Italy and the Mediterranean

Photos: 1. Rock of Gibralter 2. Arriving Genova, 3. An Italian dinner, 4 Basketball game SORRY, UNABLE TO POST PHOTOS. WILL DO SO LATER.

ITALY and leaving the Mediterranean


By the time we left Antwerp, on our way to Genova, Italy, we had become better acquainted with our new Captain and his wife. One evening we invited Barbara, the Captain’s wife, to play a game of Farkel (also known as “the dice game”) and, even though she doesn’t speak much English (and we speak no Polish), we were able to explain the game and had a lot of laughs and a good time. The Captain was sleeping so that he could be on watch later. The Chief Engineer, Marenko, said he’d like to play some other evening when he’s not working.

Monday afternoon the alarm was sounded at 4:00 for a safety and fire drill and, as directed, we quickly donned our life vests and helmets and met on the aft deck, A level. The roll was read and all were accounted for. We then were informed of our assigned seats in the life boat and instructed to enter and take a seat. Inside, it’s like a small airplane with an aisle down the center and two seats on each side. There are thirty nine seats (Doug and I are seats 10 and 11) and it’s quite close and claustrophobic. They didn’t actually launch the boat, just wanted us to practice getting in and adjusting and fastening our seatbelts in case of a real emergency. Then the crew sprang into action for a fire drill, including testing the hoses, and putting one supposedly-injured man (the steward, Vincent) on a stretcher and administering CPR and oxygen.

People have asked what we’ll do with all our time on the ship. Well, here’s an example of a perfect day on the ship: Sleeping in, painting, seeing the rock of Gibralter on one side and Morocco on the other, reading a good book, having a nice dinner with stimulating international conversations, watching dolphin leap out of the water keeping up with our ship, a rousing game of basketball (played by some of the crew and Martha), a spectacular sunset, and a movie to entertain us in the evening.

We continued on up the east coast of Spain, passed the French Riviera and arrived in Genova on the 27th. The day before our arrival was quite rough - strong winds and huge waves which threw the ship from side to side - but no one got sick. The Chief Engineer, Marenko, looked a little green and commented several times that he didn’t like this weather, but the rest of us did well.
The morning we were to arrive in Genova, we learned at breakfast that we would be departing the same day - the reason being that we were only offloading and taking on five pieces of cargo. I was really disappointed since I’d hope to spend a day seeing this beautiful city. As it turned out, we didn’t get tied up to the dock until 4:00 PM and were told we would be departing at midnight. To make matters worse, we weren’t given our passports until 6:15, so all we had time to do was call a cab and rush into the city. We went to the old section, which, from what we could see was very charming. We found an internet café where we could enjoy a glass of nice Italian wine, check email and post a blog. We walked to dinner in the pouring rain, just a few blocks away, and enjoyed the hustle and bustle of car horns blaring and people scurrying to catch buses and trains. The restaurant we chose was typical northern Italian and very good. After a little wine and some comfort food of pasta and veal, we were happy that we’d made the effort to see at least a little of Genova.

It turns out we didn’t actually leave until around 6:00 am. I continue to remind myself that on a trip like this, we must be flexible.

This poem about the sea is from the book “Simon’s Family” by the Swedish author, Marianne Fredriksson. The poem is written by Simon, the main character in the book and I thought others might enjoy it.

What does the sea smell of?
Turn your face to the storm
out there, bringing to you all the scents of sea,
filling your nose, your lungs.
Start with sturdy words.
Seaweed. Salt.
There is no answer to the words.
What does the sea smell of?
Try the other words, the harder ones:
Force, freedom, adventure.
They fall to the ground, limit the unlimited.
Ask the question yet again:
What does the sea smell of?
And at last see that the question has no meaning.
When you have stopped asking,
Then perhaps
you can experience the sea.

We’re certainly experiencing the sea - often right in the middle of it on this trip
I’d like to mention some other books we’ve been reading while aboard: Doug has been mainly reading mystery and suspense thrillers (two numerous to mention as he often goes through a book a day) but also enjoyed Chuck Yeager’s autobiography. I’d like to recommend “Plum Wine” by Angela Davis-Garoner (Susan, you would like it), “My Sister’s Keeper” by Jodi Picoult, “The Amateur Marriage” by one of my favorite authors, Anne Tyler, “The Tenth Circle” (very different but great) again by Jodi Picoult (Marietta and Julie, you would enjoy this one), and “The Resistance” by Anita Shreve (Dawn, you would like it), “The Year of Magical Thinking” by Joan Didion (not a novel and very moving), “Simon’S Family” by Marianne Fredriksson (author of “Hanna’s Daughters”), and “Thirteen Moons” by Charles Frazier (his first book since “Cold Mountain” and it”’s excellent!). I have many more waiting to be read and will report periodically on my favorites.

We’re making our way toward the Suez Canal and looking forward to seeing this historic site, as well as traveling through the Red Sea.