Dublin, Ireland
“Trust those who seek the truth. Doubt those who claim they’ve found it.” That was written on one of the cobble stone roads in Temple Bar as we ran back to the shuttle bus near Trinity College. We have gotten into the horrible habit of taking the entire day, up to the last second to absorb and experience the numerous cultures we have encountered. And there was no exception here in Dublin today. But, I’ll start at the beginning. I just wanted to get those wise words out of my head. I’m surprised I remembered them this long…
We woke up extra early because there is a lot to see in Dublin. St. Patrick’s, Dublin Castle, the Guinness Brewery at St. James’ Gate, the Book of Kells, Trinity College, Grafton Street. But, I digress. Or progress too quickly, rather. As we were leaving the ship, we ran into a large headed leprechaun in the art gallery, who had just finished taking pictures with passengers on the gangway. I knew our day was off to a good start. We jumped onto the shuttle as it made its way up the River Liffey to the City Center. I was so excited to be back in a place I had once visited (I think the last time I could say this during the cruise was Rome). We ran to a Starbucks across from Trinity College for some warm drinks (it was right around 60 this morning. And cloudy. And spitting rain) before heading up to Dublin Castle. Luckily, we ran into a free walking tour group that had just started, and decided to join quietly without being noticed since there were a lot of people. Unfortunately, the guide called us out (in a good way) before she started talking about where Dublin got its name. It got its name by the way, from the Irish words that mean “black pool,” because the water was dark and muddy. Fiona, our tour guide, showed us all sorts of things like the birthplace of Jonathan Swift, who wrote “Gulliver’s Travels” and “A Modest Proposal,” old Viking settlements, Christchurch, and the area known as Temple Bar. We learned interesting little tidbits about each place, such as the organ that was found in Christchurch was out of tune because they found a very well preserved dead cat in the pipe who had leaped in centuries earlier to chase after a mouse, which was also there. Dublin city council decided to mummify them and put them in the crypt of the church. We also crossed to the north side of the city, over Ha’penny Bridge, which was built by the same company who built the Titanic and when it was first constructed was a private bridge. The toll to cross was a half penny (ha’penny), and enough people crossed it that in today’s currency, the bridge would make over €200,000 a day. That’s a lot of Euros. We also learned some crazy old laws that still exist at Trinity College that were implemented when it was a Protestant institute. For example, if you were a Protestant and you were on the 4th floor of any of the buildings near the Front Gate, and you spotted a Catholic in the courtyard (Catholics were not allowed to attend Trinity until the 70’s), you were not only allowed to, but you were also obliged to shoot the Catholic with a crossbow. That is still a law at the university. Fiona, who just happens to be a student at Trinity, informed us that most students there, even the Catholic ones, would be upset if this law was ever overruled.
After the tour ended, we made our way back to Trinity to see the Book of Kells. It was a little pricey, so I went in alone, since I had wanted to see it since we knew we were going to Ireland and since I hadn’t seen it the first time I was there. Another interesting fact about the book, other than the fact that it was most likely written in the 9th century, was that it was colored with pigments that can not only not be found in Ireland, but that aren’t even available anywhere in Europe. The rich red color seen throughout much of the text, comes from a beetle that is found only in Afghanistan. But it’s not just this specific beetle, it is a pregnant beetle. Only pregnant beetles of this particular species produce the deep orangey-red color. Basically, the monks who wrote this out went through a lot of trouble to make sure they had the necessary pigments to glorify the Word of God. The Book of Kells is kept in a glass case in a very dark room, under very low lights, and the page is turned every day. The page with illustration that I saw was the Temptation of Christ, and it was absolutely beautiful. So many intricate details and colors, it’s unbelievable. From there, you go up these stairs and into the Long Hall, which is just what it sound like – a long hall that is filled to the rooftops with books. Lots and lots of books. I felt like I was in the library from “Beauty and the Beast.” I was in nerdy heaven. Of course, you don’t really check those books out, but hey. And you may know this room from “Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark” where the X is on the ground and Indy hammers into the floor to find the map (Author’s note: Brooke and I sat here for about 10 minutes deciding whether or not we had the right Indiana Jones movie. I apologize in advance if I got them mixed up, but I ended up convincing myself this was the right one. I also apologize for the spelling of “Ark.” Debated that too). There was also a lovely collection of old books from India, my favorite being a sultan’s copy the Qu’ran.
Anyway, I can hear you all screaming at your screens, “Alright already! Enough with the useless, yet interesting facts!” So I will move on. Brooke and I decided that in order to honor Chris and Jack, we would go to a pub and drink a pint of Guinness. In every port they visited, the guys would go to a bar or pub or whatever, and order a local beer. So, we made our way back to Temple Bar with only about 45 minutes to make the last shuttle and chose to drink a pint in The Temple Bar. So, we went to the bar, ordered two pints of “the good stuff” and handed over €5 each. We sat right in front of a man playing guitar and singing great Irish tunes, and drank our pints. Well, I drank our pints. Brooke sipped hers and then looked as if her pint was going to cost her her happiness, so I took over from there. There is nothing better than a pint of Guinness in Dublin, unless of course its two pints. Needless to say, I felt truly Irish – being semi-drunk in the middle of the day. We ran through the streets, and Brooke stumbled upon the aforementioned “wise brick” and said we had to remember it because we didn’t have time to stop and write it down. And I did. I’m awesome. Go me!
Dinner tonight was fairly successful. We sat with a family from L.A. with two boys around our age, one a junior at University of Pennsylvania and the other a senior in high school, hoping to attend Princeton. They were a really enjoyable family, especially since the mother said that she liked me and thought I was funny, after I admitted to drinking lots of wine when I studied in Rome, rather than lying about it. Plus, they knew where Kokomo was! I wasn’t there for this part of the conversation, but Brooke had asked what the parents did, and the father was like, “Well I used to work in this little town in Indiana, I’m sure you haven’t heard of it.” Brooke said, “Well, try me. Anna is from Indiana.” And he used Kokomo as the reference point. He worked on the Air Force base, and was then amazed that we knew what he was talking about. No one ever uses Kokomo as a reference point in Indiana. When we talked to our friends after dinner, they said they planned the whole thing and they were glad we enjoyed dinner. Of course, that was after Johann scared the life out of me and told Paul I needed CPR. They literally make my day every night.
Well, it’s time for bed. We have to meet for our tour tomorrow morning at 7:30. Gross. Let’s hope Scotland is just as amazing as Ireland!
We woke up extra early because there is a lot to see in Dublin. St. Patrick’s, Dublin Castle, the Guinness Brewery at St. James’ Gate, the Book of Kells, Trinity College, Grafton Street. But, I digress. Or progress too quickly, rather. As we were leaving the ship, we ran into a large headed leprechaun in the art gallery, who had just finished taking pictures with passengers on the gangway. I knew our day was off to a good start. We jumped onto the shuttle as it made its way up the River Liffey to the City Center. I was so excited to be back in a place I had once visited (I think the last time I could say this during the cruise was Rome). We ran to a Starbucks across from Trinity College for some warm drinks (it was right around 60 this morning. And cloudy. And spitting rain) before heading up to Dublin Castle. Luckily, we ran into a free walking tour group that had just started, and decided to join quietly without being noticed since there were a lot of people. Unfortunately, the guide called us out (in a good way) before she started talking about where Dublin got its name. It got its name by the way, from the Irish words that mean “black pool,” because the water was dark and muddy. Fiona, our tour guide, showed us all sorts of things like the birthplace of Jonathan Swift, who wrote “Gulliver’s Travels” and “A Modest Proposal,” old Viking settlements, Christchurch, and the area known as Temple Bar. We learned interesting little tidbits about each place, such as the organ that was found in Christchurch was out of tune because they found a very well preserved dead cat in the pipe who had leaped in centuries earlier to chase after a mouse, which was also there. Dublin city council decided to mummify them and put them in the crypt of the church. We also crossed to the north side of the city, over Ha’penny Bridge, which was built by the same company who built the Titanic and when it was first constructed was a private bridge. The toll to cross was a half penny (ha’penny), and enough people crossed it that in today’s currency, the bridge would make over €200,000 a day. That’s a lot of Euros. We also learned some crazy old laws that still exist at Trinity College that were implemented when it was a Protestant institute. For example, if you were a Protestant and you were on the 4th floor of any of the buildings near the Front Gate, and you spotted a Catholic in the courtyard (Catholics were not allowed to attend Trinity until the 70’s), you were not only allowed to, but you were also obliged to shoot the Catholic with a crossbow. That is still a law at the university. Fiona, who just happens to be a student at Trinity, informed us that most students there, even the Catholic ones, would be upset if this law was ever overruled.
After the tour ended, we made our way back to Trinity to see the Book of Kells. It was a little pricey, so I went in alone, since I had wanted to see it since we knew we were going to Ireland and since I hadn’t seen it the first time I was there. Another interesting fact about the book, other than the fact that it was most likely written in the 9th century, was that it was colored with pigments that can not only not be found in Ireland, but that aren’t even available anywhere in Europe. The rich red color seen throughout much of the text, comes from a beetle that is found only in Afghanistan. But it’s not just this specific beetle, it is a pregnant beetle. Only pregnant beetles of this particular species produce the deep orangey-red color. Basically, the monks who wrote this out went through a lot of trouble to make sure they had the necessary pigments to glorify the Word of God. The Book of Kells is kept in a glass case in a very dark room, under very low lights, and the page is turned every day. The page with illustration that I saw was the Temptation of Christ, and it was absolutely beautiful. So many intricate details and colors, it’s unbelievable. From there, you go up these stairs and into the Long Hall, which is just what it sound like – a long hall that is filled to the rooftops with books. Lots and lots of books. I felt like I was in the library from “Beauty and the Beast.” I was in nerdy heaven. Of course, you don’t really check those books out, but hey. And you may know this room from “Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark” where the X is on the ground and Indy hammers into the floor to find the map (Author’s note: Brooke and I sat here for about 10 minutes deciding whether or not we had the right Indiana Jones movie. I apologize in advance if I got them mixed up, but I ended up convincing myself this was the right one. I also apologize for the spelling of “Ark.” Debated that too). There was also a lovely collection of old books from India, my favorite being a sultan’s copy the Qu’ran.
Anyway, I can hear you all screaming at your screens, “Alright already! Enough with the useless, yet interesting facts!” So I will move on. Brooke and I decided that in order to honor Chris and Jack, we would go to a pub and drink a pint of Guinness. In every port they visited, the guys would go to a bar or pub or whatever, and order a local beer. So, we made our way back to Temple Bar with only about 45 minutes to make the last shuttle and chose to drink a pint in The Temple Bar. So, we went to the bar, ordered two pints of “the good stuff” and handed over €5 each. We sat right in front of a man playing guitar and singing great Irish tunes, and drank our pints. Well, I drank our pints. Brooke sipped hers and then looked as if her pint was going to cost her her happiness, so I took over from there. There is nothing better than a pint of Guinness in Dublin, unless of course its two pints. Needless to say, I felt truly Irish – being semi-drunk in the middle of the day. We ran through the streets, and Brooke stumbled upon the aforementioned “wise brick” and said we had to remember it because we didn’t have time to stop and write it down. And I did. I’m awesome. Go me!
Dinner tonight was fairly successful. We sat with a family from L.A. with two boys around our age, one a junior at University of Pennsylvania and the other a senior in high school, hoping to attend Princeton. They were a really enjoyable family, especially since the mother said that she liked me and thought I was funny, after I admitted to drinking lots of wine when I studied in Rome, rather than lying about it. Plus, they knew where Kokomo was! I wasn’t there for this part of the conversation, but Brooke had asked what the parents did, and the father was like, “Well I used to work in this little town in Indiana, I’m sure you haven’t heard of it.” Brooke said, “Well, try me. Anna is from Indiana.” And he used Kokomo as the reference point. He worked on the Air Force base, and was then amazed that we knew what he was talking about. No one ever uses Kokomo as a reference point in Indiana. When we talked to our friends after dinner, they said they planned the whole thing and they were glad we enjoyed dinner. Of course, that was after Johann scared the life out of me and told Paul I needed CPR. They literally make my day every night.
Well, it’s time for bed. We have to meet for our tour tomorrow morning at 7:30. Gross. Let’s hope Scotland is just as amazing as Ireland!
Day at Sea #3
I couldn’t sleep in at all today. I think it was because I spent all day in bed yesterday, but I’ve been up since around 7, maybe even earlier. I couldn’t stand to watch another movie, mostly because we’ve seen them all a hundred times since boarding. So, I forced myself back to sleep for a bit until someone else woke up, but ended up just laying in bed with my eyes shut for 2 hours. The waters have calmed only slightly, so it’s still awkward to walk around. From our breakfast table, we noticed that it was sunny out, so we ventured up to the top to snatch some beach chairs. Despite the sunshine, it couldn’t have been more than 60, which is far too cold to sit out in. But, I was getting antsy in the room, so I went back out in jeans and a tank top and sweater and set up camp in front of the big screen. I caught the end of “Alice in Wonderland,” but then turned my full attention to my book, The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks. I started feeling my arms burn as the sun shone down with all its might, so I ran back to the room and put on my swimsuit and grabbed my crazy beach hat. The girls were lying in their beds watching “Bright Star,” which was very tempting, but the sunshine was more inviting to me. I read about half my book while the Stevie Wonder concert played in front of me and then changed to “How to Train Your Dragon.” I watched it and read, while also partaking in some of the best people watching known to mankind after Wal-Mart. Cruisers are the most ridiculous people to watch, especially considering that I myself was in a swimsuit with sun glasses that cover half of my face while under a large brim sunhat and covered up with a towel and sweater. I’m sure someone found me just as entertaining as I found the man with a blonde ponytail and tiny red Speedo. It was disturbing, to say the least.
When it was time for dinner, we decided that we missed Zanina, Johann and Paul too much not to visit them in Michelangelo, so we gave it one more chance. And as soon as we got to the door, we were interrogated like criminals. They were asking, “Why have you betrayed us and gone to Da Vinci? We know that you have been eating there. Are you avoiding us? Do you not like us anymore? What is going on??” We tried to explain to them that we needed better dinner company or we would permanently move upstairs to Da Vinci. Johann, the headwaiter, promised us he would do his best, and put us at a table for 6. However, no one showed up to our table. We ate alone. Which I guess is better than eating with demon children or stuffy older people, but it was still sort of sad.
We went away feeling only slightly sad, but knew we would find solace in Crooner’s. And we did. Earlier today, Brooke and I were trying to come up with songs to request, but couldn’t think of anything that wasn’t sad. Don’t know why, but oh well. We wondered out loud if he could play Jimmy Buffett, but doubted it because we weren’t sure British people know who he is. We were mistaken. He did. He even knew “Margaritaville.” We were definitely put into a good mood. And then it got sort of better. Alex, a Russian bartender in Crooner’s, asked us if we would like to try to figure out a trick, and if we did, he would give us free drinks for the rest of the night, and then even call his friends in Skywalkers and tell them what we did and the same free drinks would be offered there. We had nothing to lose, so we accepted the challenge. Without going into too much detail about it and giving away the answer (I want to see who can get it when we get home), I will just say that we got it, but not exactly. There was one minor detail, about what could and could not touch the apparatus that we missed. But Alex was unyielding and simply told us we were the smartest girls he’s ever met and did not share with us free martinis. Needless to say, we were not that happy with Alex, and left after Martin’s version of Alicia Key’s “If I Ain’t Got You.” Its okay, we thought. We have to be up early for Dublin in the morning anyways…
When it was time for dinner, we decided that we missed Zanina, Johann and Paul too much not to visit them in Michelangelo, so we gave it one more chance. And as soon as we got to the door, we were interrogated like criminals. They were asking, “Why have you betrayed us and gone to Da Vinci? We know that you have been eating there. Are you avoiding us? Do you not like us anymore? What is going on??” We tried to explain to them that we needed better dinner company or we would permanently move upstairs to Da Vinci. Johann, the headwaiter, promised us he would do his best, and put us at a table for 6. However, no one showed up to our table. We ate alone. Which I guess is better than eating with demon children or stuffy older people, but it was still sort of sad.
We went away feeling only slightly sad, but knew we would find solace in Crooner’s. And we did. Earlier today, Brooke and I were trying to come up with songs to request, but couldn’t think of anything that wasn’t sad. Don’t know why, but oh well. We wondered out loud if he could play Jimmy Buffett, but doubted it because we weren’t sure British people know who he is. We were mistaken. He did. He even knew “Margaritaville.” We were definitely put into a good mood. And then it got sort of better. Alex, a Russian bartender in Crooner’s, asked us if we would like to try to figure out a trick, and if we did, he would give us free drinks for the rest of the night, and then even call his friends in Skywalkers and tell them what we did and the same free drinks would be offered there. We had nothing to lose, so we accepted the challenge. Without going into too much detail about it and giving away the answer (I want to see who can get it when we get home), I will just say that we got it, but not exactly. There was one minor detail, about what could and could not touch the apparatus that we missed. But Alex was unyielding and simply told us we were the smartest girls he’s ever met and did not share with us free martinis. Needless to say, we were not that happy with Alex, and left after Martin’s version of Alicia Key’s “If I Ain’t Got You.” Its okay, we thought. We have to be up early for Dublin in the morning anyways…
Day at Sea #2
I woke up this morning and told Brooke and Jess that I dreamt that the waves were so bad, I could feel myself being lifted off the bed. However, they informed me that that was not a dream, and that I most likely had. Jessica got up earlier than us and got coffee, informing us that the waves were about 12 feet high. And you could tell. Everyone walking through the ship looked drunk, which I admit has been very amusing to watch. But, we spent the entire day in bed, watching movies because none of us could get out of bed without feeling like we were dying. Plus, it is freezing outside. Not literally, but comparatively. And plus, no one is allowed on the upper decks because the water is so rough. We watched Ice Age 3, G-Force, Dear John, The Boys Are Back, An Affair to Remember, and The Notebook. Talk about being movied out. Whew.
We forced ourselves to get ready for dinner, seeing as it was a formal night. And since we’d had such a great dinner in Da Vinci last night, we tried it again. And we got an even better couple – Vikki and Bill. They were from Atlanta, and just had the best accents. Vikki even made fun of Southern accents because she thought one of her cousins was over exaggerating when she exclaimed at a party once – “Mutha, this peacan pai is ta dai fao!” (Translation: “Mom, this pecan pie is to die for.”) And ever since then, we’ve been saying it randomly, with passersby giving us death stares occasionally. But back to their story. They offered it up without us even asking, therefore they were awarded bonus points in our minds! Well actually, they told us how Bill proposed first, so here is that story. Anyways, Bill admitted to being a complete romantic before they told us the story, so we knew it had to be good. They are an older couple who got married later in life, and you need to know that for this story to make sense. They had been dating a while, and Bill had never brought up marriage. Vikki wanted to know if she was just wasting her time, because after all, she was “no spring chicken.” So, she asked him and he said to her, “I don’t want to talk about it unless I plan on doing it.” And that did not please Vikki. It actually was a “splash of cold water” to her, but she stayed with him none the less. A month or so went by, and they had planned a trip to NYC to visit Bill’s brother and friend and their girlfriends. They planned a triple date type thing in the restaurant at the top of one of the Twin Towers. Vikki was distracted and looking around at the beautiful skyline of the city, when Bill stood up and started offering a toast to the group. Vikki admitted that she wasn’t paying attention, until all of a sudden Bill said something to the effect of “And I wanted you all to witness my proposing marriage to my beautiful girlfriend, Vikki.” She snapped out of her daydreams and immediately said yes.
Now, back to how they met. They both worked at a bank and Vikki was higher up in the ranks, in charge of the hiring department. Bill wanted to hire a man who didn’t meet all of the qualifications, but thought he deserved the job nonetheless. He went to Vikki who said quite frankly that there was nothing she could do and that company policies were policies for a reason. Bill told her she was wrong, and Vikki said she went home and realized that Bill had opened her eyes to the cruelty of the situation and then she couldn’t stop thinking about him. She stepped down from her position and immediately called Bill, who then simply asked her if she liked the Atlanta Braves. The very next day, he took her to their game against the Reds, and they have been together ever since. Bill actually still has the tickets to the game framed, and that was about the cutest thing ever. They completely made my night.
But then we went to see Martin Kaye’s tribute to Elton John, and that made my night a little more. And we sat on the side of the piano where we could actually see him playing. I am still amazed at how gifted he is. Plus, he played with no music in front of him, like he does every night. We changed into jeans and sweatshirts, Jessica went to bed, and Brooke and I went to the back of the ship to sit outside and chat. However, we also discovered the late night buffet. Which is a good thing, because otherwise, I would have been there every night. Since boarding, we have only had dessert after dinner maybe 4 times, and it has been hard. And this buffet had all sorts of desserts. Since Jessica was in bed, we decided to indulge just a tiny bit with chocolate cheesecake, brownies, and some other chocolatey goodness. Sadly, it was not as delicious as it sounds. It was almost regrettable, but we decided it was a good decision none the less and that Jessica wouldn’t find out. Well, at least until she reads this or someone rats us out to her…
After we looked out into the black abyss of the night on the Atlantic, we headed back up to Skywalkers. You can imagine our disappointment in ourselves when we got out of the elevator to the Cupid Shuffle. I’m starting to think that the DJ can just sense when we come in and plays it immediately. But, since we were in comfy shoes and clothes, we sat it out and enjoyed the insanity of the couples busting some moves on the dance floor. Brent and Alex joined us for a bit, and we just chatted about all sorts of nothing before heading back down to our room. And that’s where we are now. About to pass out…
We forced ourselves to get ready for dinner, seeing as it was a formal night. And since we’d had such a great dinner in Da Vinci last night, we tried it again. And we got an even better couple – Vikki and Bill. They were from Atlanta, and just had the best accents. Vikki even made fun of Southern accents because she thought one of her cousins was over exaggerating when she exclaimed at a party once – “Mutha, this peacan pai is ta dai fao!” (Translation: “Mom, this pecan pie is to die for.”) And ever since then, we’ve been saying it randomly, with passersby giving us death stares occasionally. But back to their story. They offered it up without us even asking, therefore they were awarded bonus points in our minds! Well actually, they told us how Bill proposed first, so here is that story. Anyways, Bill admitted to being a complete romantic before they told us the story, so we knew it had to be good. They are an older couple who got married later in life, and you need to know that for this story to make sense. They had been dating a while, and Bill had never brought up marriage. Vikki wanted to know if she was just wasting her time, because after all, she was “no spring chicken.” So, she asked him and he said to her, “I don’t want to talk about it unless I plan on doing it.” And that did not please Vikki. It actually was a “splash of cold water” to her, but she stayed with him none the less. A month or so went by, and they had planned a trip to NYC to visit Bill’s brother and friend and their girlfriends. They planned a triple date type thing in the restaurant at the top of one of the Twin Towers. Vikki was distracted and looking around at the beautiful skyline of the city, when Bill stood up and started offering a toast to the group. Vikki admitted that she wasn’t paying attention, until all of a sudden Bill said something to the effect of “And I wanted you all to witness my proposing marriage to my beautiful girlfriend, Vikki.” She snapped out of her daydreams and immediately said yes.
Now, back to how they met. They both worked at a bank and Vikki was higher up in the ranks, in charge of the hiring department. Bill wanted to hire a man who didn’t meet all of the qualifications, but thought he deserved the job nonetheless. He went to Vikki who said quite frankly that there was nothing she could do and that company policies were policies for a reason. Bill told her she was wrong, and Vikki said she went home and realized that Bill had opened her eyes to the cruelty of the situation and then she couldn’t stop thinking about him. She stepped down from her position and immediately called Bill, who then simply asked her if she liked the Atlanta Braves. The very next day, he took her to their game against the Reds, and they have been together ever since. Bill actually still has the tickets to the game framed, and that was about the cutest thing ever. They completely made my night.
But then we went to see Martin Kaye’s tribute to Elton John, and that made my night a little more. And we sat on the side of the piano where we could actually see him playing. I am still amazed at how gifted he is. Plus, he played with no music in front of him, like he does every night. We changed into jeans and sweatshirts, Jessica went to bed, and Brooke and I went to the back of the ship to sit outside and chat. However, we also discovered the late night buffet. Which is a good thing, because otherwise, I would have been there every night. Since boarding, we have only had dessert after dinner maybe 4 times, and it has been hard. And this buffet had all sorts of desserts. Since Jessica was in bed, we decided to indulge just a tiny bit with chocolate cheesecake, brownies, and some other chocolatey goodness. Sadly, it was not as delicious as it sounds. It was almost regrettable, but we decided it was a good decision none the less and that Jessica wouldn’t find out. Well, at least until she reads this or someone rats us out to her…
After we looked out into the black abyss of the night on the Atlantic, we headed back up to Skywalkers. You can imagine our disappointment in ourselves when we got out of the elevator to the Cupid Shuffle. I’m starting to think that the DJ can just sense when we come in and plays it immediately. But, since we were in comfy shoes and clothes, we sat it out and enjoyed the insanity of the couples busting some moves on the dance floor. Brent and Alex joined us for a bit, and we just chatted about all sorts of nothing before heading back down to our room. And that’s where we are now. About to pass out…
Lisbon, Portugal
What to say about Lisbon… I have not a clue. There was not a whole lot to do, but then again we weren’t expecting much. The architecture there is interesting and eclectic. It seems to have several influences but nothing really that it can call its own. There is a strange mini Eiffel Tower type thing in the narrow street between buildings that was designed by a student of Eiffel. The longest suspension bridge in Europe (a mile-and-a-half-long) is also located in Lisbon; however, it was designed to be very similar to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. There are also many Spanish and Italian looking buildings, with a little bit of French thrown in too. They do, however, cover their buildings in tiles called Azulejos. They are usually blue (obviously) and white, but can sometimes be all sorts of colors, and is the main art form of Portugal.
The shuttle dropped us off in the center of town, and it looked busier than I expected it to be. It turns out that Portugal was playing in the World Cup, and there were screens and stands set up all over the city center to allow its citizens to gather together and watch. And did they watch. They sat on top of bus shelters, on each other’s shoulders, on trash cans, and anywhere else that even slightly resembled a seat. Any where you were in the city, you could hear the celebration when something good happened, and the disappointment of an error. All of the bars and restaurants were also showing the game, and there was no places to sit anywhere near a TV. We wandered around, taking a few pictures and avoiding the crowds as much as possible. We found an internet café and spent a while there just because we could. And because it only cost €2 for an hour, whereas on the ship an hour would cost $45. Makes me sick to think of that. Anyways, we got back on the last bus (we almost missed it because we didn’t pay attention to the time of the last shuttle… anyone else noticing a pattern here??) and got back to the ship.
Tonight, we ventured up the Da Vinci dining room because of the incident last night and in hopes of better company. And we found it, in the form of a couple from L.A. Their names were Ken and Sherri, and they were just about the cutest couple yet. We decided to start up our earlier tradition of asking couples how they met, and this one may be one of my favorites. We asked them, and Ken simply said, “I picked her up a bar.” Sherri decided to go into more detail, as did Ken (he admitted he just liked to say that line to see people’s reactions) and their story goes like this. Ken was out with his friends, and was checking out all of the women, but all of them were the same until he got to Sherri. Sherri was forced out of her house that night because her girlfriends wanted to go out and she was already ready for bed. Ken had to make three trips to the bathroom in order to make sure Sherri didn’t have a ring, and when he was sure she didn’t, he asked her to dance. And they did. And three weeks later, he proposed. She didn’t say yes immediately, but 6 months later they were married. And they bought a house a few years later that they have been redecorating and renovating for the past 15 years or so. From their description of the state of the house when they bought it, it seemed like it belonged to a crazy cat woman who loved all the colors of the rainbow. Anyways, they’ve been together for 25 years and are just as in love now as they were in 1985 at the cowboy bar they met in.
The shuttle dropped us off in the center of town, and it looked busier than I expected it to be. It turns out that Portugal was playing in the World Cup, and there were screens and stands set up all over the city center to allow its citizens to gather together and watch. And did they watch. They sat on top of bus shelters, on each other’s shoulders, on trash cans, and anywhere else that even slightly resembled a seat. Any where you were in the city, you could hear the celebration when something good happened, and the disappointment of an error. All of the bars and restaurants were also showing the game, and there was no places to sit anywhere near a TV. We wandered around, taking a few pictures and avoiding the crowds as much as possible. We found an internet café and spent a while there just because we could. And because it only cost €2 for an hour, whereas on the ship an hour would cost $45. Makes me sick to think of that. Anyways, we got back on the last bus (we almost missed it because we didn’t pay attention to the time of the last shuttle… anyone else noticing a pattern here??) and got back to the ship.
Tonight, we ventured up the Da Vinci dining room because of the incident last night and in hopes of better company. And we found it, in the form of a couple from L.A. Their names were Ken and Sherri, and they were just about the cutest couple yet. We decided to start up our earlier tradition of asking couples how they met, and this one may be one of my favorites. We asked them, and Ken simply said, “I picked her up a bar.” Sherri decided to go into more detail, as did Ken (he admitted he just liked to say that line to see people’s reactions) and their story goes like this. Ken was out with his friends, and was checking out all of the women, but all of them were the same until he got to Sherri. Sherri was forced out of her house that night because her girlfriends wanted to go out and she was already ready for bed. Ken had to make three trips to the bathroom in order to make sure Sherri didn’t have a ring, and when he was sure she didn’t, he asked her to dance. And they did. And three weeks later, he proposed. She didn’t say yes immediately, but 6 months later they were married. And they bought a house a few years later that they have been redecorating and renovating for the past 15 years or so. From their description of the state of the house when they bought it, it seemed like it belonged to a crazy cat woman who loved all the colors of the rainbow. Anyways, they’ve been together for 25 years and are just as in love now as they were in 1985 at the cowboy bar they met in.
Gibraltar, Great Britain
We docked in Gibraltar earlier than we thought we were supposed to today, but we didn’t leave the ship until around 11, so we sort of got to sleep in! It makes me happy to be able to do that! Anyways, we got off the ship and walked down the one street towards the cable cars that would take us to the top of The Rock. I guess here is where I should talk a little bit about Gibraltar. It is a dependent of Great Britain, and is located on a small tip of the southernmost tip of Spain. Gibraltar is 2.75 miles long, three-quarters of a mile wide and 1,396 feet in height. There is quite a lot of history to the area, like wars over control of the land and whatnot, but what is most important is that there are wild monkeys all over The Rock. Now, most of you may know that I am anti-monkeys-for-pets, but I could hardly resist the native Barbary Apes and I wanted to take them home with me. But, I’ll get to that later. Back to some historical significance. There were some extensive tunnels (about 30 miles worth) built at the north end of The Rock during World War II, but they were not really needed so they are just there to look at now.
We got to the queue for the cable cars, but we a taxi driver came up offer us a lot more for our money, so we loaded up with two other families and made our way to the top of The Rock. We started off the tour at the Pillars of Hercules, just below the highest point. We could see Africa, or more specifically Morocco, from this point since it is only 8 miles away. We climbed back into the van and made our way to St. Michael’s Cave. I was super excited for the caves because I like caves, but Brooke and Jessica seemed a little less enthused by them. However, they quickly changed their minds when we entered. The cave is large and filled with beautiful stalactites, illuminated with all colors. The Romans named the cave after St. Michael when they had control of the land because he was the patron saint of the area, or something like that, but it was also said that the ancient Greeks believed this cave to be one of two entrances to the underworld and Hades. There is an amphitheatre that hosts all sorts of things from concerts to weddings in the cave, and that was also amazing to see. Almost makes me want to get married there… but it’s too wet, so scratch that. We piled back into the van to go to the highest point on the Upper Rock and to visit the apes!
The view was phenomenal from a spot at the top of a staircase that seemingly went nowhere. The highest peak can easily be viewed from there, as well as Africa again. The Rock itself was almost white-washed and covered in green. Add in all of different shades of blue for as far as you can see, and you have one breathe taking scene. After I took about a thousand pictures worthy of the cover of National Geographic, I rejoined Brooke and Jessica at the bottom of the staircase, where they had been distracted with the apes. There was a momma ape with a baby, which our cab driver called an apelette, several small teenaged apes, and then giant, mean daddy apes. They didn’t like that all of the small ones got attention, so just as the teens almost jumped on you, the huge ones would come and try to take over. We avoided the big ones at all costs. After about 15 minutes of this, we headed towards the WWII tunnels at the north end. Out in front of the tunnels, a ledge offers views of Spain and the Gibraltar airport, which consists of one landing strip that separates the two countries. We watched a plane take off down below us, and then noticed something curious. As soon as the plane was safely on its way to some far off destination, cars and pedestrians started crossing over the airstrip. One of the craziest things I’ve ever seen. We then wandered into the tunnels, but there wasn’t much to see, so we waited for the other families to finish up and loaded into the van one last time. Oh, I forgot to mention how scary the roads were. They were the narrowest things I’ve ever seen and there was hardly a guardrail to protect us from plummeting to untimely deaths. The roads were also very steep, so sometimes it felt like we were in a plane that was taking off. I tried not to look out the windows, but it was sort of hard because it was just beautiful.
We got back down to earth, and wandered a little more, in search of more monkeys, but it didn’t happen and we were running late, as usual, so we ran back to the ship. And nothing more has happened tonight. Oh, except that we had the worst dinner company yet. Usually, one of us isn’t amused with our dinner companions, but tonight all three of us strongly disliked the guests, so we are going to boycott the Michelangelo dining room for a bit. The only thing I can really think of that they did was yell at our friend Paul for a wine mix up that was completely their fault. We tried to defend his honor, but the woman would not have it. Anyways, we took it easy tonight because the water has gotten significantly rougher and we all know how that goes for me. Yup, I’ve taken Dramamine and I am now waiting for it to kick in. We get an extra hour of sleep because of a time zone change AND we don’t get into Lisbon until noon tomorrow. Great night of sleep for me…
We got to the queue for the cable cars, but we a taxi driver came up offer us a lot more for our money, so we loaded up with two other families and made our way to the top of The Rock. We started off the tour at the Pillars of Hercules, just below the highest point. We could see Africa, or more specifically Morocco, from this point since it is only 8 miles away. We climbed back into the van and made our way to St. Michael’s Cave. I was super excited for the caves because I like caves, but Brooke and Jessica seemed a little less enthused by them. However, they quickly changed their minds when we entered. The cave is large and filled with beautiful stalactites, illuminated with all colors. The Romans named the cave after St. Michael when they had control of the land because he was the patron saint of the area, or something like that, but it was also said that the ancient Greeks believed this cave to be one of two entrances to the underworld and Hades. There is an amphitheatre that hosts all sorts of things from concerts to weddings in the cave, and that was also amazing to see. Almost makes me want to get married there… but it’s too wet, so scratch that. We piled back into the van to go to the highest point on the Upper Rock and to visit the apes!
The view was phenomenal from a spot at the top of a staircase that seemingly went nowhere. The highest peak can easily be viewed from there, as well as Africa again. The Rock itself was almost white-washed and covered in green. Add in all of different shades of blue for as far as you can see, and you have one breathe taking scene. After I took about a thousand pictures worthy of the cover of National Geographic, I rejoined Brooke and Jessica at the bottom of the staircase, where they had been distracted with the apes. There was a momma ape with a baby, which our cab driver called an apelette, several small teenaged apes, and then giant, mean daddy apes. They didn’t like that all of the small ones got attention, so just as the teens almost jumped on you, the huge ones would come and try to take over. We avoided the big ones at all costs. After about 15 minutes of this, we headed towards the WWII tunnels at the north end. Out in front of the tunnels, a ledge offers views of Spain and the Gibraltar airport, which consists of one landing strip that separates the two countries. We watched a plane take off down below us, and then noticed something curious. As soon as the plane was safely on its way to some far off destination, cars and pedestrians started crossing over the airstrip. One of the craziest things I’ve ever seen. We then wandered into the tunnels, but there wasn’t much to see, so we waited for the other families to finish up and loaded into the van one last time. Oh, I forgot to mention how scary the roads were. They were the narrowest things I’ve ever seen and there was hardly a guardrail to protect us from plummeting to untimely deaths. The roads were also very steep, so sometimes it felt like we were in a plane that was taking off. I tried not to look out the windows, but it was sort of hard because it was just beautiful.
We got back down to earth, and wandered a little more, in search of more monkeys, but it didn’t happen and we were running late, as usual, so we ran back to the ship. And nothing more has happened tonight. Oh, except that we had the worst dinner company yet. Usually, one of us isn’t amused with our dinner companions, but tonight all three of us strongly disliked the guests, so we are going to boycott the Michelangelo dining room for a bit. The only thing I can really think of that they did was yell at our friend Paul for a wine mix up that was completely their fault. We tried to defend his honor, but the woman would not have it. Anyways, we took it easy tonight because the water has gotten significantly rougher and we all know how that goes for me. Yup, I’ve taken Dramamine and I am now waiting for it to kick in. We get an extra hour of sleep because of a time zone change AND we don’t get into Lisbon until noon tomorrow. Great night of sleep for me…
Day at Sea #1
As Brooke and Jessica just pointed out to me, it’s sort of pointless to blog about these days because literally nothing exciting happens. However, I feel sort of wrong if I don’t fill you in on nearly every detail of my fabulous trip, therefore, I’m going to fill this space with a whole lot of nothing. You have been warned.
Today, we slept in until noon (again) and went to lunch. Brooke and I completely forgot that we had signed up for a wine tasting at 3, so we showered so that we looked somewhat presentable and made it to the wine tasting just in time. We sat with a random group of people who were traveling together (a man, his mother, and the man’s wife’s best friend), and they were fabulous. They had excellent Southern accents, the best friend sounding a bit like Blanche from “Golden Girls” and looking like a younger version of Liza Minelli. Anyways, we tried a Sauvignon Blanc, a Chardonnay, a Pinot Noir, a Cabernet Sauvignon, and then a dessert Sauvignon Blanc. I liked them all, but what do I know. The man leading the tasting had the most ridiculous Italian accent on earth, and no one could understand him. I learned nothing. Oh well, we got a free shot glass out of it.
Then, Brooke and I headed up to the Sun Deck while Jessica hit the gym. It was freezing, but that didn’t stop us from drinking frozen Patron margaritas, provided by the one and only, Manu. He told us to come by where he works at night, Club Fusion (which by the way is nothing like what you would think it is from the name), and watch the Princess Pop Star competition. Brooke wanted me to sing in it, and I said I would, but I’m sure glad I didn’t. It was much more entertaining to watch…
The first contestant, Denise, sang some crazy long song that I had never heard, and did it beautifully, but no one could have guessed what was up next. Vlad, from Boston (or Russia, more like it), got up and sang the best rendition of “Livin’ La Vida Loca” anyone has ever sang. And of course, I can’t do it justice on here, but basically it sounded like The Count from Sesame Street singing Ricky Martin completely off beat. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so hard in my life.
We headed up to Crooner’s after Vlad’s performance and listened to the crazy Martin Kaye, again. He has a different show every night, so I never feel bored. We saw our new acquaintances, Alex and Brent, along with some of their friends, and decided to go up to Skywalkers with them. It was going to be weird without Chris and Jack, but we had to give them a chance as well. We got up there just in time for the Electric Slide and the Cupid Shuffle, again, so perfect timing. We danced with them, and then I sat and talked with Brent for a bit because neither of us felt like dancing anymore. He’s a pretty interesting guy, but I won’t bore you with all that. We don’t really have to be awake early tomorrow, but Brooke and I are watching “When in Rome,” so ciao!
Today, we slept in until noon (again) and went to lunch. Brooke and I completely forgot that we had signed up for a wine tasting at 3, so we showered so that we looked somewhat presentable and made it to the wine tasting just in time. We sat with a random group of people who were traveling together (a man, his mother, and the man’s wife’s best friend), and they were fabulous. They had excellent Southern accents, the best friend sounding a bit like Blanche from “Golden Girls” and looking like a younger version of Liza Minelli. Anyways, we tried a Sauvignon Blanc, a Chardonnay, a Pinot Noir, a Cabernet Sauvignon, and then a dessert Sauvignon Blanc. I liked them all, but what do I know. The man leading the tasting had the most ridiculous Italian accent on earth, and no one could understand him. I learned nothing. Oh well, we got a free shot glass out of it.
Then, Brooke and I headed up to the Sun Deck while Jessica hit the gym. It was freezing, but that didn’t stop us from drinking frozen Patron margaritas, provided by the one and only, Manu. He told us to come by where he works at night, Club Fusion (which by the way is nothing like what you would think it is from the name), and watch the Princess Pop Star competition. Brooke wanted me to sing in it, and I said I would, but I’m sure glad I didn’t. It was much more entertaining to watch…
The first contestant, Denise, sang some crazy long song that I had never heard, and did it beautifully, but no one could have guessed what was up next. Vlad, from Boston (or Russia, more like it), got up and sang the best rendition of “Livin’ La Vida Loca” anyone has ever sang. And of course, I can’t do it justice on here, but basically it sounded like The Count from Sesame Street singing Ricky Martin completely off beat. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so hard in my life.
We headed up to Crooner’s after Vlad’s performance and listened to the crazy Martin Kaye, again. He has a different show every night, so I never feel bored. We saw our new acquaintances, Alex and Brent, along with some of their friends, and decided to go up to Skywalkers with them. It was going to be weird without Chris and Jack, but we had to give them a chance as well. We got up there just in time for the Electric Slide and the Cupid Shuffle, again, so perfect timing. We danced with them, and then I sat and talked with Brent for a bit because neither of us felt like dancing anymore. He’s a pretty interesting guy, but I won’t bore you with all that. We don’t really have to be awake early tomorrow, but Brooke and I are watching “When in Rome,” so ciao!
Barcelona, Spain
We woke up extra early this morning so that we would have as much time as possible in this fantastic city. Brooke and Jessica had been here about 4 years ago, and were talking it up as much as I do Rome. And they were right. I immediately fell in love with the city. It’s such a beautiful place with amazing architecture and a very rich history and culture. Since the city is quite large and we had a very limited time, we decided to do one of those hop on – hop off bus tours. I didn’t really pay attention to the commentary because the buildings and the people were far more interesting to me. The buildings were all different colors and all different styles. We got off around Las Ramblas, the main shopping area in the Gothic Quarter. We grabbed some Starbucks (yeah, I know, I have a problem, but you should see Jessica) and did some shopping. Maybe too much shopping, considering we already had overweight luggage on the way over.
We switched bus lines and headed towards the Sagrada Familia, a landmark of Barcelona. It was designed by Antoni Guadi, a very gifted architect who was not well known or liked during his lifetime. He began working on it in 1883, and worked on it until his untimely death in 1926, when he was hit by a car. The Sagrada Familia remains unfinished; however, work continues very true to Guadi’s plans and should be complete by 2030. And let me tell you, it is one of the most amazing things I have ever seen. I was in complete awe when we first arrived to when we boarded the bus again an hour later. The inside, even though it is not complete (but should be by the end of this year) is just as wonderful as the three faҫades of the outside. I could only imagine what it will look like when all of the richly colored stained-glass windows are installed and the two cranes are out of the nave. Every intricate detail of the place has meaning behind it that I will learn about when I get home and have money to buy more books. I spent half of my time spent at the church in the gift shop debating whether or not to buy a book, and then which one I should buy. It reminded me of the way my dad shops, and so I just put everything back and walked out.
By this time, we had about 2 hours to get back to the ship, but had so much more to see. We got back on the bus and headed toward Park Guell, another unfinished project of Guadi. We wandered around, saw Hansel and Gretel houses, which he apparently designed because his friend supposedly wrote it, but we have no idea if that is true, so I apologize in advance if I truly offend anyone. Anyways, we walked around there for a bit before racing back to the bus. We boarded and rode a ways out of our way before we realized we literally had no time and that we could possibly miss this ship…
We left the bus around the soccer stadium and watched as Jessica hailed a taxi. We hopped in and told him where we needed to go. And I will preface this story with the fact that this was the second best foreign taxi ride I’ve ever taken. The driver was insane. Literally. He talked to himself, got overly angry at bad drivers, and listened to the strangest remixes of Queen I have ever heard. When we got in, a rap remix of “Another One Bites the Dust” was playing very loudly, followed by an even stranger version of “Under Pressure.” Then, trying to make us feel more at home and at ease (we had about 20 minutes to get to the ship and his route had changed due to unforeseen road blockage), he put on some American oldies that we sang along to with him, before he changed it to the strangest song any of us had ever heard. The only word we could make out in the whole thing was “Barcelona.” It was operatic and dramatic, and we could hardly hold in the laughter. It was as if he had timed the ride perfectly, because as the song reached its climactic ending, we reached the pier and arrived to the entrance right on time. Some of our dinner friends laughed as we dizzily got out of the taxi that had just done a spin stop right at the door. It was outrageous.
We ate dinner with horrible people tonight, and we feel as though our friends in charge of the seating did that on purpose, so we are going to try the other dining room very soon. They like to play jokes on us, but they usually make our day. The staff that is – Zanina, Johann, and Paul. They are just wonderful. We watched Martin for a bit, and then headed up to Skywalkers, just in time for the “Cupid Shuffle.” We danced to a few songs and called it a night. We have a day at sea tomorrow, but we’re still very exhausted.
We switched bus lines and headed towards the Sagrada Familia, a landmark of Barcelona. It was designed by Antoni Guadi, a very gifted architect who was not well known or liked during his lifetime. He began working on it in 1883, and worked on it until his untimely death in 1926, when he was hit by a car. The Sagrada Familia remains unfinished; however, work continues very true to Guadi’s plans and should be complete by 2030. And let me tell you, it is one of the most amazing things I have ever seen. I was in complete awe when we first arrived to when we boarded the bus again an hour later. The inside, even though it is not complete (but should be by the end of this year) is just as wonderful as the three faҫades of the outside. I could only imagine what it will look like when all of the richly colored stained-glass windows are installed and the two cranes are out of the nave. Every intricate detail of the place has meaning behind it that I will learn about when I get home and have money to buy more books. I spent half of my time spent at the church in the gift shop debating whether or not to buy a book, and then which one I should buy. It reminded me of the way my dad shops, and so I just put everything back and walked out.
By this time, we had about 2 hours to get back to the ship, but had so much more to see. We got back on the bus and headed toward Park Guell, another unfinished project of Guadi. We wandered around, saw Hansel and Gretel houses, which he apparently designed because his friend supposedly wrote it, but we have no idea if that is true, so I apologize in advance if I truly offend anyone. Anyways, we walked around there for a bit before racing back to the bus. We boarded and rode a ways out of our way before we realized we literally had no time and that we could possibly miss this ship…
We left the bus around the soccer stadium and watched as Jessica hailed a taxi. We hopped in and told him where we needed to go. And I will preface this story with the fact that this was the second best foreign taxi ride I’ve ever taken. The driver was insane. Literally. He talked to himself, got overly angry at bad drivers, and listened to the strangest remixes of Queen I have ever heard. When we got in, a rap remix of “Another One Bites the Dust” was playing very loudly, followed by an even stranger version of “Under Pressure.” Then, trying to make us feel more at home and at ease (we had about 20 minutes to get to the ship and his route had changed due to unforeseen road blockage), he put on some American oldies that we sang along to with him, before he changed it to the strangest song any of us had ever heard. The only word we could make out in the whole thing was “Barcelona.” It was operatic and dramatic, and we could hardly hold in the laughter. It was as if he had timed the ride perfectly, because as the song reached its climactic ending, we reached the pier and arrived to the entrance right on time. Some of our dinner friends laughed as we dizzily got out of the taxi that had just done a spin stop right at the door. It was outrageous.
We ate dinner with horrible people tonight, and we feel as though our friends in charge of the seating did that on purpose, so we are going to try the other dining room very soon. They like to play jokes on us, but they usually make our day. The staff that is – Zanina, Johann, and Paul. They are just wonderful. We watched Martin for a bit, and then headed up to Skywalkers, just in time for the “Cupid Shuffle.” We danced to a few songs and called it a night. We have a day at sea tomorrow, but we’re still very exhausted.
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