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This poem perfectly describes how it feels to work on a ship – sometimes (a lot more recently, for me) you just want to go home because you crave a sense of being settled somewhere.

The Double Life

How very simple life would be 

If only there were two of me 

A Restless Me to drift and roam 

A Quiet Me to stay at home. 

A Searching One to find his fill 

Of varied skies and newfound thrill 

While sane and homely things are done 

By the domestic Other One. 

And that's just where the trouble lies; 

There is a Restless Me that cries 

For chancy risks and changing scene, 

For arctic blue and tropic green, 

For deserts with their mystic spell, 

For lusty fun and raising Hell, 

But shackled to that Restless Me 

My Other Self rebelliously 

Resists the frantic urge to move. 

It seeks the old familiar groove 

That habits make. 

It finds content 

With hearth and home -- dear imprisonment, 

With candlelight and well-loved books 

And treasured loot in dusty nooks, 

With puttering and garden things 

And dreaming while a cricket sings 

And all the while the Restless One 

Insists on more exciting fun, 

It wants to go with every tide, 

No matter where...just for the ride. 

Like yowling cats the two selves brawl 

Until I have no peace at all. 

One eye turns to the forward track, 

The other eye looks sadly back. 

I'm getting wall-eyed from the strain, 

(It's tough to have an idle brain) 

But One says "Stay" 

and One says "Go" 

And One says "Yes," 

and One says "No," 

One wants a home and settled life 

And One Self craves the drifter's life. 

The Restless Fellow always wins 

I wish my folks had made me twins. 

- Don Blanding 

We also had a few visitors (kids of crew) stop by for some trick or treating...

Limassol, Cyprus: A taste of Cyprus

My entire shore excursions team, with the exception of the manager, had never been into Limassol, Cyprus. Imagine selling tours to 2,000 guests and having no clue what you are selling! That’s pretty much the situation here! Again, it was me and Maya as it was in Haifa yesterday going to the Dead Sea. Our tour operator, Savvas, took us today in his own car. It started with a drive through the town of Limassol, which really isn’t that impressive to be honest. Just some shops and restaurants lining the streets of the old town – most quite expensive because that’s just the way that Cyprus is…expensive!

Cyprus folks are primarily Greek and speak an ancient dialect of Greek, but there’s a large population of Russians there as well, but also has British roots. They drive on the wrong side of the road (sorry, Kieran ;)) just like the British! After we got through the rubbish side of town, we made it to the wealthier side with beautiful homes on the water. Even managed to sneak a peek at Roman Abramovich’s home, which is the largest home in Cyprus and it’s even up for sale at a measly $25 million! It was cool because he used to own a yacht, the Polarus, and Kieran and I got to go on it a few weeks ago to take a look around since a friend of ours works there!

Back to Cyprus…

Our first official stop was at the Kolossi Castle, where we took a few photos and walked in. The whole idea of the day was just to get a feel for what we are selling to the guests and how to explain how many stairs there are and the basic information. Ten minutes later we were off…

Next stop: Kourian Theater and Eustolios’ house located right next to the theater. It was exactly what I expected from it - a typical Greek theater, but with a fabulous view of the water. My favorite part was that it’s still used today once a year for traditional Greek comedies and tragedies and the locals go and watch shows there. Eustolio’s house is what’s left of a home built right next to the theater. There are remnants of mosaics and baths/saunas. Several earthquakes damaged most of it, but what’s still there is still quite impressive.

  

For our last stop on the sightseeing tour, we stopped off at the Temple of Apollo. Honestly, more ruins! There was a “fighting place” where the men would cover themselves in oil and wrestle (what’s changed from then to now, right?) The temple itself had two pillars remaining and we walked around and took pictures of the bath houses and saunas there as well. The most incredible part of the whole thing was the view of the ocean. Not too impressed, but I think it’s because I’m getting sick of ruins (as snobby as that may sound!) – They’re all starting to look alike!

Savvas asked us if we were hungry and we said that we could go for something to eat and he took us to his favorite spot right on the beach. The restaurant was a typical beach restaurant in décor with its wooden floors, anchors and ropes lining the walls. We sat outside on the patio and had the most incredible views of the cliffs and the water. Savvas got a feel for the types of food we liked and he ordered several dishes of the freshest food I’ve had in a long time! We had fresh pita, tzatziki, fresh shrimp, fried calamari, grilled octopus, a huge Greek salad (sans olives for me, please!) and a side of fries. We ate until we were just ready for a nap…but the end to another lovely day. This job comes with more perks than I could have ever imagined!

Haifa, Israel: The Dead Sea!

I've been to Israel a few times before I started working for Shore Excursions and within those few trips, I’ve managed to cover Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Nazareth and many of the religious sites. Yesterday, my manager worked it out for a “fam (shore ex team family) trip” and talked to the tour operator and got us a private minivan to the Dead Sea. It was supposed to be a group of 6 or 7 of us and it ended up being me and my colleague, Maya. Our guide, David, picked us up in an 8-seater van and started the 2 ½ hour drive to the opposite side of the country, through the different banks and zones. It was fascinating to go through all these different checkpoints with armed guards enforcing that Israeli’s and Palestine’s don’t go into an area that they don’t belong. So many cultures live in one country so peacefully at the same time as well, and respect each other’s beliefs and religions.

David took us to the side opposite of where all the tourists typically go – so we ended up at a beautiful restaurant overlooking the Dead Sea and had a huge lunch with fresh hummus, pita, a lovely chicken dish, rice, peas, carrots, meatballs and some other traditional middle eastern food. It was absolutely fantastic and we were stuffed! David was so kind to say that being full is a good thing when you go to the Dead Sea as it helps to weigh you down in the water. Truly doesn't make me feel better, but thanks for trying, David!

Nice and full, Maya and I headed in and changed for swimming in the locker rooms and headed down to the beach area with folks covered from head to toe in the mud and letting the sun bake it into their skin. We walked all the way down the beach to the very end where we found two sun loungers and claimed our spot. Maya got in the water first and put the mud all over her and I took a few photos for her before I made my way into the water. The water felt normal as I walked in and I made my way to the mud first, as the entire Dead Sea bottom is not the mineral-rich mud. I found a large mud area and started to paint it all over myself (while missing a few spots at the same time – but didn't know until I saw the picture) – I mean, who wouldn’t want to look at least 10 years younger in less than 15 minutes. I let the mud dry out a bit and walked out waist deep into the water.

The instructions they give you are that once the water reaches your waist, sit down as though you are sitting in a chair and use your arms to swim/paddle backwards.

 It is the most weird and eerie feeling! I wanted my feet to go underwater and rinse them off, but they won’t stay! I’d push them down and they’d pop right back up. When we’d try to stand up, you really have to force your legs down to the ground so that you can stand back up. For a brief moment, I’d forgotten that I was in the Dead Sea and flipped over to swim a bit and I was quickly told that I couldn’t do that and Maya and I broke out into a fit of laughter when my body just laid on the top of the water like a dead man floating. Luckily, my face didn’t hit the water though! We tasted it and it’s not only extremely salty, but quite bitter as well with all the minerals in it.

Not my most flattering photo, but you have to see this mud.  (Yes, I missed a few spots!) 

After a bit of floating around, we laid out to start the drying out process as the water is actually oily and it took quite a bit to dry out before heading back to meet David so we could drive back to the ship (but not willingly!). David took us by a store because I had asked about a nativity set carved in Olive wood that I had seen the last time, but the store didn’t have what I was after – but Maya and I managed to purchase quite a few of the Dead Sea spa products for ourselves and I got quite a few Christmas gifts in there. I mean, is there anybody out there that would be disappointed by me giving them some Dead Sea skin products actually bought by the Dead Sea? I wouldn’t!

We drove a different route home so that we could try one more store in Jerusalem for my nativity set, but the guy’s prices were way higher than the gentleman that originally was going to sell me one, so I left without one. Just wasn’t meant to be, right?

The Dead Sea has been on my bucket list for many years and when I thought it had become a pipe dream with all that’s happened in the last month there, I was elated to find out I’d be able to go. Just reminds us not to take traveling for granted, because you never know if you’ll be able to go back! If you have the opportunity to travel, stop making excuses that you don’t have the time…do it while you’re able!

Venice, Italy: A Day for Just Us

Kieran and I set out on our own adventure into Venice today in search of a few sights we hadn't managed to see yet as well as pick up a few Christmas gifts and feast on an Italian lunch…and that we did! Since Kieran had been before, he is able to get us around pretty quickly and easily. Our first destination, the Rialto Bridge, went against my expectations to say the least. As with the many bridges in Venice, I just expected one that was larger because it was so famous but it was actually lined with stores and vendors and VERY crowded. 

We shopped around for a bit and after we took a few photos and picked up a Christmas gift or two then crossed over to the opposite side of the bridge that was loaded with restaurants. Kieran ordered a pizza and I went with traditional pasta that was so simple and basic, but perfect. We make it wrong in the US!

After lunch, we ventured to the other side of Venice to check on our lock on the Ponte dell'Accademia and see if it was still there from a month or so ago when we were there last. It looks like, with the damage done to the bridge over the years, they cut the locks off every year or two to take the weight off the bridge. We were both so excited to see that it was there, just missing its yellow polka-dotted ribbon!

We made our way towards St. Mark’s Square, the most crowded place in Venice, I think! St. Mark’s Basilica sits right on the square and had a line that appeared to be long, but continuously moving. Kieran and I decided we should try to go inside and we are so glad that we did. It was absolutely beautiful with floor to ceiling mosaics and paintings – leave no spot untouched. The entire front of the Basilica was composed of solid marble columns and absolutely unbelievable. We walked through the church with our mouths on the ground. Now, I've seen a lot of churches and Cathedrals, but this one takes the cake. Off to the side, there are some small sections for prayer and Kieran and I sat down for a few minutes and said a few prayers before lighting a candle and exiting the basilica.

On the walk back to the ship, we had to stop and have the mandatory scoop or two of gelato (mine was crème brulee and ahhh-mazing!) for the long walk back to the ship.

I love Venice. Scratch that. I love Italy.

Naples, Italy: A Cruise to the Isle of Capri

Can I start by saying that I had one of the best days ever! This tour has been something I have wanted to do for the last few years that I've been in the Mediterranean, but because its 8 hours long, I could never do it before because of time constraints with my previous position on board. I FINALLY got to go and let me just say that Capri is all it’s cracked up to be…and MORE!

Outside of the ship, the group met up with our guide Paulo – a tall Italian man, but not typical Italian. Paulo had blonde hair and blue eyes and his accent sounded as though he learned English in England with a thick British accent – not what you’d expect of an Italian. He walked us from the ship over to the marina (about 5 minutes) and we boarded a hydrofoil boat for our one hour trip to Capri. Mind you, the weather at this point was pretty terrible with the rain pouring down as we waited to board the boat (but a double rainbow over us!). The water was quite choppy, but thank goodness nobody got seasick – not sure I could have dealt with that. For the duration of the ride, I just prayed that the weather would clear (in between Candy Crush moves ;)) and sure enough- it cleared about 5 minutes before we arrived to Capri – the sun started creeping out behind the clouds.

Upon disembarking the boat, we were then going to take a mini bus up to Anacapri at the very top. The minibuses were exactly that…the motor coaches that we’re used to, cut in half. The road all the way to the top of Anacapri was very narrow and winding. Paulo had prepared us for the “Mama Mia” road that we would encounter at the very top and anybody with a fear of heights should close their eyes. The “Mama Mia” road is where the road meets the edge of the cliff and if you look over, there is a thin fence (that serves no purpose!) and when you look out the window, you can see the sea floor directly below. The reason it’s called the “Mama Mia” road is simply because when folks are driving on it, they typically shout “Mama Mia” when they look down!

At the top, Paulo took us into a store where they make the inlaid wood tables- they were pretty but reminded me of a Grandmother’s house to be honest. I looked around a bit and then went outside to meet Paulo where he was giving everybody the option to take a ticket and do the chairlift or go for a walk and shopping in the small town. I chose to take advantage of the opportunity to go on the chairlift ride, so Paulo gave me a ticket and I went around the corner and handed a man (who spoke no English) my ticket and he pointed to the floor where there are two yellow footprints painted in a green square. When you stand there, you turn your upper body to see the chair coming and bend your knees to sit because they don’t stop moving. The gentlemen pushed the restraint down in front of me and off I went. For 20 minutes, I was in the most peaceful place going over gardens just green areas working slowly gaining on the mountain that had seemed so small 20 minutes before. The final destination of the chairlift is a panoramic viewpoint of the entire island of Anacapri & Capri and it’s absolutely beautiful from up there – slightly foggy – but breathtakingly gorgeous and again, peaceful. I took a few photos from that point before jumping back on the chairlift to try and catch a few minutes of shopping in the town of Anacapri. The shopping was all about lemons – Limóncello, lemon soap (smells incredible!) and lemons painted on pretty much anything from aprons to plates slippers. Didn’t buy anything in Anacapri, but made it back just in time to meet the group and we jumped back into the minibus again to head to the other side of the island, Capri.

  

The minibus took us back the same route we came and continued past to the other side to deliver us to Capri. We stopped at the furthest point that the minibuses could drive and Paulo took us into a store that makes their own brand of Limóncello and other “lemon” items. We sampled both the standard Limóncello as well as a creamy one – I bought both! They were both so tasty and I think the creamy one will be nice to cook with. The women in the store also let us sample lemon and orange chocolate, which I didn’t expect to like, but they were so nice and smooth and creamy.

The group took a walk from the store with Paulo to a beautiful resort about 10 minutes away, where we were to have lunch in a ballroom overlooking the ocean. Lunch consisted of cheese-stuffed manicotti as an appetizer with fresh bread rolls, followed by baked chicken with a tiny bit of marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese followed by none other than tiramisu. Unfortunately, tiramisu isn’t my thing, so I set it aside and went back to utilize the free time he had given us before we had to start the journey back to the ship. I really wanted to buy some of the lemon soap because it really was lovely, but it was so pricy for soap! Since I didn’t have dessert at the restaurant and I wasn’t having any luck, I went to a stand/kiosk sort of thing that was squeezing fresh oranges and making a local drink that’s half frozen lemon slush and they fill the remainder of the glass with orange juice – let me just say that it was awesome and refreshing!

The last adventure for the day was meeting Paulo outside of the funicular station where he would give us a ticket to take it to the bottom of the island, where’d we gather the entire group and take the hydrofoil back to the ship. The worst part(s) of the entire day – going back to work and not having Kieran there to enjoy it with me :(

I think this is one of my favorite tours by far simply because it includes so many different types of transportation: the hydrofoil, minibus, chairlift, walking, and the funicular down. Just a perfect combination!

Barcelona, Spain: Ole’!

Tonight I went to see a Flamenco Show in Barcelona. It was a beautiful dinner with four courses with dancing and boy was it LOUD! I think they even put microphones underneath the stage and every time the dancers dig their heels in, we all hear it and feel it! Something I never realized was how emotional Flamenco dancing and music was and how sad most of it really is, but man-oh-man the dancers are passionate!

Following the show, we loaded onto the bus where the guide and driver took us on a drive around Barcelona. Honestly, I didn’t think that a drive around the city would allow us to see much, but the Gothic Quarter is incredible in the evening as are most of the buildings with the lighting in place. Barcelona is pretty cool once you get away from Las Ramblas street, which is loaded with tourists and pickpockets!