The Bean Odyssey

Tahoe week this summer

2010-09-20T13:07:00.001-07:00

In August we headed to Tahoe for a week, the weather was warm the first half and cool the second half of the trip!

We enjoyed the kids for a few days, Quinn had a great time...especially on the Tahoe Queen boat ride!

Pictures of Spain trip March 2010

2010-04-17T20:20:00.000-07:00

If you would like to look at more pictures of our trip to Spain please look at my FaceBook URL link. Just click on the title above "Pictures of Spain trip march 2010"
We had a great trip and are looking forward to our next adventure!
Jennifer

Andalucia & Costa Del Sol ~ Spain, March 2010~

2010-03-30T16:53:00.000-07:00

Spain in March can be either rainy or down right beautiful! We experienced a little bit of both on out last trip to Southern Spain.

Our travels took us Space -A (Military - Space Available) from North Island, San Diego to Roda, Spain...next to Cadiz. We spent a week getting to know the Cadiz area, it was founded by the Phoenicians as Gadir (Fortress) in 1104 BC, giving it claim to be Europe's oldest city.

Naval Station Rota

The base used jointly by Spain and the United States. It is located neat the Straights of Gibraltar at the halfway point between the United States and Southern Asia.

We are standing at the front gates to the base.

Walking path along the coast, many spend the evenings strolling and eating at many of the small restaurants facing the Atlantic Ocean.

One of the main streets of Roda leading towards the ocean.

This Walk Plot is know for some of it's wonderful restaurants open in the early evenings until very late at night.

Small square in the old city.

This old building has stalls with different kinds of wares. We bought some meat and cheese from the vendors that was quite good.

Fall Trip to Europe 2009

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The Blue Mosque ~ Istanbul, Turkey

Ephesus, Turkey. This was the great library.

Ephesus, Turkey

Marble road which once lead to the ocean.

Pompeii, Italy

Alexander, Egypt ~ Fort Qait Bay a 15Th century Mamluk fort over looking the entrance to the east and west harbors of Alexander.

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Amalfi Coast, Italy

Pompeii

Pompeii

Pompeii

Acropolis

Trip Report October 2009 Rome, Med Cruise and Venice, Italy

2010-02-09T12:15:00.000-08:00

Day 1
Thursday October 7/8, 2009

The trip started with a 0430 wake-up call and a smooth commute to LAX via the Van Nuys Flyaway. American Airlines had an efficient check-in process and the TSA security check was quick and without and problems. The flight loaded on time and the flight was smooth and comfortable to Chicago. We over flew downtown Chicago on the approach and had a great view of the city. As we waited at the gate for our next flight direct from Chicago to Rome the greed bug bit us and we accepted a change to our tickets. They overbooked the flight and offered $800.00 vouchers each good for one year if we would give up our seats. We looked at our fellow passengers, decided to go for it since there were numerous child molesters (Priests) and associated Nuns waiting for the flight. They were celebrating and traveling to Rome for the beautification of a long dead nun. Three other passengers decided to join us. We would be leaving 2 ½ hours later for Frankfurt changing planes and taking Lufthansa into Rome and arriving at 1430 instead of 0930. When we got to Frankfurt Airport and checked in for our flight Jennifer and I were the only ones with assigned seats. The other three people were very upset. Now here is the rub, this flight was also oversold and Lufthansa was offering 250 Euros per person, Cash in hand. Well, as I have already admitted, I fed at the trough but I was not going to climb into the pigpen. We were tempted, but when the agent was evasive about how we would get to Rome, we declined to accept their offer.
Arriving in Rome, we were surprised that we did not have to go through Customs or Immigration because we had entered the European Union in Germany. Now the big challenge was to figure out how to use the train to get into town. It turned out to be easy to purchase the tickets, 11 Euros each as opposed to 50 Euros for a taxi ride into town. The hard part was to figure out which train to get on and then get on it. Our first train experience in Italy was running for the train and dragging our bags with us. Lifting the bags up to the train car was not easy but we got on just before the conductor closed the doors and the train took off. The first four cars we tried to get on were packed and we could not even get on the car platform. Arriving at Termini (The Terminal Train Station) was a bit confusing but we made our way to the exit about the same time as the other Americans from the train. We huddled up and consulted the Rick Steves’ Book regarding Taxis in Rome. Jennifer and I did our best, but fell victim to one of the sharks. We really did not know where the hotel was, but that it was close to the Termini. Sure enough the taxi driver drove us around in very heavy traffic as the meter counted up and then delivered us to our hotel (approximately 1 ½ miles from the train station). The cost was 19 Euros and even though I knew I was being cheated, it was easier to pay him rather than try to fight him and call a cop. We arrived at the hotel at about 4:30 pm and checked in with out any problems. The hotel, Hotel Canada, is very nice and very old school. The bathroom has a Bidet and a toilet with a tank mounted high on the wall. The sink is a pedestal sink and the entire room has tile floors and has a very retro vibe. Before we went to dinner, we walked two blocks to the Metro Station at Castro Pretorio (pronounced Casa Pretorio) and purchase Metro tickets good for three days. Walking back to the hotel we were at a loss of where to eat. As I said to Jennifer,” we have only walked two blocks and in that distance I have seen at least 48 separate Pizza places; I don’t know which one to try.” The hotel deskman suggested a Pizza Restaurant within a block of the Hotel. We tried it and were pleasantly surprised. Sitting German style, we struck up a conversation with an extended family from Dallas, TX. After dinner, we had Gelato and returned to the Hotel for bed (we had been up for over 24 hours at this point). Tomorrow was going to come early.

Day 2
Friday October 9, 2009

Today came very early with a 0530 alarm. We went to breakfast and were astounded to find the breakfast was not the usual European Continental Breakfast. It was a full up American style breakfast with eggs, two types of meat, fruit and pastries (my favorite). Very quickly, it was time to move out since we did not have any experience with the Metro and did not know the distances or how often the trains run. We had to be at the meet location across from the Colosseum at 0850. In my best Bob Bean manner, we arrived at the location at 0815. Since we did not have to change Metro lines, it was a straight shot for about a ten-minute ride on a train that conservatively could be described as a cattle car that was overstuffed. I just wrote it off as morning rush hour. Our meeting place was just outside of the Metro Station at a lion head fountain mounted on the wall. Did you know that you can drink (or fill your water bottle) the water right out of the fountain spout on all of the public fountains in Rome. The water is delivered to the fountains just as fresh as it was in the first century AD. That is pretty amazing since the rest of Rome is filthy with trash and cigarette butts everywhere. So, there we are in Rome 0815 the weather is cool and sunny with a beautiful breeze, just a great day! At 0850, our Guide for the day meets us and the other people on the tour of the Palatine Hill, Roman Forum and the Colesseum. After a quick briefing from the guide, a very pleasant young woman by the name of Fredricka who is finishing her PhD in comparative Art, we set out for the tour and listening to her charming British accented English. She informed us that she was born and raised in Italy and is Italian, she did not say where she learned English, but it must have been at a British run school. Very quickly, her charming accent began to sound like fingernails on a blackboard as she set a pace that would make an Army Ranger blanch. Very quickly, the cool morning turned into a steam bath of sweat and heavy breathing! We climbed up Palatine Hill like a herd homesick Mountain Goats. I could not wear a hat or sunglasses due to my body trying to empty itself of all moisture at an alarming rate. However, Jennifer seemed to be enjoying herself and was busy snapping pictures as I was struggling not to scream in pain and agony! After touring Palatine Hill, we descended very steep stairs to the Roman Forum where it was even hotter than it was on top of the hill. I could describe the history we saw, but if you want to know about that, then make your reservations and pay the price of pain yourself. We started out across the street from the Colosseum and now it was time to tour it we were about a mile from it. Oh boy, more power walking. When we arrive back at the Colosseum I can barely see through the sweat streaming down my face. The beautiful open space around the Colosseum is filled up with a massive crowd of people. Our guide referred to then as a river of humanity. I did not see the humor of her comment, just aggravation in moving through the mass of people. The Colosseum was an amazing site and I really enjoyed being there in person. This ended our tour of pain, although Jennifer did not seem to think of it this way, she in fact enjoyed the entire experience. After I sat in the shade on a low wall between the Colosseum and the Metro station with Jennifer standing over me fanning me with the paperwork from our tour so that I hopefully would not spontaneously combust and ruin her dream trip, I recovered enough to walk or run across the street (because you take your life in your hands when you try to cross the street) to a restaurant that was not there when we arrived for our tour. These guys here could teach the Mexicans with their Taco Trucks and tables and chairs setup on the public sidewalks and thing or two. When you walk by in the morning all that is there is an empty sidewalk. By lunchtime when you walk back by there is a fully functioning restaurant with tables, chairs and umbrellas. I am not talking about a few tables; I’m talking about seating for over a hundred people. Anyway, Jennifer and I shared a ham and cheese Panini with fries and a couple of Coke lights. After lunch, we returned to the shade of the Colosseum and Jennifer continued to fan me for another half hour or so while I helped her by groaning continuously. Things then turned ugly when I though that I had recovered enough to think I was ready to see some additional sights. Hey, I never said I had good judgment. We reentered the Metro Station and returned to Termini (the main hub at the train station for the two Metro lines). It was a little disconcerting that the train seemed to be just as full as it was at 0800 in the morning. Have I told you I love surprises? We got off at Termini Station and had to change to the A Line. Dutifully following the arrows we approached and escalator. I have never in my life been on such a long escalator! The bad part was that it was almost straight down. For a moment, I thought I had died of Heat Stroke out by the Colosseum and was being transported straight to hell by escalator! Jennifer later told me we were only about a quarter of a mile underground. The A line has much nicer train cars than the Blue Line; however, it was even more crowded than the morning rush. If I was still in the Army, you bet I would have been smiling, as when the Drill Sergeants would line us up and scream at us, “Move up till your buddy smiles!” We got off the train and I had the satisfaction of knowing that in the stinky department I had given as well as I got! Exiting the Metro Station I attempted to orient my self with the tourist map that the hotels hand out. Have I told you that the maps that the hotels hand out are really crappy? I can’t believe that I never thought to buy a map of Rome before I left home. I was trying to navigate us to the Trevi Fountain, the fountain from the movie Tree Coins in the Fountain. Well I could not get oriented with the map and what I was seeing. Two day later I figured out that the map maker had placed the Metro station in the wrong place on the map. So with confidence and no clue we set out wondering where we were the entire trip until we walked right up to the fountain. Some how we walked directly there while Jennifer kept asking me if I knew where I was going and me answering I had no idea where I was going. The fountain was very nice and very impressive. The huge crowd was even more impressive. Jennifer did get to throw her coin into the fountain over her shoulder, so someday I’m sure she will return to Roma. Since it was only 2:30 PM and we had daylight we decided to try to find the Pantheon. Once again I was unable to use the tourist map effectively and could not find the streets we were on until we walked right into it. I think it was the most impressive engineering feat I have ever seen. It is a magnificent building with a large whole at the top of the Dome. Amazingly, when it rains the water drains through six small holes in the floor. We looked for the holes but could not find them. The structure was turned into a church with several Chapels located in the interior. The great artist Raphael is buried there along with the first two kings of Italy. We exited the Pantheon and walked across the piazza to McDonalds. No, I did not have a Mac attack. There are no public restrooms in Rome and McDonalds has restrooms! As we drank our Coke lights we could see the rise of Rome. Since the Pantheon was built the surrounding area has risen 15 feet. Sitting across the piazza we could see that the Pantheon sits in a depression from all of the other surrounding buildings. I also noticed that the portico of the pantheon faces the north. Looking at my tourist map I saw that it is depicted as having the portico on the south. As we walked slowly, Jennifer was shopping, back towards the Metro station I realized I was in a desperate situation. I asked Jennifer if she knew the “Fireman’s Cary”. She asked me if she would really get both of my pensions if I didn’t make it back. I took the hint and whimpered quietly to myself as we walked back to the Metro station. We rode back to the Termini Station and attempted to change to the B Line train. Well when you are down in the bowels of the earth they ID the direction of the trains by listing the end of the line. Well guess what else is deficient on the “Tourist Map”, that’s right they don’t show the end of the train lines. So after walking back and forth between the two platforms a couple of times we took a wild gamble and got on a train and luckily it was the right one and we arrived back at our station and Hotel. We walked, well Jennifer walked and I limped, down the block and had dinner at a very nice neighborhood restaurant and returned to our hotel about 8:30 PM. That is why this report and the following reports are a little late. Now our good friends Bill and Diane Ward had given both of us pedometers about a year ago and I was wearing mine today. On a good day at home I can rack up 2,000 or even 3,000 steps at home. Yeah, I know the so called experts say you should walk at least 10,000 steps a day to be in good shape. When I checked my pedometer for the day we had walked 20,012 steps for 12.4 miles. Then I knew why I had not felt my feet since 3:00 pm and thought that I was waking on my knees! Now it is time for bed because we have a very early call in the morning. As I begged Jennifer to have mercy on me for tomorrow as she turned out the light I think I heard her murmur, “drama queen.” I wonder whom she was talking about.

Day 3
Saturday October 10, 2009

Early call today because we have an even earlier meet time for out tour of the Vatican and a much longer commute. Another great breakfast and we are ready to head out the door at 0730. While we were packing for the trip I must have told Jennifer to leave her umbrella at home four separate times because, we were going the “Sunny South of Italy”. Now it is time, with no time to spare, to walk to the Metro Station. We get to the hotel lobby door and it looks like a typhoon outside. In order to avoid the beating I really deserved; I looked at her and said,” It is just a passing squall.” By the time we got to the Metro Station it was very apparent that it was not a passing squall and that we were in deep trouble. Well, Italy has a solution for everything. I don’t know who controls them, but as soon as it rains here all of the street vendors that are constantly trying to sell you scarves at all of the venues immediately switch to trying to sell you umbrellas at the entrances to the Metro stations. We got one for Jennifer and starting walking to the train track. Remember I told you that the Metro Train tunnels are dug down half way to China. Well there we are happily ridding the escalator to the deepest bowels of the earth and wham, POWER FAILURE! As we continued waking down the now stationary escalator a Policeman ran by us going down and gave us a funny look. I was wondering if continuing down was a good idea. The emergency lights came on so we had some light. We got to the loading platform and for the first time ever, there was no one else waiting for the train. I immediately flashed back to those movies where survivors of an attack or passing gas cloud are the only ones on earth that survive! Then I thought what are we going to do if zombies start coming after us, where are we going to run? Then I think I don’t have a gun with me, completely forgetting that I could not possibly carry enough ammunition to kill all the zombies that would be coming after us. Then I thought is Jennifer looking like a zombie? Well dear friends I was able to hold it together and stand there with Jennifer until the train arrived at the platform. Mainly because I was too scared to move and to fat to run! It is hell getting old and even worst remembering those old movies. Jennifer just thought it was creepy with the power out and no one else waiting for the train. Never did find out when the power was restored to the Metro Station. We changed lines at the Termini Station to the A line and rode it west bound and crossed the Tiber River and arrived at the Ottaviano Metro Station. As we walked to the exit I knew I was in trouble when I saw a big group of locals standing inside the exit tunnel because it was raining so hard outside. Additionally, there was at least 15 Bangladeshi’s standing there with twenty umbrellas each. I knew we had at least a mile to walk to the meet point for our tour and it was really raining hard. I swallowed my pride and bought myself an umbrella for the “Sunny South of Italy.” I think I heard Jennifer snicker behind me as I purchased the umbrella, but when I turned around she was just studying the ceiling of the tunnel. I must have been imagining the sound I heard. We walked through the rain of the “Sunny South of Italy” to the meeting point outside the Vatican Museum. Naturally the rain stopped as we reached the outdoor meeting location. As an aside note, it did not rain another drop all day! Our guide from yesterday was again our guide for the Vatican. The crowd was enormous! The line of people waiting in line to go through security and buy tickets was already around the block at 0830. We had VIP tickets and got in very quickly and the tour of the museum was an eye opening experience. Our guide, Fredricka, said that the entire museum covers more than ten miles of exhibits. Your senses are overwhelmed by the amount of art and artifacts that have been collected by the Popes. We then spent about 20 minutes in the Sistine Chapel. The restoration of the interior of the chapel is complete and is a must see. It is just amazing that that art work still exists and that it was created so long ago. We then move to St. Peters Basilica and what a sight that was. Not only is it enormous it is really beautiful inside. Way too much stuff to describe here. The outside of St. Peters Basilica is just as big as it looks in the movies. It was covered by folding chairs and stages for the Beautification Ceremonies scheduled for Sunday. After the tour ended we got a couple of Panini’s and cokes and ate on benches in front of the Vatican Gift Shop. Jennifer did some shopping in the gift shops in front of the Vatican Plaza and we walked back through town and an open air market to the Metro Station. The shopping district around the Ottaviano Metro Station is very nice and we did allot of window shopping. I am kicking myself for not buying a great looking Italian silk tie that I saw for only 30 Euros. Back on the A Line and off at the Spagna Station. It was only a short walk to the Spanish Steps; I think there was an early 1960’s movie that had them in the movie. Not much going on there other than allot of people sitting on the stairs. We walked through several piazzas and Jennifer looked through the goods offered for sale. Jennifer said she really wanted to see some of the catacombs and the bodies that they contain. So we walked from where we were to the next Metro Station, the Barberini Metro Station. I surprised her by taking her to the Cappuccin Monk Catacombs. They were not really catacombs, but that is how they are advertised. You have probably seen a TV special on Fox or the CW on them. They have the bones of over 4,000 monks on display with several dried up intact monks in their robes among the bones. Some of the bones have been arranged in patterns on the walls, floors and ceilings. The rest of the bones are stacked like cord wood in and around the intact monks on display. After that appetizing experience we had dinner and returned to the hotel for the night with visions of dead monks dancing in out heads. Mileage for the day 16,980 steps for 9.45 miles.

Day 4
Sunday October 11, 2009

Sunday, the first day we don’t have a tour to get to, so we allow ourselves to sleep in. We arrived at 0900 for breakfast and realized we need to get there earlier. Most everything had been picked over, but it was still better than the normal European breakfast. We decided to spend the day riding the hop on hop off bus tour. We selected the Um 110 bus company due to the recommendation in the Rick Steves’ Travel Book. We got in line at 1000 and bought our tickets. They were having bus driver problems and we did not get on a bus until 1045. Turns out that the tour book suggestion was not very good. We rode around the entire route and it was very sunny and hot. The city bus tour sure gives you a different perspective of the city from what you get from just waking around the city. We got off the bus at the Termini Terminal and walked back to the hotel. Today for some reason my Back is killing me and I am in some real pain trying to walk or twist my back. We had lunch at a very small neighborhood restaurant and returned to the hotel. We walked back to the Bus Stop and this time got right on a bus and started around the route at 1630. The complete route takes two hours if you do not get off the bus so we returned to the Termini Terminal at 1830 and walked around the terminal to see kind of stores that were in the shopping area. Walking back to our hotel we stopped at a different restaurant on the main drag of one of the shopping areas. It was different and pretty good. Then a leisurely walk back to our hotel and a nice soft bed or my aching back. Sure hope it is better tomorrow! Today’s stats 7911 steps for 4.5 miles, this is more like it!

Day 5
Monday October 12, 2009

What a great day, our thirty fourth wedding anniversary is today. Even though Jennifer had agreed that today we would take it easy and prepare for getting on the boat the first question she had for me this morning was,” What are we going to do today?” Admitting defeat immediately, I said,” what ever you want to do dear.” So off we went to buy and one day pass on the Metro. It is much easier to do, the second time around. We rode the B line to Circus Maximus and got off. Coming out of the Metro Station she decided she wanted to walk over to Circo Massimo. We risked our lives to cross the major intersection and walked to the southeast corner of Circus Maximus. She took several pictures and then we went looking for the street that would take us to the ruins of the Baths of Caracalla. This was a large, very large bathing house erected in 212 AD. It is about a mile walk south from Circus Maximus. While we toured the ruins a substantial thunder storm opened up over our heads. Of course this occurred because when Jennifer asked if we should take our umbrellas this morning I told her, no. We took cover under a stand of pine trees and the thunder shower was over in about 10 minutes. We finished the tour and walked back to Circus Maximus and decided to continue walking to the Colosseum. We got a very good close up look at Constantine’s Arch. We had lunch at the sidewalk café that we ate at on Thursday and rode the Metro to Termini Station and changed to the A Line and rode to Republica Station. The Intersection that was featured in all of those early 1960’s movies that showed American and British actors getting caught in the busiest traffic circle in Rome and the comedy that ensued when the realized they were trapped and were unable to move over and get out of the traffic circle. The traffic circle is right outside the Metro Station. I remember seeing one comedy movie where the main character, Terry Thomas, got trapped and the gyrations he went through to get out of the traffic circle. It took Jennifer and me a while to identify that this was the traffic circle in all of those old movies. In person, it looked much smaller than it did in the movies. The stores and hotel we saw in the background of all of those old movies help us identify it. Although not as crazy as they depicted it in those old movies the Italian drivers still drive with abandon when maneuvering through the intersection. Jennifer wanted to see the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore so we walked several blocks to the church just in time to stand under the portico during the second thunder shower of the day. Jennifer thought it was featured in the Tom Hanks movie, Demons and Angeles. Don’t know if it was, but I do know that it was dry inside during the storm. It is a beautiful church with an enormous amount of gold leaf on the ceiling. I heard one of the professional guides’ say that a church had existed on that site since 300 AD. The ceiling was made of Gold from the Spanish gold taken from the new world. After the storm passed we walked back to the hotel and Jennifer shopped along the way. Of course we stopped for Gelato before we got back to the hotel. On entering the hotel lobby we ran into Bill Stough, one of my old partners, who introduced us to two other couples that are going on the cruise. They are both retired LAPD cops and we went through the obligatory do you know so-in-so. It looks like it is going to be a good time on the cruise! We went to dinner with Dennis, Arnie, Debbie and Cathy and had a good time. We decline to join them in the bar and instead went to our room to prepare for tomorrow’s departure. Today’s stats, 15272 Steps for 8.67 miles.

Day 6
Tuesday October 13, 2009

The day we get on the boat has arrived! Breakfast about 0900 followed by a return to the room to pack up and get ready to check out. We used the elevator to get our bags down to the 0 floor. We moved out at 1000 even though check out time was 1100. The elevator is so small that it barely holds Jennifer and I plus our bags and back packs. Sure enough as 1100 approached the elevator became jammed up with everyone trying to use the incredibly small elevator at the same time. We sat around the lobby until visiting with the other travelers in our group and I sent out day 1 through 5 out on the Hotel’s computer. A little difficult because the key board was in Italian. The letters were the same, but all of the function keys were in different locations and required different key strokes to make them work as well as the internet browser was Mozilla or something like that. The huge lobbies of hotels is purely American, the European lobbies are very small in comparison. The staff moved all of our bags to a luggage room. You really have to be on top of your game when you don’t speak the same language as the bell boy. Case in point, when our bus arrived and we thought the hotel or bus driver would load our bags on to the bus. I was standing next to Jim Heintzman when the bell boy asked him in broken English if the bags he was standing by were going. He just said yes and the bell boy picked up the bags and carried them out the front door of the hotel. Jim just stood there talking to some of our party. I, on the other hand, walked outside to see where our bus was staged, yeah once a Battalion Commander, always a Battalion Commander. I immediately notice the bell boy was loading the bags into a taxi, not our bus. I went back into the hotel to tell Jim that he needed to pay more attention and issue more complete instructions and he blew me off. Instead of making a point of it I figured what the heck, not my bags. Jim finally tuned in to what I was trying to tell him and he ran out just as the taxi was about to leave and sure enough, most of the bags in the taxi were from our party. The person whose taxi it was very upset that the driver and the bell boy had not loaded his bags and had instead loaded stranger’s bags, his were still in the lobby. The bell boy just did not understand and was trying his best to fulfill the requests of numerous people all talking loudly in a language he did not really understand at the same time. The lesson here is to take your time and make sure the message your sending is understood or you might as well be talking to the wall. In all of the confusion it was just easier to load our own luggage. We humped it out and threw it on the bus and we were off, or so we thought. It took almost 45 minutes to get through the incredibly jammed traffic of Rome. Two hours later be pulled into Civitavecchia Harbor and the Princess boarding area. We had to fill out a current health status questionnaire and then got in line to check in. We barely had time to catch our breath and we were directed to a boarding agent. She took our Passports and ran our credit card and wham, we were walking on board. I have never ever been boarded so quickly. It was efficient, fast and without problems and in less than ten minutes we were walking onto the ship. We found our cabin and Jennifer’s bag was already there so we dumped our back packs and went up on deck to watch the departure. We pulled out and Jennifer and I went to the cabin to change for dinner. We had dinner with Tom Collins and his wife Cathy who are Jim Heintzman's neighbors from Prescott, AZ. We settled in for the night early because we had a very early call for our tour the next morning (0500). Today’s stats 6,157 steps for 3.49 miles.

Day 7
Wednesday October 14, 2009

0500, this is inhumane to expect a man on vacation to get up this early. Jennifer did not even blink, she just got moving right away. I did not know it, but she has wanted to visit Pompeii since she was a little girl. We had a quick breakfast and went directly to the tour meeting point in the ship’s Casino for a 0700 roll call. We were assigned a bus and by 0730 we were sitting on Bus B4 with a tour director named Manuela. She had a very charming grasp of the English language and was very funny asking us to call her Mama. As we drove out of the Port of Naples she filled us in on the culture of the people of Naples. She said there was no place to park in Italy so the locals would just park where ever because they needed a coffee. Sure enough, outside a Bar/Coffee house we saw twenty cars double parked in the traffic lane on a very narrow road. Most of us Americans were outraged by this obvious flaunting of the law and the law of common sense, but the Italians just seem to take it in stride with the attitude, oh well! Our tour started on the Amalfi Coast and the road is narrower than Highway One in California. It is also more winding than Highway One. Manuela or Mama said that the road has 1,192 curves in it. It seemed like many more. It is the most scenic stretch of highway that I have ever been on. The houses are perched right on the cliffs and are terraced down to the water. They are terraced because the cliffs drop straight down to the water, that’s right, absolutely no beach. It is hard to explain but the cliffs are shear rock that drops two thousand feet from the mountain tops to sea level. Very dramatic and very exciting to see. If you remember any of the Debra Kerr movies from the late 50’s to the early 60’s, you have seen the Amalfi Coast. I think it has probably been seen in a few spy movies as well as 007 movies. We had lunch at a very nice, but old 60’s hotel and about an hour of shopping in a little village that caters to the tourist trade. The cars are just about as wide as the streets in this little village. After lunch we traveled to Pompeii and prepared to tour the ruins. The place was amazing and we barely were able to see a tenth of the place in the four hours that the tour was supposed to be there. There was way too much to try to describe it here. Jennifer got pictures of the plaster casts that were made of some of the people that died there. It is amazing that the ruins have lasted this long and you can see how the people lived. It was August 24, 0079 AD that Vesuvius gave all of the residents of Pompeii a real bad hair day. Mama said that the people that lived in the area did not even know about the ruins because everything was covered by vegetation. They have done a great job uncovering the remains of Pompeii and are still working to reveal more of the story of Pompeii. At the risk of repeating myself, it is an amazing thing to see in person and other than the long walk over very uneven terrain it was a great day. After returning to the ship and having dinner at the Buffet we decided to turn in. Not sure how we will sleep since the ship is pitching and rolling in about a 40 knot wind. The sea state is 4 to 8 feet and the ship is really moving around. Boy, Hillary Clinton has nothing on me in the Cankles department. My ankles have disappeared and I have telephone poles extending from my knees down into my shoes. Today’s stats 11,083 steps for 6.29 miles. Tomorrow we are at sea all day, whoppeeeeee, no walking!!!!!!!

Day 8
Thursday October 15, 2009

A day at sea and we took advantage of it and slept in until 0830. After breakfast I begged Jennifer to let me do the washing. Having worn my underwear on both sides for the last three days was afraid that the drug sniffing dog at the security check point was going to alert on me at 500 feet. Either that or the dog was going to lie down and cover his nose with his paws and start whining. In either case I did not want an investigation into why the dog was disabled! We were lucky and got two washing machines and dryers immediately. I did get some strange looks while I rode the washer during the spin cycle yelling YES, YES, YES! I thought it was funny, but one of the ladies starting edging towards the emergency phone so I sat down and tried to act normal. We had lunch with three other retired LAPD officers and their wives. Tonight was the first Formal Dinning and we attended in our fancy duds. Robbie Heintzman had made reservations for all eighteen of us in one of the dinning rooms and it was a very nice, but long dinner. When everyone else went to the show Jennifer and I returned to our room to get ready for tomorrow and Athens. Today’s stats 4979 steps for 2.82 miles.

Day 9
Friday October 16, 2009

First call was at 0530 in the morning with a quick breakfast prior to departing to our loading location. We booked the Best of Athens Tour and departed the dock at 0830. We knew it was going to be an ugly day when we exited the ship and it looked like God had decided to flood the world again. The rain continued as we drove to the Acropolis. As we exited the bus the rain stopped but the big puddles and the eighty marble steps were treacherous. All the time trying to push past the umbrella peddlers not to mention the mobility challenged tourist that insists on trying to walk up the hill. Something that I did not realize is that the temples on the top of the Acropolis are not like churches, they are built for the Gods of Greek Mythology. They are not meant for people to go into, they are meant for the Gods. I had always wanted to see the Parthenon, but was slightly disappointed that it was so small. In pictures it always looked so big up on top of the hill. The amount of building that those ancient Greeks did in 500 BC was totally amazing (I know that I am using that adjective way too much). It turned out that it was a bigger problem trying to get down from the Acropolis that it was getting up. I do believe that at some point they will have to limit the number of tourist they allow up the hill due to over crowding. As we attempted to get down the hill another thunder shower hit with allot of lightning! Soon we were on our way through extremely heavy traffic to the National Archaeological Museum. Jennifer liked the museum tour and thought the displays were well done and the artifacts interesting. After the museum it was time for lunch at a large hotel in downtown Athens. The meal was all Greek food and was very nice, but it would have been nice to know what you were taking at the buffet. After lunch we drove to the Plaka (a shopping area in a no vehicle zone, except motor scooters) and had an hour to purchase some tourist trinkets. As we were walking to the bus I noticed that Jennifer and Robbie Heintzman were following the wrong group of people, I guess there really is a Pied Piper. I yelled at them and got their attention to turn them around. Our tour guide for the day was not a very good guide and did not have a clue as how to move people around in a crowded area. I still find it hard to believe that we returned to the ship with all of people we started out with. I am not a big fan of these tours offered by Princess, but in a large city what are you going to do? Athens is a huge city and we really did not know any thing about it, so it would take you weeks to see what we saw in one day if you ever figured out what you wanted to see.
As far as guides go, ours for this tour sucked big time. One thing she did that was funny was she explained words to us like the father in the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding. For a minute I thought I was listening to the movie, but I saw she was dead serious. It was like she was doing a parody of the father character in the movie. Looking down at it from the Acropolis, Athens looks like a giant ant farm. It is high rise buildings on steroids with little to no open space or green areas, archaeological sites aside. Looking down from the Acropolis you can see many archaeological sites and even one temple that was used as a church for a while and is in outstanding shape to this day. This former temple/church gives the Greeks great insight to what the temples on the Acropolis must have looked like. We notice allot of graffiti throughout the city. There is someone who is very upset with the police because we saw many messages to the Police written on the walls in English. Much of the graffiti in Athens is the same as it was in Rome, but a good thirty percent of it is pure art. I saw many examples of art injected into the graffiti, usually as abstract figures in very bright colors. Not the usual unreadable initials written in black or white spray paint. The Greeks love bright colors and the guide said that most of the sculptures in the temples were painted in bright blues, greens and reds. She said that that the reason that we think the marble sculptures were plain marble was that the paint had worn off long before anyone paid any attention to them. We returned to the ship exhausted and very stinky due to the very high humidity. We decided to eat at the Buffet for dinner and had a very good meal. After dinner we sat next to the rear swimming pool next to the bar and watched the lights of Athens recede into the distance. We are very tired tonight and are happy to retire early and watch the latest Star Trek movie. On to ancient Ephesus tomorrow. Today’s stats 9494 steps for 5.39 miles.

Day 10
Saturday October 17, 2009

0530 came earlier than it does in Valencia and when I turned on the TV we were already docked in Kusadasi, Turkey. Today is the tour of Ephesus a site of that hosted a town that was rebuilt 4 times since it was initially started in 700 BC. The most dramatic feature is a marble road that led to the harbor. We got some great pictures of the road. When Cleopatra and Mark Anthony visited they lined the road on one side with 5,000 soldiers on Black horses and the other side with 5,000 soldiers on White horses. Standing on the stairs that led to the Theater they used for plays and Gladiator events. The Theater is still used periodically for modern concerts. The ruins are very extensive and very complete as ruins go. Of all of the sites we have visited, this one allows you to see and imagine what it must have been like. Remember when you told your parents you were going to the library to study and you actually did something else. Well, in Ephesus the library had a tunnel that led across the street to the brothel! I overheard one woman mutter,” men never change.” The best thing about the ruins is that they let you out at the top and you walk downhill through the ruins to the bus. Like I said they rebuilt the city several times and only small parts are open to the public. We kept spotting additional ruins that we could not get to and are not on display. The city was controlled by several different dynasties. They say that both The Virgin Mary and John the Evangelist lived in Ephesus during their final years. Saint Paul also preached against the shrine of Artemis in Ephesus and his letter to the Ephesians remains one of his finest works. Emperor Hadrian visited the city and the Temple of Hadrian still stands and is very impressive. He is the same Emperor of Rome who had Hadrian’s Wall built in Great Britain. The city finally died when river silt caused the harbor to become unusable. Of course I was at my finest and as I was trying to walk and talk at the same time as I made my way through the huge Greek Theater I tripped and fell. That is what I get for trying to multi-task. We returned to the town of Kusadasi by bus and did some light shopping as we walked to the port and our ship. We set sail at 1230 for the strange and exciting city of Istanbul, Oh boy; both Jennifer and I are looking forward to seeing the gateway to the east. Today’s stats 8,927 steps for 5.07 miles.

Day 11
Sunday October 18, 2009

Today is exciting as well as disappointing. We toured Istanbul today, but because it was a Sunday the Grand Bazaar was closed. It was supposed to be cool, less than 70 degrees with humidity of 92 percent. With that much humidity you still sweat like a field hand if you do more than just sit around. It rained right up to the time we got off the bus and then it was cloudy with sun showers (as they say in Texas). Another complication was that the Istanbul Eurasia Marathon was taking place which closed most of the streets in the area we were visiting. After getting off the bus we walked about five blocks to the Suleymanie Mosque, commonly called the Blue Mosque. It is the largest Mosque in Turkey and was magnificent. It was hard to believe that the Muslims let infidels into one of their greatest Mosques. We had to take off our shoes and the entire floor of the Mosque was covered by Turkish Rugs. The tile work inside the Mosque was very impressive and that was what gives the Mosque its name. All of the tiles are in shades of Blue. I found it interesting that the most powerful man in Istanbul, The Sultan, had a special area elevated above the rest of the Mosque, a mezzanine, for his prayers. He locked himself into the mezzanine because he was afraid of assassination. The guide said he also had a constant companion with him at all times called the taster. Before the Sultan ate anything, the taster had to taste the dish and then if he was still alive in ten minutes the Sultan would eat from the dish. This fear of assassination will come up again later. Leaving the Blue Mosque we walked to St. Sophia’s, a building that was built three times upon the same site and has been used as a Church, Mosque and Museum. The man who presided over the establishment of the modern state of Turkey in 1923, President Ataturk, turned the building into a museum in 1936. When the Church was built over the remains of the original Church, built in 300’s BC and the second Church in the first century AD, in the 500’s AD they used materials from all over the area. The pillars inside St Sophia’s come from several different Churches and six of the pillars are Corinthian Pillars and are cold to the touch even on the hottest days. It was hot in the Church and when I put my hand on the pillars it felt like I was touching an air conditioning conduit. Leaving St. Sophia’s we walked to a restaurant that was right on the banks of the Golden Horn and the Straits of Bosphorus with a great view of the constant boat traffic during our lunch of traditional Turkish food. After lunch we walked to the Topkapi Palace, the official residence of the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire since 1453 and the fall of the Eastern Roman Empire. The museum has a 68 carat diamond on display as well as a portion of the treasury of the Sultan’s of the Ottoman Empire. They must have been like the military of today because there was a huge display of bejeweled medals that the Sultans wore on their official uniforms. They had a large highly decorated sword and sheath on display and the caption on the display stated that the first thing a new Sultan did was take a sword used by one his ancestors and make it his official sword. They had to be mostly ceremonial because it was very heavily engraved in Arabic script. The final section of Topkai Palace that we toured was the Sultan’s Harem. Within the Harem the Sultan’s mother had an apartment and he housed up to 400 wives and concubines. As each Sultan was judged on the number of children he produced, he did not keep them around. The guide stated that at the age of 3 to 4 they were removed from the Harem and sent to a couple of islands southwest of Istanbul and visible from the palace, called the Prince’s Island. In the Harem Baths the Sultan had a cage that looked like the security cage used by the Army for Arms Rooms and Supply Rooms that he used to wash his hair. He would have some of his wives or concubines wash his body, but would not let them touch his head. He would go into the gilded cage and lock himself inside and wash his own hair. He was constantly worried about being assassinated by one of his own sons. Maybe it is not so great to be the Sultan. After leaving the Topkapi Palace we were driven to a Turkish Rug store for a rug demonstration and some apple tea. The tea was great and the demonstration was very interesting, but way too expensive for our life style. We left the store and did some light shopping at small shops around the outside of the Grand Bazaar (remember, the Grand Bazaar was closed because it was Sunday). The technique demonstrated on the cruise TV worked like a charm. When a street vendor or store owner comes up to you and offers something for sale you ask, how much? Whatever they say you repeat the sum and laugh and say, too much and start to walk away. You pause near the door to the shop or a short distance from the street vendor and look back over your shoulder as if you’re having second thoughts. Then the negotiation starts. Jennifer and I both bought some small items using this technique and can verify it works in Turkey. We also saw some other tourist try to use this technique in Greece and were quickly informed by the store owner that they were in Greece not Turkey! The defensive walls of Constantinople are still visible today in the old city. They stood and defended the inhabitants of Constantinople for centuries and were only captured once prior to falling to the Ottomans in 1453 AD. As we sailed away from the dock in Istanbul Jennifer and I sat on deck and watched the sun go down. I got some great pictures of the sun going down and the lights of Istanbul coming on in the dusk. I also took some pictures east bound up the Bosphorus towards the Black Sea. We sure were happy that we were able to visit and experience the city that lies at the crossroads of Europe and Asia. Today’s stats 17,708 steps for 10.06 miles.

Day 12
Monday October 19, 2009

Today we slept in because we did not arrive at Mykonos, Greece until noon. We both woke up at 0530, but were able to fall asleep again until 0730. We had breakfast and an early lunch so we would be ready for our island tour at 1315 hours. We loaded up on the bus and were off to Aghios Ioannis Beach for a brief photo op. The water was beautiful with amazing shades of green and blue. In the advertisements it describes the beaches as being golden white sand. Our observations were not so effusive. We thought the beaches were rocky with very coarse sand of a brown color. I think the beaches of Southern California are better looking. Our visit was well after the tourist season has ended and we found the beaches to be quite dirty with allot of empty plastic bottles and trash. Just my luck, here we are at the most famous nude beach on the island and the season has ended! Another Bob Bean idea! I started taking my clothes off since it was a nude beach while Jennifer yelled and screamed at me to put my clothes back on. I kept going until the people on the bus we were on took up a collection and offered me $200 to put my clothes back on. There is always a way to make a profit season or no season! After I put my clothes back on we visited the Panagia Tourliani Monastery and it was the first time we have been inside a Greek Orthodox Church. It was a very interesting experience. We then bused back to the small town of Mykonos which became famous as a Jet Setter destination in the 1960’s. The guide said it also is known as a prime vacation destination for the homosexual community as well. The town is small and has a well worn and threadbare look to it. The small, flat roofed, white with blue doors and shutters houses are quite dramatic against the barren, sparse and brown hills. We toured the town and returned to the ship for a 06:00 PM sailing. We had dinner at the buffet as we sailed away from the island of Mykonos. Tomorrow is a day at sea followed by Port Said, Egypt. Today’s stats 10,610 steps for 6.02 miles.

Day 13
Tuesday October 20, 2009

A day at sea, what a nice break. We did not do much, just sat around and relaxed on the deck. We talked to some of the people on the cruise with the Heintzman’s and basically took it very easy. Tomorrow is Port Said and the tour is a twelve hour tour! It starts with a three hour drive into Cairo and ends with a three hour drive back to the boat. Oh boy! Today’s stats 3110 steps for 1.76 miles.

Day 14
Wednesday October 21, 2009

Very early call at 0400, luckily we had to set our watches back an hour due to a time zone change. 0615 line up for our Pyramids, Sphinx and Museum Tour. On the bus by 0630 and the first thing I notice is the very heavy Police presence. We started rolling, and by rolling I mean a convoy with the Police blocking all of the intersections in Port Said as the convoy of buses passed through town. It reminded me of an Army movement, right down to the two extra empty buses just in case one of the ones with passengers broke down. The ride was interesting because of the regions we rode through. Outside of Port Said it very quickly turned to empty desert and the next third of the trip was in an agriculture area with many trees and plants. The last third was an industrial area of factories until we got into the outskirts of Cairo. All along the route there were many military posts with guard towers and long walls. All of the watch towers were manned and most of the guards were armed with automatic weapons. Most of these bases were along the west bank of the Suez Canal. The camps did not look like they were organized in our combined arms concept. Instead I could tell many of them were transportation units (Truck Companies) and others as Artillery or Tank camps. A Very heavy military presence on the road into Cairo. The Cairo Airport is way out of town and near the entrance to the airport they are putting in a very high class area of luxury homes, hotels and high end shops and mall. We drove through Cairo to the three pyramids of Giza that you see in all of the pictures of the pyramids in magazines. We drove to a parking area where we walked to the base of the only pyramid that has some of the limestone covering at the top. There was a great earthquake in 1306 that caused most of the limestone covering the three pyramids to fall off and the locals looked at it like a fire sale at Home Depot. They carted it off to use it as building material. There were many many vendors trying to sell you a camel ride or let you take pictures by the camel for $5.00 US. Since Jennifer rode a camel last year in Morocco we did not partake of the camel ride. We got back on the Bus and rode up to a vista point where we could take pictures of all three of the pyramids in one shot. There were some vendors up there selling nick/knacks but the Tourist Police would step out of their little huts and scream at them and they would back off and stay outside of the photo area. I noticed that there were National Police all over the place (White Uniforms with at red or black Beret). I also saw a Military (maybe Army) half track or two with a cannon turret. They looked like something out of WWII. We got back on the bus and moved lower on the hill below the pyramids to what I was waiting for, the Sphinx! As we pulled up to the unloading area I noticed a Pizza Hut and KFC store front in the village next to the Sphinx. We have exported our culture to some pretty weird places. I have always been fascinated by the Sphinx and it was really great to see it in person. We then were transported to a hotel that has been in operation since 1869 for lunch, it was very high class and ritzy. The guide said it was built so that some Queen could stay there One Night. It must be very good to be the queen! As we were driving I saw that the city has grown west of the pyramids. It is not Cairo, it is Giza. The was just barely west of the Nile River 30 years ago and now it almost encompasses the Pyramids of Giza. Giza is not Cairo and as we drove to the museum I noticed that the streets of Giza are not paved. They are just hard packed dirt. I saw thoroughfares that were six lanes wide and not a bit of pavement or asphalt in sight. Sorry to be negative, but Cairo and Giza were the filthiest places I have ever seen. It looks like no one has picked up trash there, EVER! There was even a dead horse laying half in a canal as we drove down the freeway. The traffic jams in Cairo were world class events. In Egypt lane markings are recommendations and traffic signals are advisory only. The people walk and stand in the street and I even saw a motorcycle driving the wrong way on the shoulder of the freeway. People walk across the street through moving traffic and it looks like total chaos. Somehow it all works and other than the traffic jams I did not see any accidents as we drove through the city. Just total chaos with pedestrians, cars, buses, motorcycles and horse drawn carts all moving in a Kaleidoscope of mass confusion. When we arrived and entered the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities I thought I was a sardine at a sardine canning factory. To top it off there is no air conditioning in the museum. Our guide says it is like that 365 days a year. The artifacts contained in the museum are really something with the display of King Tut and his burial artifacts as the prime attraction. When we finished our museum tour we loaded back up for a confusing but interesting ride through downtown Cairo and our three hour bus ride back to the boat. Arriving back at the boat at 2000 (8:00 PM) we were very tired and hungry. We had dinner at the buffet and went to bed early because tomorrow we have our tour in Alexandria, Egypt. Today’s stats 9134 steps for 5.18 miles. Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes Jennifer was right! I should have listened to her and bought a pair of walking shoes for this trip instead of wearing a two year old pair of running shoes. My arches feel like they are convex from all of this walking.

Day 15
Thursday October 22, 2009

We woke up about 0730 today, quite a surprise since I thought we were more than half dead when we went to bed last night. We had breakfast at the buffet and sat and watched as we approached, arrived and docked in the west harbor of Alexandria, Egypt. We loaded up and started our Alexandria City Tour about 01:00 PM. The first thing we noticed about Alexandria was that it was much cleaner than Cairo or Giza. Our guide for the day, Nancy, said it was because the people of Alexandria take pride in their city and keep it cleaner. I even saw a man cleaning the sidewalks with a broom and trash can. Even though, it was dirtier than Istanbul, but probably cleaner than Rome. I noticed that Alexandria has very many horse drawn carriages throughout the city. Then I saw it, in the middle of taxis, horse drawn carriages, cars, scooters, buses, mini buses, pedestrians’ jay walking as well as standing in the street, was a donkey pulling a flat bed wagon with about 6 guys ridding on the wagon right in the middle of it all. Alexandria sits right on the Mediterranean and has a cool sea breeze which was a very nice change from Cairo and Giza which both have a very hot desert breeze. Our first stop was Fort Qait Bay. It is a 15th century Mamluk fort that overlooks the entrance to the east and west harbors of Alexandria. It incorporates both a castle and a mosque within its walls. Just north of the fort is the underwater site where hundreds of pillars, statues and sphinxes have been found. Our next stop was the site of an excavation for a new apartment building that revealed a Roman Odeon (theater), baths and political meeting theater. They also have some of the antiquities that were pulled out of the ocean on display there. The next stop was the Bibliotheca Alexandria (the New Library of Alexandria). What a treat! The building and its acoustics are incredible. The heart of the library is a huge computer that computes in terra flops (sp?). They even have a computer printer interface, that for a fee, you can have any book in the library printed, bound and delivered within about 20 minutes! They have 750 computer terminals that are connected to the internet and you can visit any web site you wish, with no government interference. Just an amazing amount of freedom for a Muslim state. I am including the web site for the library since our Library Guide repeatedly told us everything in the library is available free on their internet site. They have also saved and cataloged all web pages since 1996. Their web site is www.bibalex.org. Give yourself a treat and take a look at the web site and I am sure you will find something that will interest you. It is my opinion that they are building the biggest and best library in the world like the Old Library of Alexandria that was destroyed by fire seven hundred years after it was built in the 4th Century BC by Ptolemy I. Arriving back at the boat Jennifer went through all of the shops on the pier and bought some more junk, I mean some more charming gifts for our family! We had dinner at the buffet and we watched the movie under the stars after we sailed out of port headed back to Rome. Two more days at sea and then on to Venice, Italy. Today’s stats 10175 steps for 5.78 miles.

Day 16
Friday October 23, 2009

A day at sea. Not doing much except lying around like a big dog. We have the last formal night tonight and are going to dinner with the entire group at 1800. Jennifer did laundry this morning before all of the machines got backed up.

Day 17
Saturday October 24, 2009

A day at sea. Not doing much except lying around like a big dog. We have to pack and put our bags out tonight so that the crew can get them down on the pier first thing in the morning.

Day 18
Sunday October 25, 2009

Off the boat at 0830 for a private bus pick up for transport to Termini Station at 0930. Then a five hour train ride to Venice, Italy. More when we get there! Well we arrived at Termini Station an hour and a half early and started looking around for a place to sit and wait. Rarely is there a place to sit in public in Italy. There was definitely no place to sit in the train station, in order to wait for the train. The problem with the language barrier is that even though they speak English is that so much is left out because they assume you know what they know. Our travel agent was traveling with us and even though we had first class tickets for the train, no one told her we could use the first class lounge in the train station. So this guy comes up to the travel agent and starts asking her what train we are on and looks at the paperwork and tells her we can use the First Class Lounge in the train station. Well in Italy there is always someone who wants to do something for you and then charge you for the “service”. This guy did not have a uniform on or any insignia that we could see, but he entered the lounge and conversed with the Italians behind the desk so we though he worked for the train system. When our train arrived he and a female helped some of our party to the train and then the screaming match broke out between the female and male and another male with an “official” blue shirt on. The guy with the Blue Shirt would alternately scream in Italian at the other two and then yell at us not to give them money because they did not work for the train system. It was chaotic and confusing and you only have a limited amount of time to get your bags on the train before it pulls out. I gave the guy 10 Euros and he left me alone. Some of the other members of our group got in an argument with them about the “service charge”. After a five and a half hour train ride we arrived in Venice, Italy. Our Travel Agent went into the Tourist Office at the train station and enquired as to how far our hotel was from the train station. The answer was a three minute walk, out the front door and turn right over the bridge and the hotel is straight ahead. Again the language problem, we walked out the door and turned right and began walking. Some of the single ladies had problems pulling and controlling their luggage down the train station steps. When we got to the bridge the problem got larger, the bridge did not have a ramp and everyone had to pull their suitcases up the steps of the bridge. Oh yeah, the bridge was all steps going up and going down the other side. We thought we had it made because we could see the sign of our hotel. Well, not so fast buckwheat. We found we would have to go over another bridge (not a big as the first, but steeper) to get to our hotel. I like all of the men were helping the single ladies with their bags and boy were they over packed! By the time we got to the hotel I was ready to stroke out. With twelve of us walking in at the same time to a very small hotel lobby it was mass confusion. Finally we got it all sorted out and we all met in front of the hotel and decided to eat at a nearby restaurant. After dinner Robbie Heintzman wanted to go to San Marco Square. Jennifer and I joined Robbie and Jim and we went to find the ticket office for the water bus. Soon we had a couple of 48 hour passes and we were on our way at about 2100. We took the slow boat down the Grand Canal to San Marco Square. The night was beautiful and the lights outside and inside the buildings were beautiful. At night you can see inside the buildings that have lights on. We arrived at San Marco Square at about 2200. There were three cafes that have five piece orchestras that play everything from the classics to Jazz. In front of St. Mark’s Church two of the orchestras play side by side, separated by about 25 yards. They take turns playing so that they do not interfere with each other. On that night they were all trying to out do each other and I heard the best live music that I think I have ever heard. We walked and danced and listened to the music for about and hour. I hope this doesn’t sound too gay, but it was a magical experience! We rode the water bus back to our hotel and called it a night about midnight. Today’s stats 7,786 steps for 4.42 miles.

Day 19
Monday October 26, 2009

Up and at breakfast by 0815 unfortunately it is a typical European Continental breakfast, ready to explore the city by 0930. Most of the group wanted to go to Murano Island to look for glass and did so. Jim, Robbie, Jennifer and I rode the water bus back to San Marco Square and did some sightseeing and shopping. We spent the entire day in the San Marco Square area. We had dinner at a little restaurant in a back alley behind the square. The food was very good and we had a great time with Jim and Robbie. We then walked and listened to the music in San Marco Square. It was good but not up to the quality of the previous night. We called it a night early because everyone was leaving very early the next morning. Jennifer really did some shopping today! Today’s stats 15,094 steps for 8.57 miles.

Day 20
Tuesday October 27, 2009

Everyone from our group was gone by the time we had breakfast. We decide to visit Murano Island and check out the Glass Factories. The idea of personal space and manners does not exist in today’s Europe. I finally got fed up and when the boat started to arrive at the dock and people started pushing even there was nowhere to go I started pushing right back and it sure felt good! I pushed through the crowd and Jennifer and I got on the wrong boat. Oh well, we wound up on the slow boat to Murano instead of the direct boat. When we did arrive, we walked to a factory and saw a demonstration of glass blowing. It was very interesting and Jennifer finally saw that for texturing the glass they press it into a mold before blowing and shaping it into whatever shape they want. We had lunch next to the main canal of the island and then did some more sightseeing before returning to Venice. We got off the water bus at San Marco Square and did some sightseeing as well as shopping. Again, the music was not as good as it was on Sunday night, very disappointing. We returned to the hotel about 1630 for a short break. At 1700 we walked around the area across the canal from the train station and around the hotel and finally decided to eat at a restaurant about a block from the hotel. After dinner we had one last gelato and returned to the hotel to pack for tomorrow mornings departure at 0430. Today’s stats 13,755 steps for 7.81 miles.

Day 21
Wednesday October 28, 2009

0300 the alarm went off and the great race started! We arrived at the bus stop across from the hotel at 0445 and waited for the 0500 bus. Our tickets were stamped and we were on the bus at 0501 and soon after we were on our way to Marco Polo Airport. Everything went smoothly except the Italian TSA started to give Jennifer a hassle about her Insulin, then in mid-hassle they just dropped the whole thing and we were into the flight waiting area by 0545. We started boarding at 0715 and by 0730 we were enroute to Madrid, Spain. When we arrived in Madrid we had two hours to change planes and thought we had plenty of time. The airport is very large, modern and spread out. A young soldier from the 173rd Airborne Brigade and his family were walking with us and together we followed the signs to an underground tram and changed terminals and went through passport control. When we arrived at the departure gate we thought we were good to go, but no. We were redirected to an American Airlines desk where we went through everything but re-x-raying of our carry on bags before we were certified to board the plane. We finished the processing as they started to load the plane. We just had time to grab a drink out of a nearby vending machine prior to boarding. An eleven hour flight to DFW Dallas, Texas was long and boring. The two films they showed were two of the films that the Grand Princess showed during our cruise. Arriving at DFW we had two hours before our next flight. We arrived at Immigration to find the hall completely filled with people standing in a line that did not appear to be moving. It took almost 45 minutes to clear Immigration and pick up our bags and stand in another line for Customs! Customs went very quickly and I thought we might have a chance to grab a bite to eat. Checking the Departure Board we discovered we were in terminal A and needed to be in Terminal C so off we went looking for the tram. It was a real trek to get to the tram and then we had to ride around the whole terminal complex to get to Terminal C. As we arrived at the Departure Gate and used the rest rooms it was time to board the flight and again no time to eat. When we boarded the plane we had been up for 22 hours and were beginning to really feel the fatigue. A three and a half hour flight and we landed safely at LAX Airport, picked up our bags and boarded the Van Nuys Fly Away. We arrived home at 2245 hours and unloaded the car and got ready for bed. The entire trip took 28 hours from bed to bed. Sure am glad to be home!

Was the trip worth it - YES!!!!
Best City – Rome, Italy
Worst City – Giza, Egypt
Most Interesting City – Alexandria, Egypt
Most Exotic City- Istanbul, Turkey
Cleanest City- Venice, Italy
Dirtiest City – Cairo/Giza, Egypt
Friendliest City - Cairo, Egypt
Most interesting City- Pompeii, Italy
Most irritating habit of Europeans- SMOKING!! (Most Europeans can only breathe through a
Cigarette)
City with the most Graffiti - Rome, Italy
City with the most interesting Graffiti - Athens, Greece
(Inclusion of art with the Graffiti)
Most Beautiful Tour- Amalfi Coast Tour (Coast south of Naples, Italy)

Rome~Mediterranean Cruise~Venice~October 2009

2009-12-31T22:04:00.000-08:00

Baths of Caracalla, Rome

Bob outside St Peters Basillica, Vacitan Plaza.

Jennifer and Bob in the Colosseum.

The Pantheon; within the Pantheon Square old Rome sits 15 feet lower than modern Rome.

View from on top of Palatine Hill looking down toward the Roman Forum.

Europe is always an interesting trip, this was the first time for Bob and I glimpse into ancient history first hand. Every day was something new and someplace unexplored by us...

Bob wrote a tongue and cheek "Trip Report" which many of you have read, it highlights each day of our adventure. I will post the entire report for anyone who missed reading it.

The Bean's are in Hawaii!

2009-09-17T16:56:00.000-07:00

Grandma Jennifer and Quinn looking at the canyon.

The three Bean boys!

Jennifer and Bob enjoying the afternoon.

Quinn is ONE year old today!

Grandpa Bubba and Little Bubba-Boo at Bubba's for hamburgers!

Bob and Robert at Punchbowl

Jennifer and Robert on the North Shore of Oahu.

Quinn loved being out in the ocean with his daddy
and playing in the sand with his mommy.

Waiohai Beach Club Kauai

View looking at the beach.

Playing in the pool with mom and dad!

San Diego and Chris Isaak Concert

2009-08-27T11:18:00.000-07:00

We always have a fun time at the concert!

It is so much fun fun when we get together with our friends. Karen and Paul, Samantha and Rick enjoying dinner at the Bali Hi.

Seaport Village from our hotel room.

View of the front of our hotel.

Shelter Island and Seaport Village with Point Loma in the distance.

Bob and I went to San Diego and met some friends for a Chris Isaak concert this week. The weather was beautiful and the Marriott at the Marina had beautiful grounds and a spectacular view of Shelter Island, Sea Port Village and downtown!

2009 Cool Breeze Bike Ride in Ventura, CA

2009-08-15T15:12:00.000-07:00

Phew, He made it!

This is catching Bob at mile 10.5 and going strong!

Bob went on his first bike race, 2009 Cool Breeze Mini Metric in Venture, CA on Saturday, August 15, 2009. The course ran bike trails, Old Pacific Coast Highway and a few miles even on the 101 Freeway!

Ready set go!

Time: 3 hours 20 minuets

Total Distance: 40 miles

I am so proud of Bob, he wanted it and dit it!

2009-08-10T13:52:00.000-07:00

The beautiful Sierra Mountains

It is always a lovely when you take a drive around the lake!

We took a trip to Lake Tahoe the first week in August, Megan was able to join Bob and I for a short trip before she starts back teaching 6Th grade next week. We experienced a little of all the weather types, it was warm and beautiful when we started the week. By Wednesday it was very cool, some rain and wind with lots of Thunder Clouds blowing around. We weren't able to do a few of the things we had wanted but had a wonderful time just the same.

South Lake Tahoe

always has water so blue crystal clear!

Picture from a trip we had taken the fall a few years ago, we were lucky and had a dusting of snow when we were there!

Pacific Grove ~ Monterey ~ Asilomar State Beach & Conference Grounds

2009-07-19T21:29:00.000-07:00

These are bright green tree snakes!

Sea Horses

Kids can scooba dive at the Aquarium!

Jennifer playing in the kids area!

Surf at Asilomar State Beach by our resort.

Made me want to go sailing!

Jennifer enjoying a great lunch at Fisherman's Wharf.

Lunch at Fisherman Whar

Merrill Hall designed by Julie Morgan.

Entrance to Asilomar on the Boardwalk from the beach.

Bob is checking out the surf at the Conference Center. we saw quite a few surfers while we were in Pacific Grove.

Crocker Dining Hall

Sunset at Pacific Grove Beach

Grounds at the Asilomar Center

Bob watching TV on the computer! :)

We took a four day trip up to one of our favorite places to relax, Monterey Beach in CA. The weather was beautiful and a relief from the heat we had at home.

We stayed at Asilomar State Beach & Conference Grounds in Pacific Grove. The Conference Grounds totals 107 acres which include the hotel area, beach, San Dunes, Historical Buildings, forests and Nature Trail. It was a little like going back to Summer Camp with the rooms having no frills...TV or Phones! We ate breakfast in a huge dining hall called Crocker Dining Hall built around 1913 by Architect, Julie Morgan. The building are done in classic Arts and Crafts style.

To view the Kodakgallery site of our Monterey Pictures click below:

http://adobe.kodakgallery.com/ShareLanding.action?c=rkwzo3t.7z32l9wl&x=0&y=-ij3h15&localeid=en_US

2009-07-01T09:08:00.000-07:00

The whole DOCE Runion group!

View

Orville and Marion riding the

Filmore & Western Railway Co. for his

90 th birthday celebration, everyone had a blast!

Elizabeth Bean, my daughter in-law took pictures over the weekend of our families...please enjoy them!

Slideshow:http://www.flickr.com/photos/52975930@N00/sets/72157620727350248/show/

Photos:http://www.flickr.com/photos/52975930@N00/sets/72157620727350248/

Ventura looking towards the pier.

Watching the surf

Ventura Harbor

Uncle Orville with all the First Cousins who attended the DOCE Family Reunion! (Decedents of Claude Elm)

2009-07-01T09:04:00.000-07:00

Orville and Marion celebrating his 90th birthday at our Elm Family Reunion in Ventura, CA.

The Getty Villa, Malibu, CA

2009-06-22T16:32:00.000-07:00

Bob and I made a trip to The Getty Villa last week, we thought what better way to prepare for our trip in the fall to Rome and Greece... all the beautiful art work to spur out imaginations!
The J. Paul Getty covers sixty-four acres in Malibu and opened in 1945. The museum exhibits collections that cover Greek and Roman antiquities. The setting is re-created from a first century Roman country house, the Villa. The house covered by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in A.D. 79.The artwork found throughout the museum is wonderful and covers The Greeks, The Etruscans and The Roman eras.
Bob’s favorite area was the Outer Peristyle open gardens area, the ocean breeze was heavenly…the views were not bad either!I found the glasswork to be of interest, how it has survived thousands of years is almost unfathomable to me!Please take a moment to look at more of my pictures on Kodak @http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLanding.action?c=rkwzo3t.99oruiqh&x=0&y=8xnqno&localeid=en_US
Enjoy just a few of the many works of art, if you every have the time or opportunity to visit I heartily suggest you do, you will not be disappointed!
Link: http://www.blogger.com/www.getty.edu

Welcome to our blog!

2009-06-11T10:43:00.000-07:00

Welcome to our new blog!
Bob and I hope you enjoy reading about our upcoming adventures and viewing a few travel photos of our adventures. Everyone has commented how he or she look forward to reading my trip reports on our travels; sometimes it is difficult with email. We are hoping by doing a blog page, everyone can follow our explorations and I will only have to upload and send out once to all!

We will let you know when our next adventure pop’s up…
Jennifer and Bob Bean

Exploring Our Countries Historic Triangle

2009-06-06T15:45:00.000-07:00

Yorktown

Shop in old Williamsburg

The streets of old Williamsburg

Jamestown

During Megan's April break we headed to Virginia to see The Historic Triangle; Williamsburg, Jamestown, Yorktown.

The Historic Triangle gave birth to the United States, and a huge nation grew from a tiny place in Virginia. We were very impressed at the museums and thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Yorktown. Megan took many, many pictures of the historic things she has been teaching in 5th grade.

If you have never made the trip to see the core of our countries beginning I recommend to add it to your list of places to see!

My dad is turning 90!

2009-06-06T11:57:00.000-07:00

Maurice Orville Elm

June 25 - 28, 2009 my family will be having it's DOCE Family Reunion (Descendants of Claude August Elm) in old Ventura, CA. We will have around 80 family members who will be joining my us in celebrating my dad's 90th Birthday!

Vacation in Carlsbad

2009-06-06T11:26:00.000-07:00

The Flower Fields in Carlsbad

Mothers Day week we vacationed in Carlsbad, CA . Our son Robert, his wife Elizabeth and their son Quinn joined us for a few days.

We enjoyed the Flower Fields in Carlsbad...

toured the Birch Aquarium in La Jolla...
Quinn loved the fish in the large aquarium!

and cruised the bay on the San Diego Harbor Cruise