Five-Week Plan: Update

So I had big plans to post on each port and really go into detail about the Europe cruise, but it's not going to happen. Instead, I am going to be lame and write about the cruise but commenting on my Five-Week Plan.

-Eat as much paella as my stomach can hold (I’ve done it before – I was uncomfortably full – and I’ll do again)

 I had paella in both Barcelona and Cadiz. I was never uncomfortably full, but I was definitely happily full

I waited too long to take a picture...

-Taste Wrinkly Potatoes (a specialty of the Canary Islands)

In theory, Wrinkly Potatoes are simply boiled baby potatoes rubbed with salt, but they are so much better than that. Jo and I searched several cafes in Grand Canary before we found a place that served them, but it was well worth the search in the pouring rain.

-Take a picture of Rick’s Café

Nothing screams "TOURISTS" like people posing in front of a landmark. We were not, however, the only people taking pictures at Rick's Café so I felt less like a dork.

-Buy myself a parasol in Cadiz, Spain (by the time I decided I wanted one last time the shop was closed for siesta)

This is one of the few things I did not accomplish. I knew the shop where my friend Jake had purchased a beautiful parasol for his girlfriend, so I naturally went there. The people in the shop had no idea what I was talking about and said they had never carried such a product. I'm not crazy, Jake did actually purchase an parasol. Perhaps the shop changed hands in the six-month interim between my visits.

-Acquire a healthy “glow” (My dermatologist would kill me if she found out I was tanning and I usually go straight to red, but it would be nice to go back home a shade or two darker than pasty white)

I spent a lot of time outside, but we did not have many sunny days. I don't know if I had a "glow," but at least I didn't come home pasty white.

-Quote Casablanca as many times as humanly possible while in the city of Casablanca
 I was pretty proud of my repertoire of quotes!

-Find really unique Christmas presents
I don't buy "souvenirs." I will buy mementos - unique trinkets that remind one of the place they were purchased - but souvenirs - like tacky plastic things that just say the name of the place  - quickly become junk. I found nieces and nephews gifts personalized paintings of their names and I found necklaces for my mom and sister, but I could not find anything for my dad or brother. The only things I could find for them were souvenirs, so I decided to get them things they would actually use when I returned home.

-Find a monkey charm in Gibraltar
I was unable to go ashore in Gibraltar, which I was actually okay with because I had been there so I was willing to let others go ashore and see the monkeys. I did get my charm, though. My friend Trevor made it his mission to find one for me and I love the one he found.

-Find something to be in awe of each day
It's easy to be in awe with views like these!

Palma de Mallorca

Sagrada Familia

Haasan II Mosque

 

-Eat pizza in Italy
 I excelled in this area.

-Try to use the language of the country as much as possible, even if it's as simple as saying “gracias” instead of “thank you;” I'm in their country
I wasn't perfect on this one, but I did try. My Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese language skills are very limited, but I can at least say "please" and "thank you."

-Buy Italian yarn
Jo found beautiful yarn in Cagliari, Sardinia. Before I left the ship I made a blue and purple hat out of two of the skeins, I and still trying to figure out what to do with the third which is glittery orange.

-Take time, when visiting churches, to step out of tourist-mode for a moment and spend a moment reflecting or being reverent

This is an area that can always be improved upon, but I think I did well.

-Eat a lot of pastries
Like the pizza goal, I over-achieved this one!

-Take time to notice the people and the character of the city instead of focusing solely on the major landmarks

Because I had already visited many of these ports and seen many of the major landmarks I enjoyed wandering off the beaten path a bit. In my opinion, one of the best places to see the true character of a place is to visit a local market. I love visiting markets; I love the colors of the fruits and vegetables, the scents, and the sounds of people bartering over their products (even if I don't understand the language). I visited at least four or five markets and I truly feel that they helped me see the character of the city.

-Enjoy myself
Again, I over-achieved. I loved this cruise!

Ship Shenanigans

Okay, so this post may be a little late, but my last cruise on the Maasdam was probably my favorite I've worked. I'm not exactly sure what made the cruise so fantastic, but I think it just worked out to be a perfect combination of great ports, a terrific crew, fun guests, and that little bit of insanity that comes with seven-day-stretches.


My birthday was two days before the cruise started but mine was not the only birthday in the department. The Entertainment Department had eight birthdays in the month of October so we decided to really celebrate and hold a massive birthday party for the eight of us. We  are the entertainment department, so we know how to have a good time.  Jo got snacks, balloons, and streamers and the youth staff had the kids (all three of them) make a sign. I did not get a full shot of the sign, but each letter was decorated with a different pattern and and there were cakes with two or three candles.

All the birthday celebrants (the ninth is Iulian, one of the engineers who also had an October birthday)

 The sign was appropriate as the balloons and streamers caused us all to act like we were five.It's possible that we kicked and tossed the balloons around and had a little too much fun with the streamers.

The string quartet really enjoyed the streamers.

A few weeks later, after a lot of sea days, we celebrated Halloween. I was impressed with our guests, several of them went all out and had a lot of fun with their costumes. As crew, we also had a lot of fun. Jo and I went as punk rockers, we had Luna Lovegood, Superman, and a gladiator.  Our DJ,Brett, and Party Planner, Laurie, after failing to find costumes the liked, decided to go as each other. Brett shaved his legs, Laurie painted on a beard, and they wore each others clothes. It was the most brilliant costume idea I have seen in years. The party was supposed to last from until 11:00pm, but when I left at 12:00am the party was still going strong. Like I said, it was a great group of guests and that made the cruise so much fun.

Me, Brett, Laurie, and Jo

 Like I said, this was my best cruise yet, in all aspects. So much fun!