A gottle of gear

Last night the act in the theatre was a ventriloquist by the name of Gareth Oliver, he was the funniest vent I've seen in a long while.
The show was made even better by him getting my mate John up on stage, fitting him with a mask and making him a ventriloquists dummy.
Anyone who knows John knows that he DOESN'T do audience participation, well with the help of a litre of €1.09 red wine he'd bought ashore in Ponte del Garda, he became the star of the show.
Gareth had him telling everyone that he was wearing his wifes thong and was an expert ballet dancer to name but two things.
John is definitely not a ballet dancer, but the jury is still out on the thong wearing.....lmao.
Well, I was proved wrong and we actually got in to the Azores, well done captain...
Ponte del Garda was a nice town and we enjoyed a couple of hours there, and the rain held off, woo hoo!
We continued our cultural tour and found our usual cheap local bar and had a couple of beers.
At €1 each it was one of the cheapest on the tour.
On a more serious note we found out that the island had some really bad weather the night before we arrived, the TV news showed pictures of some really bad flooding and I believe three people lost their lives in the storms.
It puts some of the complaints about the ship rocking in to perspective....

From one storm to another

The weather has calmed down a lot, the banging waves have stopped and we are not being thrown about which is good, but there is still a deep swell on the ocean so the ship is still rocking a bit.
So one storm finishes and another starts, this one is called Rebecca and she's on stage in the theatre.
She was good last week and brilliant last night, she doesn't just sing songs she acts out stories.
With every song she sang you understood the lyrics and felt the emotion.
She was in a word; brilliant.
Along with Kandy the vocalist with the Intermission duo, they are just about the two best female vocalists I've ever heard.
They are completely different types of singers, but both can tell a story in song and fill it with emotion.

The cruel sea

It's been three days since we left Charleston SC and the storm hasn't let up despite the captain telling us each day that, tomorrow it will be better.
I don't know how these solo sailors manage in this kind of weather, I'd be scared out of my mind.
When we got that extra night in Charleston I immediately thought, they've given us this because of the long range weather forecast and they knew we wouldn't get in to the Azores.
As it stands it's looking like I could be right, as usual I'll keep you informed, free wifi permitting....lmao.

Do you believe in angels?

Kandy the singer with the Intermission Duo, and Sheila have found they have an affinity with each other, in that they both strongly believe in angels and all things spiritual, Kandy even has two cats called Gabriel and Rafael, who are the two main angels.
They have been discussing angels and stuff most nights, but the weird thing was yesterday when they both had decided without any prior knowledge, to give each other a gift.
Sheila had been telling me during the day that she was going to give Kandy an angel as protection for Kandy, she had been given the angel by our Nic, but knew she wouldn't mind as that's the kind of thing you do with angel gifts, that is pass them on for protection etc.
Anyway when we went to the Lord Taverners bar last night Kandy came over to see Sheila and gave her a religious medal of St Gerrard that her mother had given her.
St Gerrard is apparently the patron saint of mothers, and Kandy says Sheila reminds her of her mum.
Sheila have Kandy her angel gift, but the strange thing is both of them deciding to give the gifts and on the same day.
Coincidence? Maybe, but still a nice little story.......

Force 10 gales and footballers.

The title says it all, we've been tossed and thrown all over the place today, and it's due to continue tomorrow.
Touch wood I've not been sick so it's not to bad, but there's time yet, lol.
Going to see an ex Glasgow Rangers player speak tonight, his name is Gordon Smith.
I have heard of him but don't know to much about him.
If he's half as good as Duncan McKenzie he'll be great....I'll keep you informed later.....
It's now later and I've been to see Gordon Smith, he was very good and had some interesting and very funny stories.
I think that the thing that makes footballers stories so good is that they are talking about an occupation that most blokes would love to have been able to take up.
He has through the Scottish FA, been involved with FIFA and had a good insight in to the running of international football.
After the talk I picked Sheila up from the cabin, went for something to eat, then off to bed as the theatre entertainment was canceled due to the weather.
I thought this a bit strange as the act was a ventriloquist, and not a singer and dancer.
I didn't think a vent would be bothered by a bit of swaying, bit there you go, what do I know......lol

Surrey with a fringe on top.

Well I'm not sure if it was a surrey, but it was a horse drawn carriage and it did have a fringe on top, and it was a brilliant way to explore downtown Charleston.
We spent a very short hour on the carriage and the driver gave us a humorous potted history of Charleston, explaining things like the wealth in the town and not the haves and have nots, but the haves and have a whole lot more each side of Broad street.
Then it was on to the hour and a half harbour tour, which again was great.
We learned about the first shots of the civil war being fired from fort Johnson on the Confederate side to fort Sumpter on the union side.
While this went on the people of Charleston who lived by the water watched and partied as it was so far away from them across the bay.
We also saw things like the retired aircraft carrier Yorktown which is now docked at Patriots Point, and is a floating museum.
The tour, carriage and boat was booked by Chisit, online before we came away, the whole thing cost $39 per person, which was brilliant as the carriage ride alone booked on the ship was £34
So once again well done John.
We then had a walk around the slave museum, which was quite touching and humbling in many ways.
Then a stroll to find something to eat, we first tried to find a place called AW Shucks which had been recommended, but we couldn't find it, so we ended up in a restaurant called Sticky Fingers where we had pulled pork and fries washed down with a large draught beer.
It was brilliant and John and I agreed we'd never had our pork pulled so well in a long time...lmao

Charleston, South Carolina

We docked in beautiful Charleston last night, which was twelve hours earlier than the itinerary stated.
That gave us an overnight in port and a chance to explore some of the town and find out where we pick up our carriage ride on the morning.
We did this but didn't stay out to long as most places were shut and also it was bloody cold.
We got back to the ship about 9 pm and had a drink before going to see the show that John had recommended.
It was a singer called Rebecca Storm, who I'd never heard of but John said she was very good, and I must say she was.
She did a lot of musical theatre stuff, Evita, Blood Brothers, etc and she'd actually starred in them.
She was excellent and acted out the songs rather than just sing them.
Strike two for Chis, we just need the carriage ride to be good and that will be his hat trick of good recommendations, space centre, theatre and carriage ride...lol
I'll keep you informed.
Looking forward to today as Charleston looks to be a beautiful and interesting place, but I well be putting two pairs of socks on and getting well wrapped up.

Port Canaveral, well done Chisit.

Today was port Canaveral and John (chisit) had pre booked our transport and entrance to the Kennedy space centre.
Everything went like clockwork, we left the ship about 8.20 and our private minibus was waiting for us to rocket us off to the space centre, no waiting in the shuttle queues for us! (see what I did there, Rocket, shuttle? lmao)
It also worked out about half the ships tour price on which you had to pile onto a big coach.
The fifteen minute journey was made interesting by the driver who gave us a running commentary on all the interesting points locally, even stopping at a storage depot in the middle of nowhere, to show us a unused fuel tank from the shuttle program, it was huge, it is the big orange thing the shuttle is attached to on take off.
It wasn't part of the space centre display, so that was a nice little extra that you wouldn't have got on the ships tour.
When he dropped us off at the centre we had pre booked tickets so no waiting in line, we went straight in.
Once in we spent a brilliant seven hours exploring the wonders of space travel, from the two 3D IMAX cinema shows, to the space shuttle simulator (which was a bit tame), along with the rocket garden, astronauts memorial and my favourite the amazing 364ft Saturn rocket, we had a brilliant day, and there was still lots more to see, if only we had the time.
My only disappointment was that we didn't get to see and stand on the real space shuttle which I did last time I was here, about ten years ago.
But it has been moved to the New display centre for the Atlantis program which doesn't open till June this year, maybe next time...
Once again Chis well done and if the stuff you've booked for is in Charleston is half as good, we'll be on a winner.
I'm gonna stop now or you'll be getting a big (bigger) head....lol.

Port Everglades

Port Everglades today, that means shopping for us but Jennifer and John haven't been to this port before so they're off exploring Fort Lauderdale.
Sheila's favourite store here is "Ross dress for less" it's a US version of TK Max, designer clothes at discount prices.
We got all the grandkids Converse trainers and got little Josh a really cool pair of Nike trainers, plus some stuff for ourselves, of course.
Sheila spent so flippin much I had to make two trips back to the ship.
Then it was a coffee and free wifi in the Marina Deli, which is far cheaper than Starbucks and the wifi is better, also it has local people in there not bloody tourists....
Before you say it, I know I'm to good to Sheila taking her to all these really up market eateries....lmao.

Key West

It's got to be at least ten years since I was in key West and nothing seems to have changed.
Despite the storms and hurricanes they've had the buildings all look the same.
Even the weired and wonderful people look the same.
Must be something in the water
The weather wasn't to bad but not brilliant, the four of us booked on the tourist train for a look around the island it was quite good and at $21 it was $8 cheaper than the Conch train which did the same tour but was called the conch train, conch republic being the nickname of the island.
After the tour we went shopping..groan!
After shopping we continued our cultural drinking tour...woo hoo!
Duvall st is the main street in key West and is full of bars.
We first tried Irish Kevins which was really noisy and rocking, with a guy playing guitar and singing.
Then it was on to the world famous `Sloppy Joe's` and finally a place called `The Smallest Bar`.
Then suitably inebriated we went back to the ship four food and a well earned sleep......

$3 City Tour

We decided to have a little ride on the riverfront streetcar then do the open top bus tour.
So first we got ourselves a 24hr jazzy pass for the local transport, great value at $3 each.
We road the full length of the riverfront line which is a really good way to view the river.
Then as it was a bit cold for doing the open top bus, we decided to see as much of the city as we could by streetcar, at the end of the riverfront line we changed cars for the canal st, city park line which takes you right up to the north end of the city almost as far as lake Pontchartrain.
We then road the same car back to St Charles ave and switched to the St Charles line through the university and business district.
The whole thing took us about six hours including coffee stops.
So just about the best $3 we've spent on the whole cruise up to now...lol.
After a bit of shopping in the Riverwalk mall it was back to the ship for a well earned rest.

Message for Ken

Bloody hell mate! what happened yesterday?
I was hoping for a draw at least.
Tell you what though I'm glad I wasn't there with you I'd have ended up locked up....lol.
Btw you'd have loved New Orleans the other night we had a ball, but I really am getting to old for this drinking lark nowadays.
Speak soon  :-)

The Big Easy

Well after a very pleasant immigration clearance, the quickest and easiest we've ever had in the US, we went for our first walk around New Orleans, mainly in the french quarter.
In the cold light of day it was a bit run down and seedy.
But later on in the evening it became colourful and vibrant.
Only three of us went out in the evening as Sheila wasn't up to it after all the walking we did in the morning.
So she missed her voodoo reading, I just hope Dr John doesn't put a hex on us....lol.
Anyway the first place we hit was Laffiettes old blacksmiths shop, which is the oldest bar in the french quarter.
Out was ok but a bit dark and dismal.
We got talking to a group of lads from Texas who were on a stag weekend.
We moved on to a couple of other bars and then to a bar called The Funky Pirate Blues Club, which was brilliant, the band was superb, the did all the old blues stuff by John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters and guys like that.
Another bar whose name escapes me had a young rock band on, so we had Led Zeppelin and the like.
The one thing we didn't hear on Bourbon st was jazz, which was a shame.
On the street though there were lots of different entertainers ranging from a guy making fantastic music on a plastic bucket to break dancers dancing on a huge chess board.
All in all we had a great but very tiring day...think I'm getting to old for all this partying, in fact I don't think it I KNOW! it lol.
If we visit New Orleans again which I'm sure we will, Bourbon St won't be top of the list, but will still be on it if quite a but lower down.

Puerta Maya, Cozumel, Mexico

Puerta Maya today, nice place if very commercialized.
The port area consisted of lots and lots of shops and the largest duty free shop I've ever seen.
I must admit that there were bargains to be had especially in T shirts.
The shop keepers were quite friendly and not to pushy, one of them was either very funny or very honest when he said to us, "senor, senora, come into my shop and give me the chance to rip you off" he said this with a great big smile...lol
We went for a short walk outside the port and continued our Caribbean cultural tour by finding a Mexican, Chinese restaurant that had cheap beer and free wifi, where we spent a very pleasant hour or so.
After that it was back to the port to buy some booze for various people, then it was all aboard for another couple of drinks before a well earned afternoon nap.
In the evening our favourite entertainment on the ship, the Intermission Duo, where appearing in the Pacific lounge, which is the main cabaret lounge on the ship and they were brilliant even sounding better than in the Lords tavern pub, which is their usual venue.
In this bigger venue Kandy could really let her voice rip and Gordon could wap his guitar and electric piano volume right up the effect was amazing.
They really are the best entertainment I've ever seen on board any ship I've been on, especially Kandy whose vocals are amazing.
But it's not just the vocals she uses the mic like an instrument and literally acts out the songs she sings.
They finished last nights spot with Wuthering heights, by Kate Bush and imho did it better than she does, with Kandys amazing voice and Gordons superb guitar work it was a brilliant end to a brilliant show.... They really should be headlining in the theatre.

Way down south in Nawlins

It's 5 am on Friday 1st March and we're about to dock in New Orleans. We've been sailing along the mighty Mississippi since 9pm last night, it's still to dark to see much yet, but we have been passing lots of oil, or gas rigs in the river since we entered it's mouth.
Also the Mississippi is longer, wider and deeper than I realised as Oriana is a big ship at about 70,000 tons and we've been steaming along the river for almost eight hours and we're not there yet.
I'll be going down to get our immigration passes soon so I'll have more to report later.