Friday, April 27, 2012–Day 112–at Sea

“Love in Any Language”

“Love in any language, straight from the heart
Pulls us all together, never apart
And once we learn to speak it, all the world will hear
Love in any language, fluently spoken here”

What an emotional day.  We began our day at the Champagne (pineapple juice for us!) Disembarkation Presentation.  They had a video slideshow of all of the ports we visited. They presented the whole crew and showed everything they did, including the upholsterers, plumbers, printers, etc. many people who work behind the scenes who made our journey great.  Bruce, our cruise director, spoke of us all coming together as one big family.

Many of the staff carried the flags of their country.

Captain Jonathan Mercer gave his farewell speech.  Then, the entire crew sang, “Love in Any Language”.  There wasn’t a dry eye in the theater to many encores and standing ovations.

The good byes aren’t getting easier. Every place we would go today we see people we have met and as we talk to them about hoping to see them again some day. We find the bitter sweetness of the cruise, the ending needs to be, but yet, you almost wish it wasn’t over. We have grown so attached to the crew.

We have finished packing – we had 10 suitcases of stuff that we fit into 8!  I hope the zippers hold. We’ve just put them in the hallway to be picked up and taken ashore.  We plan on disembarking between 9:00 and 10:00 in the morning.  Get to see Zack after noon!

Almost home….we have traveled 36,875 with 205 left to go!

Thursday, April 26, 2012–Day 111- At Sea

We had to get up and moving early today as our last laundry bag had to be out by 9:00 and we didn’t want to tote our smelly workout clothes around!  It has been such a special treat to have someone do the laundry, cook and clean.

Started out the day up at the Lido Pool with a Life Raft Rescue Drill. It was so interesting.  There are all kinds of gadgets that the 12-man rubber raft comes stocked with.  There is a radar deflector; this big silver contraption gets hiked up as high as possible on the raft. 

This is a GPS Cone; when it comes in contact with water, it sends a satellite a signal with the location of the raft. While in the water, you hook arms with your backs towards each other, this is for body heat as you lose one degree an hour. And kick, kick, kick, it will not only keep you warmer, it will attract attention.

This is the drinking water, very similar in size to a juice pouch. There are flaps on the exterior of the raft that collect rain water and condensation for drinking.  There are also huge smoke bombs and flares.

After the drill, we finished our letters and made our way around the ship saying our goodbyes.  Also today was the Dam Dollar redemption, so had to turn in our hard earned bucks for a tray!

Funniest thing, tonight was our Black and Gold Masked Ball.  They delivered our masks to the stateroom…so we had to try them on…I didn’t quite get it right the first time.

…and this is the correct way!  I got it right the second time!  At least I hadn’t left the room and made a complete fool of myself!  Sometimes…

All of our bags are packed and we are ready to go.  One more day at sea.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012–Day 110–At Sea

Last night we attended the Chocolate Extravaganza.  We didn’t indulge, just took photos!  It took all of these chefs 50+ hours to create all of these masterpieces. Amazing!

 

When we returned, we were given a gift from Chef Bernie, a cookbook titled Cooking Around the World with Chef Bernie so I attended the book signing this morning.

Today was another fun filled day on the Atlantic Ocean!  We started our day with our workout; then ate breakfast.

Jerry attended computer classes all day and I read, with the exception of a two hour break that we hung out at the pool until the rain came.

Tonight we ate at La Fontaine and said our goodbyes to Presty, Usman and Tony. 

We enjoyed this lazy, relaxing day.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012–Day 109- At Sea

We are still in the Sargasso Sea as it is 700 statute miles wide and 2,000 statute miles long. Bermuda is near the western fringes of the sea, and we’ve all heard the stories about the Bermuda Triangle! Now, the stories make sense! The ocean water in the Sargasso Sea is distinctive for its deep blue color and exceptional clarity, with underwater visibility of up to 200 feet.  Today the water was calm and the weather was sunny in the low 70’s. The captain said tomorrow we would be experiencing rain and storms, so enjoy the day today!

I read most of the day while Jerry attending Movie Making classes.  I stopped into his class and watched the movie he’s been working on for the last few days – it’s amazing!  He wants to teach the grandkids how to do it this summer.  He also attended a Windows 7 class today and is excited to use that for work.

I am counting the hours down instead of counting the days! we have 89 hours to go before I get to hug my baby!

Monday, April 23, 2012–Day 108- At Sea

Today we passed through the North Atlantic Gyre, also known as the Sargasso Sea.  The Sargasso Sea is a region in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by ocean currents.  It is the only sea without shores.  It is bounded on the west by the Gulf Stream; on the north by the North Atlantic Current; on the east by the Canary Current; and on the south by the North Atlantic Equatorial Current.  This system of currents forms the North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre.  All the currents deposit the marine plants and garbage they carry into this sea.  This is where Eels lay their eggs and hatch. The Sargasso Sea is also filled with seaweed. All of these currents flow clockwise.

It was just another sea day for us.  Jerry went to computer classes and I met with Barbara, the Travel Guide to get her expertise on Jolly’s Passport Book.  Barbara helped me fill in sections of the travel record for each country. We listed their capital; government; money; major industry; language; famous custom; famous landmark; famous food; religion and climate. I have been working on it for quite some time and Barbara helped me finish it. YEAH!

We also gave gifts to some of the staff and it took me a long time to write them notes, so I worked on that most of the day!  It has been an emotional evening giving them their gifts.  We still have a few days together, but we’ve formed some good bonds.  We have met some wonderful people that will be a part of our lives forever.

It has been raining on and off throughout the day and the waves are moderate.  Tonight at supper we could see the firework display of lightening up ahead. 

Here’s our magic carpet ride pictures from India – wish we really could fly in the air like that – we’d be home in no time!

Love you all.

Sunday, April 22, 2012; Day 107–At Sea

We had calm seas today which is a blessing.  Today was a day for creativity.  I worked on my “project” for most of the day, but it is done!  I also attended another floral arrangement class taught. Jerry attended computer classes the entire day, and began making a movie.

On Mom and Dad’s Anniversary, February 12, we decided to visit the formal photographer from the Black and White Studio as a memento to them. We’ve just received the disk. Here’s to eternal love.

Saturday, April 21, 2012–Day 106–At Sea

Beautiful calm day on the Atlantic Ocean!  Yeah!  We started the day with our normal routine; cardio and weight training.  We then went to a seminar with jewelry designer Jane Gorman.

I decided to sign up for her class, and here I am 9 hours later and not very far on my project.  I keep messing up – and have had to start over FOUR times!  Naturally, I would pick the unique design and the most difficult.  She gave me an assignment and I’m meeting with her again tomorrow morning. This is a gift for someone VERY special and I need for it to be good! I really believe I can use these techniques forever, once I get the hang of it!

We started packing tonight, so the end is in sight!

Friday, April 20, 2012–Day 105- Funchal, Madeira

We docked at 8:00 in the Port of Funchal. The island was formed by a volcano, you can see the crater in the distance. The ship supplied a shuttle to downtown, so we hopped on the bus to Funchal, the capitol of Madeira. We caught the 2 mile cable car to Monte.

 

Monte is only 4 miles from Funchal, but nearly 2,000 feet high, in the highest part of a national park, it seems more like heaven. You must climb the 68 steps at the Church of Encarnacao to enjoy this charming chapel.

And then, the most exciting adventure of the day; we took a basket sleigh ride (1,000 feet) down hill, on a steep, windy, traffic-filled road through busy intersections!  The sleigh had two waxed wooden blades and two sleigh drivers that rode on the back, guiding the sleigh around cars, curves, pedestrians and through the intersections.

Robert DeNiro, pushing Jerry’s side, and Lou Castello got a little nervous with the car and the cab coming at us.  Not to mention, we were wishing we would have worn diapers!

YAHOO! We made it to the finish line!

We then had to walk the remaining two miles straight downhill to town. Funchal is known for it’s flowers.  They have a festival every year two weeks after Easter. On our walk down, we were amazed by the flora and vegetation.

As our walk continued down into town, we came upon a church, Igreja Do Colegio.  It didn’t look like much of a church, but we’ve learned not to judge a book by it’s cover, so we ventured in.  We found out, as so often on this trip, that the churches of the world are magnificent, even in their most simplistic look from the outside.  To our amazement, once we entered the main doors, we found another jewel.  Painted ceilings, gilded gold, and a main tower with hundred of steps to the roof, which we climbed with anticipation.

St. Francis of Assisi embracing the Crucified in a symbolic embrace.

One of the things that we have noticed in our travels all over the world is the parks. No matter how big or small the town is, they seem to be the central  area for activities for families and people to come together, and Funchal is no different.  We went to the Flower Festival in the park. Dad would have LOVED to see all of these beautiful flowers and we were very fortunate to be here at this time of year with their festival.

Next, was Happy Hour – a Diet Coke an éclair and a loaf of bread that weighs about 5 pounds!

Then back at the ship feeling bitter-sweet with this being our final port.  We met up with Kerri and Pingy from the Spa; Kerri is our hair stylist and Pingy does our massages! And the chef that makes the best cheeseburgers, Reamus!

Next stop…Fort Lauderdale, Florida.  We’ll try to keep you updated as we travel across the Atlantic…internet and weather depending!  Miss and love you all to pieces.