TravelStream™ news feed for member hiwhthi on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/hiwhthi en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:47:11 -0500 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hiwhthi/5/1256528340/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hiwhthi/5/1256528340/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hiwhthi/5/1256528340/tpod.html Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:47:11 -0500 Hotel California - On a Cruise with the Parents

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Pompei, Campania, Italy

I envisioned Pompeii to look like pictures I’ve seen of Greece, with the Parthenon and white ruins of broken marble columns - but instead I find crumbling brick walls that remind me of the shabby villages in China that the government is hastily tearing down. By 2:30pm our bus arrives at Pompeii, and we enter the park-like entrance with the tour guide. She hands us each an individual amplifier like those we had in Malta so that we can hear her speak. She’s a stylish Italian woman with white hair and wears white pants and has a garbled Italian way of talking. Though the amplifiers don’t help so much to hear what she’s saying but it does help us pinpoint which landmark she’s at. There are at least five other NCL tours in the same area crisscrossing into one another.

The guide says, "Andiamo!" which means “Let’s Go!” in Italian. She says it a lot as people straggle from her group, but unfortunately nobody else knows what it means. We walk through several feature areas such as a square and an amphitheater. Then we walk by the row-houses. There’s a long line outside one house where there are ancient pornographic drawings carefully preserved on the wall.

Then we finally approach the main feature of Pompeii, the people preserved by lava. I feel sorry for the man whose remains are on display in the glass case. It’s as if his last act on earth has turned into a freak show that lasted for hundreds of years. I can see his teeth and mouth open in agony, and I imagine the horror his eyes had seen centuries ago when the lava from Mount Vesuvius froze his body and this village into a neat time capsule. In an instant any wish I ever had to be famous was gone – I would rather die in obscurity than to be visited by hordes of tourists snapping pictures of my body until eternity.

When we return to our meeting place Juju isn’t able to find Juma again. She didn’t want to walk with us so she waited near the souvenir stands. Right before we’re about to leave we breathe a sigh of relief as she turns up. We board the bus that’s parked two blocks away and as it pulls out of the parking lot I realize Margaret isn’t sitting next to me. Our tour guide shouts into her amplifier, “Margaret if you can hear me, don’t worry, we’re coming for you!”

The bus heads to the drop-off location to search for Margaret and we see her walking toward the bus. We scoop her up and everyone in the bus applauds - then we head for the cameo factory. Here they show us how cameos are carved from clamshells and then let us peruse the cameos, priced in the thousands of dollars, in the glass cases. By 6:30pm we are back on ship.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hiwhthi/5/1256224066/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hiwhthi/5/1256224066/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hiwhthi/5/1256224066/tpod.html Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:38:32 -0500 Hotel California - On a Cruise with the Parents

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Valletta, Island of Malta, Malta

Sleeping on the upper bunk of the ship's cabin reminds me of having an MRI. When I went in for the procedure a month ago, I was rolled under a flat plate two inches above my face and my head was secured to the table so I couldn’t move for twenty minutes. I don’t think I got over that terrifying experience because even though the cabin’s ceiling was two feet over me I felt claustrophobic. When we rise at 6:00am from the wake-up call, I carefully slouch as I sit up so I don’t bump my head against the ceiling. I climb down the ladder to go to the bathroom and this time I remember to lock the door before I start taking a shower. Still, Dad fidgets with the latch outside. "It’s urgent!!" he shouts.

By 8:00am the ship arrives in Malta while we are eating breakfast at the Garden Buffet. When I look through the window I see the sun rising over the island, giving the entire ancient city of stone a golden glow. I wish I had my camera to capture the weather-beaten yellow and gray hues, because the pictures I took as the boat left the dock are overcast and doesn’t have the morning’s magical light.

We purchased tickets to the “Valetta and Malta Experience” excursion the night before and met Juju and Juma at the seventh floor Stardust Theater to begin disembarkation. Our tour is almost the last one to be called and we walk out the door to the fourth floor deck, put on the stickers with our bus and tour number, swipe our cruise ID cards and board the bus. From the ship it’s hard to tell how to enter the walled city but once we are sitting inside the bus we can see a ramp that enters the city. A lot of people are walking on the paved sidewalk beside the road and I feel duped by the online descriptions that make the walk into the city sound rough.

Our tour guide is a dowdy English woman who is wearing a flower print dress and speaks with a breathlessly nasal English accent. “Thish ish a shtashtue of Shaint Jamesh, and-a….” she speaks like this as we follow her along the cobblestone streets lined with stone buildings. Our first stop is the Upper Baracca Gardens, a tranquil oasis of greenery that looks over a view to the island’s waterfront. She tells us we have a fifteen minute break, but when the time is up I don’t see her return. Mom is the only one of us who hears her say that we are to meet at “San Francisco” a narrow street that runs up a steep hill like those in San Francisco.

We follow her into the St. James Co-Cathedral and she hands out personal amplifiers to our group. But it doesn’t help because I still can’t make out what she’s saying beneath her slushy pronunciation. After we walk out the cathedral we continue down a long street with shops, past street vendors, and then turn a sharp corner into a narrow sidewalk that leads to an outdoor seating area ringed with restaurants. Then we realize that Juma is missing. It is 1:45pm and I’m worried by 2:30pm the boat will leave without her. She speaks no English and I’m starting to envision the scenario when she is left behind. She didn’t want to come with us because she was tired after the Montserrat tour and she was already mad at Juju for bringing her. I run back to the cathedral where Juju last saw her and I come back without finding her. Somehow she just shows up a few minutes later. Later we head to a museum and into a theater to hear the history of Malta, and head back on the bus to the ship before 2:30.

At dinner Jenny tells us that she and nine other people were abandoned by their tour guide in Malta, so they ended up taking a cab back to the boat. I doubt the parents would have thought to do that if they were lost; we probably would have ended up yelling at each other and in the process get robbed. I am so lucky to have survived another day on this trip.


]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hiwhthi/5/1256396068/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hiwhthi/5/1256396068/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hiwhthi/5/1256396068/tpod.html Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:26:22 -0500 Hotel California - On a Cruise with the Parents

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Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain and Canary Islands

We arrive at the dock at 12:30 and bid Ines farewell. She congratulates us for being the first group she has ever taken that has been able to fit all our suitcases in the bus with extra room to spare. In the parking lot we take out our bags and attach the ship's colored tags with our room number so they can be delivered to our cabin. Then we line up for security in a large room that looks like an airport concourse and wait in a long line to check-in.

My friend Kathie calls cruise ships floating buffets but sailing in one feels like hanging out at a shopping mall day and night and having only an Applebee’s or Chili’s to eat at for dinner. We walk along the enormous white exterior before entering into the ship’s belly on the seventh floor reception area where we’re offered champagne and orange juice. Then we find a place to sit at the hotel lobby’s free-form purple chairs and stare at the festive blue carpet with stars. Tables are set up to sell different services like spa packages, drink packages, bingo games and excursions.

At 2:00pm our "staterooms" or cabins are ready. The announcement is made over the intercom after we hear “ding-dong!” Every time we hear “ding-dong!” there is some announcement being made, such as time for bingo or a show at the Stardust Theater. But it’s more important for us to first locate a place to eat. When the restaurant above the lounge isn’t serving food yet we wander to the twelfth floor to discover the poolside grill has hotdogs and hamburgers. I choose the rice, chicken and vegetables because I’m determined not to gain any weight. Though after a while I figure I should stop kidding myself because I didn’t want to give up my habit of going to the soft serve ice-cream machine at night.

Beyond the pool is the Garden Café, THE BUFFET. Mom tells me to go further inside, as if she has struck gold. The short Thai man wearing a Hawaiian shirt and white pants waits outside with the squirt bottle of hand cleanser. He says, “HAPPY, HAPPY! WASHY, WASHY!” as I approach the door. I hear him instruct the tall Caribbean man wearing the same Hawaiian shirt and white pant outfit to say this, to which he adds his own greeting “SMILEY, SMILEY!” The middle aged vacationers are cheerful and seem to be in the mood for baby talk but I feel like we have returned to kindergarten. I am not in the mood to be cheerful so I sulk my way to the buffet tables. I find soup, salad, pasta, bread, dessert, coffee, juice, ice-cream, fruit and a number of entrees, and bring back a sugar-free brownie to eat by the pool. It tastes like cardboard.

I remind the parents we must attend the mandatory emergency drill by 5:00pm. We watch the safety instructions on TV in our room and I quiz Mom on where we are supposed go in case of an emergency. “To our room?” she says. Obviously she was not listening. When the horns blare we take our lifejackets and head to the Stardust Theater where we’re instructed to put them on, reflector side out. As Dad is still struggling to put the strap around his waist after the drill is over and I am thinking to myself that our chances for survival in an emergency are very slim.

At 5:30 there’s barbeque party by the pool and all of a sudden a long line forms in front the grill with people waiting for ribs. Mom and I go to the pool deck to videotape the boat leaving but it’s still docked. By 6:00pm we meet for dinner at the Grand Pacific, it is the third time we’ve eaten in four hours. We’re given a prix fixe menu and Dad is having a hard time understanding the concept of choosing one item from each category of appetizer, entrée and dessert. He chooses chicken. I don’t know why this makes Mom go berserk, “Why you pick chicken, AGAIN?” The meal is nicer than I expected, the dinners are plated in a fancy way with sauces artistically drizzled on the white plates. I order the Caesar salad, mahi-mahi and skip the dessert. By 7:00pm we are still seated at the dining room and I hardly notice the boat has left the dock.

We try to sleep at 9:00pm. We are tired from the full day but it’s still the earliest bedtime I can remember since elementary school. The cabin has two twin beds which are about three feet apart. A third bed hangs vertically against the wall, and is pulled over one of the twin beds at night. I sleep on that bed and Mom sleeps below me. When I turn out the lights I hear Dad violently tossing and turning, and wrestling with his sheets as if he’s trying to rip them up. After an hour he gets up to go to the bathroom, and an hour later he gets up again. By 2am and his fourth bathroom visit Dad is finally asleep and snoring, but I am wide awake beating my head against the mattress because I can’t sleep. Although my eyes are closed, my mind is awake and I’m trying to decide which bar or lounge would be the best to spend the night at for the rest of this week because I can’t sleep. Mom is suffering below me as I bang my head in sleepless agony. She gives me a Tylenol PM and I finally fall asleep in an hour.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hiwhthi/5/1256915817/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hiwhthi/5/1256915817/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hiwhthi/5/1256915817/tpod.html Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:06:42 -0500 Hotel California - On a Cruise with the Parents

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Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain and Canary Islands

The man behind the desk at the Best Western Hotel Alfa Auropuerto always seems to be busy and exasperated with all the people asking him questions. As I wait in line I notice the four-star placard on the wall, but the longer I have to stand and look at the small lobby's cheap finishes I want to walk over to the wall and rip off a couple of stars.

Mom and Dad are in room 405 and I’m next door in room 407. My roommate is Anna and she’s also traveling with her elderly parents - her mother is 82 years old and her father is 86. She tells me they’ve never been to Europe and it was her mother’s dream to go. By 5:00pm we’re rested, refreshed and ready for dinner. Anna, her parents, Margareth, Mom and I decide to wander into the city to find a restaurant. Mom gleefully leaves Dad behind at the hotel with Frank Cheng.

Two cabs pull up to the entrance for the six of us and then bring us to Placa de Catalunya the city center and square in front of La Rambla. Our cab charges me 27 Euros ($45) and hands me change for a 40 Euro bill. Anna is also charged 27 Euros and she asks me if the fare seemed high. I now remember the hotel concierge told me the fare was 20 Euros from the hotel and then it occurs to me we were ripped off. My driver pushed a button to add some random charge to our fare and gives me a few coins in change that doesn’t add up. I realize that I ended up paying near 40 Euros ($60) for a cab ride into the city.

La Rambla is the street where all the action is, according to every tour guide about Barcelona. So when I find a wide sidewalk island flanked by two narrow car lanes, I’m underwhelmed. It’s almost too crowded for a pleasant walk, as people everywhere are weaving in and out of the crowds among the vendors, street performers, flower stands and other distractions along the way. After a few minutes of strolling Mom is anxious to find a restaurant, so we stop at the second place we see. It’s a cozy and unassuming storefront featuring a prix fixe paella dinner for 11.95 Euros on the menu board in front.

6:00pm is too early for Europeans to have dinner so we are the only ones in the restaurant. They seat us on the second floor with a view to the historic open air market Marcat de la Boqueria and I see mobs of people streaming in and out all night long. For the appetizer I order the tuna salad. The main course is served with our orders combined into one small pan with the shrimp and chicken paella and one large pan with sausage paella. It’s too much for us to eat and when we ask to take the leftovers they give us a strange look. Europeans never ask for a doggie bag. We are full after the main dish and hardly anyone touches the lemon tart dessert.

After dinner we walk down a street that diverges from La Ramblas and brings us to the Catedral, a major landmark on my map located in the Barri Gotic district. There is a spooky feeling walking around the dark medieval corners and passageways, and I think to myself that this is a perfect place to get mugged. Then I look over to the next block and see shops and crowds of people milling about, so I continue at our leisurely pace and look for souvenirs along the narrow streets.

By nine we decide to look for the buses to return, as we are loathe to pay the rip-off cab fares again. Since Anna’s parents are slow walkers I run ahead to search for the bus stop. I run down to the subway to ask for directions, I’m told to go back to the street where I don’t find any buses, then I turn the corner and I see them pulling up, so I run back to look for everyone to tell them to continue walking around the block. By the time Mom and I reach the bus stop, Margareth, Anna and her parents aren’t behind us. Margareth is scoping out the jewelry the Guyanese street vendors have set up. All their wares are attached to the cloths they spread on the ground so when the cops come by to bust them for selling fakes they wrap everything up and make a run for it. Later I hear a stampede of people racing down the street, the vendors have cleared out. It is ten o’clock.

We are all together at 10:20pm and decide to take cabs back. By now the last buses have come and gone, and we hadn’t found the correct bus route for our hotel. This time we find an honest driver who charges us 20 Euros. When we return, Frank Cheng tells us in a serious voice that Dad was VERY worried. Mom and I know he was probably pacing in front of the hotel boiling mad for the last two hours - it’s a familiar scene that always plays out the same way. Still Mom regrets she let Frank endure the agony of Dad’s manic reaction and realizes there’s no one who can babysit him but her.

Before the night is over, Anna’s and her mom’s luggage is still missing. She says they are Christian so she has to accept that whatever happens is God’s will. If Dad lost his luggage our vacation would be ruined. I try to remember this so I will grow old with grace and patience.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hiwhthi/5/1257181790/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hiwhthi/5/1257181790/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hiwhthi/5/1257181790/tpod.html Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:13:54 -0500 Hotel California - On a Cruise with the Parents

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Pisa, Tuscany, Italy

The Leaning Tower of Pisa is the most famous architect's mistake. If he got it right would history have taken notice? If only my mistakes were so famous.

We take about a half an hour to pose Mom and Juju at the leaning tower. Why am I lifting my arm? Mom asks. Too long to explain I say, Juju lift your right arm. You’re too far back! Come forward! Mom, you come forward too. Move up, left, higher, no lower, hold it, hold it, HOLD IT…stand here Juju, no back, move right. Oh I get it now! Mom says. Juju says my arm is getting tired! Mom, don’t move! Mom says take a photo with my camera as she walks over to hand me her camera. Damn, now I have to pose them all over again. I didn’t hear it click, take it again Mom says. I still didn’t hear anything, let me try again! Then Juju says take one with my camera too! Everybody else is posing on the grassy green with their arms in the air, but the Dutch tourists are only laughing at us.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hiwhthi/5/1257102679/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hiwhthi/5/1257102679/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hiwhthi/5/1257102679/tpod.html Sun, 01 Nov 2009 22:25:30 -0500 Hotel California - On a Cruise with the Parents

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Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain and Canary Islands

Today the bus brings us to the most famous building in Spain, Sagrada Familia. But it is probably the most famous unfinished building in the world. The idea came from a bookseller who was inspired by a church after traveling to Loreto, Italy, and when he returned he was determined to build a similar one in Barcelona from money he raised through charity. He originally hired an architect named Villar, but they had a falling out so he hired Gaudi who threw out the previous plans and developed his own. Gaudi started working on the project in 1883 and in 1926 he died, at that time one façade, one tower, the apse and the crypt were complete.

Seen from afar Sagrada Familia looks like upside-down ice-cream cones melting in the sun. Closer up, it seems like the manifestation of some dark and fantastic dream. Pollution blackened the first completed façade, and the new elements built beside it sharply contrast with the dirtiness. Today it's very sunny, but it seems as if dreary weather would be more appropriate for this spooky cathedral. When the Japanese tourists are finished snapping their photos, Ines brings us to the open area in the park across the street where we can see the entire view of the façade.

She explains the symbolism of the building by sketching a diagram in the dirt. The twelve apostles are represented with four towers at each of the three facades. The fourth façade's four towers represent the evangelists. The two towers in the middle are dedicated to Jesus Christ and Mary. We are looking at the Nativity façade, which is the first completed façade. There is a Christmas tree with a penguin underneath, which represents taking communion and flying to Heaven. Below is Jesus’ coronation of Mary. To the side, fruits in baskets with wheat are created from glass.

Then it is time for a bathroom break. Ines knows the toilets are very important to the old folks. She takes us to the street with souvenir stores and walks us through a gift shop with toilets in back. "Like horses!" Ines reminds them to put on their blinders so they will not stray from heading towards the destination. And in anticipation of what’s on everybody’s mind she says, "I promise you I will give you time for souvenirs!" She is good, very good.

At the opposite end of the cathedral is the Passion Façade. The sculptures that were recently added in 1987 depict the crucifixion of Christ, and their features look abstract and block-like. Scenes from the Bible such as the kiss of Judas and Peter’s denial of Christ are captured here. Mom asks me again what the sculptures represent and I impatiently say, “Can’t you see? It’s Jesus, carrying the cross!” We are obviously not Catholic, and we sound like stupid tourists.

Nineteen years ago I visited Sagrada Familia and walked inside through the cavernous spaces and climbed up the narrow steeples. At the time the midsection was still open to the sky - and now it is covered. Ines says that it is projected to be finished in 2030, so I will have to wait another nineteen plus years to return again.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hiwhthi/5/1256059301/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hiwhthi/5/1256059301/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hiwhthi/5/1256059301/tpod.html Sat, 31 Oct 2009 22:45:40 -0400 Hotel California - On a Cruise with the Parents

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Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain and Canary Islands

The next stop is Parc Guell, pronounced "Park Way." The bus continues over rocky terrain and Ines tells the driver to stop to let a woman step out and throw up. It was supposed to be a development with many houses but only three were built - Guell's house, Gaudi's house and a doctor’s house. Ines explains that Guell was Gaudi’s patron who financed this park - which makes me seethe with envy. If I only found a wealthy person to launch my career I wouldn’t be here with my parents looking at another famous architect’s work. Life is so unfair.

We step out of the bus to look at the cave-like structure with angled columns. Then Ines brings us to the foot of the steps where two twisted structures are built. They look like ice cream cones with a lot of sprinkles, but I know they’re among Gaudi’s famous works because they are on the cover of a book I own about Gaudi. The blue lizard fountain halfway up the staircase is supposed to be a dog symbolizing loyalty, and everybody wants to get a photo of themselves next to it.

At the top of the steps, there is a space that was originally designed to be a marketplace but was never used as such - though there are a few vendors selling cheap jewelry. Margareth walks over to take a look and Mom follows. Ines explains that the coffered ceilings in the structure are designed with leftover ceramics tile companies gave to Gaudi and he made mosaics out of them. She points out the broken plates and wine bottles embedded into the decorative lighting embellishments.

Above the market there’s an undulating mosaic seating area surrounding a dirt plaza, and beyond there are brown columns with shapes that mimic the palm trees planted between them. Ines says Gaudi’s design isn’t unique but is based on organic structure. But I don’t buy it. Gaudi’s design is fluid and dreamlike and the haunting skeletal structures are unlike any other architecture I’ve ever seen.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hiwhthi/5/1256008374/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hiwhthi/5/1256008374/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hiwhthi/5/1256008374/tpod.html Sat, 31 Oct 2009 21:26:08 -0400 Hotel California - On a Cruise with the Parents

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Montserrat, Catalonia, Spain and Canary Islands

The highest rating I would give Hotel Alfa is for the breakfast, which I rank three stars from a possible four. At the buffet table there is fresh squeezed orange juice in pitchers near the sweet pastries, rolls and cold meats. There are hot items such as mini-sausages, fried eggs and mushrooms served on a hotplate. I could not be happier - for once everything is done right! I pick the cold items and strong coffee that tastes very good.

Juju and Juma (Mom's brother and his wife) arrived late last night and are already at the dining room when we head down for breakfast. I see Julie and Eddie eating breakfast and I find out that their room is located right across the hall from mine. We exchange notes on the loud door slamming noises at night, and Julie says someone tried to open their room door several times and inserted a card into their lock. I would have been alarmed but I assume the ruckus came from all the seniors on our floor - it surprises me they could cause as much disturbance as young people looking for a party. Later Mom mentions to me that Dad walked to the wrong room several times and it occurs to me he was the one at Julie and Eddie's door.

The guided tour for Montserrat leaves at 9:00am so we all pile into the monster tour bus. Ines (pronounced EE-ness) is our tour guide for today and tomorrow. "Gud mooooooorning!" she says into the bus microphone as the bus pulls onto the Barcelona highway. She walks down the aisle counting "Uno, dos, tres, quarto, cinqo, says…" and notes forty-four people in our group before beginning with the tour. “Hullooohhhhh!” she says with that flirtatious European way of talking that endears her to the group.

I almost passed on the trip to Montserrat because I thought it was easier for the tour company to bring a group of old people to the mountain compared to anywhere else that might be more interesting. It would be convenient to waste the time on driving back and forth, therefore spending the least amount of effort on entertainment I thought. Anyhow it may or may not be true, but I went because the tour was already paid for and the cab driver on our return to the hotel said that I shouldn’t miss it.

Ines tells us Montserrat means serrated mountain and delves into the story about a shepherd boy who discovers a black Madonna in the mountains hundreds of years ago. He tries to bring it down on a donkey but it gets heavier and heavier until he’s unable to carry it, so he brings it back where it was found and the village builds a shrine for the statue. Today Montserrat is home to a basilica and monastery, and is considered one of the four holiest Catholic sites in the world. The other three, Ines notes, are Jerusalem, the Vatican, and one other place in Spain.

It’s a terrifying ride up the mountain as the bus slowly navigates the hairpin turns. From the bus window I can see five hundred feet below the edge of the road, and I can’t stop myself from imagining the bus driver miscalculate the radius of his turns. At the beginning of our ascent the cathedral looks like a small box. As we get closer I see a stone building with small windows perched at the side of the hill directly above us. As the passengers eagerly anticipate their visit to the holy site, I am gauging the distance between the bus and Heaven. It looks like we are two feet away from falling over the edge.

When we reach the cathedral parking I breathe a sigh of relief but Ines sees all the tour buses and cars. “MAMMA MIA!” she cries. It’s unusually crowded for a Saturday and there are no parking spaces left. When we get out of the bus Ines stops to buy chamomile tea for Juju to remedy his motion-sickness. Then she promptly shows everyone the toilet location before leading us to the basilica.

It is crowded while services are going on, but Ines tells us to go inside to take a peek. Nevertheless it’s hard to move beyond all the people who make a pilgrimage there. A black Madonna is supposed to be located further inside but it’s not the original statuette. I forgo searching for it since my battery is dying, and I’m hoping that it will last until our last stop at Parc Guell.

By now we are ready to stop at the large souvenir shop that sells hundreds of black Madonna tchotchkes and religious charms. Since the Montserrat Boy’s Choir is world famous, we buy a CD as a souvenir. Then we head to the bakery next door and eat baguettes for lunch.

The bus descends the mountain on the other side and my seat is still on the side overlooking the edge. By the time we near the bottom there is a perfect view of the serrated mountain range and I’m too motion sick to try to snap a photo.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hiwhthi/5/1256938395/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hiwhthi/5/1256938395/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hiwhthi/5/1256938395/tpod.html Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:35:29 -0400 Hotel California - On a Cruise with the Parents

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Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain and Canary Islands

I usually think waking up by 10:00am is late, but considering that Mom and I didn't fall asleep until two it’s not like we overslept. Since there are no windows in our cabin it’s still dark. When I get up to go to the bathroom I see Mom’s and Dad’s partials soaking in Polident on the counter. I take out my retainer and mouth-guard to add to the dental collection. The bathroom is probably twice the size of an airplane toilet at approximately 3’-0" x 5’-0”, and while I am taking a shower Dad comes in to use the toilet. I yell at him to leave but Mom bursts in and starts brushing her teeth. I remind myself I must lock the door next time.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hiwhthi/5/1256504220/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hiwhthi/5/1256504220/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hiwhthi/5/1256504220/tpod.html Sun, 25 Oct 2009 17:01:35 -0400 Hotel California - On a Cruise with the Parents

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Sorrento, Campania, Italy

When we arrive at the farm we walk under green nets waiting to catch olives as they fall off the trees. We're told the harvest is later than usual this year, which makes me think it’s because of global warming. After the owner brings us past their ancient olive press and rusty tools we’re given a demonstration on mozzarella making. Mom whips out her video recorder as a woman begins stirring the cheese in a mixing bowl and then stretches and pinches it into a ball. It’s not too fascinating for me, because I’ve seen it many times on the Food Network.

For lunch we’re moved under a large roof. The other NCL tours are almost finished eating as we are being served. We are given three slices of cheese and one piece of sausage for lunch, and there is a bottle of wine on each table. Mom, Juju and Juma are lactose intolerant so our table is served penne pasta and marinara sauce as well. Unfortunately, there is cheese sprinkled on top. The wine isn’t touched either since Dad and I are intolerant to alcohol.

While we’re waiting for Mom to use the bathroom, Dad falls while sitting on a plastic table. Everyone is terrified except Mom, when she returns to see the broken table she yanks Dad to his feet and heaves a loud sigh before scolding him for not finding a proper chair to sit on.
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