September 15, 1962-2012 Ok, so I weighed 87 pounds and Joe was about 135. Now I’m fighting to get down to 150 and Joe is struggling to maintain 155. So, I was a brunette with hair almost black and Joe’s hair was medium brown. Now I’m a blond and most of Joe’s hair is medium brown with touches of grey that Joe insists is blonde. What hasn’t changed is that we are still best friends and so grateful to be together. Headed to the dining room for breakfast and was wished a Happy Anniversary by our dining room steward, a lovely start to the morning. The day was sunny but very breezy with fifteen-foot seas. The barf bags are by the elevator but I’m enjoying the movement and actually feel like we’re a sea. Today is ... read more

Bound for Palermo…. There was a brilliant lightning and thunderstorm during the night and I wondered if our beach time in Sicily would be rained out but the day dawned sunny with intermittent clouds. I slept in until NINE. Played a little poker last night but left after an hour without a winning hand. That’s two nights without a hole pair. There was a waterspout just of the port side. Fascinating phenomena. The Captain just announced that because of the unrest, riots and the assassination of our Ambassador to Libya, our port call to Tunisia has been cancelled. Instead, we will visit Sardinia. Although I’m disappointed not to be seeing Carthage, Sardinia will a wonderful stop and safety is the main thing. Now it’s just figuring out what to do. Well, beach time in Sicily turned ... read more

Sunday – Embarkation Day After a leisurely breakfast at the hotel we taxied to the port and were on board and in our room before noon. There were balloons on the door and flowers in the room and a bottle on Champaign from our dear friends Bob and Beverly. Our cabin location is very convenient, just steps from the elevator and stairs. We enjoyed lunch in the dining room with Jane & Dwayne (I kid you not) retired air force personal then wandered about the ship, checked out the gym, the pools and the buffet and when we got back to the cabin our suitcases were there. We were unpacked and settled in by 2:00. The emergency drill is mandatory now and we were not dismissed until all cabins were accounted for. ANYONE who refuses to ... read more

Saturday It’s another hot and humid day. We walked down to the Cathedral in the Gothic Quarter, slipped passed the beggars at the entrance and watched Mass being said in a side chapel. This Gothis cathedral is so different from the Sagrada Familia though still beautiful. The side niches were adorned in gold, silver, oil paintings and marble. The stained glass windows were lovely but not the brilliant colors of Gaudi’s creation. It was interesting to compare the two, both majestic, one dark and traditional, the other soaring with light and color. We started out for the Olympic Park. Barcelona is such an easy city to get around. We walked two blocks to the Metro, transferred to a funicular, then a cable car and were at the Muntanya de Montjuic, an old fort with breathtaking views ... read more

The Adventure begins. An uneventful flight with pretty nasty food but a lovely seatmate brought us to Barcelona at 9:30 a.m. (3:30 NY time). Our room wasn’t made up so we dropped off our bags and headed to the Tourist Office to pick up maps and Metro cards then walked La Rambla. This pedestrian street runs from the Plac Cataluna to the port and is the main tourist street of the city. The day was warm and a bit humid. We stopped for ice tea and then headed to the Palau Guell an early work by Antoni Gaudi. As we walked to the ticket office a very well endowed young woman was on a balcony in her bikini panties and bra. For I minute I though I was in Amsterdam. The palace was commissioned by the ... read more

SUNDAY IN THE PARK Today was a combination of sweet and sad. The sky was filled with puffs of clouds and a cool north wind was howling. We started out and immediately saw a herd of bison grazing by the side of the road. The little calves were so sweet nursing from mom and sticking close to her side. The bulls just kept a wary eye out just in case a stupid tourist got within charging range. I could almost see them licking their lips. Do bison have lips? We drove into every basin and kept our eyes open for bear but no such luck. At the Middle Geyser Basin the wind was so strong that steam covered the walkway and it was like walking in dense fog. Because of the wind direction, we were unable ... read more