Second Sea Day

Returning our clocks one hour we gain some well-needed sleep time. Debbie and I enjoy our most enjoyable breakfast in an exclusive dining room reserved for “Diamond” travelers. Our tablemates are from Texas and Mississippi respectively, fellow Southeastern Conference (SEC) fans: Bob and Elizabeth from Vicksburg and Sarah and Pat from College Station. We shared great conversation as it turns out they were solid sports fans. My grits were the best ever.

            We next went to a very crowded 14^th Deck finally giving up saved seats to a multitude of Italians for whom a special program had been planned. Thus we were surrounded by people speaking in tongues so to speak (pun intended). It sounded like a Black worship service with attendees shouting out answers to the speaker. Actually it was great fun; I am again reminded how expressive Italians can be. We were there to watch the ship enter the Straight of Messina thus facing against the crowd that was focused in the opposite direction. We stood out like sore thumbs. The view of Southern Italy appearing on the horizon reassured us that the Straight was not far beyond; the ship, however, cruising at low knots, takes more than two hours to move into, through, and in-between Sicily and Italy to the North.

            Eventually we all gather on the high deck and watch the blue water narrow between the bodies of land. What a historic passage. I wonder how many Phoenician, Roman, and other ships lay at the bottom of the sea, sunk centuries ago. The coasts of both sides have continuous populations not unlike Florida. The final pass through is extremely narrow. Ancient stone forts on each side give notice that in a different time and age, this place was protected; one did not pass without approval. On this day we are amazed at two things. One, the sea is so calm, very placid; and two, there are few ships (barges, other cruise ships, etc.) coming and going. Only ferries pass in front of us as they make their way one side to the other.

            Further north we encounter a freestanding still very active volcano punching up from beneath the sea to a great altitude. It is conical in shape and high at the apex. Steam spews from depths below. It is quite a sight and Debbie and I remember it well. The tiny village on an outcropping of lava (but now green with vegetation) is named “Stromboli.” Ray and Monica love the passing of it as well – I called their cabin to alert them, and they hustled up to our cabin balcony for a close look. A bit cold in the wind, I wrapped our warm Royal Caribbean robes around them. It was a highlight for all of us.

            In the evening Brian treats us to a dinner-for-eight in the specialty restaurant, “The Portofino,” on the 11^th deck – as the name suggests it is an Italian restaurant. The food is delicious and the fellowship even better. When I queried the group about their highlight of the cruise (as opposed to the day), there was a consensus that it was impossible to single out one, or even two or three things. The vineyard on the slope of Mt. Etna; the Acropolis (Parthenon, etc.) in Athens; so many things in Rome, from the coffee bar and “Sandro” to the Forum area and walking from Trevi Fountain to the Pantheon to the Piazza di Flori and dinner there; Ephesus’s Library, Stadium, Marble Roads, and setting; the port of Kusadasi; and the charming old city on the island of Crete seemed to dominate the reflections. You could add to this the card games and laughter that was ubiquitous throughout the cruise. In short, as Ray concluded, it was the family fellowship that, in the end, made it really special.