuns lived down in Funchal and was afraid that they would be ravished by pirates so they fled from near the ocean. They climbed the mountains and settled on the floor of the canyon. Before the road was put in, there were people who were born and lived their entire lives in that place and never saw the ocean despite the fact that it is only a couple of miles away.
To get to the overlook of the canyon, we passed through pine and eucalyptus forests and the air was full of the wonderful fragrances of both. Along the way we also saw lots of evidence of the massive floods and landslides that hit Madeira in February of this year. Apparently the island had already experienced a colder and wetter winter than usual and in February after torrential rains the mountain streams became raging rivers which cascaded down the hills carrying huge boulders with them and crushing everything in their paths. 42 people lost their lives and hundreds were left homeless.
Next we visited the Cabo da Girao, the second highest sea cliffs in the world and the highest ones in Europe. From a height of approximately 2000 ft. (681 m) the cliffs rise nearly vertically from the ocean level. From that high up we felt as if we could see forever!
Our final stop before heading back to Funchal and the ship was Camara de los Lobos, the harbor of the wolves. There are no wolves on Madeira, but seals were called “sea wolves” hence the name. This is a small fishing village and we could see all the boats pulled up on the beach in the little harbor. All around the boats were lines filled with drying fish. Daniel told us that the fish were the Madeiran version of bacalao (or cod). Overlooking the harbor was a terrace where Winston Churchill used to come to paint and a mural depicted the old statesman smoking his trademark cigar as he sat before his easel.
Finally we drove back to the city passing through a very modern hotel district and lovely parks full of flowers and fountains. All in all, it was a lovely day. Madeira is definitely a place with many things to see and I felt we just touched the surface.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
April 25 – Our Last Full Sea Day before Landfall
I’ve been very bad about posting on the blog. On these many days at sea there hasn’t been all that much to talk about. Almost every day we have had to set our clocks and watches forward an hour. Today it finally caught up with me. I awoke at 10 AM but felt like it was 8 AM. I finally had to take a little siesta this afternoon. I think I like the 25 hour days you get going westbound better than these 23 hour days.
Yesterday was a stormy day. The wind was blowing around 50 mph and the seas were running pretty high. Fortunately they were off our stern and the ship rode very well. All the outside spaces were cordoned off except for the area around the pools. The surf was up in the pools with waves sloshing back and forth and spilling everywhere. Today was a much more calm day with partly cloudy skies and that is the forecast for tomorrow when we arrive in Funchal, Madeira.
Tonight we did our traditional tossing of a message in a bottle overboard. Last October, Al and I tossed one over the side in the Atlantic past Gibraltar. A couple of months later I received an e-mail from a 22 year old Algerian man who had found it on the Mediterranean coast of Algeria. We shall see if this bottle comes ashore where someone finds it.
Well, that’s all for tonight. Our position is currently 33° 7.90N, 22°23.06 W
Saturday, April 24, 2010
April 24 – 33° 37.44 N, 35°40.93 W
Here we are 2380 miles from Ft. Lauderdale and 948 miles from Funchal, Madeira. This is our fifth day at sea and it’s our first somewhat stormy one. We have light rain and the wind is blowing at a little more than 47 knots. Despite that the ship is riding well as we head nearly due east at 21.7 knots.
We’ve been setting our clocks forward nearly every night. We’re now 4 hours ahead of EDT and this morning for the first time I really felt it. We didn’t get up until almost 10 AM. Between the dark clouds and the change in time it just didn’t seem like it was time to get moving. I think I like going in the other direction with 25 hour days better!
Katie tried to go up to Deck 19 to see how the sea looked from there but it was closed off as are some of the other outer spaces. We’ll just hang out in our cabin or a lounge I guess.
The last couple of days have flown by. Katie has been working on her lesson plans for the class she’ll be teaching in summer school. I have accomplished nothing constructive but it has been relaxing. Yesterday afternoon we had a luncheon for members of our internet group. More than 80 people showed up and it was very enjoyable. After lunch Katie and I played a round of golf up on the Princess links. We don’t pose a threat to any pro golfers!
We have another day and a half at sea after today before we arrive in Madeira. Hopefully tomorrow the weather will clear up a little. At some point during the night I woke up and we were doing some pretty good bouncing. Between the creaking of the ship and the clattering of the hangers in the closet we had a little symphony going on.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
April 21 - The Ultimate Ship's Tour
Another sea day but this one is very different. Katie and I were among the group that got to take the Ultimate Ship’s Tour. Unfortunately, we weren’t allowed to take photos along the way.
Our group of 12 gathered at 2 PM and we began our look behind the scene backstage in the Princess Theater. After getting a look at the dressing room (which must be absolutely hectic during a show since some costume changes take only 30 seconds), we made our way forward to the forward Mooring Station. Seeing the lines and the anchor chains up close was incredible. In ports like Port Everglades where there are fixed gangways, the ship must be positioned to within 5 cm. of the exact spot in order to match the gangways. For our nearly 1000 ft/ long ship, as many as 12 lines are used to secure us to the dock.
Our next stop was the galley. It was mid-afternoon so it was relatively quiet there. Nevertheless, the pastry chefs were busily preparing desserts for the dinner service and the bakery was turning out breads and rolls. Everything is made aboard the ship , including all stocks for soups, ice cream and pastas. After passing through the Galley we made our way to the food storage areas, which are vast. The ship brought on tons of food in Ft. Lauderdale, so that we won’t starve on the way to the Mediterranean. With approximately 5000 people on board including passengers and crew, a tremendous quantity of food is consumed. The ship will be in the Med until October and all fresh things like produce will be bought at some provisioning ports there. All meats and many staple items, though, are sent via container from the US. The food orders are sent in 2 months in advance. We stopped by one of the cold storage lockers and it was amazing to see the vast amount of fresh fruits and vegetables being stored!
Our next stop was the Engine Control Room which is in the middle of the ship. From what looks like a miniature Mission Control with banks of monitors, every system is continuously monitored and data updated. For each system there is triple redundancy so that in the event one system goes out another can take over.
From the control room we went to the Laundry, stopping along the way at the Photography Lab (where on an average cruise 20,000 photos are printed) and the print shop which turns out all manner of communications to both passengers and crew. The Laundry was incredible! There were huge washing machines which could hold 350 pounds of laundry each. The Ruby Princess is the first ship in this fleet to have automatic pressing and folding machines. The machine can detect holes or tears in sheets or tablecloths and spits those out the side. The good ones are sent through the machine where they are dried completely, folded several times and deposited outside. The ship carries enough linens to change every sheet, towel, etc every day. The passenger laundry is equally impressive, since they manage to keep track of each cabin's individual items without getting them lost or mixed-up.
We visited the Medical Center where if necessary surgery can be performed if the ship is too far from land for an evacuation. In the event that someone becomes ill, the response time of the medical team is usually less than 3 minutes, less than it would be on land should we have an emergency in our home.
Our last two stops were the funnels near the stern of the ship. We climbed partway up to see the massive pipes used to vent the engines, incinerators, and other systems on board.
Finally, we went forward to the Bridge where the Captain greeted us with champagne and petit fours or chocolate covered strawberries. Everything on the bridge is automated . We’re cruising along at an average speed of 21 knots and at this speed we can come to a complete stop in approx. 1.5 km. At this speed we can sail round trip across the Atlantic without refueling. If we were to reduce our speed to 12 knots we could sail for 2 and one-half months without gassing up.
Well, I’ve probably told you more than you ever wanted to know about the ship. But we found it absolutely fascinating.
The pictures I’ve included today are of the lovely Atrium, which is the center of activity during much of the day.
April 20 – A lazy day at Sea
There’s not much to report for today. It’s partly cloudy and a little cool. We spent the day relaxing. Katie went to the pool briefly in the late afternoon but even she thought it was chilly. We ate dinner tonight at Sabatini’s. The service was excellent and the food delicious. Since I think pictures of the ocean probably get boring, today I’ll include a couple of Sabatinis where I eat breakfast every morning and where we dined tonight. It’s a beautiful place up on Deck 16 with windows overlooking the ocean on one side and a terrace with fountains on the other.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
April 19 – Time to Board the Ruby Princess!
When we awake Monday morning it is to overcast skies, but at least the rain has stopped. We can see the ship from our bedroom window so we know we’re good to go. After getting ourselves together, our car arrives and takes us to the cruise terminal.
Boarding was easy and the afternoon passed quickly. As it progressed the sun came out and it turned out to be a beautiful afternoon with low humidity and a very pleasant temperature. Just before sailaway, some friends came to our cabin for a little party. These were old friends I had cruised with before and new ones I met on the Cruise Critic Bulletin Board.
At 5:30 we cast off our lines and were on our way from Port Everglades for our trip eastward. The seas were very calm and as the evening progressed we saw a beautiful sunset off our stern. I hope in the next 6 days we’ll see several more just like it each evening.
April 18 – Our 2010 journey begins
This year we’re sailing from the New World to the Old. Our cruise begins in Fort Lauderdale and will take us across the Atlantic to our ultimate destination, Barcelona, Spain. Along the way we’ll visit Madeira off the coast of Africa and then a number of ports in the Mediterranean.
After uneventful flights to sunny south Florida, we arrive to first a light drizzle and then a deluge. Instead of exploring Las Olas , we spend the afternoon in our hotel playing a warm-up Scrabble game. Hopefully, this weather is not an omen of the weather when we sail.
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