Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy

We were barely on our bikes when the overcast skies began to rain down on us. Locking our bikes, we opted to walk the city. We expected a small town and what we found was a sophisticated old city with brand name shops and historic and classical buildings. Once the capital of the Kingdom of Sardinia, the port is amongst the largest in the Med and hence is a center of business and culture. Like all the other Italian cities we have visited, the many tree lined squares and quaint plazas were surrounded with outdoor cafes, pizza bars and gelato stands. But, once again, the shops lock up at 1 p.m. for the daily “siesta”, and everything comes to a halt.

Tonight, we’ve been invited by Captain Schoonerbeck to join him and the other Dutch officers, in the captain’s quarters, to celebrate the Dutch Queen’s birthday. Invited guests are Dutch passengers on board! Stephen will have to find someone to speak English with-perhaps the barman. The dining room has been decorated with red, white and blue flags, complete with windmills and “klompen”. Miriam feels right at home…

Royal Wedding at Sea

A sea day with a difference: Our ship was transformed into a British Celebration with the wedding day of Will and Kate. Early morning began with a briefing on the Royals followed by a switch to BBC coverage on big screens. British High Tea and cookies were served with the showroom decorated with British flags and regalia. Perhaps 300 passengers attended, of the 2 billion that watched worldwide. We really are a speck in the sea. Our evening continues with a formal Royal Dance and a Beatles “name that tune event”. If it wasn’t for the Boston Tea Party, our fellow excited American passengers could have had a better chance at being invited to the wedding.

Separately, Carnival Corporation is rarely mentioned as the parent of Holland America, but today there is a celebration onboard of the company’s 100th ship. Today 227,000 passengers on those 100 ships will eat cupcakes and drink free champagne for the record-breaking largest “toast at sea”. Hooray for freebies. Time to follow Carnival stock.

Katakolon/Olympia, Greece

This tiny port on the western Peloponnese is a quiet village ready for local and foreign tourists. The Prinsendam was one of five ships docked here this morning. The ruins of Olympia are located just 20 miles from town, thus its attraction. We took a bus out to the archeological site of the original Olympic Games. Ritualistic games began as long ago as 1000 BC and continued until 393 AD. The games were revived 15 centuries later (1896) and until today, a torch-bearer sets out from Olympia every four years to carry a flame to the games worldwide! It was an expansive site – hard to imagine all that took place at this very spot!

This afternoon we biked along the shores of Katakolon. The long pristine beach was deserted, and we could envision it was full in the summertime with local vacationers filling the many tiny homes along the way. The town streets were lined with tourist shops selling the same Greek souvenirs none of us really need! It was an opportunity to make some phone calls and mail a few postcards before boarding and joining the parade of departing ships as we sailed away.

“Consider how hard it is to change yourself and you’ll understand what little chance you have in trying to change others.”- Jacob M. Braude

Monemvasia, Greece

This tiny rugged island is in the far south of Greece. It’s one of the country’s most alluring little medieval villages inhabited by a small number of residents who travel the pathways on foot in this carless settlement. It’s one of the great benefits of our small ship visiting ports that can handle only smaller passenger numbers.

Unfortunately, after a lot of roaring of engines at daybreak, the Captain advised that inclement weather would not enable him to set anchor. The foggy morning and high seas forced us to sail away without this port stop. Too bad!

Piraeus/Athens, Greece

We shared a cab from the port of Piraeus inland to Athens this morning – equipped with raincoat and sweaters for the cool weather. We had been to Athens in 1971 – 40 years ago –with backpacks, we arrived by deck class on a ferry from Brindisi, Italy! Wow, what a difference ….
Must say, it doesn’t look like Athens has changed much in all that time. We were told how miserable the economy is here, with high unemployment and a dismal future. Apparently, the Greeks had severely misrepresented their financials in applying to the European Union (EU) to meet the minimum requirements. Today the country is in severe financial situation, and major cutbacks are being implemented by the EU.
The hop-on-hop off bus ($42 for 2) allowed us to see all the main attractions of the city although we didn’t venture up to the Acropolis since we could appreciate it from the view below. Tons of touristy shops, all selling the same souvenirs, lined the streets of the Plaka district. It was nice just to get out and walk around, boarding the bus whenever we felt like it. Although we had a late departure from Piraeus, we decided to return to the port around 5:30 p.m., since the weather had turned rainy and cold. We hung out in the port terminal, joining crew and passengers, to capture free internet.

Kusadasi (Ephesus) Turkey

Kusadasi is the resort destination for many Europeans. Sophisticated hotels on cliffs are juxtaposed with winding town streets that are the bazaar selling cheap leather coats, rugs, “genuine fake watches” and useless touristic souvenirs. Most of the passengers loaded up and on return, the ship store suddenly had even more of this stuff in their own makeshift “Turkish Bazaar” on board.
The real attraction down the road twenty miles is Ephesus. We took a tour provided free by our travel agent. Our first stop was at the house of the Virgin Mary, where she was said to have lived the last years of her life. Our Christian friends were unaware of her connection to Turkey but the story of John taking her there as a promise to Jesus on his deathbed seemed plausible. Recent Papal visits there apparently have validated the theory.
Continuing on to Ephesus, we arrived at a stunning archeological site; considered the best preserved archaeological site in the world. Miriam had visited Ephesus on an earlier trip in 1975 and it has remained an indelible experience all these years. (On that original trip, Stephen instead opted to find a Turkish shoe shine box in the Kusadasi Market for his Dad-the brass box is in our Vermont farmhouse today). Ephesus is amazingly complete with a 25,000 seat amphitheater, baths, a great library and more. Later we visited the Museum which had several sculptures and friezes of great detail. This was an incredible visit. We lunched at one of the cliff side luxury hotels where we enjoyed folkloric dancers of “Whirling Dirvishes, spinning at incredible speed. It was a great ending to our two city introduction to modern Turkey and its ancient heritage.

Bodrum, Turkey

This beautiful picturesque bay was a perfect place to ride our bikes once again. The wide sidewalks along the shore were lined with fishing boats and large ferries to take tourists to Greek islands close by. We ventured past the many shops that were just opening, to ride right out of town to the next bay. During the height of the tourist season, this place must be packed – there were tons of restaurants, hotels and clubs with hundreds of chairs set up – ready and waiting. This was still a month or two early though, so we had the beach pretty much to ourselves. Everything was pristinely clean and manicured. We decided to each get a haircut at a local shop! Our ride back to the ship took us past a flea market along the coast. The whitewashed shops and homes, together with the bright blue skies and perfect temperature, made this a really special stop!

Israel - Day Two - Haifa

And now for something different – a segway ride through the streets of Jaffa! After a quick lesson on how to drive a segway, we were off to discover the beautiful seaside ancient town of Jaffa. We were frankly surprised how quickly we learned how to maneuver it! For two hours we drove along the seawall – zigzagging around people, cars, and shops. It was really great fun and we got pretty good at it! Nurit was waiting for us in her cute apartment just one street back from the beach in Tel Aviv, with lunch she had prepared. Off we were again, since Hillel had to see a patient back in Herzaliah, Jennifer, Stephen and I walked the beach near his office. Back again to the apartment for a snack and to pick up our luggage. The trip up to The Port of Haifa was an hour – to return to our ship.
Hurwitz’s – thanks for two terrific days! Of course, we were sad that Jonas, Nava and Raziela were not in Israel (they were spending Passover in Sydney Australia), but glad we had this opportunity to spend such quality time together. Your hospitality is incredible and we hope to reciprocate one day soon!

Israel - Day One Ashdod

What a welcome! There were Jennifer & Hillel to greet us as we arrived into Ashdod port! So great to see them and to begin our two day adventure together. Our first stop was back at their home to visit with Sharon, Jay, Boaz, Eitan and Tzi. The kids have grown so much and showed us all their new rollerblading and bike riding skills. Jennifer prepared a beautiful picnic and we set off north to the western Lower Galilee hilltop of Zippori National Park for lunch and a guided tour, compliments of Adele and Gary. It was a picture perfect day and we enjoyed the great company and magnificent mosaics and archeological ruins. On our drive back home, we stopped to stroll through the town of Zikron Yakov, a hilltop community famous for its wineries and artist shops. We ate a delicious Passover dinner at an outdoor patio, along with the many families and young people enjoying this holiday season together. We arrived back home to be met by Ilan and Sima, who had stopped by to say hello. We were so impressed by Ilan’s latest invention – a meat drying machine made out of a hollowed computer shell!

Cairo -Port Said Egypt Day Two

After breakfast, we were back on the bus for our 20 mile drive to the Sakkara Pyramids and then the ancient capital Memphis. Some of the pyramids are being restored with workers chiseling stone and hauling rock up simple scaffolding. We surmised that their backbreaking work was not so different from the original slave workers. Again walking all over the huge site we were fascinated at how well the hieroglyphics and carvings had survived the nearly 4,000 years. Stephen climbed/crawled down a shaft deep into the heart of a pyramid to see the burial rooms still adorned with wall etchings and paintings.
In Memphis, we were able to walk around a massive 50-60 foot statue of Ramses II and view the Alabaster Sphinx, which is in better condition that the more famous Giza Sphinx. A mandatory stop was one of many Carpet Factories/Schools where we saw children as young as 8 or 9, working away hand tying rugs. It was child labor as we know exists in third world countries. Were these children slaves or young underpaid workers robbed of their youth? The coins we gave them were quickly hidden away. Saddened by what we saw, none of us bought anything.
Later in the day we viewed the Mohammed Ali Alabaster Mosque before returning on a three hour drive to Port Said and our ship. Just before reaching home, we drove along the Suez Canal and saw the new Mubarak Peace Bridge, which we are sure will have a new name when it opens in a few months.
Egypt was a wonderful experience. Few tourists provided an ease of seeing incredible sights unencumbered. Aside from the chaos and poverty of a mid Eastern city, people were happy that we were there on the first days of their new democracy. Our Egypt lecturer on board ship a few days prior to arrival was not as optimistic, in that the upcoming elections may not bring a moderate leadership. In the meantime we were glad we were there, and the anticipated “revolution” that is happening each week since the fall of the government, did not occur today as predicted.
And now as the Prinsendam thrusters are revving up for departure, we are ready for our Exodus and arrival in Israel in the morning.

Passover

We sailed today, past Libya, on our way to Egypt, careful to remain outside the “100 mile no cruise zone”. Our Passover Seder on board tonite was in a private dining room with 140 guests (perhaps 40 of whom were Jewish). Rabbi Starr led the service, with the Captain and his wife joining the festivity. Holland America went all out with porcelain Seder plates complete with all the authentic components from maror and haroseth to manishevitz wine and schmura matzohs . Each table also had beautiful new hagaddahs. It was a wonderful event.

We received the following email from Josh back in The Gambia who had celebrated that African country’s first ever Seder. You’ll recall from our Gambia blog entry, that we brought Josh a Passover kit when we saw him earlier in the voyage. Here’s his update:

Happy Passover from The Gambia! We had quite the seder in Gambia yesterday - 22 people (21 non-Jews). And thanks a supply of Passover goods I was able to treat everyone to the staples - matzoh ball soup, gefilte fish, and matzoh. Well, let's not call it a treat. When it came time to clean up I noticed a collection of matzoh balls on the ground around where most of the Gambians were sitting, talk about being discrete. And they certainly weren't fans of the gefilte fish either. At least they liked my homemade charosset, also the Dean's new favourite word.

It was your typical seder, minus the crowd and the setting. The power was off throughout, and only two of us had experienced Passover seders before. Tom, one of my favourite British gentiles asked the Four Questions. I taught everyone the chorus to Dayenu, always a crowd pleaser. For "Echad Me Yodeah" we took turns singing the English verses in a tune of our own choosing. All four cups were consumed and Eliyahu made quite the detour. And of course, the Afikoman was a hit. Hidden in a mango tree, my friend Dinesh was thrilled to find it and receive his prize of 25 dalasis ($1) and mouse glue.

The time-tested trick of withholding dessert until post-part II of the seder kept most people around to the end; though many of the Gambians bailed after dinner.

Not bad for a West African start to Passover.

Alexandria & Cairo, Egypt Day One

We entered Egypt as part of our Passover celebration with a plan to visit the pyramids and “exodus” to the “promised land”. Fortunately, we are not slaves and Pharaoh is long gone.
Today we left the ship after docking at Alexandria for our two day guided tour ashore. One of the passengers had arranged an eleven passenger private tour that would bring us back to the ship tomorrow evening in Port Said. Our guide introduced the itinerary with a comment that we would need to rearrange our days “as there would likely be a revolution tomorrow”. What he really meant was that crowds may group in Cairo to protest some issues such as better healthcare, education etc. Relieved at his clarification, we settled in to enjoy the new democratic Egypt. Things were calmly normal, although we really had the country to ourselves as tourists are just beginning to arrive. Along with our driver and guide, we had a security guard travel with us, and at times during the two days, we were escorted by a car of tourist police.
After a quick stop in Alexandria to visit new Library and ancient Lighthouse, we proceeded on our 3 hour drive to Cairo down the Nile delta. On arrival, the Pyramids of Giza were before us. We could only pinch ourselves that we were there as we trekked around in the sand. The Sphinx was a bit of a surprise as it is smaller than we had thought. After lunch at a restaurant on the Nile, our afternoon was spent at the Egypt Museum of Antiquities. We were overwhelmed by the massive amount of relics. The highlight was the King Tut collection. We were astonished at how the items were too accessible; people leaning on them and touching everything. Fortunately, little looting occurred during the January overthrow of power. When we stepped outside the museum to board our bus again, before us was the burnt out government building totally damaged during the January uprising.
Our day ended with the amazing Pyramids/Sphinx sound and light show. Overnight was at the Mercure Hotel in view of the pyramids. Our bed seemed to roll as it does on the ship and we were exhausted!

At Sea

Lots to choose from: Lectures on “Weird World Architecture” and “History and Modern Politics of Israel”; Six technology classes sponsored by Windows; Le Cirque New York cooking demonstration in the culinary theater sponsored by Food & Wine; Yoga, Tai Chi and Abs classes. Less exciting is laundry with free washers, dryers, detergent. And there’s more. So tempting to do it all but perhaps best to take a break and get ready for our next marathon group of ports.

Ravenna, Italy

The ship offered a free 25 minute shuttle into town, but we thought it would be a nice bike ride in. The roads were flat, but the two lane highway took us past huge industrial sites, with smokestacks spewing black smoke. This is the industrial north of Italy. After an hour of riding, and hoping we were going the right way after many “turnabouts”, we met a lady on her bike and asked for directions. We followed her straight into the center of Ravenna. It turned out to be a cute medieval town, with cobblestone streets, a massive center square, with many affluent shops. And this town was filled with bike riders! In fact, they had free bike rentals on several corners. We parked ours and walked around – whole families were out for a Saturday walk, a cup of coffee, and to shop at the flea market set up all over town. Since we had a short port stop, we hoped the shuttle bus back to the ship, folding up our bikes and putting them in the baggage hold. We’re ready for our two day voyage to Egypt

Venice, Italy Day Two

With a bit of a growing cold, Miriam joined in on the second day of discovery. We bought a 12 hour Vaporetto boat pass (the local bus system) for $25 per person and headed out with a transfer to Murano Island. This is the home of famous Venetian hand blown glass; proof that if you have one euro to thousands you can take home a piece of crafted glass. The challenge is figuring out which glass is Venetian versus a Chinese similarity. Shopkeepers‘ signs warned of buying authentic. Yesterday, we noticed several Venice shops selling identical leather goods were manned by Asian proprietors. The day was too glorious to be distracted by anything but the incredible scenery. Returning to Venice, we opted to walk a different 90 minute route back from Piazza San Marco to the ship. The view of the Grand Canal as we crossed the Rialto Bridge was spectacular as vaporettos and gondolas raced by. A small pizza ($4.50) and a can of Coke ($4.00) kept us going until our return to the ship at six. Ciao to Venezia

Venice, Italy

At 6:00 a.m. we were on deck for an incredible sail in to the inner harbor. Prinsendam glided into the Venetian lagoon while the city was still asleep, closely past the Piazzo San Marco and the Doge’s Palace. A few hours later, after picking up a map and phone card at the railroad station, we continued our meander through mazes of streets to the Jewish ghetto (Italian for quarter). In a small plaza, we found the community that dates back to the 1600s. Our walking tour guide led us into three of six restored synagogues; each used on a rotating basis by a multilingual Miami Rabbi. Although most of the 450 Venetian Jews no longer live in the Ghetto, there is an active Jewish Community Center with nursery and part time religious school. There is a Jewish Seniors home with 9 “grandmothers”; the top floor recently being converted to a hostel. There is a kosher restaurant nearby. We stopped to chat with a visiting student at the small Chabad center and yeshiva.
Continuing our day in the brisk 60 degree weather, we crossed tiny bridges losing ourselves down streets as narrow as outstretched arms, only to find ourselves back on broader walking streets. Down one narrow walkway, we discovered the just renovated Palazzo Grimani. We walked from one grand room to another, not being able to imagine the wealth of the upper class centuries ago.
Italian school groups and many European tourists filled the streets. Like most of our stops, we were in advance of the cruise season as well. We couldn’t imagine summertime when the crowds increase dramatically.

“The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.” –William Arthur Ward

Kotor, Montenegro

A magnificent morning sail up a 53 mile narrow fjord from the Adriatic led us through a series of picturesque bays. Each of five turns was another ancient town hugging the coast. Two hours of sailing led us to majestic Kotor , an ancient walled town. The Republic of Montenegro, with a population of 650,000, is one of seven new countries re-birthed from the old Yugoslavia. Originally built four centuries ago by the Venetians, Kotor continues to be a fairy tale town of tiny squares and narrow streets. From this base, we boarded a small bus for the two hour single lane “serpentine” climb up to a National Park and the old Royal Capital of Cetinje. This near forgotten town is a throwback to post war Europe, and a summer retreat for the people of the coastal towns. Our sail-away took us back through the fjord at sunset and the Captain surprised us with a circumnavigation of an island monastery in the middle of one of the bays. What an incredible day of surprises and an introduction to a country subject to massive civil wars not that many years ago. It was incredibly quaint with stunning beauty. Montenegro is certainly a “see before it’s discovered, destination”.

“Seek and you shall find. Knock and the doors shall be open. Ask and it shall be written, when the walls coming tumbling down…”

Siracusa, Sicily, Italy

Sicily is an island of 6 million people and just four miles across from the mainland of Italy. The day was brilliant sunshine and warm once again. Being Sunday, the streets were deserted and the shops closed. We joined a private tour in a convoy of three vans and headed out of the city to the countryside. Stopping along the way (for a delicious chocolate croissant!) we could see Mt. Etna in the distance, spewing a white cloud of smoke. Our driver told us that last night, fire was seen coming from the top, and lava was pouring down the sides – the first time in three years! Our next stop was a village (Taormina) perched on the very top of a mountain. It was filled with Italian families out for a stroll. One could see it was a fancy retreat – with expensive shops lining the streets. We walked into a number of squares, flanked by churches, where everyone gathered for a Sunday stroll. From here we drove up a winding road and climbed 7,000 feet to the foot of the volcano. Along the way, we could hear sand hitting the roof of the car – it was debris coming from the volcano! When we got out for a picture, we could hear the roar from the eruption – pretty scary! We could see where the lava had flowed to in 1983, 2000 and most recently, 2003. (This is a picture of a house buried in the last eruption.) A cable car takes visitors right to the cone. A chairlift even takes skiers up in the winter – amazing. But with no time for such danger, we headed back to the ship. Hundreds were strolling on the port promenade waiting for this tiny dock’s first ship departure of the season. While Michael Corleone introduced us to Sicily, we leave with a better understanding of this drop of land off the boot of Italy. Ciao!

“Man should forget his anger before he lies down to sleep”- Mohandas Gandhi

Lipari, Aeolian Islands, Sicily, Italy

The Prinsendam maneuvered between several of the seventeen Aeoliian Islands this morning. Out on deck, we watched the steam rise from a still active volcano on nearby Stromboli Island. Laying down anchor, we tendered ashore at Lipari, our ninth port using the bikes. This little Sicilian port town stretches along two inlets separated by a mountain. We biked through a tunnel to another fishing village on the next cove. The narrow cobblestone streets were barely wide enough for the Vespa scooters and very tiny Fiat cars. We walked along a black volcanic sand beach and picked up a handful of sand. (We have been collecting envelopes of soil from every stop to add to a collection for Naz’s Montesorri school.) Ancient stucco and colorful stone homes filled the town- we thought only the Disney set designers could create and imagine! Washing hangs everywhere from second floor balconies. Again, we are clearly “off the beaten track”, although “room for rent” signs suggest that they are ready to welcome travelers arriving by island ferries during the summer. Another nutella gelato, a few (attempted) phone calls and we were ready to sail away. This evening we’ll be out on deck as we transverse the Straits of Messina that bring us past the toe of the boot of Italy on our left and the big island of Sicily on our right, for our landing in Siracusa, Sicily in the morning.

“I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble.” –Helen Keller

Rome, Italy

Forty years have passed since we were last here, laden with our backpacks. The American Express office we walked by was our place to pick up mail, but today it is simply a travel agency. What hasn’t changed are the bustle of Vespas and little Fiat 500s. While preseason, the streets are filled with tourists and Italian school groups. Massive archaeological remnants of the Roman Empire are everywhere. Roma is still enchanting.
Today we were gifted by our travel agent with a full day tour that was a twist on the expected. Entitled “Roman Holiday”, it blended the sights of the famous Katherine Hepburn/ Gregory Peck movie. Our 90 minute coach ride from the Civitavecchia port dropped us at the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain and Pantheon before we finally took a break from our stroll at a 60+ flavor gelato stand- all actual points from the film. Next was a stop at Palazzo Brancaccio, which was where the opening scene of the movie took place. Finally a break, for an enormous traditionally Italian lunch at Cecilla Metella Restaurant, where the two actors would go to hide from paparazzi. The afternoon included catching a glimpse of the Colosseum, Vatican and Roman Forum before ending the day, exhausted, at the pier.

“Adults are always asking kids what they want to be when they grow up ‘cause they’re looking for ideas.” –Paula Poundstone

La Spezia, Italy

This well-known area of Cinque Terre was just an amazing stop. With two other couples, we walked through La Spezia to board the local train for a nine minute ride to the first town of Riomaggiore. How quaint! Perched on the side of a cliff, the multicolored homes and shops were just beautiful. We walked for 20 minutes along “Love Alley” to the next town of Manarola – a pathway that hugged the coast and gave us a wonderful vantage point of the rugged coast and other towns. One town was more beautiful than the next! We walked around town and re-board the train for a 5 min trip to Corniglia, then on to Vernazza, just 5 more minutes down the line. Wow – small alleyways with wash hanging out on the line, cafes with bright umbrellas and stone staircases. We completed our day with the final train to the beachside town of Monterosso al Mare. We were fortunate that the weather was stunning and our timing was great as we avoided the busy tourist season which begins mid April, when thousands each day fill the towns. The perfect day ended with a piece of square pizza and a gelatto!

There are high spots in all of our lives, and most of them have come about through encouragement from someone else. – George M. Adams

Mahon, Menora, Spain

What a piece of paradise! The ship meandered into port along an inland river to the town of Mahon. The town was perched high above the port, with a steep set of stairs leading to the center of town. Restaurants and shops lined the lower town, with loads of sail boats parked along the water. We biked the winding hilly road out of town about 7 miles to a small village called En Grau. The countryside was quiet, with large beautiful villas seen in the distance on hilltops. The town was so picturesque – whitewashed homes and winding streets. It was definitely a summer vacation spot, but right now it was totally deserted! A national park with hiking trails and large beach were the main attractions. We biked back to Mahon, and up the steep road to the town. Cobblestone streets, town squares, old churches, stone arches and quaint narrow streets – a perfect place to walk around and enjoy. Unfortunately by now it was mid-day and everything was closed and streets deserted for the afternoon siesta. Our sailout was just gorgeous, with magnificent views of the ancient fortresses built at the entrance to the river.

Cartagena, Spain

Our ship docked alongside the marina in the center of town, so we headed off along the tree-lined bike path. What we found was a 13th century walled city. A broad esplanade along the port flanks the striking new archaeological museum. We continued to ride by the university and the ornate architectural office buildings. The wide pedestrian streets featured cafes, boutiques, offices and banks - prosperity seemed to abound. Parking our bikes gave us a chance to have a couple of cappuccinos and wi-fi access.
Continuing on to surrounding residential areas, we discovered an orange tree-lined street. The city workers were harvesting thousands of them. Not believing their advice that they were inedible, we tasted one. They were right. Sailing out of the beautiful enclosed harbor we were amazed at the several well preserved Roman fortresses. It was a delightful day in this small Spanish coastal city.

Happiness is a butterfly which, when pursued is always just beyond your grasp but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you. –Nathaniel Hawthorne

Casablanca, Morocco

We headed off early for the center of the city. With our map in hand, and complicated directions, we managed to find Bet El Synagogue behind a wall and hidden by trees. The door was slightly ajar, and when we poked our heads in, the security guard welcomed us to step inside. We left our bags by the door and entered the courtyard and sanctuary. A bar mitzvah boy was at the bema and about 60 people were in attendance. Stephen was welcomed with a talis and ushered to the front near the bema and I went upstairs to sit with the handful of women. It was beautiful inside complete with chandeliers. The chanting was unrecognizable to us, with Sephardic tunes. The courtyard was set up for a lavish Kiddush lunch. We learned there are still about 3,000 Jews in Casablanca and they are well respected and get along well with their Arab neighbors. We walked down the street and came upon another shul hidden from view, called Abraham Mamoun– it was rather run down and had only about 20 men in attendance. From there we made our way to the walled Medina – a crowded market place with tiny streets filled with vendors of clothes, leather goods, vegetables and jewelry. We found our way around by speaking French although people were most hospitable and helpful. For something different, we walked through the Hyatt Hotel, an upscale Arab design – whoa – pretty swanky and a world away from what was going on outside!

Agadir, Morocco

This modern city in southwestern Morocco, suffered a huge earthquake in 1960, where 15,000 people lost their lives . There was nothing left of the old town after the quake, but it has since been completely rebuilt. We negotiated with a taxi driver to take us out to the market and medina of Taroudant, just over an hour drive. We passed huge modern suburban apartment complexes along a beautifully landscaped highway. The winds were extreme today, with sand from the Sahara Desert blowing straight across the road. The countryside was dotted with hothouses growing vegetables, goat shepherds walking the fields, and small towns with dusty shops. Taroudant is surrounded by an impressive 7-foot town wall made of local red clay. Our taxi driver led us through the souk and maze-like streets where vendors were selling all sorts of day-to-day products, spices, vegetables, rugs, and pots. He lent us his phone so we could call Jonas before Shabbat! He told us he had to get us back to the ship since prayer-time was at 12:30. So off we were again, racing along back to Agadir. When we returned to the ship, we were surprised to have lunch at a fish barbeque on deck, with our chef carving a 380 lb tuna, which was caught and brought on board yesterday in the Canary Islands. Delicious!