Fall Foliage Tour VI

Marblehead Massachusetts... What an interesting place. To have an idea of what this town is like, you need to imagine the wooden sailing ships of the 1700's coming into harbor. The sailors get off the ship entering a jumble of wooden houses on streets which are disorganized and narrow. Most of the houses we saw were built at that time. We enjoyed walking along Front Street. Getting up early we stopped by the Driftwood coffee shop, hoping to get something for breakfast. It was very small and packed. The patrons looked set to stay there for a while. In reality the food looked very average, but the atmosphere was the attraction. We decided to walk up State Street to the small downtown on Washington Street. We came across Halleys. We entered and found ourselves a lovely table by the window. What luck! The coffee and food were excellent. I ordered a fruit and Greek yoghurt plate. It was large varied and delicious. My French road coffee was perfect. Great lucky choice! After breakfast we wandered around the town. First stop was the Abbot Hall, which is the seat of the town government. We spent a lot of time with the painting "Spirit of '76". One of the town councilors explained the painting to us with its long history, including that of the painter. She also told us all about the town of Marblehead and what its like to live in a historic home. The town was having its sidewalk sale, so it was fun walking along all the stores, seeing the various goods they had placed along the sidewalk on sale. This is a town of "Mom & Pop" stores. wer managed to visit the town's historical society, where we saw their exhibition of shoemaking and the J O J Frost paintings from the same time. We did not realize that shoe making was the town's main trade before 1800. This was also the place where the US Navy began. We returned to our rooming house, (can't really call it a bed and breakfast!), gathered our washing and returned to the town to find a laundromat. We did our washing and then raced to Logan airport to pick up Ingrid sister and brother-in-law. It took us 45 minutes to drive the 13 miles to the airport. The weather was glorious along the seaside, so we did not rush on the way back. After returning to the Marblehead Summer House, our rooming house, we took a leisurely stroll along front street to find somewhere for an early dinner. Thanks to Yelp, we picked one of two well rated restaurants. Both the Landings and Barnacles had good ratings, but we chose Barnacles. Because we were early, we managed to get a table right away. We asked for an outdoor table, but were advised against it because it was a bit chilly. We did go outside to try, but they were correct. Our indoor table worked out just fine. The fish we ordered was tasty, firm and cooked to perfection. The prices were very reasonable for the area. Good job.

After our early dinner, we continued our walk along Front Street all the way to Fort Sewell, just in time to catch the sunset. Beautiful!! We found a park bench we we sat and enjoyed the scenery of the sun setting over Marblehead harbor. We walked up the hill into the town for some after dinner exercise. Returned to the rooms for an early night. Looking forward to another fun day tomorrow.

Fall Foliage Tour V

Today was the day to leave our amazingly wonderful bed and breakfast in Falmouth, the Inn on the Sound. We joined some of the other guests for a delicious breakfast. Our host Howard chatted to us about the local weather and the working of the town. The food and the service were beyond belief. The attention to detail and the accommodations were all perfect. We will definitely make a point of returning the this beautiful spot and this particular bed and breakfast. After making our farewells, we drove the short distance to the local Jewish Center. We walked in and were greeted by a few of the people we saw. We were introduced to Pamela, who heads up the lifelong learning center. She could not have been friendlier or more helpful. She told us all about the synagogue, introduced us the the Rabbi and gave us a personal tour of the 1793 meeting room in which they hold the special events and high holiday services. This was a fascinating experience. We are going to try to time our next visit so that we can experience services in this historical building.

We decided to make a short detour from our route to Marblehead, to visit Plymouth. We saw the Plymouth Rock, where a very nice young man explained the history and the significance thereof. We then spent some time on the Mayflower II. A few actors in period costumes explained what life was like crossing the Atlantic Ocean in the Mayflower and landing on these strange shores. They were excellent in their depiction of the people of those times. We enjoyed this history lesson thoroughly. We would recommend this to any patriotic Americans or visitors to the USA.

We them made the 40 mile journey from Plymouth to Marblehead, taking over two-and-a-half hours. The roads were blocked. It amazed me how bad the roads around Boston really are. The freeways are either blocked or have many uncoordinated traffic lights causing long delays. On reaching Marblehead, we found our bed and NO breakfast. To be honest, it is a disgrace that a place like this is allowed to operate. I would stay away from the Marblehead Summer house. The owner clearly has no clue about the hospitality industry. Oh well... We quickly changed and drove to Newton for Sabbath dinner with a long time friend. We had to battle the traffic again, taking an hour and fifteen minutes to drive twenty miles. This would be enough to put me off from visiting this side of Boston ever again. Dinner however, was wonderful. It was so enjoyable seeing marty, his wife, son, mother and two friends from Israel. It was a pity we were so tired and had to leave just after 10pm to get back to Marblehead. It would have been wiser to stay on that side of Boston. An interesting day, none the less.

Fall Foliage Tour IV

Today was a perfect day in a beautiful part of the USA. We woke to a partly cloudy cool day in Falmouth Massachusetts. We went downstairs in this amazing bed and breakfast, the Inn on the Sound. Breakfast was laid out in an appealing way. There was fresh cut fruit including grapefruit, berries and pineapple. The croissants were warm. Flavored Greek yoghurt was on the sideboard with the muesli. We helped ourselves to hot coffee and fruit and went to sit on the cool porch overlooking the sound, facing Martha's Vineyard. we watched the boats sail by and the ducks and birds fishing in the water in front of us. The host, Howard, offered us the daily special for breakfast, which was French Toast with berries and maple syrup. we shared on, which was quite ample. After breakfast, we drove into central Falmouth to the bicycle shop, where we rented two cycles. The cost was surprisingly reasonable; $34 for the whole day. We cycled the short distance to the Shining Sea Bikeway. It is an old railway track that has been paved. we started on the trail from central Falmouth to Woods Hole. We stopped a number of times to see the view, particularly when we reached the sea and the Woods Hole Marina. Photographs were a must.

On entering Woods Hole, we decided to visit the Pie in the Sky bakery, which had been recommended by fellow guests at breakfast. It all looked scrumptious. We ordered a cup pf soup each, a tomato bisque and a minestrone. They were served with a slice of bread each. It was a worthwhile stop. After our snack, we rode around woods Hole, which is very small and then returned along the sea to Central Falmouth. Some of the views were amazing. We then decided to cycle towards West Falmouth. We came across some marshes and a number of magnificent homes, mostly situated along small lakes. We returned to the cycle shop after four and a half hours of enjoyable relaxing cycling, with plenty stops.

We took a detour to see Mashpee, a town nine miles up the road. We decided to return to woods Hole for dinner at the Landfall restaurant. The reviews were very good. Our reservation was taken and when we arrived, we were seated promptly at a table next to the window, allowing us a good view of the harbor. We watched the ferry leave for the Vineyard. I tried a pumpkin beer, brewed for Thanksgiving. Interesting. We both ordered the Scrod, which was very enjoyable. I particularly liked the way it was cooked; firm but not underdone. It was not greasy at all. Lovely. We returned to our B&B where we made ourselves a cup of tea to enjoy while the sun sets over Martha's Vineyard. A good day!

Fall Foliage Tour III

An early start in Newport. Downstairs at the Almondy Inn, the hostess had laid out an appetizing breakfast of muffins, fresh fruit and coffee. She quickly whipped up a cheese omelet with a biscuit. we chatted to our fellow guests. This is one of the advantages of a good bed-and-breakfast. After packing up, we were wished farewell as we went on our way. First stop was the Tennis Hall of Fame. The building itself is a major attraction. It used to be a Casino/club in the old days. The cedar wood tiles are very pretty and five the whole place an air of history.

We paid our reasonable entrance fees, adding the additional $3 for the audio tour. The audio tour was informative. Definitely worth doing. At 11am, we joined the guided tour. This added to the stories and history of tennis, the players and the place itself. After both tours, we wandered around to the grass courts, enjoying the ambiance. We would like to come back to play tennis with some friends on these grass courts. We then drove the short distance to the "40 Steps" from where we started along the beautiful cliff walk, with the ocean breeze gently blowing in our faces. It was a gorgeous day in the mid 60's (degrees Fahrenheit). Part of the walk is damaged as a result of Hurricane Sandy. We still managed to walk at least three miles. We then drove along the magnificent ocean Drive marveling at the magnificent homes and mansions. We arrived at the Castle Hill for lunch. We selected to sit outdoors on the balcony overlooking the lawns and the sea. It was a great choice with such good weather. We ordered fish wraps made with lemon sole. Good choice. We ended up talking to the diners at the adjacent table. All-in-all we thoroughly enjoyed the scenery, the food and the overall experience.

After lunch, we had a quick stroll to the nearby lighthouse. Pretty. We then drove all the way to our next destination Falmouth Massachusetts. Our bed-and-breakfast here looks absolutely amazing! After checking in, we took a nice cuppa tea and some biscotti onto our balcony to watch the sun set over the sound. We can see Martha's Vineyard from our balcony. More news tomorrow....

Fall Foliage Tour II

Today is the first day of our Fall Foliage Tour, not considering yesterday as a tour day because of travel and friendship time. We packed up our things and checked out of our hotel, the Dolce Villa. They tried to charge us an extra $126 for some strange reason, but we did not get caught. We decided to join the Rhode Island History Society's walking tour of Benefit Street. We met at the Brown House, where they have their offices. The ladies at the reception were most helpful and got us paid and organized in a jiffy. There was another couple on the tour with us; a small group. The tour was excellent, taking at least and hour and a half. Highlights included the wonderful architecture and the very special Athaneaum, a beautiful library, where Edgar Allen Poe wooed his fiancee. (They never married). After the tour, we walked along the river walk, through the memorial to 9/11 and back towards benefit street. We found a small restaurant called Parkside Rotisserie, where we enjoyed a light but tasty lunch, looking over the adjacent park. After lunch, we returned to our car for the short drive to our next port of call, Newport, Rhode Island. We arrived in a short time amazed by the beauty of the town. We loved crossing the two bridges across the water with the yachts sailing below us. We found our bed-and-breakfast easily. The Almondy In turned out to be delightful. Our hostess welcomed us at the door and showed us around. The place was very tastefully decorated and is exactly what we would have expected in Newport. After dropping our cases in our room, we walked the two blocks down the the Newport wharves. We wandered around, popping into shops and enjoying the surroundings. we returned to the Almondy Inn where we enjoyed cheese and wine with the other guests in the beautiful sitting room. The conversation was enjoyable and lively. Our hostess joined us, adding tips on the area and titbits of information when necessary. This was an added bonus to staying at the Almondy. After drinks, I walked along the quaint Spring Street, among the small homes and shos until I reached Touro Street, which has the USA's oldest synagogue. I joined the congregation present for the evening services, which was a treat. I returned to the Inn, after which we walked two blocks down to the Moorings restaurant, where we enjoyed a delicious fish meal. We shared a salad with a unique orange dressing, some fish tacos and sole. The sole helping was large, so we shared it. Another fun day in Rhode Island.

Fall Foliage Tour 2013

Well.... it's time to get this blog started again. Now that I have rejoined the ranks of the unemployed, we will start traveling again. We left home this morning at 6.30am. The weather in Houston was gorgeous, so now we leave for other shores. Mike and Gill picked us up to get us to George Bush Intercontinental Airport in time for our 8.45am flight. Fortunately we missed the traffic to the airport and got there with plenty of time to spare. We checked in yesterday, so all we needed to do was drop off our luggage at the United counter. As is United's way these days, the lady behind the counter did her best to ignore us and did us a huge favor in checking in both of our under-weight suitcases. We were allocated the "Pre" security clearance. This meant that we did not need to take off our shoes or belts, take our laptops out of our bags or empty our pockets of everything. What a pleasure! Boarding the plane with group 1 is easy, with lots of overhead luggage space. We were upgraded to Business/First. The seats were comfortable with live TV. We actually took off on time; a rare event for United Airlines these days. The service on board was good. We were served a pleasing breakfast of scrambled eggs, fresh cut fruit, yoghurt and pastries. I skipped the pastries. Gotta lose some weight. This flight was a perfect opportunity to work on some video editing, while wearing my Quiet Comfort Bose 15 headphones. The headphones really improve the flight experience; cutting out the painful whooshing aircraft noise. We landed at Newark 20 minutes early, BUT guess what? Our onward flight to Providence is an hour late. Here we go again.. This messes up our next two arrangements for Providence. Then we were told that the plane is only 10 minutes late. Then we were told it is now 40 minutes late. Boy, can United mess you around! So we eventually left an hour late. We arrived in Providence, received our baggage very quickly at the carousel and walked across the sky bridge to the car rental facility. It is an absolute pleasure to use National, where we simply pick the car we want; any car on the lot, and drive out. All we need to do is show our drivers license at the exit booth. Quick and very easy! The drive to our boutique hotel in Providence was short. even though it was rush hour, it only took around 20 minutes. Our hotel was located on the very picturesque De Pasquale Plaza. The hotel Dolce Villa was interesting. No elevators, so up the stairs with our luggage. The rooms use a number combination lock. No keys or key cards. The room was large. Actually it had two bedrooms, a sitting room and a kitchen. It was clean and functional, but not quaint or pretty. We met our cruise buddies, who we hadn't seen for over four years. We walked to the Trinity Brew house, where we sampled some of their beers. Their strawberry ale was delicious, but had an alcohol content over 12%! It was a most enjoyable two hours, catching up on news and family events. We walked them back to the car. Shortly thereafter, we met up with an old high school friend and his fiancee. We enjoyed a wonderful meal at Siena. We returned to our hotel tired after a days travel and an evening of dining with old time friends.

United's Latest rip-off

Like most ex-Cons; the old Continental Airline frequent flyers, I am totally disappointed with the merger with United. Today I was privileged to discover the latest rip-off; another way to fleece customers and drive us to search for a viable alternative. I am booked to fly on tomorrow's flight at 7.30am. As I am within the normal 24 hour window, I decided to try to get a later flight, on which I know there are plenty seats. Looking online, the airline tried to charge me $236 for the change! Previously, as a Platinum, or 1K frequent flyer, I could make changes within 24 hours if there were seats available. Now United has cleverly said that there is no change fee, BUT they use a new fare basis, which is calculated as if I tried to reserve a one-way fair at this time. This results in a very expensive "L" class ticket. They then try to charge the difference between my original reasonably priced ticket and the expensive one-way ticket; a real rip-off. So, it means that I will not change and that I am angry with United.... again!

USA-China Quickie I

Flying to Hong Kong via Tokyo, Denver via New York and back to Houston. Because this is such a short flight, I thought I would discuss the airports, the lounges and the flights. So here goes.

I was dropped off at Houston George Bush Intercontinental airport (IAH) at 08.45am this morning (or yesterday morning). Having printed my international boarding card at home, and not having any check-in luggage made the process quick and easy. Terminal E at IAH is always the quickest. The security line was reasonable. My new Checkpoint friendly backpack did not require me to take out my laptop and put it in a separate basket. It was a pleasure.

I was through the ticket check and security in about ten minutes. I walked to short distance to the United Club, which was formerly the Continental Presidents' Club Lounge. I was hoping to have some cereal and yoghurt for a light breakfast, but there was no yoghurt, so I decided to skip it. of course, there was going to be plenty food on the flight to Tokyo. The lounge was fairly empty and quiet. I like these lounges as a haven of peace, where I can get a snack, something to drink and do my e-mail. I had some coffee while waiting to board my flight.

They announced the flight, which was a bit unusual. I am not used to having flights announced in this lounge. Good thing though. The walk over to gate E7 was short. My platinum status allows me to board the aircraft first, which is preferential. I can get my carry on bags into the overhead bins before the mad rush. I had been upgraded to business/first class using a free systemwide upgrade. My seat, 4D was one of the two centre seats in the front of the plane. I prefer these, because neither passenger has to bother the other to get out as is the case from the window seats in a 2-2-2 configuration.

I dozed off, as usual, before takeoff. When I awoke, we were still on the ground. We took off almost 45 minutes late. Amazing! Almost 75% of my flights have been delayed by more than 30 minutes. I wasn't overly concerned, as I have a 3 hour layover in Tokyo.

After takeoff we were offered a drink. I opted for some Argentinian wine, which was pretty good. Warm nuts were provided. I noticed that they were only cashews instead of the mixed variety we used to get. The meal was enjoyable. I chose the chicken breast, after some sushi starters.

I always find it odd that cheese, grapes and port wine are served before their ice cream sundaes, but it's fine with me. The cheese and port were excellent. No ice cream for me, thanks.

During dinner I watched a light comedy and then popped a sleeping pill for a few hours of sleep. I need the rest after a terrific New Year's eve party at Cecil and Mireille. Thanks guys!

I woke about three hours before landing. A hot cup of tea was ordered, while I watched another light comedy. "Breakfast" was served an hour before landing. Considering that it was actually 3pm Japan time, I chose to eat only the fruit; not the omelette, the croissant or the sticky bun.

We landed in Tokyo, went through transit security and now I am ensconced into the ANA Start Alliance lounge, but there's no sushi here!! Go figger!

More from Hong Kong. Sayonara for now.

Holy Land Cruise - Haifa

Our first day in Haifa was very different to the normal cruise passenger's day. We had a late breakfast. Normally people have to leave the ship early. Our friend Lynn from Target Tours, picked us up at 10am. Lynn does wonderful work arranging tour groups around Israel and in other countries. She is also Ingrid's friend since nursery school!

Lynn brought her father with her, who is visiting from South Africa. What a nice surprise. Lynn also brought, her partner Rafi, whom we met in February (in Israel), a friend Raymond and a friend and tour guide Irma. We went to the German Colony where we walked around briefly. Irma gave us a lot of very interesting information about the buildings, the architecture and the history of the area. We walked over to the lower gates of the Bahai Gardens. Again Irma gave us some interesting information.

We drove up to the top of the Bahai Gardens where we visited the Shrine. The interesting aspect was the belief of the Bahai that all the prophets contribute to humanity and that the various religions should live together in harmony.

We then drove to Nazareth, where we visited the Church of the Annunciation and the Synagogue Church. We also walked through the market to a unique small hotel with frescos on the ceilings.

We eventually drove back to Haifa where we met up with Irma's husband, Mike. He has his office directly across from the dock where our ship was berthed. He took us to his favorite local restaurant where we thoroughly enjoyed a selection of the Mediterranean dishes. We also sampled some local beers and Arak, the Israeli version of Ouzo.

We returned to the ship for drinks in the Sky Lounge, after which we went to the show in the theatre. It was not good. We left early and went for a late sushi and salad dinner at the buffet. We did not like the selection on offer in the dining room.

A full day in Haifa.

The second day in Haifa was very relaxed. We had breakfast on our balcony. I went to the Michael's Club to watch the Wales France rugby world cup semi-final. After the game, we went for a walk through the Wadi Nasri Arab quarter close to the docks. We walked over to the German Colony and back to the docks where we boarded a Haifa Tourist Agency bus. It took us up to the Stella Maris observation area, Church and Monastery. After enjoying the view over haifa, the bus took us to the Carmel Centre. We walked down the 1,000 steps through various area of Haifa, through the Arab Quarter all the way back to the ship.

It was now after 3pm. We sat on the stern of the ship, again outdoors, having a cool, healthy salad. After a short rest, I went to the fitness centre for a light workout. After a quick shower we went to the dining room for a delicious dinner. The seared tuna was perfect!

The show after dinner was a variety show featuring four of the artists we had seen plus a short aerial act. It was really good.

Time to relax on our balcony while the ship sails out of Haifa towards Ashdod, our gateway to Jerusalem......

Holy Land Cruise - First Sea Days

After Palermo, we enjoyed two consecutive sea days. We establish a relaxing, healthy routine for sea days.

We typically sleep late, getting to the breakfast buffet around 09h30. We enjoy being able to sit outdoors on the ship's stern while we eat our breakfast. After breakfast we find somewhere to sit and relax while we take the opportunity to read a novel. We eventually wander back to the outdoor cafe for a salad for lunch. I relented and had an ice-cream each day. More relaxing is the order of the day after lunch. There is a wonderful spot above the outdoor buffet cafe where the ship has couches, it is wind protected and shady. This is a great place to read a book. If we need something to drink or snack, the buffet is only a short staircase away.

We managed to get to the fitness center both sea days. The brand new fitness centre is well equipped. The aerobic machines have built-in TV sets.

After working out, we return to our cabin, where canapes are delivered to our room. In anticipation, we took tea down from the cafe to drink with the canapes.

After a shower, we go up the the Sky Lounge on the 14th deck for a nightly Captain's Club Elite event. There are snacks and free drinks. Yippee! On the first night I had a whisky on the rocks and then a glass of wine to have with dinner. On the second night, I had a gin and tonic with the usual glass of wine. Nice.

After dinner we attended the entertainment events in the theatre. The first sea night was a formal night. The entertainment was a Broadway evening with the Celebrity singers and dancers. I am not normally a fan of these shows, but this one was superb. The second night had a comedian who did some balancing acts. he was very funny. We enjoyed both of these shows tremendously.

Sea days are fun!

Holy Land Cruise - Palermo, Sicily

We sailed into Palermo after 8am. We sat on the balcony while the ship entered the port. We had ordered a light room service of coffee, fresh juice and a smoothy to enjoy at this time. The large cliffs were pretty while the sun was rising. As the ship docked, we went to the special breakfast for Celebrity Elite Captain's Club members. We had a cappuccino and an expresso with fresh squeezed orange juice. The fruit was good, but we would have liked to see a few hot food available with some smoked salmon.

After breakfast, we wandered off the ship. The port of Palermo if right next to the city. We walked into the city, intending to get a train to Cefalu. The train station was a longish thirty minute walk, or it would have been if we did not stop at a few fresh fruit markets and other street markets up a few side alleys off the main streets. When we got to the station, we decided that the return train would be too close to the ship's departure time. we did not want to chance missing the shp before two consecutive sea days. we decided instead to walk around the city, eventually relaxing at a coffee shop, where we could get our e-mails, enjoy and expresso and a cannoli.

We re-boarded the ship, heading up to the outdoors stern buffet for lunch. The ship was quiet, the weather was good and the healthy food choices were excellent. After our light lunch we returned to our cabin for a quick power nap, after which we spent an hour-and-a-half in the new ship's gym.

Canapes were delivered to our cabin to enjoy with tea. After cleaning up after gym, we went to the Sky Lounge on the fourteenth deck for Elite Club cocktails. We sat on a chaise lounge for two while the ship sailed out of Palermo. Beautiful!!

After a drink, we went to the dining room for dinner. We had seats adjacent to the window, which allowed us to enjoy the sunset while we had a delicious dinner. After dinner we went to the ship's theatre to listen to Katrina Jones entertain the passengers with her piano and singing skills. This was an excellent show. We enjoyed it thoroughly.

A good first day of the Holyland Cruise!

Holy Land Cruise - Getting to Rome/Civitaveccio

Eleven of our last fourteen flights on Continental had been delayed. This was not a good omen for our flight to Rome via Newark, especially considering that we only had fifty-five minutes to change planes in New York. Houston was finally getting a good soaking rain, good? Not really. We could not afford for our plane to be delayed. When it left the gate only a few minutes late we were relieved. When the pilot told us that there were engine troubles while on the runway we were concerned. "Luckily, they were able to resolve the problem without returning to the gate. Phew! We eventually took off half an hour late. Because of a decent tailwind, we landed in Newark on time. Good? Yes, but there was another plane at our gate, so we had to wait ten minutes extra. Ok, so we would only have forty-five minutes to get to our next plane at gate C74, almost adjacent to the gate at which we would arrive. Good? Yes, but the tow truck which arrived to tow our plane to the gate had the wrong hitch. It had to wait for the correct one, taking another 20 minutes off our change time; so now we only had 25 minutes. Yow!

We got off our plane knowing that it was only a short walk to the next plane. Good? Yes, but when we got there the gate had been changed to another the opposite end of the terminal. We RAN all the way, getting to the new gate only ten minutes before the flight was due to leave. We hastily told the Continental, now United, gate agent that we had run all the way fro our previous flight. She had the cheek to tell us that we were lying and that we had been in the lounge. We were MAD!!!! We got into our seats steaming with anger !

The plane left the gate a few minutes late and then sat on the runway for over an hour before taking off. Good job United!!

So now we were sitting in our upgraded seats in business/first class. We had requested a miles upgrade when we reserved the seats months ago. These were not the new fully flat seats that are now in use, but the older 60 degree seats. There was no video-on-demand, but seventeen channels of preselected video content, of which around four or five were movies. On our flight from Houston to Newark, we had wanted to watch a movie on channel three, but it did not work, so we ended up watching some other poor apology for a movie. Now that we had another opportunity we thought we would watch our desired movie, but alas, it didn't work on this plane either. Wonderful!

I must say, however that the service and food were both excellent. The ex-Continental crew (ex-cons) were terrific.

We landed in Rome an hour late, but this was not really an issue, as we were in no hurry to get to our ship. Boarding time was noon. This was still only 9am.

We were offered cruise transfers from Rome airport to the Civitaveccia port for $95 each. (Total $190). We decided to take the train instead. Cost $23 for both of us. We boarded the train at Rome airport with no problem. It was reasonably comfortable. We did not have to wait for other cruise passengers. The train took approximately 25 minutes to Testeverde, we we change to another train to Civitaveccia. The wait was bout 20 minutes for the next train arrived. We arrived in Civitaveccia with plenty time to get to the ship. The weather was glorious, cool and sunny. We decided to walk the four blocks to the Port Entrance before taking the port shuttle to the ship; the new Celebrity Silhouette.

Checking in and boarding was no problem. So here we are, ready for a pleasant relaxing vacation.

North Fork Dude Ranch Birthday Vacation III

Our last day on the North Fork Ranch dawned early with a cup of coffee in our room in the lodge. Our open window gave us a good view of the river and the mountain while the sun rose. I noticed that Dean was brewing the coffee, highlighting the personal touch of the owners, who actually live in their office/residence within the ranch buildings.

Breakfast was the same healthy fare as the day before, except this morning's specialty was pancakes, either plain or blueberry; in our case both! We tried the maple syrup and the blueberry syrup. Hmmm, nice!

We watched the rest of the group set out for their all-day white water rafting adventure, before we joined a mother and her son on horses for a mid-morning ride into the mountains. The horses were well trained. We had never ridden before, but this was no problem. After a few simple instructions, we got the hang of it and managed very nicely. We rode up among the Aspen, Blue Spruce and Pine trees through the valleys and over the meadows. After about two hours or more, we stopped in a meadow to be greeted by Dean on his four wheel bike. he had brought a picnic lunch for us to enjoy. The horses grazed while we chatted and relaxed in the cool of the trees. After lucnh we continued our ride, to eventually return to the ranch mid afternoon.

It was time to leave to get back to Denver, but we were in absolutely no hurry whatsoever. We showered and then had a pleasant drink on the porch. Both Karen and Dean came to chat, already old friends. This was much too short a time to spend at the North Fork Ranch.

We'll be back, hopefully with more of our family to enjoy it with us.

North Fork Dude Ranch Birthday Vacation II

We woke to the sound of the river rushing past as the sun rose. A cup of coffee on the porch before anyone else surfaced was a good way to start the day on the North Fork Ranch.

A healthy breakfast was set out on the lodge from 7.30am. even the yoghurt and granola combination showed the attention to detail that is prevalent at the ranch. We had the option of eggs Benedict, which we shared between us. Delicious!

Most of the group went on their first horse ride into the Rockies, after an orientation in the horse area. We watched them leave before Quinn took us on a hike into the mountains, to enjoy the 500 plus acres, across the river; also part of the ranch. we walked up hill for almost an hour before reaching an area used for the Tuesday brunch. We stopped occasionally for a sip of water or to enjoy the magnificent scenery. We enjoyed the quiet, the shade of the trees and the beauty of the area. Quinn was knowledgeable and enhanced the inclusive nature of the ranch hands. Thanks Quinn. we spent a short while relaxing before starting back to the ranch. Our two and a half hour hike was wonderful.

After a short while, lunch was served out on the patio. A Mexican array of fajitas, tacos and other dishes were laid out on the lawns. The fly fisherman had come in, dressed in their waders and telling tales of the fish they had caught and those that had got away. The sun was shining with a gentle breeze cooling the area. The food was really good. Second helpings were definitely required. The desert was wicked, but who cares; we're on vacation!

After lunch, Lara had an afternoon nap, while Ingrid and I sat on the porch reading and relaxing. In case we had not eaten enough, snacks were set out at 4pm, but they were healthy stuff; celery, carrots, fruit etc. We watched the fly fisherman battle the stream and the rocks to catch the rainbow trout, before throwing them back in again.

Dinner was again a delight, although this time it was a barbecue of chicken and ribs. Yum! The weather was cooperative. The rain stayed away. After dinner we gathered outside the lodge for a sunset hay ride. The tractor pulling the hay cart was an old Case tractor from the late 1940's. We were even joined by Karen and Dean's puppy.

When we got back to the lodge, we enjoyed cowboy Will Dudley, singing his ballads in front of the fire, while Karen and another ranch hand served steaming hot chocolate.

Sleep came easy!

North Fork Dude Ranch Birthday Vacation I

Hey Dudes!

We decided to spend the weekend doing something different while in Colorado. After considerable research, we focused on a dude ranch; definitely a change. The research showed that the best reviews were received by the North Fork Ranch in Shawnee, about an hour's drive from Stapleton in Denver.

We arrived just after 3pm on Friday, after an easy drive from Denver. The appearance of the ranch was an eye-opener. It was exactly as we would have imagined a ranch to look like, but the magnificent setting on the banks of the river looking at a mountain covered with trees and rocks was unexpected. The wooden buildings were immaculate.

We were greeted by a cowgirl, who turned out to be the daughter of the owners, Dean and Karen. We immediately felt the warmth and personal attention that was to become one of the highlights of the too short time we spent with them on their ranch. She gave us the tour, showing us their office/residence, our spacious, comfortable room in the main lodge, the open kitchen, the honor store and the rest of the facility. There were some others sitting on the porch overlooking the grass lawns leading to the river. We sat there enjoying a welcome cool drink, while waiting for our daughter and her husband to arrive from Denver. A sense of peace settled over us as we left the hustle of the city behind, even though we were only sixty miles away.

Once the rest of our family had arrived and settled in, with the usual tour, we took a gentle stroll around the ranch, getting to feed some of the horses in the paddock. We sat down for an early 6.30pm dinner. There were three tables set in the lodge. We were joined at the dinner tables by one of the ranch hands who acted as a very gracious host. Stephen answered all the questions we had about our stay with a sense of humor. We discussed our families, feeling very at home. The meal was delicious, being a "Thanksgiving Dinner" with turkey and all the usual trimmings. Dean joined us before dessert to explain all the activities over the next few days. he was relaxed and treated us all as if we were his honored guests.

The, lo and behold, out came the chef Stephanie, with a delicious birthday cake for Ingrid's birthday. What fun! It was a very pleasant surprise, making us feel even more welcome. Thanks dudes!

After dinner, we sat on the porch while the sun set, listening to the river rushing along, while drinking a hot drink. When darkness had set in, we returned to the lodge for a friendly board game before retiring for the night.

This is going to be a wonderful vacation!!

Costa Rica Birthday Vacation V

A hectic amazing day in Costa Rica.

Earle was picked up at 5.50am to go birding. After and early breakfast, the four of us (less Earle) were picked up at 8am to go to the rainforest for a guided walk. It was fascinating. We walked through the dense foliage and over eight suspension bridges. Some were among the forests, while others were above the jungle canopy. We saw many varied birds, incredible flora and a host of insects. The walk took three hours.

We met Earle at the walk entrance. After a light snack, we put on the necessary climbing gear to go on the zip line canopy tour. My mom stayed behind, relaxing and reading her book.

We traversed the fourteen zip-lines, hundreds of feet above the jungle floor. There was one line 600 yards long and another 1,000 yards long!! It was exhilarating while still affording us a beautiful view above the rain forest.

There was also an optional "Tarzan Swing", which is like a bungee jump. The other three opted out. I was the only one to take full advantage. As I am sending you this e-mail, I obviously survived.

We asked them to drop us off at the Quaker Cheese Factory. We had ice-cream there and then walked to the Chocolate factory. We got a free tour, which was very interesting. We drank cappuccino's there and then Gags (my mom) had a delicious empanada.

We walked to the CPI Spanish school. We met the lady that taught Lara and Daniel Spanish. She gave us a full tour of the school including its spacious comfortable on-site apartments.

We took a cab to town where the driver recommended a specific restaurant. It was slightly out of town. The food was the best we have had here. Although it was slightly more than normal ($60 for five of us), it was well worth it.

We returned at 8pm, a busy 12 hour tour.

Costa Rica Birthday Vacation IV

Today was a travel day.

We were picked up at 7.40am. We drove a short distance to Lake Arenal where we boarded a boat. The 30 minute ride across the lake was relaxing and enjoyable. There were about 12 people on the boat. We saw some interesting birds while on board.

We then got into a minivan to drive to Monteverde. The roads were horrendous. We could only make around 20mph. The scenery, however, was wondeful; rolling hills, green valleys, little towns, small forestsn coffee plantations and cool blue sky. We stopped after 40 minutes of bone jarring, bumpy travel for a bathroom break and some coffee. We also took the opportunity to buy some tours because we were told it would be less expensive there; BS, it was exactly the same! The coffe was made the traditional Costa Rican way through a standing filter. It was delicious.

We endured the next 40 minutes before we arrived in San Elena. We were dropped off at the wrong place. Earle and I had to wander down the hill to find our hotel. It wasn't far.

After settling in, we walked the short distance to the town centre. It is a backpackers' paradise. The Treehouse restaraunt is very pretty, but pretty expensive, so we had a look and left. On the advice of a local, we ate empanadas at a kiosk in the town. The food was amazing. We would never have thought to eat anything there.

We then walked to the small part of town where Lara and Daniel stayed. We decided to come back there for dinner at the Soda Sobar Tipico. We then walked back to our hotel, but stopped at a coffee bar where we saw them roasting the coffee beans. It turns out that the owner is an American expat, married to a Costa Rican. We will return to try the coffee.

We then went to a coffee tour at La Trapiche. I thought it was going to be a rip off and a waste of time. It was fantastic! It is a family owned and run coffe plantation. They showed us the entire process from growing the coffee to processing, grading and roasting the coffee. They also showed us the same detail for sugar cane. They gave us coffee, local foods made from other plants on their farm and juice. It was most informative and enjoyable.

We raced back to our hotel, where we were picked up for a wondrous night tour of the rain forest. In a small group we walked through the forest seeing birds, huge rodents, sloths, frogs, insects and even a baby python, which we got to pick up and handle.

We were dropped off at the Soda Sabor Tipico. We took with two young Americans we met on our adventurous drive that morning. The food was excellent, the service was friendly and the prices were considerably lower than in the main town. The entire meal for five of us with shared starters, a main course each, two beers and three mixed fruit drinks was $40!!

We took a cab back to the hotel and passed out exhausted!

Costa Rica Birthday Vacation III Celebration

Ingrid & I got up early to prepare the breakfast table decorations for Earle's birthday. The hotel even gave is Tres Leches birthday cake. It was a most enjoyable breakfast, sitting looking atthe beautiful scenery and flora.
After breakfast we took a cab to La Fortuna Catarata ( waterfalls). We walked down the 600 plus stairs. It was well worth it. The waterfall was magnifico. Earle and I swam in the pool under the waterfall. It was pretty wild. Ingrid and Jackie paddled in the edges of the calmer pools. As we got to the top of the steps on the way back up again. We saw some Toucans in the trees.

We walked a short way to a wonderful little "smoothie bar" where we had some refreshments.

The afternoon was spent relaxing at our amazing hotel, with great views of the volcano. We swam in the hot springs until a thunderstorm drove us out of the water.

The evening celebrations took place at a very different "steakhouse" called El Nuvillo. It was off the normal tourist route. It was basically a large shack without walls. The staff could not have been friendlier. The tipico (typical local) food was delicious. Again we celebrated Earle's birthday with cake and candles, except this time the cake was bananas foster, flambed with pineapple.

Another day in paradise.

Costa Rica Birthday Vacation II

We were picked up at 07.05am to depart for the Arenal Volcano. It was a huge good bus for about eight of us. The drive was pretty, but very slow and winding with heavily potholed areas.

We stopped at the Love Cafe, which turned out to be run by Israelis. It was vegetarian kosher. We had coffee there before proceeding to Arenal. We reached our hotel, the Arenal Springs, at about 10.30am.

As our rooms weren't ready, we went to the hot springs while Earle and Jackie wandered around the property looking for tropical birds.

In the afternoon, Gags (Adele), Earle and Jackie went for a guided nature walk. Ingrid and I walked up the road. We saw a sloth, many leaf cutter ants and some hawks.

In the evening we went into town, where we shad dinner at a Soda used by the locals, two blocks off the main drag. It was terrific.

We returned to the hotel where we swam in the hot springs before retiring for an earlyish night.

Costa Rica Birthday Vacation I

A good first day in Costa Rica. We got to the airport and found the security line was huge. Luckily we got through the Elite section in about ten minutes. Then I discovered I had left my laptop at home... Oops! Too bad.

Breakfast in the Presidents Club was good. The flight was excellent in a brand new plane.

We were met at the airport and escorted to our hotel, the Doubletree Cariari. Nice hotel. We dropped our bags and took a cab downtown. We negotiated a rate of $17 down from the listed $23.

We got off at the Mercado Centrale, where we wandered around. Eventually we found a Soda (small informal restaurant) in the market where we samples the local food, the Casados. It was fun.

We then walked through downtown for a while to the hotel El Presidente. We will be staying there on our return to San Jose. We negotiated a driver to take us to the orthodox shul. Security to get in was very interesting. After shul, the same driver picked us up and dropped us at our hotel.

We just made the free drinks and snacks in the executive lounge. It definitely pays to be a club member.

Early night before an early start to Arenal.