Our breakfast companions were two ladies from Philadelphia (sorry the Giants are beating your Phillies), and a couple from England. The Philadelphians are veteran cruisers and were bragging on all the trips they’ve taken and all the places they’ve seen. It seems like there is one of those, or one set of those at virtually every table. Been there, done that, got the T-shirt, and you don’t. The English folk were on a pre-honeymoon cruise, shopping for, among other things, their wedding rings. They will take their nuptials in May and invited all of us over. We’d accept the invitation, but we did not exchange names. Now how are we ever going to find them?
But before I regale you with today’s adventures, I must bring you up to date on Ceramics at Sea. When Bonnie went to pick up her plate on Monday, it had not been fired. The crewman tasked with guarding those treasures said there was a note with hers that it was not to be fired. Bonnie explained that note was not placed by her and she wanted her plate fired, otherwise, it would be useless. He assured her it would be fired, and delivered to our stateroom Tuesday night. Tuesday night as we were heading for supper, the plate was still not in our room. We went to the Princess Theater after supper to see the variety show put on by the staff and crew of the Grand Princess, and she spotted the lad with whom she had spoken. He assured her it was ready and ran off to get it. When delivered, you could tell she was disappointed because there was a long scratch that ran across the design she had painted. But all of the work she did held up well, and it is a project to be proud of.
Control of St. Kitts and Nevis passed back and forth between Spain, France, and England, with England finally gaining the upper hand, and maintaining it until independence was granted in 1983. Remnants of British influence are still in evidence, as witnessed by, among other things, old fashioned red telephone booths – some still in working condition.
Wandering ashore on our own, and wading through a rather aggressive group of taxi drivers trying to sell us island tours (fellow travelers to Russia, think of the horde that descends on us at Red Square), we made our way to the National Museum. The entry fee was $3 U.S. or $8 E.C.D. (East Caribbean Dollars).
The museum is a simple offering, laid out on the second floor of a building which has other offices in it. Three rooms gave examples of pottery and tools from the Arawak Indians who first populated the island, references to the sugar trade that was the mainstay of island until the 20th Century, and details of their quest for independence from British rule. Not to be unkind, because the history revealed is impressive, but it was all laid out rather like a high school science project (and no photography was allowed). Still, we enjoyed it.
From there we went to Independence Square, a spot in the capital city of Basseterre where slaves were once sold. Directly behind the Square is Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church.
After a couple of hours ashore, we wandered back to the ship, and spent a lazy afternoon.
We shared a table with two other couples for lunch. Of the six people breaking bread together, five opted for the Ruben Sandwich. I was the lone hold out, choosing instead a seafood salad, consisting of calamari, shrimp, and scallops with mixed greens. Bonnie continued on her quest of sampling all of the ice cream flavors on board. Today was chocolate fudge and orange. Yesterday she had mocha and tangerine.
Tonight’s after dinner entertainment has two offerings: “Stardust” – music of years gone by, or “Magical Showtime” – featuring illusion and comedy. The shows duplicate tomorrow night so we will be able to see both.
A funny bit from last night’s entertainment. While we were sitting in the Princess Theater waiting for the show to start, the crew passed out balloons and encouraged us to blow them up. Soon balloons were being batted all over the theater. It was funny to participate with other “seasoned” travelers in such a silly endeavor. Then, one of the crew came on the microphone and said, “There are $50 notes hidden in three of the balloons,” and balloons were captured and popped, looking for the stash. A few moments later the voice returned and said, “Just kidding!” Come to think of it, we were a bunch of dummies, since we blew up the balloons in the first place!
Until tomorrow and St. Thomas. TTFN!
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