MSC Virtuosa

 MSC stands for Mediterranean Steamship Company and it was founded back in 1970 by an Italian gentleman who did cargo.  Lucky for us, they expanded into cruises in 1995 with first buying ships from other companies, but now building its own large ships.  Virtuosa was christened by Sophia Loren in 2021.  She is just over 300 m long and can accommodate 6000 passengers and 1700 crew.  As this is a repositioning cruise, we only have 2500 guests, which still seems busy and makes me wonder how a full ship functions.

Thinking that I would be alone, I booked an inside stateroom which turns out to still be fine for the two of us.  Without a window, we have no idea as to time of day, but that does not distress us.  If one gets up early, we just take a key card and head out.  The gym is 24 hours and the outdoor walking track is always open too.  This morning as there was a light sprinkle, I started in the gym and then went outside to walk when the weather cleared.  

We have an early supper seating at a private table in the main restaurant, Minuetto. But sometimes, we go to the buffet restaurant instead.  The buffet is our preferred breakfast/brunch/lunch place also.  The selection is vast and the quality of the items, generally good.  

There are indoor and outdoor tables for sitting and working on a computer, reading, doing handicrafts.  I have my bird-of-paradise stitching and Joanna has brought along an iris diamond dots.  We are not the only ladies with crafts.  

In addition, there are plenty of activities -- all kinds of yoga and exercise, dancing, artistic crafts, games and competitions.  I won the Sudoku challenge yesterday and have a set of MSC playing cards to remember my victory.  There are several hot tubs, indoor and outdoor pools which act like wave pools with the motion of the ship.  There are 3 water slides -- fun but not too crazy.  There are ping pong tables that attract young and old.  Downstairs there are video games, a VR race activity, a casino and a whole street of shopping -- care for a 14,500 euro watch? There are 2 theaters and more intimate clubs for live music.  I plan to go and watch a movie on a huge screen under the stars.

The ship tries to have something to appeal to everyone and there is a very diverse group of passengers speaking many different languages.  Announcements are usually given in English, French and German, but the MC at the shows does his spiel in about 5 languages.  He says it's because he had girlfriends all around the world.

The ship is kept sparking and gleaming.  There are mirrors everywhere, and even a Swarovski staircase.  People are cleaning all the time.  The ship has a music theme, so all the floors have composer names as well as deck numbers. 

I imagine that one of the fancier rooms would have more storage capacity, but we are OK.  There are many add-on activities one could purchase, but we amuse ourselves.  The specialty restaurants are probably amazing, but we are happy with the food.  

All in all, it's a great trip with the best part being that Joanna is here with me!

Last of the Land

 So this afternoon as we got back on the ship, Joanna said goodbye to the land.  We now have 5 days at sea.

The island hopping of the last two days has been quite an eye-opener.  To our brief visits, it seems that St. Maarten is the most prosperous of the three, and Guadeloupe probably the poorest. This is based on the areas that we stayed or visited, which, of course, were not a true cross-section.  

On Guadeloupe yesterday we made our way to the Aquarium.  Yes, it was open on Easter Sunday, one of the only places that was, and despite some less than positive reviews, we taxied over there for what we thought would be probably a 45 minute visit.  But the place delightfully surprised us.  Embracing the available technology, they have an app to download which then serves as both a guide and information source for the facility -- in numerous languages.  The tanks are not huge, but well designed to showcase the different marine habitats and their inhabitants.  There is some history thrown in and lots of concern and actions for maintaining the biodiversity of the surrounding ocean.  We saw species we had not seen before and marveled close-up with many that we already knew. We plan to give the place a great review!

Today both of us took one of the ship's excursions.  We both ended at the same nature area, but Joanna did the zip lines and the tube ride.  I stayed safely in the gondola.  The view was magnificent, including the airport where the planes come in right over the beach.

And we both started our 'work' for the trip.  Joanna has a diamond dot and I am continuing  on my stitching.  The ship has a swaying motion, not too violent, but noticeable.  We shall see if we would have made good sailors.

Bucket List

In 2007, there was a movie called Bucket List about  two terminally ill guys who leave the cancer ward and have a bunch of adventures that they have always wanted.  No terminal illness here, but the idea that 'life is finite and if there are things that you want to do, you should do them now' is something that many people in my age group are thinking about.  I have not made a formal list, but there are some things that I have wanted to do for a long time and I should get on them.

In the spring of 1954, my parents, along with their 2.5 yr, 1.5 yr and 0.5 yr children, crossed the Atlantic on the Arosa Kulm, leaving from Bremerhaven and arriving in Halifax.  I have the paperwork to show I was the 2.5 yr child that came with them.  For many years now, I have wanted to make that return journey on a ship.  Travel insurance becomes very expensive after 75, so now was the time.  Scouring the internet, with the criteria of arriving in Germany and no leaving out of the US, I found a cruise on the MSC Virtuosa leaving Fort de France, Martinique and ending up in Hamburg, Germany 13 days later.  We stop in Guadeloupe, St. Martin and Ponta Delgada for a day each time, but the rest of the voyage is the open ocean.  

Last fall when I made the decision to book this trip, I asked around to various friends and family members to see if anyone wanted to make the voyage with me.  There were no takers, especially not Ian who gets seasick!  So I paid the single supplement and made the booking.  Then in February, Joanna's work situation changed drastically and when I laughingly suggested that she could go across the ocean with me, she considered and a few days later, said yes.  So we changed the booking and yesterday we took an early flight from Toronto to Montreal, where we connected with a flight to Martinique.  I don't travel on the day that the cruise starts -- asking for trouble with delayed planes and lost luggage.  We spent last night in a basic hotel on the waterfront, close enough to the cruise terminal to walk, and at noon today we were in the line for processing our embarkation.  And here we are in our very nicely appointed cabin, relaxing after checking in at the emergency muster station and having a lovely lunch from a buffet which had everything you could want.  We have unpacked and are relaxing.

All aboard for an adventure!

The Garden

 The garden of Eden.  Even for those who do not believe in a literal garden, the image is of a place of beauty, innocence and serenity.  I have always felt that a garden is good for the soul, as well as the body.  

Wikipedia describes Terra Nostra Park as a botanical paradise.  Blame those Portuguese sailors who, while exploring the world, brought back all kinds of species and planted then on Sao Miguel island where anything grows.  So within steps of each other flourish tree ferns from New Zealand, eucalyptus from Australia, magnolias from the southern United States, cycads from South Africa, azaleas from China, oaks from Ontario, puhutakawa from New Zealand, taro from Hawaii, pines from Norfolk Island and camellias from Japan.  

It is the latter which drew me to the park yesterday.  February and March are camellia season and in addition to the hundreds of specimens in the park, there was a Camellia show in Furnas.  For two days and for an entry cost of 1 euro, one can see the spectacular variety of form and colour of the camellia.  Many of the samples came from the Terra Nostra Park.  I have been to the show in other years and the blossoms presented this year did not disappoint.

But there was something new which fascinated me.  In the middle of the floral displays, there were sliced 'logs' of highly decorative material.  The outside of the logs were patterned.  I had to know what they were.  Going to the lady at the entrance who took me to the gentleman who was the curator of the show, I learned that the logs were stems of tree ferns.  The ferns had not been cut for the show, but stems of plants which had died were used.  The inside of the logs was still full, though it decays quickly to reveal a hollow stem.  

And, the reason I guessed, was a little vase that I got in New Zealand about 38 years ago, which is on the shadowbox in our bathroom, second shelf on the right hand side.

So, there is always something new to learn, some new beauty to appreciate!

The latest Battle of Ponta Delgada

 The first battle of Ponta Delgada was (according to Brittanica AI):

Fought on July 26, 1582, off the Azores in the mid-Atlantic, the Battle of Ponta Delgada was a Spanish victory that ended Portuguese resistance to the takeover of their country by Spain’s king Philip II.

The current battle:

FactsAzores : Known as the Batalha das Limas, this event takes place on the day of Entrudo (Carnival Tuesday).

Held along the waterfront of Ponta Delgada, it brings together hundreds of participants—on foot or atop trucks—all with one simple goal: to soak their opponents.

Originally, the battle was fought using flowers, which were later replaced by limas—small, handcrafted paraffin containers designed to be filled with water. However, in recent years, these traditional projectiles have been largely replaced by plastic bags, as wax has become more expensive and the production of limas is a time-consuming process.

Each year, the battle requires weeks of preparation, with participants working together to ensure their truck is well-stocked for the fight.

"We use every free moment, even after work, to fill plastic bags with water for the battle. It's been like this for the past three weeks," one participant shared.

His team—"Os Sempre Presentes"—alone prepares 110 kilos of water-filled bags, meticulously stocked by the 25 team members in the weeks leading up to the event.

"That’s several thousand liters of water," noted Pedro Viegas, explaining that each member of the truck contributes financially to cover the costs of participating in the battle.

We stumbled upon this tradition about 8 years ago and have, admittedly, timed our February visits to include the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, as this is the day of the battle. Our apartment has a balcony that overlooks the eastern end of the battle zone, so we invited Clive and Nicole to join us for the day, promising them an experience like they had never seen before.

Preparations begin on Monday with the city bringing in temporary fencing to define the battle zone and limit the scattering of the plastic bags.

Businesses along the route hang plastic mesh or put cardboard over the glass walls. The LED signs are covered and taped.

Tuesday morning, the pedestrian participants start to amass their ammunition with trucks bringing in loads of filled plastic bags and dumping them on the sidewalk. People start to arrive to watch, usually standing behind the fences.

At 1:42 the trucks came into view. The riders usually are wearing helmets and some kind of chest protection for safety. As the trucks come into the zone, the pedestrians start to throw bags up and the riders retaliate. When two trucks come together, the throwing goes back and forth as well as up and down. Horns blare, people shout, there is general mayhem. Over and over the trucks and tractors drive off and return to renew the onslaught. It went on for over 3 hours.

The usual protocol is that if you throw bags or put yourself into the zone, you are fair game to be a target. We had some young people across from our balcony who figured we were also wanting to be involved and several projectiles came our way, two actually flying through the balcony door and splattering on the living room floor.

When it wound down about 5 pm, the city workers started at the eastern edge. First the bags were raked off both sidewalks into the street, then the rakers cleared the roadways, raking to the curbs. The little street sweeper came along and cleaned up the piles. Finally, the guys who run the Gluttons (sidewalk cleaners) went over the area to pick up the balloon fragments.

This morning all is clean, and just the fences are waiting to be removed. Another battle well fought!

Clive and Nicole agreed that it was unlike anything they had ever seen!

If you want to see the full set of pictures I took yesterday, here is the link to the album in my Google photos:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/d8LgFEjG9nFw5aYq6

Sharing the good times

 When we flew to the Azores for the first time in the fall of 2014, we knew nothing and nobody here, in fact, I had to look up where the Azores even were.  But I guess you make connections when you go back time and time again.  

First person here was Carolina.  She is a hotel receptionist at the Gaivota, where we spent many of our holidays.  She is also the person who has kept my bicycle for me since 2018.  She likes maple syrup so I bring her a litre from Costco when I come.

A few years later, while we were still staying at the Gaivota, we met Tony and Germaine.  They are a retired couple from Burlington who have built a lovely house on this island as Germaine was born here.  They do a lot of travelling, with their 2 dogs.  They are very generous  and have invited us to supper several times and to stay over (which we don't do as we love our apartment here on the waterfront).  They have offered to care for my bike this year as Carolina needs to do some renovations at her house.

But last year was the first time that we had friends from home come and join us here.  Steve and Hannah spent a week hiking and sightseeing.  Mark and Anna came and checked out this place after we had promoted it so highly.  Clive and Nicole came and took some day tours with us.

Clive and Nicole enjoyed themselves to much that they are back this year.  Clive loves to drive so they rented a car this time and for the last 2 days, we have been all over the island.  

Yesterday it was the tea plantation Goreanna.  Clive loves tea and Ian has taken him some from here for several years.  Since we were there last, the facility has had a major modern addition for tea and gift shop.  There were many more people, including a school tour from England.  But the equipment was all still the same.

From there we proceeded along the north coast to Ribiera dos Caldieros (river of two waterfalls), hidden away in one of the many gullies formed by rivers flowing from the central mountain ridge down to the ocean.  This one is spectacular -- Ian calls it Rivendell because it truly looks like an idyllic movie set.

Going east to the tip of the island, we arrived in Nordeste where, after a pizza lunch, we found the park which we had visited with our tour guide Henrique a number of years ago.  It is beautifully maintained, spectacularly situated on a cliff overlooking black sand beaches and full of unusual plants, another magical spot where the locals can bbq and enjoy a day outside.

Today we went west, starting along the north coast till we came to a narrow road which took us to the edge of the large crater which has 2 lakes and a village inside.  Spectacular views!  

Then, we took the coastal road to Mosteiros and climbed on rocks beside natural swimming pools.  Also, picked up some lovely rocks with olivine crystals in the black lava stone.

Then it was on to Sete Cidades, the village inside the crater.  Lunch was at a spot right beside one of the lakes and after a stroll around the town, we were entertained by a parade of the locals, complete with band.

The drive back along the southwest side of the island has great views, but narrow roads.  I did some of the once on the bike -- not again.

What was great about the last two days, was that not only were we experiencing some of the unique and wonderful spots of the island, but that we were sharing them with friends.  For me, it strengthens the bond when we do something together.

 Long live friendship!!

About as perfect as a day can get

I am no longer a student, so I am not looking for success on a test or assignment.  I no longer work, so I am not looking for professional acknowledgement.  I no longer have little children living with me, so I am not looking for a day of harmony between siblings.   I am no longer 50 so I am not looking for a century ride at 30 kph.

What I am looking for is a rewarding ride on a warm sunny day, through green countryside with flowers,  with some good food and a peaceful place to call home.  Today ticked all those boxes.

I had my usual walk along the oceanfront watching the crashing waves.  Tried a new kind of pear.

I rode up the mountain (mostly, there was one spot where it was so steep that I pushed the bike), down to the north coast where I munched a snack and gazed over the green fields to the ocean.  I went along the north coast for about 12 km and checked out the gallery in Ribiera Grande (no exhibition at this time, but an interesting video showing that the facility used to be the drying houses for tobacco).  Then it was back up the mountain and down to Ponta Delgada.  I found some new wildflowers at the side of the road and brought them back.  It was a sunny 17 degrees today with only a bit of wind.

There was a malasada (lenten doughnut) and then hazelnut ice cream on the balcony while watching the boats.

Supper is going to be 5 different cheeses and some local bread.

I think this qualifies as about as perfect a day as I can imagine at this stage of life.