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There were so many things I missed on our Costa Cruise. 

·        I missed the towel art.  Even though I may have Useen the swan more times that I can remember, it is always something I looked forward to each evening.

·         I missed the fresh flowers in the prominent areas.

·         I missed our cabin steward knowing our names – small thing but I remember Good morning, Eileen, Good morning April in a quiet voice…it always brought a smile.

·         I missed hearing the captain make some announcements – never actually knew if he was on board or not.  Only ever saw pictures of him on the special nights (but I think it was really Pee Wee  Herman)

·         I missed Name that Tune.

·         I missed the daily puzzles that are posted in the library.

·         I missed North American style meals.

·         I missed sheets and blankets (they use a duvet with a cover).

·         I missed having watermelon.

·         I missed having an atlas in the library or any decent reading material for that matter.

On the plus side of things – and more importantly…The best part of the adventure for me was:

meeting some wonderful new friends  with whom we shared so many laughs and experiences.  As there were only the 30 or so of us that were English as a first language, we formed a close community.  My feeling is that this made the Costa Atlantic crossing so special.  I did converse with people from other countries using the small bits of French and German mixed with English and we could talk about basic things – but only because their command of English exceeded my weak attempts at communication in their language.  This was never was the same as the easy association that I could fall into with the folks that made up our unique and small community.  It made this rather large cruise ship seem much smaller and more intimate.

So, would I recommend a Costa Cruise?  Probably not – although the price was unbeatable – had we been able to get to the 3 ports that we missed, it would have been a greater adventure.  Am I glad I took this trip?  Of course.  There was still lots to learn and enjoy.  For instance I learned that 6.5 days in a row at sea is way too much.  I learned that I didn’t get seasick on really rough seas.  I learned that having a southern gentleman at your dining table say the word “Charleston” is a wonderful thing and forever I will remember the timbre of Bob’s voice and the musical laugh of his lovely wife, Kathy.   It was a grand time!

 

GRAND TURK

Last port of call today, Grand Turk.  Looks as though we are just going to go ashore and shop or find the internet somewhere where it is free and I can sit with a drink and catch up with blogs and mail and and and…

So there wasn’t much to see around the island, but it is soooo flat.  We did go into the small capital city of Cockburn Town and shopped or rather looked around at the little shacks full of souvenir stuff and some other clothing items.  Some were clearly labeled made in India or made in China.  We stopped at a roadside restaurant and had some conch fritters.  Oh my, they were delicious!  To describe the taste I think is that they are a milder clam taste.  Glad I was able to sample that new-to-me food.  After we were finished in town, we took a cab back to the harbour and now I have parked myself in Margaritaville to have some beer and taco salad and put up 2 days worth of blog entries.  Then I had the wrong time and ended up going back to the ship an hour early so I didn’t get them posted.  Now I need to buy a bit more time.  Maybe I can win it back at blackjack tomorrow.

So there really wasn’t much on Grand Turk, but man if a tsunami comes through, I think most of the island is at or below sea level.  There would be nothing left.  Its real claim to fame seems to be that the space capsule bringing John Glenn back to earth landed in the ocean very near here.  I think I hear 18 miles off the coast mentioned.  There is a replica of the capsule and all the tours stop there for a picture.  Since it was on our way to town, our driver stopped so we could take a picture also.

So as ropes slip away from the dock and we pull out of the harbour, we are underway.  The ship’s horn blasts the last 3 times as we set course for Miami and so will end this cross Atlantic adventure. The weather, at times not perfect, was not totally unexpected.  Dublin seems such a long time ago.  One more day at sea and that means two more sleeps and we will home in our own beds.

BEACH DAY

A beach day happened today.  It seems that Costa has a beach on the small island of the Dominican Republic called Catalina Island.  We were tendered ashore and there were lots of beach chairs and waiting umbrellas and sun, sand and water just as expected.

It was a lovely day and such a great place.  Diana and I went about 10:30 and I stayed until about 1:30 and then came home.  Diana stayed a bit longer before catching the tender back to the ship.  While ashore at this lovely spot, I even ventured in the water for a chance to get wet.  The water was wso clear and so refreshing, but with the strong sun, I didn’t want to risk getting burnt.  As it was, I did get some colour even in the brief time that I wasn’t in the shade all day.

There were some vendors at the beach, so I had a chance to practice my bargaining skills once again.  I remember how well I did the first time Peter and I had gone to Punta Cana in the Dominican when we procured the rather large picture that is above the stairs.  Well, it seems I can still get a price I am happy to pay.  I just didn’t have any cash so I was on my way back to the ship to get some cash from the room when I came across Bob and Cathy, our dinner companions.  Bob had money and is now my new best friend.  His money was all wet as he had been in the water, so I carefully peeled off a $20 and 5 x $1 and then went back to the stall to collect my “winnings”. 

At dinner tonight, our waiter made a bird out of a napkin.  (It brought back a good memory of Brian being done up like Lady Liberty.)  Anyway, he had just brought Bob his dessert, then grabbed his serviette and went to work folding, rolling and poking.  Then right before our eyes was a cute little bird.  We all applauded his talent, until Bob went to eat his dessert and then stated that the artwork, although clever, left him without his napkin for the rest of his dinner.  It was a good laugh all around! 

TORTOLA

 

We had to tender into Road Town, Tortola today and it was another beautiful day.  We didn’t have a plan while ashore, so $15.00 to ride the open taxi bus around the island for 2 hours sounded like a wonderful idea.  We were taken all around the shores and overtop of the hills that make up this rather small island.  We had a stop at Cane Garden Bay – one of the most popular beaches.  We didn’t see the long expansive beaches that we saw on Antigua, but still the fine sand, beautiful azure waters and large palms.

There are lots of chickens walking around everywhere.  It seems strange.  I imagine there is a huge offering of chicken on the menus in the Tortola restaurants.  Haven’t seen any cats around, but lots of dogs.  Don’t think there is a spay and neuter programme on the island either.  All of the male dogs that I have seen are intact and they clearly have no leash laws.  The animals don’t seem to be a problem, they just wander around minding their own business.

Christmas has definitely come to the Caribbean Island and the trees that we have seen certainly have different decorations that we are used to seeing at home.  Starfish and shells are predominant and looking quite lovely on their trees.  We were able to enjoy some shopping and a drink while we had our 45 minute stop.  I had a rum drink called a Pain Killer.  Yes it was aptly named.  Perhaps not a drink to be had before lunch…but we are definitely on Island time and it was delicious.  Then back on the bus and back to Road Town.  We were able to walk around town for a bit and see the few stores that were open on a Sunday.  I was surprised – usually when a ship is in port, the day of week doesn’t matter.  There are merchants ready to take whatever dollars are willing to be spent by the tourists.  Different here, there were very few stores open – but enough to poke around in before it was time to catch the tender back to the ship. 

All in all it was a good day.  Back on the ship, I had some luck at a machine in the casino.  I won 80 euros on the Pegasus Machine!  So glad for that win.  I hadn’t spent much overall, but the machines were not even giving a trickle back.  To have this amount go back on the account, gets me back to even for the gambling I have done!  Now if only I could win enough to take care of the WiFi.
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So tomorrow we are having a beach day at the island beach on Catalina Island off the coast of the Domican Republic.  Not sure how long I will last there, but if there is shade and a cold drink I really want to at least get wet in the warm Caribbean Sea.

ANTIGUA

Finally terra firma – Hello Antigua!  We began our day with 2 other couples and a negotiated taxi tour of the island.  It was wonderful.  The language of the island is English and our drive spoke it well.  It was interesting at times when he would roll down the window and talk to a local and the patois between the two of them was impossible to understand.  Our tour was $20 each and was money well spent.  Even adding a tip still made it cheaper than any ship excursion, and I believe that we were able to see more this way.

 

Our tour began at 10:00 and finished around 1:30.  We visited the Interpretive Centre for a short presentation on the beginnings of Antigua.  It was very well done.  We drove to some wonderful view spots and took a few pictures of the stunning scenery.  I don’t think that any pictures do justice to the beautiful azure blue of the Caribbean Sea.  To look out over the water and see the colours first hand as the waves come up and wash onto the beige sandy beaches – well it is definitely the stuff that inspires novels, paintings and romance….well novels and paintings anyway…

After our taxi tour was over, we ventured into the town.  We had lunch at a little restaurant called Hemingway’s and sampled the local beer.  The consensus was that it was a very good beer, but this it was also a very hot day.  You know you are on a cruise when you spot a Diamonds International or a Del Sol store and the various other jewelry, sunglass, perfume, watch aAnd t-shirt stores that line the main street.  It is always fun to poke in and out of each one to see just what they are selling.  If it is t-shirts and the like, there is bargaining that can be done.  If it is jewelry you are looking for, sometimes you can work a deal but it is definitely harder to negotiate with those people.  They must have worked their way up from t-shirts and beads by being somewhat ruthless.  They instantly pull out a scale and a calculator – tools to show you what the weight is and the price and believe me nothing seems like a bargain when you are talking gold, diamonds, tanzanite (yes it’s here also) and emeralds.  Yah – t-shirts and handicrafts seem to be my comfort zone. 

We are in another port tomorrow, Tortola – so we will see what that day brings.

JUST SOME WORDS

Sitting here with bright sunshine, warm temperatures and calm seas….finally a reminder of just why I thought it would be nice to be away in November.  Now that it is December though, I find I am thinking of home.  Course I can’t do much else other than think when surrounded by endless seas – I imagine this is how Noah felt except without the sunshine. One of my lunch mates saw a seagull today.  You have to wonder where the heck he came from and is going to.  We are at least two days sailing from land in any direction and we are moving at a good clip.  Costa TV says we are traveling at 20 knots.  I asked her if she was sure it wasn’t a dove with a branch in its beak.   

Well, that was a few days ago but then I had nothing else to say.  Now we are at our last day at sea and we are due to arrive in Antigua at 8:00 tomorrow morning.  I’m sure there will be shouts of “land ahoy!” reverberating around the deck.  I know I am not alone is saying I am sure looking forward to seeing something other than water.  Our deck even has a crusting of salt that I hope will be removed once we are in port.  The first few bad weather days, the spray was incredible and then the residual sea salt has stayed ever since. 

We crossed the tropic of Cancer the other day and certificates were given to us to commemorate the event.  I never knew that crossing over was an auspicious occasion….but I have the certificate to prove it.  They actually had free tequila drinks to celebrate up on the pool deck.  In the dining room for the evening meal they had a special menu.  Alas, it wasn’t the crab or lobster dinner some were hoping for.  The meals are adequate, but they are not special and most are definitely Italian based.  Their idea of beef is nowhere close to what we are accustomed to in North America.  They serve lots of different varieties of fish and yesterday I had a piece of salmon that was quite delicious.  Often there is veal or chicken and those are pretty safe bets.  Their idea of al dente pasta is just a minute amount of time in the boiling water so that it can’t be confused with being called crunchy.  Then give you a fork and spoon, but it barely bends so twirling it gracefully around the fork is not happening.  Better to give everyone a steak knife to cut it.

The ship has begun to decorate for Christmas with tacky decorations.  The artificial trees they are putting around the ship remind me of the ones that were popular in the 60’s that had about 15 branches of green bristle brush pushed into holes that were drilled in a 6 foot piece of 1.5” green painted dowel.  The garlands festooned around the main staircase are of the same era and the bows definitely could use replacing.  Christmas carols have begun to resonate in the lounges and some of the staff are sporting Santa hats.  I think they should have let us finish our cruise before opening up the dusty old Christmas decoration boxes.

FROM SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ATLANTIC

There is not much happening during the day - or the evening for that matter, on the at sea days on Costa….and we have 6 in a row.  We have made it through 2 and still have 4 more to go.  I usually go to the quiz in the morning – my efforts at answering the questions are abysmal (don’t think I have ever used that word before in a written piece).  When I look in the thesaurus, it says terrible, awful, dreadful, appalling, bad – very bad – and even extremely bad.  I would say that it is a more than adequate word to describe how poorly I do on the quiz.  I usually get the 2 or 3 easy ones (what was the name of the cartoon written by Charles Schultz or who was the King of Rock and Roll who got his start in 1950).  They throw those in so that every player can get 1 right.  Each day, however, back I go again to see just how poor my general trivia knowledge is.  I have given up writing my answers down on any sheet I just nod knowingly, trying to look intelligent as each question is asked and then pretend to be so engrossed in my e-reader to participate….oops tomorrow I better turn my e-reader on.

I have gone to the arts and crafts only to get up and leave before doing the craft that is offered.  I don’t think these people have heard of pinterest.  Surely they could come up with something that is interesting for adults to do.  The Christmas card offering the other day consisted of a piece of folded coloured paper, with glitter glue and some ancient stickers.  Give me a break!  Then came the bookmark – same paper, cut into strips with felts and cut outs.  Arghhhhh.  I did make a beaded bracelet that would do for hopscotch (for all you 50+ you know what I’m talking about) and tomorrow, the craft is called – Make your Carnival Costume – yah you won’t see me making that one either.  I will however, go take a peek and report back on just what it was.

I have become quite a fan of the art in the stairwells.  I am attempting to go up and down the stairs a couple of times each day.  They are very fanciful and a joy to look at.  There is no accredited artist for any of the pieces, but I sure enjoy them.  I went around today and took some pictures – there is nothing outside but water for days and days so may as well use my camera for something. 

The sea has calmed down a lot – we were under “heavy seas” for 2½ days.  It was really tossing us around.  The temperatures haven’t been the best either….for a trip that looked promising, it has held a few surprises for us that are due to the time of our travel.  I see that the temperature in Antigua is 26 C so we will certainly warm up in the next 4 days – it has to!  We haven’t had days to sit outside since Marseille.  Tonight I see that the temperature is 18 degrees, and that is as high as we have seen it yet.  The days we had the heavy seas, the promenade deck was closed.  You could still go outside on the deck with the walking track, but the winds were fierce.  They registered 60 – 80 km on the ship’s channel. 

So, tomorrow is another day.  This will be the third night in a row that we have gone back 1 hour.  As we cross the Atlantic and move closer to Eastern Standard Time.  It seems so funny to have an extra hour of sleep every night.  There are lots of times I think any of us would enjoy that other than at daylight savings, but this is a treat for sure…but wait a minute, doesn’t that make our 6 days crossing actually longer?  Crap – you bet it does!

CADIZ

The morning started out with sprinkles of rain and just as quickly stopped and all in all it was a very nice and sunshiny day.  Cadiz is a nice old city with lots of alleyways to poke around in.  Again we took a hop on and hop off bus – they are the best city tours for the money.    We hopped off the bus in the old city centre and wandered up and down the labyrinth of alleyways.  We were never lost as all alleys lead to a square and then another alley will lead you back to the port. 

There are many city squares with lots of people going about their daily lives and a great many of the people speak some English and can help you find your way.  Wherever we have gone, we are finding everyone so polite and happy to help if they can.

They have some truly beautiful beaches here with fine golden sand.  There is lots of big surf rolling in … and there were lots of surfers out enjoying the big waves.  It is probably only about 15 C and with the wind blowing as it was, there is such a chill in the air.  Wetsuits are a must.  Although we saw one brave soul walking the beach in just shorts.  We had our jackets on with the hoods up and drawn close to cover our ears.  I was glad to get back to the ship to warm up.

You know what we saw here?  No of course you don’t.  Black Friday signs everywhere – telling of great sales in the shops. 

What does the small shopkeeper up one of the tiny alleyways in Cadiz, Spain know of black Friday?  How strange that is.  If someone had told me that we should see such a sight in this small port town, I would have said they were nuts as you are probably thinking right now – but I took a picture of one of the signs just to show you.

We are in port for another 21 hours or so.  Then we will take 6 days to cross the Atlantic.  Having to cancel some of the ports of call and then travel north to avoid the worst of the weather has made it impossible to cross to the Caribbean in only 5 days.  I am looking forward to a few days of down time, but not sure if 6 is too much.  I will find out very soon.

 

 

 

 

 

CHANGE IS NOT ALWAYS GOOD

Our ports have been changed due to the inclement weather.  With the pelting rain and the very strong 100K winds, we could hit 10 meter waves if we proceed.  So instead of Casablanca, we stopped in Tangier. Very quickly they arranged a few tours that we could take and I chose the one to Tetuoin.   We had a lovely bus ride through the country and then were guided through the medina and to a restaurant where had delicious mint tea and cookies. 

It was all very interesting.  The only opportunity for shopping was a carpet place that had some pretty pricey handicrafts.  We were unable to find any bargains there.  I was so hoping to see a market with spices and leather goods and such, but it wasn’t to be.

While watching the bad weather approach, I was able to catch the beginnings of a waterspout.  It was interesting seeing the clouds change and the spout forming.  At one point, I was sure that it reached the water, but due to the distance, I couldn’t be absolutely sure.  I was so happy just to have been looking in the right direction at the right time and get the pictures that I did.

 

We were able to see the Rock of Gibralter although it was slightly obscured by the low clouds.  It was enough that we could tell what it was.  Had it been a nicer day I could easily image what a great sight it must be.

 

 

So with the cancellation of Casablanca, then came the cancellation of Funchal, Portugal and Tenerife Canary Islands.  This nasty low pressure area is staying around for 36 to 48 hours with high winds and big seas.  We are going north to escape and will be arriving in Cadiz, Spain at noon and then tomorrow at 2:00 pm we will leave and take the next 6 days instead of the scheduled 5 to cross the Atlantic to the Caribbean.  We should be back on track by then. 

 

We are told that this is unusual weather and is disappointing, but we will make the best of it.  We are rocking and rolling even on this route.  Not sure what the temperature will be when we get to Cadiz, but the skies are bright so I am optimistic.

COSTA MUSINGS

First at sea day – of only 2 in a row – but 9 altogether.

My expectations of cruising on Costa were not very high after reading on trip advisor, however it is leaving me even more underwhelmed.  Even saying that, the itinerary was the big draw and it is proving to be the greatest part of the adventure and even with only 1 stop, I am enjoying that so very much.

The food leaves a lot to be desired and the service is even worse.  Diana’s cod last night was not cooked – quite pink actually… and she was unable saw through her cantaloupe with the non serrated knife.  I had thin filet of beef that was quite tasty and rare – but the same dish was served to a tablemate and was chewy and overdone.  If you want water at the dining table, you must pay for it.  Diana and I have a water package that came with our cruise ticket, but just try and get a refill – you must ask and are lucky if they are back in 5 minutes.  Three packages of butter for a table of 6 yet the bread baskets are full of dry buns. (European way I suspect…I like the warm soft ones – American style).  Thank goodness I have good teeth.

The buffet service is closed for the day at 4:30 and is not available for dinner.  If you desire something other than the dining room fare, you can pay separately for a pizza or a sandwich.  I have definitely been spoiled by other cruise lines.  The only beverage available without charge for 24 hours…is water from 1 of 3 drinking fountains.  You can only get tea or coffee from 7:00 until 4:30 – when the buffet closes.  The coffee last night in the dining room was Nescafe packages.  Nothing brewed.

When we boarded, we were greeted by our cabin steward, Cecille – I have not seen her since.  So used to the happy greetings of “Good morning, April…Good morning, Eileen” we received on Holland America.  Have not seen nor heard from the captain on board.  At least I hope there is one on board – Costa doesn’t have the best reputation for a captain on  board until the last passenger is off.

The daily calendar of events is quite skimpy.  Today there is a lecture on the upcoming cruise ship ports and the excursion itinerary.  I will attend that to be better informed about our destinations.  I would love to see a cooking demonstration or a tour of the ship galley, but nothing yet.  Yesterday Diana made paper flowers and today is jewelry making.  I might go to that one.

We are at sea for 2 days before we arrive at Casablanca.  With the excursion I have booked, I found that a couple we met from Palm Springs are taking the same one.  I am glad of that.  Diana is not looking to do anything while were are in that port – so it will be nice to have someone English speaking and somewhat familiar to walk with.  I think they say that 5% of the ship are from North America.  This doesn’t surprise me, and a great many of the European passengers can speak English well enough to converse.  They say the language of the ship is English…and with the strong Italian accent, it can be difficult for us to understand, but overall, it works.  Everyone tries – even me – that’s what is important.

Today, we will be going through the straight of Gibralter later in the afternoon and I will be sure to be on the deck for that.  I am not sure what time, but I know it will be interesting and our first sight of land in about 36 hours. 

So there you have it.  I will keep you informed.

 

MARSEILLE

So now as I sit looking out at the harbour in Marseille - all is right with the world.  I am enjoying a café au lait avec sucre et un peu de lait froid.   Ahhhhhh.  The old harbour is full of vessels some for fishing and some for pleasure and high above on a hill sits Notra Dame de la Garde. 


We will take a hop on and hop off bus that will take us to 13 stops around the city.  I am looking forward to having a lovely and relaxing tour of the special spots of the old city of Marseille.  The weather is pleasant enough that we can sit outside on the top of the bus so it should be good for picture taking.  We have English translation earphones - and that is a bonus after our little tour in Savona.

What a great tour of the city on the hop on and hop off.  They are a good overview of the highlights if your time is limited and ours is when we are only in port for a day.  Marseille is a good mixture of vielle and neuveau. 


The port as in all ports is picturesque and we were fortunate to see a European Christmas market.  The temperature is quite warm and lovely sunshine.  So it was nice to do away with coats for a bit.  We were also in the midst of a fish market for a while...some of the offerings were not for our taste...like urchin, octopus, snails (or something like it from the sea) and various other things.  I didn't see anyone buying anything, but there were lots of people, including myself taking photos.

Right now I am sitting with une verre de vin blanc and looking out into the harbour.  This charming restaurant has free wifi and I am taking advantage of it to compose while connected.  I will also download some pictures as it is easier to do while connected also.  Diana has gone back to the ship as she has contracted a cold and not feeling like doing more wandering.

So now on my own, I am able to just sit and enjoy the city and all that it has to offer with people passing by - enjoying the view, resting in quaint little cafe's drinking a wine or a coffee.  Love this - a contented smile is constantly on my face.  Travel is truly amazing.  I don't have to be back to the ship for a while yet, so I will just sit, type and enjoy.

And now I will try and find the bus that I prepaid for and get back to the ship.  I almost feel as though Diana has shared her cold with me, I might stop at the apothecary shop and pick up some cold fx for something similar to halt the symptoms.

I will see you on board tomorrow.  We have an at sea day before I venture off the ship in Casablanca to go see Fez.  13.5 hour tour of which 8 hours is the bus ride to and from, but Pam's ramblings in Morocco have interested me enough that I must venture out there, but not by myself - with a tour.



 

SAVONA

Today was a day of exploration in the old port city of Savona.  What a lovely place.  Via Paleocapa is the central shopping street and is complete covered by a plaster and possibly brick underneath archway which protects the wide sidewalk from inclement weather and possibly deadening heat in the summer months.  It was fun wandering around looking in the shop windows.  Prices are very expensive here – so we really did more looking than anything else. 

We saw two of the Costa ships in the harbour and were glad they were both floating upright.  It is a good sign for our embarkation tomorrow.  As our hotel doesn’t have free WiFi, we found a coffee shop where we could sit and relax and putter on the internet.  Then didn’t chase us away from the table so we were able to catch up on any email and facebook.  I was able to put up the blog from the previous day albeit without pictures attached – I only took two pictures that day anyway.  We enjoyed Café Americano and a café latte for me.  What is it about European coffee that makes it strong, but so delicious – never bitter.  Even the prices aren’t terrible.  Latte was 2 euro and a coffee was 1 euro and good to the last drop!

Ports and old cities are wonderful places to take pictures.  I took lots today and will be glad to share them as soon as I can get them downloaded and into the blog.  We took a little city tour on one of three open cars pulled by a small train looking thing.  All set for our 7 euro adventure to and old fort, a beach and a few other significant areas off we went.  So, the tour was in Italian…the beach was obscured from the road …the fort we saw but didn’t stop and the other significant areas….well we couldn’t understand the Italian but it was a delightful 30 minute ride around on a pleasant day.

Back to wander around the city – oh wait – I forgot about parts of Europe.  They close for 2 hours for lunch and sometimes on a Saturday, they don’t reopen.  We wandered around anyway (bad day to forget to wear the fitbit) and hoped to have early dinner downtown.  Oh I forgot AGAIN, this is cosmopolitan Europe – most of the restaurants close at 3:30 or 4:00 and stay closed to reopen for dinner at 7:00.  So we found a little place and had wonderful fresh bread with tomatoes, arugula, mozzarella and olive oil served open face and toasted.  We had this with wine.  Who knew I would find moscato so easily.  It was a delicious repast that would definitely tide us over for the rest of the afternoon.

Finally after more walking and poking around little alley ways, it was time to make our way back to the hotel.  So another walk to the taxi stand and 15 euro later and we were back in the hotel.  The only channel that was in English was the European Bloomberg Channel and 5 minutes in, I was tired of hearing about South African’s need for dependable power and I was surfing the channels again.  I finally settled on figure skating – that didn’t need English interpretation and was way better than the dozens of shopping channels available for viewing.

We watched the skating for a couple of hours and then at 7:30, we thought we should go have something to eat in the hotel restaurant.  It was more than passable, it was downright delicious.  I had spaghetti carbonara and Diana had the pesto gnocchi.  Together with 2 350 ml of wine, the bill came to 26 euro.  Not bad at all and we had the pleasure of enjoying our meal with a couple from a small town near Venice.  Both the husband and wife spoke English very well and with ein bissl Deutsche, and petit peu Francaise, we were able to figure out everything they were telling us.  It was a pleasant evening.

About our room in Savona….it is certainly decent and even had a towel warming rack in the bathroom that was perfect for drying our handwashing – we now have enough clean underwear to stay 3 more days!  There are no drawers in our room – how very odd.  I guess Gideon was out of luck when he approached the Idea Hotel in Italy.  Now the really weird part…there are mirrors everywhere.  At first I thought we were sharing the room with other people.  Mirror headboard, wall mirror, mirror from desk to ceiling with a cutout for the TV to show through.  We just keep the lights off a lot.

So now back in the room it is bedtime once again and then our embarkation tomorrow!

 
 
 
 

OH IT WAS A VERY LONG DAY

Today was everything I thought it would be for a nasty travel day.  It began with a 15 minute walk dragging luggage to the air coach bus stop to get back to the airport.  We were at the airport in plenty of time for our departure time of 11:05.  We landed in Nice around 2:30 – after losing another hour.  Then we had to find our way to the bus to take us to the train station – it was a bit of a hike dragging luggage again, to get to the street bus stop.  When our bus came, we thought we only had a short way to go.  However, time was passing and we were getting further and further along.  Fortunately, with some help from fellow riders, we were able to get off at the correct stop and dragging our luggage, made our way into the station.  Lots of machines, but not so many people.  Tried to print our prepaid ticket at the machine but no luck.  We found a lady to help us and then, tickets in hand we were ready to get aboard Train 3049 to Ventimiglia leaving at 5:15.  Look on the departure board – wtf there is no train 3049 only a train 3051 to Ventimiglia leaving at 5:52.  If that is the only train departing – we will surely miss our connection from Ventimiglia to Savona.  Back to the kiosk I go to speak to the agent.  Oh you should be fine she says.  It is 4:30 so Diana and I go and sit for a bit….but this is still bugging me.  I go back to the kiosk and fortunately there is another agent there.  So I explain the bothersome part of the different numbers and the possible time conflict.  Ahhhh he says, well, there is a train strike in France right now and there is no train #3049 – it has been cancelled.  So you have to take 3051… Yes – you may miss your train – but there is another train at 8:00 and you can take that one to Savona instead of the 7:00 one you will probably miss.  Back I go to relay the information to Diana and sit now to wait for the announcement of the platform number we should go to. 

There it is on the board Track #5.  So we have to go down to cross under the tracks and come up on the other side at Track #5 … dragging our luggage….wtf what do you mean there are no elevators.  STAIRS…you have to be kidding me.  So we bounce our luggage down the stairs and then bump it up the stairs on the other side – I have to admit we had a couple of kind young men that aided us half way up.  Thank goodness.  Then we had to manoeuver it up the couple of stairs and into the train car.  Finally we are boarded on of first train and thank goodness ... there are 2 empty seats – ohhhh - right across from the toilet.  The trains in Europe are not the wonderful trains we have grown up with in Canada.  You DO NOT want to be sitting anywhere near the toilet.  But it is long day and getting longer – just like this story – so we sit and are glad of it.

I was so glad when we were in Nice that the station attendant printed me out a copy of the stops that the two trains would make along the route to our destination.  Thank goodness for that also.  Otherwise we would have no knowledge of when to depart.  So as we passed each station, we crossed it off the list and that way we were prepared when we had to ready ourselves and our bags to disembark.  We met a nice young man at the Ventimiglia station who would be traveling on the same train.   He helped us with the stairs at this station and we had a nice visit with him up until he had to get off in San Remo.  Then finally Savona signs appeared and we were able to get off the train, get into a taxi and then to the hotel.  Now we are getting into bed.  Our dreadful travel day has ended at 11:00.

Tomorrow -  I can’t think – we will just wait and see.