2007 Voyager World Cruise

Disembarkation Day - Ft. Lauderdale, USA

2007-05-03T05:05:00.000-07:00

Date: April 30

Location: Disembarkation Day – Ft. Lauderdale, USA

Next Port: None

Report: Last night we could see lights from the Bahamas, so we knew we were close.

Larry awoke at 4:45 to see the Pilot Boat pulling away from the ship…and then the entrance of Ft. Lauderdale in the distance. We pulled into our berth at about 5:30.

Since departing from here on January 9, the Seven Seas Voyager has sailed a total distance of 34,147 nautical miles (39,296 statute miles) -- visiting 48 ports in 26 countries! We thank Capt. Dag and his sailing crew for their wonderful seamanship that enabled us to safely complete this remarkable journey.

We were off the boat by 9:10 or so, retrieved our luggage, separated the six bags that IPS would ship to our home and climbed into a town car with our checked luggage for the short airport ride to the airport. The check-in through security was a snap and we were at our gate before 10:00.

Our 11:30 flight was on time and American Airlines had us back in warm sunny Chicago 10 minutes early at 1:30 CDT.

It was a terrific trip…one that we would love do again some time in the future.

Larry has to fly to Colorado Springs on Thursday and will be involved in getting caught up with home activities prior to that. However, next week we plan to file one more journal report on our overall experience and photos of the Voyager.

Karen and Larry

Photos of our cruise are available at the following web site:

picasaweb.google.com/larryworldcruise

Day 111 - At Sea (Day 7 of 7)

2007-04-29T20:18:00.000-07:00

Date: April 29

Location: Day 111 – At Sea (Day 7 of 7)

Next Port: Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, USA, April 30

Report: Day 111, Sunday, April 29: This is it! Our last cruise day. What a glorious world voyage it has been. One that we feel very privileged to have experienced.

We enjoyed (maybe) our last breakfast on the aft deck, before attending the Protestant church service. There were about 25 of us in the Horizon Lounge. We all thanked Jamie for being our “pastor” for these 17 weeks. He certainly doesn’t need the extra pressure to prepare for these services, but he truly does it for his love of the Lord.

Captain Dag has told several of us on separate occasions that he believes Jamie is the nicest person he has ever met. That’s quite a compliment from such a leader and experienced worldwide traveler. That respect and admiration is mutual and really shows when the two of them are together. It seems that whatever creative idea Jamie comes up with Capt. Dag comes through and fully supports it. They truly make a great team.

Karen played Bridge for awhile and then joined Larry at the White Elephant Sale in the Atrium. Passengers had been invited to donate items that they decided not to take home – “why did I buy that?” Jamie had also collected some treasures from among the crew and from a special, early-entry buying trip to the America’s Cup logo store in Valencia.

Jamie, of course, was the auctioneer. If he ever needs a second job, that could be it. He did a terrific job…as did the passengers in their bidding. All the proceeds went to the Voyager Crew Welfare Fund. In just over an hour, Jamie raised more than $22,000!

We had a delightful lunch in the sun on the Pool Deck with Mary Lou and John. They live in San Diego, so we hope to see them occasionally as we visit our daughter and husband who live close by to them.

We then spent most of the remainder of the afternoon on the Pool Deck and Larry got in a final swim. Late in the afternoon, Karen played Bingo for about the third time, picked up our passports and provided the library with some books that we didn’t want to carry home.

We met Ken, and Shirley and Norman, in the Observation Lounge and then had a last dinner in Compass Rose with them. We had a table by the window and enjoyed watching the ships heading into Florida on similar courses to us.

After dinner Larry played 3-card poker for a bit…he also cashed in the chips he had accumulated during the cruise. All in all, he believes he just about broke even in the casino. He played his big $40 stakes a couple of times a week during the first half of the trip, but cut back during the last half due to the numerous smokers in the casino.

We retreated to the Observation Lounge to say good-bye to Frankie and were also able to see Jenny and Kevin from New Zealand who we’ve shared many good times over the course of the cruise. We could see the lights of the Grand Bahamas on the horizon.

Upon returning to our room, there was a note that we could expect to begin disembarkation at 10:00 a.m. We have an 11:30 flight to Chicago…so things could be tight!

Karen and Larry

Photos of our cruise are available at the following web site:

picasaweb.google.com/larryworldcruise

Days 109 and 110 - At Sea (Days 5 & 6 of 7)

2007-04-29T20:06:00.000-07:00

Date: April 27 and 28

Location: Days 109 and 110 – At Sea (Day 5 & 6 of 7)

Next Port: Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, USA, April 30

Report:

Day 109, Friday, April 27: The core members of our Devotional Group met for breakfast in Compass Rose. The 12 of us had a great time breaking bread together and reliving the highlights of these past four months. We have struck strong bonds of friendship with both the staff participants – Jamie, Dana, Elda and Mallorie – and the three other couples who were consistent attendees – Barb and Richard, Mary Lou and John, and Dodi and Larry. We believe that these relationships will endure and that we will all cross paths again, whether on land or sea.

We dedicated the afternoon. Cecilia obtained the four three pieces of luggage that had been stored and we applied ourselves so diligently that we even had a chance to catch some rays on the Pool Deck.

At 5:30 we attended a “Stop the Packing Party” in the Atrium. Apparently this an annual event sponsored by a long-time cruiser. Jamie’s team had strung garments throughout; there were refreshments, the Voyager Quintet played and the singers entertained.

We had dinner in Compass Rose with Joan and David, after which we attended the last show of show of the Peter Grey Terhune Singers and Dancers. We have gotten to know most of the cast members and they have certainly added to the enjoyment of our trip.

Day 110, Saturday, April 28: With all our packing done we were able to spend a very restful next-to-last day at sea. Karen continued her Bridge Lesson and social game with her group. Larry attended the last lecture by Bill Miller, this one on the current cruise industry.

Karen had arranged for the group of us that had dinner together at Regent’s Departure Gala in Miami on January 8th, to get together for a reunion farewell lunch in the Compass Rose. The nine of us had fun reminiscing about the good times we’ve had and the sights we’ve been fortunate to see on this grand adventure. The other attendees were Yolanda, Nancy and Jerry, Shirley and Carl, and Phyllis and Eddie.

We got some more sun time and swimming on the Pool Deck in the afternoon. The seas have been very calm and the temps are in the mid-70s.

Last night, Jamie and his crew put on another spectacular. It was our last formal evening and we all gathered in the Constellation Theater before dinner for refreshments and good fun. The 90-minute show included humorous skits (such as the daily navigator’s report from the bridge and the Captain and Jamie singing some original songs); individual musical performances by Frankie, Elsa and Peter, and Nathaniel; entertainment by the Peter Grey Terhune Singers and Dancers; and singing by eight men and women from the crew (including our delightful stewardess, Cecilia). This was followed by a song by all the senior staff and crew members from each department as they paraded on the stage. Interspersed between the musical acts were readings by staff members of inspirational remembrances and thoughts that had been solicited from the passengers.

Jamie concluded the evening with a short video of the highlights of the trip and a closing message from him (in his water skiing gear) and from Capt. Dag, standing on the bulbous nose that protrudes from the nose of the ship (obviously shot while docked at our last port!)…and finally him sailing away in his new little white run about…with him saying that “old seamen don’t die, they just get smaller dinghies.

We then had dinner with Marji and Dave, Ken, and Marybeth and Gary. We retired to the Observation Lounge to listen to Frankie with Marybeth and Gary before calling it a night. We then packed up our formal wear and put the six bags that are being shipped home to Chicago out in the corridor. That action made it really seem that the end is near.

(The Captain told us that he had hoped to dock in Ft. Lauderdale at 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, so that the disembarkation could go smoother on Monday morning. But that the US Coast Guard would not honor his request. It seems that it’s Navy Week there and we would cause too much congestion. So we are scheduled to hit the pilot station at 5:00 a.m. on Monday and should be dockside at 6:00 a.m.)

Karen and Larry

Photos of our cruise are available at the following web site:

picasaweb.google.com/larryworldcruise

Day 108 - At Sea (Day 5 of 7) (Farewell Gala & Crew Talent Show)

2007-04-28T08:16:00.000-07:00

Date: April 26

Location: Day 108 – At Sea (Day 4 of 7)

Next Port: Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, USA, April 30

Report: Thursday was the last day for the morning devotionals that Jamie and Dana have been conducting on sea days. We have had a fluctuating group numbering at times 18 or so, as others have come and gone. The hard core of 12 has included four World Cruise couples, Mallorie (one of our young production singers, and Elda (the Assistant Cruise director). We have thoroughly enjoyed these meetings and have developed a strong sense of community among the participants, including those who have only been on board for a couple of weeks or so. It has always been sad to see people disembark and leave the group. Now it is almost our time to say our final good-byes.

Today we had the last of the Nooma videos that Jamie has been showing. These are short 12-minute productions by a young minister that address life issues in a powerful manner. Tomorrow we plan to have breakfast together, so that Jamie will have time for all the other things he is involved in at this busy “end-of-the-cruise” time. All of us certainly appreciate the extra time, effort and enthusiasm he puts into his Christian outreach.

Our evening was super. We gathered with 10 friends in the Observation Lounge before heading down to the Compass Rose for our World Cruise Farewell Gala. The tables from the middle of the dining room had been cleared out to create a dance floor and Peter and Elisa played dance music throughout dinner. We had a special menu which concluded with the traditional waiters’ sparkler parade of Baked Alaska.

Then it was off to a packed Constellation Theater for the Crew Talent Show. This was the first one Jamie has organized on the Voyager and it was terrific. There were 12 or 13 acts – and every one of them was outstanding. It was lots of fun to see the folks we know as waiters, cooks, stewardesses, bartenders, pool boys, etc., step out of those roles and showcase their musical and dance talents. The cheers, whistles and standing ovations were clear demonstrations of how we felt about these wonderful young people. And you could see in their faces and expressions of joy that they were having a good time also.

Afterwards there was a wild cast party in the Voyager Lounge…which we heard then moved on the Horizon Lounge until about 2:00 a.m. (We turned in about 11:30.) It was a special night!

We will probably have to begin our packing tomorrow….ugh!

Karen and Larry

Photos of our cruise are available at the following web site:

picasaweb.google.com/larryworldcruise

Days 106 and 107 - At Sea (Days 2 & 3 of 7)

2007-04-28T08:10:00.000-07:00

Date: April 24-25

Location: Days 106 and 107 – At Sea (Days 2 and 3 of 7)

Next Port: Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, USA, April 30

Report: Our time on the Voyager is rapidly coming to close and thoughts are turning to homeand our re-entry into the real world. We are also enjoying 25-hour days, as we are setting our clocks back almost every night of the 7-day crossing.

Day 106, Tuesday: Larry spent a good part of the day getting his journal entries and photos uploaded to the Web. We’ve had some connection issues, but mainly the delay in posting has been due to too much going on and, to be frank, a fatigue factor in getting the journal done.

We both exercised and attended our devotional group’s gathering before breakfast. Larry attended an excellent lecture in the morning by Bill Miller, a real ocean liner and cruise line aficionado who has written 70+ books on the subjects. Karen continued her lessons and social game with her Bridge group.

We enjoyed telephone conversations with our daughters and Karen’s sister, Phyllis, and husband Dan; a quiet dinner; and some time in the Observation Lounge (both before and after dinner).

Day 107, Wednesday: Many people have gotten into the serious packing mode. We are in a state of denial and haven’t even asked yet for the portion of our luggage that was put in storage. The rest is under the bed. (Early readers of this journal will remember, that as Full World Cruisers, Regent provides complimentary shipping to and from Ft. Lauderdale of up to 135 lbs. per person.)

We did receive our luggage tags – ours are Red. The color determines the order in which you disembark. And the bags on the dock are sorted by color. Since we have an 11:30 flight from Ft. Lauderdale, we need to reconfirm that we are in one of the earliest groups to get off…the timing could be tight.

There is a lot of luggage on this ship. We’ve seen many passengers (and crew) buying new suitcases so as to accommodate their numerous purchases. I’m pretty confident that we’ll be OK. We just didn’t purchase much, and what we did was small. We downsized to a small condo six years ago and have a rule, “To come into the condo it needs to be either edible or wearable.”

Larry attended another lecture on the famous Atlantic Ocean liners by Bill Miller, as well as a fascinating one on the Amazon River by Jean-Michel Cousteau.

After lunch, the crew set up a Country Fair on the Pool Deck. Each department set up a game for which passengers participated to earn coupons. Then the coupons were placed in a hopper for raffle prizes. The departments were competing for most original booth/game…with the prize being $250 for a party. The Dining Department won for great booth and game built around the Adams Family. Though a bit windy, everyone had a fun time.

In the evening, half the World Cruisers descended into the Crew Quarters for dinner and fun at “Jimbo’s Truck Stop Diner.” What a hilarious time we had.

We were met by floozy Elsa, Jimbo (Jamie), Flo (Lisa) and Bimbo (Dana)…all were in costume…and the ladies seemed to have had some surgical chest enhancements! Many of the past guests had experienced this event before and came in proper (funny) “truck stop” costumes and wigs.

We entered through the Crew Bar where Capt. Dag was serving up powerful drinks. We enjoyed a delicious cafeteria meal that was somewhat above most diners – yes, there was meatloaf, but there was also lobster! Afterwards, the quintet played for dancing in the crew bar…and Capt. Dag was still pouring.

(The Truck Stop Diner is running for three nights. For the first two, one-half of the World Cruisers attend each. On the third night – tomorrow – the Segment folks attend and we full World Cruisers have a gala going-away dinner in Compass Rose. And for three nights, the crew gets to eat in La Veranda. So everyone has a treat!)

After dinner we enjoyed a variety show featuring the Huber Marionettes and vocalist Richard Beavis. Another not so lazy sea day!

Karen and Larry

Photos of our cruise are available at the following web site:

picasaweb.google.com/larryworldcruise

We have been having satellite issues and/or problems with the Picasa web site…I have been unable to load photos of the Country Fair and Jimbo’s Truck Stop Diner…stay tuned.

Day 105 - At Sea (Meeting the Navigator) (Day 1 of 7)

2007-04-24T08:33:00.000-07:00

Date: April 23

Location: Day 105 – At Sea (Meeting the Navigator) (Day 1 of 7)

Next Port: Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, USA, April 30

Report: We both have recommitted to ensuring that we would workout during each of our seven sea days. (Larry hasn’t been able to convince Karen that it’s the ship’s air conditioning that is shrinking the clothes!) We were both up early and completed our workouts before the 8:45 meeting of our devotional group.

Karen continued her bridge lessons and after-class game with Barbara, Neil and Kirk. She was high on the fact she and Kirk made a slam…something that doesn’t happen too often.

Capt. Dag and Jamie have promised that there will be a few surprises during our crossing…so we knew that today probably wouldn’t be just another “sea day” – particularly since we were sailing northwest and Ft. Lauderdale was to the southwest.

Unlike most cruise lines we have been on before, Capt. Dag opens his bridge to passengers. It is normally open from 10:00-11:30 and 1:00 to 3:00 on sea days or by special invitation.

A couple of weeks ago, Larry noted that the crew had been plotting a rendezvous with the Regent’s Navigator which would be enroute to Europe during our crossing. Today, suspecting something was up, he visited the bridge and received confirmation that we would be rendezvousing with the Navigator at about 3:00. Shortly thereafter, Capt. Dag announced the surprise meeting to the rest of the ship.

Then during lunch, Capt. Dag asked Larry if he’d like to photograph the rendezvous from a catbird location high up on the smokestacks. Of course the answer was, “YES!” (Karen was able to take a few pictures of Larry taking pictures of the event…very memorable all around.)

Capt. Dag said to come to the bridge at 2:00. At that time he outlined his plan: Laurens and Jamie would join him in the Zodiac. They would meet the Navigator with Jamie on water skis with a Regent flag and inflatable Orca. They planned to zoom between the two ships as we blared music across the waters. Capt. Dag would rendezvous with the Navigator’s captain in his Zodiac and exchange gifts…after which he would return to the Voyager and pick up Jean-Michel Cousteau and exchange him for Kenny Smiles, the comedian on the Navigator. Jean-Michel would use the Navigator’s public address system to tell its passengers about his Ocean Futures Society, while Kenny used ours to tell some jokes (and make fun of Capt. Dag).

Amazingly, during lunch the skies cleared and the sea turned almost glassy. What had been a somewhat drab day turned brilliantly sunny. The bright blue color of the water and the approaching white ship made for some great photos. Jamie fell as he zipped between the ships – Dag admitted later that he started too far away and could understand how Jamie could have been somewhat tired! We sailed slowly together for awhile before getting everyone back on board. We then sounded our respective horns as the ships again turned east and west. There is never a dull moment on board!

This evening’s event was an “Underwater” cocktail party in the Constellation Theater. The venue was decorated with fluorescent fish, underwater scenes and sea ice sculptures. Laurens and a couple others in full SCUBA gear passed out cocktail shrimp and the waiters passed caviar canapés. Elisa sang some “nautical” songs, and Capt. Dag and Jean-Michel spoke.

We had dinner with Ditta and Ellen in Compass Rose and then enjoyed the first performance of the Huber Marionettes.

So the first of our 7 sea days was anything but lazy! We apologize for the somewhat delayed publication of these last three journal entries.

Karen and Larry

Photos of our cruise are available at the following web site:

picasaweb.google.com/larryworldcruise

Pictures of our meeting Regent’s Navigator have been added.

Day 104 - Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain

2007-04-24T08:29:00.000-07:00

Date: April 22

Location: Day 104 – Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain

Next Port: Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, USA, April 30

Report: Tenerife is the largest of the Canary Islands. Santa Cruz de Tenerife, its capital, is the maritime gateway to the island and one of Spain’s busiest ports. However, Santa Cruz is mostly a business and administrative center. As it was a Sunday, most of its stores were closed. Therefore, Regent provided a shuttle bus service over the foothills of the Mount Teide volcano to the seaside resort of Puerto de la Cruz.

The drive between the sharp, folded, green Anaga Mountains to the northeast of the city and the gentle, volcanic slopes of Mt. Tiede (12,200 ft.) to the southwest was beautiful. The view as we dropped into Puerto de la Cruz, with the white waves crashing on its craggy black volcanic coastline, was spectacular. The resort was much larger than we expected and bustling with tourists – we thought mostly Germans.

Once again we enjoyed a leisurely walk along the rock bulkheads, around the old fort walls, along the promenade and down close to the waves and rocks. Right in the center of the town’s shoreline were a series of stylish pools and restaurants – called “a lido” – encircled by low volcanic rock walls, much of which were painted white. It was another artistic project of the late Cesar Manrique.

We had lunch at an outside restaurant enjoying the sun and cool breezes before returning to the ship by shuttle bus. (The “special chicken” lunch Karen ordered turned out to be a fried egg sandwich…something may have been lost in translation!) We passed by a white building that looked very familiar. And it should have. It was a performance auditorium designed by Santiago Calatrava (remember the buildings in our Valencia report?).

It was a very relaxing last day ashore. As we pulled away from the port at 3:00 p.m., and Tenerife faded into the distance, reality hit home. Our grand adventure truly is drawing to a close. The next land we spot will be the condos lining the harbor of Ft. Lauderdale – 3,458 nautical miles away.

We are having many mixed feelings. While we are sorry to see our journey winding down, we are also excited about seeing our friends and families back home. This has been a wonderful adventure.

Karen and Larry

Photos of our cruise are available at the following web site:

picasaweb.google.com/larryworldcruise

Pictures of our day on Tenerife have been added.

Day 103 - Arrecife, Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Spain

2007-04-24T08:26:00.000-07:00

Date: April 21

Location: Day 103 – Arrecife, Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Spain

Next Port: Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain, April 22

Report: A volcanic constellation 800 miles southwest of Spain and 70 miles off the coast of southern Morocco, the seven Canary Islands lie at about the same latitude as central Florida. While several of the islands are fertile and overgrown with exotic tropical vegetation, Lanzarote (the fourthlargest island) is dry as a bone, with volcanic craters, lava caves and desert sand dunes. Heat from an eruption in 1730 is still rising through vents in the earth.

Lanzarote’s desert landscape has been kept beautiful through thoughtful development. It is quite a holiday resort. There are golden beaches, white resort villages, caves and a volcanic national park.

Rather than go into downtown Arrecife, we opted to take the ship’s shuttle service to Puerto del Carmen – a resort area along a beautiful beach about 8 miles to the west. We spent a delightful morning – walking from a small boat harbor along a couple of miles of the town’s wide beach and back. We shared a pizza at a small restaurant on a volcanic outcropping.

This village is filled with low, white cottages; lots of bars and restaurants; dive shops; and two or three streets of shops. It seems to be a very popular destination for northern Europeans and SCUBA divers. The tourist menus were printed in five languages: Spanish, English, German, Norwegian and Finnish!

After taking the shuttle back to the ship, we hired a taxi to run us up the hill to the former home of artist Cesar Manrique. His home is now a museum and foundation. It was an amazing place. On display was a collection of Manrique’s paintings and sculptures as well as his personal collection of art that included works by Picasso and Miro. But the real attraction was the house itself. It was designed by Manrique and built in the late 1960s on lava flows that occurred from 1730-1736. The two-story building was built over five very large natural volcanic bubbles or lava caves. There are large glass windows that look out onto swirling lava formations. The swimming pool is at the bottom of a collapsed lava tube. The basement level living quarters incorporate the five volcanic bubbles and are connected by means of small passageways bored into the lava. Large trees ascend through openings into the upper rooms. Manrique painted portions of the volcanic rock and the floors a brilliant white. The contrast with the black lava is very dramatic. It was a very unique experience.

Manrique is considered the founder of modern day Lanzarote. He designed most of the tourist attractions and convinced authorities to require all new buildings be painted white with green or brown trim (white with blue on the coast) to suggest coolness and fertility. He also led the fight against overdevelopment on Lanzarote.

Due to high winds, the planned pool deck party was moved inside. Serving tables were set up on Deck 4 of the Atrium and large dining tables were placed on Deck 5, surrounding the Atrium. Diners could also take their plates into Compass Rose. After dinner, there was an evening of entertainment by the singers and dancers in the Horizon Lounge. It was a lot of extra work, but we understand everyone had a good time.

We did not attend because we had an alternative invitation for a good time. We, and Arlene and Bruce, were invited to dine “en-suite” with Marji and Dave in their Voyager Suite. Eric, their butler, had moved in and set a beautiful table for six. We had champagne and shrimp for appetizers and then ordered dinner from a special Compass Rose menu. It was a very special evening.

Karen and Larry

Photos of our cruise are available at the following web site:

picasaweb.google.com/larryworldcruise

Pictures of our day on Lanzarote have been added.

Day 102 - At Sea

2007-04-20T14:55:00.000-07:00

Date: April 20

Location: Day 102 – At Sea

Next Port: Arrecife, Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Spain, April 21

Report: Today was a blustery, cool day at sea. No real outside activities. In the late afternoon the skies cleared, but the seas started kick up pretty good.

We slept late, attended our morning devotionals at 8:45, after which we had breakfast – inside today…a bit cool on the aft deck. Karen attended her Bridge lesson and followed it up with an hour of playing with her partner Kirk. Larry attended two morning lectures: “The Canary Islands” by Sandra Bowern and “60 Years at CBS, Half of Them at 60 Minutes” by Don Hewitt and his wife, Marilyn Berger. She now writes for the NY Times and was previously a reporter for the Washington Post, NBC-TV and PBS. It was basically a Q&A session and was fairly interesting.

After lunch, we played Scrabble in the Game Room, read and both worked out. Karen also played darts with pick-up teams in the Atrium.

We enjoyed dinner tonight in Signatures, the Cordon Bleu restaurant, with Judy and Kirk, and Helga and Siegy.

It wasn’t the day in the sun on the pool deck we had hoped for (after staying up late last night to get our journal caught up)…but we still had good fun. We’ve learned to be very adaptable!

Karen and Larry

Photos of our cruise are available at the following web site:

picasaweb.google.com/larryworldcruise

Day 101 - Gibraltar, UK

2007-04-19T15:48:00.000-07:00

Date: April 19

Location: Day 101 – Gibraltar, UK,

Next Port: Arrecife, Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Spain, April 21

Quick Summary: We had a quick stop at the tiny British colony of Gibraltar – whose rocky silhouette dominates the strait between Spain and Morocco. The World Cruisers were invited to a special morning concert inside St. Michael’s Cave, high up on “The Rock.” It was a great experience.

Report: Being on the western edge of the time zone, it was still quite dark as we circled the peninsula and sailed into Gibraltar’s wide harbor. Nevertheless, we went up to the deck just before 7:00 a.m. and got a bit of exercise before breakfast. It was fun to watch “The Rock” become more and more visible in the early morning light.

Shortly after 8:00, about 250 of us climbed into minibuses for the short journey through the town of Gibraltar and up to St. Michael’s Cave. It is the largest of the more than 150 caves here and is a series of chambers filled with stalactites and stalagmites. It’s a stunning venue.

We were greeted with orange juice, mimosas and champagne – at 8:30! It really will be hard to get back to normalcy! (Kids: Don’t worry, we only had the OJ.)

The 80-minute, classical performance in the grotto by the European Sinfonietta and violinist Barbara Doll was superb. This group tours throughout Europe and is primarily comprised of members of London’s greatest orchestras. Barbara Doll (Barbie Doll???) is originally from Germany and is a busysoloist and chamber musician. We felt very fortunate that their paths and ours crossed in such a spectacular venue.

On our bus ride down the hill, we made a stop at an outlook over the harbor, airport and the strait.

A geographical/historical refresher: Gibraltar sits at the end of a peninsula just east of the narrow 14 km strait separating Spain and Morocco (Europe and Africa). The Arabs and their Moorish armies seized the peninsula in 711 and went on to a successful conquest of Spain where they ruled for 750 years. The Spanish recaptured the peninsula and the rock in 1462…just prior to Columbus’ voyages to the New World. The English gained control in 1704 during the War of the Spanish Succession and after several years of local skirmishes, finally ceded Gibraltar in 1713 by the Treaty of Utrecht. Spain has been trying to get it back ever since, but to no avail. It was a strategic outpost during the Napoleonic Wars and both World Wars. In 1967, Franco closed the land border with Spain to strengthen his claims over the colony, and it remained closed until 1985.

Further down the hill, we stopped to visit a colony of Barbary Apes that inhabit the side of The Rock. These cinnamon-colored, tailless monkeys are native to Morocco’s Atlas Mountains. Legend holds that as long as the apes remain on Gibraltar, the British will keep the Rock.

We were dropped off in the old town of Gibraltar and enjoyed congested, colorful streets and shops. There is definitely anEnglish flavor – pubs, red phone booths, police with Bobby hats and prices in pounds Sterling. Gibraltar is a bizarre anomaly of Moorish, Spanish and British influences. But its population of 30,000 is fiercely patriotic to the crown.

We walked back to the ship for lunch prior to our 2:00 sail-away. Lunch on this warm, sunny day was accompanied by the Voyager Quintet and an ice cream bar. Oh, are we going to be in shock when we return to turkey sandwiches at home!

Shortly after leaving the dock, Capt. Dag announced we would be turning slow circles in the wide harbor for an hour or so as our magnetic compass was recalibrated. This compass is located on the forward portion of Deck 12, right where the new forward observation point was put in. Apparently all the metal in the new railing was having an impact on the compass’ accuracy. It was interesting to watch the technician use magnetic rods in the base of the compass to recalibrate it to the ship’s gyro and electronic systems on the bridge.

We then sailed through the strait -- with the mountains of Morocco on the left and Spain on the right. Goodbye Med and, once again, hello Atlantic Ocean! We last left the Atlantic on Feb. 4, when we sailed from Cape Town. Now we really are on the home stretch!

This evening, we were invited to have dinner with Jamie and Dana Logan, respectively our Cruise Director and World Cruise Hostess. We were joined by Cecilia and Don. It was a great dinner. Jamie and Dana reside in Traverse City, Michigan six months a year and have strong ties to Chicago. We are hopeful thatthey will visit us someday. They are fun people to be with.

Karen and Larry

Photos of our cruise are available at the following web site:

picasaweb.google.com/larryworldcruise

Photos of our visit to Gibraltar have been added

Day 100 - Malaga and Granada, Spain

2007-04-19T14:49:00.000-07:00

Date: April 18

Location: Day 100 – Malaga and Granada, Spain

Next Port: Gibraltar, UK, April 19

Quick Summary: We made a very special trip today to Granada and the Alhambra, Spain’s most popular attraction. We traveled through many olive orchards and the springtime countryside.

Report: We docked early today in the working harbor of Malaga, Spain on the Costa del Sol. Malaga is part of the province of Andalusia and is nestled between the high mountains of the Sierra Nevada and the beaches of the Mediterranean Sea. It is also the birthplace of Pablo Picasso. After breakfast, we joined our tour group for a quick tour of Malaga, a pleasant port city with ancient streets and beautiful villas. We then started our 80 mile journey to Granada and the Alhambra.

After a brief rest stop, we rode into Granada, the capital of Spain under the Muslims during the 11th century. This city reached its pinnacle during the 15th century when the Christians re-conquered it under the rule of Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand. King Carlos V later constructed the beautiful palace and also founded the University of Granada. We were dropped off for a “Kodak moment” to take panoramic pictures of the city and of Alhambra from afar.

We then enjoyed a delicious sit-down lunch at the beautiful Alhambra Palace Hotel overlooking the whole city of Granada from the hill named Assabica. From there we made the 20-minute walk to the Alhambra where we met our special guide for the almost three hour tour.

Alhambra, also known as the “Red Castle,” was created originally for military purposes. This Moorish citadel was begun in the 1240’s and once comprised a complex of houses, schools, baths, barracks and gardens surrounded by defensive towers and thick walls. Today only the Alcazaba (the original fortress) and the Palacious Nazaries (the Royal Palace) remain. Our first tour stop was to the magnificent palace with its (as described by Fodor’s), “endless, intricate conglomeration of patios, arches and cupolas made from wood, plaster and tile, lavishly colored and adorned with parquetry and ceramics in geometric patterns topped by delicate, frothy profusions of lacelike stucco and ornamental stalactites.” It was spectacular. We also learned that it was here that Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand gave their final approval to Christopher Columbus to search for the New World.

Our next tour stop was through the Generalife Gardens, a former summer residence featuring lovely patios mixing Moorish and Renaissance features. Fountains, flowers and cypress hedges combine to make Italian style terraces “fit for a king.”

We then visited a workshop on the grounds for a demonstration of the making of wood inlays used in the ceilings and walls of the palace. The craftsmen today sell table tops, wall hangings and jewelry boxes that are truly beautiful.

Karen found a book store to purchase a copy of “Tales of the Alhambra,” written by American author Washington Irving while he was a guest at the Palace in the late 1820’s. Karen has been enjoying comparing travel descriptions of the countryside then by horseback and mules to the air-conditioned luxury buses we traveled in today. She is also looking forward to reading about the lives and experiences that happened in the places we visited on the grounds.

On our way out of Granada, we passed by the gypsy quarters, the cathedral and the Royal Chapel. The cathedral was built over a large mosque and was the first Renaissance church in Spain. Isabella and Ferdinand built the Royal Chapel during the 15th century to house their tombs. Unfortunately, we did not have time to visit inside.

It was a long day and we were glad to return “home” to our ship in time for the last 20 minutes of a special performance of local Flamenco dancing. It was a nice ending to another very enjoyable day in Spain. We had dinner in our cabin which was very nice!

Karen

Photos of our cruise are available at the following web site:

picasaweb.google.com/larryworldcruise

Photos of our visit to Granada and Alhambra have been added

Day 99 - Valencia, Spain

2007-04-18T14:22:00.000-07:00

Date: April 17

Location: Day 99 – Valencia, Spain

Next Port: Malaga, Spain, April 18

Quick Summary: We enjoyed a brief in stop Valencia, primarily for an exclusive America’s Cup Regatta event at the spectacular “City of the Arts and Sciences.”

Report: Larry had a beautiful spring day in the Med to celebrate his birthday. Our “main event” was learning about the 32nd America’s Cup competition that is entering its final competitive stages here in Valencia.

If you are interested in a refresher on how this competition is current run, here is what we learned:

The America’s cup takes its name from the schooner America, which in 1851 beat the British fleet in a race around the Isle of Wright. The cup was bequeathed to the New York Yacht Club to be held as a challenge trophy to foster friendly competition between nations.

Since 1851 it has been contested 31 times. As a challenge-based trophy the event relies on a yacht club challenging the current holder to a match for the trophy. When you win, you also win the rights to the event.

For 132 years, the defending NYCC had a stranglehold on the trophy. But in 1970 the NYCC allowed multiple Challengers who could run their own selection series (known today as the Louis Vuitton Cup) to determine who would ultimately race the Defender for the America’s Cup.

The Challengers and the Defenders have split the six matches since the Australians took it from the USA in 1983. Swiss Alinghi won the trophy in 2003 by beating New Zealand. The win brings the competition to Europe for the first time. The Swiss, with no sea, chose Valencia as the site to defend the cup.

For the first time, a series of 13 preliminary fleet race regattas, the Louis Vuitton Acts, have been conducted over the past four years. All the teams have been competing in these Acts, with the results counting towards bonus points for the Louis Vuitton Cup.

Now the 11 Challenger team, armed with their bonus points, are meeting in Valencia for series of two round robin match races. The four leading teams will advance to the semi-finals. Winning the semi-final allows that team to Challenge the Defender, Swiss Alinghi. All the decisive duels are a best-of-nine series.

We departed the ship in a caravan of buses shortly after 8:00. First, we toured around the basin where the 12 competing teams have large, hangar-like structures that are the bases for their dockside operations. We made a brief stop at the VIP hall and climbed up on the deck to see some of the boats being made ready for the day’s competition.

The first Louis Vuitton round robin match was supposed to begin yesterday (April 16), but was called off due to lack of wind. The final 32nd America’s Cup Match will run from June 23 – July 7.

We drove to the City of the Arts and Sciences. This large tract of public buildings on the former bed of the Turia River was designed by Valencian architect Santiago Calatrava. Built between 1991-2001, it includes an opera house and performing arts center; an IMAX theater and planetarium; a science museum; an open-air oceanographic park; and a walkway/garden. The buildings are strikingly beautiful white structures – all curves and glass – surrounded by attractive streams and pools of water.

(We’ve visited Calatrava’s impressive winged-addition to the Milwaukee Art Museum, and his Olympic Stadium and other buildings built for the 2004 Athens Olympics. Plus, we are watching with interest his plans for a developer in Chicago. It would be the world’s tallest residential building and would be built on the city’s lakefront. It would be taller than the Sears Building and personally, we don’t believe its fits in on the small chosen site. It’s already been dubbed the “Drill Bit.”)

In the auditorium of the Science Museum we had a very informative presentation by Andy Green about the entire America’s cup operation and competition. Though he seems to still be a young man, Andy has been a very successful professional sailor – rising at one time to number 5 in the world rankings. He will be doing the radio commentary for this year’s America’s Cup.

Following this we walked over to the covered outside of the Hemisphere (Planetarium) for cocktails and local refreshments – accompanied by music and folk dancers.

We then re-boarded the buses for guided tours of downtown Valencia. We passed the important monuments such as the Central Market, the North Train Station, the Post Office and the Cathedral. It is am impressive city that would be well worthwhile for a future visit.

Capt. Dag had hoped to take the Voyager out too the race courts to watch the 11 boats in competition. We hung around awhile by some of the buoys on the western end of the course, but it appeared lack of wind would again cancel the day’s competition. (We had to leave before it was officially called off.)

Karen arranged a special birthday dinner in Compass Rose for 11 of us. We were joined by Jenny and Kevin, Barb and Jim, Ken, Marji and Dave, and Judy and Kirk. We had balloons and table streamers. Judy presented Larry with a jester’s cap (actually one from FCB – the Football Club of Barcelona). Something to make Larry look funny! We had a birthday cake and of course all the waiters led the singing. (In addition, Larry received a small cake, two glasses of champagne and birthday wishes from Capt. Dag, delivered to the room in the afternoon.)

Afterwards, Jenny and Kevin, Marji and David, and we retired to the Voyager Lounge where we were joined by Phyllis and Eddie. And Elisa sang “Will You Still Love Me When I’m 64?” A fun day!

Karen and Larry

Photos of our cruise are available at the following web site:

picasaweb.google.com/larryworldcruise

Photos of our visit to Valencia have been added.

Day 98 - Barcelona, Spain

2007-04-17T14:38:00.000-07:00

Date: April 16

Location: Day 98 – Barcelona, Spain

Next Port: Valencia, Spain, April 17

Report: We enjoyed a sea-day morning, before arriving in Barcelona around 12:30 p.m. That meant our daily devotional group got together at 8:45 for the first discussion we’ve had in some time due to our schedule.

This was followed by a town hall meeting at 9:30 in the theater with Mark Conroy, Regent’s President and CEO, and Christian Sauleau, Regent’s EVP of Operations. Both joined us in Monaco for a few days. It gives them an opportunity to meet with and get direct feedback from their customers. In this case it includes the 360 or so full world cruisers, many of them repeaters who are known by name.

It was an interesting 90-min. session. Mark told us a bit about Regent and its parent company. Before opening it up to questions from the floor, he addressed the simmering issue of “smoking.” In particular, some people are bothered by people smoking on adjacent balconies or some smoke drifting into their rooms form the ventilation system. (Thankfully, Karen and I have not experienced either of these problems.) Then the discussion turned to the limited smoking in public spaces – the small part of Compass Rose restaurant, and portions of the Voyager and Horizon lounges. (Surprisingly no one mentioned the Casino!) Mark and his team promised the issue would be addressed by the company and that we would receive a personally addressed letter in the next six weeks or so that outlines what structural changes will be made and what the policies will be for 2008 cruises. (Capt. Dag had a good suggestion for an immediate partial solution: make Compass Rose a non-smoking restaurant just like theothers. Times have changed around the world. Non-smoking restaurants are not oddities.)

After a quick lunch, we headed into Barcelona on the shuttle bus with Barb (Jim was going on a biking excursion). Karen and Larry had been to Barcelona twice before so had only two goals for this short stop: Walk La Rambla and see what progress had been made on the construction of the Temple de la Sagrada Família.

Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia, is a visually stunning city. It has a beautiful Gothic Quarter where we stayed on our two previous trips, wide boulevards, majestic buildings, beautiful beaches and harbors, nice museums, former Olympic sites, and some pretty wild sculpture and art.

It was only a short shuttle bus ride to the Maritime Building which is close to the towering column that supports a large statue of Christopher Columbus pointing west to the New World. This monument is at the foot of La Rambla – a 10-15 block long, tree-lined walkway between two small streets. It is full of small cafes and tables; small vendor kiosks selling flowers, birds, small animals and souvenirs; and mimes, jugglers and acrobatic teams. Larry and Dodi joined us for a fun stroll up La Rambla taking in all the sights.

We took a small detour into Placa Reial – a large rectangular square lined with porticos and cafes. We also visited the Boqueria, Barcelona’s spectacular food market. Though many of the stalls were closed (Monday?), the food displays were beautiful. Karen purchased some of our favorite marcona almonds.

At the top of La Rambla, Larry and Dodi hopped on the on and off bus for a tour around the city. Barb and we took a taxi to the Temple de la Sagrada Familia. If you have ever been to Barcelona you know that this is a unique temple that was begun in 1892 and is Barcelona’s most unforgettable landmark. It has been called one of the most important architectural creations of the last 200 years. The city’s famed architect, Antoni Gaudí, worked on the project for 40 years until his accidental death in 1926. The overall plan and his in-depth studies of the project, based on the innovative geometrical shapes of naturalist style, are the cornerstones on which the current architects continue his work to this date.

Actually, since our last visit 2-1/2 years ago, one can see that considerable progress has been made. In fact, four sky cranes are now operating on the site. Eight of the 12 bell towers of the façade dedicated to the apostles and having a height of more than 100 meters are complete. The oldest façade is dedicated to the Nativity and the most current one contains very modernistic sculptures depicting the Passion. The four belfries awaiting construction are the Façade of the Glory, the 170 meter central dome in honor of Jesus Christ, the Tower of the Virgin Mary and the Tower of Four Evangelists. The vaults of the main nave are finished and work is focused now on the area of the transepts and the apse.

We walked through the interior construction where we saw men working on plaster elements that were being placed high up in the nave and others laying out mosaic patterns. We took the elevator up the towers of the Nativity Façade and walked down the 60 meters on a tight spiral staircase (275 steps!). We walked through the museum where we could look into the model workshops, see Gaudí’s drawings and models, and see photographs of the 125 years of construction. I doubt that we will ever see this temple completed in our lifetimes, but it will be fun to watch its progress!

We caught a cab back to La Rambla, which was even more crowded with folks and entertainers enjoying a delightful spring afternoon. We found Kirk enjoying a beer at one of the cafes and joined him for a glass of Sangria and our marcona almonds. At 6:00, we hopped on the last shuttle bus back to the ship.

We had a light supper in La Veranda where we joined Shirley and John – very nice folks from Vancouver, B.C. They boarded in Muscat. We met them at our block party and enjoyed this opportunity to get to know them better. After dinner, Larry attended the show by the pianist Brooks Aehron and Karen turned in.

We have thoroughly enjoyed each of our three visits to Barcelona.

Karen and Larry

Photos of our cruise are available at the following web site:

picasaweb.google.com/larryworldcruise

Photos of our visit to Barcelona have been uploaded.

Day 97 - Monte Carlo, Monaco

2007-04-16T03:03:00.000-07:00

Date: April 15

Location: Day 97 – Monte Carlo, Monaco,

Next Port: Barcelona, Spain, April 16

Quick Summary: We pulled into Monte Carlo’s beautiful small harbor during sunrise at 7:00 a.m. Our Seven Seas Voyager obtained the single cruise ship dock space within walking distance of all the attractions. We spent a lazy, spring Sunday walking up and down the hills of this small principality.

Report: Our port-side balcony provided a ringside seat to our arrival in Monte Carlo this morning. We enjoyed seeing the fiery ball of the sun being reflected in the windows of the villas surrounding this small bay. The reflected light on the cream-colored sandstone buildings and hillsides reminded us of the sunrises we enjoy so much from our condo in Chicago (but there we don’t see millions and millions of dollars of yachts and mega-yachts swaying at dockside). What a sight!

We had a late (for us) breakfast in La Veranda and were surprised to see Alexis waiting on people. It seems he was working one last meal while waiting for his friends to arrive. So we said our second good-byes.

We joined up with Larry and Dodi for a walking tour of Monte Carlo. Right at the end of the cruise dock they met a couple of friends from their hometown of Ashland, Oregon who happened to be sailing on the Holland America’s Amsterdam. They had just gotten off a tender and our paths just happened to converge at the same time. Quite a coincidence. (The Amsterdam, which is on a 101 day World Cruise, and another HAL ship, the Veendam are also in port today. Both had to lay-out and use tenders to reach the dock.)

At the end of the dock we used stairs and an elevator to ascend the Rock of Monaco to the Monte Carlo Museum. From there it was just a short walk along the rim of the cliff to the Royal Palace – the home of Prince Albert. He was in residence, but didn’t come out to say hello! We watched the changing of guards at 11:55.

From this vantage point you can also look down into another boat harbor with millions and millions of dollars floating at anchor. We also saw the roof of the soccer stadium and the roof-top gardens and pools of many villas and condos.

Then we walked through the Cathedral where Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III were married on April 19, 1956 and where both are now buried.

(We were here on a Med cruise in 2004 and took an audio tour of the Palace – and would highly recommend it to anyone reading this journal who plans a trip here.)

Returning to the Museum, we caught a sightseeing train for a tour of Monte Carlo – from the Palace over to the hill with the Casino on it and back. We enjoyed the open air tram that was equipped with an audio headphone system describing the sights. After that we walked back down to the port and had sandwiches on the quay with Dodi and Larry, and their friends.

After that break, Karen and Larry walked along the docks up to the Casino, back down again and along the docks to pick out our mega-yacht. Our son-in-law will be happy to know we found one!

We returned to the ship at 4:00 and enjoyed sitting on our balcony facing the harbor.

(In the whole time we have been here today, we have only seen one boat move in or out of the harbor – and that was a modest sailboat. Can you imagine the cost of maintaining crews on all these mega-yachts?)

For our sail-away we had cocktails and canapés on the pool deck. Capt. Dag drew close to HAL’s Amsterdam and then the Veendam – and blasted them with music and thee long bursts from ourhorn and one short when they responded in kind,

We joined Judy and Kirk on the pool for drinks and then dinner in Compass Rose. We always have fun with them.

Our second visit to the Grimaldi’s fairly-tale principality of Monaco was just as special as the first. It really is a neat small corner of the world.

Karen and Larry

Photos of our cruise are available at the following web site:

picasaweb.google.com/larryworldcruise

Photos of our visit to Monte Carlo have been added.

Day 96 - Livorno, Italy

2007-04-15T08:08:00.000-07:00

Date: April 14

Location: Day 96 – Livorno, Italy

Next Port: Monte Carlo, Monaco, April 15

Quick Summary: Having been to beautiful Florence – the city that gave birth to the Renaissance – several times, we headed out to explore the heart of Tuscany. We visited the medieval towns of Siena and St. Gimignano and enjoyed a day in the Tuscan countryside with spring bursting out all around us.

Report: Livorno, midway down the Italian peninsula, is the seaport to the rolling hills of Tuscany and cities with such familiar names as Pisa, Florence and Siena.

Since we had already explored the wonderful art in Florence when we lived in Germany in the 70s and three years ago while on a Med cruise, we decided to see for ourselves what all the excitement regarding Tuscany is about.

Warm “June” weather has come early to the region and spring is fully underway. The fruit trees are blooming, the wisteria is magnificent, the corn fields look like lush green carpets, the grape vines in the vineyards are already showing a few green leaves, trees are showing that light green of new growth, and farmers are busy with their plowing. The slender, dark green cypress trees offer great contrast. Yes, the rolling countryside, punctuated by brown and orange castles, manors and small villages truly created beautiful landscapes at every turn.

After a two-hour ride from the busy port of Livorno, we arrived on the outskirts of the walled city of Siena, 43 miles south of Florence. Siena stretches over the slopes of three steep hills and is practically unchanged since medieval times.

Siena’s bankers, textile magnates and wool traders of the 12th century were in direct competition with Florence. For 400 years the rival cities were at each other’s throats. The Black Plague in 1348 killed more than 80% of its population of 40,000. In 1553, Cosimo I sent a force led by the brutal marquis of Marignano to subdue the pesky Sienese once and for all. He besieged the city for a year and a half before storming it in 1355 and burning all the fields and most of the buildings. Some 2,000 Sienese fled to the hills and kept the Sienese Republic alive for another four years before being part of the Grand Ducal of Tuscany and ruled by the Florentines. Since the plague, Siena was so busy defending its liberty that it had little time, energy or resources to develop as a city. Thankfully, it was never bombed during WW II. Thus, it remains today mostly as it looked in the Middle Ages.

(Amazingly, this dislike of the Florentines by the Sienese continues today – both guides expressed it in a not too humorous manner.)

We explored the church of San Domenico, a gothic church built in 1460 and dedicated to St. Catherine, the patron saint of Italy. It has a gilded marble tabernacle that contains her mummified skull. A finger bone is displayed in another case. (Relics were used in the early Catholic Church to prove the stories about the saints to the masses.)

A funeral for a ninety-nine year old former archbishop was being conducted in the Duomo, so we were not allowed to enter. However, the white marble façade had just been cleaned and it was magnificent.

We then entered the Piazza del Campo where the three hills of the city converge. The large open sloping plaza is bordered by elegant palaces, the Palazzo Publico (city hall) and the Torre del Mangia – a 102 meter bell tower built in 1325-44.

Our tour ended here but we then enjoyed a leisurely Italian lunch (salad, pizza and red wine) with Hilde, Jarmo, Cynthia and John at small tables facing the busy piazza. Twice a year, in July and August, some 40,000 spectators jam this area to watch horses race around the circumference in the Palio. The horses represent each of the 17 neighborhood wards of the city and the jockeys ride bareback. The “jockeys are just for decoration,” and they don’t have to be astride the horse (and frequently aren’t) when it crosses the finish line.

From Siena we drove through the rolling hills to beautiful San Gimignano. We saw this small town’s famous towers from quite a distance. They must have been a welcoming sight in the Middle Ages as the town became a famous rest site for pilgrims from Northern Europe enroute to Rome. San Gimignano’s population was also devastated by the plagues of the 14th, 15th and 17th centuries. It became something of a poor backwater and has only gained fame in recent years because of its distinctive skyline and the immaculate preservation of its Middle Age structures – particularly the “family towers.” Only 16 of the original 72 towers remain, but San Gimignano must have been something in its day. These towers represented wealth and influence of the merchant families. They were built for defensive purposes, but could be used for short time and in a pinch as bunkers. The higher your tower the richer your family. (Guess things haven’t changed too much over the centuries.)

We enjoyed our short guided walk through this finely preserved small walled city in which 1,200 of the city’s 7,000 residents still live. After the tour – instead of free time – we joined the guide for a private tour of the modest sized basilica just fronting one of the two piazzas. Its interior walls and ceiling were completely covered by colorful frescos. On one side were panels depicting the New Testament stories and the other side showed stories from the Old Testament.

The first half of the ride back to Livorno was again through the Tuscan hills. The light of the late afternoon sun made for some beautiful tapestries of fields, orchards, vineyards and small villages.

We arrived at the Voyager at 6:45 and sailed at 7:30. After such a long day we decided to eat light in our suite, play some cards and work on the journal.

Tomorrow we end this segment of our trip when we arrive in Monte Carlo. We will be saying good-bye to many new friends, but seven deserve special mention:

· Cindy, Bob and Grant – from Houston. We’ve enjoyed great times with this family on excursions, in our sea-day devotionals, in the pool and around the ship.

· Noelle and Robert – from Australia and the parents of two sons who work on the Voyager. Both were active in our sea-day devotionals and Rob added a great deal to our Easter Service.

· Mssr. Claude – from Paris and a true French gentleman. We met Claude soon after departing Ft. Lauderdale and thoroughly enjoyed his company on excursions, at dinner and at the concerts. He always had a twinkle in his eyes.

· Alexis – from Brittany, France, and our favorite waiter from the aft deck of La Veranda. Alexis is leaving early because he has been promoted to head waiter. (We’d like to think our comment cards helped!) Instead of completing the World Cruise, he will enjoy six weeks off before joining the Voyager again in his new position in June. After that contract, he will have some additional vacation before returning in time for the 2008 World Cruise. We won’t be joining him on that one…but do hope to see him again on a future Regent cruise…or maybe even in Chicago.

Tomorrow we begin the last segment of our odyssey. It’s hard to believe that this grand adventure will be coming rapidly to a close.

Karen and Larry

Photos of our cruise are available at the following web site:

picasaweb.google.com/larryworldcruise

Photos of our visit to Tuscany have been added.

Day 95 - Sorrento, Italy

2007-04-13T14:25:00.000-07:00

Date: April 13

Location: Day 95 – Sorrento, Italy

Next Port: Livorno (Pisa and Forence), Italy, April 14

Quick Summary: We enjoyed another delightful spring day in Italy, this time in Sorrento. We drove along the Amalfi Coast to Positano, visited a small family farm and had a nice lunch in the old town of Sorrento. On our departure, Capt. Dag circled close to the Isle of Capri.

Report: We opened the curtains to another sunny day in the Mediterranean just as the anchor was being dropped into the harbor of Sorrento. Sharp cliffs rise steeply from the ferry marina to a string of villas and hotels perched high above.

Due to the narrow switchback roads, we had to use small electric transfer buses to climb up to the main town to get to our tour bus. We then continued a long climb up from the walled city to reach the outskirts of Sorrento before turning up onto the peninsula. At one high point we could see the Bay of Salerno on one side and the Gulf of Naples on the other.

We passed through numerous orange and lemon orchards. In fact, if you could find a square yard of earth you’d find a citrus tree. We also saw many olive trees…with rolled netting strung between them like ropes. When harvesting olives, the nets are spread out on the ground and the ripe olives fall into the nets.

From the high point, we headed up the Amalfi Coast drive. This winding road hugs the cliffs and provides breathtaking views. We stopped at an overlook of Positano and its black sand beaches. This once-sleepy fishing village has in recent years become the poster child of the good life on the Italian Riviera. We were impressed with the delicious strawberries that our friend Beverly bought from a vendor and shared with us. We also saw the huge citrons (lemons) that are sold in this area.

On the return to Sorrento, we visited a small family farm that has been turned into a tourist destination. (We understand that this type of operation is not unique to this area.)

Four generations of this family have worked this small four acre farm. It is amazingly productive and is almost completely self-sufficient. They make cheese, bread, wine, sausages, olive oil and preserves – using only what they have raised on the farm. Thus, they also have a barnyard full of animals, including cows, pigs, goats, chickens, geese and a couple peacocks!

We were treated to some of their products – two cheeses, olives, home-baked bread, sausage, wine – and a cheese-making demonstration. It was amazing what these families produce on this small, hilly farm.

Throughout the day, we remarked how beautiful it was to be in the Sorrento area during the early spring. The landscape was filled with flowering trees, wisteria, pansies, daisies, etc.

Our tour ended in Sorrento. We walked through the old town for a bit with Beverley and Jim before stopping in a small restaurant for a nice Italian lunch. Karen and Larry shared a pizza and salad, and a bottle of wine with our friends. After this late lunch, we walked through town and then back down the hill to the marina. We were back on the ship by 4:00 p.m.

We pulled up anchor at 5:00 p.m. and headed to Capri. Captain Dag invited us all to the Pool Deck and Deck 12 for a close-up, slow, sail-by of the Isle of Capri. The waiters were out in force with cocktails and canapés

What a beautiful experience! We pulled very close to Capri's islands and rock outcroppings. We were traveling very slowly, and the setting sun dramatically lit up the rocks. Blowing our horn (whistle) several times, everyone knew we were there! We then turned 180 degrees and headed to the Blue Grotto. Our close-by attracted quite a few spectators!

We then joined Dodie and Larry in the Observation Lounge, followed by dinner in Compass Rose.

Another great day in the Med!

Karen and Larry

Photos of our cruise are available at the following web site:

picasaweb.google.com/larryworldcruise

Photos of our visit to Sorrento have been added.

Day 94 - Naxos, Sicily, Italy

2007-04-12T14:51:00.000-07:00

Date: April 12

Location: Day 94 – Naxos, Sicily, Italy

Next Port: Sorrento, Italy, April 13

Quick Summary: Naxos is the pretty seaside town fronting the bay at the base of the ancient cliff-top village of Taormina. Overlooking the picturesque coastline of southeastern Sicily is the smoking volcano of Mount Etna. We enjoyed many contrasts during a beautiful spring day.

Report: Larry was on deck to watch the sunrise as the Voyager approached the small harbor of Naxos at the base of snow-covered, 10,800 ft., Mt. Etna. He was joined by Karen for a brisk morning walk as Capt. Dag dropped anchor off Naxos. Our sunny breakfast on the aft veranda with the picturesque cliff-top village of Taormina and Mt. Etna in the background was one of the nicest of our trip.

At about 9:00 am, we took one of the first tenders across to Naxos for our tour of Taormina and Mt. Etna. The drive along the narrow Naxos harbor front and the climb to Taormina was quite spectacular in itself. There were several gorgeous vistas off the coastline and cliff-top villas in the early morning sunshine.

Taormina is a very well-preserved medieval city…though it was first inhabited by the Greeks more than 2,500 years ago. The Romans followed, as did many others. Much of the architecture is from the 15th century…with nice city walls and gates, small plazas, fountains, narrow pedestrian streets, etc. At the end of the main shopping street, we climbed a slight rise to the Greek theater that was reconstructed by the Romans in the 2nd century A.D. From the ruins, we had beautiful views of the bay with the Voyager and of Mt. Etna.

After about 75-minutes of free time to wander on our own, we rejoined the bus for the 75-minute drive up Mt. Etna. We climbed through several charming villages, and past summer homes, orange and lemon orchards, and vineyards. Then we were into the lava fields. The most recent major eruptions were in 2001-2002, and they destroyed some homes on the upper slopes. Our guide said that most people are more fearful of earthquakes than the volcano. (Karen finds that hard to believe.) We did see many small shrines to Mary in the sides of homes for protection from the flows. As we continued to climb, we soon were in patches of snow. At the 6,500 foot level, the road ended at four restaurants situated around a cable car and three cinder craters.

What contrasts…from seaside tropical vegetation to black cinders and snow. From Greek and Roman ruins to a cable car system that has been rebuilt four times due to lava flows during the lifetime of our guide.

We had an Italian lunch in a new restaurant – the previous one was buried a couple of years ago under 30 feet of lava. After lunch we walked around the rim of the Silvestri Crater, made snowballs and enjoyed the views down the flanks of Mt, Etna to the sea and to the snow fields above us.

We arrived back at the ship at about 5:00 and departed Naxos at 6:00, heading toward the Strait of Messina…the narrow 1.7 mile body of water that separates Sicily from the Italian mainland.

We passed through the Strait in the dusk at approximately 7:30. Because of the low light it was difficult to get a photo of the entire opening showing both sides. Larry did manage to get a shot of the large ferries that ply back and forth.

The passage by the Stromboli volcano at 10:00-10:30 was a bust. Internet passages such as this had us all excited:

As long as there are historical records, Stromboli has been constantly active, which makes it almost unique among the volcanoes in the world. Most of its activity consists of brief and small bursts of glowing lava fragments to heights of 100-200 m above the craters. Occasionally, much stronger explosions or periods of more continuous activity can occur. The most violent eruptions during the past 100 years, in 1919, 1930 and on 5 April 2003 were large enough to take lives and or destroy property even at considerable range from the craters.

Stromboli has been quite active during thelast five years, popping off every 20 minutes or so. We could see the dark cone looming in the clear sky and passed through a cloud of sulfur, but no activity.

(Later Mario, the art director, told us he was onboard last October and saw red lava flowing into the sea and great clouds of steam.)

Oh, well, we guess it proves that even on a world cruise you can have some disappointments. But it still was a great day...Taorima was grand and Mt. Etna was a blast.

Karen and Larry

Photos of our cruise are available at the following web site:

picasaweb.google.com/larryworldcruise

Photos of our visit to Sicily have been added.

Day 93 - Sea Day (Surprise...Not!)

2007-04-11T14:40:00.000-07:00

Date: April 11

Location: Day 92 – At Sea (Surprise!...Not!)

Next Port: Naxos, Sicily, Italy, April 12

Quick Summary: Capt. Dag was up to his surprises again! Instead of a sea day, we had a great afternoon ashore in a small Greek fishing village!

Report: Capt. Dag pulled off one of his trademark surprises today. At 10:00 a.m., he made a general announcement that it was a shame that we didn’t get to spend a second day in Greece. So he was inviting all 560 of us to lunch in the seaside village of Katakolo.

About 30 minutes away from Olympia…the site of the original Olympics…Katakolo is a small town in the western Peloponnese that has some summer tourist traffic, but basically consists of two streets of shops and a dozen or so outside waterfront cafes.

Capt. Dag and the Voyager made an unscheduled stop here last year and it was a real hit. At about 10 days ago arrangements were made with three adjacent restaurants that, depending upon the weather, the Voyager planned a repeat engagement this year. The details were finalized yesterday while we were in Rhodes and the surprise was sprung on the passengers this morning.

One couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day – sunny, cloudless brilliant bluesky and comfortable spring temps.

We docked at about 1:45. A couple dozen of the Food & Beverage staff preceded us into town and helped get the buffet lines set up in front of the restaurants. By the time we all walked into town (there was a shuttle bus for those who couldn’t make the ½ mile walk), three buffet lines of typical Greek food were ready for us. Our crew pitched in with the locals in serving the meal and providing the wine, beer, soda and water.

Afterwards everyone enjoyed the sunshine or did a bit of shopping in Katakolo’s small stores.

By 5:00 our small “yacht” pulled out of the picturesque harbor and we were on our way again to Sicily. Our thanks to Capt. Doug, Jamie and Laurens for another memorable surprise. We don’t think there are too many other captains or cruise lines who do such special things for their passenger “families” – it sets them apart and we appreciate it.

Tonight we had a farewell dinner for our friend Claude who will be returning to his home in Paris when we dock in Monte Carlo on Sunday. We were glad that Ken, and Margi and Dave were able to join us. We met Claude early on in this voyage and have had some great excursions and times around the ship with him during these past 93 days. We will miss certainly miss Claude and hope to see him someday in France or on another cruise.

Karen and Larry

Photos of our cruise are available at the following web site:

picasaweb.google.com/larryworldcruise

Photos of our visit to Katakolo have been added.

Day 92 - Rhodes, Greece

2007-04-11T12:16:00.000-07:00

Date: April 10

Location: Day 92 – Rhodes, Greece

Next Port: Naxos, Sicily, Italy, April 12

Quick Summary: We spent a relaxing day exploring the old walled city of Rhodes – with no tours, no guides and no museums. We then enjoyed a “Big Fat Greek” party on ship before dinner.

Report: Today was a lazy one compared to the hectic pace we set these past several days. The Voyager docked about 10 a.m. in the beautiful port of Rhodes, the fourth largest Greek island nestled between the Turkish coast and the other Greek Islands. We had company in the port with two other large cruise ships also enjoying the beautiful day. We had a chilly start to the day that warmed up to a perfect Mediterranean stop. We joined Larry and Dodi on the shuttle bus to the old town where we spent some time shopping the open-air bazaar shops and jewelry stores. The best part of the day was the relaxing Greek lunch overlooking the activity below. Wine, beer, mousaka, pizza, gelato…what more could one ask for!

We walked back to ship where we enjoyed a beautiful sail-away, followed by a ship-board “Big Fat Greek” party, followed by dinner with Barb and Jim. Another fun day.

Karen and Larry

Photos of our cruise are available at the following web site:

picasaweb.google.com/larryworldcruise

Photos of our visit to Rhodes have been added.

Day 91 - Alexandria, Egypt

2007-04-11T12:07:00.000-07:00

Date: April 9

Location: Day 91 - Alexandria, Egypt

Next Port: Rhodes, Greece, April 10

Quick Summary: Our early morning tour of the highlights of Alexandria included visits to Abu El Abbas Mosque, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Citadel of Quait Bay, the Montaza Gardens and Palace, the Catacombs of Kom El Shuquafa, the Alexandria National Museum, the new Alexandria Library and lunch at the Fish Market.

Report: We were on the buses at 7 a.m., a very early start for a very special visit to Alexandria. Known as the “Pearl of the Mediterranean,” this ancient city is the second largest in Egypt and is located on the Nile River delta at the gateway to the Mediterranean Sea. It is the principal port and economic-commercial center for Egypt. The city has a much different feel from Cairo in ambiance and cultural heritage. Alexandria was founded by Alexander the Great in 331 B.C. and was the capital of Egypt under the Ptolemaic pharaohs until the arrival of the Romans in 30 B.C.

We began our tour with photo stops at the Abu El Abbas Mosque, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the Citadel at Quait Bay. The mosque is an ancient building rebuilt in 1767 with a rich and imposing architectural structure, said to be built over the burial ground of the thirteenth century saint. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is a beautiful monument of white Carrara marble. Quait Bay is the site of one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Pharos Lighthouse of Alexandria. Built by Ptolemy I Sorter, it was the last of the seven to be built and the last to be destroyed (thought to be by an earthquake). The lighthouse was begun by one of Egypt’s last pharaohs, Ptolemy I Sorter, and was the only “wonder” that had a practical use in addition to its architectural elegance.

We continued our drive along the Mediterranean coast to Montaza Gardens, 115 acres of gardens surrounded by great stone walls. Inside the walls is the Montaza Palace, built in 1932 by King Fouad and inherited by his son King Farouk, the last of the Egyptian kings. This palace is as it was when the king was dethroned in 1957 and does not allow visitors for fear of vandalism by some still unforgiving Egyptians.

Our next stop was to the amazing Catacombs of Kom El Shuquafa, an ancient Roman cemetery discovered in 1900. This site is three levels cut 90 feet deep into existing rock and accessed by a series of descending steps. We saw many of the crypts that once held 300 dead.

We then headed to the Alexandria National Museum which features artifacts from the Pharaonic and Greco-Roman times to Coptic and Islamic times. It also houses many items found at the bottom of the sea due to the subsiding of the coastline of this part of Egypt over the centuries. There are plans to use submarines to take tourists down to the bottom of the sea to observe the wealth of artifacts remaining there.

A major highlight of today’s tour was our visit to the Alexandria Library. This library’s history began in the third century BC with a collection of thousands of texts collected from every known continent. The ancient library also held a museum and a school. Just about its entire collection was destroyed by fire in the fourth century A.D. Today, a magnificent new 21st century library has been built to continue the ancient tradition. This Norwegian architectural design includes a circular complex linking glass and Aswan granite into a façade etched with letters in many languages to symbolize the world of learning that lies within. It was a spectacular design that houses handwritten manuscripts, printed matter and stored computer data. It was a most impressive stop.

We then headed to a beachfront restaurant, The Fish House, where we enjoyed a wonderful fish lunch and steaming hot pita breads and hummus. The surrounding beaches were jammed with Greek families enjoying the First Day of Spring holiday known as Sham El Nessim or “Breath of Air.”

Our last stop of the day was the Roman Theater unearthed during excavations in 1960. This well-preserved theater includes galleries, sections of mosaic flooring and marble seats for up to 800 spectators. We enjoyed exploring the site and testing the acoustics of this ancient theater.

We joined Capt. Dag and six other guests in Compass Rose for dinner. We appreciated the second invitation, since Karen was not feeling well as wasn’t able to attend the first time. The conversation was lively and Capt. Dag is a verygracious host. Following dinner we had a great time at the cabaret show by our singers.

It’s hard to believe that we only have three weeks left in our world journey.

Karen and Larry

Photos of our cruise are available at the following web site:

picasaweb.google.com/larryworldcruise

Photos of our visit to Alexandria have been added.

Day 90 - Cairo, Egypt (Day 2 of 2)

2007-04-10T13:10:00.000-07:00

Date: April 8

Location: Day 90 - Cairo, Egypt (Cairo Day 2 of 2)

Next Port: Alexandria, Egypt, April 9

Quick Summary: We visited the famous step pyramid in Sakkara and then a small museum housing the Ramses Colossus in the ancient city of Memphis. We drove back to Giza where we boarded a double-decked boat for a delightful 1-1/2 hour luncheon cruise on the Nile River. After that we set out on our 3-hour drive to Alexandria to join the Voyager which had transited the Suez Canal while we were in Cairo.

Report: After a buffet breakfast and checking out of the Marriott, we traveled about 30 minutes to the Sakkara, the necropolis of the ancient capital of Memphis.

The dominating structure in this large burial ground is the step pyramid of Zoser. It was built several hundred years before the Great Pyramids in Giza. The necropolis contains the remnants of a smaller pyramid, several other tombs and many outbuildings. There is also a 600 meters long causeway that was used just once – to bring the mummy of the emperor into the site. It took a life time of planning to die!

Just a short bus ride took us to the Kagemnj Tomb. It’s too bad that cameras were not allowed into the small tomb of this government minister because the carved stonework and paintings depicted everyday life in ancient Egypt. Most of the artwork in the tombs of the Pharaoh’s depicts a stylized version of life – even the statues and drawings of the Pharaohs reflect how they would have liked to look.

We drove back from the desert into Memphis to visit the small museum that houses the Ramses II Colossus…a large prone statue of this Pharaoh with the big ego. Supposedly, if he saw a statue he liked, he had the head or face replaced with a stylized one of himself. Also in some of the hieroglyphics found on different monuments, he took credit for all sorts of accomplishments that happened much earlier in time.

We drove back to Giza to board a large restaurant boat for a lovely luncheon cruise on the Nile. The buffet was served inside on white linen table cloths and fine Grecian china. Then we moved outside to an upper deck to enjoy a beautiful Easter Sunday afternoon and the sights of downtown Cairo. (We found out later that we missed a dance performance of Whirling Dervishes while we were outside.)

Then it was a three hour bus ride to join the ship in the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria. (About 130 guests stayed onboard as the Voyager transited the Suez Canal on Saturday while we went to Cairo.)

The drive was quite interesting as it went primarily through the Nile delta and farming areas. (It was much different from the drive to Cairo from Suez that was mostly through the desert.) Besides village life, we saw children riding in the backs of open trucks and water buffalo doing the same. We also saw large, cone-shaped mud towers with holes and sticks poking out of them –homes for pigeons that were being raised for dinner.

It was good to see the ship waiting for us in Alexandria’s port, one of the nicest – and cleanest! – cruise ship areas we have seen. It has colorful gardens and neat, permanent vendor stalls. We were greeted “back home” with cool wash cloths by the crew, and Phil and his quintet playing shore side of the gangway.

When we entered the Voyager atrium, there was a table decorated with large chocolate eggs, colored hard-boiled eggs and small candies for everyone. And when we arrived back in our suite, there was a personal Easter basket and fresh flowers for us to enjoy.

After a quick shower, we joined about 65 others for an interdenominational Easter Service in the theater. Jamie had planned a meaningful Easter service for us, and Larry helped serve Holy Communion. This is the closest we have ever been to the Holy Land at this time of year. Our visit to Job’s Tomb, St. Catherine’s Monastery, the land of Moses in the Sinai and this special evening Easter service made it a very special Holy Week.

Karen and Larry

Photos of our cruise are available at the following web site:

picasaweb.google.com/larryworldcruise

Photos of our second day’s visit to Cairo have been added.

Day 89 - Suez. Egypt (Cairo - Day 1 of 2)

2007-04-08T14:28:00.000-07:00

Date: April 7

Location: Day 88 - Suez, Egypt (Cairo - Day 1 of 2)

Next Port: Alexandria, Egypt, April 8

Quick Summary: We disembarked the ship in the port of Suez for a complimentary visit and overnight in Cairo. On Day 1 we visited the Great Pyramids of Giza and had a private evening tour of the Egyptian Museum, followed by dinner in the garden.

Report: We dropped anchor outside Suez at about 3:30 a.m…Larry was roused by the anchors being dropped. The Captain had to change his position twice more before being informed that he would not be allowed to dock due to the high winds. So we had to tender to the pier. He was not a happy camper. But the tender operation went fairly smooth, including taking the luggage ashore and the departure for Cairo was only delayed by about an hour.

The local tourist vendor didn’t load the buses very efficiently, so we ended up on a bus with only 11 people – which was great! The loading and unloading flows much quicker and it’s so much easier to move such a small group along on the tour. We ended up with a very serious Egyptologist, Ahmed, who also had a great sense of humor. His call when he wanted to get us moving or to gather around him was, of all things, “tally ho.”

During the three-hour drive to Cairo, we went through a quite serious sand storm. Visibility was about zero. Once again we traveled in a convoy with a Tourist Police escort.

We went straight to the Great Pyramids of Giza. Directly on the outskirts of town, these three tombs are truly amazing. The largest, the Pyramid of Cheops, is 146 meters high and was constructed of 2,300,000 blocks weighing an average of 10,000 lbs each. Next in size is the Pyramid of Chephren, at 143 meters high. This is the middle pyramid that is still partially capped with the smooth mud filling which originally gave all three of the pyramids their smooth sides.

The Giza Pyramids were tombs built for the early pharaohs about 2500-2200 B.C.

A short drive away southeast of the pyramids was the Sphinx. Steeped in legend and superstition, the sandstone Sphinx is believed to be a monument to either the sun god Ra or Pharaoh Chephren. Its man’s head and lion’s body faces east. It is 20 meters high and 57 meters long.

We enjoyed a buffet lunch at the palatial Mena House hotel just outside the gates to the Great Pyramids. Enroute to the Marriott Hotel on the Nile in Cairo, we stopped at a papyrus factory/showroom for a demonstration on how this long-lasting paper is made. We also learned that the making of papyrus was a turning point in the recording of ancient history. Everyone also had a chance to shop there and at an associated bazaar.

We checked into the Cairo Marriott which was constructed around one of the palace hotels built for the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869. (The Mena House was also built then.) We enjoyed walking around the shops, gardens and pool area before getting ready for dinner.

At 7:00 we all caravanned in buses to the grounds of the immense, world-renowned Egyptian Museum. The gardens, their sculptures and the museum were lighted by candles and spotlights. Here we were offered wine and juices before entering the closed museum for our private tour.

Ahmed was terrific. He expertly moved our small group of 11 through the deserted museum so that we saw all the major highlights. (He was so informative that our small band doubled in size as more and more people joined our group.)

We ended up in the King Tut exhibit on the second floor. King Tut was really a minor pharaoh – as pharaohs go. He was a boy king at 9 and died at 18. What made him famous was that his tomb was found totally intact. Almost all of the others had been robbed in antiquity. Included among the items was the famous mummy mask that we had seen when a partial exhibit of the museum’s collection toured the U.S. in the late 1970s.

(We happened to have seen it in Washington, D.C. when it was a traveling exhibit. Over the years, Karen has shared the story of how our then 5-year old Heather ran toward the glass case holding the bejeweled gold mummy mask. She hit her hands on the case…setting off all the alarms in the Smithsonian, causing guards to appear from all directions. Heather was chagrined for a week! Karen has used this as a great teaching lesson when preparing students for field trips “Not to Touch!”)

After the tour we had a dinner in the gardens in the lighted front of the museum. It was a spectacular setting for the end of a terrific day. (We were informed that this was a highly unusual honor to have the museum open only for our cruisers. Ahmed repeatedly told us what a pleasure it was to take a tour with so few people in the museum. He told us, “This NEVER happens.”)

Karen and Larry

Photos of our cruise are available at the following web site:

picasaweb.google.com/larryworldcruise

Photos of our first day’s visit Cairo have been added.

Day 88 - Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt

2007-04-06T12:47:00.000-07:00

Date: April 6

Location: Day 88 - Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt

Next Port: Suez, Egypt, April 7 (Cairo Overnight – April 7-8)

Quick Summary: We spent the entire day visiting St. Catherine’s Monastery in the mountains at the base of Mt. Sinai. It was a great way to spend Good Friday. And this pilgrimage was also meaningful to Karen as her mother had been named for St. Catherine.

Report: We arrived at Sharm El-Sheikh at the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula shortly after 7:00 a.m. “Sharm” is the capital of the “Red Sea Riviera” because of its fine beaches, languid waters and exceptional offshore reefs. It attracts vacationers from across Europe with its many major hotel resorts, casinos and water sport attractions.

We decided to forego all of this and make the long pilgrimage to St. Catherine’s Monastery located at the site where it is said Moses saw the burning bush and returned after receiving the Ten Commandments.

The smallest diocese and oldest Christian monastery in the world, St. Catherine’s was founded in the 6th Century by Byzantine Emperor Justin 1. It was created around the site of the even older Chapel of the Burning Bush built by the first Christian Roman Emperor Constantine I. We were able to visit the Museum which houses one of the richest collections of icons and Bible manuscripts – the earliest dating from the 4th century.

It is said that Mohammed gave his personal blessing and protection to the Christian community here after they once offered him sanctuary. The monastery remains a holy place for Muslims with the inclusion of a small mosque. Because of this, the monastery was never sacked by Islamic forces during 14 centuries of religious wars. The monastery is also surrounded by immense fortified walls 40 to 200 feet tall.

One of the monks gave us a guided tour of the Library. It is considered second only in importance to the Vatican library for the number and rarity of the 6,000 volumes held. Most are written in Greek with the rest in more than 10 languages. The monks are in the process of using modern digital photography to copy many of the documents for CDs that will be sent to research scholars around the world. With the CD’s, these scholars will only have to make short pilgrimages to the monastery to see the bindings, covers, etc.

We also saw the well that was used by Moses. It has been boarded up because tourists were taking “holy water” which seemed to be a problem. It has been a viable well since the time of Moses. Youwill also see photos of us with Moses’ purported burning bush. It is now a tree that they say will grow no other place in the world.

From the roof of the monastery, we were able to see the camel trail that leads to the summit of Mt. Sinai. There, the spot where Moses received the 10 Commandments is marked by a stone Chapel of the Holy Trinity. We didn’t have time (or the energy?) to make the trek.

After visiting the monastery, we enjoyed a buffet lunch in a nearby resort before making the return 3-hour bus trip to the ship. Both bus trips were interesting. Our two buses and a van went through many security checkpoints led by an escort truck with five tourist police. We saw some small Bedouin villages, a couple camel caravans of tourists and several wild camels. We passed through several mountainous regions. Some had sharp ragged red profiles; others were of smoother, rounded, yellow limestone. The changing colors were dramatic. There was hardly any vegetation, just some scrub trees and cactus. The vast, empty spaces were beautiful.

A few facts:

· There are currently 23 monks in residence in the monastery. They will remain there for life.

· The monk who gave us our tour grew up in El Paso, Texas. “I traded one desert for another,” he said.

· Egypt has a population of 77 million. Some 85% are Sunni Moslems; 15% Christians (mostly Coptic Orthodox).

· Egyptian is no longer spoken; most speak Arabic.

· Camels are shy. They never mate in public; sometimes the Bedouins provide tents for them.

· These “ships of the desert” can go 14 days without water. They have two stomachs – one for food and one for water. The hump is stored fat and one can tell if the camel has been traveling by the size of its hump.

Our first day in Egypt was a great experience. And tomorrow it’s the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx!

Karen and Larry

Photos of our cruise are available at the following web site:

picasaweb.google.com/larryworldcruise

Photos of our visit to St. Catherine’s Monastery have been added.

Days 85-87 - At Sea (Gulf of Aden & Red Sea)

2007-04-05T14:00:00.000-07:00

Date: April 3-5

Location: Days 85-87 – At Sea (Cruising the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea)

Next Port: Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, April 6

Summary: We have enjoyed three great sea days since our departure from Salalah, Oman.

We’ve done the usual things, plus have had an opportunity to do more of the reading that we thought we would be doing all along. Need to get those books that we brought with us finished so that we can leave them on the ship…thereby making room in our luggage for goodies to bring home.

Our weather has continued to hold. The first two days were warm and humid with calm winds. But Thursday it was only in the mid-70s with a strong breeze, lower humidity and a clear horizon.

Tuesday evening, Capt. Dag hosted another “sundowner” party at the bow of the ship on Deck 6 (normally closed off to guests) and the new observation space on Deck 11.

After that we helped Barb and Jim celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary with a private reception and dinner in starboard side of La Veranda (that portion is normally closed in the evening). And on Wednesday we attended a similar celebration for Phyllis and Ed Marco, who were celebrating their 55th wedding anniversary. They even repeated their wedding vows with Capt. Dag officiating. Both parties were lots of fun and we were grateful to be included.

Tonight we enjoyed a Seven Seas Society reception to celebrate our impending arrival in Egypt, followed by dinner in Signatures with Barb and Richard and Beverly and Jim.

Larry played pool volleyball each afternoon. It’s a crazy game, with not many rules. On Thursday, the “girls” from the Travel Desk played with Phyllis (Phil) Butterworth leading “her” team to defeat! It was great fun for the players and the spectators. This was the last game of the season…since we have a very port intensive itinerary ahead of us and many think it will be too cool to play during the Atlantic Crossing. We’ll see.

On Good Friday we will be trekking out to visit St. Catherine’s Monastery at the foot of Mt. Sinai where Moses received the Ten Commandments.Then it’s on to a complimentary off-the-ship overnight in Cairo to see the Great Pyramids, the Sphinx and other sights.

Larry and Karen

Photos of our cruise are available at the following web site:

picasaweb.google.com/larryworldcruise

Photos of Pool Volleyball have been added.

Day 84 - Salalah, Oman

2007-04-03T12:59:00.000-07:00

Date: April 2

Location: Day 84 – Salalah, Oman

Next Port: Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, April 6

Quick Summary: We pulled into the container port of Salalah, Oman shortly before 8:00 a.m. for a short visit. Surrounded by a 4,000 ft. mountain range, the “Perfume City” is Oman’s second largest with a population of about 230,000. We took a ship’s excursion to see Prophet Job’s tomb, visit a beach, learn about frankincense, chase some camels and stop at a souq.

Report: Capt. Dag allowed Staff Captain Daniel to bring us into this very active and rapidly growing shipping port. He did an excellent job. From the sights of the new breakwaters going in and the leveled desert surrounding the docks, the expansion will be continuing for some time.

Our tour started with a drive to Mughsail Beach, a two-mile stretch of white sandy beaches and crystal clear waters that lies to the west and is bordered by rocky cliffs and blowholes. The blowholes depend on high tides and there wasn’t much action during our visit. However, the coastline in this area was quite dramatic.

Traveling to and from the beach, we saw many, many camels wandering through the desert and along the roads. They seem to particularly like to use the guy wires on transmission poles to scratch themselves.

On the way back from the beach, we stopped to tap some frankincense trees for their sweet smelling sap. Frankincense has been the source of wealth for this province since ancient times as the Greeks and Romans used it in holy ceremonies. It is still used around the world today in many churches, mosques and homes. While our guide was telling us about the tapping process, Larry and Cindy went chasing after some camels on a nearby rise to get some photos. Though domesticated (the camels, not Larry), they can be somewhat nasty at times. But the two-legged folks managed to get some good shots.

From the tree-tapping experience, we drove on to Job’s Tomb where according to legend, the remains of the Muslim and Old Testament Prophet Job are located. It is a sacred place for Muslims, Christians and Jews from all over the world. It was a moving experience as we remembered the Bible stories we had learned so long ago. While there, we were also able to enjoy some beautiful panoramic views of the Qara Mountains and the Jubriah Plain.

Once we arrived in Salalah, we stopped at a street-side market for some coconutdrinks and bananas. Then we had 20 minutes to shop in the souq. That was really enough. Many of the stores throughout the town were closed – whether it was due to the midday heat or economics – it was hard to tell. But it was certainly obvious that Salalah is not as prosperous as Muscat. We did manage to purchase some frankincense and some perfume oils.

After returning to the ship, we had a quick lunch on the deck, before the sail-away at 1:15 p.m. Capt. Dag saw Larry hanging over the railing on Deck 12 and invited him down to the bridge (Deck 10) to view the departure from there. Staff Captain Daniel was at the helm so Capt. Dag had more time to visit and answer questions. He wanted to know if Larry was going to publish a book of his adventures. (Hmmmmm.) He also invited Larry to come back some time to take some photos down on the anchor deck or from the high smokestack area. (Larry will certainly take him up on that opportunity.)

We had a delightful dinner in Compass Rose with Danielle, the cruise fitness instructor, and Anne, one of the ship’s tour directors. They are roommates and are both full of boundless energy. We will be sad to see Anne leave us in Monaco. She will be joining the Mariner for a few Caribbean cruises followed by the transit through the Panama Canal as the Mariner repositions to Alaska for the summer.

After dinner we enjoyed concert pianist Panos Karan performing works of Chopin and Liszt. It was a lovely way to end another fine day on our World Cruise.

Now it’s three sea days before we arrive in Sharm El Sheikh on the tip of the Sinai Peninsula.

Larry and Karen

Photos of our cruise are available at the following web site:

picasaweb.google.com/larryworldcruise

Photos of Salalah have been added.

Day 83 - Day at Sea (Cruising the Arabian Sea)

2007-04-03T12:57:00.000-07:00

Date: April 1

Location: Day 83 – At Sea (Cruising the Arabian Sea)

Next Port: Salalah, Oman, April 2

Summary: Today was another good sea day…catching up on reading, journals, exercise and bridge.

We attended the opening night of the new “1001 Arabian Nights” themed dinner in Latitudes. Once again the staff did an amazing job of creating a unique atmosphere in this 60-seat restaurant. Using white sheets, they turned it into an Arabian tent with silhouetted camels on the tent walls and woven rugs and artifacts spread around inside. The wait staff was in Arabian costumes, as were a couple of surprise guests. And Aisha performed her Arabian dances throughout most of the meal.

Many of the guests were also in Arabian dress…including men in hats and turbans. We ate with Margi and David and very authentically clothed Judy and Kirk.

Afterwards we thoroughly enjoyed the exciting vocalist Jennifer Fair. It was another fun evening.

Larry and Karen

Photos of our cruise are available at the following web site:

picasaweb.google.com/larryworldcruise

Photos of 1001 Arabian Nights in Latitudes have been added.

Day 82 - Muscat, Oman (Day 2 of 2)

2007-04-01T12:42:00.000-07:00

Date: March 31

Location: Day 82 – Muscat, Oman (Day 2 of 2)

Next Port: Salalah, Oman, April 2

Quick Summary: We took an excellent bus tour around Muscat in the morning, hired a cab to take us to a beach resort for lunch and enjoyed another leisurely walk along the harbor corniche in the afternoon. The day was topped off with a pool party with a variety of special food, music and a belly dancer.

Report: It is hard to believe that today is already the 82nd day of our 111-day cruise. It’s also the end of the fourth of six segments. The next segment is from Muscat to Monte Carlo and the last will be from Monte Carol home to Ft. Lauderdale.

Larry believes about 120 people are departing here and around 140 new passengers are getting on. He’ll check it out during tomorrow’s sea day when the bridge is open.

Our 4-hour “Mystical Muscat” shore excursion was excellent. The 20-min., drive to our first stop – the Grand Mosque – took us from the port area through the new commercial, governmental and residential areas of Ruwi. It was marked by beautiful landscaped roads, several beautiful mosques, new construction and fine homes. We passed along Ministerial Row and saw large modern government buildings. We also went by Automobile Row, where most of the car dealerships have been located. Toyota, which has a very large presence on the roads here, is doubling their already huge four-story showroom and administrative area.

We went through the residential district of Shati Al Qurum with many fine large walled homes before pulling up to the Grand Mosque, one of the 10 largest in the world. Built entirely with Sultan Qaboos’ funds, it has been open about five years.

From a distance the huge complex is dominated by a large blue and gold dome and five minarets. The latter are quite different from any we’ve seen…in that they are plain stone, with no decorative gilding or coloring. They represent the five pillars of the Islamic religion: One god (Allah), praying, charity, fasting and pilgrimage (the Haj).

It’s also unusual that non-believers are allowed to visit and take photos inside the worship areas. Naturally, we needed to dress conservatively and remove our footwear while inside. The women in our group had to cover their hair, shoulders, arms to the wrists and legs to their ankles. They did have garments to purchase if anyone needed to.

We fist entered the prayer area for the women…it was quite decorative and large enough to accommodate 700 prayers.

It was a draw-dropping experience to enter the main prayer area for men which is under the main dome. The area contains the largest single piece of hand woven carpet in the world and is made of silk. But one’s immediate attention is given to the 14-meter tall crystal chandelier hanging under the dome. Made of Austrian crystal and German metal covered by gold leaf, it is surrounded by 28 similar but smaller chandeliers. The space is large enough for 7,000 worshippers.

The walls are covered with mosaics and stained glass windows. The entire atmosphere is very serene and pleasant…not gaudy at all. We are not sure that our photos do it justice. We had a similar experience as we did at the Taj Mahal…which we believe this mosque truly rivals.

It was somewhat awesome that we were visiting on a holiday – the Prophet Muhammad’s birthday. Saardi, our guide, said there would be no special family celebrations on this day…just some special things said at prayers in the evening. (This is much different from our Christmas celebrations of the birth of Christ!)

After driving back to the port area, our tour group was given 35 minutes in the Mutrah Souq. Since we had visited this yesterday, we enjoyed a diet drink with friends outside on the plaza.

Next we visited Bait Al Zubair, a small, new private museum. It included exhibits of the traditional male and female dress from Oman’s nine regions, as well as weapons and jewelry. We also visited a traditional reed house model where we were invited to sit on straw mats and cushions. Saardi explained some Omani customs and passed around a sample of a sweet treat. (As we have found with most museums on this voyage, cameras were not allowed inside.)

We then used the old road over the hillside to drop down into the Old City of Muscat. We had a photo-stop at one of the three palaces used by Sultan Qaboos. Al Alam Palace, located on the sea, is used primarily to host visiting dignitaries. It’s protected by two medieval, 16th century Portuguese fortresses perched on the rock outcroppings.

The tour returned us to the ship along the coast highway. We then decided to hire a taxi for a 20-minute ride down the coast to the Shangri-La’s new Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa. It was a great decision.

Enroute we saw some spectacular scenery – barren rocky coastlines, saw tooth mountain tops and sheer cliffs all balanced against a bright blue sea and crashing waves.

The three new hotels that make up the seaside resort are magnificent. We enjoyed a nice buffet out on a patio. Afterwards we walked through the pool area to the beach. Next two it is a man-made 500 meter long gently flowing “lazy river” for tubing. It was a delightful spot.

Out taxi driver had waited for us and drove us back towards town. We got out near the Incense Burner – a while iconic structure that sits atop a small peak along the coast highway – and again walked along the promenade back to the ship.

Capt. Dag delayed the Voyager’s departure from 6:00 to 9:00 so that we could all enjoy another pool bar-b-que under the stars and full moon. There was music and dancing and a tremendous spread of seafood, meats and other delicacies. The daughter of Frankie, the Hungarian guitarist we enjoy so much in the Observation Lounge, has joined this segment. She is a belly dancer and goes by the stage name of Aisha. She delighted everyone with some very spirited dance numbers. She will also be performing nightly in Latitudes which begins an Arabian themed menu tomorrow night. We have opening night reservations.

At 9:00 p.m., we pulled away from the dock with a gentle following wind to a fairy-tale setting of the lighted harbor, palaces, Incense Burner monument and fortresses – capping a terrific visit to beautiful Muscat.

Larry and Karen

Photos of our cruise are available at the following web site:

picasaweb.google.com/larryworldcruise

Photos of Day 2 in Oman have been added.

Day 81 - Muscat, Oman (Day 1 of 2)

2007-04-01T12:38:00.000-07:00

Date: March 30

Location: Day 81 – Muscat, Oman (Day 1 of 2)

Next Port: Salalah, Oman, April 2

Quick Summary: We arrived at the rocky coast of Oman and picturesque harbor of Muscat at about noon. The temps were in the 70s, with a gentle breeze and humidity about 42% – what a pleasant surprise! We spent the late afternoon and early evening walking through the Mutrah Souq (market) and along the harbor front.

Report: Muscat, from the Arabic masquat, means “cliffs.” The city is aptly named for the sharp, sheer cliffs that dominate the landscape and define the districts of this city. Many travelers remark that Oman’s capital feels more Arabian than any other in the Gulf. It doesn’t have the slightly artificial feel which typifies so much of the rest of the region.

Muscat, Mutrah and Ruwi are the capital’s core districts. Muscat, the old walled port area, is the site of the sultan’s main palace, but it has few shops. Mutrah (two miles northwest), where the Voyager docked, is the main trading and residential port area. A few miles inland lays Ruwi, the capital’s modern commercial district.

There are three main forts in Muscat that date back to the 1580’s and the Portuguese occupation of Muscat. All of them are still being used by the police or military and are closed to the public (which is a shame because they would offer tourists some fantastic views).

Oman, which is home to 2.2 million people, at one time was the center of a large empire that reached into present day Iraq, Iran, India and all the way to eastern Africa. The century before the present ruler, Sultan Qaboos bin Said, took the throne in 1970, Oman was something of a backwater – isolated and mysterious. Unlike Dubai in the UAE, under Qaboos, Oman has been more guarded in its rush toward the 21st century – preserving the language, customs and architecture of its ancestors.

For example, to preserve Muscat’s appearance and to encourage it to grow outwardand not upward, city planners have imposed height restrictions on new construction. Buildings that are viewed against a mountain backdrop must be painted white. New districts have been created for specific commercial and governmental purposes.

The Sultan has created modern roads that are fully landscaped. The harbor is lined with a beautiful promenade with decorative sidewalks, granite sea walls and public sculptures. He has created new modern, but understated, sports complexes.

And yes, oil has provided the resources. But it seems that this finite resource is being used wisely for the betterment of all the people. Those on the ship who have been here previously have noticed tremendous improvements to all aspects of life over the years. Now it is a very clean, modern city that still retains a definite Arabian flavor. We fell in love with it at first sight.

We spent the late afternoon walking through the large Mutrah Souq, one of the oldest market places in Muscat. Here one could enjoy the scents of exotic Arabian perfumes and spices and also have the opportunity to buy antiques, silver jewelry, semi-precious stones, handmade Omani clothing and Omani khanjars (daggers). Most of the souq is now covered but used to be open-aired with dirt floors. Many of the shops were just opening for the evening. Then we walked through several city blocks before returning to the Corniche (harbor promenade).

It was great fun to be amongst the people, most whom were dressed in traditional garb. Everyone was very friendly. We talked to a man and wife who were with relatives buying presents for a local wedding the next day. They had driven with their 7-month old twin boys about 100 km to Muscat in the driver’s ed cars from the school where they worked. On the harbor promenade, we met a father and his young son playing with a mechanical toy camel. Another couple out for a Friday evening stroll stopped us and asked where we were from and expressed genuine thanks for coming to their country.

We enjoyed the afternoon very much.

Larry and Karen

Photos of our cruise are available at the following web site:

picasaweb.google.com/larryworldcruise

Photos of Day 1 in Oman have been added

Day 80 - At Sea

2007-03-30T04:20:00.000-07:00

Date: March 29

Location: Day 80 – At Sea (Cruising the Arabian Sea)

Next Port: Muscat, Oman, March 30-31

Report: We spent this sea day catching up on a few things, exercising, playing bridge, attending a lecture on Oman, sorting through our photos and drafting our journal reports.

We also spent considerable time musing among ourselves and others about our visit to India.

Our daily devotional meeting evolved into a general discussion about our experiences in Mumbai and Agra – as did our lunch and dinner conversations.

Many of the 160 travelers who made the trek to and from the airport through the heart of Mumbai and onward to Agra had similar feelings to those we expressed in yesterday’s report. The India we saw – both from the ground and the air – seemed to be an almost hopeless situation. The poverty, personal hygiene and living conditions of so many people have created a desperate situation.

Some of the guests, who didn’t go to Agra, did have a more positive experience. They enjoyed lunch at the large colonial-style Taj Hotel and visited some nice shopping areas. Others saw some clean parks and residential areas.

A few more stats:

· 80% of marriages are still arranged

· In Agra, 50% of the population are Hindu, 35% Muslim (15% in the rest of the country), 15% Buddhist (all living side-by-side in harmony)

· Mumbai has 6 times the number of rats as its population of 20+ million

· India is one of the few democratic countries where religion and politics do mix – and according to our guide that is a problem

· Farmers own their land and it is passed down from generation to generation with each child (including women) getting a share

· 10,000 people a day visit the Taj Mahal, only 20% of them foreigners

We decided we would end this report on positive note, with a few truisms from our great guide, Atul:

· In America you drive on the right-hand side of the road. In Britain they drive on the left-hand side of the road. In India it is optional!

· To drive in India you need a good horn, good brakes and good luck!

Larry and Karen

Photos of our cruise are available at the following web site:

picasaweb.google.com/larryworldcruise

Day 79 - Mumbai, India (Trip to Agra - Taj Mahal and Fatehpur Sikri)

2007-03-30T02:50:00.000-07:00

Date: March 28

Location: Day 79 – Mumbai, India (Visit to Agra: Taj Mahal and Fatehpur Sikri)

Next Port: Muscat, Oman, March 30-31

Quick Summary: Our sunrise visit to the Taj Mahal was a great experience. We were among the first inside the gate and were able to take photos with no one else in the pictures. After breakfast, we traveled to Fatehpur Sikri, the “City of Victory,” built by Emperor Akbar the Great. This vast imperial city was only inhabited for 14 years. On our return to the Agra airport, we had one last surprise stop.

Report: We departed the hotel in electric buses at 5:45 a.m., so that our group would be at the outer gates of the Taj Mahal when they opened at 6:00. We were among the first dozen or so through security.

Therefore, we were able to get photos of the dome in the reflection pool without any people in the pictures. We made our way through the complex and enjoyed watching the Taj be bathed in the changing colors of the rising sun.

We returned to the hotel for breakfast. Larry obtained a few more photos of the beautiful hotel. It’s a shame we didn’t have time to use the magnificent pool.

We were offered three optional excursions before catching our 12:45 p.m. charter flight back to Mumbai. (Some folks just decided to spend the morning enjoying the hotel’s facilities.)

Seventeen of us chose to visit Fatehpur Sikri, “The City of Victory.” You may remember that Emperor Akbar the Great built the huge Red Fort in Agra that we visited yesterday. By the time it was completed in 1571, Akbar had established himself as a great and powerful monarch and the Mughal Empire was at its height. He decided to build a magnificent city on a rocky ridge 37km from Agra.

It took 10,000 workers to construct this imperial capital of more than 500 buildings. It was abandoned though after only 14 years. Some say this was due to the drying up of the city’s water supply from the man-made lake. Others say it was because of politics and fear of marauders. Now, only about 10 percent of the city – its central core – remains. But it is in splendid condition.

There are red sandstone palaces, mosques, administrative buildings, tombs, pools and other perfectly preserved structures – many with domes. Atul was again our guide and provided a running commentary about Akbar and life in this city of 30,000. He explained how many of the walls and friezes would have been painted; how large canopies would have covered the courtyards and that there would have been cushions rugs and finery everywhere.

We know that some people didn’t take this excursion because of the 1:30 hr bus ride. But we have found such rides good learning experiences when visiting new places. One can learn quite a bit about how others live and their culture by being observant and asking questions during such treks. This was certainly the case today.

It took us quite a while to just get out of Agra with market traffic, wandering cows and water buffalo, zigzagging tuck-tucks, overloaded trucks and buses, etc.

Once into the countryside, we observed that wheat was the main crop in this area…and it was all being harvested by hand. (Atul explained that machinery would put people out of work.) Mostly women were squatting in the fields and using small curved knives to cut the wheat. Then they would stack it in small bundles every yard or so. Women also seemed to have the task of making cow paddies and setting them out to dry so they could be used as fuel. They frequently did this in groups and could later identify their portion of the drying chips by leaving a handprint in one of them! We noted that village homes were surrounded by these chips stacked in intricate designs.

Stacked by the side of the road were piles of bricks and stones to be used in road widening…which again was being done mostly by hand. There were also stacks of garbage and debris everywhere…much to the delight of pigs and piglets who were rummaging for food. We also saw several roadside barbers at work…one who had his mirror tied to a tree.

On the return trip to the Agra airport, we had a few minutes of spare time, so Atul made an unscheduled stop in the village of Parara. Our bus pulled up in front of a small house right on the main road. Three Hindi brothers and their families share very small living quarters. We were invited in to meet them and see their small kitchen, courtyard (where they sleep) and two other rooms. Karen had some “pillow chocolates” which the children and the grandfather really enjoyed.

We all then walked down the road about 50 yards – waving to neighbors and being trailed by many – to the small village temple. We were quite the show! It was a great serendipitous experience.

We returned to the airport and met our fellow travelers for the return flight to Mumbai. Once again we enjoyed the first class seating. We were sure they would switch them around on the return flight, but they didn’t.

However, our bus rideback to the ship through Mumbai was anything but first class. The bus was the only really dilapidated one we’ve experienced in 79 days of travel. It had cracked windows, torn curtains and padding, broken arm rests, etc. Thankfully the air conditioning functioned almost adequately.

But the 1:15 hr ride was even more depressing. We went through miles and miles of shanties – and worse. We did hear later from those that stayed in Mumbai that there are some affluent sections of this vast city. We certainly didn’t see any. It is hard to imagine how this city will ever improve the situation for these poor, poor people. These are visions that will be indelibly imprinted in our memory. We had never before seen such squalor and poverty and hope never to see it again.

We eventually made it back to our sanctuary, the Voyager. After quick showers, we joined our fellow cruisers for the sail away on the upper deck. While we had been gone, the QE2 docked behind us. This time their captain responded to Capt. Dag’s departing three long and one short horn blasts with the QE2’s famous deep-throated blast. It still sounds like those ships of old that we’ve all seen in the movies. This is the last time we will cross on our respective World Cruises.

We will have to think more about our visit to India. The beauty of its past certainly was impressive and a sight to behold. And we know that there are many more beautiful lake and mountain regions to explore. But the immensity of the poverty and living conditions in both the big cities and the countryside are beyond comprehension.

One can only pray that the government will be able to more adequately address the people’s needs and that the numerous aid organizations and their workers are able to provide some relief.

Larry and Karen

Photos of our cruise are available at the following web site:

picasaweb.google.com/larryworldcruise

Photos of our second day in Agra have been added.

Day 78 - Mumbai, India (Trip to Agra - Red Fort and Taj Mahal)

2007-03-29T11:20:00.000-07:00

Date: March 27

Location: Day 78 – Mumbai, India (Visit to Agra: Red Fort and Taj Mahal)

Next Port: Muscat, Oman, March 30-31

Quick Summary: Our overnight trip to Agra to see the Taj Mahal and other historical sites was everything we had hoped it would be. A visit to India attacks all the senses. It is an assault that these authors probably won’t be able to adequately describe. Rather, it is one of those things that truly has to be experienced. But in the end, the Taj Mahal is as beautiful as we’ve always heard.

Report: The Voyager pulled into the hazy, busy port of Mumbai at about 6:30 a.m. Once known by its British colonial name of Bombay, Mumbai is home to some 20 million people, with 2,000 new inhabitants arriving daily. (India is only 1/3rd the size of Europe, yet its population is more than one billion people – fully 1/6th of the world’s population.) Mumbai is the country’s financial center and is called the Gateway of India.

A world unto itself, Mumbai hits you with an intensity all its own. The guide books say the “culture is contemporary, vibrant and often aggressive, reflecting both the poverty and affluence of its population.” Well, in our bus ride to the airport for our flight to Agra, we didn’t see any of the exciting trend-setting boutiques, exclusive restaurants, or clean neighborhoods mentioned in the guides.

Being a bank holiday and early in the morning before the streets were filled, our bus cut through the center of town. We only had a few quick glimpses of the large stone colonial buildings and then drove for a bit along the bay. Most of our drive was spent going through miles of abject poverty. It was certainly an eye-opening experience. Shanties with corrugated metal roofs…piled high with debris (or belongings?) dominated the street scenes. People sleeping, bathing, cooking and just existing were everywhere. Everything was caked in dirt. We did see trash trucks being filled and people sweeping some sidewalks, but there is no way they could keep up or even make a dent in the trash and garbage.

We arrived at the small domestic airport for our flight on Jet Airways. Being a charter flight, our departure logistics were somewhat easier than normal. We received our boarding passes before leaving the ship. (Luckily, we were assigned to the 32-seat Club Section of the Boeing 737-900. We’re not sure of the selection process – though they may have been allocated according to the sign-up date for this extra excursion.) Our overnight bags were checked through security in a group and delivered directly to our hotel rooms in Agra. The personal security check was segregated by sex, but was fairly efficient. The women were checked in a screened room.

After settling into the jet, we sat and sat. (Thankfully we were in the roomier front section!) The flight attendants passed out small bottles of lime water; then they passed out Diet Pepsi. And still no word from the cockpit…other than one announcement that there was some miscommunication between their company and air traffic control. After about an hour on the plane with no movement, the cruisers began to get restless! The aisles filled with folks visiting and using the lavatories. Larry had an opportunity to talk to the pilot as he was taking a break in the galley.

Thepilot explained that the Agra airfield is basically an India Air Force base. It is not normally serviced by commercial jets…only a few small Air India and Deccan Airlines turboprops. Jet Airways had obtained flight approval the day before from the Air Force and it had been reconfirmed that morning. But when the pilots began to start up the engines, the clearance was denied by the Air Force. (I explained that after working for the U.S. Air Force for 21 years, I was familiar with such bureaucratic SNAFUS!)

Finally, after almost a two-hour delay, we were off on our 1:40 hr. flight to Agra. The crew served a very good Indian lunch, with real silverware! As we circled to land, we got our first glimpse of the Taj Mahal on the banks of the Jamuna River.

We had a 35-minute ride through Agra to the hotel. Agra was the capital of the great Mughal Empire in the 16th and 17th centuries. Now it’s a sprawling city of about two million people that serves a poor agricultural region and provides services for the 10,000 people a day who visit the Taj Mahal.

Cows wandered everywhere and lay down wherever they wanted. Our guide explained that the cows lying in or near the road benefited by the draft of the traffic keeping off the insects.

The luxurious Oberoi Amarvilas Hotel is truly magnificent. Every bedroom and almost all the public rooms have a direct, unobstructed view of the Taj Mahal…which is less than a mile away.

After enjoying small portions of an Indian buffet (yes, I know, we had lunch on the plane!), we headed off by bus to the huge Agra Fort built near the bend of the river. The fort’s imposing gates, walls of red sandstone and moat dominate the center of the city. It was built by three different Mughal Emperors. Akbar the Great erected the walls, gates and first buildings during the years 1565-1573. Emperor Shah Jehan built the impressive quarters and mosque. Emperor Aurangzeb added the outer ramparts.

It was also here that Emperor Shah Jehan (who had the Taj Mahal constructed) died as a captive of his son Aurangzeb, passing his final days gazing at the Taj Mahal.

We arrived at the Taj Mahal in the late afternoon. For the half mile, we had to transfer to small electric buses – one effort to cut down on the pollution in the area.

The Taj Mahal was Shah Jehan’s enduring monument to love. This beautiful mausoleum is a place of astonishing beauty and an architectural marvel. It is understandable why it is one of the Seven Wonders of the World and the iconic symbol of India.

Emperor Shah Jehan, fifth of the great Mughals, was devoted to his second wife Mumatz Mahal (“Jewel of the Palace). She died at the age of 39 giving birth to their 14th child. He went into mourning for two years – turning away from running an empire and becoming more and more involved with his other great love, architecture.

The Taj was built over a period of 22 years from 1632 by 20,000 workers and artisans. It is constructed of whileIndian marble. As many as 35 different types of precious and semi-precious stones were used in the inlay work.

The Taj Mahal is placed on a high plinth (platform). Four tapering minarets at the corners frame the tomb. (They lean slightly outward so if there were an earthquake, they would not topple into the dome.) The tomb is square and beveled at its corners. A central bulbous dome crowns the structure. It is surrounded by four domed canopies supported by pillars.

The dome is an important component of the Islamic style of architecture, as it is believed to be the link between heaven and earth. While the structure of the edifice represents the material world, the dome symbolizes the vault of heaven. The octagonal part symbolizes the transitional phase between heaven and earth.

There is a large entrance gate built of red stand stone whose arch frames the distant Taj. To each side of the tomb’s raised platform are two identical red sandstone buildings. The one to the left contains a small mosque. The beauty of the Taj Mahal is accentuated by the garden laid out in the Persian four-garden style.

Everything, including the tile pavement designs, is symmetrical and laid out with precise architectural alignment. The only asymmetrical object in the Taj is the casket of the emperor which was built as an after thought alongside the queen’s.

Atul, another very great guide, kept us moving through the large complex – ensuring that we had perfect spots for great views and out of the massive crowds.

We certainly felt lucky to enjoy for ourselves the changing colors of the sunset being reflected on this great monument to love.

We met our group near the entrance and took the electric buses all the way back to our nearby hotel. We enjoyed another Indian buffet and turned in shortly thereafter – with our alarm set for 5:00 a.m. for our planned sunrise visit to the Taj Mahal.

Karen and Larry

Photos of our cruise are available at the following web site:

picasaweb.google.com/larryworldcruise

Photos of our first day in Agra have been added.

Day 76 - Cochin, India

2007-03-26T05:15:00.000-07:00

Date: March 25, 2007

Location: Day 76 – Cochin, India

Next Port: Mumbai, India (Trip to Taj Mahal), March 26-27

Quick Summary: We enjoyed our first experience in India with our visit to Cochin. We explored thewaterways, watched fishermen use the famous Chinese fishing nets, witnessed village life along the river banks and saw two wedding processions. We met delightful children in the old town shopping area and among those who came to watch Voyager’s Sunday evening departure.

Report: Cochin (pop. 1 million) is the anchor of low-lying central Kerala, a region dominated by lazy inland waterways, rice fields and fishing boats. It is one of the largest and oldest ports on India’s west coast. The city is spread out over the mainland, a peninsula and several islands. The airport and port facilities are located on a man-made island.

The state of Kerala has a population of 32 million. Surprisingly, in this Hindu nation, 45% of the Keralans are Christians. That’s probably due to the Apostle Doubting Thomas setting up a series of churches in the region and the colonization by the Portuguese centuries later. The people are very proud that all the religions and races get along in harmony… something we’ve found in many of the places we have visited. (It’s too bad there are so many other areas of the world where they can’t.)

We pulled into Cochinthrough a hazy sunrise right behind the larger QE2 (Queen Elizabeth 2), also on its World Cruise. (She was to remain overnight, but we should see her again in Mumbai. We understand she’s going “round the world in 80 days” vs. our 111.)

We passed by a series of the famous bamboo and teak structures hovering over the waterfront – the famous cantilevered Chinese fishing nets. (We’d see many more on our backwater tour.)

Voyager’s welcoming committee included three elephants with colorful headpieces, costumed riders with umbrellas, dancers with huge headdresses and a loud band. Capt. Dag and Staff Capt. Daniel fed the elephants some fruit while we waited for customs to clear the ship.

It was just a short bus ride to a small tourist boat for a ride along Cochin’s river and backwaters. We saw people fishing in small round boats, more of the Chinese fishing nets and stakes in the water that were connected to other seine nets. We also passed by a tremendous number of small ocean-going fishing boats – many were gaily painted. Many of the boat names were written in English and were of a religious nature.

Along the shore we saw a wedding reception from which our boat attracted lots of smiling and waving boys and men. We also saw a village festival that included some elephants. We passed a large Catholic church and could hear the singing of a children’s choir.

Our tour ended at the Taj Malabar Hotel where we had refreshments and a performance of kathakali, an ages-old Indian dance drama featuring elaborate masks, costumes and many special posed moves depicting various emotions and situations. It was pretty complicated and not particularly exciting sitting under a canopy on a hot, sticky day!

Larry found another local wedding reception going on in the hotel and was able to take some delightful photos of the wedding party. He was unable to take one of the bride as she was another room, and he didn’t want to intrude.

After a quick lunch on Voyager, we headed off in a cab with Judy(Kirk decided to keep the ship running while we were gone!) for the shopping in the old part of Cochin. Larry went along to see the sights.

We had a fun time while the ladies made a few purchases…including a silk sari and lamp globes by Judy and two skirts by Karen…plus a few presents.

We returned to the ship via tuck-tuck…three-wheeled, three-passenger, covered motor scooter taxis. Quite a precarious ride. Thankfully it was Sunday and the traffic was fairly light.

Upon returning to the ship we were once again besieged by poor vendors selling primarily postcards and feather fans. Karen had some of her “pillow chocolates” and gave them to a few of the vendors for their children. We then noticed that lots of families dressed in their Sunday best were beginning to gather for the Voyager’s 6:00 p.m. sailing.

We went to our suite to get some more of the chocolates – Karen has been saving hers for just such purposes. Well, it was a great experience – the highlight of our day. We enjoyed talking to several families and sharing the chocolates with beautiful, smiling, appreciative children.

Our sail-away party included band music, dancing, champagne and special cocktails on the pool deck. Voyager’s departure – accompanied by loud booming horn blasts by Capt. Dag – must have been the major Sunday attraction in Cochin. As we went down the river and out the channel, the sides were lined with thousands of Indians…including one large beach area where there were crowds standing in the water.

We enjoyed the last of the sunset in the Observation Lounge, a couple dances to Frankie’s music, and then dinner in La Veranda with Judy and Kirk. A very enjoyable first day in India.

Now it’s one more sea day before our arrival in Mumbai (Bombay) and our overnight in Agra at the Taj Mahal!

Karen and Larry

Photos of our cruise are available at the following web site:

picasaweb.google.com/larryworldcruise

Photos of our day in Cochin have been added.