Extended Family Vacation

About two weeks ago, Jessica, Mike, Travis, Nicole, and Mike's parents, Ron and Jan, came for a visit. Travis had packed along his Wii video game. So even rainy days were action packed.

Mom wasn't terribly impressed with the game, or maybe it was just that she has been busy working on her latest needlepoint project.

One of our guests got in a little solo hot tubbing time.

Ron and Jan prepared an excellent breakfast for all of us.

Can you believe these two have been married for exactly one year?

Josey frequently hung out under the table looking for scraps.

One night, Kathie served up a bunch of the fish we had caught recently.

We played group Pictionary one evening. Here are Nicole and Jessica working on ... Can you guess?

There was an especially interesting turn by Jan, who left us with this signed drawing. (Use your imagination!) We don't usually keep the various drawings, but this one was just too good not to keep.

One day, we rented a pontoon boat so that we could all have an outing on the lake together. There were some fishing attempts, although it was quite cool and rainy that day.

Mike did land a whopper, though.

Ron and Jan, who have a pontoon boat at their cabin back in Maryland, were our navigators and pilots.

Travis and Jessica were being Travis and Jessica.

An even bigger whopper!

Everyone took turns cooking. I was supposed to cook one evening but had contracted a case of Lyme disease and was not up to the task. Nicole and Travis bailed me out and took over for me. Thanks guys!

Later that evening, Travis introduced everyone to the mystery of the Land O Lakes butter carton, which Nicole is displaying here. (If you don't know the mystery, we can show you sometime.)

We thoroughly enjoyed having everyone with us.

First Summer Weekend at the Lake

We are back at the lake for the first of our summer outings. Rob, Carrie and Eleanor were here for the Memorial Day weekend. Earlier, Kathie spotted a painted turtle moseying across our driveway. We thought Eleanor needed to see it, so we retained it in a big cardboard box overnight and then gave her a chance to see it when she arrived. We took it to the lake to be released, and unfortunately, this is the only shot I got of it. I needed to be quicker on the trigger. Maybe Carrie will post her picture of the turtle.

Here are Eleanor and her mom from their turtle watching post.

On Sunday morning, we went to a new favorite breakfast cafe. Eleanor likes to make things out of the little jelly or creamer packets.

But she doesn't like posing for pictures. Her Pop, as she calls him, always tells her to at least look at the camera and make a chipmunk face. She seems to have a good teacher.

The cafe had a bunch of old games for people to play if they want. Kathie spotted one called Stadium Checkers that she has always loved to play. So, she introduced Carrie to the game.

Meanwhile, Eleanor and her Pop continued to study the jelly packet structures.

I bribed our waitperson into taking this shot of all of us.

After a subsequent visit to our favorite local garden nursery, we took a boat ride. Rob grabbed my camera and took some shots along the way.

Eleanor wore Kathie's bandana and liked to say "babushka", which we told her was what such head covering could be called.

Our neighbors were out playing with their log rolling apparatus.

Later, Rob took Eleanor for a walk along the beach near a place we had stopped for a quick lunch.

I told Carrie that shots like the one below are really precious to me for reasons I expect you can see for yourselves.

Old, New

Here is the old--a Lexus IS250 that Kathie bought in about April of 2006.

Here is the new, which she picked up two days ago--a Lexus HS250h.

It is a hybrid and, so far, is living up to and exceeding the mpg claims. These claims are 35 mpg city and 34 mpg highway. On the way home from the dealership, she got more than 40 mpg. It has an ECO (ecology) mode that attempts to make extra use of the electric motor. This seems to work well on the highway. For more typical driving responsiveness and acceleration, you can put it in PWR mode instead, but so far, Kathie hasn't felt she needs to use that too much.

The IS250 was a nice sporty car, but this new one has more room for passengers in both the front and back--I especially like this. It came nicely equipped with a navigation system, a system comparable to OnStar (though Lexus has a different name for it), a nice audio system with XM capability, and a bunch of extra safety features, including lane keep assist (beeps at you and resists turns if you move too close to lane markers--it really works!), radar-assisted speed control (keeps you from getting too close to a vehicle you are following), and some collision protection features.

P.S. I like it because it matches my pickup in color.

Trapani and Naples

This final posting will have to be a short one, as we have to pack and prepare to disembark the ship tomorrow morning.

Yesterday, we were on the northwest coast of Sicily in a town called Trapani. We scheduled no tour for the day and elected instead to simply roam through the city. Trapani is a relatively small, clean community that sits at the tip of a peninsula. No ship as big as our Ms Eurodam had ever docked at the port before. Usually, cruise ships anchor outside the port area and then passengers are tendered into town. So, we got lots and lots of public attention. Many locals came out to see the big ship, especially the maneuvering that was required to put such a big ship into a relatively small port. We enjoyed walking on pleasant streets, shopping, and having a coffee. We found a nice ceramic hot plate for our kitchen and a small green onyx bowl for Kathie to keep her teabags in. We also picked up some snacks at an outdoor market--proscuito, olives, sardines, and cheese. Our Australian friends had invited us to have a bottle of wine with them in the late afternoon, and we thought these snacks would be a nice addition (they were). The four of us enjoyed these things while we watched our ship find its way out of the harbor.

Today, we were anchored in Naples. Our tour for the day was to Sorrento and Pompeii. The drive along the coast was gorgeous. We could see the isle of Capri in the distance, for example. In Sorrento, we visited a woodworking shop that specialized in inlay work. I loved seeing all of this. Kathie found a small table that we are having shipped to us to use in our living room. It has beautiful flowered inlay on its top and the top opens to play a music box tune. Then we wondered through the village shops and found some candy and a couple of last-minute "grandkid gifts." Lunch was provided at a very pleasant local restaurant.

The afternoon was spent touring the ruins of Pompeii and keeping an eye on Mount Vesuvius in the distance. Quite an interesting story, of course, and much more interesting now that we have seen the rather extensive city that was Pompeii.

It has been a great trip. So much seen and experienced. New friends too. A last somewhat festive night on the ship tonight, then we stay in Rome tomorrow night, and fly home on Monday. Thanks for reading, everyone.

At Sea and Then Tunisia

The day after Palma de Mallorca was spent at sea as we traveled southeast to Tunisia. Days at sea are nice, because they help to slow the pace and provide a chance for further relaxation. Watching the sea is always fascinating—a little like watching a campfire, I think—the shape always changes, there are the occasional other ships in the distance, and birds can sometimes be seen, even far out to sea. We spent a fun couple of hours in the Crow’s Nest lounge, which is on the highest deck of the ship and which has a 180º forward view. Our new friends Murray and Margaret from Australia played cards with us. We taught them to play “I Doubt It”, which turned out to be a laugh riot. Later, Kathie and I enjoyed a little time in the casino, where I succeeded again in hitting my favorite number (31) on the roulette wheel a couple of times.

Yesterday, we arrived in the port of La Goulette, very near to the city of Tunis. Let me say before I describe our day, that Tunisia is not a country that was on my radar screen of places to consider visiting during my lifetime. This is only because my attention has always been drawn elsewhere. So, the fact that HAL included Tunisia in the itinerary for this 20-day Mediterranean adventure was pure serendipity, and what a fascinating visit it was! Our first contact with the continent of Africa, Tunisia is only about 100 miles from Sicily across the sea.

Shortly after we docked and all the lines were tied off and while most passengers were still rising and dressing for the day, we began to hear a rhythmic pounding noise, which I first thought to be a construction site sound. However, when I looked down from our verandah, I discovered several amazing Tunisian groups on the dock working to welcome us. There were four or five dromedaries (one hump, not two like camels have) and riders in colorful desert garb riding back and forth. A four-person group was playing music, including a rather loud drum (the sound we heard) and a couple of instruments rather like bagpipes but with very different sounds, while a woman dressed in bright green danced. At the far end of the dock, a small marching band, with brass and drums, all dressed in bright red, was completing a march past the ship, while playing and drawing passengers to disembark for the day.

Tunisia turns out to be an increasingly attractive port for cruise ships. It now ranks 7^th in the Mediterranean and 17^th internationally. Tourism is a major revenue source for the country, and its agricultural output is supposedly quite significant (olive, olive oil, dates, etc.). We were told that their president is well liked and that he has led many beneficial reforms in education, health care, and communications in the country. He was evidently originally a computer scientist and engineer. That explains a lot! He promoted a subsidization of computers and broadband Internet into virtually all homes.

The land was originally held by African Berbers, but it has been invaded and held numerous times by Vandals, Romans, Greeks, French, Turks, and Arabs. Christianity once flourished throughout northern Africa, but Islamic invaders eventually turned the various countries, including Tunisia, to Islam. Very small Christian communities are still present, but today, the evidence of Islam is everywhere, with minarets and mosques visible throughout the various cities we visited—many of them are beautiful structures. At the same time, the reforms in Tunisia seem to have given women a more equal footing than what I understand to exist in other Moslem nations. Women may wear head coverings or not, as they choose, and we saw a full range of older style, newer style, and no head coverings for women moving about. Women have the right to vote, and we were told that there is essentially an equal pay for equal work expectation. Also, government and religion are separated. There are six political parties.

Our first stop on our tour was to the Bardo Museum. Hundreds of mosaics have been discovered in Tunisia, many from the period of Roman domination, but there are others from other periods as well. Our guide indicated that they are finding so many that they do not know what to do with them all. The Bardo is being doubled in size to accommodate a larger collection and many more are in storage. Still others have been donated to museums and collections in other cities. We did indeed see a number of amazing pieces, some quite large, others quite detailed. Their scenes provide important historical context. Also in the collection are numerous statues and items of jewelry. The building that is the Bardo museum is interesting in its own right. Ceilings of some domes are covered with the most intricate carved stucco or plaster.

Next, we visited the Medina within Tunis. The word medina means city, but this Medina is a UNESCO world heritage site filled with a maze of tiny streets and souks (markets). Mosques, minarets, and colorful government buildings are near or within the Medina. A carpet shop demonstrated rug making and presented a number of its carpets. We think we like our Turkish carpet better, but the Tunisian ones have some distinctions, especially from Berber influences. Perfumes, hats, engraved copper plates and other items are available, and the vendors in the souks are very, very aggressive in trying to get you to buy something, anything.

We drove from the Medina out to Carthage, which is now essentially a suburb of Tunis. There we were treated to a buffet lunch. Nearby, we saw remains of a Roman aquaduct that had once carried water from the Atlas Mountains some 80 or more miles to Carthage, the original stronghold of the Carthaginians prior to their overthrow by the Romans. Later we drove past other Roman ruins, including an amphitheater, and then we were given a guided tour through the ruins of what had once been a magnificent Roman bath. There, our guide also took some time to explain the progression of Punic wars, including Hannibal’s efforts to defeat Rome from the north after crossing northern Africa, using barges to cross the ten miles of the Mediterranean near Gibraltar, and then proceeding east across lower Europe, crossing the Pyrenees and the Alps with his men and his elephants. Though nearly successful, eventually, Hannibal was driven back to Carthage.

Near Carthage is a small village of about 3,500 people called Sidi Bou Said. This mostly blue and white picturesque village sits atop a hill and has become a major tourist destination, though aside from its charm is mostly a set of souvenir shops.

The complete surprise to me of the entire day was our guide’s decision to stop at the North African American Cemetery near Carthage. Almost no other tour buses did this detour, so we were pleased that our guide understood how this might be of interest to the majority of us who were U.S. citizens. He had been explaining the impact of the 2^nd World War in the region and on Tunis and Tunisia and mentioned that 7,000 U.S. soldiers were buried nearby in the only U.S. cemetery maintained in Africa. These would have been soldiers involved in defeating Rommel’s German Afrika Korps. I was stunned by the beauty of the site and the rows upon rows of white crosses or stars of David. It was a beautifully maintained facility with a pretty stone wall surrounding it, perfect green grass and gardens, memorials, and administrative buildings with a small contingent of personnel monitoring the grounds. I was moved to tears by the opportunity to pay my respects to men the age of our fathers who fought here in what was probably the last “good war” in which the U.S. has been engaged.

The entire day was completely fascinating—a new and unexpected country; first time in Africa; impressive people, culture and geography; additional introduction to the vast spread of antiquities throughout the Mediterranean and beyond; and an opportunity to pay regard to those in this honored American cemetery.

Palma de Mallorca

Our trip from Valencia to Palma de Mallorca overnight was fun. The captain had advised us that there would be a gale force wind (about 30 knots) astern and that we should plan to be sure footed if we were up and about. We were in our cabin when the ship left port at about 10PM and were headed to bed soon after. As soon as we passed the breakwater that guarded the port, we could begin to feel the sea. During the night, we rocked and rolled back and forth. It was actually quite pleasant, but I think both of us agree that it was the roughest sea we have experienced in the four cruises we have done. Maybe the North Sea a few years ago was stronger, although it is hard to remember now. Notable this time is the fact that this very big ship, which is very stable overall, still had to submit to the sea’s whims.

I don’t have a story to share about Palma de Mallorca, the large island to the southeast of Valencia that is one of the islands belonging to Spain. We chose to spend the day aboard ship to rest and relax. Views from our cabin verandah suggest that this port city may be quite pleasant. Mallorca is a significant vacation destination, and the number of sailing vessels and yachts in the harbor supported that notion.

We spend the next day at sea, taking two days to reach our next port of call in Tunisia on the North African coast. Oh—Kathie wants everyone to know that she won the trivia challenge in Palma de Mallorca, successfully completing the quiz on world explorers. She won a HAL lapel pin, which she intends to affix to one of her caps.

Valencia

Spain receives another vote from us for delightful places to experience and, perhaps, to visit again in the future in more depth. The day was rainy and cool, so touring wasn’t quite as much fun as it might have been, but we were intrigued by what we saw, especially in the city.

On the drive into the center of Valencia, we paralleled a very modern new promenade that is situated on a long stretch of diverted riverbed. It features a new bridge, museum, performing arts center, IMAX 3D facility and other structures designed by architect Santiago Calatrava. All of these utilize graceful arches and repetitive elements.

A short walking tour through the central portion of Valencia introduced us to its Plaza del Mercado, which includes an amazing trading hall where we saw a vast array of fruit, vegetable, seafood, and meat shops. Such color! We also saw the Lonja de la Seda (silk exchange) and the Valencia Cathedral.

The next part of our tour was a visit to the Caves of St. Joseph. To get there, we drove about 45 minutes near the coast toward the northeast. I expect everyone knows of Valencia oranges. Valencia has always been associated with oranges and is considered the home of sweet oranges and new varieties derived from grafting techniques, including clementines, tangerines, and others. The countryside was loaded with orange groves, as well as other garden crops.

The Caves of St. Joseph follow the course of an underground river. We toured the caves mostly via boat, though there was a short segment through which we walked. I’m sorry to say that though this is the only cave I’ve ever toured in this way, overall the cave was underwhelming. We have seen so many magnificent caves in the US, including Jewel Cave and Carlsbad, that these were simply too plain, except for the water running through. Nevertheless, the trip got us out away from Valencia to see a good part of the region.

Barcelona

This city gets very, very high marks from us. We had not chosen one of the packaged excursions for this port of call, thinking instead that we would simply wander the city. We were more leisurely in getting the day started and enjoyed the view of Barcelona from the dining room while we explored the city map and came up with a plan for at least a starting point. At the center of the city is a medieval part called the Barri Gotic, which dates back to the twelfth century and is filled with narrow stone streets and many fascinating old buildings. The city is also home to many significant museums, parks, plazas, promenades, and important pieces of architecture.

We decided to start with the Picasso Museum in the Barri Gotic, to take a taxi there, and then to wander from that point through this old town and to other areas as things attracted our attention. One thing that impressed us right away was how clean and lively the city seemed to be. It was Sunday, and Barcelona residents were out in their city simply having a good time, enjoying the sunshine, the clear air, balloons and street vendors, museums, parks, and street musicians. We had experienced Rome on a Sunday years ago, when they closed selected streets there to provide the residents with a citywide park-like atmosphere. Both that experience and this one in Barcelona were delightful.

Unfortunately, there was so much enthusiasm for being out and about that our plans for the Picasso Museum were the same plans that hundreds of others had. We waited in a long line for quite awhile but were told we would likely not enter for at least an hour. So, we reluctantly abandoned that part of the plan and proceeded with our stroll. Barcelona is almost a museum in itself, since it is filled with marvelous buildings and structures, both new and very old. We stopped to enjoy a small orchestra and dancers. As we continued, we came almost immediately upon a band (brass and drums) in uniforms and accompanied by banner bearers and a contingent of elderly ladies dressed in elaborate black dresses with fancy headpieces and another group dressed in long colorful dresses. They all marched very slowly, stepping almost side-to-side as they proceeded. It reminded us at first of a New Orleans jazz funeral march, though even more sober. We could not decipher the Spanish wording on the banners, but this was certainly a Catholic Christian observance, perhaps in honor of the Virgin Mary.

Prior to arriving in Barcelona, others had told us to watch for the city’s many instances of avant garde architecture by Antonio Gaudi. So, we set out to find a few of these structures, the most spectacular of which is the Catedral de la Sagrada Familia, the spires of which we had seen from our ship. Before we got to it, however, we found other instances, including the Calvert, Ametlier, Batlio, and Ferrades houses. Much of Gaudi’s work is protected by the UN World Trust. He used recycled materials and featured some brightly colored mosaic surfaces in areas of the structures. The Catedral is impossible to describe. You might see if you can find a picture of it via Google, or you can wait until we get home. Gaudi started it in 1882, and it was not finished when he died in 1926. It appears not to be finished even today, as there were cranes all around it and obvious construction still taking place. Nevertheless, it is extraordinary in the truest sense of the word.

Barcelona rates as one of our favorite destinations ever, and we would certainly love to visit again and to have more time to see its many museums and regional attractions.

Monaco

You would think that if Monaco was to be one of our ports of call, we would get to visit Monaco. However, given that May 1 is a holiday in Monaco and given, furthermore, that the Monaco Grand Prix began on May 1, we were advised to stay away from at least the Monte Carlo area of Monaco. Fortunately, we had already scheduled an excursion to Nice and Eze along the Riviera, and though we had thought we might conclude the day with an hour or two walk into Monaco, it ended up being OK with us only to view the principality from a distance.

There are three road that follow the coast from Monaco to the west toward Nice. They are collectively referred to as the three Cornishes. One is the lower Cornishe, which is relatively close to the sea, the second is about halfway up the cliffs, and the third follows the crest of the cliffs. Our tour bus took us along the lower Cornish to Nice. Along the way, there were continuous impressive views of the bays, coastlines, yachts, villages, and many expensive homes in the area. Of course, the Riviera is a major tourism and resort area and draws lots of the rich and famous, and it truly is a beautiful geographic region. In Nice, we were given time to visit the flower and produce market that operates there all days except Sunday. The market was probably three football fields long, with the first third devoted to flowers and plants of all kinds, the middle third devoted mostly to fruits, and the final third devoted to vegetables. Sprinkled throughout were miscellaneous fresh seafood stands, fresh spice markets, mushroom markets, and some finished goods, like personal products (crèmes, soaps, etc.), embroidered linens, and other such things. We came away with a carton of the sweetest fresh strawberries and an assortment of excellent dried fruits (figs, dates, peaches, and apricots)—snacks for onboard the ship.

Eze sits well above the sea, and we reached it on our return trip via the second or middle Cornishe. In Eze, there are two extraordinary hotels with amazing views. Indeed, for one of them, they use donkeys to carry the luggage to the rooms, which are distinct buildings from the lobby and restaurant area. Eze is also home to at least two perfumeries, since the city is close to the sources for various French fragrances.

As we traveled along these two roads to and from Nice, our guide pointed out homes that were owned or were at one time owned by persons such as Elton John, King Farouk of Egypt, Sophia Loren, and others. Paul Allen (Microsoft) has a home there, which is not easily seen since it can only be reached by helicopter or boat—this is where Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt hid out when they were waiting for the birth of their twins. We also saw a yacht belonging to the finance minister of Saudi Arabia, and numerous other magnificent yachts and homes. Though not owned by anyone particularly famous, we did see the home that is said to be the most expensive home in the world. It sits on a very high promontory well above the sea and requires 50 full-time gardeners to maintain the grounds. It has been available for sale at an asking price of 500 million euros (about 700 million dollars). A wealthy Russian made an offer some years ago and put down nearly 200 million as a deposit. Then the world economy turned sour and he had to withdraw, thus losing his deposit, which the owner donated to charity. The place was gorgeous, but 500 million euros???

Shortly before we arrived back in Monaco, we saw a sports arena that belongs to the principality. It comprises a full soccer arena with seating that must rival many of our college stadiums. Below it is a swimming facility, a wrestling arena, and a 2000 car parking facility. The guide said that the people in Monaco (only 32,000 residents) really know how to dig down, since they have so little land (one and one-half square miles total). Though we had been discouraged from walking into Monte Carlo or other parts of Monaco, our guide and driver did find a convenient place for us to stop at a high point so that we could look down at the whole of the area. We could see the royal palace, where Grace Kelley once lived as Princess with Prince Ranier, the cathedral where she is entombed, and several government buildings. To the east from there was Monte Carlo, the name given to the resort within the principality that houses the famous casino, luxury hotels, and other venues. To our surprise, we could see one of the Grand Prix races in progress—we were told it was an early race involving vintage cars. There was a huge large screen TV in the midst of the race area that showed the cars at strategic points along the course, which is just as set of blocked off streets within Monte Carlo. The roar of the engines, even where we were, was amazing.

Another sign of the rich and famous was the number of beautiful, expensive cars we saw. As our bus made its way to Nice, we thought at a reasonable speed, a bright yellow Ferrari roared past us as we neared a curve. This was not a pass I would have thought safe, but risky, high performance driving is a big deal here.

Civitavecchia and Livorno

Two days ago we finished the first half of our cruise, arriving back at our starting point, Civitavecchia, Italy. During the morning hours, many people disembarked, including some who had been onboard with us for this 10-day eastern Mediterranean cruise and others who had been onboard for 26 days (crossing from Ft. Lauderdale, FL to Italy, and then doing the 10-day part). Then in the afternoon, new passengers embarked. So, we have a slightly different mix of people these next ten days. We spent nearly all of the day in Civitavecchia loafing, reading, and enjoying the sun on deck. Late that afternoon, the 10-day western Mediterranean portion of our cruise began with the ship sailing to Livorno, Italy overnight.

So yesterday, we awoke in Livorno, which is not far from Pisa and Florence and other interesting parts of Tuscany. Because our good friends David and Donna had treated us to such an excellent adventure in Florence four years ago, we decided to do our excursion north along the coast to the area called Cinque Terre. Though we have never been to Pisa, we actually did see the famed leaning tower of Pisa in the distance as our bus traveled north. It is crooked! They could straighten it, but that would stop the tourist dollars from flowing.

Cinque Terre is now an Italian National Park and is also a World Heritage Site, as recognized by UNESCO. Cinque Terre literally means five lands or five villages. They are all within about six miles of each other and sit right on the coast, mostly at the foot of high cliffs. The sea in front of the villages is also protected. La Spezia to the southeast and then Cinque Terre mark the beginning of the Italian portion of the Riviera, which continues westward along the coast through the remainder of northwestern Italy, through Monaco and into France.

To say that Cinque Terre is picturesque is a big understatement. The villages were once reachable only by foot or by sea. Today, a train runs through the villages, though it is mostly in tunnels and under the villages. A road reaches one of the villages for buses and other vehicles, but from there the roads into the villages are exceedingly narrow and are only used in limited ways. A ferryboat system operates between the villages and La Spezia.

The people in Cinque Terre are very proud of their isolated existence. Their language is a dialect of Italian. They are said to be very healthy because of their diet, which consists of lots of vegetables and seafood. Grape vines grow on terraces that they have cut into every available, usable piece of the cliffs. There are thought to be around 4,000 miles of terraces along these cliffs around and above the five villages—a length exceeding that of the Great Wall of China.

In order from southeast to northwest, the villages are Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso. The bus dropped us in Manarola, and we walked down into the village to spend some time noodling around the shops and admiring the clustered buildings and seascapes. Next we walked along Via dell’Amore (Lover’s Lane), a walkway well above but alongside the sea to Riomaggiore. There are some steel nets that have been placed over some of the cliff faces to stop falling rock from hurting anyone. On these nets and other metal fences and railings along the path, lovers have fastened padlocks to the net or fence or railing and then thrown the key into the sea to bind their love forever. The guide asked us to watch for combination padlocks (we saw a few) and to contemplate what that might mean about commitment!

From Riomaggiore, we took the ferry to Vernazza, where we were given two hours of free time to explore the shops and have lunch. Kathie and I found an excellent café overlooking the sea, where we were able to sit outside. Because the region is known for its seafood, pastas, and pesto sauces, we had a seafood sampler, spaghetti with clams, and a local pasta with the pesto sauce. Red wine to go with that, naturally. The seafood sampler consisted of both hot and cold items: anchovies fixed two different ways, calamari (squid), tuna and octopus. Excellent!

We took the train back to La Spieza were our bus waited for us and then drove back to our ship. It was a long day for us and a little tiring, but it was lovely.

Messina

Our last port on the first half of our cruise was Messina, a city on the island of Sicily. Just two miles across the straight of Messina is the toe of the boot of Italy. There has evidently been ongoing discussion of the possibility of building a massive bridge across the straight, but that seems unlikely for now.
Rather than wander around Messina, we chose to take a guided tour to Mount Etna, the well-known volcano about an hour and three-quarters south of Messina. Having written its name into crossword puzzles so many times over the years, we thought we ought to see the real thing. Along the way, we got a feel for this eastern part of Sicily as a resort community and were treated to views of lots of lemon groves, fig trees, vineyards, and other farming.
The volcano is over 11,000 feet high and is snow-capped. In the winter, there are two ski runs somewhere on the mountain. Lots of farming and residential property lies all around its perimeter up to maybe 4000 feet. We drove to over 6000 feet, where the scenery is more like a moonscape. There are supposed to be over 250 vents and craters all over the mountain. Its peak crater is more than 20 miles across, though we were nowhere near that. The volcano is called an intermittent volcano, because it periodically erupts, usually in relatively mild ways, though it does have its moments, usually accompanied by earthquakes. When it does erupt, people just seem to cope and rebuild, if necessary. We have seen other volcanoes before in Iceland and Hawaii, and the lava fields are very similar. Nevertheless, it will be fun to remember that we visited this very famous one.
We were at sea again by about 2PM, and we enjoyed the day playing bingo, where Kathie came within one call of winning over $1,048 before someone beat her to it. We read books in the sun on our cabin veranda, got dressed for dinner, had drinks in one of the bars, even danced a little, and gambled in the casino for awhile. The final dinner of this first ten-day cruise, as is the tradition of HAL, involved much silliness by the chefs, wait staff, wine stewards, and other attendants. They had all of us wearing chefs hats, and for three of the five courses, they paraded in with the servings while dancing and singing. Desert was the classic Baked Alaska dish. Lots of fun!

At Sea Again

We spent a relaxing day at sea yesterday, including a long morning in nice sunshine alongside the pool on the stern Lido deck. We didn’t participate in, but had fun listening to, a trivia game that involved naming old TV shows based on hearing their theme songs. There are all kinds of fun activities onboard everyday, including games like this one, bingo, a nice library/reading room, two swimming pools and hot tubs, music, several bars, a culinary arts program, and more.

A few random subjects to share… When we were in Turkey and then again in Athens, the Ms Prinsendam was docked alongside us. She is the smallest of Holland America Line’s (HAL) ships and is the one we sailed on when we did the cruise of the Baltic in September 2007. Ms Eurodam is HAL’s largest ship at the moment. Ms Nieuw Amsterdam is being built and will, I believe, be a bit bigger yet. Anyway, it was fun to see two ships for which we have considerable affection tied up side-by-side, one quite large and the other now seeming to be much smaller than we remembered.

I’ve enjoyed watching the gulls when we enter and leave each port. Particularly when we begin to move away from the dock and the tugs and pilot boats are assisting and our thrusters and propellers are beginning to do their jobs, the gulls become very excited and gather and dart all about to look, I suppose, for food in the agitated water. Though they may not be the most attractive birds, they are amazing flyers, swooping and gliding and changing direction with great skill. I keep thinking of the old Jonathan Livingston Seagull book.

It may be true that HAL attracts and maybe caters somewhat to an older clientele than do some of the other lines. However, we have met lots of couples, our age and younger, with whom we have struck up very nice relationships, at least for the duration of the cruise. At the same time, we have seen a few older folks, some decidedly overweight, who have really struggled with the tours or with other arrangements. This really makes me stop and think about my own condition and taking steps now to insure that we can continue to enjoy these kinds of experiences.

We have one more port of call in Messina, then an overnight voyage back to Civitavecchia. That will put us halfway through our trip. We are definitely not ready to go home yet. Lots of folks will disembark at Civitavecchia, and some new folks will join us. We feel fortunate that the Australian couple, Margaret and Murray, will continue to share our dining table for the remaining part of the voyage. We really like them and may well stay in touch in the future. We will be sorry to say goodbye to Chris and Sandy from Spokane (same age as our Will and Sandy). They have been lots of fun too. Our table is usually one of the last to leave the dining area each night, simply because we are having so much fun and are engaged in such interesting conversations.

Athens

The port city of Piraeus is contiguous with the city of Athens. Our tour took us through Piraeus and past many of the venues that were constructed for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. Kathie and I were both struck with how dingy and dirty the cities felt to us. Cars were covered with film and dirt (we were told it was not settling ash from the volcano in Iceland), there was quite a bit of litter everywhere, and again the graffiti appeared. Maybe what we saw was a sad statement about the condition of Greece’s economy. Others of our traveling companions commented about it too and told us that they had always seen Athens as such a beautiful city on their prior visits. In fact, it is a beautiful city if you don’t have to look too close. We thoroughly enjoyed our tour, but we felt disappointed about some of the look and feel. Maybe they just need a good rain.

Our first stop was at the stadium built for the first modern Olympic Games. The ancient Olympics, about which we learned much several ports ago at Olympia, had been stopped around 390 AD. The resumption of the games in 1896 led to the creation of this very large stone stadium, where Olympic flags and symbols are constantly displayed. Prior to the opening of every modern set of games, the Olympic flame begins its journey in Olympia at the ruins of the ancient games and then travels to this stadium before continuing on its way to the city currently hosting the games.

We had already seen the Acropolis and the Parthenon above us while at the stadium and from several spots along our drive through the city. This is in itself a breathtaking scene. I had not imagined the Acropolis being surrounded by Athens, but the high, granite, relatively flat-topped mountain that is the Acropolis sits exactly there. Below it and in other protected areas nearby are other ruins, including a Temple of Zeus, the Arch of Hedron and an agora and a nearby, nearly-intact temple. (I hope I have these details right. Sometimes the information flies by faster than one can absorb it all. I’ll have to do some reading when I get home.)

The hike up to the top of the Acropolis involves lots of steps but is not too difficult. There were hundreds and hundreds of others there too—I cannot imagine how crowded it must be in the summer. Some were from cruise ships (both our ship and the Ms Prinsendam were in port), but there were many, many groups of school children there as well, and they tended to be less quiet than the rest of us.

There is an ancient open-air arena and stage area part way up, and it is still used for performances. At the top of the Acropolis are four buildings, one being essentially a grand entrance to the area, two others being smaller temples, and the fourth being the Parthenon. The architecture is incredible, of course. There are some replica statues and friezes in place along with some authentic ones. Quite a bit of restoration or corrections of prior restoration attempts continues over the years. Frankly, I hope they do not “over-restore” it, since some of the charm is in seeing it as it is. The history of the site is very complex, with many having occupied it at different times and for different reasons. One conquering group (sorry, can’t remember which right now—perhaps the Byzantines) had the gall to store munitions there. A subsequent explosion was a main reason for the collapse of much of the Parthenon. Most of us have seen photographs of the Parthenon in our school days and studies of history. To see it in person is truly an honor.

We walked down from the site into an old town area, which was much cleaner and better kept than the other areas of Athens we saw earlier. Interesting little shops were all around and catered to tourists, of course. We had an excellent Greek meal there (mousaka, spanikopita, a cheese pie, salad, and beef with a Greek version of risotto).

Next we spent an hour in the Greek Archaeological Museum before returning to our ship. It was filled with fascinating collections of statues, jewelry, vases, friezes, and other artifacts of Greek, Roman, Mycenaean, and other cultures.

Kuşadasi

Kuşadasi (Koo-SHAH-dah-suh) was our port in Turkey. Now a resort community and tourism city, it was originally settled by both Turks and Greeks. Several ancient communities were founded in the region, including Miletus, Didyma, and Priene. Another regional attraction is the supposed House of Mary, where the Virgin Mary is said to have spent her last years.

The site of most interest to us, and the one we spent the morning touring was Ephesus. Now several miles inland, the site was once on the Aegean Sea, but over the ages, rivers silted it in and covered the ruins of the original city. These ruins have since been discovered and excavated and are amazing in their complexity and detail. The looting that detracts from other sites, like Olympia, did not occur to the same extent in Ephesus. In fact, much of the site is still buried, and while touring, one can’t help but wonder what other marvelous structures might lie still beneath the earth in areas adjacent to those uncovered. I would say that these ruins rivaled or surpassed many of those we saw in Rome a few years ago.

Among other things, Ephesus was a center for the fledgling Christian movement. You no doubt know of the Book of Ephesians in the Bible, which is the letter of the Apostle Paul to the church at Ephesus. However, most of the ruins date back over 3,000 years and, therefore, reflect attention to the Greek gods and goddesses and the influence of the Roman empire. Cleopatra visited Marc Anthony in Ephesus. We saw well-preserved temples with some statues still in place, an ancient public toilet and signs of sophisticated sewer and other plumbing, a large arena and stage, a very impressive library, and even a brothel. Agora or market structures were nearby.

Adjacent to the area was a large array of terrace houses, which were probably Roman. These are being carefully excavated and preserved. A large number of residences, maybe 10 or 15 in number, are co-located and share walls, walkways, and other structures, such as roofs. Most of the individual residences have open courtyards with pools at the fronts and then rooms that surround these courtyards. Many frescos, mosaics, and marble-lined walls can be seen and are in good condition still. The entire ancient Ephesus site was truly amazing to see.

When we returned to Kuşadasi, we were given free time in the shopping area of the city, including a presentation on Turkish carpets and their creation. We saw an amazing collection, and I could not resist purchasing a small one, which I intend to display/hang at home, rather than use as a floor piece. We had been alerted to the fact that Turkish businessmen expect that bargaining will be a part of the process of buying. So, I worked at that, though I don’t know that I’m the best bargainer in the world. I did get the price down by over 40% from where we started at the shop’s proposed price, and visiting with others onboard our ship in the evening, I learned that others had managed to achieve reductions of from about 30% to 40%, so I think I did OK. In the end, you just have to be satisfied with the result, and I am. The carpet is about 2x3 feet in green and other silks and features a tree of life theme.

Santorini

Santorini is an island in the Cyclades Islands that form a group southeast of the main portion of Greece. The island was once part of a large volcano that suffered a massive eruption in 1628, blew apart, and left a caldera, the largest part of which is Santorini. Naturally, the entire area consists of volcanic rock and pumice and is beautiful in its many different-colored layers. The villages of Santorini cling to the rim of this caldera and sit high above the sea, so that one has to travel either by a cable car or donkey (really!) to reach them. Actually, we were picked up at another area where tour buses can gather, but we did find our way back to the ship at the end of the day via the cable car. This was one of the ports where we had to use tenders (small boats) to move between our ship and the shore. The buildings are mostly white, although there is lots of the Greek blue color mixed in. They are stacked one atop another and so are sometimes described as the sugar cube villages.

After our tour bus reached the top of the caldera, we drove to the highest point on the island to Mount Profitis Ilias. Along the way, our guide described some of the local crops, including pistachios and grapes. Grape vines are quite different here. They are trained close to the ground and wrapped into circles. The grapes are trained to grow in the interior of the vine circles so that they are protected from winds, including the blowing pumice, and also so that they can benefit from natural humidity, because the islands receive infrequent rains. There were beautiful red poppies growing everywhere too. The views from the top of the mountain were quite dramatic, and we could see out to sea a very long way as well as seeing virtually all of the island, including its agricultural areas on the eastern side. Looking down at our big ship sitting in the middle of the caldera was very picturesque. Unfortunately, we caught Santorini on one of its cloudy, hazy days, and without the sun, I think the natural beauty of the area was somewhat diminished. Sunsets are supposed to be quite dramatic here, but we had no chance to see one.

Next we were driven to the northernmost village of Oia (prounounced “eeya”) and were given about two hours of free time to wander through shops, see other vistas, see panoramas of the “sugar cubes”, and enjoy cafes if we wished. We chose to spend most of our time in a secluded café with a great view of the sea to the north. There we had two excellent snacks and some Greek beers and coffee. One snack was large black olives, stuffed with cream cheese, then dipped in a beer batter and deep fried. There were served with fresh lettuce and had an olive oil balsamic glaze drizzled over them. Yum! Second, we had a tart, made from corn meal, and filled with eggplant, zucchini, red peppers, an unsalted white Greek cheese, feta cheese, and oregano. This was baked and looked something like a quiche when served to us. Yum again! I chose to polish this off with the Greek coffee and an excellent piece of baklava. We purchased a largish bag of pistachios on our way back to the ship.

We returned to the ship later via the cable car. Santorini has been described by many to us as one of the most beautiful of all places to visit. We very much enjoyed it but imagine that it would be most beautiful on a bright sunny day, with blue skies, the blue sea, and the “sugar cubes” all blending together. I found it geologically, geographically, architecturally, and culturally very fascinating, nevertheless.

Later in the evening, the Indonesian crew performed for us. They had put together a complete show with funny bits, native dances, songs, and a humorous “1000 hands dance.” This is our fourth cruise, and these Indonesian and Pilipino crew members are always so friendly, helpful, and accommodating.

Katakolon

Katakolon is primarily a cruise terminal, rather than a working port, that serves tourism and vacationers in this Peloponnese region of Greece. We enjoyed watching the approach to the dock and the village as we finished our lunch. By the way, everything you may have heard about cruises and food is probably true. We have been offered an incredible variety of very well prepared dishes. Dinners are especially interesting, with four courses and about eight entrée choices each evening. Very good wines are available too.

Of course, the main attraction for us this day was the tour at Olympia. We traveled from Katakolon about 45 minutes by bus to the archaeological site of the original Olympics. Along the way, our guide gave us an interesting, condensed version of the Greek gods and mythology. This was important because so much of the Olympic site consists of religious features. The area had once been buried under sediment from floods and was rediscovered and then excavated in the 1800s. Unfortunately, a vast number of statues and other artifacts were carried away, but what remains is incredible. The site is large, covering what I would imagine being a couple hundred acres and is strewn with large pieces of the many structures that once stood there. These include temples to Hera and Zeus, a wrestling arena, a gymnasium, a building in which officials and athletes dedicated themselves, and a large open-air stadium that could seat about 40,000 spectators (males only!). Games took place every four years from around 1000 BC to the year 393. They were resumed as the modern Olympics in 1896. The torch that is carried to open the games every four years always originates near the Temple of Hera on these grounds. Our guide told us lots of interesting stories about the games and the archaeological work that has been done at the site.

Before returning to the ship, we were treated to refreshments and entertainment at a nearby hotel. Refreshments included local wine, ouzo (yum), olives, cheeses, sausages, breads, and fresh vegetables. The young entertainers performed traditional Greek dances to live music and engaged some members of the audience in a closing dance like those I’m sure you have seen in movies.

We are nearing Santorini as I write this. More tomorrow.

P.S. I’m not posting pictures yet due to the required upload times and the cost of Internet minutes onboard ship. When we are home, we can bore you with pictures if you like.

Dubrovnik

If there is such a thing as a classic Mediterranean look for villages around this sea, Dubrovnik would have to be a good example. From the ship, especially as we approached yesterday, the red tile roofs, stucco structures, palm trees, and rugged mountain backdrops were enchanting. The ride on our tour bus to the old town area of Dubrovnik added to these impressions—the city is very, very clean, free of litter, and well cared for. The graffiti we saw on so many public and private buildings all over Rome and in other areas of Italy was disappointing, but here in Dubrovnik there was none of that. The city and regions nearby are a popular tourist destination, and there are several very large hotels and beach areas. Weather is moderate all year and quite warm in the summer. When we were reminded that the Serbs had shelled this city in 1992, it was rather shocking. Some evidence of the damage still exists. These attacks occurred when the former Yugoslavia began to separate into the several independent countries that now make up the region and war broke out between individual states and ethnic groups.

An amazing wall, part of which follows the sea, surrounds the old town part of Dubrovnik. Portions of the wall date back to the 12^th century. One can walk the circumference of the city along the top of this wall. We did not have the time to do this, but that would be a good plan for another trip. All the streets and many of the buildings and the wall were made of hard regional limestone. The streets were polished smooth from centuries of foot traffic. We toured an old government building, a Dominican Monastery and its museum, saw art influenced by the Renaissance, and had some free time to wander through the quaint, narrow side streets and shops.

Next, we were driven to a smaller community south of Dubrovnik and had a chance to stroll through pretty residential neighborhoods and along the sea. After that, we were taken up into the mountains to visit a farm. Farms are family operations, with related couples, their parents, and children living together in buildings that combine homes and working areas. They gave us a brief tour of some of the work areas and showed us how olives are pressed to make oil. Some of the Croatian olive oils evidently rival or surpass the best of those from Italy and Greece. We were treated to a taste of their homemade brandy and dried figs, then a meal of locally inspired sausage, potato salad and lettuce plus apple strudel. Meanwhile, two of the men played accordion and guitar for us, sang, and invited all of us to sing along. It was delightful.

Back on ship, we rested a bit and then considered attending the evening show, which featured a hammer dulcimer virtuoso. Frankly, this didn’t appeal to me, but Kathie reminded me that these shows are often/usually terrific and much more fun than one might assume. She was right. The musician was a Chinese gentleman who had been taught the instrument by his father beginning at age six. His technique, the variety of music (jazz, Chinese, classical, folk, show tunes), and the quality of the instrument kept everyone fascinated. He more than deserved the standing ovation he received. Betsy, you can tell Henry that he closed with “The William Tell Overture.”

Our dinner companions (we have an assigned table with two other couples) are becoming good friends. We are telling more and more stories and are laughing almost constantly. Kathie and I are thinking of challenging them to join us in a karaoke contest. Maybe we can all do “Stop in the Name of Love” complete with hand motions and a little choreography! I know—you are wondering where Bill is and what we’ve done with him. In fact, we continue to meet fun and interesting couples at all of the meals and events.

We lost an hour of time as we moved into a different time zone overnight. The ship will dock in Katakolon, Greece in about three hours, and we will be touring the site of the original Olympics. Right now, we are heading southeast along the western Greek coast. Still lots of sunshine and temperatures in the high sixties!

At Sea Continued

Yesterday was spent at sea, as you know. We met several interesting Canadian couples at breakfast. Walked the Promenade Deck (3 laps is a mile) for awhile and watched as we passed through the Straights of Messina. We had an excellent view of Mt. Etna on Sicily, which we will visit in a few days when we loop back.

A pilot had boarded the ship to guide us through the straights. Watching the pilot leave our ship after we passed through the straights was fascinating. The pilot’s small speedboat (maybe a 20’ vessel) came alongside our ship as we moved along at probably 15 knots. It nudged its bow against the side of Ms Eurodam near a Jacob’s ladder (a rope ladder), and the pilot climbed down and stepped onto his moving pilot’s boat, which then moved away. He didn’t even wear a life jacket! I would think this dangerous enough to warrant that, but … Most of the daytime hours were spent heading in an easterly direction along the “bottom” of the boot of Italy. We turned north toward Croatia sometime around 9PM, I’m told.

We noticed that a couple had signed up on a games sheet looking for others who play Hand and Foot. So, we gave them a call and played a couple games in the afternoon. They play almost the same rules as us, but there were just enough differences that we had to adjust our play a bit. The women beat the men both games. I think a rematch will be in order.

Prior to dinner, we attended the show in the theater, where the captain of the ship began by introducing the principal crew members and then offered a toast. Next, the young men and women singers and dancers who make up the show crew put on a terrific Broadway-type show. This was our first dress-up dinner, so we were all in coats and ties and evening dresses. Lobster tails and crab legs were served for dinner!

We awoke this morning to watch the ship dock at Dubrovnik and are preparing to head out for our first shore excursion. Watching the process of docking is fascinating for me. How these big ships maneuver so easily is amazing. The sun is shining and the city looks very Mediterranean, with nearly all tile roofs and light-colored stucco siding. We’ll tell you about our excursion tomorrow.

At Sea

We were in port at Civitavecchia until 6PM yesterday. Slept late and then had a nice breakfast. Spent time in the Crow’s Nest most of the remainder of the morning reading our books and enjoying the leisure. The Crow's Nest is just below the ship’s bridge and offers a wonderful 180º panoramic view with comfortable lounge seating all around. Also located there is an Internet café, an array of games, including a daily trivia quiz and Sudoku challenge, magazines, daily news briefs, and a lending library. We continue to meet interesting people from all over the U.S. and elsewhere. The weather is warm, sunny and very comfortable.

At 5:15PM we attended the mandatory lifeboat drill and then moved to the aft pool area, outdoors in a warm sun, to hear music, drink margaritas and watch the process of departure, including harbor pilots, tug boats, the casting off of lines and so forth. After leaving the port, we turned south to travel along the western coast of Italy through the night. We are making about 20 knots. This big ship is very smooth—one hardly feels the sea. She is 936 feet long (more than three football fields for those who think in those terms) and 106 feet abeam. This makes her quite a bit bigger than Titanic was but not as big as some other modern cruise ships.

At last we are on our way. Last evening the cruise director told us that just over 1800 passengers are aboard. That is about 300 below capacity. We think the cruise was originally sold out, so these 300 may represent the “casualties” of the Icelandic volcano and its ash clouds.

The food, as has been our experience on prior cruises, is outstanding, and the service is top notch. After dinner last evening, we attended our first stage show, with funny skits and a very talented group of singers and dancers who will entertain us regularly. The theater is in the lower bow of the ship and has a balcony and large stage. It is fancier and larger than the old Englert Theater in Iowa City, for those familiar with that space. After the show, the casino was open, so we spent just a few minutes there before turning in for the night.

This morning, we passed by the Stromboli volcano, which you may want to check out on Google. I had just finished preparing for the day and went to our veranda to see the volcano jutting up out of the sea on our port side. (I’m into nautical jargon now.) I keep wondering if it was the motivation for the evil character in Pinocchio. The volcano appears to form an island far out from the Italian coast, which I cannot see at the moment. A small village seems to cling to one of its lower slopes. Some people will live anywhere! We are approaching the Straights of Messina between the toe of the boot of Italy and the island of Sicily. We spend today at sea, passing around Italy and heading north to Croatia, where we will be docked at the city of Dubrovnik when we arise tomorrow morning.

Off To A Sm-ashing Start

You may be wondering how the volcanic eruption in Iceland has affected our planned trip to the Mediterranean. The bottom line is that we are onboard the ship but are still waiting to leave port.

We drove, as planned, to see Betsy and her family on Friday. We enjoyed playing with Henry and Clara and visiting with everyone through Saturday morning. News reports were making me quite nervous, since the ash clouds seemed to be drifting further south and had resulted in some airport closings in northern Italy. Rome was still open, however. Also, Holland America sent an email that morning to announce their plans to move departure back an additional five hours to provide more options for those trying to reach the cruise on time.

We decided to head for the airport a little early in case there was anything that needed to be done there. However, my worrying was for naught, as our Alitalia flight to Rome departed almost on schedule and got us to Rome on Sunday morning as planned. The captain did announce that we would not fly the usual route, instead flying further south, below the Azores, to avoid the ash. In Rome, we checked into our hotel, proceeded to get ourselves time adjusted, and found a very nice restaurant nearby that served excellent Italian pizza.

Monday morning (yesterday), we put our bags out for the transfer to the ship. A bus full of fellow cruise passengers gathered in the lobby with us. Then we learned that the cruise departure time was being further delayed and that one port of call (Corfu—planned first stop in Greece) would be eliminated. We were driven to the port of Civitavecchia and were allowed to board the ship at the original planned time but the ship has stayed in port overnight and will be departing tonight (Tuesday) at 6PM, a bit more than 24 hours beyond schedule. Of course, this is to allow more passengers time to get here if at all possible.

We enjoyed our first dinner on board last evening and met the two other couples who will be seated with us during the cruise. They were delightful. One couple is from Australia and had little trouble getting here. The other couple is from Spokane and had quite an adventure getting here. They were scheduled to fly to Rome on Thursday via London. Their plans included a few days of sight-seeing in Rome prior to the cruise. However, they were on one of the last jets allowed to land in London and then spent the next several sleepless days on a bus to the English coast, a ferry across the channel, and then trains to Paris, Geneva, Zurich and finally, Milan. A commuter flight from Milan to Rome got them here in time to board the ship yesterday, quite sleep deprived but happy to be here.

This morning I’m enjoying sitting on our cabin room veranda, looking out at the Mediterranean, watching ships go by and construction crews working on improvements to the port. We could walk into the city of Civitavecchia, but we’ve been told there isn’t much to see. We watched a very funny movie (Old Dogs) yesterday in the onboard movie theater, and I expect we will find lots more to do today. We enjoy reading and visiting and napping too, and the activity level will pick up as 6PM approaches and departure finally occurs. There will be music and drinks and laughter up on the Lido deck at that time. Life is good. More later.