Refreshingly, all coffee served in our European stops were served in china, including the airport in Rome.
Speedos appear to the bathing suit of choice for middle aged European men, which they wear confidently throughout all public places. The French banned Arab women from wearing burkas. All of Europe should consider a similar ban on Speedos. They are definitely more offensive than burkas could ever be.
The majority of the men were wearing satchels that draped across their chests. Gone were the fanny packs, replaced by these. They reminded me of my brother Forrest who carried one of these, sans the strap, 40 years ago. What is old, is new again.
Many folks were dressed in their finest every night parading through the ship. All dressed up with no place to go?
Spandex was on full display. Sometimes successfully, most times not.
I met a guy yesterday whose wife had just died a month ago. Was he sailing to remember the many times they had sailed together? Or was he running away to forget? I think guys have a harder time being alone. Of course, we all deal with death differently.
I was invited by someone to join them dinner last night. No, it wasn't the above mentioned guy. Anyway, it was in the swanky dining room, with a 15-course meal. OK. Maybe not that many, but a lot. I enjoyed the dinner and the company, but that is not my scene. If given a choice between swanky and a dive, I'll choose the dive every time.
People deal with strangers differently. Some are open and friendly. Others are head down on a mission to stay anonymous. Although I pride myself on being able to talk to a rock, depending on my mood, I can be that head down person. Sometimes, it's nice being anonymous.
I'm reading a really good book, ON BEAUTY by Zadie Smith, and woke up early to finish it. These are characters I'm very much invested in. I arrived at the 24-hour cafe for coffee at 5:45am and for the next 45 minutes, there were only guys in here. Is that because guys are earlier risers, or is it because it takes women longer to get dressed?
There doesn't seem to be the appreciation for the dangers of cigarette and second hand smoking in these countries. There were no "no smoking" areas to be found. Also, more than once I saw folks rolling cigarettes. Why? Is it cheaper? Safer?
Of the many different accents heard on board, the British women's was the only one that was annoying. Funny, I don't mind hearing a British guy, but when the women speak, in that sing-song whinny cadence, that is annoying.
Oh sugar! I checked my emails and forgot to turn off the Internet. Yikes! Seriously, by the time Zadie's in first grade, the world should be wireless and FREE! Google boys - gather your boys and get on it! I'm sure the technology is already available, but everyone wants a piece of the pie for as long as possible.
The Internet is my lifeline. Should I have more human contact? Probably, but I'm at a very selfish place in my life. I spent my life taking care of others and putting their needs first, and now it's all about me. I find it's easier to be selfish by myself, then I don't offend others whose opinion I couldn't care less about, or whose company I may or may not want. Does that make me a bad person? Maybe. But I'm willing to wear that label to live the way I want to live, doing what I want to do.
I think I'm beginning to recognize folks who've had face lifts. Or is it Botox? Whatever it is, their faces are tight and taut. Looks like it hurts. The things we do in the name of beauty.
It never ceases to amaze me how something this big, this cruise ship, can float. Or how jumbo jets can fly? Of course, I still don't understand how radios work, so I'm not hopeful that I'll ever get it, but I appreciate the engineering feat that allows these things to happen, nonetheless.
R&B Music has been playing all week throughout the ship. Is that because it's universally enjoyed? Or did the Captain check the manifest for the number of Black folks, and decided it was an R&B trip?
Just kidding.
Ciao!
Speedos appear to the bathing suit of choice for middle aged European men, which they wear confidently throughout all public places. The French banned Arab women from wearing burkas. All of Europe should consider a similar ban on Speedos. They are definitely more offensive than burkas could ever be.
The majority of the men were wearing satchels that draped across their chests. Gone were the fanny packs, replaced by these. They reminded me of my brother Forrest who carried one of these, sans the strap, 40 years ago. What is old, is new again.
Many folks were dressed in their finest every night parading through the ship. All dressed up with no place to go?
Spandex was on full display. Sometimes successfully, most times not.
I met a guy yesterday whose wife had just died a month ago. Was he sailing to remember the many times they had sailed together? Or was he running away to forget? I think guys have a harder time being alone. Of course, we all deal with death differently.
I was invited by someone to join them dinner last night. No, it wasn't the above mentioned guy. Anyway, it was in the swanky dining room, with a 15-course meal. OK. Maybe not that many, but a lot. I enjoyed the dinner and the company, but that is not my scene. If given a choice between swanky and a dive, I'll choose the dive every time.
People deal with strangers differently. Some are open and friendly. Others are head down on a mission to stay anonymous. Although I pride myself on being able to talk to a rock, depending on my mood, I can be that head down person. Sometimes, it's nice being anonymous.
I'm reading a really good book, ON BEAUTY by Zadie Smith, and woke up early to finish it. These are characters I'm very much invested in. I arrived at the 24-hour cafe for coffee at 5:45am and for the next 45 minutes, there were only guys in here. Is that because guys are earlier risers, or is it because it takes women longer to get dressed?
There doesn't seem to be the appreciation for the dangers of cigarette and second hand smoking in these countries. There were no "no smoking" areas to be found. Also, more than once I saw folks rolling cigarettes. Why? Is it cheaper? Safer?
Of the many different accents heard on board, the British women's was the only one that was annoying. Funny, I don't mind hearing a British guy, but when the women speak, in that sing-song whinny cadence, that is annoying.
Oh sugar! I checked my emails and forgot to turn off the Internet. Yikes! Seriously, by the time Zadie's in first grade, the world should be wireless and FREE! Google boys - gather your boys and get on it! I'm sure the technology is already available, but everyone wants a piece of the pie for as long as possible.
The Internet is my lifeline. Should I have more human contact? Probably, but I'm at a very selfish place in my life. I spent my life taking care of others and putting their needs first, and now it's all about me. I find it's easier to be selfish by myself, then I don't offend others whose opinion I couldn't care less about, or whose company I may or may not want. Does that make me a bad person? Maybe. But I'm willing to wear that label to live the way I want to live, doing what I want to do.
I think I'm beginning to recognize folks who've had face lifts. Or is it Botox? Whatever it is, their faces are tight and taut. Looks like it hurts. The things we do in the name of beauty.
It never ceases to amaze me how something this big, this cruise ship, can float. Or how jumbo jets can fly? Of course, I still don't understand how radios work, so I'm not hopeful that I'll ever get it, but I appreciate the engineering feat that allows these things to happen, nonetheless.
R&B Music has been playing all week throughout the ship. Is that because it's universally enjoyed? Or did the Captain check the manifest for the number of Black folks, and decided it was an R&B trip?
Just kidding.
Ciao!
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