A busy spring 2009

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Greetings everyone......................

It's been just about 5 months since I've had a vacation so you know that I'm chomping at the bit to get away. Thats not quite right because I did take a 2 day cruise to Nassau last month on the next-to-last cruise of the REGAL EMPRESS. That ship began her sea career in 1953 as the OLYMPIA and I do remember seeing her in New York and Boston and it sure seemed big at the time. Now she is on the slow delivery voyage to Indian scrappers. I do hope that someone will purchase and remove her wonderful Tudor styled wooden library rather than use that wood for a home fire. Later this month, I'm booked for my spring transatlantic crossing aboard Princess Cruises' CROWN PRINCESS ... a repeat of last spring's crossing. I've attached pics of both ships just so you can get an idea when I say that the CROWN PRINESS is almost 6 times larger than the now diminuative REGAL EMPRESS.

Before the transatlantic starts, I'll be going up to Charlotte NC with Jeff and Scott as we represent the tattoo shop for the annual convention of the National Tattoo Association. Yep....tattoo people have conventions and associations just like every other business. The convention will be a good time but the 15 hour drive up and again to come home will be a tad boring.

After sailing from Ft. Lauderdale on April 26th, we'll make a sunday stop in Ponta Delgada (where the only places open will be churches and one souvenir store) and arrive in Lisbon on May 5th. Once there, I'll take a train to Faro, which is in the Portuguese Algave region for a couple days before flying directly to Southampton where I'll spend a few days with my friend Stuart. You remember Stuart.....the guy who loaned me all the clothes last January when 90% of my clothes was missing as I sailed on QE2 (btw...QE2 now sits in retirement in Dubai). On the 11th of May, I'll make my way to London's Heathrow Airport for the short flight to...where else...Berlin.

I've rented a studio apartment again in Berlin and spend time there trying to see things I might have missed on previous trips. I think I'll do a day trip to Poland and will try to get another day trip on a Sunday to Hamburg to visit that most wonderful Sunday activity, the Fish Market !!!! Don't laugh....there's lots there besides fish 'cause its more of a gigantic flea and food market with some fantastic food stalls. As for Berlin....the city already has started the retrospective leading to the celebration of the fall of the Berlin Wall which will culminate on the actual 20th anniversary on November 9th (naturally, I plan on being there for that as well and have already booked my apartment). Both the British Pound and the Euro have lost about 1/3 of their value against the US dollar, so it will be much more reasonable this year than it was last year.

All of this means that you're about to get inundated with my travel reports again. As usual, you can easily delete yourself from my mail list. Happy Passover, Happy Easter and have a splendid spring.

Bob

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Photos

Regal Empress
56 years of service !!!!!

Crown Princess
3 years of service