Mediterranean Cruise

Mediterranean Cruise – what an adventure!!

Overview: Seven countries (Italy; Greece; Croatia; Slovenia; France; Spain; Portugal) with 23 ports of call. Whew, almost six weeks of travel – auto; plane; ship and a few bus tours. The sights I saw and the experiences are way too much to write about. Hopefully some of you saw the few I did post on FB but did not post any blogs because I was too busy being in the moment.

Every country and port were new to me. I sometimes picked a “less” popular tour, just to see something different and interesting. Like the Andalusian horse ranch in Cartagena Spain. We had to wear masks for the horses! They weren’t sure how they might be affected by covid. And of course, Flamenco dancer show.

Another interesting tour was to Lake Bled, Slovenia. A gondola like ride to the island with a church at the top of 99 steps. Legend has it that the groom must carry his bride up the 99 steps in order to have a long, happy marriage. I barely made it up carrying nothing, assume the groom probably more fit! Those legends and stories add to my enjoyment of specific sites.

 

I saw so many beautiful and interesting sights. It really was very port intensive, which I was not used to and being unfamiliar territory it all began to blur together.

 

Trevi Fountain – Rome Italy Yes, I threw my coins into the fountain so I will return. Proper tossing: Back to the fountain, coins in right hand, tossed over my left shoulder.

     

    

Pompeii – my favorite tour. Look at that intricate tile work and the “paintings”. Amazing

I met a lot of folks. Did some activities with new friends I met and some by myself. This cruise was very different from others I have taken, not just because I didn’t have David by my side. The Covid restrictions; paperwork; testing; limited activities and entertainment. The ship was about half booked which at times, it seemed very empty. Crew; entertainers; tour guides; shop owners; were all very glad to be back working.

The highlight, if I can call it that, was the scattering of David’s ashes on the transatlantic portion of the cruise. I shared with folks before and after about my plan. People were surprised that the ship would allow and even assist and several liked the idea and were going to tell their kids about it.

I had two friends by my side; one gal I met on the ship and the other flew with me from San Diego. Both also recent widows. Also shipboard crew as they blocked off the back of the ship to give me/us privacy as I tossed the biodegradable (proven and approved) urn and a flower into the ocean. Later in my stateroom was a certificate with the date and location. David had always wanted to take a transatlantic cruise and while I’m sure this was not exactly what he had in mind, it felt very appropriate. Plus, sharing this event with others gave me even more closure.

And so begins a new chapter…

Going Off Line

 

I’m going off line for a while. Because finally the long-awaited Mediterranean and Transatlantic Cruise is actually going to happen!  

This cruise, well, cruise preparation since I’m not on the cruise yet. Has been quite a learning/growing experience. I have spent more time on line researching everything from ports to explore to where to find or buy a rapid antigen covid test. My credit card has seen more activity than normal and now includes ordering on line – something I avoided in the past.

And I’ve made new friends in the process – 4 of us-Cruisin’ Gals. All with an Escapees RV background so I’m sure we will have lots of traveling stories to share during the long flight(s); while standing in line for Covid tests (although I think the ship has this worked out quite well); at leisure dinners. I am quite confident that the 4 of us will be laughing most of the time. And will manage the new cruising protocols with ease.

I imagine David is laughing along with my new adventures and most likely attempting to reassure me that “it will all work out”. He definitely had the no worries, keep calm attitude. I am attempting to assimilate his attitude as I navigate these new “roads”. I’m not a worry-wart, I just like to consider any and all bumps in the road that may (or may not) appear. LOL

Ordering on line, something I did not do much. Traveling as we did, was not always easy to determine where we would be when the item would arrive; using a billing address with a different shipping address. Not a big deal, I know, but something I did not feel the need to do. However, in preparing for special cruise items I now have the ordering on line down pat! And since I’m usually in one place for a length of time, ordering delays are not an issue. Perhaps a skill I didn’t need to develop as I am really quite enjoying it.

In preparation for this cruise, I’ve gone through several learning curves; challenges;

We, as in the 4 of us gals, thought having the Global Entry card would assist in ease of international travels and being TSA approved, faster for airline check in, etc. Obtaining this card brought a lot of new challenges. Some I’ve written about previously, traveling in the wee hours to the border of Mexico! And I’ve already used the TSA portion on my flight to Florida this summer. And as usual, now that I’ve got it, all the drama involved has been forgotten.

I’ve not done any European travel so while I’ve stopped researching potential ports (due to the constant adding/deleting ports), I know I will enjoy exploring any and all ports that are allowed for disembarking. Either exploring on foot or tour it will all be new and fascinating; some to be added to my must do again list. In preparation for visiting ports, I now know how to order foreign dollars (euros in this case).

Learning, learning, learning and decision making. And this has given me an activity over the summer. I do overthink things but I’m working on doing that less. I like to make lists. And I’m liking ordering on line, what fun to open up the box(es) and finally hold the item purchased. Like my 18 pocket vest; I love it. And it has already come in handy more than once, so a good purchase. Red has been my ordering color because I want to feel as bold as the color red.

I will basically be out of touch until mid November. Will try to post some pictures. In the meantime see what you can do to push yourself just a little bit and discover all new worlds of people, places and things. That’s a challenge David and I gave ourselves annually and now I am living it to the fullest.

18 pocket red vest

Papa 100 years young!

 

Matching red vests; shared my hat on the Midway

Papa - Happy to see me!

Michael; Me; Peter; Caroline; Steve; Heather; Scott

Obviously I have not mastered photos and placement! 

What a special weekend. Activities and conversations too many to recount, hopefully I’ll remember most of them (not necessarily to write about)! While the emphasis was on Papa/Bob who turned 100 on Monday, the absence of David and his older brother, Chris was felt. However, they were there in spirit and in some of the story telling that went on over the weekend. You’d think at this point everyone knew all the stories but I think we all managed to pull out a few that had not been told before. It made for some great laughter and few other emotions but that’s all part of the game of life.

The weekend almost ended on very sour note. Pete (my chauffer for the weekend 😊) and Caroline were driving south from Del Mar/Solana beach after catching one of Mia’s soccer games. Suddenly from the on ramp came about 50 motorcycles (street/dirt bikes not highway machines – I know from my motorcycle days). They were going fast and pulling wheelies! They coerced two autos off to the right hand side, they began coming our way and attempting to get us to pull over into the fast lane, which was already occupied with autos. Pete remained calm and drove carefully in and around these fools. Caroline and I were making loud comments (ok, maybe it was just me). They got off at the next exit. They all had “go-pros” for filming. We suspect they were doing some kind of U-tube video. Idiots. (was I not supposed to tell this? I think that was discussed)

I call them idiots because, guess what I came home to. A fatal shooting in the park near the house. I’m alarmed and saddened by it. I have since found out; it was during a “memorial” for a high school boy who was killed in an auto accident. Guess what. He was speeding and has several videos on you tube of him speeding and zipping in and out of traffic. At the park some got into an altercation with shots fired. Sad.

Back to the weekend, told backwards. Dinner Saturday night outside at a marina. Beautiful location. Seemed to be a bit of a learning curve going on with the restaurant. Normally, I get as frustrated as the next guy when waiting overly long for food. There were 12 of us; 3 generations. Enjoying the view, taking photos and more conversation made the time go. We ended up being there 4 or 5 hours and it felt like minutes. Not all of us had been together during the day so lots to talk about and catch up on. It’s been a while since we had an Anderson gathering, this seems like the smallest one but certainly no lack of caring and sharing.

It was also very sweet when I presented Steve with a mini purple urn of David’s ashes and everyone passed the urn around the table. Really felt like recognizing and including David in the gathering. Purple in recognition of Pan Can (pancreatic cancer). A bit of a bonding moment as my two earlier plans for celebration were cancelled by covid shutdown. Thankful I had a brief bit of time before the shutdown.

My very first Anderson gathering was December 1980 at Disneyland. There must have been 14 of us. David and I got “assigned” Byron and the dog, Jasper as our ride alongs from San Diego to Anaheim.  I should have paid better attention to see what I was getting myself into! Just kidding. A good blogger would post the picture of all of us posing with our red kerchiefs so we could find each other during the day. But I’m not sure if it’s a hard copy of digital picture or where to look. (see comment above about me and photos!)

My favorite gathering was May 1998, Mexican Riviera cruise. 22 of us on that trip; 4 generations. My favorite because that’s what introduced me the life of cruises. I had no idea I would so fall in love with that mode of vacation. It was only 7 days and we gave up an RV rally to attend but am I glad we went. Oh, that’s when David and I won the dance contest, best Twisters. Got a plastic ship on a stick for the prize, which I unfortunately no longer have (well it was only plastic – maiden voyage of the Elation). One of the nephews reminded me about this; even remembered the song, I Will Survive! And isn’t that appropriate.

Well It feels like I’ve gone on enough so I will end here. However, this is only a tiny bit of the weekend. Maybe more later, maybe more pictures, maybe not. Thanks for reading.

Remember, what you do or say today may become a family story in later years!

Sanibel Island

 

Shells were plentiful, some finds

Sanibel Island Florida July 2021

This is not a travel blog, just my rambling thoughts as I continue to move forward in this new chapter of my life. So here goes my first visiting trip that requires a flight or two across country. Last summer was my first solo car trip to Colorado.

I am on my way to visit Chris who will be my roomie on the Mediterranean Cruise in October, fingers crossed the cruise does happen. David and I met Chris and her late husband, Charles through our RV club annual rally – Escapade. It’s really this blog that kept us connected. While we don’t know each other really well we do have a lot in common, good things along with the sadness of losing our husbands. This will be a good trial to see how we will get along as roommates for the cruise. And I must say it is starting off well with me in my red vest and pink shirt and Chris (sorry I’m telling this on you) in her pink (it looked red in the closet) shirt and red crocs! The laughs started with that and just continued. BTW, my vest with 18 pockets and the pre approved TSA made the whole flying check in experience a breeze. The vest is great for travels. Important things handy and organized.

I took all this as a good omen that I was heading the right direction. Also, this was a favorite place of Janie, my mother-in-law. She loved the island and collecting shells. I had wanted to visit it.

Even on vacations stuff still happens. This morning the power went out. Thank goodness, for me, I had just taken my oatmeal out of the microwave. That was my pre breakfast as Chris was going to make eggs and bacon for herself and I’d have a bit of a second meal. However, since the stove is electric, not sure that will happen. Chris got the last cup of coffee before it went cold.

We plan to go to J N “Ding” Darling national wildlife refuge. May bring the dogs (Charlie and Bailey) along as there is no a/c in the cottage. Fortunately, it came back on rather quickly and all is well.

Before the trip, I’d purchased some concrete turtles for yard ornaments in El Cajon. And suddenly I am now collecting turtles. I had discovered colorful metal critters on a metal pole that will twist and turn with the wind. There was a choice of several animals and figured metal turtles would get along with the concrete turtles. Now here I am on Sanibel Island, finding/buying more turtles. First off, the cottage I am staying at with my friend is called Turtle Tracks West. Twice now driving we have slowed the car to avoid us or others from running over the endangered gopher turtle(s) crossing the road(s). And shopping for a Sanibel Island memento, I picked turtle earrings. This was all topped off with ice cream, flavor – turtle, of course! And no, I am not going to start collecting turtles.

I’m enjoying the trip; the company; the food; shell hunting and painting and the dogs. Bailey has taken a liking to me and when I sit down, he immediately comes over to sit by my side. I’m gonna miss him. There really is just too much to share it all. I am so glad I once again stepped out of my comfort zone to take a cross country trip to a new place; meet new roomie; new challenges too. Like Elsa hurricane warnings; deciding to leave the island a day early; delay my departure; spend a couple days with Chris at her place in central Florida. I had to change my departure date and airport. Glad I got to spend a couple days more but it back-fired a bit. The storm did not do exactly as we thought so my departure out of Orlando turned into yet another adventure. Still good that we left the island, there was flooding.

Orlando started out great. However, waiting to board the delayed flight notices begin. Then the delays meant my 4+ hour layover in Atlanta began getting shorter and shorter until, Atlanta flight left before I would get there. I could write quite a story on this. Basically my 1pm flight left about 6 pm; I had minutes to make my “new” connecting flight. My luggage didn’t make it. There was a little stress; panic; concern and finally calm to walk through it and trust the process. Nice people along the way. Kiosk man who had to help me use the self service check out (I was starving and thirsty and realized waiting to get on the plane was out. Well I did have snacks in some of the 18 pockets but…). Then the gentleman who saved my seat in the now crowed waiting area while I went to use the facilities. On the plane another gentleman who offered to get my bag out of the overhead (even tho I didn’t have a bag stowed). And especially the flight attendant who had to answer several questions on my “seat controls”. Even tho I was tired; hungry, I laughed to myself. David would have been pushing buttons and lifting trays and thoroughly enjoying himself. Oh, did I say, I treated myself to first class on the way home. What a treat! Seat made into a bed; large monitor; my own private cubicle. Then I go and spill my coffee and later can’t get the bathroom door open, flight attendant to the rescue again. Oh well!

After not finding my luggage on the carousel in San Diego; reporting it where I discover it never left Atlanta; getting a Lyft ride; it’s almost midnight (more like 2 am to my body) I’m back in El Cajon! And when the delayed baggage arrives the next day this adventure ends.

Choices!

Ready to fly; headphones on R

Individual cubbies

Good things are coming down the road, don’t stop walking. That’s what I’m trying to do. And you?

Global Entry - Trusted Traveler Network

 

Global Entry – Trusted Traveler Network

Mission accomplished! This is a program that will expedite customs entry when entering the USA from a foreign country (and believe me this is on my agenda) also includes TSA portion for airline screening. TSA pre-approved means no shoe removal; no pulling out your 3oz bottles or food; subject to discretion of course. Basically, should make traveling easier.

It is and isn’t easy to get. Depending on your definition of easy. I started out by applying on line and paying my nonrefundable $100. Very promptly I got back my conditional approval. Great, now to schedule an appointment. I looked at several locations. Some were not taking appointments at all and Otay, CA the closest open to me; next available appointment – One Year away! A friend suggested calling. Well after double checking the schedule, I figured what have I got to lose. I settled in to make a call; while on hold I idlily signed in and looked again at the schedule. What! Suddenly an appointment – for the very next day. I was excited and hung up and clicked, schedule. Yikes! Times were 4am to 5:45am every 15 minutes. Nothing else, until next year as previously noted. Well, I debated. Was this an omen; would appointments be opening up? Or do I throw stuff in the car; head to El Cajon from Yuma – now? OK I’m going for it. In the time it took me; went from 5 available to 1. I nabbed it.

I was about to say I have never packed so fast but I did a few of these “fast pack -ups” with David. And the trips back and forth were often enough that this was quick and easy. I’ll take a moment here to say previous experience/practice in trying times benefited me for a fun/exciting event. Small gratitude moment.

Arrived afternoon in El Cajon – after a pleasant stop and visit with my sister, Barb (and her husband, Bill, and kitties, Freddy and Inky). Unload car, kick off shoes, set alarm for 4:45 am.

Driving down was early enough so not much traffic. I carefully watched exits as I needed the last USA exit. Got it, but missed the first road turn but was able to circle the block. The parking lot for the public has been closed. There are many shops and several pay parking lots. I had no idea where the building was and had worn my walking shoes for this reason. Well thank goodness my phone was happy to give me walking directions once I input the buildings address. As I got close the signage for the Global entrance was visible (not to be confused with the entrance from Mexico 😊) I waited about 40 minutes, past my appointment time, for 5 minute “interview”. The card should come in the mail within 2 weeks. Oh, guess what, that means a trip back to Yuma which is where it will be mailed. Oh well.

While this was somewhat fun and I wanted to do it. Also, came along with a bit of fear for someone who has no sense of direction (and Otay said not to use GPS directions). The timing and decision to actually do this are still part of my new world. Another step in the direction of Life of Marilyn. Anyone remember that old show – Life of Riley, hey that works for me as my maiden name is Riley!

The opinions expressed here are all mine and if I’ve been inaccurate in what the pass covers, my laziness in not verifying for this writing. I’ll look when it’s necessary for me. Lots of inaccuracies on the web site relating to times. Parking, etc. Just sayin’.

Let’s get traveling! Currently planning Mediterranean cruise with Translantic back to Florida beginning in October. Maybe something before?

Now I just have to remember my passport; my proof of vaccination; my Global Entry; my luggage tags; my flights (phone); my ship boarding pass (phone) and hopefully not – my mask.

I've Moved

 

Moving and Cruising:

Another chapter begins although it feels more like a whole new book. Last week I turned in my Texas plates and drivers license for Arizona. And then began the address change process. Just to be clear, it’s much more than an address change. Giving up my Texas “identity” solidifies the end of the RV traveling life-style. That whole chapter (or book) on roaming the country in my house on wheels; looking for the perfect off-grid overnight spot; checking in to various levels of RV parks -from minimal to luxury. It doesn’t take away the years of travel and adventure and memories traveling with David. It just turns the page. Another bittersweet action on my part; moving further into widowhood or solo living (still trying out different terms).

This will make my life a little less complicated; especially when folks ask where do you live? Why do you have Texas plates on your car? If you are not in the RV world you are probably not familiar with needing a legal domicile. That’s the place you vote and pay taxes and plan to return to when your travel days are over. This is often a hot topic with some controversies and not always followed as correctly as it should be. That is another reason I made the change. I’m not traveling, don’t even own an RV anymore and highly unlikely that I would return to Texas in my golden years to settle down. (I’m not in my golden years yet – am I?). So to more closely follow the law, AZ it is. In 1999 we legally became Texans, changing over from CA, using our Escapees RV Club for mail and legal domicile.

There are some financial considerations that I gave little thought. Basically, some is up and some is down; going to count it as a wash $ and not give it another thought.

Address changes are fairly simple and all but 2 have been done on line. It’s easier (and harder) because I just went though almost all the same documents after David’s passing. I had in the back of my mind that I would need to do this but wanted to really think it through and give myself some time to adjust mentally so I would not regret or second guess myself.

My "new" living room. Notice the watercolor between the two baskets. An original painted by my father in law!

For those of you who are wondering. No, I am not going to live here year-round. Ever been in Yuma in August? It’s HOT. I will continue to go to El Cajon for the bulk of summer (but it can be hot there too). The idea is to take some car trips in Blue Streak and go on some cruises. Yes, already have a cruise scheduled. October I’ll be joining some gals on a Mediterranean cruise; east and west from Rome. Then returning to Rome where the ship will then make a transatlantic trip heading to Ft Lauderdale for summer cruises in the Caribbean. Once I realized that was the direction ship was headed; I decided to stay onboard. David always wanted to make one of the transatlantic trips, so I’ll be taking some of his ashes for a ceremony at sea. Naturally that means he’ll be along for the long plane ride, which I am doing on my own (well, with the pilot and unknown passengers) and the Med cruise portion too. It actually gives me a bit of comfort to think I can include him, physically because he’ll for sure be in my heart and mind. Maybe an occasional tear and I don’t see that ever changing.

Ok, that’s my news, I’ve moved. Actually, since I didn’t have to pack any boxes, easy move!

Enjoy – make the moments matter…

April 2021

 

Somewhere in my computer or tablet are stories that I have written but not posted. Since I can’t seem to find them and I don’t see them in my blogs, here we go from scratch. I bought a new car. Yep, 2020 with more bells and whistles than I will ever learn or use. My neighbor has christened it the Blue Streak. I think, he thinks I drive fast – I don’t. I have never test driven a car. This was my first. Never bought a car on my own either. I know many of you are old hats at this. Not me. Of our 5 motorhomes (over 30 years) I did test drive one of them. I knew a couple of specifics that I wanted (and didn’t want) and I did not want white. I thought I was being different by not getting a white car. Imagine my surprise when I pull into my car port the first time in my new blue car and look across the street and see their blue truck! It’s amazing what I do and do not observe. And now every other vehicle I see is some shade of blue. I swear prior to my purchase, every other car in Yuma was white.

As I see things (such as cruises) opening up I’m looking forward to trying out some new experiences. I had always thought to myself that I would continue to cruise solo. Now after more than a year of no cruises for anyone, I’m starting to plan. I’m looking towards cruising that David and I had not done. That wasn’t my original plan but that seems to be what direction I’m headed. A couple of friends are also interested and this is an open invitation to anyone who might want to join. I don’t have specifics yet but I want to do the Mediterranean and an American river cruise, Ohio River, the 5 great lakes. I’ve gotten my vaccination just for this reason!

I have done one short road trip in the Blue Streak. Followed a friend from Yuma to her home in Green Valley. I thoroughly enjoyed the visit and her two dogs. Two cute Yorkies. It was nice to get my dog fix. I also got a bit of an RV fix; unloading and storing. Oh my, I’d forgotten about the trips in and out of rig and house; packing and then unpacking. I only helped a little bit but all the memories came back. When I was doing it on a regular basis, it became routine and I didn’t give it much thought. So, that is one aspect of the RV life that I don’t miss. But again, like with the puppies, enjoyed my memories. Thanks Heidy.

One day we did the trip to Biosphere 2, Oracle, AZ. I highly recommend it or at least watch a few You tubes about that experiment and how it has changed over the years. It was an interesting concept; and now research facility. There’s really too much for me to recap. Education, interesting and technically challenging for us to figure out the “modern day” tour mode!

The Blue Streak preformed well and got great mpg on the freeway vs. in town driving.

Before I close, I need to add sadly David has now been joined by his older brother, Chris. There’s some great longevity in the Anderson family, however, David and his older brother weren’t able to benefit from that. I like to think their lives were filled up with all they could hold and all they could give. I just know I’ve been blessed to have had them both in my life. Sending hugs to Chris’ many friends and family who are feeling his loss. There really are no words…

Marilyn; David; Missy; Chris - must be from the 80's from the hair length

Unexpected and unplanned adventures

 

One of my nieces recently shared how an unexpected stop gave her an opportunity to visit a special location, Billy Graham Library. This brought back memories of my taking advantage of attending a conference in Minneapolis MN in 2000. Before the event exploring the history of my great grandfather, William Bell Riley (1861 – 1947). He was a relative I had not even really known existed until just about a year prior. You know how families are. Let me tie these two events together. WB Riley was a well-known Baptist minister sometimes called “The Grand Old Man of Fundamentalism”. He was also involved in the famous Scopes trial. Not offering any opinion, just reporting history.

David and I were able to have quite a tour of the church, as well as attend a service, tour the school that Riley had established and meet folks that had known WB. An added bonus was we got permission to park in the church parking lot while attending our event. But the significance and connection of these two highly popular famous renown men was the story we were told when we visited the log cabin former home of Riley. We got introduced to the couple that were members of the congregation and had purchased the Riley home. Log cabin, yes, but not small hunting cabin, it was a beautiful well-appointed home. This couple invited us to visit. They gave us a tour of the house and yard and stories of Riley’s works and influence during the times. The WPA Riley assisted by not only having them build his beautiful stone fireplace, which will be important in a moment; also established a sort of men’s recovery home. David and I learned and experienced much more that I won’t go into now.

On with the story. In the living room two chairs sat beside the fireplace, this was a large stone fireplace, made from nearby river rocks. As the story goes, Riley was aging and wanted someone to replace him as head of the 3 educational institutions; a seminary; Bible institute and college. Billy Graham (1918-2018) was meeting with him to discuss this. Graham was not really eager to be running the school, he wanted to travel and preach. Actually, much as Riley had done. The two men knelt at the hearth and prayed about this. Well, Graham did become president in 1948 at 29 years of age. He was president of NW Bible College for the next 4 years. The school is still going strong by the way.  Graham also has done his share of book writing and all I remember is that my grandfather’s influence is in chapter 7 of one book.

As I mentioned earlier there was a whole lot more to this particular stop on our journey. It’s possible some aspects might be in earlier blogs. Or not. However, it was an impactful visit for both of us. These men’s biographies would both be worth a read. Another lesson is to always be open to what adventure might be right in front of you. Don’t forget to stop and look around; you may be surprised what you may discover.

Here’s the latest new adventure I’ve had. Since traveling and groups meeting is not really occurring, Widowed Village has like many others gone to zoom meetings. I’ve done a few. I found them more helpful in the beginning of my widowhood. However, they sent me an email about a different style of meeting, a social zoom night. So taking my own advice, I gave it a try. It was a great experience, different and fun. First, we did Two Truths and a Lie. As you might guess, each of us told two true stories and one fib. The host posted a voting page; we voted; then usually laughed as we learned how far off, we were or weren’t. Since most of us have been meeting weekly on zoom we know most of us a bit. It was a great ice breaker.  We then did an art project, individually which were then “stitched” together to create one picture. It made for a great Saturday night.

I’ve been trying to post the finished group art project. Not successful yet, maybe I’ll have to give it its own post. Signing off for now. What new adventure have you explored?