Amnesia…It’s Not All It’s (Head) Cracked Up To Be…

I’d tell you all about my experience with amnesia but frankly, I can’t remember much about it. My beloved can, however. What I DO remember was taking down curtains in our son’s room, prepping for his impending boomerang. They haven’t been washed since they first went up, and the room is, frankly, a wee bit … Continue reading Amnesia…It’s Not All It’s (Head) Cracked Up To Be… →

Exchanging more than glances…

The stranger knocked on our cabin door and whispered, “I have money...can you help me?” I opened it, grinned and said, “Do come in.” Sounds like the beginning of a bad novel or that we’ve begun an illicit drug trade aboard the Royal Princess, but in fact I seem to have started a non-profit bureau … Continue reading Exchanging more than glances… →

Kayaking in the Azores

We got caught in a cowjam. It’s quite common, as our tour guide explained, and delighted me, because as a kid in England I would help herd cows from one field to the other. Really, the cows don’t need herding, they know full well where they’re going. Having a human along is more to … Continue reading Kayaking in the Azores →

Male Cats Giving Birth under a Field of Stars

So the cathedral of Compostela de Santiago is at the end of the great pilgrimages leading across Spain to Galicia, the little knobby bit north of Portugal. It’s insanely beautiful. Whatever you’ve heard…not enough. They just finished a six year renovation of the facade, removing centuries of lichen, moss, pollution and other crud and it … Continue reading Male Cats Giving Birth under a Field of Stars →

When in Rome…or Vigo…

Well, there’s a storm comin’ in. Dammit. Hurricane Helene, unmentioned in any of the news we’ve been getting on our cruise ship TV, is heading for Ireland. In addition, there’s a low pressure system gathering over the North Sea. Well, I took astronomy at university so that means jack all to me. Until the captain … Continue reading When in Rome…or Vigo… →

Hamburg and the Missing Organ

The lady on the bicycle flipped us off. Not that I blamed her. I woulda done the same thing. I could not BELIEVE this motor coach was turning onto the bike path. “It’s pehrfecktly leegahl,” the guide assured us, “as longh as we dohn’t go overrr 20 kph.” Or flatten any cyclists, presumably. Not … Continue reading Hamburg and the Missing Organ →

All Alone With Dessert and the Giggles

I WOULD have to experience this alone. As a person who bakes, I’m always interested in what the cruise lines offer for desserts, especially sugar free numbers. What would you call this? The Princess head chef, in his (gotta be a guy) wisdom, dubbed it “Paris Breast”. I couldn’t stand it. I got a … Continue reading All Alone With Dessert and the Giggles →

Rotterdam

Angry Sounds like the Dutch are pissed off. I couldn’t figure out why, for our first stop the morning after we got on this ship (Royal Princess), we didn’t arrive into Rotterdam until noon. Southampton to The Netherlands is a rollicking 293 nautical miles... cross the English Channel, hang a left, boom! You’re there. But...we’re … Continue reading Rotterdam →

Norwegian, LAX and Gatwick

I spent the last month trolling departures and reviews of Norwegian to see how they performed...kind of a mixed bag, really. When they messed up, it was spectacular, and don’t expect a whole lot of help on the ground from the sound of things - or from their phone lines. But when they perform, which … Continue reading Norwegian, LAX and Gatwick →

A Brief History of the Panama Canal

The Panama Canal was amazing. For those not in the know, the French first attempted it in the 1880s and by 1888, and millions and millions of francs or whatever, decided cutting a flat canal through the 50 miles of jungle and the 400+ ft elevation was a fool's errand. Hell, I coulda told them … Continue reading A Brief History of the Panama Canal →