Blocking the Sunset

December 3rd, 2008

We were supposed to be in Grand Cayman today and take a glass bottom boat trip,

but it was too rough for the tenders so we didn't even really stop very long. They tried to launch the tenders twice before they gave up. We have been here before so it wasn't really a problem for us.

ticket

I didn't even take any photos.The ship was rolling quite a bit.

This is now another sea day.

Atrium of the ship

Small tree in the dining room

We ate lunch in the Lido because it was scheduled to be a port day so the restaurant wasn't open.

Bob's tray at lunch

I had the pasta guy fry the pasta and then put a lot of cheese on it instead of tomato sauce

Pasta plate

We went up to Trivia, and WON. I knew that the first swimming stroke was breaststroke, and that Memphis was the FedEx hub, and Dottie (the lady from PA) knew that she worked for the 35 cents and hour in 1961 for minimum wage, so that when it was instituted in 1938 it had to be less than that. We got key chains or they offered us Damm Dollars which can be earned at sporting events (basketball throws, golf putting) throughout the ship and redeemed for prizes at the end. Since we had no other Damm Dollars we took the key chains, which are very nice (for key chains).

They switched formal night and had it tonight instead of tomorrow night, so we had lobster for dinner.

Layered Fruit Tier-Mango,Pineapple, Blueberries and Raspberries with Cottage Cheese

Cheddar and Crab Chowder with a Lavosh Cracker

Broiled New England Lobster Tails

Tiramisu

The next port is Key West and we may be there a day early.

December 4, 2008
The breakfast Special was Ranch Scrambled (comes with fajita beef strips in a corn tortilla basket), which I ordered.

Ranch Scrambled

I sat down and took a photo of all the things I bought and put them in various bags according to family.

For lunch I had the

Boston lettuce and Cherry tomatoes

and Bob had.

Assorted wedges of melon and pineapple

Then I had the

Chicken Salad croissant

and I think he had soup. He had the

Chocolate mousse cake

for dessert and it had a very artistic flower on the plate. I had the

Peach berry pie

We did horribly at trivia, getting only seven out of 21 correct.

I signed up for the next cruise with a grandchild. Although she is Catholic and I really wanted to take her to the Vatican, I decided the Med would be too hot for me in July, so I went with Copenhagen to Russia and back to Rotterdam. I haven't been to Russia, Sweden or Estonia at all, and have not been to Holland or Denmark in over 50 years so I will have to research it. I went to send emails and about 2:40 I looked out the window and saw a lighthouse, so I went out to take pictures.

Sand Key Lighthouse?

Fort Taylor

I could see two cruise ships at the dock which proved to be Celebrity Infinity (out on the Navy pier)

Celebrity Infinity

and RCI Majesty of the Seas which was next to town.

Approaching Mallory Square

top of the former Customs House

Clock on the County Courthouse

Memorial Park

Aquarium

We got into Key West right about 4 pm and they put us in front of Majesty right at Mallory Square where the ship casts a big shadow on all the sunset revelers. Most of the time, they make the ships move from there before the sun goes down. I don't know what they had to pay to get that spot. I took a bunch of pictures of the goings on, but we didn't go ashore.

Living Statue

Unicycle and Dog in a diaper

Cat man

Merchants in Mallory Square

Sunset

We watched the sunset from dinner (although the windows were pretty dirty).

I had the

Deep fried Shrimp tenders

the chilled apricot soup, and the

English Roast Beef with Yorkshire Pudding

The pudding was pretty dry - I found it disappointing. Bob had

Meatloaf

and for the second time this cruise he had trouble with his hiatal hernia and had to leave the table. Both times we have been eating with a couple from Penns Grove NJ (they retired there from NYC). They were very concerned and suggested all kinds of possible treatments.

Finally I blurted out that it had happened only twice - maybe it was them that were bad luck. Which was kind of mean I guess. But maybe it was because he was a little deaf so Bob was using his diaphragm to project more or something

December 5th

When we went to get off the ship, I found I didn't have my room card - I had stuck it into my passport and didn't bring that with me. So I sat on my cane at the gangway

Gangway

and Bob went back to the room to get it. I tried to phone him when I remembered where it was, but he was already leaving the room and didn't answer. Majesty of the Seas was gone but Grandeur of the Seas had taken her place.

I wanted to get a picture of the Grant Wood "American Gothic" figures, but they were taking them down and had the heads off already.

Disassembling American Gothic

We first walked to the PO and I mailed a package of literature etc back to myself, and also a package to Beth and one to Rob.

Bob going into the PO

I found later that I had mailed my train tickets in with the rest of the stuff.

Then a lady at the Post Office gave us a ride to the cemetery

Key West Cemetery sign

Cemtery Hours -No Dogs and Really No Dogs

and I had a wonderful time wandering among the tombstones.

Angel statue-someone was in the cemetery repairing broken statues

One of the cemetery workers gave me a nice map

Sexton House

and I found some of the various Masonic Lodge vaults - There are Masonic lodges for each of the major ethnic groups in Key West: white, black, and Cuban. The one I saw (the Dr. Felix Varela Masonic Lodge Vault) belongs to the Cuban lodge, named for a Catholic priest who was active in the Cuban independence movement.

Dr. Felix Varela Masonic Lodge Vault

I found the monument to the U.S.S. Maine - On February 15, 1898, the USS Maine blew up in Havana Harbor, killing some 260 American sailors, a disaster that led to the U.S. declaring war on Spain. Some two dozen of those dead are buried in the plot, on either side of the central copper statue.

U.S.S. Maine section

I also saw Los Martires de Cuba - Monument which was erected in 1862 to honor those who died attempting to free Cuba from Spanish rule during the Ten Years War (1868-1878).

Los Martires de Cuba

However when it came time to go back, we couldn't find a bus stop or a taxi. We had to walk five or six blocks before we found one

Conch houses and Fence near the cemetery

Decorated fire plug

.
Then it was $7 to take us to the pier - about 4 blocks.

Wrecker's Statue

We ate in the Lido and then I took a nap. I assumed we'd have the last trivia at 3:30 as usual, but they changed it to 3 pm and we missed it completely.

Mallory Square from above

Memorial Park

Fire Eater getting ready to perform at the sunset

I stayed up in the Crows Nest and did emails until we started the Sail-Away and then I went out and took pictures.

Pelicans in formation

Plane

Tank Key aka Sunset Island

PWCs (Personal Water Craft) circling the ship

US Coast Guard

Fort Taylor

Fort Taylor

Fort Taylor beach

Royal Caribbean ship leaving ahead of us

For dinner we had the Chef's Gala.

We had an assigned table - we were with a couple of Canadians that we had eaten with before, and also a pair from the Channel Islands.

Golden baked brie in phyllo dough

The chefs did a dance with Napkins and then with the salad.

Salad

Bob and I both had the lobster bisque, and then he had the

Apricot Glazed Salmon

and I had

Sauteed shrimp provinciale

.
Then they had a dessert presentation which was

Baked Alaska

.

I took pictures of the sunset through the salt encrusted windows.

Sunset

After that of course I had to pack. I finally just jammed everything into my big suitcase, and went to bed.

We dis-embark tomorrow in Ft. Lauderdale