J - Days Cruise/Sicily

19

Tuesday, 5 July 2011

Day 19. 3rd July. Rome and Cruise Ship

A last look at Rome, shop and café stop. Then we left to board the cruise ship.

Oh, but first a quick word about the Gypsies. At one train station I saw a faintly Gypsy looking guy eye me off (now it could have been completely innocent). But as I saw his eye hit me, then him move towards me – out of sheer paranoia and caution – I put my hand over the opening flap of my handbag, he very suddenly whirled and walked away. A few minutes later this happened again, almost exactly the same. Now it is possible that it was maybe something as innocent as he was going to talk to me, then along with my subtle hand movement I pumped out some hostile vibes. But it is also possible he was a pickpocket targeting me.

On another train a clearly gypsy boy – the right ethnicity and with a gold hoop earing – with a piano accordion was busking on the train. He was really irritating so desperately demanding money with his eyes. I have seen many with babies asking for money to feed their children. But you also hear the stories like the one about the women who wondered what their nanny was doing with their children during the day, only to see – when sneaking home to check one day - the nanny in a totally different outfit in the train station with their employer’s child used as a begging prop.

The best we saw though was a woman on a train, not with a human baby but with a puppy. Honestly the cutest puppy I have ever seen with giant doe eyes and ridiculously plushy fur. The kind of dog that melts your heart. I think she is onto a better tactic right there. However I didn’t see anyone give her any money. And I certainly wasn’t going to. Admittedly the idea of stealing her puppy occurred to me. :P

Then it was time for the Cruise ship. Woooooo! Navigator of the Seas.

This ship is sick. Some features.

15 Bars (of different themes, Sports, English, champagne, cellars, Latin, Italian, Gothic, Piano bar, etc)

4 large dinning rooms plus a buffet

4 specialty restaurants

A club

Numerous cafes

A promenade full of duty free shops

4 pools

4 spas (sitting at least 25 each)

A putt putt golf course

A golf driving simulator

A roller blading track

A rock-climbing wall

 An Ice Skating rink

A sports court

A Gym

A Day Spa

A Hair salon

A Botox clinic

A Casino

A conference center

A movie theatre

A stage theatre

A gaming arcade

A crèche

A kids center

A teens center

A jogging track

A helicopter pad

A library

A computer station

Live music in ten locations at any given time

Boundless sunbathing space (though not for me…skin cancer…Ahhh)

A Viewing gallery

An Art Gallery

A Photo display and shop

A medical center

A desalination plant to supply water to the entire ship

A sewage system

And commercial kitchens catering to 5,000 plus people.

And so many other practicalities I don’t understand or think of.

We went to some of the beginning events, Raina won a 30% discount at the spa (But with the small print it was worth nothing). I signed up for a session with a personal trainer. A big scary Romanian guy. That should be interesting. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Within about an hour of setting foot on the ship we were both fairly pissed. All the free French champagne at the art action thing was great. I only walked into one table at lunch though.  

Raina went for a massage (which she said got as much nearly s much done in 50 min as the usual 1.5 hour ones she has at home, because they used a bamboo rolling pin) and while I was waiting in our pre arranged meeting place. The 7:30 free liquor tasting. I made lots of friends in the staff. Like the man at the English pub on the promenade who asked me the time every time I walked past. The Indian guy from the promenade café who gave me my cookie. I could get used to this walking up and asking for any food and they just give it to you. We discussed our mutual desires to go to each others countries ( I do want to go to India again). And most of all Constantine, the Romanian first day on the job,  who was running the “guess the art value” competition. Later I was walking past the Latin music and dancing that was on at one of the bars (which much to my disappointment only had three old people sitting there and no one dancing). But as I passed I ran into Constantine again and he asked me if I wanted to dance. Much to my joy it was Buccada dance, which is one of the four Latin styles I know. :D So anyway, we got to dance, then he had to go do some work I guess. That was fun.

Later on I found a Scottish couple who asked if I wanted to get a drink. So we drank and chatted listening to music for a while. They were lovely and I was highly amused that he was a ranga Scot who was sunburnt from being in the sun playing golf. Lol, stereotype much? Bahahahahah.

20

Tuesday, 5 July 2011

Day 20. 4th of July. Cruise ship – Sicily

Today was American Independence Day, and while we were in Italy, on a ship of 4,000 passengers (plus staff) with something like 50% of the passengers being American this day did not go unnoticed. 

We set off to get far away from the port town of Messina and to another more quietly charming town a about 1.5 hours away called Taorimina. We were most disappointed that our pre booked driver Mario (lol, where is Luigie I wonder?) ditched us, or something. In any case he never showed. But it was easy enough to get another driver, though we had to be firm and not let them rip us off by charging more then the pre arranged price. We shared with a couple with two young boys who were ex-pat Australians but live in Denmark. So we had lots to talk about and their kids were lovely.

Once in the town we split up. Raina and I went to a café, I had an espresso and she had an ice cream. Is that the typical mother and daughter order or what? Lol. We had it on many occasions  with the coffee always being delivered to Raina. 

Then we wandered the stunning streets, poked about the shops and rode the sky gondola down the cliff face to see the views. The water here was stunning. A massive expanse of perfectly flat blue of a shade I have never seen before. The water seems to call you and all you want to do was\s dive off the cliff into it. Despite the logic that tells you that you will die painfully. :P

On the way back the driver took us all to a brilliant look out to the most beautiful place I think I have ever seen. I started crying looking at it. The water was so blue and clear that from far above you could see the bottom of the bay, a magazine worthy resort on a peninsular and several cute umbrellas set up on the beach.

Then I heard Raina saying  “oh, don’t look behind you Sarah.” So naturally what does that make someone do?

I have previously mentioned my mortal fear of volcanoes. Well this is something I probably blow out of proportion for humors sake, something I was scared of as a kid but not so much anymore. And I had been informed previously then forgotten till the night before that this area has several volcanoes but it is not something that would stop me touring.

Well, let me tell you, when faced with a smoking volcano no more then a few kilometers away the true feelings are revealed. Well I did not scream. But I did burst into tears and was not really able to function or breath. My knees went a little wobbly, I fell into Raina's arms and I became a blubbering mess and the thought of vomiting occurred to me. At least I remained continent. In fact I am crying a little and my hands are slightly shaky just from typing this. I was not able to look at it after that first glimpse. I have never experienced anything like that. I have been scared of things before yes. But this I now realize this is an actual phobia. I am a volcaphobic. And there I was witnessing Etna's eruption of 2011.

Not fun.

I was able to laugh at myself a bit as a coping strategy but the fear didn’t stop till we were far away and all the drive I was imagining a pyroclastic flow chasing me and trying in vain to decide on a survival strategy. Driving a smart car into a big van, into a truck, inside a tunnel and hoping inside the smart car occurred to me, before my logical brain told me that even layers will not protect you from an eruption. Volcanies!!!!!  They are so dumb. I hate them. Especially when there is smoke coming from them and they are near me. Raina was very kind and comforted me - while looking over my shoulder, at a thought she never thought she would see – since she has a volcaphobic travelling companion.

We got back to the ship and poked around some more.  We went to ‘Johnny Rocket’s’ on the ship, a 50s style dinner. When you walk in, the first server to see you yells, “Everybody say HelllllOh” Then all the staff yells, “HellllllOh”. They are all dressed in white outfits with the 50s milk bar hats. We had chocolate malts, which though you can fell the calories attaching themselves to your hips as you drink, were worth it. However I do doubt that they were all that unhealthy given the amount of effort sucking, you must burn calories from that alone.

Then I went Ice Skating, that’s right, ice skating, on a boat on the Mediterranean.

It was formal night so we got all dressed up, had our portraits taken (a dicky thing to do but it is all fun in the end). Dinner was spectacular as usual on a cruise ship.

After that I got another Latin dance in with Constantine the Romanian staff member. Then hit up the nightclub “the Dungeon” complete with gothic furnishing, art and trimmings. lol. Here I approached some random people and started up a conversation. There were people from America (Miami, Arizona) Canada, England (Cambridge, Staffishire, and more.), South Africa, Scotland (in fact Edinburgh, my new favorite city - that is until I went to Athens), Donald, and he even wore a kilt for formal night and sure got a lot of attention for it. I got scooped up by an Ecuadorian who danced with me to Livin’ da Vida Loca, and danced properly, spins and dips and stuff, that was fun. And lots more people from places I have forgotten. After drinking and dancing till they closed the club at 3am we set off for the spa on the main deck. 

Then a stack more Floridians, Columbians and other assorted South Americans and random mixes showed up. When we arrived the Spa was closed for cleaning but a late night staff member saw us all and opened the spa up for us, OUR HERO. We ended up with about 20 people in the spa and had a whole lot of fun. They even turned some music on for us. Thank you anonymous staff member.