10 May 2007:
Late Evening:
I really did plan to stop trashing my tablemates with
the last installment of this tale, but I’ve received several emails (some from people I’ve never met who have
seen my web postings) asking me to continue....so I will, but I hope, only briefly.
Dinner this evening was much better, from my point of view.....because
I had now moved as far away from the Secret Agent Man as I could get. This was no accident. Last night following dinner, the
Ohioans...having seen my discomfort....offered to switch seats for the evening and take the heat for a night. It was quite
a show. From across the table...out of spitting range and almost out of hearing....James Bond was not a big problem. However,
for Mrs. Ohioan, things weren’t so rosy. I noticed that twice during dinner she raised her napkin to shield herself
from food particles being expelled from Bond. But she was a fighter.....she challenged Secret Agent Man on several of his
stories....including the way he always addressed his wife as “my wife” instead of by her name. I particularly
liked a story where he got a manicure and they used pink nail polish instead of clear.....somehow it just doesn’t seem
right for James Bond to be running around saving the free world from the Commies while wearing pink nail polish. But I was
happy with my location for the evening and I could bask in the glow of fine food, fine wine and being out of the immediate
circle of Secret Agent Man. After dinner I did have to thank the Ohioans for “taking a bullet” for me. They
even promised to do it again for one other night.....you’ve got to love those folks from Ohio. Mr. SuperGlue is no longer
an issue....James Bond has become such a problem that even the SuperGlues are trash-talking about him. I think we could orchestrate
a palace coup and move the entire table to a different location....but that would be wrong........wouldn’t it?
Odds and Ends:
For those wondering about shipboard activities, I can tell you
that even though this is a port day when most people will be ashore, there are 31 “daytime activities” listed
in the ship’s paper. These include: Tai Chi classes, a lecture on John F. Kennedy, an ice carving demo, afternoon tea,
Lazy Afternoon Trivia contest, the Princess Olympics (“compete in 5 out of 8 challenges and be a Princess Champion”)
and Ballroom Blitz – East Coast Swing classes. Today’s movie in the Princess Theater is “Pursuit of Happiness”.
In the evening there are 8 shows, lounge acts or events on the schedule; including a comedian, a jazz trio, a pianist and
a 70’s dance party. So boredom is not an option.
The Martini of the Day is “Very Berry”.....Bombay Sapphire Gin, Chambord, Crème
de Cassis, Blackberry liqueur and Sweet & Sour Mix.
The boutique event today is “DIAMONDS! DIAMONDS! DIAMONDS!”....which I plan to avoid
at all costs......or more correctly: which I plan to avoid because of the costs.
11 May 2007:
A very nice morning; the wind brought enough of a chill to encourage a light jacket on deck, but I was
out on the observation platform above the bridge to look for the first signs of land after 5 days at sea. We finally sighted
the island of Sao Miguel on the horizon and as we approached we were greeted by a pod of about 30 dolphin skipping across
the water. The speed, grace and pure exuberance of these creatures is always a joy to watch. A couple of sea turtles and scores
of seabirds rounded out the pre-docking entertainment.
Welcome to Ponta Delgada......take a handful of glittering
emeralds and cast them across a cloth of deep blue velvet. That’s what the Azores look like from afar. This enthralling
chain of islands will capture your senses like few other places can. Located 800 miles off the coast of Portugal, the Azores
have been under Portuguese rule since the 16th century. Drenched in sun and blooming with tropical flowers, the
nine islands of the Azores rise majestically from the depths of the vast Atlantic Ocean....or so the port guide says.
We found Ponta Delgada to be a pleasant stop....but not memorable. We did not
have a tour booked to the main attractions in the area: the crater lakes. We had heard that they were very nice, but that
clouds often obscure the area, so we decided that we would just wander around the town instead. It turned out to be a gorgeous
day in the town, but we could see clouds hugging the mountain tops through most of the afternoon. We’ll have to ask
some of our fellow passengers if the lakes were visible.
The town stretches for a good distance along the coast. We confined ourselves to the main downtown
area near the port....as did most of my 2700 fellow cruisers....so there was a lot of congestion along the narrow sidewalks
on the back streets. I saw no stoplights at any of the intersections, but they have very courteous drivers here.....pedestrians
would step into the street without fear....and often without looking....and the drivers would stop and politely wait for anyone
who wanted to cross the street. If you were to try this in Dallas the streets would be littered with bodies.
Due to the number of people in the downtown area we
decided not to have lunch in one of the cafes and instead stopped at a store and picked up a bottle of Meia Pipa wine that
I’ll sample tomorrow at sea.
The terrain here is remarkably rough, hilly and green.....I guess that “glittering emeralds”
stuff isn’t just chamber of commerce PR. I am told that the Azores are in fact the tallest mountains on the planet....taller
than Mt Everest....It’s just that 95% of them are under water.
.....I’m running up against a hard deadline.....dinner....so I better stop
this and start getting ready. I will try to post some photos after dinner to supplement my very brief description of the port.
