RachelG

Grocery store cat

The pools

Some nice vegetation

Pico Island across from Faial Island

Capelinhos volcano

April17,2042–Horta, Faial Island, Azores At last! A peaceful nights sleep. Sea was calm, and we slept very well. When we awoke, we were at the dock in a harbor which circled around with a cute looking town and very green hills on one side and a tall volcano on Pico Island on the other. It had been raining earlier, but now the sun was out. Temperature was in low 60s, but felt cooler due to strong wind. Our excursion for the day was a five mile hike from Capelinhos to Varadouro, but first we had to hike to the bus. It was quite a ways off. Not an issue for us as we were planning to hike, but could definitely be a problem for someone with mobility issues. We boarded the bus which took us through town the into the countryside. The current main industry here now is agriculture. We saw lots of dairy and beef cattle. They don’t have fences but rather stake out the cows on long tethers and then move them periodically. This would never work on our ranch. Our guide said the cows were happy, but I think our cattle which are free to roam anywhere they want in a multi acre field are probably happier. The fields were very lush and green though. We drove along the coastline until we reached Capelinhos which is the volcano that erupted most recently in 1957, and continued erupting for over a year. The eruption added a lot of new land to the island, and vegetation is just now starting to sprout in the volcanic soil. We saw the old lighthouse that was once completely covered in volcanic ash, then set off on our hike. The trail was good, smooth, made of volcanic soil. We saw lots of interesting plants and observed the differences in plants the further we got from the volcano. There were interesting volcanic rock formations as well. We ended up in Varadouro which is a nice seaside village with sea pools formed from volcanic rock. Back on the bus, we commenced circumnavigation of the island via narrow winding roads with a short stop at a market where we bought some locally produced cheese. Faial really is a very pretty island, and I would return. After we got back to Horta, George and I walked into town to explore and have lunch. It started raining on and off. It would pour for a couple of minutes, then the sun would come out, then it would pour again. We found a burger place for lunch which George wanted to try. They advertised local beef. Different from our burgers-Homemaid buns which tasted sweet, ground beef which was just ok topped with coleslaw, pickles, good bacon. Quality of beef was not up to our standards, but we were hungry, and it filled the spot. Back on board, we did poorly at trivia, coming in 4th. Not enough science or medical questions. We were sailing out of the bay during trivia and on our way to Madeira. We met new friends for dinner. And an amazing thing, the father of our new friend was George’s favorite professor in seminary. They had a great time telling stories. The food was really good too, some great fish and a sweet pea soup which was outstanding. The show was a sort of Argentinian tango show. It was really good with lots of amazing dancing and great costumes.

It is not an issue in smooth seas, just when rough. We slept great the first night and last night. In rough seas, the entire ship seems to groan and creak. I can hear it when walking down the hall. we are in 909

April 16, 2024–rock and roll all night in the Northern Atlantic So you know that old song, Rock and Roll All Night. Well, that is what we did, but not on the dance floor. The sea was really moving all night long. I did not sleep well because I kept feeling like I was going to get thrown out of bed, plus there was random banging and clanging. I finally figured out that one of the noises was the sliding door to the shower going back and forth and was able to fix that by closing it completely. I went to Pilates, and the movement provided an extra core challenge to keep balance. By the time I finished, it was daylight outside, but pretty overcast, hazy, and windy. It had apparently rained some during the night because everything outside was wet. Outer decks were blocked off. They had the Country Fair indoors in the atrium due to the weather. This is where all the departments on the ship set up games. You get raffle tickets for each game, and at the end, they do a drawing for prizes. The games ranged from picking high or low with the casino dealer, naming stuff in the spa, contest to see who could put a pillow case on a pillow the quickest, matching nuts and blots, ring toss, to matching flags of the world with their country. I got lots of raffle tickets but didn’t win anything. It was Tex Mex on the pool deck. Mexican is not a strong suit on regent, so I had salad and some guacamole. By the time we finished lunch, the seas had calmed, and sun was out. Time for a good walk on the top deck. It was still really windy. I did see a whale spout in the distance. Trivia was particularly difficult today, and we came in 3rd with 10 out of 15. No one in the room got the mountain range that K2 is in correct. Dinner in CR was a hit. Really good salad and a cod main dish that was delicious. The Lisa Marie Holmes show where she highlighted Divas. Outstanding!

April 15, 2024–bumping along in the North Atlantic The seas picked up again through the night, and the room did a lot of creaking and groaning all night long, punctuated by occasional loud thumps from somewhere outside the room. We went ahead yet another hour. I made myself get up and go to yoga. Class was challenging due to the motion of the ship. We then had a leisurely breakfast in La Veranda. Skies were overcast, and it was chilly and windy outside. Walking track and outdoors decks still closed. I went for a pedicure, and it was a really good one. And amazingly, the price was what I normally pay at home. The pool deck lunch was Indian food, which George does not prefer, so we decided to go to Prime 7 for lunch. The menu is totally different than for dinner. I had a Manhattan clam chowder and Caesar salad with shrimp. George’s port ribs were just ok according to him, but his shrimp and grits were delicious. After lunch, the sun had come out, and even though it was still very windy, the sea had calmed enough that the powers that be deemed it safe to open the walking track on deck 12. I put on a windbreaker and got my steps. Love,love the walking track. It is coated with an anti skid material that has a slight sponginess to it. Very comfortable and safe. We were back to second at Trivia. I calculated the year the euro became the official currency in Europe based on the ages of my children when we visited there, but got over ruled. The seas really suddenly picked up again just as trivia was ending. There were a lot of bumping noises and creaky sounds in our suite. Tonight was the Event for the upper tier society members. It was a special performance by the guest vocalists and they were great. Dinner in Pacific Rim was very good. This isn’t my favorite restaurant, but I have figured out what I like. George loves it, so we compromise. He had sushi and sashimi. I had the watermelon and duck salad, spring rolls and lobster tempura, all very delicious. Best part for me is that they have really nice tea, not the Twinning that is served elsewhere on the ship. The ship was severely rocking by the end of dinner. I went to the magician show, and he had to sit down. But he was funny and did some good illusions.

We had to convert the number of miles in a marathon to meters. George did the calculation and got it correct the first time, but then second guessed himself.

April 14, 2024–still at sea cruising the North Atlantic The seas were still moving quite a bit but calmer than last night. We had a good nights sleep, and I made myself get up and go to Pilates class at 8, hard to do since we had set the clocks ahead yet another hour. It was quite overcast outside, and windy, so outside decks still closed. I was the only person in the Pilates class, and the instructor was late. I started doing some exercises by my self, and he showed up. I do reformer Pilates at home 5 days a week. Obviously on the ship, they don’t have reformers, so it was a mat class, but a pretty good one. Lorraine, the CD, held church service at 9. There were 16 of us in attendance, and she did a good job. The magnificent Sunday on a sea day brunch was held in Compass Rose. There was a big spread of sushi and sashimi, big cocktail shrimp, omelette and crepe stations, breakfast items.lots of salads, roast beef tenderloin, pork, cooked veggies, a massive bread table, and dessert bar with flowing chocolate with various dippers. Notably absent was any type of crab. That being said, I had plenty to eat without over stuffing myself. George had a big plate of sushi and said it was good. The seas had calmed down considerably, and the sun was out now shining brightly. I thought they might open up the walking track, but it was still blocked off, presumably due to high winds. So I got my steps indoors. I worked on cross stitch while George lost money in the casino. But today was a good day at trivia with our first win! There were two medical questions, which helped. We missed a math problem because we changed an answer. Dinner in Compass Rose was a hit. Everything was great. I had the mulligatawny soup, which is always good, the Shanghai dumplings, and the sea bream. All perfect and topped off with the sugar free coffee ice cream, which is a favorite. The show was a Broadway musical review, and the singers are all outstanding, but particularly the female vocalist. A+!

So sorry your cruise had to end this way, but thankful the surgery went well. Wishing him an uneventful recovery!

Lived there for 8 years in college then med school at OU back in the 1980s

The egg

Beautiful entrance to Pacific Rim

April 13, 2024–cruising the Atlantic As per the captain’s warning, the ship was very rocky during the night. Our cabin steward had set the potted orchid on the floor wisely. But the rocking was the type that just makes me want to sleep, so we had a nice sleep in until 10 am! Unheard of for me anytime except on a ship on a sea day. The fact that the clocks jumped forward another hour also helped. When we finally got up, it was partly cloudy outside, but pleasant looking except for the seas which had breaking whitecaps. All the outside decks were closed off due to rough seas and wind. We went to a morning reception for our travel group, then lunch which was a Greek buffet with excellent Greek salad, humus and tzatziki. I did my walk a lot the ship to get steps and finally found the egg which is a lot smaller than I imagined, but very bejeweled and beautiful. There is an app that you can download that takes you on an art tour through the ship. George went to the blackjack tournament and won big! That probably won’t last. We came in 2nd yet again at trivia. One team member suggested we change our team name to “The Bridesmaids”. Questions were very difficult today. The block party was tonight, where the captain and CD go throughout the ship greeting everyone in the halls. We met a lot of nice people. Dinner at Prime 7 was mostly great. Mt crab cake and salad were excellent as was my filet. George’s lobster was definitely off. He couldn’t eat it. They brought a new one which was edible, but really , the quality control could be better. The show was Josh Henderson who did a tribute to Freddy Mercury and Queen. Well done, though not my preferred style of music.

Bike ride views

Huge wall with George in perspective tive

Our ship

Dockyards chickens

April 12, 2024–Bermuda We had a smooth night sailing, and I slept like a log. When we woke up, the sun was peaking through some high clouds, and the wind had lessened some. It was warmer as well, in the upper 60s. The ocean was a beautiful aqua blue. I went to a HIT class—high intensity workout, and he made us sweat a lot. Only one other guy in the class with me though. By the time I finished, the ship was sailing into the Royal Naval Dockyards, an old navy base now a cruise port with shops, restaurants and a museum. We had been here before when they were just developing It. The captain had announced yesterday that we would sail out an hour early so as to avoid a big storm that was coming. Our tour didn’t start until 11:40, so we had a while to walk around the dockyards. Lots of expensive shops selling touristy stuff. But a nice walk. There was an interesting looking museum, but we didn’t have time to visit. We popped back to the ship for 15 minutes to grab a slice of pizza from the pool grill. We boarded a van to take us to Hamilton, in the middle of the island to the bike shop. We passed lots of pretty beaches and resorts, churches on just about every corner, and pastel painted houses with very thick walls and roofs. Our guide told us the are built to easily withstand a level 4 hurricane. Each has a water cistern underneath and it’s own septic system. Stoves are propane canisters, so they can go without electricity for quite a while. We arrived at a park in downtown Hamilton where we were taught how to ride our e-bikes, something neither of us had done before. After a test ride to learn the controls, we took off, first on the street, but soon on a bike path built on an old railroad track. It was great fun after I figured it out as you don’t have to shift gears, which was always the hardest part of riding a bike for me. We ended up at a park by a nice beach then rode back on the road this time. Really a fun excursion. Our guide had slushies waiting for us, from a stand in the park. I hadn’t had a slushie in probably at least 40 years, but it was refreshing after our ride. We rode back to the dockyards, and the wind had really picked up a lot. It was hard to even climb the gangway to the ship. The captain came on with the weather report—told us to expect rough seas and gale force winds. They are covering the windows on the lower decks. We came in 2nd in trivia. Shouldn’t have changed one answer, or we would have tied for first. Dinner in Compass Rose tonight. I started with a parsnip soup which was just ok. Sounded better than it was. The spinach salad was very good, with nice crispy spinach. My pork tenderloin was perfectly prepared, as good as I can make at home, but I didn’t have to do the work. I ordered a lingonberry soufflé for dessert, which was disappointing as it wasn’t a real soufflé, but rather a lingonberry purée with a meringue topping. The show was a singer, Lisa Marie Holmes, and she was spectacular. What a great voice. She sang a variety of show tunes, plus other music. I am looking forward to her next performance. George did well in the casino and recouped his precious losses.

They are a little snail encased in a ball that is deep fried. It reminded me of a tiny arancini ball except with a snail inside. You pop the entire thing in your mouth at once.

Mj-holiday, noted you said you are from Oklahoma, where?? We are Oklahoma people, Tulsa.

Entrance to Chartreuse

April 11, 2024–cruising the Atlantic enroute to Bermuda Seas were very calm the first part of the night, but started moving more after about 3 am. Nothing bad, but we knew we were on a ship. Clocks moved forward an hour. I was up in time for 8 am yoga which was pretty basic but more challenging balance wise on a moving ship. Even the instructor wobbled a little. The gym is very large and well equipped with plenty of machines. I went up to La Veranda to meet George for breakfast. The new different thing there is that along the windows, there are two tops which face looking out at the ocean, so you are sitting side by side instead of across from each other. I like them a lot. They had good Greek yogurt and fresh strawberries plus crispy bacon, so I was happy. George ordered eggs over easy, and they arrived promptly and at correct temperature. It was very overcast outside, with intermittent drizzling rain and significant wind, temperature in the low 60’s. Not conducive to walking outside on deck, so I did some work then cross stitch. George took a morning nap. There were lectures and a wine tasting of the included wines scheduled. Lunch was offered in both Prime 7 and Chartreuse, but the pool grill and La veranda had a Mediterranean buffet, so we opted for that. Good salads. They had bouillabaisse and some nice looking pasta dishes as well. George also got a hamburger from the pool grill and found it acceptable. George had video depositions in the afternoon. The Starlink internet connection is GREAT. That makes me happy, but the downside is that George can do zoom meetings, even with the regular internet . It was blowing a gale outside, though the ship was going into the wind, so it wasn’t too rough. The outside decks were closed off due to the wind. Since I couldn’t walk outside, I decided to do a tour of each deck of the ship to check out the art. On decks 6, 8, and 10, they have prints of vintage photos mostly of well know cityscapes, archeological sites, and landmarks. Those were very nice. On 7 and 9, they have a bunch of very abstract watercolors, most of which look like something my 3 year old grandson brings home from preschool. I hope they didn’t pay actual money for those. His class would have done them for free. We came in 2nd at trivia, missing only 3 questions. Our team is well balanced, though if they ask a sports question, we may be in trouble. Tonight was the captain’s welcome which we usually don’t attend. We had reservations in Chartreuse. The mushroom soup is the best ever as usual. Our friend ordered a crab appetizer which was super fishy and inedible. They have crispy escargot, which I ordered, and they are to die for. George had the beet salad which he declared one of the best. My lamb chops were perfect. The Dover sole was also excellent by all reports. After dinner , I went to the show. It was a medley, ones by the Pointer sisters, Hall and Oakes, the Carpenters, Adele, Celine Dion. Sounds weird, but it worked. The female vocalist is outstanding.