Monday, May 16, 2011
Estamos en Espana!
I lost the ability to enter the blog our last day at sea and the wi-fi connection in our Madrid apartment doesn't recognize our little computer . . .or vice versa. I have plenty of ship stories yet to tell so will intermix them with tales of Spain - now that we have found Starbucks and Internet access again!
Just to start our Spanish tales, I will begin with:
Running the Red Light
You see had our taxi driver in Barcelona not run the last red light we hit between the port and the train station we would have missed our train to Madrid. And we are not the type to go racing through train stations (it isn't a pretty thing like in the movies) but there we were loaded with bags, juggling and stumbling our way through security checks, down escalators, past tickets booths and thanks to the driver running the light we made the train with a minute to spare. One minute after we reached our seats, the train whistle blew.
There was a problem again at the port we learned causing our departure to be delayed from the ship (those silly Spanish are cutting their noses off to spite their faces with the slow-downs they are having) anyway we had allowed ourselves two hours between getting off the ship and getting to the nearby train station.
Actual time: Got in taxi at 10:38 still beside the ship (we waited in line nearly an hour for a taxi) at 10:45 I announced from the backseat that we would miss our 11 a.m. train. That seemed to spark the driver - he raced through the last red light; we paid as he drove, and at 10:48 we clumsily threw ourselves into the train car. At 10:59 the whistle blew and at 11 the train started.
Not the way we like to travel. . .but here we are in Madrid. More soon about this wonderful town.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
And the (Glass) Show Goes On
I tell you that to put into perspective the show we had just watched three floors above us: the Corning Glass Museum’s Hot Glass Show; where we all swayed in the wind watching Leane Rae Quade , (better known in the art world as “Quade”) create a vase out of three pounds of molten glass by turning a pole of similar weight.
A few days later we chatted with her – after learning from other guests that was ‘also from Seattle’.
Her life is one of three months aboard and three months off the ship. She’ll be making art objects aboard the Eclipse on the next leg of her journey but does work with the Pratt Fine Arts Center in Seattle.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Lisbon, Portugal
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Solstice: Entertainers with a Capital E!
There’s been so much to see and do on this ship the last week, that we are in need of rest – our first port day feels like a rest day. Is that too much fun?
Entertainment is never ending – someone is always performing at poolside or on the aft deck throughout the day and then it moves inside about 5 p.m. with someone playing a piano, or a string quartet will be playing, or a sole singer strumming a guitar will sing songs of our youth (that would be gonzo geezer youth, you recall).
And the guests, well, they dance. Some dance at the pool in their swimwear. They dance in the late afternoon, some dance at noon in the middle of the ship when the dance lessons are offered, some dance the evening away. We headed to the cabin last night at 10 and there were a number of folks (many older than us) just starting to kick up their heels.
The BIG entertainment is that which takes place in the theater – and we have had some fabulous shows (sorry, HAL, but the entertainment on board is better than our Holland America cruises). Last night we had a variety show as many of the performers leave the ship in the Azores and new performers join us.
We said goodbye to a favorite – and one we hope to see on stage in London some future visit because he’s been in plenty of musicals there to date – and that was Paul Baker. He’ll be joining another Celebrity ship and sometimes can be found on Crystal ships.
Our ship is so much fun that our captain, and that would be Captain Gerry Larsson-Fedde, who has brought us safely across the Atlantic, left the bridge last night and picked up his electric guitar and joined one of our singing groups on stage. I don’t need tell you that he brought the house down, do I?
A day at sea tomorrow and nNew entertainment tonight. . .I’ve got to go rest. . .more soon.
Bom Dia from the Azores!
We caught our first glimpse of land today about 6:30 a.m. and were cleared to go ashore on the island of Sao Miguel by 8 a.m.
We logged about 7.5 miles wandering the cobbled black and white mosaic streets, visiting parks and churches in its Ponta Delgado – about the only thing open on a Sunday in this town of 21,000. Ponta Delgado has been the capital since 1546.
Off in the distance the hillsides are a lush green (no wonder it is the isla verde). We were advised not to buy their famous pineapples or any other fruit or vegetable as it wouldn’t be allowed to be brought on board, so will have to rely on tourist publications that tell us this pineapple is a ‘prized commodity’.
Mid-morning was a bit too early to try their white wine, vino verde, (also known for it, we are told) so will have to wait until some future stop to try it.
I must tell you that as much as we love sea days it was nice to walk on terra firma again. And it seemed strange to hear the roar of jet engines on planes taking off and to hear the noise of cars and motorcycles again.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
A Sea foam and Sapphire Saturday
(And even those stormy slate-gray waves we’ve had for three days have been interesting to watch).
Legend has it that the Azores are that of the lost city of Atlantis (of course, we have heard that in Greece and just yesterday heard a lecture in which we learned theorists think Atlantis might be in the Bermuda Triangle somewhere.)
Friday, May 6, 2011
Twixt Twain and Us: The Transatlantic
We’ve bumped into a few fellow passengers (pun intended) as we’ve made our way around each day. Speaking of our fellow passengers there are 2,749 of us on board, a wee bit less than capacity ( 2,850) and we have 42 nationalities represented.
Considering the bounce we’ve experienced, we’ve been speculating on Mark Twain’s journey, described in his book The Innocents Abroad, that began with a 10-day Atlantic crossing in which he describes many storms and very seasick passengers.
Twain's journey to Europe aboard the steamship “Quaker City” began on June 8,1867 in New York. He describes the trip, that was to last several months, as ‘the first organized pleasure party ever assembled for a transatlantic voyage.’
I doubt any of his 149 fellow passengers had any idea that they were kicking off what would become a billion dollar cruise industry. The cost of their passage was $1,250 per person, more than we are paying and certainly a considerable amount of money in those days. And being able to buy a ticket didn’t get you on the ship – you had to apply and be approved by the Committee on Selecting Steamer. In contrast we just reserved space this morning on a Celebrity cruise in Nov. 2012 – with no more information required than our names and a credit card.
Promotional material provided those passengers assured them that the ship would have every comfort including, a library, musical instruments and ‘an experienced physician’.
Suppose they would like the glass blowing demonstrations and live lawn sports that our ship features? Or our theatre that seats hundreds of passengers on multi levels? We have a number of musical groups –very good ones, I might add – on board providing cabaret type shows, theatrical performances, poolside entertainment. . .whew, and I’ve just gotten started. . . there are cooking demonstrations, wine classes, art auctions, exercise classes. . .in fact it is time to head out now. . .there’s a lecture starting soon!
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Feeling Like a Celebrity
But, quite frankly, it sounded too good to be true.
The emails came as did the conversations: “You will love Celebrity,” they said. The accolades came from both friends and people previously unknown to us. In particular, many said, they loved the Solstice.
And then it began: Our embarkation greeting Sunday
And if all those folks who told us we’d love this ship, had mentioned the long-stemmed red roses in our room (and bathroom!) I had forgotten.
You recall we found a good deal long ago on this cruise from a company called CruCon Cruise Outlet -- a deal so good that we were able to book Concierge Class for the price of a regular balcony room through other agencies.
So we’ve settled into to our beautiful room on the 9th floor that features both a spacious balcony and bathroom; a bathroom that featuring toiletries that remind me of the Bulgari products we were provided on Silversea.
We been so treated like ‘Celebrities” the last few days, that you won’t be surprised to learn that we spent part of our first morning on board talking with folks at the ‘future cruise’ desk.