Corfu, Greece

This is where the whole time change thing came in to play. We were on time with no problem.

The view from our balcony at the port. Peaceful. We started our tour to a monastery. It was about a half hour drive.

The views were just gorgeous everywhere we went.

One of our stops was at a place where we were treated to a snack of local foods. Notice the orange stuff  at the bottom. Those are GIGANTIC pork and beans. Have you ever seen anything so big? The brown is a meatball---to show a comparison. All in all, it was pretty tasty. I'd already eaten a couple when I remembered to take a photo. A few things weren't so great---like whatever was wrapped in that grape leaf. After the light meal, they provided some local entertainment. There were native dancers (I think you can call local Greeks, natives) in native dress. I doubt they really dress like that---or dance like that for that matter. It's all for the tourists. I know it's their livelihood, so I'm happy to contribute. Still, it was cheesy. 

Greece is definitely a country of contrasts. My thought about the beauty of Greece is this: it is broadly beautiful, but the irony of it is that up close it's pretty unattractive. Case in point: if I were participating in the "Look Up; Look Down" challenge, this is what I saw when I looked up (and out). When I looked down, I saw this:

This was on the grounds of that magnificent monastery. I just hope that this busted up chair just blew here.  There were stray dogs and cats ALL over. They all looked mangy---though well fed. It sort of smelled like animal "doo doo." It really reminded me a lot of Mexico. But honestly, when you look out--- it is stunningly beautiful.

Karolyn and I went for tea and then on to massages this afternoon. They had teatime trivia. One of the questions was an anagram about the prime minister of England. I got it pretty quick---since I'm smitten with Britain!! Margaret Thatcher---but then Karolyn had me second-guesing myself. Finally I convinced myself that she was "just" the head of Canada. Butch set me straight. In fact, she was buried today. May she rest in peace.

We had a most fabulous Italian dinner tonight. There are 5 restaurants on board. We've gone to a different place each night. It's now 9:45 p.m. and I'm ready to get back to my book. It's soooooo good---The Sunshine When She's Gone. It's about relationships.  A young couple have a 6 month old. The wife has been whining about how tired she is, so the husband just ups and hops a plane with the baby to Barbados. So far, very entertaining. He's just returned home---I can't wait to see how he explains his disappearance.

Until tomorrow...next stop Zakynthos, Greece.

PS I'm still completely lost on this small ship. I always manage to go the wrong way. Butch keeps trying to explain to me which is the front and the back. I just need right or left from our cabin. I'm an idiot!!

PSS Connie, I've had several BBC's on you behalf! They are just as delicious as you remember. For those of you that don't know what that is---it's a frozen drink---Bailey's, Banana and Colada. Connie is a complete teetotaler---but when we took our first cruise together, she had two a day!!! They are that good. Okay girls, I promise to make them for this year's pool drinks!!

Later...

Kotor, Montenegro

Montenegro stands for Black Mountain.

The day started out a little crazy. The day before, the captain came on and said that our arrival in to Montenegro was not to be missed, but the bad news was that it would be 6:30-6:45 a.m. That was okay with us as our excursion was to be at 8:30. We planned to order room service---all was good. Buuuttttt, Bruce called us at about 11 p.m. to say there was a time change and we needed to set our clock back an hour. That meant we were really getting up at 5:30 a.m. That's okay, we were just glad we didn't miss it.

I asked Butch if he set the alarm. He said it was unnecessary since we always wake up. I've always said, I'm an early bird and usually wake up on my own. But if I have a specific time I need to be up, I have to set an alarm, or else I can't sleep well. I didn't this night either. By the time I did wake up, the clock said 6:15. Since it was actually 7:15 I jumped up and started freaking out. I opened the curtains to see a beautifully lit up city. I thought, "great, I didn't miss it all." Finally, Butch rolled out of bed, looked at the clock and said he had already set the clock back, so it really was 6:15.

We watched the shore for a few minutes, then turned on the tv. It was then we found out that the time to turn back the clocks would be TONIGHT! Soooo----follow me here---it was actually 5:30 a.m!! We were up now, so that gave me a chance to get my blog updated. This internet is incredibly slow and uploading pictures is even slower.

Here we go:

 I've never had room service overlooking the gorgeous sea. What a nice view---inside and out.

Do you see a problem here? The one with the 3 holes is actually the pepper. That single hole is the salt. And, it doesn't work all that well. We started pulling the stopper out of the bottom to get some salt. It's the same all over the ship. Just a bit of a nuisance.

Just like the captain said, at 6:30, we saw this:

 These are tiny little islands. I guess they are privately owned. This one almost looks like a farm.

Both of the islands were near each other. We couldn't really see the house on this one.

 Here is the town as we arrive. There's not much space before the mountains start. I'm amazed that someone decided to settle here to begin with.

Our view from our balcony at the dock. It is certainly a very pretty place. On the right, you an see the wall that surrounds the old city.

Here's a close-up of that walled city.

Butch has found 2 caches---this one here in Montenegro.

This one is in Croatia. He's hoping to find one in each country. So far, so good.

It's actually 7:30 a.m. Wednesday as I write this. We're in Corfu, Greece today. We haven't even docked yet and Butch is rushing me to get ready. Sheesh.

PS Watched a Broadway review last night. A little cheesy, but the music was great!!
Later....

Dubrovnik, Croatia

 The view was beautiful everywhere---from land (like here) or the ship. The water is gloriously blue---not Caribbean aqua blue, but a different kind of blue---more turquoise.

 On our excursion, we went to the home of a local for a light lunch that consisted of prosciutto, cheese, bread, pickles and wine. They gave us a shot of 60% proof brandy to begin---eck! I gave mine to Butch. Then we had a little entertainment. I always enjoy seeing how the locals live. But seriously, I doubt they are serenaded whenever they eat!

St. Blaise Church. I finally learned the whole story about how St. Blaise became the patron saint of throats. Apparently, one of the miracles that was done in his name was the curing of a little girl who had a problem with her throat.

 St. Blaise is the patron saint of Croatia because he came to someone in a dream and foretold of an invasion. They were saved because of the prior warning.

Other that that, this is what I heard from the tour guide---blah, blah, blah--- government, blah, blah---5,000 Euros per meter (as if I know how much a meter is)---blah, blah---government, etc. and blah, blah, blah. I didn't even like learning about our own government stuff when we visited Washington. I'm just interested in people and day-to-day life. Stories are what interest me!

 We were able to get an earlier shuttle back to the ship. As we sat on our balcony with a pre-dinner cocktail (they gave us a bottle of Bombay Sapphire gin and Grey Goose vodka---did I mention that everything is included?) we watched this glorious sun set!

Next stop...Kotor, Montenegro...I'm learning about places I've never heard of or knew existed. Butch said, "come on Barb!" Like he can't believe that I didn't know that Yugoslavia no longer exists. Like I said, not interested in government stuff. I didn't have to feel bad, Karolyn said she didn't know that Yugoslavia no longer existed either. What about you? Go ahead, you can admit it!!

At Sea

We will not arrive at our first destination---Dubrovnik, Croatia---until 1 p.m. So, I thought this would be a good time to tell you about my packing strategy.

I always start off with my travel check list that I keep on my computer. I have one for beach travel, regular travel and international travel:

I have it divided in sections---what I'll carry in my purse, suitcase, tote and laptop roller case. This list serves two purposes. 1st---so that I don't forget anything and 2nd---as a return list. I throw it in my suitcase to make sure I come home with whatever I left with.

I always like to take brown underwear. That way you don't need as many. (Just joking---or maybe not!)

The first thing I do is decide on a color scheme. I might go with blue and green, or since my favorite color is pink---I'll go with pink and coral. That's what I went with this time. That way, everything mixes and matches.

I take only costume jewelry because I've been known to lose expensive jewelry when I travel. I lost a diamond bracelet in New Orleans on the night I over imbibed. Then I lost the even better diamond bracelet replacement while we were in Scotland. As a result, we were dropped from our insurance company and had to pay a lot to get a new one. I lost a diamond necklace in Washington, DC. Now I'm pretty scared to even wear my good stuff. At the very least, I won't travel with it.

Here's a glimpse of the pink and coral blouses and tops I brought. I ended up taking two of the blouses out since I had too many.

I also bring several pashminas and scarves. I love that they fold up so small and can be tucked in my purse. That way, whenever it's a little chilly, I have something handy. Sometimes, just having something around my neck is all I need.

This all is working fine so far. But, I have discovered one little problem. I brought a white denim jacket and a pink denim jacket. I've worn the pink one twice and the white one only once and they are both seeming to be a little dingy. It's supposed to be 68 today, so maybe I won't need them that much. I don't  know what I was thinking---I always take a darker jacket. Wait, yes, I do remember what I was thinking---it's spring!! Wear the light stuff!

We are on the Regent cruise line. It's smaller. There are only 700 passengers on this ship. It's easy to get around. I usually spend 3 days figuring out how to navigate.

 Our closet is huge! I usually live out of my suitcase, but was able to completely unpack here.

Our suite is big too. We were greeted with fresh flowers, fruit and iced champagne. Talk about the royal treatment! We have a balcony. Our room is next to the Broussards, so they opened the panel between our two balconies so we can sit outside together. This cruise is "all-inclusive"---all drinks and excursions are included. My travel agent friend, Mary even had a car and driver pick us up. She takes good care of us. I just love her!

The food is fabulous. We had steak and lobster last night. They started us with a "muse":

It was the cutest, tiniest meatball sandwich. It's about 1 1/2 inches tall and about an inch wide. It's hard to tell. I should have taken a picture with me holding it. It was delicious! It tasted like a Swedish meatball. We ended with tiny brownies with a blueberry topping. Lots of drinks---too many for some, but not me. You know what a lightweight I am. For me, there's a fine line between having fun and being sick. I'm very careful!!!

More later...

Hello from Venice

I couldn't wait to get back here. This experience is quite a bit different from the first time. I can't get over the crowds. OMG! It's so congested---everywhere. For Butch and I---who've been here before, we knew to just walk way deep. Still, there were more people than we encountered the last time. I felt a little bad for Bruce and Karolyn since it was their first time. San Marco Basilica was closed due to an all day celebration---the beatification of---I forget his name. There were so many religious---and I've never seen so many cardinals. Then, the line to go up in the tower looked like it was more than an hour long. Still, we enjoyed our gorgeous day.

There's just nothing like this place anywhere in the world. It's so unusual and beautiful. I just love it---the narrow walkways, little shops every where and the canals.

You can't beat a bottle of wine in San Stefano---just people watching and enjoying the sun and fresh air. 

The view across from where we had that bottle of wine.

 We had dinner at Trattoria "A La Bricola"---the food was just so-so, but the ceiling was awesome! Little pitchers were hung all over from the rafters. If I were doing the "look up, look down" challenge, this would have been a good one.

"Locks of Love" or "Love Locks"---I had never seen or heard of this. Butch knew all about it. Apparently, it's a modern day form of graffiti. The locks are labeled---like "Butch and Barb" and might include a date. I thought it was pretty neat. He said that a lot of cities hate it because they have to cut them off. I say "let 'em be."

After dinner we were pretty darn tired, but we did a little shopping before returning to the hotel. I bought a Murano glass Christmas tree and Karolyn bought an oil painting and a couple of bracelets for her grands.

Today, we "get on board." I'm really hoping to keep up with my blog while I'm away, but the internet so far has been incredibly slow. It took about 15 minutes to upload each of these photos.

A Couple of Last Minute Things...

before I head out-of-town.

First off, I've been asked to post a picture of the watch bracelet:

I bought this at a barn sale. I paid $65.00 for it, but you could easily make it---especially if you have some old, non-working (or working would be okay too) watches. I haven't even tested this to see if any of the watches actually work. I have no idea how much old watches cost at the antique stores. You could make the whole thing out of watch faces. This one has two little filigree rectangles with a rhinestone in the center on each end. You can't tell from this picture, but the ball on the end has rhinestones all over it. The clasp is a hook that hooks in to whichever of the links you want. It's just a bit of vintage fun.

You know how earlier in the week I said I would not get my scrapbook room back in order before the trip? Well, I did! I have a shoebox with a bunch of little odds and ends embellishments that need sorting, but other than that, it's in pretty good shape. Still not quite photo worthy---as I have about 100 layouts that need to be put in albums. Once I get that done, I'll share pictures of my room.

After bridge today, I went by Stein Mart to buy a suitcase. When I got to the check-out, I did what I ALWAYS do since I got my iPhone. I pull out my phone and ask---"are there any coupons online that I need to get?" The cashier grabs my phone AND STARTS GOING TO THE WEBSITE. Then, she couldn't get it, so she ASKED SIRI TO FIND IT! Do you see the problem with this? A STRANGER completely GERMED UP my phone. I was silently freaking out!! She couldn't get the coupons, but when I told her that I was a preferred customer, so that I would get credit for the purchase, she put in my information. Then she said, "Oh, you are a "preferred elite" customer. You automatically get to use the coupons without having to show them. Soooo, I got an additional 25% off of this:

 Total after the 25% off---$50.25.  Not bad for a suitcase that will only last two years anyway. I don't care what type you buy or how much you pay, the airport tears it up.

The brand is "Guess." I didn't even know they made suitcases. Besides the suitcase, I picked up a few other things that I'll share later.

After checking out, I went straight to my car and got out my hand sanitizer to clean my phone. Then it occurred to me that maybe I shouldn't use that. Instead of the hand sanitizer, I ended up using my eyeglass cleaner. It smelled like it had alcohol in it, so that should do the trick.

Now, I can be a bit of a germaphobe. I try not to be so over the top about it, but this unknown person that has been handling dirty money all day, touched my phone and breathed her germs all over it. That's why I travel with baggies---to put over the remote controls in hotels---and I would NEVER walk barefoot on the carpet. I really hate it that I have to take my shoes off at the airport. They used to have those little booties---I loved those. I definitely have my quirks. I can't help it. Don't get me started on public rest rooms.

As I pack, I'll share my new purchases. I went shopping yesterday because I needed some make-up and bras. Do you know how much bras cost these days? Holy smokes! Makes me think I should just go "floppy."

"Dootie Calls"

Last weekend, we had our semi-annual golf weekend at the Broussard's farm. The house was built in the 1920's.

That's a little misleading because it's been updated and looks almost brand new. The only things that give away the age are the low ceiling and old hardwood floors. AND the septic system. Of course, originally, there was an out-house. No one knows where that was located.

Anyway, the current septic system has a few quirks. First off, when you flush, it's hot water that fills the bowl. Truly, you could burn your hiney if you are not careful. Secondly, as the bowl empties, it bubbles up and gurgles. Thirdly, when you flush upstairs, it bubbles up and gurgles downstairs.

Karolyn likes to take advantage of having servicemen come out while she's there. Luckily for us, she called "Dirty Job" to provide us with a couple of hours of entertainment.

They arrived about 9:30.

 Our entertainment started with the truck. We loved all the little details---the skunk, "stinky" and the little quote, "dootie calls." Love the, "2500 gallons of You Know What!" And, I guess it's official now---UT stinks! (That orange "T" is the symbol for the University of Tennessee).

This one is hard to read, but it says "Somebody's gotta do it." I would have changed that to "Somebody's gotta doo doo it!"

Their first quest was to find the septic tank. Bruce had told Karolyn where he thought it was---on the other side of the fence about 20 yards away. This was entertainment all by itself. One of the guys that was doing the digging, had the low slung pants. I'm sure you get the picture---each time he bent over to dig. Seriously, his pants were ALL the way down! That "cracked" us up!!

They couldn't find the septic tank, so they traced the piping from the house and dug up spots about 4 feet apart, only to decide it definitely wasn't out there. Turns out, it was right next to the house and partially under the deck. They dug it up. It was concrete. That's when the questions started (from us). Karolyn started with, "Are you sure that's not a grave?" 

I ask TONS of questions. I'm just one of those type of people who wants to know everything. I asked how they were going to lift up that concrete. The young fellow---who was missing all four of his front teeth---named "Cooter"---seriously, I'm not making this stuff up---he had it tattooed on his arm---early 20's---said that he could bench press 225 lbs. and this only weighed about 50-75 lbs. No way! It was a six inch thick slab about 6 ft. x 3 ft. I then asked how long he'd been doing this type of work. He responded, "two days." 

Cooter, used a pick axe to slide the lid over. It's as smelly and nasty looking as you can imagine. But we had to see it. (It's times like these I wish I could add a "scratch and sniff" feature to my blog). We chatted with the guys for at least a half hour. I've learned every possible thing about the workings of septic tanks. Actually, I'm not making fun---it was very interesting. I have a huge respect for people that know their business (if you know what I mean!)

All in all, things were working properly. Just the action of sliding the concrete lid eliminated the gurgling of the toilets inside. Maybe it was just an air problem. They were there about 2 1/2 hours and only charged $150. That seemed like a bargain to me. That kind of work should cost a lot more. The people that "doo doo" it deserve more.

There's not much that can take us away from our scrapbooking, but this did it! You can always rely on the Broussards to provide the best in entertainment! Actually, I guess you could say, it was a "crappy" weekend! 

Sorry about that but I just couldn't resist.