Adventures of Lydia and Joe

I am so happy to report that we have had a great day!! We got out of the crush of traffic and went to the Belem district where we toured the Mosteiro dos Jeronimos (monastery of St. Jerome), an amazing structure that reminds me a little of Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. It was begun in 1502 and finished some 50  years later. To quote Fodor’s guide, it is a breathtaking array of carved stone. The choir and cloisters are incredibly beautiful. For further entertainment there was a celebration of the police going on outside which included a full military band, hundreds of policemen who sang the national anthem with full lusty voices and a reviewing stand. Some very important dignitary (we were told different answers when we asked who it was. Some
said it was the President.) arrived with full police escort. Then he ascended the back of a military vehicle and reviewed the “troops”. Later, after his very long speech,
there was a parade of every kind of police vehicle from SWAT type trucks and police
in full gear with their plastic shields to trucks. It was very impressive. Next we went
to the Museu de Marinha (marine museum) which featured every kind of ship and
boat from the 1400s to the present and lots of navigational instruments. After walking
past the Padrao dos Descobrimentos, a monument to to the Discovery pioneers which
was erected in 1960 to mark the 500th anniversary of the death of Henry the
Navigator (reach back to your world history class! ) we made our final stop at the
Torre de Belem. This is kind of like Lisbon’s Statue of Liberty in that it is often
featured in any article about Portugal. It is much smaller than I expected but still an
imposing structure with turrets, and baftlements all around and it’s washed on 3 sides
by the river Tejo. Just as we finished our touring, it started to sprinkle. We were very
lucky and got a taxi right away. Before returning to our B&B we had one more
important site to visit, the hotel where your dad stayed 50 years ago. He
remembered the name and had already looked it up. It’s a 4 star hotel in the center
of the Commercial Plaza where he stayed for about $4. We were going to have dinner
there but they don’t serve dinner. So instead, we’re trying to book a reservation at a
restaurant that plays Fado music. I’ll let you know. Before dinner we spent a little time on the rooftop terrace and finally opened our French wine. We got to chat with Francisco a little and learn how he started this B&B. The building was his grandfather’s and he and his mom remodeled it to become a business after Francisco was injured and couldn’t continue his former occupation. The terrace has a killer view over the city to the river. You can relax and watch the ferry boats and other craft crisscross the broad river Tejo. If I wake up early tomorrow I would love to see the sunrise.
LATER
Fado music is great! We enjoyed three different singers throughout the evening while we had a delicious meal. As in Italy, the hors d’oeuvres are placed on the table and you pay an extra “couvert” if you eat them. There are olives, tiny sausages and “little green fishes from the garden” which turn out to be tempura green beans. In a country that prides itself on its sardines i was a bit anxious. Joe had asparagus soup
and I had wedges of fresh tomatoes with basil and cubes of feta. My main course was
thick medallions of tender veal in a sour cream sauce accompanied by plain rice and creamed spinach. Joe had slices of minced bacalao prepared tempura style with rice with beans mixed in. For dessert he had ice cream and I ordered a traditional Belem custard tart. They are so yummy. The crust is like filo, the filling a boiled custard and they present it with powdered sugar and cinnamon in little shakers. I asked the waiter if I was supposed to put a “little and a little” on the top and he said, “No, a lot and a lot!” during the meal which went on for more than three hours, the fado group played three times, each time with a different singer. There were three men playing “portguese guitar” which looks like a large mandolin. I bought a CD to continue the experience at home. We got home at midnight and went to sleep to the loud drone of the portable air conditioner so kindly provided by Pilar. And so perchance to dream….
Sorry this is so long, but it’s good to report a good day.

We are in Lisbon in a quaint but comfortable B&B at the top of a hill very near the Basilica of Estella. We were greeted by Pilar who is about as warm and welcoming as one could be.  We are about to go on our first exploring trip. First the basilica, then lunch in a nearby park, then to tram #28 for a ride around the city. I’m still having occasional coughing fits, like on the airplane, but feeling much stronger. Imagine the dirty looks i got.  Dad is pretty much back to his old self. It is much cooler here and much calmer compared to both our cruise and Rome. I was able to catch up with my blog while on the plane.
It is now the end of the day and I can tell you that the tram idea sounded great in theory, but didn’t work for us. The trams are old, rickety, and charming, similar to a San Francisco cable car. But they are also totally open to all the fumes and dust of the city traffic. So of course I start coughing again and we have to leave the tram. So we resort to our usual trick of hiring a taxi. We had to get one of the nicest drivers in Lisbon. He took us to the Cathedral (after going several minutes out of the way because he misunderstood what we wanted.) He apologized and stopped the meter. We asked him to wait for us while we went in the Cathedral and then take us to the castle. He agreed. In the Cathedral, a massive plain gothic building, is a small chapel where the baptismal fount where St. Anthony of Padua was baptized is located. St. Anthony is the patron saint of Portugal. We rejoined our driver and went up to the castle. He was able to get past the guards and drive us through the windy lanes from the back of the castle to the front where we got out so go exploring. He put the meter back to 10 euros to make up for his mistake. We paid him 15 and he was worth all of it. The castle, a beautiful fortress, is a gorgeous sprawling site and looks just like a castle should with lots of towers with crenelated walls and amazing views over Lisbon. All the water you see is not ocean, but the outlet to the Tejo river, the life blood of the area. We saw a peahen with chicks and enjoyed the cool shade of the trees. I think this is the first time I will mention that Lisbon is HOT and HUMID! not as bad as Rome, but not very comfortable. And while I’m at it complaining, our hotel, charming as it is, does not have air conditioning. Aarg! After an adventurous day, we got a taxi home and Joe took a nap. (Big surprise!) I went up on the terrace to check email (They have wifi) and met a couple from Dublin who offered me a glass of wine which I happily accepted. We had a great chat and she said she would leave me some information tomorrow on the place they stayed at the beach not far from here. That might be our next stop. Pilar came up and made a reservation for me at the place recommended by Dick and Bitsy. I realized I’d better get Joe going as it was already nearly 8 PM. So we went to As Velhas and enjoyed a tasty fish dinner. Then one more taxi back for a much needed sleep.

Rome ( continued)
On our first day at the hotel I wanted to explore the place, especially the “most beautiful terrace in Rome.” So Joe rested and I walked up to the terrace on the next floor. It is a very lovely terrace but you are not allowed to go on most of it as it has a very low railing and the monks don’t want the liability. So I ordered a sandwich. That was a snafu in communication. They offered a mozzarella and tomato sandwich but I prefer provolone. The waiter said he didn’t know if they had any but would do what he could. What arrived was a plain cheese sandwich with no tomato or anything else. I guess in a way I got what I asked for. To add insult to injury, it cost 10 euros! That will teach me to be picky!
I went down to the lobby to relax and work on the blog. A group of priests came in who are also going to the Pallium Mass in support of their friend who is a new Archbishop in Canada. I think this is where I learned that 41 priests are going to receive the Pallium which is a small woolen stole, symbolic of their increased responsibility and authority. It is bestowed annually on the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul. This year it is also the 60th anniversary of Pope Benedict’s ordination. I learned later that this day is also a holiday for the people of Rome.
The morning of the Mass we arrived early as advised and were amazed to see thousands of people already in the security line. I didn’t see how we would ever find Cambria and the Holy Family people. Joe stayed in the line while I went searching for familiar faces. I had hardly begun than who spotted me was Father Jose. We gave each other a big hug and he directed me to Cambria and the others. Kathleen Levenek, Dionne and Terry Mitchell from Christ Child, were in the group She graciously invited us to come join them so we moved forward by a few hundred people. At 7:30 in the morning it was already hot and humid. The sooner inside the better. As we approached security the guards kept reminding people that they had to have a ticket to get in. I’m sure some people were very disappointed. We were guided to an area behind the altar with the orchestra and choir in front of us. Most of the time our view was blocked but the music was wonderful. I got a few photos of the Pope and only one blurry one of the Archbishop Gomez. After Mass we were walking to the exit when I heard the Alleluia chorus. I guess the choir wanted a standing ovation. All the VIPs were going out the same exit as we and a guard challenged me and was about to turn me away. I just gave him my confused look and pleaded, “My bus, my friends.” and he let me through. Just as we go outside we saw two cars go quizzing by in which were the Pope and his guards. There were shiny black Mercedes all lined up bearing the flags of many countries. Ladies were decked out in lovely suits and fancy hats or mantillas. Some men wore sashes and rosettes and medals. There were Cardinals and bishops and … us. The Swiss guard posted on either side of the exit frequently came to attention and saluted as a dignitary departed. Our group got separated and as we were trying to regroup we were approached by a pair of young Mexican journalists. They wanted some information on Archbishop Gomez in particular and on the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in general. They stumbled onto the right person in Cambria. She gave them some very positive comments on Bishop Gomez. She turned to Joe and me for some statistics on the demographics of LA County. Then she spotted some LA officials and took the journalists to meet them. I forgot to mention that the journalist and photographer from NBC News are staying at our hotel.
Our exit was at the very back of St, Peter’s so as we walked toward the front left colonnade we passes the Office of the Scavi and the Swiss Guard. Just as we came into the square we could hear the Pope’s voice. He was giving his Wednesday address and blessing from the window. Does he ever get any rest?
Cambria invited us to join the pilgrims at a reception honoring the new American Archbishops at the North American College. She schmoozed their guide Luigi into letting us ride on their bus. Rounding up the pilgrims was like herding cats, as Cambria said. But we finally found everyone and were on our way to the reception. On the bus I got to greet Sr. Mary Elizabeth Galt, Mary Lou Workman, and some other familiar faces By this time we were starving, hot, sweaty, and tired. The College has a very large quad so the reception was outside. I did mention the heat and humidity, right? As we entered, I spotted Fr. Paul from St. Andrew’s, also Julie Condon. We got in line for what we assumed was the bar but which was actually a tented booth where one could greet the archbishop and have a photo with him. So we did that. Cambria’s camera went missing a couple of days ago so I was the designated photographer. Then we finally got a drink. I followed Cambria’s lead and had an ice cold beer. We went in search of food and I bumped into Helen Pekny and Esther Sustayta, Fr. Paul’s mother. We loaded up on snacks, chatted a bit more and made our way out. We got a taxi back to our hotel and stretched out in our nice cool room for a two hour nap after a refreshing cool shower. By the time we woke up it was time to get ready for the gala dinner.
It was a long taxi ride to the restaurant but a very interesting one. We passed by many of the landmarks we weren’t able to visit and drove along the Appia Antiqua.
When we finally got to the restaurant, the cocktail party was in full swing. And who do you think was the first person we see as we come in the door: Bishop Joe Sartoris! He greeted me with a great big hug. A few years ago, he came to Holy Family for several months during Msgr. Connolly’s sabbatical. On many mornings he would have breakfast with the “Breakfast Club” after the 6:20 daily Mass, so we got to know him and are very fond of him. When we were in Israel, we went with our pilgrim group to see Mt. Tabor, site of the Transfiguration, and who should we see celebrating Mass with a group from the Archdiocese but Bishop Joe. So it was with great joy that we were able to greet him again. He said that the Pope has become somewhat weak and needs support at times to get around. (With his schedule, who wouldn’t!) But I also noticed quite a quiver in his voice. Bishop Joe remarked that he and the Pope are the same age, which is unbelievable. If I ever figure out how to do it, I will illustrate this fact with a photo. We discussed Lourdes a bit and what he said impressed me. When people ask him if there are miracles at Lourdes he tells them that occasionally there are miracles, but there are always gifts, the gift of acceptance of an illness, the gift of peace of mind. He’s such a good man.
We continued into the mass of people, found Cambria and a few others we know, found a seat with Dionne and Terry Mitchell. Sat next to a very nice couple from Denver and realized we were at the table next to Archbishop Gomez! It was a typical Italian many coursed meal of food I didn’t really care for. The antipasti plate had fatty ham and salami, and some other unrecognizable stuff. The best course was the primi which had a crepe filled with a spinachy cheese mixture and topped with a tomato sauce. Of course the waiter had to come around with a bowl of noodles to add to the plate. The main course was pork, I’ll bet it was pork belly – strips of meat and fat kind of in layers. There was so much fat it was disgusting. Then a small green salad, followed by dessert, a cake and custard creation. Not our best meal and especially for $100 a person. But there was lots of wine which we were not up to drinking. The company was worth the price. Towards the end of the meal, I started another coughing jag and had to leave the room. But I got back in time to hear most of Archbishop Gomez’s talk. He very strongly emphasized that it is not his Archdiocese, but all of ours, and we will need to work together to move forward. He said he never dreamed he would be an Archbishop. In fact he said that the Pope asked him which Archdiocese was his he said “Los Angeles”; then the Pope said “Oh, that is very large” to which the Archbishop replied, “Well, you appointed me!” He injected other humor, but was very serious about moving forward to improve the Archdiocese and emphasizing how he needed everyone’s help. He received a standing ovation.
We made our exit and were soon zooming through the night to our hotel. Our flight to Lisbon is at 9 am so we need to leave early in the morning. This is the test if we can meet Easy Jet and Ryanair’s requirement that we have only one checked bag and only one carryon. That means I have to stuff my iPad, keyboard, and little purse into Joe’s carryon with his machina. We did it. Hope we pass muster tomorrow.

June 29 – The Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul
I can’t believe I’ve had free wifi for three days and I haven’t caught up on this blog. Part of my excuse is that I’ve been really sick, a bronchial thing. But I knew if I could just get to Rome we’d be ok. And I was right. The hotel , Residenza Paolo VI, was a monastery and is still owned by an order of monks. Every morning they put the scripture readings for the day under our door. We are just across from the left colonnade of St. Peter’s and for general sightseeing it’s a bad location. After 6 PM this area rolls up the sidewalks. I picked it because our prime purpose was to attend the Pallium Mass for Archbishop Gomez today at St. Peter’s. Also, the web site is a little more gorgeous than the actual place, but it is very nice. The best thing about this place is the staff. They have been most solicitous to see if I was feeling better. They provided breakfast bags for us today and will do so again tomorrow. They have a doctor on call, Dr. Heinz, who prescribed an antibiotic over the phone as well as some cough syrup. After 2 days, I’m feeling better although I get fits of coughing at very inopportune times like during the Mass today and at dinner tonight. On our arrival day, after an uneventful flight from Bari (We were able to get on an earlier flight but it cost us an arm and a leg) But wait, I want to tell you about this darling couple from Canada – Donnie and Candy. We met them during a meal on the ship but we didn’t see them again until we were disembarking. They were also flying to Rome and they only had one full day to see as much as they could. So of course I have to give them my 2 cents worth about what to see. They were on the 3 pm flight and we weren’t scheduled till 7. But the disembarkation went so smoothly that there was plenty of time to get the 3 PM flight. Once all that was settled, I offered to let them read my Rick Steve’s Book on Rome which I have on my iPad. I also suggested that they go to the Piazza Navona and Joe suggested the Spanish Steps. We warned them about pickpockets and they settled in on the flight to plan their time. At the end of the flight they returned the iPad and Candy eagerly shared their projected itinerary. It was pretty ambitious but they’re young. As we all went together to claim our bags, I couldn’t resist and I asked them if they were married. They were all smiles and said, “This is our honeymoon!” We congratulated them on making a commitment to each other. I gave her my card and said to call me if we could be of any help. I hope they had a great time.
So after we get to our hotel and get settled, I want to go out and see something. We decide to rest for a little while, then go to the Piazza Navona which we did for a fun evening. We met a lovely family and another couple from Belgium. Then we had to get some gelato! The next day we had to pick up our tickets at the Grand Minerva hotel so we got to see the beautiful Santa Maria sopra Minerva Church where St. Catherine of Siena is entombed. We peeked at the Pantheon and Bernini’s elephant. We also went over to the Trevi fountain and threw our coins. But the next time we come here it won’t be in summer. Did I mention it’s been HOT and HUMID! I’m going to have to continue this later. I hope I can find free wifi. Off to Portugal in the morning. I hope to tell you about the great priests we met from Canada and must tell you that we met Bishop Joe. We don’t see him at home but we bump into him at Galilee and Rome. Also Fr. Paul is here from St. Andrew’s. Nite.

June 25, 26, 27 Dubrovnik, Venice, Bari
We arrived in Dubrovnik and did our own thing – no tour. Dubrobnik is very charming and the wall is impressive. We walked about 3/4 of the wall which was more than enough to get the idea and enjoy the medieval feeling. Along the way there were small cafes and shops with very pleasant people assisting. As the morning progressed it got very hot and my endurance is diminished by a lack of good sleep due to all the coughing. At 2:45 this morning I took one of Sarah’s old Vicodan to stop the coughing and help me sleep. It did the trick for a few hours.
We wandered in and out of churches, especially the Cathedral of St. Blaise where I tried to get an answer to Msgr. Connolly’s question of why the importance of St. Blaise in this city. One shopkeeper said, Because he is our patron saint.” There is more to the story – something about the city being saved through the intercession to the martyr. The man was really impressed that I even knew about St. Blaise Day and the blessing of the throats. I could sure use that blessing right now. I did ask St. Blaise to help me but I’m still waiting. We also went into the Franciscan church and the Jesuit church. We stopped a young school boy in the town and asked to take his picture. He wore his school uniform which included a cute cap. He seemed to enjoy practicing his English. We had a bit of salad for lunch in a lovely cafe overlooking the water. Dubrovnik was very charming and I’m glad I saw it. But everything is very crowded together. It’s like one giant rooftop with an occasional green spot. Too many visitors, too hot! In the off-season it’s probably magical. So back to the ship. 3 lucky people will get postcards from Croatia. I called Joanie on her birthday but could not reach her by cell or landline. Hope she knows I thought about her all day.
The next day we sailed into Venice. Seeing it from the ship was thrilling. We could identify many of the sights but this was an entirely different perspective. Once on land we didn’t even try to do a big tour. We went to Mass at St. Mark’s to celebrate Corpus Christi. Because of prior experience, we knew to go to the side entrance and say “Messe”. We got nearly front row seats and enjoyed the beautiful choir as well as the lovely Mass which was only an hour. Then we wandered from square to square, locating our previous hotels. Roma and Terry will remember the Violino de Oro. Then we went into the main square to the cafe Florian where there was music playing and we had a delicious club sandwich and a small vegetable quiche with some tea. A little more wandering – couldn’t resist a striped T-shirt for Katherine- a gelato, yum, and we were back on board for a nap and dinner. Leaving Venice we sailed down the Grand Canal and it was grand! Finally found out where Lido is. Wish we could have gone back to the Danieli for lunch, but neither of us has that grand of an appetite.
The dinner menu was ok but, because it was many people’s first night, they had a surprise for dessert. At about 8:30, they dimmed the lights a little and the waiters all paraded in carrying a special cake. Everyone participated in singing a lively rendition of “Volare” and people clapped and waved their napkins. It was fun.
Then we had to head back and finish our packing. Have to put the main bags out before we go to bed. Hope they don’t break our wine.
Now the ship is about to land in Bari. We will fly to Rome this evening.
Ciao!

June 24, 2011 Corfu was an unexpected gem!
We’re now sailing along the Albanian coast. I was out on the balcony at 5:30 am to greet the sunrise. I had to wait an hour, but it was very beautiful. Then back to bed for some good sleep. We had a leisurely morning, late breakfast, lunch at the buffet. I had a hamburger! (Andrew, you won’t drool about that!)
We got on the tender about 1:30 and immediately decided to implement our tried and true strategy – hire a taxi. So we met Spiro and negotiated a deal for a tour of the island for an hour and a half for 70 euros. Good enough. The first place he took us was a beautiful palace built in the late 1800s and occupied by the Queen of Austria after the war. It was a neoclassical style with much statuary and a beautiful terrazo overlooking the sea. Then we continued for a photo stop of Mouse Island, a lovely looking hideaway. It mustn’t be entirely private because you can hire a boat to go over to it. Then he said he was going to take us to the “cannoni”. I thought he meant a fortress or some kind of overlook with cannons on it. Where we wound up was back at the shore and the most charming looking little structure at the end of a pier. It was a Byzantine monastery. It looked a lot like a California mission as it was white stucco with a campanile with 2 tiers of bells. It mustn’t have held very many monks as the chapel was tiny with choir stalls for about 10 people and a tiny altar behind the screens. I lit two candles in thanksgiving for our safety so far and praying for our continued safe journey. The candle holders are round metal basins with sand in the bottom and about 2 inches of water on top. You light the candle and stick it down in the sand. The water prevents fires from tipped over candles. Very clever. I found a couple of tiny “girl” gifts so Claire and Erin made the cut. Our suitcases are going to be a real challenge to close! I’m still coughing, in fact it’s gotten a little worse. Joe seems to be on the mend. He said he was at 80%. So we’re going to skip the show tonight and go to bed early. We’d like to watch some TV but the only English channels are CNBC and CNN. They are often discussing the stock market or other financial business. So if anything is happening in LA, someone better email us.
Tomorrow we go into Dubrovnik. Joe got their currency at the bank at home so that should be easy. We didn’t buy an excursion as I have our Rick Steves guide. The tenders leave early, about 8. So goodnight from what is now pleasantly cool, but what has been another HOT day in paradise. Wish they served Greek food on this ship!

June 23, 2011 It’s All Greek to Me!
Joe actually said that today!
We had our Greek dinner last night on Mykonos, the organized excursion by the ship. While it was fun, I wish we had just gone into the town on our own. I had hoped to see the windmills, but the bus didn’t go that way. The food was good, the company fun, and the music and Greek dancing very lively.
We had a pretty good sleep, but too short. We had to be up early for the excursion to Athens which was leaving at 7:30 this morning. I’m really glad we didn’t try to do this one on our own. Piraeus and Athens are huge and the signs are all in Greek. We would have had a very hard time getting around especially because of the language and the heat. We arrived at the Parthenon earlier than most which was a very good thing. The one thing I dreaded on this trip was climbing the stairs. I was afraid I couldn’t do it and I’d embarrass myself and Joe. But thanks to Hillary’s strength training, it was a piece of cake. We were free to wander for about 40 minutes, a good amount of time. We had to pinch each other to be sure we were really seeing these wonders. I sure asked the right people to take our photo. The two girls are film directors. After they took our picture, they “directed” me in how to take theirs. We enjoyed the site very much and feel so blessed to have seen it in person.
The next stop was the Archeological Museum where we left the group to wander about on our own. Sorry, but we’ve seen a lot of Greek and Roman statuary and urns and didn’t feel inspired by the constant comments of the guide. While we enjoyed it and I took some great photos, I more enjoyed the greek salad we had for lunch in the outdoor cafe which was the meeting point for the group. Everything you’d expect – luscious red tomatoes, kalamata olives, pungent sliced onions, bell pepper and cucumbers, and the biggest block of feta cheese I’ve ever seen – but this is in Greece! I didn’t think I cared that much for feta, but topping a bite of juicy tomato and crisp cucumber with a big crumble of feta cheese was delicious! It was the perfect meal for a hot day.
The third stop was the Plaka, a shopping district in a series of winding lanes off a main road. Right across the street was the Arch of Hadrian and the Temple of Zeus. Joe and I wandered over there instead of to the Plaka. The arch is intact and very impressive. The columns to the temple of Zeus are still proudly standing after over a thousand years. After a few photos we went to the Plaka where I bought a little memento for Katherine and some post cards.
We returned to the ship and you’ll never guess what Joe did – took a loooooong nap!
We went down to dinner and ordered as usual. This was another “Gala” dinner, so nearly everyone had made some attempt to dress up, even the kids. They offer so many choices and so many courses but we narrowed it down to an appetizer, a starter, a main course and dessert. The waiter said we could order dessert later which was unusual. When it came time for our final course, he said to wait, “It’s a surprise”. Without warning, the lights were dimmed, music played and all the waiters came marching through the dining room bearing platters of flaming Baked Alaska. What a sight! Every one clapped and some waved their napkins. Then the chefs were introduced, the head waiters, the waiters, and all the staff. Each group marched through the dining room, up and back, to enthusiastic applause. We were then served a piece of the Baked Alaska, which was very good, along with an assortment of cookies.
We went to the lounge to wait for the evening show and enjoyed the musical talents of a string quartet. The theater is quite large with seats on two levels. We settled in for the show “Excalibur”. They found a way to blend the talents of a magician, two gymnasts, a tenor, and a troupe of Irish dancers into a loosely bound story line having something to do with King Arthur. I would imagine the other shows are similar because they have to use the same entertainers for the productions. There were lots of lighting effects and some fog to heighten the drama. It was fun and we were entertained.
So now we’re back in our cabin and Joe is already sawing logs. He seems much better although he still guarded in his response to the query of “How are you?” My cold is running its course. I’m just so glad that we got to do all the most important things on the cruise: Olympia, Santorini, Mykonos, and Athens, in spite of feeling crummy most of the time. Tomorrow afternoon we arrive in Corfu. We are not going on an excursion, but will probably just go wander around a bit. Buenos noches!

You might wonder what happened to yesterday. I kind of wondered that myself. Even though Joe has been coughing, and had that one weird episode of sweating on the train, it didn’t seem anything was seriously wrong. You know how men are! So we plowed into yesterday, going on the excursion in Olympia. It was really great, but it was really hot. like 34C. The history was fascinating, the stories were interesting, the ruins were awesome. But did I mention it was hot? We both were weary and light-headed and maybe dehydrated by the time we got back to our cabin Then we had to shower and dress for the “Gala” dinner. When you have the early seating for dinner, there are many families with little kids, so it doesn’t seem like such an adult festive evening. But we dressed in our best finery and were treated to a pretty good dinner in spite of the hight chairs and whining going on around us. The “Captain’s Gala” was at 9:30 so we had about 45 minutes to kill. In front of my eyes Joe was having a meltdown. He just couldn’t do it and I wasn’t very gracious about missing it. Denial, you know. It can’t be that serious. Well, we had a terrible night. He woke up drenched with sweat about 1 am and I got scared. I even tried to talk to Dr. Williams but of all days, he’s out of the office on Tuesday afternoons. Eileen was very reassuring, but could only advise me to take Joe to the ship’s doctor. I called about 6 am after he had another episode of sweating and was told the medical office opened at 9. Joe was still coughing at times and had an occasional sharp pain in his right upper chest which could have come from all the coughing. He didn’t seem to have a fever. I didn’t want to call it an emergency but I had a dilemma. Today’s activity is a visit to Santorini and I didn’t want to miss it. On the other hand, it’s only an island and Joe’s health is more important. So I covered both bases and got tickets to take the tender to Santorini if he felt up to it. Meantime, he seemed to feel a lot better and got up and dressed. So we had breakfast, got on the tender at about 8:30 without problem. There was no wait for the cable car (a miracle). We got to the top and were looking for a bus when a taxi came along. He was charging 20 Euro to take us to Oia but for 60 Euro would take us there, wait til we took pictures and walked around and return us to Fira. What a deal!! So that’s what we did. We got excellent photos, did our usual whirlwind tour and were back at the cable car in an hour and 15 minutes. We even got to go into the little church where I lit a candle in thanksgiving. Now we’re back in our room after a nice lunch with Frank and Sandra, a couple from Australia. Joe is sound asleep and I’m relaxing on our balcony. I think in retrospect he may have picked up a flu bug and that combined with the heat, the exhaustion of the complicated travel days and the dehydration depleted all his reserves. It’s hard to remember that our “spring chicken” days are behind us.
We just passed Ios and I thought of Andrew and how fondly he used to speak of that island. The sea is a little turbulent with white caps stirred up by the wind. The color of the water is a true blue leaning toward cobalt. No green at all. We are headed for Mykonos where we will have a sunset dinner as a part of “an excursion”. That means the ship is charging an exorbitant rate to do something we could probably do ourselves for a lot less. I think Joe is over the worst of whatever it was, but I’d rather be safe than risk not getting back on time. As I write this, I see sudden gusts of spray kicked up off the white caps. If you like blue and white, you’d love this. I had to send Angie Prime a post card to apologize for ever putting down cruise travel. This is really lovely! This morning the laundry we sent in came back nicer than the local cleaners does it. We paid 20 euros to have 30 pieces of laundry done during the cruise (special deal!) We’ll send out another bunch tomorrow and be all ready for Rome. That’s it for now.

What else would “my” ship be named?!
It just keeps getting better. Our room on the ship is so much better than we imagined. There are two twin beds together, a pull out couch (this was for you, Katherine) a desk, very adequate bathroom and, my personal favorite, a balcony with two chairs and a little table. There were a few issues to straighten out upon arrival, but all in all, very satisfactory.
I think I left off at Rome Termini. Like Paris, I had visions of putting our luggage in “Left Luggage” and having a few hours to roam Rome. Well, typical of my luck lately, the line for “Left Luggage” was about a block long. They have instituted several security measures so it takes a long time for each customer to get a locker. Plan B was again a taxi. We found one and didn’t pay much attention to the fact that he wasn’t in the usual taxi queue. We decided to go to the Irish pub recommended by Rick Steves. The taxi took us there and then charged us 25 euros (the luggage, Signori!) We did have a good lunch although there wasn’t an Irish face in the crowd. Our server who also seemed to be running the place was from Denmark! We asked where the Termini Statzione was and it turned out to be about 4 blocks away so we walked. I tried to change our ticket for an earlier train and you’d think I was asking for a ticket to the Royal wedding. After standing in two lines, I was told that only the conductor could make the decision to allow us on the train. Well, surprise, surprise, the “conductor” was another haughty authoritative little twerp, only a female version. She shouted at me that it was impossible, it was full, and told me to return to the ticket booth. When her colleague appeared, I started to ask him, because she was so confrontational. But she came right over and started yelling at me again. After she went away, the man came over to us and explained in English that the ticket for that particular train cost more than I had paid and they could not let us on. At least he was nice. So we waited another couple of hours for our train. In the meantime, my hyperactive nature had to do SOMETHING. So I was looking in a shop window and spied a suitcase a little bigger than mine which I thought would be an improvement over our present situation. I had absolutely no more room for even a pair of earrings and I can’t imagine being in Greece and Dubrovnik and not buying anything! So we switched my stuff to the new suitcase and I don’t know that it is any much better, maybe a little. Finally our train came and except for a little struggle to put the suitcases up on the racks, the ride was very long but uneventful. Pleasant people, lousy lunch, crowded with folks returning from Rome after the weekend plus people going on holiday. At the end of the journey, a couple of young men helped us with our cases, the taxi was very reasonable, and the hotel was really great. Things were definitely looking up. It only got better. We were so exhausted that we were tempted to just fall into bed, but I could not subject that clean bed to my filthy body. A short shower turned into a long leisurely shower and I felt a hundred times better afterwards. Then to repack my suitcase (I have to prove that the red one is really better!). It actually does give me a little more room.
Today the little hopes I had for a tour of Bari before our cruise came to fruition. The hotel is near enough to the old quarter that we could walk everywhere. Joe took it real easy this morning and rested after breakfast. When we checked out at 12 he was feeling pretty good. The hotel stored our luggage and we were able to go see the castle, basilica, and cathedral as well as the fish mongers along the waterfront. Lunch at a nearby cafe was delicious and off by taxi to the ship. Everything went well. We have 3 bottles of good Provence wine and we want to bring at least 2 of them home. The ship reserves the right to store any alcohol you have with you and return it after the cruise. So I worried a little but needlessly. The wine has been excessively x-rayed but not confiscated. We’ve now finished dinner which was very enjoyable. Many courses in the Italian way and each one delicious. We have a cozy table for two although with so many people it is a bit noisy. The head waiter took care of my problem about the beverage package so that is now not a problem. We are both very happy campers. With the balcony door open it sounds like waves pounding on the shore – a good thing. Good night, all.

PART 1
On the train to Paris. A little “triste” leaving Lourdes, but it was time. Had a lovely dinner last night with Susan. Linda didn’t come. She was leaving today too and probably had a lot to do as she was helping John furnish the new flat. A few notes on leaving Lourdes: I’ve never seen so many gypsies also known as the Romany. There are always beggars in Lourdes, especially on the bridges: the guy with all the dogs, the girl who gives a good imitation of Bernadette kneeling at prayer with her eyes turned up to heaven and her collection cup in front of her, the guy who sets up camp on the corner of the parking lot and leaves partially eaten food all over the place. But this year was especially gut-wrenching because fathers and mothers were teaching their children to beg. Little kids of 4 and 5 would walk along side you with their little hands cupped in an appeal and their big sad eyes gazing into yours. One mother was even breastfeeding her infant as she sat on the bridge with her hand out. It’s so sad that these children are being exploited. In the evening they gathered in the park under our hotel window and the men seemed to be having animated conversations. I wonder if they were dividing the take. As we parked our car in front of the hotel to unload our stuff and clean out the car a bit, I had a plastic bag with some crackers and cookies left over from Joe’s travels. I was about the throw it away when a little girl appeared out of no where and asked, or rather gestured, if she could have it. Of course I gave it to her. I hope she enjoyed her treat.
The other first for me is that I served as the translator for my English-speaking kitchen co-workers and the French staff. Considering how limited my French is, this was another of Lourdes’ miracles! I occasionally threw in a little Spanish by accident, but I did pretty well. I also noticed that the French in Lourdes were very willing to listen to me and try to understand me. That made me much more willing to try to use my poor French. It is sad that so few Americans even try to learn a little of another language. With their life-long exposure to Spanish, at least my children have varying degrees of ability to communicate in that language. Now Andrew has had to learn Portuguese. I hope he is motivated to try some other languages. I’ve encouraged Katherine to continue the introductory study of French she had in summer school. She and her siblings are also exposed to Tagolog so they’ve got a start in developing an ear for different languages.
The train continues its smooth journey toward Paris and I just saw the most incredible field of sunflowers. If I see another, I’ll take a photo.
Joe is sweating a lot. He has no pain and feels clear-headed so I hope it is just a flu bug or a cold. We have lots of opportunity to rest for the next two days. That and a lot of water should bring him back to normal.
PART 2
The proverbial kaka has hit the proverbial fan….. Literally!
Before I get to that, I’lll tell you about our Paris adventure. When we arrive at Montparnasse station we decide, wisely, to go to the Bercy station where our next train will leave in 5 hours. I have visions of putting our luggage in a locker and jumping on the Metro to go see Notre Dame and maybe even take a little boat ride on the Seine. 5 hours is a lot of time, right? Well, there is no luggage storage at Bercy. But there is at the Gare de Lyon and that’s only 2 blocks away. So we start to walk over there hauling our bloody suitcases and I’m tired and complaining and Joe is tired and complaining. So I come up with plan B – we’ll get a taxi. So I actually stopped a taxi myself (normally that’s a boy job) .I thought we could get a taxi to Notre Dame , walk around for a while, maybe even have that hoped for onion soup and then get a taxi back to the station. Trouble is we’d have to haul our suitcases and Joe was concerned that we might not get back to the station in time because we had no idea how far we were from Notre Dame. Then Joe comes up with plan C: we’ll pay the taxi driver to give us a motorized tour of Paris Centrale. Brilliant! No onion soup but no worries either. Turns out it was more brilliant than we knew because half way through, it started to rain. And I don’t mean regular rain, I mean it’s coming down in buckets, big, blobs of water. People are scurrying, traffic is snarling, and we’re all cozy in our friendly cab. He takes us to see all the expected sights and I’m a happy camper. On the way back to the station we see about a jillion motorcycles coming in the opposite direction. The driver says it’s a “manifestation” which means a demonstration or a protest. I couldn’t understand his explanation of the reason they are protesting. Beck at Bercy we go up to the special lounge for Atesia night train customers. I should have recognized a bad omen when the girl offered us a refreshment. There were several kinds of soda, water, and some chips. I asked for ginger ale and a bag of chips. She adamantly said, “Only one thing!” in an authoritative, not very nice way. When she told us the train was ready, we went to the platform and saw a beat up looking series of cars with Cuchette written on them. I figure those aren’t for us and for the price we’ve paid, our cars are bound to be better. Eventually we get to car 94. It’s a little better but not much. I am shocked as we board the train. The car is old and not terribly clean. Our compartment does not have it’s own toilet, as I was told it would, and is minimally clean and very tired looking. Oh well, we’ll make the best of it. Joe is told to wait 10 minutes into the trip to go to the dining car and make a reservation. After 2 failed attempts, he is finally able to speak to someone in the dining car and they tell him we have a reservation. So we go to the dining car and sit down. An attendant asks us if we have a reservation and we say yes. Then this little twerp comes along and asks for our reservation ticket. What ticket? He says the reservations are full and we cannot have dinner. Now this dining experience was going to be the saving grace of this train trip, right? Turns out is was the “coup de grace”, the last straw! Joe begins to get irate and isn’t going to budge from his seat. He protests as best he can, but Mr. Authority isn’t having any of it. Finally a fellow passenger who speaks Italian tries to intervene on our behalf. We all agree that it is a communication error, but Mr. Twerp says he will not reconsider and if we don’t leave he’ll have to have someone take us out. Joe is now steaming and I’m trying to calm him down. The lady, who Joe mistakenly thought was a supervisor instead of a fellow traveler, apologized for the poor behavior of the twerp and we get in line for the bar take out food. They have a decent looking salad, a sandwich with salami, and a good looking peach tart. I should have known better than to think things were looking up. He hands us the wrong salad, the salami sandwich was exactly that with no cheese or anything else on it, and Joe dropped the tart on the floor as we were struggling to open the sliding doors between cars. Perfect! So he ate some sandwich and salad, I had some salad, and that was that. Joe was really tired, so we got the room made up for sleeping. Then we took turns going to the bathroom at the end of the car. Here’s the kaka part. The toilets won’t flush and someone has been there before me and done his/her business. The other toilette won’t flush either, and it is now loaded with paper. What a nightmare. It’s now 2:30 am and we’re at the Italian border. There was a knock on the door as you would expect prior to the EU and open borders. It was a policeman but he was knocking on the door of the next compartment. There is an Italian family in there. So I’ll finish this and try to get some sleep, but Italy is not calling my name so far. By the way, after purchasing another data package, it doesn’t work either. Wonder if this will ever make it to my blog. At least it’s allowing me to vent.
I did talk to Sarah earlier and she told me the details of Katherine E’s funeral. It sounds like it went off without a hitch, wonderful tribute to her and her family. Hope the
family has some peace now.
PART 3
It’s 9:30 am and we made it through the night. They finally locked the icky bathrooms and the ones in the next car are much cleaner and more modern. We were given a croissant in a wrapper and told we have to go to the bar car if we want coffee. (So much for the included continental breakfast.) So we’ll wait. Soon we’ll have 5 hours in Rome before our train to Bari. I’ve looked in Rick Steves and found a restaurant that’s supposed to be open on Sunday. Hope we can find it.