Arriving in Alicante, Entering Eche, Plenty of Palms

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We had breakfast in the Lido. I went with the French toast and Sharon had waffles. We had no problem finding an inside table. We went down the front staircase, from our floor to the one below, and then down the strange “extra staircase” that winds down to the Main Deck from the Promenade Deck. We haven’t seen this on any other ship. There are a few other things that we haven’t seen on any other ships; and, certainly not on the Nieuw Amsterdam. Those are the several buckets arranged around the ship to catch water dripping from above. There is one up in the Exploration’s Lounge as you enter. We passed by one on the Main Deck. A couple days earlier we were walking holding hands and it seemed as if a glob of water rolled down Sharon’s arm, splattering on me a bit as well. “What was that?” And almost immediately she second guessed that maybe she didn’t want to know. It was enough that she headed to the nearest restroom thinking that the sanitizers might not be able to handle it properly. There are also several spots in the hallways where you step on a spot and it feels as if you’re stepping onto a trap door of sorts. Definitely not level footing.



Many people were simply walking around town, or taking the Hop-On-Hop-Off bus to complete their visit of Alicante. We chose the tour to Elche to see the palms, many, many varieties of palms. When the Moors controlled Spain they brought with them palm plants to grow the dates that are so important in their diet. At the turn of the 20^th century there were over 1,000,000 palm trees growing in the groves of Elche. Today their number is down to 200,000. The area is now a UNESCO conservancy site and an effort is being made to preserve the palms in various public and private gardens. Our tour was to a private garden that in addition to the many palm trees, there was also an impressive extensive cactus garden featuring many varieties of cactus, some reaching just as high into the sky as the nearby palm trees. The varieties had placards identifying the variety and also the year some of them were planted. One very aged palm near the entrance went back to the end of the nineteenth century. In the center of the garden there was one palm that had naturally grown and divided into seven separate trunks. This rarity was identified early and gifted to the early garden, and know the seven trunks span out separately with each reaching towards the sky. A special support for each of the divided trunks now supports each of these apparently separate palm trees that share a common trunk into the ground. Also by the entrance is a reflection pool that was graced at one end by an ancient Asian looking sandstone bust of a woman or goddess in headdress. This statue is a replica of the original that is now in the Louvre. The original dates back to two centuries before Christ. It was found near this grove while digging to plant the palm trees.



Our guide was sometimes difficult to hear, and the use of whisperers probably would have benefited those who couldn’t get close enough to listen to his soft-spoken narration. I would have found that nice while I was trying to take pictures; because, I really couldn’t do both at the same time. On the bus he had talked about the explosion of pomegranates in the area, with the recent promotion of its many health benefits. He cited the many vitamins and he seemed to list everyone from A to Z. He even said that one of its properties had a special benefit for men. He elaborated that it can, how should he say it, make women very happy. I’m guessing that was covered by Vitamin-V. He also talked about being “Happy about America.” He had spent time studying in America, being from this part of Spain, which he added, was in Europe. He had fond memories of a blonde that he’d met in America, and how he’d met people who didn’t know where Spain is, so he now adds that point of reference. He had told this blonde that he was from Spain. And she had told him that she’d been to Spain also. When he asked where in Spain. She had told him Puerto Vallarta. He told her, no Spain is in Europe. And she said, “Nooo. I didn’t go to Europe!” Since he seemed to have such fond memories of this blonde, I’m thinking he got lucky that night… I’m just saying.



We visited the cathedral of the Assumption of Mary in town. Again it had very high arched ceilings which were modestly ornate, but mostly a massive stone structure. The altar was extremely ornate in gold and extreme gaudiness and brilliance. We took plenty of pictures. Outside across the plaza was a sidewalk café with a striped awning that declared along the edge of the awning in different colors “CAFETERIA – AFRICA – BURGUER”. I’m thinking, you might want to think twice about ordering the ‘jumbo’ burger. Sharon claims that she thinks that this is some sort of chain, because she’d seen this in a previous port. We had about 10 minutes of free time and check this, and two other nearby cafes for gelato, but could find none. Our guided headed us across the street and along one of the public palm parks. We were on tour bus #1, and someone came rushing up from tour bus #2 to let us know that they’d lost a couple of people. We were now heading to where they had been, and they were just coming to the cathedral. The lady in our group that just got this information now hurried to the front to let our guide know that we should keep our eyes peeled for a couple of stray #2 people. We finally got to where we were to meet our bus and as it pulled up two people wearing #2 stickers magically appeared. They probably spotted the bus and thought it might be theirs. The guide told them that there was room for them to join us. Then a very frantic and haggard tour guide had come rushing up out of breath, and she was trying to wrestle the two away from our guide. She gasped for air with every other word, “You can come with me. Your wife… I have your wife.” Non-pulsed, the man didn’t bat an eye and replied “You can keep her!” And he got on our bus with the other woman who apparently was lost with him.



Our next stop was at a shoe factory. To be honest, this turned out to be a Factory Outlet Store. We were told that you could go upstairs where a movie was being shown about manufacturing shoes. We chose to remain on the bus. We didn’t feel that we needed to see a shoe store. And because this was a business park area, there would be no gelato here either! The first woman back on the bus said, “What a waste!” A man said that he’d gone upstairs to see the museum, and they turned the lights out. I’m guessing they were about to show the movie, but he came back to the bus. A couple people came back and had the same experience. They felt the prices were good, but the two sales girl said, “No, we don’t have that in your size!” There was just one salesman who was running around, trying to help everyone, and actually selling some shoes. A few people did come back with bags from the outlet. Sharon recalled that when we booked this tour we’d chosen it because it was $30 cheaper that the one that went to see all the same things; except, it didn’t stop at the shoe store or the Cathedral. Bus 2 pulled out ahead of us, and Sharon supposed that we would miss 2:30 PM trivia. However, we were closer to the ship that we’d thought. We arrived just before 2:00 PM. Sharon went up to get a burger. I went to the room to drop off the camera. I then checked the todayON LOCATION to see when trivia was being held… It was NOW! I rushed up to the Crow’s Nest.



I arrived in the Crow’s Nest and spotted Jim and Lucia seated with another woman. I rushed over and Mike was just about to start. Lucia questioned, “You mean Sharon would rather eat that play trivia?” I told them that she planned to join us, thinking trivia was at 2:30 PM. They’d also thought that trivia would be at 2:30 PM today; and, had also just walked in. I don’t know what they’re going to think tomorrow when the find out that Sharon also feels that mass is more important than trivia! We didn’t know what Steve Williams carried some ungodly number of miles back in 2000 to earn a couple hundred thousand dollars. We thought it might be the Olympic Torch. Actually it was Golf Clubs. Ugh! Another golf question. Then he asked what British golfer won the British Open for the third time in 1992. Jim reckoned that he might know this one, a sportscaster that he likes that he knew had been good at golf: Nic Falco. He was right. We couldn’t come up with the prophetess from Greek mythology who used to forecast gloom. We thought the Oracle of Delphi; but, missed out on Cassandra. I incorrectly guessed the maximum number of cards that can be held by a player in baccarat. I probably should have known that it was three, one less than I wrote down. I was able to remember who the youngest Beatle is. It wasn’t Ringo the first time I heard the question. It wasn’t John Lennon the second time that we answered. It wasn’t Paul McCartney the next time we answered wrong. I’m guessing I’m going to get it right this time with George Harrison… but I had to plead with my teammates not to overrule me with Paul. Then came, “In Buddhism, what is the state of perfect harmony called?” Jim was pushing for “Zen” so I didn’t bother to think about it. I don’t know if I’d come up with “Nirvana”; but, I’m pretty sure that Sharon and I answered this correctly once a long time ago. Oh boy, now I’m starting forget answers that I once knew. For the bonus question, “What organelle is responsible for the manufacturing of energy in a cell?” We really do need to get a doctor on our team. Mitochondria was worth three points. We didn’t come in last; but, missed that by only one point. Not a good showing for being on the Mega Trivia championship team.



I went back to the cabin where Sharon was finishing her burger. She mumbled something about it being a zoo at the Dive-In. After getting up early today I decided it was time for a nap. Sharon kept jabbing me in the ribs when I would doze off on the bus, so I wasn’t able to make up any sleep there! Sharon went off to mass, and when she came back we went up for a casual dinner in the Dining Room.



There were two soups that I wanted to try (and I had skipped lunch). I ordered the cannellini beans with lentils soup; and, Sharon got me the chicken orzo soup. Both were great. I tried to get Sharon to try the chicken orzo soup… I mean it looked exactly like the chicken rice soup that she likes, and it tasted just like the chicken rice soup that she likes, and it was mostly Campbell’s soup-like chicken-noodle-soup broth that she likes… so I don’t know. Sharon is a lot like my mother (ooh, I’m going to hear about this) in that she stubbornly resists trying anything new! I also had the Mediterranean salad with tomatoes, olives and feta cheese. I enjoyed the pasta with pesto and Italian sausage. Sharon enjoyed the herb roasted half chicken; but, had to explain to the steward that it was very, very good… just too much for her. For a change, I had the crème Brule and Sharon needed another of her special meals for dessert: Ordering the Butter-pecan sundae with fudge and nuts… without the nuts…. Without the Butter-pecan… substituting vanilla ice cream. Sharon didn’t see the steward roll his eyes, as he said “Yes, ma’am, we can do that!” But I did.



The show tonight featured the violinist Amy Lee. She claims that she’d fallen in love with classical music and especially the violin from when she saw her first symphony performance at the age of three. She began playing at the age of four. Now she was trying to make her living through music. She’d had to stop playing for 4 months due to tendonitis, and she had been replaced in several of her endeavors. Then she went on a Caribbean cruise with her family and fell in love with cruising. Now she’s combining the two. She played music from Celtic, to movie tunes to Broadway.



We stopped into the piano bar where the Piano Bar Player Tom was doing a tribute to Elton John. Sharon was happy that not every tune was Elton John music. The bar was packed, and only managed to share a table with two others in the rear of the bar. The lady was having a White Russian and her husband a Long Island Iced tea. The White Russian looked like something I might like… as I was ordering one she said that it wasn’t very strong. The drink, which is Kahlua, Vodka and milk I ordered with a side shot of crème de cacao. The lady asked for an extra side car of Kahlua for her drink. We listened to the music for a bit and then returned to the cabin to call it a night.

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