Welcome back, readers and new friends,
Today (June 22, 2010) is just about 3 weeks since I returned from this wonderful cruise with 24 friends and new acquaintances (many librarians) from Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey and Virginia. I'll be adding posts (over the nest few days) that I prepared while in Rome and on the NAVIGATOR OF THE SEAS, part of the Royal Caribbean fleet. I'll be adding my photos to the narration written while traveling (with a bit of editing as I review my diary entries).
I've added a new feature to my blog - you can register as a "follower" and automatically receive my updates now and for future trips. Please comment and ask questions - I enjoyed reading them and responding during my first attempt at blogging a couple of years ago.
So, on with the trip.......
May 14 and 15, 2010
Jim left for the Dayton Ham-vention yesterday with his friends John and Rick. Although I asked, they were not interested in delaying their departure date until today. So, my good friend, Joie (John's wife and mother of our wonderful godsons) took me to BWI airport to catch my plane to Philadelphia. There I would meet 9 of the 24 travelers in this group cruising the Mediterranean beginning on Tuesday, May 18th.
Our flight out of Philadelphia was right on time despite there being almost 300 passengers. I've never seen a more organized boarding process. Many folks used the screens in the seats ahead of them to keep them company during the 6.5 hour flight to Rome. I fell asleep, missed dinner and awoke about 2 hours before landing. I found some crackers, cheese and small melon slices in the rear galley, so made a snack of them. The vegetarian breakfast I had ordered consisted of a small bagel with jam and butter. The rest of the passengers received what appeared to be a small apple strudel.
We cleared passport control with no Italian stamps in our passports. (In fact, since I am writing this while on the ship, I can tell you that our passports have been confiscated and we will get them back when we get to the Alexandria port. We apparently will not get stamps from any of the countries we will visit. This is a serious disappointment for several of us.) Not only were our passports not examined, after we collected our luggage, we passed through customs with no one examining at our luggage. No forms to fill out, nothing to declare, etc. It was an amazing experience. I am worried about being in foreign countries with no photo ID as I did not bring my driver's license since I expected to have my passport. No one can give me an explanation about why our passports are being held. I'll need to check with an American passport office when I return.)
Arlene, our tour leader, arranged for a small bus to meet us, and to transport our luggage and us to the Rome hotel. We arrived just in time for breakfast, and the hotel was still serving. Our rooms were not ready until later, so most of us just rested in the lobby, or slept for some time on the couches. I went looking, in the rain with an umbrella loaned by the hotel, for an ATM so I could get a supply of Euros. No luck, this time. (I brought the Euro coin holder that I purchased in Cyprus in 2008, so I have a few Euros, but not enough.)
As rooms became available, we all disappeared for a while. I roomed with Arlene and her daughter June for one night. Margaret is to arrive on Sunday (She and her friends are visiting with her son and family who are living outside Naples while he is stationed there for his job.) and we will room together for the rest of the trip. June and I spoke with a woman who was leaving the hotel for a wedding and received a recommendation for dinner. Everyone was happy to have someplace to go, was hungry, and mostly wanted to go to bed. Unfortunately, Roman restaurants do not open until after 7 pm for dinner.
We walked about 7 blocks to the restaurant and had a wonderful although a bit expensive dinner. Lots of appetizers followed by pasta. Italian meals are generally 5 courses – appetizer, pasta, fish or meat, salad and dessert. None of us made it past the pasta and wine. On the way to the dinner, I finally found an ATM so I had money to pay for my share of the meal.
A walk back to the hotel and quickly to bed.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
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