Mile 36: Steward, Techie and Dance Machine

After about 2/3 of the voyage, some of our crew members were set to debark and return home to their families. They had been on the ship for about ten months without a visit home and were thus getting a two-month holiday. To my chagrin, many of the crew that I had befriended was amongst the departing.

First, my glorious cabin steward Julius (I know, I can’t believe I have one either!), the master of all kindnesses, had learned my habits and assisted me without my prompting. He knew that I ate breakfast around 8am every morning so he usually “did up” my room while I was gone. This meant that I had fresh towels, a crisply made up bed and freshly vacuumed floors every morning! Julius brought me extra pillows and blankets when I needed them, kindly greeted my in the hallway whenever I passed and speedily did my laundry when I set it out (we don’t have the option to do our own laundry but I still wash some things in the bathroom sink). Saying goodbye to him was very sad!

Departing with my steward were a couple of Indian crew members I had gotten to know well. The first was Oswin, the genius computer tech guy. He sat in the computer lab and patiently helped students with their computing issues, printing problems and cell phone traumas (one got dropped into the toilet, surprise!). Ozzy, always dawned the greatest smile when I saw him and reserved a warm hello. He dressed in crisp white attire and hung out with the other Indians on board: Bala and Vijay. Beyond his willingness to assist, Ozzy was a computer hardware and software genius! I still run into many students and faculty who bemoan his leaving – he was that good!

And finally, the dance machine himself, Vijay served as the bartender up in the faculty/staff lounge called Glazer. My favorite place on the ship, Glazer is synonymous with social (or happy) hour and friends frequent this location almost every evening. Behind the bar, Vijay (and Mandy) mix up an array of cocktails including gin and tonics, manhattans, old fashions, and many others. We got to know both of the bartenders well. When Janet Six, an Anthropology faculty member from Hawaii, asked me to play Indian music during her birthday party in Glazer, we found out that Vijay has some serious and unmatchable dance moves. He soon began to dance whenever Indian music was played in the evenings and then started instructing us on how to “dance” his way. So, needless to say, we were sad to see Vijay go back to India for his holidays. I told him to please eat some custard apples for me and eat at the paratha house. He sent me a photo of him completing my requests!

The crew on the MV explorer work harder than anyone can imagine. They wake up way before dawn and head to bed late at night. They silently and generously assist us in our daily activities and never remove the smiles from their faces. The dining crew cook meals, set out plates and dishes, clean up the dining hall after us, serve drinks to our table and always aim to learn our names. The hospitality crew wave to us in the halls, stealthily wash down the ship and bring us fresh drinking glasses (and sooo much more!). To me, they are the primary reason for the smooth voyage we have had. I know a simple “thank you” won’t be enough, but I’ll start there anyway and hope my gratitude can be realized in other ways too. Thank you Julius, Ozzy and Vijay (and all the others) for welcoming us into your home (the MV) and sharing stories of your lives back home. Thank you for the quiet acceptance of our mess and craziness without judgment. Thank you for asking about the best parts of our voyage and listening intently. And, most of all, thank you for letting us be a part of your lives for a short while. We miss you already!

Mile 35: The Spanish Divide

In Portugal, it was clear to me that the voyage had entered a new kind of Europe – one where the hot sun bronzes the skin of locals, architecture and landmarks speak the cultural (not just historical) language, and color abounds in the most unique places. While the countries in the North and Baltic Seas had their own special charm, the style and sounds of the Mediterranean were much more comforting and energizing to me. Case in point: Seville, Spain.

My parents and I landed late at night into the major Seville airport. We took a taxi to our very modern hotel (after the taxi guy ripped us off) and slept comfortably in very soft beds. The morning brought a glorious (and free) hotel breakfast with four kinds of fresh mixed juices (the pear guava strawberry was unreal, and mom liked the ginger carrot apple the best), an omelet station, 10 kinds of pastries, a bread aisle (yeah, you read that right!), a large tea and coffee station, an oatmeal bar, rows of fresh cut fruit and desserts! We indulged on oatmeal, fresh eggs and fruit before heading out into the day. Our plan: the hop on hop off bus again.

This time though, we missed the instructions by the concierge so we walked too far and missed the closest stop. On such a hot day, the parents were not thrilled about this mistake. We rode the hop on hop off all the way around the city to get a good orientation (the open air top of the bus brought such nice breezes!) so we could mark out where we wanted to stop. As we rode around and listened to the history of the city, Seville seemed much smaller and more segregated than I had imagined. The tourist sights were mainly on one side of town and across the river, locals lived amongst cafes, churches and busy streets. The tourist side was filled with lush trees, continual construction and famous landmarks while the local side seemed more gritty, poor and colorful.

From the guidebooks, I knew that visiting the Plaza de España (the first picture in this post!) should be a tourist’s primary destination so I herded mom and dad there first. The curved building, roaring central fountain and intricately tiled bridges combined into an inspiring architectural marvel – what a landmark! We snapped photos all around (I couldn’t get enough even though I was sweating bullets by this point because the sun and humidity were combining into one hot mess) and mom and dad wandered to the edges of the plaza. 

Following some silly photos, we ran towards shade and air conditioning at a nearby restaurant. Dad, feeling very hot, returned to his childhood and ate a huge ice cream sundae for lunch. Just one of the many many reasons I love him! Mom and I indulged on salads and cool drinks. Then, we traipsed around Maria Luisa Park, adjacent to Plaza de España, and saw tons of water fountains, lush greenery and unusual plants.

Leaving that area of town, we headed west into the city center and famous Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See. In the afternoon, Seville streets were filled with tourists, souvenir sellers hawking Spanish fans, fedoras and cute umbrellas, locals out for an evening stroll and teenagers gathering around fountains and statues. The lively atmosphere made one want to eat and shop – so we did! Mom bought some gifts and Dad and I snacked on nuts and candy.   

The church had just closed so we checked the opening time for the next day, snapped some exterior photos of this massive structure and rode the hop on hop off home to find dinner. Dad fell asleep on the ride home – that man can sleep anywhere! Famished and worn from the heat, we decided to stay in and order pizza for dinner (a treat for me since we don’t get good pizza on the ship). After finding a local number online, I called Dominoes pizza and made futile attempts to order two medium veggie pizzas because the attendant spoke no English. How do you say mushroom in Spanish? I knew a few keywords – pizza, dos (two), media (medium size), but the rest evaded me so I logged on to their website while on the phone and used the photos to find the right words. Thirty minutes later, a cute pizza guy on a motorcycle delivered our dinner. We devoured two warm pies and my mom kept praising my ability to “communicate” despite the language barriers. Success!

The next morning, we dressed and ate another spectacular breakfast (this time I had an omelet and earl grey tea!) before riding the bus to the Cathedral. This 16^th century Roman Catholic church is the largest Gothic Cathedral in the world (and third largest church in the world!) and serves as the burial site for Christopher Columbus. The church spans almost one city block and includes the main building, the Giralda bell tower and a beautiful open-air courtyard lined with dozens of lime trees. We spent a good hour and a half in the church alone, walking through the various altars and tombstones. 

When we headed outside, I noticed a group of SASers in the courtyard! We had inadvertently run into the SAS day trip to Sevilla, and since a bunch of my colleagues and friends were on the trip, I got to introduce them to Mom and Dad. It was very nice to have the parents get a sense of the people I was hanging out with on the ship; we saw Margaret, Ruth, Zoe, Richard, and few others. We chatted for a while until their tour continued and then we made our way up the Giralda Bell Tower, where I lied to my mother.

Visitors can climb the inside of the Giralda bell tower to get spectacular views of Sevilla so the three of us started heading up. The climb is a series of ramps, rather than stairs, in a square pattern that leads up to the top platform. At the start, I told mom that there were about 12 ramps to climb, having overheard a woman call out that number at the ticket office. But after ramp 12, the climbing continued and my mother jokingly kept calling me a liar for the rest of the way. In fact, there were 36 ramps to the top! However, the trek up was very well worth the views we encountered – what a stunning city!

We climbed down slowly, took a few last photos at the Cathedral and then made our way to a walking tour of the Triana neighborhood. Along the way, we passed by a spice shop I had noticed earlier and we popped in to buy paella spices, candy and some saffron (a Spanish treasure!). The walking tour, given by hop on hop off tour folks, started by the river and the guide led us around to one of the bridges. Once the tour started, we quickly realized that the guide spoke Spanish so Dad asked for English translations as well. The guide stated that the English tour had headed off in the opposite direction and we should run to catch it. Feeling frustrated at the lack of information earlier, we tried to look for the English tour in vain. Giving up, we decided to grab lunch instead at a riverside café. We ate veggie falafel (I know, but it was good!) and grilled potatoes (Dad’s favorite vegetable) and I sipped on local Sangria – so good! Full of lunch and a bit warm from the smoldering day, we walked into the Triana neighborhood ourselves in search of some local artifacts.

Mom remembered that she saw an outdoor market on our hop on hop off route so we grabbed the bus and headed there instead. The market filled the center square of a commercial area and contained local crafts and clothing. Mom was in her element again with excessive amounts of bargaining. We bought purses, wallets, and shirts before heading into the shopping mall indoors. At that moment, I realized that the 20 Euros Mom had given me at the start of day (in order to put money in different places) was gone. Crap! It wasn’t a large sum, but I hated the fact that I’d lost it, probably to pickpocketers. Ugh!

Grumpy, I followed the parents into the store to buy my brother a FC Barca jersey (a real authentic one with the official Nike logo!). We came back to the hotel to drop off our purchases and parents continually tried to console me about the lost money; I won’t let it go! One thing to know about me: I don’t get mad often, but when I do, it’s usually at myself for a stupid mistake. I’m very unforgiving of my own errors and this episode was no exception! At the hotel, Mom declared that she was exhausted and wanted to stay in for the rest of the day. So we ate dinner in the room and then Dad and I ventured up to the pool/roof deck to take in the sunset. Gorgeous and very tranquil.

The following morning, the parents and I were separating. They were headed to Barcelona by train and I was returning to the ship in Cadiz. After a final delicious breakfast at the hotel (with three, count em THREE, glasses of strawberry mango juice), we arrived at the station and found our trains. After a quick goodbye (can’t do long ones!), Mom and Dad headed down to theirs since it left before mine. Once they were out of sight, I felt very alone. What is it about being in the company of loved ones that brings a sense of calm to the mind? I found my train and while walking in, I noticed Lisa was standing right next to me! She too had spent a few days in Sevilla and it was nice to have a friend to chat with on the ride to Cadiz – thank you universe! After a few hours, we arrived to the port of Cadiz, one of the prettiest I’d seen!

Lisa and I spent the rest of the day in Cadiz, shopping, eating and walking with some friends. We bought postcards, walked to the water’s edge, took photos of the Cadiz cathedral and chitchatted about our friends. On our way back to the ship, I found the most spectacular gold/metal necklace and bargained to buy it. Lisa stepped into a few shops and found two lovely summer dresses, a much-needed accessory for these hot Mediterranean days. Feeling successful, we returned to the ship before On-Ship time. That night, as the shipboard community was treated to a live Flamenco performance, I marveled at the gifts of Spain. I loved seeing my family, walking through the tiled streets of Sevilla and staring out at the blue waters of Cadiz. What is my life right now!? My word for Spain: Caliente!

Mile 34: Lisbon Reunion!

The ship’s arrival into Lisbon was an especially happy day for me because it meant I would get to see Mom and Dad after almost 1.5 months at sea (yay!). I love my sea family – friends who I’ve traveled with on the ship – but I was really looking forward to the comfort of connecting once again with my own loved ones. Since I was spending a few days with them, I packed a bag of clothes and headed out to their hotel.
The trek took longer than expected because the ship was not docked near any major taxi stands. After walking a ways, I found a kind Portuguese gentleman and his mother who pointed me in the direction of the correct bus (language barrier, shmanguage barrier!). I arrived safely and gave both my parents a huge hug. I passed along trinkets from my travels so far: cardigans and scarves for mom and SAS gear for Dad. They, in turn, showed me the massive bag full of homemade snacks I could take back to the ship!

We made plans to head to Sintra, a small town outside of Lisbon known for its historic castles. I had heard about these castles before and almost everyone who visited Lisbon previously had told me to make the trek up the mountain to see them. After multiple train rides and a bank stop, we arrived at the base of the mountain. Chitchatting and eating Indian snacks brought by mom made the trek go by very quickly. Mom and Dad had been in Lisbon for the past few days and they told stories of their hop on hop off tour and delicious Indian feast the night before. They marveled at the height of statues and large park in the city center and giggled at their ability to speak “Portuguese” with only hand gestures; they seemed to have really enjoyed their first European experience!

It was a really warm day and heading up the mountain by bus brought cooler breezes and sweeping views of Lisbon. At the top, we bought tickets to the Pena Palace and were floored by the magnificent castle. In warm hues of marigold, royal blue and blush pink, the castle walls stood prominently on top of the hill. On one side, the lookout point displayed the west coast of Portugal, truly stunning and expansive views all the way to the coast. Some of the castle was being renovated so we couldn’t see it all, but some of the rooms included religious alters and figurines. We ran into Dr. Mark and Erin at the castle, who stated that they had walked all the way up the mountain to see it (on such a hot day? What were you thinking??)

After a sandwich lunch (with lots of water) pit stop, we walked to the Palacio National and were treated to some really cool architecture and art. The multiple room building included remarkable furniture pieces, exclusive artwork and lots of tiled walls. I couldn’t get over the colors of the tiles: deep blue, white, green, yellow. The kitchen was mom’s favorite! It was a very large room with two chimneys, a wall length fireplace for cooking and dozens of bronze pots of various sizes. Mom kept saying, I could make so much daal in that thing! We sat on the cool concrete floor in the kitchen for a while, just taking in the view and thinking about the communal aspect of this country. How nice is it that the kitchen is twice the size of the bedroom!

Following the inside of the Palacio National, we ventured outside to the multi-tiered gardens. Even though it was quite hot outside, Dad made an uphill beeline to see the views of Sintra from the top. He is a real lover of nature and plants and the manicured planter boxes with various local species were a special treat for him. The gardens, though small, were very beautiful and included blue tiled walls, beautiful roses and a lion sculpture. We sat at the top for a while, taking in the cool breezes and getting a reprieve from the heat. We headed back into the town of Sintra where mom bought souvenirs with her spectacular bargaining skills (seriously, she has a PhD in it). It was so nice to have time with the parents. They are cool people and even if I weren’t their kid, I would want to spend loads of time with them. So glad they came to visit during the SAS voyage!

On our way back, I shared stories of ship life with them and told them about my favorite ports (France was not included!). We ate dinner in town at a McDonalds (I know I know, but its not a bad word in Europe if you’re looking for wifi), since we couldn’t find a veggie restaurant anywhere (after walking for almost an hour!), and then headed to bed early.

The next morning, we got dressed early and left to get on the MV Explorer. I had made arrangements for Mom and Dad to board the ship for the day because I really wanted them to see it. Mom had brought so many snacks for me that it took both Sylvia and Vladimir to ok all the ingredients (although I still think some of that stuff wasn’t supposed to be allowed on board, thanks Vladimir!) They both loved the ship, especially my room and Glazer lounge. Dad drank coffee and enjoyed the views from Glazer and Mom thought the salad bar at lunch was delicious. We ate lunch in the Garden Lounge, and snapped a few photos of my cabin; I introduced them to some of the folks we ran into on board as well. Then, we left to see Lisbon for the day.

We had decided to travel by hop on hop off again today to make travel easy but the ship was not very close to any of the stops so we walked for a while in the heat (not fun!). Finally, we caught the local bus to the famous Jeronimos Monastery in Lisbon. Even though I had told Mom and Dad not to visit it before I got to Lisbon, they couldn’t help themselves and thus, had already seen it – much to my chagrin. Hmph. So, I wandered in for a while without them and the church was definitely worth a visit. The size was overwhelming and it reminded me a lot of Notre Dame in Paris. 

Then, we walked over to the Monument to the Discoveries on the other side. It was quite warm so we headed for shade whenever we could. We rode the hop on hop off around the city for a while (thank goodness for air conditioning!) and I got to see the many hills around Lisbon. It was such a compact city and the rooftops all glimmered in shades of terracotta. We hopped off at a few locations to do some shopping and get water.

Our final stop was the Pombaline downtown center (Baixa) and we walked through the Rua Augusta pedestrian street to the famous Rua Augusta Arch and onto the large and picturesque Commerce Square. That area was really one of my favorites in the city because the architecture was very quirky and eclectic – one place had decorated its exterior walls with dozens of surfboards! The heat was quite unbearable by the afternoon so Dad and I took some photos and then we all headed back to the hotel near the Marques de Pombal. I only got to see the city for about half a day, and I definitely want to return, but Lisbon seemed to be very quaint city. The next time I go to Lisbon, I definitely want to see some of the higher viewpoints and go to St. George’s castle. Must return! That night, we ate a quick dinner and then packed our bags for the airport. We were heading to Seville!

Mile 33: The Luck of the Irish

On our second day in Ireland, some friends and I traveled by train to the small town of Howth, just 20 mins northeast of Dublin. The train smelled of new bandages but our chatter covered up the unpleasantries. We grabbed sandwiches in town and then followed the road to the start of the famous Howth hike. The beginning uphill climb was serious but we were rewarded with sweeping views of the harbor and Lambey Island. We passed Yeat’s old house as we traveled upward along the coast. The well-marked trail led us through some residential streets and then onto more jagged ground. I stopped to take a photo at one point and completely missed a passing seal in the water below. Everyone else saw it and I quickly became the girl who missed the seal.

The path curved around the hillside and we stopped every so often to let others hikers pass by or take a few photos. The cool 60-degree weather was an asset to us as we pushed on the purple trail. At one point, we turned a corner and could even make out the MV Explorer. A bit more than half way through, we sat down near a cliff’s edge and ate our sandwiches. Mine, sundried tomato and veggies, was really tasty thanks to the spicy sauce the shopkeeper had added. Serendipitously, a seal came up alongside the water’s edge below and this time, I saw it! The luck of the Irish! It watched us for a while, waiting for morsels of our sandwiches to fall down. He gave up shortly and was engulfed into the tranquil seas a few minutes later.

During the second half of the trek, my feet really started to ache from the jagged rocks sticking out on the ground. While the trail was pretty easy, the rocks kept jabbing the bottoms of my feet and I could feel them even though I was wearing sturdy shoes. Also, we had inadvertently chosen the longest of the four marked trails on Howth and what was meant to be a 2-hour hike lasted more than 5 hours. We passed by a beach, (nice to see the colors there!), some wildflower fields, a lighthouse, and a golf course at the top. All the while though, my feet ached with exhaustion and pain. Towards the end, I had to sit down for a few minutes to rub them in order to alleviate the pain. It was the longest walk of my life I think.

But, we made it back to town and happily caught the train to Dublin. I was meant to go dancing with Jess that night but given the state of my feet (I couldn’t walk anymore), I went straight to bed with two advil. Ouch. Two lessons come out of this otherwise amazing day: buy hiking boots and always carry advil. Still, the photos and stories from that hike are amazing. Would do it again for sure!

On the third day, a few of us – Alex, Marc, Janet and I – had bought tickets for a day trip to the Cliffs of Moher (we got them for really cheap at the Tourist office in Dublin). These alabaster cliffs were a true quest for me and I had wanted to go for many years. The day before, a group of students had traveled there and reported enjoying themselves, despite the cloudy weather, which shielded them from seeing the cliffs in their entirety. So, not optimistic about the weather but still excited about the cliffs, we boarded a 6am bus (after some coffee of course!) to take the three-hour drive to the West of Ireland. On the way, I chatted with Janet and listened to music on my ipod (I’ve noticed that I love long bus rides too, they really help put your thoughts in order!).

When we arrived, three hours later, we were greeted with the warmth of the afternoon sun that had melted away all the clouds, mist and haze of the morning. The cliffs, in all of their majestic glory, lay out before us in waves of green grass and an expanse of blue waters. The luck of the Irish again! At their highest, the cliffs are 214 meters above the sea surface and they stretch for about 5 miles. We walked along the edge, snapping pictures and enjoying this tremendous stroke of lucky weather. Even my camera was in heaven. I sat down on the edge of a bluff and stared out into the great blue. What luck! But then again, hadn’t this entire trip been such a lucky gift? And, why stop there, hadn’t my entire life brought me oodles of luck? I started to ponder the idea of “luck” on those cliffs and considered how I had arrived in this very spot. Sure, it was luck – getting chosen for this voyage, finding this trip so easily, having good weather – but it was also a lot of hard work – doing a PhD, the interview process, the preparations and teaching. The magnificent view off the Cliffs of Moher were a wonderful consequence of my life so far and I wouldn’t have exchanged that spot for anywhere in the world. I sent a “thank you” prayer off into the deep blue waters before heading back.  

On my way back to the bus, I ran into a few more friends who had come to the Cliffs independently and we marveled together at the sights for a while. Following some time in the adjacent gift store, we boarded the bus once again for Burren, which houses some really unusual geological formations since the ice age. The bus stopped and we were allowed to wander through the unique grounds and see some of the old stone walls built thousands of years ago. Having found a quite corner near the water’s edge, I plugged into my ipod and enjoyed the serenity of waving ocean. Do you ever have that feeling that no matter where you are going, your life is heading in the right direction? I don’t normally feel that way, mostly because I am a control freak, but in Burren, sitting on these historic formations, I really did feel peace. No matter where my life goes from here, I thought, it’s gotta be going the right way if I ended up here. =o)

We made it to a small town for lunch, which had a nice little pub with some seriously tasty Irish coffee. I feasted on pasta (no one likes vegetarians in Europe!) before heading off again. We drove to our third location, an old abandoned Abbey now turned into a cemetery. The grey stone walls rose high above the ground and rows of memorial slabs had become the front lawn. Inside, some of the alters sat at various corners of the open air Abbey and one even had an old skull inside. I walked around the exterior corners of the Abbey, peeping through window-less cutouts and stone slab graves on the ground. There was a lot of quiet to be found in Ireland, in its history, crystal waters and green fields.

The driver stated that we had some extra time on our trip so he added two additional stops: a small fishing village adjacent to a very serene lake and a chocolate shop near the Abbey. Both were prime indulgence stops, one for my camera and one for my sweet tooth. Feeling tired by the end of the day, the ride back into the city was very relaxing. 

As we made our way to Dublin, I took a ton of photos from the bus windows too. I could see the classics of Ireland: sheep grazing on green grass, rocky grey edges of land, four pubs on every street corner and rows of small cottages along the seaside. Ireland was as green as everyone said it would be. But the country also generated a sense of peace for me that I hadn’t felt in years. Here, the natural landscape required me to reflect, to stop, to wonder and to really see. In Ireland, I took a much-needed deep breath.

Mile 32: Dubliners

Docking in Dublin (that should have been my title!) for four days was a wonderful treat after France.  The first day, I headed off with friends – Zoe, Richard, Alex, and Marc – to see the city’s sights. I put on a cute dress, thinking the weather wouldn’t be so cold because it was sunny out. We wandered through the city center towards the Archeological museum, which houses some of the rarest and oldest art in the world, especially gold. Some of the pottery and jewelry date back to 800 BC! As visitors wander through the halls and starred at thousands of centuries of history, one can’t help but feel the enormity of time. A few of the gold necklaces were shaped like large collars, similar to ones found in India; the gold was paper-thin with etched designs. A woman from 700 BC wore this piece? What was she like? What were her priorities in life? Who had given her such a beautiful gift?

Floored by the vastness of creativity on earth, we traipsed through Dublin to Trinity College. As a literature professor, this university was a “must” on my Dublin hit list. I knew I wanted to see the Book of Kells, having heard Prof. Marc talk about its intricacies in cultural pre-port two nights before. The Book of Kells is a manuscript of Four Gospels from the New Testament. Many of its pages are lined with intricate illustrations and ornamentation. The books dates back to 800 AD and its very well preserved; the pages are all intact and the minute detailed drawings (they must have used one single hair as a paintbrush!) are crystal clear. It really made me think though, so much had been preserved in history and yet so much had been destroyed too. How did this thing survive? After viewing one page in the book from multiple angles (only one page is on display), we walked to the famous long library at Trinity College. This room, smaller in width than I imagined, contained rows of ancient books in the alcoves along one corridor. It resembled my mental image of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but this collection of rare books seemed more like the “Restricted Section” of the library in the HP novels. The library’s curved wooden ceilings and encased old books were especially nice to see in person. By the time we left the library, the weather had not warmed up and it looked like rain was eminent. Why had I put on a dress??

Feeling hungry around 1pm, we left Trinity and walked to Stag’s Head Pub, a favorite of Zoe and Richard’s, and also James Joyce at one time. Off the normal beaten path, the pub had a basic exterior but the casually-lit inside was littered with stain-glass windows, rustic wooden tables and rows and rows of whiskey. We had a delectable meal of pumpkin soup and a roasted goat cheese salad. Of course these were washed down with some good ole Guinness beer! Full of veggie goodness and photos of whiskey, we moved on to visit two cathedrals – St. Patrick’s and Christ Church Cathedral. The floor in St. Peter’s Cathedral was especially nice because it had so many multi-colored inlaid designs. Both were very lovely (though we only saw one on the inside since they charge a lot for entrance fees) but to be honest, by this point, I had had my fill of churches and wasn’t very moved by either of them. I did enjoy Marc telling us about the exterior architecture though, especially the flying buttresses. =o)

The need for a sugar rush came on strongly in the afternoon (and reprieve from the cold!), so we headed to a Dublin favorite, the Queen of Tarts pastry shop. An iconic landmark in the city, this beautifully decorated shop boasted a variety of pastries, pies, cakes, teas, coffees and other treats. I settled on a few macaroons and a kettle of Earl Grey tea. Oh my. The raspberry macaroons were nice enough, though a bit sweet, but the tea was heavenly, the perfect brew of bergamot, milk and black tea (Yogita would have loved it!). So so good! Alex’s carrot cake and Richard’s lemon tart are also really good honorable mentions here. In short, when in Dublin, go see the Queen!

Our walk through the city continued to the more commercial part because Alex wanted to see “the pole” up close. We walked through O’Connell Street and I hopped into the post office to mail some postcards. Then, Zoe and I wandered into the Primark store (I so wanted to buy a pair of pants at this point! Still freezing!) for some clothes shopping and we ran into Lisa there. The boys hit up a bookstore and then we all walked up to the pole. Looking at it from its base, the Spire of Dublin, rising some 400ft in the air, seemed to have a falling-towards-you appearance and thus was very unnerving. But, it is quite an impressive piece of art, how did they get it up?

We walked through town to the edge of the commercial district and then meandered back slowly since our dinner reservation was quite late. We stepped into a nice pub call The Quay (pronounced key) for a pre-dinner drink and immediately applauded our choice. As we got our drinks, a two-man bad started playing Irish pub songs. I stepped out quickly to call mom and dad (hadn’t talked to them in a while) and then came back to hear the band’s ending sets. The pub was exactly the “Dublin” experience I wanted: loud Irish music, a good pint and some fun friends. Basically, I was in a “Cheers” episode. =o) That night, dinner at Brasserie 66 was spectacular, one of the best of the trip! The three-course dinner consisted of a lovely Mediterranean appetizer with hummus, pita and veggies, a pillowy tortillini filled with spinach and smothered with the spicy tomato and arugula sauce, Fancy cocktails (of course!) and a shared chocolate pie– so good!

 

Although I walked more than I had in a very long time, some 25k steps according to the pedometer, it was a really fun-filled and fulfilling day in Dublin. I liked this city of “chancers and cheats,” as Declan calls it in the movie Leap Year. It was a cold day and I would have enjoyed it more had I dressed appropriately, but I hardly remember the cold now. Instead, I remember the warmth of the orange cocktail I had at dinner and the silly photos I took with a statue of James Joyce.

On my final day in Dublin, I was on a mission to buy a nice bottle of whiskey for my brother Jag. He likes whiskey and although he prefers scotch, I thought a good bottle might be just the best Christmas present (shhh, don’t tell him). I had inquired about good local whiskeys shops from the Dublin tour operator and, on this last morning, I set out to bring one back before noon (all alcohol must be brought back onto the ship before noon on the last day in Port). We took a taxi into town, found the shop rather quickly and then Debra and I sampled a few (just a few!). I took the recommendation of the clerk and bought a nice local brand whiskey not found in the states. Then, I ran back to the ship by foot and just barely arrived before noon; phew, what a lot of effort! Hope Jag likes it!

Overall, Dublin’s historic alleyways and pub corners were a welcome change from the snootiness of France. The people were friendly, helpful and welcoming (their accents were very appealing too!) and I really enjoyed seeing so much history in one place. All of Europe is a historian’s dream but Dublin in particular seemed a high prize. My favorite spot has to be the library at Trinity College. The word that comes to mind in Dublin is “Friendly” – very walkable city, a smaller version of London, nice people and really good atmosphere in pubs and restaurants. Go to Dublin if you get the chance!

Mile 31: Abdullah

A young man named Abdullah Elshamy, a foreign student from Egypt, regularly attends Writing Center Hours in the afternoons. He comes in with his class papers and diligently listens to me explain how he can improve on his ideas and his writing. He has come several times and by sheer luck, gotten me as his tutor every time. We greet each other in the hallways and at dinner and he seems to be a very well liked student on the ship.

Sadly, in Dublin, he left the voyage. In France, Abdullah put his bag on the top rack of a train while traveling from Paris to Le Havre. A little while later, he realized the bag was gone. In it, he had all of his money, credit cards and most importantly, his passport. We all know on the ship that our passport is our lifeline. The purser requires all of us to return passports after each port and avoids giving them to us so that they may be kept safe. Since Abdullah was traveling to Geneva, he had to have his passport with him. And, on the train, he lost it. He and his friends looked for it up and down the train (since it had not made any stops yet) but the thief was savvy enough to hide the bag.

Several days later, after many attempts to get another one, he was told that the Egyptian consulate would take 6 weeks to replace the passport. Since he cannot be without his passport for so long on this voyage, he had to permanently leave the ship.

The whole shipboard community came together and threw him a goodbye party. He was smiling with friends and taking tons of pictures. Everyone signed his world map and the crew made him a cake. He came and found me in the crowd and hugged me. I told him I was proud of his attitude. This young man then gave a wonderful speech to the whole community (the Union was filled with more than 400 students) where he spoke about following one’s passions in life and letting events take their course. He spoke about being a proud and practicing Muslim and the gift of so many new friends. He spoke as a wise man who had realized the true gifts he had been given – opportunity and memory. What an inspiration he was to all who knew him. The students took a group photo with him (he is in the center with the red/pink shirt) and we all tried very hard not to cry (I failed on that one).

I’m very proud of Abdullah and his accomplishments on the ship and in life. He will return to Egypt and hopefully take a few classes at his home university if they allow him to start a bit late. He will perhaps get the opportunity to sail on another voyage soon (ISE is trying to help him there) but more than anything, he will always put a smile on our faces. We miss you Abdullah!

Mile 30: Paris, the Crazy

My second day in France, I was fortunate enough to get a free SAS trip ticket to Paris on an architectural tour (so excited!). The idea behind the tour was that two professors, one architecture and one engineering, would take students around Paris’s major monuments; however, the day was quite depressing because of the many itinerary changes and lack of contact with professors. After a long drive to Paris, we arrived at Notre Dame. The actual monument was spectacular and the elements of French Gothic Architecture resonated with the exterior flying buttresses and interior statues and windows (the large rose one was breathtaking). But, the guide was so absentminded that he failed to notice a long line forming. He gave us a long speech instead of letting inside the church and by the time we got in, we only had 15 mins to explore. We clicked a ton of photos and when we came out, the guide had changed the itinerary; we headed to lunch instead of the Pompidou museum.

Jacqui, Ray and I grabbed some sandwiches at a cute roadside café (which had some seriously cute waiters!), did some souvenir shopping (I bought two magical scarves) and then rode the bus to our next stop, the Eiffel Tower. Initially, we were supposed to take the metro there but once again, plans changed (seriously!?). The traffic in Paris was so bad that it took us over an hour to get to the Tower. We had a guided tour of the tower and a reservation to avoid the lines, or so we thought. The Eiffel Tower was magnificent in its architecture and engineering but the guide moved through the structure so fast that he lost some students in the crowds and also didn’t allow the professors to give information about its construction. 
 

We waited in two 45 min lines to see the views from 2^nd floor and the very top floor. The views, as you can see, were breathtaking and all of Paris spread out in rows before us. But, once again, we had very little time to take photos (15 mins) before having to run back to the bus. Our final stop, the Pompidou museum, was close to Notre Dame so we took another long ride back to that area of town. I really enjoyed this ride, however, because it had begun to rain hard and the city seemed to be washing away the awkwardness of the morning.

A fresh start? Not really. When we arrived at the Pompidou, the tour guide stated that they did not have tickets for us and we were supposed to admire the place from the outside. The professors attempted to tell us about the structure, but once again were thwarted by the guide who interrupted continually. The museum was unlike anything I had seen before; it reminded me of a giant hamster maze. Finally, one of the professors paid for our entry into the museum to see the views from the top, since he felt it had already been a hard day (very nice of him!). Once again, we were there for about 15 mins before we had to head back to the bus and the guide stated we could grab dinner on the way home.

The guide wanted to leave Paris by 6pm but this choice, again, turned out to be a bad one because 6pm was rush hour traffic in Paris and it took us more than 2 hours to get out of the city (had this guide never been to Paris before?!). We rode another 3 hours back to Le Havre and stopped at a truck station for dinner (so annoying!). It seemed to me that if we had been given an opportunity to eat dinner in Paris and perhaps stay at the museum longer, we would have avoided this traffic and had a better experience. Students and professors alike were so disappointed by the day that none of them wanted to fill out evaluations. We finally did but I believe all of them were negative since we spent more than 8 hours on the bus, more time than in the city of Paris.

I really had no right to complain, since my ticket was free, but it was hard not to look at the day as a waste. It would have been more efficient to just go off on my own all day instead of being herded around and seeing sites for very short periods of time. On the way home, I listened to my ipod and tried to sleep, attempting to empty my frustrations. From my end, I didn’t really feel like I got to see the real Paris. It seemed like a blur seen through a cloudy window mixed with hoards of people and a very rush-rush attitude. I know that this is not the real Paris, the one everyone raves about when they visit, so I hope I get to go back and see it again with fresh eyes (rose colored ones). Can I have a mulligan?!