3362 nautical miles, 2 flights, and an unexpected overnight with an alligator later......I'm home.

Yes, I'm home!  But before I get to that I'll tell you about the last few days of my contract.  The weather unfortunately took a turn for the worse, so no more afternoons out on deck 7.  But I kept myself pretty busy - going to the gym, using the internet, watching movies in Marie's cabin, and getting packed early.  This is the first time I haven't had to rush to get everything done.  My last night on board was a really nice one - for work all I had to do was play in the short, easy Christmas show we've been putting together.  I actually really enjoyed it.  Afterwards I spent some time in the crew lounge with all my friends who came to wish me farewell.  I've found that sometimes its not until you are leaving that you realize what neat friends you were lucky to have, and how much they have come to mean to you.  

The next morning we arrived in Miami, and after full crew and guest immigration, the sign offs were finally able to disembark.  I made it to the airport by 11am, and then had some time to kill before my flight at 3:50.  I got to Dallas without incident, but unfortunately it was so cold there that all the planes had to be de-iced prior to departure, which delayed us about an hour and a half.  By some strange coincidence, I happened to be seated next to a bandmaster from Norwegian Cruise Line, who also had just signed off that morning, so we kept each other entertained swapping ship stories.  (He talked to me first because he saw my trombone and thought I was on a high school band field trip, go figure).  Meanwhile, back at the ranch, my parents were getting snowed in on the mountain.  They couldn't come get me, so I ended up crashing at the NCL bandmaster's house with him and his wife, who live about 15 minutes from Ontario Airport.  They are a really cool Christian couple, and I felt at home staying with them.  So where does the alligator fit into all of this?  Well, apparently they know someone involved in a Discovery Channel documentary, and were babysitting this 2 and a half foot alligator overnight.  They were keeping it in their bathroom shower.  No kidding - I took a picture. 

My parents were able to get out the next day and pick me up around 3pm.  It was so great to see everyone.  We went straight to In N' Out, of course, then barely managed to make it home before the next storm hit.  It dumped buckets on us up here, I think we have three feet of snow.  But the important thing is, I'm HOME!!!!

Sea Day #4

We are halfway there!  Actually on the map we are more than halfway, but this is our middle sea day, three down, three to go.  I should really get packing!  

Yesterday was a really nice day, although it was rocking a bit more than it has been.  I still spent an hour or so out on deck seven feeling like I was on top of the world.  It was a pretty laid back day since the show was Jack Walker - who was here 2 months ago for a couple cruises and whose show we know really well.  To be honest the greatest challenge was just staying awake since for his show we only play along with a click track and its pretty easy the whole time.  To help pass the time in the afternoon, Marie and I decided to do something new for us and go get manicures in the spa.  I've never had one before, and it was fun to go with her.  I hope I can keep my nails looking nice so I can show off to you all when I get home.  After the show a few of us watched a movie in Marie's cabin to wind down, after stocking up on snacks from the staff bar before they run out.  

Today I spent my morning here in the Cova Café, since I couldn't seem to stay in bed.  All these hours back are getting my body used to a 25 hour day, which makes things interesting.  I've been here for a while, and the ship is just starting to wake up, so to speak.  We have something exciting today - a rehearsal for an impromptu Christmas show.  The ship was Christmas-ified at the beginning of the cruise, by the way, and Marie even bought a 4 foot tree in Barcelona!!  It takes up half her cabin.  Anyway, the Christmas show wasn't supposed to be until next cruise, but a scheduled comedian didn't make it to the ship in La Palma, and the aren't going to helicopter him in, so we're filling in for him.  We got the music yesterday, and everyone is involved - all the musicians on board plus the cast and the new a cappella group.  I'm actually kindof excited - maybe because I don't actually have to stick around for the whole Christmas season, I just get to do the show once.  The show will be on my last night here.  

This evening myself and the usual suspects are going out to eat at casual dining.  Our cruise director Matt got us approved last minute because the schedule had been flipped around and we can no longer go the day I originally requested.  So we'll get to go out one last time before I leave, which I've been wanting to do.  Tonight (after our Christmas show rehearsal) we only have Starring You, the guest talent show that also tries the band's collective ability to stay awake.  That reminds me - I've been thinking about it, and just for fun here are a few of the songs that have been ruined for me forever, as a result of working on ships:

-My Way (this one definitely tops the list)

-Sweet Caroline

-Don't Cry for Me, Argentina

-Con Te Partiro

-Hey Jude

-Music of the Night

-Zorba the Greek

-The Entertainer

-Danny Boy (although I highly recommend the Muppet version on Youtube)

-Nessun Dorma

Note: this list is not exhaustive and will be added to.   We hear/perform these songs several times a week on average.  I know most of them in about 7 different keys.  If I ever have to play or listen to any of the above again, it will be too soon. 

Sea Day #2

We did have a really good turnout for our late jazz sets last night, especially for the first one.  By the end of the night it cleared out a little bit, mostly because going an hour back every night is messing with people a little bit, so it feels like 1am when its technically midnight.  One lady came to the set just to hear me play and took my picture afterwards - we had met that morning in the gym.  She had seen my APU t-shirt and come to talk to me - she actually lives in Azusa!  That was neat - she is only the second guest my whole contract to recognize APU and say hello.  

I got an early start on the day today (for a musician).  Yesterday I had been chatting with my friend George who is one of the fitness instructors in the gym, and he invited me to come to the morning spin class, something I hadn't done in a while due to new rules regarding crew in the gym.  But there hasn't been a very good turnout for the classes, so he asked if I wanted to come and help fill up the class so its more fun for him to teach.  So I did the spin class at 9am, which really wore me out, and then George talked me into staying for his 10am pilates class...he said it would be a good stretch and cool down from spinning....yeah right....wow I earned my breakfast this morning.  We are allowed to eat at the breakfast buffet upstairs in its last half hour, which is from 11 to 11:30am, so I headed there after the classes and ate with Marie and Liam.  I know I'm guaranteed to see them if I go up at 11 - since its the only chance we have to eat a good breakfast (the crew mess = ew) its become sort of a tradition. 

Its been an absolutely gorgeous day today - it is amazing how fast it is warming up.  I went out on deck 7 to read a book for a while, and was actually too hot in pants and a t-shirt.  It was sunny and warm, with almost no wind.  In the distance you could see clouds and little patches of drizzle - which meant I saw a couple of gorgeous rainbows while I was soaking in the sun.  This crossing is looking pretty good so far - and if it stays like this....wow.  I might actually enjoy all these sea days.  :-)  So far so good!  

Tonight we have an Italian violinist, whose show is much more classical (Marriage of Figaro, dance macabre, etc) than any I have played before on ships.  We had a pretty short rehearsal this afternoon, and I while I don't know if the audience will like the show tonight, its going to be fun for me to play on my bigger, more classical trombone, and I really have to focus on what I'm doing (as opposed to Antonio Salci's show).  After rehearsal, our band leader did something unprecedented by inviting the whole band to his cabin and hosting what I personally would call a band "geeking out" session - we watched cool videos of big band concerts of some of the greatest bands and famous jazz performers.  Today was Louis Belson, Maynard Ferguson, Duke Ellington, and Gordon Goodwin.  It was fun to geek out with the other musicians and discuss what we were seeing.  Kevin apparently has a lot of great dvd's like this, and promises he will be hosting similar get-togethers to watch other bands during the rest of the crossing.  This is really the first time Kevin has planned to spend any social (albeit educational) time with us - he usually does his own thing and we only see him when we're working.  But today was really a lot of fun, and I hope it starts a trend.  

Where am I today? Well, Miami is straight ahead, 5 days west of right here (which is probably underneath the second "t" in "Atlantic" on your atlas)  :-)  

Goodbye, Europe!

It was fun going to some new places for our last few ports of call.  My friend Scott and I decided to return to Rick's Café in Casablanca, owing to the free wireless signal they have there.  That was a relaxing afternoon.  Due to time constraints and transportation issues and the fact that I'm kind of tired of Morocco in general, I didn't get off the ship in Agadir.  We were only docked for 5 hours in the afternoon, and we had a mid-afternoon rehearsal, so I decided it would be less stressful just to stay on board.  But then we had our last two port of call in the Canary Islands, which was pretty neat. 

The first island, Lanzarote, is basically a "moonscape", with everything covered in lava from a huge volcanic eruption in the 1700's.  But the day was really awesome because we decided to rent a car!!  Woohoo!  There were five of us all together, so we each only had to chip in 9 euros apiece, and Marie drove us all around the island.  Marie became the driver because out of those of us who knew how to drive stick shift (myself NOT included) she was the only one used to driving on the right side of the road.  The other two who could have driven are from South Africa, and the idea of not driving on the left hand side really scared them away.  Plus Marie loves driving a lot anyway.  So we grabbed a couple of maps and drove out to Timanfaya, a national park made up of the "Fire Mountains", basically the volcanic craters. I was the navigator, and I did a great job, if I do say so myself. :-)  It was really cool and strange to see crops planted in black soil, and to drive across huge areas where you literally could not pull over or leave the road because it was all lumpy, hardened lava for miles. It was a pretty cool experience, and definitely exhilarating to be in our own car and feel a little bit of freedom.  

The next day (yesterday) we made our second stop in the Canary Islands, on La Palma.  I think La Palma is what Lanzarote will eventually look like in 500 years or so - it is also of volcanic origin, but everything has become green again and covered up the lava formations with some forests.  I wasn't able to get on a tour, so I walked around the main streets with my friend Tim. We spent about an hour and a half walking around outside, while I found ways to spent all my last euros and euro change.    I found out by talking to a local shopowner (they speak Spanish) that La Palma is famous for a religious celebration they have only once every five years, for which something like 600,000 people migrate to the small island, whose population is usually only 80,000.  

I got back on board the ship for lunch: a big all-crew barbeque out on the front deck, deck 7 forward.  It was really great weather, and nice to be outside.  At quarter to four I made my way back up to deck seven to watch my last sailaway.  And to say goodbye to the last piece of land we'll be seeing in over a week.  It was neat to be out on deck and witness the official beginning of our transatlantic voyage, complete with an announcement from the captain, promising good weather (we'll wait and see about that).  Marie, Liam, and Stephan showed up, too, and we all watched the sailaway together, and stayed out on deck for over an hour as we circled La Palma and then headed west out toward the sunset, which was really beautiful.  We all pondered what seven days at sea are going to be like, and how we'll help entertain each other, and made a pact to go out on deck and get some fresh air every day we're at sea so we don't go nuts. 

I guess I should say something about my job too, huh? Musically speaking, we've had a few entertainers this past week, including a really good vocalist named Paul Emmanuel, and one of our least favorite entertainers, a pianist named Antonio Salci.  I won't go into details, but I'll just say that for the band, his show is musically unfulfilling. Yesterday all of the entertainers from week one of this cruise left, and all of the ones for the transatlantic came on board.  We'll have play the first of those shows tomorrow.  Last night we played jazz sets in the Cova cafe, and it was really a lot of fun.  The venue was totally packed, and everyone who was there was really into the music and had come specifically to hear our sets.  (This is one great thing about transatlantics!) Marie and I collaborated on a couple of tunes in each others sets to make things more interesting, which was really fun.  Our alto player Ian was even taking requests during his set and really interacting with the crowd.  They all had really complimentary things to say to us afterwards, and I hope that a lot of them come out to our late big band sets tonight.  Anyway, here we are on our first sea day of seven, feeling good!  

Leaving Europe....

Some links for pictures:  

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2065618&l=059b3&id=56903845

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2069399&l=434c4&id=56903845

Today we are in Gibraltar, which is our last port in mainland Europe.  Tomorrow we head south for two ports in Morocco, then two in the Canary islands before heading into the west.  I'm taking advantage of the internet here at a café while I still can - there are no guarantees at sea!  I'm enjoying some British tea with milk and sugar...about my third teapot now.  Its definitely wintry here!  We are all praying for good weather on the transatlantic so we aren't miserable...:-)  

Cartagena was really nice yesterday.  I explored the port with Marie, Liam, and Tim.  We walked all around and stopped for a coffee as well as doing some shopping.  Cartagena has a nice feel, with a really beautiful waterfront promenade lined with palm trees.  It really reminded me of the California coast a lot.  Speaking of which, I am still waiting on my flight details, which I will hopefully receive tomorrow.  Once you get those you really feel like you're going home.  I've heard though that it might take a while for me to get off the ship in Miami, due to Coast guard drills and inspections and immigration....I guess I'll just be patient and get home when I get home.  

It is officially Christmastime on board the Century - decorations have gone up all over the ship, including some gorgeous fake trees in the main lobby.  Its a nice feel....but the best by far is the fact that Marie bought herself a 4 foot tree in Barcelona and decked it out.  It takes up half her cabin, but its awesome.  She also bought some fake snow spray and stencils, so we've all decorated our mirrors.  Its a fun atmosphere - surprisingly I actually can feel the Christmas feeling on a ship.  Another thing improving the mood is that Marie and Liam just received the seasons of The Office that they ordered from amazon - providing us with group entertainment every night when we finish work, and promising to make the crossing go by faster.  Its a good feeling on the ship at the moment.  

Well, my computer is about out of juice, plus its time to head back so I don't miss the ship.  Goodbye Europe!!!  

On my way home!

Well, our last mediterranean cruise is over!  It was interesting, to say the least.   I went on a short tour in Livorno to the nearby town of Lucca, which is the birthplace and hometown of the composer Puccini.  The tour was nice, but it was a really rainy day, and I even saw snow on someone's car.   In Naples I got a chance to retake a tour I took last year - along the Amalfi Coast to Sorrento, Positano, and Amalfi.  It was even better than I remembered it, and the weather was absolutely gorgeous.  I can honestly say its one of the best tours Celebrity does.  But, that was the last time I got off the ship last cruise.  Why?  Well, bad weather caused us to miss our stop in Malta - the port refused to allow us entry into the pretty narrow harbor due to wind and rough seas.  So we had an unscheduled sea day - basically we just really took our time getting to our next port (maybe we drove in circles??) in Tunisia.   I had no desire to walk around that port (it can be unpleasant, and once you've experienced it there's really no reason to do it again, if you ask me) so I stayed on the ship.  Then, another sea day.....I'm practicing for the crossing, I guess. :-)  We were all really upset to miss Malta, since it is one of our favorite ports, and we all had plans for the day outside.   

The latest drama on the ship is two unexpected departures.  Sean from Metro ended up leaving the ship a few days early because of problems with the flights the company had given him.  I came back from my tour in Naples to find out he had left, which was a bummer.  I wish I had had a chance to say goodbye.  The rest of the group coped by working one of the production singers into the group in order to perform one song for the last night.  Next, , we just found out that the activity manager (basically the assistant cruise director - head of the activity staff) suddenly decided to quit today and left the ship before we sailed out of Barcelona.  Her leaving was totally unexpected, and while rumors abound we haven't heard the reason why she left.  It puts the cruise director and activity staff in a really hard position, especially since they had no warning, and this cruise is a transatlantic crossing, which is probably the worst time we could be without an activity manager.  Most likely they will have someone new in the next couple of days, or promote one of the junior staff.  Yikes! 

Yesterday was a bit sad as we said goodbye to the remaining three guys from Metro, and to two youth staff girls who are my good friends, and my friend Rob.  It was sure strange to hear a different a cappella quartet singing tonight at the welcome aboard show.  They couldn't be more different than Metro, who are already really missed here.   The Metro guys also invited me to come and visit them in Hong Kong - where they can show me around and introduce me to the huge live music scene, and maybe connect me with some auditions there.  I must admit the idea intrigues me...we'll see if anything becomes of it.  Anyway, they were all off the ship early this morning to fly home, and I was off early to enjoy my last day in Barcelona.  I spent a few hours walking around with my friend Scott, who is the bass player in the lounge band.  We took the metro to the end of the main street La Rambla, visited the Gothic Cathedral and the Boqueria outdoor/tent market (where we had some amazing pure mango juice for just 1 euro!) and enjoyed some coffee in a café that came highly recommended to me.  We had fun watching the street performers and looking at the birds and beasts being sold in the little mini pet-store stalls that line the entire center pedestrian walkway.  We walked all the way back down La Rambla (which is a pretty long street) before heading back to the ship. 

So today begins the long voyage home!  I will take my time on the scenic route back to the states on this 14 day Transatlantic crossing (like I have any choice in the matter).  :-) I had my last guest boat drill today - hooray!  Tomorrow we start off with a brand new port of call: Cartagena, Spain.  I'll keep you posted!

Last Villefranche

This cruise is going to be last everything, pretty much.  Yesterday was our last Marseilles, and I went on a tour of a few amazing villages in the Luberon Valley. It was a nice tour, but absolutely freezing!  It was an icy day, despite the sun, with winds at 80-100 km/h.  Yikes!  We were all a bit miserable due to the cold and windiness, but the tour was really amazing.  I think its finally winter here - today its quite cold as well.  As for my last Villfranche, I'm just using the internet at our favorite place with a bunch of friends.  Hot tea is warming me up as we speak.  

Just a recap of the end of last cruise:  I took a walking tour in Corsica in order to avoid crew boat drill, and got a glimpse of Napoleon Bonaparte's house and the cathedral in which he was baptised.  After the tour I ran into a couple of friends from the a cappella quartet and we ate lunch at a little restaurant that had some amazing homemade lasagna.  Yummy.  

In Casablanca, (just for you, Dad) I went on a mission to find Rick's Café, or at least one of the recreations of it.  I brought a boy along with me for protection cause Casablanca....well, its not Disneyland.  Anyway, we found it!  It was a really nice place, and we got something to drink there and sat for a while.  I haven't seen the movie in forever, so I have no clue how closely it resembles the original, but I got a picture of me sitting at the piano.   I hope you're happy, Dad!!

In Barcelona I went on an adventure by myself again - to the CosmoCaixa: a new science museum that is supposed to be one of Europe's best.  It happened to be a free entrance day, which had its pros and cons: the con being the legions of Barcelona's school children running amuck all over the museum.  Despite that, I was pretty entertained for several hours, and even sat through a presentation in the planetarium that was entirely in catalunyan (a variation of spanish spoken in the region).  I understood a couple of words at best....but it was cool.   One of the neatest exhibitions is a section that they have converted into an Amazon rainforest, full of real animals, simulated rain, and even fish in the deep river that runs through it, which you can see through glass from outside the exhibit, like an aquarium.   

At the end of this cruise a lot of my friends are leaving, which will be a bummer.  Metro (a capella), some youth staff, my friend Rob....all leaving on December 1st.  I've decided to think of this cruise as my last cruise, and the transatlantic as just a scenic route home.  I really am already on my way home if you think about it, as we sail into the west.... It will definitely make the time change easier.  I'll gain an hour every night over a week, then only gain three more on the flight home.  So, I'm going home next cruise! :-)  

Adventures in Public Transportation

Ok, time to play catch up again... Now tomorrow is our last Mediterranean cruise!!!  This cruise has really flown by.  In Barcelona I conquered the metro system on my own and visited some far corners of the city, before taking the metro to a funicular to a cable car to the top of one of Barcelona's hills to visit the fortress there.  In Villefranche I took a tour that included lunch next door to Monte Carlo casino at the famous Café de Paris, and also had a brief visit inside the casino, where I promptly lost five euros.  I wanted to say that I'd gambled in Monte Carlo, and now I can.  Who knew slot machines were so hard to figure out and had so many confusing buttons?  Shows what I know.  I had to take a public bus back to Villefranche from Monaco in order to make rehearsal in time, but it was a fun tour.  

In Livorno we had a band outing - we all decided it was a good day to go to Pisa.  To get there, we took the shuttle to downtown Livorno, walked to the bus station, took a public bus to the train station, took a train to Pisa, walked half an hour to the leaning tower, took a bus back to the train station, the train to Livorno,  a bus to downtown, the shuttle back to the ship.  Did you follow all that? You can see why I titled this post as I did...  Anyway it was a lot of fun, and despite a little rain and a close call accident while taking the bus (the driver had to screech to a halt to avoid the car of an angry Italian woman, and several old ladies on the bus went flying through the air and caused a slightly amusing domino effect...don't worry, no one was hurt - although the Italiana who got out of her car to start yelling at the bus was pretty angry - I have a video..hee hee), we got the necessary pictures of us holding up the leaning tower, etc.  And of course, we ate pizza in Pisa. It seemed like the thing to do. 

The next day I finally made it to Rome - my first time this contract.  I went with Liam and Tim, and our goal was to spend a lot of time in the Vatican museum.  Unfortunately, in our rush after taking the shuttle to Civitavecchia and walking to the train station, we got on the wrong train - an express first class to Rome's farthest terminal - instead of the one that stops near the Vatican.  A six euro fine each, a metro ride, a train ride, and a 20 minute walk we made it back to Vatican City.  Luckily for us, there was NO line to get into the museum (unheard of - last time I waited over 2 hours) so we still had time to enjoy the museum and took our time admiring the Sistine Chapel.  Afterwards, we had just enough time to let Liam take a peek in St. Peter's Basilica (he'd never been) before powerwalking back to the train station to catch the 2:57 pm back to Civitavecchia.  Whew...now I remember why going to Rome is so exhausting....THANKFULLY....we had the day off, so once back on board we could just relax.  A bunch of us watched a pirated copy of Dark Knight in my friend Rob's room, which was a good end to the day. 

In conclusion I will say this - I look forward to being in a country where I can drive places myself .  

5 weeks from home....3 cruises from home.

Another cruise begins tomorrow - the last 11 day cruise.  This will be our last trip to Corsica and a couple other places.  Wrapping up this cruise is helping me move on from the depressing event it contained.  We also had an official memorial service for Ron which has helped give us some closure.  The captain even came, which was a nice gesture since he didn't even know Ron.   Marie and I put together a book for everyone to sign and write their fond memories in, which we will send to the family, so they know we cared about him here.  

Today was an absolutely gorgeous day at sea.  I can't remember a better one.  The sea was so calm that you couldn't feel the ship moving, and you could actually see hazy reflections of  the clouds on the water - something I've never seen before on the open sea.  There was almost no wind and the sky was so blue - after rehearsal we knew we needed to be outside, so me, Marie, Liam and Stephan went out onto deck 7, pulled up some chairs, and just enjoyed the beauty of the day while talking.  It was a perfect afternoon.  The evening was even better - just before dinner I happened to glance outside again, and saw the most beautiful sunset beginning.  I went back out to deck 7 and watched it by myself, enjoying the colors in the sky and on the water long after the sun had gone down.  I believe that sunset was a gift from God.

Some other quick highlights of this cruise: Going on an excursion to Cinque Terre near Florence - a group of 5 tiny towns along the Italian coast that are quite breathtaking - and enjoying an awesome lunch (including local sheep cheese and honey, tiramisu, and ravioli with pesto) there with a girl named Juliana who works with shore excursions.  Seeing Avignon and the Palace of the Popes, and the famous St. Benedict Bridge, with Margit - the ultimate tour guide, and Scott, another musician on board.   Marie and I watching the new cast (who will take over tomorrow) rehearse the new show called "Liverpool Knights," and making fun of it a little.  Enjoying an absolutely evil piece of dark chocolate cake in Valetta, Malta, with Marie and Liam.  Having a chocolate shake at the Hard Rock Café in Malta.  Trying out a new and mostly ridiculous but pretty fun workout routine with Marie that she found in a magazine (i'm still sore).  

And lastly, some info - it looks like I will have three months at home, and then do a short contract on Norwegian Cruise Lines, with by friend Andrew Loveridge as bandmaster.  The tentative dates are March 14 - June 14, and the itinerary includes Florida, the Bahamas, and Bermuda.  Sounds like fun!

Just to let you know...

This will be a short post, just to inform you that we are having a difficult time on the ship right now due to the unexpected death of another musician crewmember, who was friend of mine.  Please be in prayer for his family and for the whole entertainment department here as we work through this situation.  I prefer not to discuss the details here, but his name is Ron and he was 53.  Thank you for your prayers.    

catching up....

I think I am waiting too long in between blogs, because I always feel like I have too much to write about.  I finally got around to doing something in Gibraltar this time - me, Marie, Liam, and my friend Tim took the official taxi-tour of the upper rock of Gibraltar - which meant that we were in a big taxi van, along with four German tourists.  It was a lot of fun!  We drove all the way to the top of the rock for some great views, visited St. Michael's Cave (it has nothing on Carlsbad, but it was pretty cool - they've even built a concert hall inside), the Moorish Castle from the 12th Century or something, and of course - the monkeys!! Yes, the famous apes of Gibraltar are everywhere on the upper rock - acting like they own the place and totally unafraid of people.  They were what I most wanted to see.  They bite, so you aren't supposed to try to feed them (they've been known to jump on people and steal the food out of their bags, or just steal the bags themselves...) so I just tossed them a couple of bananas.  There were some baby apes which were pretty cute, but could howl up a storm if they wanted to.  Liam was terrified of the apes and kept a safe distance at all times - Marie and I made him the designated photographer.  It was fun - I might go back there on an excursion if I ever have the time.  Since we are only there from 1 to 7pm and we usually have a rehearsal at 3 or 4 and then early shows, its difficult to go on a shore excursion - hence why we did it on our own.  

The next day I went on a tour of Casablanca - which was interesting except for the fact that it rained so much that day.  One guest fell and broke her wrist on my tour, and after getting on an ambulance she and her husband had an awful ordeal trying to communicate with the local police who gave them a hard time.  I talked with her about it later, and I feel badly that I didn't stay with her or have more info about the ship's emergency numbers....anyway, she made it back to the ship eventually with a cast.  The nicest part of the tour was the fairly new Hassan II Mosque - it is really one of the most impressive and magnificent buildings I have ever seen.  It is huge....wow.  

Yesterday I finally took the Tangier tour - it was my first time off the ship in Tangier.  It turned out to be a sunny day, against all odds.  It was neat to see the rock of Gibraltar from across the straight.  My favorite part of the tour was our visit to the caves of Hercules - the cave opens to the atlantic ocean in a silouette that looks like the mirror-image shape of the African continent.  Really cool.  The other interesting part of the tour was a folkloric show we were taken to - it lasted about an hour and included a bellydancer, child-acrobats (weird!), simulated horseback battles, musicians, percussionists, and a fire-eater.  I'm sure it is all souped up for the tourists' benefit, but it was still entertaining.  

Dantes and David

I did make it to the Chateaux D'If, hooray! I got off the ship early, caught one of the first ferries over to the island, and stayed for about an hour and a half.  I was really fascinated - the Chateux is quite impressive and it was fun to wander the towers and prison cells.  There were several displays devoted to the Count of Monte Cristo, since it was that novel by Alexander Dumas that gave the island prison most of its fame.  My ferry was even names "Edmond Dantes." After the Chateaux D'if I still had some time left, so I caught a sightseeing train up to the other symbol of Marseilles - the hilltop cathedral of Notre Dame de la Garde.  The church was impressive, but equally if not more so was the view - a panorama of Marseilles on all sides.  It was breathtaking.  

Due mostly to lots of scheming on my part, I was finally able to get myself on a tour to Florence a few days later.  I helped convince Mario D'Andrea that we didn't need a rehearsal, just a sound check, and then told the same to the production manager and music director and asked them to talk to Mario, which they did: 6:00pm sound check! Hooray!!) Then I was first on the list for my tour and after not getting it went in to my friends in the shorex office and begged the manager to let me on it...anyway you don't need all the details, the important thing is that I got myself on that tour dang it!! We saw much of historical Florence, which was incredible - but the most important thing was I got to see David.  Michealangelo's marble statue of him, that is.  And wow.  You were right Mom - it blew me away, both with size and beauty - I gasped when I came around the corner, not expecting it yet, and there it was.  Wow.  It also brought me to tears a little bit to know I was standing exactly where my mom stood years before I was born - like coming full circle somehow.  The rest of the tour passed in a blur - we had a fabulous lunch just down the street from Michaelangelo's old apartment - and then walked through the Santa Croce church where he is buried, alongside Galileo and Machivelli - wow.  Florence is just an amazing place when you consider how many important people in history lived there.  The whole day was a bit overwhelming, and I enjoyed it more than I can say.  Today we are in Corsica, and I went on a tour to the Prunelli Gorges, which was a really nice tour - I didn't realize how green Corsica is - and there are so many different shades of it.  Tonight we play Mark Donoghue's show - he is one of my favorite people.  I know I say that a lot - but its true.  

Barcelona for real!

Today I finally took a shot at conquering Barcelona!  Usually on embark day I'm pretty tired at the end of the cruise and I just feel like sleeping in....but today I ventured out.  I had plans to spend the day with Liam and Marie, but they decided to sleep in and I was already up, so I just did it on my own.  We have started docking right downtown (I'm praying it stays that way) so getting into town is incredibly easy.  I bought a day pass for a tourist bus company that has dozens of busses running routes all around the city, and set out on a day focused on Antony Gaudí.  I'd learned about him in college while studying Spain, and was really interested to see some of his "modernista" architecture, which can be found all around Barcelona.  His most famous creation is the church called the Sagrada Familia: I knew it was big and ornate and had seen photos, but seeing it in person really boggled my mind - it is so over the top.  And not even finished!  The second highlight of my day was visiting two more of his buildings, the Casa Batlló in particular.  I spent the money to go inside and take the audio guide tour, which was really neat.  The facade has columns that resemble bones, the main staircase looks like the spine of some great sea creature, and the roof is shaped like a dragon's back, complete with scales.  Its really something else.  I think the best words to describe Gaudí are daring and brave - what must people have thought back in 1900??  My last stop was the Park Guell - a park that Gaudi designed to be a residential district that blended with nature.  More than anything else it reminded me of some sections on Disneyland - I wouldn't be surprised to hear that Walt was inspired by Gaudí.  Inside the park is a house where the architect lived for some time, now a museum, which was also neat to visit.  But by the time I finished these three stops I was totally out of time already....as it was I had to ditch the bus that I'd already payed for (it would have dropped me right in front of the ship!) and take a taxi back for about 5 euros.  It was an awesome day, but I'm exhausted. :-) 

Some really good news for me - the Spanish Bible study is starting to pick up here and I am becoming a committed member.   We meet twice a cruise, and we're small, but mighty and slowly growing.  Also I found out that Mario D'Andrea the entertainer is a Christian!  When he first came on board he remembered being the first show I'd ever played, and he gave me his rose (all the entertainers get one backstage before their show) to celebrate our "anniversary."  Anyway I ran into him upstairs when I was having some tea, and we ended up talking for hours when we made the mutual discovery.  It was SO refreshing to talk to him.  He really is an amazing man.  And I am thankful that God finds ways like this to bless me!! 

What else....I got up early last cruise on the sea day to see the volcano-island of Stromboli.  That was pretty neat, thought I would have been more impressed if there had been some lava action. (I'm told I need to go to Hawaii for that)  This cruise has a few surprises - our new cruise director started today and doesn't seem to have as good a handle on things yet....we were left guessing a bit in regards to some logistical aspects of the show.  Hopefully things improve.  Also a new sound guy showed up today - and he's my friend Jason from the Summit!  We were both quite surprised to run into each other this afternoon.  

As for tomorrow in Marseille - Chateaux D'If, take two.  (It didn't work last time)  Wish me luck!

Villefranche (mostly)

After going on a couple of tours in in the surrounding area (Monaco, Nice, Cannes) I finally took a day just to walk around the little port town of Villefranche-sur-mer.  It really is a remarkably beautiful place - I can see why the Cote D'Azure (blue coast) of the French Riviera is so popular for vacations.  I spent the day just wandering the streets and shopping in the open markets with a new friend of mine - Julie, an art auctioneer. I bought a few more antique French books (I'm not trying to start a collection...I just have a thing for old books), plus a couple old coins and other fun knick-knacks.  Julie and I stopped for some ice cream at a local cafe before walking all the way to the other side of town to check out the beach, which her Floridian roots told her was too cold, and my Californian ones told me was the perfect temperature.  Both of us spent a lot of time beachcombing for neat rocks and shells - turns out we're kindred spirits in that regard. :-)  At one point on our way back we accidently found ourselves in some historical underground street, which was pretty cool - I'll have to look it up and see what I can find out about it.  Most likely it used to be the ground level, but centuries of new buildings eventually covered it. Pretty cool, anyway, whatever it was.  I had a really nice, relaxing day - it was fun to just enjoy small, charming, Villefrenche with a friend.

Today we all had big plans to take the train to Rome together since we don't play until late tonight, however an impromptu safety training squashed our plans.  Instead of exploring more of the Vatican museum, I had to spend an hour right in the middle of the day listening to a Greek officer speaking in something that he thinks passes for English, telling us how to stand in our staircases during the guest drill.  Basically the point of the meeting was to punish us for some people who I guess had skipped the drills in the past.  We were all quite annoyed at having to be there....but what can you do - that's ship life.  Hopefully nothing comes up next time we try to go to Rome.  

Barcelona!

I've been fighting a cold the past few days and therefore haven't been as active as I wish I would have been.  Today especially - we were docked right downtown in Barcelona (a first!) but I slept in and wasn't motivated to get off.  I mostly just want to make sure I'm careful and don't make myself more sick by trying to do to much.  But the day turned out well - I had a surprise opportunity to get a spa treatment - they have started using demos on embarkation day for teeth whitening, so I got to do that.  (I know you'll say I don't need it, Mom and Chelsea...) I was excited to do it - especially since its a $200 treatment....yikes!  My teeth are now officially 4 shades lighter - at least thats what the lady told me. :-) But just in case anyone's wondering, its not very fun to have done - I felt like I was at the dentist. (Bleh.)  She said that I could keep being the demo every cruise and by the time I leave my teeth will glow in the dark.  I think that sounds like fun.  I might do it again - we'll see.  

Thus begins a new cruise.  This one will be quite busier than the last one for us.  Last cruise we had only 2 guest entertainers, this cruise we have 4, and the cruise is one day shorter.  So no nights off this cruise (unless someone makes a giant mistake, lol) and a lot of shows to play.  They are all new entertainers for this contract, but all entertainers whose shows I've played in the past.  I'm looking forward to playing the violinist Nicola Loud's show again for sure.  And we'll end the cruise with the entertainer whose show was the very first I ever played on ships - Mario D'Andrea.  Fun stuff.  This cruise is also the end of an Era in a way, because next cruise we'll have a new Cruise Director (boss of the whole entertainment department - basically he defines our workplace: we're all praying for a nice, competent one).  We'll miss Damian - he was really a great guy and did a fantastic job, plus he was very relaxed and easy to work for.  Tonight he made an offstage announcement to introduce himself ("And now, please welcome your Cruise Director for the next 10 days and nights - Damien from Canada!!!!") and then walked out on stage.  So that the crowd wouldn't figure out he was the one introducing himself, he made the announcement in a Texan accent (my suggestion!) the first show, and then a shockingly accurate Jamaican one for the second show.  I seriously even had to ask an AV tech if it was actually him because it was so convincing.  Anyway, we'll miss him!!

Marrakesh

Well, we made it to Casablanca this time around!  It was our first time here, and I was signed up to do a short tour of the city, but then by some oversight we ended up with the whole day off, so I took advantage of probably the only time I could go on one of the really long tours - so I went to Marrakesh.  It was a 13 hour tour because Marrakesh is about a 3 hour drive from Casablanca.   The only tour that didn't already have an escort was one in Spanish (luck me!) which was actually a lot of fun.  The guide was fantastic and so were the guests.  I understood most of what was going on...ha ha.  I am so glad I speak Spanish!!!  My teachers would be so proud of me - article gender mistakes notwithstanding.  I found the drive to Marrekesh really fascinating.  As soon as we left the city we were definitely in a different world.  Outside the city are farmers and shepherds, who ride carts pulled by donkeys and horses.  Not a car in sight.  Goats and sheep everywhere.  Red clay buildings that blend into the red dirt of the land and hillsides.  Women in scarves and long dresses.  Even men in robes with pointy hoods.  It was something else.   It was definitely a new experience for me.  The best memory of the day happened in an open square - we walked by some men snake-charming (cobras!!) in order to charge tourists who want pictures.  I gave a man a dollar so I wouldn't feel guilty taking pictures and a video, and he put a snake around me neck, took my camera from me, took a couple pictures, and then told me I owed him ten dollars.  He kept insisting, all the while leaving the snake around my neck and I was kind of in a predicament.  He finally gave up on me and took his snake back.  Then a boy tried to get me to pay again, and I wasn't having it.  At which moment he pointed to my tour escort button and said, "At least let me have that.....a present for me? Please? Please???"  Well, I have like five of them anyway, so (looking around to make sure there weren't any shorex staff watching) I gave it to him.  He was ecstatic.  He held it in his mouth and played his tambourine for me.  I have pictures.  :-) 

Nice and Cannes

Photos from Ireland:

http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2065445&l=213ed&id=56903845

I went on a tour yesterday - "Nice and Cannes on your own" which was nice.  I like these on your own tours - they basically just give me a free ride to neat places where I can do my own thing.  I did a little bit of shopping in Nice, but enjoyed Cannes a lot more.  I visited the place where they hold the big film festival and took a picture on the red carpet.  Along the sidewalks in from they have handprints of movie stars, like they do in Hollywood.  I recognized almost none of the names.  :-)  I enjoyed a leisurely lunch and was proud of myself for ordering in French.  (well, mostly in French)  Then we had quite an easy night - all we did were play-ons for the shows, then we left and didn't have to come back for the play-offs.  Woohoo!  

Tonight is our last show with Elliot Finkel - I really hope I get to work with him again someday.  He told me he wants me to come with him to his next ship, and I was flattered.   Despite already having played three different shows with him, he's still pulling out new things for us - I think he likes this band.  We have 3 new songs tonight, instead of a repeat of the show we did last cruise, which is really nice for us.  Off to rehearsal!

Marseilles

Well, dinner in the Murano was excellent as expected - and had a little added excitement because Elliot Finkel came with us to eat.  It was really neat to talk with him and learn about some of the experiences he's had.  Last night he performed in the welcome aboard show, and we did something new - a John Williams tribute medley.  Star Wars, Harry Potter, Jaws, Close Encounters, Schindler's List, Superman, E.T. - it was basically awesome.  I got one of my friends in the acapella group to video it cause it was so much fun to play.  

Today we are in Marseilles, always our first port after embarkation, and Marie and I got off early and went shopping.  All I ended up buying were more blacks to perform in, but they are pretty nice and it was fun.  (and I spent PLENTY of money....not a cheap store).  Now I'm in McDonalds, which turns out to be the best bet for internet here in Marseilles.  I also visited the US Embassy here to find out about voting in the election, and got some info to plan my day next time we're here - I'm going to visit the Chateau D'If for sure.  I got a boat schedule and prices for the ferry ride over - should be fun.  Too bad I have to wait 11 days! 

Malta, and a day off in Tunisia! (no, not a night in Tunisia)

Malta was really fabulous!  I wasn't expecting it to be so interesting.  I got up early and went off the ship on my own, since we had rehearsal in the early afternoon and didn't want to wait for anyone and miss my first time there.  I caught a bus to a big parking lot right outside the main gate entrance to the capital, Valletta, and promptly set off in the opposite direction because I misunderstood the map (slightly embarrassing!!) I figured it out and retraced my steps, but not before I had explored a couple of interesting churches that were over there.  Valletta is utterly amazing!  There are old old churches EVERYWHERE! Plus the streets are alive with people and interesting buildings.  The surrounding area is dotted by medieval fortresses - they really are everywhere you look - sailing into the harbor feels like sailing back in time - more than anywhere else I have been.  I spent an hour in the main Cathedral, where the painter Caravaggio spent a few years of his life and was actually initiated into the Knights of the Order of St. John (incidentally the same knights originally came from Rhodes, where I was last year - I have now seen both versions of the Grand Master's Palace), from which he was later expelled.  His largest painting is there in the Cathedral - the beheading of John the Baptist.  It is pretty huge, and eerie, but masterfully done of course. After my time in town I walked out the other side of the city and followed the fortress walls back to the ship.  As I walked by a monument with one single huge bell I couldn't believe my luck as it began to toll.  It only does so once a day, at noon.  I love it when things like that happen.  Some people had already gathered to watch, and I just came by at the right time.  The thing was LOUD.  I think it is a war memorial.  Once back on the ship, we had Elliot Finkel's second show.  I was quite exhausted by the end of the night, but man that show is fun.  

Now for Tunisia!  Today I got off for the first time in Africa (excepting Egypt once last year - but first time this contract) and I took a tour to the famous historical city of Carthage.  The city has ancient foundations, with Roman ruins on top of those foundations after Carthage was defeated by Rome in the 1st or 2nd century.  And over THOSE is the modern city, which is still called Carthage.  It was definitely a unique experience to see it for myself after learning about it in school.  The last part of the tour was to Sidi Bousaid (boo-say-EED), a pretty unique hillside village where law orders every building retain its white walls and blue everything else. It was really picturesque, and reminded me of Mykonos a bit.  I had only two dollars with me today (poor planning) but that was enough to buy a small brass plate with my name etched on in Arabic while I watched.  Neat!  Another shop owner gave me a gift of a "sandrose" (a crystal formation made by sand, usually found about 3 feet under - the locals dig it up and sell it) because I was a tour escort and I think he was happy that we had our meeting point right outside his shop.  

When I got back to the ship I was puzzled to see it on the other side of the harbor - but we were told to wait and the ship would move - which it did switch berths, but it takes a while.  Moving a ship this big is not an easy process.  So maybe a thousand guests were waiting for the ship to move and get the gangway set up again....nightmare!  Marie found me sitting against a wall waiting, and we decided it would be a while and we would try to find something to eat (it was already after 2 and we were pretty hungry).  Now, something you may not know about muslim countries during Ramadan (the holy month) is that food is impossible to find since everyone fasts from dawn til dusk.  So we settled for a soda and a coffee (which was awful....ew). We waited for quite a while for the line to go down.  When we were finally making our way toward the gangway we decided it was a good day to ride a camel. :-)  There were three men with camels near the ship giving people rides, and when he offered us 5 euros for the two of us we figured, why not? We took turns and had a blast (got it on video!!) and thank goodness we didn't get the scary camel who made horrendous evil belching noises.   By the way, camels are awkward and TALL! It was pretty exciting.  As we continued to the gangway we passed a few local musicians - two drummers and a clarinetist.  Marie put some change in their basket, at which point they sprang into action.  One grabbed Marie and led her over to a chair right in the middle of them.  Another gave her his hat.  Another gave her a drum.  Hooray for the newest member of the tunisian folkloric group! I took pictures and a video until one of them came up to me and traded me his drum for my camera, and made me sit down and play while he took pictures.  Marie and I had more fun those last 100 meters before the ship than we did the rest of the day.  :-)  

AND - did I mention?  We have a day off!!! Hallelujah! Its been over a month and it is SO nice not to have to do anything for once.   Tonight four of us will be eating in the Murano - the classy restaurant on board.  The nice thing about it is that we aren't crew when we eat there - we don't need any special permission and we can wear whatever we want and don't have to wear nametags!! (All this for the nominal fee of $30 plus tip and wine...) Ha ha.  We're really looking forward to it, because the only time we have time to go there is if we have a whole night off, or if we finish by 8 or 9, which happens even less often than having a day off does.  So, Murano, here we come!! 

New Pics

I spent a lot of time today putting a couple of albums together - enjoy!  I'll catch up eventually!!

Stockholm:

http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2065006&l=14cc5&id=56903845

Tallinn and Helsinki:

http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2065005&l=4a6ee&id=56903845

France, Monaco, and Elliot Finkel.

Last night we had Elliot Finkel as a guest entertainer - now THAT is a show.  Elliot is one of the few really talented and amazing acts out there.  There are very few shows that sweep me up along with them and entertain me even while I am working - and his is one of them.  The best moments of the show are those where he improvises onstage - he just KILLS it every time and always plays something new.  (Killing is a good thing when you're improvising).  Plus he has such a big personality its easy to get caught up into his charisma.  He always smiles and his face is so expressive - he seems to be so genuinely into what he's doing.  He performs one song with a huge cuban cigar in his mouth to add to the theme of the song - what the audience doesn't know is that if he could he'd have that cigar in his mouth for the whole show - which he DOES during our rehearsals.  No other guest entertainer would show up at rehearsal with a handwritten chart and say "I wrote this yesterday - lets debut it tonight and see if it works" and of course its awesome.  I feel like a musician when I play his show, and I forget that I'm working.  

The last couple days I've taken some really neat excursions.  In Marseilles I took a tour to Aix-En-Provence - it was an "on your own" tour which basically I got a free ride there and had the day to myself and then got a free ride back.  Awesome.  I walked around for hours, and really loved the town.  I explored the churches and narrow streets full of vendors since it was Saturday - Market day all through the streets.  I made the trek up to visit the residence of the painter Cezanne - who was born there.  I had no euros at that point but it just happened to be a free entrance day - woohoo!  The main street is very wide and so full of people and life - they seem to be gearing up for some sort of festival, and I saw a couple of bands playing and a booth where people danced in the street to swing and rock music to advertise dance classes.  There were skaters and bikers doing tricks on makeshift ramps.  It was just so alive.  From some street vendors I bought myself a couple of tiny jars of locally made jam (one is rose flavored??) and an antique book: a copy of Shakespeare's Macbeth published in Paris a hundred years ago.  The text is original shakespearian but the footnotes are French - how fun is that??  

Yesterday I went on a tour to Monaco and Monte Carlo, which was really exciting for me.  Growing up we had a nextdoor neighbor who was from Monaco (the second smallest country in the world) who was an ice skater.  I found out only 5,000 people are actually Monaco citizens with  Monaco passports, and that the name of the country comes from the Italian word for monk - because the country was begun by two Italian pirates who disguised themselves as monks and then invaded.  We visited the royal palace where the King lives, and saw the flag flying which means he was in residence.  We visited the main Cathedral and saw the tomb of the last prince and his wife, Grace Kelley - originally from Philadelphia!  Unfortunately it was pouring rain for the first part of the tour, and I was getting so wet and tired of water on my glasses that I bought myself one of those cheesy souvenir hats they sell everywhere - it says Monaco and Monte Carlo on it.  But it fits well and I guess I needed a hat anyway. From there we visited the famous casino of Monte Carlo - and even though we didn't go inside it was one of those places where you can just feel and imagine the sort of high society that mingles there at night - all the glitz and glamour.  It was quite a beautiful place, as well, with the Cafe de Paris, the Hotel de Paris, and the gardens and fountains everywhere.  And all day I had in my head a song that I know by Rockapella that mentions Monte Carlo ("Monte Carlo, Tokyo, anywhere you want lets go - first class - just ask - we'll leave right now")  

Today we're in Livorno and unfortunately I couldn't get on any tours that I wanted, so I'm having a lazy day here on board, enjoying the quiet.  

A little excitement...

(St. Petersburg Photo Album is up!)

 http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2063829&l=d5e02&id=56903845

We've had a pretty interesting couple of days here on the Century.   The ship had some sort of electrical problem when we were docked in Corsica, and as a result we remained there overnight and all of the following day until almost 10pm.  For the crew it was nice - we got a night's sleep without any noise or rocking, plus we were all quietly hoping we'd be layed up there for a couple weeks with no guests and therefore no work. :-)  But, they fixed the problem eventually and the cruise continued, with one port (Casablanca) missed, and a late arrival today in Gibraltar.  Tomorrow we will still go to Tangier as planned, and return to Barcelona on time (as long as nothing else goes wrong).  Because of all this our schedules have been all switched around and the shows put on different days.  Last night the show didn't use the horns - it was the pianist Naki Ataman, who I worked with on the Galaxy for a month or so.  His show requires one of the horn players to run powerpoint, which I was happy to volunteer to do since I've done it before, and everyone else was quite happy to let me do it. :-)  Tonight Naki took me out to Casual Dining and we caught up a bit, which was nice.  It was an example of one of the things I really like about cruise ships - getting to know all these interesting people from around the world and sharing conversations about music and life with great performers like Naki.  I feel really lucky to be here at times like those.  

As for Gibraltar - I was feeling a bit under the weather last night and today so all I did is walk around for about an hour, but the place itself really fascinates me and I can't wait to climb the rock and see the infamous monkeys next time.  Today I didn't even make it into town - Marie and Liam and I just walked to the first restaurant we found, which happened to be some really authentic Indian food (we found all the Indian guys from the ship eating there, so you know its good). Tonight's show is Jack Walker, a singer whose show we played last cruise as well.  The only way to describe his show is that it is as diversified as possible.  You name it, he probably sings it.  The audience really seems to like him.  It looks like tomorrow will be an easy day for us, possibly only "Starring You" which is sort of a talent show for guests (and which can be quite painful sometimes).  Basically we play one waltz  (Moon River) while a few couples dance, and then we fill in all the spaces in the show with the same 10 bars of a big band tune.  

Several days ago we were in Civitavecchia, Italy, which was really a neat feeling for me.  It is the first port this contract that I know well, and it was also the place where I boarded my very first ship for the very first time, one year and four months ago.  It was a strange feeling to be back there, and remember getting off the plane in Rome, taking the taxi to the port, and then seeing the Galaxy for the very first time.  I remember how huge it looked to me then.  Plus oddly enough the Galaxy was in port with us, along with the Summit.  All three of my ships in the same place - strange.  My friend Lisa is on the Summit, and she and I arranged to meet up.  We had lunch at a nice Chinese food place and reminisced about good times on the Galaxy.  I guess being there again just gave me a new perspective on my time on ships, and how far I've come in a year, and how normal this all seems now.  Well, there's plenty more that's happened since the last time I posted, but I think thats more than enough info for now.  

Villefranche, France

Yesterday we had our first stop on our first Mediterranean itinerary - Marseilles, France.  I was pretty excited about this port because of the movie The Count of Monte Cristo, which was set in Marseilles and the surrounding areas.  The Chateau D'if is a real place that eventually I will get to visit.  Oddly enough it seems like no-one that I know here has ever heard of the movie!  Inconceivable...its a family favorite in our house.  Anyway this time about seven of us (all musicians from around the ship) got off in the afternoon to enjoy a leisurely lunch and just walk around.   We ate at a nice restaurant right on the quaint old harbor, and then walked around the main shopping streets.  Marie made us repeat after her and order in French.  I learned how to say fork, knife, and steak.  Its a start.  

When Marie and I showed up in the theatre later that night for our pre-show big band set, we found out that Kevin had somehow broken his trumpet and couldn't play.  So instead of big band, Ian just played a jazz set all by himself, and Marie and I joined him to play for the Captain's Toast.  It was rather strange - plus we are still mystified as to why Kevin couldn't just play his flugelhorn instead for one night.  Oh well, he's his own boss sometimes.  So with our unexpected free time Marie and I spent the evening together and watched the broadway show.   

Today we are in Villefranche - the port of call for Nice, Provence, and MonteCarlo (Monaco).  From what I can see, the French Riviera lives up to its reputation - beautiful houses on the seaside, fancy yachts everywhere....I didn't actually get off the ship today, just enjoyed the view from the deck.  But I'm really looking forward to taking some tours here the next few times.  

Tonight we have a guest entertainer named Davie Howes.... "A muilti-instrumentalist with a twist" according to his tagline.  He sings, plays piano, trumpet, pocket trumpet, post-horn, and everything else you can imagine.  He sticks his trumpet mouthpiece into all kinds of odd equipment and still manages to knock out a tune.  Some examples: an old tea kettle, a mic stand (hollow middle), a shower unit, a garden hosepipe, etc.  I've seen him around the ship quite a lot and we've had some nice conversations.  He says his show is really just his job, it isn't musical or his passion - his wife of 20 years has never even seen it.  He says he would love to play jazz trumpet all day but he gets paid 6 times more to play a hosepipe. :-)  I like him a lot - he's a very good-spirited, down-to-earth English guy.  (And he looks remarkably like Cameron Belsey - weird!!)  Anyway we have his show again tonight, and its definitely entertaining for me. 

Barcelona!

We arrived in Barcelona today, and the warm mediterranean weather is perfect!  I am enjoying it already.  Lets see - let me catch you up on the end of last cruise:  In Lisbon I went on a tour in the morning just to see the main sights around the city.  Then I stayed on my own in the city center armed with my map and explored a bit.  I visited the main shopping street, saw a famous viewpoint elevator, and eventually hiked up to the Castello St. Jorge - an old castle on a hill overlooking the city.  I had a really nice day there, and wish we were going back!  I keep saying that about all these great ports...but its true.  Anyway the last port of the cruise was Tangier, Morocco, and I didn't get off the ship.  We will be including that port in our Med itinerary, so no rush.  Plus I hear its better to take a tour there because its a bit wild.  Instead I relaxed on the ship after months of constant touring, which was awesome!  Marie, Liam, Stephan and I ate breakfast outside on the back deck and enjoyed the sunshine.  And today in Barcelona I had one goal alone: to find internet and get caught up with emails and blogging.  I had 5 requirements: 1) good wireless signal 2) comfy chairs 3) an outlet 4) a bathroom 5) coffee and pastries.  And those five conditions could only mean one place: Starbucks. :-)  I wish I could find somewhere else but I looked around and nowhere else had wireless.  Oh well.  So here I am again. All Starbucks feel the same, so its a bit like being at home, strangely enough.  

This cruise will be our first Mediterranean cruise, and I am really looking forward to it.  I'm looking forward to tagging along with Marie in France to make use of her french and enthusiasm for the country, and seeing Florence and Pisa soon!!  What else...oh last cruise I met two really great couples on board and had some fun with them the last couple of days in the cruise.  They met me after I played a jazz set in the Cova Café.  I wish they were staying on for another one!  I really enjoy meeting cool guests who are fun and easy to connect with!  So here's a shout out to the "exceptional" Donna, Dick, Wayne, and Brenda!!  (I had to say something nice cause they said they're going to check my blog) ;-)  If you're reading this, I miss you guys already and hope you're enjoying your few days in Barcelona!!

On the way to warmer weather!

Well.....at least we will be in warmer weather soon.  Today it is freezing and pouring rain in Cherbourg, France, and I went on a tour that was less than ideal for that reason.  But it was still nice to see some countryside.  

Chelsea left me a couple days ago and I've just heard that she's made it safely home!  We had a lot of fun together and sure saw a lot of places - she didn't want to leave yet.  But she starts school in a day or two so no getting around it.  Now I'm a bit lonlier without her, but hopefully will start getting more connected with the culture on the ship, especially with my fellow musicians.  

Yesterday we began our repositioning cruise with a stop in Brugge, Blegium, which is fairly close to Brussels.  Unfortunately I couldn't get on the tour to Brussels, but the tour I did take was really amazing.  We visited Brugge and Ghent, both very beautiful cities.  In Ghent we visited the cathedral where Van Eyck's Adoration of the Mystic Lamb painting is, which was quite impressive.  But Brugge was my favorite - the whole town is impressive and medeival.  It was very fascinating, and huge.  All the buildings were incredible - there wasn't an eyesore or anything modern among them.  Wow.   To complete my experience I bought some family-made chocolate and also tried a Belgian waffle - they are sold at every street corner.  I got one with chocolate on it just cause I could.  It was yummy!!

I'm looking forward to a day at sea tomorrow before we arrive in Vigo, Spain.  Lots of sleep for me....I know as soon as we finish this cruise I'll crash - but I want to see as much as possible since we only do these ports once.  So, onward!!!

Ireland!!

We've just finished our whirlwind of 3 Irish ports in a row, and Chelsea and I wore ourselves out seeing as much as we could.  Today we have a sea day to recover - and we are making the most of it.  We slept in as long as we possibly could.  But let me catch you up on Ireland - one port at a time!

Cork (Cobh):  Chelsea and I each went on separate tours because unfortunately we didn't get our first choices. I went on a pretty short tour, that drove around Cork so you could see it only from the bus, and then went to Blarney Castle.  My first Irish Castle!!  I was so excited.  The Castle is not maintained - it is a ruin - which made it all the more appealing to me.  We had about two hours there, which was more than enough time to do the tourist thing there - which is to kiss the Blarney Stone.  Now kissing the stone is, in my tour guide's words, "not for the faint of heart."  You have make your way bent-over through passageways, climb through the old castle up several of the most confined stone spiral staircases of the towers, and basically let yourself be lowered out over the highest battlement with the grounds far below in order to kiss the stone.  And I'm pretty sure they don't sanitize it in between kissers. But yes, I did it.  And now I have officially received the "gift of eloquence," which is the traditional legend.  Afterwards I walked around Cobh in the wind and rain until I couldn't stand it anymore.  The small port town's claim to fame is that the Titanic was docked there.  There is also a pretty impressive cathedral in the French Gothic style that I visited.  Ok, next port!

Dublin: Wow, what a city.  Dublin seems like a really vibrant and fun place to live.  My short tour featured a visit to Trinity College, more specifically to their library called the Long Room and their exhibit on the Book of Kells.  The Book is an 8th century manuscript that is a highly illuminated (decorated) copy of the four gospels.  The Long Room is exactly that - a long, open, room with vaulted ceilings, with two stories of centuries-old books and ancient manuscripts.  (if you've seen Beauty and the Beast, it kindof looks like that library, only really long)    It even has the thin sliding ladders that let you reach the books on the top shelf, and the room smells of old books.  If you know me well you'll understand that this was right up my alley - I really enjoyed the visit.  After that we visited Dublin Castle, which isn't very castle-looking, but is more like a nice mansion.  After the tour was over I stayed in Dublin for a couple hours on my own, wandering around and shopping.  For lunch I treated myself to some fish and chips and tried a famous Irish Coffee.  One neat thing about signs in the Republic of Ireland is that they are all written in both English and Gaelic, which I found really interesting.

Belfast, Northern Ireland: For our last port in Ireland, we left the Republic of Ireland and entered Northern Ireland, which remains part of the English commonwealth.  No Gaelic appears on the signs here, and the currency is pounds sterling instead of the euro.  Luck was with us today (Irish luck?): Chelsea and I got on the same tour, to the place we most wanted to go.  We left at different times, but once we got there she jumped tours and we spent the rest of the day together.  The trip was an hour and a half drive to the Giant's Causeway at the very northern tip of Ireland.  On the way we drove through some really beautiful, green Irish countryside, seeing lots of farmland, cows, and sheep.  We arrived at the site, which is a series of rock formations on the coast.  It is difficult to explain how it looks, but basically it is a huge area of stones shaped like hexagonal columns.  It almost resembles a honeycomb, but some of the columns are very tall. The expanse stretches out into the sea, and the legend is that an Irish giant built the causeway as a path all the way across the sea to Scotland, but a Scottish Giant's fear of fighting him caused him to tear up most of the path behind him, and what we see now is all that's left.  It was a really incredible sight, and Chelsea and I had a good time wandering around taking pictures.   On the way back we stopped for quick photos at the ruins of Dunlace Castle.  Altogether, it was an amazing day - the perfect conclusion to our three days in Ireland.  

In ship news, last night after leaving Ireland the waves were the most rough as we've had yet, and the comedian could hardly stay standing during his show.  We suggested he should try sit-down comedy next time....(-:  They put barf-bags up in strategic locations around the ship, and I saw a lot of people who weren't looking so good.  I didn't have any issues with it at all, but Chelsea had a rough night.  Today like I said we are at sea, and it has calmed down considerably after last night.   Tomorrow we begin what I see as the second half of the cruise - the Norway half.  We'll get to visit one port that I haven't been to yet, which is exciting.  Its hard to believe that I'm almost done with the Baltic portion of my contract.  Man, I wish we could spend more time in Ireland!!  Oh well, at least I really had a great time there.  I feel so lucky to have seen so much in less than 2 months. Tonight we have late Big Band sets, which will give me my first chance to have a really leisurely dinner with Chelsea in the grand dining room.  

Birthday at sea #2

Once again I found myself away from home on August 20th - the day on which I walk around with a big smile and feel like everyone should know its my birthday. After all, haven't we all been waiting a whole year for this?!  Anyway we were actually at sea all day, so Chelsea and I spent a leisurely day together on the Century.  We went out the Aqua Spa Café for lunch (one of our favorite places to eat on the ship), and spent a while together opening presents from home.  The presents my family sent were all small enough to fit in an overseas package, but meaningful enough to really make me feel the love from home!!  I had the most fun with a tiny music box that played "Happy Birthday" as you cranked the handle!!!  I love it!!!  I pick it up and make it play all the time and have lots of fun chasing people around with it. :-)  I also got some of the most useful gifts I've ever received for my birthday - like a bunch of awesome magnets so I can hang stuff up on my walls and a personalized planner with little messages written in from my sister Holly.  Chelsea gave me a BEAUTIFUL Russian lacquer box that I am in love with.  I could go on and on, but I guess you don't need to know about every single thing I got.  So Chelsea and I had a neat private little party with those.  

We had two shows at night, and afterwards Marie told me she wanted to spend the evening with me - just the two of us having a girls night out.  She had me get dressed up and everything and we went to Michael's Club for about an hour and talked while listening to the pianist there.  Then she suggested we switch to the Rendezvous Lounge for a while.  SURPRISE!!!  She had totally tricked me - there were about 20 people there, with birthday cards and even a birthday cake!!!  The musicians in the lounge played Happy Birthday for me while everyone sang....I was absolutely shocked.  I had no clue anything was planned....I didn't know what to say.  Marie planned the whole thing for me, including getting the cake and calling everyone all day to get them there and taking me the back way so I wouldn't see them, and going to the Rendezvous at just the right time....everything.  I can't believe she went through so much trouble.  She also gave me a gift certificate for a pedicure - a tradition she started last year when we were together on the Galaxy.  All I can say is that she is one of the most amazing friends I've ever had.  I am blown away that she would go through so much trouble to make the day special for me.  I am still in shock a little.  I can't remember ever being so thoroughly surprised.    There aren't many people in the world who would do something like that for a friend - Marie is one of the best.  I can't think of a more amazing thing to happen on my birthday.  :-)

Well, this cruise is my last with Chelsea - and it feels like a present in itself!  Ireland here we come!!!!  We can't wait to arrive in Cork tomorrow!!! 

Estonia

some photos from Berlin: http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2062122&l=848ef&id=56903845

Today Chelsea and I are in Tallin, Estonia, sitting at the Reval Café enjoying the ambience while using the internet.  I, of course, am enjoying my cappuccino, as has become tradition whenever I find a nice café to sit and use the internet.  It is really one of the ways that I relax.  The weather is a bit chilly and overcast today, so staying indoors sounded like a good plan to both of us after we had walked around old town for about 20 minutes.  

Last night the band had an easy night (preceded by a night off in St. Petersburg!!!) and it has been really nice for me to allow my chops a rest for a couple days.  Tonight we'll be back in the swing of things, though - with a guest entertainer's show.  I hear she is a violinist.  Should be fun!  I'm ready to get back into it.  We are now on the tail end of this cruise, headed back for Amsterdam.  Chelsea and I are both really excited to begin next cruise, as we are headed for a few ports in Ireland!!!  I really can't wait. 

Hesinki, Finland

Chelsea and I had a nice relaxing day today - we didn't take any tours for once.  We just walked around on our own in town today.  We visited Market Square with all its vendors and bought ourselves half a liter or blueberries, which we've been snacking on all day.  We visited the two biggest Cathedrals in the area for some pictures, and then settled down here in this little café for the rest of the afternoon to use the internet.  

Something miraculous happened today - I have a day off!!!  Wow!  The band doesn't have one, but Ian and I are off.  The daily program (whose word is law) says that the celebrity jazz TRIO is playing today for two sets.   Emphasis on trio, ha ha - they probably just made a typo.  But I'm not complaining!  Kevin and Marie are each going to play a tune or two to spice things up, but thats about it.  It will be my first day off since I've been here, and I am pretty excited.  We are also hearing rumors that the whole band might have a true day off in St. Petersburg, but I'm not counting on it.  Well, the new drummer's name is Stephan: he's a really nice guy, 26, from South Africa.  But, it is his first contract ever, and he doesn't have very much experience doing the kind of things we do here - as a result he plays very tentatively.  So far Kevin has been patient with him, and I hope Stephan starts to improve and catch on soon.  We'll see what happens.  In any case I know being here is definitely going to give this guy a chance to improve and gain a lot of experience.  

As for the rest of today, Chelsea and I plan to rest a bit to prepare ourselves for St. Petersburg - we've both signed up for tours both days, so it will be a bit of a whirlwind.  But it should be a lot of fun.  I know Chelsea's really looking forward to it, especially to the Hermitage. Russia, here we come!

Stockholm

Some new photos! http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2061854&l=d190d&id=56903845

I think that Stockholm is my favorite port so far this contract.  True, I've only been here twice, and the weather has been sunny and beautiful both times, but so far I really love it.  There are so many gorgeous, elegant eye-catching buildings, on a series of islands connected by bridges over the water.  Today I took a tour to see something I've been wanting to see since I heard about it - the Vasa Museum.  The museum is a building constructed around the Swedish warship Vasa, a ship which was built in 1628 and sunk on its maiden voyage out of Stockholm harbor.  It was underwater for over three hundred years before it was found, raised from the seafloor, and restored inside this museum.  It is immense and breathtaking.  The museum which houses it has very low lighting and controlled humidity, giving the ship a very ghostly feel to it.  I was really looking forward to seeing it and wasn't disappointed.  I already have a love for old sailing ships and the way they look, and I found the experience a little overwhelming.  I hope the pictures come out well enough to do it justice.  I spent a lot of money in the gift shop to show my reverence and appreciation of this amazing experience.  :-)  

Right now I am still in Stockholm, at my latest discovery - the Seaman's Mission.  Its a free crew hangout that has lounges, computers, free wireless, a cafe, a chapel, a library, and even a grand piano!  Its really really nice - if only there was something like this everywhere we went.  Its too bad that this is my last day in Stockholm: this is one place where I really could spend weeks.  I hope I get to come back someday.  

A new Era...

I know its been a while since I've posted - my apologies!  Chelsea and I have been busy wearing ourselves out trying to see everything we possibly can.  The shore excursion staff have been really great and are letting her be a tour escort like I can do, and even letting us go on a couple tours together.  Today is day one of our second Scandinavia/Russia cruise, and Chelsea's second cruise of her stay.  It looks like we'll be able to have my room to ourselves for one more cruise!!  But my band leader isn't too cooperative, so we'll see what happens after that - we don't want to make anyone mad.  Still keeping our fingers crossed that she'll be able to stay for all three cruises.  So far, so good, but prayer is still appreciated!!

Today we get a new drummer, who we are all anxious to meet and hear him play.  From today on it will be the same band members until the end of my contract, so we are all hoping the drummer is awesome - it would be so nice to have a stable, good, band - and the drummer can make or break it.  All I know right now is that he's from South Africa and is in fact a he. :-)  Anyway, I miss the other Andrea already!  Its too bad she couldn't be here for a whole contract.  She's on her way back to Texas to begin the next school year at North Texas, and I'm sure she'll be happy to be home.  

Last night we had a pretty fun show - something a little different.  It was a shared show between the acapella group Metro and one of the headline entertainers from earlier in the cruise - Mark O'Malley doing a second show.  At the end of Mark's section he brought back Metro and another guest entertainer (Lindsay Hamilton) and all six of them did an acapella number all together. The sang "Bring Him Home", and it was really something.  Chelsea recorded a bit of it for me - this sort of thing never happens - they just decided to get together throughout the cruise and put it all together just for fun - taking advantage of so much talent being on board at once.  I really enjoyed their spontaneous collaboration - it was a rare treat.  

Chelsea!

Chelsea is on board!!! Everything worked out according to plan, thank goodness! God is good. My wonderful roommate even offered to move next door where there is an empty bed so that the two of us could have my room to ourselves. So now we have our own room and separate beds. Woohoo! We sure got lucky on that one. We still don't know what the rooming situation will be for the next couple of cruises, but I'm sure something will work out. I am so excited to have her on board! And she's having a good time already. Yesterday we walked around all morning in Alesund, and it was a really beautiful day. Last time I was there it was rainy and cold, but today was sunny and perfect. We tired ourselves out walking around, and are both grateful that today is another sea day to give us some time to relax.

Our new pianist is a Russian woman named Marina, and she is a sweet lady and a great pianist. I can tell I'm going to enjoy working with her, and if we end up roommates (which is likely) I look forward to it. She seems really cool.

Today we have Lindsay Hamilton's show, which I've played before several times. Lindsay has a little 2 or 3 year old daughter who is really cute, and she always comes to the rehearsals to dance around while we practice the music and pretend to play drums and conduct the band. She is a beautiful little girl with big blond ringlets and bright blue eyes, and always steals the show. Or at least the rehearsal. :-)

St. Petersburg and Estonia

Big news!!  Thanks for praying everyone - I finally got confirmation today from the company for Chelsea to some on board with me!!!  Praise God!  He is WAY too good to me. :-)  I'm really looking forward to her coming in just a couple days.  Well, we are nearing the end of my second cruise here. 

Ok, got to catch you all up on our last few ports of call!  We'll start with St. Petersburg.  Russia is very strict on immigration policies, and even crew needed a passport, a photocopy of their passport for them to keep, our crew pass or ship card, plus a tour ticket or ticket for the shuttle bus.  No-one goes out on their own, in other words.  You can't even take a taxi - you HAVE to be on an official shuttle bus so they have a record of you.  I chose to go on a tour, of course - its just easier.  So I went on an all-day one that hit both the summer and winter palaces of Catherine the Great, and Peter the Great.  Peterhof Palace is a palace/museum, where everything has been preserved and restored, and is very ornate.  It was quite beautiful, especially the gardens and impressive fountains.  The second palace is now part of the Hermitage Museum, the second largest in the world, behind the Louvre.  We spent a whirlwind two and a half hours in the museum, breezing by Renoir and Van Gogh and Rembrant and Monet......I couldn't believe their collection.  We only saw the tiniest part.  Apparently it would take years to properly view every exhibition.  It was very impressive.  St. Petersburg is really a city of contrasts - with the official and royal buildings incredibly beautiful and lavish, next to the rather unattractive city itself.  The disparity between rich and poor was very evident.  

The next day we stopped in Tallinn, Estonia.  I was really pleasantly surprised by this place.  It has a medieval feel too it, and reminded me of Rhodes, Greece.  The country was only recently released from Soviet rule in 1991, and definitely has a bit of a Russian flair to some of the architecture.  But they have their own separate language which is among the most difficult to learn.  It was an absolutely gorgeous day, and I went on a short tour.  It was a really beautiful city - I wish we spent more time there.  I'm looking forward to next time.  

Today was a sea day, and it was nice not to have to work until almost 8pm.  We played some more big band music, in addition to the Baked Alaska farewell ceremony.  Tomorrow we will be in Copenhagen, Denmark, which I'm also really looking forward to.