Sunday, November 29, 2015

Bye-bye Africa

November 29. Bye-bye Africa! We'd arranged for a late check out so had a very leisurely morning getting ready for a very long flight JNB/ATL, 17 hours, 22 minutes non-stop! We had decided to go down for lunch before moving the luggage out of our room but last check out has its limits... our door key stopped working at exactly 2:00 pm, so we had to get a porter to open the door to remove the luggage. He let us in one more time to clear the safe and close up my carry on. John and I arrived downstairs, claimed our luggage, and the porter stacked it all on one of the airport rolling carts and took us directly to the gate for check in. From the hotel to check in - what fantastic service!  I was impressed!

I've loved this trip. From Lisbon to Cape Town and the time to dilly dally along the way. I can't wait to decide on the next trip! I miss the puppies, Guinness, Gracy and Lacey, I miss my bed, and I miss my house! But I have to be planning something; have something to look forward to! But for now, it's back to reality, no more champagne and caviar for breakfast, no more wine for lunch and dinner, and no more dinners without counting calories! Alyssa, I'm on my way home! Be kind.

Saturday, November 28, 2015

Johannesburg Drama

November 28. Johannesburg drama. 10:30 trip to the airport with luggage checked and double checked and weight distributed as best as possible. We had one extra bag which cost 250R, a bargain! But I've sworn that NEXT time I'll SHIP an empty bag! We're acquiring a strange collection of odd suitcases. Thank heavens for a wonderful porter who knew his way around. While there was a loooong line at the SAA counter, he slipped us thru the back and to a double secret station... we took a few minutes as John had to go over to pay the additional baggage fee, but it was smooth sailing all the way. My biggest trauma was the SAA habit of pulling people out of the line once they have checked your ticket for boarding and sending you to have your carry-on weighed! I was over, but just by a kilo and was told they were going to have to check my bag. It was my roll aboard with make up and jewelry, I went back intent on unpacking what I could and putting it in my "purse" which is a big tote, with my 311 bag and purse in it. He chased after me, apologized and let me through. It was a short 2 hour flight and once we landed, claimed our luggage (my bag was THE LAST to arrive on the carousel!) we headed off to see if we couldn't find our hotel, the Intercontinental - supposedly at the airport. After asking for directions, we found it across the street and simply rolled the cart with all of the luggage to the hotel!

It was a great hotel. We were up and settled in the room in no time, and then back downstairs to the bar. John had beer, well one little itsy, bitsy shot of single malt neither of us had heard of - Jury Scotch, which neither of us liked, and I had our bartender, Jabo, make me a delicious Cosmopolitan... again from scratch with no mix, and it was delicious. The second one was just as delicious!

Dinner at 7:00 and we were so impressed with the meal. It was a fitting way to end our stay in South Africa.

Friday, November 27, 2015

Wine and More Wine

November 27. Wine and more wine. 9:30 am start with our driver from the hotel. I would suggest that anyone interested hire a guide that really knows the wine lands rather than a driver. Ivan had kindly made notes for me yesterday for suggested vineyards and that was a blessing. Our driver, Voomila, very nice, but not knowledgeable on the vineyards at all. Last time we were in South Africa, we visited Stellenbosch (no I didn't get back to Neethlingshoff), so we opted for Franschhoek this time, with three of Ivan's top recommendations in hand. The drive took about an hour and a half, first on the list was Provence. As we pulled into a beautiful estate, we checked in with the guard at the gate... oops, sorry, they did not have a tasting today. We drive through Franschhoek to the second name on the list, La Petite Ferme. We joined a group that had just started the tour of the vineyard. What a delight! They have about 100,000 hectares of vines, producing 100,000 bottles of wine annually. 90% is sold through the vineyard, 10% is exported to England, and in turn, England exports a small amount to the US. Our guide taught us which grapes La Petite grows and how each has its own requirements for successful growing. The vineyard has a variety of soils, with various growing conditions so it's able to grow quite a variety of grapes... I learned that Sauvignon Blanc likes cool mornings and sunny afternoons so they plant it next to the trees; but they also grow Sauvignon Franc higher on the mountain, Shiraz, Chardonnay, Merlot and Sauvignon Cabernet grapes. Their biggest seller is the Sauvignon Blanc and they are able to bottle and distribute it the same year, making it very profitable. Our guide was really knowledgeable about the vines, the grapes, the wine making, taking us step by step thru the process, of picking, fermenting, tracking sugar vs alcohol. They store the wine in the large stainless steel vats until they are ready to be put in casks or bottled. We had the added treat of tasting a 2015 Merlot directly from the vats! Down steep brick stairs to the cellar where they age their wines in either American or French oak casks. The difference? None, just tradition. He named me an "ABC", standing for "anything but Chardonnay" person!

Each of the barrels storing red wine was circled with a wide swath of red around the center of the barrel where the tester was. I had never seen anything like that before... they dry the grape skins, pulverize them and color the cask with the powder. After our "Oak" lecture, we headed upstairs for our tasting. The Sauvignon Blanc was delicious, Chardonnay was delicious, the Shiraz was delicious and Merlot was good, but my least favorite. Believe it or not, La Petite Ferme Chardonnay could convert me to a Chardonnay drinker... beautifully aged in French oak, but hands down, the best of all was the Shiraz! Winner, Winner!

Petite Ferme was a surprisingly small vineyard, that made and bottled all of their wines from their vineyard only, and what beautiful wines... unfortunately, carrying home wines with the amount of luggage we have just isn't possible, too much of a hassle, so I will enjoy it here and look for them at home.

We had made lunch reservations at La Motte, another beautiful vineyard. The restaurant was exceptional - awesome actually, with a separate tasting building and a shop for local goods. We ordered a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc, and found La Petite's was far superior. But then, La Motte mixes their wines from a number of growers, where La Petite uses only the grapes they harvest from their land.

After lunch, into Franschhoek for a bit of shopping. Very upscale community and beautiful shops. Fun shops, not many bargains, but fun shopping anyway and a great Gelato shop! After our break, we decided to head home instead of trying another vineyard, it was 4:00 pm and another tasting would really be a stretch. We were all content with our experience and were ready to head back to the hotel.

Back to the hotel we shared another bottle of champagne from wine country in Lisbon... just didn't want to take it home. It was Mongo Brut from Casal Branco outside of Lisbon, not as much to my liking as the demi-sec Cava from Madiera, but tasty none the less. Dinner downstairs outside on the patio next to the pool. Beautiful night; cool with a nice breeze an an almost full moon. Just perfect!

Tomorrow we break camp and head to Johannesburg before our flight home.






Thursday, November 26, 2015

Thanksgiving with the Penguins & Baboons

November 26. Thanksgiving with the Penguins & Baboons. We met our guide, Ivan, at 9:00 am and headed South. Driving along Beach Rd, we see much of what we saw yesterday, but it's so beautiful there were no complaints from us. We traveled past Twelve Apostles, where we'd stayed on our last visit, on to Hout Bay and to Chapman's Peak Road with all sorts of twists and turns. Over the peninsula to False Bay, so named because so many sailors took a wrong turn and thought they'd arrived in Table Bay. Our next stop was Simon's Town for a visit to Boulders Penguin Colony, a part of Table Mountain National Forest. Set in the midst of a residential area, you suddenly come upon a sheltered bay, with a thriving colony of African Penguins! They are the small penguins, and absolutely adorable! They are endangered and this is one of the few sites where the birds can be observed at close range, wandering freely, in a protected environment. We were able to see molting birds, nests being built and the constant grooming that takes place between mates; it was so windy today, most were snuggled into the sand staying warm!

After our penguin encounter, we headed further south to Cape of Good Hope and the obligatory photo next to the sign. On the way we were stopped by a couple of "baboon jams"... the baboons just take over the road, are extremely bold, extremely nasty and have an attitude! We had a few photo ops from the safety of the car but didn't venture out. Loved seeing them in packs with the babies on the mother's backs as they traveled across the road at their leisure disrupting traffic. We drove on to the Cape of Good Hope where we posed next to the sign and got back into the car as quickly as possible as there was an absolute gale blowing!

Ivan had made reservations for lunch at Two Oceans, the restaurant right below Cape Point, which is actually the Southern most spot on the peninsula. Delighted to report we had a table inside, out of the wind and chill that was in the air. Excellent lunch - so many times in a tourist destination the prices are high and the food quite average. Not so at Two Oceans; it may be touristy, but there was great food. And you MUST have a reservation! I had a combo with Queen Prawns and Calamari that was excellent, with more outstanding wine! We were so invigorated by our luncheon (or guilty) we took the funicular as far as it went, then started climbing steps to the very tippy-top to the Cape Point lighthouse. Really steep climb, but with a couple of recovery stops, we soldiered on and eventually made it! Alyssa, my trainer, would have been proud!

Back on the road home to Cape Town with our objectives accomplished. Traffic in Cape Town is just like any other major city, and at 5:00 pm there are traffic jams everywhere! We made it back about 6:00 pm, stopped at the bar for toddies before heading to the room. I had two bottles of champagne, one from the Lisbon winery visit and a Cava from Madeira. I had planned to drink on the ship, but was just too busy! We met a couple in the bar celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary, had the bartender pop open the cork on the Cava and shared it with them. After that, we were so exhausted we headed upstairs, watched an old movie and ordered room service... not a good idea, but we survived!

Tomorrow Franschhoek and wine country! Sorry, somebody has got to do it!

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Cape Town Hop On Hop Off

November 25. Cape Town Hop On Hop Off. Lazy morning with a late breakfast. It was almost like being on the ship! There was a chef making eggs to order, all sorts of cereals, fruits, breads, those cute little jams and of course coffee and tea! The dining room was open to the pool and the birds would swoop in, land on the back of the chair and peruse the table. The staff spent time chasing the birds out the open doors. Quite a diversion!

Hop on Hop off is on the list for today and we start out doing the entire circuit. The plan was to hop off at the Table Mountain stop and ride the cable car to the top of the mountain, but they had halted the cars due to the strong wind. Maybe next visit! We saw beautiful homes and apartments along Camps Bay, Bantry Bay, and Clifton along Beach Road. One of the stops was on Long Street, with easy access to Greenmarket Square. Greenmarket Square is a local market, patched together stalls with all local or pretty local crafts. Have you gotten the impression that we love the local crafts? More bargaining and bargains; the extra suitcase is filling up! We had lunch at the hotel overlooking the market and ran into one of the waiters from the ship, Herman. He had signed off the ship and was headed to his home in Barbados - CCP/LHR/MIA before heading home... long trip. He said he would be back in February, so we just may see him again!!

I've been fighting a cold and had taken Sudafed trying to nip it in the bud, but I was fading, so we headed back to the hotel and I crashed for the afternoon. After a nice nap, we headed back to the V&A for dinner. A stunning full moon was presenting itself over the Wharf area, beautiful and romantic; what more could I ask? With so many dining options at V&A we didn't want to repeat, so after wandering a bit, we stop at the Cape Town Fish Market, that had great promise, but they could only seat us in the "sand" area... really, the tables and chairs were all in sand. Not for us, so we wandered out again and continued our search for nourishment. We found an Italian restaurant named Hilderbrand, situated on the water, with a perfect view of the full moon and the Victoria Wharf Mall that was lit up for Christmas, tree and all. We tried the fresh oysters, but after enjoying Duxbury & Wellfleet oysters in New England, these were absolutely emaciated, they were a bit of a disappointment, but great seafood, great wine, and pasta more than made up for the oysters. Again, what more could you ask!

Tomorrow, Thanksgiving, we head for the Cape of Good Hope.

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Good-bye Mariner, Hello Cape Town.

November 24. Good-bye Mariner, Hello Cape Town. Easy off since we cleared customs last evening and we had been notified that "Grey 2" was to disembark at 9:00 am. There were no announcements made on the ship so there was never a rush for the elevators and an extremely orderly exit. A delight! Best disembarkation ever!

Luggage was easy to find, even though Oceania had arrived and their luggage was mixed in, luckily with different numbers and colors! Luggage found, and we exited the building only to find chaos with two ships looking for taxis! It was about 20 minutes, so not too long before we were 1st in the queue and whisked off to the Portswood, a lovely little hotel close to Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, which is just where we wanted to be!

Rooms weren't ready when we arrived, so we stored the luggage and hoofed it over to the V&A. I remember how much fun it was from my last visit in 2009 - then there was one warehouse that was filled with African artisans and their goods. Of course it's all changed, the old warehouse is no longer there, but they have consolidated all of the artisans into one beautiful, new facility now called the Water Shed. It was fantastic! Filled with outstanding little stalls and just about every craft you could imagine - all hand-crafted: beadwork, pottery, wooden bowls, clothing, jewelry, carved masks, paintings, linens and Christmas ornaments; a shopper's delight! I found a few treasures... And for a Tuesday, it was very busy!

We stopped for lunch at the Victoria and Alfred Hotel, outside on the patio we enjoyed the lovely day, with a cool breeze in the shade. There was street entertainment that would stop to do their act, collect Rand, and move on to the next. We even saw a few people from the ship! Katherine from the gift shop had been on the "Hop On Hop Off" and highly recommended the trip.

The luggage was bursting at the seams, so I went on a hunt for another bag... again! There is now a huge shopping mall, Victoria Wharf, filled with every international shop imaginable. In one of the shops, I mentioned needing a suitcase, and the lady in the shop guided us to "Edgar's", a department store. On the way, we found a bar called Quay Four offering "Husband Day Care Center. Leave your husband with us, we'll take care of him for you. You only pay for his food and drink." Perfect for John! A couple of hours of husband-free shopping with a new suit case in hand, I returned to find John enjoying his beer on the waterfront. As we left, the flip side of the sign read "Husband's Wait Here for Collection!" We packed all of our purchases into the suitcase and headed up the hill to the hotel! We arrived just in time for COCKTAILS!

We dropped our new suitcase in the room, settled in our luggage and watched the Regent Seven Seas Mariner sail away in the distance. Sad to think they are going on without us... and to think that people will now actually expect us to pay for our bar bills and dinners! Yikes, getting bills?

Downstairs to try to get back to reality, and discovered a fantastic bartender who made excellent Cosmopolitans! Who knew! What a treat... from scratch no less, no mix! John switched from Scotch to Castle Beer as they use the English method of measuring booze... that stupid little, teeny, tiny shot glass!

Now sated, relaxed and exhausted from all of the shopping we opted for dinner at the hotel. One of the items on the menu was Kingklip, a wonderful white and flaky fish - a specialty in South Africa, and oh my, yummy!

Lovely dinner, nice bottle of Constansia wine and we were ready for a quiet evening... reading then off to the feather ball. We survived the first day transition from the ship!

Monday, November 23, 2015

Cape Town

November  23.  Cape Town arrival. We cruised most of the day today arriving in Cape Town at 5:30 pm. We have another face to face with immigration, so since we don't have a tour tonight, we'll collect our passports, exit the ship, check in with S. Africa Immigration officials and return to the ship.

We spent a good part of the day packing and sorting through luggage - we have one bag being handled by Luggage Free and that leaves us with only two we have to handle. BUT, there is still the question of what gets shipped and how do we deal with the remaining detritus. We've come up with a new plan... or at least new for us. John and I both have a large suitcase, so we're trying to use only one. He's got half and I've got half. I'll let you know how that works out! Once packing was done, it was a relief to still be at sea with a lovely afternoon ahead of us.

Relaxing, reading and needlework - but in the back of your mind the beginning of the transition from ship to shore. First to Cape Town, then home.

The last day at sea is always bitter sweet, regardless of how long a cruise has been, there is the wonderful crew you wish to thank for all they have done to make your trip a memorable one. After 24-days, there are a lot of thank-you's to be said. The crew has been amazing. Some of the passengers not so much! You need to exchange contact information with the new friends you have made. Say your good byes to the special people that you have grown particularly close to, and know that unfortunately, the chance of seeing them again is slim. But, I can't forget that I found a number of the Voyager crew aboard the Mariner.. so you never know!

The great news is that starting tomorrow we have time in Cape Town - after disembarking, we have the rest of tomorrow free, the following day as well, to explore the V&A Waterfront, and we've planned a day tour to the Cape of Good Hope to see the penguins, meeting of the waters, southern most point and don't forget the wine! We have another excursion planned to wine country... I've heard such great things about Franschhoek that it's on the list; plus I have to go back to Stellenboch to visit Neethlinghoff!

So through the bittersweet the excitement was palpable as we approached Cape Town. Table Mountain was not wearing her table cloth today and what a sight!

We're docked, and waiting for immigration to catch up...



Sunday, November 22, 2015

Walvis Bay, Namibia

November 21. Walvis Bay, Namibia - Sand Storms, Dune 7 & Flamingos. Another face to face immigration check and this time we had to hold onto our passports while ashore. The process went quickly and before we knew it, we were off the ship and onto a six-passenger 4x4 and headed for our off-road adventure in the Namib-Naukluft National Park.

We drove through Walvis Bay on to Swakopmund; both impressed us as beautiful, prosperous towns with numerous B&B's, hotels and guest houses, marking them as prime vacation spots. We drove from the paved roads, to dirt roads, to eventually no roads at all... just sand; bumpy, uneven, and dusty. Did I mention bumpy? There was a convoy of eight vehicles snaking their way into the forbidding wilderness. The drive took us through the Swakop River Valley into an area called the Moon Landscape. I kept hearing the theme song to Indiana Jones in my head! Our guide showed us where a movie was filmed, but I'd never heard of the movie, it should have been Indiana Jones! The winds and sand have eroded the landscape into spectacular rock formations and valleys that resemble the moon's surface. It's spectacular! The original volcanic eruptions formed strangely striped mountains with layer after layer of different striations exposing a kaleidoscope of vivid colors. The swirls and stripes, formations of rocks in endless patterns that only nature could produce.

Another discovery was the stop to see the unique Welwitschia plant. Last year they carbon dated one of the plants and found it was over 2,000 years old! This unusual plant grows only two leaves in its lifetime and the trunk grows into the ground instead of up... the leaves split, so as time goes by, the two look as if there are many more leaves, somewhat like a palm frond, while the seeds are produced by the trunk in flower type growths. Take a look at the attached photo for a first hand view...


Our next stop was the Goanikontes Oasis, a bit of civilization in the middle of nowhere! Waiting for us was a lovely glass of champagne, snacks, cheese and crackers. After a nice respite, we re-boarded our 4x4's and the drive along the dune belt to Dune 7. As we started on our way the wind picked up, and as we continued, it increased until we were in a "white out". We could see the van in front, but only because of their flashers guiding the way; the road was covered with blowing sand reminding me of driving in the blinding snow storms in the mid-West. We proceeded at a snail's pace, creeping along to Dune 7. When we arrived, the winds were so strong we couldn't get out of the van. There were some brave souls that sallied forth, even some that were cavorting on Dune 7, but they were cut to bits by the blowing sand.  I was content to stay protected and take my photos through the window. We stayed just long enough for our photo op and continued to backtrack to Walvis Bay.           




Much to my delight we headed for the beach and a drive along the bay until we reached an area with sand bars just off shore... filled with PINK Flamingos! They were wonderful, and they were PINK! Having never seen them in the wild, it was such a treat! Back to the ship with one more challenge for the day. Climbing the gangway in 35 knot winds!


The winds continued into the night reaching a steady 40 knots, with gusts considerably higher; it made for interesting sleeping!

It was a quiet, early evening looking forward to our last day at sea tomorrow. It's hard to believe that there are only two more days before we reach Cape Town. We arrive in Cape Town on the 23rd, late afternoon, and disembark on the 24th, and after a few days in Cape Town we'll be home next Monday dealing with everyday living having left behind our enchanted world where people make your bed, do your laundry, cook breakfast, lunch, dinner, tea everyday, snacks and place a lovely chocolate on your bed each evening... they chill your champagne, remember what drink you'd like as you enter the bar before dinner, and remember how you like your eggs in the morning. They have done spectacular themed luncheons at the pool, culminating in a Seafood Extravaganza with ice sculptures, fresh fish as decorations, and just about every type of hot and cold seafood dishes you can imagine. The service has been and is spectacular, the staff and crew doing everything for your comfort, safety and entertainment.

Today is actually the 22nd, our last day at sea and I'm getting a bit sad and maudlin considering the end of this wonderful trip. From here the Mariner cruises 15-night Cape Town round-trip, then 14-night Cape Town to Rio before cruising South America. Hummmmm, there's a lovely departure Rio to Miami that explores the Amazon up to Manaus! It just might be on my Christmas list!

Life is good!


Friday, November 20, 2015

Fun Day at Sea. Another Winner!

November 20. Fun Day at Sea. Another Winner! Oh what fun to do just what I wanted all day! I won the Laundry Lottery again and was able to get a load finished while others dallied at breakfast or heaven forbid - sleeping...

I had time for a double espresso, solved the daily Sudoku at the Cafe, stopped at reception to refresh my key that had stopped working, put together a bag of cleaning, and made it back to the laundry in time to switch my laundry to the dryer! What talent!

With at least a half hour to spare, I was able to have breakfast before returning to rescue my dry laundry, fold, hang and put away! Dang I'm good! Maybe it was the double espresso; I've found that with three packets of Truvia it comes quite close to a Cuban Coffee. One cup pretty much does it for the day!

Quiet day till 3:00 pm when the Mariner started a country fair. Each department set up a game booth where you could earn raffle tickets by competing. There was only 45 minutes to play. The Bar department had a ring toss using liquor bottles, the Deck hands had you competing to see who was the fastest at wrapping rope around a cleat, Housekeeping had you stuffing pillows into pillowcases, Entertainment had you knocking over bowling pins with a weight tied to your belt, the Pursers had a horse race that had you wrapping a string around a wooden stick to pull your horse across the finish line. The Restaurant team had a basketball hoop and the Destination management team had a "slot machine"; you would draw a card with a picture of bananas, oranges or apples. The Manager held a stick that acted as a slot machine handle, and there were three staff seated, each with a bag in their laps, with an apple, an orange, a banana and if they pulled out three of your "fruit" you won! It was very clever! There was a treasure hunt for the Boutique shop, and everyone had a grand time going from booth to booth playing games and collecting tickets! There was a drawing for prizes from the Spa and the Boutique after the end of the fair and most everyone on the ship got involved!

Great fun today and tomorrow we head for the Namib Desert in an off road vehicle and visit Dune 7... more later!  

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Patti Wins the Launderette Lottery!

November 19. Glorious Day at Sea. Patti Wins the Launderette Lottery! Somehow you have to wonder when the highlight of the day is when you collect your dirty smalls and delicates, head to the launderette and there is actually a washer available! Nirvana! Strangely enough I heard of another laundry confrontation by eavesdropping on the next table at breakfast; someone had moved or touched someone else's laundry and there was a grand altercation. I have first hand information that two couples were put off the ship in Malaysia on one cruise for throwing irons! This is serious stuff! I went with my little bag of laundry and found machines available, immediately took possession - checked my watch to make note of the 40 minutes needed to complete a cycle and headed down for a double espresso.

I courteously returned in plenty of time to switch the clothes from the washer to the dryer, and having brought my kindle, settled in for 15-20 minutes of drying. I met a delightful gentleman, Dick, ironing his shirts, and we had a grand chat about Cape Town. Dick has a home there so I picked his brain about restaurants and winery recommendations. He had some great information that he was willing to share and I'm starting to look forward to Cape Town. One more day at sea before we reach Walvis Bay, Namibia, our last port of call before we arrive in Cape Town. It's so hard to believe we've been aboard for 20 days. And even harder to think about making our own beds and opening the refrigerator... what? Cook?

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Mrs. GotRocks!

November 18. A Sparkling Day at Sea. Mrs. GotRocks! My favorite; another quiet day at sea with minor exceptions.

After crossing the Equator last evening it is past time for us to pay homage to King Neptune with ceremony and thanksgiving for our safe crossing! The earliest mention of an initiation is from 1529. The Ceremony starts with King Neptune being announced to one and all, arriving with great ceremony seated in a tub of water, pulled by some of his undersea companions. The Captain presents him or her self and Neptune demands to know the purpose of the voyage. He is given tribute by those who have not crossed the line before; ah, but woe be to those who are accused of trying to avoid the dunking and shaving ceremony. You are either a Shellback, if you have crossed the Equator before, or a Pollywog, if you have not. Those trying to shirk their duty are captured, held and one by one covered with "tar and grease", in this case whipped cream, shaved with an iron hoop, in this case was a machete and once thoroughly humiliated, dunked in sea water to seal the deal - great hijinks and fun is had by all..

At 4:00 pm Hubert sponsored a fashion show showcasing his jewelry and designs modeled by a few of us passengers. Now, you know I love jewelry, and I had a grand time playing Cinderella... I have never worn $278,000 worth of jewelry! 16-18mm black South Sea Pearls with a diamond pave clasp, a wide diamond cuff, a ring with a rare natural green diamond surrounded with heart-shaped diamonds, 10 carat chandelier earrings and a 18 mm black South Sea Pearl ring set in pave diamonds... and that was just what I wore! Talk about bling! My new friend Patti was wearing a 27K Tanzanite and diamond ring, a 33K Tanzanite pendant, and a Tanzanite cuff; another guest was wearing the most magnificent emerald and diamond necklace and earrings so magnificent it was something you'd see on Kate - someone else was wearing a 5 carat white diamond pendant along with earrings to match and a ring that would knock your eyes out. It was tremendous fun and because the shop is so small, it was an opportunity to see many of the most beautiful pieces displayed as they should be - worn and enjoyed! And we drew quite a crowd! I'd say about 50 people attended and there was much discussion and many inquiries after the show. Such beautiful and unusual jewelry. All too soon we had to return our treasures and turn into pumpkins! Oh, I did love that diamond cuff, but it just wouldn't do at the movies or dinner at Runyons! 

We met and had drinks before dinner at Prime 7, had a raucous, delicious dinner, missed the show and finished up with Brandy Alexanders for six! And yes, there were six of us! Yikes, Alyssa, my trainer, is going to shoot me! I wonder if the five pounds I lost when I took off the jewelry will count...






Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Sao Tome & Principe

November 17. Sao Tome & Principe. Soggy Saga. We anchored in Ana Chaves Bay and waited with great anticipation for the ship to clear, the lifeboats (tenders) to drop and to go through the ticket trading in the Constellation Theater for our bus number. This is the only tender port on the entire itinerary, quite good news, as tendering tends to be a series of hurry up and wait situations. We were asked to be in the lounge at 9 am for our tour - Bird Watching and Sao Nicolau Waterfall. I know, I know... how geeky is that? But after our Safari a few years ago, where we had an expert guide of our own and a dugout canoe to cruise the Chobe River, I've been hooked and the African birds are magnificent.

Our departure was delayed about an hour thru no fault of the ship or crew - the local immigration officers were asking for a face to face with passports which delayed things... whether this was the result of the Paris attack, or if Sao Tome is always this cautious with visitors, I'll never know.

When it was finally time to get up and go, I was again impressed with the crew, their patience, caution and caring for each passengers' safety. How they were able to get everyone aboard the tender between the swells. A dicey situation with canes, walkers and even wheel chairs, the boarding process was amazing. It's pretty much a hand-off as you are passed from ship to the tender.

Of course, getting off the tender ashore in Sao Tome had its challenges as well! The wharf's old concrete stair steps that has seen better days. Luckily, they were wide enough to accommodate two across, they were also deep, but certainly not ADA height. I was sure a few of us were going swimming, but everyone made it! We passed two of the ship's pursers holding our passports; collected ours, and stood in line for our "face to face" examination. What a hoot. There was not a uniformed officer in sight; the "Immigration Officer" was dressed in a striped shirt and jeans, he would examine your passport photo, look at you, back at the photo, making sure you were who you were, then handed the passport off to an older woman of undetermined age, who took it behind the drapes into another room... I think Voodoo was involved. This repeated itself hundreds of times until we were all thoroughly examined and thought to be acceptable tourists!

Our 9:00 am tour is finally getting underway at 10:30 am... over the river and thru the woods to the rainforest we go. Sao Tome seemed to be a more prosperous island than our previous ports... but John didn't agree. I saw more completed houses, two stories, freshly painted, some with "gingerbread" decorations; he saw as much poverty as before; corrugated, tin houses with dirt floors, but there seemed to be less than on previous stops. The roads were in rough shape with gaping pot holes at the most inopportune times. Slowly we climbed the mountain, into the clouds, which should have been a big hint... The road continued to worsen as we slowly progressed, eventually driving on rocks, boulders and dirt. We stopped to pick up two bird "experts" and continued up the mountain until we arrived and stopped about 1/2 mile from the Sao Nicolau Falls. I did not bring my iPad, which I've been using to take the photos, as I was concerned about it getting wet, but John brought the little camera and we'll see what we can do to get the photos to you eventually.

The falls were beautiful; cascading down the mountain with rocks that jutted out catching the water as it fell and adding even more waterfalls. There was a group of local teenagers having a grand time cavorting in a water pool below the falls. A primitive wooden staircase delivered you to the water's edge. What had started as a hot, humid day at the pier, quickly changed as we climbed, making it delightfully cool and refreshing. As we exited the bus there was a gentle shower; for once Patti was prepared. I had my tennis shoes on, my Boston Red Sox hat on, long sleeves and long pants. Ha. After we had oohed and ahed over the falls, we got serious about birding... and in turn the gentle sprinkle turned to rain. And from rain to a steady down pour, and from a steady down pour to a deluge... like a cow pissing on a flat rock! There was no escaping wet. We continued to look for the birds, but those smart little critters knew better than to stick their beaks out in this weather! Fools that we were, we soldiered on continuing our hunt... look up there! At the top of a tree, a brave feathered something! There were 10 sets of eyes focused our our prize. The guide looked it up in the book, showed us all what it was, my little binoculars couldn't really see it well, but the gentleman with the super duper long range lens focused in and took his shot and then announced it was a bunch of brown leaves... my queue to bail... I was now soaked, and I do mean soaked to the skin. Actually, as much as I hate tennis shoes, my feet were the only part of my body that was dry! By the time I made it back to the bus, water was running down everywhere; I was my own waterfall... at least my fanny was dry so when I sat down it wasn't too soggy. If I could have taken off my shirt, I'm sure I could have wrung it out and gotten a quart of water! Drowned rat doesn't begin to describe my state. Although I had turned back, there were those that trekked on, and on, and on... while the majority of us were in the bus, there were still 4 hearty souls, two bird guides and our ship escort Kathryn that continued - for another 30 minutes. There were grumbles from those that didn't or couldn't read the description of the tour, "upon arrival you will spend over two hours in the area".

There was a charming little boy that brought a bunch of beautiful tropical flowers and stood by the bus in the rain. We finally relented and a number of us gave him $1 each for one of the bouquets, which I'm pretty sure made his day. 

Eventually the die-hard birders made it back, the bus driver immediately turned on the air-conditioning and just like that we were freezing! That quickly corrected with a request to turn off the A/C, we back-tracked and headed to the pier. A bird! We finally spotted a bird! Just as we were approaching the pier, a chicken was leading her 7 chicks along the side of the road! Finally, success! One for the books!

Arrived at the pier and waited for a tender. One came and folks piled on until it was filled to the brim; we waited for the second one, made it down the decaying stairs and claimed our seats. Always remember, last on, first off. But no one was left behind, and the hand off from tender to ship was without incident. But we did finally spot a bird if you agree that a chicken qualifies as a bird!

Back on board, Victor the Restaurant Manager, greeted us all as we boarded with the wonderful news that all the Veranda and Pool Grill were open for us... our 9:00 am, 3 1/2 hour tour had turned into a 6- hour soggy saga. Believe it our not, I had air-dried out in the interim, and was quite content to dine as I was.... the rose wine was lovely!

5:32 pm local time, we crossed the Equator, this time as a "Shellback" and have a certificate to prove it! Our friend, Jim, excused himself from our cocktail hour and reappeared fifteen minutes later with a grand surprise in keeping with an old seafaring traditions of crossing the Equator. A surprise is a surprise - nuff said!

Lovely dinner, as always and for once John and I actually made the show! Tonight's entertainment was Laszlo and Claudia, a virtuoso violin duo entertained a mesmerized audience with their beautiful music from Bach to Bacharach, classical to pop. The highlight of the evening was a medley of the music from Phantom of the Opera.    

Three days at sea await! Life is good!

A voyage is not just a journey, it's a period of time when the impossible can happen - Unknown

Monday, November 16, 2015

Lazy Day at Sea

November 16. Lazy day at sea... doing nothing but a little reading and a little needlework. Hubert the jewelry designer is now on board and he gave an interesting talk on large gems, colored diamonds and the auction prices... sooo far out of my league!

Friday, November 13, 2015

Takoradi, Ghana

November 13. Takoradi, Ghana. A Glimpse of Ghana. Have to admit that I love having a quiet morning with an afternoon excursion of the twin cities: Sekondi and Takoradi.

As we disembarked, the ship behind us was loading huge bags of cocoa into the hull.

There were four bus loads of passengers trundling off, one after the other, to discover Ghana on the Twin City Tour. Our guide, Gnou, chatted about the exports, the gains that Ghana has made within recent years and how the discovery of sweet crude oil is changing the economy for the better. This was primarily a driving tour, and the Ghana we saw out our big bus windows was poor, dirty, yet beautiful. Very lush and green, it was fascinating to me to see papaya trees growing wild everywhere along the road, some with ripe papayas and plenty that were green. Now the roads were a different matter! Don't think repairs have been made since colonial times! I can't imagine the springs or the tires lasting too long.

We drove past Monkey Hill, the tropical forest in the middle of the metropolis populated by monkeys and indigenous birds... so says the guide book. Ah, but wait... our guide relayed that Monkey Hill has little to do with monkeys... it has to do with monkeying around! It's where the young couples go to get away from watchful Mamas...

On the way to Bosomtwi Sam Fishing Harbor, we passed miles of small neighborhoods, all crowded with people going about their daily business - buying, selling and sitting! Neighborhood after neighborhood. Warm and welcoming, waving, smiling and blowing kisses to us all, particularly the children; they were delightful.

Education is very important in Ghana;  there were primary schools and high schools in every neighborhood - colleges and special training schools were evident as well - we were told that there were three major colleges: Takoradi Polytechnic, Nurses and Midwifery Training College and Holy Child Teacher Training College of Education. Although French is the primary language, all children learn English and speak it well.

We arrived about three p.m. to The Bosomtwi Sam Fishing Harbor in Sekondi and although most of the catch had been dispatched, the area was still a hive of activity. We walked among the boats, fish, fishermen, sellers and buyers... gracious, what a smell! In one area, the small fishing boats, holding 5-6 people, each colorfully painted resting next to one another, each named with the owners aspirations, such as "If You Do Good". The larger boats, holding 20 people or so, were tied up close to the shore - laundry & flags hanging from the rigging, men relaxing in whatever shade they could find. In another section of the pier, the trading, buying and selling of the remainder of today's catch continued with more confusion - men, women, children milling about and bargaining. Women with huge tubs of fish (not a piece of ice in sight), other women carrying packages of rice, beans, water (not in bottles but in sealed plastic bags), and corn all balanced in big aluminum buckets on experienced heads walking thru the melee with their wares. Obviously, one stop shopping for dinner!

In one area, there was a sign requesting "No Urination Here"; further investigation revealed that section was used for bathing... I watched mothers scrub young children from head to toe, and dress them again; men stripping to the waist and bathing their head, neck, chests and back ridding themselves from the heat, dust and dirt of the day. The nets were mended in a covered area, no walls, but out of the sun. Here you would see piles and piles of netting with fishermen sitting atop, using their primitive tools to close holes and restore the nets for the next day's work.
Once we left the harbor, we backtracked until we reached Market Circle in the center of Takoradi. A huge "round about" with two stories of stores in the center and more across the street facing the middle and just about anything you could imagine for sale! Foodstuff, clothing, furniture, restaurants, barbers, hairdressers, shoes, handbags, beaded jewelry, everything! If the fishing harbor was busy and chaotic, there is simply no description of the Market Circle! 

We finished the tour at the Premium Best Western in Takoradi. They had prepared an area for drinks -  beer and soda, local bananas and small cookies along with a typical high energy Ghanian dance show! Delightful!

As always, it's wonderful to get home to the ship. And after two days of trying to time it correctly, we finally hit pay dirt! The washers were empty! All three were unoccupied; clean underwear was in our future! We hadn't run out, but we were getting dangerously low. I stationed John in front of one of the washers, to protect it with his life until I could collect the dirty clothes and hustle back to load the washer. Luckily there was no blood shed, and we are set for another couple of weeks.    

After a lovely dinner we stopped for a drink before heading upstairs and spend some time talking with the new Director of Food and Beverage, Daniela Oancea from Romania  (bright, smart and absolutely  beautiful!). Sometime while we were enjoying a nightcap, and a lovely chat, tragedy struck. Paris was attacked and when we returned to our cabin we were glued to our TV getting as much news as was available. There are five Frenchmen aboard in various capacities - I have built a bond with Michel, and anxiously wait to hear from him that his family is all right.






Thursday, November 12, 2015

At Sea

November 11 & 12. At Sea. My favorite! Nothing pressing, just relaxing and doing exactly what you wish! Mostly reading and needlework. Yawn! Sorry folks. We're doing about 20 knots toward our next port of call, Takoradi, Ghana, where we will have a 1/2 day tour. I'll keep you up to date with all the happenings!

Quite interesting, we had a compulsory mid-cruise lifeboat drill this morning. SOLAS (Save our Lives at Sea) required all itineraries 14-days or longer to go through the safety procedures again. Although it was announced in "Passages", the onboard newsletter with all of the activities, it took many passengers by surprise.

Now we could have had intermediate bridge lessons, played Mah Jongg, water volleyball, attended a cocktail making demonstration, ping pong, a blackjack tournament, bocce tournament, ballroom dancing lessons, or one of three (or all three!) Canyon Ranch seminars. Oh my!

Then there is Waffle Tea Time, Snowball Bingo, four workouts scattered throughout the day, a talk on time from the boutique and of course, trivia, live music, the Smithsonian speaker along with port and excursion information.    

It's all just too, much. Color me exhausted!

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Drama in Dakar

November 10. I always knew Dakar would be exotic.

The Regent Seven Seas Mariner was docked by 6am and John and I had a matching wake up call for an 8:00 am excursion. There was one even earlier tour, a 7-hour saga that was set to depart at 6:20 am. The first hint of trouble came a few minutes before 8:00 am when Victor, one of the restaurant staff in La Veranda, stopped by the table to let us know the ship had not yet cleared. 98% of the time, clearing a ship is a formality with the locals, but this morning it was an issue. Seems the Dakar Port officials expected a bit extra on the side, and Regent simply does not allow that!

The Captain came on the speaker system about 8:15 am and advised us there was a problem the staff was trying to resolve. The pilot had brought us in to the wrong pier, another ship was docked at "our" pier where buses were staged, but there wasn't quite enough room for us to dock in front of them (think a very tight parallel parking spot); the situation was under negotiation.

The Destination Services manager announced that the 7-hour tour to the Pink Lake had been cancelled (sorry Erin). The ship would keep us informed, but for the time being, just kick back and relax for a while. By 8:30 we all figured that we'd skip Dakar and head out for another sea day.

The Captain came on again at 8:45 am and announced that a solution had been reached; the cargo ship in our slot was going to loosen it's lines, slide back a bit, giving us the room needed to dock at our proper pier, so we could all enjoy our day at Dakar. The Captain was followed immediately by an announcement from destination services listing the shore excursions and their new departure times. I'm not sure how many people were on the Pink Lake excursions, but they were offered a Dakar city highlights tour, and they all joined us crawling thru Dakar in a six bus convoy!

But wait, there's more! Senegal is a Muslim country, and the tour descriptions clearly stated that shorts were not appropriate. So, before departing for the buses, an announcement was made and about half the folks, who hadn't read the tour information, had to return to their suites to change into long pants!

If we could have driven thru Dakar without traffic, the tour would have taken no more than 45 minutes... maybe less; as it was the tour took 4 1/2 hours.   

I have photos, as most words defy reality. Dakar is hot, dusty, filled with piles of garbage that everyone ignores, but the women's clothes are colorful and beautiful. The adorable babies are tied to their Mom's backs and women carry huge loads of whatever on their heads. There were lots of flies and every little neighborhood had it's own group of stores. There were "Transport Commun" buses that seated 10, but could accommodate 14 or 15 if a few hung off the back; the back doors were tied open! The Commun buses were yellow and blue and each had a horse's head painted on the side. We saw them everywhere, packed to the gills. Everything is covered with a layer or two or more of dust. The drivers are all quite courteous and few honked their horns, even though driving was chaotic - one lane turned into three and then back to two. A driver in the rotary would stop to let someone in and three lanes would become six while  motorcycles and scooters swerved thru traffic, sometimes going the wrong way. If someone wished to make a U turn, they just did, regardless of where they were, and everyone would stop for them. There were hundreds of traffic police - they would be in the middle of the street blowing their whistles for all they were worth, but no one paid the least bit of attention to them, driving to suit their purpose. Our bus only reached speeds above 20 mph twice... most of the time we could have walked along side, faster that it was moving!

As promised, we did see the highlights of Dakar. The Presidential Palace with the Red Guard, the old train station, the University of Dakar and the Great Mosque, built for the people of Dakar by Morocco. And two recently built monuments, the Door of Millennium, with it's striking design and the powerful Renaissance Statue of Africa, perched high up on a hill overlooking Dakar.

While we didn't see too much more in the way of monuments or buildings except in "drive by" mode, in our slow drive thru Dakar we did see the people "at home" in streets, neighborhood, shopping, cooking, offering their wares to passers by from tiny little shops that doubled as their homes and just going about their daily lives. I was very happy to return to the ship, but also am pleased I brought memories of the exotic with me that I'll never forget.

One's destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things - Henry Miller.








Monday, November 9, 2015

Emeralds!

November 9. Day at Sea. Emeralds! I actually took the day off and read, went to Karen's talk on Emeralds and generally did nothing! BUT, I did take notes I'll share with you. Those of you who are not emerald fanatics, move on!

Emeralds are the oldest gemstone dating back five thousands years - and even though she mentioned that Pearls were much older, they are organic so emeralds and pearls don't compete. On the hardness scale emeralds fall behind diamonds (10), sapphires (9) and then emeralds at 7.5, so they aren't as soft as many think them to be.

The largest emerald ever found and cut was the Hooka Emerald, now residing in the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. Originally owned by a Sultan and it was set as a pin surrounded by diamonds as a clip for his belt and when the Ottoman Empire fell it became available at auction. Janet Hooka purchased it in 1955 for an undisclosed amount and had it remade into a pendant, eventually returned it to it's original setting and donated it to the Smithsonian in 1977.

Karen brought along a number of slides of spectacular emeralds, virtually all set with diamonds and I have to say, there was one that Hubert sold that made my eyes glaze over. Wow! I'll be dreaming about that one for a looooong time!

We learned that there are three emerald mining areas in the world: Colombia with the highest quality; then Brazil and Zambia which mass produce their emeralds... not a bad thing but, just be aware.

I learned that emeralds can be manipulated, either a little or a lot. Most have occlusions that are little imperfections - the emeralds that will hold their value are those which are simply oiled, that does not cheapen the stone; occlusions can be filled, and thirdly, the stones can be colored! Each process, with the exception of oiling, is going to lessen the value of the stone, but so long as you are aware of what you are buying, it's all good. Oh, one more... the Synthetic Hydrothermal Emerald! Quite inexpensive, and my guess is that would finally be in my budget!

Take away lesson is to know what you are buying, either with emeralds, or any gem, get a GIA certification and letter of authenticity and save the receipt; and always remember that a Heineken bottle is the same color as a good emerald! 


Sunday, November 8, 2015

Cape Verde. Mindelo.

November 8. Cape Verde. Mindelo.
No rush this morning as our excursion leaves just after 1pm, and what a lovely surprise awaited me at breakfast! Osetra caviar, all of the condiments, champagne, and eggs Benedict, oh my! Most passengers were off the ship early, so we had the dining room to ourselves... not a good thing, or maybe a VERY good thing, with all that caviar just waiting to be devoured! I managed to put a sizable dent in the tin before the guilt set in and I am delighted to report that Regent has upgraded the caviar since our last trip. Yum.

Very quiet morning, we even got a load of laundry done! There is usually a battle for the complimentary machines in the launderette, but this morning it was blissfully conflict free. A stop by the internet cafe for a quick visit with Nenad Jovanovic, the Mariner's Internet God. He was instrumental in getting the photos from the first few ports off of John's computer, moved them to his personal computer and sent them out to Jay for posting. The solution we've come up with is to take all future photos on my iPad in the greatest of hopes that they will be easier to access and send out with the blog. Nenad spent hours working to ensure that you all have the pictures to enjoy along with the blog. He's my hero! And, Karen Dickson has been very kind to provide the beautiful photos of the various pearls - So the blog and photos have been a team effort!

Quick luncheon at the Pool Grill before heading downstairs for our tour of Mindelo, the capital of Cape Verde. After such a relaxing, lovely morning, overlooking the stunning moon-shaped port, ringed by barren mountains it was hard to leave the ship, but it looked so charming, from a distance... in actuality it was quite a cultural shock. Our tour buses were the local transport buses, open windows, no air conditioning and it was hot! Cape Verde is a very poor country with distressing living conditions. However, we did learn that children must attend six years of school (thru about 14) and they are provided with meals while at school - sometimes the only meals they will have during the day. As for medical coverage; all employees must be given health insurance, and if unemployed, there is a program thru the government where those without funds can get a certificate giving them access to medical insurance.

Sunday was not the best day for a tour that included the vegetable market, the fish market and the African market... all closed for Sunday! We had a driving tour thru the colorful city with a few stops along the way: a handicraft store with local crafts, the charming little church (where our guide was married), a drive up to the lookout overlooking the city and bay, the beach and the finale, a "cultural event" with music, dancing and "grogue" - a drink that has an equivalent in every country... moonshine, firewater, raki, grappa, agua dente! Holy Toledo, was that strong! Even with the challenges, our guide, Carlos, was a delight and he and his new wife are expecting little Gabriel in January. I was glad we saw Cape Verde, but I was also very happy to get back to the ship.

Drinks in the Mariner Lounge with friends - Juan the bartender makes me the most delicious Rosetta's: St. Germain, Elderflower syrup and champagne - oh, so tasty! Lovely dinner at Prime 7 with the most marvelous foie gras, fillet and an excellent house Cabernet Sauvignon - Paripaso, Paso Robles, CA - all served beautifully!

Back to the cabin to a soft and inviting bed, with little chocolates on the pillows... each night there has been a different flavor and a different sentiment. Tonight is dark chocolate raspberry wrapped in a saying by Lin Yutang: "No one realizes how  beautiful it is to travel... until he comes home and rests his head on his old familiar pillow." Night, night! 
Oh, tomorrow another day at sea... and Emeralds! Can't wait to play!

Saturday, November 7, 2015

Days at sea. Patti Plays!

November 6 & 7. Days at sea. Patti Plays! Ah, I love days at sea. Lazy days of sleeping in, leisurely breakfasts, strolling around the ship and no pressure to go, see or do anything... day at the pool, reading, napping or attending lectures.

After sleeping in and a quiet morning, we headed to the Pool Grill for their special "luncheon of the day", a selection of Spanish delights - Paella, Chicken and Rice, Grilled Veggies, and of course, a bit of wine!

I keep missing the enrichment programs by the Smithsonian. They have had excellent presentations on the Canary's, Sub-Saharan & Northern Africa, and delve into the areas we are visiting, both on the social and economic levels.

Sorry, they lost me to "The History of Pearls" - you know I'm a sucker for jewelry! The seminar was presented by Karen Dickson, the Director of Sales for Hubert Gems, based in Los Angeles. Karen, my new best friend (sorry Donna), has a wealth of knowledge on jewelry, gems and is an expert in the field.

I love pearls and have always thought myself knowledgeable, but Karen walked us through the types and qualities of pearls. Simulated (Mallorca), freshwater, Cultured (Mikimoto) and Natural (extremely rare and expensive!). I learned that Mallorca pearls are not pearls at all, but made with fish scales! Who knew? Freshwater are a variety of sizes and shaped, usually irregular. Mikimoto developed the system to culture pearls and if you remember the China Blog, I walked away from a magnificent $40,000 strand! (Which come to find out, was reasonable, but still way out of my league!). Meanwhile, natural pearls are so rare that they still pretty much belong to Royalty and the super rich. I qualify for neither!

Karen went on to give us the hows and whys of pricing. First Luster... how shiny and bright; size matters when it comes to pearls - the larger, the better and more expensive; the shape: round, baroque, coin etc. with the more perfectly round the priciest; the surface, the fewer blemishes the better; and finally color, from the white, white to black South Sea pearls and everything in-between. The color of the pearl depends on the color of the mollusks shell; you'll find golden, pink, grey and peacock!

It was an interesting and informative lecture that taught me quite a bit about pearls. As I mentioned, I thought I knew pearls, but Karen added quite a bit to my reserve of pearl information! Later, when I chatted with Karen, out of interest, I asked how much inventory they had brought aboard. She explained that is  proprietary information, but she shared with me that Hubert has over 400 pieces of jewelry and over 400 loose stones onboard with prices starting from just $200, with a selection of over $100,000! Lucky for me I get to play!

Karen is cruising with us to Cape Town and her next lecture will be on emeralds. Ohhhh, I love emeralds! Particularly emeralds and diamonds! Hubert joins the ship in Dakar and will be giving an informal lecture on diamonds and a more formal lecture in the theater discussing Auction pricing and the gems of Africa. I'm hooked!

An engineer by trade, Hubert started buying and selling gems in the late '80's. He quickly discovered that most jewelers either didn't have the time or the talent to design pieces. He began selling his designs and is now sought after for his singular, innovative and imaginative designs, and is well known for his use of not only the well known gem stones but the unusual ones as well - have you ever heard of Paraiba? It's a tourmaline first found in Brazil and now mined in Madagascar;  it is the only stone that has copper in its chemical make-up giving it an amazing sparkle!

Oh, I love to play!

Thursday, November 5, 2015

Grand Canary. Flavors of Grand Canary.

November 5. Grand Canary. Flavors of Grand Canary. Early start this morning as we were up by 6am, so we could have a nibble before dashing off the ship to meet our guide, George. Instead of a bus, we were broken into 6 mini-vans with George in the lead, talking to us via intercom. Not the best system, as the reception at times was scratchy, too loud and every now and then George would forget to turn off the mic and we'd get the conversation from his van. But it was nice being in a small vehicle, and we actually couldn't have navigated the little streets and back roads in a large tour bus.

First stop was Finca Barbadensis, a rural Aloe Vera farm dedicated to growing pure, organic Aloe Vera and producing a number of products that include the gel everyone knows for sunburns, cuts and rashes. In addition, there were cosmetic products, Aloe Vera that you can drink (it evidently helps the digestive system), and lotions. I did resist, although I'm almost sorry now. The skin cream was lovely and my hands stayed nice and soft all day!

On to the charming town of Aguimes for a walk about and breakfast. A beautifully restored/maintained city from the 16th century filled with little plazas, alleys and sidewalk cafes. We were greeted by the two bronze mountain dogs of the region before we toured the town and we found that as we walked through the town there were a number of bronze statues scattered about. One of a dear little old lady that used to frequent the plaza with candy for the children, a donkey that was so much a part of the region, one of a cello player with lovely classical music that would play as people approached, and one of a man dressed as a woman and a woman dressed as a man during Carnival.

We stopped in a little cafe for a typical breakfast that consisted of bread, olive oil with salt and garlic added, olives in mojo pico, white cheese and a delicious, light white wine. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven! With six mini-vans pretty much filled, there were close to 35 people on tour, and the little cafe was packed! John and I lagged behind as we take photos and check out the locals and the stores along the way; so, by the time we entered the cafe, there was no room to maneuver. Neither of us are fans of big crowds and John just backed out of the crowded area that had been set aside for the group. The cafe was most accommodating and they gave us a table for two outside on the plaza! We had a ball watching the comings and goings without the crush inside; the large truck that made it past the parked car with about 3 inches to spare, the same large truck maneuvering to a construction sight to empty the port-a-potties, cars trying to navigate the tiny, narrow streets and the various groups of tourists stopping in the charming plaza for lecture on local history from their guide. It was a constant parade of life in Aguimes and it was a delight to step out of the tourist role for a while and join the locals... even for a few minutes. The olive oil with salt and garlic was so good I could have dipped my napkin and simply sucked on the corner! Or even used a straw - it was that good! Wine was light and delicious, the Queso Blanco (white cheese) fresh and bright, while the olives with a bit of mojo and olive oil were some of the best I've tasted. 

We could have stayed for hours watching life slide by, and not minded a bit, but it was time to make our way back to the van and to a store offering natural organic artisan jam, jelly and honey. They were even offering raw stevia; I've never seen it in its natural state before! You could chew on the leaves and taste the sweetness.

Our last stop was at a local wine cellar, Vina Cantera. The variety of fruits was amazing - bananas, figs, olives, limes, avocados, mangos, and lemons - all used for the local marketplace. The table was groaning with tapas; small potatoes, mojo, fried pork rind, olives, three types of bread, olive oil and of course, wine! Samples of young white, red and a sweet muscatel (really not as horrid as it sounds!). As with the other vineyards we've visited, the grapes come from growers across the island and are blended into delightful, very light, very new wines... none of the Canary Island wines are for putting down and savoring in 15 or 20 years... they are for enjoying right now. And we have been!

Back to the ship for a leisurely lunch (believe it or not!) and a lovely afternoon of chatting with new friends.

Quiet dinner at the Compass Rose, an excellent meal!

Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Canary Islands

November 4. St. Cruz de Tenerife. La Laguna & Vineyards. Maybe it's the wineries we're visiting each day, but I'm loving the Canary Islands. Tenerife was named the "Happy Island" in the 16th century, and it holds true today. In 2012, the British newspaper, The Guardian, included Santa Cruz de Tenerife in the list of the five best places in the world to live.

We started early and were ashore, loaded on our bus with our guide Lola (Inter Island Tours) and driving to our first stop, La Laguna (A UNESCO site), by 8:30. It was cool, perfect weather with the sun shining and just right for the two hours walk through 16th century La Laguna. La Laguna was the first Colonial city built by the Spanish without defenses, (with the ocean and mountains, the island provided it's own natural defenses) and was the guide for all Spanish Colonial cities built in the New World. We enjoyed the cobbled streets, plazas and beautifully restored and maintained 16th century buildings. Most started as private homes and homes to the Spanish aristocracy now converted to museums and businesses. The courtyards were beautifully planted and manicured, surrounded by wooden balconies and windowed private rooms, now offices. Oh, so Spanish! The columns were made of local volcanic stone or a local dark wood called Tea. Along the route, we passed many doors made of old wood and decorated with magnificent etched old iron hardware. We had a few minutes in the cathedral and I was  impressed with the amount of beautifully handcrafted silver covering the main and side altars.

We made our way back to the bus and Bodegas Alvaro for our first wine tasting. This is a co-op wine cellar with wine purchased after the initial must fermentation stage. The kegs along the wall are impressive dating back about 10 years while the bottles served were of new wine. We tasted a white, rose, red, Moscatel, and a Demi Seco Cava. All of the wine was quite good, but I particularly enjoyed the Demi Seco Cava... and have a couple of bottles for the cabin; a lot cheaper than Veuve Cliquot! The tasting included plates of ham, cheese, salami, Spanish chorizo and small potatoes... along with "Mojo Picon" a tasty "Typical Canarian Sauce" made from red pimiento, oil, vinegar, salt, and cumin. Very tasty!

A short ride to Casa del Vino de Tenerife and more wine! But only a white offering this time - just as well. A lovely 17th century estate acts as the headquarters of Casa del Vino and there are magnificent views from the balcony down to the ocean and to Tenerife Bay. There is a plaque on the wall honoring Stephen Hawking for his 3rd visit to the Starmus Festival mixing astrophysics and stargazing. Casa del Vino had an amazing selection of over 300 labels - from both Tenerife and beyond. Oh, one last footnote, they are now producing a white "wine" from bananas! (didn't try it, thanks anyway!)

Tour over and back to the ship - it's time for a light lunch and perhaps a nap! Tonight is the on deck Barbecue as we don't sail till midnight... now lest you turn up your nose, we've had it on good authority that lobster, shrimp, grilled fish and other delights will be available as the staff will set up a feast as we dance to the 60's, 70's and 80's hits!

Tomorrow Las Palmas and after that I'll really be ready for a couple of sea days!

Monday, November 2, 2015

Fabulous Funchal

November 2. Fabulous Funchal! What a grand port! This is the inaugural call in Madeira for the Seven Seas Mariner and what a treat. We had a complimentary 4 hour walking tour called the Flavours of Funchal. Great guide that walked us thru the Rua Santa Maria in the old town with its cobbled streets, and door after door painted and decorated in unique, individual and imaginative ways. Doors were painted with mermaids, decorated with iron sculptures, people peeking out of faux doorways, the gates of hell, a jungle scene, a cubist city, and one of my favorites, a key tree!  Our first stop was the Mercado dos Avradores, with three floors built around an open square where fish, flowers, fruits & vegetables are brought from all over Madeira to sell in the market. Colorful and tasty! We stopped at one fruit stand and tasted a couple of exotic fruits. Sorry, have no idea what they were, but wow - one was from the split leaf philodendron which we grow at home. It tasted like a mix of pineapple, lemon and had the consistency of a ripe banana; it was delicious!  (PS our's doesn't have fruit)

From there a short walk to the famous embroidery factory, Bordal da Madeira founded in 1962. The art of embroidery was taught to the native ladies by an English woman visiting Madeira and they have continued the work. There are over 40,000 designs, and Bordal specializes in beautiful table linens and baby items such as bibs, christening gowns, little shoes, as well as bed linens all certified to be from Funchal. You are able to order online, and one of the things I saw that is really amazing is handkerchiefs monogrammed with your signature! 15 Euros each, minimum 3 per package!  Sadly, the young girls have no interest in learning embroidery, and the general public isn't as willing as I am to iron the beautiful linen and cotton so it appears that it is a dying art. The work we saw was particularly fine and beautifully stitched; I couldn't resist picking up a few little pieces. You can view their online shop at www.bordal.pt for a peek at some of the magnificent work.

The Cathedral is one of the buildings that has survived virtually untouched since it was completed in 1514, in the early days of colonization; I asked the name, but since it's the only Cathedral on Madeira, there is no name, simply known as Se Catedral! But what a little jewel, with richly decorated side alters, chapels, beautiful inlaid ceilings and an incredibly rich altar. Very small and compact and filled with the faithful today - All Souls Day. On the way to our next stop, Blandy's Historical Wine Lodge, there was time for a quick cafe and a stroll around a beautiful little park. The weather here is close to perfect, about 70 degrees, with little humidity - just lovely. And the park was filled with lush, beautiful plants, some of which I recognized, others were a mystery.

Off to taste two types of Madeira; the most celebrated, Malmsey, made from Malvasia grapes very sweet and perfect as an after-dinner digestive, and Verdelho, a medium-dry tawny, for drinking with meat.

We didn't opt to take the famous gondolas to the top of mountain or the even more famous Monte Toboggans down the two mile descent at speeds you'd encounter on the highway! Way too scary for Patti; no thank you! Color me chicken!

One last delight in Funchal, on the retaining wall next to the Mariner, there were cruise ship logos and names of ships. There must be over 100 names & logos painted on the wall that ran a half a mile, or more, from ships that have stopped before us and left their marks: Emerald Princess & Ruby Princess, Royal Caribbean, Holland America Eurodam, Seven Seas Voyager, Swan Hellenic Minerva II, Silversea, Crystal Serenity, P&O Britannia and Costa to name just a few, but even more that aren't familiar.

Fantastic day in Funchal, filled with delightful and unexpected surprises. Don't hesitate to make the trip from Europe if you have the chance... I missed Tea at Reids! I'll just have to come back. Tomorrow, St. Cruz de la Palma!

Sunday, November 1, 2015

Goodbye Lisbon, Hello Mariner!

October 31, November 1. It's Goodbye Lisbon, Hello Mariner!

It's always somewhat frantic when you have to pack up and move. We're in real trouble; we had to repack this morning, and there is barely room for what we brought with us! Holy Toledo!

After a late breakfast we closed up suitcases, checked drawers and headed down for a taxi to the port. Jay, I'm so sorry, we didn't make it to Pasteis de Belem for the famous Pasteis de Nata... but they did have a tray of them each morning at the Britania. Oh, so Tasty!

Hopefully not another suitcase to send home! But I know Luggage Free will come to the rescue if needed. Check in was a breeze. Show your ticket, passport and move on... we were on the ship in a flash, but guided to the Constellation lounge, and check in to leave our passports, have our yellow fever shot documentation card checked, and our key cards issued. That took a bit longer, but it wasn't at all painful. Suites were not yet ready, so we were guided to the Veranda for lunch and more champagne. We headed to the suite about 3pm, and found our two bags in the hall, and the one bag from Luggage Free in our cabin! It didn't take long before I realized I should throw out half of what I have with me. The suites are lovely, really large bathroom, with a huge shower by all standards, a walk in closet, two twins together for a queen, and a desk, sofa, and sitting area before getting outside to the balcony. Very comfortable accommodations. 24 days usually means some compromise on space, but it's really quite comfortable. I'll start packing "used" into a suitcase next week which will open up a bit more space. Lovely dinner at the specialty restaurant, "Signatures," and as there were swells and so many had flown in from the US today, we had the place to ourselves... delicious foie gras (I'm hooked!), mushroom soup and fish. See Alyssa (my trainer), I'm trying to be good!

Today was a lazy day, getting acclimated to the ship and trying not to wash down the cabin with the stupid handheld sprayer in the shower... I was soaked, the entire room was soaked and all the towels were soaked by the time I finished. I think I figured it out, but I'll keep you posted on  tomorrow's shower!

Friday, October 30, 2015

Wine Country

October 30. Wine Country! Nuno was our guide for the day that included two wineries, both excellent and both very different. Our first stop of the day was Quinta da Lagoalva, just out of Santarem. Now we've been wine tasting before, but this was a different experience.

Marcia Alegria, new to the Quinta da Lagoalva, but with her masters in winemaking, was our guide. Although wine has been produced here since the 15th century, the current owners, the Palmela family, acquired the "quinta" in 1846. With over 100 workers, it was more like a small town, but currently they are down to 30 employees. There was and is housing for everyone, and the Palmela family still resided on site. There is a charming little chapel, filled with blue and white tiles, but there is no longer a priest living on the quinta, so now it is just used for special celebrations.

There is also a delightful pergola in the courtyard covered with foliage, but not currently in bloom. The next stop was the stables with 16 Lusitano horses, a specialty of Portugal, bred and trained for dressage. BIG, beautiful horses, with the preferred color of grey. Our next adventure was a carriage ride to visit the olive groves (13 tons last year), the cattle, sheep, the cork trees (some that had just been harvested) and of course the vineyards! All of these enterprises are profitable for Lagoalva. During the tour of the winery Marcia explained the process of moving the grapes to the first stage where all the stems are removed, then the remaining grapes and skin mixture is moved over to huge metal vats to ferment. Since the skins and sediment rise to the top, but to get the red color the juice must be in contact with the skins, they recycle the juice by pumping it out the bottom and back onto the top to maximize the time juice is in contact with the skins approximately every 12 hours. The exceptions are the "Reserve" or "Premium" wines - the whole process is manual and the finished product is stored in casks (American Oak). Finally to the tasting! Accompanied by bread, cheese, olive oil and sausage we are given three wines, from light to dark... Talhao I, a white Sauvignon Blanc blend, a Rose, and finishing with a red Castelao e Touriga.  All very good, and all around $8 a bottle! Quinta da Lagoalva wines are distributed in the US by Winebow Inc. BUT, there was one premium wine, they do not bottle each year, as it must be an exceptional year, nor do they export it; Dona Isabel Juliana, named for the last owner that passed away just 2 months ago. I'm enjoying a glass while writing! Excellent!    

Lunch was a small typical little place for some Portuguese comfort food. Stone Soup! Filled with beans, pork, beef, tomatoes, and a stone! The legend tells of a man that went around knocking on doors telling each resident that he had the stone for the soup, could they please contribute, perhaps a tomato, or some beans... what ever they might have, until the end of the day he had all he needed to make a hearty, delicious soup!

Our second winery, was again a "quinta", Casal Branco. Duarte Carvalho e Silva, their export manager was most kind to host us through the tour. This appears a bigger operation than Lagoalva, and with just as many "interests". We first drove out to the Lusitano stable where we met and watched the second place winner in the Portuguese dressage competition, X (translation from Portuguese!) go through his dressage routine. Although I no longer ride, X was an impressive stallion, that moves beautifully. We headed back to the winery and took the tour. Casal Branco still has vats where the grapes are stomped, a la Lucille Ball, for the premium wines. We found out that the stompers are paid about $60 a day, but it's getting more difficult to find workers willing to take part time work... particularly those of the ideal height and weight! The three wines we tasted are imported to the US, a white, rose and red. The name Terra de Lobos is a hint into the name of the the family that has owned the estate since 1775, the Lobo de Vasconcelos.       

Back to the main showroom, there is a "tree" that is actually one piece of harvested cork with a single seam along the back. Very impressive and beautiful! There was one wine, their sparkling wine Monge, that is not exported... so I have a bottle to enjoy on the trip! Thank you Duarte!

It was a fantastic day, full day, and tiring day... all that wine drinking did us in! Back to Britania and again a light supper but back to the Rubro restaurant for some of their Foie Gras and a salad...

Life is good!

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Hello from Lisbon!

Tuesday, October 27, 2015After a flight MIA/LIS on TAP in Business, we arrived safe and sound, but quite early into Lisbon. It was so early in fact, that only one immigration officer was on duty... until 6am! We weren't long suffering, and before too long we were checked, stamped and moved along. A few comments on TAP... food was good, divine Saudade chocolate, service was without enthusiasm, but all the standard amenities except they were super chintzy with the water. Only one bottle of water per person! Now there was plenty of drinking water, served by the small glass, but each required a special request to the flight attendants. Smooth flight, but Saharaesque!

I love, love, love our hotel - the Britania. It's an art deco jewel that opened its doors in 1944 as the Hotel do Imperio while the world was at war. Centrally located, just one block off of the Avenida da Liberdad, and recently restored; it offers 30 lovely, spacious, comfortable bedrooms, with their original cork floors, and many original furniture pieces and art deco touches, along with beautifully appointed public areas.  We were greeted warmly, given our room at 7:30 am. Victor, Julio, Marco and Katia were full of smiles in spite of the early hour and generously suggested we enjoy breakfast. Leisurely breakfast, nice nap and a shower and we're all new! Victor has suggested a seafood restaurant just a few minutes away for dinner.

Serious explorations tomorrow!

Time for a new adventure!

October 19 – Frantic last minute planning and packing. Wow! It’s been a while. No, I haven’t fallen down the rabbit hole with Alice, just taken a few hops here and there since our incredible 18 night trip Beijing to Tokyo on the Regent Seven Seas Voyager! Youngest daughter’s wedding was May, June I was grounded, July was a trip to Boston for a few days and a 50th Anniversary celebration, August was Mother’s last flight and Arlington Cemetery for burial with military honors, and September 5 days at Disney World... so, it was a busy summer. 

Now, it’s just about time to cruise! I’m so excited, and I just can’t fight it, I’m about to lose control and I kind of like it! The trip is all planned, shore excursions chosen, documents delivered, transportation & pre-hotel in Lisbon (The Britannia) and post-hotel in Cape Town (The Portswood at the V&A Waterfront) booked and we’re doing our last minute checking and packing. Luggage Free arrives Wednesday, between 1-2 pm to pick up one bag – I love, love, love their service! About two weeks ago I called to set up the appointment for the bag to be picked up, and they will deliver the bag(s) to the ship in Lisbon, just like magic. In Beijing, they were waiting in our cabin on arrival! I’m packing “light” (or perhaps I should say lighter) this time and shipping only one bag. John and I will share that bag with dress clothes for the ship and some cooler things for the summer climate in Africa. 

We leave NEXT MONDAY, October 26, for Lisbon and have four days to explore the city and countryside. Planned excursions include a trip to Fatima and another day trip to wine country that still allows for plenty of time to explore the city. Alfama, Baixa, Elevador de Santa Justa, the Bario Alto and the mosaics of Sao Roque are all on the list. It’s been years since I have been there... like since the ‘50s! I look forward to re-acquainting myself and hunting for bargains! Tasting Portuguese specialties and drinking their wonderful wines! 

We board the Regent Seven Seas Mariner October 31 for the “Lands of Wonder”, cruising from Lisbon to Cape Town! 24 glorious nights in the lap of luxury! 

I’ve gotten quite spoiled and absolutely love how Regent does it - every day, every encounter, and every step of the way, on every cruise! It really is ALL INCLUSIVE; I love, love, love having the shore excursions included. There are “Regent Choice” excursions for an additional fee, but you’ll find you will be able to tour and visit any of the major attractions in the ports of call for FREE. In addition, Regent’s Specialty Dining is free, unlimited Beverages including fine wines and premium spirits, all free, daily in-suite mini-bar replenishment (as needed), pre-paid gratuities and WiFi is available throughout the ship, with purchased WiFi minutes packages... and much more – and it’s included! It makes life so easy... and believe it or not, add up you cruise fare, bar bill, shore excursions, and pre-paid gratuities from your last not-so-inclusive cruise, and you can see the savings and benefits of luxury cruising! 

The cruise travels to Madeira Island, the Canary Islands, and Cape Verde before we start down the coast of Africa. Dakar, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Sao Tome and Namibia (sand dunes here we come!) before we arrive in Cape Town. Oh but wait... there are 11 glorious, and I do mean glorious, days at sea! It will be a relaxing adventure! The only repeat destination we’ve seen in recent history is Cape Town. And I LOVE Cape Town – the wonderful Victoria & Alfred (I always thought it was Albert!) Waterfront area, the incredible wine regions of Stellenbosch & Franschhoek, the meeting of the waters, Robben Island, Table Mountain, Greenmarket Square with beautiful African crafts & treasures! I never thought I’d go back to Africa. I love the trip and I love the country. What a thrill to be returning. Only one more week to wait! I’ll keep you posted...in the meantime check out some great upcoming interline deals on Regent Seven Seas!