Boston to Montreal, Saturday, September 7, 2019

The ms Zaandam arrives this morning at the port of Montreal on the St. Lawerence River at 7:00 AM. Again, a beautiful 58F day, moving towards mid-70s. Our luggage disappeared overnight from the corridor and we hope we can find it again when the time comes. We journey to the Lido Deck 8 for our final breakfast of the cruise. Crowded, but as our departure time is near the end of the group, 9:15, the cafeteria is emptying and we finally just headed down to our stateroom to await being called. At 9:00 Red # 2 is called and we drag our carry-ons off the ship. Unlike our last cruise, the bags are right there, standing clear of a mess and our driver is waiting for us.

Pierre is a 67 year-old native of Montreal, formerly an import/export person and, for 25 years, a chef. He embarks on a tour of this 44 mile long by 14 mile wide island populated by 2 million persons. Montreal is named for the 500 foot Mount Royal in the Center of the island. All the granite for the buildings has been quarried from this mountain, and there is plenty more to go.

Pierre takes us through the various neighborhoods, stopping at an Italian pastry store for amazing cannoli and then into the Hasidic Jewish quarter for freshly boiled bagels, still hot and covered with sesame seeds. This is like a mini-New York with all the various neighborhoods changing as the populations prosper, move out to the suburbs and are replaced by others. We drive past a Roman Catholic Church where three leaf clover are a part of the decor of the walls and plinths. This was built by the Irish, but as they prospered and moved on, it is now the Polish church which John Paul visited and led a mass in when he visited Montreal.

One note that Pierre was particularly excited about, the bicycle lobby is so strong that Montreal is probably the only city in North America where it is illegal to turn right on red. The bicyclists are afraid of getting hit - hence traffic is slowed as people impatiently wait to turn on red lights.

Our tour lasts about three hours and is ended by the highlight of the trip (according to Abigail) by a stop at the yarn store she had researched prior to leaving Omaha, Espace Tricot, La Knittere Moderne, where yarn was purchased.

Onward to the airport by 12:15 where we checked and weighed our bags, confirmed our seats and passed through immigration with the U.S. Gestapo who allowed that we could indeed return home. We are now checked all the way through to Omaha, the Duggans through Philadelphia, and the Coverts through Newark. We then stopped at Urban Crave and the adjoining Tim Horton’s. Tim enjoyed a cofffee and cinnamon sticks, Deb Duggan a salad, and the Coverts helpings of Poutine with bacon and wine. We enjoyed our vacation, our cruise, and now look forward to returning to our own beds, with windows to look out rather than our inside cabins with no view. Our view of the world has been enlarged and we have met people and seen sights that were new for all of us. We even got to places (Prince Edward Island, Halifax and Quebec City) that Deb Covert had not seen; this is always a plus as she feels less jaded with new experiences, and we feel like we have helped her expand her horizons. 

Boston to Montreal, Friday, September 6, 2019

The morning breaks partly cloudy and cool, but promising. We dock this morning at the pier for Quebec City, at the base of the rock of this city founded by Samuel Champlain in 1608. Champlain, a Frenchman, of course was already a war hero in the battles with Britain, the conqueror of the indigenous peoples of the West Indies, and the discoverer of the Great Lakes on behalf of the conquering European nations.

After a fine breakfast on board ship, our scouting party of five sets out to discover the famous walled city. We did not have a shore excursion booked today as we wanted to cover this very walkable old city on our own, and also because all the good, shore excursions were sold out before we thought to review them. We embarked at the pier and walked only a few blocks to the vertical elevator known as the funicular for the $3.50 per person ride to the top of the great rock and walk of this only remaining walled city in North America.

At the top of the rock sits the famous Frontenac Hotel, formerly the site of the home of the ruler of Quebec and all of French Canada. Deb and Deb slipped into the lobby for a look as there are clients of Deb’s arriving in the near future and she wanted to get a feel for what their $500.00 per night will get them. She was impressed with the sumptuous off the lobby and the general feeling of service.

Meanwhile, Mark, Abigail and Tim relaxed on benches in the park fronting the Hotel, people watching and soaking up the atmosphere, not to mention the sun, which had broken through the cloud cover and was making for a glorious day. We then commenced what this group of five does so well, shop in the myriad small shops that line the streets here. The crowds were beginning to grow as we walked along, flitting from shop to shop, occasionally making purchases and marvelling at the U.S. dollar to Canadian dollar exchange rate. By noon, we were beginning to feel a little peckish so decided to forego riding the funicular device back down and walked the steps (slowly) instead.

Once at the bottom, we again had streets of shops, cafe’ and restaurant choices. We eventually picked a nice restaurant with outside seating, but in the shade, and ordered our lunches: flatbread pizzas, soup, pasta, wine and beer were consumed in a leisurely fashion. At 1:30, we left to work our way back to the ship via more shops, an ice cream store and a popcorn shop with outstanding popcorn. More purchases were made, and we arrived back on board at 3:30, tired but proud that we had walked over 3.6 miles, up and down the streets of ancient Quebec. Every part reminded of the Willa Cather novel, Shadows on the Rock which depicted Quebec in its early settlement. Sites and buildings were still recognizable; the novelist had gotten it exactly right - but knowing Ms. Cather as we do, this is not surprising. One should read this novel whether or not you are intending to travel to Quebec City.

After our return shipboard, it was time to consolidate our purchases and find a way to cram them all into suitcases, as we had to pack up our luggage and have it out in the corridors prior to retiring, or at least by midnight if not retiring, in preparation for our arrival tomorrow at Montreal and the end of our cruise. We dined once last time in the Lido Market and then finished our packing before calling it a night at 10:00 PM.

Boston to Montreal, Thursday, September 5, 2019

Today is an At Sea day, meaning no port. We left last night from Prince Edward Island, sailing around the southern side of the island towards the east and then around the northern tip of the island turning southwest into the St. Lawerence bay, headed towards the St. Lawerence River and into Quebec City, a distance of some 698 nautical miles.

We spent our time on board today reading, knitting, playing bridge and eating. A true vacation punctuated with trying to find our team members when they wandered off to some other area of the ship. Abigail spent time finishing a sweater which she then modelled on board.

Boston to Montreal, Wednesday, September 4, 2019

This morning breaks cloudy and a bit chilly. Deb and Tim are staying on board this morning so Abigail, Deb and Mark rush to the Lido Market Deck for a quick and tasty breakfast and then through passport control onto the island of Prince Edward, the smallest of the Canadian provinces. Prince Edward Island (PEI) has a population of 143,000 and comprises 1/10 of 1% of the Canadian land mass. It’s capitol, Charlottetown, where we are docked, has a full time population of around 36,000 but swells to 80,000 during the day as commuters come in for work and shopping.

The three of us, together with 29 other shipboard ‘friends’ board a coach with Cindy Wenge as our tour guide and Don as our driver. Cindy, we quickly learn, is a PEI native and has just recently retired as the provincial prosecutor, in charge of all criminal prosecutions in PEI. Her legal training and preparedness soon become apparent as we motor through the countryside and she presents her case for the beauty and history of her homeland.

PEI is a rural economy with its biggest crop being potatoes. It is second only to Idaho in potato production. Next is mussel fishing - the province is the largest supplier of mussels in North America - and those you eat or buy in Omaha are probably sourced here. The other big crop is lobster, tons and tons of lobster. The island land mass is sandstone, not granite as others we have visited, hence a relatively high water table, and a slowly eroding shoreline. Charlottetown is where the original confederation of provinces meetings took place in order to form the nation of Canada. PEI population is descended from English, Scott, Irish, French and indigenous Mi’kmaq peoples.

The weather is rather temperate as the Atlantic Ocean does not touch the island shores; however winter is an experience; they receive an average of ten feet of snow per year. Due to the warming and cooling and the sandstone base, the snow often disappears relatively quickly, but there is a lot of it. In 2017 they received one snowfall of 18 feet! Cindy passed around pictures that were astonishing. Access to the island is either by a bridge - the Confederation Bridge from New Brunswick, the longest bridge over ice in the world and costing $46.00 for a round trip ticket, or a ferry from Nova Scotia at $76.00 round trip.

The countryside is rolling hills with the highest point only around 500 feet above sea level. One of the subliminal things noticed by tourists but not quickly sensed is the lack of roadside billboards or advertising! Banned! Wonderful! Enlightened! (Is my enthusiasm showing?)

Our motor coach has a sign on the front which reads “Ultimate Anne of Green Gables Experience” and this is one of the selling points for Abigail on this cruise. She is all things Anne. We travel first to the site of the Campbell residence, immortalized in L.M. Montgomery’s books as “Silver Bush” the home of her cousin and best mate. This is still in the Campbell family and is restored to a museum of sorts. We step off the coach to a clearing sky and temperatures in the low 70’s, another perfect day. The Campbell house is educational recreating the happier moments of Montgomery’s early life; the grounds are very well manicured and tended. We finish up by stepping into the gift shop for a glass of coffee, tea, or raspberry cordial and a scone. Shopping is completed by some (most) and others sit on the restful outside benches. We stretch a bit and wander the grounds until our motorcoach is ready to head further on to the town of Cavendish, the town in which Lucy Maude Montgomery was raised.

L.M. Montgomery’s story is very interesting. Her mother died when she was only a small child and as fathers did not act as single parents in those late 1800 times, she was raised by her grandparents while her father left for the prairies of Canada. She began writing stories as a teenager while she worked as a schoolteacher and helpmate to her grandmother at the local post office, mailing her manuscripts off to publishers as she sorted the mail.

Her first, and most famous novel, Anne of Green Gables was written in 1908 and first published in 1911 by a Boston publisher. She went on to write many novels, including eight in the Anne of Green Gables series. After her grandmother died, she married a local minister and soon moved to Ontario, where she lived for the rest of her life. She continued to come back to her beloved Prince Edward Island to visit her friends and family, stating that her heart was always here. She is buried in the Cavendish cemetery and celebrated in the Heritage Centre we visited next. The Centre, newly opened this year, has a Green Gables home set as a museum, and interpretive center and grounds to walk and gift shops to peruse. Very well done and most informative.

As we continued our 26 mile loop of PEI, our guide began a short trivia quiz over some of the things we had learned. She asked 4 questions and the Covert trio were first to answer two - a 50% success. Either we are good students, we were paying attention, or we were close to the front and loud enough to be recognized. We will take the win no matter what. The coach arrived back in Charlottetown by 2:30. Deb stayed in town to meet with Deb and Tim, while Abigail and Mark returned to the ship to lunch and knit.

The shopping trio returned on board shortly before the 4:40 cast-off and regaled the knitting duo with their talk of big glasses of wine and raw oysters for their lunch. The shipboard hot dogs were excellent also. We cast off and sailed out for a two day run at sea, expecting to arrive next at Quebec City on Friday morning. We all retired around 10:00, set for a leisurely day ahead and now over halfway through our vacation.  

Boston to Montreal, Tuesday, September 3, 2019

We dock this morning a little later than normal, and will be able to leave the ship by 10:30. As we have no tours planned for today, we take a leisurely morning, with coffee in our rooms and then meeting at Lido deck for a hot breakfast of omelettes, scrambled eggs, pastries, and juice. Deb and Tim elect to eat in their stateroom so Abigail, Deb and Mark spend some time planning their day over coffee. Abigail has decided to remain on board ship today, resting (?) knitting and lounging. Deb and Mark decide to go on shore and explore the town of Sydney.

Technically, Sydney is no longer a town, having been absorbed into a regional governmental body in 1994. However, it obviously still exists. It is a small town with a regional population of 22,000 or so, occupying a portion of the Cape Breton Island. As we disembark the ship, we are greeted by a 30 foot tall sculpture of a violin or fiddle. Cape Breton has an Irish, Scottish and indigenous heritage and loves their fiddle playing musical heritage. On the pier is a large structure of small shops, tables and chairs occupied by a host of passengers and crew anxiously bent over their electronic tethers to find what is happening with the world (free WI-FI,) and a large hall filled with tables of craft objects, all being hawked by the local makers.

We walk a bit further into the town, finding small shops, looking at the houses for sale in the real estate store window, and just soaking up the local culture. As we are very set against the cruising habit of stop, buy souvenirs, and then hop back on board, we wandered the small stores, eventually stopping in one to buy some cute tee-shirts and visit with the shop owners. The two local women were munching on a burrito style wrap sandwich, and when we inquired, they directed us to a small cafe around the corner. We walked a block over and entered the Flavor Restaurant and sat to have a chicken, apricot and walnut wrap (delicious) and a bowl of Fish Chowder and home made toast, all washed down with a tasty glass of red wine. Deb declares the chowder the best she has ever had!

While waiting for our meal, we perused the map we had been given of the town and discovered a yarn shop, The Bobbin Tree. After our luncheon, we walked back a few blocks to the shop where, substituting ourselves for Abigail, we purchased some locally produced and dyed yarn. The walk back to the ship was slow and interesting; we passed a statue/memorial along the way on the waterfront which told the story of the merchant ships lost during the Atlantic Wars of 1939-1945 as the sailors from the area helped to supply the war effort. The loss of over 266 ships during the many crossings was a testament to the effort put forth by this small island and the price they paid for our continued freedom in the western world. We journeyed back to our ship and were on board by 2:30 PM.

We located Deb Duggan and Abigail who, we found had been sitting in the library most of the morning, Deb reading, and Abigail listening to her music, mostly napping and just relaxing. After their lunch they talked at length and decided to head to the lecture and demonstration on Chicken Marsala, presented by America’s Test Kitchen magazine, which they did, from 3:00 to 4:00. Tim, in the meanwhile, was out searching for another bridge game. We all then readjourned on deck to bask in the sun, read and generally lolly-gag around until we cast off at 6:30. Then on to dinner, again in the Lido Market for pork roast, deviled eggs, pasta, salmon and other comestibles, wine included.

Deb, Deb and Tim again went on a quest to find the mythical prow of the ship, going up and down steps, into unauthorized “Staff Only” doors and eventually finding their goal, but not without a lot of marching around. All were back in their staterooms by 9:30. Another lazy day that is becoming a hallmark of this vacation. As we stood on the aft deck of the good ship Zaandam bidding farewell to the coast of Nova Scotia earlier in the evening, we all remarked on what a pleasant and quiet land we had visited over the last two days. We vowed to return in the coming years to explore the area in much greater depth. The Nova Scotian Province is easily reachable by automobile from the American Northeast, and merits much greater interest from its American neighbors to the south. The views are stunning, the people friendly, and, with no language barrier, it is welcoming and engaging.

Boston to Montreal, Monday, September 2, 2019

Today is Labor Day in both the U.S. and Canada. It is also our first stop in Canada, Halifax, largest city in the Province of Nova Scotia. We dock around 7:30 AM, but are delayed as the ship has to clear Canadian immigration. Previously, each passenger was required to fill out a Canadian immigration form, but there were errors on some, which necessitated delays. As an example, at around 8:00, Deb and Tim were called from their stateroom to the “interrogation room” with their passports in hand to meet the inquisitors. It seems that Deb neglected to put the date at which they were intending to depart Canada on their form. Don’t want those heathen southern immigrants staying illegally in the country and sucking up all the good paying jobs and living off the largess of the hardworking taxpayers, eh?

Finally, by 9:00 the ship was declared docked and passengers were allowed to disembark. Deb and Abigail have booked a thee hour coach tour to the destination of Peggy’s Cove, while the other three of us remain on board for a few hours to relax, read, and hang out. At 11:30, Deb Duggan and Mark venture off the ship to meet Deb and Abigail while Tim sticks on board to continue reading. Mark and Deb wander the shore side boardwalk, looking at the craft shops and taking advantage of the WI-FI to catch up on emails and such.

The tour to Peggy’s Cove and the iconic lighthouse showed Deb and Abigail some of the loveliest parts of Nova Scotia. Even though Nova Scotia is one of the smallest provinces in Canada, it has over 4000 miles of coastline with beautiful forests and the rocky granite that is only a few feet under the soil of the entire area. The tour guide pictured below (who reminded Deb of our friend Kevin,) provided detailed information on the area. For such a beautiful but small area, this has been involved in three major tragedies in the last 107 years, two which occurred in the Province.

The first was their acceptance of over 190 of the dead from the Titanic tragedy of April 15, 1912. Most were buried in three cemeteries in Halifax, one created in the form of a ship’s bow just for Titanic casualties. Many could not be identified and were buried with only their date of death and the number that they were tagged with corresponding to the order they were pulled from the water.

The worst tragedy was in 1917 when a French ship carrying armaments and fuel caught fire in Halifax Harbor. Thousands gathered in the harbor to watch the ship burn (the crew had jumped ship when the fire started), only to lose their lives when the ship exploded with the power and consequent devastation only eclipsed when Hiroshima was bombed. It changed the face of Halifax city forever. Thousands lost their lives and over 1000 people were blinded by flying glass. Boston was the first city to send medical help. Haligonians were so thankful that, to this day, they cut a large Christmas tree and send to Boston; it is installed in Boston Commons each year.

The third tragedy was again not of the making of Nova Scotia. 21 years ago, an Air France plane had a total electronic failure and nose-dived directly into St. Margaret’s Bay, near Peggy’s Cove. All aboard died but the people in the area pulled together to help with the retrieval of bodies and putting up relatives of the dead in their homes, as there were very few commercial inns at the time (this was pre AirBnB). There is a lovely monument dedicated to the people of Nova Scotia who helped comfort and aid those who had lost loved ones. It is also complete with the names of every passenger and their histories.

Abigail and Deb returned to the pier area at 12:30. They quickly made the stay-at-home troops feel remiss in skipping this tour. Halifax is a city of around 350,000 in the Nova Scotia Province of 1.1 million Canadian souls. The economy is based upon the sea: fishing, lobster fishing, shipping, military port and shipbuilding are among the largest industries.

We walked the boardwalk and shopped the craft stores open in the pier complex. Due to the Labor Day holiday, none of the stores in the Historic City area were open, hence, no yarn from Halifax!

We returned to the ship and located Tim. Then up to the 8th level Lido deck pool area for late lunch of hamburgers, hot dogs, tacos and burritos, washed down with soda and wine. A return to the staterooms for a refresh while Tim went to the duplicate bridge group meeting (amazingly not located on the ship’s bridge.) We later determined that his team won and now he has a date for Thursday afternoon for some rematch play.

At 7:15 we all met up at the Lido Market cafeteria for a late, light, dinner. If you can imagine this group of grazers eating a “light” dinner you would conjure salmon, rice pasta and roast beef sandwiches. There was one salad in sight. We then embarked on a hilarious search to find a Titanic style prow of the ship to view the stars, trouping up and down the passageways, stairs and elevators, finding dead ends and Staff Only labeled doors. We finally gave up and tried to just go out on deck. Strong winds and rain forced us laughingly back in side. We browsed the shops, found a quiet library area, and finally headed to our staterooms for the end of another vacation day off the northeast coast at sea.

Boston to Montreal, Sunday, September 1, 2019

It is worth noting that September 1 is an auspicious day to our travellers. It is the birth date of both Deb Duggan’s mother Virginia Kaplan, born 1919, and Ann Covert, born 1922 (although she always claimed 1923.) If not for them, this trip would not be occurring. Thanks and Happy birthday!

Awoke this morning at 6:00 AM for our in-cabin breakfast. Deb and Mark ordered a full breakfast for 6:00 AM delivery as our tour departs at 7:30 this morning. The Steward knocked on the door at 6:10 with our tray, I thank him, close the door and juggle the tray into an increasingly crowded space. First crisis of the day - no coffee on the tray! This is definitely a problem. A quick call to room service and the pot is delivered to save the day. We later find that Abigail’s breakfast included a pot of coffee - which she does not drink! So that’s where it went!

The three of us make our way down to the lower deck to meet our tender boat to be taken into Bar Harbor. Deb & Tim opt for a leisurely morning and we will meet them in town later. The three Covert crew board our van for a two and one-half hour tour of Acadia National Park and Desert Island. First thing we learn is that Bar Harbor is on an Island. Second thing we learn is that natives refer to it as Dessert Island and non-natives refer to is as Desert Island - either pronunciation is acceptable. Third thing we learn is that Acadia National Park is the only national park in which all of the land was donated for the park. It also is the smallest National Park in the system, only 44,000 acres. As our tour guide noted, that is one-half the size of Yellowstone Lake!

To understate - this park is crowded. The busy season is July through August. This is Labor Day weekend; the park is easily accessible for all of New England, less than a day’s drive from the busy metropolitan northeastern cities. That fact however, should not deter anyone who wants to see a unique environment. Situated on the Atlantic coast on a huge pile of granite, this island is an eye-opener. Originally settled over 12,000 years ago by the group of native peoples collectively called the Wabanaki, they sailed to the island in birch-bark canoes, fished, hunted and traded with each other. In 1604, French explorers “discovered” the island. During the next century and a half, the French and the British fought for control of the territory and in 1761 the British established the first European settlement on the island; the settlers fished, farmed and quarried granite.

In the mid 1800’s, Hudson Valley School painters began bringing back paintings of the area, and soon tourism reared its head inspiring wealthy city dwellers to build “cottages” as summer residences, transforming the quiet fishing and farming villages. Beginning in 1801, Harvard University President Charles Elliot, George Dorr and other conservation minded philanthropists began acquiring over 5,000 acres of land that they eventually donated to the federal government. In 1916 President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the area a national monument, and in 1919 Congress designated it the first eastern national park.

The town of Bar Harbor is now chiefly fueled by tourism. Population year round of approximately 5,000 swells with over 4 million visitors per year to the park and surrounding area. With bitter winters and an average of 5 1/2 feet of snowfall per year, it is a seasonal business, with the successful merchants fleeing to Florida for the winter months.

We finished our tour and met Deb and Tim in town, shopped for some yarn (of course) and then staked out an outside table away from the bulk of the crowd for a lunch of clam chowder and lobster rolls. Wine, beer, and a blueberry infused cocktail were also consumed. A great lunch. The blueberry pie, made from wild picked blueberries was sublime - no sugar added and sweeter than any cultivated blueberry ever grown. The “whoopie” pie sandwich was also out of this world. Unfortunately, as we forged our way downhill and back towards the dock, there were multiple shop stops. The Coverts will now feature the only $50.00, Santa painted- lobster claw ornament in the Midwest this coming December. We found our way back to the tenders, boarded them in fine fashion and sailed back to the Zaandam by 3:00. The ship pulled anchor at 4:00 and we set sail for tomorrow’s destination of Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Abigail spent the balance of the afternoon on the top deck, swaddled in a wool blanket while she knitted, watching the ship depart and talking with people she met who wandered by. Tim went in search of a bridge game, found the assigned meeting room, only to have no one show up to play; he was forced to sit in the library and read a book - such a hardship for him. Deb and Deb each took a power nap in their rooms and I went up on deck to join Abigail and read for a while. We all then retreated to our staterooms to dress for dinner.

We first joined in the senior Coverts’ room for a cocktail and then at 7:00 headed to the dining room for our first formal shipboard dinner. This was billed as a “Gala” dinner evening; many of our fellow passengers were dressed in formal wear, but jeans and tee-shirts wee also in evidence. The evening’s meal included escargot, shrimp cocktails, peppered beef tenderloin, risotto, rack of lamb, sole fillet and other choices. While perfectly edible, there was nothing about the cuisine this night to do more than fill the void - the rolls and bread were commendable, the desserts passable, and the wine a nice Toscana.

Abigail retired after dinner while the four seniors found their way to a small concert of show tunes by a violin/piano duo. Lively music enjoyed while we let the meal settle. Back to our staterooms by 9:45 to prepare for bed. Tonight we lose an hour as the clocks are moved forward to Atlantic time zone. A nice day with good sightseeing., shopping and vacationing. 

Boston to Montreal, Saturday, August 31, 2019

The morning broke beautifully clear, sunshine and quiet. Abigail and Mark walked around the block to the McDonald’s facing Boston Commons to secure breakfast and caffeine. We returned, ate and then began the big pack up. While working away, we noticed increasingly a loud and constant noise. We looked out the window to discover two helicopters hovering above the area, evidently over Boston Commons. Abigail, ever the techno-warrior, logged on to discover that there was a parade scheduled, beginning at Boston Commons. The street in front of our hotel was blocked off from traffic. To add insult to injury, it was an anti-Pride parade - Heteros are Upseteros! Really???

We checked out and dragged our bags a block and a half to meet our 12:45 Uber ride to the dock; lovely driver who got us to the pier in 20 minutes. There was heavy security all along the way where the parade was to occur, due to the possibility of anti-hetero activity. One can only hope. We made it easily through ship security, each of us with our allotted one bottle of wine in our carry on luggage. You are allowed more, but are then subject to an $18.00 per bottle corkage charge. Since most prices of the wine they were to be selling on board was $18.00 or more, it seemed foolish to bring additional. Deb was able to distract them with her re-built knee, so they forgot to check her carry-on for her extra bottles of soda. Ha!

We dutifully attended the mandatory life boat drill (attendance is taken) and then strolled the decks, acquainting ourselves with the amenities and areas to play, knit, gamble or look at the stars. We cast off shortly before 5:00 PM, and slowly made our way out of Boston harbor, bidding farewell to this clearly historic American city. We all promised one another that we would be back to really tour the city and not be distracted by visiting relatives, shopping or meetings.

First order of business was to stop at Guest Services to figure out how to access the Wi-Fi package we purchased, how to add the shipboard “navigator” to our cell phones, and other general information that somehow missed our grasp. The line was short (and filled with Baby-boomers.)

We returned to our “staterooms” for a quick refresher and then headed up to the Lido Deck for dinner, foregoing the dining room sit down this first night. As usually, for the novice among us, the food buffet was an eye-opener. We dined and learned how to take advantage of the wine or soda packages we had pre-purchased (not as easy as it seems,) and then headed out for more exploration. Abigail descended to her room for a little knitting, Deb, Deb, Tim and I found a bar to have a night cap in and we all returned for a sleep around 9:30. A tiring but fun first day on the water.

Mediterranean Cruise - Day 15 - Sunday, May 13, 2018

Happy Mother’s Day to those who qualify.  We bid farewell to our first member today as Toni Super heads out this morning at 7:30 to the Rome airport and her departure to Dulles Airfield and home in Florida - safe travels, we will miss you!

Today, our last full day in Rome, is a free day for all.  Frank and Jean take off for a tour of the Tivoli Gardens.  Needelmans lead a pack of us to the Jewish quarter near the Tiber river where we toured the area, walked around the Synagog and finally dined at a Kosher restaurant on pasta, artichokes, beer and wine.  Thereafter we walked to the Trevi fountain and then to the Spanish steps. We walked back via the shopping street featuring all the top fashion and luxury brand stores: Cartier, Bulgari, Tod’s, Dolce & Gabana, Burberry, Jimmy Choo and more.  Not being tempted, we arrived back at our lodging and settled down with the other group returning from their visit to the fountain and their unsuccessful search for the Steps.  

We then indulged in wine, pizza and conversation. After dinner, five of the seven couples trouped off to Piazza Navona for gelato before retiring to repack their luggage and bed down before awakening early to head out for the airport in the morning. So it is Arriverderci Roma for us.  A great trip and travel with friends old and new. 

Mediterranean Cruise - Day 14 - Saturday, My 12, 2018

Up this morning after a late night of partying and packing.  We dock at Civitaveccio, the port nearest Rome, and sit to await our call for disembarkation.  At 8:45, we are called (Green #3) and we proceed down the gangplank for the final time to claim our luggage.  All goes smoothly except for Needelmans.  One of their bags takes a walk about with another passenger before finally turning up some distance away as the miscreant passenger realizes his mistake and leaves the bag sitting alone.  Reclaimed, we waltz out to the waiting zone to claim our transfers into the city of Rome, to which our road leads (as do all, we are told.)

The drive into the city on Saturday morning is very easy as the traffic is light.  We arrive at our hotel, Pantheon Royal Suites, at 10:45 and unload our full fifteen passengers and all luggage. As rooms are not ready for some time, we check-in and leave the luggage as we stop for a bite or coffee before our 1:00 meet up with our tour guide for a 3-hour walking tour of the central City.  As we are just across the square from the Pantheon, we fight our way through the crowd and head for the Coliseum.  We gain entry and tour with 2,000 other tourists this most famous of all arenas. We learn that the word “arena” is derived from the Latin word for sand, the covering on the false floor of the original coliseum. Much easier to sweep blood and guts up with the sand than to scrape it off cobblestones one imagines.

From there, we walk next to the Forum, descending down into its valley and strolling along the cobblestones and learning of all the history and use of these architectural remains that were once administrative buildings, temples, then churches and one vast open space for the meeting of the citizens and the killing of emperors (Julius for example.)

Back to the hotel by 5:00 after an exhausting 4 mile plus stroll, we regroup with a cocktail and then strike out in groups to discover restaurants.  Mostly successful, some more quickly than others.  We enjoy a Roman Holiday meal of sorts and then stumble back, exhausted but ready to rest and attack our last full day in Rome.

Mediterranean Cruise - Day 13 - Friday, May 11, 2018

This morning we docked in Napoli (Naples) alongside the Royal Caribbean Line Rhapsody of the Sea, a huge ship that seemed to dwarf our ship, and another MSC ship.  A busy port for the day.  We met our guide, Francesca, and headed out in our coach towards Sorrento and the Amalfi coast drive.  Once out of the 1.2 million population metropolitan area, we traveled along the coast to some of the most stunning scenery ever.  

The Amalfi Coast is like driving US 101 along the California coast, but closer to the edge and more populated and more traffic.  Eventually we arrived at the Village of Positano, a vertical community replete with stairways up and down the cliffs and donkey carts to haul goods up and down.  Never had we seen an area like this - cars parked for miles along the highway, as parking in the village was limited, scooters and motorcycles likewise along the highway cliffs.  Buses are limited to 12 meter length, as any thing longer could not make the hairpin turns required. 

After photo stops and a turn around, we headed back up the coast and stopped in the  town of Sorrento for a marvellous lunch at the Ristorante da Gigino for some genuine Italian meals, gnocchi with shrimp and white sauce, gnocchi with red sauce, caprese salad with fresh ripe tomatoes and mozzarella, lasagne, and some of the best Margherita pizza ever tasted. A truly stunning meal.  We then shopped for 1/2 hour, lost one of our troupers, who was later tracked down, and then headed to our final stop of the day.

Pompeii is almost indescribable.  We had two hours, and our guide rightfully said that she could spend a week with us there and still not cover it all.  Beginning in 63 AD, with an earthquake, the village was just beginning to rebuild when, in 79 AD, Mt.Vesuvius erupted covering the entire 20,000 population city in ash and asphyxiating gas.  The City remained buried until the mid 1800’s when archeologists began to uncover the area.  

Restoration has continued to this day.  We saw marketplaces, temples, homes monuments and everyday shops for fish, meat, poultry and bread. Roads for chariots and horse carts, storage places and homes.  We viewed plaster casts of people that were killed, in various stages of agony or just sleeping in their beds when disaster struck.  We all vowed that we would return for another tour and more time in the future.  We will see.

We returned to our ship at 6:00 after a long but educational day of touring.  As this was our last night on the ship, we held an impromptu cocktail party in three adjoining cabins, using up all our remaining wine and champagne, and nibbling on the breadsticks we liberated from our luncheon.  We completed our evening with the final performance of the piano quintet, giving the young women a standing ovation for their final performance, as they too were ending their stay, although in their case since December 20, 2017.  We are headed tomorrow for Rome and a last few days before returning west to see what has happened in the world since our departure. 

Mediterranean Cruise - Day 12, Thursday, May 10, 2018

We arrive this morning in the port of Palermo, Sicily.  This is a very busy port, and very tight quarters.  We dock alongside grain elevators and see freighters around us.  Shortly after we on the Oosterdam dock, there pulls in at the same dock, next to us, the Costa Diadema, a larger (if that is possible) ship.  This of course means twice the number of tourists clambering off the ships and into the port.

We step off board at 8:30 to meet our guide for the day, Cetti (short for Concetta.)  We walk to our coach and head out through Palermo’s rush hour traffic, headed for the Monreale Cathedral.  Palermo is a bustling city of over 700,000 inhabitants with an unemployment rate of over 30%.  Many African and middle eastern migrants have swelled the city and they are everywhere in evidence. Traffic is a melange of scooters, motorcycles, autos of all types, buses and trucks. Although there are the remains of traffic lanes on the streets, it really doesn’t seem to matter.  The only notable thing is the lack of honking.  People just jam their vehicles in together and proceed.

We reach the parking area of Monreale and start the 90 steps up the mountain to the top.  From the outside, this cathedral does not seem too special.  However, inside is a completely different story. Over 68,000 square feet of mosaic tiles cover every surface.  Not paint, no gilt, but tiles.  All the gold is actually tiles formed by placing gold foil between two thin pieces of glass and then firing it in the kiln, breaking the pieces up and cutting them into small pieces.  There are reds, greens, blacks, blues, whites, golds, every colour of the rainbow used to create the story of the bible over the entire walls.  All this created between 1168 and 1190.

We stand in awe as our guide uses her green laser pointer to highlight the narrative going around and around the walls, multiple stories high.  We are amazed and stunned, almost into silence, at the work.  As this church is part of a monastery, we then explore the adjacent Cloisters where the priests and monks lived and contemplated their devotions.  The cloister encloses a large center courtyard full of symbolism of the story of Christianity.  Each pillar supporting the open walkways has a different carved capital with scenes and stories of the testaments, all carved by artisans in Florence.

As the crowds around us increase, we take our leave and then walk back down the steps, which have sprouted hundreds of small stalls hawking every tourist bauble imaginable.  By the time we reach the parking pick up area, there are nearly 50 tourist buses loading and unloading. Our driver finally pulls up and we load in for a ride back to the city to see another church.  This second church, whose name escapes me, is just as spectacular, again built in the early Middle Ages and chock full off artistic handwork used to explain the mysteries of the religion to the masses. 

Following this, we motor back into the central city to the Palermo Parliament building.  We purchase tickets and proceed through a TSA like search, including metal detectors and bags through x-ray, into the building.  Our destination (surprise, surprise) in the Royal Palace Palatine Chapel - another church.

This one, again begun in the 1160’s took longer to complete - some 90 years.  This one is truly unique as it includes dedications in the three official languages of Middle Age Palermo, Latin, Greek and Arabic.  It also provides different views of Christ, the closed book Orthodox view, and the open gospel Roman Catholic view, one at each end of the large sacristy.  Again, mosaic tiles cover all the walls and floors.  The muqarnas ceiling in this church is made entirely of wood, with undulations and painting completed by Moorish artisans, with stalactitic and alveolar elements - look it up on Google! 

We then take a driving tour of the central city, and head back to the Oosterdam at 2:00.  Impressions of Palermo - a dirty, noisy, bustling city.  We spent the rest of the afternoon lunching, reading and dozing.  We dined separately and together in the Lido and wandered a bit before retiring after 9:00.  Onward to Naples.

Mediterranean Cruise - Day 11 - Wednesday, May 9, 2018

We left the port of Valletta, Malta in the Maltese Islands at 5:15 AM this morning and docked at the neighboring Island of Gozo, also in the Maltese Islands at 8:00 AM.  Locals just use the ferry, which takes some 25 minutes.

This much smaller island of some 30,000 inhabitants boasts the same architecture with the same honey colored limestone construction and winding narrow streets within the city but much more rural. We meet our same guide, Paula this morning and coach through some lovely villages, though appearing devoid of much humanity.  The port area of Mgarro was busy, as it was morning rush hour, but outside of the city, relatively quiet and less traffic.

We traveled first to the city of Xaghra and visited the Gantija (Gigantic) Temples. This UNESCO site dates from 3,600 BC. It is reminiscent of other prehistoric sites, such as Stonehenge where huge stone structures are erected around seemingly sacred sites.  These also are oriented to line up with solar equinox and are accurate for setting times.  These temples are more complete with alters and separate rooms. They are striking and the adjoining museum displays found artifacts which reveal that the temples were honouring fertility figures and the probably deities were women. 

We moved onward then to stop at the eastern seaside salt pans; areas next to the sea that were carved into shallow pans that would fill with sea water, and then, as the season passed, would evaporate the water and leave behind sea salt to be scraped up and sacked for use in trade.  This tradition persists to this day.

We next travel to the capital city of Victoria (Rabat) and tour the Citadel at the high point of the city.  The Citadel was constructed by the Knights of the order of St. John and is the only walled city on Gozo.  This city is no longer occupied, but is now a hunch area to explore the history of this area from the last 1,000 years.  Beautifully restored in most areas, but also left in ruins from the 1693 earthquake.  Wonderful views from the top of the entire island and stretching to the island of Malta.

We stopped for a quick rest break in the village of Xlendi, a seaside resort tucked into a small bay.  Lovely small restaurants lining the shore with apartments and homes rising up the cliffs. Very relaxing.

We jumped back on the tends boats in port and motored out to our waiting ship at 2:30 in preparation for sailing onward.  Gozo was a wonderful stop and many thought they might return for a more leisurely and restful stay in the future.

This evening seven of our party dined in the more secluded and quiet Pinnacle Restaurant for a late dinner.  This separate dining area on the ship boasts a smaller and more attentive staff and a separate menu.  Good food, good service but a late night.  Into our rooms around 10:15.

Mediterranean Cruise - Day 10 - Tuesday, May 8, 2018

We arrive in the port of Valletta, The Republic of Malta this morning at 8:00 A.M. Following our breakfast, we disembark and meet our guide for the day, Paula, at the port and board the coach with our driver Mario.  We bus first to the area of Rabat, a city surrounding the former historical capital of Mdina. We learn that Rabat is an Arab word meaning suburb, and Mdina is an Arab word meaning city.  Needless to say, this island republic strategically located in the middle of the Mediterranean has been conquered by many empires over the centuries.

The only natural resource of Malta is its rock.  When first excavated, the limestone is soft, but hardens upon exposure to the atmosphere.  All the buildings are constructed of this yellowish tan limestone, continuously quarried over the centuries.  As there is no water on the island, until the 1960’s, all water was rainwater collected in rooftop cisterns throughout the city and used sparingly.  Since the late 60’s a massive desalination plant construction has provided more than ample water for the island’s use.

Earliest evidence is of settlement around 3,000 B.C., with control by the Phoenicians, the Arabs, the Romans, the Venetians and the Spanish over the millenia.  In 60 A.D. the Apostle Paul was shipwrecked upon the island and lived in an underground grotto for three months.  Paul managed to convert the entire population to Christianity in this short time period and the Republic remains 95% Roman Catholic Christian to this day. Paul is the patron Saint and touchstone of Malta. Pilgrims and popes journey to visit the grotto, and a church has been erected over the site...

During World War II, Malta was the Mediterranean headquarters for the Allied Navy, and subsequently was heavily bombed throughout the war.  The population dug grottos and shelters throughout the island and used these for days and months at a time to shelter from the bombardment.  We toured these shelters and also the prehistoric grottos used for burial and interment of the dead.

We left Mdina and next coached to Valletta, the capital and the town established by the Order of the Knights of St. John, following their arrival in the mid 1500s.  The Order  controlled and continues to influence the island.  Their massive and ornately furnished Co-Cathedral is mind boggling in its use of gold, silver and art.  The artist Caravaggio spent a number of years here, painting for the Knights.  Three of his most famous works, including the only signed painting, reside in the cathedral. Caravaggio died on Malta at the age of 39 under mysterious circumstances in 1610, his body never being found.

The broad central Main Street of Valletta stretches for close to a mile; beautiful buildings lining the avenue, both old and new.  Some foundations are dated to 1570 and exist side by side with the new parliament building designed by world renowned avant-garde architect Renzo Piano.

Our 5-hour tour wrapped up, we proceed to the dock near our ship and have a lunch of pizza, pasta and beer.  We struggle back on board around 4:00 in time for happy hour and then a late dinner on the Lido deck.  The ship does not depart Valletta until 4:00 AM the next morning, but this group of party go-ers are all back in their cabins by 11:30, leaving the in port partying to the younger generation. However, off the port side of the ship, on shore near the center of town, fireworks erupted; a marvellous display that lasted for many minutes - a fitting salute to our impending departure.

Mediterranean Cruise - Day 9 - Sunday, May 6, 2018

Early morning docking today on the Island of Mykonos, Greece.  Up and out at dockside to meet our guide at 8:45.  Guide’s name is unpronounceable and therefore unspeakable - we shall call him Gus. He is an older gentleman (74) and his English, while very passable, is sprinkled with catchphrases, such as “Ladies & Gentlemen” or “etcetera.”

Mykonos, originally a fishing village on one of the inhabited islands of the Cycladic group, has transformed itself, for the worse, in the last 50 years.  What, in 1979, was a romantic island of whitewashed homes with bright blue, red, pink, or green doors and shutters, situated on hillsides and reachable on unpaved roads by donkey carts, is now a total tourist destination.  Roads and autos, buses, scooters, and trucks scurry to and fro.  Homes, still whitewashed annually with coloured doors, sell for millions of dollars, and rent for thousands per night.

The island hosts nearly 1.5 million visitors per year and accommodates 50 daily flights into its international airport, not to mention cruise ships.  Every shop along the water front and stretching up the hills from the old port are tourist traps selling high fashion names such as Romani, Rolex, Piaget and more.  The major industry is fleece, that is the fleecing of the tourist.  Scarves that sell for $7.50 on Crete, sell for $22.00 on Mykonos.

This is Deb’s fourth visit to the island since 1979, and she says that, based upon this visit, she will be very loath to recommend this as a destination to her clients.  Definitely a disappointment as a stop on the cruise.  All except 4 of our group head back to the ship at the 1:00 end of the guided tour.  Those staying, stop at a waterfront restaurant for local beer, and lunch.  All are back by 4:00.  Except of course for one straggling passenger (not one of ours) who caused the ship to delay departure for 15 minutes.  As she clamoured up the gangway, her purchases in hand, the rest of the ship stood applauding her arrival, much, I am sure, to her embarrassment.

Onward for the next full day at sea and our next stop at Malta.

Mediterranean Cruise - Day 8 - May 5, 2018

Cinco de Mayo in some parts of the world, but for us, arrival at the Island of Crete, the furthest south of the Greek Isles, and the 5th largest island in the Mediterranean.  Our post prandial tour this morning begins in the Port of Souda and our guide Vasso and her driver Christos.  

We motor onward from the port to the town of Chania (pronounced Hania) and into the ancient walled city (a theme of walled cities has emerged on this trip!) As we walk the town, we learn of its ancient roots, back to the Minoan culture prior to 3,000 B.C; also of the neolithic period prior.  Crete, being a strategic island in the crossroads of the Mediterranean shipping lanes, was often conquered and claimed by the many empires surrounding it.  From Egypt to the south, Turkey and the Ottoman Empire to the east, Venice and Italy to the north and west, and even the Northern European crusaders, many have controlled the island over the centuries.

Most of the population of the island, and its many cities lie along the northern portion of the island.  The island runs east and west a distance of 265 Km and 35 Km north and south. The center of the island is mountainous, with the highest peaks lifting to 2300 M (8,000 ft.) The higher peaks are often snow covered even into the summer.  The current major economic drivers are tourism and agricultural upturn.  Olives are the most important crop and here they raise pigs, Croats, sheep and grain.  The olive production is a variety of small olives particularly suited for oil production, about 95% of which is exported around the world.

The old port of Chania is of the Venetian era and is flanked by forts at its eastern edge and an Egyptian lighthouse at the western edge. The harbour is small by today's standards and is used primarily for pleasure and tourist boats today.  It is surrounded by the ancient city and is populated with restaurants, bars and souvenir shops.  

We walked this ancient area, following small streets and alleyways lined by former homes now converted to apartments, small boutique hotels and taverns and restaurants.  A busy place with many charming settings and tiny alleys. We ended our tour in the central market, a covered cruciform shaped hall that was chocked full of cheese, spice and souvenir shops.  Some shopping was done, but more window shopping.  Our tour guide departed, taking a few of our team back to the ship.  Eight of us stuck in town and began searching for a lunch place.  After a single misstep, we ended at the Apotolis Restaurant for a Greek luncheon of lamb chops, stuffed grape leaves, spinach pies and souvlaki with a few glasses of wine shared.

We caught the city bus back to the port and re-boarded Oosterdam at 4:00, well in time for the 4:30 departure.

Most opted for a more leisurely dinner on the Lido deck, choosing salads, pho soup and ice cream.  After a leisurely deck stroll and a bit of continued ship exploration, we retired at 10:00 as we ended the first half of our vacation adventure.