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.

MONDAY - OCTOBER 18

MONDAY, OCTOBER 18 – Feast of St. Luke, and the anniversary of the assassination in Lagos. Somehow, in spite of good intentions and deep desires to sleep late, I am awake after about six hours, and I mean awake – not going back to sleep. So I was at breakfast by 7 – it is still dark at 7. Which is nice, watching the sun come up. Except that today the clouds are dark and full and sunrise is more black turning into grey. I ate lightly – in spite of an earlier comment, I don’t think I am going to come off the ship significantly lighter or smaller than I boarded. I went to one of the lounges – empty, of course – to pray and watch the heavy rain falling. Lovely. And quiet. Because the lounge was closed, no one thought it necessary to pipe in music, which is the case in virtually every other area of the ship except out on deck.

A couple of hundred people boarded the ship in Istanbul, so they had their orientation meetings and drills yesterday afternoon, and last night and today are engaged in wandering the ship, learning the geography. There are “rehearsals” for the last night talent show this morning. One can’t tell if that is auditions, or if everyone who shows up gets to perform. Several of our group are hot for me to take part, and I am (strangely) ambivalent. Certainly could be a good way to get the Xavier Society name in front of a lot of people. But it would also mean staying for the whole show. For all I know there could be magnificent talent on board. I am still reluctant. The call today takes place during the time we had scheduled for Mass, so I may be able to hide behind that – or show up just to see what’s going on. I did not bring any music, although I do have some accompaniment CD’s with me.

This afternoon we are supposed to go to Mykonos, which Yanni is going to lead us to as an individual (unpaid) visit. I will certainly be heading for an internet site – I am assuming there may be calendar proofs to look at, I have to send birthday greetings to people I have missed over the last several days, and I may be able to upload these latest ramblings. I am in one of the cocktail lounges as I write this – the sea has small whitecaps, and while the clouds overhead are dark grey, there is light on the horizon (at least on the port side) and no idea what the weather might be like for the afternoon. People are going by on their way to breakfast, and other small groups are sitting here talking and enjoying the view. Of course, rock music playing in the background, although more softly than usual. Grateful for small favors.

Time for Mass, so I went down and put together the Mass kit. The library was open and being used, so I went and sat in the Metropolitan Lounge for a bit. Mass was nice – several people not there, I know two had massage appointments. An Australian chap who had come in to use the library stayed for Mass. Several people had talked last night about singing – I was sort of hoping they’d forget the idea but they hadn’t, so we did, and it was very nice. I preached about the anniversary – it was on this date eleven years ago that I found myself in the middle of the assassination attempt. After Mass I stopped in the talent show sign ups but all I saw were people sitting in different areas either reading or chatting. Went into the lounge and had a Bloody Mary – thought I’d do some reading. The sea has gotten much rougher, the ship is definitely moving, and rain and grey clouds. But as I was starting my drink, the team trivia contest was also just starting. Sigh. Off to find a quiet spot. Not possible. The upstairs lounge where I had prayed this morning had a private function going on. The pool deck had a very loud drink making exhibition. All the chairs in the casino were filled, ditto the seating area outside Reception (where I had also gone earlier to change the tip totals for the cruise) – so I ended up back in my cabin, feeling a little curmudgeonly. I can only imagine what this ship is like if it is running at capacity. It’s not just the crowds but the accompanying volume with which people think it necessary to make announcements.

I did head back after a bit because the pool deck had a gyro station, and I love lamb. I stopped en route at the Rendez Vous lounge and ended up singing a couple of songs again, with a large group present, including several of the staff. The cruise director, the social activities lady, thinks I have a “magnificent” voice – who am I to argue. I made a strategic disappearance after some singing and headed up for lunch and the gyro. Turned out to be a chicken gyro station. Sigh. Not a day to buy a lottery ticket.

The ship is heading for Mykonos, but plowing through moderate seas and heavy rain. Things cleared a bit as we approached the fabled island. We had a short meeting, back to get things together and the traditional gathering for departure. There are shuttle buses that take passengers from the new cruise ship port (handles two hips at a time, and a much larger ship was already ahead of us in one berth, and we got the other.) Drops you off about a ten minute walk from the center of the town. There was a tour to the ruins of Delos – good luck to those folks, because the rain continued, alternating between moments of calm to absolute downpour – by the time we got to the center, we were all pretty much soaked. Bob and I peeled off and headed for an internet café, and found a real café on the waterfront with wifi – ie, no charge. So we ordered beers, and later on fries, and settled in. His computer only has about two hours of battery life, so after a bit he moved inside where there was electricity, I did as much as I could, and then wandered about the town for a bit. I did not get to the windmills, I did get to meet Pete the Pelican. As I hit the boat, the rain poured, and lightning across the bay is always dramatic.

The picture is our guide, Yanni, standing on the shore of Mykonos, at a rare quiet interval between rain downpours.

Had a wash, changed clothes and headed to the lounge for a drink, and then dinner in our private little dining room. Two of our group treated us to champagne – I asked what the occasion was and they said my anniversary – I think the morning homily had an impact. We tend to spend a full two hours at the table, which most seem to enjoy, but the staff ain’t crazy about. Tonight, there were fewer people serving, and we certainly could have been out and finished much sooner, if the service had been more efficient. I went to the lounge and ordered an Irish coffee and was sitting there as others come by. Elizabeth, the cruise director, came past and I asked her how the wedding had gone. We (the group) chatted with her for a bit, and I asked her if it was ok if I sang occasionally – I didn’t want to step on anyone’s toes. She said yes, and at that moment the piano was playing Moon River, so I jumped in. And a bit later did Torna a Sorrento. Nice reception. One  had left her card in her room – so I walked her to the desk to arrange for someone to let her in. I went back to the lounge, but the conversation was loud (to the obvious annoyance of some of the patrons who wanted to listen to the music) and very negative in tone, all about events that were over and resolved. So I wandered off. The pool deck was deep in a Latin dance event, it was pouring rain and getting rougher, so I figured it was probably time to go to bed. So I did.

SUNDAY - OCTOBER 17

Sunday, October 17 – Memorial of St. Ignatius of Antioch, 2^nd bishop of Antioch after St. Peter. I was awakened at 6:55 by a pounding on the door – one of our group with a ticket for the day’s excursion wasn’t going to go and did I want to go? Had he pounded on the door at 6:30, I would have been off in a flash. But the group was supposed to gather at 7 for a 7:10 departure. Shower, brush teeth, dress, get food – not gonna happen in ten minutes. So I passed. Sigh – another life-changing opportunity lost.

When I did rouse myself – which was not too much later, because having been awakened, I could not go back to sleep – rats – the sun was coming out. Had breakfast with some folks from Honolulu who had boarded last night. Flight from Hono to Atlanta, and Atlanta to Istanbul, There were a trifle jet-lagged. Took coffee up outside – weather very nice, and lots of sun, although there are grey clouds that could be worrisome. Met another couple of New Brunswick and we chatted for a while. I went to the stern where there are chairs and tables for a quiet read of the morning hours, and found someone already in the Jacuzzi. I was immediately tempted but he told me it wasn’t hot – tepid even. I sat to read/pray, but somehow someone thought that the environment of a beautiful harbor with gorgeous scenery was enhanced by having loud, thumping music playing. Sigh. I disagreed, so I got up and wandered elsewhere where the ambience was less inviting but the silence infinitely greater. OK, I admit it, I am not a crowd person. Unless they are audience. Then the more the merrier.

We are twenty in our group – three are off on their own, meeting a friend in Istanbul. Two others are also on their own – one had been a flight attendant, and had visited the city a lot. Thirteen are on the tour, the one person who decided (at the last minute!) not to go and me – so there are only the two of us on the ship at the moment. Yanni says I can do internet at Mykonos on Monday, so depending on the weather I may go ashore later just to walk around – but it seems a day for going over the material for the calendar, reviewing the music for the CD recordings, working on the speech for Buffalo which I to deliver the day after I land, and of course, it’s never too early to work on the concerts for November and December – and at least two of those are new material, so I have to write a script and coordinate music. Yeah, that will keep me occupied. There is a Captain’s cocktail party tonight, dinner, and then Mass, since everyone will have been away all day. There is another show tonight – we’ll see. We sail at 7, so heading out the straits and back into the open sea is also fun to be on deck for.

It turned out to be a quiet sort of day. I spent some time on deck sitting in the sun (watched the crew paint the smokestack, and watched a large cruise ship dock in front of us) and the went to get a drink – a nice Sunday morning Bloody Mary. I had had one yesterday and it was very nice and included in the drink package I had opted for. This morning I was told there would be an extra charge. I will not bore you with the back and forth but while the staff was very nice and polite and wanting to be helpful, it was “the policy” and there was nothing they could do. Fair enough. So I told the bar manager – quietly and gently – that I was going to visit every bar on the ship several times a day, and at each bar I would buy a drink, stink my finger in it, and move on. I figured by the end of the cruise I could cost them between 400 and 500 euro. 

Suddenly he found a way to change the policy so I could get a Bloody Mary. The bartender and the waiter are Filipino, and they had said, before the bar manager got involved, that they could “take care” of me. But I told them if someone caught them, they they would get in trouble, and that was not what I wanted either. So we ended up with everyone happy. Well, maybe not the bar manager, but he should have been, because you know me, I would have done the visiting the bar routine.

I had lunch in one of the sit down restaurants. In the evening we have reserved seating – in fact our group has a small private dining room, which everyone continues to enjoy very much. But breakfast and lunch are open seating, and there are buffets and special food stations, and you get to try out all the different eating areas. Chatted with a retired teacher and his wife, who is an art teacher, from Minnesota. And went to lie down for little in my cabin. Spent some more time on deck in the sun, and then it was time for a shower and a change of clothes for the Captain’s cocktail party.

The “invitation” in the daily newsletter said dress for the event was “Elegant attire”. Closest thing I have is clerics, so I put on a black shirt, Roman collar and the black suit. Wore my silver cross for emphasis, put a Xavier Society for the Blind button on my lapel and off I went. As I got off the elevator, I found a long queue, so I followed directions and went around and discovered that the queue was even longer – and the reason was that before you approached the room where the ”party” was, there was a station through which everyone went where they took your picture against a moonlight backdrop. The gangplank picture was 12 euro – I can only imagine what this one costs. At the top of the stairs one is introduced to the captain – and the question, “Do you want a picture with the captain?” My answer – Sorry, I can’t afford it. Probably not what they were expecting.

This event was in the room where they do the shows, so everyone was herded in – past a trio of waiters with trays of drinks, and into seating areas. I slipped off and stood in the back. Nuts on the table, and waiters passing trays of hors d’oeuvres. It was interesting watching people come in. For some, “elegant attire:” meant shorts and a sports shirt. Chacun a son gout, and so forth. One couple in our group was shown in, met the Captain, not asked if they wanted a picture and shown to a table in the very rear of the facility, while there were lots of seats down front. Do you think that the fact that one of the couple is blind and carries a long cane had anything to do with this change in routine? After a bit the captain was introduced, in several languages, and then he introduced his executive staff, everyone applauded and the “party” was over. Sigh. Disappointing at best.

Dinner with the group was interesting. I asked how the day had been and the response was, “The tour from hell.” Apparently the guide, Ahmet we had met yesterday, moved at what one person described as “glacial speed,” and effectively kidnapped the group for almost 3 hours in a department store, where there was a real hard sell to buy things. I’m sorru I wasn’t there, I would have put an end to that in a hurry. Also apparently he was given to telling “Pope” jokes – one of the group if it was then ok to start telling Mohammed jokes, and that seemed to cool his jets a little. And everyone in the group was happy that someone had spoken up. Because of the marathon the group could not return to the ship so lunch was downtown – and (on a 105 euro tour!) they charged for water! And extravagantly. Many of our group are not longer young (and I would have to include myself in that description, of course) and in a day filled with walking, there was no opportunity except lunch to sit down. One of our blind members was ushered to a spot and Ahmet’s idea was that she should sit and wait and he would return later to collect her. Rather like a library book. She, quite rightly, protested, and went her way. All in all – not a successful day.

The one member of our group who had decided at the last minute not to go (remember the pounding on my door at 6:55 episode?) – he announced at dinner that he had spent yesterday afternoon and today at a free wifi place at the harbor. Now you’d think he could have mentioned that to someone? I have been off internet since Friday – I am hoping to find a place tomorrow – and I spent the day on the ship, as he well knew. A note? A message? Ah well – he was happy doing his thing, and apparently his distance from the group is more than just physical. He has said several times what a great trip it is – and when he is around, everyone enjoys him. But he is a slave – dare I say an addict? – to this connection business, and other human or group relations seem to fall away.

The rest of the group is learning about one another, and everyone seems to be having fun. After dinner we had Mass in the library. Very nice, and because it was Sunday, the readings for Mass are in the Mass Propers in Braille, and so three of our blind members took turns doing the readings. At the end of Mass there was a request that we might sing parts of the Mass the next day – and then folks headed off for assorted activities, including the evening Show “From NY to Parish.” I stuck my nose in – after changing out of the clerical suit – didn’t want to scandalize anyone any further when I showed up at the bar – but I sat in the rear, not having great expectations about the show. This time I didn’t stay until the end. Even things as basic as tempo – at once point they started New York, New York – and it was the slowest tempo I have ever heard with that particular piece of music. The amplification is REALLY LOUD – and the singers had the same problem with staying on pitch I had suffered through the night before. Maybe their hearing has been damaged with all the loud music? Again, costumes were lovely, choreography simplistic and awkward, and the soloists seem unaware of the repetitive mannerisms. One of the men has one gesture – he moves his hand (the one not clutching the mike) in front of him and to the side, and then he repeats it – virtually with every phrase of the song. That’s it – his whole repertoire of movement, except that at the very end of the song, he raises his hand a little.

I wandered off. The bar where the young lady plays classical music is just outside the theatre area, so the sound from the stag almost drowned out her playing. And if I had started to sing with her, that sound would (knowing my voice) I feared be heard within the other space. So instead of having another drink, I went back to the cabin, did a little reading, and to bed.

IDLE OBSERVATIONS

Of course, it is not high season, but we are an older group. There are few at the disco an night, and one can always find a spot at the gym. I have seen two children – the ship holds 1200 and my new best friend at the Rendez-Vous lounge tells me that there are a little over 800 on board. No wonder they are so busy hustling money at every opportunity. In the newsletter for Monday there is a note that we will be charged 8 euro a day for tips, unless we want to go to reception and change that to something else. I heard one distinguished gentleman talking about that and the word “Disgraceful” was used several times and with passion. I suspect he will tip more than the total when he is done, but the idea of having it automatically added to the bill really got under his skin. And I don’t disagree with him.

The cruise line is not coming away with high marks.

See the guys painting the smokestack?

SATURDAY - OCTOBER 16

Saturday, October 16 – I got up around 6. Yes, on purpose. Dressed and out to find the early coffee station, and outside on deck as we passed through the Dardenelles. Dark but the fortress was lit, and normal city lights along the shore made it a lovely moment. Cold, and occasional rain splatters. There is a real feeling of accomplishment being awake to see the run rise. There is an early breakfast service, and when I came back for the 3^rd cup I found two of our party there – one had gotten up early to go to the gym and the other, a historian, was out to see the fort and the early part of the passage. We chatted for a bit, and then I went to find the library, where we will have Mass, and to see about printing out the homily I wrote last night. Found that I can’t – and even if I pay the extraordinary (dare I say exorbitant?) price for internet use, I can’t use my thumb drive – nothing can be sent up and nothing can be received. In this day and age to advertise that internet is available and then prohibit any transaction is simply not honest advertising. (Grumble. Snort, Fratsis.) It’s not a question of technology – the equipment is here – someone just decided to limit any possibility of a virus or problem by eliminating all service. Ah well.

Let me give you a sample by sharing this morning’s schedule. Early coffee from 6 am. Buffet breakfast (including a waffle station) from 7:30 to 10 AM. 8 AM a walkathon, wake up and stretch exercises at 8:30 AM. Also at the same time a combined service club meeting – Rotary, Kiwanis and Lions. The library opens at 8:30. Port talk for those going ashore at 9:30, children’s activities start at 10 (although to be honest, I have yet to see any children) An origami class at 10:30 and napkin folding at 10:45.  A fashion show at 11 AM – also at the same time, fruit and vegetable carving. 11:30 AM – Bingo. And Greek cookery lessons. Several musical groups start playing at noon, and lunch is from noon until 2 (Tea is from 4 to 5) A special casino session from 12:30 to 2:30, bridge players at 2, team trivia at 2, Greek dance class at 2:30, and Stop the Bus (I have no idea what that is) Happy hours from 10:45 to 11:45 AM and 7:30 to 8:30 PM – buy one, get one free. We are supposed to dock at 4 and there is an afternoon and a separate evening tour. There is a show art 10 – Night at the Movies, music from great films – there’s jazz and disco dancing at one of the lounges, special drink and dancing sessions, and an on deck description of the shore and sights as we approach Istanbul. Now that doesn’t include the usual photo display, the specials for beauty shops and other places. In short, if you’re bored, it’s your own fault!

I can’t afford the Istanbul tours but I am going to go to the meeting to see what I can learn. I will probably head off by myself to explore and do the best I can. The overriding consideration – DON’T MISS THE BOAT!!!!  They did give us a map yesterday, which helps, but it doesn’t have a scale, so one doesn’t know if we’re talking about two miles or twenty.

As I write this I’m sitting in the cabin, looking out the window. Not a porthole – someone figured out that if you don’t have something that opens, you can have a lot larger window – so there is really a very nice view, and since I am on deck 4, I get to see the wake right outside the window. It’s overcast – grey – although just before 9 AM it’s fairly dark. Not necessarily gloomy but not bright. I’m going to head upstairs to pray the morning hours in the office (finding that I could put my breviary on the Kindle has been a GREAT thing) and pop into the on shore meeting.

I went to the meeting – yet another meeting. Long and full of slides and information and I left before it was over. I missed the napkin folding demonstration (rats! But I can buy a book about folding towels, which looks like it could be fun.) and wandered up on the pool deck. The cover is still on the area, and the sky is dark and grey – but there was a pasta station, doing spaghetti or noodles, and different sauces and different things you can add. Being a simple soul, I just had bacon and noodles – and a cold draft – lovely. Back to the stateroom for a little quiet time and then – another meeting, this time with Yanni and our group to finalize our own tour options. I left that one early too since we were supposed to have Mass in the library. By the time the meeting was over, Mass was about 40 minutes late in starting – and we had missed the on deck narration of coming into port. IN fact as we came out of Mass they were making the first announcements about gathering for the afternoon tour.

The regular tour packages had been disrupted because there is a marathon in town on Sunday, and so streets will be closed for much of the day. Even though Turkey is 97% Muslim, their weekend is Saturday and Sunday and Sunday is the official day off. This is a leftover from the 1920’s move to make the country more “modern,” which in those days meant Western. So the “full day” tour starts on Saturday and continues on Sunday. One of our group bought a ticket, but is only interested in going on Sunday, so I got to go on Saturday. Yanni had arranged our own bus and guide, and off we went. I had volunteered to walk with one of the blind people who is traveling alone, and we had a lovely time. The guide is young, named Sammi, but took the college course for guiding, and has been working for four years.

We rode through the streets, in the “Modern” city – on the Asian side. As you probably know, being highly educated and sophisticated readers, Istanbul (formerly Constantinople – I’ll wait if you want a little of the song. Ready?) is a city split in the middle, with Asia on one side and Europe on the other.  The modern side has architecture reminiscent of the worst days of Russian building, but very modern street cards with tracks in the center of the major roads. Traffic was heavy – it was a Saturday afternoon – and people seem to think traffic signals are pretty lights decorating the corner, but fulfilling no particular function. People walk everywhere – anywhere – at any time – and cars are only marginally better. The idea seems to be that you go through the intersection until the actual moment the light actually turns red – and maybe even a little after that. So a car starting immediately on the green runs a real risk of ramming someone sneaking through the last seconds of red.

We went over a bridge leading into the old city, the European side – a long bridge and people were fishing on both sides. Not a few, but side by side on both sides for virtually the whole length of the bridge. Perhaps a hundred or more fisherman doing their thing on a Saturday afternoon. Past mosques and the train station that was the last stop on the famed Orient Express. Through narrow streets and cobblestones and a mix of shops, modern and looking back to earlier years. We got to a spot, set a time to re-gather and off we went, into

the Grand Bazaar, a covered market area of over 4,000 shops, 18 exits and over 30,000 people working there. Large and crowded, very tourist oriented and bargaining is the rule. Lots of fun. And although I did some bargaining, and taught some of the others in our group some of the basics (Hey, remember I had 12 years of living in Nigeria!) I didn’t buy anything. When we gathered, and one of our group had an encounter with a seller who told her that “this very day” his wife had given birth to a son, and so she should buy something to help him celebrate, that he could take something home for his wife, we headed for the spice bazaar. Now along the way we had picked up a new guide, Ahmet, and he is a slick, older professional guide. In the best oriental style. Very good – very taking care of his people – very connected with local merchants and you KNOW there is a kickback going on here. Which is fine, since he provided a good experience.

The spice bazaar, as the name implies, is mostly spices. Some smaller stalls and other things, although we did not see much of it, since his “contacts are the first two shops just inside the entrance we used. We visited a spice shop and sampled spices and Ahmet gave a not very subtle sales pitch. But the spices are fresh and the prices significantly lower than the US. Next door was a candy shop – Turkish delight in a wide variety of flavors (the mint is not to believed!), dried apricots, nuts in several varieties, figs – you get the idea. And again, sales pitch. And again, good value, and lots of our people bought stuff. I resisted – although the aphrodisiac jelly with a plastic figure of a man with a LARGE erect member was hard to resist. Back to the ship for a late supper.

I was on my way into dinner and passed through a lounge where a young lady was playing piano – and as I walked in, she was starting La Donna e mobile. Now I had been very good about resisting things all day long, and I was plumb out of resistance, so I started singing. Lots of applause. Got talking to someone, and the next thing I know, she was playing Libiamo from Traviata. Then Torna a Sorrento, and ultimately O Sole Mio. Well, you know me. It was fun.

Yanni came by and was somewhat surprised. People had talked about my singing, but he had never heard me sing. I had a drink, and then wandered off. (Notice that I never made it to dinner – I’m going to be the first person in a long time to lose weight on a cruise.) Did some reading and then headed to the big lounge for the evening show, “Music from the Movies.”

Now it’s a cruise show, and one does not go in with great expectations. Which was good, Because even scotch could not help. I assume they all think they’re great. The singers have a very flat sound – unfortunately flat meaning both the richness of the tone and the ability to stay on pitch. The girls are tall, the men agile, the singers mildly painful and the choreography uninspired. The costumes were lovely – but even the creation of the show was disappointing. There is great movie music – much of which was totally ignored. On a screen behind the stage, clips from a film would be shown and on stage, a singer with a song remotely connected to the show (for the film “Amadeus,” a rock song the refrain of which – and virtually the only understandable lyric – was the word “Amadeus,” sung over and over and over and so on.) The show went about 40 minutes – there were times it seemed longer. Where I come from, there are a lot of really talented young performers who are looking for work, and usually the cruise shows can draw on some real talent. Doesn’t seem to be the case here. I will go to a couple of other shows, just to see – but this was a yawn. Loud – but I even dozed a little at the end. If I were casting, there was one young lady with a light baritone voice I would ask back, just to see if she could do anything else – but the right would have their resumes filed in the circular file.

At that point I was ready for bed – or at least quiet. I found an old movie on tv – Victoria and John Brown – and I dozed through some of that and crash around midnight.

FRIDAY - OCTOBER 15

October 15 – Friday. One thing we have learned in Greece (besides that there is no such thing as a deadline – except when you’re on the ship) is that plans change. Up and down for breakfast as the place opened. No one else came, and I was able to have a lovely breakfast and enjoy reading while I ate. Shower and shave – have I mentioned that I have yet to get used to this barbaric (you should pardon the expression) custom of starting the day by dragging a blade across your face? Sigh. And on to the cathedral for Mass. No sign of the sacristan, so I found vestments, and found the hosts, got the sacramentary and lectionary ready – the advantage of having been there two days before. He showed up as I was almost ready to go out. We chatted – the value of a good education that included French – and Mass we was lovely. At the end someone mentioned that our guide, Yani, had said there would be a later departure time than previously announced (See what I mean about plans?) I strolled back, and Yani called my room – seems the Acropolis was going to be open this morning, so we would check out of the hotel around noon, and go to the acropolis, with a stop at Mars Hill, and then on to the boat. And – to make things even nicer – the weather was turning absolutely gorgeous.

I took advantage of the extra time to pack and do some work on the computer, since I wasn’t entirely sure about the internet on the boat. I knew it would be available, but since I had paid for it, I thought I might as well take advantage of it. I checked out the ship which whetted my appetite, and before I knew it, it was time to head out.

Gentle bus ride to the acropolis park (through which I had walked yesterday) and we’re starting to recognize things along the way. The indefatigable, knowledgeable and non-stop talking Mara was with us again. The walk up the hill was out of the range of a couple of the group, so Yanni stayed with them, and we set off. It’s a gentle slope, but slippery and not an easy go in some places. Well, I mean a strapping man like me had no problem with it, but for some, it could have proved a challenge. Two of the four blind members were along with us and they certainly had no problem with the climb.

We stopped en route to look at the musical stadium, which was built by a Roman general in memory of his young wife, and which is still used today for concerts and major events. Mrs. Mara had a drawing of what the place looked like when it was built, with a roof and statues filling all of the back niches – really quite impressive. Seats around 5,000.

Now we had been looking at the Parthenon for several days – in pictures, across the city from the roof of the hotel, from the museum – and we had talked about Parthenon, and many of us knew things about the Parthenon already. So I was really not prepared for what an impression it made to be standing there. Knowing all the mathematics and odd bits about the building increases the sense of wonder, but if I were to have known nothing at all, I am sure that the sheer size and beauty of the building and the site and the realization of how old it is would still have taken my breath away. What they did – in the space of nine years (Yes, that’s how long it took to build – they had money and so they were able to work – at 2,000 years before Christ, mind you – at a pretty good speed. Mrs. Mara said she did not think the building could be duplicated today, and certainly not in that time frame.)

I could overwhelm you with facts and data and stuff you can perfectly well go and read for yourself. At some point I might sit down and do some of that. But right now, I have to confess, the strongest memory is not the data but the image of those huge columns against a gorgeous blue sky, sitting on top of a mountain, overlooking a huge city.

We met as scheduled – well, sort of on schedule – and visited Mars Hill, which is on the way down. Mars Hill? This is the place where Paul preached to the men of Athens, delivering his famous (ie described in the Acts of the Apostles) sermon about having found an altar to “the unknown god.” It’s an impressive rock – and the only solid tie to St. Paul of the day. Before we knew it, time to head off for the boat.

Check in was gentle and easy – the welcome on the boat impressive – the cabin is lovely. We just about had time to get settled in, and suddenly it was time for the lifeboat drill. From there we went to a meeting about life on the boat and the optional tours at the sites we will be visiting, and then it was time for dinner. Well, after the official meeting by the boat people, Yanni talked to us again and pushed people to make their choices about tours. They’re not cheap and that is a concern for some. Not for me – I just can’t go, so that’s actually fairly easy. Exploring Istanbul by myself is a little daunting – but as long as I get back to the ship before it leaves, how much trouble can I get into?

Yanni had arranged for a private dining area for our group – well, for all but two who had decided they wanted the later seating for dinner. Had they not, we probably would not have fit into this space. But it’s very nice and everyone seems pleased. Stressed about the tour choices having to be mad but it’s settling in.

Life on the ship. Well, not everything is exactly as advertised. The information was that internet facilities would be available on the ship. And they are. At 15 euro for one hour. That’s about $23. The information was that smoking was only permitted on deck and in one of the lounges. Fair enough. Only when one gets on board does the small print appear – It is not permitted to smoke cigars or pipes on board. Well dang. The ticket is inclusive – your meals are included, and coffee and water. Soft drinks and fruit juices and specialty coffees (like cappuccino or espresso) those are extra, as are hard drinks. I signed up for an all inclusive ticket – one fee to cover all your drinks for the full 7 days.  WhenI first saw the plan, I thought it was excessive. But when I sat down to do the arithmetic, especially considering the non-alcoholic drinks – well, we’ll see how it comes out, because I did sign up. So I had a drink in the lounge, and a glass of champagne with dinner. I’ll have to do more drinking tomorrow to make up.

There are shows and events not only each night but each moment. I am saying Mass on board in the library, and for Sunday, they are going to announce that Catholic Mass is available. I have NO idea how many people may show up for that – I hope I don’t run out of hosts. There is also – wait for it – a passenger talent show night. Contrary to what the casual reader might think, my first instinct is to become invisible. The range of “talent” is going to tend to modern songs and American Idol wannabe’s. It would be a nice way to get the name “Xavier Society for the Blind” in front of people – but my instinct is still to become invisible. We’ll see.

I like sailing. Or whatever the appropriate term is for moving across the water on a ship that carries 1,200 people. (We are on a ship called Crystal, of the Louis line, if you want to see the ship for yourself. Although at 15 euro an hour, it might all be over before I get the chance to send this up to the blog site so you can actually see it.) The vibration of the engine passes throughout the ship and in a very few moments will lull me to sleep. I did not go to the show this evening – A Mamma Mia night, melodies of Abba – nor did I go to the Bingo (5 euro a card) nor to the disco party nor to any of the other half dozen things going on. Fuddy duddy that I am. But we are passing through the Dardenelles around 6:30 in the morning, and I sort of think I want to be up for that.

We turned in our passports, and we each have a card, like a hotel key card, and it does open the door to my cabin. It also acts as a ship wide charge card, and will be used to check us off and on the boat. (Note – this means that if you miss the boat, not only are you left behind and on your own, you are in a foreign country without a passport. Now THERE is motivation for being on time.) It’s a dangerous prospect, because it is so easy to just present the card for payment at a shop, at the bar – which, of course, is the idea. Tips for the staff are added on to your final bill at the rate of 8 euro a day – which is reasonable – but the small print notes that you can go to the reception desk and change the amount of the tip. Very small print.

Enough. I will share more of the wonders of life aboard the ship tomorrow. We arrive in Istanbul around 4 – although I did not sign up for the “Istanbul by night” tour, nor for the full day tour on Sunday. (105 euro – not an option.)

THURSDAY - OCTOBER 14

Thursday, October 14 – Good enough sleep, and again, up before the scheduled wake up call. The last of the workers came out, and the last of the rescuers made it out just before I left to go down to breakfast. I thought I would be early and alone, and there was our sick lady from yesterday, so I joined her. Had a good chat – one of the fun things about a trip like this is learning about the other folks who come along on the trips. Back to the room – and the internet was still out. I did some writing, some reading, made notes about writing an unhappy review of the hotel – and then it was time to gather for the morning trip to the Acropolis.

Except that the Acropolis was closed. Again. Greek is rife with strikes and protests and one of the targets is the large central highly prominent monument. Something to do with back salaries. So we had a discussion over options the tour company created for us. After some discussion the general concensus was to go with Plan B – go to the Acropolis Museum, and then some free time, if people wanted to shop or go on their own to see other sights. It was not a universal concensus – one person stayed at the hotel, and several who came would rather have done a plan C option – but off we went. Did some gentle sight-seeing on the way and when we got to the Museum, discovered it is a very modern structure – only been opened for a year. One of the problems in Athens is that since the city has been occupied for 6,000 years, once you start to dig for a new foundation or even for a major renovation, you are going to hit something of archaeological interest. Worse for a large structure for a museum. So they designed the museum to sit above the excavation. And the dig is still going on. The floor of the entry way and much of the first floor is clear plexiglass, so you can watch the dig going on under your feet. As items have been excavated, they are added to the museum collection.

One of Acropolis excavations discovered a huge cache of statues and other artifacts buried together. Seems that when the Persians (? – I think it was the Persians) entered and sacked the city,  they found it largely undefended and so they pretty well flattened everything. But they realized that so many of these statues had been offerings to the gods, and so they did not feel they could destroy them, so they buried them in a huge hole, all thrown together. Talk about an archaeologist’s dream!

Our guide was with us – the story-teller from yesterday. Very educated, very knowledgeable, and somehow she really want us to have every bit of knowledge she has. Now we were in a museum, with very informative signs and displays – but our guide talked us through. I was with one of the blind members, and we wandered off by ourselves for part of the time. It is a gorgeous new facility, glass walls on many sides, and a magnificent view of the Acropolis, which is up the mountain but right next to the museum. No pictures are allowed in the museum – and the reason is that the dig is moving so quickly that many of the items have yet to be properly catalogued. The museum will close again shortly, so that a new entrance can be created, so that entering, you will literally walk through the ancient city excavated underneath the building, with exhibits showing aspects of everyday life, and then move into the museum proper.

Around 1:30 we split up – some went back to the hotel with the bus, some went into the Plaka, the old market area, and I wandered off to find Mars Hill, the site from which Paul preached his homily about the “unknown god”. I had to walk around the Acropolis and then down a hill and a whole other ancient section. Fascinating. Then I had to find the hotel, which meant going through the Plaka – and I did it! Not without a little sideways wandering but with all these wonderful breakfasts, I needed to exercise. I ran into a major demonstration at the Parliament. Lots of protesters, and a lot of army guys as well. I also came across a small boy (maybe 7?) sitting on a stool and playing a small accordion. Street beggar, but very cute.

And back to the hotel. I discovered that the folks who had gone back to the  hotel had also gotten caught in the middle of a demonstration, and so had to abandon the bus and come back to the hotel by the Metro. One of the tour company people was there to guide them, so it was a fairly stress-free adventure.

We had Mass at the hotel at 5, and then a business meeting with someone from the tour company prepping us for the cruise portion of the trip – how meals and charges work, the optional tours that are available at various stops along the way (NOT cheap! – I will be taking up a collection when I return) and the schedule for tomorrow. People then wandered off for dinner. I was not going to eat, but I walked one woman who is blind to the restaurant I had been to last night. She wanted to go out, but no one else did, so off she went by herself. She is very independent, and had no qualms about eating alone, or finding her way back to the hotel. I know people who are nervous about walking out of the hotel by themselves in a strange city, and they are sighted!

I went back to get out the monthly E-newsletter and catch up on some writing (and praying!) and a slightly earlier bed. Of course, all that did was cause me to wake up at 4 o’clock, and I mean wide awake. So I did some writing, and watched a German film with English dubbing and Greek subtitles.

Today (Friday the 15^th) we have Mass at the Cathedral, and free time, packing and a departure a little after twelve for the port and embarkation. Tomorrow in Istanbul!

OCTOBER 13 - ANOTHER DAY IN GREECE

Wednesday, October 13 – We have a group wake up call at 7 AM, but I set my alarm earlier. Up and shower and shave (I am most definitely still NOT used to this idea of pulling a piece of sharpened metal across my face first thing in the morning.) And down for breakfast. Breakfast is a very nice spread – Five buffet tables of food – cold cuts and cheeses, lots of different kinds of rolls and bread and spreads and fruits and yogurt – lovely yogurt – and four or five kinds of eggs, and sausages and bacon and pastries and potatoes, five kinds of juice, coffee – hot chocolate – tea – and so forth. One can definitely eat. None of our group was there when I arrived, but shortly one showed up, then two more, then two more, then two more – as I was leaving, one of our group arrived who told me that one of the women was sick, so I called and talked with her sister. Probably just time change (and perhaps a little bit of taverna?) so she was going to stay in.

The day was dark and overcast, but no rain. We had very good luck – although it rained occasionally, only when we were in the bus. I keep saying – if you want good weather, invite the priest. We met in the lobby at the prescribed time and walked over to the cathedral of St. Dennis (St. Dennis? Yup, the first person baptized when Paul came to this area.) The sacristan didn’t speak English and I don’t speak Greek – but he speaks French, so we got along fine. Nice Mass – lovely church. Back to the hotel, where we discovered that, because of the fear of strikes, the tour folks had decided to go to Corinth because of the concern that streets in Athens would be closed with protest marches. (They do that a lot here – since September, there have been 72 permits granted for marches through the streets. Almost two a day.) I went to check on our sick lady, and found her and her sister having a light breakfast in the dining room. They decided to come with us – there is, after all, a bathroom on the bus – and our merr4y group gathered together and off we went.

Corinth is about 85 kilometers from downtown Athens, and our guide for the day is Mrs. Mara. She embodies the tradition of story-telling, and throughout the day, we were regaled with Greek legends, Most I had heard – but for some of the group, they were hearing stories for the first time.

Odd bits about Greece picked up along the way – Greece has a population of around 11 million, and something like 4.5 million live in Athens. In area, it’s about 1/3 the size of Texas. It has been an occupied city for over 6,000 years. Yes – six thousand years. I think that wins the prize.

Do NOT eat olives straight off the tree. Not only nasty, it will paralyze your taste buds for hours afterwards. Nasty doesn’t begin to describe just how bad the taste it. Olives need to soak and be cured for a LONG time before they are fit to eat.

Acro – means high. Acrocorinth – the fortress on the mountain above the three cities of Corinth (ancient Corinth, old Corinth and present Corinth). Acropolis – high above the people. Acrobat – high above something.

When you think of Greek ruins, we always think of the standing pillars – and nothing else. When the barbarians ravaged Greece, they took the marble walls and burned them in kilns, so they could get the marble dust,. The pillars were harder to fit into the kilns, and in later construction, they had been fastened with metal rods down the center, so the columns were left standing. (I had never realized that marble could burn!)

On the way, she told stories and discussed the political situation in Greece, the role of refugees and socialized medicine and other support programs. We did a detour to view the canal – the notion of building a canal through the isthmus went back before Julius Caesar. Caesar wanted to build a canal but died – Nero started one – at one point 6,000 Jewish slaves from the Galileean revolt came to work (also adding to the Jewish community). It is a straight canal, no locks – there is a small bridge at each end that blocks the canal, which helps control traffic. When a boat is cleared, the bridge drops into the water, the boat passes through and the bridge comes back into position. At which point, small children dash onto the bridge to retrieve the fish that have been caught on the bridge.

We had lunch at a small restaurant along the side of the canal and watched boats going back and forth.

And on to Corinth. We spent some time at the current archaeological site. Some of the group spent more time at the museum, because they could not deal with the walking. We saw the Bema, where Paul preached, and was most probably judged by Gallio. OIne of the buildings that remains was a public lavatory – think out house, with multiple holds. And learned where the expression “the wrong end of the stick” comes from. Has to do with the stick with a sponge on the end that was used for cleaning oneself at the public lav. (There was a running stream underneath the facility.) I assume you can figure it out from there, and that a more detailed explanation is not necessary. If you look carefully you can figure out the architecture.

I knew, but was reminded, that Greek statues and buildings were, in there days, highly decorated, with many colors and paintings. The materials used were naturally based and so over time faded and were washed away. It was not until later excavations, when statues buried deep in the earth were uncovered, that scholars realized the extent to which this decoration had been the norm.

There is never enough time. At least for me. I suspect some of our group had been ready to leave before we did, but I could have spent hours more. On the way my heart gave a little tug as we passed the sign for Epidaurus, where one of the great Greek theatres exists. Not on our tour list, and I’m probably the only one in the group who even knows it is there – to be so close. Ah well.

Back on the bus to head back to Athens. The guide had been on the phone, and the concern over street strikes for the next day was high, and so the plan was to do the bus tour of downtown Athens when we returned rather than the next morning. Of course, in the desire to show us everything about Greece, the powers that be managed to arrange a traffic jam. Sitting on the highway with traffic not moving for around an hour. At one point an ambulance sneaked past on the shoulder – and after a bit we started to move, and we never saw anything about what had held everything up. Back through downtown Athens, and finally back to the hotel around 6:e30. People went to their rooms to freshen up, and the guide from the agency was in the lobby to make dinner suggestions – we were on our own.

I went up to the roof, where there is an outdoor patio, with a breath-taking view of the Acropolis all lit. Drinks with some of the group – and then some ate in the restaurant, some went other places, and I went with two to a little restaurant around the corner – where we ran into some other members of the group. They would have walked passed it, but although much of my Greek has deserted me, I could at least read the name of the place. Nice food – good prices – lamb again (what can I say, I’m a sucker for lamb.) Back to the hotel, and discovered the internet was out. Grumble, fratsis. Read for a little and bed. 

OCTOBER 12 - DAY 2 IN GREECE

October 12 – Tuesday

Waking up on an airplane. Sigh. The usual toing and fro-ing. Breakfast according to Continental Airlines – two pieces of honeydew, three pieces of cantaloupe and a croissant thrown carelessly on a plastic tray, with a pat of butter and a packet of strawberry jam and beverages. They call it coffee – Brazil should sue.

But we arrived safely and a few minutes ahead of schedule. An easy getting off, no documents to fill out in advance, passport control was quick – bathroom stops for some – collected luggage, and the guy from the tour company was there with a sign. Now of course, there were last minute bathroom breaks and one piece of luggage that was one of the last off the plane – but ultimately we got it all together and off into the airport. With 4 blind members of the group, our rate of proceeding varies so we did have to stop and let people catch up. Blind people do very well with their canes and/or with the help of others. But when everyone is also schlepping luggage, it can get a little more complicated.

It was raining, so the bus was a little late in coming, and several people took advantage of the pause to change money. Euro’s – Greece is a member of the European Union. The exchange Bureau has a tendency to shortchange you, and there were a couple of conversations about rates posted as opposed to what was delivered. One of our group decided to use her ATM card – and the machine promptly ate the card and refused to return it. (Yes, she had alerted her bank that she was traveling.) Of course no one had responsibility for the machine, so she spent part of the bus ride into the city calling home to cancel the card.) And we later discovered that another member had lost her wallet during the exchange process. She had collected money from three others (so there would only be one exchange and therefore only one fee) and somewhere in there her wallet disappeared. Four credit cards, 2 ATM, her Social Security card, over $600 in cash, auto registration. She too spent some time at the hotel making phone calls and tomorrow she will have some lost property forms to fill out. She does have trip insurance, which will reimburse part of it, but what a way to start the trip.

The ride into the hotel is about 45 minutes and the guide did a nice job of narrating the trip. Both of our guides are called Yanni – easy to remember. Check in at the hotel was easy – some went out for a snack – we had several free hours and we were going to meet at 7 PM for Mass in the hotel, and then off for an evening at a Greek Taverna – entertainment and meal – nice way to start the trip.

Yours truly unpacked a little, took a mini nap, and started to organize. There is Internet – expensive but available – and a detailed instruction on how to log in. I tried – and I tried- and I tried – and that’s when I decided to take a nap. Up again – tried again my computer told me “No operating system.” This is NOT what you want to hear. Fortunately the back up system worked and I was backing operation – at which point I called the front desk. I asked if there were a problem with the internet and the operator asked me if I had my tv on. Say what? Yes, one logs onto the internet through the tv. This detail was NOT included in the detailed instructions. Sigh. So I emailed the work I had done on the plane, dealt with several emails and other items and then I got a phone call from one of the members – Father John I need to speak to you as soon as possible. What now? thought I, who has died? Turned out this was the woman telling me she had lost her wallet. Whew.

Mass was in one of the  hotel meeting rooms – they had set up with a dais table, elevated, three microphones – I got a small serving table and set up for a much more intimate setting. Catholics – literally the first people in sat in the last rows and everyone else tried to fill in behind them. No one sat in the front row. But the Mass was nice. And off to the taverna. Almost everyone went. One of our number (who knew he would have to do some work on the trip) skipped the traverna so he could get things out of the way and be free for the morning excursion.

The bus took us to the outskirts of the plaka, the traditional market district. Small streets, cars parked on what one would think of as a pedestrian walkway, stone streets – reminiscent of some sections of back alley Rome. A cat sitting on top of a car watching us go by – I wonder how one says miauow in Greek? We were adopted by a black lab as we got off the bus, and he stayed with us almost to the restaurant. A stray but wearing a collar. Seems the government feeds stray dogs, and puts a special collar on them. Gentle soul, this one – he was not around when we came out at the end of the meal.

The restaurant was large – long tables stretching across a large room, more tables in a balcony area surround half of the area. There was a stage on which there were three musicians playing. There was only one other group when we arrived, but in a fairly short period of time, every seat was filled, including a large group of students from Serbia who were in Greece on a study tour of ancient Greek civilization. There were small plates on the table (I am not even going to try and remember names of food dishes – bear with simple descriptions) – yogurt and some kind of herbs, a pasta dish, Greek salad, a bean salad, fish eggs (not caviar, pink, a sort of a paste) bread, a plate with sausage, a spinach filled pastry, and something that looked like a meatball but wasn’t. Interesting – wine and water were included, but you were charged if you wanted a soft drink. Nice to know the keep their priorities straight.

After a bit (the musicians were playing throughout) dancers appeared – young men and women in traditional Greek dress. The men were animated and the women were mostly bored. Pretty, but uninvolved. The dancing was nice -  occasionally the men got into athletic exhibitions of how good they were. Entrée choices were chicken, pork or lamb. When in doubt, take lamb. Tasty. A honey ice cream for dessert. Just before dessert was served a belly dancer showed up. Classical Greek face, lovely outfit, gorgeous figure (so I was told, because of course, I never noticed. Ahem.) She, too, was less than involved in what she was doing, and – because of my Lebanese friends, I am able to report that she wasn’t really a very good belly dancer.

This did not seem to bother some of the young men – although the next day one of the women remarked that she had looked around the room and many of the men were not gazing in rapt attention. That might have been because some of the young Serbian college women were heart-stoppingly gorgeous – yes, that I did notice.

The belly dancer got some of the men on stage and they danced” with her. The other dancers re-appeared in new costumes and danced for a while, and then they too got a group on stage and they “danced.” At which point – simply because it was time, not as a critical comment on what was going on on stage – we betook ourselves back to the hotel.

A gentle walk back to the bus – different people with different ailments and ages, blind members who move at different rates – some at the front, leading the way, others bringing up the rear. We almost lost part of the group on the way to the restaurant – one of the women started to lose her skirt (I was not there to see it, so I can only repeat what I was told) and by the time a repair had been made, the first group was out of sight, and the second half was concerned about getting lost. It was a fairly straight street and we had paused for them to catch up – and nobody took any pictures of the skirt episode – but we do try and keep track of our group segments.)

And bed. This business of late dinner and early rising could not keep up for 12 days, but once we hit the boat, hopefully the timings will shift. 

On My Way to Greece (And Turkey)

Monday October 11 – I am accustomed to staying up most of the night before a trip, packing and organizing and taking care of odd details, grabbing two or three hours sleep at most and heading off into whatever adventure has raised its head. This time, however, I was not being picked up until after noon, and so I had a chance to work, to get some serious sleep and to spend a fairly relaxed and civilized morning. I did some work on the calendar, I had a lovely shower and packed, I had lunch, and even thought the Super Shuttle was 20 minutes early, I was ready.

I was the first one picked up, and the next person on was from Phoenix, Arizona. I made the mistake of saying, “Hi there” when she boarded, and this was obviously a signal to chat. So I learned about her life in Phoenix, her visit to New York, her friend who had just moved here, her feelings about the Super Shuttle being 20 minutes early (she was NOT pleased) and her impressions of New York (way too busy and frantic and not at all like Phoenix). I forebear from mentioning that this was one of the reasons many of us love New York – but then someone else boarded, and since I was in the front seat (one of the perks of being picked up first – to make up for the long ride) I could start ignoring the conversation in the back seats.

Got to the airport (Newark) long queue, and a very confusing mechanical check in system. Seats with more leg room available for a mere $89 – if I could have used some of my accumulated air miles I would have gone for it, but of course that is not an option. There are no human beings involved, just wave your passport under an electronic eye and answer a series of questions, and off you go.

Now to some this may seem an easy way to go through the process, and while there are baggage assistants who actually take your bag, physical attendants are few and far between. I’m sure the airline thinks this is a grand idea, saving on all those nasty salaries. But I wondered as I checked in how this squared with all the security we are supposed to be conscious of and worried about. As our party gathered in the food court near our boarding gate, one woman told the story of her checking in. She had the same kind of confusion I did, and when she saw Jane Patricia, she didn’t even bother to read further (after all, how many Jane Patricia;s can there be in the world?) and got her Boarding Pass and headed off to the security area.

While she was waiting in line, she mentioned to someone that her pass had the wrong last name and all sorts of excitement broke forth. Had she not mentioned it, could he have boarded? Who knows? The other Jane Patricia is in our little group, and was a wonderful way of introducing yourself to someone. But it does make one wonder about security. As did the discovery that another two of our group (with different names) had the same seat. That also got worked out before we boarded, but again, this is the kind of crack security we are spending millions and who knows how much on?

But meet we did, the old friends reuniting and new friends fitting easily into the mix. People making last phone calls, buying snacks for the plane, eating in anticipation of the airline food, visiting facilities and walking. I kept finding people and making introductions. I also went to the gate personnel and arranged for the blind members to board first – except that when they started to board, none of them were around. I got two on, one made it through on their own, and the last were among the last to boars. We are nothing if not an independent group.

Overseas planes in the tourist section are pretty much of a much. I have a notebook computer, so I am able to work in the increasingly smaller space, I have noise reducing headphones, a folder full of crossword puzzles and a Kindle, with several new books loaded in for the trip, and the breviary. Yes, I found how to download the breviary (the office that priests say each day) onto the Kindle. I love the printed breviary, with the thin pages and the ribbons and the sense of connection to generations of priests before me who have walked corridors and sat in churches quietly reading these same prayers. But when one travels, not having to carry this heavy tome is not a bad thing. And while I recognize and agree with the notion of witness value, having people see one read an obviously religious book, it always made me feel a little self-conscious, like “Watch me, now I’m being holy.” With the Kindle, it’s just a man in a black shirt reading a book, and it could be the Bible (which I also have loaded in) or Balzac or anything in between. Anonymity can be comforting.

Drinks – since you can’t pay cash and have to use a credit card, I had a double. One sits in my pocket for later consultation but the first one was very nice indeed. Dinner was a choice between chicken and pasta or beef and rice – I chose the beef and rice. I am a reasonable cook and I have lived in a lot of interesting places with carrying cuisines, and I simply do not know how they can take a piece of beef (assuming that it really was beef) and do whatever they do to make it turn out like what accompanied the rice. Sigh. I’m old enough to remember when flying was fun and I can remember a number – yes, as in many – really good meals on airplanes. Even in coach. Those days are obviously gone, certainly on Continental Airlines. Now I understand the people who were eating before we left.

So I’m going to continue to work on the calendar material so I will be ready to send it to the designer when we get to the hotel, and then read and perhaps nap a little, and then it will be morning and what Continental laughingly calls breakfast, and then we go through Customs and see if there is someone there to meet us. I think I’m going to call a meeting at the hotel, so the members of the two groups can meet and we can coordinate schedules and Mass. I think we have the afternoon off and a group dinner in the evening.  

Notes from the Pilgrimage

Go to the blog for

The Xavier Society for the Blind

ie, www.xaviersocietyfortheblind.blogspot.com

and you will find the first installment of the trip to Israel.

HOW I SPENT MY BIRTHDAY

(For those looking for the blog posts on the recent trip to Israel, they will be posted first on the blog for the Xavier Society for the Blind).

I celebrated the 9 AM Mass at St. Malachy's and the congregation sang to me. And I concelebrated the 11 AM, since we were having Confirmation with Bishop Sullivan. Lots of folks came up to find out about the pi9lgrimage and wish me a Happy Birthday. We had lunch at the Rectory and then I walked over (in the cold and heavy rain) to the matinee performance of "Love, Loss and What I Wore." This is a 5-woman reading, with a rotating cast - I saw Rhea Perlman, Kristin Chenoweth, Lucy DeVito, Capathia Jenkins, and Rita Wilson. If you don't recognize a name, you probably know the actress - and if you don't, remember the name because each of these women is wonderful.

Now this is a "chick" play - as evidenced by the fact that there were perhaps six men in the whole theatre. And I, of course, was sitting 3rd Row center. In a black suit and a Roman collar. And a huge beard. I rather stood out. (I was very careful not to pick my nose.)

But the play is wonderful and the acting was like a Master Class. Funny and poignant and sad and awful stories and just true moments and about the time you thought how nice, one of the women would reach out and grab your heart and squeeze two or three times. I loved every minute of it. The show runs a little more than 90 minutes without intermission but it seems like ten. I went primarily because Ms. Chenoweth was in it, but it turned out to be one of the loveliest theatre events I have been to in a long time. What a nice present - Happy Birthday to me.

Then I went home and spent the rest of the night returning phone calls and working. Another year older and deeper in debt. Well, older, anyway - we're not allowed to go into debt.