Update # 1: Mediterranean Cruise

I can't believe this is the first chance I have had to sit down and blog. Since I last posted, I have visited the world's smallest country, am rooming with our cruise ship's "Mr. Costa Romantica" and have survived the mafia in Sicily.

ROME: Magnificent! It's better in person and definitely a place to see. The good news is I am going back and will get to spend another full day there after the cruise. The highlights of Rome were the Colesium and The Vatican. I think we have all seen numerous pictures of the Colesium but the cameras and TV do not do this historical site justice. It's something you have to see in person to fully realize the size and its historical value. The Vatican is the world's smallest country and has an onsite post office. I mailed a postcard to myself which will have The Vatican postmark. Paula asked if that was my ticket to heaven now that they have my address. (Ya see, that's how she gets me giggling in these religous establishments and why we have sworn off touring cathedrals, chapels and churches.) Don't get me wrong, The Vatican was really something special, but since we've seen it so many times on TV, it seemed smaller to me in person. But it's still a phenomenal place and the detail is so intricate. If I can, I want to go back on Monday.

SICILY: Not until I set out on foot completely alone not having a clue where I was going or where I wanted to go was I informed that Sicily is the birthplace of the mafia. As random people realized I was wondering around alone and expressed their fear, did I realize that maybe I should tag along with a group of strangers so it would appear I was in a group. Ignorance is bliss! Anyway, I found a Piazza with a lot going on that had a tour train I hopped on and was able to see the city of Catania. Most of the places we travel are so commercialized but Catania was not. I did see a McDonalds but that's about it. It's a really old place with a lot of history.

THE CRUISE: The cruise has been great! I have heard that you either love them or hate them. I think I'm leaning on the side of loving them but I won't know for sure until the trip is over. We have a great suite with floor to ceiling windows across the length of our room and a private balcony. It's so nice & relaxing to sit on the couch and look out the windows. We were greeted with champagne and chocolate covered strawberries upon arrival then were next presented with the Pillow Menu to select the pillows we wanted for the week. The one I selected is heavenly. We look so forward to receiving the next day's itinerary under our door each evening so we can plan our day and select the activities and classes in which we will participate. In fact, this has really become one of the highlights of our day. Paula & I practically sit and watch the bottom of the door in anticipation of that magical piece of paper to arrive.
The Food - Plentiful and delicious!! The restaurant's food is exquisite and a real treat each evening. I have eaten so much but it's so hard to pass up such delicacies. Our table mates are quite nice and interesting people so it has been fun getting to know them. The buffets are nice too but I'm not a real fan of the buffet scene with people running and grabbing and zigzagging all over the place. It's so chaotic but the food is good so I join the rat race for breakfast and lunch. My favorite place to eat is out on the terrace deck. It's so nice to sit outside overlooking the ocean. Gelato: I have eaten more Italian ice cream on this trip and it's so good!
The Activities - I have participated in the daily Arts & Crafts activities (is anyone surprised??). I have learned the art of making paper flowers and folding napkins. I know, Hobby Lobby will probably want to hire me. Of the 3 of us, Paul has taken in more on this cruise than anyone. We've only been on the boat 3 days and he has already been named the cruise's Dart Champion and Mr. Costa Romantica. While Paula & I were fast asleep last night, we had no idea that half the boat was cheering on Paul as if he were a rock star! The story goes like this (according to Paul) - he was grabbed out of the audience completely sober, brought to the dance floor to compete in an elimination contest for Mr. Costa Romantica (the name of our ship). In the first round, he won a dance competition, then proceeded to the stripping round. After winning those rounds, he made it to the top 3 which required him to play a game (too many details for the blog but it involved tying a tennis ball to a string like a tail and using it to skoot a football past a certain line). The final round for the 3 contestants was dressing like a ballerina with a wig, full make up and a lot of body glitter and dancing like a ballerina across the stage. By audience applause, Paul came out the winner!! He didn't know a soul in the audience (remember Paula & I were asleep) so he was truly the champion and won the hearts of the crowd!
Motion Sickness - I really didn't know if I would be impacted by the boat's movement. I can ride rollar coasters and sit in the backseat of a car and read. I can withstand hills, valleys and a lot of turns without being affected. But yesterday, I could really feel the movement and could feel myself starting to turn green. Luckily I brought some nondrowsy dramamine and took one. It worked instantly and now I'm taking 1 per day. I don't know if I need it, but I have decided to be cautious.

AT SEA: Today we are at sea. We are cruising from Sicily to our first Greek island of Patmos. Although cruise life is fun, I am ready to get off the boat and embark on a new adventure in a new country. I can't wait!

USA: The only 2 things I miss about the US are Roxy and American Idol. I logged on to the internet as fast as I could this morning to read about the final 3 competitors in the performance show. I will miss the elimination show tonight but you can be sure I will log on first thing in the morning to read about who makes it to the final 2. I'm predicting a David and David finale. I am a big fan of David Cook (I love rock stars!) and am disappointed that I won't be able to cast my vote for him. Someone please do me a favor and vote for him! I am getting e-mail updates from my parents about Roxy. She seems to be doing fine.

P.S. I haven't seen Julie McCoy but I'm still looking.

KV