DOUBLE HEADER TOMORROW

April 13, 2018

Hello all you Triskadekaphobians!  And a Happy Friday the 13th!

We slept in until 7:30, took care of our morning ablutions and went up to the Horizon Court for breakfast. Then we packed up our old kit bag and headed for the outside.  The kit bag was packed, but there would be very little smile, smile, smile.

The day started overcast and cold.  After we walked a half mile or so it began to sprinkle rain.  Then it began to drizzle rain.  Then it began to pour rain.  Then it began to POUR rain.  Midway between pour and POUR we turned around and headed back to the ship where we arrived damp and dripping.  My cruising partner went to Guest Relations and purchased a bronze coin so she could go the laundromat and dry our jackets, slacks, and socks.  My shoes went in, too.  Hers did not because of the type of construction, they will come apart – she knows from experience.

Well it is a good day to play cards, read, and nap.

Not all that good a day to play cards, because she beat me.  That evens the score for the cruise at 4 games to 4 – she has won the last two.  Time to put on a devastating attack and stomp a mud hole in her.

I wanted a V-neck, pull over sweater for the next cruise, and the couple of places we looked since sailing had nothing I liked.  So I went on Amazon to check it out (if it isn’t on Amazon, you don’t need it).  Well, Amazon has a new security procedure, at least when it doesn’t recognize the device and the URL from which you are surfing.  A three step procedure.  Two of which I did with no problem.  The third requires them sending you an email with a code.  As you know, I use a spam blocker and Amazon was evidently using an email different from any I had already approved.  Thanks to Michael stopping by 233 and approving it, I was able to order one which will arrive at the house Sunday.  Hopefully I will like it!  It is amazing to order a sweater while in Gibraltar that will be delivered to Augusta in two days.

Tonight’s Variety Showtime was awesome!  We have seen “Yury and Nato” before, but they have added some new pieces to the show.  To explain it as simply as I can, they do elegant feats of power and strength, and dance, and hula hooping, and costume changing, and large object twirling.  Check it out online.  The audience started to applaud when Nato did quick costume changes on stage, in front of our very eyes, and hardly stopped until the standing ovation.  Absolutely great!

Each evening, just before sail away, the Captain comes on and gives us a report, weather, arrival time tomorrow, etc.  Tonight he gave us a report that I have never heard before in all of our (thank you Lord for all of them!) cruises.  He said we could not cast off and begin our journey to Cartagena until an airplane on approach for the Gibraltar airport had landed.  The glide path for the jet plane is on the path that the cruise ship travels.  It is an incredible landing strip which juts out on a narrow strip of land, and the road that runs from Gibraltar to Spain crosses it.  There are times when airplanes are landing that traffic has to be stopped.  We’ve never experienced a delay in sail away cause by a plane before.

Well, it’s Bonnie blogging time, so I will see you tomorrow.

TTFN

Well, at 1:30 I woke because the mask wouldn’t stay on my face. UGGH! So I took it off and then laid down and did go back to sleep. In spite of all the LOUD banging from the ship which we have had every night for the last 3 or 4. At 4:30 our phone rings and before Dad can get up and get to it, 4 rings I think, it stops. Needless to say we are awake. I decide to but my mask on and try again and it stays tight this time and I go back to sleep. We sleep to 7:30. We get up shower and dress and head up to Lido for breakfast.  It is cold!!!  In the 50's and very cloudy. We eat our breakfast go to the room and dress warmly. Because it is cloudy I take our ponchos and umbrellas. Good thing I did. Because by the time we have walked a mile or little more and dodged huge puddles from earlier rain, the rain is pouring. We had stopped when it started and put on the ponchos and got out the umbrellas. We should have turned around then but we kept going. Until, I said ENOUGH!! I am wet and I want to go back.  So we turned around and headed back. The closer we got to the ship the harder it rained. We did stop in the little grocery store we had passed earlier and purchased 3 newspaper for me and one coke and one diet coke, 5euros total.

 On arriving at the ship, and after going through security and setting off the alarms and then being wanded , I headed to guest relations to buy a $3 bronze coin to dry our clothes. I joined him in the room, we took off everything , I redressed and headed to the laundromat. Fortunately, the dryer was available and I threw the stuff in to dry. I had to lean against the dryer door to keep it closed because your Dad’s shoes kept popping open the door. After completing the drying and returning to our room we headed up to Lido where we ate lunch, cup of white bean minestrone soup, a tiny turkey sandwich, and sugar free key lime mousse, we played cards and I won tying up the score.

He wanted to nap and I wanted to walk. So I went to the room and dressed appropriately and headed to deck 7 to walk. Well, they had both ends of the starboard side blocked so you couldn’t walk around. Very frustrating. So I came in and said I am going to do something I have only done once before on a cruise. I went off the ship by myself. I only went into the terminal area where there were 3 little shops. One had liquor and cigarettes, one had typical tourist stuff and the other had handcrafted items from the locals. The last 2 stores were both very small, but I found some handcrafted items that I liked and I spent 20 euros.  I got 4 items. Two for me and 2 for others. I was gone about 30 minutes. Of course when I returned to the ship I set off all the alarms again and was given the once over search again. Traveling with artificial body parts is so much fun!!

Well, when I got to the cabin he was just ready for a nap so we laid down for a few minutes. We got up and he wasn’t ready to go and I didn’t want to stay in the cabin so I got ready and went up on deck to watch the sailing off. They were just getting ready to take up the gangway so I watched the last few people get on and the removing of the gangway. About 5:15 he joined me and we headed to supper. We were dining alone because our table mates said they had a late lunch and were not coming. I had a small chicken salad with salsa and black beans, a “cowboy” strip-loin  steak, potatoes and carrots and ketchup. For dessert we both splurged and had warm chocolate cake.

After supper we headed to the theater. We got our seats and then a couple from Delaware, who we have met and enjoy talking with, soon joined us and we spent the next hour sharing traveling stories. They are a real fun couple. On this cruise they have the second highest most cruise days and are high up in the Captain’s circle. Really nice people.

The show was great and we are now in the cabin. He has said he is tired so as soon as I finish typing and he posts the blog, I will take my pills we will be off to the bed. We will wander around Cartagena tomorrow and dress in our formal clothes for supper tomorrow night.  It should be lobster and baked Alaska night. We shall see.

12,698 steps and 5+ miles today!!

Love you all, enjoy the emails from Amy and Jennifer. Go Tate, keep PPPing in the potty. Love Mom, Granny and Bonnie