OCTOBER 22 - THE LAST DAY

Friday, October 22 – When I woke (that damn alarm again) I turned on the tv and the bow camera told me that we were in port. A quick dress, and off for breakfast, back to the room, and up to the lounge to wait for the others to meander. We let the organized groups go first – by the time we get there, the Customs people have gone for their morning coffee, so we retrieved our bags easily (all the other bags had already been taken) and we strolled out without anyone even looking at us, our luggage or our passports. The bus was waiting, but I put my foot down and insisted we get a group picture in which everyone’s face can be seen. And we did, in a location with our ship, Cristal, in the background.

The bus ride to the airport took us along the coast – Yanni had called and found the traffic was heavy on the highway, so we took the coastal road with a better view and about the same travel time. I had presented him with a Xavier Society bag earlier, and on the bus we gave him our envelope. We made a bathroom stop at the airport, check in was easy (except for two of our group who got randomly picked for a full baggage search) and I even found a free wifi service. For the record – you did not have to take off your shoes. While we were waiting to board, I saw a man I thought looked familiar – then I wondered – finally I went up and it was a guy who plays sax at the Jazz at Noon group (which this season moves to the Players Club instead of the National Arts Club).

 I wasn't the only one who didn't get enough sleep last night.

Airplane travel is airplane travel – many of the same films and tv shows on the entertainment system – I remembered how bad the beef had been on the way over so I had chicken. Better. Someone in First Class bought out the chocolate covered blueberries before they got to me, so I saved money – but now what am I going to get for so and so? (Just kidding.) It was the retirement flight for one of the flight attendants after 41 years of service. She was a First Class attendant, so we really didn’t even see her, but they made the announcement several times, and large pictures of her at the beginning of her career and now were posted in the cabin in several places. As we were settling in, before we took off, the pilot announced that the doors were closed, and if anyone wanted to change their seats they could – so the woman next to me, in the middle, went searching and found an aisle seat, so the seat next to me is empty. Thank you, Jesus! And I got my computer into the overhead, so the space under the seat in front of me is also blessedly empty.

I’m finishing this bit on the plane – when we land, I will get my bag from Customs and see about a flight to Buffalo. I have a reservation on a 9PM but if we get there in time and no problems, I might try for a 6:20 that exists. (Turned out it didn't exist, and I waited in the airport for the 10 something plane, that ended up being about 40 minutes late. Sigh. Welcome home.)

Reflection: A trip like this needs some reflection time, and I’m not sure I am entirely ready for that. On the other hand, looking at my schedule for the next several weeks, this may be the best chance I have, at least in the immediate future.

It was a varied group, and the dynamics were a little strange at the beginning – one woman from Minnesota didn’t know anybody, was traveling alone and is blind. Another who came along is also blind; I knew her, but I was the only one. She had a roommate she didn’t know. Two other blind people had companions with them. Our Xavier group was 13 and then we had 7 others we didn’t know either. One person knew only me and her sister whom she had brought with her. One person spent more time working and looking for internet cafes and connections than taking part in the pilgrimage, one person was working through some personal problems, another got sick toward the end with an intestinal infection of some kind, another had knee problems, and another could only walk for very short distances, and in fact carried a seat cane so she could sit when she needed. So there were distractions and problems - mostly minor but it was not a trip of unbroken joy.

But each person on the pilgrimage is basically a good person, and we started taking care of one another almost from the first moment. We were interested in one another and when we got on the boat and into the private dining room, we started learning more about one another. Different people took different tours, and went exploring in different groups, so there was usually a story to share, an experience to relate. There was extraordinary generosity in helping the blind folks who were traveling alone – they are both very independent, but in strange situations, like exploring the Grand Bazaar or climbing a mountain, some help is needed. Some people learned how to help a blind person – many people don’t know that and haven’t had any experience of what blind people need and want. And don’t want.

I’ve been doing these pilgrimages for only two years but so far, we have been positively blessed with guides. Last year Moshe – this year Iannis. Thank you whatever guardian angel or St. Francis Xavier is guiding these people to us. It does make a world of difference when the guide is more than competent, likes the group and helps make the exploring fun and rewarding. We know from the Xavier Society that there are some who are clients, who use our services. There are also those who become friends, whose lives we get to know in a small way. I hope that for our guides we have moved from being just clients to something more.

 Our new best friend, who guided us in and around so many places.

Daily Mass is an important anchor, at least for me. It helps keep me in a pilgrimage mode, rather than a tour or a trip or a “vacation.” Not every stop or every location had something to do with St. Paul, but they were part of the world in which he lived and preached, to one degree or another. And as we discovered last year, having to “re-see” the views and panoramas and sights in order to describe them to our companions was an illuminating and an important part of the trip. (As I write this we are leaving Europe behind and heading out into the ocean – Lord, your seas are so large and this plane is so small….)

I found strange things moving – Mars Hill, where Paul preached, is a large rock. Yet that touched me more than some of the architectural and archaeological marvels we saw. I found myself at home in the Grand Bazaar, probably from my time in Nigeria, but the group of 4,000 shops, the people pressed together, shop keepers trying to sell you something as you passed by, the bargaining – I felt very much at home.

And yet I don’t like crowds (unless, as I noted earlier, they’re audience.) I don’t like tourists and I am already planning next year’s trip to the Holy Land in the same time period we went last year, precisely to avoid crowds. Go figure.

Watching BBC Europe reminds me that for most of the world the U.S. is NOT the center of the world and much of what goes isn’t even interesting in other countries. The lead story while we have been away has been pretty much the riots in France, to a lesser degree the budget cuts in Britain, and the continuing protests in Greece.

In the final analysis, there are probably more negative comments for the agent here in the U.S. than there were for last year's pilgrimage. But it was a wonderful time, and we met some truly extraordinary people. Everyone had the freedom to create their own trip, and I think that most did. That their pilgrimage didn't always look a lot like mine is a tribute to how good the trip was, I think. 

There will be more pictures, at some point, and perhaps even more reflections. Or stories I have forgotten. When I left the airport I went up to Buffalo for the NY State Convention of the National Federation of the Blind, where I gave a speech and said Mass on Sunday morning. 

Next year - back to Jerusalem!!! With a couple of days in Jordan. Stay tuned for further announcements. 

OCTOBER 21

Thursday, October 21 – Being awakened by the alarm in a situation like this is a mixed blessing. On the one hand, you know you’ve had a better than average sleep. On the other hand, if it weren’t for that damn alarm, you’d still BE asleep! Ah well, no rest for the wicked. Or the tourist. Not necessarily in that order.

Today is the last full day of the trip – well, tomorrow is a full day but spent pretty much at the airport and in an airplane. Just the thought of airplane food makes me rise more quickly and head to the buffet. We’re going to Crete in the morning, and Santorini in the afternoon/evening, which means an early start for those going to the Knossos palace and a gentle but shorter morning for those of us not. I am not. I went on one tour, and that was really more than the budget could afford. So I ate and waited for the hordes to leave and then I wandered into the harbor. 

Crete (geography moment here) is the island, and the harbor is dedicated to St. Nicholas. Every port has a chapel to St. Nicholas, but here the whole harbor is dedicated to him, and there is a gorgeous Orthodox Church in his honor. (I have pictures of the outside – others took pictures of the inside.) 

I wandered through town, found the lake and climbed the hill alongside. At one point I was wandering down a street and outside a bar there was a pair of women’s shoes. I looked around for the woman but didn’t see anyone barefoot. I took a picture but I left them there, in case the owner returned or someone came by who needed a pair of shoes. 

Bought a few minor souvenir things as gifts for people (Note on travel – buying of stuff for people who are at home. Or not with us. I know that whole economies are built on this notion, but it becomes an obligation worse than Christmas. People dashing around desperately to find “something” for a niece or a nephew or a whatever. There are, it seems to me, two kinds of people – those you want to buy something for (a small and select group) and those you need to buy something for (a class virtually without end). I find myself buying things with no one in mind, so I will have something to give someone I have completely forgotten about but feel I should have bought something for. You’d think a vow of poverty would free me from some of this. Wouldn’t you.)

Crete was small enough that people kept running into one another, and there was no pressure about getting back to the ship because it was right there at the dock and a gentle stroll away. Nice morning. I even found a wifi connection on a public square that did not involve the buying of a glass (or boot) of beer. We sailed and at 11:30 had a meeting with Eliza bethm the Cruise Director, about disembarking procedures for the next morning (we have to have our packed bags outside our rooms in the hall by midnight!) and then a final tribute to the crew, which included them singing “We Are the World.” A short meeting with Yanni, and then folks dispersed for lunch and Mass at 1 PM.

                                                         That's our ship - Home Sweet Home

Small gathering but nice. We finished briskly, for one member to go for a massage and me to go to a meeting about the Talent Show.

The Talent Show. Yes, there is a Talent Show. There had been a call for interested people last Tuesday, and I had not gone. All sorts of people had talked about it, but not many showed up. People had been hearing me sing in the lounge during the week, and Elizabeth was really pushing me to come and sing. We talked and since it did not seem there would be too many, I said I would sing 4 songs – If I Were A Rich Man,  Bring Him Home (from Les Miz), Largo al Factotum (from Barber of Seville) and a jazzy version of “Slow Boat to China.” I went to the meeting, we set levels -  I normally don’t like to use a mike but it is a strange space acoustically, and the ears have gotten to used to the amplification, I’d work too hard without getting the result. So mike it is. I ran through the four songs, and the musicians in the band sat and listened and people came in and listened and the bar waiters sat – a good sign.

I then went and took a little nap. I was awakened by the call to see the arrival at Santorini, a village built on top of a mountain, which is really part of an ancient volcano. There are three ways to go up – walk, ride a donkey (E5) or ride the cable car (E4). I was tempted by the donkey but I had 8 euro 50 cents and I didn’t want to break a 20 Euro note for 50 cents. I also did not want to talk down the hill, and I had been warned that while riding the donkey up might be hazardous, riding one down was outright dangerous, bordering on crazy.

                                                                    Loading the tender boat

                                                 A tired dog can sleep pretty much anywhere.

Lovely – small streets, whitewashed buildings, and a view at every corner. I visited the Catholic Cathedral, and had a long chat with a guy who runs a shop who is a Rotarian. I was wearing a Rotary shirt and we got talking. The Rotary Club was meeting that night, but we were sailing and I was singing, so that didn’t happen. I didn’t want to buy anything – and I didn’t want to drink or eat anything – so in a very short while, I had sort of “done” Santorini. I took a cable car down, waited and gone on the first tender back. Had a quick and light dinner, and took a shower, packed most of my clothes and stuff, dressed, collected my passport, and it was show time.

                                                          Yup, they've got donkeys here too.

At rehearsal there had been only three of us who were going to perform: a man who plays the harmonica from Austria (just outside Vienna) and a woman who was going to sing “Girl from Ipanema”in Spanish, and yours truly. The other singer was to start things off, and she never showed up. So we had the harmonica player, and me. How do I put this humbly? I blew them away. I worked hard but it is less work with a mike. The audience was very responsive, the mix of songs was good and I left them wanting more.

When I finished, the professional entertainers – of whom my earlier critique not only stands but was enforced pretty much each time I heard them – then followed with a Broadway revue – Cats, Phantom, Chicago – so I watched for a very small time, had a couple of drinks, and then it was time to finish the packing, stick the bag outside the door and head for the bed. Because tomorrow starts even earlier.

OCTOBER 20

Wednesday, October 20 – Rhodes. This is the only tour I signed up (outside of what wa s included in our original package) and so I was up early for breakfast and a 7AM departure from the ship. And as we left it was raining. Annamarie was our guide, a number from our group but several from other groups as well. We headed first for Lindos, an ancient temple around which was built a castle. Advertised as 300 steps climb. One of our group who is blind was determined she was going to climb those steps. I volunteered to go with her. As we worked our way to the beginning of the climb (we were moving more slowly and the group disappeared ahead of us.)  we ran into people who were coming down who had abandoned the climb because it was slippery. But we pushed on ahead anyway, and when we reached the halfway spot, we caught up with the group.

                                        Here is where we came from - we're at the halfway point

                               And here is where we are going - the actual top is higher than the top turrets here

On the way up, we had steps and we had slanting ramps and we had fairly open areas that were more rocks than steps. There were a couple of people selling table cloths and place mats and other woven areas. The halfway point is where donkeys come up and go down, for those who would rather ride than walk. We then took a long staircase up to the next level and through a rocky path and on to more stairs and rocky areas. Finally, we reached the top. View of the harbor of St. Paul, lovely view of the sea and the countryside all around. Lovely wind blowing – lots of places for a view.

                    Here is the original temple on top of the mountain, around which they built a fortress

                                                          St. Paul's Harbor, as seen from the top

The person I was with and I made it back down to the halfway spot, and we both decided to take a mule down. Yes, there are pictures. Now I only have pictures of the person I was with and the mule – other people have pictures of me and my mule, and at some point I am hoping that I will be reunited with those pictures and I will share appropriately.

                          Getting ready for the ride down the mountain - but only from the midway point. 

                                                      You still have to walk the first half!

                                                                     It's a STEEP ride down!

We got the bus back to the loading area and the bus on to the next stage – except that when we gathered by the appointed time, three of our members were not present. They did turn up about 15 minutes later – we did not leave without them – and off we went to visit the old city Medieval town) of Rhodes.)

As we approached the old city, the rain started. And I don’t mean a sprinkle, a gentle pitter pat, this was a flood. A veritable flood. A can’t see the other side of the street flood. The group pretty well decided that they did not want to get out of the bus into the flood. We moved to another gate, and three of us actually did get out with Annamarie and we went into the old city to see the hospital – and as we got there the rain stopped. 

                                                      The hospital of the Knights of St. John

The other two were a honeymoon couple and they did not go back to the bus, but wandered off by themselves. I went back to the bus, had lunch (Taco while anchored to a Greek isle) (and the rain got magnificently heavy) and then as the weather cleared into a beautiful day, back into the city. Wandered about – visited some of the areas, and then settled into a small café for a beer and some of the internet. Well, I asked for a Mythos, a Greek beer – the guy asked if I wanted a large or a regular – I said a regular – and I got a beer in a large glass boot that held about 2 litres of beer. Yikes. That held me for the whole time I was working on the internet. The square in front of me had a couple of poles on which lived eight or nine gorgeous and very noisy parrots. On the way back to the ship I did a little shopping, and got ready for the evening Mass.

We had Mass in a new location, a larger space, in case others wanted to join us. Of course, as these things work out, we did not have any new people and a number of our group didn’t come – a couple were feeling sick and some had other ailments. Or maybe better offers. We have only been together as a group with everyone presents only a very few times. I keep saying people are free to do what they want, and they believe me. Ultimately this is a good thing, but everyone in this group is really interesting, and while I may be the only one who thinks it, I miss the dimensions the missing folk could give. The Mass was very nice – and we finished in time a drink before dinner, and ou regular evening gathering in our private dining room. It’s the last time we will gather here, because tomorrow there is open seating. We go to Crete in the morning and Santorini in the afternoon (really evening) and to give people enough time on shore (especially since accessing the shore in Santorini is by tenders – ie, boats shuttling back and forth) everything is moved back and made more flexible. The ship’s photographer came by to take pictures of everyone at the table, and dessert was Baked Alaska, presented with lights off so the flaming desserts could be more clearly seen and waiters flailing towels, music playing over the sound system (A Latin American something, which provided a lively beat but puzzled some who wondered what it had to do with Alaska) and a sense of high drama. Fun.

I left right after dessert while others were still chatting, because I wanted to see the ship’s magician, who was doing an up close evening, cards and coin tricks, that sort of thing. Good showman, lots of humor – he’s dealing with a multi-lingual audience, so the usual line of chatter has to be kept to a minimum. He’s good, although I did know how he did all of his tricks. He even did a little pick pocketing and watch switching. Low keyed and fun. I got a seat in the front row – me and four young boys – and it was a nice gentle evening with no amplification.  

This was the first night I slept until the alarm woke me – perhaps climbing up the 300 steps had something to do with it?

OCTOBER 19

Tuesday, October 19 – A rough night, weather wise. Fun for me, but lots of rolling and bouncing. Departure is supposed to be at 7 so breakfast is at 6 so I got up at 5. Lovely shower but I wonder how the rough weather will influence the schedule – we are supposed to disembark onto tenders (small boats) for the trip to shore to Patmos. Up for breakfast and a seriously rolling deck. At one point I was at the stern, and the flag was blowing forward - in other words, the winds was stronger than our forward motion. (I even took a picture.)

Back to prepare for the day and we all met at the Metropolitan Lounge. Winds at 40 mph, no tenders – the captain tried to enter the port to see if he could dock, but the winds and currents were simply too strong, so Patmos is cancelled, and as I write this, in dark skies and strong seas, we are on our way to Kasadi – Ephesus – although the schedule is a little loose, to the distress of some people who want to dictate what the schedule should be. Sigh. And sigh again. Somehow they can’t seem to grasp the notion that other people have schedules and commitments have been made and not everything can be changed at the last minute because we have changed our plans, or to make it the way THEY would like it to be. Sigh. So we have a quiet morning on the ship, which is not exactly a hardship.

The dark skies, lots of places to sit and watch the world go by – although, as always, finding a quiet place was a little more challenging. Bingo in this place, a cocktail making demo in another – not just background music, but loud and active “things to do.” But soon enough it was time to grab a lunch bite, and off we head.

Our group was to gather at 12:30 and leave, so we would be ahead of the other groups, who were leaving at one. Sigh. I love our group, but this one wasn’t there, that one had to go back to the cabin for something – it was 12:55  by the time we all gathered and headed out. And out was not to a bus, but off the pier and down the road – our group does not move fast, so it was a bit before we were actually on the bus.

The port and the city is Kushadaseh – that’s not how they spell it, but that’s how they say it. Our guide – whose name I have forgotten – had an accent difficult to understand sometimes. He spoke of the history of the city and often referred to the fact that we were going to “the house of Mother Mary.” And then the bus started to climb. And climb. And climb.

Small roads, no real guardrails, winding steep climbs – beautiful views, but the accident potential does get your attention. We did get to the house of Mother Mary without any incident, and we strolled past the gift shops into the areas of the house itself. On the way is a large cistern, fed from pipes from at least ten different sources. If I understood the guide, this was because of concern over poison – although the next influence would, it seems to me, be at best moderated. Maybe I didn’t understand him properly. There was a large outdoor altar but to my relief, I learned we would be celebrating Mass in an interior chapel.

The house itself was only discovered and excavated in the early 1940’s (1943?). It’s a 2-room house, and is a small chapel (what was the main living room and kitchen) and a side room (what was a bedroom). Pope John Paul II visited twice. We went through with carrying degrees of personal piety. Met a chap from Alabama outside I had talked with on the ship, and introduced him to one of our merry band who is living in Alabama. After everyone assembled, we went on to Mass behind some gates and along a walkway – gorgeous view of the valley. The sacristan is a Franciscan, who had spent two months in Chicago, and his English was quite good, so we had a chat. Everything was set up for Mass – liturgically a little confusing because, following the custom, I celebrated the Mass of August 15, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, but I preached on the Jesuit feast, the North American Martyrs. Nice Mass. On back into the compound for some shopping and visiting rest rooms (always an important sotp on any pilgrimage!). They have three fountains for water - one for health, one for beauty and I think the other was for romance. They also have a large wall, along the lines of the wailing wall, where young women place slips of paper asking for or about their husbands to be. 

Some of the slips asking for husbands. 

From here, we went down the valley to the ancient city of Ephesus.

In my old age I am learning not try and disguise my lack of knowledge on any subject, because I get found out too easily. This is one of those cases. I knew about the place we had visited, but the whole excavation was a new item on my personal agenda and it is breath-taking. In so many places, archaeological sites are roped off and sealed up and you can look at things from afar, and this is understandable. But here, a huge site (only about 20% of the city is excavated but that is huge) there are streets you walk down and columns you can touch, and you can really get the sense of being in the ancient city. It is a new excavation – somewhere I have written down when it was started but it’s not 30 years and I somehow think it may be actually less. Since I had no sense of what was involved when we started, I was constantly being surprised at getting to an intersection and finding a street that literally went as far as my eye could see. In the days when Ephesus was a major city, the sea came right to the edge of the city. (Today is about 7 km away – a little over 4 miles.) They have a huge amphitheatre, a place where they uncovered the tombs of gladiators – fascinating, fascinating, fascinating.

Included is of course the library of Ephesus, originally built (and used) as a mausoleum. We did a little shopping on the way out – I bought a Rolex for 20 euro. Of course it’s a fake, it was advertised as a fake, but except that the band is a little cheap, it really looks like a Rolex. With my luck, I’ll run into a robber who will kill me for my Rolex. But I just couldn’t resist.

From there we were kidnapped again – seems if you hire a Turkish guide, he has a relationship with some business somewhere and by God you are going to visit them. We were taken to a leather company. Now, fair enough, leather is a major Turkish export, mostly lamb leather, and they do beautiful work. We had a fashion show, and were given ouzo – of course, I don’t like ouzi, so this didi not quell the angry little creature in my breast. The fashion show was nice – and then we went into the salesroom, where one of the gentlemen did a nice job of explaining the different kinds of leather (did you know there is a “silk” leather? Me either.) And then, of course, the sales pitch.

They gave us a 30% discount, no sales tax or duty (Turkey is not in the EU) and you could bargain a little after that. Five of the group bought something – four bought coats and one bought a belt. (An 85 Euro belt. My PANTS don’t cost 85 euro.) So obviously any unhappiness about being kidnapped had been assuaged.

We got back to the boat just in time for dinner in our private little alcove. Which is always fun but runs a full two hours of conversation and eating and not terribly fast service. It was Greek night, so the menu was heavily loaded with Greek food, and there is a Greek show in the evening –which I skipped. I sang again, only a couple of songs but the word is getting around the ship about the guy who sings. And a relatively early bed.