Normandy

For years the four of us (Monte, Aleta, Mona and I) have talked about visiting Normandy.  Monte and Mona's dad landed there the day after D Day; Aleta's dad was awarded the Purple Heart for injuries he suffered in WWII; and my dad served as part of the garrisoning troops in Germany in the early 50s.  Given all that personal history, I suppose it's natural that we've all read lots of books and watched lots of movies about WWII.

At last the day of our trip began.  We met in the hotel lobby at 5:45 AM and headed down the Champs Elysees to catch our first metro of the day and then transferred to our second Metro to take us to Gare St. Lazare (St. Lazare Train Station.)  There we got our Europass stamped, grabbed croissants and espresso, and watched the boards to see what our platform was to be.  In a few short minutes we saw it, Platform 23.  Luckily, it was close by and we made our way to the conductors for them to review our tickes.  Then we had to find our coach, Coach 12, and finally our seats.  We had first class tickets so we had four reserved seats, two facing two with a table in between.  Now, we relaxed and enjoyed the ride.  It was dark and raining for an hour or so, making it a good time to nap a bit.

After two hours we reached Caen.  Off the train, down the steps, up the steps and into the station to read the boards to find our platform.  Platform E this time.  Down the steps, up the steps and on to the platform where our train was waiting for us.  This was a local train so there were only three cars counting the engine, and it was packed with tourists like us and lots of locals.  Two of us sat and two of us stood (I bet you could guess the twos!) as we made our way to Bayeux. 

There we were met by Magali, our guide for the day, along with four other Americans who would be in the van with us for the next eight hours. Magali's home is about 15 miles from Caen and her home has been in her family for many years.  In fact, her home was under "The Boot" (as the locals call the German occupation) thus making her uniquely qualified to be a guide. Her and her husband are avid students of WWII history and both are tour guides for the Normandy beaches.  At last Magali got us all loaded into the van and offf we headed for the Omaha Beaches to begin our tour.

I guess it's time for background.  If you're familiar with WWII and particularily the D Day events then you may want to skip this mini history lesson.  Otherwise, read on.

WWII began in earnest in 1939.  Since then, Germany had been victorius in conquering most of Europe,  In 1944, Most of Europe was under The Boot except for Britain (because the Brits won the Air Battle of Britain) and Italy (which had been liberated by the Allies.)  By 1944 the Allied Command devised a plan to attack German occupied France and labeled this attack as Operation Overlord.  Plans for this attack involved millions of men and thousands of ships, planes and tanks.  This attack was extremely secret and the Allies went to great lengths to deceive the Germans into thinking they were going to attack at Calais; i.e. At the Englilsh Channel's narrowest point.

Fast forward to June 6th, 1944.  In Normandy, the weather is horrible and the beaches are worthless for landing attack forces.  The Germans weren't too worried about an attack there; you'd have to be crazy to attack Normandy!  I guess that meant the Allied command was crazy because they decided to attack under those horrible conditions and on those worthless beaches!  The Allies plan called for each nation to attack separate sectors.  The Brits, Canadians and Free French the attacked Juno, Sword and Gold sectors.  The Americans were assigned the Omaha and Utah sectors.  This battlefront was to be huge stretching over 120 miles....the distance between between St. Louis and Decatur.

The battle began shortly after midnight on June 6th with the dropoff of over 24,000 paratroopers.  Some of these drops went well, but many went horribly wrong with troops landing in water and immediately drowning in their silks and equipment.  Many landed off target and had to make their way behind enemy lines to attempt to complete their mission.  Paratroop casualities were over 40%.  The picture below shows a monument to John Steele.  An American paratrooper whose parachute caught on the church spire as he attemtped to land.  

At 6:30 in the morning, the invasion of amphibious troops and equipment began.  

Now, I'll go back to talking about our tour and what happened to the Americans as they attacked the Omaha and Utah sectors.

After driving about 30 minutes we came to one of the Omaha beaches.  We got out of the van and walked in the sand to the water's edge.  We turned shoreward and could see the German bunkers still on the cliffs behind us.  When the Americans approached this beach at 6:30 AM they were all seasick from the horrible lurching of their landing craft.  Their landing craft had to avoid the many mines and obstacles in the water.  Once out of the landing craft the GIs were met with a murderous crossfire from the German bunkers.  Casualaties in that first hour were 90%.  Things had gone horribly wrong on Omaha beach...so wrong that the commanders contemplated withdrawing from this sector.  In spite of all that the GIs kept moving forward...it was that or die in the sand.  A few finally made it across the beach and then began the climb up the cliffs to take out the German bunkers and pillboxes...one by one.  After many many hours of savage and brutal battle the Americans were victorious....but at a huge cost.  So many casualities here that the water was red with blood after the battle.

As Magali recounted these events it was impossible to listen without tears for the many lives lost here.  As we stood here we could almost feel the presence of so many fallen brave young men.  The averaage age of these troops was 23, meaning there were many who were just teenagers.

Our next stop was the American cemetery near Colleville on a bluff overlooking Omaha.  Here is the final resting place for over 9000 GIs.   Here you will see the crosses and the Stars of David of many of our fallen GIs.  There are 42 pairs of brothers interred here, including the brothers who inspired the "Band of Brothers" movie.  Here also lies the son of an American president: Theodore Roosevelt Jr. who was a Brigadier General.  He insisted on landing with his troops and died of a heart attack a few days after the invasion.  Also here are over hundreds of crosses inscribed with "Here rests in honored glory a comrade in arms known but to God."  

This cemetery is a somber place and there is no way to visit here without being deeply emotionally touched.  This is American soil.  It is hallowed soil.

The mood was quiet in the van as we went to our next stop...Point du Hoc...which is a hook-shaped cliff between the Utah and Omaha beaches.  Here approximately 250 American Rangers had to scale near-verticle cliffs to take out the German defenses entrenched above.  They had to climb those cliffs under deadly German fire from above as Allied bombs were blasting the defenses above.

Point du Hoc is still cratered from the huge bomb blasts and incredibly there are still intact German bunkers which withstood the bombs.  We were able to go into one of those bunkers and look out the port....wondering how many Americans were killed from this vantage.  (The picture below is taken from inside the bunker looking out through the gun portal.)

Next we visited the Utah beaches.  Here the coast is more gradual so our troops didn't have to climb cliffs to acheive their goal thus making the victory here much easier than Omaha.  However, the landing didn't occur without loss of American lives....many of which happened when paratroopers landed in marshes that were thought to be dry land.  In fact, they were marshes with tall grass growing in the water.  Many paratroopers drowned here in the tangle of their silks and equipment.

As I said, this battlefront is huge.  We drove 30 and 40 minutes between locations.  During the drive you see monument after monument dedicated to acts of valor and sometimes dedicated to acts of kindness.  Sometimes the monuments are decided to a battalion and sometimes to an individual.  It's clear that the French remember what happened here and the cost in American lives.

Our last stop was at a small church built in the 1100s.  Here, Monte, Aleta and Mona met the Mayor of the village and we learned the story of this little church.  In June of 1944 two American paratrooper medics set up an aide station here where they cared for 80 injured troops and a local child.   The church was then captured by the Germans and the troops continued to care for the injured, including Germans.  Druing this time all the stained glass windows of the church were blown out.  In the subsequent years those windows were replaced.  Imagine our amazement as we looked at this stained glass window in this 12th century church.  

There is a common perception that the French don't like Americans.  We have never encountered any dislike in any of our visits.  But most of all...not this one.  Here the Americans are deeply appreciated for the sacrafices they made for the French.  It was all summed up for me the night after we visited Normandy.  At the Moulin Rouge we sat with a young French couple.  He spoke English and we found that he had recently visited Normandy.  We commented on how somber the battlefields and cemeteries were.  He said, "That's not my word for it.  My word for Normandy is "wonderful."  It is so wonderful that so many from so far away came to save my country and my people."  ...I can't add to that.

Our visit to Normandy was incredible.  We learned so much and we felt even more.  However, one thing was very disturbing.  The four other Americans on the tour were in their 20s and 30s.  They knew virtually nothing about WWII.  And, it appeared by their comments and questions that they learned nothing.  We all fear that many Americans are like this, more focused on their iStuff, video games and petty politics than the reality of what real evil can do in this world if left unchecked.  We need to make sure we remember the evil that almost took over the world in the 1940s, otherwise we fear it may happen again.

Let us not forget.

Paris At Last!

Trying out a new way to write my blogs...this time with an iPad connected to a Bluetooth keyboard.  Up till now I've used a laptop to write these, but that's simply too much weight to carry on this trip.  So...I apologize in advance for the extra typos and spelling errors.  I don't have as many tools as I normally do...especially when it comes to sizing and moving photos.  It's a little frustrating, but I hope you still get the drift of our trip!

We arrived at our Paris hotel slightly after midnight; however, the four of us still wanted to get a taste of Paris before we tried to sleep.  With that in mind, we set out on the Champs Elysees.  It's definitely not as crowded on an early early Thursday morning, but we still managed to find an open cafe.  We ordered Kir Royale and toasted our arrival.  No sooner had we made our post than it began to rain....hard!  Somehow, that seemed like the perfect welcome to Paris, so we slowly made our way back to our hotel and tucked in for the morning.

In spite of our late night we still managed to get up early and tackle a couple of the items on our Paris to-do list. We started our mission by walking down the Champs Elysees to the Arc de Triomphe.  This great momument has seen a lot of history...from Napoleon's Funeral Cortege to Hitler's conquest, to the Allied Victory.  It's awe-inspiring and humbling at the same time.

Next up we took a bit of time to do some geocaching.  We've had our eye on a Arc de Triomphe cache for our 2000th cache.  Took us a bit, but we finally found the cache and celebrated number 2000 in sight of the great Arc!

Next was the Eiffel Tower.  This beautiful tower has been amazing visitors to Paris since 1898 and we are no exceptions.  We had a little wait in line to buy tickets, but soon we were on our way up.  You start up on an inclined elevator to the "Second Stage"  It's at this level that you get some of the best views of the city:  Montmartre, Notre Dame, Arc de Triomphe, etc.  We spent some time here, but of course, one myst visit the top!  Upward we go for a two minute journey to the top.  Up there is a pretty small viewing platform, seemingly with at least two people from every country in the world.  It's crowded!  We quickly did the requisite walk-about and headed down.  It took awhile with some line-queueing, but we finally made it.  Good to go up....better to get down!  Finished our visit here with a walk through the Champ de Mars and then onward for more Paris.

We use the Metro to get around Paris.  It's cheap, reliable and fast.  That's how we got from the Arc de Triomphe to the Eiffel Tower, and that's how we now get to Notre Dame.  We quickly arrive at the cathedral, but there's a line to get in...a long line!  Seems we timed our visit to coincide with free English-language tours.  We've had enough lines for the day so we stroll around this beautiful building.  It was started in 1163 and took over 200 years to complete....and it's just now celebrating its 850th anniversary.  This is the queen of gothic cathredrals with its many flying buttresses and protective gargoyles.  Stunning.

After our walk we boarded a small boat on the Seine almost in the shade of Notre Dame.  It's a perfect spot to admire the cathedral and wave to people on the other boats cruising by.

I guess I should explain my pronouns...."we" and "our".  "We" are Mona, Marvin, Aleta and Monte (Mona's brother) Sometimes I use "we" to describe Mona and I...sometimes it means the four of us.  I guess you'll have to figure it out.  This trip is to celebrate Monte and Aleta's 30th wedding anniversary and to see some of the great sights of Paris, Rome and Florence with a couple of side trips to Normandy and Monaco.

After our boat cafe we wandered along the quays, looking at the book sellers' stands and doing some people watching.  Of course, when in Paris you are constantly people watching....no way to avoid it.  Not only are the Parisians themselves interesting, but the whole world visits Paris.  You hear every language, and you see people from virtually every culture.  They say that if you sit in a Parisian cafe long enough you will see the entire world walk by....and that's one of our bullet list items!

Speaking of cafes.  After we walked around our old stomping grounds, south of St. Germain - near Odeon, we stopped at one of our favorite cafes, Relais Odeon.  We sat here for quite some time, enjoying the wine and watching the world walk by.  All too soon it was time to move on.  We reluctantly yeilded our tables and moved on....to another cafe.  (Following Pam's orders, of course!) This is another of our favorite Left Bank cafes, Vins et Terrior...and is the perfect place for comfort food:  escargot and beouf bourgornne.  Yum!  Great way to cap off our first day in Paris!

Next morning we hit the Louvre, the world's first museum and arguably the world's greatest museum.  This is the former palace of the French kings and was converted to a museum after the French Revolution.  It's hard to convey how large this building is....and how extensive its collection.  It has two Metro stops all its own, and you still have to walk forever to get in and around.  With this much to see you have to have to have a plan: Pick a few key targets and pace yourself.  Our targets were the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo and the Egpytian mummies.  Getting to these three targets still exposes you to a LOT of exhibits....Renasaince art that you've seen in pictures, Greek and Roman artifacts, and the palace rooms themselves.  The rooms of the palace were beautifully decorated with gold leaf, masterpieces of art painted on walls and ceilings.....indescribable!  We spent about four hours in the Louvre, till our brains got full up.  Time to go to a cafe!  

Our next cafe was on the north side of Notre Dame, giving us a great view of the spires and innumerable gargoyles.  Perfect!  Afterwards, we visited the inside of Notre Dame.  Most of the time in here you are looking up....the incredible and huge stained glass....the arches....the columns reaching up.  They built this when????...over 400 years before America was discovered????  How could this be??  Incredible.  (Note:  We'll post a lot more pics when we get home....just doing a few here and on FB.)

We hadn't had enough yet, so we caught the Metro and headed to Montmartre....one of the few hills of Paris.  We took the funicular (inclined railway) to the top and landed at the base of Sacre Coure...a white basilica on top of the butte.  We then wandered over to Place du Tertre where there's a square lined on the inside with working artists and on the outside with cafes.  We walked around admiring the art, buying none (for the first time!)  and finally landed at yet another cafe.  Sipping wine, eating crepes and watching the world walk by!

Afterwards, we wandered the down the hill, stopping to admire the quaint homes and stopping to walk through the unique Montmartre Cemetery.  

It was a big day for us so it was time to rest and relax....at a cafe of course!  This time it was Cafe Francious with a truly incredible view of the Eifflel Tower.  The tower is beautiful by day, but it is amazing by night.  After dusk it lights up showing off its style....and once an hour there's an incredible light show making the entire tower sparkle!  It must be seen to be believed!

It was a big day for us.  Time to wander the back streets home and find our way to our beds!

Next morning we were off to see Sainte Chapelle; a gothic cathedral built to house the crown of thorns.  Saint Chapelle was built in the early 1200's and was built in only six years as opposed to the over 200 years required to build Notre Dame.  Sainte Chapelle is known for its amazing stained glass windows each of which tell part of the story of the Bible.  These windows make Sainte Chapelle a theatre of light and bedazzle anyone who has the priveledge of seeing them.  The lower chappel, built for the commoners, is also beautiful in its own way and is not to be missed.  Mona got some great pictures down there and we'll post them when we return.

Afterwards we wandered through the Sainte Germain des Pres area....visiting the little boulangeries and patisseries....and just enjoying the sights and sounds of normal  Parisian life. after a couple of hours  we wound up back by Boule Mich, caught a cab and headed to Port d'Alma for a little the de rigueur Bateaux -Mouches boat ride on the Seine.  They provide a narrative tour of the Seine....in ten languages so you have to listen closely for when your language comes up.  Sometimes you get confused, thinking it's in English, but you're actually listening to the Japanese version...or is that just me?   Of course, while on the boat we all had to follow standard boat protocol which means you must wildly wave at everyone on shore, on the bridges and on other boats.  I wonder if the pirates of the Caribbean had to do this waving, too?  Maybe that's what made them grumpy and that's why they started all that pillaging and what not....but, I digrees.

Made our way home, enjoying the sights and sounds of the Champs Elysees at night.  Endless car noise, people talking in every language, and street performers doing every flip, bird song and dance imaginable.  Can't get that kind of entertainment on Manor Drive!  Afterwards, Mona and I visited the Sephora mothership...right next door to the Marriott.  On our way back we semi-crashed a fashion premiere.  We got in okay, and got to gawke at the models....but the fun ended when they they wanted to charge us for drinks.  The audacity!  We decided to take our business elsewhere!

Time for some sleep....more to follow!

The Road Home

Our last night in The Foley House Inn was uneventful.  No jumping socks, no strange noises, just a good night’s sleep for both of us.  Next morning we had another delicious breakfast served by the hotel cook.  Two other couples were in the breakfast room with us, including the couple in 307…next to our room.  Near the end of breakfast they asked why we were running water so much at 3:15 in the morning.  We weren't.  Coincidentally, our tour guide on the hearse told us that the peak time for paranormal activity was 3:15 AM.  The Foley House Inn definitely is a memory maker!

Coligny Beach on Hilton Head

We headed north to check out a couple of famous beach areas we've never visited.  First up was Hilton Head Island.  Hilton Head is only 45 minutes from Savannah…and is a beautiful drive amid the marshes and savannas of South Carolina. 

Hilton Head is very subdued with little commercialization.  The main beach is Coligny Beach where you’ll find easy walkways over the dunes and onto the hard-packed beach.  The beach is hard enough that you can ride bikes through the surf.  It’s beautiful and we enjoyed a nice walk on the beach searching for shells and doing a little people watching.

Next up was Myrtle Beach.  This place is totally different from Hilton Head.  There’s a boardwalk along the dunes and next to the boardwalk are about 100 tee shirt shops, bars, restaurants, a huge Ferris Wheel and crowds of people.  This extends for blocks in each direction.  We parked next to the Ferris Wheel, paying $7 per hour for the privilege.

Myrtle Beach from Pier 14

We walked the boardwalk for a while and visited Pier 14 where there were several fishermen catching small fish to use as shark bait…on that same pier.  They fish for sharks just a few yards from where hundreds are playing in the water.  Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head are radically different….I like them both for different reasons.

DC was next and we stayed with the same friends we stayed with last year, Pete and Margaret. Wednesday was a site-seeing day, but this time we weren't visiting the monuments.  Instead,  Margaret, Mona and I drove  towards the Shenandoah River to visit some Civil War sites.  First up, Manassas; which is the site of two major Civil War battles: The Battle of Bull Run and the Second Battle of Bull Run.  This park covers over 5000 acres and there are many relics from the battles, as well as many graves.   There were over 20,000 casualties in these battles, making this a very somber place to visit.

Harper's Ferry West Virginia
Maryland is on the left bank, Virginia on the Right

We then drove about an hour north to visit Harper’s Ferry.  This is a small West Virginia peninsula, formed by the junction of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers.  It’s beautiful and serene today, but in the mid 1800s it was a bustling industrial city with water-powered factories building munitions.  There was also a major armory there, which John Brown attacked in 1859 hoping to incite a revolution among slaves throughout the south.  John Brown’s raid failed, but it was a major incident leading to the Civil War.

Warren, Mona and Margaret

The View from Hillsborough Vineyard

In the afternoon, we visited a couple of Virginia wineries.  Surprising to us, there are about 100 vineyards in this part of Virginia, growing many of the same grapes you see in California and France.  Our last stop of the day was Hillsborough Vineyards, situated high on a hill overlooking the valley below and the mountains along the Shenandoah.  After tasting, we bought a bottle of wine, some crackers and some cheese.  We then sat outside to sip and enjoy the incredible view.  Not long after we were seated an elderly gentleman walked by our table and greeted us a he walked by.  We could tell he was alone so we invited him to sit with us.  After introductions (his name was Warren) we told how we came to be there and asked him what brought him to the winery.  He explained that he lived about a mile away and this was his and his wife’s favorite spot.  His wife died about 8 months ago and this would have been her birthday.  He was here for her birthday.  We all toasted her and then enjoyed a wonderful evening with delightful Warren.

This was a wonderful trip and it was so good to end it with our good friends in D.C.  Can’t wait to go back for more visits!

Savannah

Streets of Savannah

We’ve always had this mental picture of Savannah, with magnolia trees everywhere, and tall oaks dripping with Spanish moss; all amid quiet tranquil beauty.  Pretty vivid pics, yet neither of us had ever been to Savannah.

That all changed a couple of days ago as we turned off Route I-16 and made our way in to Savannah on Oglethorpe Street; which is indeed lined with magnolias and tall oaks dripping with Spanish moss.  It was everything we imagined and more!

Mona missing her chocolates!

We arrived at our Bed and Breakfast (The Foley House Inn) just in time for afternoon tea in the parlor.  We had pink lemonade and pecan crusted cheesecake as the hotel manager told us about the history of the hotel and nearby Chippewa Square, where Forest Gump sat on his bench and talked about boxes of chocolates.  We really enjoyed tea time, but of course that wasn't enough food for Mona so later on we had to walk in the rain to find dinner.

About 9:00 we were back in the parlor waiting on our ride for the evening’s tour.  Finally, it showed up….a hearse, a real life (or death) hearse!   The hearse had been retired from its normal service and modified to allow eight people to sit upright in the back.  This was to be our touring vehicle for the night!

Our hearse for the night.  Laura is the driver..next to Mona

Our tour took us to many of the ghostly sites of Savannah…and there are many!  Apparently, there are many who have lived in Savannah that thought murder was an acceptable solution to their social issues!  Maybe it’s because much of the town is built upon the graves of almost ten thousand souls who were buried outside the current perimeter of the Colonial Cemetery.  The ride was made even spookier due to the rain and those oaks with all that Spanish moss!  This was definitely a ride to remember!

Bed of the moving socks!

We have mentioned on Facebook that The Foley House Inn is haunted.  We would have noticed even if the hotel manager hadn’t told us.  That’s because Mona was in our room alone and had placed two socks on the bed.  She turned away and then back to notice a sock was on the floor.  As she bent to pick it up, the second sock moved to the floor.  Neither sock had been on the edge of the bed where it could have fallen.  Needless to say, Mona left the room asap!  Apparently, Wally, the house ghost likes to move things and make noise.  They call him Wally because during some renovations they found a skeleton behind a wall.  (Hence the name, Wally.)  Apparently, a previous owner had killed Wally for his money and hid his body behind the wall!

Wally's Port

We had a few other “occurrences” in the room…I put a loaded camera bag on the bed beside me.  A few moments later it was gone…and on the floor.  There was no sound indicating it had fallen…it had simply moved.  The next morning Mona asked me if I had heard all the noises in the room above us.  There was no room above us.

Other guests had odd occurrences too.  A gentleman from England said he put his glasses on the nightstand beside him.  Next morning they weren’t there….they were on the nightstand on the other side of the bed.  Another couple asked us why we were running water at 3:15 in the morning.  We weren't!  Wally is certainly a busy fellow!  Apparently, Wally also likes port.  The hotel keeps port on the lobby piano 24 hours a day for the guests, and for Wally!

See the rocks?

Bonaventure Cemetery

Of course, there is much more to do in Savannah than stay in our hotel.  We visited two of the notable cemeteries in town…the Bonaventure and the Colonial Cemetery.  The Bonaventure is huge and full of incredible tombstones and monuments…and with lots of live oaks draped in Spanish moss.  It’s beautiful.  Bonaventure also has a large Jewish section.  Did you know that Jews don’t put flowers on graves?  There are lots of theories as to where this custom came from, but my favorite is that since rocks are permanent they show that the departed is permanently in the heart of the person who left the rock.

We also visited the Colonial Cemetery in the heart of Savannah.  It’s been turned into a park, but there are still hundreds of graves there, including graves of heroes from the Revolutionary War.  Many of the graves there are brick hut-like buildings.  We've never seen any like them before.

Colonial Graves

We finished our visit on a trolley tour visiting most of the sites in the city.  There are many beautiful homes to see and 22 squares, which are like miniature parks laid out in a grid fashion in the heart of the city.  We hopped off the tour along the Savannah River to grab a bite to eat and to enjoy the river view.  We highly recommend this tour!

Our last stop of the evening was Pirates House for drinks and appetizers.  This place was built in the 1700s and had an underground tunnel going from the building to the river port.  If you had too much to drink you would we whisked away through this tunnel and you’d wake up the next morning as a sailor!  Talk about “Argh”!!!

Next morning, we were treated to another fantastic low-country breakfast and shared “bump-in-the night stories” with our fellow guests.  Can’t wait to go back and visit there again!!!

Life at Sea

Our cruise experts (Cousins Randy and Mary Ann) told us that they liked having extra days at sea.  We were skeptical, but decided to follow their advice and booked a cruise with two days at sea.  I was nervous about this….how would we fill all this time!?!?!?

Looking up the Atrium

As I mentioned in the first cruise blog, this ship (The Carnival Liberty) is huge.  13 decks, over 100 thousand tons and over 1000 feet long.  There are at least four swimming pools, a water slide, maybe six or seven Jacuzzis and an outdoor theater.  On top of that there are about ten restaurants, maybe 15 bars and music venues and a full-size theater for productions and shows.  There’s also a casino, a basketball court, a running track and a gym.  Maybe, just maybe, we could find something do to while at sea.

Genesis (the waiter's name) singing Happy Birthday

Our favorite place on board was the Serenity Deck…for adults only (and, no, the top deck is no longer topless).  There are two Jacuzzis up there…one a bit cooler than the other.  We met lots of people there…from Nicaragua, Cuba, England and all parts of the US.  Speaking of meeting people, that’s one of the coolest parts about cruising….you meet lots and lots of new people from everywhere in the world.  And it’s not just fellow cruisers…it’s also the staff.  Lots of Indonesians, South Africans, Filipinos, Croatians and even a Russian from Siberia.

Waiters Dancing on Tables

We listened to so many great musicians:  A Japanese band singing old rock favorites….and messing up here and there on the lyrics.  (Think “Deck the Halls” in “A Christmas Story.”)  A couple called “The Two of Us” who sang light rock…  But our favorite was Dylan Holton….who played the guitar, covering a few songs, but also singing several he wrote.  We expect to hear his “Weight of the World” on the radio soon.

The Liberty is a beautiful ship.  Even though it’s huge there has obviously been a lot of attention paid to every detail. And everything is so well maintained.  I’d get up around 4:30 and see all the maintenance people buffing and polishing everything in sight. 

There was a themed dance party outside  every night.

And, I don’t know why, but seemingly everyone on the ship was in a great mood.  I can easily understand the cruisers’ happiness…they are on vacation.  But even the crew was happy.   We met so many in such a short time and got to know their stories.  Even those people I met at 4:30 in the morning always greeted me and asked how I was doing.  Where else does this happen???

Breakfast!

We didn't go to dinner at our assigned table until the third night of the cruise.  There we met Larry and Pat….a wonderful couple.  He retired from the mail service 33 years ago.  Since then he’s been on 93 Carnival cruises…..93!  21 of those cruises were on the Liberty!  They are absolutely the sweetest couple and are treated like royalty by the entire cruise staff. We'd love to link up with them for cruise #100!

Japanese Rock Band

One of the things we were worried about on this trip was our room.  We had been assigned an inside cabin on the lowest deck.  Mona in particular was worried that she would feel claustrophobic. However, as soon as we opened the door to the room our fears went away.  It was a very nice sized room with a king size bed.  Lots of space and a very nice sized bathroom.  Loved it!

Our Dining Room 

Midcruise we switched dinning tables.  We met two ladies (Brenna and Brenda) in the hot tub who convinced us that their table was the most fun one on the boat.   At their table we got acquainted with four other couples who were there to have fun.  We dined with them for the rest of the cruise and had a blast at every dinner thereafter!  (Yes, Brenna and Brenda were right..this was the most fun table on the ship!)

There was a new critter on our bed
every night!

Virtually, every night there was a big time production with singers and dancers.  Most nights there were two or three comedians…with adult themes at night.  One night there was a hypnotist who hypnotized about 30 people at once.  His show was funny…but not Tom Deluca funny.  (Only Decaturites will understand that comment.)

Mona?  In the water...again?!?

Spending extra time at sea really gives you a chance to meet more people and spend some quality time with them.  We met a couple from Sweden that invited us to link up with them when we go there to see the Northern Lights.  We also exchanged email addresses with a group who plan to meet for another cruise together.  (From our adopted dinner table.)  And, we’d love to go and see Edward and his wife in Thailand after they get their new restaurant started.

Mona and Dylan

We had two sea days….and wish we had more!  We simply didn’t have enough time to fit everything in.  We simply have to do this again!

Cruising

This year we decided to trade a vacation week for a cruise.  We booked a seven night cruise on the Carnival Liberty with four ports of call: Mexico, Belize, Honduras and the Cayman Islands.  This blog post will primarily talk about the ports of call.  I'm writing a different post about our time on the ship.

Miami:

We got in to Miami early Thursday. Our hotel was directly across from MIA and as we drove in we noticed a 94^th Aero Squadron Restaurant nearby.  It looked just like the one that used to be in STL so we had to go there for a glass of wine.  Inside was very similar to the one in STL and it reminded us of how much fun it was to take Mom and Dad there.

Afterwards, it was time to head to South Beach.  However, I-395 was blocked due to a drawbridge that wouldn't shut.  Time for a reroute!  We decided to take a detour through the back streets of Miami all the way from the airport to South Beach.  Boy, did we get an education…it’s totally different from the beautiful sky scrapers and multi-million dollar homes you associate with Miami.  Instead, it’s mile after mile of tiny houses with no front yard and with their cars parked up next to the house.  And, there was a big section of the trip where we saw virtually no signs in English.  We didn't feel threatened at any time, but it definitely wouldn’t be where we’d drive at night!

South Beach is South Beach….we've never encountered anything else quite like it.  There’s the beach, with thousands of people on it….then sand dunes, then parks/hotels, then Ocean Drive which is lined with restaurants and clubs catering primarily to tourists.  Lots of crazy-cool cars, wild neon, palm trees, hot looking people, and hawkers trying to get you to come into their place.  We were specifically looking for Cuban food and were disappointed that all the restaurants had virtually the same menu with only Cuban sandwiches.  Finally a guy told us we had to get off Ocean Drive to get real Cuban food and he directed us to Puerto Sagua….which was filled with Cubans eating great food….highly recommend it!

Leaving Miami, South Beach is in the background

After dinner it was time to stop by an outdoor club to listen to music.  However, we weren't out to see and be seen.  Instead we were more like “see, gawk and be innocuous”.  Great music and lots of people (median age of 25) but all too soon it was time to go back to our hotel and watch airplanes.

Beginning the Cruise:

We got to the port around 11:00 and quickly boarded, along with about 3500 others (and 1100 crew members).  Long lines, but everyone was quickly processed.  Of course Mona was starving so the first place we hit was a buffet.  It’s hard to describe how many offerings there were….you just have to see it to believe it.  We sated our hunger and then began exploring our ship, the Carnival Liberty.  The ship has 13 decks and is about 1000 feet long (not to mention it weighs 110,000 tons!).  There are lounges throughout the ship, along with several restaurants, cafes and coffee shops.   There is also an incredible list of over 350 activities you can do….games, shows, casino, pools, Jacuzzis, and on and on and on….

Cozumel:

Mona and Friends

Our first port of call was Cozumel, Mexico.  This is an island about 30 miles off the coast of Mexico.  We decided this would be our casual day, nothing fancy, just walking and enjoying the city.  We shared a cab from the port to the town square.  From there we started geocaching, taking in the sights and sounds of the little town as we cached.  The shopkeepers were still opening up but they all managed to talk to us and ask us to come into their shop.  They didn't seem to mind if you didn't buy anything, they just wanted to ensure you came in to see what they had to offer. 

We stopped at an outside bar called Wet Willies for margaritas and guacamole.  Both were awesome.  Then stopped by a tequila store for free samples.  We got to talking with the store owner and ended up with lots and lots of samples.  Afterwards we somehow managed to grab another cab and make it back to port.  Time to hit the Jacuzzi!

Belize:

Our second port of call was Belize City, Belize.  When we went to school this tiny country was called “British Honduras”  and it wasn't until 1981 that Belize gained independence from Britain.  This is the only country in Central America where they speak English…quite good English at that.  However, when locals talk to locals they speak Kriol….a blend of English, Spanish, Creole and home-grown words.

Two Wild Flowers

Howler Monkey

Our excursion began with a two hour boat ride into the jungle.  We left the port on an open boat that seated 30.  We cruised along the coast until we came to the River Wallace where we turned up river.  No sooner had we entered the river we saw a dolphin….and something else.  The dolphin was playing with a baby manatee, giving it rides on his nose!!!  Mama manatee was swimming alongside keeping a close eye on things!  Amazing!

We saw lots and lots of wildlife on this ride….howler monkeys (cross than one off the bucket list!), crocodiles, beautiful birds including ospreys, herons, frigate birds, cormorants and one yellow parrot.  We also saw lots of iguanas…in trees, in clearings, everywhere!  Some of these iguanas were six or seven feet long…the biggest iguanas we've ever seen!

Finally we came to a large clearing where there was a “resort”.  There we had lunch which consisted of jerk chicken accompanied by beans and rice cooked in coconut milk.  Delicious!  After lunch we boarded a bus and headed for the next part of the trip…an ancient Mayan site called Altun Ha.  This is a relatively small site, especially when compared to Chichen Itza, but it’s also where some of the most incredible finds of Mayan jade have been made, including the crown jewel of Belize, a skull made from jade.

Two of the Pyramids at Altun Ha

We explored the site for about an hour, including a climb to the top of one of the pyramids.  The heat here was intense and the air was swimming wet!  Our guide told us that the heat, along with the surrounding swamps and jungle helped keep the conquistadores from conquering this site.  I can believe it…I’d hate to wear armor in this jungle!

Roatan, Honduras

Our third port of call was Roatan, Honduras.  This was our beach day and we took a chair lift to the nearby beach. From the chairlift we could see lionfish in the shallows below…were we really going to get in the water here!?!?!   At the beach, we put our gear in our clamshell cabana and headed for the water, lionfish or not!  At the beach it was just us and about 2000 of our closest friends.  Luckily the beach was huge.  We floated for a while, I snorkeled for a while and then it was time to head back to the ship.  Jacuzzi time!

Cayman Islands:

This Ray is About 5 feet Wide.  

Our final port of call was the Grand Cayman island in the Cayman Islands.  Here we rode a bus to the far side of the island.  This island nation is known for its banking and it’s not nearly as poor as its neighbors.  Lots of nice middle class homes and businesses here.  But, lest you forget that you’re in the Caribbean, there are still iguanas everywhere!  Once we reached the far side of the island we boarded a boat for our final adventure, a visit to Stingray City!

Stingray City is a sandbar, two miles out in the ocean….yep, two miles!  Our boat anchored seemingly in the middle of the ocean and then they told us to get out!  If you know Mona, you know that she hates water deeper than her ankles.  I mean h.a.t.e.s!  Yet, here she was, getting off of a perfectly good boat into water that was up to her shoulders!  I don’t think she would have done this except it was my birthday.

Took this with my iPhone in a bag!

As we got off the boat we could see triangular shapes gliding through the water…stingrays!  These rays were four or five feet across and there must have been a hundred of them!  They would come right up to us and bump into us!  It was a little iffy at first, but then you get to liking it!  We waded to waist deep water and there our guide told us all about the rays and how they feed on life underneath our feet.  We got to hold a ray and then feed one.  The ray literally sucks the squid right out of your hand from several inches away!!!  (Note: You are warned not to wipe your hand on your body after the ray eats your squid.  That’s because rays LOVE squid, even squid juice and will suck the juice from your body leaving you with a giant hickey…right Virginia?)

We were out on the sandbar for an hour or so…feeding the rays, snorkeling with them….and just having a blast!  Our visit ended all too soon!!!

Afterwards, we shopped awhile in the port town and then made our way to waterside bar.  There, Mona made friends with some local women, celebrating a new job for one of them.  We met lots of fun people here in the Caymans, as well as everywhere we visited.

Mona and New Girlfriends

We had fun on all our excursions, but Stingray City was the best of all.  We would both love to do that again!  (And…we’d like to swim with dolphins, swim with turtles, ride horses on the beach, and, and, and!

Hard to see, but in this pic is a dolphin, a baby manatee and
a mama manatee.

Many thanks to Mary Ann and Randy for all the cruise excursion tips!  There are so so many excursion options and you were a big help in making our decisions.  We are ready to go again!

The Bahamas

Our intent was to visit The Bahamas last year as a part of our Key West trip.  However, that plan got sidetracked when I had to have emergency eye surgery.  We still wanted to visit the land of Trae (our one and only Bahamian friend) so we traded for a week in Freeport and off we went.

Our first stop was in Cordele, Georgia at an inexpensive hotel.  We had read the reviews about the train noise, but since we both grew up near train tracks we assumed that wouldn't be a problem for us.  Wrong!  Apparently, the hotel was near a crossing which required the trains to blow their horns for a mile or two, loud….piercing….horns.  And the trains kept coming and coming.  I lost count how many trains went by.  Or maybe it was just one train going round in circles just to keep us awake….regardless, we didn't get much sleep that night!

Next morning we hit the road, only an eight hour drive to Ft. Lauderdale.  Unfortunately there was a storm system centered along our entire route.  It rained virtually the entire time, with the heaviest rains during the last four hours, when Mona was driving.  Lots of construction and busy roads made the last part of the drive pretty harrowing and we were both glad to finally get to our hotel.

Our Bahamas Beach

Unbelievably, the rain continued to pour down and we literally waded to the restaurant adjoining the hotel.  The front of the restaurant was flooded too.  Luckily, the back was still high and dry.  We quickly ate our shrimp dinner and waded back to our room…..just glad we didn't have to swim!

Next morning it was time to catch our flight to Freeport.  It was only a 35 minute flight.  A short taxi ride took us to our resort and within minutes we were there.  First on our agenda was food.  We took the shuttle to Port Lucaya and found a restaurant serving local food.  Our objective was conch fritters, cracked conch, and peas and rice…as recommended by Trae.  All were awesome and as it turned out, this was the food we ate most of our trip.

Rum Runners:Where mixing a drink requires
a machete! 

After lunch we wandered around the marketplace and found one of our two favorite spots on the island…Rum Runners.  This is a great place to meet people from all over the world while enjoying a drink (or two) and they have the best free WiFi on the island.  (You know how Mona gets when she’s not connected!)  The bartenders here are hilarious and it’s amazing how they chop the coconuts with machetes without losing hardly any fingers!

Our first view of Bernie's

We caught the shuttle back to our resort and hit the beach.  Soon we found our next favorite spot on the island: Bernies.  Bernies is hard to describe….it’s a restaurant…kind of.  It’s a gathering place…kind of.  What it is….is an awning under which Chef Bernie has a small counter and a grill.  In front of the awning is a bar made of rough-hewed boards….and then “outside” are four or five picnic tables made of the same boards.  As it turned out, we spent more time here than anywhere else on the island. 

Chef Bernie at work

Chef Bernie takes your order and then prepares it and cooks it. (Our order was conch fritters with grilled fresh-caught lobster.)  Since each order is done individually it takes a while so you pass the time by sipping on a Bahama Mama and talking with other diners.  As it turns out…people from all over the world come here year after year for Bernie’s food.  We met people from Iceland, Peru, Romania, Great Britain, Canada, and of course the US.  Most of these people were like us and came to Bernie’s several times over the week.  The food here is wonderful, but it’s the beach atmosphere and the new people you meet that makes it amazing!

Evening view from Bernie's

That first day set the tone of our trip.  Visit the port, go to Rum Runner’s, enjoy the beach, go to Bernie’s….and repeat.  We geocached of course, and I'll write about that in my geoblog.  We also hit a couple other “restaurants” of note.  One was the conch shack, just large enough for the cook inside.  Outside, they brought the fresh-caught conch to be cleaned them while you watch.  The conch is then handed up to the chef and cooked immediately.  (Or chopped up raw for conch salad...which is wonderful!)  While cleaning the conch they offer you the raw conch spine which is known locally as an aphrodisiac.  (Tastes like al dente spaghetti ..only saltier. You'll have to try them yourself to see if they have any other impact!)  We also ate at a jerk shack on the beach….great jerk chicken and pork!

On our last night Bernie had a bonfire on the beach.  He cooked ribs and corn on the cob for about thirty of us.  Lots of visiting, trading of email addresses, and photos.  What a great way to end the trip!