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!!!