We needed this day at sea to recuperate from yesterday's adventure in Greece. We had plenty to keep us busy with all of the pictures that were taken from our hike.
But first, we have to share a gift we received last night. It was a tiny gift and only one of them. Don't get your hopes up – it was a purple plastic Easter egg with miniature M&M's and a couple of gummy bears inside. We had to laugh, recalling the days we used to get two chocolate Easter bunnies with extra foiled-covered chocolate Easter eggs. And perhaps a card from the staff.
We were not the only ones to question the "gift", as everyone at breakfast said the same thing. We remember a fabulous Easter brunch that was held in the lower dining room. We're talking food displays unlike anything you have ever seen anywhere else. Towers of shrimp cocktails , lobsters, and lamb chops by the dozens, salads, bread designs, ice carvings, fruit & veggies carvings, and even a chocolate fountain with skewered fruit to dip in the sauce. Every special dessert was at our fingertips. Then we recall the time Barb took one of the two-foot high Easter bunnies used for decoration. She brought it to dinner that night, and our waiter broke it into pieces to share with the table. The extra chocolate left was donated to our waiters. Those were the days…….. Oh well, nothing lasts forever, does it?
Today began with an Easter Sunrise Service held in the Lido Pool area at 6am. All faiths and denominations were invited. We only know of one of our friends that attended, and she said it was really special. It was cold, but better than standing at the aft pool where it was really breezy.
There were two brunches – one in the dining room, and another smaller affair in the Pinnacle Grill for a price. We still had our usual breakfast at 7:30am, although the brunch tables had many colors of bunny-shaped napkins. Really cute.
The day flew by as we sailed in calm waters towards our next port of Naples, Italy. Captain Frank came on with his sea day talk, wishing everyone a most pleasant Easter (if it applied to you). He also stated that we were doing 18 knots in seas 10,000 feet deep. He planned on picking up the pilot near Naples tomorrow and be docked and cleared by 8am. Today the weather was fine with temps in the mid 60's and little wind. He expects the same 66 degrees in Naples a bit warmer inland. He seemed excited about approaching the Messina Straits, a body of water that in ancient times was considered extremely dangerous. The changes in the temperature of the sea water causes turbulence that has sunk many ships of old. We remember that the last time we sailed through these straits, the winds and seas were terrible. Today, it was calm. Go figure. We had a 45 minute transit with a pilot passing Sicily and Mount Etna on one side, and the mainland of Italy on the other side. At the northernmost point the channel narrows to 1 ½ miles wide. All of this scenic cruising happened around 7pm. There was a chance we might see Stromboli, another active volcano, but that would be closer to 9:30pm. We did take some photos, but not sure how they will turn out.
Dinner for us was in the Pinnacle Grill. It happened to be a "dressy" night to celebrate Easter. The place was about full with many of the newly-embarked guests. And starting tonight, the side menu dedicated to the area we are sailing had changed to the Mediterranean. One of the special entrees was the grilled veal chop, so we were happy to order them. We began with our usual salads with the bacon on the side. Instead of using the board and rack to present the bacon, we asked for it to be on our salad plates. This worked much better because they used a larger oval plate for both items. And for once, the salad did not fall on the table like it usually does. The veal chops were close to the size of their Tomahawk steaks and tasted even better than one of those. We shared a baked potato with the toppings, and had a hard time finishing all of it. Tina said there was a new dessert she thought we might like. It was a chocolate cake layered with a vanilla mousse. She was correct, we shared one and it was perfect.
By the time we returned to our room, we saw what we believe to be Stromboli. It did not appear to be smoking, but we think we got the location right. We have seen this volcano when it was active, sailing past it in the darkness of night and also in the daytime.
Ruben Vilagrand was the entertainer of this evening. He is an illusionist with stand up comedy, musical magic, and fast escapes. Our dinner ran overtime, so we missed the show.
Got to rest up for a lovely day in Naples tomorrow.
Bill & Mary Ann
