Tuesday, June 9, 2026

Florence, Italy

A map of Florence indicating the major sites we want to visit today. They are all within walking distance of each other.

Despite my anxiety about getting to the train station on time, we had no trouble whistling up an Uber for the ride to Roma Tiburtina (not Roma Termini as I at first thought). We were, in fact, early by about an hour. It was still dark and the train station was virtually empty. We quickly found our platform and place to sit down to wait. It was a cool morning and the skies were just beginning to lighten. The trains come in, passengers get off, passengers get on, and off it goes all within about 5-10 minutes. With heavy bags it is not a leisurely time.

Five minutes before we were due to depart this sign announced the arrival of our train.

Right on time, our train pulled in, we scrambled aboard, found our seats and settled in for the hour and a half ride to Florence. By now the sun had risen to reveal a beautiful, hilly, and very green countryside.

As soon as the train arrived we had to hustle to get aboard. It is not easy with three heavy bags and three backpacks.

Jasmine passed the time browsing on her phone. I spent most of the time working on my computer. There was good WiFi.

This is the train station in Florence, Santa Maria Novella. We exited the platforms from the left and went directly to the checked baggage place to drop our bags off for the day. We knew exactly where it was from our time here in September last year.

Our Uber took us directly to Piazza San Marco where we were to meet our guide for the Duomo and Accademia tours. We found her without any difficulty and joined a group of about a dozen American English speaker tourists. Our guide gave us each a whisper ear plug like we have become accustomed to from our shore excursion on the cruise. These are actually a good idea but they to need to improve the quality of the audio reception. There was a lot of static making it sometime difficult to understand our guide. Also, if I got too far away from our guide, as I am wont to do looking for good photo ops, the guide’s voice fades until I cannot hear her at all. That is the signal to start looking for her flag.

Our fist stop was the Accademia where we would see what we really came here for, Michelangleo’s David. I first visited the Accademia to see this famous statue in 1997 when I was touring Europe on my own between climbing Elbrus and Kilimanjaro. Back then I was not allowed to take any photographs in the museum. Now, with smart phone cameras we can take all the photos we want.

Just as the book, Angles and Demons inspired my interest in the art and churches of Rome, Dan Brown’s book Inferno inspired my interest in the places and art of Florence.

*Inferno* by Dan Brown is a very clever story that takes place in Florence.

Blythe is wearing the whisper ear plug. Some fit directly into the ear while others wrap around the ear so that the speaker is next to the ear. The little yellow box is the receiver with on/off switch and volume control.

Our skip-the-line tickets, which I had arranged for weeks ago, allowed us to bypass these long lines and to go right in.

This is our guide for the morning who spoke good English. Here we are in the first room of the museum looking at art work that I was not interested in. I was only interested in seeing the *David*. Notice the young woman in black on the left. She must have just noticed the *David* and realized for the first time that he is naked.

We had to first pass through this gallery. The only piece of art that I was interested in in this room was the statue in the center, the Rape of the Sabine Woman.“The Rape of the Sabine Women” is the traditional translation of the Latin phrase *Sabinae raptae*. In modern English, the title is often updated to “The Abduction of the Sabine Women” or “The Kidnapping of the Sabine Women”. In this specific historical and artistic context, the word “rape” does not mean sexual violation. Instead, it comes from the ancient Latin word *raptio*, which means abduction, kidnapping, or carrying away by force. We will see this statue again later in the date in the Piazza Signoria.

We finally went though a doorway and looked down this hallway and saw the David. We spent about twenty minutes looking at and photographing this magnificent statue. To me, the David represents the standard of male masculinity. I was in awe of the artistic genius that could create such art. Having seen both, I am not sure which I admire most, the David or the ceiling in the Sistine Chapel. In my opinion, Michelangelo is sui generis (in a class by himself). To me, he represents the apotheosis in Renaissance artistic talent.

Yes, yes, I know he is naked. But nearly every Renaissance statue is.

One thing that impressed me most about the David was the anatomical detail in this statue.

Here you can clearly see his right sternocleidomastoid muscle prominently shown at the base of his neck.

Here you can see peripheral veins in his dorsal hand, the extensor tendons of his fingers and even the little creases over his knuckles..

Here is a peripheral vein in his forearm.

I could almost believe this is a human hand. Notice the detail of the ring finger fingernail.

Notice the well developed gastrocnemius muscle of his left calf and the peripheral vein in his right forearm. The strap that lies down his back is his sling. He holds the rock he will use to kill Goliath in his right hand.

Here you can see the veins in his arm (antecubital fossa). Phlebotomists would appreciate this.

Six pack abs! And, another peripheral vein in his right arm. Also a proper nipple and areola.

This even looks like a real umbilicus (belly button). I would guess that David’s body fat is around 5%. This is the body of an Ironman Triathlete.

Look at the iris and pupil of his eyes. And this is stone! He even has furled eyebrows.

As far as I can see, the only flaw is that Michelangelo did not spend much time on David’s feet. Looks like he needs a pedicure. Still, look at the detail of his toenails and the creases over his toe joints.

This analysis of the David would be less than complete if I did not include a view of his, eh…mid-sedtion. After all, he is naked. No other comment is necessary.

As we began to leave, I turned one last time to get a glimpse of the David. Seeing this statue was easily one of the highlights of our time in Italy.

As we exit the hall with the David, I look back for one last look at this magnificent sculpture.

After seeing the David there was nothing else I wanted to see in the Accademia. We all left and headed to the Santa Maria del Fiore, also known simply as the Duoma, only a couple of blocks away.

We have just left the Accademia and are on our way down this narrow street to the Santa Maria del Fiore to see Brunelleschi’s Dome.

Ever since reading the book by Ross King, Brunelleschi’s Dome, I have wanted to see the Santa Maria del Fiore with the dome that Filippo Brunelleschi designed and built. I first saw this dome in 1997 when I was in Florence for the first time. This is another marvel of Renaissance architecture. It was constructed without any supporting centering framework. I saw it again in the two times I visited Florence after that but did not go into the church or up into the dome. Weeks ago I arranged for a skip-the-line tour so that we would be sure to get a chance to see the dome from the inside and out.

A quick read by Ross King about the design and construction of the famous Santa Maria del Fiore dome.

The outside of the nave of Santa Maria del Fiore with its beautiful marble facade.

The San Giovanni Baptistry, which predated the cathedral. Even after visiting Florence three previous times, I have never been inside this building.

I could not get back far enough to get the entire church. It is just too big and the piazza too small.

It was nice to walk past this long line to get right in. It wrapped all the way around to the other side.

The apse of the church at the very back or east end.

This line wrapped all the way around the back of the church.

As with the other churches we have visited in Italy, to enter the women had to have their bare shoulders and legs below the knees covered. Men had to also have these parts covered and could not wear a hat. Wraps were provide for those who did not have any. I simply took off my cap and tucked it in my waist.

In sharp contrast to the baroque interior of St. Peters, the interior of Santa Maria del Fiore is rather plain. As Jasmine put it, they obviously spent their budget on the exterior at the expense of the interior. I was more interested in the dome ceiling art anyway. The dome was built over a hundred years after the nave.

This is the cruciform layout of the Santa Maria del Fiore, the cathedral of Florence. Cathedrals are traditionally laid out on an east-west axis because the altar faces east toward the rising sun. This direction symbolizes the rising of Christ as the “Light of the World” and the expectation of his Second Coming. As a result, the main ceremonial entrance—or front—is situated at the west end.

Brunelleschi’s dome is actually two domes, an inner dome and and outer dome. The inner dome gave structural support for the outer dome.

The rather plain nave built in the Gothic style.

A nice floor and doorway entrance to the nave.

One of the massive columns supporting the nave ceiling.

The high altar and the east-facing apse.

The octagonal ceiling of the dome from the floor as close to the center of the alter as I was allowed to go. This magnificent fresco adorning the interior of Brunelleschi’s Dome is a massive depiction of the Last Judgement. I will get better views from the walkway half way up to the top.

Because Blythe is wearing a boot on her right foot (slowly healing stress fracture of third metatarsal) it was not possible for her to make the climb attempt to the top of the dome. Jasmine and I made the attempt and it was well worth the considerable effort to get a closer view of the dome ceiling fresco and the view of Florence and the Tuscan countryside from outside the lantern.

Jasmine, with her bare shoulders properly covered, and I begin the climb to the top of the dome.

The climb up to the dome is divided into two parts. Half way up we go out to the roof. After a brief stop here we can enter the dome and walk around an inner walkway that gives great views of the dome ceiling fresco.

The top of the nave during our short hike on the roof.

Florence and the Tuscan countryside as seen from the roof of the church.

This is the dome of the Medici chapel as seen from the roof of the nave of Santa Maria del Fiore.

The San Giovani Baptistry. Construction of the baptistry predated the cathedral by about two centuries. It is built in the Romanesque architectural style with rounded archways as seen in this photograph.

Just under this tower over the front of the church is a bas-relief of Brunelleschi.

A closer view of Filippo Brunelleschi. Notice the dividers in his left hand indicating he architectural prowess. Brunelleschi was not trained as an architect but was a well known goldsmith.

Looking up at the dome. It is almost impossible to find an old church without some kind of restoration effort underway.

The dome ceiling fresco of the Last Judgement from the walkway around the inside of the dome half way up to the top. The painting is organized into distinct concentric tiers that circle up to the top of the lantern. It follows a traditional biblical scene where Jesus judges humanity, splitting the world into those going to Heaven and those going to Hell.

On the top, arranged in groups of three, within a fake trabeated architecture, the twenty-four old men described in the Apocalypse can be recognized, identified with biblical patriarchs and prophets, standing around the throne of God, which here symbolically becomes the light that pours down from the octagonal oculus.

The bottom tier depicts a highly graphic and dramatic scene of Hell, packed with sinners, terrifying monsters, and demons torturing the damned

In this scene from Hell a winged, horned, three-faced demon – maybe Satan himself – is eating the damned. This kind of depiction of Hell no doubt helped to increase church attendance.

Hideous tortures of the damned await them in Hell.

After our brief hike on the roof we continued our climb to the lantern.

Jasmine heading up between the inner and outer domes…

This spiraling herringbone pattern of the bricks added great strength to the wall

The herring bone pattern of bricks that was used to shore up support for the dome.

Almost there. Just these last few very steep steps to the top. The views made this effort well worth it.

The walkway around the lantern. I liked the shell-headed top above the doorway, a common Renaissance architectural style.

Old Florence. The tower on the left is part of the Palazzo Vecchio, which we will visit later this afternoon.

Santa Croce where I hoped we could visit on our own later in the afternoon. Alas, we ran out of time and did not get to see it. Inside this church are the tomes of Michelangelo, Galileo, Dante, Rossini, and Machiavelli. I have seen these tomes on three other occasions but I wanted Jasmine to see them. After the other churches we have seen on this trip, the rest of Santa Croce is otherwise undistinguished. Notice the beautiful marble facade of the west-facing front and the rather bland brick of the rest of the church. In contrast to this church, the outside of Santa Maria del Fiore is entirely covered with marble.

Florence as seen from the top of Brunelleschi’s dome.

Another view of Florence with the dome of the Medici chapel in the distance.

The companella (bell tower) of the cathedral. It was closed due to restoration. I have been up to the top only once.

Looking due west from the top of the dome. The tiled-covered structure to the right of the bell tower is the nave of the church.

We began out way back down over the inner dome.

On our way down I noticed these iron staples that were used to hold certain sections of the stone together.

The inner supporting dome is on the left and the outer, thiner dome, on the right.

After completing our visit to the dome, Jasmine and I found Blythe still in the nave. We then went back outside to find some lunch and, more importantly, something to drink…and a lemon sorbet. This is the east end of the church with the apse below the dome. The apse on the left is the south transept.

The south transept (left) and apses (right).

Jasmine and Blythe head up one of the narrow streets to find a place to get lunch.

It should come as no surprise that the pizza in Italy is very good. Blythe and I split this one for lunch. Guess what dessert was.

As part of our tour we could enter, on our own, the San Giovanni Baptistry, which I have never seen from the inside. No surprise, the baptristy played a minor part in Inferno. Professor Langdon and Siena had to decipher another clue they found inside. Naturally, the dome ceiling, which is what I wanted to see, was under restoration and covered up but I wanted to go in anyway.

In 1452, Florentine sculptor Lorenzo Ghiberti unveiled a masterpiece that had been a quarter-century in the making: ten bronze panels depicting intricate scenes from the Old Testament. The two monumental gilded bronze doors (each more than 15 feet tall) were designed for the Baptistery in the Piazza del Duomo. Centuries of admirers have come to regard Ghiberti’s “The Gates of Paradise” or “Golden Doors” as one of the great masterpieces of Western art.

Here is Ghiberti as a self portrait in the middle of the door.

In the top of this photo you can see part of the scaffolding to work on the ceiling. A cloth, with what the ceiling looked like, covered it.

We found a place for lunch in the Duomo piazza. Because it was so hot we elected to sit inside. Blythe and I shared a pizza then got a lemon sorbet. We had a brief wait before our next scheduled tour, the Uffizi Gallery, where I wanted to see some very famous Botticelli paintings. The Uffizi Gallery played a minor role in the book and movie by Dan Brown, Inferno. In preparation for this trip I reread this cleaver story. We met our guide near the entrance and got our little whisper ear thingies and off we went. We were given a ticket with a bar code that needed to be scanned three times – no idea why.

Here one of the American tourists in our group thought she did not need her ticket once she had it scanned the first time. She threw it in the trash bin. When she was told that it was necessary to keep the ticket for two more scans she and her husband pulled nearly everything out of this bin until they finally found it.

Before entering the Uffizi Gallery I quickly got this photo of the Ponte Vecchio with the Varasi Corridor on top. I have seen this corridor each time I have been to Florence but never knew of its significance. It was a way for the Medici family to get form their residence in the Pitti Palace to the Palazzio Vecchio without having to walk through town with mere mortals. Robert Langdon and Siena walked through this corridor in the book and movie, *Inferno*. This was the first time to Florence that I did not walk across this famous bridge.

Another view of the Ponte Vecchio from higher up showing other bridges across the Arno River. The German officer in command of the retreating German army in Florence was ordered to destroy this bridge to slow the Allied advance. He refused to do so because the thought it was a treasure and should be preserved. Good for him.

A view of Brunelleschi’s dome from the Uffizi Gallery.

From the Uffizi Gallery’s second floor We had this nice view of the dome and the tower of the Palazzo Vecchio. We will visit this building later in the afternoon.

This is the photo I took of the *Birth of Venus*. I only include it to show the glare from the overhead light.

*The Birth of Venus* by Botticelli. This is the one painting that I wanted to see. I had hoped to see it last year when Blythe and I were here but we did not have advanced tickets. I arranged for this tour weeks ago. This photo is from the web.

This is the other painting I wanted to see. It, too, is a Botticelli. This is the *Primavera*. The woman in the center is also Venus. In Roman mythology, Venus is the goddess of love, feminine beauty, desire, sex, prosperity, fertility, and victory.

After reading about other paintings in the Uffizi I wanted to see this one, too. It is *Venus of Urbino* by Titian. I still have not figured out the Renaissance obsession with nudity

This is another painting I wanted to see after reading about it. The *Medusa* by Caravaggio is a famous painting on a round wooden shield from around 1597. The masterpiece shows the terrifying final moment of the monster Medusa after her head was cut off.

Double portrait of the Duke and Duchess of Urbino by Piero della Francesca. I took this photo despite a little glare.

*The Baptism of Christ* (Verrocchio and da Vinci)

The Adoration of the Magi is an unfinished painting by da Vinci. Da Vinci famously did not finish some of his work. He was a busy man.

When we finished our tour of the Uffizi Gallery we had a couple hours before our last tour, the Palazzo Vecchio. On our way to the meeting place we stopped for a lemon sorbet. I do not think I could have gotten through the day without a refreshing cup of lemon sorbet…or two.

We head for the meeting place for our last tour.

The tourist office where we were to meet our next guide is just ahead on the right.

The piazza was packed all day. This is the facade of Santa Maria del Fiore with Brunelleschi’s dome.

This is the south side of the cathedral.

Arnolfo di Cambio: He was the first master builder. He designed the overall layout of the church in the Gothic style. He started the construction in 1296 but never lived to see its completion. It was left to Brunelleschi to finish the dome, which was not in the Medieval Gothic style but the new Renaissance style over a century after the start of the nave, transepts, and apse.

Filippo Brunelleschi looking up at his creation, the dome of Santa Maria del Fiore. Here is is using his dividers. Imagine, a pair of dividers, a plumb line, and a straight edge. That was probably all he had to design and build the dome. Genius.

Our last scheduled tour of the day was of the Palazzo Vecchio. The main thing I wanted to see here was Dante’s death mask and a painting by Vasari. Both were important to the story, Inferno. There were two statues I wanted to see that were mentioned in the story but were not otherwise relevant to the story.

We were to meet our guide behind the Neptune Fountain. We were a little early. There was only one other couple, an Australian couple from Frankston near Melbourne. I have been to Frankston when I visited friends there. Small world.

The Loggia della Signoria is famous open-air sculpture gallery. It sits on the vibrant, and often crowded Piazza della Signoria right next to the world-renowned Uffizi Gallery.

Off to the right of Piazza della Signoria as you face the Palazzo Vecchio is a raised loggia with several statues. Why they are out in the open and at the mercy of the elements is a question I have never gotten an answer to. There were two statues I was interested in seeing. The one above is the *Rape of the Sabine* *Women* by Giambologna. This marble statue is his original. A plaster model is in the Accademia. This one looks like it needs to be clean up a bit.

*Perseus with the Head of Medusa* by Benvenuto Cellini a bronze statue in the loggia with other statues including the Rape of the Sabine Women. I assume that is blood spurting from her severed neck to the right.

This is the main room in the Palazzo Vecchio. It is called the Hall of the Five Hundred built in 1494 as a meeting place for the local government. Years later, the powerful Medici family took control of Florence again. Duke Cosimo I turned the room into his personal throne room to show off his wealth and power. I was interested in this room because of its connection to the story, *Inferno*. The bad gal was killed in this room when she fell through the ceiling to the floor below. The thing of interest is the enormous Vasari painting on the right front. This, too, played in important role in the story as it gave a clue to find the next clue.

This is the Vasari painting, *Battle of Marciano*, that was important to the story. The clue is hard to see but it is inscribed on the green flag in the upper part of the painting and is shown in the inset. It is the phrase “Cerca Trova” which means, “Seek and you shall find.”

Dante’s death mask. Dante Alighieri was the poet who wrote *The Devine Comedy,* which was written in three parts: *Inferno, Purgatorio, Paradiso*. In the story, *Inferno*, by Dan Brown, a clue was inscribed on the inside of the mask.

This is an unfinished statue of David by Michelangelo carved for the tomb of Pope Julius II and which was still in his workshop in Florence when he died.

This sculpture depicted the two heroes of Greek mythology—both stark naked—locked in a wrestling match. Hercules is holding Diomedes upside down, preparing to throw him, while Diomedes was tightly gripping Hercules’ whatchamacallit as if to say, “Are you sure you want to throw me?” This statue had nothing to do with the story but was mentioned as an interesting statue while Langdon and Siena were in the Hall of Five Hundred.

There was one last room I wanted to visit while we toured the Palazzo Vecchio: The Map Room. This room was important to the story as one of the maps, Armenia, was actually a secret door that helped Langdon and Siena escape the police and the bad gal.

The Sala delle Carte Geograﬁche, Map Room in Palazzo Vecchio was built by Giorgio Vasari between 1561 and 1565, at the request of Cosimo I. This globe dominates the room. It was made in 1564 and rotates with the slightest push.

The secret door with the map of Armenia on it.

While we were in the room these people came out of the passageway from the door. There is a special tour that includes these secret passageways. Maybe next time we are in Florence.

When we exited the Palazzo Vecchio we were finished with our guided tours of Florence. We were tired, hot, and a little sore from all the walking. We whistled up an Uber for the short ride back to the Santa Maria Novella train station to pick up our bags. We used the same Uber ride to take us to the hotel, the Hotel Regency, the swankiest hotel I have ever staying in. We had very comfortable rooms and the best service I have experience while staying in a hotel.

This is the balcony from our room looking out to a nice park.

Blythe and Jasmine stand on our balcony.

This is the setting for dinner. Blythe and Jasmine are at our table on the far. It was a very pleasant evening and one of the best dinners we had on our trip. We were quite a ways from the city center so that the only sound we heard during dinner was the burbling fountain in the center.

Blythe and Jasmine head back to our room after dinner.

This was by far our busiest day. We were on three guided tours with only about two hours break between tours. There was a lot of walking including climbing up to the top of Brunelleschi’s dome, which, because Blythe was wearing her boot, only Jasmine and I did. Tomorrow in Milan was not going to be nearly as busy. We have only two tours scheduled and neither is very long. Still, we had to get up about 5:00 a.m. for our train to Milan. Today most worried me because of the tight scheduled. We could not afford any delays. As it turned out, everything went according to plan and we met every schedule. The only thing we did not do the I wanted was to visit Santa Croce to see the famous tombs. I have seen them three times and Blythe has seen them twice, but I wanted Jasmine to see them. Maybe next time…

Monday, June 8, 2026

Vatican

What can I say, another gorgeous day in Rome.

For some reason the air-conditioner did not work very well during the night so we left our patio door open to let in the cool air. There was a price to pay for this slight improvement in comfort. Bird laughed at us all night, at least that is what it sounded like. We also heard the occasional siren wailing through the night. Needless to say, we did not get a real good night’s sleep. We woke to another beautifully sunny day. We have not had a bad weather day since we got to Istanbul. Perfect for photography. As I have said before, good weather to me means good photographic conditions.

We again had breakfast up on the fourth floor terrace in the shadow of the Vatican where we will spend most of the rest of the morning and early afternoon. That is all we have scheduled today.

Blythe and I were here in September last year after our time in Turkey. We had good weather then, too. But, this is the first time for Jasmine so it is nice to have good weather for her to see this city in all its Renaissance beauty.

We picked up our tickets right across the street from our hotel and met our guide at 10:25 a.m. I spoke to a couple of women from just north of Chicago who are starting a Viking cruise tomorrow. Their itinerary is the reverse of ours. We walked up the hill to the Vatican Museum entrance right past all those standing in line.

Jasmine and Blythe head for the line. This line is moving to the entrance while another line waits for tickets. Within five minutes, we were inside where there was blessedly air-conditioned.

Here is were our ticket bar codes were scanned then in we went.

Once inside we had to go through security. After security we were given whisper ear thingies so we could hear our guide. This place, like all the other venues, was packed. There were lots of other tour groups. There were seventeen people in our group. Our guide spoke fairly good English. If we wandered off, as I often do, she would cut out and I would have to get back close to the group to hear her.

She started the tour by telling us about Peter. This is what is thought to be his fishing boat. Obviously a model. But, since this place is all about Peter, this was a good place to start.

We then went outside to a nice garden area where we got our first good look at Michelangelo’s dome, which we will climb after our tour.

Looking down from the terrace at part of the Vatican gardens.

This smokestack is over the Sistine Chapel. During Conclave when a new Pope is elected, if there is black smoke the vote was inconclusive and no Pope was elected. If one of the Cardinals receives a two-thirds supermajority, he is the new Pope. The smoke comes out of this smokestack.

The Pinecone is a massive, ancient Roman bronze statue located in the Pinecone Courtyard. Dating back to the 1st or 2nd century AD, it originally served as a decorative fountain and stood near the Pantheon before being relocated to the Vatican.

This Vatican Museum is one long hallway after another. This is the first one we walked down. It contained lots of statues and busts.

This is the Roman god Mercury (the messenger god, equivalent to the Greek Hermes) holding a caduceus, a traditional heard staff. It consists of a short staff entwined by two serpents, often topped by wings. It symbolizes commerce, negotiation, travel, and eloquence. Though it is often mistakenly used as a medical emblem today, the correct symbol for medicine is the *Rod of Asclepius*(which features only one snake and no wings)

A nice garden we walked past to get from one part of the museum to another.

In Greek and Roman mythology, Apollo is one of the most powerful and important Olympian deities. As the son of Zeus and the Titaness Leto, and the twin brother of the goddess Artemis, he embodies the ideal of manly youth, intellect, and moral virtue. Here he has apparently undergone a partial right orchiectomy, among other amputations. This was something that the prudish Pope Pius IX started. Some of the statues have had fig leaves placed over the emasculated parts as a replacement.

A nice coffered dome ceiling similar to the Pantheon.

Here is another coffered domed ceiling with a window instead of an oculus.

Some statues imported or stolen from Egypt. A statue of Apollo is in the room in the back.

Another long hallway with a nice ceiling. You will notice that I like ceilings.

A tribute to Pope Leo XIII above a doorway.

A tapestry of the assassination of Julius Caesar. Beware the Ides of March.

A long hallway with a beautiful baroque ceiling.

This ceiling art looked a lot like the Starbucks logo.

The coat of arms of Pope Gregory XIII that included a dragon (see the golden dragon in the center).

This was the end of the first part of our tour, which did not, to my great disappointment, include a visit to see the Raphael room where his most famous painting, The School of Athens, is. We saw it last year but I wanted Jasmine to see this beautiful painting. Here it is as we saw it last year:

The School of Athens by Raphael Santi as we saw it last year. This part of the tour was not part of our tour.

We spent about thirty minutes in the Sistine Chapel but were not allowed to take any photographs. It was not, as I supposed, to protect the frescos. A Japanese company made the restorations of the ceiling fresco and copyrighted and that was the reason we could not take photographs. I have visited the Sistine Chapel four times now and am always in awe of the genius of Michelangelo’s painting of the ceiling and the wall with his interpretation of the Last Judgement.

When our guide ushered us out of the Sistine Chapel we next proceeded to the Basilica where we got new whisper ear pieces. When Blythe and I were here in September last year we did not have a guided tour of the Basilica and could walk around on our own. Our guide wanted us to stay together, which is contrary to my style. I wanted to roam at will to take photos and gaze at the art at my own pace, which is pretty much what I did. I was not interested in what she had to say, anyway. I knew what I wanted to see so I did what I usually do, wander around on my own. I was sure to stay relatively close to the group since there were lots of people so it was easy to get separated.

This beautiful capital is a composite of the Corinthian and Doric orders. This was located in the loggia of the Basilica.

This is the nave of the church. The baroque artwork is nearly overwhelming but beautiful to behold.

This is the ceiling area of one of the several domes of the basilica. As you will soon see if you have not already figured it out, I like ceiling art, especially dome ceilings.

This is the Bernini Baldachin, a 95-foot-tall sculpted bronze canopy directly under the dome, marking the tomb of the Apostle Peter. The High Alter is in the distance.

One of the most beautiful Michelangelo sculptures, the Pietà. It is now behind bullet-proof glass to protect it from vandals. On May 21, 1972 a demented Australian damaged the sculpture with a hammer. It was restored and is now protected.

This is a typical scene, people taking photos with their phones. In this case they are taking photos of the Pietà.

A close up of Mary. One of the things about Michelangelo’s sculptures is the way he sculpts the folds of dresses and blankets. This is a good example of this.

These domes may look alike but they are all different.

My favorite dome, Michelangelo’s dome, one of the largest in the world.

Because of the Bernini canopy, it is impossible to get directly beneath the dome. This is as close as I could get.

This is the entrance to the crypt where many of the popes are buried. This played a prominent role at the end of the story, *Angels and Demons*.

One of many confessionals in the basilica.

A zoomed in view of the artwork of one of the archway soffits.

At firsts glance, this looks like a painting but is in fact a mosaic. Notice the figure on the lower left.

This is the figure mentioned in the photo above. This clearly shows the mosaic tiles.

When our guided tour of the basilica ended we went outside. I went looking for the line to get to the dome. Last year I walked up the steps to the top but had the option (for 5 Euros more) to take the elevator. Blythe did not want to even take the elevator to the top. Jasmine and I found the line and paid 20 Euros to take the steps to the top. We had no option to take the elevator. As it turned out, the elevator took us only to the roof of the basilica and not to the top of the dome, our eventual goal.

The buildings in the background are the papal apartments.

It had really warmed up but I appreciated the sunshine.

The first part of our hike took us to the roof. This was only half way. Just before we exited the dome we came upon two woman who I thought looked like sisters. The were speaking American accented English and huffing and puffing from the effort to get this far. I asked where they were from and was surprised when one said, “Indiana.” I told them I was from Indiana, too. And, they were not sisters but mother and daughter. The daughter had just graduated from Ball State University. As we were walking out the door to the roof we came upon a couple of guys who were also speaking in American accented English. We asked about them, too. He was from Noblesville and the other guy was from Terre Haute. The Hoosier state is well represented in Italy.

Instead of wandering around the roof, we continued the hike up the increasingly narrow, steep steps to the top of the dome for the spectacular views. We soon came to a door that led into the inner doom where there was a narrow walkway around the circumference of the dome from inside. From here we had beautiful views of the interior of the basilica.

All around the inside of the dome at the walkway level were mosacis

As usual, I was most taken with the dome ceiling. I am not sure how I came to love ceiling art, especially of domes.

The inside of Michelangelo’s dome with its frescoed ceiling of biblical art. Unfortunately, the photo does not give you a sense of the size of the dome.

Looking up into the lantern on top of the dome.

The nave and the top of the Bernini canopy.

The nave on the right and the south transept on the left.

A detailed view of one of the mosaics on the wall all the way around the walkway.

After we walked around the circumference of the inside of the dome we began the final ascent to the very top. The higher we went the tougher it became as the stairs continued to narrow and gradually to slant in toward the inner dome. I noted how worn the steps were from centuries of people using these same steps.

The roof of St. Peter’s. The titled roofed build on the right is a gift shop and a cafe.

The higher we went up the dome, the narrower and steeper the steps became. They also began to slant inward against the inner dome.

The wall of the outer dome on the left and the wall of the inner dome on the right. The slanted contour of the dome is apparent.

Jasmine climbing up the spiral stairs hanging onto the rope as we near the top.

After a rather rigorous hike, we reached the top of the dome and walked round the narrow walkway taking in the views of St. Peter’s Square, Vatican City, and Rome.

St. Peter’s Square and the roof and dome lanterns of the nave of the basilica. I am looking east from here.

A closer view of St. Peter’s Square. Castel Sant’Angelo is in the distance to the left of the Tiber River.

Castel Sait’Angelo. This place played an important role in the book, *Angels and Demons*.

We wandered around on the roof where we got truly magnificent views of Bernini’s St. Peter’s Square. By now Jasmine and I were tired and a bit sore but more important, we were terrible thirsty. There is a cafe and gift shop on the roof where we got something to drink.

Michelangelo’s dome and the cupolas of two of the lesser domes over the aisles.

Statue of the Apostles standing on the roof overlooking St. Peter’s Square.

Notice how the steps have worn over the years of trodding on them.

These spiral steps were tricky to descend.

After taking in the views of St. Peter’s Square and the surrounding city of the Vatican and Rome, we began the descent back to Blythe who was waiting for us on a seat in of the doorways to the basilica. We walked through the square and out to the street for the short walk back to our hotel and got cleaned up before going back out to find a restaurant for dinner. It had been another good day of sightseeing but we were done in and looked forward to a good night’s sleep.

Looking at the balcony that the pope uses to address crowds gathered in St. Peter’s Square.

This is one of the Swiss Guards in the funny uniforms. All are Swiss nationals and Catholic.

Another view of the balcony where the Pope addresses the crowds flanked by beautiful Corinthian capitals.

The right side of St. Peter’s Square as we head out.

The Egyptian obelisk in the center of the square.

One last look back at this magnificent Renaissance edifice.

Blythe and Jasmine, far right, walk to the exit from the square.

We are dead tired from a long day of sightseeing, sore, and hot as we walk back to our hotel.

Along the way back to our hotel we stopped for a pizza. I had this lemon sorbet for dessert served in a frozen, hollowed out lemon. Yummy.

The hollow lemon after I have eaten all the sorbet.

Tomorrow we will take the train to Florence for a very busy day of more sightseeing. This is the day I am most anxious about. We have to get to the train station for a 5:45 a.m. train to Florence. Once in Florence we have to find a place to store our bags and then catch an Uber to the Duomo for our first of three scheduled tours of the day. The schedule was so tight that there was no room for any delays.

Sunday, June 7, 2026

Rome, Italy

Since we got so much accomplished yesterday and only had two venues we still wanted to see, we decided to take most of today off to rest. Breakfast was on the terrace roof of the hotel. The latte was not bad but little else was. We sat under cover in virtually the shadow of the Vatican.

This is the view from the terrace where we had breakfast. The buildings on the horizon are part of the Vatican.

At noon we went out to look for a place to have lunch. We found a sidewalk cafe but we elected to sit inside where the A/C was blasting. It was very warm outside with temps in the mid 80s.

We preferred walking in the shade where it felt a few degrees cooler.

Around 3:30 this afternoon Jasmine and I went out to see the Colosseum and the Chapella Chigi in the Santa Maria del Popolo. We had made inquires to satisfy ourselves that it would indeed be open at 4:30.

The Colosseum like every other venue we have visited was packed with people. I cannot imagine how crowded it must be during the high tourist season. Traffic is terrible.

Jasmine taking one of many photos of this photogenic edifice.

How many times have I said that lots of sunshine is the photographers best friend?

A segment of the Colosseum as seen through the Arch of Constantine.

Just a peak inside. I have been to see the Colosseum four times and have never taken the tour of the inside. Maybe the firth time I will.

Jasmine and I walked completely around the Colosseum, something I had not done before.

To get the entire Colosseum in a photo without using a wide angle lens requires me to get back pretty far.

After we circled the Colosseum we whistled up another Uber for the ride to Piazza del Popolo with the hope that we could get into the Santa Maria del Popolo to see the Chapella Chigi so important to the story, Angels and Demons. When we got there the sun was shining on the piazza better than it was yesterday so I got some duplicate photos. The driver, Marco, let us out right in front of the entrance to the church. Good, we were going to get to see the Chapella Chigi that I read about. I wish. Also, I witnessed a true miracle in the piazza.

This is the facade of the Santa Maria del Popolo. There are eight apses or chapels inside. I was only interested in one, the Chigi.

This is the high altar of the church. We could not get around to the back to see the dome ceiling.

The domed ceiling of one of the eight apses.

This is the domed ceiling of another apses. Where’s the Chigi apse?

Finally, I found the Chapella Chigi. This is it. Guess what. It is closed for the rest of the year for restoration. Such bad luck.

I was so disappointed at not getting to see the Bernini artwork inside the Chapella Chigi. I was so looking forward to it. Eight chapels in this church and the one that I wanted to see is closed. Anyway, just so you know what I was hoping to see I got the following photos off the Internet.

The beautiful dome of the chapel. According to Robert Langdon in the book and movie, this chapel was chock full of pagan iconography.

There were two important things in this chapel, the circular piece in the center here. This was important to the story and where the first cardinal was found murdered.

The other important thing in this chapel was the Bernini sculpture of Habakkuk and the Angel. This was important because the angel is pointing in the direction to the next clue and the location where the next cardinal is going to be murdered.

There was something very interesting in this church that I have never seen before. At nearly every turn there was a skull and crossbones. I asked a docent what this meant but I could not understand his bad English. I later looked it up: The bones and skulls in and around Santa Maria del Popolo are artistic, Baroque reminders of mortality called memento mori (Latin for “remember you must die”). Rather than representing a mass grave, these haunting skeletal symbols were placed by artists and wealthy patrons to remind the living of the fleeting nature of earthly life. It seemed awfully morbid to be in a church.

This is a better photo than the one I took yesterday because the sun is shining on the churches and the obelisk.

I’ll bet you have been champing at the bit to learn of the miracle I saw today. Well, here it is. The resurrection of Pope John Paul II. Yes, the famed pontiff is back from the dead and sitting in Piazza del Popolo handing out encyclicals, papal bulls, and absolution. Here he is staring right at me as if to say, “When was the last time you went to confession my son?” He even has a box to take up indulgences. Will miracles never cease?

This is the entrance to the Vatican Museum this evening. It is obviously closed. It will be a mad house tomorrow morning. But, we have advanced skip-the-line tickets to get by the crowd.

Saturday, June 6, 2026

Rome, Italy

When we woke this morning we were already tied up Civitavecchia, the port that services Rome. After breakfast in Terrace we went to Martinis Lounge to await our group, Blue 1, to be called to disembark. It was all very well choreographed so that it was done orderly and with minimal hassle. When Blue 1 was called we got badged one last time as we went down the gangway to the terminal where all the luggage was lined up according to color. We found ours quickly then took a free shuttle bus ride outside the secure area. It didn’t take too long to whistle up an Uber and off we went to our hotel in Rome. Cost: $297 for a 75 km ride into town. We had little choice. Travel arrangements through Oceania would have been more expensive.

It was another beautiful day with forecasts for cloudy skies later. This forecast did hot bear out and we had abundant sunshine all day. We were let out right by our hotel, just one block from the Vatican Museum entrance, which we will see on Monday. The guy behind the desk at the hotel was entertaining as he greeted us and explained about breakfast and other hotel matters. Our room has a little patio overlooking nothing particularly nice to look at.

This statue of Romulus and Remus suckling the she-wolf. Romulus and Remus are the legendary twin brothers who founded the city of Rome. This is the symbol of Rome and bas-reliefs and statues are all over Rome including our hotel.

We settled in then took off to see as much of Rome that we could fit in today. The more we see today the less we have to see tomorrow, Sunday, when we hope to get some much needed rest. We walked up a short hill to a street fronting the Vatican Museum where there was a long line that stretched around the corner. We walked past this long line until we could enter St. Peter’s Square, one of the most interesting and architecturally beautiful places in Rome, if not in the world. Michelangelo’s Basilica and Bernini’s St. Peter’s Square, in my opinion, represent the height of Renaissance art and architecture. The clear skies with the sun shining on the facade of the basilica only added to the beauty. I’m not sure which I like better, the High Renaissance or the Perpendicular Gothic style. They both blow me away. I am in awe of the beauty of each and never tire of seeing them.

A theme for my interest in seeing Rome again is related to the story by Dan Brown, Angels and Demons. I reread this clever story just before we left a few weeks ago. I wanted to see some of the places mentioned in the story and shown in the associated movie starring Tom Hanks as Professor Robert Langdon. We set out to see these venues. The first one was in St. Peter’s Square. It was a Bas-relief depicting the west wind, an important clue in the story. We found it right away.

This is one of several such markers inducing directions located at the base of the Egyptian obelisk in the center of St. Peter’s Square. The direction of the blowing wind points to the next clue.

The beautiful facade of Michelangelo’s basilica of St. Peter with its impressive dome.

Although obscuring the dome, an otherwise nice view of the basilica with the Pagan Egyptian obelisk directly in front.

St. Peter’s without the obelisk obstructing the view.

The magnificent dome designed and built by Michelangelo. We will see this up close on Monday.

We are heading to our Uber pick up when I turned back and took this photo of St. Peter’s Square.

Our next stop was the church Santa Maria della Vittoria, another venue that played a prominent role in the book and movie, Angels and Demons. It was here that Robert Langdon as played by Tom Hanks, had to decipher another clue to find the bad guy before he killed another Cardinal. There is a beautiful Bernini carving here I wanted to see.

This is the church Santa Maria della Vittoria. Not particularly interesting from outside but the art inside is breathtaking.

Typical Baroque art and architecture. But, what I came to see was in a niche off to the left,.

This is Bernini’s Ecstasy of St. Teresa. The importance of this sculpture is the arrow pointing in the direction to the clue in the puzzle that Langdon is racing to solve before the Vatican is vaporized by anti-matter. Read the story.

Some art critics have suggested a sexual interpretation of this sculptural. This is suggested in the story, *Angels and Demons*. As I am learning as I study Renaissance are is that interpretation is in the eye of the beholder. I do not see any suggestion of a sexual encounter between the angel with the arrow and St. Teresa.

A bigger view of the niche with the Ecstasy of St. Teresa.

In the niche opposite the Ecstasy of St. Teresa is this sculpture by Domenico Guidi, The Dream of Saint Joseph.

A nice gilded bas-relief of the Last Supper, artist unknown.

This is the overhead fresco of the nave, artist unknown.

Our next stop was the Piazza Popolo where I wanted to get into then Santa Maria del Popolo to see the Cappella Chigi. This was the venue of a scene from Angels and Demons where another clue was located. The Uber driver let us right out in front of the piazza. We walked under a large gate and found ourselves in this large piazza. The piazza had another pagan Egyptian obelisk in the middle. There were two nearly identical churches at the far end of the piazza. At first I thought Santa Maria del Popolo was one of them. The one on the right was enshrouded in scaffolding and closed so I hoped it was the one on the left. Out in front of the one on the left was a car that looked suspiciously like a hearse. This was not a good sign. I went inside and found a funeral service underway. I backed out and the three of us tried to find another church. We walked around a bit and asked a guy who only spoke Italian where the Cappella Chigi was. We finally found it only to learn that it was closed until 4:30.

Piazza del Popolo with the Egyptian obelisk in the center.

At first I thought one of these two identical churches was the Santa Maria del Popolo with the Cappella Chigi. The one on the right was closed and the one on the left had a funeral service underway when I stepped in.

The Piazza del Popolu from an elevated position.

We did not want to wait around until 4:30 so we whistled up another Uber and went to the Piazza Navona to see another venue relative to Angles and Demons. It was here that another Cardinal was murdered in the story.

The last Cardinal to be murdered in the story was drowned in this Bernini fountain named the Fountain of Four Rivers.

We decided to have lunch in this piazza.

This is the sidewalk cafe where we had lunch across the piazza from the Fountain of Four Rivers.

This unappetizing looking pizza was actually quite good. The salami was very spicy.

Our next stop as we followed Professor Robert Langdon in his quest to stop the murders of the four cardinals that was taking place across Rome was the Pantheon, one of my favorite places to visit in Rome. It is an architectural marvel in that the coffered dome ceiling has an oculus and is so designed that it can fit a perfect sphere inside the building. It started out as a pagan place of worship before becoming a Catholic church.

A side view of the facade of the Pantheon. The piazza was packed and there was a long line to get tickets to enter the church.

The facade of the Pantheon. Its rather blah and drab exterior belies the beauty of its interior.

The long line to get entry tickets is on the right…somewhere.

Yet another obelisk in the piazza with the Pantheon. For a nominally Christian city, there is a lot of pagan iconography.

One of the fountains at the base of the obelisk.

A slightly damaged Corinthian capital in the loggia of the Pantheon.

The dress code for entry into the Pantheon.

The Pantheon played a minor part in the story, *Angels and Demons*. This is one of my favorite places to visit in Rome. I am entranced by the large coffered domed ceiling and its almost eerie oculus. That this building could be built at all amazes me.

At this time of day we could see blue ski in the oculus. I have never been here when it rained but I imagine it rains inside.

The sun shown through the oculus spot lit the wall with an oval of light. The next photo is the same with the oval of light highlighted.

This is the same photo as the one above but with the oval of sunlight highlighted and delineated with a black line. I have also darkened the area outside the oval to highlight its light. Jasmine was instrumental in helping me figure out how to do this in Photoshop. This is the kind of stuff she did in her pevious job before starting medical school.

The beautiful ceiling above the high altar.

A closeup view of the ceiling over the high altar.

Jasmine took this photo of the domed ceiling with the oculus. It is darkened a bit to highlight the blue ski. Notice all the people looking up. This place was packed.

Besides the exquisite architectural marvel of the dome, the other reason for visiting the Pantheon is to see the tome of Raffaello Santi, or as he is more commonly called, simply, Raphael. He is one of my favorite Renassaince artists. We will see some of his most famous works in the Vatican Museum on Monday.

Jasmine with the high altar in the background.

A perfect Corinthian capital in the Pantheon with exquisite acinus leaves.

We were all flagging from the heat and all the walking we were doing but wanted to see one more venue since it was so close, the Trevi Fountain. On our way we stopped for a lemon sorbet. It is our go-to refreshment. Trevi Fountain was only about 600 m distance and we found it right away. As expected, it, too, was packed,

This is the usual scene at Trevi Fountain – lots of people. It cost a few Euros to get any closer.

I was able to get close enough without having to pay for the privilege to get this shot.

I got another Uber ride back to the hotel but asked this Carabinieri if this was the spot where the Uber app said was the pick-up spot. He was friendly and helpful. I asked to take a photo of three of them but he could only have a photo taken if I were in it.

After we got back to our hotel we rested a bit then went out for a walk and found this Gelateria where each got a lemon sorbet. It was a very pleasant evening with cooler temperatures.

Since we saw so much today of what I had planned to see while we are in Rome, we decided to take most of tomorrow off to rest. There are only two venues we still want to see before our tour on Monday, the Colosseum and the Chappela Chigi in the Santa Maria del Popol.

Friday, June 5, 2026

Amalfi, Pompeii, Mt. Vesuvius

There was not a place for the ship to tie up so we anchored off the Amalfi Coast and tendered i.

It was another glorious way with the promise of abundant sunshine and warm temperatures. We took the tender into the little coastal port of Amalfi where we met our guide, Fabio. He was a good guide giving us a running commentary on the history and culture of the area we will be visiting. We drove along a very winding coastal road where we had to occasionally stop to let other cars pass. There were many switchbacks until we got to Salerno where we turn into the mountains to cross the peninsula to Pompeii.

Jasmine and Blythe helped aboard the tender. When there is not a place to tie up we have to anchor off the coast and use the tenders to get to shore.

These buildings are built right into the cliff.

We began our tour of Pompeii here with a short walk to a tourist souvenir shop while Fabio paid for our tickets.

Our tour guide, Fabio. We liked him. He always referred to us as Fabio’s family.

The Carabinieri is the national gendarmerie of Italy who primarily carry out domestic and foreign policing duties. It is one of Italy’s main law enforcement agencies.

The tour of Pompeii was mostly walking among the ruins which are still under archeological excavation and restoration.

No, Jasmine did not sprout freckles. The spots are from the sun shining through her hat.

Before ending our tour of Pompeii we visited a museum with relics and mummified people and a dog who died in the eruption of Vesuvius A.D. 79.

We stopped for lunch at a local winery where we had lunch. I wandered around to get more photos of Vesuvius (I never did get the perfect photo, one from a distance that showed the entire mountain).

The mountain ridge in the distance is the north side of the peninsula the Bay of Naples in front of it.

This is as close to Vesuvius as I got. I took this shot from the vineyard where we had lunch.

Lots of the vines had a rosebush planted nearby.

One more shot of Vesuvius from the vineyard. I took a lot of photos of Vesuvius looking for that perfect photo.

We came back to Amalfi across this peninsula over the mountains. This was the twistiest turninest road I have ever ridden on. Lots of switchbacks.

On our way up the mountain to the pass over the peninsula we saw lots of olive trees.

Before heading over the pass I got one last look at Vesuvius.

Once we crossed over the pass and headed down we came upon some stunning views of the Mediterranean. Jasmine was on the right side of the bus next to a window so she had the best views.

At one point heading down we encountered another bus going up. This is such narrow road anyway that there was barely enough room for us to pass. The stuff on the side in from of this bus made it difficult for him to move to the right. We eventually made it past each other without a scratch. We had a good driver. Here we are only inches apart .

We had to hustle to get back to the waiting tender. We were a little late but the ship would wait for us.

On the tender on our way back to the ship.

As soon as we were aboard the ship pulled up the anchor and we took off for Rome.

We had our last dinner in Terrace Cafe before packing our bags for disembarkation tomorrow morning.

Thursday, June 4, 2026

Mt. Etna

Sicily is located immediately west of the mainland of Italy. It is the “boot” of Italy. It is bounded on the east by the Ionian Sea, on the south by the Mediterranean Sea, and to the north by the Tyrrhenian Sea. The Strait of Messina is a narrow waterway between northeast Sicily and the mainland of Italy. Catania (our next port of call) is about half way between Messina and Syracuse (Siracusa).

I got up early and went up to Baristas to work on this webpage. As soon as I go to Deck 14 I could easily see the silhouette of Mt. Etna. We were still sailing toward Catania and as we got closer the mountain became clearer. It looked like another good day for sightseeing.

This was my first view of Mt. Etna this morning when I came up to Baristas. We are still several miles from Catania.

Baristas this morning. Blythe and Jasmine occupy our favorite table on the left.

The closer we got, the clearer it became. We can now also start to see the port of Catania on the left.

Mt. Etna as seen from our balcony this morning.

The forecast is for partly sunny skies in Catania with pleasant temperatures.

We boarded Bus No. 11 and took off through town heading north toward the mountain.

We can now clearly see snow on the mountainside. The smoke at the summit is steam from the crater, not clouds.

We passed a few cyclists on our way up. Lots of work going up, lots of skill going down.

This is as high as the bus took us. We stopped here for a break before heading to one of four crater rims on the flank of the mountain. We are well over a mile above sea level. It feels very dry up here. We took about twenty minutes break here.

For my break, I got a lemon sorbet. Boy, did it taste good.

Nicolosi is the town closest to the mountain so this is the weather forecast for the mountain for the rest of the day. It shows partly sunny skies late in the morning. As it turned out, it was mostly sunny with very few clouds. The forecasted humidity of 47% seemed high to me. My mouth felt very dry, especially after my quick hike to the small crater.

After our break we all started up to the crater rim a slight uphill hike over black volcanic gravel. There was an elderly lady in a wheelchair who had someone pushing her up the path. It soon became obvious that this was not going to work and she turned back. We walked around the crater rim and took in the scene in every direction.

The crater rim. This is not the main crater, which is at the summit. This is one of the flanking craters.

We head around the rim. It was quite windy up here and quite a bit cooler.

This is the interior of the crater. Most of our group eventually walked down into the bottom of the crater. The volcanic gravel was difficult to walk in. It reminded me of my efforts to walk up the terraces of the invasion beaches on Iwo Jima, which is composed of black volcanic gravel.

Looking back from the rim to where we started our hike from the bus stoop.

The view looking down to the small crater (center).

Some people heading back down from the rim to the bus.

This is the path down to the small crater.

I wanted to hike down to the small crater. I asked our guide about it and she said it was too dangerous and would take too long. That was all the challenge I needed. She told me it was take at least twenty minutes and that we had to be back at the bus by 11:25. Being the impetuous guy that I am, I took off.

This is a closer view of the path down to the little crater. It was very steep going down and on loose gravel. I got to the crater rim in five minutes, took a couple of photos then began the hike back to the top. I got back up in seven minutes. I was back aboard the bus at 11:15.

This is the path I had to take to get back up to the top of the big crater.

This is the steep part of the ascent to the top. It was difficult going because the rock and gravel were very loose.

I fell asleep on the bus back to the port.

A nice view of Mt. Etna from our ship with the town of Catania inbetween.

We pull away from Catania with Mt. Etna in the distance.

A nice view of a very symmetrical volcano.

Jasmine and I at the rail taking in the view of the receding shoreline and sillouette of Mt. Etna before dinner.

This is the biggest wheel of parmasan cheese I have ever seen. We passed this on our way to our table in Tuscana. Later our waiter, Marie from Honduras, brought us a little plate of some pieces of this cheese.

A beautiful skyline just after sunset with Mt. Etna in the background.

For dinner we ate in Tuscana. While we sat waiting for our dinner to be brought to us I marveled at the beautiful silhouette of Mt. Etna with the sun setting behind it. I ran out to take frequent photos of it as the sun set each time getting a slightly different view. During the last time I was out to get a photo I fell into a conversation with a family who was here to celebrate their son’s graduation from the US Military Academy at West Point. I told them that we were doing the same for Jasmine who is going to graduate from medical school. I had a nice chat with the newly minted 2nd Lieutenant. I asked him who the goat was from his graduation class. He knew exactly what I was talking about.

After dinner but before turning in for the evening I went up to Deck 16 to watch as we passed through the Strait of Messina. I had conversations with to couples, one from California and the other from Alabama. I was on Deck 16 for about an hour as I watched the lights from each side of the strait until we were just behind the strait in the Tyrrhenian Sea on our way to Amalfi, our next port of call.

Scylla (R) and Charybdis (L) guard the Strait of Messina.

In Greek mythology there were dangers awaiting seafarers who wanted to transit the Strain of Messina. One of the dangers was a six-headed monster called Scylla who would grab a sailers who tried to pass through the strait and eat them. If, to avoid the danger of Scylla, you went to the other side of the strait your ship would be sucked down by the underwater monster Charybdis in his whirlpool. Passing to near Charybdis meant certain death for the entire crew who would all be sucked down by Charybdis. The lesser of the two dangers was to avoid Charybdis and pass close to Scylla. Some of your men may be eaten but the ship was more likely to make it through the strict. In Homer’s Odyssey, the hero Odysseus was told that avoiding Charybdis meant facing Scylla. He chose to sail closer to Scylla, tragically sacrificing six of his men to her clutches rather than risking the entire crew to Charybdis’s whirlpool. In making this tough decision, Odysseys was caught between a rock and a hard place or caught on the horns of a dilemma. The Greek mythological equivalent of these common idioms is to be caught between Scylla and Charybdis. Try this out on your friends and they will be impressed with your knowledge of Greek mythology.

From Deck 16 this evening as I waited to pass through the Strait of Messina.

Messina during the night as we transit the strait.

We are well into the strait heading north.

Tuesday, June 3, 2026

Malta

Happy Birthday Jasmine!

Malita is only 60 nautical miles from Sicily.

During the morning we pulled in to the Grand Harbor in Valletta, the capital of Malta.

Jasmine was up early and watched the sail in and took this beautiful sunrise photo as we entered the harbor.

The clouds never materialized so we were treated to another day of abundant sunshine.

This huge MSC *Europa* ship pulled in shortly after we did. It is ginormous. This leviathan holds 6800 passengers!

Part of the walled city as seen from our ship.

After breakfast we started our shore excursion by climbing aboard bus No. 15. This shore excursion turned out to be exactly the same one Blythe and I did on our 2019 cruise.

The Medina is a spectacular fortified medieval town.

We stopped at this vantage point for a photo op but I’m not sure why. Nice water but little else.

I cannot see it through the haze but we were told that we could see the other large island of the three-island archipelago from here. Okay, I’ll take your word for it.

The only thing of note to see here is this little chapel dedicated to Mary Magdalene.

These Orientals (probably Japanese but maybe Chinese) asked me to take their photo. I am trying to get them to squeeze closer together.

Our next stop was a glass blowing factory, essentially a tourist trap.

We watched these guys making various glass nicknacks. The thing on the floor is some kind of mold to put a pattern on the glass vase.

Here the glass is reheated for further shaping.

While the others browsed through the glass shop I wandered into a ceramics shop and took this photo of a vase patterned with sunflowers.

A local police car. Their police cars are Fiats.

Our last stop was the town of Mosta to see the Basilica of the Assumption of Our Lady, a church patterned off the Pantheon in Rome. Blythe and I first visited this church on a cruise that stopped in Malta in 2019. I liked it so much then that I was looking forward to seeing it again.

Sanctuary Basilica of the Assumption of Our Lady, commonly known as the Rotunda of Mosta. As far as I am concerned, the main reason for coming to Malta.

The basilica looks similar from the outside to the Pantheon in Rome but smaller.

Jasmine was given this shawl to cover her bare shoulders to enter the church.

The nave of the basilica has several apses but the most striking feature is the coffered dome with its oculus.

I particularly liked the coffered dome ceiling, which is similar in design and construction to the Pantheon in Rome.

Such beautiful symmetry. I am not sure, but I wonder if this spiraling pattern reflects the Fibonacci sequence.

This is a view looking straight up at one of the arch soffits from one of the apses.

Another beautiful view looking up from one of the apses at the domed ceiling and soffit.

One of six paintings of the life of Jesus located between the apses. This painting is of the three wise men visiting the newborn Jesus.

During World War II, Malta was a strategic outpost for the Allies. Consequently, it was heavily bombed. The bombing was so extensive that by the end of the war, Malta had become the most-bombed nation on the planet. On April 9, 1942, two German bombs fell on The Church of the Assumption of Our Lady in Mosta, a city in central Malta. Mass was going on at the time, and more than 250 parishioners were in the church. Alarms rang out ahead of time, and while some people left the church, others stayed inside and prayed. The first bomb pierced the Mosta rotunda, ricocheted, and fell onto the floor of the church. The second cleared the left side of the triangle on top of the church’s facade. Those bombs had every reason to explode — but neither of them did. It was hailed as a miracle. Somehow divine intervention prevented the church — and the town — from turning to rubble. The bombs were promptly defused by the military and later dropped into the sea. Today, the Mosta Dome is celebrated for its miracle. You’ll find a replica of the bomb that fell through the dome on display in the back of the church.

This disfigured part of the dome may be where the German bomb penetrated.

This is a photograph of the damaged part of the ceiling where the bomb penetrated.

A replica of the 500 kg bomb that penetrated the dome.

This guy provided some entertainment. He sat in the shadow of the basilica.

This is a bomb shelter used during the war. It is next to the basilica.

The shelter that I could go through was little more than a narrow passageway.

Heading back out. This place is not for those who tend to have claustrophobia.

These are the guys I sat down with to talked with about the war the other day in Baristas. Joe, on the left, is married to the woman on his right from South Africa. Heinz, in the middle is married to the woman on his right from Australia. Harry, far right is married to Donna. All six now live in San Diego and enjoy traveling together.

After spending time at the basilica and wandering the streets of Mosta we climbed aboard the bus and headed back to Valletta.

Since there were two ships in port we were told to make sure we got on the right one.

The aft end of *Allura* tied up at the pier.

The walled fortress as seen from our ship.

MSC *Europa* tied up behind our ship. This ship as a passenger capacity of 6762. I simply cannot wrap my mind around that number of passengers on one ship. *Allura* has a passenger capacity of 1200. I can’t imagine being on a ship with five times as many passengers as we have open *Allura*. What must the lines be like? What must the lounges be like? The buffet lines must be a feeding frenzy. Yikes!

Blythe and I attended a very good lecture on Mt. Etna this afternoon. The speaker was very good and had some exceptionally good animated slides. I spoke with him before his talk began to ask him if he was going to mention Charybdis meant passing too close to Scylla as we will be passing through the Straits of Messina this evening. He said he had mentioned them in an earlier lecture. Darn! He was surprised that I had heard of these mythological dangers. We had a nice chat and agreed to meet for coffee in the next day or two. Because of the lecture, we missed the sail away and eating the harbor.

This monstrous ship backs out, pivots, and sails away.

This thing must have twice the beam as *Allura*. Look at all those people on the fantail! And look, there is a canyon down the middle. People must get lost all the time.

While Blythe and I were in the lecture, Jasmine took this photo as we sailed out of the protective harbor.

As it is Jasmine’s birthday we tried to get dinner reservations in one of the specialty restaurants. The only one available was Tuscana and we already have reservations there tomorrow. Also, the only time slot available was 8:30. Too late. We settled for Grand Dining. I went down to the Dining Reservations desk on Deck 5 and asked that the birthday cake I previously arranged not be delivered to Tuscana but to Grand Dining.

We were seated at the back of the ship over looking the wake (a preferred place to sit) around 6:45 p.m. We had another excellent meal. Instead of the waiter bringing around the dessert menu he and several others of the staff brought Jasmine a cake with a single lit candle and sang happy birthday to her.

The Grand Staircase from Deck 6 looking down into the lobby of Deck 5.

Monday, June 2, 2026

Sea Day

We are probably still in the Ionian Sea our way to Malta where we will arrive tomorrow.

It is another glorious day while we traverse the Ionian and Mediterranean Seas to Malta. It was a beautiful day at sea] with moderate temperatures and moderate seas. We can feel the ship’s motion but it is gentle.

Jasmine had her massage this morning. Blythe and I had breakfast in our room then met Jasmine at the Aquarmar Spa where Jasmine and I sat in the hot but. We had lunch in Terrace Cafe then lazed away the afternoon in Baristas eating crepes and drinking lattes. I worked on my webpage and read a bit. Because we have been on the go nonstop since we got to Istanbul, this sea day was a welcome reprieve of rest.

Breakfast served to us in our room this morning. We did not ask for it but Lincoln brought us each a flute of champagne. We poured it down the toilet.

For the first time on the cruise we had our butler, Lincoln, deliver canapés. We did not get quite what we ordered but that was okay since it was delivered too late.

This piece of art stands outside Baristas.

We had dinner in the Red Ginger. Our waitress was a sweet young woman from Ukraine. She spoke very good English. She appreciated my attempts to speak a little Russian with her since some of the phrases are the same in her native Ukrainian language. Her name is Kristina and she has a sad story. She is from the eastern part of Ukraine that is now occupied by the Russians. There is nothing left of her village as it has been overrun by the Russians and all but destroyed. She now lives near the border with Poland. She was last home in January. She also appreciated seeing the photo I showed her of our house with a Ukrainian flag flying from the upstairs window, which has been then since the war began.

We have had the Ukrainian flag flying from our upstairs window since the war started to show our solidarity with the Ukrainian people.

Kristina graciously posed with us for a photo after dinner.

Monday, June 1, 2026

Katakolon, Greece

Our next stop is Katakolon on the west side of the Peloponnese, a large peninsula of Greece. We are going here to see Olympia, sights the ancient Olympic Games.

Our first view of the Peloponnese on our way to Katakolon.

It is another beautiful day in Greece (Peloponnese) if not a bit cooler.

After breakfast in Terrace Cafe at 7:00, we went to the Allura Lounge to await our time to go ashore for our shore excursion to Olympia. Olympia is not to be confused with Mt. Olympus located about 500 km to the north. Mt. Olympus is home to the chief Creek deity, Zeus. Olympia is the site of the first, or ancient Olympic Games. The first Olympic Games were held in Olympia in 776 B.C. The modern Olympic Games were revived in A.D. 1896.

We are here to see the original olympic stadium and its associated archaeological ruins. The trees in the background are olives trees.

Our guide took us around to see the ruins of the ancient site of the first Olympic Games. Oceania is testing a new system so that we can hear her better. The ship provided receivers with an ear piece. She has a microphone that the receiver can pick up so that all can hear. It also can be paired to AirPods but nobody has figured out how to make it work.

There was an MSC ship docked near Allur. It is a big ship so that there are lots of tourists here. The Olympic site was packed. We eventually worked our way to the olympic stadium. Back in ancient times, spectators sat on hillsides surrounding the stadium. We also were shown where the modern olympic flag is lit before being taken to the city where the olympics were held.

A nice example of the ionic order of capital.

A more detailed view of an Ionic capital.

There were a lot of tourists here today because of the two ships that docked in Katakolon.

The four classical capitals. The three that I see most often are the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian.

This is the site where the Olympic flame is ignited before its journey to the next site of the modern games.

These are the ruins of the temple to Zeus.

An intact column on its plinth and capped with an Ionic capital.

The original Olympic stadium, with the surrounding mounds where spectators sat. People are standing at the start/finish line.

This is the start finish line for races. Our guide stands under the umbrella.

Naturally I had to run at the Olympic stadium. I am just surprised there were not more people who did. I ran the length of the stadium, touched the end and ran back.

Before leaving Olympia we made the obligatory stop at the souvenir shop. Before going in our guide demonstrated the Pythagorean cup. A Pythagorean cup is a practical joke device in a form of a drinking cup. When it is filled beyond a certain point, a siphoning effect causes the cup to drain its entire contents through the base. The cup has been used to make statements about greed. Ordinarily I do not buy souvenirs but I got one of these for us and one for Jasmine. I also wandered into the shop to look around. There was a table with olive samples. I ate a few Kalamata olives and one that was extra spicy. Yum yum. I bought a bag of them to take home. Sucker! There was a table with different olive oils to sample. A bowl of bread pieces was provided to soak the oil. I tried several and like the garlic olive oil best. I did not buy any olive oil, although it was a popular item for other tourists to buy.

It took great discipline to pass by this table without picking up a box or two.

After finishing our time at Olympia we rode the bus to a little town where we had about forty-five minutes to look over souvenirs or get a coffee. This place obviously cater to tourists. The street was one souvenir shop or cafe after another. Because of the two cruise ships in port this place, too, was packed. Blythe and Jasmine wandered into some of the shops and I went looking for a lemon sorbet.

Lots of nationality flags hung from the lampposts along the main drag. If you look closely at the one behind the American flag, you will see the flags of Cuba and Palestine. I thought the combination together was interesting.

Here is the view looking down one end of the street…

…and here is the view looking toward the other end.

This is looking down one of the side streets.

I ran into a guy I met on Corfu yesterday who also got one of the large baklavas. He was eating a gyro and asked me to join him. Every time I run into this guy on the ship (his cabin is just down from ours) we make some kind of remake about the large baklavas we ate on Corfu. Something to the effect of “How’s your blood sugar running today?”

I found a stand servicing ice cream and lemon sorbet. So refreshing on my mildly residual sore throat.

After our time in town shopping, we went back to the port.

The *Allura* is the latest ship in the Oceania fleet. Its first sailing was last year. Blythe and I sailed home from Monte Carlo in September and fell in love with this ship.

There usually is a tent like this one at the bottom of the gangway where we can get a cup of water or, more important, a cold wet towel. After a hot day of touristy stuff it feels real refreshing.

After dropping off our stuff we headed to Terrace Cafe for lunch.

The fantail on Terrace Cafe was a popular place for lunch because of the pleasant weather.

This is the other cruise ship tied up at Katakolon, MSC Fantasia.

I spent some of the afternoon in my favorite place to work on the computer and to read, Baristas. Here I can get a latte and a crepe and enjoy relative quietude. Later I met Harry (Donna’s husband whose father served on the USS Enterprise during the early part of World War II) and his two friends who wanted to listen in on our conversation joined us for coffee in Baristas. One of his friends, Joe, is married to Pippa from South Africa. The other friend, Heinz, an Austrian, is married to an Australian. Interesting mix. They all now live in San Diego and travel together. We mostly talked about the USS Enterprise and his Harry’s father’s role on this ship. He was a tail gunner on a Devastator torpedo/bomber and part of Torpedo 6. He was transferred off the ship in April 1942 and therefore missed the battle of Midway in which Torpedo 6 was nearly wiped out without hitting any of the four Japanese aircraft carriers with their torpedoes.

Despite suffering massive losses and failing to score torpedo hits, the repeated, low-level torpedo strikes pulled the Japanese Combat Air Patrol (CAP) out of position and down to the deck. This critical opening left the Japanese fleet vulnerable, paving the way for the U.S. SBD Dauntless dive-bombers to strike unhindered and sink four Japanese carriers

We went up to Horizons for afternoon tea where we were entertained by the stringed quartet.

Before dinner this evening the captain had another cocktail party just for frequent Oceania cruisers. Blythe was one of four cruisers being honor with a pin for achieving her 20th cruise credit. This elevated her to the Platinum level, which of course comes with more perks. One of these perks is a free future cruise. I will achieve this august level on my next cruise in July. The other three people reaching this level elected to have their pins sent to them in their cabins. Blythe was singled out and asked to come up in front of the crowd where the captain presented her with the pin.

While we were sitting, drinking and eating h’dourves we noticed a woman sitting at the table next to ours and who looked vaguely familiar. We looked at each other and she asked if I had sailed on Insignia (an R-class Oceania ship in the same class as Regatta). I replied that I had never sailed on Insignia. It dawn on us at about the same time when she mentioned our mutual friend, the piano player on Regatta, Luigi. This was Patty, friend of John, a Marine we met on a cruise a few years ago. The more I looked at her the more familiar she looked. She has been aboard Allura for 52 days. Before boarding in Rome a few weeks ago she had lunch with Luigi. Through Luigi we became friends with Patty and John. I inquired about John and was sad to hear that he died last year.

Besides handing out pins, the Future Cruise saleswoman, Jennifer, gave us some statistics about our cruise. Twenty-seven countries are represented on the cruise. The top three in descending order or United States, Canada, and the UK. The cruisers with the most days of sailing were also recognized. Patty was number one with 1688 days of sailing on Oceania. There was not close second. She is already signed up for twenty-eight futures cruises. I was sorry to hear about her husband John, a Marine, who had become a friend. I remember on our last cruise together we were invited with hem to a private birthday party for Luigi in Tuscana, of course.

This was the private birthday party for Luigi we had on February 17, 2020 in Toscana. John and Patty, and Blythe and I were the only cruisers who were invited. Luigi is standing behind Blythe and me. Patty and John are on the right. The concierge, a friend of Luiki’s, also from Italy, is in the center hosting the party. The cake they brought Luigi was in the shape of a baby grand piano.

This is a photo taken at one of the captain’s cocktail party on the seam cruise aboard Regatta in February 2020. Patty and John on the right.

The relieving line to the captain’s cocktail party. As Blythe was going to be recognized, we were told to show up fifteen minutes earlier so we could get front row seats.

The captain, Pavle, and the General Manager, Damian, greet guests. Jeans are frowned on so I do not know how the guy on the left got in.

The Senior staff of the ship greet us in Horizons.

Horizons Lounge before the captain’s cocktail party began…fashionably late.

Captain _____ with initial comments thanking us for our loyalty. etc, etc…

Damian, the General Manager, made some brief comments then turned the mic over to Jennifer, the Future Cruise saleswoman who presented the pin to Blythe.

Damian telling Blythe to turn around so I can get their picture.

Captain _____, Jennifer, Blythe, Damian.

L to R, Jasmine, Patty, Blythe, and me. This photo was taken right after the cocktail party.

Since we were already dressed up, we decided to dine in Grand Dining instead of Terrace Cafe.

This is the wake as seen from our seats in Grand Dining. We are off to Malta, our next stop after a much needed sea day,.

Sunday, May 31, 2026

Corfu, Greece

Greece, just south of the Balkans and across the Aegean Sea from Turkey.

The little island of Corfu just off the coast of Albania. Our shore excursion is to the west coastal village of Palaiokastristsa where we will board a little boat. We will wind up some hairpin turns to Lakones to see the coast from an high elevation.

This was the scene from our balcony this morning at 6:00 a.m. as we head for Corfu. These are the most clouds we have seen since we left Indiana.

A beautiful sunburst over the Ionian Sea. Albania is in the distance.

We are so close to Albania and Greece that I am not sure which we are looking at here.

After breakfast in Terrace Cafe we went down to the Allura Lounge at 9:35, our appointed time and got our bus number tickets. On our way to the bus we walked past a beautiful large yacht tied up on the pier.

We had a very nice guide who spoke good English. She provided a running commentary about the history of Corfu as we drove up into the hills to the western side of the island. We passed thousands of olive trees along the way. Our guide told us there are four million olives trees on this little island. That’s a lot of olive oil. We stopped at a beach where we soon boarded a little boat for an hour cruise around the coast to look at some caves and the shoreline.

This is the beach near where we got out of the bus and where we will soon board the boat for our short ride to see the caves.

Our group will ride in one of these boats.

We did not have to go far to see our first cave.

These caves do not go very far back. I was struck with the purple color at the waterline.

We go farther into the cave to see this purple color on the rocks above and below the water.

Now this is a good location for our Greek summer home. We are on the west side of the Corfu so we would get to see some nice sunsets from atop our aerie.

A look back at the beach where we started.

Everyone was amazed at how clear the water is. This is the Ionian Sea.

It was generally agreed that this rock formation sorta looked like the chess piece Knight. I guess you have to have a good imagination.

This was the highlight of our short boat ride. We are in the entrance of one of the many caves. This is called the “Blue Eye” because when the sun shines, as it is today, this hole in the rock looks more blue. I think maybe “Green Eye” might be a better name.

Another view of the beach from the beach. The water temperature was fine for swimming.

After a little boat ride we had about a half hour to spend on our own. Blythe and Jasmine and I found this little coffee shop and got a lemon sorbet.

We had one more place to visit before heading back to the ship. We rode the bus up some very tight switchbacks to Lakones where we would get good views of the coast. At one point in a small town we came to a point where the road was only wide enough for one and a half cars. We had to stop when about five cars came at us from the other direction. We could not back up so the cars had to. We eventually squeaked past them. We then went into this little mountain village where we just barely made it through without scraping the side of the bus. It seemed we were only inches from the buildings on each side of the street. It was worth it for the view that we had when we got to the top. We stopped at the Golden Fox for a snack. Blythe and I each got the biggest piece of baklava I have ever seen. We should have gotten just one and split it. My pancreatic Islet Cells of Langerhans got tested with this sugar overload. But, it was worth it. It was delicious. A couple other guys in our group got one, too. We finished them. But, the main reason for coming up here was for the view.

The Golden Fox, home of the world’s largest piece of baklava.

The biggest piece of baklava I have ever seen. I am used to a piece about a tenth the size of this one. But oh yum yum.

This view is the reason for coming up here. The middle cove is where we boarded the boat. I am looking mostly south here.

After spiking my blood sugar at the Golden Fox we rebounded the bus for the hour ride back to the port. I dozed off during the ride. Post-prandial sugar overdose?

Back at the port we had to go through a security screening before passing through the obligatory souvenir store. This sign helped keep us from taking a wrong turn and ending up in Albania.

Sometime while we are in Greece I would like to try some Ouzo, the national drink of Greece. I am sure I won’t like it but when in Greece…

The fantail of Terrace Cafe is the awning-covered deck at the top of the ship, aft.

Blythe and Jasmine walk up the gangway to Deck 5.

We spent the rest of the afternoon resting in our cabins. We had dinner in Polo Grill, a reservation we made a few weeks ago.

The pilot boat comes along side to collect the pilot.

After dinner we went uptown Terrace Cafe to see the Greek spread. Too bad they do not have an olive bar like this every day.

We sail through the night to Katakolon on the Peloponnese, again something place I have never been to before. We are really looking forward to the sea day after Katakolon on our way to Malta. For just over a week, we have been running nonstop.

Saturday, Day 30, 2026

Dubrovnik, Croatia

We sailed through the night from Zadar to Dubrovnik.

We sailed toward the bridge and I thought we might go under it. Instead, the captain pivoted the ship and backed into the harbor at Gruz where we tied up.

This morning as we sailed into Dubrovnik.

A lighthouse on a little island as we sail into Dubrovnik.

The entire island where the lighthouse is located (right)

When we got up it was another beautiful day with cloudless skies and comfortably cool temperatures. After breakfast in Terrace Cafe we went down to Allura Lounge where we handed over our shore excursion tickets. In return we are given a numbered ticket indicating which bus we are on. When our number is called we head down to Deck 4 and walk down the gangway to our bus. Here we meet our local guide.

We drove up along a high hill right past some turnouts with beautiful views of the old fortress town of Dubrovnik. The sunlight was perfect for photograph but we did not stop. I was so disappointed. We continued on to Cavtat where we stopped for a short walking tour. If this was all our tour was, I would be sorely disappointed. I wanted that view from high on the hill of Dubrovnik.

We drove along the coast to Cavtat right past some great views of the old fortified part of Dubrovnik.

When we got off the bus in Cavtat it was beginning to get hot. The air was clean and the skies cerulean blue. We walked along the waterfront and up a narrow promenade.

The coastal village of Cavtat. The domed building sat on the top of the hill is a mausoleum.

Part of the promenade at the waterfront in Cavtat.

There were several outdoor cafes on the promenade.

The water of the Adriatic everywhere we have been is crystal clear.

Blythe and Jasmine on the promenade promenading.

If we decide to move to Cavtat, this is the house we want.

Back in town, we looked for a place to get some lemon sorbet…

This “HR” is the Croatian two letter abbreviation for Croatian in the EU.

After an hour we met back at the bus stop and took off for Dubrovnik where we would spend a couple more hours. We drove right past the turnouts with the nice views of Dubrovnik. The photographic conditions were perfect. We drove right past them. I wanted to scream.

How the bus driver maneuvered through the narrow roads in the old part of Dubrovnik past a gazillion cars and people was beyond me. This place was packed. We had about an hour and half walking tour with our guide through the streets and a couple churches.

This is a new Hilton hotel. If Blythe and I ever come back to Dubrovnik to stay for a few days, we may want to stay in this hotel. This was near the bus stop in Dubrovnik.

This is part of the fortified wall near the harbor of Dubrovnik.

We entered the walled city through this gate. The stone steps were shining with wear.

Our first stop was a large fountain with several spickets like this one where people filled up their water bottles.

This courtyard was part of a monastery we went through.

Another nice courtyard surrounded on four sides by a loggia.

One of many sidewalk cafes within the old walled city.

There were lots of these narrow alleys off the main pedestrian streets.

A bell tower with a clock on it. The sphere below the clock indicates the phases of the moon.

The same main pedestrian street looking back from where we came.

We went into another monastery and came to this courtyard loggia.

Inside the monastery museum we saw this 11th century Bible.

This stain glass window was in the nave of a church we walked through.

We were then given about seventy minutes to wander around on our own before we had to meet back at the bust stop for the ride back to the ship.We found an outdoor covered cafe and got a pizza for lunch.

A little ways from the cafe where we had lunch was the old harbor.

The pigeons sure like this statue. It is in a tree-lined courtyard where we were to meet our guide again and the bus for the ride back to the ship.

The scene from the wall near the tree-lined courtyard.

We then walked back to the bus stop where I asked about getting a taxi to take me back up the hill to the turnouts for a photo. There was a taxi stand across the street. I walked over and told a taxi driver what I wanted to do. He said his fare was 35€ each way but for me he would only charge me 40€ total. I hopped in the car and off we went. He said he knew exactly where I should go. He was a friendly sort and we chatted along the way. His name is Ivan. He stopped at one of the turnouts where I stepped out and took three or four photos and hopped back in the car. He said there was another spot with a good view but I would have to climb some steps to get to it. Let’s go. About a half mile down the road he pulled off onto another road to some steps. I ran up the steps to the top, took a few more photos then hurried back to the car. Ivan was surprised to see me so soon. He took me back to the bus stop where there was a long line of Oceania passengers waiting to board a shuttle that would take me back to the ship. I paid Ivan the 40€ but told him to make it 50. He was worth it.

This is the view of the old walled city that I wanted to get this morning when the sun’s location provided for a much nicer view. Next time I come back I intend to take a taxi up here in the morning. The colors were much better early in the day.

I had this scene from the spot that I had to climb the steps to get to. This is the classic photo of Dubrovnik seen in the travel brochures.

I got back to the ship just a few minutes after Blythe and Jasmine got back. After a quick shower we went up to Baristas for a latte. Jasmine soon joined us.

Before we sailed away the pool deck is a bit busier. This is Deck 12. Baristas is in the center one deck up, Deck 14, which is really Deck 13.

This is the bridge I thought we were going to go under this morning.

This is the view from Deck 14 of the town across from the dock where we are tied up.

We had a small dinner in Terrace Cafe before calling it a day. We sail for Corfu, Greece tonight. I liked Dubrovnik. I plan to come back some day.

Friday, May 29, 2026

Zadar, Croatia

During the night we sailed from Rovinj to Zadar. Zadar is tucked back behind some islands off the coast of Croatia.

We had about an hour drive down the E65 to the Krka National Park to see some waterfalls.

We were sailing in to the port of Zadar, Croatia when we woke up this morning. It was another sunny day. We had breakfast on the fantail of Terrace Cafe where it was a bit breezy and surprisingly cool after what we experienced yesterday.

We are sailing into Zadar on another beautiful day.

We had a drive of about an hour to the Krka National park. At the park we were given tickets to ride a boat to the waterfalls, the main attraction in the park. We sailed along a lake with green water. We saw a few several swans along the way. After a half hour ride we disembarked and began walking to the falls. We later learned that another cruise ship had come in after ours. This explains the large crowds in the park. The falls were actually a series of falls. We had about two hours to wander along the crowded path to see the falls. Some of the paths were cobblestone, some were paved, and there were some steps. By now – late morning – it was starting to get hot.

This is where we went aboard the boat that took us to the waterfalls.

This is the boat we took to the water falls.

I was surprised at the color of the water. I suppose it is because of the surrounding green hillsides.

The lower waterfall. There were many more as we walked up the path.

When we reached the end of the path there were several buses waiting. We rode to someplace else in the park where we stopped for lunch. I fell into a conversation with a couple of women across the table from me. Donna, from San Diego, was with a friend, Pippa, from South Africa. Their husbands were on a different excursion. I do not remember how the subject came up but eventually the topic of discussion was escalated to the war. Donna told me that a her father-in-law was a sailor aboard the USS Enterprise (CV-6). She said her husband would be very interested to talk with me about his father’s experience in the war. I gave her one of my cards.

After lunch we rode back to the port. The promised air-conditioner, even though we were told was on full blast, was not putting out nearly enough cool air. Everybody, especially on the left side of the bus – our side – was uncomfortable.

Back at the port we saw a large Royal Caribbean ship tied up next to ours. That explains the crowds at the waterfall park.

A Royal Caribbean ship docked next to *Allura*. We are on our way to Dubrovnik.

Shortly after we got back to our room I received a phone call. It was Donna’s husband and he wants to sit down over a beer or a coffee to tell me about his father’s experience in the war. He told me that his father only lived til 35 years when he was killed in a hunting accident. What bad luck. You survive World War II only to get killed by friendly fire back home.

Jasmine and Blythe and I had dinner at 6:30 in Jacques. We each agreed that it was the best meal we have had aboard ship. Jasmine got a good fillet and Blythe and I got the sautéed Dover sole. By now it was after 8:00 and we called it an evening. Tomorrow we tied up in Dubrovnik. It was another good day despite our cold symptoms. Hope they go away in the next day or so.

Thursday, May 28, 2026

Istria Provance, Croatia

The Istria Peninsula of Croatia is just south of Slovenia.

We awoke to another glorious day of abundant sunshine and the promise of warm, if not hot, weather. Last night we sailed from Trieste, Italy to Rovinj, Croatia. We were already anchored off the coast near the quaint coastal village of Rovinj on the Istria Peninsula of Croatia. We had a quick breakfast in Terrace Cafe then went to the Allura Lounge where we turned in our shore excursion tickets in exchange for a numbered bus ticket, in this case, No 3. Very soon our bus was called and we filed down to deck 4 where we boarded the tender for the short ride to the dock. The dock here in Rovinj is not deep enough to accommodate the ship, hence the need to anchor off shore and tender in.

Once ashore we met our guide whose name I cannot remember nor pronounce if I could. He was very knowledgeable about the history and geography of the region. I liked him from the beginning. There were two villages up in the hills we planned to visit, Motovun and Groznjan. By midmorning it was already hot. We eventually would experience record highs for the region with temperatures approaching the 90s F.

The forecast for the day. It would get warmer than forecasted.

The following is a photo essay of what we saw today.

The picturesque coastal town of Rovinj, Croatia.

Oceania *Allura* with tender heading back to pick up more passengers.

Motovun is noted to being the birthplace of the 1969 Indy “500”driver, Mario Andretti. At the time of his birth in 1940 this town on the Istria Peninsula was part of the kingdom of Italy. After World War II it was incorporated into the country of Yugoslavia.

Mario Andretti with his winning car in the 1969 Indy “500”.

The streets are cobblestone and very narrow.

A view from the top of the village into the valley below.

The cobblestone roads are well worn attesting to their age.

The church at the highest point of the town.

Another church with a grove of olive trees beyond.

Our local guide. He paid me a compliment when I asked him if he had heard of Tadej Pogačar, the Slovenia cycling champion who has won the Tour de France four times (including the last two years). He said he knew of him but had never seen him riding in Croatia. He then asked if I was a professional cyclist.

Tadej Pogačar. Four time Tour de France winner lives in nearby Slovenia and no doubt does some training rides in Croatia.

Our next stop was another hilltop village, Groznjan. This region is noted for its truffles, a highly prized mushroom. We stopped at a truffle store where we were treated to some samples of truffle and other goodies.

An olive tree near where we stopped to sample truffles in this little village before heading up to the village of Groznjan.

Jasmine standing outside the truffle store. The best part of this stop was the air conditioning in the store.

Jasmine and Blythe sampling the truffle paste on little pieces of bread.

Our local guide. See the little red thingy just below his chin. Oceania is testing a new device. Each of us was provide with a receiver that transmits the guides commentary through an earbud so that we can hear what he is saying at a distance. It worked pretty well. It can also be paired via Bluetooth to Apple AirPods. We could not figure out how to pair so we used the provided earpiece.

Jasmine checking out one of the many little shops in Groznjan.

I am not sure what caught my attention here.

After awhile these street scenes kinda all look alike. Still, they are all quaint.

From Groznjan we headed back to the ship, about an hours drive. Many of the passengers fell asleep along the way, including me.

One of two *Allura* tenders approaches the dock to pick us up.

The view of the town of Rovinj from the ship.

At 5:30 there was a captain’s cocktail party in Horizons Lounge in which he introduced his staff. When we approached him in the receiving line we each recognized the other. He was the captain on Oceania Regatta a couple of years ago when we sailed to Alaska then across the Northern Pacific to Japan. The General Manager is the same guy, too. The captain remember sitting down with us in Baristas and chatting. I just cannot remember what we talked about, but I do remember that we did.

After cocktails we went to dinner in Grand Dining. We were seated in the back of the dining room next to a large window where we could watch the wake of the ship as we sailed away on our way to Zadar, Croatia.

Horizons Lounge for the captain’s cocktail party.

The string quartet in Grand Lounge on our way to Grand Dining.

Jasmine’s selfie of us just outside Horizons Lounge before heading down to Grand Dining.

Wednesday, May 27, 2026

Trieste, Italy

City map of Trieste. The Double Tree was conveniently located only about a half mile from the cruise port.

This is our cruise itinerary. The anchor symbol indicates that we anchor off the port rather than tying up. That means we have to tender in.

We went to breakfast on what was labeled the first floor but seemed to us like the second floor. Here in Italy the first floor is labeled “0”. There was a nice spread. We began to run into other people who seemed like obivous cruisers. We heard nothing but American English. I think everybody in our hotel is embarking Allura today.

After breakfast Jasmine and I went out for a walk around the town. Blythe did not feel up to a walk. She is still recovering from a cold that I now have and her foot discomfort makes it uncomfortable to walk much. It had rained the night before so the pavement was damp. The clouds were beginning to dissapate and the sun to make its appearance. It was comfortably warm but promised to get warmer.

Many of the buildings in downtown Trieste are Neo-classial. Shortly, we turned a corner and saw the Allura tied up at the cruise port. It pulled in early this morning ending a cruise that started in Istanbul. We saw lots of people who had just recently disembarkd waiting for taxis.

We walked by the fountain of King Neptune.

This beautiful building was across from the waterfront.

This was one of the Neo-classical buildings in a large open square. *Allura* is off to the right.

Allura tied up early this morning after completing a cruise that started in Istanbul.

Oceania *Allura* is a beautiful ship with pleasing lines.

Jasmine wanted to find a store to buy a cable to charge her Apple AirPods. We found a small store on our way back to the hotel that sold such stuff but which did not open for another twenty minutes. The proprietor was inside and opened the door when he saw us looking in. Jasmine told him what she wanted and he motioned inside. He had exactly what she wanted. She paid him and off we went. He was very friendly. I like Italians.

On our way back we passed a beautiful church that looked forified with a tall iron fence surrounding it. It was a Serbian Orthodox Church. Too bad we could not get in, we thought. We walked around to the side where the iron fence was open. To our surprise, the door was open and we walked in. The photos speak for themselves and to the beauty of this Baroque church.

Jasmine taking a photo of the outside of the Serbian Church before we realized we could get inside.

The Serbian Orthodox Church. There was an imposing high wrought iron fence surrounding the church, or so we thought. On our way back to the hotel we went down the street to the right and found an opening to a door that was open.

This mosaic is what drew us to this church in the first place before we found a way in.

A beautiful dome with Orthodox iconography.

Another scene of the dome and the archway soffits.

At the end of the street with the Serbian church was a Catholic Church. It, too, was open so in we went. It was not nearly as ornately decorated as the Serbian church but it, too, was appealing to the eye – at least my eye and Jasmine’s.

The Catholic Church nave and high altar.

Very nice interior dome and archway soffit architecture.

We packed up and checked out at noon. The lobby was packed with people heading for the ship. Most were looking for taxis. Jasmine rustled up an Uber for us and off we went to the pier. There was little hassle going through security after dropping off our luggage and getting our cabin key badge. We did not have to wait long before we walked up the gangway. We wandered how long it would be before we recognized one of the crew.

The Uber driver let us off right next to the ship embarkation point. We first dropped off our bags under the white tent and proceeded to checkin.

Blythe and Jasmine check in and get their keycards.

After passing through security we headed to the ship. Usually there is an elevated walkway to get to the ship. Here, we walk up an external gangway.

This is the way to get aboard to Deck 5.

The main reason Blythe and I opt for one of the Penthouse Suites is not for the butler – which we like – but for the extra room. The Penthouse Suite is fully a third bigger than the Concierge Veranda cabins. The extra room is really nice, especially on longer cruise, which we like.

Although a nice gesture, the booze is wasted on us. Because this is Blythe’s twentieth cruise credit she moves up to Platinum loyality level. So…she gets a bottle of champagne. I will get my twentieth cruise credit on our next cruise in July (I am still a Gold cruiser). Another wasted bottle of champagne.

This is the view from our balcony looking forward.

Blythe and I were able to access our cabin right away. After dropping off our carryons we headed to Terrace Cafe for lunch. Shortly after lunch, Jasmine could get into her cabin. Blythe wanted to rest so I took Jasmine on a tour of the ship. Before leaving, I check the minibar. Only one can of Canada Dry Ginger Ale. I will have to ask our butler about this, when we meet him

This is Terrace Cafe, the buffet-style restaurant where we eat most of our meals.

There is not much to Deck 16 but the putt putt course which I never see anybody using, and the pickleball court.

There is a short lap track on Deck 15, the fitness center and the spa.

Deck 14 is a busy deck with two of the specialty restaurants, Toscana and Polo Grill, and Horizons Lounge. Horizons is a quite place during the day and where afternoon tea his held. The best part of Deck 14 as far as Blythe and I are concerned is Baristas and the Creperie. On our first cruise aboard Allura last year we spent most of the time during sea days in the Baristas reading and eating crepes.

There is no deck labeled 13 as a concession to the superstitious passengers. Everybody knows that Deck 14 really is Deck 13.

Deck 12 is a busy deck with Terrace Cafe, both inside and outside, Waves Grill and Bar and the pool deck.

There is a lounge on Deck 11 that Blythe and I have access to because of the type of cabin we are staying in. We rarely take advantage of this lounge as unnecessary frivolity. There is nothing in this lounge that we cannot get elsewhere.

Blythe and I are in cabin 10044 in what is called a Penthouse Suite. It is just a little bigger than where Jasmine is staying in one of the Concierge Veranda cabin.

All passengers cabins and the Concierge Lounge. Jasmine would have access to this lounge.

Dec 6 is where Grand Dining room is located aft.

We went back to Terrace Cafe for dinner then headed up to Deck 12 for the sail away.

This is Trieste as seen from the fantail of Terrace Cafe as we sail away.

We head out into the Adriatic Sea on our way to Croatia. Looks like smooth sailing.

We sailed past the strange looking yacht. One of the crew told us this belongs to Jeff Bezos.

Back in our cabin our butler, Lincoln, came by to introduce himself. Butlers come in handy when we want something that may be difficult to get, like a specialty restaurant reservations. I asked if he could move one of currently scheduled speciality restaurant reservations to June 3 to more properly celebrate Jasmine’s birthday. He said he would see what he could do. I also asked if there was any Canada Dry Ginger Ale aboard (the Ginger Ale I had for lunch was not Canada Dry and was not quite good enough). He was not sure there was any Canada Dry on board. He will check. Come on Linc, do your butler thing and make it happen.

Look what I found when I checked the minibar this evening. Ataboy Linc. You the man. Butlers have influence.

Tuesday, May 26, 2026

Flight to Trieste

Our flights from Istanbul to Trieste via Rome on ITA Airlines, a member of Star Alliance (United Airlines)

Trieste is in the northeastern most part of Italy just a few miles from Slovenia.

We had breakfast but did not see the Adolf cat. We sat inside since it was a bit chilly this morning. We then were driven out to the airport. Things have been going very well up until now. When we got to the ticket counter to get our boarding passes the agent admonished me for not checking in two days ago. What? Nobody told me we had to check in two days ago. She said the flight was overbooked by 10%. Uh oh! We had to be in Trieste today. Visions of what we ran into last year when we could not get to Monte Carlo by train because of a railway workers’s strike and we had to Uber it all the way from Milan to Monte Carlo, a ride that costs us over $1000. We were to embark the ship on Wednesday so we had to be there today. I asked if there were any First Class seats available. Nope, none. The flight was full. She made a phone call and spoke rapid fire Turkish. When she hung up she turned to me and smiled, Ahhh, a good sign. She said there were three seats still available. It was a good thing we came out three hours in advance. Any later and those seats might have gone to someone else.

This is the view of the Hagia Sophia from our room.

We went through security and immigration then found our gate area but not our gate, which had not been assigned yet. We found a place to sit and waited, and waited. Our flight was delayed a bit. Good thing we had a three hour layover in Rome before our flight to Trieste. We thought about purchasing day passes for the lounge but by the time we found one that we could use, there was not enough time to justify the cost. We found a place to sit and wait for our flight.

Naturally our gate is at the end of the concourse a few miles away. Thank goodness for the walkways.

We finally got a gate assignment, found it and went aboard. We were not in the back but far enough. This was a wide body Airbus that was full. The flight was just under three hours long. We took off to the north and headed out over the Black Sea, which I had never seen before then flew over Bulgaria, Serbia, Bosnia, and out over the Adriatic. It was clear most of the way.

This is our first glimpse of Italy, the eastern coast.

This screen shot of the monitor in the seat in front of me is for muslims who want to pray according to the prescribed schedule. It even points toward Mecca. According this screen the next time to pray is in 4 hours and 48 minutes.

This is the northern part of the Adriatic Sea. This is the northeast part of Italy.

After we deplaned we had another long walk to our next flight. This is Jasmine in front of me.

At the airport that services Rome we tried to get into one of the lounges but they were full so we found a restaurant with an empty table and plopped down. Jasmine ordered a pizza and a spritz drink. There were two young women sitting next to us talking in American English. I asked where they were from. Denver and they are touring Europe for a few weeks. We talked about the Tattered Cover Bookstore in Denver and the Manitou Incline in Colorado Springs. Neither had attempted it. They were impressed that I had done it a few years ago. They must have thought I was too old to do it. They finally said good-bye when their flight was called. They were off to Lisbon. Safe travels…

Our flight was delayed, then delayed again. Will the hassles never end? We still did not have a gate assignment. After about an hour sitting at a table that we were not really using anymore, our flight to Trieste got a gate assignment. We worked out way to Concourse A to Gate 32. Shortly after we got there our flight was reassigned to a different gate, Gate 35. That gate was downstairs so off we went. Instead of boarding by way of a jetway we went out to the plane on a bus.

This is the ITA flight to Trieste. It seemed like we drove for miles to get from the terminal to this parked plane.

After an hour flight we landed at Trieste. We found our bags and went looking for an Uber ride to our hotel. The airport that services Trieste is about 40 km north of the port city. The first Uber car listed for about $180. We had to get to Trieste so tried to get that one. After searching for about ten minutes it stopped. No Uber rides available. Uh oh. Now what? While we stood outside of the main terminal a woman came up to me and asked if she could Uber it with us. She could not find a taxi. Sure, you can ride along with us but only if we can find a ride, too. I tried Uber again. Another search (still about $200 for a ride but nobody was responding to the search). I began talking to the woman looking for a taxi. I asked if she was on the cruise. Lo and behold, she is. Her name is Paula and she is from Argentina. I kept looking for an Uber ride regardless of the costs. I wandered around waiting for Uber to find us a drive. I looked back at Paula who signed me to hurry over. She had found a taxi driver who would take all four of us to Trieste for only €90, a bargain. We climbed aboard and off we went for Trieste. Our driver was Angelo and was very friendly and in a chatty mood. Since we were so close to the Slovenian boarder I asked him if he knew who Tadej Pogačar (pronounced Taddie Pogotcha) who is from Slovenia. Tadej has won the Tour de France four times among other cycling races in Europe. He is one of the best cyclists of all time. Angelo had heard of Tadej but was not real familiar with him. Angelo and Paula carried on a conversation most of the way to Trieste. I could tell by watching the meter that we would likely easily beat the estimated €90 fee.

We dropped Paula off first at her hotel. Ours, the Double Tree by Hilton was just around the corner. It is a very nice old building in the classical sense. I liked it right away. We lugged our bags up the steps where a guy name Ryan helped us take our bags up to our room on the fourth floor, the top floor.

This our hotel, the Double Tree by Hilton, Trieste. I really liked this hotel. The service was sterling but I also liked the neoclassical architectural style.

This beautiful soffit adorned the entrance way.

Since I did not eat anything provided on the flight from Rome to Trieste I was a little hungry and went out to look for a pizza joint. There was one still open just round the corner. I worked a little on the webpage then turned the lights out. I was beat and needed a good night’s sleep. Blythe certainly needed one. We had two rooms and Jasmine was directly across the hall from us.

This is where I got my pizza, right around the corner from the hotel.

May 24, 2026 – Istanbul

Neither of us slept well last night no doubt due to the seven hour time difference for Blythe and me and the ten hour difference for Jasmine. It did not help that Adhan (Turkish Muslim call to prayer) wailed aloud at 4:00 this morning. It did not matter for me since I was awake at 2:30 a.m., could not get back to sleep and finally surrendered and got up at 3:00 to work on the website and finish it.

As forecasted, it was sunny with moderately cool temperatures. We walked down to the terrace restaurant for a very good continental breakfast. As usual, the staff were very friendly and helpful. We each ordered a coffee drink and scrambled eggs, which were delivered to our table on the terrace in the shadow of the Hagia Sophia. There are dozens of stray cats running around and two of them took a special interest in us. One of them sat next to my chair and looked up at me expectantly. He had fur color pattern the made him look like Adolf Hitler, at least have one a Hitler mustache. In addition to the latte I got and the scrambled eggs, we each got a Turkish kabab with Turkish sausage and some of the best cooked feta cheese I have ever had. I went back for more. I also had a slice of baguette with olives mixed in, and a croissant.

European Turkey is separated from Asian Turkey by the Bosporus. The Golden Horn is not a river as it looks.

This is the door to the building where our hotel room is located.

We had breakfast outside on the terrace on the right, up the steps.

The cat with the half-Hitler mustache who sat and watched us eat breakfast.

The building with our room is on the right. This is the cobblestone road down to the gateway to the courtyard and the hotel lobby. No cars on this road, only the buggy foot traffic.

The gateway leads to a courtyard and the entrance to our hotel.

This is the main entrance to the hotel as seen from the courtyard just behind the gate. The Hotel is large and encompasses several buildings

This is the cobblestone street down from the hotel. The cistern restaurant with the rust-colored awning is where we will have dinner this evening.

We had a very busy day planned so we took of at 9:30 and walked the short distance (just around the corner from the hotel) to the entrance to the Hagia Sophia. There was no line this early and, with our tickets, we walked right in. To my great disappointment, not only was there scaffolding on the outside, but inside, too. Nearly the entire main room below the dome was filled with huge steel scaffolding reaching to the ceiling of the dome. Because of this, the mosque was essentially closed. There was nobody on the main floor. I so much wanted Jasmine to see this beautiful mosque (formally, church). We did, however, get to see the beautiful mosaics.

Wearing their scarfs, Blythe and Jasmine head up the well-worn steps to the Hagia Sophia.

Seeing this large steel scaffolding was a big disappointment. I so wanted Jasmine to see this beautiful mosque.

This is what it looked like in 2024.

The capitals are nothing like the Greek and Roman capitals

This is one of the beautiful mosaics of Jesus in Hagia Sophia placed here during the Byzantine period when it was an Orthodox Church. In the middle, Jesus is sitting on the throne; Emperor Constantine IX Monomachos on the left and Empress Zoe on the right.

This is a close up of Jesus. The halo surrounding his head is a cruciform halo. Unlike saints who typically have a plain circular halo, Jesus is frequently depicted with a cross inscribed inside or extending beyond his halo. This cross symbolizes the Crucifixion and the Resurrection.

In addition to the ceiling restoration, I think they should also restore these walls with a new paint job.

Another mosaic of Jesus some of which has been lost.

A closer view of Jesus’s face showing the cruciform halo.

A closer view of the Jesus’s face clearing showing the little mosaic tiles.

Another mosaic of Mary holding baby Jesus.

A closer view showing Mary holding the baby Jesus.

After exiting Hagai Sophia we walked to the Basilica Cistern. I have lost tract of how many times we have been accosted by some guy trying to get us come see his carpet store or to take us on a tour. They are very aggressive and persistent. The way I deal with these guys is to simply ignore them. Eventually, they realize we are not interested and leave us alone. The worse thing you can do is to make eye contact with them. If you answer any of the questions, they have their hooks in you and only encourages them to continue to peruse you. Ignore them!

The Basilica Cistern is only a block from the Hagia Sophia and we found it right away. With out advance purchased tickets, we walked right in. Blythe particularly likes the Cistern. I reminded her and told Jasmine that the climax of the book, Inferno, by Dan Brown takes place in the Basilica Cistern. I did not think I needed to take any photos since I got such good ones last year but I ended up taking a bunch, anyway. I actually think the ones I got today were better than the ones I got last year.

There are miles of cisterns like this one under Istanbul. This one, the Basilica Cistern is now a popular tourist destination. Now there is only a few feet of water. There is a platform to walk around to see it. The climax to the story in Dan Brown’s book, *Inferno*, takes place in this cistern.

This is the same photo as the one above only turned upside down to show how good the reflection is.

The faulted ceiling looking straight up.

The plinth of one of the hundred or so columns in the cistern. The lighting is very well done here.

Of the over 300 columns in the cistern, two have plinths made up of an inverted Medusa head. The Medusa is generally described as a woman with living snakes in place of hair; her appearance was so hideous that anyone who looked upon her was turned to stone. It is not known why the Medusa heads inside the Basilica Cistern are positioned upside down and sideways, however, their angles create an eerie atmosphere, which adds to the overall charm of the underground cistern. The Medusa heads are one of the few surviving examples of ancient Greek sculpture in Istanbul. The dimly lit cistern with its rows of columns and reflections on the water creates a stunning visual experience that is truly unforgettable. The Medusa heads add to the beauty of this ancient site. When we get to Florence in a couple of weeks we will see a Caravaggio’s Head of Medusa. It is not certain why the head is upside down.

This statue of the Medusa throws an eerie shadow on the wall in the background. The snakes that comprise her hair are clearly seen.

This appears to be the remains of a Greek Corinthian capital, one of only a few in the cistern. The acanthus leaves are a little damaged.

Another plinth eerily bathed in green light.

The tear drop column—also known as the “Weeping Column” or “Hen’s Eye Column”— is a famous, moisture-damp column in the cistern. Its unique carvings and persistent dampness are widely believed to be a memorial tribute to the hundreds of slaves who died during the cistern’s construction. This is the only example of this type of column in the cistern.

Another nice photo of the reflected vaulted ceiling

I am not certain why this section of the bottom of the cistern is bathed in green light. It just adds to the mystery of the cistern.

Originally, we planned to see the Blue Mosque later this afternoon but after consulting the prayer scheduled for the day (it varies every day) we decided we had time before the next prayer scheduled for 1:25 p.m. We walked along the Hippodrome on our way to see the Egyptian obelisk and an ablution fountain. We then followed a crowd of tourists lead by a guide who spoke English through the mosque walled entrance. Blythe and Jasmine had to wear a scarf to cover their heads and a shirt to cover their shoulder. We had to take off our shoes, which we stored in a cubbyhole just inside the entrance to the mosque. This really an impressive building with its tens of thousands of blue and read tiles that make up the sides and ceiling of the domes. There is a section that is cordoned off from the rest of the mosque that is located beneath lights than hang from the ceiling. Women are never allowed in the enclosed area where men often pray in large groups. There was a sign prominently displayed that said that there was no admittance. Some people ignored this admonition and walked in including some young boys who ran around inside as if it was recess time. If they could do this, then I could walk in there, too. I went in and got several good videos of the dome and walls. I think videos reveal the beauty better than still photos.

After visiting the Basilica Cistern and before we went to the Blue Mosque, we stopped at this outdoor restaurant for a much needed drink and what we hoped was baklava. We also needed the rest from all the walking we had done up to this point. Alas, what the waitress brought us was not even close to we have come to expect in a good piece of baklava. Still, the lemonade was delicious and served to rehydrate us. I drank two.

The waiter insisted this was baklava. We did not think so. It had a hard outer sweet shell and was filled with some kind of cream. Not what we expected. We will find another later.

Jasmine takes a breather after visiting Hagia Sophia and the Basilica Cistern.

The Hagia Sophia with scaffolding and tarps over the dome marring the otherwise good view of the mosque. This is the middle of Sultan Ahmet Square.

The fountain located in the historic Hippodrome is the German Fountain. Built in Germany and transported in pieces to Istanbul in 1900, it was given to the city by German Emperor Wilhelm II to commemorate his 1898 visit.

The exquisite mosaic ceiling of the German Fountain.

Blythe and Jasmine in the Hippodrome on their way to the Blue Mosque .

A frequent site in Istanbul. These women at least are wearing some color. Most of the Hijabs were black.

An Egyptian obelisk at one end of the hippodrome.

We fell in with a tour group led by a guy speaking English. We followed them into the Blue Mosque. The public is only allowed in the mosque before and after posted prayer times. Pray times vary from day to day. We consulted the internet to see when the next pray time was. It was about 1:30 p.m. We went in around noon so we had plenty of time to see what I think is the most beautiful example of Islamic art and architecture. I first visited the Blue Mosque when I toured Istanbul in 2004. I visited again in 2006 and last year. Blythe and I and our fried Jenny were visiting Istanbul as part of a general tour of Turkey but the mosque was closed. We were sorely disappointed.

The ablution fountain at the Blue Mosque. It is used for ritual cleansing before entering the mosque to pray.

A guy going through the ritual cleansing at the Blue Mosque ablution fountain.

One of six minarets at the Blue Mosque. There are only a few mosques with six minarets. Most have four or two. Some small mosques may have only one. It is from one of these minarets that the call to prayer is wailed over the city. We had to endure this eerie sound at 4:30 a.m. each morning.

A tourist cannot just simply walk into the mosque wearing anything he, or she, wants. Women have to have their shoulders and head covered with a scarf. We were prepared for this. Others arrived without a scarf but were provided with a loaner. Guys who showed up in shorts were given a skirt to wear to cover their bare legs. We also had to take our shoes off before entering the mosque. A shelf was provided to stow the shoes.

This is where the imam speaks to the faithful who kneel and pray in this cordoned off part of the main floor.

I went wandering off to get photos and videos. Whey I began to look for Jasmine and Blythe it was a little difficult because all the women had to wear these scarves. I could almost believe the woman with the red scarf on the left is Blythe.

The light ring is suspended from the dome ceiling.

These two guys came here wearing shorts and were given these skirts to wear while in the mosque.

We came out of the mosque and wandered around this courtyard.

Back at the hippodrome we saw the Serpent Column.

The Hagia Sophia with the scaffolding and tarps. Too bad.

A souvenir stand on our way back to the hotel to rest before heading to the Grand Bazaar.

This the road back to our hotel. Looking back at the Blue Mosque.

The building on the corner is where we had a drink and the awful excuse for a baklava.

The only other planned venue we wanted to see was the Grand Bazaar. Blythe and I walked to the Grand Bazaar last year but because of her foot problem we decided to get there by the tram that runs through Sultan Ahmet Square. The concierge in the hotel lobby was very helpful in describing where to get on the tram and how to purchase tickets. It was only two stops from Sultan Ahmet Square. The tram was packed. We quickly found the entrance to the Grand Bazaar and walked in. It felt good to be out of the sun and heat. We walked down nearly to the end of one of the main hallways. We did not go down any of the side hallways to avoid getting lost. This place is huge. On both sides of the hallways are little shops that most people just passed by without going it to actually buy something. There were lots of gold and jewelry shops, candy and spice shops, carpet shops, leather goods shops, and on and on…

On our way to the Grand Bazaar we passed this restaurant. This guy cut me a sample to eat.

Blythe and Jasmine pose outside the entrance to the Grand Bazaar.

There are miles of these hallways with shops lining both sides. They just seem to go on forever.

Not only are there sites to titillate the eye but also the scents, the nose.

We stopped in a restaurant that Blythe and I stopped in last year and got what turned out to be a rather expensive class of lemonade and some cashew baklava. Jasmine got a gluten-free baklava. By now we were getting tired and sore from all the walking on uneven surfaces. We still had the Hamman to do, too. We took the tram back to Sultan Ahmet Square and walked back to the hotel.

The restaurant where we got the baklava and lemonade.

A Turkish bath, also called a hammam, is a traditional bathing practice that has been an important part of Turkish culture for centuries. It combines steam, warm water, and deep cleansing in a special bathhouse designed for relaxation and hygiene. The hammam experience usually includes resting in a heated room, washing the body, and exfoliating the skin with a scrub. The women get their bath in a separate part of the building than then men. Women give women the bath and men give men baths. Once, though in Pamukkale in 2024 a woman gave me the bath. Not to worry. Everything is above board. Unlike a massage the guys wear little paper shorts as I did today. According to Jasmine and Blythe, they wore little g-string thinkies. No top.

My guy’s name was Byron. He took me to a little room and set me down next to a fountain and turned on the very warm water. I spent about ten minutes pouring the water on myself head-to-toe. Byron came back and using a rather abrasive mitten began massaging me rubbing off layers of dead skin in an exfoliation process. I was surprised how much of my skin came off. He then poured more warm water over me to get ride of the dead skin. Next, he took me to a central room and had me lie on a very hard slab of marble. There were several other guys in various stage of the hammam. He poured bubbles over my entire body and began rubbing them into my skin. I did not like this particular part of the hammam because it was uncomfortable to lie on my stomach on the hard marble. Next he washed my hair and poured more warm water over me (the hammam requires lot of warm water). He then wrapped a towel around my waist then reached up and pulled my little paper shorts off. I was never completely exposed. He wrapped another towel around my head that made me look like King Tut. I went out to the main room where Byron brought me some hot tea and Turkish candy. I could stay as long as I wanted but drank my tea, got dressed, and went to find Blythe and Jasmine. We each remarked how much better we felt after the hammam. I had none of the leg or back pain that I had before from all the walking. Blythe and Jasmine also very much enjoyed their hammam experience. We felt rejuvenated.

This is the “lobby” of the Hammam where, after we change into our cute little paper shorts and towel, our Turkish bather comes to get us.

A nice place to rest and relax after the hammam.

A view of the “lobby” from the second floor.

After Byron came to get me we went through the door to the left to the steam room.

While I waited for Blythe and Jasmine to come out after their hammam I watched the two guys playing backgammon. Notice the tea and the hookah smoking pipe and, of course, an iPhone.

A nice view of the Hagia Sophia. Too bad about the scafolding.

The Topkapi Palace wall near the Hagia Sophia.

We had dinner in the cistern restaurant where Blythe and I ate last year. Jasmine got sea bass; Blythe got crispy shrimp and squid and I got a delicious chicken shish with creamy orzo. For dessert, we stopped in a little shop on our way back to the hotel and got some baklava.

Just down from our hotel room on our way to dinner.

The cistern restaurant is on the right with the awnings.

The Sarnic, what we called the cistern restaurant is just a short walk from our hotel.

On old cistern turned into a nice restaurant. Blythe and I ate here last year.

Reflection of the overhead lights on the wine glass.

Chicken Shish with creamy orzo. Yum yum.

The view of the cobblestone street just outside our room.

After dinner we went looking for some baklava.

Back at the hotel I arranged for the van to take us back to the airport tomorrow morning for our flight to Trieste. It was a very full but enjoyable day and we were tired.

Jasmine Graduation Cruise

Oceania Allura – the latest ship in the Oceania fleet.

Let me first set the record straight about my relationship with Jasmine. I now refer to her as “my” or “our” daughter when mentioning her to friends to avoid awkward explanations. She is, in fact, my stepdaughter, Blythe’s daughter.

Jasmine will graduate from medical school this year. About a year ago Blythe and I scheduled a cruise for Jasmine as a way to celebrate this momentous occasion before she begins her post-medical school residency. We wanted to take her on a special cruise to some places she has never been to before. We chose an eleven day cruise around Italy with our favorite cruise line, Oceania. It would be a shame to travel all the way to Europe just for a two week cruise and not take advantage of being so near some other interesting places to visit, so we tacked on some fun stuff before and after.

Blythe and I had such a good time touring the iconic tourist sites in Istanbul last fall that we decided to take Jasmine there, too. Since we end our cruise in Civitavecchia – yeah, I have a hard time pronouncing it, too – and, since we so enjoyed seeing the beautiful art and architecture of Renaissance Rome, Florence, and Milan, we decided to add these cities to the itinerary at the end of the cruise.

I put together a very complicated tour of Istanbul and Italy that is packed full of scheduled tours of iconic sites in all of these cities. To meet all these scheduled tours we can ill afford delays and certainly not any travel cancellation as we had last year in Milan that forced us to Uber it all the way from Milan to Monte Carlo. If it all comes together as planned, we will see some very famous churches and art.

In preparation for our tour of Italy I have reread Dan Brown’s books, Angels and Demons and Inferno. In addition to being exceptionally clever stories, Brown describes the art of Renaissance Italy that further piqued my interest. I have also reread Ross King’s book, Brunelleschi’s Dome, a good description of the design and building of the dome over the high altar in Santa Maria del Fiore, the Cathedral of Florence. I have also been reading about some of the most famous paintings in the world that we will see in the Uffizi Gallery and the Palazzo Vecchio where I hope to see Danti’s death mask among other famous paintings. Most of Brown’s book, Inferno, takes place in Florence, hence my renewed interest in the art of Florence. which plays a pivotal role in the story. I hope our tour of Santa Maria del Fiore includes getting into the San Giovanni Baptistry. I want to see the dome ceiling fresco and the famous bronze doors. Even though I have been to Florence a number of times, I have never been in the Baptistry. Of course, what would a visit to Florence be without a visit to the Academia to see Michelangelo’s David. That is scheduled with our Duomo tour. We also plan to visit Santa Croce on our own to see some tombs of famous personages.

In Rome we have a scheduled tour of the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica. Although not part of this tour, we plan to go up to Michelangelo’s dome to the roof of St. Peter’s. I walked up the steps to the top in September last year and had a beautiful view of St. Peter’s Square and the dome, both from the inside and the outside. Seeing these famous examples of Renaissance art and architecture inspired me to reread Angels and Demons. On our own, we plan to visit the other famous tourists sites in Rome including Trevi Fountain, the Colosseum, and one of my favorite places, the Pantheon, in my opinion, one of the most interesting architectural edifices of ancient Rome. The Pantheon plays a minor role in Angels and Demons.

I also hope to squeeze in a visit to three beautiful Bernini churches, Basilica of Santa Maria del Popolo, Santa Maria della Vittoria to see the exquisite Bernini statue of the Ecstasy of Saint Teresa, and the church of St. Agnes in Agony in the Piazza Navona to see the Bernini fountain, The Fountain of the Four Rivers. These three venues played a prominent role in Angels and Demons.

In Milan we will be on a tour of the cathedral of Milan, Basilica of the Nativity of Saint Mary, which includes a walk on the roof of the church. We are also scheduled for a tour of Santa Maria dell Grazie to see da Vinci’s The Last Supper, which I have never seen before.

Jasmine has never been to any of these places and Blythe and I have not seen some of the artwork that I hope to see. If we meet the train schedules and get to the tours on time, we will see some very famous artwork. Jasmine was an art history major so this should be special to her, too.

Jasmine started her trip to Istanbul by first flying from Spokane to Seattle where she had about four hour layover.

After a quiet time in the lounge at Seatac, she boarded her Turkish Airline direct flight to Istanbul.

After about two hours of quietude in the lounge at O’Hare Blythe and I boarded our Turkish Airline direct flight to Istanbul.

Dan Brown’s book, *Angels and Demons*, inspired me to see some of the architectural wonders and art of Renaissance Rome.

Dan Brown’s book was an entertaining read in preparation for seeing some beautiful art in Florence.

Rereading this book by Ross King further inspired me to see Brunelleschi’s Dome and to take the steps to the top.

This book described some of the famous paintings we will see in the Uffizi Gallery, especially some Botticelli’s.

This coffee table-size book provided details of some of the art we will see in Florence.

May 23, 2026

Flight to Istanbul

Our friend, John, drove us to Purdue West (what I called the Service Center when I was a student at Purdue) arriving well in advance of our shuttle to O’Hare. The van was full so that Blythe and I had to sit in two different rows. I sat next to a young couple who were obviously Purdue students on their way home now that the semester is over. It was a pleasantly cool sunny day.

I made a comment to the guy next to me about his owl tattoo. One thing led to another and he had his girlfriend spend the entire time it took to get to O’Hare in conversation. Adil was from Kazakhstan and his girlfriend, Liza, is from Russia. I practiced my rudimentary Russian on them. They are on their way to Seattle where Adil works as a software programmer. Liza just graduated with a degree in biomedical science and hopes to find a job in Seattle. Because of our conversation, the ride to Chicago went by quickly.

My Central Asian friends, Adil and Liza.

We got the red carpet treatment at the Turkish Airlines ticket counter where we checked our bags and got passes to the Polish Airlines lounge (there is no Turkish Airlines lounge as we used in Washington Dulles two years ago).

Using Clear we zipped through security and were through within five minutes and on our way to find the lounge.

The Polish lounge is not very big and was crowded when we got there. We grabbed a little bite to eat and a Ginger Ale and settled in for the hour and a half wait before we could board our flight. It was noisy. At the food line there was a particularly good bowl of sweet dates (no pits).

Blythe waits her turn to go through the food line.

This is our plane, Turkish Airlines Boeing 777 TK 006..

Several cancellations…but not our flight. We are on time departure.

We are settled in to our seats in Row 3.

The “chef” comes around while we are still on the ground to take our dinner order. I got the steak. Big mistake.

Coming out of Chicago it was a little rough but was otherwise a smooth and pleasant flight to Istanbul. As soon as it was smooth enough to read, I settle back with my book, The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown.

This looks good but it was not. The steak – it looks like a filet – was the worst steak I have ever had. I needed a chainsaw to cut through it. It was like shoe leather. It was as tough as any steak I have ever had. I later learned that Jasmine ordered the same entree and she, too, did not like it. The potatoes were better tasting.

After dinner I read a bit more reading then got sleepy, flattened out my seat and dozed off for a couple hours.

This was our great circle route that went just south of Greenland.

Jasmine’s flight took her well north over the center of Greenland.

This is our plane at the gate in Istanbul. We arrived pretty much on time.

With about three hours before landing the lights were turned on in our cabin and breakfast served. I was so full – despite not finishing the shoe-leather of a steak – that I only ate the fruit and orange juice. It was clear and sunny over European Turkey as we flew into Istanbul.

We deplaned and headed to immigration (passport control). This is a big airport and we had a long way to walk. The concourses seemed to just go on forever.

Fortunately for Blythe, who was still wearing the boot on her right foot, there were some moving walkways to speed our walk along.

This was the end of a long line to get to passport control. Notice the woman wearing the black hijab. We saw several of these devote Muslim women in the airport. Most just wore a scarf over the heads.

Passport control was packed. I have never seen immigration so full. Fortunately, the line moved quickly.

To kill time while we waited for Jasmine, I wondered through Duty Free. I came upon this deal. Only 21,500€ for this bottle of booze. Hey, it was on sale, down from 24,999€, a bargain.

We arrived about two hours in advance of Jasmine’s flight. Rather than continue to customs we got our bags and stayed in baggage claim to wait for Jasmine. She arrived about twenty minutes earlier than scheduled. Her bag was already on the baggage carousel. We grabbed it and went through customs without anybody paying any attention to us. They might as well get rid of customs. We do not have to fill out a customs form anymore and there is nobody to check us out as we exit.

We had a short walk from customs to Door 9 where a guy was waiting for us with a sign with my name on it. This was exactly how it worked in August last year.

He was right where we were told he would be. He made a phone call to whistle up our car and off we went.

After a short walk we came to the garage where our driver soon pulled up. He did not speak very good English but was very pleasant, pointing out important places as we drove into Istanbul including the Golden Horn, the Galata Bridge, some big mosques, and the Topkapi Palace, now a museum. It was a partly sunny day but cool with temperatures in the mid 60s. Just like last year, our driver drove us into the old city as far as the narrow gobble stone streets allowed. We then boarded a buggy like a big golf cart and were whisked to our hotel, the Hagia Sophia Mansion by Hilton, the same place we stayed last year.

Our buggy ride to the hotel when the street became too narrow for the van. Our driver was a very pleasant young man who spoke good English. Our van driver is on the left at the back of the buggy. So far, we had been given exceptionally good and friendly service. I like Turkey.

Blythe and Jasmine are settled into the buggy for our short ride to the hotel.

We chose this hotel because of its proximity to the places we plan to visit tomorrow, the Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, and the Basilica Cistern. We were warmly greeted at the desk while we checked in. The pleasant guy at the desk thanked me for being a Hilton Honers Diamond member and told us we had a complementary upgrade to a bigger suite. We then spent some time with the concierge who helped us arrange for advanced skip-the-line tickets to the Hagia Sophia and the Basilica Cistern.

After settling into our room, we hit the gobble stone road and walked the short distance to Sultan Ahmet Square, the site of the three venues we want to see. We walked right by the entrance to Hagia Sophia. Unfortunately, most of the dome is enshrouded with scaffolding and tarps blocking any good view of this formally Byzantine church then museum, now a mosque. We walked through the square past the Hamman where we will get a Turkish bath tomorrow afternoon, the same place where Blythe and I got one in August last year.

To clarify, Blythe and I were here last year for a swim race I participated in across the Dardanelles. Before heading down to the Gallipoli Peninsulas where the race took place, we spent a couple of days in Istanbul seeing the same places that we brought Jasmine here to see.

Sultan Ahmet Square is THE place to visit in the old city of Istanbul and a very popular tourist spot. It is home to what I think is the most beautiful example of Islamic art and architecture, the Blue Mosque. The sheer size of the dome over the church-now-mosque that is the Hagia Sophia is mind blowing. It started out as an Eastern Orthodox Church begun in A.D. 360. How this edifice was built to support the huge dome without modern building equipment and computers is beyond me. It boggles the mind. The first time I knew anything about the Hagia Sophia was from the James Bond movie, From Russia with Love. In the movie the evil SPECTRE agent, played by Robert Shaw, kills some guy in the Hagia Sophia. There is also a scene from the movie in the Basilica Cistern.

We crossed the street and found a restaurant with a menu that we liked. Blythe got some yummy shrimp; Jasmine got some goat cheese with beets, and I got what amounted to a Turkish pizza. To top off our dinner Jasmine got a rice pudding and we split three baklavas. Well, we actually did not spilt the baklava. Blythe did not have one so I had two. Good baklava is reason enough to come to Turkey.

Before we were served our entrees the waiter, who spoke practically no English, served us this Turkish pita bread with some yummy dip. When he placed it on the table it looked like a large loaf of bread. When I grabbed it to tear off a piece, it popped. It was very thin like a balloon. Blythe drank a lemonade, Jasmine had an Aperol spritz, and I got my usual Ginger Ale even though it was not Canada Dry. It was a tolerable substitute for Canada Dry Ginger Ale. My Turkish pizza looked like a canoe. Cost for this meal was 6000 ₺ (Turkish lira), far more than I expected it to cost.

As we walked back to our hotel I took this photo of the Blue Mosque.

Iwo Jima Tour 2026

Tuesday, March 17, 2026

This afternoon I took the shuttle up to O’Hare to begin my annual tour to Iwo Jima. It was not an auspicious start. Usually I fly out of O’Hare, especially if I am flying internationally, as I am tomorrow. But my last flight – two weeks ago – was from Indy, which means I pick up the shuttle on the Lafayette side of town, the Courtyard by Marriott. When I fly out of O’Hare I take the shuttle from Purdue West in West Lafayette. Well, I inadvertently went to the Courtyard by Marriott instead of Purdue West. Fortunately a shuttle pulled up right away. Wrong shuttle. This one was going to Indy. If this shuttle had not pulled up when it did, I would have gone inside and not realized my mistake. The driver pointed out my error. I quickly threw my bags back into the car, called Lafayette Limo and told her I was on my way over to the West Side. I had twenty-five minutes to get there. I got there just as the correct shuttle pulled up. One good thing about doing it this way: I got to kiss Blythe good-bye again.

The ride up to Chicago was uneventful as the traffic moved well. I passed the time by watching old Purdue basketball games on YouTube from my iPhone. I am getting in the mood since Purdue’s drubbing of Michigan on Friday. Boiler up!

Because of the likely long lines at the security, I asked for a 4:30 a.m. wake up call in addition to my phone alarm. I want to get there in plenty of time to get through security for my anticipated 9:40 a.m. departure tomorrow.

I am looking forward to going back to Iwo Jima since I have not been able to get there the past two years. In 2024 the trip was cancelled because of the volcanic eruption just off the invasion beaches. Last year there just was not enough seats on the United charter flight. I went out to Guam anyway and conducted tours of Saipan, Tinian, and Peleliu. This is one of my favorite tours, especially Iwo Jima and Tinian. I am very eager to see the progress on North Field to reclaim the old World War II airstrips used during the war to bomb Japan including the two atomic missions. My last time on Iwo Jima was in 2023 when it was brutally hot. I had a big group then, nearly thirty. This year I have eighteen passengers most of whom are also going to Saipan, Tinian, and Peleliu. Some, who have been with me during the tour to Saipan and Tinian, and Peleliu, the past two years are only going to Iwo Jima. This is a very complicated tour as we are flying to five different island battlefields, staying in multiple hotels and coming and going from diverse locations. Some are coming from Korea and some from Japan and still others from the Philippines. There are a few flying to Guam with me from Honolulu on Friday. About half of the group have been on tours with me in the past including three who were with me on the Bilikiki cruise last year. This should be a fun tour.

This is the view of Mt. Suribachi and the 5th MarDiv invasion beaches in 2023. This is what I hope to see next week on our way to Iwo Jima.

Wednesday, March 18, 2026

My alarm and wake up call got me up and out of bed at 4:30 a.m. After a quick shower I was out the door at 4:45 and on my way to the terminal that services United. I spent about one minute to get my baggage tags (I checked in with the United app yesterday and already had my boarding pass on my phone) and headed for security. I have Clear that allows me to bypass the long lines. This early the lines were not too bad. After a quick facial recognition scan I walked up to the agent and was waved through. Total time in security: less than five minutes. Pretty neat. The line to the Starbucks just beyond security was much longer and moved ever so slowly. I finally gave up and headed for Terminal B. I found another Starbucks where the line went by faster and got my latte fix. Next, I found the United lounge and parked myself in a comfortable seat and went for a bagel and some fruit and two cups of orange juice. I read from my book, Savage Son by Jack Carr, the third in the series about a former Navy SEAL after bad guys.

This is where I left my bag after getting the tag. These are navy recruits from Great Lakes Naval Base. There are waiting to unload their seabags. I was told to jump in front of them where I got my tags right away. No hassles. These sailors look so young.

These are the Clear facial recognition stations. I just have to stand in front of one, it scans my face, recognizes me and I go to an agent and onto security.

When I am in O’Hare I always like to walk past this replica of Lt. Edward “Butch” O’Hare’s F4F *Wildcat*. He is the namesake of the airport. While flying CAP off the USS *Lexington* early in the war he shot down five Japanese planes and saved the Lexington. For this he became the first ace of the war for which he received the Medal of Honor. He was subsequently shot down during the first night action from a carrier. He and his plane were never sen again.

My flight to Honolulu was delayed about an hour after I boarded so that the plane could be deiced. I settled into my seat and started reading. I got a breakfast and a lunch during the flight plus some goodies whenever I wanted some. I spent nearly the entire eight and a half hour flight reading from my book. Over the Pacific the turbulence got rough and bounced us all over the sky. It got so bad at one point that I had to put my book down. This lasted about an hour.

We landed in Honolulu fifteen minutes late somehow having made up the time en route. It was partly cloudy as we flew past Pearl Harbor. I looked for the USS Arizona memorial but did not see it. Had I been in a window seat on the port side of the plane I would have been able to spot it.

My plane parked at the jetway at Honolulu.

As I exited the plane onto the jetway I immediately felt the humidity. I collected my bags right away without having to wait very long and headed for the Uber pickup. For an eight mile ride to the hotel it cost $40! There was a crowd at the check-in desk, but I got in right away and up to my room. From my balcony on the twenty-second floor I could see Diamond Head but only part of it because of a hotel in the way.

I rode past this on my way to the hotel. Dinner tomorrow evening?

The hotel obstructed the view from my balcony of Diamond Head.

I am tired…

Thursday, March 19, 2026

I fell asleep around 7:00 p.m. yesterday and was awake again at about 3:00 a.m. today. It will take a couple of days before I get adjusted to the time zone difference (Honolulu is six hours behind the Eastern Standard Time (Lafayette, Indiana)). I got up and looked out the balcony and it was raining as forecasted.

I read the paper (Wall Street Journal on my iPhone), worked a crossword puzzle and read a bit from my book just to pass the time until 7:00 when I went down to find something for breakfast. My first inclination was to get a croissant and a latte at the Starbucks in the lobby but was dissuaded because of the long line. I wasted about fifteen minutes in the Starbucks line at O’Hare yesterday and did not want to repeat that mistake. The Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort is very much a village. There are several hotel towers here, several souvenir shops, and restaurants that make up the complex. I wandered around until I found one I used during the Valor Tours tour to Pearl Harbor in 2021. I was co-guide that year for 100 passengers. T.J. was my waiter. T.J. had a pleasant disposition and was quite friendly. I got a serving of three croissants (very tiny), some overly strong coffee and an orange juice. The restaurant was open to the outside and gave me a good view of the beach and Pacific Ocean. A pesky pigeon alighted near my table and brazenly strutted up to my feet pecking away at the floor for a tidbit of food. I shooed him away but, undeterred, he returned. I shooed him away again, this time for good.

Another long line to Starbucks, too long for me.

The view from my seat at breakfast this morning. The Pacific is pacific but not very inviting.

The forecast is for continued gloomy weather all day with a let up in the rain but not the cloudy skies later today. I spoke with some of the guests who said yesterday was a nice day but for the most part the weather has not been very good recently. Clouds and fog cover the mountains to the north. The beach is all but vacant.

It is not a pretty day. I have been coming to Honolulu every year for since 2023 for the Iwo Jima tour and this is the crummiest weather yet. Still…it beats the snow and cold back in Indiana. At least it is green and the only white is the buildings.

I went back to my room mid-morning and read my book and worked on this webpage. I may go out later for a walk if the rain holds off.

Part of the tranquil surroundings at the Hilton Hawaiian Village.

It may look like the sun is shining but it is not. Nobody was in the pool.

Late in the morning the weather actually worsened. Compare to photo above. Good day to stay in and read.

I could not help myself. I did go to Ruth’s Chris for dinner this evening. There are two Ruth’s Chris in Honolulu. My friend, Roger, and I went to the one I went to this evening about twenty-five or thirty years ago. Blythe and I went to the other one when we stopped here on a cruise. I am rarely disappointed with a Ruth’s Chris experience, and this evening was no exception. As usual, I got a shrimp cocktail, and then a Caesar salad. But it was the fillet that was exceptionally good. The chef got it perfect, medium. Usually when I get a medium fillet it is just a tiny bit rare for my taste. I can make up for this by laying the fillet on the cut side on the sizzlingly hot plate that continues to cook it. Works every time. I elected to get both the shrimp cocktail and the Caesar salad instead of the dessert. Getting the dessert would have been gluttony. I walked out sated and very satisfied. I Ubered it back to the hotel. Big day tomorrow. Meeting some of my passengers and flying to Guam.

One of two Ruth’s Chris steak houses in Honolulu.

Friday, March 20, 2026

Again, I was up and wide awake at 3:00 a.m. I slept well but not enough. The skies lightened a little to reveal more fog in the upper elevations of the mountains and rain everywhere.

I went down to the same restaurant for breakfast. I stopped at the Starbucks for my latte fix since the line was much shorter. The waitress at the restaurant was entertaining. She looked at me and said, “Are you going to work today.” How did she know? I asked her, “How did you know?” She later said she had an intuition. I told her I was not here on vacation but on my way to Guam to lead a tour to Iwo Jima and the Marianas. She giggled. She came back and told me that sometimes she can tell by looking at someone what line of work they are in. I asked her to guess mine. She looked me over and said, “You a doctor?” My jaw dropped. Spooky. Pele is loose here in Honolulu. Only kidding, Bob.

On my way to breakfast. It is just starting to sprinkle.

While I noshed on my teeny croissants the rain began to come down harder. Oddly, I saw a few couples walking along the beach. I felt sorry for people who came here in the hope of sunshine and swaying palm trees. The rain downpour only intensified. Heading back to the tower where my room is, is not all undercover. I waited for about thirty minutes for the rain to let up but it only came down harder and puddles started to grow. Finally, I decided to make a dash for it.

This is the pool just outside the restaurant. It is just a miserable day.

Not a good day for wandering along the beach.

This is where I made my dash to get to the other tower where my room is.

I will be heading out to the airport in a couple of hours for my scheduled 3:05 p.m. departure. So far, there have been no announced delays. I hope to find a few of my passengers who will also be flying to Guam today. Since they all independently made travel arrangements to get to Guam, I do not know who is flying with me this afternoon. I just hope everybody ends up in Guam. As we will cross the International Date Line, we arrive tomorrow evening, Saturday.

Even though it is only 9:00 a.m. here, this will be all for today…

Saturday, March 21, 2026

The flight to Guam departed pretty much on time in the middle of the afternoon on Friday. I tried to start a new book but was just a little too tired to read so I watched the old movie classic, Casablanca. Two meals were served during the flight. The first meal service was interrupted by turbulence, which did not last long.

We landed in Guam pretty much on time. It was already dark but I could see some stars that gave me hope that the weather would hold for tomorrow when we tour Saipan. The four of us on this flight took a Hilton shuttle to the hotel where I met some more of my passengers. We were not all staying at the Hilton but scattered in three different hotels. I would prefer that we all stay at the same but since people could pick which hotel they wanted, I had no control over it. I was able to call or text everybody and told them to meet at the United ticket counter at 6:00 a.m.

I was dead tired and went right to bed around 8:00 p.m. and fell promptly to sleep.

Sunday, March 22, 2026

I woke around 4:00 a.m. and read the paper before finally getting up at 4:45 and heading down to the lobby for our shuttle ride back to the airport. There I met the rest of the eleven passengers.

The flight to Saipan was on about twenty minutes in the air. We collected our bags then went through immigration. Outside we met our local guides, Gordon and John, who has been our guides the past three years. Gordon is John’s boss and cousin. John is Chamorroan and really knows the history of the Marianas and the history of the battle of Saipan. We piled into the van and took off

The view from our plan getting ready to take off. The Philippine Sea is in the distance.

Our plane at the jetway at Saipan International field, formally Isely Field, formally Alsito Field.

Cliff and I sat next to this guy, Frank, on the flight to Saipan. He lives on Saipan and served in the U.S. Army in the 100/442 (100th Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team. The 100/442 was legendary regiment during World War II composed of exclusively of Japanese Nisei (second generation Japanese). The 100/442 was the most decorated regiment during the war. Their nickname was “Go For Broke” Former Hawaiian Senator Daniel Inouye was a member of the 100/442. My new friend, Frank, served in a combat role in Iraq and Afghanistan. He retired from the Army as a LtCol.

Five of my passengers get to know each other as we wait for our bags to come through.

These are our local guides. Gordon (l) runs the company and his cousin, John (r) is our guide and driver. I have worked with these guys on three tours and they are a delight to work with. The are very accommodating. The lei was given to us by the girls waiting for outside customs.

Our local tour company, Gordon and John, arranged for these beauties to greet us as we came out of customs.

The “XX” designates the divisional boundary between the 2nd Marine Division’s landing beaches and the 4th Marine Division landing Beaches. All invasion beaches are labeled by color. Each beach is about 1000 yards wide and usually accommodates one battalion of Marines known as a Battalion Landing Team (BLT).

The island to Tinian can barely be seen on the horizon left in the distance. I took this photo from the divisional boundary. This is Blue Beach 1 where the 4th Marine Division came ashore.

This is Green Beach 3 where the 2nd Marine Division came ashore. Both this view and the one above are looking toward the Philippine Sea.

We got our first team photo at the shot up Japanese tank just back of Red Beach.

This is a Sherman medium tank sitting off Red Beach. I suggested to my passengers that we swim or wade out to this tank on Tuesday, Depending on the tied, the water depth at the tank is only about four feet. Going to this tank and climbing on it and jumping off it is one of the highlights of the tour.

While we talked about the invasion at Red Beach, this kayak paddled by the tank. I told the group that this was the Saipan Olympic rowing team. They believed me…at first. Ain’t I a stinker.

Our next stop was back to the airport to see some Japanese war relics.

This is the inside of the magazine. It is in remarkably good condition.

I climbed up to the top of the magazine to get this shot looking down at our van and the magazine entrance (curved doorway).

Is a view from the top of the magazine looking at a Japanese revetment wall.

The Japanese revetment wall. We speculate that this was to protect aircraft from a possible bomb magazine explosion.

A Japanese air raid shelter. These are all over the Pacific and they all look alike. They are in remarkably good condition attesting to the strong construction.

The interior of the air raid shelter. Watch your head!

One end of the air raid shelter. The reinforced concrete walls are about two feet thick. I have seen dozens of these around the Pacific and all were intact. They were built to take large caliber hits and still survive. Still, it must have been hell to endure a bombing.

This is a Japanese Long Lance torpedo engine. For safety purposes the warhead was not added until it was ready to be used. The Long Lance was powered by by compressed oxygen rather than compressed air as the US Navy torpedoes. Oxygen was better because it left no telltale bubbles as the American torpedoes did. The drawback was the the Oxygen could lead got catastrophic explosions.

A bombed out Japanese building near the airport.

A Japanese tank with a 47mm main gun. The pile behind the tank are the tank’s treads.

This is where we had lunch. This is different than the place we had lunch in the last two tours. There was a generation menu. I got shrimp fried rice. There was easily enough for two people.

After lunch we went to see a big Japanese bunker in the southern end of the island. Hugh and Linda wave before entering the bunker.

A view of the beach from the top of the bunker.

This was a significant bunker with five gun apertures and a gun turret on top (see the oculus in the ceiling). This bunker, as all the Japanese bunkers, was very well constructed.

This is the front of the bunker that faced the beaches. There were no landings near this bunker.

This is a close up of the front aperture. The wall here is about three feet thick.

The bunker is behind the trees on the left looking from the beach. The guns were sighted in a direction to enfilade any approach from the sea.

The view from the beach below the bunker.

There was a small gave down the beach from the bunker. Tom and Cliff are checking it out.

This bee hive was near the entrance to the cave. Cliff got stung on the arm.

Our next stop was Hill 500. This is privately owned now but during the war it was the command post of General Saito who was killed in the last Banzai charge of the war.

This is the foundation of General Saito’s command post.

This is also part of General Saito’s command post. He had a great view of all the Marine landing beaches and could direct artillery fire from here. We also had good views of Tinian in the distance.

The last stop before we ended our first day on Saipan was the Japanese jail.

This is the Japanese jail. It was built in the 1920s. During the war two American flyers who had been shot down were incarcerated here. They were inadvertantly killed during the pre-invasion bombardment,

It is speculated that Amilia Earhart was in one of these cells. Maybe, but probably not.

Monday, March 23, 2026

After the battle to take Tinian in July 1945, it was developed into the largest airfield in the world at the time. It was the primary airfield for the strategic bombing campaign of Japan and the two atomic missions.

Tinian is located about three miles southwest of Saipan

Today this is Saipan International Airport. Before the war, under Japanese occupation, it was called Aslito Airfield. After the Marines captured it, it was remanded Isely Field.

Our group of eleven flew to Tinian in two of these two-prop planes. I was located behind the co-pilot’s seat. Unfortunately the starboard engine nacelle was in the way so that I could not get good video of North Field as we flew over it.

After the American liberation renamed “Isely Field'” in honor of U.S. Navy (USN) Commander Robert H. Isely, MIA on a strike against Aslito Field. The original runway was also known as Isely Field No. 1 when a new runway was built further to the west known as Isely Field No. 2. Tinian can be seen in the distance.

This is a square foot of the original tarmac from Runway Able, the runway used for the two atomic missions.

As soon as we landed on Tinian on what used to be the Japanese Airfield No. 2, we were met by our local guide, Deb. Deb has been our local guide the past three years. She is Chamorroan and very knowledgeable about the battle. She introduced us to our driver, Peter. Peter was hard to understand but very accommodating and a good driver. It had rained all night on Saipan but the skies were partly cloudy with plenty of sunshine – at least for know.

Our first stop was a Japanese 155mm gun nestled in a cave. This gun fired several rounds at the USS Colorado, hitting it with 22 rounds. This caused many casualties and a list but it remained on station.

This is the cave behind the Japanese gun. It does not go back very far, Off to the right in the cave is a short hallway where shells may have been stored.

Runways Able and Baker are in the foreground. The bomb pits and assembly building are located as indicated. Note the proximity of North Field to Saipan and Isely Field.

This is the same view of North Field that we got when we flew from Saipan. It is now starting to look a lot like it did in 1945.

This a view of North Field in 1945 looking south. The runways, bomb pits and assembly buildings are indicated.

Another view from directly overhead of North Field. The little white dots next to the airstrips are hardstands where the bombers were parked. The hardstands remind me of a barium x-ray of diverticulosis.

This is a World War photo looking south at the old Japanese airfields, No. 1 and No. 3. The triangular one is the main field. Invasion beaches are located on the northwest side of the of the island close to the objective, the airfield. The patchwork fields are sugar cane.

Our next stop was the invasion beaches, White 2.

It was then on to the Assembly Building No. 1 where the uranium bomb, Little Boy, was assembled. There were three assembly buildings, one for Little Boy, one for Fat Man, and an extra…just incase. All that is left is the foundation. According to Deb the other two are inaccessible.

This is the foundation of Assembly Building No. 1 that I took on a nicer day in 2023.

This is typical of the terrain and vegetation we drover through to get to the sites of interest. If not kept cut back, the jungle just takes over.

Our team photo at Bomb Pit No. 1 with a model of the Little Boy uranium bomb. The models were not hear last year.

Little Boy bomb model at Bomb Pit No. 1. The placards are in error. They say that Little Boy was loaded onto the Enola Gay from this bomb pit and Fat Man was loaded onto Boxcar from Pit 2. Un uh. They were both loaded from this pit, Bomb Pit. 1. Bomb Pit 2 was a just-incase-it-is- needed pit.

Bomb Pit. 2 with a model of Fat man, the plutonium bomb dropped over Nagasaki. This pit was used to load the pumpkin bombs. Pumpkin bombs looked like the Fat Man bomb and were used as practice bombs to get the crews used to dropping big bombs. They were actual bombs and dropped on Japan. They contained over six-thousands pounds of explosives

A model of the Fat Man bomb. It weight around five tons

This is a non-nuclear bomb called a pumpkin bomb. It was used as a practice bomb to give the B-29 crew practice dropping large bombs. It contained 6000+ pounds of conventional explosives and was dropped on Japan.

Our next stop was the Japanese fuel storage depot. This was hit multiple times 16in naval shells from the USS Colorado. Some of the shells penetrated this steel door and ignited a fire that destroyed the bunker. After this successful mission the Colorado was struck multiple times by the 155mm gun we saw earlier.

This is the entrance to the underground fuel storage depot. It obviously took multiple hits as seen in the right side of the door.

A closer view of the damage to the wall of the fuel storage depot from a 16in naval gunfire shell.

This is the inside view of the underground fuel storage depot with lots of 55 gal cans.

This is Runway Able, the runway used in the two atomic missions. I have watched the progress on North Field for the past four years. This is the first time I have seen the original tarmac removed likely in preparation for the new surface. It is even wider now than it was last year.

As you can see it was not a very pretty day for photography. But, we were not deterred. We soldiered on to see the sites. I took this photo from the threshold of Runway Able. The tree on the right is significant. When Paul Tibbets was here several years ago (Paul Tibbets was the pilot of the plane, the Enola Gay, that took the first bomb, the uranium bomb, to Hiroshima) he said the spot where the tree is today is where the Enola Gay left the runway and became airborne. As you can see it is very close to the end of the runway. Behind me is the Pacific Ocean. This runway is 8500 feet long. The others, Baker, Charlie, and Dog are not quite as far along as Able.

My group walking near the threshold on Able. See the tree in the background? Same tree as in previous photo.

This is the Japanese Administration building near where Runway Able is located. During the war this building took several large caliber rounds from naval gunfire. The Japanese knew how to build these buildings. They somehow were not completely demolished.

There was a sign in front of admonishing us not to go inside the Administration building. It was not safe.

This is likely why we are not allowed to go inside. These supports, although heavily reinforced concrete are not very supportive. The tunnels below the floor are for air circulation to cool the building.

This is another view of the inside of the building taken from the doorway.

This creasy spoon is where we had lunch on Tinian. We eat here every year. There is a generous menu and the portions served are enormous. I got shrimp fried rice and there was enough for three.

This tree was across the street from our restaurant. Watch out for falling coconuts.

We go to this spot to get a good view of Tinian Town, where the Japanese expected the Marines to land. This is also where the USS Indianapolis deposited the components of the Little Boy (uranium) bomb. It was not allowed to tied up at the dock because of the fear that a pre-mature detonation might destroy the entire island. It anchored to the left of the breakwater.

This is one of my passengers, Cliff, who was on my Guadalcanal tour four years ago. He is looking for the caves in the hills over Suicide Cliff were hundreds of mostly Okinawa civilians jumped to their deaths rather that surrounding to the Marines. The Japanese told them the Americans would murder the men, rape the women, and eat their children. This was similar to the tragedy that took place on Saipan.

This is the plane we flew back to Saipan on. It took four of these to get my group back to Saipan.

We flew back to Saipan on four smaller planes. I like the smaller planes because the propeller is in front instead of on the wings so it is not in the way of my attempts to video the runways. I got to sit in the co-pilots seat so I had a good view of North Field and the approach to Saipan International. Do not touch the controls.

This is a great view of North Field looking east toward Saipan in the distance. All four runways and some of the taxiways can be see but the one on the left is Runway Able. It is clearly the most advanced in reclamation. We drover along the length of half of the runway then down a taxiway to Runway Baker and drove along half of it. I will be eager to see how much additional changes have been made when I come back next year.

Compare the above photo of North Field with the one below taken in 2023. In 2023, before work began to reclaim the old World War II runways, only Runways Able and Baker could be seen. Charlie and Dog were covered with scrub, which has now been cleared.

North Field in 2023 looking north. Runways Able and Baker can be clearly seen and just a hint of Charlie. Dog is not seen at all nor are the taxi ways. I can’t wait to see what it looks like next year.

I was tired when we finally got back to our hotel. I worked on this website, selected photos, edited them, and uploaded them to the site. We finish our tour of Saipan tomorrow.

Tuesday, March 24, 2026

I rained all night and was still raining we got up to start our second day of touring the battlefields of Saipan. Today we head north. I had breakfast with some of our group. We each got one food voucher for breakfast at the Great Harvest Bread Company next to the hotel. I got a breakfast sandwich and a coffee. Our local guide, John, collected us right on time at 9:00 and we took of into the rain. Our first stop was Mt. Tapochau, the highest point on the island. When the sun is shining, as it was the last three years, the summit of Mt. Tapochau gives great views of the entire southern end of the island and Tinian in the distance. There was a lot of road work we had to negotiate to get near the top. From below, the summit appeared to be completely enshrouded in the clouds. It was steep and slick, but John got us to the car park just below the summit. By the way, because there are two Johns, local guide John and me, and we both sat in the front, to avoid confusion, people referred to local guide John and driver John.

When we got to the car park below the summit we got out into a drizzle. It was noticeably cooler and very windy. The wind blew my and other’s umbrellas inside out several times. Since we could not see anything form up here I was eager to get back in the van. Cheryl and Cliff braved the summit without an umbrella. There was a short set of steps from the car park to the summit.

There were signs at the summit that described some of the battle that took place below the mountain. Ordinarily, on a clear day, Tinian can be see in the distance to the southwest. Not today.

We lingered up here for about fifteen minutes.

This is the view from Mt. Tapochau looking mostly south in 2023. Saipan International Airport can be seen at southern most part of the island. Tinian is in the distance to the upper right.

A nice view of the Philippine Sea from Mt. Tapochau.

Gas prices are very high here relative to Indiana. This is the only price I saw for unleaded, $6.61 per gallon. All the gas stations we saw had the same price for unleaded.

The next place we went was Suicide and Banzai Cliffs. Same story as on Tinian. Civilians convinced that the Marines would kill them leaped to their deaths rather than surrender to what they had been told was certain death. When we got there is was drizzling and otherwise unpleasant. I did not take any photos of the water but I am suppling photos from my tour in 2024 to show what it looks like here.

This photo is from my 2023 tour when the weather was nearly perfect.

Suicide Cliff as seen from Banzai Cliff, 2023.

There was a family at Banzai Cliff who let me take a photo of these adorable little girls.

After a brief stop to Banzai Cliff we rode up the winding road to Suicide Cliff. It was even worse up there because we were in the clouds and could not see a thing…and it was raining. Time for lunch.

The view of Marpi Point from Suicide Cliff, 2023.

Before we went to lunch we stopped at this museum. It is owned by a guy named Fabian. Fabian is Chamorroan who proudly served in the U.S. Army during Desert Storm as part of the 100/442 RCT. He is a fiercely loyal American citizen. He as accumulated war relics and stores them in the building.

Fabian greeted us and described his history and how he has amassed all these relics from the war.

While my passengers toured Fabian’s museum I lingered outside and ran into a guy I first met on the 2015 Iwo Jima tour. I also spoke with his companion, a very pleasant woman from Japan. Dan King is fluent in Japanese and wrote a book about a Japanese survivor of the battle of Iwo Jima. He spoke at the Iwo Jima symposium in 2015 and interviewed one of the subjects of his book.

Dan King at Fabian’s museum. I met Dan at the 2015 Iwo Jima symposium on Guam before going to Iwo Jima. We talked about Iwo Jima books. I told him about mine, The Last Lieutenant. He looked it up on Amazon and promptly ordered it.

I also met Dan’s traveling companion, Kaoru, a very pleasant Japanese woman. I asked her if she was going to Iwo Jima. No, she sighed, only the family of Japanese veterans can go to Iwo Jima.

Next was lunch.

We had lunch in this restaurant. The decor is Texan western. All the waiters and waitresses were cowboy hats. The food, however, is not even close to what I would get in a real Texas bar/restaurant. I got what was advertised as a hamburger. It neither looked nor tasted like a hamburger. The French fries were also a disappointment. With soy sauce, the rice was good.

Here we are in the so called Texas restaurant. The guy on the left in front is John, our driver and local guide. I have worked with John four years running. He is Carolinian, not Charmorroan.

This diminutive young woman was our waitress. I told her she looked good in her cowboy hat. She just giggled.

Just around the block from the restaurant is this ugly monstrosity. It is a failed attempt by the Chinese to build a lavish casino/hotel. It was never finished and is not safe to enter because it is falling apart. It is a real eyesore. The outside decor just does not fit in Garapan, Saipan..maybe in London or Paris, but now in Saipan.

We stopped at the Saipan U.S. National Park where we watched a brief movie about the battle of Saipan. We then walked to this memorial for a team photo.

John wanted us to see Forbidden Island. We come here every year because, if the sun is shinning, it is a beautiful setting. John related the likely apocryphal story about some guys who camped on the top of this little island (really a peninsula) when told not to. A rouge wave hit them and swept them away, hence the name of the island, Forbidden.

This is some of the terrain we drove through to get to Forbidden Island.

This is forbidden Island last year when the weather was perfect for photography. When the sun is shining, the color of the water is brilliant blue.

This a view looking to the left of Forbidden Island.

Our last stop of the day was to the Kalabera Cave, of geological interest but which has nothing to do with the war. It was still drizzling and the wooden steps were very slippery. We stay here only about ten minutes. We had two get back to the hotel so we could change for swimming out to the tank off Red Beach.

We got back to the hotel and quickly got a swimming gear. Not everyone went back to the tank. Linda was the only woman to go out to the tank on my past three attempts. Unfortunately, we got there so late in the afternoon, and since it was so cloudy, I did not get very good photos. Another problem with the camera was water drops on the lens. We waded out to the tank just one hour before low tide. I have never seen so much of the tank above the water. Anyway, here are a few of the photos even though they are not very good. Some of us climbed on the tank, looked inside and jumped off like kids. We had fun.

The water was a very comfortable temperature.

Linda, right, is the only woman from one of my groups to go out to the tank.

Because of the later afternoon hour and the cloudy skies, I did not get very good photos of the tank or of us jumping off.

We have an early departure from the hotel tomorrow to get to the airport for our scheduled 6:00 a.m. departure and return to Guam. John will collect us at 4:00 a.m. The rain notwithstanding, we had a good tour of Saipan and Tinian.

Wednesday, March 25, 2026

John picked us right on time and got us out to the airport in plenty of time for our flight to Guam. We said good-bye to him and I told him I would see him next year. We got our boarding passes, dropped our bags off, and went through security without any wait. We had about a forty-five minute wait before we boarded. The plane was only about half full. The flight took less than thirty minutes. We collected our bags and zipped through customs. Some of my passengers got through sooner than others, found taxis and went to the Crown Plaza. This is the first time we have stayed in this hotel. Every other time we stayed in the Dusit down the beach.

Naturally it was too early to get our rooms so we checked out bags and just hung out in the lobby. I took the time to work on this website. I took a short break and spoke with some awfully young looking Navy pilots who are deployed out here on rotation.

We were told to go into the breakfast buffet and check in with Iwo Jima Association of America. There I ran into Annette, whom I met in Washington D.C. a few weeks ago. I also spoke with her husband, MajGen Davis Bise of the Association. He tole me we had to provide the name of the town and state where we were born. No reason given; we just had to do it. I was also told we could have a buffet breakfast. We assumed it was covered. Un uh. I did not know that we had to pay for it until the waitress, Ana, gave me my bill for $35! If I would have known it was going to cost that much I would have skipped. Instead, I went back through the line and got an omelette and a couple of croissants. That will do for my lunch, too. I told Ana that I thought her name stood for Anti Nuclear Antibody or All Nippon Airlines. She just giggled.

I met Annette Bise in Washington D.C. at the Iwo Jima Association of America conference. Here she is collecting the city and state where we were born. I don’t know why; it is just required by somebody.

This is the beach and water over the reef at our hotel. You can see the water breaking on the edge of the reef in the distance.

This is the beach to the left of our hotel.

While I worked on the website I saw a few Iwo Jima vets and spoke a couple. One gave me a card with his picture on it. He was going around handing them out to everybody.

Judy talking and getting to know an Iwo Jima vet.

Finally, I was able to get my room just after noon. Some in my group did not get theirs until late in the afternoon. I spent the rest of the afternoon getting caught up on the web page. For dinner I walked down to the Dusit Thani to an outdoor restaurant where I remember from last year had a good Caesar salad. It was about a mile walk to get there. I got a good shrimp Caesar. When I got back to the hotel and I got a big helping of lemon sorbet.

Early in the evening five of the remaining seven of my passengers began to trickle in from their flight from Honolulu. Two others would not arrive to much later this evening. I left a message at the desk to inform them that we would meet after breakfast in the lobby at 9:00 for our tour of Guam. I went to bed, dead tired.

Thursday, March 26, 2026

I slept better last night but still got up to early. At breakfast I found the last two of my passengers who arrived late last night. Jerry and Will have both been with my on previous tours.

The skies were mostly clear and it was already warm. Based on recent experience, I think we will likely get some rain today. But, now it was sunning. It gave me hope for a good day of touring Guam.

The Philippine Sea behind our hotel this morning.

At 8:50 I met out local guide, Pauline, waiting for us. I worked with Pauling last year. We also had a much bigger bus for our larger group. Gary, who came in yesterday afternoon, did not join us for the Guam tour because he did it last year. We all climbed aboard and took off.

Our first stop was the South Pacific Memorial Park. This park is maintained by donations from Japan. In a gully surrounded by bamboo we walked down to some caves where LtGen Hideyoshi Obata, commanding the Japanese garrison on Guam, commanded his soldiers before committing suicide when it was clear the battle was over.

We had to very carefully walking down these steps because they were so skippering from the recent rain.

Here we are inspecting the caves. I crawled into one that went back into a large concrete lined room. It was empty.

This is a Japanese memorial at theSouth Pacific Memorial Park. The top of this memorial is supposed to resemble a pair of praying hands.

Unleaded gas is $6.32 per gallon, about fifty cents less expensive than on Saipan.

We made a stop down by the waterfront in Agana, the capital of Guam. Pauline took us around to some of the old Chamorro buildings with their mani stones. It sprinkled here a bit but did not deter some local kids from an Easter Egg hunt. We then went to see the Gold Star Memorial that the “Woody” Williams Foundation established. We did not linger because of the drizzle.

This is the Gold Star Memorial dedicated to the families, especially mothers, of those servicemen who were KIA during the war. Notice the Chamorro woman clutching her child through the saluting soldier cutout. I took this photo in taken in 2023.

Our next stop was the Piti guns. Since it had been raining, Pauline was not sure we could get to the guns because of the skippering conditions. I suggested we try. By the time we got there it had stopped raining. Most of the group set out ascending the slippery steps and slick pathway until we found the guns. I am reliably told that the guns – they look like 155mm – were carried up into the hills above Piti by hand. There are four of these guns sited on the invasions beaches but we visited only three of them. One had been blown off its pedestal and was lying on its side. We got a team photo on the first one. Everybody made it up to and back from the guns without falling.

This if the first of four guns above Piti.

This is the second Piti gun, the one that was blown off its pedestal.

This is a close up of the gun pedestal. Notice the long bolts (R) that anchored the gun to its base.

This is the third gun and the one in best condition.

A team photo of those who trekked to the third gun, L to R, Cliff, Tom, Kevin, me, Ted, and Will.

Our next stop was the Asan Bay overlook. From here we could see where the 3rd Marine Division landed. Off to the left we could see the Orote Peninsula.

The 3rd Marine Division landing beaches are to the right of this scene. The Orote Peninsula is in the center of this photo sticking out into the Philippine Sea.

Dirk checks out the names of those killed in the battle. Tom is in the green shirt, Pauline, our local guide to his left, and Will on the right.

These buildings are on a hill overlooking Asan Bay where Admiral Nimitz had his headquarters after he moved CINCPAC here from Pearl Harbor.

Yet another team photo with Asan Bay in the background.

The next stop was the T. Stell Newman Visitor Center. By now the rain had stopped and it got hotter. This is one of my favorite places to stop on our tours of Guam because of the Japanese midget submarine, the good documentary movie of the war, but especially because of the very well done animated map depicting the battle. There is also a nice museum depicted the war and its effect on the local Chamorro people. We had to hustle through because of our scheduled lunch stop at Jeff’s Pirate Cove but I asked Pauline to brings us back after lunch so we could spend a little more time here.

Before going to lunch we had one more place to see. We drove a little farther south to the Agat landing beaches. By now the sun was shining and it was getting hotter.

The Agat landing beaches where the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade came ashore.

This is where the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade came ashore. The land in the distance is the Orote Peninsula.

A Japanese 200mm shore gun at the Agat beaches.

Japanese anti-aircraft gun at Agat beaches. Orote Peninsula in the distance on the left.

This is our bus at Jeff’s Pirate Cove where we always go to lunch.

This is the set menu meal we get at Jeff’s Pirate Cove. It is the same every year. It is quite tasty. In the past we have also gotten a little cup of ice cream but did not get one this year.

This photo is on the wall in Jeff’s bar. Sgt. Shoichi Yokoi did not surrender until January 24, 1972, 28 years after the war ended.

When we finished lunch a few of us walked down to se this Japanese bunker just back from the beach.

While we checked out the bunker Judy walked down to the beach to look for shells.

This is the Guamanian flag in front of Jeff’s Pirate Cove.

After lunch I asked Pauline to take us back to the Visitor’s Center so people could spend a little more time there. We had the bus until 4:00.

It rained most of the way back to the hotel. Here we are stuck in Guam rush hour traffic. I thought it might be a wreck but it was only a red light. We got back at 4:20.

Shortly after we got back to the hotel and had a chance to cool off and clean up we went to the Iwo Jima Association of America (IJAA) briefing. It was held in a room far too small to fit everybody. Nearly everybody in my group had to sit at a table outside. Sean, the IJAA guy, whom I have met on previous Iwo Jima tours, gave a brief briefing saving most of it for tomorrow. Later, our group was invited to the dinner.

This room was just too small to accommodate everyone. Most of my group had to sit outside.

The five World War II, three of whom are Iwo Jima vets,

Before the buffet dinner was served POW/MIA Missing Man Table ceremony was recited. This ceremony has special for Blythe and me since Blythe’s father was a POW of the Japanese for nearly three years and a survivor of the Bataan Death March. This ceremony was recited at each of the American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor’s annual convention, which we attend as long as her father was still living. It is a moving and much appreciated tribute to those who served and were prisoners or who did not come home and are still listed as Missing in Action.

The buffet. The desserts were the best part.

Tomorrow is an important day as we will attend another briefing about what to expect on Iwo Jima day, Saturday. We will also get our Iwo Jima (Japan) customs forms and boarding passes for our flight to Iwo Jima. I went back to my room and worked the website.

Friday, March 27, 2026

I finally got a good night’s sleep. It was a beautiful day with lots of sunshine but warm temperatures. I went out to the beach to take some photos.

Looking straight out at the Philippine Sea from the hotel this morning. The green water is over the reef. Behind the reef the depth increases rapidly.

This morning there were a few meetings of the Iwo Jima Association of America. The most important part of these meeting was completing – again – a Guam customs form. We had to access a website to complete the form, which then generated a QR code that we be scanned at the customs desk when we return to Guam after our time on Iwo Jima. We also had to sign a liability waiver. We turned in our passports to get our boarding passes. While we listened to a very good, but lengthy lecture on the battle of Iwo Jima, our boarding passes were prepared. We then had a safety briefing in which it was stressed that we needed to take lots of water with us (two bottles will be provided on the plane but we were told that will not be enough) and some “energy/protein bars” as not meal will be served on the flight from Guam to Iwo Jima. I can prepare for this. It was, in a most emphatic language, that the men MUST wear a jacket and tie and that the woman could not where sleeveless shirts or shorts. This is a Japanese thing as they will be wearing black mourning dress at the ceremony. To my surprise, we were also told that we did not have to attend the ceremony. We will be on the ground for only about five hours so there will not be enough time to go to the ceremony and to get to the top of Mt. Suribachi the invasion beaches.

MajGen David Bice gives part of the briefing.

This is the QR code we get emailed to us after we complete the online Guam customs form. It is convenient…if you have access to the internet. We had the hotel WiFi so that everybody was able to get this done. At the airport where WiFi is iffy, it is a problem to get this done online. In that case you can fall back on the old fashion method: fill out the paper form.

This is the forecast for the weather in the vicinity of Iwo Jima for the next week and a half. Tomorrow we can expect moderate temperatures and sunning skies, and likely very windy conditions. This is in contrast to the temperatures I experienced in 2023 when it was so hot. Now… if only this forecast holds.

When the briefings were done and we had all collected our passports, customs forms, and boarding passes. There was not seat assignments. It will be a free-for-all. The window seats will go first.

Mike and Judie and I walked up to the ABC store to get some stuff for tomorrow. I got four bottles of Gatorade for fluids and to fill with Iwo Jima sand. Gatorade is a good drink with some sugar and some electrolytes. But, the main reason I got these rather than bottled water is the bottle mouth is wider and easier to pour sand into it.

When I saw Mike with these little bottles of whiskey (right hand), I told him he needed a bigger bottle for the sand and got him this bigger bottle. That should keep him hydrated, right?

For dinner I went back to the Dusit Thani, the same place I went to Wednesday evening. I got another shrimp Caesar salad. I did not take my credit card thinking I could just use Apple Pay. Un uh. I had to use a real credit card. I told them I did not have it with me. The waiter went back to discuss the matter with the manager then came back to me and told me to forget it. I told him I would come back tomorrow evening, likely to get another Caesar, and pay them then. He accepted that.

No, these guys are not in a hot tub. This is very likely a Japanese beach defense bunker. There are two firing apertures. As many times as I have been to Guam, I do not recall seeing this before.

On my way back I took photos of the beautiful sunset. If you want to see some more of my sunset photos from around the world click on this link.

Back in my room I got everything together that I will take with me tomorrow then hit the sack.

Saturday, March 28, 2026, Iwo Jima Day

World War II map of Iwo Jima with the landing beaches of the 4th and 5th Marine Divisions and the movement of the divisions across the island.

My alarm went off at 4:00 a.m. I got up and went down to the conference room to get something for breakfast (it was too early to eat in the main restaurant). When I got there Sean, of IJAA, informed me that the departure was delayed by a couple of hours. Worse news followed. Because of volcanic activity on Iwo Jima, Mt. Suribachi was closed. He added that there were “toxic fumes” the precluded going to Suribachi. We all bought this explanation at face value. As my passengers began to trickle in I informed them of the news. A profound sense of disappointment permeated the room subduing conversation and not masking a few disgruntled conversations. We were told to report back at 8:00 a.m. to board the buses.

I was too keyed up to go back to bed. I wandered around the lobby talking with people and mumbling about my disappointment and listening to the conspiracy theories about what the real reason was for not getting to go to Suribachi. There are only two places we can go on Iwo Jima: Mt. Suribachi with its magnificent views of the invasion beaches and the invasion beaches themselves. Also, because the flag depicted in the famous Joe Rosenthal photograph went up on the summit – and we know exactly where that is – everybody wants to see that spot and touch it. Also, it is THE spot to get your photo with the invasion beaches in the distance. In the past I have been able to wander the entire length of the invasions beaches down nearly to the water’s edge. Now, all this was in jeopardy.

During the symposium yesterday, Blythe was texting me in real time the score of the Purdue vx. Texas NCAA basketball tournament game. Apparently someone else was also following the game because as soon as Purdue won – 79-77 – came across the wire I heard somebody shout, “The Boilermakers won!” This morning I learned the guy to my left was the gut who made this announcement. His name is Fred and he grew up in Terre Haute, Indiana and attended Purdue, graduating with a degree in Civil Engineering sometime in the late 60s.

L to R, Tony, me, Jerry, and Cliff. All veterans of Valor Tours who have been on previous tours with me. We are duly suited up for the trip to Iwo Jima.

The is Commander Mike Anderson the US Navy chaplain who was the navy representative at the memorial service at Iwo Jima. At the ceremony he recited a now famous eulogy given by a Rabbi at the American cemetery on Iwo Jima in 1945. Not to my surprise, he was familiar with the story of the four immortal chaplains from World War II.

See the little cross on his sleeve? This proves he is a chaplain. I should have asked him if there was a Star of David on the sleeve of Rabbi chaplains.

Jack, Kevin, and Tom clean up well when necessary. Dress code for this trip to Iwo Jima is determined by the Japanese. The Japanese are all dressed in mourning black at the ceremony. No shorts or sleeveless shirts allowed. Jacket and tie mandatory for men. As soon as we pass the Reunion of Honor memorial we can take off the jacket and tie.

Gary, (L) and Will, both Valor Tours passengers.

L to R, Dirk, Hugh, Linda, Bill, Judy, Ted, and Mke, ready and eager to go.

We are sitting around mid-morning waiting to go.

This is the lobby of the hotel we were gathered before boarding the buses for the fifteen minute ride to the airport.

These are the two buses that took us out to the airport.

Because we are so special and because this is such an unusual flight (only once a year is there a commercial flight to Iwo Jima) we were accorded a special dispensation. We did not have to go to the airport terminal or go through TSA security. We drove directly onto the tarmac to the waiting plane. This was a first for me…and probably a last time experience. When we got to the airport we drove through a gate and along a long road that paralleled the runway.

In the past, the charter plane has always been a United 373. Not this time. There has always been a problem with a portable stairway to get people off the plane. There is no jetway on Iwo Jima. There is not even a terminal. Iwo Jima is a Japanese military base and there are none of the usual facilities we expect in a commercial airport. In 2023, my last time to Iwo Jima, when there were three planes – I was on the third one – we waited on the tarmac for an hour before the passengers from plane 2 were disembarked and the portable stairway could be rolled up to our plane. IJAA decided to use a plane that had an onboard stairway that would unfold from the door. Apparently United 737s do not have such a stairway so IJAA got another airline, Nauru Airlines out of Australia since their planes had the onboard stairway.

Here’s the problem that we were told that led to the announced cancellation of going to Mt. Suribachi. The flight crew that flew up from Brisbane, Australia yesterday arrived late. FAA requires flight crew to have a twelve period of rest before flying again. They did not get in until around 8:00 p.m. so that they could not fly again until 8:00 a.m. today. The thinking among the passengers, and me, is that IJAA, because of the abbreviated time on the island, there simply was not enough time to goto the memorial ceremony, hike to the summit of Suribachi, and go to the invasion beaches. So…they concocted the fiction that there was volcanic activity on the island including “toxic fumes” that made it unsafe to visit Suribachi. Why the fiction? Why not just tell us the truth? We are big boys and girls. Several of us asked the question, “If there is limited time on the island, why not at least give us the choice of where we wanted to go, Suribachi or the beaches. I think they just did not want to lose control of the situation with people scattered all over the island with time running out before we had to board the plane for the flight back to Guam.

We skipped TSA scurity and drove straight to the plane on the tarmac. Here we are waiting to board.

We were told that, because there was no assigned sitting, we were to board the plane and fill it from the back forward. Of course, everybody wanted a window seat. In the past the left side of the plane has given the best views of the island as we circle the island and line up to land from the north. We were told the pilot would not do figure-of-eight over the island so everybody could get to see the island; we would be flying straight in. I assumed we would fly up on the east side of the island, as we have done in the past, circle back and come in from the north so that we would get to see Suribachi and the entire length of the invasion beaches. Accordingly, I found an empty seat on the left way in the back behind the wing. Perfect of photographing the entire island (this year I planned to video tape the approach and landing). I guessed wrong. We flew straight in from the south and landed going north. I could very briefly see Mt. Suribachi on the other side of the plane. The weather was perfect for photography and the sun was shinning directly on the east side of the island. I missed it all. Oh well, c’est la vie.

Nauru Airline 737. We used the portable stairway to board in Guam. On Iwo Jima we would you the onboard foldable stairway.

During the nearly two hour flight to Iwo Jima we were served a light breakfast, which was a surprise as we were told that there would be no in-flight service. The Australian crew was very friendly.

We disembark down the foldable Starway to the tarmac on Iwo Jima. Unlike three years ago it was pleasantly warm with a refreshing breeze.

After disembarking, I went to the hanger to use the facilities. By now my group was scattered out along the road to Suribachi. I walked quickly to catch up with a few.

We soon came to this sign and made a right hand turn. Japanese military personnel were located at all intersections to make sure we went the right direction.

Part of the road to Suribachi is pave but most is dirt.

Our first glimpse of Mt. Suribachi in the distance.

We quickly got scattered along the road depending on individual pace.

You think you are getting close only to make a turn and see the road to the horizon continues. It is getting warm and we still have to wear out jackets and ties. We were told to wear them until we got to the memorial when we could take them off.

There are two islands near Iwo Jima, North and South Iwo Jima. I saw both. The invasion beaches are just below the scrub.

I do not recall every seeing this sign to point to the old American cemeteries.

This was just beyond the cemetery sign indicating the this was were the three divisional cemeteries were located. All Marine bodies were buried on Iwo Jima only temporarily. They were later disinterred and reburied in the National Cemetery in Manila, the Punch Bowl in Honolulu, or repatriated to where the next-of-kin desired.

Several buses and vans passed us. They contained only Japanese.

Hope we do not need this guy. The vans in the distance are already at the memorial. Suribachi is in the distance.

All the Japanese were wearing mourning dress black. The Japanese contingent easily outnumbered the American contingent by a wide margin. It seemed that there were a hundred Japanese photographers running around taking photos.

The Reunion of Honor memorial rock cairn. This is where the ceremony takes place.

As soon as my small group got to the memorial we took off our jackets and ties and headed to the beaches. It was quickly apparent that we were not allowed to go much beyond the Japanese bunker, certainly not down to the black sand as we have in the past. Again, the excuse was because of the “toxic fumes.” We saw no fumes nor did we smell any. We’d been had.

This is one of the famous terraces up from the beaches. This was as far we were permitted to go. Some of us ventured, including me, just a bit farther down towards the beaches to get better views of the right beaches and Suribachi. Here is where we began gathering sand. I intended to bring home as much as I could carry. I had four 20 fl oz Gatorade bottles. I drank half and poured out the rest and filled all four plus a little bottle I got on the plane. I knew this would be heavy but I do not know if will get to come back next year and wanted as much as I could carry (within reason).

Several of us ventured beyond where we were told we could go to get photos.

The Japanese bunker just down from the memorial.

This is as far as we could go. The bunker is on the left.

This is the front of the bunker facing the beaches. Bolted to the floor inside is a Japanese Nambu machine-gun.

The machine-gun in the bunker. How many Marines were killed by this gun before its crew was knocked out?

The far right landing beaches, Blue 1 and 2. Uncle Jim landed on Blue 1. Blue 2 was not landed on. I was told that the waves apparently breaking in the distance is acutely volcanic activity bubbling up. The new island created by the 2024 eruption off the invasion beaches has since sunk beneath the waves.

The part of the invasion beaches used by the 4th Marine Division including my uncles 24th Marines.

Mt. Suribachi and the beaches used by the 5th Marine Division.

We were allowed to unfurl a flag, not raise it.

On of the passengers from another tour loaned me the 1940s 48-star flag. How cool is that?

The entire Japanese contingent poses for a team photo. Notice the predominate color.

The American and Japanese flags stand side by side signifying that where we were once enemies, we are now close allies.

I had heard that a member of the Kuribayashi family would be in attendance at the ceremony. I had hoped to get to meet him and show him the photo of his uncle, General Kuribayhashi’s son, Taro Kuribayhashi. Yoshitake Shindo is a member of the House of Representatives in the Japanese Diet, the equivalent of the US Congress. He is the grandson of Tadamichi Kuribayashi, the Japanese commanding officer of the garrison on Iwo Jima during the battle. During the 2002 tour to Iwo Jima I had the honor to meet Kuribayashi’s uncle, Taro Kuribayashi (Yoshitake’s mother was Tadamichi’s daughter).

The Japanese in the center will the ribbon on his coat is Yoshitaka Shindo, former Minister in charge of Economic Revitalization and member of the Japanese House of Representatives.

LtGen Tadamichi Kuribayashi, (L) was the commanding officer of the Japanese garrison on Iwo Jima during the war. I met his son and got this photograph of him on my first visit to Iwo Jima in 2002.

Here I am showingYoshitaka Shindo my photograph of his uncle, Taro Kuribayashi. He immediately recognized his uncle.

When he recognized his uncle, his eyes bugged out, he stood, bowed to me and shook my hand. He then gave me his card in typical Japanese fashion…

…and then graciously posed with me for a photograph. Is this cool or what? This experience made my day

It was approaching 3:00 p.m. and IJAA people started hustling us back to the hanger. Some began walking back but one of them told me and some others in my group to board a van for the ride back. In 2023, my last time her, I walked over ten miles in the blistering heat. When I got back to the hanger I was exhausted and sore, especially my mid-back. Sandwiches and drinks and other goodies were provided. Not this time. Nothing. We had our bags checked for Iwo Jima contraband – anything but volcanic sand. In 2002 we could bring almost anything back. I not only had some sand but an intact sake bottle. Others had spent bullets. Not anymore. Only sand. We were told we do not even have to declare it at customs since it is inert and non-organic. I passed the perfunctory inspections. I then got in line to get my passport with the coveted Iwo To visa stamp. The one I got in 2002 said “Iwo Jima.” Not anymore. Iwo To. Times have changed. We lingered in the hanger while others straggled in then were told to board the plane. I got the same seat hoping that we would fly out so that I could see Suribachi. We sat on the tarmac for over an hour while the plane was refueled. We were served a hot meal during our return to Guam. We landed in the dark around 8:00 p.m. It had obviously rained while we were away. We passed quickly through immigration and then customs. All we had to show was the QR code we generated before we left this morning. Two buses took us back to the hotel. I went right to bed and promptly fell asleep.

These are the maps I used to explain where we planned to go had we been allowed to go to the summit of Mt. Suribachi and the invasion beaches.

This is a World War II map superimposed on a Google Earth photo of Iwo Jima. The black outline is the shore of the Iwo Jima at the time of the battle in February and March 1945. It also shows the primary (on the east) and secondary (on the west) landing beaches, the divisional boundary between the 4th and 5th Marine Divisions. It also shows the location of the current airfield relative to Motoyama Airfield No. 2. At the time of the battle, Kama Rock was a little island off the west side of Iwo Jima, A few years ago it was the tip of a peninsula. Today it is just the leading edge of an ever growing Iwo Jima as it rises from the sea. This map clearly shows that it is quite a bit larger than it was in 1945.

This satellite photo shows the relative distance between the hanger and the Reunion of Honor where the ceremony was held.

This is the route we walked to get from the hanger to the Reunion of Honor.

This photo shows the route we would have taken to the beaches had we been allowed to. We were not allowed to go much beyond the Japanese bunker.

This is the route to the summit of Suribachi had we been allowed to go there. As it turned out, some people were allowed to go but we were not told of this until it was too late to get there and back. The vets were driven there.

Had we been allowed to, this is where we hoped to get to on the summit.

The Iwo To visa stamp on my passport. It is interesting that on the “Landing Permission” stamp on the right, it clearly says “IWOJIMA.”

Sunday, March 29, 2026

It was another nice sunny day in Guam. I got up early and saw Jack, Tony, Kevin, Mike, and Judy off then went back to bed.

I spent the day getting this webpage up to date. I arranged to stay in my room until 6:00 p.m. This cost 50% of a full day. It was worth it. At 3:00 p.m. I walked down to the Dusit Thani and got another shrimp Caesar salad. Along the way, I had to divert from the beach to the street because the tide was in preventing me from crossing one part of the beach.

The beach and reef from Hugh and Linda’s room on the ninth floor.

The view to the right. These photos were taken before the tide came back in.

Sharlet cleaned up my room and had a very sweet disposition and always had a smile. On the first day she introduced herself and always referred to me as Mr. John.

I walked by the pool on my way to the beach to walk to the Dusit Thani hotel for dinner.

This is where I had to divert to the street because there was no way to get around the incoming tide.

The beach near the Dusit Thani with water toys.

The Dusit Thani is the tall slender white building on the right. There is an open restaurant at the edge of the beach. The Dusit, the brown building immediately to the left of the Dusit Thani is the hotel where we used to stay. I liked the Crown Plaza but prefer the Dusit. I have stayed at the Dusit every time since my first visit here in 2002. Then it was called the Outrigger.

This was a very good shrimp Caesar salad. I got it last year and enjoyed it so much I returned to get one this year on Friday and today.

My 90 fluid ounces of Iwo Jima sand. This made my suitcase considerably heavier.

Sunday, March 29, 2026

Today was mostly just about killing time until our flight to Koror, Palau for our tour of Peleliu. Unfortunately the only flight of the day to Koror did not leave until 11:40 p.m. Vicky had arranged for us to keep our rooms for the day until 6:00 p.m. I elected to pay 50% of the day rate to stay my room until just before the shuttle took us to the airport, just fifteen minutes away.

I got up about 4:30 a.m. to see most of my passengers who were not going on the post-tour to Peleliu then went back to bed. I spent most of the rest of the day working on the website. I went back to the Dusit Thani for another good shrimp Caesar salad.

When we got to the airport there was practically nobody there. We arrived on time at Koror at 12:50. A hotel representative met us for the ride to Koror and our hotel, the West Plaza, where we have stayed before. It’s not the Ritz, but it was adequate. Okinawa Jack had proceeded us by a day and met us in the lobby. It was good to see Jack, again. I first met Jack in 2010 on my first tour as guide. I have worked at least three tours of Okinawa with Jack and have visited him twice on cruises that stopped in Naha. We have become good friends.

I had to call Vicky to find out when our local guide would pick up us the next morning. In the past it was Des. After Des died a couple of years ago his son took over as guide last year. Vicky said our tour tomorrow started at 9:00 a.m.

Monday, March 30, 2026

Peleliu is one of the southern most islands of the Palau archipelago The smaller island, Ngesebus, is just off to the north of Peleliu. The battalions of the 1st Marine Division landed on the southwest beaches, closest to the objective, the airfield.

This is the entrance to the West Plaza hotel. We have stayed here before, but not always.

Most of us had breakfast independently at the hotel restaurant across the parking lot. I usually got the ham and cheese omelette. Once I got two eggs Benedicts. It was the worst eggs Benedict I have ever had. It was tasteless. They had Seagrams Ginger Ale.

Right on time, our guide picked us up for the short ride to the boat dock. This was different than where we have boarded the boat in the past. I soon found out why. Due to a miscommunication between Vicky and the local guides the first day was scheduled to be a snorkeling tour through the Rock Islands. No, we have never done any snorkling on this tour. With Vicky talking on the phone in my left ear and the local tour guide at Peleliu on the phone in my right ear, we got it straightened out. We boarded the boat and took off for Peleliu through the Rock Islands. It was not a very nice day with overcast skies but no rain…yet.

We board the boat for our first trip though the Rock Islands. This is not where we usually board the boat but…a boat is a boat and it took us where we wanted to go, Peleliu.

Off we go. Cliff and Will brave the spray.

As we approach the dock at Peleliu we pass some of the little mangrove islets.

We pulled up to the dock at Peleliu and went ashore where we met our guide, Eric. He works for Des’s tour company. Des was our guide for two years until he unexpectedly died two years ago. His son was our guide last year. I liked Des and miss him. Eric spoke passible English with a heavy accent but we could understand. I liked Eric from the beginning.

Des, foreground, takes a selfie with my group in the background in front of the Japanese Administration building near the airstrip. R.I.P. my friend.

Usually the first place we visit is the Point, the far right hand side of the invasion beaches where the 1st Marines under the command of Col “Chesty” Puller came ashore. To the left of White 1 was a Japanese defensive position that included several carefully camouflaged concrete bunkers with machine guns and 47mm anti-tank guns. These bunker were oriented so that their guns could bring enfilading fire on the approaching Marines and their landing craft. The 1st Marines took huge casualties from these positions. Captain George P. Hunt commanded K Company, 3rd Battalion of the 1st Marines. Despite taking a large number of casualties, he and his company finally subdued the position. For his efforts he was awarded the Navy Cross. Many of his men think he deserved the Medal of Honor, instead.

Even though the bunkers at the Point are at sea level and not far from where we park the van, the path is over very rough ground with lots of trip hazards. In front of the bunkers the terrain is all rocky coral that, in some places, is razor sharp. Once we get to the Point, I read the inscription on a plaque placed over the bunker.

When we got there the Stephan Ambrose tour group was there. I did not want to take my group there until they had finished their visit there. We waited for a few minutes thinking they were about done. When it was obvious they were going to be there awhile, Eric and I decided go to another Japanese bunker father down the beach between White 2 and Orange 1.

This is the bunker between White 2 and Orange 1. The guns ports made it difficult to see what was inside but Eric crawled in with our phones to get some photos.

After a quick visit to this bunker we went back to the Point. Everybody negotiated the rough path to the bunkers. Some of us braved the sharp coral and got down to the front of the bunker to look inside. Eric took our phones with him and crawled inside to get some photos for us.

Eric crawling into the bunker at the Point.

After visiting the Point we went back to the bunker between White 2 and Orange 1because some people did not get to see it enough.

Eric crawled into the second bunker to get this photo of an overturned gun.

The next stop was an underground Japanese storage bunker.

The entrance to the artificial cave. The relatively small entrance belies the size of the cave inside.

The interior of the underground bunker. It was full of war relics. This artificial cave was used to store artillery wagons.

We found lots of intact Japanese sake bottles inside the bunker.

Our next stop was a Japanese Type 95 light tank. Ever since we tied up at the dock, there had been a constant drizzle. I have been guiding tours to Peleliu since 2023 and each time the weather has been wonderfully sunny. It is always hot and humid. I consoled myself by reminding me that the young Marines had to put up with the rain, the heat, the humidity, and the Japanese shooting at them. I could tolerate a little rain.

What remains of a Japanese Type 94 light tank. It looks the worse for wear every year.

While we looked over the tank another van drove up, stopped and disgorged several Japanese students and three Caucasians. To my surprise and delight another Japanese with a military bearing got out. When we saw each other we each immediately recognized each other. This was a tour group of young Japanese students here to learn about the war from the Japanese perspective. Their guide is a former Japanese army officer named Masato Hirano. I first met Masato two years ago and again last year.

This is the Japanese Air Administration buidling near the airfield. It is very similar to the other Japanese administration buildings we saw on Tinian. Despite heaving bombing and shelling, they remain standing.

Japanese rebar is easy to distinguish from American rebar by its smooth surface in contrast to the American ridged rebar.

A bullet, likely American .30-06 round has penetrated the concrete and embedded itself after scoring a path through the concrete.

We usually stop at this playground/shelter to the left of Orange Beach 3 for lunch. Box lunches were provided by the local tour organizations, Peleliu Adventures.

In the Japanese tour group were these three Americans. They were all MBA students from Stanford University. They were here for Spring Break. The guy on the left is from Libya; to his left is a guy from San Diego, and next to me is a guy from Boston. They were here because they are interested in the history of the war. Good for them. You never know who you are going to meet on Peleliu.

Our next stop what yet another cave, which we all went in to see what was there.

My friend Jack, emerging from the cave after exploring it.

Will, who was on this tour two years ago, emerges from the cave.

Cliff comes out with his ever present smile.

Dirk comes out with his headlight. This came in handy as we explored the cave. I brought on with me but forgot it.

The Japanese Thousand Man Cave. Watch your head!

This is entrance No. 3 where we start our exploration of the 1000 Man Cave.

Lots of sake bottle in the cave. The Japanese had to stay hydrated, right?

We see several of these large cave spiders.

This is an extension of the 1000 Man Cave with several gun ports that Cliff is exploring. Even though this is connected to the cave system, I have never been seen this part of the cave from the inside.

This is the road back to the place where we started our tour this morning. The 1000 Man Cave is to the right.

Because the Marines are on Peleliu to work on the old World War II airfield there were no rooms for my group to stay on Peleliu. As we have done in the past, except for last year when the Marines were not working on the airfield, we stay I Koror and take the boat to Peleliu each day for our two day tour. We stayed in the West Plaza Hotel. It is inconvenient but the compensation is getting a second trip through the Rock Islands, which, on a good day, gives us beautiful views of these unique limestone island formations. Today, the clouds parted late in the afternoon so that we had lots of sunshine for our ride back to Koror.

These are the little mangrove islands we pass coming to the dock at Peleliu. By now the sun had come out. Maybe we would get good views of the Rock Islands on our way back to Koror.

There are a couple of highlights to see on our way to Koror, especially if the weather is good, as it was the afternoon. One of the interesting places we visit is the natural arch.

One of these days I expect to come back here and see that the arch has finally fallen.

A brief video of the ride through the Rock Islands of Papua.

We had exceptionally good weather for riding back through the Rock Islands. This video shows the interesting rock formation called by the locals, the natural arch.

Another interesting place to stop to see is this cave with a Japanese large caliber gun. As you can see the roof has been reinforced with concrete.

This is a Japanese gun position probably in a natural cave that was expanded and fortified.

Disembarking from our boat was a bit difficult due to the high quay level but we all made it. The van was waiting for us for the short ride back to our hotel.

Tuesday, March 31, 2026

When we got to the quay the weather did not look promising. It looked like we would run into a squall sometime during our ride back to Peleliu

The Rock Islands are those smaller islands between Babeldoab and Peleliu. Typically, we take the boat to Peleliu from Koror on the east side of the Rock Islands and return on the west side. This gives us the best views of the islands each direction with the sun at our back for best photography.

Farther along in the Rock Islands the weather deteriorated. It was only a matter of time before we rode through a squall.

Some of us were better prepared that others for the inevitable rain. Those without ponchos got soaked by the chilly rain, which seemed to never end. It was still drizzling when we got to Peleliu.

Our first stop this morning was another cave that I had never been to before. We had to hike about 100 yards through the jungle to get to it. This is the cave where Lt Ei Yamaguchi and thirty-two of his unit did not surrender at the end of the war and held out on Peleliu hiding in a cave near the beach. He and his men finally surrendered in 1947.

This is the jungle directly off from the road that we had to walk through to get to the Yamaguchi cave. This part was easy…

… but it got tougher. It was wet and slick with lots of trip hazards.

Cliff, Ted, and Bill managed to get to the cave without any difficulty.

Lt. Ei Yamaguchi in 1994. He was back for the 50th anniversary of the battle. He actually crawled into his old cave.

This is a natural cave that was probably enlarged. I elected to not go in but Ted, Bill, and Cliff did. It was hard to imagine that thirty-three Japanese lived in this gave for two years after the war ended,

Ted was fearless and he wiggled his way down and into the cave. There was barely enough room to get inside.

Bill also managed to wiggle down into the cave. Apparently, there was a large room inside.

A view inside the car courtesy of Ted’s light and camera.

After checking the cave out, Ted and Bill head back through the jungle.

A favorite place to visit is the overturned Sherman tank, which is located on private property. In the past we have had to pay the property owner $5 for the privilege to visit the tank. It is worth it. Now, according to the sign, due to Palauan hyperinflation the entry fee has double to $10. Ha ha. Since the owner was not at home, we did have anybody to pay…so we got to see it for free.

This is the house where the guy who charges the $10 fee lives. The back part is an old World War II bunker.

This is the front of his house. You can see the old bunker behind it.

The story behind the tank is one of tragedy. The name of the tank was “Fly’ in Home.” On the morning of October 18, the tank was ordered to assist Marines pinned down by Japanese machine-gun fire at the base of Hill 210. While advancing, the tank struck a massive improved mine – likely a 200–500 lb Japanese aerial bomb buried with the nose pointed upward. The tank burned for hours, making it impossible to recover remains until the fire subsided days later.

The tank remains on Peleliu, though it is currently lying. This position was not caused by the initial blast; instead, salvage crews after the battle likely rolled the tank over to strip its tracks and road wheels for spare parts. A bronze memorial plaque was dedicated at the site in 1997 by veterans of the 710th Tank Battalion to honor those lost.

Were are off to see the tank through the west jungle.

The path to the tank was about 100 yards from where we parked the van. There were lots of trip hazards including these slippery roots.

This tree trunk kinda looks like an octopus.

The Sherman tank “Fly’ in Home” during the battle.

This is the “Fly’ in Home” tank destroys by a Japanese improvised mine on October 18th, 1944. The explosion did not knock the tank on its side as depicted in this photo. I was towed away from the spot where it hit the mine and came to rest as shown.

The mine blew a large hole in the bottom of the tank and killed the crew.

This plaque is near the tank. These are the men killed in the explosion.

The “Fly’ in Home” tank and some tankers including the crew who were killed.

These are the tank treads. They are about twenty yards from where the tank is located after it was towed from the spot where it hit the mine.

L to R, Linda, Hugh, Will, Bill, Dirk, Ted, Jack, Cliff, me, Tom pose in front of “Fly’in Home” tank.

The Story of “Fly’in Home” Tank

I took photographs of the following document during my tour of Peleliu last year. In this account the author mentions Eric Mailander as the one who brought this story to light. I first met Eric when we both were on a Valor Tours tour to Tarawa in 2008.

I believe this is the “Fly’in Home” tank.

These are live .30-06 rounds we found near the tank.

One of the .30-06 rounds. In the background are 60mm mortar arounds and what looks like a 75mm artillery shell as well as assorted other war relics. Peleliu is covered with lots of war relics light these.

This looks like a Japanese knee mortar round.

This is an American 60mm mortar round with the business end removed.

Not far from the tank was an aircraft boneyard. I was told the this is a wing from a Hellcat fighter.

This is a closer view of the wing with the 1944 Air Corps roundel partially obscured with age. It is clear that somebody has tried to wipe off the green moss that has covered the wing over time. If you look closely you can see the white star.

Here is the same photo on the right with the 1944 roundel superimposed over the original, left.

Before we left the tank, Ted posed by this large tree to give it scale.

There are various Landing Vehicle, Track on display scattered around Peleliu. Some have ramps for disgorging Marines. Some have 37mm guns and others have larger caliber guns. Each had a specific mission or function.

LVT with 37mm gun. This looks like an M# Stewart Light tank turret.

Ted checks out the inside of the turret .

This Japanese 200mm gun on Peleliu is a well-known World War II relic found on Hill 205. This large, heavily fortified gun was installed by the Japanese for coastal defense but was largely ineffective due to its limited field of fire and was never fully utilized against the Marines. It is located in a partial manmade cave. There is a larger room and rear tunnel access to the gun.

This video shows the extent of the cave network used to support this gun. Eric, our local guide, surprised me as I came out of the cave.

Japanese storage bunker just behind the White Beach. After the battle it was used by the Marines as an aid station. Well after the war it was converted to a museum. Because of continued deterioration over the intervening years the museum has closed as being unsafe.

The Japanese storage bunker then and now

Notice the location of the ladder in the the World War II photo and in the one taken now.

The front of the storage bunker has obviously taken a large caliber hit from either a naval rifle or an artillery shot. The rebar in the hole is post-war. this building also took smaller hits as evidenced by the holes and scars.

For some reason I have not been able to figure out, a piece of a building from Hiroshima was placed in a shrine here next to the Japanese storage building.

A piece of a building from Hiroshima with a bit of a wasp nest marring the surface.

The old World War II airstrip is being reclaimed by Marines to make it operational again as a deterrent to Chinese expansion in the region. They have been working on it for the past three years.

One of the roads we drove along to get to the various venues and relics. This looks to have been improved by the Marines working on the airstrip.

We went back to Orange Beach again for lunch.

This just to the right of Orange 3. The island of Anguar is in the distance. Anguar was taken relatively easily by the 81st Infantry Division of the US Army before the were called into to releive the Marines on Peleliu.

This are the Orange Beaches near where we had lunch.

Will, L, and Cliff, R, who are Marines pose in next to a memorial to the 1st Marine Divisions. Cliff served in the 1st Marines of the 1st MarDiv.

After lunch we visited another Marine tank. We had to hike through about 200 yards of slippery jungle to get to it.

We found this guy on our way to the tank.

To get to and from the LVT we had to negotiate these slippery moss covered rocks.

Dirk heads back to the van after visiting the LVT. Ted, Hugh, Eric, Bill, and Jack linger a bit longer to view the LVT.

The next place to visit was the jungle hike to the top of Bloody Nose Ridge, a rigorous hike through the dark, slippery jungle. This hike is not for everyone as it is along a path littered with war relics, trip hazards, and steep hills that require ropes to bet up and down. Just near the top is a set of very steep steps to the platform at the top of the ridge. If you can make it, you will be rewarded with great views of the island and the landing strip.

There is a Japanese memorial where we start our hike and this memorial to the !st Marine Division. When I was here for the first time in 2003 I stopped here just missed Senator and Mrs. John McCain who had stopped here two hours earlier.

It was getting dark when my guide, Yuki, and I got to the Marine Memorial. This wreath had been placed here by Senator John McCain just two hours before we got here.

The wreath that Senator McCain laid was in the same location as the one in this photo.

This is where the jungle hike to Bloody Nose Ridge begins.

One of many caves we saw during our jungle hike.

Ho hum, another cave. This one has war detritus in it.

Deactivated mortar and artillery shells litter the path through the jungle. The ones, like these, that are on the path have been rendered inert, but some that may be off the path may still be live. Best not to touch them.

I believe this to be a 60mm mortar round and a 75mm artillery round. I placed my foot in the photo for scale.

Because of the recent rain, the path was particularly slippery

This is a Japanese 75mm mountain gun. The wheels have long since rotted away.

These appear to be aerial bombs that have been broken down and deactivated. It might have been a bomb like one of these that the Japanese used as a mine that destroyed the tank.

After a while I simply stopped taking photos of caves, there are so many of them and they ceased being interesting.

There were a couple of hills that were steep enough to warrant the use of ropes to go both up and down.

The Last Command Post was the final headquarters for the Japanese defenders, specifically colonel Kunio Nagagawa and Major General Kenjiro Murai, during the battle.On November 24, 1944, after being surrounded in the “Umurbrogol Pocket,” Colonel Nakagawa burned his regimental colors and committed ritual suicide at this site, signaling the end of organized Japanese resistance. I have made the hike to the summit of Bloody Nose Ridge a half dozen times but have never visited this cave.

I am not sure whose clips these are but I would guess they are Japanese, maybe a Type 99 Arisaka rifle clip. They look like 1903 Springfield clips but by this stage of the war the Marines were using the M1 Garand that replaced the Springfield.

Bill contemplates going up to take a look inside this cave. Prudently, he decided not to.

The jungle. None of this was here during the battle, which would have been blasted to pulp.

We likely walked through terrain like this on our hike to Bloody Nose Ridge. Here, however, nearly all of the vegetation has been blown away.

This moss covered root system reminded me of Gumby. Am I dating myself?

We came across these Japanese helmets including this one with a couple of what look like bullet holes.

What looks like Japanese knee mortar rounds

We finally reach the steep stairs to the platform at the top of Bloody Nose Ridge.

At least we had the handrails to help pull us up.

At the top on this platform is a monument dedicated to those men in the 323 Infantry, 81 Infantry Division who were killed in the battle.

From the platform we get a panoramic view of the island including the invasion beaches in the distance but hidden by the trees and the airstrip, which is in the center of the photo but also obscured but he trees.

Tom is all tuckered out after his climb and jungle hike and takes a rest before heading back down.

The jungle hike to the summit of Bloody Nose Ridge was the last thing we planned to do on our tour of Peleliu. All hot and sweaty, we rode back to the boat dock. It looked like we would have another nice day for going through the Rock Islands.

This is Eric, our guide on Peleliu. This was the first time we had him for the local guide. Eric was a good driver and very accommodating. I would welcome him as guide again.

This is the waterway just north of Peleliu on our way back through the Rock Islands to Koror. The tide is out so that the colors vary more from nearly white to aqua green.

This is a Japanese Zero in shallow water between Peleliu and Koror. This was the first time that I actually saw the propeller out of the water. I also got to see much better the fuselage of the plane. The tide was obviously out.

Wednesday, April 1, 2026

Today was a day to visit some places on the large island of Babeldaob that had little to do with the war. Now that we are done seeing Peleliu, the sun was out and promised a good day for sightseeing.

During World War II, Babeldaob was a heavily fortified Japanese stronghold and the largest island in Palau, garrisoning over 21,000 troops. While major battles occurred on nearby Peleliu and Angaur in 1944, Babeldaob was bypassed by US forces but suffered heavy aerial bombardment, leaving behind extensive ruins, bunkers, tanks, and the communication center.

A major, heavily damaged, two-story communication center, or “Kaigun Sho,” stands as a significant ruin from the war.

The Type 2 Ka-Mi was based on the army’s Type 95 Ha-Go light tank, but with an all-welded hull with rubber seals in place of the riveted armor. It was intended to be watertight. Large, hollow pontoons made from steel plates were attached to the front glacis plate and rear decking to give the necessary buoyancy. The front pontoon was internally divided into two “symmetrical sections” and each one was divided into three separate watertight compartments to minimize the effects of damage from flooding and shellfire.

A Palauan Bai, a traditional meeting house,

We were told that these tall slender trees are betel nut trees. How do they withstand the wind?

Our boat to see the Palauan saltwater crocodile farm. It was kind of a bust because we only saw two crocodiles. But, the scenery was nice.

The stream to see the crocodiles. In the shade, it was comfortable. In the sun, it was hot.

Along the way we saw several fruit bats flying about, but no crocodiles…yet.

Finally, we saw a croc. We threw some meat at him but he did not seem interested. Kinda boring.

Each side of the stream was lined with mangrove trees.

…and finally get to the mouth of the stream.

Here we turned around and went back the same way we came.

Our next stop was lunch at the northern end of the island.

We had a nice view of the rising tide while we had lunch.

The tide is out…way out. You could probably walk alway the way to the breakers

In just a matter of maybe thirty minutes, the tide was back in.

Our next stop was the traditional meeting houses,

The design is heavily inspired by the U.S. Capitol, featuring a central dome, white exteriors, and a formal, sprawling layout.

The best part of visiting the Congress building is the views from behind it.

This symbol was all over the building’s exterior. It is a money bird. Money in…money out?

I took a photo of this Palauan official seal in one of the offices of the Congress building.

On our way to the last destinatiojn we stopped to see these little sharks.

The last stop of the day was to see some basalt monoliths. I had never been to see these on previous tours to the Palau.

The best part of this little side trip was the views of the ocean.

Yet another jungle hike to get to the stones.

Well…at least we got to see some nice views of the ocean.

Wednesday, April 2, 2026

We drove back to the hotel where we had the rest of the afternoon and evening pack and rest before our flights back home. Most of the group departed late in the evening for the airport and an early morning departure for Guam. Jack, and Hugh and Linda, and I went back to bed. Our flight was not until much alter in the morning. The four of us were driven to the airport at 7:30 a.m. We were flying to Tokyo Narita. Jack would fly to Okinawa; Hugh and Linda would fly to Newark and I would fly to Denver and then onto Chicago.

We when we got to the airport there was nobody else there. We checked in, went through immigration and then to the gate lounge.

At first we had the gate lounge all to ourselves. That did not last.

My first view of the day of Japan for flight to Narita, Tokyo.

This was my plane from Palau to Narita. Too bad the sun did not come out earlier when we flew over the rice paddies.

My portal of entry into the United States was Denver where I had to go through immigration, which was a snap, collect my bag, go through customs, and recheck it to Chicago. As much as I like to travel, especially internationally, it is always good to see the American flag when I get back home.

Iwo Jima Association of America 2026

A few weeks ago I spoke with our friend, Diane Basilone Hawkins, by phone. She said she and her husband, Paul, were going to the annual Iwo Jima Association of America’s conference in Washington, D.C. and that she was one of the speakers. That was all I needed to hear. She gave me the contact information of the guy who was in charge. I called him in Texas and told him I wanted to attend. He said welcome aboard. I completed the online registration form and made arrangements to stay at the Arlington Hilton, the same hotel that Diane and Paul were staying and the venue for the conference. I planned to fly out a day in advance of the conference to spend some time with Diane and Paul and to see the Air and Space Museum at Dulles airport. We decided to stay a couple days after the conference ended. I wanted to see my friend and fellow Pacific war aficionado, Jack Wallace, who lives in Annapolis.

Blythe and I flew from Indianapolis to Washington Dulles on Tuesday, February 18. We Ubered it to the Hilton in Arlington. In retrospect, we should have flown to Washington Reagan National airport. It was practically across the street from the hotel.

Wednesday, February 18, 2026

This is the Arlington Hilton where we stayed for six nights and the venue for the conference. It was conveniently located near Reagan International Airport. Unfortunately, we flew into Dulles miles away.

While we stood in line to check in somebody behind us asked, “Is that the famous World War II author?” I turned to see who this was but did not recognize him at first. Then it dawned on me. It was Kevin whom I had met during my 2015 tours to Iwo Jima, Saipan, Tinian, and Peleliu. We have loosely stayed in touch since then, but I had not seen him in eleven years. Obviously, Kevin was here for the Iwo Jima conference, too.

My friend Kevin who traveled with me as a passenger on my 2015 tour to Iwo Jima.

I have to tell a story that only Kevin and I would really appreciate. During the 2015 Peleliu tour we went to the little island called Ngesebus just a few hundred yards from Peleliu. During the war there was a causeway connecting the two islands. The only thing left of the causeway today is a few concrete piles. The rest is gone necessitating a boat ride to get to the island. The Japanese had an airstrip on the island that had to be taken and occupied. We wanted to see a Sherman tank and what has become known as the Sledge bunker. The action to take this bunker was dramatically shown in the Steven Spielberg/Tom Hanks mini-series The Pacific. We had to go to Ngesebus first thing in the morning, see the tank and the bunker, and get back to Peleliu in an hour or less because the tide goes out very quickly. If we did not get off the island before the tide moved out we might be stranded. We motored over to Ngesebus and soon found the tank. We climbed all over it like it was a piece of playground equipment and got the requisite photos. We did not have time to go to the Sledge bunker. But we were too late anyway. When we got back to where the boat was to pick us up the water was so shallow that the boat could not get to the shore. The problem only got worse as the tide continued to recede. The boat could not get to us. We had to wade out to it. We eventually got to where it was deep enough for us to get into the boat. Kevin and I always referred to this experience as the Ngesebus Protocol. I do not know where we came up with that monicker but it stuck and besides, we liked it. Only Kevin and I referred to this experience as the Ngesebus Protocol and then we laugh about it.

Ngesebus is just to the north of Peleliu. The Japanese had an airstrip on the island, hence the reason for taking it in 1944.

The little island of Ngesebus from Peleliu.

The remnant of the Japanese causeway that connected Peleliu to Ngesebus.

A little boat took us to this side of Ngesebus where we disembarked near this spot in front of these tiny mangrove islets. The tide then began to recede stranding us on the island so that we had to wade out to the boat.

Kevin had taken the train to Washington’s Union Station from New York City (he lives in Brooklyn) this morning. He had lunch there and recommended Blythe go there for lunch, too. I inquired at the desk if Diane had checked in. They arrived about forty minutes before we did. After going to our room, Blythe and I took Kevin’s suggested and Ubered it to Union Station where we had lunch at a Shake Shack.

Union Station has a beautiful coffered ceiling.

This station is very spacious very much like the train stations in Europe.

A sign of the times. The National Guard out in force to deter attacks.

After eating a greasy cheeseburger at the Shake Shack we got a latte and a cashew chocolate bar for our sweet.

Sitting next to us at the Shake Shack were four young students from a Christian high school in Richmond, VA. We later ran into several more who were accompanied by a guy wearing a hat emblazoned with USS Peleliu (coincidence?). Of course, I had to ask him about it. He was a Navy chaplain on the USS Peleliu. He knew of the battle of Peleliu but had never been there. He is now the chaplain at the school in Richmond and was escorting the kids to visit the sites of Washington.

My new friend, the school chaplain and some of his students.

Thursday, February 19, 2026

The next day, Thursday, February19, was overcast, cold, and an otherwise dreary day. But, that did not deter us from getting out to see the sites. Our first stop was the Air and Space Museum by Dulles Airport. We wanted to see the Enola Gay B-29 bomber.

The Air and Space Museum is located in a Hugh hanger where lots of planes from World War II forward are nicely restored and displayed.

The Enola Gay, the B-29 that dropped the uranium bomb, Little Boy, on Hiroshima and piloted by Paul Tibbets. Enola Gay was his mother’s name. This was the first time I have seen this famous and historic bomber. It meant more to me now since I have been to Tinina to see where the bomb was assembled and loaded about the plane and the runway from which it took off on its atomic mission.

The bombardier sat in this nose peering through a bomb site. The pilot was behind him to the right. the co-pilot on the left.

John, Blythe, Diane, Paul standing in front of the Enola Gay.

This is a P-61 known as the Black Widow. This plane has a special meaning for Blythe and me. It was used to distract the Japanese while the Rangers sneaked up on Camp Cabanatuan without cover late in the afternoon of January 29, 1945, to get into position for the raid that took place that night. Blythe’s father was in the camp when it was liberated.

A P-38 Lightening fighter. A plane like this shot down Admiral Yamamoto over the skies of Bougainville on April 18, 1943. I have been told that the wreckage of the P-38 we visit on Guadalcanal is from that mission.

A P-40 Warhawk. This plane was used by the Flying Tigers in China.

This is the fuselage of a B-17. Our friend, Ed Whitcomb, was a navigator on a plane like this one. His plane was destroyed on the ground on the first day of the war at Clark Field in the Philippines.

A circumferential view of the Space Shuttle Discovery.

A zero-gravity toilet. I don’t even want to think about how the baby blue hose is used.

We next Ubered it to the National Cemetery in Arlington to visit a couple of graves. In the past when I have visited Arlington the weather has been very nice if not hot. Today it was miserable with cold depressing rain.

Because we were family (at least Diane was) of someone buried here we got to ride to the gravesite in this van. Good thing because we would have gotten soaked.

Diane’s uncle, Medal of Honor recipient Sgt John Basilone. It was clear that lots of people have visited this famous grave by the muddy ground around the grave. Nearly all the other graves are surrounded by nicely manicured grass.

The grave of John Harold Branco had special meaning for me. I would bet this grave gets practically no attention because John Branic’s story is so obscure. Very few people know that story of how John Branic ended up getting buried here. Section 69, site 1532

I first heard about John Harold Branic on my second tour to Guadalcanal in 2010, my first as escort. I say escort because my mentor, the late John Innes and renowned Guadalcanal historian, was the guide. I was just a rookie guide, sorta John’s lieutenant. I did seven tours of Guadalcanal with John and learned a lot from him. I became guide in 2019 after John passed away in 2018. I stuck with John’s schedule by starting my tour at the American Memorial on Hill 73. In the middle of the memorial in the shadow of the American and Solomon Island flags is a plaque that, up until a few years ago was labeled “The Unknown Warrior.” I recount the story of the Unknown Warrior as faithfully to the facts I learned from John.

John was doing a study of L Company, 3^rd Battalion, 5^th Marines (L/3/5) and their mission on Hill 73 on August 18, 1942. That night the company bivouacked on the summit of Hill 73. The next morning, they came under attack by Japanese mortars and small arms. John Branic was killed and buried on the hill. The rest of the company continued with their mission down the hill to eliminate a Japanese position on the west bank of the Matanikau River. Apparently, the burial was forgotten.

In 1992 during the excavation of Skyline Ridge atop Hill 73 for the future American Memorial, some human bones were discovered along with a few coins, including some Canadian coins, and a ring with the initials “J.H.B.” inscribed on it. Since the remains were not known at the time, a plaque memorializing the unknown warrior was installed at the base of the memorial for the dedication on August 7, the 50^th Anniversary of the invasion.

John Innes knew that John Branic had been buried on Hill 73. The remains with the ring with the initials “J.H.B.” was highly suggestive that they were in fact those of John Branic. But this was not conclusive evidence. The remains were sent to Hawaii to an MIA identification laboratory. There is more to this story but suffice it to say that eventually the remains were positively identified through DNA analysis using John Branic’s mother’s DNA.

It seemed to take unnecessarily too long to change the plaque from “The Unknown Warrior” to simply “The Warrior.” I first saw that the change was finally made during my 2018 tour.

My tour group at the American Memorial on Hill 73 in 2017. This was John’s last tour to Guadalcanal. He passed away on September 1, thirteen months after this photo was taken.

The plaque to the unknown warrior as I saw it for the first time in 2005, my first tour to Guadalcanal.

The corrected plaque as I saw it for the first time in 2018.

After the remains were disinterred and returned to the United States, John Branic received a full military burial at Arlington Cemetery. An American flag was flown over the American Memorial in Guadalcanal, lowered, and sent back with his remains. The flag was presented to his family when John was finally buried on American soil on August 9, 2006 at 11:00 a.m. at section 69, site 1532.

The American flag is presented to John Branic’s cousin.

My friend and mentor in all things Guadalcanal, John Innes. Rest in peace my friend.

For dinner that evening we went to a Mexican restaurant across the street from the hotel. We agreed that the food was quite good, but the atmosphere was terrible. The large screen TVs playing Winter Olympic scenes were distracting. Even worse was the loud music with a headache pounding base. The good food barely compensated for the unnecessary and excessive entertainment. Diane particular disliked the pounding deep base.

Friday, February 20, 2026

Blythe and I met Diane and Paul at the Starbucks in the lobby for breakfast. There was a buffet breakfast offered in the lobby, but it cost $29. Blythe and I got a latte. I got a croissant and Blythe got a pumpkin loaf. Diane got a large coffee and a mushy breakfast sandwich, which she sent back. We are not having much luck with food here in D.C.

Today was a full day with a visit to the Marine Corps Museum in Quantico followed by a visit to the Marine Corps Memorial, commonly erroneously called the Imo Jima Memorial. We got the VIP treatment during our bus ride to the museum. Like yesterday, the weather was cold, rainy, and otherwise dreary.

This is our lights and siren police escort to Quantico and the Marine Corps museum. They cleared the way and even stopped traffic at on-ramps to keep cars away from us. We’re pretty special.

The National Museum of the Marine Corps just outside Quantico. The top is supposed to bring to mind the flag raising on Imo Jima (it’s close) and the spike points toward Imo Jim. The angle of the spike very closely matches the angle of the Marine Corps memorial flag.

This is the atrium of the museum. In the center is the spike representing the flag pole. All wars that the Marine Corps participated in are dramatically shown throughout the museum. I was only interested in the World War II part.

This diorama accurately depicts the landing on Tarawa. Here Marines jump from an LVT. There are about twenty LVTs like this version rusting away to oblivion on Guadalcanal.

This is an Okha, a Japanese suicide jet-powered bomb. It was not at all effective as a weapon. Most were easily shot down. It only hit one ship during the battle of Okinawa.

This is a wall dedicated to all the Marines who earned the Medal of Honor. The two that matter to me on this occasion were Woody Williams and John Basilone. Woody was a good friend and the last Medal of Honor from World War II to pass away.

This diorama very nicely depicts that defense of Wake Island in December 1941.

This diorama is of a 37mm anti-tank gun. This gun was very effective in defending the Marine perimeter in the battle of the Tenaru on Guadalcanal. In that battle on August 21, 1942, instead of firing a 37mm shell, it fired canister shot that ripped into the advancing Japanese under the command of Col. Ichiki, slaughtering nearly his entire battalion.

This is the back side of the 37mm gun. These 37mm rounds could easily penetrate the poorly armored Japanese tanks.

This is a diorama of a Marine consulting a Sherman tank crew on some Pacific island. During the battle of Iwo Jima my Uncle Jim got behind a tank and spoke with the crew via a telephone in the back like this guy.

The first flag to be raised atop Mt. Suribachi on February 23, 1945. It was deemed too small so a larger one replaced it. The larger one is the one seen in the famous photo taken by Joe Rosenthal, the most reproduced photo of all time.

The famous flag raised over Iwo Jima that appears in Joe Rosenthal’s famous photo.

The first flag over Iwo Jima was deemed too small to see and was soon replaced.

The first flag comes down as the second (larger) flag goes up.

Marines gather around the larger (second) flag after the flag raising.

The AP photographer, Joe Rosenthal, took the famous photograph of the raising of the flag atop Mt. Suribachi. For this iconic photograph, he received the Pulitzer Prize. Joe sailed to Iwo Jima on the same troop transport, USS *Sibley* (APA-206) that my Uncle Jim sailed on. Jim said he played cribbage with Joe during the voyage.

A section of the World Trace Center after the attack on September 11, 2001.

This is the propeller of a F4F Wildcat fighter from the battle of Wake Island in December 1941. During the battle, this Marine aviator, Capt. Henry T. Elrod, shot down two Japanese planes and sank a Japanese destroyer. After his aircraft was destroyed, he transitioned to ground combat, leading infantry defenses until he was killed in action on December 23, 1941. For his actions he received a posthumous Medal of Honor, the only such medal awarded for the battle of Wake.

These are the medals awarded to Lewis “Chesty” Puller during his lengthy Marine career. He is the most decorated Marine in history, earning five Navy Crosses and one Distinguished Service Cross.

Another view of the lobby of the museum. The spike in the center represents the flag raised over Iwo Jima.

An SBD Dauntless dive bomber. Notice the lone bomb slung under the fuselage. This was a very successful dive bomber during the Battle of Midway and at Guadalcanal. Here it is shown in a dive on a bombing run.

In this view of the SBD the perforated dive flaps (often called Swiss cheese flaps) are deployed during a dive. These flaps were critical to its success as a dive bomber. When deployed during a steep dive, these flaps created drag to limit airspeed, preventing the aircraft from overspeeding.

This is a F4U Corsair fighter. Notice the characteristic “gull” wings. This plane was much feared by the Japanese.

We walked through the museum gift shop before heading back out to the bus. I hoped to see my book, The Last Lieutenant, with the other Iwo Jima books. Alas, it was not there. No surprise. I did buy a book that I read many years ago that I enjoyed, Fields of Fire, by James Webb.

Our next stop was the Marine Corps Memorial often erroneously called the Iwo Jima Memorial. The weather improved during the ride back to Arlington. It was still chilly, but at least it had stopped raining. We spent about an hour here taking photos and recognizing the veterans.

The memorial was dedicated on Wednesday, November 10, 1954, the 179th anniversary of the founding of the Marine Corps. President John F. Kennedy issued a proclamation on June 12, 1961, that a Flag of the United States should fly over the memorial 24 hours a day, which is one of the few official sites where this is required.Despite being mounted on the staff of the sculpture, which depicts an event that occurred when the U.S. flag had 48 stars, the flag used is a modern one (specifically, one featuring the number and arrangement of stars prescribed as of when the flag is being flown) in keeping with both the text of the proclamation and the memorial’s dedication to all Marines who died in defense of the United States regardless of when their deaths occurred.

During the middle of the afternoon people who had relatives in the battle of Iwo Jima had an opportunity to speak about the war and the battle. Diane and Paul joined us as we listened to several good stories about the war and the battle. Diane is scheduled to speak about her uncle, John Basilone, tomorrow afternoon.

For dinner we walked about a block to a street where we were told there were two Italian restaurants. The first one was not open yet so we walked across the street to the other one, Federico. I saw a couple coming out and asked them how the food was. They said it was okay, but only. Not a good sign. I got an angle hair pasta with pesto sauce, which was served hot and reasonably tasty. Blythe and I split a pepperoni pizza, which was not bad. But, Paul was only marginally satisfied with his calamari and veal. Diane was very disappointed. Her’s, whatever it was, was so bad and not at all warm, that she had the waiter take it back and get her another. The best part of the experience was our waiter. He was a dead ringer for the comedian actor, Eddy Murphy. Blythe and I, and Diane and Paul, got a New York cheesecake. It was tasty but not as smooth and creamy as we have come to expect.

The pizza that Blythe and I split was about the only thing that was very good about this restaurant. expect the Eddy Murphy look-alike.

Now you will have to admit, there is a striking resemblance between our waiter and Eddy Murphy. Even our waiter said other people have made the same comparison.

Saturday, February 21, 2026

We met Diane and Paul at the Starbucks in the hotel lobby for a latte and a croissant. The morning was mostly spent being lazy. I finished my book and started the one I got at the Marine Museum.

Diane was one of several legacy speakers this afternoon. We sat through the first four or five then left. We spent the rest of the afternoon resting in our rooms.

Diane was the first speaker on the agenda. She did a very good job talking about her uncle, John Basilone. I was surprised when she mentioned Blythe and me when she went with us to Guadalcanal in 2014 to see the spot where her uncle earned his medal on the night of October 24-25, 1942.

Diane and the late John Innes standing on the spot – or very near it – where Diane’s uncle, John Basilone fought the Japanese during the Battle of Coffin Corner also known as the Battle of Henderson Field. Manning and servicing water-cooled .30 cal. machine-guns through the night, he was credited with killing dozens and dozens of Japanese during the third attempt by the Japanese to retake Henderson Field. It is a short but arduous hike from Bloody Ridge to get to this spot.

The evening’s festivities were the highlight of the conference. Several dignitaries were in attendance including the 39th Marine Corps Commandant, General Eric M. Smith, the Japanese ambassador to the United States, Shigeo Yamada, and other Japanese and American military personnel. There was an overpriced dinner before the speeches got started. Blythe and I were seated in the back. Blythe sat next to a nice guy who kept her in conversation about her father and his experience as a POW for nearly three years in the Philippines. We were surprised to learn that we each had climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro. I gave him one of my cards and asked him to send me his contact information and I would send him copies of my two books. The Commandant spoke, the Japanese Ambassador spoke, other Marine general officers spoke, and on and on…

Before it was all over the vets were all invited to come to the front and get the photos taken with the Commandant and the Ambassador. Dance music was provided by a band decked out in tuxedoes but nobody danced. I took the opportunity to get my photo taken with some of the dignitaries and an old friend.

Blythe is on the right talking with the wife of our new friend, David.

At nearly all veteran gatherings that include dinner there is, off to the side, a special table dedicated to the memory of all American POW/MIAs. I first became acquainted with this table, its significance, and associated story at the annual American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor’s convention that Blythe and I began attending while her father, Malcolm Amos, was still alive. Malcolm was a POW of the Japanese for nearly three years in the Philippines and a survivor of the infamous Bataan Death March. When the story about this table is recounted, it nearly always brings a tear to my eye.

The missing man table was up front and off to the right. Everything on the table is highly significant.

The POW/MIA Table: A place setting for one, A table for all. All the components on the table are significant and explained in this poster.

The 39th Commandant of the Marine Crops, General Eric Smith was the keynote speaker.

Ambassador Shigeo Yamada (l) and General Eric Smith (r).

The Iwo Jima Vets, the Commandant on the Japanese Ambassador.

General Smith greets Diane after the festivities wind down.

Left to right, Blythe, John, Rear Admiral Hayamizu Takaaki and his wife, and Diane. Admiral Takaaki is the Japanese Defense and Naval Attache to the Japanese Embassy.

Doug (left) and me after the festivities. I met Doug on my first tour to the Philippines in 2003, my first Valor Tours tour. We have run into each other occasionally in Guam during the annual Iwo Jima tours. Doug is the Executive Director of the Iwo Jima Association of America.

Doug is in the red shirt to my right and next to Bob Reynolds with the blue hat, founder of Valor Tour. The guy on the far left is Dick Francies, ex-POW and survivor of the Bataan Death March. This is Kilometer Zero of the Death March. It is located in Mariveles at the southern tip of Bataan.

Doug at the ceremony on Mt. Samat, April 9, 2003. April 9 is an important date in Philippine history. It is remembered with a memorial ceremony to commemorate the fall of Bataan in 1942.

Sunday, February 22, 2026

The conference was over and most people left for home today. Yesterday I reserved a rental car that we picked up this morning. We also had previously arranged to meet Debbie, an old friend of Blythe’s when she used to live in the D.C. area. They met on the way to taking their daughters to school. They have stayed in touch over the years. It was another dreary cold day as we drove to Rockville, MD where Debbie lives. About a week ago, as recommended by my friend, Jack, I made reservations at the Old Ebbitt Grill close to the White House. This apparently is a famous restaurant. Our reservations were for noon.

The decor was cozy beautiful late 19th century, old and quaint, the light subdued. The service was just okay but the food was disappointing. I got eggs Benedict, which were served barely warm. They were smaller than I expected from such a famous and well advertised restaurant. The English muffin seemed a bit stale. The orange juice was too pulpy for Blythe. The latte was also not hot enough. We enjoyed the decor and the ambiance and the history, but the food did not live up to the hype. I would go back when we visit D.C. again, but only for the history, famous location, and the cozy atmosphere, but not for the food.

The Old Ebbitts Grill. I let the girls out and parked in the parking garage so that we did not have to go back out in the rain.

The Old Ebbitt Grill is only about two blocks from the White House.

A stain glass window of the Capitol over a door way.

A painting on the wall across from our table.

Another painting near our table depicting a parade in front of top the Supreme Court building. Notice the Indiana and Iowa state flags.

Debbie, left, and Blythe and me at our table in the Old Ebbitt Grill.

We drove down Pennsylvania hoping we could get a nice view of the White House but could not get near it. We did see, from a distance, the construction site of the new ballroom. We had a nice view of the Capitol. Along the way we drove past one of the ugliest building in D.C., the FBI building. After taking Debbie back home we dropped the car off at Reagan National airport.

While we were at the airport to drop off the car I took this photo of the flight monitor. Lots of flight cancellations due to the winter storm in the Northeast.

Monday, February 23, 2026

We decided to just be lazy today. Our decision was made easier because of the continued dreary cold weather. A winter storm that pulverized the northeast just dropped a dusting on the D.C. metro area, which soon melted. I do not think we will have any trouble with our flight back to Indianapolis tomorrow. Diane and Paul’s train to New York was cancelled because of the large accumulation of snow. I made reservations for the four us to dine at the Arlington Ruth’s Chris just a few blocks away. Blythe and I spent the afternoon resting and reading.

We only had to walk a few blocks to get to the Arlington Ruth’s Chris. It was on the tenth floor. We were seated by a window with a nice view of the runways of Reagan National airport.

You can see the parking garage and the runway in the distance. Way off to the left was a distant view of the spotlit Capitol building. As usual, the bread was warm and soft, the grilled shrimp swimming in a sea of very tasty garlic/butter juice, and the fillets wonderfully tasty and tender. Blythe and I split a New York cheesecake as did Diane and Paul. Because this was Diane and Paul’s first time at Ruth’s Chris, we also were given a nice chocolate cake (in the center of the table). It was a delightful dinner and a nice way to wrap-up our time together in D.C. at the Iwo Jima Association of America’s annual conference.

Tuesday, February 24, 2026

We met Diane and Paul in the lobby for a last latte and croissant before Ubering out to Dulles and our flight back to Indianapolis. We got to the airport well in advance of our flight so that we could spend some time in the United lounge. Our flight got away on time and, despite a little bumpy on the way back, we actually got to Indianapolis just a little early. As soon as I exited the jetway I ran to the Lafayette Limo drop-off/pickup just in time to catch the van. I asked if we could go back on the 2:30 ride rather than our scheduled 4:30 ride. I called the office and made the switch. I had to then run back to baggage claim where Blythe was waiting. Fortunately, our two bags were some of the first off the belt. So, we got back to Lafayette two hours earlier than scheduled. Dave was waiting for us and drove us home.

It was a great week, getting to spend so much time with Diane and Paul, reacquainting with old friends and make new friends who share our common interest in veterans, spend some time at the Air and Space Museum and the Marine Crops Museum, visit the Marine Corps Memorial, meet important military and diplomatic dignitaries, visit with Debbie, and top it all off with an enjoyable evening at Ruth’s Chris.

These four vets were waiting in the lobby.

Camel Safari in Morocco, 2004

In 2004 I attempted a trip around the world in a year. I spent a few weeks in England then flew down to Morocco for a camel safari with Mountain Travel Sobek (MTS). I had previously been on other MTS tours including climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, hiking to Everest Base Camp, exploring Antarctica, and the Galapagos, and rafting down the Zambezi. I had always had a good experience on these tours so it seemed natural that I should choose them for my tour of Morocco. My tour guide, Kristy, met me at the airport at Marrakech. There were four other passengers on our tour. We spent the first couple nights in a nice hotel within the walled city of Marrakech. We toured the sights and souks in Marrakech before riding into the desert in 4 x 4 trucks. We camped out in the desert in tents set up each evening by our local guides. We eventually met our camels and camel driver and continued into the desert. During our first day in the desert we encountered a sand storm that blocked out the sun. The next day the sand storm was over revealing crystal clear skies. This was my first encounter with the Sahara and I was blown away (figuratively). I got out of my tent and took off to photograph this eminently photogenic terrain. Just a few weeks earlier I was in Antarctica surrounded by enormous glaciers and snow capped mountains. The contrast could not have been more stark. We also visited a Berber village to encounter the Berbers. We also visited the Moroccan cities of Fez, Meknes and Ouarzazate. The people were friendly and made us feel welcome. When the tour was over I took a train from Marrakech to Tangier where I caught a ferry to Algeciras across the bay from Gibraltar, my next stop.

Map of Morocco. The red circles are the cities we visited in addition to the desert.

The following is a photographic essay of my tour through Morocco. I took all of the photos.

Our hotel in Marrakech was as good as any 5-star hotel in the States.

This minaret is the most recognized site in Marrakech.

A cage in the souk with a lizard hoping to find a way out.

Another ceiling. A two diminutional photo just does not do justice to the beauty of these ceilings.

Islamic capitals are completely different from their Greek and Roman counterparts.

Following our tour of Marrakech, we boarded four wheel drive trucks and headed out into the desert. Along the way we stopped in old villages but for the most part, we were in the desert.

We stopped here for lunch. Apparently, this is a popular place for other tours to stop.

These are Islamic graves. Unlike Christian graves with a headstone, these graves are marked by a headstone and a foot stone. They are oriented to point toward Mecca. These graves are very simple and reflect poor people.

These birds built large nests high up on the buildings of these old cities.

Most of these cities have long since been abandoned.

Most of the hills were barren rocks with little vegetation but the area immediately along the banks of rivers and streams were lush with trees and crops.

We met our camels and camel driver once we were in the desert. We had the option to ride the camels or to walk. I tried riding the camel but quickly decided it was too uncomfortable and not worth the effort just to be able to say I have ridden a camel. I preferred to walk so that I was free to wander around and take photos.

As we approached the desert the sky became obscured with a gradually worsening sand storm. It was not long til we could barely see where we were going. We eventually stopped and the crew set up our camp of tents, which included a WC tent and a cook tent where we ate our meals. I do not recall that I had difficulty sleeping in the supplied sleeping bag. The next morning the storm had completely abated. There was no wind and the skies were crystal clear. I quickly grabbed my camera and took off to get some photos of the beautiful sand dunes.

We head into the desert and the looming sand storm.

It got worse the farther into the desert we got.

The cook and dining tent our first night camping in the desert.

This is our camp after the first night in the desert. Ernestine is rummaging in her tent as I head out to see the desert.

Another view of our camp. The WC tent is on the left and the cook tent on the right next to the two trucks. This is early in the morning.

Even in the arid desert life somehow finds a way as evidenced by this young grass sapling.

Scenes of the desert during my early morning walk about. The Sahara is otherworldly. There is nothing in the States that compares to it. The contrast between the sands of the desert with the glaciers and icebergs in Antarctica just a few weeks earlier was not lost on me.

The desert just seemed to go on forever.

The color of the sand varied depending on where the sun was relative to the direction of my shot.

I think the best photos I got of the desert were taken during my early morning walk when the sun was low on the horizon giving these beautiful shadows.

There is a beauty to the desert that has to be seen and experienced that a photo just does not provide. During my walk about there was not a sound to be heard, not a zephyr to be felt. It was quite peaceful and serene.

When we got to a high dune, we climbed to the top and ran down. Loads of fun.

During one of the days we spent in the desert the wind picked up again and became so strong that it was impossible for the crew to set up the tents. Instead, we spent the night in a caravansary. During the night we could hear the wind howling outside but otherwise slept soundly. The next morning, the wind had abated.

This is the caravansary where we stayed to get out of the wind storm.

The camels did not seem to mind the wind and sand swirling around them.

Off we go. I elected to walk. Riding a camel is not what it is all cracked up to be.

This could be a photograph from the Curiosity Rover on Mars and I would be convinced.

I rode a camel for a brief spell but did not like it.

We stopped at this mini-oasis for a rest. As soon as we got off our camels some
kids materialized out of nowhere.

Our tour leader, Kristy, negotiates with the camel owner.

Of the four other passengers on the tour, I spent more time with Ernestine than the others. Ernestine was born and raised in Germany. She was an airline stewardess with Pan American Airlines and emigrated to the United States in 1957. She got a PhD in comparative literature and was writing her autobiography. Since, at the time, I was also writing a book about my Uncle Jim’s experience in the Marine Corps and the battle of Iwo Jima, we had something in common. I enjoyed talking with Ernestine.

The camel driver takes a break. My knees ache just looking at the camels knees in this position.

One of Kristy’s crew who was with us throughout our time in Morocco. All of our guides could speak English and were very friendly and helpful.

Eventually we had to say goodbye to our camels and camel drivers. We continued our tour of Morocco in the 4 x 4 trucks.

The road into the hills and Atlas Mountains.

A wadi along the road we drove into the hills.

We had to drive across this stream. Thank goodness for four wheel drive.

We stopped at a couple villages to wander through the fields and around mostly abandoned buildings. We saw few people. One of the places we stopped and where we spent the night in a very nice hotel was Ouazazate (pronounced as if it were ‘warzazat’). This is a city where several Hollywood movies were set. While we were here the movie ‘Troy’ starring Brad Pitt was being filmed but we saw nothing relative to the filming. It was released later that same year (2004).

The abandoned village near Ourazazate. Again, notice the verdant fields next to the stream. We explored this village late in the day.

Another camp. We were told this camp was part of the filming set for the movie ‘Troy’.

Kids are pretty much the same all over the world.

One of our drivers prays during one of our rest stops.

I am not sure where these kids come from, but every time we stopped they appeared from nowhere.

Ernestine, left, one of our local guides, and Kristy, the tour leader.

Between villages we came to this outdoor market and stopped to wander through and see the sights.

Nothing is wasted. These pots are made from discarded tires.

We wandered through this village. These fields are watered through irrigation from a near by stream or from an underground spring.

We drove through this wadi to a Berber village up in the hills.

We stopped for lunch in the wadi. See our dining table left of the truck? Our local guides set everything up for us.

As we approach the Berber village the kids came out to escort us in. This is the wadi.

We were greeted with great hospitality and served sweet tea.

The Barbary apes are the same kind of monkey I would see when I got to Gibraltar. These monkeys were on the side of the road after we left the Berber village on our way to Meknes.

We were able to get within about five yards of these monkeys.

This sign indicates, in French, the distance to Timbuktu in Mali : 52 days by camel.

Following our time in the desert and visiting the villages we spent a couple nights in Meknes.

A mosque with its accompanying minaret. Notice the green roofs. Green is the color of Islam.

The large building just to the left of center is the hotel where we stayed while we toured Meknes.

The ubiquitous TV antenna dishes seem to clash with the old homes.

One of the places we stopped in to see was a decrative ceramic tile factory. Work conditions were less than ideal. Here a young boy breaks larger tiles into smaller tiles.

This guy is arranging the tiles into a decorative pattern for a table.

Mud is prepared to make roofing tiles. After being molded they are arranged for drying as can be seen behind this guy. OSHA would have a heyday going through this factory.

We went to a Jewish synagogue. I took this photo of a Jewish cemetery from a window at the synagogue.

This is a close up of the artistic style in the door in the previous photo. I saw this geometric pattern a lot in Morocco and in other Islamic countries.

A courtyard fountain. Notice the green roof tiles. We were not allowed to enter this courtyard.

Intricate embroidery. Looks like a future carpal tunnel syndrome candidate.

Our Morocca tour ended where it started, in Marrakesh. I took the train to Tangier where I boarded a ferry for the ride past the Pillars of Hercules and through the Strait of Gibraltar to Algeciras and Gibraltar.

Sunsets from Around the World

This page is devoted to the beautiful sunsets (and a few sunrises) I have had the pleasure of watching from all over the world. Before the advent of the iPhone I rarely carried a camera with me. My Canon SLR camera, although a very good camera in its own right, is simply too cumbersome and heavy to carry with me. With my iPhone, which I have with me at all times (I sometimes feel almost naked without it), I can take a photo when I come upon a nice scene. Most of the photos on this page were taken while I was on a cruise or on one of my tours to the South Pacific. For some reason some of the very best sunsets take place in the Pacific (at least in my experience). I took some photos right here in Indiana just beyond my home in Lafayette. When I see a sunset that I like, I have to find a place to pull over if I am on the road because if I wait too long, the sky changes very quickly and the photo I wanted is gone.

I included some sunset photos because of their unusual location. Most of these were in the Pacific on some tiny island like Bali, Guam or Okinawa. I included some photos because of the beautiful colors produced by the setting sun. I think the best photos are of the evening sky at nautical twilight, that period of time when the sun has already set and is 6° – 12° below the horizon. When the sun is just below the horizon but less than 6°, it is called civil twilight. This is also called the “blue hour” and it is during this period that some of the most brilliant colors can be seen. Some of the other interesting photos are of sunbursts through clouds. Some photos include stellate-like rays emanating from the sun that are not always seen by the naked eye. I have included these, too, just because they are so dramatic. It never ceases to amaze me at the wide spectrum of colors in the evening sky in the South Pacific where there is virtually no air pollution.

These photos have been cropped to suit my preference. I have also, in nearly every photograph, straightened out the horizon. I have edited out photographic artifacts that are, to my knowledge, impossible to avoid sometimes. Because the iPhone camera is so good, these photos represent exactly how I visualized the evening sky at sunset. Also, the iPhone camera takes very good low light photos so that unless it was very dark, there is very little if any blurring. When possible, I have included in the caption the location and time of year when I took these photos.

Photographic artifacts. Lens Flare is the most common artifact, appearing as circular or polygonal spots, streaks, or a general haze of light across the image. It is caused by internal reflections between the lens elements and is often difficult to avoid when the sun is in or near the frame. I did not take this photo.

Some of the most dramatic sunsets occur when the atmosphere is polluted with smog and dust. The best example I have of this phenomenon is in the photos I took while we were tied up on the Saigon River in Vietnam.

Sun rays themselves are invisible to the naked eye. What you actually see are beams of light scattering off tiny particles—such as dust, water vapor, and aerosols—suspended in the atmosphere, a phenomenon known as crepuscular rays. In essence, you are not seeing the pure light energy, but rather the path it takes as it interacts with matter in the air. This effect is especially noticeable during sunrise and sunset, or when light shines through gaps in clouds or foliage, creating defined shafts of light separated by darker, shadowed areas. Therefore, while light is constantly present, the specific beams you perceive as “rays” are an optical effect made visible by atmospheric conditions.

Except where mentioned, I took all of these photos with my iPhone, most with an iPhone 15 ProMax.

Sun rays. These are artificial and not usually seen by the naked eye

Some of the most beautiful sunsets I have seen were in the South and Western Pacific. Many of them were in the Solomon Islands (there is a map of the Solomons below) where I have spent a lot of time on my tours. Other maps will be provided as photos from other islands are shown.

The order of these photos is by image number assigned to the photo by the camera when I took them. They do not necessarily appear in chronological order.

This photo was taken while we were tied up at Naha, Okinawa aboard MS *Regatta* on November 4, 2024.

Sunset from *Regatta* tied up at Naha, Okinawa.

Sunset just off the coast of Hiroshima, Japan on November 2, 2024.

A blood-red sunset, Providence, Rhode Island. Although the red horizon is beautiful, it was the grand sweep of the feathery clouds that also caught my attention.

Off the coast of Hokkaido, Japan, October 30, 2024.

Somewhere on the North Atlantic off the coast of Nova Scotia, September 26, 2025.

Somewhere in the North Atlantic off the coast of Canada, September 24, 2025.

Off the coast of Portugal, September 16, 2025.

Somewhere in the North Pacific between the Aleutian Islands and Japan. This is a nice example of a sunburst. October 22, 2024

Off the coast of Kokiak, Alaska. The next two photos are of the evolving sunset.

The North Pacific at civil twilight also known as the “blue hour”. We are somewhere off the coast of the Aleutian Islands having sailed from Kodiak, Alaska.

Sail away from Vancouver, British Columbia.

This is actually a sunrise in the Columbia River estuary, Astoria, Oregon. Notice the subtle feathery sunburst effect and the shadow created by the tower on the right.

St. Peter’s basilica, Rome, Italy. I took this photo on September 2, 2025, my seventieth birthday.

The map below is of the Solomon Islands. Guadalcanal is the destination for several of my trips to the South Pacific. The Slot is a body of water that was named by the US Marines and US Navy as the route taken by the Japanese to fortify their garrison at Guadalcanal during the war between August 1942-February 1943. The Bilikiki cruise through the Solomons starts and ends at Guadalcanal. Some of the most beautiful sunsets I have seen were in the Solomons.

This is a sunrise as seen from the American Memorial, Hill 73, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands. Every August 7 my tour group participates in a sunrise ceremony here to commemorate the invasion of Guadalcanal in 1942.

Sunset behind Kolombangara, Solomon Islands on the Bilikiki cruise up the Slot, May 2025.

The Solomon Islands with Kolombangara and Plum Pudding Island inset map. Rendova is just five miles south and a little east of the southern side of Kolombangara.

Solomon Sea near the island of Rendova in the Solomons.

A beautiful orange cloud formation over Rendova. President John F. Kennedy’s PT-109 was based on Rendova in 1943. He departed from Rendova on the night of August 2, 1943 on a mission to interdict Japanese ships of the Tokyo Express when his boat was cut in two by a Japanese destroyer. Two of his crew were killed in the attack. We visited his base on this island (there is a little memorial there) and Plum Pudding Island where he and the survivors swam to after the disaster.

This and the next two photos illustrate an evolving sunset as seen from ~35,000 feet.

The Slot, Solomon Islands. I particularly like the lavender of the wispy clouds at the top of this photo

Iron Bottom Sound near the southern tip of Savo Island. I saw some of the most beautiful sunsets during my Bilikili cruise tour through the Solomon Islands in 2023 and 2025.

Savo Island, Iron Bottom Sound, Solomon Islands, as seen from the Bilikiki. There are three US Navy heavy cruisers (CVs) and one Australian CV on the bottom very near this island that were sunk by the Imperial Japanese Navy in the early morning of August 9, 1942 in the Battle of Savo Island. It was the worse loss for the US Navy in the war.

Yeah, yeah, I know this is not a sunset photo. I wanted to show you what the Bilikiki looks like. It is an 18-passenger dive boat; it is not the Queen Mary. Valor Tours offers this tour every other year. I did this tour in 2023 and 2025. It is one of my favorite tours to lead as guide.

Sunburst somewhere in the Caribbean Sea.

Truk (Chuuk today) is a large atoll in the middle of the Pacific and is part of the Caroline Island archipelago.

Truk lagoon, during the Central Pacific Tour. I like the lavendar hue and the blue space to the right created by the clouds on the horizon.

The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands is located in the Western Pacific north of Guam, south of Japan and north of New Guinea.

Philippines Sea from Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands.

Tasman Sea somewhere between Australia and New Zealand.

Iron Bottom Sound, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, Bilikiki cruise.

Koror, Palau. It is easy to see why this is called the “blue hour.”

Milne Bay is located at the far eastern tip of the Papuan Peninsula of Papua New Guinea. My interest in this obscure location stems from my interest in an important battle fought here in Auguust/September 1942 between the Japanese Army and the Australian Army.

Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea. I took this one a couple minutes after the previous one.

Sail away from Darwin, Australia. It is not always necessary to have the photo oriented so that the sun is setting in the center of the photo. The color contrast is striking.

“Blue Hour” over the Philippine Sea, Guam.

Guam. I like how the sunset is framed by the palm frond.

Guam. Guam actually has a very nice beach. I often refer to Agana, the capital of Guam, as Little Waikiki.

Timor Sea south of Indonesia. I liked this shot because of the setting sun spotlighting the surface the ocean.

I was quite taken by this sunset in the Timor Sea south of Indonesia (below). I took the first photo a few minutes before the sun kissed the horizon giving this brilliant green-yellow to orange sky. It also seemed to impart a green tint to the water that I usually did not see. The color of the water is generally reflective of the color of the sky.

I took the next photo just as the sun kissed the horizon. The color of sky has changed dramatically. Now, the color of the water is the more usual blue, also reflective of the color of the sky although there is still a subtle hint of green.

Bali, Indonesia. Some of the most dramatic sunsets take place just before the sun sets be it on the horizon or, as it is in this photo, just before it sets behind a building. Notice the subtle circular photographic artifact between the 4 and 6 o’clock position to the sun.

Bali, Indonesia. The brilliant orange glow beneath the sun and the clouds is likely due to air pollution. The smog, notwithstanding, produces some dramatically colorful sunsets.

Although most of the sky where the sun is setting is not visible in this photo, I wanted to capture the contrast over Waikiki Beach in Honolulu between the blue and yellow ski.

Off the coast of Kauai, Hawaiian Islands.

Bali, Indonesia. The thing that caught my attention at this sunset was the dramatic triangular shadow cast on the sky from the unusual cloud formation on the horizon in front of the setting sun. This is one of my favorite sunsets photos.

Sunset over the Saigon River through the smog. It was not so much the sunset as the beautiful reflection in the water that caught my attention. It looks like a ribbon of fire.

Hong Kong taken from the stern of MS *Regatta*.

I took this photo from our balcony. I liked the orange-red reflection on the water.

Iwo Jima. During the war, Japan was known as the Land of the Rising Sun. Iwo Jima is now part of Japan (Tokyo Prefecture) so it seems appropriate that this is a setting sun over the island United States Marines took from Japan in February/March 1945. Iwo Jima here is the land of the setting sun. I can think of no better metaphor.

Philippine Sea, Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. I liked the effect created by the clouds in front of the sun blocking the sun’s rays.

One of my favorite sunset photos, Sydney, Australia. I took this photo from the Sydney Opera House. The ship tied up at right is the Oceania Regatta.

Tasman Sea, off the coast of Tasmania. The reflective shine on the water surface and the ship’s wake converge on the ship’s stern.

Great Australian Bight, south of Australia. See map above.

Great Australian Bight, south of Australia.

Off the coast near Busselton, Western Australia.

Tahiti and Moorea in the Society Islands of French Polynesia, South Pacific Ocean.

Society Islands, French Polynesia. I love the dark lavender and the gradation as it gets darker higher in the sky.

A beautiful sunburst near the Society Islands, French Polynesia.

Papeete, French Polynesia. I liked the pale lavender color in this late sunset from Oceania *Regatta*.

Papeete, French Polynesia. I was particularly taken with the palette of colors in this sunset.

French Polynesia. I like the color difference on the water surface with the blue on the left and the orange on the right reflecting the color of the sky.

The Torres Strait is located north of the tip of the York Peninsula and south of Papua New Guinea. There are several little islands in the strait. We visited one of these islands, Thursday Island. It was fortified with anti-aircraft guns by the Australian Army during World War II.

Off the coast of Thursday Island, Torres Strait.

Me standing on Deck 10, Oceania *Regatta*, where we are tied up in Bali with the sun setting in the distance with my excellent iPhone 15 ProMax camera/phone and my trusty binoculars. I do not go on a cruise without them. They come in handy when looking for the Green Flash. Do I look relaxed or what? A cruise will do this to you.

Somewhere in the Coral Sea as seen from our balcony.

Perth, Western Australia, just before sunset.

The same scene as above two minutes later just after sunset. The sky appears to be on fire.

Off the coast of Broome, Western Australia. This shot depicts a feathered sunburst.

The next six photos taken a few days after the one above depict an evolving sunset off the coast of Western Australia south of Broome. The first three appear to be similar as do the next three, but I have included all since there is a subtle difference between them. Can you find the moon?

I took this photo at 6:04 p.m., November 27, 2022.

6:31 p.m., November 27, 2022. In this and the two above it appears to me that the sky is on fire.

Somewhere in the Indian Ocean west of Australia, November 26, 2022.

Indian Ocean west of Australia, November 22, 2022.

Java Sea with Singapore in the distance.

Penumpang, Java, Indonesia. I like the reflection on the water.

This is sorta the same scene as the one above. I like the gentle ripple and wake of the little boat disrupting the reflected light.

Tied up at Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia. Again, I like the stark difference between the yellow-orange on the left contrasted with the deepening blue on the right.

South Pacific Ocean off the coast of Fiji.

South Pacific Ocean off the coast of Fiji. This photo was taken about twenty minutes after the one above it. This illustrates how quickly the colors change as the sun sets. I have learned not to wait. If there is a particular photo I want, I take it right away because if I do not, the scene changes within minutes.

South Pacific off the coast of Fiji. I usually do not take landscape or seascape photos in the portrait mode but it seemed appropriate in this scene with this beautiful color gradation and the moon. I could not resist.

I liked this one for the unusual red tint to the ocean surface. This is somewhere in the Caribbean.

Somewhere in the Eastern Caribbean. I like this one for the sunburst and the spotlit surface.

Somewhere along US 52 between Lafayette and Indianapolis, Indiana. Not all of the pretty sunsets occur in the South Pacific.

On August 17, 2023, I hiked to the summit of Mt. Fuji. This sunset is from the high camp where my guide and I spent the night 11,778 feet ASL.

A beautiful sunrise from just below the summit. At this point I knew we had to hustle to get to the summit before the sunrise. You can see the lights of the city through the clouds. The time is 4:10 a.m.

We have reached the crater rim at the summit (although not the highest point on the mountain) just before sunrise. 4:55 a.m.

The sun is just beginning to make its appearance at the horizon. 5:00 a.m.

On my way home I was seated on the port (left) side of the plane and was very pleased to not only see the summit of Mt. Fuji punched through the clouds but also to get this nice photograph just after the sun set.

Philippines Sea from Saipan. I liked the golden outline of the clouds.

The Bay Bridge, San Francisco just after sunset.

The same scene as the one before only a few minutes later.

Lafayette is located about half way between Indianapolis and Gary.

Lafayette, Indiana from Co Rd 600 East. This sunset got better and better as the sun set. Unfortunately, I was not in a place where I could stop to get a good follow up photo.

Creasy Lane, Lafayette, Indiana near Caterpillar, 8:59 p.m.

Creasy Lane, Lafayette, Indiana near Caterpillar, 9:09 p.m.

Brilliant sunset as seen from Co Rd 600 East, Lafayette, Indiana, very near our home.

Somewhere along US 52 between Lafayette and Indianapolis, Indiana.

Rural Indiana. I like the blue band formed by the eclipsing cloud.

US 52 between Lafayette and Indianapolis.

Indian Ocean just south of the southern tip of India.

Somewhere in the Indian Ocean near Mauritius. Nice sun burst.

Iron Bottom Sound with Savo Island in the distance, right of center. I was helping one of my passengers back to Guadalcanal from Tulagi where he had become severely dehydrated. We got a couple IVs in him and were rehydrating him. Half way across Iron Bottom Sound the bag of saline dripped to empty and I had the boat driver stop so I could replace the bag with a second bag. We stopped the boat so I could do this and I took this photo. It is one of my favorite photos of Savo Island.

Memorial service Hill 1, Bloody Ridge, Guadalcanal, for my friend and mentor, John Innes. I worked seven tours with John and learned a lot about the battle of Guadalcanal from him. The Marine Corps made him – an Australian – an honorary Marine. The US Marine Corps put this memorial together with the color guard and a navy chaplain. All John’s family were present, including his widow, his two daughters and grandchildren who came on my tour in 2019. John passed away on September 1, 2018. We had a very solemn ceremony here then his family scattered John’s ashes all around the slopes of Hill 1, Bloody Ridge on August 7, 2019. To us it was a very appropriate time and place. There is always a big ceremony at the American Memorial, Hill 73, on the morning of August 7 to commemorate the invasion of Guadalcanal by the 1st Marine Division. John always provided the military historical background of the battle during this ceremony on Hill 73. This was an appropriate place to scatter his ashes as Bloody Ridge was the icon battle of Guadalcanal. I do not know anybody who knew more about the Battle of Guadalcanal as much as John knew. Every time I return to Bloody Ridge on my tours, I walked to the edge of Hill 1 and say hello to my friend.

Sunrise from my hike to the Keyhole (~13,000 feet) on Longs Peak, Colorado, September 21, 2019.

Somewhere between Los Angeles and Hawaii. September 27, 2922, 6:20 p.m.

Somewhere between Los Angeles and Hawaii from our balcony. Notice the circular flare artifact. September 27, 2022, 6:27 p.m.

Somewhere between Los Angeles and Hawaii. Notice the secondary reflection from the notch in the clouds to the right of the primary reflection from the sun, September 27, 2022, 6:32 p.m.

Somewhere between Los Angeles and Hawaii, September 27, 2022, 6:35.

Somewhere between Los Angeles and Hawaii, September 28, 2022, 6:48.

Somewhere between Los Angeles and Hawaii, September 28, 2022, 7:26 p.m. See what a difference of about 50 minutes makes in the color of the sky.

Rabaul is located in Simpson Harbor on the most eastern end of the island of New Britain. It is surrounded by volcanoes. The Japanese took Rabaul from the Australian garrison in January 1942.

Sunrise on Iron Bottom Sound off the coast of Guadalcanal. The Florida Islands are in the distance. I have never seen the surface of the sea so red.

I will continue to add pretty sunset photos to this page. I often tell myself that I do not see how I could possibly find any sunset photos as good as the ones I already have, but the more I travel the more I keep seeing beautiful sunsets all over the world. The beauty of God’s creation is everywhere. You just have to keep looking and sometime you do not have to look any further than right out your back door. And…keep your camera close by. The sky changes by the second.

I had forgotten the following sunset photo, which I took in January 2006 during Valor Tours Hellship Memorial tour, the tour on which I met Blythe. I took this photo the evening after we dedicated the Hellships Memorial at Subic Bay.

Sunset over Subic Bay, Philippines. This seemed a fitting ending to the day after we dedicated the Hellships Memorial.

Visiting War Museums in England with the Boys

George and Dean are two of my study-of-the-war buddies whom I have met over the years on my tours of the Pacific Island battlefields. Dean has been on three of my tours the last of which was with his wife, Denise, on my cruise through the Solomon Islands in May this year. Dean is a retired Delta Airline pilot and his wife is a current flight attendant on Delta. I met George on one of my Guadalcanal tours. We also were on a tour together to the Aleutian Islands in June 2022. Because of our common interest in the war, George and Dean and I have become good friends. A few months ago we three decided to get together in England to visit some war museums and to just spend time together. George put together an itinerary for us, which included one non-military event.

I flew from Chicago to London, Heathrow on Sunday, August 26, 2025. I had an on-time arrival and quickly passed through immigration. I had no checked bags so was soon beyond customs and looking for the Piccadilly line train to Waterloo Station where I was to meet George. I had one train change at Green Park where I boarded the Jubilee line. After one stop I was at Waterloo. Dean was supposed to fly with Denise the day before. Due to some mechanical problem, their flight was cancelled and they flew to London the same day I did. I arrived several hours ahead of Dean.

This is a view of the Thames early in the morning I arrived in London.

Day 1 – Monday

Waterloo is a large train and Underground station, but I knew about where the clock was where I was to meet George. I spotted him just before he spotted me. Dean was not due in for a few more hours so we went to George’s army club, the Union Jack Club. By virtue of being retired military, specifically the army, he had a membership that gets him a room and access to the restaurant and bar. He tried to get Dean and me rooms, but they were all booked. We went to a coffee shop off the lounge, and each got a latte and a croissant. I checked my bag, and we set off into the sunny, but cool afternoon for the British Imperial War Museum.

Because George is a veteran of the British Army, he can stay at the Union Jack Club in London.

George had an ambitious itinerary for us. At first, it looked like everywhere we would be going would be new to me. When we got to the museum, I immediately recognized it as a place Blythe, and I had been to about eight years ago. As we rounded the corner, I also remembered an interesting plaque that Blythe and I had seen before. It was the home where Captain William Bligh (of mutiny on the Bounty fame) lived. We arrived at the museum about ten minutes before it opened. While we waited, we walked around the two 15-inch naval rifles located at the entrance to the museum. The sun shined through the sycamore trees giving some relief to the cool temperatures. There were many things in the museum that I remember seeing the first time I was here, specifically, the German V-2 rocket and the Japanese suicide jet plane, the Ohka.

Captain Bligh lived in this house near the Imperial War Museum. Blythe and I stopped here for a similar photo several years ago.

George and I spent about an hour going through the museum before we headed out to Lambeth North Underground station where we met Dean. We went to a coffee shop where we each got a coffee and a pastry before heading back to the war museum where we spent another hour or so.

The Imperial War Museum. We arrived a few minutes before it opened hence the line in front.

One of two 15-inch naval rifles located in front of the museum.

George standing next to a 15-inch shell outside the Imperial War Museum.

A segment of the Berlin Wall outside the museum. As you can see, it was a beautiful day.

A British RAF Spitfire at the Imperial War Museum.

A German V-2 rocket. Suspended near the rocket’s tail is a Japanese Ohka, a rocket propelled suicide plane.

Another view of the Ohka. It was not an effective weapon and most were shot down before they ever reached their targets.

This British Union Jack flew over Singapore before its fall on February 15, 1942.

A Russian T-24 tank, the main Russian tank during the war.

George had tickets for us to visit the HMS Belfast and a scheduled time to see it at 3:00. Again, we used the London Underground to get down to the Thames. We walked all over the Belfast on our self-guided tour. We spent about twenty minutes talking with a couple of the docents impressing them with our knowledge of the war and our nautical expertise.

HMS *Belfast* tied up in the Thames. This is a light cruiser that saw action in the battle of the Atlantic and in support of the D-Day landings.

The Tower Bridge as seen from the HMS *Belfast*.

The ship’s bell on *Belfast*. It was hanging on the aft main gun turret.

We got around London on the Underground trains.

After an hour or so walking the decks of the Belfast we took the Underground back to Waterloo Station and walked to the Union Jack Club where we had dinner in the lounge. Dean and I then took the Underground to Wimbledon and Ubered it to the Rose and Crown B&B. Our comfortable rooms were next door to each other. This is the same B&B where Blythe and I stayed last January when we visited George. It was a bit expensive but well worth it. It was very comfortable and quiet despite being next to the pub.

Before heading back to Waterloo Station, Dean wanted to stop at the Borough Market, a place he and Denise remembered as a nice place to shop for a special spice he wanted. Dean and Denise are gourmet cooks so good spices are important. The Borough is an outdoor market with lots of stalls that sell mostly food. We found it quickly but were dismayed that it was closed on Mondays.

We enjoy a drink at the Union Jack Club at the end of our first day together in London. Between the three of us there is considerable knowledge of the war. Our mutual interest in the war is what brought us together on one of my tours of Guadalcanal. Actually, I first met Dean on my tour to the Philippines as guide.

Day 2 – Tuesday

The next day, Dean and I Ubered it back to the Underground station and went back to Waterloo where we met George under the big clock. We got a coffee and a pastry in the second-floor café. Again, it was a cool, brisk, sunny day. We went to Westminster where we had reservations to see Churchill’s underground war rooms. We were early for our scheduled tour but George sweet-talked our way in early. Blythe and I thought about touring this museum when we were here a few years ago but were dissuaded because of the cost. That did not deter us this time. Before getting back on the Underground we waited beneath Big Ben so I could record on my phone the chiming of the Westminster chimes and the stroke of twelve noon.

Waterloo Underground and train station. It seemed to always be busy. All the Underground stations in London look pretty much like this one.

It was another nice, but cool day in London. This museum is in the shadow of Big Ben at Westminster.

This is the underground room where PM Churchill met with his military advisors during the war. He sat in the round back chair in the middle beneath the large world map.

Westminster, as usual, was very crowded. When I saw the time I decided to wait until noon to record the chimes and the striking of the noon hour.

Before heading to the RAF museum we went back to the Borough Market so Dean could get his spice. When we got there we found it packed, so much so that it was difficult to maneuver through the throng. We found the spice that Dean wanted after winding our way from kiosk to kiosk. On our way we passed a kiosk that was peddling bagels. My mouth watered. We stopped here on our way out and each got a lox and bagel. It was so good that we each thought about going back for a second.

The Borough Market was an outdoor market that Dean remembered was a good place to get good spices. It also had delicious lox and bagels. It was packed with people.

Our next stop was the RAF Hendon museum. Again, George had previously arranged tickets for us. We spent a couple of hours walking through this vast building looking at vintage planes and helicopters.

This is a British Lancaster heavy bomber. It is the bomber that Valor Tours Vicky’s father, Bob Reynolds, flew during the war to bomb Germany. We sent her a photo of this with Dean and me standing in front of it.

A Japanese suicide Ohka like the one we saw yesterday at the Imperial War Museum.

A German ME 262 jet fighter. Too little, too late for the Krauts.

An RAF helicopter. Although a little different, this reminded me of the British Coastguard helicopter (upper left inset) that rescued me off the mountain in Scotland in 1999 after my fall on Skye.

Our evening event deviated from our primary interest in the war and military museums. George had arranged tickets for us to watch the Agatha Christy play, Witness to the Prosecution.

The play venue was located within walking distance of the Union Jack Club in the historic London County Hall, a grand old Neo-Gothic building.

This is the view of the stage from our seats in the second row, balcony.

A view of the stage from the front. Our seats were located in the balcony on the right. As you can see, the stage is set up to look like a courtroom.

Our seats were in the second row in the balcony just to the left of the left column.

The entire play took place on this stage. At times it was changed from the courtroom to a living room. We had a good view of the stage. This was a very entertaining play and we enjoyed it.

Day 3 – Wednesday

Dean and I spent a second night at the Rose & Crown B&B. It was a very comfortable and convenient place to stay close to where George lives. The next morning George picked us up for the drive to Portsmouth.

The Rose & Crown B&B in Wimbledon. It had a restaurant and a pub but we never heard anything during the two nights we stayed here. Blythe and I stayed here in January.

Dean and I got a latte and a croissant at this kioskcross the street from the Rose & Crown. The proprietors, a husband and wife, were very friendly. The guy is putting our flowers in buckets so it smelled nice, too. We waited here for George to come and collect us.

Downtown Wimbledon. I first visited Wimbledon about thirty-five years ago when Susie and I went to Centre Court at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.

While Dean and I sipped on our lattes this woman and her horse pranced by.

Unlike the two days in London when it was sunny and otherwise pleasant, today it was cloudy and gloomy. It took about two and a half hours to drive down to Portsmouth, our home for the next two nights. It was a pleasant drive with companionable conversation that only three good friends can have. It was not always talk about the war. Even though the three of us have spent a lot of time together, in the past it was nearly always while on a tour when I had to divide my time with the other passengers. This time it was just the three of us, all day. Dean and I learned a lot more about George, especially his time in the British army and his many postings around the world with the band. He actually played in two bands, the band of the 22nd Cheshire Regiment and the band of her (now his) majesty’s Irish Guards. Dean and I, having already spent a lot of time together, either just the two of us or more frequently with our wives, were already close. As a result of this special time together, we became closer to George. We were having such fun that we began talking about doing something like this next year. George has spent a lot of time in Japan and speaks Japanese well. He suggested that the three of us meet him in Japan next year to visit some of the Japanese war museums and other important places relative to the war. We also discussed the idea of meeting in the States, maybe next year, to visit Los Alamos and the Trinity test site where the plutonium bomb was first tested in July 1945. There are two other of our friends we have gotten to know from our tours together, James and Glen, whom we think would like to maybe join us. All of us got to know each other through our common interest in World War II and on tours to the island battlefields of the Pacific. Besides me, Dean and Glen are tour guides with Valor Tours.

In Portsmouth we visited two museums that George already had tickets for. Before going to the first museum we stopped to look at an LCT that was used in the D-Day landings, LCT 7074. It was chilly and drizzly so we did not stay long. It was closed so that we could not get aboard, and we did not want to wait for it to open.

While we waited for the museums to open we got a coffee and a pastry. To get to the museum we had to take a ferry across the port entrance. The first museum we visited was called the Explosion Museum and had all kinds of old British naval guns, mines, cannons, and torpedoes.

The other museum we visited was HMS Alliance, the only remaining British World War II era submarine. It was pretty much like the other World War II submarines I have visited including the German U-505 in Chicago. We had to get a specific time to go through it. While we waited for our tour time we sat in the gift shop and had a coffee.

One of two heads we saw on our tour of the submarine. Not a very inviting place to have to go.

I might fit in one of these WW II submarines, but I would not want to be a submariner.

Despite the dreariness of the day, there was one other thing we wanted to see, the HMS Victory, Admiral Horatio Nelson’s flag-ship during the battle of Trafalgar. Dean had already seen it a couple of times on previous visits here so he elected to stay some place warm while George and I walked all over this old man-of-war. I was keen to see it as it comports with my new interest and hobby of building wooden model ships. Unfortunately, it was under repair and most of the masts and yards had been taken down. The wooden hull was also being replaced. Still, we got to walk all over the decks. Watch your head though.

Most of the ship was under a large scaffolding.

The lantern marks the spot where Nelson died from his wounds.

George originally had plans for us to see a Japanese cannon and Lord Mountbatten’s grave but we ran out of time. We drove to our next hotel, a Holiday Inn Express. After checking in we went for dinner at a pub George knew about.

Day 4 – Thursday

After breakfast at the hotel we set off for the Bovington Tank Museum. Again, George already had tickets for the three of us. On our way to the museum we stopped at a spot near where T. E. Lawrence of Lawrence of Arabia fame was killed when his motorcycle crashed (he was known to go recklessly fast).

This sign was across the street from where we stopped to watch the tank role by.

https://youtu.be/_XKtAL3nMRc

We arrived at the tank museum just before it opened. We spent about three hours walking around this museum looking at tanks from both world wars.

This is a Chinese tank similar to the one that was forced to stop in front of a demonstrator in Tiananmen Square in 1989.

A German Tiger II Tank with its infamous and much feared 88mm main gun.

An American Stuart light tank with its 37mm main gun.

An American medium Sherman tank with its 75mm main gun.

This is an earlier version of the German heavy tank, the Tiger I.

This nice display was near the exit of the museum. The British take Remembrance Day very seriously, more so than we in American take Veterans’ Day. In nearly every Underground station we passed through there were tables offering poppy lapel pins for free. Dean and I each got one and donated £5 for the cause. Pounds well spent.

After spending a lot of time at the tank museum we drove back to T. E. Lawrence’s house where we stopped for a tour. This would turn out to be one of the highlights of our time in England. There were three docents in the house who gave us a good tour of both the downstairs and upstairs rooms. It has been nicely preserved.

This is T. E. Lawrence’s house where he lived by himself.

We are standing behind one of Lawrence’s eight Brough Superior motorcycles. It was on one like this one that he crashed and was killed. We are in front of the main entrance to the house.

Lawrence was a prolific reader and writer. This is the chair where he read and wrote.

This is a photograph of the house with the original family who lived here. Surely they all did not live in this house. Must be an extended family photo.

This sign reads: “Near this spot Lawrence of Arabia crashed on his motorcycle and was fatally injured 13th May 1935” This marker was very close to the spot where we watched the tank roll by.

We had to ask directions but found T. E. Lawrence’s grave in a small old cemetery.

The cemetery where Lawrence is buried. His grave is in the very back of the cemetery to the right of the cross.

See anything wrong in this photo? This is George’s car.

We had a particularly good meal at this pub at Coopers Mill.

Denise is very particular about her lipstick. She prefers this brand and color. After we checked into hotel, I walked into the village to a Boot’s pharmacy to get this lipstick.

We spent the night in a little hotel in the middle of the town of Yeovil where George had previously arranged for a room for each of us. After checking in we went to a pub and had a very good dinner with a delicious dessert. The otherwise enjoyable evening was only marred by some screaming unleashed kids. Just like in America.

Day 5 – Friday

We stopped at this Nosh wagon for a really good breakfast sandwich and a coffee.

We spent the morning tour a British Naval Aviation Museum. We got a personal tour by one of the docents, a Falklands war veteran, who took us around the museum and described the planes, particularly the ones that were involved in the Falklands war.

A British Walrus amphibious plane. I was interested to see this plane because there were two of them at Kai Tak airport in Hong Kong that were destroyed on the first day of the war.

On our way back to London we drove past Stonehenge. I was suprised how close we got so that I could get this photo. This is about the third or fourth time I have seen Stonehenge and every time it has been cloudy as it was today.

When we got back to Heathrow George dropped us off at the Hilton, practically across the street from the airport. After we checked in, the three of us went out to dinner at a little (actually, everything in England is little) Indian restaurant to get curry. When we got back to the hotel we said goodbye to George promising that we would do this again next year.

Day 6 – Saturday

After breakfast, provided by the hotel, Dean and I got a ride to the terminal at Heathrow. We said goodbye and went to our ticket counters. Dean flew back on Delta and I flew back on United. I had a few hours until my flight and spent the time in the lounge reading.

A line of planes taxing out to the runway at Heathrow as seen from my seat on my United flight back to Chicago.

Sunburst through the clouds spotlighting the English countryside as we climb into the sky on our way back home.

I cannot remember when I have done something like this before where it was just the boys together for a whole week. We had a blast. The common denominator and the thing that brought us together for this week as friends was our interest in the war, and this was the primary reason for getting together in the first place, but not the only reason. It was just a good opportunity for three good friends regardless of the reason to get together for good old guy stuff. We could proverbially let your hair down and do and say things that, had the wives been with us, we otherwise would not have said or done. I kinda feel sorry for guys who do not have this kind of relationship with other guys. I think this is a healthy thing to do once in a while. And we plan to do it again next year, maybe in Japan with George as the guide, again. He was a good guide and obviously went to a lot of trouble and effort to put together our very detailed itinerary. Thank you, George for doing this, and Dean for a great week. Let’s do it again!

Below is the itinerary that George put together for us.

Monday, September 29, 2025

Newport, Rhode Island, United States

The Last Day of the Cruise

Actually, the weather turned out to be nicer than forecasted. It was mostly sunny while we were in Newport. It was very pleasant walking through town.

The ship is anchored just off the marina in Newport, Rhode Island, not Providence as the ship’s itinerary says. We got nowhere near Providence.

We again had breakfast in Terrace this morning. We were still a long way from Newport, but we could barely see the coast line in the distance.

This was the view of the water from our balcony when we got up this morning.

After breakfast we went to Baristas where I read a bit. There was no place in this harbor to tie up so we anchored off shore and tendered in. The Norwegian Cruise Line ship, Getaway. the one we saw a few ports ago was also anchored near Allura.

One of our tenders and the pilot boat in the distance.

One of our tenders. It is surprising how many people it will hold.

We took the tender into the marina. It was a nice sunny day with moderately warm temperatures. This is a quaint New England port but is obviously a place that caters to tourists. There were lots of little souvenir ships, restaurants, bars, coffee shops. There was a nice marina with lots of sailboats. We had only one purpose to go ashore and that was to find a Chase bank to get some tip money. I asked somebody who was obviously there to answer tourist questions. I asked her about a Chase bank and she pointed the way and said it was only about six blocks. Blythe and I walked about a half mile to a hill. Blythe did not want to walk up the hill because of the continued discomfort in her right foot. I took off and walked up the hill and soon found the bank and two crisp $100 bills, one each for Aylia and one for Raymond, our stewardess and steward. They have been very nice to us, giving Blythe a lot more chocolate each evening. They always greet each of us with a friendly smile and seem so eager to be of help.

This was an Oceania watering hole where we got off the tender.

As we were getting ready to cross a street I saw a guy walking on the other side walking toward us with a shirt with Indiana on the front. He also had an IU cap. I said, “Hey Hoosier.” We stopped and talked a bit. His name is Ron and he is from Greenwood, Indiana, just south of Indianapolis. He went to graduate school at IU. He came in this morning on the Norwegian Cruise ship. We talked a bit about IU football, specifically about IU beating Iowa last Saturday. The world just seems to be getting smaller and smaller. I would learn again later in the afternoon that it was getting smaller still.

From the bank I started back I fell in with a couple from Hartfordshire, England. They wanted to know if I knew the way back to the harbor. They, too, were on the Norwegian Cruise ship. They walked with me down to the point where I left Blythe. They have a son who has done a half-Ironman and some marathons. I did not even mention the war. Really. They dropped into a pub and I found Blythe and we went back to the tender, which had just dropped passengers so we boarded right away. We went straight up to Terrace for lunch just in time before they shut down. We spent the rest of the afternoon in Baristas reading and working on this webpage.

We walked along this street to and from the bank. As you can see, the leaves are starting to turn.

Inside the tender. There were only eight passengers aboard.

The two cranes lower and pick up the tender.

We have tied up next to the ship and are helped out to the tender deck. Then we go onto Deck 4 and to the elevator. Inside Deck 4 still has the new ship smell. I learned today that this is Allura’s first transoceanic crossing.

A very long bridge near where we anchored.

The Norwegian Cruise Lines *Getaway* anchored near Allura.

A fort similar to the one we saw in Portland.

While I was working in Baristas a guy walked toward us. I looked up and he and I immediately recognized each other. It was James xxxxx whom we met on a trans-Pacific cruise in 2022. James was one of the onboard lecturers and we became good friends. James has been the onboard lecturer on this cruise but we did not know it was he who gave the lectures. We missed all of them. James got his graduated degree in Polynesian studies from Cambridge, University. For a while he lived on Easter Island where he has a tour company but he now is back in Scotland and lives in Inverness. We both remarked that he was born in the same hospital in Inverness where I was taken after I fell in July 1999, the Raigmore. He now lectures aboard Oceania cruises six months a year. In fact, to our great delight, he will be on Oceania Vista next year that we also will be on from New York to Iceland, the UK, and Scandinavia. Didn’t I tell you that the world is getting smaller.

Our friend James, expert on all things Polynesian and a very good lecturer, and fellow Raigmore Hospital patient.

This photo is of James when we invited him to join us for dinner in Grand Dining on *Regatta* on October 14, 2022. We talked about onboard lecturing mostly (I later gave ten lectures about the war on the cruise on our way to Guadalcanal). We attended all his lectures and went an a couple of snorkeling shore excursions with him. We became friends.

We had pre-arranged to meet Pete and Carol for dinner in Terrace this evening. I mentioned Pete and Carol in a previous posting a couple of weeks ago when we met them in Horizons at one of the captain’s parties. This is the third cruise we have sailed with them. Pete remembered me as the guy who lectured on Guadalcanal (2022). We also were on a cruise together last year. I had a special reason for asking them to dine with us this evening. I asked Pete if he would think about coming to Indiana as our guests to speak at the Indianapolis World War II Round Table. I think Pete would be a big hit with the Round Table membership since he commanded a nuclear attack submarine during the Cold War. I asked him to think about it for maybe sometime next year. We also exchanged lots of travel stories as they are some of the best traveled people we know. They have sailed on nearly a thousand days aboard Oceania Cruises. We talked about everything but the war. Believe me?

Pete and his wife, Carol, at dinner in Terrace this evening. Pete is a retired navy captain.

During dinner we saw this dramatic sunset, a fitting last photo for the end of our cruise that started over three weeks ago in Monte Carlo.

As we were dining in Terrace the ship pulled up its anchor and we sailed away from Newport and on to New York. We have packed this evening and will set out our bags and collect them tomorrow morning after we disembark. We will be off the ship about 8:00 and will Uber it to Newark Airport for our flight later in the early afternoon to Indianapolis.

As I have eluded to on several occasions on this website, we have met a surprising number of Hoosiers and/or Indiana University and Purdue University graduates. We also met a few passengers we have sailed with before. Today was one of the best days for meeting old friends when we met James whom we met in 2022, and then had dinner with Pete and Carol. In the end, as nice as it is to visit new and interesting places along the way, it is the people we meet and the new friendship we make that really make cruising so enjoyable and rewarding and keeps bringing us back for more.

Sunday, September 28, 2025

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

The forecast for Boston for the morning was not very good but it promised to improve later in the morning.

We were up a little earlier than usual this morning. Looking out from our balcony I could see that we were already tied up at the pier in Boston (it was 7:00). It was overcast but the forecast called for improving weather later in the morning. We had our usual breakfast in Terrace. By the time we were finished the ship had been cleared and we could go ashore.

I have been to Boston only two other times, once in December 1986, which I will describe in more detail soon, and again on April 1987, again which I will describe soon. Blythe had been here in the remote past with her siblings and mother.

This is the cruise terminal where we tied up. As far as cruise terminals go, this is not a very nice one. It looks more like a warehouse.

I do not know Boston very well except as I will soon describe, but there were a few places I wanted to visit today during our relatively brief stay here (sail away is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.). I wanted to see Faneuil Hall, the USS Constitution, and the Boston Marathon finish. We had no shore excursion planned. Instead, we would go ashore on our own. Because of the forecasted sunshine later in the morning I decided we should go to Faneuil Hall first since that would be mostly an indoor visit. We would go to the Constitution later in the morning after the sun was out. If we had time we would then go downtown to Boylston Street to the Boston Marathon finish. That was the plan. It did not turn out that way at all.

We took a Uber to Faneuil Hall, arriving about 9:00. I had forgotten that it was Sunday. It was closed and would not be open until 11:00. We got another Uber and went to the Constitution. I wanted to see this because when Mom and Dad, and Susie and I were here in April 1987, Dad and I took a guided tour of the ship. When we got there it, too was closed for another hour. But, the biggest disappointment was that it was under some kind of renovation. The foremast and yards were gone, lying on their sides next to the ship. I did not want to even wait around for the tour. Still, it was not a total loss. We could see the Bunker Hill Memorial, which did not seem too far away. We walked through some quaint neighborhoods and up some hills until we got to Bunker Hill. We got a few photos, some of which were marred a bit because there was a yoga exercise group working out in front of the memorial.

This is the USS *Constitution* that I wanted to take a tour of. When I saw that the foremast and its yards were gone I was so disappointed that I did not even bother with a tour like Dad and I did in 1987. The mainmast and the mizzenmast are still intact.

USS *Cassin Young (DD-793)* was tied up here as a tour opportunity. I got a few photos of it but was not interested in a tour.

This nice mast stood outside the USS *Constitution* museum.

This is where the Commandant of the First Naval Districted lives.

This is the neighborhood we walked through to get to the Bunker Hill Memorial.

This row of houses was across the street from the Bunker Hill Memorial.

Col. William Prescott led the New England Militia at the battle of Bunker Hill. He was the one who gave the order “Don’t Fire Till You See the Whites of Their Eyes”

While we waited for our Uber ride we sat on some steps next to a family, Mom and Dad and two young daughters. They live in Lynchburg, VA near Liberty University. We got into a conversation and I asked why their girls were not in school. They were here as part of their girls education since they are homeschooled. Our Uber ride arrived so we said goodbye and I said to the two girls, “Study hard.”

Right on schedule, the sun came out providing simply gorgeous weather for sightseeing.

Our next stop was downtown Boston, specifically Boylston Ave. where the Boston Marathon finished. First, a little personal history to give you an idea of why this is a special place for me. In 1986 I qualified for the 1987 Boston Marathon with a 2:59:41 time in the Chicago Marathon. This beat the qualifying time standard by a mere nineteen seconds (it seems I have to make races close to make them interesting). In preparation for the race in Boston the following year, my friend, Pat, and I drove to Boston in the last week of December 1986. We stayed with some of his friends (Pat was a Boston kinda guy). The main purpose for going to Boston was so that I could run the marathon course over two days as a training run. I wanted to see what the course was like, especially the famous Newton hills including Heartbreak hill, the last hill before heading down onto Boston to the finish on Boylston. On the first day I ran sixteen miles and then ran the last ten miles the next day. The Newton hills were intimidating; five ugly hills, one right after another. Pat knew about what my finishing time would be and met me at the finish line. As part of my trining for the race, I ratcheted up my milage and speed (I wanted to run another sub-3-hour race so that I would qualify for the 1988 race. Big mistake. I was on a 24-mile training run along the lake front in Chicago in early 1987. After about four miles I began to experience some discomfort in my left Achilles tendon. Like a typical runnier, I ignored it and ran another twenty-miles with the discomfort. I kept training and eventually developed a chronic Achilles tendinitis. I was operated (ironically by a good tendon orthopedic surgeon in Boston – Dad knew this guy). Obviously, there was no way I could run the race in Boston. I was heartbroken. I wanted this race so badly. To this day, not being able to run the Boston Marathon in 1987. is one of my biggest regrets in life.

The Boston Marathon Course. The race starts in Hopkinton and ends in Boston on Boylston. It is on Patriot’s day, always on a Monday, and starts at noon.

Still, I was duly entered in the race and had travel and hotel arrangements for April 1987. Mom and Dad, and Susie and I flew to Boston. We went to the race expo where I got my race t-shirt and race bib number. We stood at the top of Heartbreak hill where I wept as the lead pack ran by. That was my last time in Boston before today. I wanted to again see the finish line. There was something else I wanted to see: the Boston Marathon bombing memorial. On April 15, 2013 a bomb was detonated very near the finish, killing three and wounding over 500. The race was stopped. In that race was one of my cousins (actually a first cousin once removed, Jimmy, and his wife, Erin). Jimmy, a very good runner and future Ironman triathlete, finished the race before the bomb went off. Erin was still out on the course when the race was stopped. Because she was pulled off and was not able to finish, she received an automatic bib number for the race the following year.

Blythe and I walked down Boylston looking for the finish, which is clearly painted in the middle of the street. Even though I have watched lots of Boston Marathons and knew what the finish looked like, and having run across it once, we walked right past it. We had to ask a couple of times where it was. We did not miss it by much. Naturally, I had to recreate my 1986 finish when the traffic eased.

This church is near the finish line to the left.

The most famous street in Boston, at least to runners.

The runners run down Boylston in the direction as the cars are moving (this is a oneway street). The bomb in 2013 went off on the right side of the street about a block from the finish.

The most famous marathon finish. This is runners’ hallowed ground. To put this in perspective, standing on this finish line was as important to me as it was standing on the summit of Mt. Suribachi on Iwo Jima. The importance, for me, is the same.

This is the Boston Marathon bombing memorial.

This is my silly recreation of my only other time crossing the Boston Marathon finish line in 1986.

I will have to admit that being here and running across the finish line has rekindled in me a desire to run another marathon. I would dearly like to requalify for the Boston Marathon. But, for my age group (70-74), that would mean running a 4:20 race in a Boston qualifying marathon. That translates in to a 9:55 minute mile. I do not think I can run that fast for over four hours. The days when I could run 7:30 minute miles in training and sub 7-minute miles for three hours ended about 40 years ago. Still…

From this famous finish line we found a Starbucks for a latte before getting another Uber to Faneuil Hall. I remember when Mom and Dad, and Susie and I walked through Faneuil Hall in 1987 and I wanted Blythe to see this famous tourist stop. By now the sun was brilliantly shining with cerulean skies and pleasant temperatures. We were left out right across the street from this tourist trap. Even though it was Sunday, it was packed with tourists. We walked through Faneuil Hall and then into Quincy Market, which is little more than a big expensive food court.

This is a former Boston major. Blythe wanted to shake his hand.

There was a street performer on the other side of Faneuil Hall who was really talented and entertaining. We watched him perform then went into Quincy Market just beyond Faneuil Hall.

The street perform entertained us between Faneuil Hall and this building, Quincy Market.

The talented street performer. He got the crowd involved, which everybody loved.

This cute little girl’s parents were watching the street performer.

Somebody told me I should try a lobster roll while we are in Boston. Not at these prices.

We walked down this pedestrian walk back to Faneuil Hall to get an Uber back to the ship.

This statue of Samuel Adams stands in front of Faneuil Hall. A great Aermcian and signer of the Declaration of Independence.

Just before we left to get the Uber ride back to the ship I saw a guy with a hat on with the letter “P” on it that looked just like the Purdue “P”. I took a chance, “Hey guy, go Purdue.” He replied, “Yeah, Boiler up.” Ron’s wife grew up in Kokomo. Ron’s father lived in West Lafayette and worked at the Lafayette waste water treatment plant. Ron graduated with a degree in electrical engineering in 1982, four years after I graduated. He played a lot of racquetball at the Purdue Co-Rec and remembered that we had to play racquetball in the squash courts. I have lost track of the number of people we have run into on this cruise that are from Indiana and/or affiliated with Purdue. Go Boilers!

Our Uber driver’s name was Oscar. Oscar wanted to be a police officer. We talked about the Boston Marathon. He wants to start running to get ready to start the police academy. I told him not to save money on running shoes and to get a good pair, and that speed was not important, only the distance.

Back aboard the ship, Blythe and I got up to Terrace just in time to get lunch before it closed. I spent the rest of the afternoon working on the website in Baristas. At 4:00 the ship backed away from the pier, backed out of the slip, and pivoted 180° and headed out to sea. I went out to Deck 14 and 15 to watch the sail away. It was one of the pretties sail aways I have watched. I saw lots of sailboats and ferries, and several planes take off and land at Logan Airport. Before Blythe and I went do dinner I went up to Deck 15 to watch the sunset. There was another couple from San Diego watching it, too. I asked them if they were hoping to see the Green Flash. He is color blind so did not think he would see it. She has never seen one before. I told them what to look for. The conditions were right to see it with a clear horizon but I did not see it.

The stairs (nautically, a ladder) on Deck 8.

The ship in front of Allura is a Holland American ship on its way to the Caribbean. People are just boarding it today.

This ship has backed away from the pier and is heading toward the harbor in reverse..

Logan Airport is across the water. We could see lots of planes taking off and landing.

One plane has landed and is taxing while another is on the way in.

Boston is on the horizon in the distance. No Green Flash despite good conditions.

Blythe in Waves Grill waiting for our pizza.

Waves Grill was not very popular this evening.

Blythe and I had a pizza in Waves Grill. We went to Terrace to check out the desserts but did not get any. We ran into Carlos who told us he had a day off to go ashore. He was impressed with Boston and the Freedom Trail.

Tomorrow is our last day aboard ship before we disembark in New York on Tuesday. We will spend the day in Providence, Rhode Island tomorrow. We have never been there. We have no shore excursion planed but will go ashore on our own to find a Chase bank.

Saturday, September 27, 2025

Portland, Maine, United States

This is the forecast for the North Atlantic when we headed up to Terrace for breakfast.

I saw this in the Wall Street Journal this morning and wondered if we should stay aboard the ship today. Oh, Oregon. Well, okay.

We turned back our clocks last night so that we are now on Eastern Standard Time. Also, we were not scheduled to tie up in Portland until 10:30 a.m. Accordingly, Terrace was not open for breakfast until 7:30 (usually open at 7:00). We got there at 7:00 to find them not ready so we went back down to our cabin. Before heading down I got the following photos:

Terrace just before it gets crowded. It looks like it will be a nice day in Portland.

The view from the fantail, Terrace, at the sunrise.

The view of the sunrise from our cabin balcony.

We spent the morning in Baristas. As we sailed into the Portland harbor we went out to Deck 14 to watch the approach. We passed some very nice looking homes with great views of the waterfront. As we approached the dock the ship slowly inched her way to the pier. There was a marina, an old defensive fort, and lots of sailboats.

The forecast for Portland looks heavenly.

This is the home that Blythe wants to get. I think it has the nicest setting.

This looks like an old fort intended to defend Portland from a seaborne attack.

We liked Portland, especially the harbor.

A nice marina next to the pier where we tied up.

Visiting Portland had an extra special meaning for me. Of course there is a war connection. Doesn’t everything? Well, anyway, there was a heavy cruiser in the US Navy name the USS Portland (all cruisers during the war were named after US cities – remember the USS Indianapolis (CA-35)? It also had the nickname, “Sweet Pea” and its hull number was CA-33. “Sweet Pea” had a good operational history during the war but was severely damaged by a Japanese torpedo on the night of November 13, 1942 (it also just happened to be Friday – make of that what you want). This was a pivotal naval battle called the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. After their loss in this battle, the Japanese gave up on Guadalcanal and evacuated their position during the first week of February 1943. “Sweet Pea” survived the war and many other campaigns after repairs following the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal in 1942. It was finally decommissioned on July 12, 1946 with 16 battle stars. It was sold for scrap in October 1959. But…not all of it was scrapped. The tripod was retained as a memorial that was dedicated in Portland, Maine on Veterans’ Day, 2008. I wanted to see this memorial.

USS *Portland* (CA-33), “Sweet Pea.” Its main gun battery was three triple 8 inch gun mounts, two forward and one aft.

Battle damage from the night of November 13, 1942, when *Portland* took a Japanese torpedo in her starboard quarter just aft of the aft 8 inch gun mount. Eighteen sailers were killed.

The damaged *Portland* crossed Iron Bottom Sound under her own power to this temporary anchorage north of the little island of Tulagi. We visit Tulagi on my Guadalcanal tours. Notice the demolished stern just aft of the 8 inch gun mount. Tulagi is in the background.

The *Portland* was sold for scrap except for the aft tripod, which served as the memorial in Portland, Maine, the namesake of the ship.

The crew participating in a drill from Deck 5.

On our way to Deck 4 and the gangway I met a guy in the elevator who had a Notre Dame sweatshirt on. I asked him how Notre Dame was doing this year. With a sad countenance he replied that they had lost two games. I said, “Good!” He looked at me kinda funny. I told him I went to Purdue as if that was all that was necessary to explain my glee. He said that he went to Purdue and grew up in Crown Point. There a lot of Hoosiers on this boat.

Before we could go ashore everybody on the ship had to go through US immigration. There was a long line from the gangway to the cruise terminal where we had a face-to-face meeting with an immigration official. Our faces were scanned and our passports inspected, then we were waved through with a smile and a “Welcome home.” The official who did Blythe and me asked where we were from. Lafayette, Indiana. You know, where Purdue is. He said we had a good basketball team. Yes, indeed, welcome home.

We exited the terminal and rustled up an Uber. You are not going to believe this, but our driver, Joel, grew up in West Lafayette and went to Central Catholic High School where he played basketball. He is 6′ 5″. He took us to the Portland Memorial not far from the ship. For me, this was the highlight our stop in Portland.

The aft tripod of the USS *Portland*, “Sweet Pea,” now a memorial to those who served on her during the war, and the sailers who were killed in combat operations.

Another view of the tripod of USS *Portland*.

The names of the 18 sailers killed in the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal on the night of November 13, 1942, and the thee sailers killed in combat operations at Eniwetok and Okinawa.

USS *Portland’s* battle record during the war.

We had to get another Uber to take us to the mall. Our driver, not a Hoosier this time, let us off at the front of the Maine Mall, a good sized shopping mall. We needed to find a Chase bank to get some tip money but failed to remember that it is Saturday and the banks were closed. We can do this in Providence on Monday. We walked through the mall, which was not very impressive; just another clunky mall with kids hanging out and doing little shopping. We were not interested in eating at the greasy food court so we walked across the street to one of the biggest Paneras I have ever been in and got lunch. We walked back to the mall and got another Uber. This time our driver was Alfredo and he spoke terrible English. I am not sure where he was from. With a name like Alfredo, maybe Italy? He did not look Italian. He looked more like he was Jamaica.

Back to the Allura after our trip to the Maine Mall. Such a beautiful ship.

When we got back aboard ship I took this photo of the top of the *Portland* memorial on the hill to the left sticking above the trees.

We had dinner again in Terrace. We had such a late lunch that we were not very hungry this evening.

I took this photo from the fantail on Terrace Cafe. We are pulling away from Portland. Next stop, Boston.

Friday, September 26, 2025

Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

The forecast in the morning was ugly with rain and cool temperatures. The forecast improved in the afternoon with mostly sunny skies and pleasantly warm temperatures.

Today we are in Halifax, Nova Scotia. This is our last destination before tying up in the United States.

Before I got out of bed this morning it felt as though the ship was still bouncing around. When I looked out our balcony I was surprised to see that we were already tied up at the pier. Why were we still getting bounded around? The only explanation that I could come up with was the wind pushing waves at the side of the ship.

For breakfast I broke down and got a bunch of bacon and a sticky bun. I had been so good up until today. I will try to do better tomorrow.

This was the scene from Terrace this morning at breakfast. An ugly day.

While we were at breakfast this behemoth pulled into port and tied up behind our ship. I looked it up, this thing will hold over 3900 passengers.

After breakfast we went up to Baristas where I finished my book about dropping the Bomb on Berlin and started my next book, Mission Critical, by Mark Greaney. He is a new author for me. It is a spy thriller and intended to be light reading. I quickly got into the story.

The bad weather drove the sun worshippers inside.

I spent quite a bit of time on the phone this afternoon talking with Vicky of Valor Tours and Dean, another tour guide friend of mine about my tour schedule next year. I have decided to enter another swim race with SwimTrek, the sponsor of the Dardanelles swim. This race is in the Caribbean. It is a 4.1 km (2.5 miles) swim from Nevis to St. Kitts in the British West Indies. The reason I had to talk with Vicky, my Valor Tours contact, and Dean is because I am also scheduled to guide the Iwo Jima tour next year, which coincides with the swim. I have been to Iwo Jima six times and guided there twice and I really want to do this swim. Dean backfilled for me on the Guadalcanal tour this year as I was training for the Dardanelles swim. He is a very good guide with several other tours under his belt and was eager to take Iwo Jima for me next year (March). Vicky was okay with it, too. So…I have to keep training when I get back home next week. This swim is just a tad over the Ironman swim distance and less than the Dardanelles swim, and…it is not a timed event. One of the motivations for entering this swim, besides the challenge, is to stay motivated to keep swimming through the winter. Now, as with the Dardanelles swim, I have a goal to train for.

At 3:30 this afternoon the ship began to pull away from the pier, pivoted 180 degrees and headed out to sea. By now the sun was shining and the temperature was very pleasant.

This view is from the starboard side of the ship while we were tied up.

As the sun came out and the temperature warmed, the sun worshippers came back.

I went up to deck 15 to watch the sail away. This is the lap track.

A tug watches us pull away from the pier.

We went around this fortified island. See the gunports?

While we were going out this guy was coming in.

After passing this lighthouse we were back in the open sea.

We ate dinner in Terrace then I went out to watch the sun set. It looked like the horizon would be free of clouds and I wanted to see the Green Flash. I waited and watched the sun set and was rewarded with a fleeting glance at the Green Flash. There is no doubt that I saw it. I have seen it many times and know exactly what to look for. Unfortunately, despite taking serial photos as the sun set, I did not get a photograph of it

I liked the sutble stellate appearance of the sun in this photo.

I took this photo that offset the sun to the left to show the clear sky on the horizon under the cloud, which gave me hope for a Green Flash.

This was the moment I saw the Green Flash, but could not get a photograph of it.

Once we got back out to sea the ship started bouncing around again. We tie up in Portland, Maine tomorrow morning, our first time back in the States. We have to set our clocks back one hour tonight so that we will be back on Eastern Standard Time tomorrow. We have no shore excursion planned but may go ashore anyway on our own.

Thursday, September 25, 2025

Sea Day, North Atlantic Ocean

Will you look at all that forecasted sunshine. A great day to be at sea.

As soon as I got up and looked out to our balcony I could tell it was going to be a nice day with lots of sunshine, if not a bit cool.

As has been our practice, after breakfast we went up to Baristas and secured a table. On sea days, Baristas is a very popular place and sometimes it is hard to find an empty table. Around tea time in the afternoon the tables open up as people head to Horizons for tea.

I spent nearly the entire morning and afternoon reading my book, The Berlin Project. It is a what-if-it-would-have-happened-this-way kinda book. In this story the Manhattan Project is able to develop a uranium bomb in time to use it against Nazi Germany. Berlin is the target with the hope that Hitler and his staff are in the Fuhrer bunker. The bombing mission is a success but, alas, Hitler was not there. The war continues with the Germans dropping radioactive uranium dust on advancing Allies in France after the Normandy invasion. They also resort to biological warfare with smallpox and anthrax attacks. In the end the German nuclear physicist, Werner Heisenberg (not a Nazi), gives Moe Berg, OSS spy, (The Cather was a Spy) very accurate latitude and longitude coordinates of the Wolf’s Lair in East Prussia where Hitler is supposed to be commanding the war effort against the Russians. Using conventional bombs, a squadron of B-29s destroys the bunker killing Hitler in his lair. Field Marshal Rommel, sues for a separate peace with the Allies but continues to pound the Russians. That’s where I stopped reading late in the afternoon. If it were not for dinner this evening I would have easily finished it. Blythe worked in her puzzle book in Baristas and rested in our cabin.

It was a gloriously beautiful day aboard ship. The skies were clear and sunny all day with moderately cool temperatures. Despite the cool temperatures, there were several people sunning on the pool deck but few in the pool. The seas were very calm with nary a ripple to disturb the surface.

This is the view from one side of the ship.

This is the view at the same time from the other side of the ship.

The view from the fantail, Terrace Cafe.

The pool deck with a few hearty souls braving the cool temperatures.

This is the decorative art we see as we go into Baristas. Seems appropriate.

Blythe working in her puzzle book in Baristas.

We had dinner in Tuscana, one of the four speciality restaurants. Our waitress was Olga from Ukraine. I showed her a photo of our house with the Ukrainian flag hanging from our upstairs window. She thanked me. Our waiter was Roberto from Cavite, Luzon, Philippines.

After dinner we walked up to Horizons to say hi to Mortimer but he was not there this evening. We next walked through Martinis on our way back to our room.

On our way to Horizons we walked along one of the lap tracks on Deck 14 (really 13). It was blustery and cool.

The piano in Martinis is a Steinway. Impressive.

Today was our last sea day. Tomorrow we will tie up in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. We do not have a shore excursion planned. Good thing because rain is forecasted. We have been to Halifax one other time, toward the end of the 2012 Titanic Memorial Cruise with Mom and Susie.

Wednesday, September 24, 2025

St. Johns, Newfoundland, Canada

The forecast is for chilly weather and a little rain but with sunny skies later in the afternoon.

Newfoundland is the island province on the far eastern side of Canada.

St. Johns’s is in the southeast part of the province.

This was the view from Terrace this morning as we continued to sail in a northwesterly direction toward Canada. These seas were much calmer during the night as we put more distance between us and the hurricane.

I thought about taking a hike along this path but after a few minutes, I decided not to. Good thing because it sprinkled later in the morning.

I had a special interest in seeing St. Johns, Newfoundland. Of course there is a war connection, but not in the Pacific war. I am not sure how I came upon this story a few years ago but it is one of the most poignant war stories I have come across in my study of the war. It is the story of the Four Immortal Chaplains. It is a story of true bravery and sacrifice in the face of imminent and certain death.

Briefly, four World War II army chaplains, a Roman Catholic priest, a Methodist minister, a Jewish Rabbi, and a Reformed Church in America pastor trained to be army chaplains together and were on the SS Dorchester, a troop transport on its way to Greenland. They stopped in St. Johns, Newfoundland briefly before sailing on to Greenland.

SS *Dorchester* tied up in St. Johns, Newfoundland, January 1943. I would like to think that *Allura* is tied up at the same dock that SS *Dorchester* was tied up to.

SS *Dorchester* sailing from St. Johns on it way to Greenland. I would like to think that we sail through this same passage this morning.

I would also like to think that this is the same passageway that SS *Dorchester* sailed through as depicted in the above photo. The Atlantic is just to the right.

Before sailing everyone on board was instructed to wear a life jackets throughout the cruise. Lots of soldiers could not sleep while wearing the life jackets and took them off. On the night of February 3, 1943 a German U-boat fired a torpedo at the Dorchester resulting in her sinking. The four chaplains unselfishly gave up their life jackets to soldiers who had taken them off. They then linked arms and prayed together as they went down with the ship. The water temperature was 34 °F and the air temperature was 36 °F. Here is a quote from a survivor:

As I swam away from the ship, I looked back. The flares had lighted everything. The bow came up high and she slid under. The last thing I saw, the Four Chaplains were up there praying for the safety of the men. They had done everything they could. I did not see them again. They themselves did not have a chance without their life jackets.

— Grady Clark, survivor

On December 19, 1944, all four chaplains were posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and the Distinguished Service Cross.

In 1957, The American Legion, passed a resolution asking Congress to award the Medal of Honor to the Four Chaplains; however, criteria for the Medal of Honor included “combat with the enemy.” A special medal, the Four Chaplains’ Medal – intended to have the same weight and importance as the Medal of Honor – was approved by the Senate in 1958, and by the House in 1960. In 2006, The American Legion, passed a new resolution in support of awarding the Medal of Honor to the Four Chaplains.

The Distinguished Service Cross is awarded to members of the US Army for valorous combat action against the enemy and is second only to the Medal of Honor. The Purple Heart is awarded to American servicemen who are wounded (or killed) in action against the enemy. As far as I know, no other chaplains have ever received the Four Chaplains’ Medal. A Catholic priest was awarded the Medal of Honor for heroic action while serving aboard the USS *Franklin* after it was hit by two Japanese bombs on March 19, 1945.

After some of the other places we have visited on this trip like Istanbul, Rome, Florence, Milan, Monte Carlo, Nice, and Lisbon, St. Johns was a bit of a let down. Unlike the other places where there was beautiful Renaissance art and architecture and rich history, St. Johns was just another New World coastal fishing village. But, for me, because of its connection to the four chaplains, who spent a little time here, and their heroic story, St. Johns holds a very special place in my heart. I have tried to honor their memory and sacrifice by making a lecture on my YouTube channel page (currently, a work in progress – stay tuned).

We did not have a shore excursions scheduled today. Instead we went ashore and whistled up an Uber to take us to a bookstore where I bought a book by a new author to me. I will likely finish my book about dropping the Bomb on Germany tomorrow so I want another book waiting in the wings.

After lunch in Terrace we spent the rest of the afternoon in Baristas.

This evening we were invited to another Captain’s party up in Horizons where frequent cruisers were honored. We sat with a couple who was being honored for achieving Platinum status by having acquired twenty cruise credits (we now have 19 credits). They were called out and went up to receive a lapel pin identifying their Platinum status. To our surprise Dale and Barb live Indianapolis. Dale graduated from Indiana University Medical School in 1969 and practiced family medicine in Indy. They have a son who attended Purdue. Is this a small world or what?

Captain Leo Lujak from Croatia hosted the cocktail party in Horizons.

Blythe and I dined in Grand Dining this evening sitting, again, by the aft window. The Dover sole was delicious.

This was the view we had from our table in Grand Dining sailing away from St. John’s.

Tuesday, September 23, 2025

Sea Day, North Atlantic Ocean

As you can see below on the map that we are well north of hurricane Gabrielle. I think this is the reason we skipped the stop in the Azores, so that we could get ahead of this storm.

We are located in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean. At noon we were about 5° north of where we live in Lafayette, Indiana on our way to St. John, Newfoundland.

The western horizon this morning from Terrace.

This is the Grand Lounge. At the end of this lounge is the Grand Dining Room, Deck 6, aft.

Today there was a brunch in Grand Dining. We did not know about this until after we already had breakfast. Still, we went down for lunch at noon. There was a huge spread of eats. Grand Dining was packed. We shared a table by the aft window with a couple from Kentucky. We talked about Purdue football and basketball. He asked me if I remembered Rick Mount. Of course I did. Do you remember Bob Greasy? Yes. I asked him if he remember UCLA coach John Wooden. Yes, he remembered John Wooden. That was my opening. I move closer to him so we could hear each other. I told him the story about John Wooden and the USS Ben Franklin toward the end of the war. Just like so many I tell this story to, he had never heard it.

Usually I prefer Canada Dry Ginger Ale. The Ginger Ale on the ship is Royal Club. So far, I like it as well as Canada Dry.

During the brunch we were entertained by the ship’s string quartet.

I have access to lots of data about the website that is updated every day. I got the following data about the website the day after I published the post on the Dardanelles swim:

This is a graph that indicates the number of people who access the site each day as measured by views and visitors. August 29 was the day before the race.

This table indicates which pages are accessed each day. For some reason that I have not been able to figure out is why #2994 is always number one. That page is from a few years ago when Blythe and I were in Paris. Why is that perennially the most popular site?

This map indicates where people live who view our site each day. This map continues to surprise me.

This table really surprises me. This table indicates what countries people are from who view our site. Who are these people?

All of these statistics came from the same day. These are the cities where people live who accessed the site. These dates really surprised me. I am sure I do not I know the vast majority of these people. I have never heard of some of these places. Just goes to show you the reach of the web.

We spent the afternoon up in Baristas reading. We moved into a large fog bank that got soupier and soupier. Early in the afternoon the ship’s horn began blaring and continued to sound all afternoon about every minute or two as we moved into foggy fog.

Here we could still at least see the horizon, but barely.

The horizons begins to become obscure but I can still see some blue sky.

This was the time during the day when the ship’s horn sounded. It was very loud outside but we could hear it everywhere on the ship.

We had dinner again in Terrace. I spoke to a waiter whose name was Leonardo. I asked him if he was related to Leonardo da Vince. No, but he did say he was related to Leonardo DiCaprio. Ha ha. He is from Honduras. Carlos came by our table to say hello. We like Carlos.

As we distanced ourselves from hurricane Gabriele the seas calmed noticeably but the fog increased.

Monday, September 22, 2025

Sea Day, North Atlantic

It was a little rough last night with the ship gently bouncing around and our cabin creaking. We could feel it even in bed. When we went to Terrace for breakfast we had to hold onto the railing. It was just a gentle swaying and not enough to make us at all uncomfortable. The sea swells are noticeably rougher with obvious white caps. The captain told us that the swells are 3 meters (roughly ten feet). It never looks like they are that deep. Being at the very back of the ship (we are in the farthest cabin back on the port side) we notice the pitching of the ship more than if we were in the middle. The skies were initially overcast but cleared a bit later in the morning.

The skies cleared a bit later in the morning.

As we get farther north, the temperatures drop and the wind picked up so that practically nobody sat on the fantail of Terrace for lunch.

After breakfast we went up to Baristas where I finally finished my book about Michelangelo and started my next one, The Berlin Project, a novel about getting the Bomb in time to use it against Nazi Germany. I had another crepe. Yum, yum.

It was a relatively quiet day of reading and rest both in our cabin and in Baristas.

Unfortunately, a two dimensional photo does not give an accurate impression of how rough the seas are.

By mid-afternoon the seas seemed to calm a bit although we can still feel the ship’s motion. I took this photo from our balcony. Since I am facing a little right of west when I took this photo, we are heading roughly on a heading of 300°. We have a slight tailwind and are sailing at 16.7 knots

We had our second dinner in one of the speciality restaurants this evening, the Polo Grill. I got a nice filet and Blythe got some good scallops. We were tempted by dessert but overcame the temptation, which neither one of us regretted later. We were full.

The pool has been emptied. Since it will get progressively cooler, I doubt that it will be filled again on this cruise.

The Polo Grill. We were seated in the back up against the stern window.

The pool deck this evening with the empty pool.

Tomorrow is another sea day, our last before we get to North American at St. John, Newfoundland. Tonight we again turn our clocks back an hour.

Sunday, September 21, 2025

Sea day, Atlantic Ocean

The forecast was for mostly cloudy skies during our planned stay. It was sunny throughout our short stay. Helios keeps smiling on us.

We are still in the eastern part of the Atlantic but are now heading mostly west to our next port of call in North American, St. John, Newfoundland. We will be there in three days.

We anchored just off the coast at the port of Horta.

When we woke this morning we were anchored off the coast of Horta, Azores, Portugal. It was a fine day with clear skies, moderate temperatures, and calm seas. Since there was no pier to tie up to we had to anchor and tender in for our scheduled shore excursion. On our way down to Allura Lounge to get our bus number tag we ran into a woman who told us all the shore excursions had been cancelled. This was soon confirmed. The reason given was that it was too windy to safely tender in. I do not think anybody fell for that lame excuse. It was not windy and the seas were very calm. I have tendered in under worse conditions. Somebody suggested that there was a storm brewing in the Atlantic and that the captain wanted to get a head of it hence the pretext of the less than safe conditions to tender. About an hour later the ship weighted anchor and we began our trans-Atlantic crossing. The views of the islands of the little archipelago were very nice with nearly cloudless skies and clean air. After breakfast in Terrace we settled down in Baristas to read. Since everybody was aboard, every venue, including Barristas were a bit crowded. Despite the cool temperatures there were a few people in the pool and lounging around on the pool deck.

This was my first view of the islands of this small archipelago this morning.

This is the view of the town we anchored off. Seas look pretty clam to me.

It is a little chilly to be in the pool this morning.

We have weighed anchor and are on way to Newfoundland.

This view of the end of the island reminds me of the view we had in 2009 of Mt. Suribachi on Iwo Jima

This is the view of Mt Suribachi on Iwo Jima as we saw it in 2009. It kinda looks like the photo above it.

After lunch, also in Terrace, we went to our room to read and to watch the world championships in track and field in Tokyo. Even Blythe got interested in the men’s marathon. We saw it from the beginning and could see that it would be close with about a half dozen runners together right up until they entered the stadium for the last few hundred meters of the race. It was going to be a sprint promising an exciting finish. Then…the television screen went blank. Ahhh! We did not find out who won until later in the day.

There was a “interdenominational Sunday Service” with Cruise Director Paul. We have attended these in the past but elected to forgo it this time. It is a church service in name only and does not resemble any meaningful kind of worship we are familiar with. It only lasted about twenty minutes, I heard. Instead we listened to Adam’s sermon from last week on SermonAudio.com.

I did not finish my book today because we spent the evening watching the Charlie Kirk memorial.

Saturday, September 20, 2025

Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal

When we woke this morning we were already tied up at the pier at Ponta Delgado in the Azores. We did not have a scheduled shore excursion. We were looking forward to a day of relaxation and reading primarily up in Baristas. I got a lot of reading done and am looking forward to finishing my book about Michelangelo so I can start my next book, possibly tomorrow.

For dinner this evening we had previously made reservations to dine in one of the new Oceania specialty restaurants, Red Ginger, an Asian menu. We were seated with another couple whom we had not met so it is always a crap shoot who we might get assigned to eat with. Usually, we have a nice couple with plenty of easy conversation but there has been rare occasions when conversation is stilted at best and close to awkward nonexistent at worst. This time a couple from Toronto who had been born and raised in the UK was seated with us. Nigel and Hilary (she was sure that it was clearly understood that it was with one “l” and not two so that she was confused with another Hillary we all know. Conversation came very easy as we talked but the usually topics including previous cruise experiences and other travel. Of course the topic of the war came up. They described their parent’s involvement in the war in England. There was never any moment when there was an awkward pause. Conversation just poured out easily. We compared experiences going through security with our various hardware. Nigel has a total knee; Hilary has a total hip; and I have a rod down the center of my left femur and a plate and screws on my left radius. We very much enjoy dining with them. They got on in Lisbon and are disembarking in New York where they plan to visit friends before flying back to Toronto.

We are still in the eastern Atlantic in the Azores.

This was the view from our balcony shortly after we tied up.

This is our steward, Raymond, and our stewardess, Aylai, both from the Philippines. They have taken very good care of us and give us more chocolate than we usually get. They are always very friendly and eager to be of help.

This is the small marina next to the pier.

This is the view of the old town (in the center) surrounded by the new town and the hills in the distance.

It was a bit too chilly to be out on the pool deck today.

The Red Ginger restaurant one of four speciality restaurants. It serves Asian cuisine.

Orr dining mates in Red Ginger, Nigel and Hilary from Toronto by way of the UK.

Another view of Red Ginger on our way out.

Another view of the grand staircase from Deck 6. Looks like the funnel of a tornado.

Raymond and Aylia gives extra chocolate each night. B and J. Wonder what that stands for.

Friday, September 19, 2025

Sea Day, Atlantic Ocean

Today was a nice day at sea. We again had breakfast at Terrace Cafe. For breakfast I have been having oatmeal, butter croissant, orange juice, latte, and fruit (pineapple, strawberries, grapefruit, and cantaloupe). Blythe usually has an omelette or hard boiled egg, bacon, watermelon, and orange juice (although she does not like the pieces in the OJ).

We spent the morning in Barista’s where I worked on the writing and editing photos. I also did a little bit of reading, although not as much as I wanted.

This is one of the main activities in Baristas, looking at a phone.

During the latter part of the morning there was a Country Market on the pool deck. This is a social event in which the crew from every department has some kind of silly game. The object is not so much to win as it is to just participate. Win or lose, everybody gets raffle tickets for prizes to win at the end. We had very good weather (one year it poured down rain and the event had to be cancelled) so that there was a good turnout. Blythe and I participated in most of the games before the time was up (it lasted about an hour). When it was all over we had to deposit our raffle tickets into a bowl. The prizes included t-shirts, caps, tote bags, an Allura ship model, and, of course, bottles of wine. I have never won anything in a raffle. That luck changed today, in a big way. Two of our raffle tickets were drawn. The first was for an Oceania t-shirt and a bottle of wine. Blythe and I were standing next to a couple from Perth, Australia who had also won a prize. I asked him if he wanted to trade. I gave him my bottle of wine and he came me his Oceania ball cap. Then we won another prize and guess what the prize was: another bottle of wine. Again, I traded it to my Aussie friend for a leather bookmark.

The County Market on the pool deck. Very well attended and everybody seemed to have a good time playing silly games.

This is the human slot machine. The guy on the right standing up holds his arm up like a slot machine lever. We each pull it down and the three guys reach into a tote bag and pull out a piece of fruit, or a lucky seven. Everybody wins a raffle ticket just for participating. The name of the guy who holds up his arms as the lever is Igor from Russia. I greet him in my rudimentary Russian.

Blythe is competing against another passenger in a pillowcase contest. Who can put on a pillowcase the fastest. We both lost but got a ticket. This contest is run by the housekeeping crew.

Here is my Aussie mate. We traded prizes. He got my two bottles of wine and I got his ball cap and leather bookmark. Good trade.

We went to lunch in Terrace after the Country Market. I spent the rest of the afternoon in Baristas reading and finishing yesterday’s post. At 4:00, we went up to Horizons for tea. It was very busy.

The Grand Stairway in the lobby between Decks 5 and 6.

For dinner, we ate in Grand Dining and each had a very good salmon. Our waitress was Lanie from Mindanao, Philippines. Her eye bugged out when Blythe told her that she had visited Mindanao (I have not been to Mindanao). We also saw Min serving another table. When we called his name he looked up and beamed.

Before heading down to our cabin for the night we went up to Horizons just to see what was going on. Behind the bar was a guy I recognized from our cruise aboard Regatta in 2022, Mortimer.

Horizons Lounge, Deck 14, just before afternoon tea.

The string quartet entertains during tea.

Tomorrow we tie up at one of the Azores. We do not have a shore excursions planned but may go ashore anyway.

Raymond and Aylai gave Blythe more chocolate this evening when they came to turn down our beds.

Thursday, September 18, 2025

Funchal, Madeira, Portugal

The cloudy weather forecasted for the time of our shore excursion never materialized. We had sunny weather all day. It was hotter in the mountains where we went on our second of four stops.

Maderia is located in the eastern Atlantic off the coast of Morocco. It is part of Portugal.

The three bitty islands to the southeast of Madeira are part of this little archipelago but ar uninhabited.

During the early morning we tied at the port of Funchal, the capital of Madeira, an autonomous province of Portugal. From the looks of the port, I think Blythe and I have been here before on our first Europe to United States cruise.

We had breakfast on the fantail of Terrace with nice views of Funchal. After breakfast we met our bus and guide on the pier at 1:25 p.m. We had the morning free, thankfully, and I got a lot of reading done. Our shore excursion included four stops for photo ops.

Up on the fantail in Terrace, Blythe has a nice view of the town of Funchal. Very pleasant weather.

This is Funchal, the capital of Madeira.

The two islands in the distance in the haze are uninhabited.

Our second stop was high in the mountains that required a twisty-turny, hairpinny ride along a road that dropped off straight down. Fortunately, we had a good bus driver. At this aerie we could walk up some steps to a platform that gave interesting view of the valley below. Most people in our bus chose to not do this short hike. Of course, I did. In the cafe we were offered a small class of madeira wine. I declined and was given a bottle of water instead, which I took with me on the hike. Blythe tried the wine, took a few sips, and did not like it.

This photo shows the twisty-turny road up into the hills to our second stop.

This was the second stop where we were offered the madeira wine. This is the beginning of the hike to the platform with the good views.

This is the path to the platform, which is just to the left around the corner at the top.

This is one of the view from the platform at the end of the path.

We are way above this valley. The cliff dropped straight down.

This is a zoomed in view of the valley below the platform.

It appears like what I might see from an airplane.

We were told these are Eucalyptus trees. The ones we saw were very tall and grew straight up. They lined both sides of the road to the top.

After a forty-five minute stay up in the hills we headed back down to our third photo-op. Along the we passed huge banana fields everywhere.

These terraced fields were growing bananas. Bananas are a major export crop. They grow them everywhere.

I took these photos of the banana field from inside the bus, which has tinted windows, hence, the color distortion.

This is a sugar cane field. We did not see many these.

This was our third stop. This platform stuck out over space with a window to see the cliff below. We were 580 meters (1903 feet) above sea level.

This is the view from the third stop platform looking along the coast.

We had one more stop on our way back to the ship.

Our last stop was another view from a high point looking down at this fishing village. Notice how smooth the sea is.

One last view of the many banana fields on our way back to the ship.

After we got back to the ship we rested in our cabin before heading up to Terrace for dinner. From our balcony I watched as the ship backed out of the port and headed west northwest on our way to the Azores where we arrive in two days.

Wednesday, September 17, 2025

Sea Day, Atlantic Ocean

Today was our first sea day since starting the second part of this cruise. We left Lisbon yesterday evening on our way across the Atlantic with our ultimate destination in New York City. Last night the ship pitched a bit and the room creaked but we otherwiese were not at all uncomfortable.

Since there are no shore excursions today, everybody is aboard ship so that every venue is crowded. The weather was so nice that Blythe and I had breakfast on the Terrace Cafe fantail. There is guy I have failed to mention who has been taking good care of us while dining in Terrace. His name is Min and he is from Myanmar (formerly Burma). Min has served us in Terrace nearly every day and always has a smile and warm greeting for us. We also saw Fabian and Roxanne but they were serving other tables. I also walked past Babbs, our friend from Naples.

After breakfast we went up one deck to Baristas where we staked our claim to a table where we spent the rest of the morning reading. I am well into my book about Michelangelo, The Agony and the Ecstasy, and Blythe started a new book on her iPad. It was a good thing we got to Baristas early because it was soon full. Everybody was drinking some kind of coffee drink and eating some kind of pastry, reading, glued to their phones, or playing some kind of game (mahjong is popular with two couples). The pool deck, Deck 12, was also busy with sun worshipers.

We had lunch for the first time in Waves Grill. When we went back to Baristas there were plenty of empty tables. I got a crepe. Blythe went back to the room to rest. I plowed more into Michelangelo. The book is getting better. I am half way through and Michelangelo has just finished the David statue and is arguing with Pope Julius II about his next commission. I have really enjoyed this book – again. My interest in Renaissance art and architecture has been rekindled, especially the work of Michelangelo and Rafael.

Guess where we had dinner this evening. The fantail of Terrace. Blythe went back to our cabin to watch the news and I went up to Horizons Lounge to work on this post.

It was a very relaxing day, which we needed after such a busy schedule ever since we got to Istanbul three weeks ago. We have a short shore excursion in the early afternoon tomorrow then two sea days before we get to the Azores on our way to North America and New York City.

This is our favorite place to relax and read. The coffee bar is right behind me and the Creperia is close by on the other side of the ship. It is usually a very convivial atmosphere.

For such nice weather the pool deck was a bit subdued.

Waves Grill on Deck 12. It, too, was crowded today for lunch.

This is the view looking aft from our balcony today.

This was our view during dinner on the fantail of Terrace. I think I have a photo like this from every cruise we have been on.

This is a good time to mention that our steward is Raymond from the Philippines, and our stewardess, Aylia, also from the Philippines, have been taking good care of us. They always have friendly greeting for us and a smile. They even give us (Blythe) extra chocolates. They also gave us three cards that get us a free garment pressing. Tonight they went above and beyond.

We had a really nice sunset this evening with this beautiful sunburst. Kinda reminds me of the Japanese navy ensign, Rising Sun.

Tuesday, September 16, 2025

Lisbon, Portugal

We woke to yet another gloriously beautiful day with clear skies and warm temperatures. We were tided up in Lisbon. Today is the last day of the cruise for most of the passengers. I heard that only 138 passengers are staying aboard for the continuation of the cruise to New York. We are also taking on at least as many as are getting off. There will be a lot of new faces in Baristas and in Terrace Cafe. While we were in Terrace this morning Marvin and Dorothy came by to say goodbye. They are spending a few days here in Lisbon before flying back to Newark, New Jersey. We enjoyed talking to them. I said goodbye to my Aussy friend, Steve, yesterday. I do not remember if John and Val are staying aboard.

Blythe noticed the sun just peaking above the horizon while we were in Terrace Cafe.

A few minutes later I took this photo. The scene changed by the second.

When we boarded in Monte Carlo we were informed that we got another shore excursion, the one we are taking today. As I recall we were wait listed for this shore excursion but had forgotten about it. We kinda wish we were not going on one, preferring to stay aboard and rest and read. As it turned out, this would have been the better option.

We boarded bus No. 2 and took off for the hills in the Portuguese hinterland. A couple also got aboard that we immediately recognized. It was Pete and Carol. We met them a few years ago on Oceania Regatta. Pete attended all of my lectures on the Pacific war during that cruise (ten) and went on the shore excursion with us to Guadalcanal. We ran into them again last year on our cruise up to Alaska and down to Japan and other Southeast Asian ports. I said, “Hey Pete.” He looked at me and said, “John, the Guadalcanal guy.” He could not have paid me a higher compliment ; “the Guadalcanal guy.” I like that. Pete and his wife are probably the couple that has 80 cruise credits and 1062 days at sea with Cceania. Pete is a retired Navy captain who was CO on a US Navy attack submarine during his career with the Navy. He is a University of Michigan grad having gone through their Navy ROTC program. During our drive up into the hills west and north of Lisbon Pete and I talked about the war and the navy.

We tied up at a pier in Lisbon early this morning. Lisbon is the capital of Portugal, which is part of the Iberian Peninsula that it shares with Spain, its only contiguous neighbor.

We headed out of town and quickly got ensnarled in traffic. Our intrepid bus driver, who obviously knew the roads in and around Lisbon diverted to other roads to try to get away from the traffic. We soon learned what the cause of the traffic jam was: an accident.

As you can see, there are red roads all over the place. Every time we tried to find a road that was relatively free of traffic, we ran into more. It was frustrating.

The road under this old Roman aqueduct. I took this photo from the bus through the tinted window hence the strange blue hew.

We finally found an off ramp that took us to a road where the traffic moved well. After about forty-five minutes we came to our destination, Sintra. Sintra is a tourist trap up in the hills northwest of Lisbon. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There was nothing unique about Sintra. It had the usual narrow streets and was one cafe, coffee shop, or souvenir stand after another. Yawn.

Our guide told us we had about forty-five minutes on our own and to meet back at the bus at the end of this time. We were not told where to go or what to see. Blythe and I took off up one of the many narrow streets with neat inlaid cobblestones in a nice decorative pattern. There were lots of tourists looking for souvenirs or to a place to sit down for a coffee. We found a little cafe and went inside. It was crowded but we got a table quickly. There was a couple sitting at the table next to ours. The guy looked at me and asked if I was from Muncie, Indiana. The hat I was wearing was my Muncie 70.3 Ironman Triathlon (half-Ironman) hat. It was not the Ironman triathlon (140.2 miles) that caught his attention but Muncie. He said his daughter was a student at Ball State University and that, although they now live in Texas, they used to live in Fort Wayne, Indiana. This hat has started several conversations on cruises based either on the recognition of the Ironman logo or the Muncie name. I have done the Muncie half three times.

A lot of people see this hat and the Ironman logo and ask if I have done an Ironman. I tell them that I have done two Ironman triathlons but the Muncie race was a half-Ironman.

This is a typical street in Sintra with the inlaid stone mosaic.

I thought we were done and would head back to the ship after our time in Sintra. No, we had one more stop. We rode down to the coast to Cascais. Again, we were let out and told we had forty-five minutes to see whatever we wanted and to be back at the bus for our ride back to the port. Blythe and I walked down to the beach where we watched a game of a cross between soccer and volleyball. Two on each side in the sand. You could only use your feet, head, chest, anything but your hands and arms. We watched a few points then walked back to the bus. There was otherwise nothing special about this town.

Intricate mosaic walkways. These are obviously very old stones because they were well worn.

This is where we watched the beach volleyball/soccer ball game, which was off to the right and out of the photo.

On our way back to the ship in Lisbon we passed the American embassy. I had to quickly take the photo below as we drove past. It is a huge complex with tight security.

From the fantail of Terrace Cafe where we had lunch, we could see this bridge, which looks an awful lot like the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

Back aboard the ship we went straight to Terrace Cafe for lunch then up to Baristas where I wrote and edited photos for the website. Blythe joined me later and worked on her puzzle book. We each got a crepe. Shortly, the ship began to pull away from the dock. We sailed west under the big bridge and out into the Atlantic. We got to Terrace Cafe early enough to get a table up against the rail so that we would get a nice view as we sailed under the bridge. After dinner I went to Horizons to finish the website and Blythe went down to the room.

I worked on the website until the battery in the computer died. I started back down to our cabin. As I passed the bar in Horizons the bartender and I looked at each other and immediately recognized each other. It was Mortimer we met a few years ago on Regatta. We each smiled and shook hands. We keep running into people we know or who we have sailed with in the past.

This Virgin ship sailed awfully close to our ship as we came into the dock. She’s a big ship and, in my opinion, not a very attractive ship…like our ship. Not very pleasing lines.

We sail away from Lisbon out into the Atlantic.

I guess this is the Lisbon equivalent of the Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro

We had a nice view of this bridge from the fantail Terrace Cafe.

This reminded me of the Jet d’Eau in Geneva, Switzerland, just not as tall.

I saw the sun rise this morning and set this evening.

Tomorrow is a sea day, which I am looking forward to. I am eager to spend a whole day reading and relaxing, probably in Baristas, our favorite place to relax.

Monday, September 15, 2025

Portimão, Portugal

Blythe and I do not have a scheduled shore excursion today. We have been on the go for just over three weeks and are looking forward to a day of rest and relaxation. We are anchored off the coast of Portugal near the town of Portimão with a beautiful view of the town and cliffs of the coast. I am sitting up in Baristas sipping lattes and nibbling on baby croissants working on our webpage. I got a day behind because of all the time we have spent on tours and taking lots of photos.

This morning in Terrace Cafe for breakfast we were served by Fabian and Roxanne. They always have a smile for us and treat us well. Fabian gets me fresh squeeze OJ instead of the pulp-free drink for the dispenser in the buffet line.

In Baristas I ran into Barbara from Naples, Italy. She is also very friendly and eager to be of service. I call her Babbs (Barbara Streisand) and she just giggles. I took a break from writing and went out to take a photo of the coast. My other Australian friend, Steve, was sitting in a lounge chair talking with a Aussy friend of his, Chris. I sat down for a chat. We talked about, among other things, the Chinese threat to peace in the Western Pacific, indulging Australia. We discussed the AUKUS (Australia, United Kingdom, United States) submarine deal. We also talked about the future of warfare with the advent of the use of drones on the battlefield. I like Steve and will be sorry to see him disembark tomorrow when we get to Lisbon.

I spent the morning working on the website from yesterday. Blythe finished her book, Out of Nowhere by Sandra Brown, and wished she brought another one. Thank goodness for her puzzle books. I spent half of the afternoon reading from my book, The Agony and the Ecstasy.

We had dinner again in Terrace Cafe. We sat out on the fantail and watched the wake recede in the distance as we sailed away from Portimao on our way to Lisbon. We have gotten to know another of the waiters in Terrace, a pleasant guy from Peru named Carlos. He, like all the others, is taking good care of us and always seems eager to please. We also met another waiter, Rene, from Mindanao, Philippines. He was surprised to learn that we not only knew where Mindanao is but that Blythe has been there, to his hometown of Davao. Our Philippine stories sure have opened lots of doors on these cruises and made us lots of new acquaintances.

The captain announced over the PA that we might experience some rougher seas during the night due to wind and choppier seas. In our cabin we can feel the ship bouncing a bit more than usual. We are, of course out of the protection of the Mediterranean and in the open Atlantic. We sway a bit and the room creeks a bit, but it does not bother us.

This is the view of Portimao from the ship anchored off shore.

This is one of the tenders that took people to and from the boat.

This view is a little to the left of the photo above. There were lots of cliffs along the coast.

This is the coast looking to the right of town. These cliffs reminds of the White Cliffs of Dover.

This is a photo of the reflection in the window of the coast from from Terrace Cafe. See me?

Sunday, September 14, 2020

Cadiz, Spain

What can I say. The weather is again perfect.

We are tied up in Cadiz, Spain, a place I have never heard of before. Our shore excursion not here but in what is called a white village, so called because all of the buildings are white to reflect the sunshine to avoid the heat. It was noticeably warmer inland once we got away from the coast, but the humidity is mercifully low.

We had an interesting guide today. His name is Louis and he was born and raised in Germany. He studied American Studies in Germany then moved to California but also lived in Massachusetts and Canada. He now is retired and lives in Spain. This guy gets around. He spoke good English with just the slightest hint of a German accent. I like him. During our hour ride into the hinterland he described the history of the region. It is very dry here; it only rains about thirty days a year. Our destination was Arcos, a so called white village up in the hills. We drove past a few fields with huge solar panels and lots of windmills. This is a good place for this kind of alternative electricity production since there is lots of wind and even more sunshine. We also passed a cotton field, vineyards, and olive orchards. Once we reached Arcos, the bus disgorged us and we headed up into town on some very steep steps. Louis led us through the town pointing out places of interest continuing to describe the history. The streets were narrow, some so narrow that no car could fit. We took a break at an old church that was once a mosque. When the Christians retook this part of Spain from the Muslims they added bells to the minaret and made it into a church.

I took this photo of the solar panel field through the tinted bus window.

Windmills on the horizon and what I think is a vineyard.

This is where we started our tour of Arcos.

Notice the stone street. It was clear that these stones are very old. They were shiny and well worn. When wet, they were probably very slippery.

A Spanish Tour de France hopeful? I took this one for Doug, my cycling buddy. Nice bike.

A typical street. Some were more narrow than this one.

Blythe did not like these stone streets. They hurt her right foot, the one with the non-healing stress fracture.

This is the Arcos Cathedral. We were only allowed in if we paid 2€. I have to pay to go to church?

The streets were made of these shiny little stones. This nice mosaic was in an intersection.

We stopped for refreshments and a break at the Corregidor Hotel. Besides the tasty goodies and a drink, we had great views of the valley below from a large picture window.

We went into a hotel with an interesting name: Meson del Corregidor. I am sure I am probably the only one who noticed this name. To Blythe and me, Corregidor is the name of the largest of four fortified islands that guard the mouth to Manila Bay. I asked Louis about the name. He did not know and had never heard of Corregidor. Naturally, I had to further his education about the battle in 1942 when the Japanese took Corregidor from the Americans and Filipinos at the start of the Pacific war, and the retaking of Corregidor from the Japanese in 1945.

The Philippines is a special place for Blythe and me. It is the site of a major battle at the outset of the war and where her father, Malcolm, was ordered to surrender to the Japanese on the Bataan Peninsula on April 9, 1942 that began nearly three years as a POW.

Corregidor is one of four fortified islands that guard the mouth to Manila Bay.

Corregidor is further important to us as it was where our friend, former Indiana Governor, Ed Whitcomb, was captured by the Japanese and from where he escaped by swimming to Bataan.

This hotel was high atop a cliff overlooking the valley. From a large picture window we had beautiful views. In the distance I could see a bullring. Windmills on the horizon brought to mind the story of Don Quixote. The windmills are not quite the same.

Refreshments were brought to our tables, a bowl of potato chips and what looked like cherry tomatoes. They were not tomatoes but red olives. We were all allowed one drink. Nearly everybody drink a glass of wine. Blythe and I had an orange Fanta. I was a little dubious about eating red olives but they were delicious. They had a sharp spicy flavor to them that I liked. I must have eaten two dozen of them. After our visit to the Corregidor hotel we had an hour and a half to wander the around the town. Blythe and I set out with Louis walking along the narrow streets. After a while ended up back at the hotel. We still had some more time before we were to set off for the bus and the return to the ship so I wandered around on my own looking for photo ops.

This was a tile painting at the hotel depicting a bull fighting scene.

Another tile painting at the hotel. You remember Ponce de Leon, known for leading the first official European expedition to Florida in 1513 and searching for the Fountain of Youth. The “D” between the “E” and the “L” has an “e” inside the “D”. Look carefully.

A bullring as seen from the hotel on the cliff.

I had to climb up on a roof to get this shot of the white village. To get to the roof I merely had to step over a low wall.

We met back at the hotel for our return hike to the bus.

On our way back to the bus we finally had to make way for a car going in the other direction.

A former minaret now part of a church with the addition of some bells. At noon every church in town rang bells.

There was no where to go when we went down this street and came upon this car. We had to squeeze into any doorway we could find. He was not about to back up.

This statue is of some guys who wore these sorta KKK outfits. In Spanish Easter processions, the “hoods” you’re referring to are called capirote and are part of the penitential robe, worn by members of religious brotherhoods during Holy Week (Semana Santa). These pointed, conical hoods conceal the wearer’s face as a sign of penitence and to direct attention away from themselves and toward God. When I was in Algeciras in 2004 I just happened to be there around Easter and watched one of these parades.

I am still trying to figure this one out. This can’t be an accidental misspelling. Sounds a bit idolatrous

When I first walked past this I could not figure out what “once” meant. The second time I passed it Blythe reminded me that once is Spanish for eleven, pronounced with two syllables and with accent on the é. I felt stupid. This looks like a local lottery.

This ship, the Hollard American Independence of the Sea was tied up near our ship. This behemoth has a 4000 pasengers capacity!

This ship did not have a name so I am not even sure it is a cruise ship but it looks too big to be a private yacht. But you never know…

We got back to the bus by way of a shorter route. We had time to go to lunch in Terrace Cafe.

We are looking forward to our stay in Portimao, Portugal tomorrow. We do not have any shore excursions planned and eager to have a day off from all the running around we have been doing. It has been almost non-stop for three weeks.

Saturday, September 13, 2025

Tangier, Morocco

As it turned out, it was sunny all day we were ashore.

As we have come to expect, the weather was again nearly perfect: sunny and warm. During the night we crossed the Strait of Gibraltar, also known in antiquity as the Pillars of Hercules, from Gibraltar to Tangier. We also sailed into another time zone. We are now on Greenwich Mean Time, the same as in London, England, five hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time back home.

We sat at the same table as John and Val for breakfast. They are on the same shore excursion that we are on, Highlights of Tangier. Down in Allura Lounge we were able to get the same bus, No. 12, for our tour.

This is the view from our balcony this morning.

As we boarded our bus we were greeted by our local guide, Abdul. Abdul was a good guide who also spoke good English. As with all the other buses we have been on for shore excursion, this one appears to be brand new. Our first stop was the casbah. Along the way we drove past old Portuguese and French architecture, and old city fortress walls. After we got off the bus, we walked down narrow streets where we were accosted by street hawks trying to sell leather products, bracelets, and hats. They are very persistent. A mistake is to make eye contact with them. That is when they sink their claws into you and will not let go. For me, the best way to get them to give up is to ignore them and to never make eye contact with them.

Tangier has a large city wall built by the Portuguese during the 1600’s

We walked past some interesting doors and street stalls. After a brief stop when Abdul explained something to us, I noticed there was a guy who held back but was obviously following us. I became a little suspicious. Who is this guy and why is he following us?

Abdul is the bald guy escorting the two ladies up front. They guy on the left in white is one of the street hawks..

This is the snake charmer who offered to have his snake wrap around the neck of any volunteer. Of course, I volunteered. I got a good video of this guy playing with a cobra. I wanted to add it to this post but I do not have streaming capability with the ship’s WiFi. That cost extra, a lot extra. Without streaming capability, I cannot access YouTube and, therefore, cannot upload the videos to create a link to embed into the post. I went down to the cruise terminal where there is a free WiFi but the upload speeds were so slow it was not worth the time.

Lots of shops with proprietors who try to lure us in. I just ignore them and walk on. I do not know what Tangier would be like without the tourists.

We finally came to a business that surely had an arrangement with the local tour guides. This was an oil and fragrance store. We were all seated around the wall with the demonstration table in the middle. A guy who spoke bad English way too fast then described lots of different cosmetic oils and fragrances. He placed a little packet of eucalyptus under each of my nostrils. It smelled good but it was too strong. He also squeezed a drop of various cosmetic oils on our hands, which also smelled nice. When we came out of the oil shop we had to run the gauntlet of street hawks again. I just walked past them. I also saw the guy still following us. He had a military bearing about him and a military-style haircut. Finally, it occurred to me. Maybe he is some kind of security guy. I went up to him and asked him sotto voce, “Are you Moroccan military?” He nodded and said he was to tag along with us as security. We talked a bit and I asked him if he’d ever been to America. He had not but wanted to visit someday. I liked him. There was a woman in tour who was clearly having trouble negotiating the cobblestone streets, especially the steep ones. At one point I saw her extract an inhaler and take a hit. She must be asthmatic. My security friend went up to her and offered his arm to help her along. I liked him even more.

These are some of the oils and fragrances that were demonstrated.

We continued up one narrow street and down another until we came to the bus. Before boarding I looked around for my security friend to get a photo of him, but he was gone. Back aboard the bus we drove along the coast with the Atlantic on our right. It was a gloriously beautiful day and the Atlantic was a deep blue with calm waters (good for a swim). We stopped at a turnout where we got some good views of Spain across the way and the promontories that make up the Pillars of Hercules. Gibraltar was very difficult to see because of the haze. At the Pillars of Hercules, the Atlantic becomes the Mediterranean, at least if you are sailing east. Tangier is on the Atlantic side of the Pillars.

This is the security guy who followed us until he saw this woman struggling with the steep streets. He offered his arm to her. He had a military bearing about him and a military-style hair cut.

These arabesque gateways look like skeleton keyholes.

There were a lot of these outdoor coffee shops and cafes.

I ducked into a market and found this olive stall. Yum yum.

I saw this babushka in the market tying a string around these peppers.

This old man tried to sell these hats. He had such a dignified countenance that I had to snap this photo. I think the woman he is talking to finally caved in and bought one of his hats. They are negotiating the price.

This is on the way back to the bus next to the Portuguese wall.

Here is another street hawker trying to engage John and Val with some trinkets.

Another view of the Portuguese wall down by the waterfront.

Our next stop was a rest stop at a nice hotel where refreshments were served. To get to this hotel, the Andalucia Hotel, we drove into the hills past some very nice (read expensive) villas. We were given four kinds of cookies on a plate and some sweet mint tea. I sat next to a couple from Fort Collins, Colorado. This was their first time in Morocco. We talked about the cruise and eclipses, but not the war. Despite it being all over the news, I have not heard anybody mention the murder of Charlie Kirk. Blythe and I were sickened when we read the news. Thankfully, the topic of politics has not been brought up by anybody we have talked to. It seems that the main topic of discussion when we meet somebody new is what previous cruises they have been on and what their next cruise is. Since these people are generally well traveled, travel in general is another common topic of discussion. There is rarely an attempt at one-upmanship in our discussions, although there is some of this.

Our next and last stop was the Hercules Cave. I do not know what this cave had to do with Hercules, but it did have an interesting view of the Atlantic through a big hole. We only had twenty minutes here and I wanted to get some photos of the south coast of Morocco. I had to hustle and scramble over tough terrain to get to a spot with good views. I got back to the bus with twenty-seconds to spare.

This is the Atlantic Ocean looking west.

This hawk was tethered to a guy who would let the it sit on your arm…for a few euros. I took this photo of it sitting on somebody else’s arm.

The Atlantic with Spain on the horizon in the haze. I expected that the Atlantic would be rougher. It looks pacific.

On our way to the Hercules Cave we saw these camels for hire. When I was here in 2004 I was on a camel safari. We camped in the Sahara and had an opportunity to ride the camels. I don’t like riding camels and preferred to walk. The Sahara is a beautiful desert and a lot of fun running down the dunes.

I scrambled over some rough ground to get down to take these photos of the Atlantic looking both north and south.

This is a view of the Atlantic as seen from the Hercules Cave.

Inside Hercules Cave. I do not see the connection with this cave to Hercules.

The view of the Atlantic looking south along the Moroccan west coast.

The Atlantic looking north toward Spain, not seen because of the haze.

I do not think I have ever seen such a long fishing pole.

Several tour buses got back to the ship at the same time creating this long line to get back aboard.

This is the view from the ship of the Atlantic immediately west of the Strait of Gibraltar. The haze has blown away so that I can now clearly see Spain on the other side. Gibraltar can just barely be seen on the far right of the landmass.

Gibraltar (Europe) and Jebel Musa (Africa) are the two promontories that make up the Pillars of Hercules.

Several buses got back to the ship at the same time so that there was a long slow line of passengers trying to get back aboard the ship. The bottleneck was the security checkpoint just inside the ship. Just before the companionway a crewman gave us a cold wet washcloth to wipe off the Moroccan dust and sweat. It was refreshing. We went straight to Terrace Café for lunch. Afterwards we went to Baristas and found a table and each got a crepe. Blythe worked in her puzzlebook and I wrote about our tour of Tangier today. From here we have a great view of the Atlantic with Spain in the distance. Blythe got a frozen coffee, and I got a latte. Two couples are playing mahjong at the table next to us; several people are reading; even more are glued to their phones. Everybody has a cup of something and a pastry. This is a popular place making it hard to always find a table that my laptop, mouse pad, latte, and crepe will all fit on.

While I edited photos Marvin and Dorothy walked by. We spent about thirty minutes comparing shore excursion experiences today and looking at each other’s photos and talking about other cruises we have been on. I also ran into my new Australian friend who likes to read. We finally decided we needed to introduce ourselves. Her name is Geraldine but she does not like “Gerry” as a nickname. She admonished me to start reading (I was working on this website).

Blythe and I had dinner in Terrace Café. There were few people eating there this evening probably because lots of people seemed dressed up to eat in one of the specialty restaurants or in Grand Dining.

Ever since we tied up here in Tangier, nobody has had any access to the internet. I went down to the internet desk on Deck 5 this morning. There was a sign on the desk that read, “Due to local interference, our Internet services are expected to be unavailable during our stay in the port. Internet services will resume once we depart from this port.” As you can imagine, everybody, including me, is very frustrated. We ran into this same problem when we tied up in Vietnam and Indonesia last year. All I could do this afternoon was write in MS Word and edit photos in Photoshop. I will not be able to load photos and narration until tomorrow. Up until today I was able to access a local cell tower for access to the Internet for my phone but the reception here in Morocco has been terrible. I do not know if it is a Muslim thing or a repressive government thing. Tomorrow we will be back in Spain and should get access to the ship’s WiFi. We had better. Grrrr!

We sail back to Spain tonight, which means we have to move our clocks ahead one hour back to Europe time.

Friday, September 12, 2025

Gibraltar

Another perfect weather day. Sunshine all day. Notice the 30 km of “Perfectly clear view.”

We had a three and a half hour tour this morning. We saw some things here that I did not even know were here when I was here in 2004, including a cave and a tunnel. Of course, there are the Barbary apes. Our tour guide, Tony, told us not to take any bags with us because the monkeys will grab them and unzip them. We were also told that if the monkeys jump on us to not scream, just relax and eventually the monkeys will leap off.

We took a cable car to the top just as I did in 2004. We walked around the top while Tony described the history of Gibraltar. Tony also told us that the runway is not referred to as a runway, but rather an airstrip because it is primarily a Royal Air Force (RAF) base. Only two commercial airlines use the air strip, British Air and Easy Jet.

From the top we can see the airstrip in the middle on the left. Spain is beyond the air strip. In this view we are looking north.

I was surprised how calm the strait between Gibraltar and Morocco is.

Algeciras, Spain is in the distance. After my tour in Morocco in 2004 I took a ferry from Tangier to Algeciras where I spent a few nights in a hotel.

This is the Strait of Gibraltar with Morocco in the distance. The exit from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic is to the right.

We walked down a narrow road past the monkeys. One jumped on my back and clung to me. As I was told to, I bent forward so that he would jump off but he continue to cling to me. When I stood up, he let go.

We then continued down to a cave that I did not even know was here when I was here in 2004. They had it brightly lit with colored lights and had a nice light show that illuminated what they call the cave angel.

The cave angle with white light. You need an imagination to see the angel.

We next went as far to the north end of the Rock to get a nice view of the airstrip. In 2004 I got to Gibraltar by way of Spain and walking across the airstrip. I told Tony that I wanted to do this again. He said he would have Sammy, the bus driver, let me off in town and I could walk to the airstrip.

The airstrip is over a mile long and is part of an RAF base but also services commercial aircraft.

Here you can see the road across the airstrip that also can be used to walk across. There is a passport control for each country on each end. The Spanish border is on the far side of the airstrip.

This is the eastern end of the airstrip and the beginning of Costa del Sol.

The last part of our tour was a walk through the tunnels constructed in the 18th Century. We drove up the road to as far as the bus could go then walked about 200 additional meters to the tunnel entrance. Along the length of the tunnel were about ten windows dug into the wall as gun ports. Tony gave us a good tour through the tunnel describing its history during the Great Siege at the same time as the American Revolution when Spain tried to retake Gibraltar. They failed..

This is the first window I came to that gave a good view of the airstrip. You can also see a cemetery in the lower right.

From another window in the wall I got this nice view of the beginning of the Costa del Sol looking north.

I was the only one to get off the bus in town. Blythe stayed aboard and went back to the ship. I walked back to the airstrip to walk across it. In the photo below is the Spanish side of the road across the airstrip. I had to stop here and turn around because I did not have my passport with me.

The Union Jack and the Gibraltar flags. I do not know what the one on the left represents.

This is the only airstrip in the world that I can stand in the middle of. Here I am looking west. Actually, as I recall I stood in the middle of the runways at Munda, New Georgia, Runway Able on North Field, Tinian, and Segi Point, New Georgia. But those are hardly used anymore.

After taking the last photo, I turned around and took this one looking east.

I had hoped to see this monument today, which I saw in 2004. The statues in the middle were not a part of the memorial in 2004.

The first time I ever heard about the Pillars of Hercules was while I was in Seattle and browsing through the Elliot Bay book store. I saw this book, The Pillars of Hercules by an author I had never heard of, Paul Theroux. This was the first of Paul Theroux’s several travel books that I read. Since, I have read several other books by him about his travels around the world. Perhaps he inspired me to travel more.

This book is about Paul Theroux’s journey around the Mediterranean starting in Gibraltar and ending in Tangier, the Pillars of Hercules. I do not remember the connection to Hercules.

The Pillars of Hercules are the two promontories that delineated the north and south points of the Strait of Gibraltar that separate Europe from Africa.

Late this afternoon we were invited to a Captain’s party up in Horizons. The ship has these every cruise and is only for those passengers who have traveled on Oceania before. The captain usually introduces his staff then turns the microphone over the one of the future cruise people. Tina from Serbia is one on this cruise. She provided some vital statistics. Twenty-one countries are presented on the cruise in this ascending order: 5) New Zealand, 4) England, 3) Australia, 2) Canada, 1) United States. There are over 800 passengers from the United States. She then introduced the passengers with the most cruise credits and how many days aboard Oceania cruises they have amassed. The top sailing passengers was a couple from the United States who has 80 cruise credits and 1062 days at sea. For comparison, Blythe and I have eighteen cruise credits and 275 sailing days. After our scheduled cruises next year we will have 26 cruise credits and will be eligible for a free cruise (need twenty cruise credits for free cruise).

As Blythe and I got to Horizons just before the party started, there were few open tables available. We found one with four seats. As we were about to sit down a couple asked if they could join us. Of course you can. We introduce ourselves. John and Val (short for Valerie) are from Nottingham, England (Robin Hood). We had a nice chat about the usual shipboard topics then decided we should dine together in Grand Dining. At 6:30 the four of us went down to Deck 6 and were seated at a table for four where we continued our conversation. We liked John and Val.

When I was in Gibraltar in 2004 I went back to the airstrip to get a nice photo. I wanted to do this again. Just before sunset I went back ashore hoping to find a taxi to ride to the airstrip. There were no taxies this evening. I ended up running at least half of the way back to the airstrip. Just as I got there the gate went down and the red light was illuminated. A plane was getting ready to take off. About ten minutes after the plane took off, the red light changed to green and the gate went up. I quickly walked across the airstrip, turned around, and got a few photos of the Rock lit up by flood lights. It took me twenty-five minutes to walk back to the ship. But it had been worth it.

The Rock as seen from the middle of the airstrip.

This is the photo I took of the same scene in 2004. Notice that the buildings shown in the photo above are not here in this 2004 photo.

According to my phone, I walked nearly 22,000 steps today, the equivalent of over ten miles. Over the past seven days I have average nearly 12,000 steps per day. But…no swimming.

Thursday, September 11, 2025

Ronda, Spain

The weather in Ronda could not be better. Helios looked down on us and smiled.

The weather forecast is ideal for photography. I am looking forward to seeing Ronda as I missed it in 2004. In particular, I am eager to see the bridge that connects the two part of the town separated by a deep gorge. We collected our bus number in Allura Lounge. When our number was called there was a mad scramble to get out. The first to the bus get the best seats. The seats in top demand are the ones in the first row with the best views. Blythe and I have been relegated to the middle of the bus. We try to get seats as far back from a window divide so that we do not have that as an obstruction. It seems that all the buses we have been on since Marseilles have been bran spankin’ new. There is even a USB-C outlet to charge our phones.

We collect our bus number and wait for our bus to be called here in Allura Lounge.

The drive through the Andalucian countryside to Ronda took about an hour and a half. Along the way we saw orange and lemon orchards, and olive orchards. It is very dry here and it has been quite a while since they have had rain.

These are citrus fruit trees. The apparent smudge in the top just right of center is actually to moon.

We got out in Ronda at a bus terminal and began a walk through town to the bullring. We were told we had to be back at the bus at 2:45. We had better remember how to get back. We had plenty of time since it was only about 11:00. When Blythe and I were in this part of Spain a few years ago we rented a car and drove to Guadalcanal. Having studied the battle of Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands, I knew that the namesake of the island Guadalcanal came from a village in Andalucian, Spain. I wanted to visit this Guadalcanal, too. How many people do you think have been to both Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands and Guadalcanal, Spain? Two?

This was a nice park along the way to the bullring.

The flag on the left is the provencal flag of Andalucia, The one in the middle is the national flag of Spain. The one on the right is the EU flag.

The main reason we chose this shore excursion was so we could see this bridge. I missed it in 2004. I talked to our guide, Pedro, about where to go to see the classic view from the bottom of the gorge. He pointed to the path down reminding me that I had to be back to the bus by 2:45. Don’t worry, Pedro. I’ll be there. Blythe did not want to make the hike because of her foot so she sat in the shade of a tree near a burbling fountain and waited for me. I was gone only twenty minutes. Going down the path was easy. Hiking back up was like swimming across the Dardanelles. But…it was well worth it. I made a few brief stops along the way to take photos and to talk to others either going up or heading down. Everyone commented that it was worth the effort. It usually is.

A view of the Andalucian countryside from the path down to the bottom of the gorge.

Seeing this view made it all worth the effort. Too bad the sun is not behind me but, you take what you can get. I was glad to get this view with a beautiful cerulean sky.

A two dimensional picture does not give you the real sense of depth to gage how steep this path is. I am heading back up.

Blythe was waiting by the fountain when I got back to the top. We set out to find a place for lunch.

Another view of the bridge from the other side. We will have lunch in the white restaurant on the other side.

This is the road across the bridge. The restaurant where we had lunch is on the other side on the right below the bridge.

This is the restaurant where we had lunch. Nice view.

After checking a couple of menus at other restaurants we settled on this terraced restaurant with a nice view of the Andalucian countryside. Blythe got a delicious shrimp dish swimming in olive oil, garlic, and peppers. We did not order any, but the waiter brought us a basket of warm bread. We used some of the bread to sop up the shrimp juice. Yummy, yummy. I got some Iberian ham and some local cheese. The ham was okay, but the cheese was a disappointment. Thankfully, Blythe shared some of her shrimp with me. Even though we did not ask for the bread, we had to pay for it, 1.75€ each. Good thing we ate nearly all of it sopping up the garlicky olive oil. After all that garlic, we needed something sweet. We started looking for a gelateria to get some lemon sorbet.

We walked down this street until we found a gelateria. There was one restaurant after another along this pedestrian only street.

Guess what. We each got one of these. Boy was it refreshing. This place also had some baklava ice cream. We went back later and got a small cup of it. It did not taste at all like baklava.

This is another street off the one we walked down. More restaurants. Ronda obviously caters to tourists.

One of the nicer street lights I have seen.

We walked back past the bullring and soon were back at the bus station well before 2:45. We were told it would take two hours to get back to the boat but it only took a little over an hour. Blythe went back to our cabin and I went back down to the pier to see the beach.

I walked past three yachts. This was the biggest one. I just cannot conceive of the wealth of people who can buy these huge boats. But after the news that Oracle stock went up 40% yesterday and that it boosted Oracle CEO Larry Eillison’s net wealth by $101 billion in one day, I guess I can see how people can afford these mega-yachts.

We spent the rest of the afternoon in Baristas where we each got another crepe. I spent the time selecting and editing photos and Blythe worked in her puzzle book.

We ate a small dinner in Terrace Cafe. Carlos, from Peru, waited on us. Oddly, he has not been to Macho Picchu, yet. He lives in the north of Peru on the coast. After dinner we went up to Horizons to work on our website.

We are right on the Terminator. This screen is on the pool deck.

This is a view of the sunset from Horizons Lounge.

We had a great day in Ronda. The weather was perfect and we got to see some of the Andalucian countryside, but most important, the bridge at Ronda. Tomorrow the weather is supposed to be about the same in Gibraltar, our next stop. I visited Gibraltar in 2004 and look forward to seeing it again.

Wednesday, September 10, 2025

Cartagena, Spain

Cartagena is located on the southeast coast of Spain

We had breakfast as usual in Terrace. When Fabian saw us come in he ushered us to a table by the window. Allura had just entered the harbor here and was still in the process of tying up. It was a clear day with the promise of warm sunny weather. Fabian brought us some orange juice without having to ask. He brought me a large class since I asked for a second class yesterday. We are tied up in harbor with lots of sailboats but no large yachts we have seen in other ports.

We are scheduled for a three and a half hour shore excursion today but wished we had cancelled it. We can cancel only two days prior to the day of the excursions. We missed this opportunity. There was nothing in Cartagena that really interested me. I am not even sure why we signed up for this one. Both of us are looking forward to a sea day. We have three more shore excursion scheduled before we exit the Mediterranean through the Strait of Gibraltar to the Atlantic where we will get several sea days on our way to New York. Tomorrow we will visit Ronda, Spain, a place I wanted to see in 2004 when I was here on my own but did not have time to see; on Friday, we visit Gibraltar, a place I visited in 2004 and very much enjoyed the views from atop the Rock and to see the Barbary apes; on Saturday we will cross the Strait of Gibraltar to visit the southern Pillar of Hercules, Tangier, Morocco. I also visited Tangier in 2004.

We boarded bus No. 16 and off we went for our tour of Cartagena and surrounds. We had a young Catalonian as our guide. In this part of Spain, there are two distinct languages, Spanish and Catalonian. Emma, our guide, provided a live ongoing commentary on the history of Cartagena. It is a very old town first settled by the Carthaginians before Rome sacked it and took over. It is very dry here and just now starting to cool off from a very hot summer. It is kinda like Florida in that a lot of Spaniards and Northern Europeans come here during the winter months.

We rode through the hills to an upscale resort where the rich and famous supposedly have villas, and three golf courses. We stopped in a town for a break. Blythe and I found a little sidewalk cafe and had a Fanta and a delicious croissant. It was so good, so light and flakey, that I got a second one. At a table next to ours was a couple from the ship. I struck up a conversation with him. His name is Mark and his wife I Mary. They are from Columbus, Ohio. Their cruise began in Rome and they have been aboard for two weeks before we boarded in Monte Carlo. They are also on their way to New York.

This is the view this morning after we tied up at the pier. Another big yacht harbor but without the mega-yachts we have seen in Monte Carlo and Mallorca.

Cartagena is surrounded by hills and has a large harbor.

Another part of the yacht harbor with the hills in the background.

This is the beach where we stopped for our break. The Catalonians refer to this as Miami Beach. Yeah I get it, but it’s a stretch.

This is the agrarian countryside we saw on our way back to the ship. It is so dry here that irrigation is necessary for agriculture.

We rode back to the port along a highway, which was a lot shorter than the ride through the hills. I was very tired riding back and could not wait to get back aboard the ship for a siesta. The bus brought us right to the ship. After dropping off our things in our cabin we went up to Terrace Cafe for lunch. For the first time that I can remember, baklava was a dessert option. It was not quite as good as the baklava we had in Turkey or Greece, but it was good enough that I ate two more.

After a short nap we went up to our favorite haunt, Baristas for a latte. I worked on the webpage and Blythe played games on her phone and worked in her puzzle book. I got up to stretch and saw a woman with a stack of books on her table. One was The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy. She is nearly finished with it. We talked about our favorite authors and she lamented the loss of so many of her favorite authors without, in her opinion, replacements to fill the ranks. She and her husband are from Adelaide, Australia and are on their way to New York. After a few days in New York they will visit Chicago. She is keen to visit the 9/11 memorial. Besides Tom Clancy, we decided we both like Wilbur Smith’s books on Africa.

Baristas. This is our favorite place to hang out, relax, read, get a latte, and for me to work on the website.

This is the baristas bar where we can order a latte or a Ginger Ale. It over looks the pool.

This is the Bakery in Baristas where yummy pastries are available during the day.

This bar is in Baristas and where we can make our own lattes and get a pastry or demi-sandwiches.

This is the Creperie where we can order crepes. It is on the other side of the ship from Baristas,
Deck 14, which is really Deck 13, but I won’t get into that.

This is the crepe suzette that we each got from the Creperie late this afternoon. This will likely take care of dinner this evening. Crepe suzette and baklava all in one afternoon. My pancreatic islet cells will be busy today.

The three baklavas and the crepe suzette this afternoon was enough for me. Blythe was not particularly hungry either so we skipped dinner this evening. It was so nice to lie down in bed and finally get to read from my book, The Agony and the Ecstasy. Can’t wait for a sea day so I can read all day.

I should have put this map at the beginning of the post. This shows our itinerary from Monte Carlo to Lisbon. Most of the passengers we have gotten to know are disembarking in Lisbon. We are continuing on to New York by way of a couple of stops in maritime Canada and Boston.

Early in the evening while watching the television in our room with navigational information I noted that we are now one degree of longitude into the Western Hemisphere having crossed the Prime Meridian.

Tuesday, September 9, 2025

Palma, Mallorca

The good weather was good while it lasted. Today’s forecast is for rain nearly all day.

To be honest with you, Blythe and I were not really looking forward to today’s shore excursion. We have been running pretty hard for the past two and a half weeks with really only one day off in Rome when it also rained. Our experience in Italy and Istanbul was so good that it has been hard to maintain a sense of awe and wonderment. Yesterday was a case in point. Barcelona was a downer after everything else we have seen. And…the gloomy weather forecast and dull gray skies did not help. Also, yesterday’s tour was way too long. Today’s tour is only about five hours.

At breakfast, we were waited on by Fabian from the Philippines. Fabian has taken good care of us the past couple of days at breakfast. When we mention that Blythe and I met in Manila and that her father was on the Bataan Death March, there is an instant connection. All Filipinos we have run into on cruises, regardless of age, all know about the battles of Bataan and Corregidor, and the Bataan Death March. We seemed to get extra good service after these initial encounters. We also recognized a Filipina, Roxanne, who remembers us from a previous Oceania cruise.

Same routine as yesterday: breakfast in Terrace Cafe then meet in Allura Lounge where we surrender our tour tickets for a number tag indicating which bus we are on. Our tour today was listed as a coastal tour of Mallorca.

Mallorca is the largest of a small group of islands that are part of Spain. They are about 190 miles from the Spanish Mediterranean coast.

During the night we wailed from Barcelona to the southern coast of Mallorca to the capital of Palma.

The first time I ever heard of Mallorca was in the mid 60s while watching a Disney movie, The Story of Hector, the Stowaway Pup. In the movie the main character is a dog and his “master.” They are on a ship plying the Mediterranean. The story is told through Hector who narrates the story. In one episode he said that he and his “master” are going to Mallorca. I do not remember the storyline but remember the ballad about Hector. I should watch the movies again on YouTube now that I have been to Mallorca.

Even though the skies were gray there were a few holes in the clouds with blue sky. There was no immediate threat of rain. We rode along the shore passing a large marina where some very expensive yachts were tied up. Our guides (we had two females guides today) told us that the big black yacht belonged to Jeff Bezos. I did not believe her, but maybe it is true. There were also four or five other cruise ships in port, none of which I recognized.

We stopped beneath the the Palma Cathedral up on a hill. It looked more like what I have come to expect in gothic architectural churches. Back in the 9th or 10th Centuries during the Muslim period, there was a big mosque on the hill. King James I of Aragon defeated the Muslims and razed the mosque and built a cathedral on the same spot.

The view of Palma from our ship this morning.

Another view of the cruise port. See, it’s a gloomy gray day.

The national Spanish flag flying over a building next to the cathedral.

After a brief time at the waterfront viewing the cathedral, we hopped back aboard the bus and headed up into the Mallorcan hills. Along the way we passed almond and carob tree orchards, and some olive orchards. We passed a quaint old village along the way to the northwestern coast where we would have lunch and visit a local home (actually a rather nice villa).

We passed a few orchards like this one as we wound our way up a narrow road to the coast.

This is where we stopped for a break and for lunch. The villa we will visit is at the end of this road.

This view was from a hillside porch where we stopped for a break and to visit a villa and to have lunch. Because of the hole in the rock, this was a popular tourist stop in the day.

This is the home we visited. Nobody was home. Apparently this is a frequent tourist stop.

This is the stone floor of the entrance to the home.

The door on the right is the main entrance.

The main entrance is in the lower right.

The main entrance from the landing to the second floor.

The foyer looking up to the second floor.

I am waiting for people to get out of the way so I can take a photo of the courtyard. Blythe wanted me to add this photo.

After our tour of the villa we had lunch at a cliffside restaurant. We sat across the table from a couple from near Cleveland, Mike and Amy. We had a very pleasant conversation with them that got started when he asked where we were from (usually one of the first questions we ask other passengers). My standard answer to someone I think is from the States is that we are from Indiana. He perked up and said he graduated from Purdue in 1969. We then reminisced about Purdue football and basketball. He remembered Rick Mount and the first game played in what later became Mackey Arena when Purdue lost to UCLA and Lew Alcindor coached by John Wooden in 1967 (Purdue lost by two points, 73-71). To lose only by two points was a heart breaker as it was against the best college team in the nation, the UCLA Bruins when they were all but unbeatable and dominated by Lew Alcindor (later Kareem Abdul-Jabbar). Mike remembered Bruno’s Pizza down on the levee, and the Triple “X” restaurant on Chauncey Hill. He said he has not been back to Purdue since graduation. I asked him if he had to take ROTC classes. He did not because he was in the band as a drummer. Mike talked about his career (still working) as a patent lawyer and I talked about – guess what? – the war. He seemed very interested in my Pacific island battlefield tours. I also mentioned that Blythe’s father was on the Bataan Death March. He lamented that most Americans do not know anything about Bataan or most anything else about the war.

We also got to know the other two couples at our table, two sisters and their husbands from Vancouver. Our time talking to our new friends at lunch was the highlight of our day on the tour.

As we pull away from the pier I got a good view of this old fortress.

This tall sailboat is supposedly Jeff Bezos yacht. I am not at all convinced. Maybe.

Another fortress on a hill as we pull away.

It was just too dreary to be out on the pool deck this afternoon.

As we sailed away the pilot boat pulled up to the port side.

As we headed back to the bus it began to sprinkle. It took about an hour and a half to get back to the ship. We dropped our stuff in our cabin and went up to Baristas for a latte. We like to spend time Baristas. It is a comfortable place to read. I work on the website here and sip lattes. While we were up there the ship began backing away from the pier, turned around and headed out to sea. We had dinner in Terrace Cafe again this evening. After dinner came up to Horizons Lounge where I worked on the webpage some more. I am trying to keep it up to date and not get behind. We are on the port side with a view out the window at a very dreary sky with gray clouds, but calm seas. Tomorrow in Cartegena, Spain, our next port call, it is supposed to be a much nicer day with warm sunny skies.

Our little corner in Horizons where at this time of the evening (8:15 p.m.) it is quiet and a nice place to work and read. Also, I think the internet service is better up here.

Monday, September 8, 2025

Barcelona, Spain

I have been negligent in putting up maps of where we are. This map shows where we started in Istanbul and where the race was across the Dardanelles Strait. It also shows where the cruise started in Monte Carlo, our first stop yesterday in Marseille to visit Aix-en-Provence, and our destination today, Barcelona.

Up until now we have had exceptionally good weather for sightseeing (and swimming) but that came to an end today. The forecast was for cloudy weather all day and rain late in the evening.

We did not tie up in Barcelona but at Tarragona, a port about an hour and a half bus ride from Barcelona. Our shore excursion was supposed to last eight hours mainly because of the three hours of getting to and from Barcelona.

When we were in Barcelona it appeared that the port was crowded with other cruise ships. That may explain why we tied up in Tarragona instead.

Barcelona, to be quite frank, was a bit of a disappointment, especially after Istanbul, Rome, Florence, Milan, Nice, and Monte Carlo. It is a typically large European city but without the charm of the other cities we have visited on this trip. The one site we were most interested in seeing was the Sagrada Familia, which was a big let down. After walking through St. Peter’s basilica in Rome and Cathedral-Basilica of the Nativity of Saint Mary in Milan, and even the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, this supposedly famous church was a big disappointment. The most charitable description I can think of to describe it is just plain ugly. I would think that even the Catalonians would be embarrassed to have this, this, monstrosity in their city. To me it is not my idea of a place of worship but just a tourist attraction. Most people I spoke to after the tour of the city held to the same opinion; an underwhelming experience.

Maybe my uncharitable opinion of Barcelona was colored by the gloomy weather today. After the near perfect weather we have had for the past two weeks, the weather today cast a pall over the entire visit here. Still, I do not see how even bright sunny, warm weather could possibly remedy the poor experience we had walking around the Sagrada Familia.

After walking around the Sagrada Familia we walked to a pre-arranged restaurant for lunch. Here, too, lunch was a disappointment. Except for the dessert, It was tasteless pork and a few French fires and something I have not yet identified. Salt would have helped but none was available. No salt?

Fortunately, the rest of the tour of Barcelona was an improvement. We rode on the bus to a large train station and began a walk of the older sections of town and saw some nice gothic churches and old buildings that improved my opinion, somewhat, of Barcelona.

Our eight hour tour turned out to be over ten hours and we were all tired and a bit grumpy on our one and a half-hour ride back to Tarragona and the ship. We had dinner in Terrace Cafe. My new Australian friends, Steve and Helen, whom I met in Aix yesterday were sitting next to our table. I asked how their day went. Same as ours. They, too, were underwhelmed by their visit to Barcelona.

This map indicates where we tied up in Tarragona, which is quite a ways from Barcelona. It also shows where we will go tomorrow, Palma, Mallorca.

Typical street with sycamore trees on each side.

The monstrosity called Sagrada Familia. This is a place of worship?

This is a work in progress and they have been working on it for years.

See the snake on the left. I know about serpents and Eden, but I cannot remember reading about a lizard (on the right) anywhere in the Bible.

This kind of art – I suppose somebody might consider this art – contrasting starkly with what I consider true art in St. Peter’s and the Milan cathedral. To me, it looks like somebody just threw a big handful of mud at the wall and it stuck.

A nice street scene in Barcelona. This is more like what I have come to expect in a European city.

This is the Barcelona Cathedral (there can only be one catholic cathedral in a city. It is of the more attractive gothic architectural style. I believe this was built in the 14th Century.

While we gazed at the cathedral, this Rolls Royce drove up. I think there was a recently married couple in the back. This car belonged in Monte Carlo.

This looks like our house in Lafayette with the Ukrainian flag hanging from an upstairs window.

The flag on the left is Spain’s national flag. The one on the right is the Catalonian flag.

This is the facade of the Barcelona Cathedral. Oddly, this front was rebuilt in the 19th Century, also in the gothic style.

This is one of the train stations in Barcelona. We stopped here for a break before boarding the bus for the ride back to the ship.

Tonight we sail to Palma, Mallorca. We will arrive early in the morning. We have another shore excursion planned but, again, the weather is not favorable for sightseeing. Our time in Turkey and Italy really has spoiled us.

Sunday, September 7, 2025

Aix-en-Provence, France

Again, we have excellent sightseeing weather. How long will it last?

We were up at 7:00 and went to breakfast in Terrace Café. We met Irene, one of the waitresses from the Philippines. We recognized each other right away. This is the third cruise we have been on that we have run into Irene. I also met a woman behind the counters named Sheena who recognized me from our time on Oceania Vista last January.

After breakfast we went to the Allura Lounge just before 8:15 for our shore excursion to Aix-en-Provence. This was a highly anticipated shore excursion for me as I would get to see a place that Dad and I visited in 1994 when he and I were on a tour with Westminster Theological Seminary and its president, Sam Logan, to visit the places in France and Switzerland relative to the Reformation. The day we were in Aix just happened to be July 14, Bastille Day. Dad and I walked down to the to a big roundabout in the center of town that evening and watched the fireworks display. As I remember it was brutally hot that day. I wanted to stand in that same roundabout. Something I also wanted to see was a fountain that inspired the fountain that Blythe and I put in our courtyard. It is an octagonal shaped fountain with four spigots coming out of a center block of stone.

We gathered in the Allura Lounge (Deck 5) where we received a numbered ticket indicating which bus we were to get on, in this case, Bus No. 4. When Bus No. 4 was called, we proceeded to Deck 4, badged out and walked down the gangway to the waiting bus. I do not remember our guides name but he was born in Alexandria, Egypt but lives in and now considers himself French. As we drove north to Aix (pronounced simply, “X”) Egyptian/French gave us a historical reconnaissance of Aix. It took about forty-five-minutes to get there.

We had a walking tour for about an hour where whats-his-name guide pointed out interesting places. All the time I kept an eye out for a boulevard that looked like the one I remember Dad and I walking down to the roundabout. As I recall, it was a tree-lined street with lots of street-side restaurants and coffee shops. I did not see any that looked like this. He pointed out a school where Paul Cesanne and Emile Zola were students together. He also pointed out some old churches and related the history of them.

We came to a large roundabout with a big fountain in the middle. Maybe this was the roundabout where Dad and I watched the fireworks. As this is the largest fountain in Aix, I assume it is the one where Dad and I were. But…I am not sure. The streets leading into the roundabout did not look familiar; I did not see the big sycamore trees forming the canopy over the street as I remembered it. I was disappointed as I thought this was the place but was not certain. Also, although there were lots of nice fountains, we did not find an octagonal fountain like the one in our courtyard. I had built this visit to Aix up in my mind because of my memory of Dad and me being here in 1994. So…I was a bit let down.

Whats-his-name guide gave us an hour to wander around and then to meet at another fountain for our ride back to the ship. Blythe and I wanted either a croissant or a baguette and a coffee but we could not find any of the street side restaurants that had just bread and coffee. I did not want another pizza or anything else that looked like lunch. While Blythe sat under a shady tree I took off to see if I could find a croissant or baguette . It is Sunday and maybe that is why I could not find any.

While we were walking along a narrow street one of group tried to take a selfie with a nice doorway in the background. I offered to take a photo for him. Afterwards we talked a bit. He had his wife are from Perth, Australia. They flew to Monte Carlo, east to west, and will fly back from New York to Perth, continuing to go east to west, circumnavigating the globe.

There was no room for me to sit next to Blythe so I sat next to a couple who I learned were on our cruise. She thanked me for sitting next to here because the guy who was sitting next to her was smoking and she did not like the smell. She and her husband are from Florida, but she was born and raised in China. I said hello to her in my best Mandarin. When she said thanks in Mandarin I replied “your welcome” in Mandarin. When she heard this her eyes bugged out.

At the appointed hour our group met Whats-his-name guide for a short walk to our bus and the ride back to the ship. I nearly fell asleep on the ride back. We dropped our stuff off in our room and went up to Terrace Café for lunch. I spent the rest of the afternoon working on the webpage mainly fixing a problem that cropped of yesterday. I accidently erased the menu bar at the top of each page. It took a couple of hours to figure out how to retrieve it, but I did. It may look a little different, but all the content is still there. I prefer to work in Baristas since it is comfortable, there are decent chairs to sit in, and I can get a latte anytime I want and little pastries are close by.

Late in the afternoon while I was working in Baristas, I noted that the ship was moving, and we were pulling away from the dock. I went outside to take a photo of Chateau d’If before we sailed past it. I really wanted a photo of this 14^th Century prison. I first saw it when I was here with Dad in 1994. This is where the Count of Monte Cristo was in prison (fictionally).

In Terrace Cafe this evening for dinner I gave my order for grilled shrimp to a guy named Mahai. I looked at him and he asked if I knew where he was from. With a name like Mahai, I guessed he was from Hawaii. No…he is from Romania, but he was quick to note that he is not related to Count Dracula.

Tomorrow, we tied up in Barcelona. We are scheduled for a long shore excursion. I had hoped to meet my new friend, Peder, whom I met in Canakkale who lives there now. He is the guy who swam with Mark Spitz at Indiana University. We may have trouble linking up because the shore excursion starts at 10:30 is goes until late in the afternoon. Maybe we can meet before for a coffee.

This is the Sky Princess, passenger capacity: 3600. It is 145,000 tons displacement. I cannot imagine a being on a ship this big. I would get lost.

This was another ship parked in front of the Sky Princess. It, too, is big. Too big for us.

I had to hustle to quickly get this photo from the moving bus. This is where Paul Cezanne lived when he painted in Southern France.

Croissants. Yum, yum. I wish I would have gotten a couple when I had the chance. I figured I could find shops like this everywhere. Not today.

Some of the streets in Aix are very narrow.

We stopped at this church and saw this statue of a guy holding his head. I am sure there is a story to this.

These stones look like they have been trod on for centuries.

A typical outdoor cafe. These are everywhere. Blythe and I thought about stopping at one to get a croissant and a coffee but I could not read the menu very well and I did not want a big lunch.

I should have gotten a loaf of baguette here when I had a chance.

Maybe a pretzel would have been good since we could not find a baguette or a croissant.

I know what this guy is going through. At least he has some shade to fix his flat.

This street sorta looked like the street that Dad and I walked down to the roundabout to watch the fireworks on Bastille Day.

This statue of Paul Hexane is across the street from the fountain at the roundabout.

This sign was tacked onto the school building where Cezanne and Zola were students together.

One of the many fountains in Aix, but not like our octagonal fountain. I know I saw one like ours when I was here in 1994.

The street that Dad and I walked down looked like this one with big sycamore trees forming a canopy over the street. I do not think this is the one, though.

Chateau d’If in the center, prison for the Count of Monte Cristo.

Saturday, September 6, 2025

Monte Carlo, Oceania MS Allura

This page is a continuation of our trip previously described under the heading “Swim the Dardanelles.” On that page I described my swim across the Dardanelles in Turkey, our time in Rome, Florence, and Milan and our visit with Jack and Claire. In this page I will describe our cruise back to American through the Western Mediterranean and the ports of call we will make along the way. We both will visit some new places and a few familiar ones.

We woke to another gorgeous day with abundant sunshine, warm temperatures and moderate humidity. We are in a picturesque setting made famous, to me, in Hollywood movies like To Catch a Thief staring Cary Grant and Grace Kelly, and in the grueling Nice Triathlon of the 1980s.

Weather for tourism does not get much better than this.

This is one of the views outside our balcony this morning.

This is looking toward the Mediterranean from our balcony.

We stayed in our room at the Columbus until noon when we checked out. At the concierge desk where we got a taxi that would take us to the cruise port. We fell into a conversation with some other Americans who will be on the same cruise. We heard quit a bit of American English in the hotel. Already we are meeting interesting people. There was a couple sitting next to us in the lobby waiting for their taxi whom I struck up a conversation with. Yes, they are on the Allura going to New York. The conversation went something like this: Where am I from? Lafayette, Indiana. Well, what do you know, I used to live in Lafayette, too. Where did you go to high school. Jeff. Oh, so you’re a Broncho. Yeah, and you’re a River Rat. When did you graduate? 1972. I graduated in 1974. Did you play baseball. Yeah. Me, too. Do you remember your center, Tom Eggleston. Yeah, he lived two doors down from me. Marion Crawley was the Jeff basketball coach. Yeah, I remember him. Small world. Yeah, it sure is. I’m John. What is your name. Bob. Okay Bob, see you aboard ship.

Now so that you know what we were talking about; Lafayette Jefferson High School was the largest high school in Tippecanoe County and the biggest rival for my high school, West Lafayette High School in the 70s. The Jeff nickname was the Bronchos. The nickname for my high school was the Red Devils but the Jeffies called us the River Rats. Tom Eggleston was our center at West Side (another name for West Lafayette High School) and he lived just two doors down from where I grew up. Lafayette Jeff was an athletic powerhouse during my days as a high school student and were almost unbeatable in basketball. I was on the baseball and tennis teams and we never could beat Jeff in either of these sports, either. Marian Crawley was the very successful basketball coach at Jeff and won the sectional every year I was a student.

It was only about a five-minute ride to the cruise port, and the Oceania Allura was the only ship in port. Our scheduled boarding time was 1:00 but we walked right in, got registered, got our room key. While we waited in the short line I fell my fellow River Rat from Lafayette, who was just in front of us, asked what kind of work I was in. I told him I was a retired physician. The guy behind me said he, too, was a retired physician. His name is Marvin and he and his wife are from Newark, New Jersey and he is a retired cardiologist. I asked him if I should be concerned that my PR interval is 205 milliseconds. I already knew that this was not anything to be concerned about. He confirmed this.

We walked up the gangway, showed our key card, which, when scanned, indicated we were indeed passengers. We walked into Deck 5 and were greeted by a young woman who is from Kentucky. She welcomed us aboard.

To our surprise, we got into our room right away. We dropped off our backpacks and headed up to Terrace Café for lunch. It was already packed. At the salad bar the woman making the salads looked familiar. She is from the Philippines and recognized us from being on the Oceania Vista ship last January. She made the connection when I told her that I met Blythe in Manila. At our table a waitress came to our table. Her name is Elizabeth and she is from Naples, Italy. We talked about our recent visits to Rome, Florence, and Milan. A waiter also came to our table to get us drinks. His name is Raymond and he, too, is from the Philippines. He is from Mindanao, the large island in the south of the Philippine archipelago.

After we settled into our room, 8140, at the very end of the ship, aft, I took off to see the sights of downtown Monte Carlo. Blythe, not wanting to do any unnecessary walking stayed aboard and lounged on our balcony.

I walked into town with the intention of going to the famous Monte Carlo Casino. The temperature was only in the mid 70s and the humidity was only about 70% but while walking in the sun, it felt as if it were in the 90s. I walked past the harbor where several large yachts were moored. I saw lots of very high-end cars including many Mercedes, BMWs, and lots of Ferraris. I also saw one Bentley and one Rolls Royce. What with the yachts, nice looking apartments, and all these expensive cars, this is the most ostentatious display of wealth I can remember ever seeing.

My destination was the Monte Carlo Casino where I imagine James Bond would go to play baccarat or to pass the shoe while introducing himself, “Bond, James Bond.” Some of the nicer looking apartments and the casino are neo-classical architecture and are simply beautiful. I was surprised that I could get in and even more surprised that I could take photos. Inside I met a couple of Aussies who wore Ironman t-shirts. I asked them if they were doing a race. The Ironman World Championship (usually in Hawaii) is in Nice a week from tomorrow. You must qualify for the World Championship, so these guys are very good. We talked triathlon and racing. One of the Aussies, from Tasmania, had an American wife. She is from Delaware. This is very likely similar to the Nice Triathlon that Mark Allen did so well in in the 70s and 80s.

These are some of the mega yachts in the harbor next to *Allura*.

The Monte Casino is the Neo-classical building with the two towers.

I took this photo from Terrace Cafe, aft, Deck 12.

I saw this on my way to the casino. I saw a few more during my walk.

This is the side of the casino. There’s another one of those old cars.

This car was parked in front of the casino. Old Grand Prix car?

This is where I imagine James Bond goes to play baccarat when he is on assignment in Monte Carlo against SPECTRE.

This is where I met the Ironman triathletes. This is in the lobby of the casino.

This is the back of the casino. I could not get back far enough or high enough to get a good photo.

There is not much greenery in Monte Carlo but this little park was near the casino.

A valet was backing this Ferrari into a parking spot.

This is a red and a yellow Ferrari on each side of the Aston Martin, the James Bond car. I would estimate that these three cars represent about $2 million.

This is the James Bond car. I wanted to look in to see where the ejector seat button was located. As I recall, in the movie Goldfinger, it was located at the top of the stick shift.

I had to hustle to get this photo of the only two door Rolls Royce car I have ever seen.

On my way back to the ship I stopped at an ice cream stand and got a double scoop of lemon sorbet. I had to eat it quickly before it melted in the heat. It took me only about twenty minutes (it was mostly downhill) to get back to the ship. I took a shower and felt so much better. Blythe and I spent time in Barista where I worked on the website and Blythe worked in her puzzle book.

We were walking around on Deck 12 and met a couple who asked me to take a photo of them. He is a retired pastor who pastored a church in Mt. Vernon, Indiana. They are retired and live in North Carolina. The Hoosier state is well represented on board Allura.

We had dinner in Terrace Cafe this evening. I went down to Baristas to work on the website. Blythe was tired and stayed in the room. I ran into Marvin and his wife Dorothy and we talked photography. We talked cardiology and the war. They are going to Japan sometime soon on a cruise and wanted some shore excursion recommendations for Okinawa. That is easy. Go see where Ernie Pyle was killed on Ie Shima, the Peace Park in the south of the island, and Shuri Castle. We will talk more tomorrow.

There are several yachts anchored outside the harbor. These are in from of *Allura*.

Waxing moon rising over the Mediterranean this evening. It is not quite full.

The weather this evening indicating that the moon is waxing and is 98% full.

The Oceania logo at the back of the ship.

The James Bond casino. He would mostly be there in the evening like this setting.

While we were talking the ship began to pull away for sail away a little early. We are on our way to Marseilles tomorrow where Blythe and I have a shore excursion to Aix.

Friday, September 5, 2025

Monte Carlo, Monaco

To our great relief the Uber app worked as advertised. The app took longer to find a car, which made me nervous. I thought it might come up and say that there were no cars available for that distance. But as it turned out, my anxiety about getting to Monte Carol was unfounded. A car was at our hotel in five minutes. The driver did not seem at all unnerved by having go drive 300 km. He asked if we had the appropriate documents meaning our passports. We would never have gotten this far without passports, but, yes, I told him we had our passports (in the end, we never needed them. We drove into France and then into Monaco without stopping).

This is the weather forecast in Monte Carlo. We have been so richly blessed with good weather nearly every day since we got to Istanbul. Hope it holds.

The ride through northwestern Italy and into France to Monaco was very pleasant and comfortable; at least, if not more so, than had we taken the train, even in business class. I was surprised to see snowcapped mountains having forgotten how far north we are in Italy.

The red line indicates the route we took from Milan to Monte Carlo. We spent most of the morning in Italy. We had a nice view of the Mediterranean along the coast. We cross each frontier without having to stop; Italy into France and France into Monaco. Until we turned south, we could see the Alps to the north. I am scheduled to hike around both the Matterhorn and Mont Blanc in June next year. Got to get in shape.

The Alps are in the distance. A sunflower field is in the center.

I was surprised how close we were to Switzerland and the Matterhorn. My sister, Susie, and I, along with our Swiss friend, Willy, drove through Domodossola, Italy in 1987. Domodossola can be seen in the upper right.

We are now on the Mediterranean coast heading southwest to Monaco

Monte Carlo is located on the coast that is very hilly. The hills seem to go right down to the coast. The streets are narrow and very twisty-turny. There is a long tunnel under some of the city. Our driver made a wrong turn and got lost. We were halfway to Nice, France before we could make a “U” turn to get back to Monaco. Eventually he found our hotel, the Columbus Hotel, Monte Carlo, part of the Curio collection of Hilton hotels. We stay in a Curio collection hotel in Rome. These are some of the swankiest hotels we have ever stayed in. They are conveniently located, spacious, comfortable, and have sterling service. Of course, we ended up having to pay for these amenities, but it was well worth it, especially for the proximity to what we what to see and do (Vatican in Rome and the cruise port in Monte Carlo).

This bottle of wine and this little cake were on the table in our room. Blythe ate the cake but the bottle of wine was wasted on us. Still, the sentiment was nice and an indication of the kind of service available here. One service we did not get, and which was a surprise, was no complementary breakfast.

This is a view from the pool deck of our hotel.

After checking in we took a taxi to Nice where we had lunch on the promenade overlooking the Mediterranean. It was very pleasant with comfortable temperatures and relatively low humidity, but with a strong breeze. The beach is not sandy but rocky. There were a lot of sun worshippers and few swimmers. I tested the water and found it comfortably warm. The conditions were not good for swimming and most of the people seemed more interested in showing off their bodies and getting a tan.

We were surprised at the color of the water. The promenade is to the left of the beach.

This is the view from where we had lunch.

Although a beautiful setting, this is not my idea of a nice beach. Too rocky.

This is the Promenade. I remember watching the Nice Triathlon on television when Mark Allen ran along the street just to the left of this promenade. He won this race ten years in a row.

Blue Beach!? I thought we were in Nice, not Tulagi (Blue Beach was the code name for the invasion beach on the little Solomon Island of Tulagi in 1942.)

There are a lot of nice hotels along the Promenade.

Just another nice scene from the Promenade, Nce.

The color of the water is almost hard to believe. Of course, lots of sunshine makes a big difference.

Another nice hotel across the street from the beach. This hotel reminded me of the movie *To Catch a Thief.* I can just imagine Cary Grant and Grace Kelly coming out of this hotel and walking across the street to the beach.

The street to the left is where Mark Allen beat some the best triathletes in the world including Dave Scott and Scott Molina back in the 80s. Mark was unbeatable in this race. Mark Allen and Dave Scott were two of my triathlons heroes.

Mark Allen out kicks a competitor in the Nice Triathlon. Blythe and I walked along this same street.

No, this is not the lobby of our hotel. This is one of the hotels across the street from the Promenade. Maybe Cary and Grace stayed in this hotel.

After we came back to our room we were so tired that we did not go out for the rest of the day. I got caught up on this website, mostly selecting photos from the many that I took, editing them in PhotoShop and PowerPoint, uploading them to the website, downloading them to the post, and writing. It is a lot of work, but very satisfying and fun. I do not have a Facebook page so this is my way of letting friends and family now where we are, what we are seeing, what we are doing, and who we are meeting along the way. It is also a nice record of our travels.

This will be the last post on this page. I will provide a link to the next post, which will be about the cruise back home.

Thursday, September 4, 2025

Milan, Italy

Another nice forecast. We have been blessed with exceptionally good weather throughout our time in Turkey and Italy.

We took a taxi down to Milano Centrale train station to get train tickets to Monte Carlo for tomorrow. I had to get a ticket then wait until my number was called to go to a ticket desk. There I was told that because of the train strike that is to begin this evening at 9:00 and last all day tomorrow, we cannot take the train to Monte Carlo tomorrow as we were counting on. A few alternatives popped into my mind: 1) we could fly to Monte Carlo. That really was not a viable option because it meant flying first to London then to Nice and would cost about $3000 each, 2) I could rent a car but I really did not want to do drive 250 km to Monte Carlo and probably pay extra because I would not be returning the car, 3) take the train today before the strike goes into affect. That had its own problems. Our hotel room was already prepaid for two nights and maybe we would not get a one night refund, and I would have to get another room at the hotel in Monte Carlo; too much hassle, and finally, 3) Uber it all the way. I looked on the Uber app and sure enough there was a ride all the way to Monte Carlo for between 677- 700 €. I was not real confident this would work because of the distance but the app indicated that it would. If something happened tomorrow and Uber did not work we were really stuck. We have to be in Monte Carlo tomorrow evening, latest. I decided to trust the app and get the Uber tomorrow morning. This did have some advantages. First, we would be picked up at our hotel in Milan and dropped off at our hotel in Monte Carlo. There would be no taxi to and from the train stations, and we would not have to purchase two train tickets, and we would not have to lug our heavy luggage around train stations and jostle on the coach to get to our seats. Sure, it would be more expensive, but at this point we had little choice. We will Uber it to Monte Carlo.

According to Jack this train station was built in the 1930s.

Well, why we wasted time standing in line to get to the ticket agent to hear all the all the bad news about the strike, Blythe and I had to alter our plans for the day in Milan. We had hoped to take the train up to Lake Como on the boarder with Switzerland. I have never been there and understand that it is a beautiful setting. We would then come back and do the sightseeing in Milan that we wanted to do. We did not get done at the train station until it was after 11:00 a.m. So…no Lake Como visit.

We hopped into a taxi (not a Uber). Taxis work about the same way, the only difference it that Uber rides are prepaid and I know exactly how much it will cost before we even see the car pull up, and taxis are paid just before we get out based on the meter reading. For both I can use ApplePay, which obviates the need to tip with cash. We used both on this trip and felt comfortable with each. I told the driver to take us to the Duomo.

It was another glorious day with lots of warm sunshine, great for photography. We first walked through the Galleria. The Galleria is mostly very high end shopping and restaurants. I was first here in 1997. I was in Milan only for a few hours waiting for a train to Switzerland. I spent all of my time under the protective covering of the two intersecting streets. In 1997, it was chilly and raining. I did not see the cathedral.

Coming out of the Galleria we immediately saw the cathedral. It is one of the most gaudily decorated churches we have ever seen, and, it was huge. We walked over to the to see what it would take to get inside. Naturally, there was a fee and I was directed to a ticket booth down the street a bit. All I wanted to do was walk through the church, but that option did not seem to be available. There was, however, an option to walk up steps or take an elevator to the roof terrace. I chose the option. But, we had to wait for an hour and a half before our time, 2:00 p.m.

This is one of the four entrances to the Galleria. The cathedral is off to the right of this large piazza.

To kill some time we found a sidewalk pizza joint and got a pizza margarita and Fantas. Afterwards we got a bowl of lemon sorbet that tasted heavenly.

We got a big bowl of lemon sorbet from a gelateria.

While we waited for our 2:00 time slot to go up to the church terrace we walked to a small piazza where we found this nice statue of Leonardo de Vinci.

Another interesting place we saw from the Leonardo piazza was the famous Milano opera house, La Scala.

This church is mind blowing. It appears that every statue – and there a lot of them – are unique. Too bad about the scafolding.

Here are some examples of the many statues that adorn the church. The one on the left appears to be Abraham about to sacrifice his son Isaac (Genesis 22:9-12.) I am not sure about the one on the right. It appears that it might be the story of Lot’s daughters getting Abraham drunk (Genesis 19:30-34).

We got in line and were admitted a few minutes early to the elevator that took us to the roof of the cathedral where we were on our own to walk nearly all the way around the top. We had views of the roof architecture that I have never seen before. I have seen a lot of cathedrals around Europe, but never from this perspective.

One of the many spires and statues we saw during our walk on the church terrace.

The intricate sculpting is awe inspiring.

This clock was across the street from the cathedral. One cannot get this kind of view from the street level.

Gargoyles. These, too, are hard to see in detail from the street.

This is a flying buttress used to hold up the tall thin walls oof the church.

This looks like a mess, but there is a pattern to the scaffolding that covers some parts of the cathedral.

I took this photo of the center of the altar through an opening in one of the stained glass windows. The north transept is in the distance.

To get to the top of the roof, we had to climb these steps. It is clear that many other people over the centuries have also climbed these stops as evidence of the wearing.

Here we are on the very top of the nave roof. Note the scaffolding in the background. I believe that is Mary in gold standing atop the central spire.

Here is a rare view of the piazza from the top of the cathedral.

We walked back down to the ground level, not by an elevator. I do not know if we simply missed the elevator. Blythe continues to have some discomfort with her right foot and all the walking is not helping. It was slow going for her to get back down to the street level. But she did. I was pleasantly surprised that the exit from the stairs led into the interior of the cathedral. This is what I really wanted to see in the first place. This is a massive church, the largest in Italy (St. Peter’s is larger but since it is in the Vatican, a sovereign city/state, it does not count). It is a combination of gothic and Renaissance architecture. I was surprised at how dark it is inside. There are beautiful stained glass windows, massive columns, and beautiful sculptures. Blythe found a place to sit down to get off her feet while I wondered around.

If you showed too much skin, you were given this cover to wear. I did not see any men wearing these.

There several beautiful stained glass windows.

This statue caught my eye. It is Bartholomew. What caught my attention was the muscle definition over his entire body. Then I read the description below the statue. Bartholomew was martyred by having his skin flayed. Here he is holding in his right hand the knife of his martyrdom and the Gospel in his left hand. His flayed skin is draped over his shoulders around his neck.

This is Michelangelo’s The Last Judgment in the Sistine Chapel. It also depicts Bartholomew with his flayed skin and the knife used to flay him in his right hand.

Part of a larger stained glass window depicting biblical scenes.

As we walked through the Galleria one last time I saw this mosaic of the Romulus and Remus suckling the she-wolf. This mosaic was in the dead center of the intersection of the two halls.

On our way out I took this one last photo in the Galleria that nicely frames the statue of Leonardo de Vinci.

We walked across the square and through the Galleria one last time and quickly found a taxi for the ride back to our hotel.

We took a taxi to Jack and Claire’s apartment for dinner. Jack and I walked around the corner to a pizza joint and got two pizzas. They live in a small apartment in a nice neighborhood. They do not have a car (they do not need one) but get around on public transportation or by bike. Claire is here doing post-doctoral work in cancer research and Jack is a software programer. We know them from our church in Lafayette. After dinner, we took a street trolly to another part of town just to be out enjoying the beautiful weather. Jack said that just a week ago it was blistering hot. They knew where a good Gelateria was and we got another good sorbet. There was a pavilion in an open square where lots of people were dancing in front of a big arch that looked a lot like the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. We lingered awhile then took the trolly back to their apartment, said goodbye and took a taxi back to our hotel.

This arch looked like the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

Tomorrow will be interesting. I am trusting that the Uber app is telling me reality, that there will be a car that will take us all the way to Monte Carlo. If not…

Wednesday, September 3, 2025

Florence, Italy

The forecast for Florence is for cloudy but clearing skies about the time we get there.

Unfortunately breakfast did not begin until 7:30 and we wanted to get going to the train station so we did not get breakfast at the hotel. The receptionist called for a taxi and within a minute it arrived. We got to Roma Termini well in advance of our scheduled departure at 9:10. We went upstairs to a Starbucks and got a latte and a croissant. About 9:30 we went back down to wait for the platform for our train to be assigned. While watching the overhead monitor I saw that several trains were delayed. Soon, ours, too, was delayed by seventy minutes. This later was improved to only fifty minutes delay. Platforms generally are not assigned until about ten or fifteen minutes before scheduled departure. People gather below the monitor board anxiously watching for their train platform to be assigned. Then there is a mad rush to get to the platform.

Our speed for about half of the ride was only about 100 kpm. It later got cranked up to nearly 250 kpm.

We had a nice ride through an agrarian part of central Italy on our way to Florence. We passed a few vineyards and lots of sunflower fields. I was surprised how hilly this part of Italy is.

We arrived in Florence about an hour later than scheduled. This would eat into the time we wanted to take to see some of the famous sites. This was my fourth time in Florence; the first being in 1997 when I was here on my own. Blythe and I spent a few hours here a few years ago as part of a cruise shore excursion. I saw Michelangelo’s David in the Accademia in 1997 and again in 2004 but there was no way we would be able to get there this time. There were a lot of tourists here and we just did not have time. I also wanted to hike up to the top of the dome of the main cathedral in town, the Duomo, but there was a long line just to get into the church.

The first place we went to was the church of Santa Cruce. We took a taxi from the train station to Santa Cruce that let us out right in front. It costs €10 each, but it was well worth it to me for what I wanted to see in this church.

This is the ambulatory around the cloister at Santa Cruce.

There is nothing particularly special about the art or architecture of this church. It is pretty much like all the rest. It is who is entombed here that grabs my attention.

There were two things that I considered must sees in Florence during this visit. Seeing these tombs was one.

The other thing I wanted to see was a statue of Filippo Brunelleschi sitting in a chair looking up at his creation, the dome of the Florentine Cathedral Santa Maria del Fiore. I first heard about this famous dome and Brunelleschi, who was the engineering genius behind the construction of the dome, in a book by Ross King, Brunelleschi’s Dome: How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture, that I read about thirty years ago before I came here in 1997. This is the same author who wrote the book, Michelangelo and the Pope’s Ceiling.

We got some lemon sorbet at a little outdoor ice cream store, which was so good and so refreshing that I got two more bowls. We ate the sorbet in the shadow of the cathedral right next to Brunelleschi.

Me standing next to one of my Renaissance heroes, Filippo Brunelleschi.

This is the outdoor Gelateria in the Duomo square next to the Brunelleschi’s statue. Since we have not found Ginger Ale in Italy, we drink Fanta, which is everywhere. See the gelato choices in the background?

A closeup of Filippo Brunelleschi. Notice the the compass he is holding with his right hand while staring at his dome. He was an engineering genius. Michelangelo, a Florentine, studied Brunelleschi’s dome when he designed St. Peter’s dome in Rome.

This is the view that Brunelleschi has of his creation from his chair

Another famous Florentine sight we wanted to see was the Ponte Vecchio bridge. This bridge is famous for, among other things, being the only bridge that the Germans did not destroy as they retreated before the US Army in August 1944. Instead, all other bridges were blown up, and the access to the Ponte Vecchio was obstructed by the destruction of buildings at both ends of the bridge. While the reasons are debated, the bridge’s survival is often attributed to the actions of the German consul, Gerard Wolf, who pleaded for its preservation. He is credited with persuading German commanders to spare the bridge, a request that was granted to him in part because he also helped rescue Jews and political prisoners.

We walked to the Arno River to see the Ponte Vecchio Bridge.

A view of the Arno River from the Ponte Vecchio.

A view of the bridge from the other side of the Arno River.

In this scene you can see the Baptistery of Saint John in the foreground, Brunelleschi’s dome in the background, and the Cathedral Santa Maria del Fiore in between.

The majestic bell tower of the Cathedral – also known as “Giotto’s Bell Tower” – is a masterpiece of the Italian Gothic.

This is the famous bronze door to the The Florence Baptistery, also known as the Baptistery of Saint John. Michelangelo said the east doors were so beautiful that “they might fittingly stand at the gates of Paradise.”

The walls of the church are made from white, green, and pink marble.

This is not Michelangelo’s David. The original used to stand here in this square but was moved inside at the Accademia down the street from this piazza to protect it from vandals and the elements. I wanted to get into the Academia to see this most famous statue but we did not have enough time. Maybe next time we are here.

We took a taxi back to the train station and continued our journey to Milan.

We are well on our way to Milan from Florence.

The monitor in our coach indicates that we are traveling at 230 kph. At one time we were going 250 kph.

When we got to the Milano Centrale station our friend from church, Jack met us and rode in the taxi with us to our hotel, the Double Tree. I chose this because it is not too far from where Jack and Claire live. We checked in, dropped off our bags then met Jack and Claire in the lobby. We walked to a seafood restaurant. Blythe got fried calamari and shrimp, which was pretty tasteless. What I got was even worse.

When I ordered this I thought it would be a hot dish. It was cold (see the ice). It was also sorta mushy and slimy and had no taste. Yuck.

We walked back to the hotel and said good night to Jack and Claire. We planned to get together for dinner tomorrow evening. No seafood tomorrow. Pizza sounds good.

Tuesday, September 2, 2025

Rome, Italy, Day 2

Since we have been on the go fast and furious of the past week, especially after yesterday’s grueling pace, we decided to take the day off from rapid fire sightseeing and rested – most of the day. It was raining this morning, just as forecasted. It is supposed to clear up later this afternoon. I spent the morning and early afternoon in the hotel lobby getting this website up to date.

Simone (a guy) at the reception desk made train reservations for us to ride to Milan tomorrow by way of Florence. He also got us reservations at a restaurante and a taxi to take us there. We are to be met by friends from church who now live there. But, we want to stop in Florence to see some interesting sights and to have lunch. Simone was very helpful. In fact, everybody here at the Lord Byron has been very helpful and friendly. We would like to stay here again.

We had a good pizza margarita in a covered outdoor restaurant with an English speaking waitress. We wanted a lemon sorbet for dessert. So sorry, alla outa of sorbet. How about the Baba, whatever that is. Again, so sorry, no hava Baba, either. Whya not youa try the tiramisu. Youa really alika it. Okay, we will take the tiramisu. It was delicious; very creamy.

This evening we went back to St. Peter’s Square to see the basilica. The weather was wonderful with mild temperatures and low humidity.

We got to St. Peter’s Square just before sunset and waited around to well afterwards. There were lots of people at the Square.

This is the scene in front of the square. St. Peter’s is behind me.

There are two fountains like this in the square.

St. Peter’s Basilica from the end of the boulevard looking back

We asked a taxi driver how much to take us back to the hotel. €38. That is twice what we paid to get here. We just walked away without saying anything. I rustled up an Uber car for less than $20. You gotta watch these taxi drivers.

Off to Florence and Milan tomorrow. I am looking forward to seeing Brunelleschi’s dome and him sitting in a chair looking up at his creation, the Santa Maria del Fiore duomo. Also some famous Renaissance personages buried in the Santa Croce church, and walking across the Ponte Vecchio bridge, and seeing our friends, Tom and Claire Cottom in Milano.

Monday, September 1, 2025

Rome, Italy

We have a fabulous weather forecast for the day. As you can see, the forecast is not so good tomorrow. Therefore, we will try to see as much as we can today when the photographic conditions are good.

We were up at 7:30 and down to breakfast. This is one swanky hotel. The breakfast spread was as good as we have ever seen in a hotel and the service exquisite. It was complimentary. At a table nearby were two couples chatting away in American English. On our way out one of the guys came up to introduce himself. He is a retired dentist who lives in Medina, Ohio. We would see them again at the end of the day.

The receptionist rustled up a taxi for us, which arrived within five minutes and we were off to our the Eternal City. A few weeks ago I obtained online reservations for a 10:00 a.m. guided tour of the Vatican Museum, which includes the Sistine Chapel. The taxi let us out across the street from the museum entrance. Already there was a large crowd waiting to get in. As we waited, I fell into a conversation with a couple from Leeds, England. At 9:30 the line began to move to the entrance. Inside, we received ear buds (which did not fit well at all and kept falling out, especially when I looked up) so that we could hear the commentary from our guide, Fransesca, who spoke Italian accented English. There were twenty-one people in our group. Fransesca held a telescoping stick with a flag so we could spot her as we snaked our way around the museum. We needed this because there was a large crowd in the museum. My one complaint was that the ear piece was too loud and I could not find a way to attenuate the volume.

Out tour guide, Francesca, is giving us a brief history of the art we will see in the museum.

The only other time I have been in the Vatican Museum was in 1997 when I was here on my own. One thing I remember about the museum from that visit was the highly decorative ceilings with fresco paintings. Also, from that first tour, the painting I most wanted to see and photograph again were the Rafaels, especially The School of Athens. I was also keen to see the Michelangelo frescos in the Sistine Chapel. These works of art will be more meaningful to me this time since I recently reread the book, Michelangelo and the Pope’s Ceiling by Ross King and am currently reading The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone.

I took this photo from an open window along the corridor in the museum.

This is one of many tapestries in the tapestry hall.

A view of the Vantican gardens from another open window.

Every square centimeter is full of art. Even the floors had some nice mosaics in places.

This is a Rafael fresco, The Expulsion of Heliodorus from the Temple.

This is my favorite Rafael, The School of Athens.

This is a close up of The School of Athens highlighting the two central figures, Aristotle on the left (portrayed as Leonardo de Vinci) and Plato on the right.

Rafael thought well of himself and occasionally painted himself into his paintings. Here he is wearing dark hat to the left of the guy wearing the white robe. He appears to be looking at you.

This is the Barmante spiral staircase in the Vatican. Donato Barmante, a revile of Michelangelo, made the plans for St. Peter’s Basilica, which were executed by Michelangelo after Barmante’s death.

Our tour lasted two hours and included seeing all the major works of art in the museum including marble statues, fresco paintings, tapestries, and classical ceiling architecture. Renaissance art seems to cover every surface. Even the ceilings are works of art.

After two hours, the guided part of the tour was over and we said goodbye to Francesca. She told us we could stay in the Sistine Chapel as long as we wanted but reminded us that, even though we were allowed to take photographs in the museum, we were not allowed to take any while in the Sistine Chapel.

The only architecturally impressive part of the Sistine Chapel is the ceiling, otherwise it is merely a large box. The ceiling is a High Renaissance structure with a barrel vault, featuring a flattened groin vault that lends itself to pendentives and lunettes. Michelangelo’s painting style (foreshortening) created an elaborate optical illusion of pilasters, arches, and cornices that frame the frescoes that give the two dimensional painting a visual sense of three dimensions.

Despite the repeated admonitions to not taking photographs, people inevitably try to sneak one. My neck got sore looking up at this magnificent work of art in the ceiling depicting Old Testament scene and themes. I was struck by the difference between the visage of Adam and Eve in the painting of the Expulsion From the Garden of Eden. To the left of the tree with the serpent (depicted as female) the faces of Adam and Eve are attractive. After they have sinned and are expelled from the Garden, the visage is quite a bit different and down right ugly.

Compare the visage of Adam and Eve prior to their sin on the left with that on the right after their sin and expulsion from the Garden. Also note the cherubim banishing them from the Garden at the point of a sword. Also note that the serpent has a female head. In the biblical reference in Genesis, Satan or the serpent is gender-neutral. Only in art, at least in Renaissance art, is this figure depicted as female. Perhaps if the artist were female, she would have rendered the serpent with a male visage. Was Michelangelo sexist?

There were frescoes on the sides, too. On one side were scenes about Moses from the Old Testament that were to match correspondingly, theologically, with scenes on the other side of the life of Jesus from the New Testament. I am not sure who painted these. But, the most impressive piece of art after the ceiling was the floor-to-ceiling painting by Michelangelo, The Last Judgement.

We lingered in the chapel gazing at the paintings before leaving. As with any museum, we had to walk through the gift shop. We walked right through to a cafeteria where we got a drink and split a sandwich. It was nearly 1:00 p.m. when we reemerge into the brilliant sunshine. Despite some discomfort relative to her slowly healing stress factored right foot, Blythe soldiered on. We slowly walked around the Vatican wall to St. Peter’s Square. Hundreds, if not thousands of chairs were set up in the center around the obelisk and a stage just in front of the basilica suggested they were getting ready for some kind of papal ceremony. In any event we could not get to the center for a proper photo. We walked to the entrance of the basilica from the right and entered through the main door. I have been here twice before and knew what to expect, but I was still overawed by the baroque architectural style, the beautiful domes and ceiling paintings, and the sheer size of this church. There were lots of chairs in the center as if for a service, but we were not allowed to sit in them, on the floor or on the plinths of the columns. Blythe very much wanted to get off her sore foot but could not. We had to go outside the church where we found a shady spot under the portico where she could sit. While I was away, she fell into a conversation with a young woman from Tanzania.

The nave of St. Peter’s. The Baroque art and architecture nearly overwhelms the senses. I am in awe of the genius behind the art and architectural style.

If you have followed our travels you will by now have figured out that I like to get ceiling shots, especially of domes.

This is the central dome over the cross (between the nave, transepts, and altar). I was pleased to get some sunbeams streaming through the dome windows.

St. Peter’s Baldachin is a large baroque sculpted bronze canopy over the high altar. It was designed and sculpted by L’Altare Bernini.

In front of the high alter are the steps lead to the crypts where popes get buried.

I went around to the right and got in line to purchase a ticket to go up into the giant dome and onto the roof. I did this during my 1997 visit here and wanted to do it again. The sun was positioned perfectly to get good photos of St. Peter’s Square from the dome. It took about twenty minutes to get to the ticket booth. There were two types of tickets. For €15 I could take the elevator to the top. For €10 I could walk up the 551 steps to the top. I figured that if I could swim across the Dardanelles, I could also walk to the top of St. Peter’s. I paid the €10 and headed to the entrance. To avoid people running into each other going up and down, there was a one way up and another one way down. For most of the way to the top I was by myself.

I elected to walk up the stairs to the top of St. Peter’s

While I waited in line to get my ticket I looked at several beautiful mosaics of biblical scenes.

These steps took me to a door into the interior of the dome where there was a circular path around the dome that gave good views of the interior of the church and a closer view of the dome ceiling.

This schematic shows a cutaway plan of the dome and where it shows one dome inside the other. The steps to the top are within the cavity between the two domes.

The steps start to narrow. They will get narrower.

I got out on the roof at this level just in time to catch the sun just behind and on top of the dome’s cupola.

Higher in the dome the steps started to wind more.

At one point during the climb to the top we had to go back inside to a circular walk around the inside of the dome with this magnificent view of the dome.

Another view of the dome from the inside.

The nave from the walkway half way to the top of the dome.

Higher up in the dome the steps start to wind.

The steps are getting narrower still and now starting to slant inward as they wind to the top.

Narrawer still and now the only thing to hold onto is this knotted rope.

This is why I made the effort to go to the top: this magnificent view of St. Petter’s Square with the sun directly behind me.

A Swiss guard standing his post. A pike is not a good defense weapon in this day and age.

The Egyptian obelisk in the center of St. Peter’s Square.

I continued on up to the cupola, which, as it got higher, narrowed and slanted inward. A tall person would have some difficulty walking to the top. But, in the end, like the swim, all the effort was rewarded with spectacular views of St. Peter’s Square and the interior of the Vatican gardens. I took in the sights then got the requisite photos then begin walking down. I found Blythe sitting in the same spot. We walked through St. Peter’s Square down the main boulevard to get a taxi or Uber to the Colosseum. Along the way I looked for a building on the right side of the street that I remember seeing in 1997. What I was specifically looking for was a bas-relief depiction of Romulus and Remus suckling the she-wolf, the symbol of Rome. Toward the end of the street I found it.

Using the Uber app we got a car to take us to the Colosseum. It is tricky getting an Uber car in Rome because it is not always easy to find the pickup point. After confirming the car I frantically began running around trying to find the exact pickup point. I used the Uber map app that showed where the pickup point was and my locations running back and forth until these two points coincided. I called the driver, but he did not speak English and cancelled the drive. The next driver spoke English and directed us to where he was parked. I think for now on, we will just use regular taxis and pick them up on the street.

Romulous and Remus suckling the she wolf, the symbol of Rome. I first saw this in 1997 and hoped I could find it again.

A bridge over the Tiber River near the Castel Sant’Angelo.

Castel Sant ‘Angelo. The Tiber River is to the right.

Looking down from the Castel Sant ‘Angelo back at St. Peter’s Basilica.

We went to the Colosseum. By now, Blythe was too tired and did not want to slow me down. We found a shady spot under a tree for her to sit and rest while I quickly walked down to the Colosseum to get some photos. Along the way I was badgered by guys wanting to take me on a tour of the inside of the Colosseum. A repose of “no” is typically not enough. I usually simply ignore them and eventually they walk away. I got my photos of the Colosseum and the Arch of Constantine then hustled back to Blythe in twenty minutes. We hopped in a taxi for a short ride to the Pantheon.

The Arch of Constantine near the Colosseum.

I think the Pantheon is one of the most interesting buildings in Rome. It has a beautiful coffered domed ceiling with an oculus in the center. It is so designed that a perfect sphere could fit inside, floor to ceiling, wall to wall. Also, Rafael’s tomb is inside. When we got there around 4:00 the square in front of the Pantheon was crowded. We got in line and were soon inside at the cost of only €5 each. We only spent about twenty minutes inside gazing at the ceiling and its oculus and then found Rafael’s tomb. That is really all I wanted to see. After taking a few photos we exited and were soon seated in an outdoor restaurante across from the Pantheon and a big fountain. We split a margarita pizza and each drank two orange Fantas.

This is an architectural plan of the Pantheon, which shows that it was so designed that a perfect sphere could fit inside.

The Pantheon is not much to look at from the outside. The real treat is the inside.

The sun shines through the oculus to illuminate the coffered ceiling. This building is one of my favorites to visit in Rome for its architectural uniqueness.

We got another taxi and told the driver to take us to the Trevi Fountain. After winding our way through some crowded and very narrow streets we got out and walked through a throng. The fountain is in a square with little room to accommodate a large number of people. Today it was packed. There was a long line to get to a spot directly in front of the fountain that we did not want to bother with. There was an ice cream store across from the fountain where we each got a small bowl of lemon sorbet, yum, yum. I positioned myself directly in front of the center of the fountain and got some photos. After a short walk found a taxi waiting on a corner and got in and went back to our hotel.

This interesting fountain was in the square in front of the Pantheon and next to the restaurant where we got a pizza.

Trevi Fountain. It was packed here with people jostling for a good position to get a photo or a selfie.

We both were tired and Blythe’s foot was bothering her. According to my phone, we had walked 16,284 steps. Because the forecast tomorrow is for rain and because we have been on the go for nearly a week, walking all over Istanbul and now Rome, we decided to take tomorrow off and rest before heading to Milan on Wednesday with a stop for lunch in Florence.

We walked into the lobby and found the two couples sitting in a cozy part of the lobby, kinda like a sitting room where they were enjoying drinks. They asked us to join them. We enjoyed a nice chat with them for about an hour before coming up to our room for the evening.

It was another great day of touring. Again, as we did in Istanbul, we crammed a lot of sightseeing into one day. We wanted to do it this way since the weather was so good and not as good forecasted for tomorrow.

Ciao…

Sunday, August 31, 2025

Fly to Roma, Italy

After breakfast we said good-bye to Camilla and Peter, promising to stay in touch and maybe seeing them in November. It was another sunny day but the skies were much hazier than yesterday. Seeing the antenna would have been even tougher had the swim been today.

This is a better shot of the 1915 Canakkale Bridge form the Asian side just before we crossed it back to Europe.

We stopped for a short break about half way to Istanbul then continued on. We arrived at the airport about 1:30 p.m. After some quick good-byes to Tim and Simon, and Peder, we went into the huge Istanbul airport terminal. When we got to the check in counter we upgraded to business class but were shocked when we were told that we had pay nearly $140 to check Blythe’s bag. Mine did not cost any because of my 10K status with United Airlines, a partner of Turkish Airlines. I made to sound incredulous but knew there was no use arguing with the guy. It would not do any good and likely just get me in trouble.

We had a nice flight to Rome without any further hassles. We had a long walk to immigration and baggage claim then tried to whistle up an Uber car. I used the Uber app and got a car for $95 to take us to the hotel in Rome. We followed the directions to the Uber pickup but when I saw on the app where the car was going to pick us up, we were not even close. And, we only had seven minute to get to the pickup spot. We did not run retracing our steps back to the terminal, but I had hustled with Blythe trailing behind me to barely get there in time. The driver called me and told me we had to go upstairs to another spot and we finally found him. But…he was not an Uber driver but a regular taxi driver. I later learned that for some reason Uber is not allowed at the airport despite all the signs indicating where to go to meet the Uber driver. Anyway, we got to our hotel after dark not far from the Vatican where we are going tomorrow.

We were greeted from the top of some steps by a young woman receptionist, Alexis. Her colleague, Cheema, fetched us a glass of water and hauled our bags to the lobby. Alexis told us she could arrange for a taxi to take us to the Vatican tomorrow and also to arrange to get train tickets for us in a few days when we head up to Milan. Cheema took us up to our room and showed us around including our private outdoor terrance, the complimentary cookies, and how to open and shut the terrace door blinds. I like this kind of service.

Tomorrow is a big day of touring the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel. We have a scheduled tour time at 10:00 a.m. The forecast is for warm sunny weather.

Dardanelles Swim Result (official)

This table indicates my overall position in the field, all ages groups. I came in 1027 out of 1181 who came out of the water. Apparently there were not 1400 entrants as we were told. I was 747 among males. My race number was 1233. My official time based on the timing chip was 1 hour, 42 minutes, 32.63 seconds. My swim pace was 36 minutes, 40 seconds per mile (that is slow even for me) or 1.6 miles per hour.

This is my position within the 70+ age group, males. On race day (yesterday) I was still 69. I will not turn 70 until Tuesday, September 2. So…I do not know why they had me in this age group. I was 18 out of 23 in this age group. Obviously, nothing to brag about.

This is the table with the top finishers. The winner, Steven Claes, was 5-minutes ahead of second place, who, coincidently, was the top place woman finisher. That is impressive. It took only just over 51 minutes to swim the course. He swam at a pace of 18:15 minutes per mile or 3.3 mile per hour. This is nearly twice as fast as I swam it. This is typical for me in triathlons. The winners out of the water are usually swimming twice as fast as I can. Steven Claes, the winner was 34-years old. The youngest swimmer was only 15 and was 4th overall.

There were two people who DNF’d (did not finish) and eight people who, for one reason or another, were DQ’d (disqualified). I cannot explain why the first DNF swimmer had a time of 1:23:29.01. How could she have a time and not finished? She obviously crossed the timing mat at the finish to register this time. Mystery!

On reflection, I gave this race everything I had. There is no doubt in my mind that I could not have lasted much longer than I did. I was right on the edge of exhaustion when I came out of the water. I was spent. I could not have gone any faster and still hoped to finish. As it turned out, that was enough. There is also no doubt in my mind that had I entered the water at the start in the back of the pack as I usually do, that my finishing time would have exceeded the cutoff time of 1:45. Entering the water at the start just under two minutes after the horn sounded made the difference. Also, I would not have met this standard without the buoyancy suit. It definitely helped. These two factors combined got me to the finish just in a nick of time. My slow pace (36:40 minutes per mile) was most likely because of my course, which was not a straight line. I could have chosen a more direct line but that would have put me into the current sooner. As it turned out, because I could not see the antenna or stadium towers very well to guide me, I did get caught in the current toward the end that forced me to overshoot the finish so that I had to swim back to the line to the finish platform costing my extra time. All things considered, I am thrilled with my effort and these results. I finished and that was the primary goal. I came to finish within the 1:45 cutoff time and achieved that secondary goal. Nobody saw this, but I teared up when the reality of my effort sank in as I began to look for Blythe. This was very much like the experience I had when I finished my sub-3-hour marathon in the Chicago Marathon in 1986 and when I summited Kilimanjaro in 1997. After all the training and preparation; ignoring the discomfort and fatigue and overcoming the nearly overwhelming desire to quit when I had obviously hit the wall, and still to reach the finishing line or the summit makes all the effort worth the price to pay to achieving a desired goal.

I take inspiration from one of my heroes, Theodor Roosevelt, by his quote of The Man in the Arena:

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

Saturday, August 30, 2025

Race Day

I slept a little better last night but did not get as much sleep as I wanted. We woke with the alarm at 5:00. Blythe helped me apply the number tattoos to my left arm and right-side shoulder. I dressed ready to swim because we will not come back to the room after breakfast. I wore my buoyancy swimsuit, t-shirt, and tennis shoes. I did not wear my watch or my glasses. Blythe would have my glasses for me at the finish line.

The weather forecast for today is nearly perfect. Note the low wind velocity. This should help.

For breakfast I had some scrambled eggs on toast x2, orange juice, and coffee. I put some electrolyte power in a bottle of water to take with me to the start.

In my triathlons the numbers are written on arms and legs with a large felt pen. Now we get peal-off tattoos. There is another one on the back of my right shoulder.

While it was still dark but with the eastern sky beginning to glow orange, we piled into the bus for the 5:30 ride to the ferry terminal at the race village. I began taking sips of my awful tasting electrolyte solution and squeezed down a tube of Goo. I am as nutritionally ready as I can be.

I contemplate my immediate future on the way to the race village.

At race village the sun is about to poke above the eastern horizon. The anticipation is almost palpable. This is a very familiar feeling from past races, especially big ones.

The woman in the lower center looks like she spent some time in front of a mirror this morning. Blythe says she looked the same when she came out of the water at the finish.

Swimmers in various stages of preparation to board the ferry.

Off to the left a woman led people in some stretching exercises.

Swimmers come in all shapes and sizes. I do not think I saw any swimmer under the ages of 30. Most seemed to be in their 40-60s. Note the orange tow floats.

There are 1400 swimmers in this year’s race.

Swimmers begin to board the ferry for the ride to the start.

Off we go. There is no turning back now and there is only one way to get back.

At the race village (ferry port) I dropped off my bag, kissed Blythe good-bye, and boarded the ferry for the ride to the start at Eceabat. The ferry was crowded with 1100 swimmers. I got in line to the WC right away to get some foamy soap for my goggles. I would do so again just before we got off the ferry. This ensures that my goggles will not fog up during the swim. There were so many people aboard that all the seats were quickly taken. I found a place on the rail in the stern of the ferry. As we pulled away from the ferry port I saw for the first time two bright blinking lights at the finish. These would be very helpful to guide me in. It took about thirty minutes to get to the other side of the strait at Eceabat. We disgorged from the ferry and walked what seemed like at least a mile to the start. We were given ship throw-away slippers to wear for the walk to the start, which we simply stepped out of and left.

This is the start in Eceabat. Usually for any swim start, I start somewhere in the back to avoid faster swimmers who are in a hurry to get around slower swimmer, like me. This time I got right behind the start to avoid wasting precious time after the horn went off. I was going to need every time advantage I could find. My final time vindicated this strategy.

Swim start part 1.

Swim start part 2.

By now the sun was up but the horizon was hazy making it difficult to see the antenna and the stadium light towers. I will need to be able to see these for navigating the course. At the start line I did some shoulder stretches and finished off the awful electrolyte solution and tossed the bottle in a bin. I inflated my tow float and attached it around my waist. It now rode right on my lower back so that it would not bounce around during the swim.

Blythe took this photo of the finish once the spectator boat got back to Canakkale. See how the finish narrows. This would get very crowded as I closed the finish platform.

My new friend, Tim, from the UK spotted me and waved. I went over to talk with him. That placed me directly in behind the start. I did not intend to be this close to the start for fear of getting in the way of faster swimmers but was also aware that if I was too far back from the start, I was only adding time before I got in the water. I wanted every timing advantage I could get. My strategy was to stay well to the left of the pack away from the faster swimmers who would be on the right for the more direct route to the finish. I would be making a broad swing to the right after about halfway across the strait. It was about ten minutes to 8:00 when we were lined up. Forty minutes to go. I wanted to start now; get this thing going. I spoke with Tim for a few minutes. He was also a bit anxious. Misery loves comfort. When it became clear that the horn was about to blow, I put on my goggles. The mass of people in front of me began to surge forward and then the horn went off. It seemed to be a bit early (I would later learn that it went off about ten minutes early).

I moved with the crush of the swimmers behind me and was in the water less than two minutes after the horn went off. Tim was next to me, and we waded as far as we could until we had to make the plunge and begin to swim. With so many swimmers so narrowly packed together it was inevitable that I banged into other swimmers, and they banged into me. This was a typical mass swim start. I have been here before. Gratifyingly, both my shoulders felt good but I had a lingering sense of the PRHJs. What, you ask, are the PRHJs? That is something I made up. It stands for the Pre Race Heebie Jeebies. I experience this at the start of every race I run or swim. It usually goes away after a few hundred yards (swimming) or a mile or two (running).

I stayed to the left of the pack as we began to spread out. I continued to occasionally bang into the feet of other swimmers or bumped into someone. We were soon so spread out that this was not a problem for 90% of the race, at the beginning and at the end where the course is narrowest and swimmers are bunched up.

I tried to site on the antenna on the other side, but it was so hazy that I had great difficulty seeing it. I stopped frequently to take time to find the antenna to adjust my course. The sun was about 30 degrees to the left of the antenna so that I did not have to look directly into it. I am exclusively a left sided breather. Because of this, without a line at the bottom of a lap pool, I cannot know if I am swimming in the right direction, I tend to veer to the left. When I thought I was about halfway across the strait I decided it was time to make the turn to the right to catch the current. But every time I looked at the antenna (which was still tough to see) it was still directly in front of me. I need to veer to the right. Because of the hazy and not having corrective contact lens, I had to rely on seeing other swimmers to tell if I was swimming where I needed to swim. Fortunately, the bright orange tow floats made it easy to spot them. Still, I am sure I swam a longer distance by not swimming in a straight line. There was one point when somebody on one of the many support boats blew a whistle to get my attention and to point me in the correct direction.

Throughout the race I always felt a little tired. Swimming is so unlike running. If I get tired running I can always slow down or even stop, heaven forbid. Not so with swimming. I had to maintain the same pace regardless how I felt. Also, I began to experience little twinges of pain in both of my shoulders, though nothing that really concerned me. What did concern me was frequent cramps in my feet, ankles, and legs. I noticed this usually after a brief stop to see where I was or to site on the antenna. When this happened, I could only drag my feet until the cramp resolved.

Eventually I knew that I had made the right turn and was heading mostly south down the length of the strait. Now, I began to try to spot the stadium light towers. Because of the haze, it too was hard to find but I could forget about the antenna.

I was pretty sure that I was at least halfway to the finish but knew that I still had a long way to go. I was never aware of the current that was supposed to be pushing me along at a 7-knot clip. I trusted that it was but did not feel any faster. By now, my stroke was beginning to disintegrate. Also, there was a noticeable chop in the water. Both would slow me down. My shoulders hurt a little more and I was beginning to tire. I would be lying if I did not admit that there were several times that I thought about, but did not seriously consider, quitting. Just wave my hand at one of the support boats and get picked up. I have been here before when the siren call to quit to end the discomfort and fatigue is increasingly difficult to ignore. This was most driven home to me in the Chicago Marathon after twenty miles. I was slowing down and my legs were screaming to quit. But, I knew that if I did, I would regret it the rest of my life. In the water, I was pretty sure I had what it took physically to finish. Now it became mostly mental. I had to fight the drive to quit and simply keep going. I knew that it would be difficult and especially uncomfortable, but I also knew that if I persevered and kept going, I would be rewarded afterwards with the thought that I did not succumb to this siren call to quit. That thought drove me on.

I now tried to site on the light towers, which I could now see, and to heed the call from the support boats to move in a direction toward the finish. I started looking for the blinking lights to guide me to the finish but could not see them. From the ferry earlier, I could see them from at least a mile away. I was growing increasingly tired, my shoulders hurt, and my stroke was falling apart even more. I kept looking for the lights but did not see them. I soon learned why. The current, which I could not feel had pushed me to the right so much that I had overshot the finish. It looked like there were several other swimmers who had the same problem. People on the support boats kept telling me to go left. I adjusted my stroke accordingly and kept going. By now I was confident that I was going to finish. The only remaining question was, would I finish before the one hour and forty-five-minute cutoff?

I knew that I was getting near the finish. The buildings were more distinct, and the swimmers were beginning to bunch up as we were at the start. I bumped into several as the course narrowed further. Finally, I could see the lights. They were close and this was great encouragement. I pushed the pace to get in as soon as I could. Since I was not allowed to wear a watch, I had no idea how much time was left before the official cutoff. To my great relief I began to see the sandy bottom. I was close. The ladders to the finish platform were just yards away. I knew I had done it. I got to the crowded ladders, found one and laboriously climbed up the two steps to the platform. My legs nearly buckled. I finished with several other swimmers as we made our way off the platform to the yells and screams from the people crowding behind the fence. I looked for Blythe but did not see her. I moved along with the crush. A volunteer pointed me to somebody who took off my timing chip and then I came to a woman who placed a finishers medal around my neck. This is what I most wanted to remind me of the effort. I kept moving along to a table where somebody gave me two water bottles and somebody else gave me a chocolate bar. At another table I was given a towel (to keep) to dry off. I saw Pete who asked if I had seen Camilla. I had not. I walked back to the finish until I found Blythe. She was surprised to see me. She had been taking photos of finishers and wanted to get one of me. She never saw me come out of the water.

At the finish the swimmers are funneled into a increasingly narrow path to the swim exit.

Finishers begin to emerge from the water to savor their own personal victory.

An early finisher if not the winner. He looks like he could have won.

Another early finisher. When I crawled out of the water this platform was packed. Blythe said she never saw me come out of the water.

The tow floats made it easy to see other swimmers. Eceabat, the start is in the background.

More swimmers climb out of the water to the platform. This woman does not look like she had to work very hard.

This is what it was like after I climbed out of the water.

Swimmers exiting the water.

This is all I wanted from this race besides the satisfaction of finishing – this finisher’s medal.

We soon found Camilla who came in after me. Here we proudly show off our finisher’s medals.

Blythe’s watch indicated it was 10:16. I reckoned I had been out of the water for about ten minutes giving me a swim time of about 1:35. I was pretty sure I had beat the cutoff time (later, back at the hotel, I found a finisher with an app that showed I had finished just over 1:42). The difference between what I thought was my finish and the actual finish was the ten-minute early start.

When we got to our room, I was dead tired, and my back was sore. I took a refreshingly hot shower, took a couple of Excedrin and lay down for a short nap.

This evening we attended a post-race banquet where a buffet dinner was served. Later, Simon gave a few speeches and introduced some of his key staff. He also introduced a woman who is on his staff who completed the swim across the English Channel two weeks ago. He then provided some interesting statistics. SwimTrek had ~300 entrants (all from outside Turkey) of the total of 1400. SwimTreck swimmers accounted for nearly a third of all medals earned by the various age groups. So…21% of the non-Turkish swimmers took 33% of the medals.

We sat across the table from Camilla and Peter and chatted about travel, swimming, and possibly visiting them in the UK when I am there in November to visit one of my friends. I also spoke with Tim, also from the UK, about meeting Blythe in the Philippines during a tour of Bataan and Corregidor. I also had a nice chat with Peter whose father was a Japanese POW incarcerated at Changi in Singapore.

Tim Edwards from the UK at the post-race banquet.

After the medal recipients were recognized, the rest of us were called up to receive our finisher’s certificate attesting out our achievements so that we can claim to be”intercontinental swimmers”.

Camilla and Peter, and Blythe and I took a taxi back to the hotel for the equivalent of $5.40.

It was a great day mainly for finishing the swim, but also because we made new friends along the way.

“Intercontinental Swimmer!” Official time: 1:42:32.63. Jus squeaked by the cutoff time.

Friday, August 29, 2025

For the fourth night in a row, I did no sleep well, a cause for concern. Blythe seems to be getting better sleep, although not enough.

We gather in the lobby of the hotel to board the bus to the practice swim and race briefing.

We had a buffet breakfast this morning then assembled in the hotel lobby before boarding a bus that took us to a beach for the acclimatization swim. Here we were given an orange, inflatable tow float. Up until this swim the tow floats were optional. Now they are mandatory. In the Bosporus swim last week (my new friend Camilla did this) a Russia swimmer was known to enter the water at the beginning of the swim (we wear timing chips around our ankles that records our entry and exit from the water) but failed to come out of the water. He is still missing and presumed to have drowned. The theory that is floating around is that he entered the race with the sole purpose of defecting from Putin and military service in Ukraine. It is a theory that everyone likes. Unfortunately, he probably did drown, and his body will turn up soon. I did not bring a swim cap knowing that we would get one for the race. They had some extras and gave me one. I waded into the comfortably cool water. When it was deep enough I took the plunge. I swam out about one hundred yards to a large buoy and swam back. I usally do not swim or run much the day before a race trying to conserve my energy for tomorrow. Several swimmers swam a couple of ~600-yard laps. My goggles did not leak, something that has plagued me in the past. My shoulders felt good.

I got out of the water and began chatting with other swimmers. I spoke with a guy, Perry, from Essex who was also wearing a buoyancy suit like mine; Mark from Wales, and William from Cambridge, England (who is getting married to an American in two weeks). I met Dominic from Johannesburg, South Africa. He has done a couple Ironman Triathlons and several half-Ironmans…so we had something in common. I also met Christy from Los Angeles who is an ultra-endurance swim. She has swum the Catalina Channel swim and the swim-around-Manhattan. All she needs now to get the long-distance swim Triple Crown is the English Channel swim.

Next was a briefing. Here we learned that there are 1100 swimmers from Turkey and 300 foreigners. We were briefed on the swim course and warned about the strong current. Only the fastest, strongest swimmers should attempt to swim directly from the start to the finish, a distance of 4.5 km (~2.8 miles). The rest of us mortals should swim out into the strait toward a high antenna before turning right to catch the current that will push us to the finish. After making this turn, we are to sight on the light towers of a football stadium. The big question is, when to turn right. Too early and you might get pushed beyond the finish. Too late and you may add unnecessary distance to the swim. There will be no buoy markers as I am used to in other open water swims. There will be about 100 boats of various kinds to keep us from straying too far from the course. The longest part of the swim will be heading across the strait toward the antenna tower in which we will be swimming against a cross current. We were lastly told that we cannot wear any kind of watch or jewelry because of the potential for scratching other swimmers as we jostle about.

My new friend, Camilla, from the UK. She had her husband, Peter, have been to fun to talk with as we share swim experiences and race anxieties.

Camilla and I pose with her tow floats. It is best to attach them without much dangling so the wind does not blow it around.

Swimmers tentatively make their way into the water. At first it was a bit chilly but after the initial plunge and after a few strokes I did not even notice the temperature.

These tow floats are dangling too much. They will likely be in the way.

Christy, from Los Angeles is a veteran endurance open water swimmer having completed the Catalina Channel swim in California, the swim around Manhattan and hopes to do the English Channel swim someday. Go Christy!

Dominic, from Johannesburg, South Africa, is a fellow Ironman Triathlete having completed two full Ironman races and about half a dozen half-Ironman races.

One of the best parts of racing, especially the big races like Ironman, other large triathlons, and long open water swims, is I have gotten to meet a lot of interesting people who both inspire and motivate me. We are a community with like minded goals and aspirations. We also, sometimes, share in the discomfort and anxiety of racing. But these people are highly motivated and driven to achieving their targeted goals. Being around these kinds of people has immeasurably added to my life.

We gather just up from the beach to listen to the pre-race briefing. There are about 300 non-Turkish swimmers in this group. We all went through SwimTrek to get into this race.

Simon – he sounds like he is from Australia – gives us a race course description and safety briefing. He told us that we are not allowed to wear any watches or jewelry. Not a watch? Now I will have no way to judge how close I am getting to the cut off time.

This is a map showing the start and finish and the direction of the currents. Simon told us that the current coming down from the Black Sea is cooler water and is a lower salinity than the warmer, saltier water from the Mediterranean.

The lower light blue line represents the shortest course to the finish but, because of the strong current, you need to be a strong swimmer to make it to the finish without being swept down beyond the finish. Obviously, it is the shortest distance to the finish. The upper light blue line is for slower swimmers – like me – who might have a more difficult time with the current. The yellow line presents a more medium swimmer. The green dots represent support boats (there should be about 100). The red dots are us, the swimmers.

This is the ferry that will take the swimmers to the start on the European side of Turkey. Blythe will not be on this boat but may be on another boat that is going to be available to spectators for the first time.

These are the age groups. Even though I will not be 70 until three days after the race (September 2), for some reason I have been classified in the 70+ group. Maybe there will only be three people in my age group and I will come in third and stand on the podium. No…not a chance. Besides, because I am wearing a buoyancy swimsuit, I am not illegible for a podium spot.

After the briefing we all piled into two buses for the ride to the race village and the finish. Here we boarded a ferry that took us out into the strait to the start. It was cooler on the water and a lot windier. Whitecaps were everywhere. The course was explained over the PA but mostly people could not hear him. We loitered off the start at Eceabat on the European side on the Gallipoli Peninsula. I could see the antenna that we are to sight on for the first part of the course. I could easily see it now (about 1:00 p.m.) but tomorrow we will be swimming right into the rising sun. We then head across the strait toward the finish. Once we make the right turn to the finish we are to sight on four light towers at a football stadium. The more I looked at the course, the longer it looked. I spoke to several first time swimmers in this race and most expressed the same concern about when to turn right, the windy conditions, the current, and the distance.

Blythe boards the ferry that will take across the Dardanelles to see the start on the other side and to see the course. By now, the wind had picked up and whitecaps were all over the surface.

The antenna just to the right of center is the landmark we are to swim toward from the start. This will put us on a course with a cross current.

I have run into a few swimmers who are also Ironman. This is a Half-Ironman race in Ireland.

Somewhere in the middle of this photo, in the town of Eceabat, is the start.

Once we reach a point where we each have to decide when to make the turn to the right, we site on the stadium light towers just to the left of center. The finish is somewhere near the point.

I hope the skies are this clear tomorrow so I can see this tower.

Here is a closer view of the stadium light towers.

The start is across the strait in the town on the left. The finish is just to the right of this ferry landing. It sure would be nice if the skies are this clear tomorrow.

After the boat ride to see the course we got in line here, presented our passports, and received an orange bag that contained a race T-shirt, timing chip, number tattoo decal, swim cap, some cookies and nut bar. The bag has straps so that it can be worn like a backpack. This bag also had my number attached. We will drop this bag off tomorrow morning before we board the ferry to the start. Mine will contain my glasses, shirt, and shoes to wear after I finish.

I guess this makes it official. I really am entered.

Back at the ferry port where the race village is located, we got in line to register. We had to identify ourselves with our passports. We then received a bag with our timing chip, swim cap, number tattoo (my number is 1233), and ID tag. These are absolutely necessary items to start the race. Forget or lose any one of these and you will be D/Q’d. The bag we received is to put clothes and anything else that we take with us to the swim start that we can drop off and collect later. Blythe will not be able to go with me on the ferry to the start. We learned at the briefing that there will be another boat that spectators can ride along to watch the start. Blythe is a little apprehensive about being by herself while I swim. There will be many people from SwimTrek around who can help her know where to go. She just needs to be at the finish when I come out of the water.

During the ride back to the hotel at 2:30 I nearly fell asleep. I have been tired all afternoon. I need a good night’s sleep tonight. We had a late lunch then came up to our room where I worked on the website and Blythe napped. I have been drinking lots of water with electrolytes (yuck!) and a protein bar.

To be quite frank, I am getting anxious about this race. The elation and anticipation I felt yesterday has worn off and has been replaced with a growing sense of anxiety. Seeing the course today made it look even longer than the maps would indicate. The question that keeps bouncing around in my head is, “Have I trained enough in the pool; have I put in enough laps?” This will easily be the longest swim I have ever attempted…and it is a timed event. We were told during the briefing that the conditions in the water should be about as good tomorrow as they have been lately. Still, it was disquieting to see whitecaps during the tour of the course. How soon do I turn right to catch the current? Will I be able to see the antenna tower and the stadium lights (I will not have eye contacts)? In a word, am I ready for this? Fortunately, I have had about twenty open water swim races including three at 2.4-mile distance and I have completed all of them. But none of them was timed (well, they were but the time to complete them was so generous that it was not really a concern). The triathlon swims are always crowded, and we inevitably bang into other swimmers, so I am used to that, too. Still…

I will let you know how I do tomorrow.

Thursday, August 28, 2025

Transfer to Canakkale

We had breakfast in the terrace café as we did yesterday. It was another nice day very like it was yesterday with lots of sunshine and moderately warm temperatures.

We got a ride on the hotel buggy to a hotel where the bus would pick us up for the ride to Canakkale. How convenient is that? We were very impressed with this hotel – the Hagia Sophia Mansion. We had sterling service, and it was convenient to what we wanted to see. Also, the recommendation for the dinners were great.

We arrived at the other hotel about an hour before the bus was to take us to Canakkale. There were already several other people waiting in the lobby so, naturally, I started to mingle to get to know some of my fellow swimmers. The first couple I met was Peter and Camilla from London. Peter is not swimming but Camilla is. She also did the Bosporus swim a week ago, a 6.5 km swim. One swimmer from that race has yet to be found and is presumed lost. We had a nice chat about some of the other swims we have done. I met some other swimmers, also from the UK, and a woman from Chicago. So far, it seems that most of the swimmers I have met are women. Lots to talk about our mutual swim experiences.

We took off ten minutes early at 11:50 for the four-hour drive to Çanakkale. We stopped after about two and a half hours for a break. During the break I met some other swimmers from our bus (there were two buses in our caravan). This was Rory, his son and daughter, and his cousin, Mick, from Brisbane and Sydney, Australia. This is Rory’s second Dardanelles swim and the first for Mick and his nephew and niece. Mike, like me, is only interested in finishing, hopefully before the one-hour and forty-five-minute cutoff. There is also a young guy who was sitting in in front of us who looks like an Ironman triathlete. So far, all the people I have talked with are swimmers only, no the triathletes.

We drove down from Istanbul on the European side past many dried up sunflower fields. It is very dry here. We saw lots of mosques along the way. After about four-hours, and well onto the Gallipoli Peninsula, we crossed the Dardanelles over what we were told is the longest suspension bridge in the world. It is called the 1915 Çanakkale bridge, in honor to the Turkish win over the ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) in January and February 1915 (a military disaster for the Allies).

We arrived at our hotel, the Double Day, at 5:00 and quickly checked in. We are on the second of three floors looking east. Blythe and I went out to the shore to see if we could find the swim finish. We walked about a mile north along the boardwalk but could not find it. Later, I learned that it is much farther along the shore. Along the way, we meet a couple of guys who spoke American English. Peder Dahlsberg is swimming the race for the first time. He is from Chicago but now lives in Barcelona. When he heard that we are from Lafayette, he said he went to IU – small world. He graduated in 1971 and was on the swim team coached by “Doc” Councilman and swam the breaststroke on the relay team with Mark Spitz. After our walk, we ran into him again. He showed me a photo of one of the t-shirts we can get with every entrant’s name on it, all 1500 of us. He found my name, in alphabetic order by first name.

There is nothing scheduled for the rest of the day. Tomorrow we are busy with registration, a acclimatization swim from 9:30 to 11:00, then a mandatory course briefing and a boat ride across the strait to the start.

As I started talking with other swimmers, I began to develop a sense that I have become very familiar with. I had the same sense the night before my brother, and I summited Kilimanjaro and the night before hiking to Everest Base Camp. It is a growing sense of anticipation. It is a cross between excitement and anxiety. I would be a liar if I told you I was not just a little bit apprehensive about the race, now less than 48-hours away. As with my two Ironman Triathlons, Waikiki Rough water swim, and Golden Gate swim, I do not think I have trained enough (it seems that I never swim, bike, and run enough for these races). Still, because I have done lots of races, mostly running and about twenty triathlons, I now know what my limitations are and I am confident that I will finish this race. The one part of this race that I am most anxious about, it is the one hour and forty-five-minute cutoff. Thankfully, the water conditions look very good. Peder told me that there is a 7-knot current that will push us to the finish. I am counting on that push to get me to the finish line before the cutoff time.

This is the weather forecast for the day in Canakkale. It has been veery consistent: hot and sunny with low humidity. It is the wind that I am worried about.

The little blue dot is our bus. L to R, top row, to bottom row. We departed Istanbul and headed down the coast of the sea of Mamara on the European side of Turkey. We crossed the 1915 Canakkale bridge to the Asian side and down to Canakkale.

This is the hotel where we waited for the bus. I got to know Camilla and Peter from England (sitting on the right). I also got chatty with the three women sitting in front of Blythe and the left. The two with their backs to me are from the UK and the one with the white shirt across from them is from Chicago. All we talked about was our swimming experiences. The bus picked us up and we left ten minutes early, 11:50 a.m. for the five hour ride to Canakkale,

We saw lots of sunflower fields like this one. It is beyond the pretty yellow stage. Most were dark brown and ready for harvest.

We saw several mosques along the way. This is a two-minaret mosque.

The width of the Dardanelles as seen from the 1915 Canakkale Bridge.

The Dardanelles and the 1915 Canakkale Bridge from the Asian side of Turkey.

We have arrived at our hotel, the Double Tree and trying to find our bags.

SwimTrek is the tour organization that is putting on the swim for non-Turks. There are about 300 of us. SwimTrek arranges long distance, open water swims all over the world, but not the United States.

After settling into our room, Blythe and I went for a walk along the boardwalk. I was heartened to see the surface so calm.

This is our hotel. There is a mirror image wing to the right.

Looking west across the Dardanelles early in the evening.

Wednesday, August 27, 2025

Our tour of Istanbul

We had a nice buffet breakfast in another terraced cafe a short walk down the street from the hotel lobby. We were greeted warmly by a friendly maitre d’ from Iran. There are two things that set this hotel off from others we have stayed in. 1) the service is especially good, helpful, and always friendly. They seem to go out of their way to ensure our stay is both comfortable and pleasant. 2) the proximity to most of what we want to see. All that we saw today was within walking distance. The Hagia Sophia is next door to the hotel.

After breakfast we met our tour guide at the Concierge’s desk. His name is Onur and he was ours as much of the day as we wanted. We set out for Hagia Sophia as our first stop. We saw this magnificant edifice last year with Jenny but It is so beautiful that we wanted to see it again. Onur got us in ahead of all the lines today. As he conducted us through the mosque (former pagan church, Christian church, mosque, museum, back to mosque – in that order) he provided a running commentary of the history of this one-of-kind church/mosque. It is capped by one of the largest domes in the world. It is supported by only four columns and is so heavy that some of the inner columns are bent. A recent earthquake resulted in only less than 1mm of movement of the columns.

The sheets are covering up Christian mosaics. I do not know why these are covered up and others are not.

This is one of the Christian mosaics that is not covered.

This mosaic was inside one of the many archways. It is called a spider web.

When I was here in 1997 and again in 2004, the Hagia Sophia was a museum and I was allowed to walk on this floor. It was darker then and there was a large scaffolding in the center. Now it is again a mosque and visitors are not allowed on the floor. it is much better lit and the scaffolding is gone.

The large disk on the right says Allah in Arabic. The one on the left says Mohamed. There are two others on the opposite wall.

The two figures on each side of the come are seraphim, angelic creatures with three pairs of wings. Read Is 6:1-3.

Here is another view of two of the four seraphim’s.

Here is a close up of one of the seraphim’s. Do you see the three pair of wings?

This is one several beautiful Christian mosaics. Jesus is in the center. Justinian on the left. and Constantine on the right – I think.

Mary with baby Jesus in the center. Maybe Justinian on the left. Looks like a woman on the right, maybe Elizabeth.

I hope some day they restore the ceiling.

This is a painting of what is believed to be that mosaic before many of the tiles were removed.

Close up of Jesus from above mosaic. Can you see the individual tiles?

This is an ablution fountain for ritual cleansing before entering the mosque to pray outside Hagia Sophia.

There are lots of these corn on the cob stands all over Sultan Ahmet Square. This one is out side the Blue Mosque.

This is a section of the old wall where a Prime Meridian passed. One time or another, every country thought the Prime Meridian should pass through their capital. Eventually, it was settled by treaty to pass through Greenwich, England.

We next went to the Blue Mosque but Onur thought the line was too long (another cruise ship disgorged a few thousand passengers this morning adding to the already crowded Sultan Ahmet Square. He suggested we go to the Basilica Cistern, a short walk away and come back later to see the Blue Mosque. I had hoped to see the Basilica Cistern last year but we did not have time. Onur has a lot of pull. He got us around the line to get us in to expedite our tour. We were not disappointed. This cistern is one of 240 cisterns in and around Istanbul (we will have dinner this evening in another, smaller one). The photos speak for themselves.

I liked this photo because it shows the reflection in the water of the ceiling.

The plinth here is a sideways head of the Medusa.

Here is a Medusa statue with its shadow on the wall.

From the Basilica Cistern we went back to the Blue Mosque but it was closed for noon prayers. Instead, we walked a rather long walk to the Grand Bazaar for a quick 45-minute visit. Blythe, despite her healing stress factured foot, and my fatigue, we made the mile or so walk to the Bazaar. Onur gave us 45-minutes to see what we wanted. Since we were here last year, we did not spend much time wandering around but found a restaurant where we could sit down. We each got a cashew baklava and a lemonade. We met Onur at Gate 1 and walked back to the Blue Mosque.

A two minaret mosque we walked past on our way to the Grand Bazaar.

This is Gate 1, where we entered the Grand Bazaar and where we met Onur after our visit here. I remember this gate from the first time I was here in 2004.

The halls of the Grand Bazaar go on for miles. Once you have been down one hall you have pretty much seen it all. For the most part, this a mostly cheap tourist souvenirs.

This is one of the many side aisles off one of the main halls.

We met Onur at 1:30 and went back to the Blue Mosque, walking down this quint road.

Prayer time was over and we got in line, which went quickly. We had to take off our shoes to enter and Blythe had to wear a scarf over her hair. I last visited the Blue Mosque in 2004 and was very impressed. I have seen other mosques, but the Blue Mosque is by far the most beautiful. It is called the Blue Mosque because there are about 33,000 blue tiles adorning the interior domes. I was able to walk into the center because women are not allowed. Off to one side was a small group prostrating themselves in prayer. We probably spent about thirty-minutes here.

This is where muslims undergo ritual ablution before entering the mosque for prayer.

This is the courtyard next to the mosque. Four of the six minarets of the Blue Mosque are located at the corners of the courtyard.

Unfortunately, one of the minarets was shrouded in scaffolding, marring the scene.

The main dome is the one in the upper right.

This is called a minbar, sort of a Muslim pulpit.

I was able to get into the center of the mosque but Blythe, being a woman, was not allowed.

From inside this center prayer area I got much better views of the main dome.

We were not allowed to put on our shoes until we passed this point.

This is where Blythe and I got our Turkish bath. This building is 500 years old.

By now Blythe and I were getting tired and were ready to go back to our hotel. After a short rest and shower, we walked mostly across the street (it really is a sidewalk as not cars could fit on it) to the basilica restaurant for dinner. It was a very good dinner. We had baklava for dessert, naturally.

Basilica Restaurant where we had dinner this evening. It is a much smaller cistern than the one we visited earlier today.

We had an exceptionally good meal here this evening followed by this delicious baklava and ice cream.

After dinner we walked back to Sultan Ahmet Square to see the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque lit up after dark. We had to wait about half an hour. It was surprisingly cool.

Here is a nice view of Hagia Sophia after dark. The Blue Mosque was a disappointment as it was not very well lit after dark.

Swim the Hellespont 2025

August 23, 2025

The start of the swim across the Dardanelles. It is a mass start.

I am not sure when I first heard about the swim across the Dardanelles, or as it is also known by its Greek name, the Hellespont, but ever since then I have dreamed about swimming this race. I guess it is not really a race, but because there is a podium ceremony and awards to the top swimmers afterwards, I guess that makes it a race. It certainly will not be a race for me. My one and only goal is to finish before the cut off time of 1 hour and 45 minutes. This will be the only race that I will have done that is only against the clock. All the other swim races and triathlons I have done were against other swimmers and triathletes. Because we will cross the Dardanelles from European Turkey to Asian Turkey, a major shipping artery from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean, the strait will be closed to commercial shipping. Obviously, the strait has to be opened again to let ships through, hence the swim cut off time.

I am not a good swimmer. When I have done triathlons, I consider the race to begin when I come out of the water and get on my bike. I have always been able to cover the distance in the water, just not very fast. Except for triathlons, I have only done two long distance, open water swims: the Waikiki Rough Water Swim in Hawaii, and the Golden Gate Bridge swim in San Francisco Bay.

In preparation for this swim I have been training at the Purdue CoRec pool, an Olympic distance pool. Of the pools I have trained in over the years, this is the nicest pool I have swum in. I almost always get a lane to myself, and I have met other long-distance swimmers and gotten to talk with the Purdue Men’s and Women’s swim coaches for training tips and inspiration. Like my usual training, I have probably not done enough. I think I can cover the distance; it is just the threat of the cut off time that hangs over my head like the sword of Damocles. From the Swim Trek website, we are told that if we fail to get to the finish in Çanakkale before the 1:45 hour cut off, we will be fished out of the water. My swim times at the CoRec suggest that it will be close.

There are two outside factors that may help me beat the cut off time. Because the water temperature will be so warm (air temperature the day of the race is forecasted to be in the upper 80s to low 90s) we are not allowed to wear a wetsuit, which would have been a significant competitive advantage. But, we are allowed to wear a buoyancy suit, which is like my cycling shorts made of about 5mm of neoprene. While wearing this kind of swimming suit, my swim times in the pool were about 13% faster. Over the course of about 100 laps (roughly the equivalent to the 4.7 km distance of the swim, it might mean swimming faster by ten minutes. That just might make the difference. The other helpful factor is the swim course itself. We will be swimming most of the race with the current. This current assistance makes the course seem like only 2.1 miles rather than the actual distance of 2.8 miles. I am counting on these two external factors to get me to the finish before the cut off. Also, I need good water conditions. A few years ago, on a very windy day, the water chop was very rough. The extended forecast is for very hot and sunny skies. But, it has also been windy on some of the days recently. I will just have to wait and see. I am getting into the water no matter what the conditions are.

The Dardanelles (Hellespont) is located in the northwest part of Turkey. It is a strait between the Sea of Marmara and the Aegean Sea.

The swim starts from the European side of Turkey on the Gallipoli Peninsula and finishes on the Asian side at Canakkale.

This is the extended forecast for Canakkale (Asian side of Turkey)

The Myth of the Hellespont Swim – Hero and Leander –

Few stories from antiquity carry the bittersweet fragrance of tragic romance as does the myth of Hero and Leander—a tale immortalized by poets, dramatists, and artists for millennia. Set against the backdrop of the Hellespont (now known as the Dardanelles, the strait that divides Europe from Asia in modern-day Turkey), the legend weaves together themes of love, longing, endurance, and fate.

Hero was a priestess of Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty, renowned for her own loveliness and steadfast devotion. She lived in a tower in Sestos, a city on the European side of the Hellespont. Bound by her sacred duties, Hero led a secluded life, her beauty known only to those who visited the temple. Her chastity was both her virtue and her prison, until fate, in the form of a young man named Leander, arrived from across the water.

Leander was a handsome youth from Abydos, a city on the opposite Asian shore of the Hellespont. Handsome, eloquent, and bold, Leander’s heart was set aflame when he glimpsed Hero during a festival honoring Aphrodite. The two young souls, separated by the narrow but treacherous currents of the strait, fell deeply in love at first sight.

The legend tells that their love, forbidden by Hero’s priestly vows, blossomed in secrecy. Each night, Hero would ascend her lonely tower and light a lamp, its flame a beacon to guide Leander across the perilous waters. Spurred by passion and courage, Leander braved the strong currents, swimming the Hellespont under the cover of darkness to reach Hero’s side. Their nightly union was brief but intense, a testament to the power of longing and the extremes to which love can drive the human heart.

Leander’s swim across the Hellespont is the heart of their story—a feat both athletic and symbolic. The Hellespont is no gentle stream; its currents are swift and dangerous, its waters cold even in summer. Yet, night after night, Leander plunged into the moonlit strait, navigating by the distant lamp set by Hero. The shining flame was not just his guide but the very emblem of hope—the promise that love awaits those who endure.

Ancient writers marveled at Leander’s determination. His swim became a metaphor for overcoming obstacles, an allegory for lovers everywhere. The Hellespont, a physical and emotional divide, could not hold back devotion. Each successful crossing was a victory of human will over the indifferent forces of nature.

Hero greets Leader after a successful swim across the Hellespont.

As with many myths, the tale of Hero and Leander is tinged with tragedy. One stormy night, the winds howled and the rain battered the tower. The flame Hero so faithfully tended was snuffed out by the tempest, leaving Leander in darkness. Without his guiding light, he lost his way among the surging waves. Exhausted and adrift, Leander was pulled under, and his body eventually washed ashore beneath Hero’s tower.

Upon discovering her lover’s lifeless form, Hero was overcome with grief. Unable to bear the weight of her loss, she leapt from her tower into the churning waves, choosing to join Leander in death. Thus ended their brief but incandescent love—a tale whose echoes can still be heard in the sigh of the sea and the flicker of a solitary lamp.

Lord Byron’s Swim

The swim itself, as both a literal and figurative challenge, would remain a powerful cultural motif. In 1810, the poet Lord Byron famously swam across the Hellespont, inspired by Leander’s nightly crossings and seeking to prove the feat possible. Byron completed the swim from Sestos to Abydos, later writing that, “the thing is perfectly feasible for anyone possessed of a little resolution.”

August 25-26, 2025

My brother, Dave, picked us up at 5:00 this morning and drove us to the Reindeer shuttle pick up at the old Four Season’s hotel north of campus in West Lafayette. It was a beautiful day for the drive to O’Hare.

We were let out a Terminal 5 and quickly found the Turkish Airline counter, which was already open. I had hoped to get our seats upgraded to business class. I was all but certain that we would be able to do this. I was surprised – and disappointed – to hear that all the seats were taken. We were told that there was a small chance that two seats would open up but I was not very optimistic. In the end there were not seats available in business class.

Blythe and I were on opposite sides of row 19 on the aisle. To my great disappointment there was a couple in the row ahead of Blythe with what looked like a four-month old baby. As it turned out, it was a relatively conformable flight for me. The little baby was mercifully quiet throughout the flight; the temperature was pleasant; the food and service were good; and I got a lot of reading done in my new book, The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone. It is a biographical novel about Michelangelo. After awhile I got tired of reading and watched one of the many movies available. I watched The Pelican Brief.

We landed right on time at 5:30. It was still dark but the eastern horizon was starting to turn orange. The little kid in the row in front of Blythe grabbed my finger and held on. His mother told me he was four-months old. He was cute.

We had a long walk to get to immigration where we had to wait in a long line before another long walk to baggage claim. We did not have to complete a customs form and were simply waved through.

According to our instructions from the hotel, we were to meet a guy outside Gate 8 who would have a sign with our name. This was the first of two opportunities when I was afraid promised help would not be there. But…he was, standing right where I was told he would be. His name was Hussein. He took our bags a short distance to a parking garage where we had a five minute wait for our scheduled ride to the hotel. Pretty swanky van. It took 55-minutes to get into town and our hotel.

Our Turkish Airline plane at Chicago, O’Hare. It is a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Gate M 19.

No jetway here. We descend the steps to these waiting buses for the long ride to the terminal.

We arrived on time at 5:30 a.m. just as the sun was turning the eastern horizon into this brilliant orange.

We were surprised to see a Popeyes at the airport.

I was relieved to see the hotel representative with our name card waiting for us as we exited the terminal.

The Hotel rep took us to the hotel provided van for the ride to the Hagia Sophia Mansion by Hilton.

We could get used to this kind of treatment.

After we turned off the main road along the coast we found ourselves in a warren of very narrow cobblestone roads, so that we had to finish our ride to the hotel in a buggy. We were able to get a room right away, even though it was only 8:45, but we were warned that the street trolly might be a bit noisy. We took it anyway so that we would not have to wait around in the lobby for several hours.

This is the forecast for our first day in Istanbul: abundant sunshine with moderate temperatures and humidity.

The airport is to the north of Istanbul. The ride to the hotel took about 50-minutes.

Our van crosses the Golden Horn. Our hotel is next to the Hagia Sophia and only a quarter mile from the Blue Mosque. We will see these sites tomorrow on our tour.

The streets are so narrow that the van could not get us to the hotel. We were met by this buggy, which took us to the front door of the hotel. This is service. The driver took our bags to our room while we checked in.

All the streets near the hotel are rough cobblestone.

Our room. It is very quaint and overlooks some trolly tracks.

The view below the window in our room. You can see the trolly tracks.

Is this a Turkish bath? We also have a regular shower, which is behind me when I took this photo.

This is one of the views outside our window overlooking trolly going by.

After we settled into our room we went out for a walk to be exposed to sunlight to help us stay awake. We also wanted to kill some time before we could see the concierge about our private tour tomorrow and to see if we could get a Turkish bath scheduled later this afternoon. We walked down the cobblestone street to the Hagia Sophia, which is very near our hotel. We also wanted to check out the restaurant menus along the way.

This is a quaint street near just outside our hotel. Note the cobblestone surface. Also notice the cat in the lower left. Cats are everywhere.

This is a nice view of the Hagia Sophia except for the scaffolding on two of the minarets. The back of the mosque is also covered in scaffolding.

The domed building below the minaret with the crane is a Haman, a Turkish Bath. We walked in when we were here last year with Jenny but did not have time to get a scheduled time. Blythe and I walked in and got a scheduled Turkish bath and a massage for 2:30 this afternoon. On our way to get a better view of the Blue Mosque were beset upon by two different guys who wanted us to come see his carpet market and to arrange for a tour. We tried to ignore them but they were persistent. When it was clear we were not interested, they walked off.

The Blue Mosque is across the street from the Hagia Sophia. It looks great with the blue sky but the new is marred by the ubiquitous scaffolding. We will see both the Blue Mosque and the Hagai Sophia on our tour tomorrow.

The area around our hotel. There are actually seventeen buildings to our hotel.

We walk through this bar to the hotel entrance, which icon the left up the steps

These are immature olives. There are a few olive trees near our hotel room.

When we got back to our hotel we sat down with the concierge, a pleasant chap named Berk. He arranged for our tour tomorrow, which we set for 10:00 a.m., and dinner reservations for both tonight and tomorrow evening, which includes some dancing (whirling dervish or belly dancing?). We will see. Because the hotel has a relationship with the Turkish bath place, he said we would get a 10% discount. He called to confirm this for us. He asked what we planned to do in Turkey so I told him about the Hellespont (Dardanelles) swim this Saturday. Contrary to what I thought, he said the water temperature in the Dardanelles is cold (then why aren’t we allowed to wear wetsuits?). He looked it up and was surprised to read that the temperature is 22 degrees C. (about 72 degrees F.). That is only a couple degree cooler than the pool at the CoRec where I have been training.

Back in our room at 11:00 we both began to get tired. Blythe took a shower and lay down to rest. I am trying to keep busy so that I can stay awake as much of the day as I can and to resist taking a nap this afternoon. I want to get my circadian rhythms reset to this time zone (seven hours ahead of Indiana in the Eastern Time Zone) before Saturday.

At 1:30 we walked back to the Hagia Sophia where the Hurrem Sultan Hamami is located. By now there were a lot more people in Sultanaahme Square (where the Hagai Sophia and the Blue Mosque are located). We were a bit early for our Turkish bath but got in anyway. Blythe and I were in separate parts of the building. She had a female attendant and I had a male.

Upon entering the hammam, I was greeted by an attendant who provided me with a pestemal, a Turkish bath towel and slippers. I was then led up to the second floor where I could undress and put on a pair of paper shorts followed by the pestemal. From the dressing room, clad only in the shorts, pestemal and sandals, I was led to another room. Here I was shown how to pour hot water over my head to wash for ten minutes. After ten minutes of washing my masseur came in and introduced himself as Fatih. I followed him into the next room where he put on a rough cotton mitt and began to scrub my entire body rather vigorously. This was the exfoliation step. I was quite surprised at how much skin rubbed away. The sensation was both intense and deeply satisfying, leaving my skin softer and revitalized. During this stage, he poured buckets of warm water over me from head to toe, washing away my dead epidermis and preparing for my skin renewal.

This is where the Turkish bath begins. I sat next to this marble sink. The copper pan on the right is used to dip the hot water out of the sink and poured over the entire body. I did this for ten minutes.

After the scrub, Fatih enveloped me in a cloud of fragrant bubbles—generated by whipping soap in a cloth sack until it foams. The ensuing massage was both relaxing and therapeutic, combining long, sweeping strokes with gentle kneading of the muscles. The soap was richly infused with olive oil. The experience bordered on the luxurious.

The next step takes place in a room like this one. I lay on the marble slab (not very comfortable) while Fatih enveloped my body with a sudsy solution infused with olive oil. He then massaged it into my new skin.

This is what the sudsy part look like. Unlike this woman, who is supine, I was always in the prone position during this part.

Once the massage was complete, Fatih rinsed me with more warm water. Lying on the marble slap was not very comfortable but the message with the bubbles and oil made up for it. Still covered with bubbles, Fatih poured more hot water over me to wash away all the bubbles. He then surprised me by dipping the bucket in cold water and dumping it down my shorts, back and front. I told him he was mean, and he just laughed. This part of the experience concluded in the sogukluk, where I could lie down on a soft mattress or sit. I chose to lie down. Fatih then brought me some sweet tea, grape juice, and what I call Turkish gummy bears only much sweeter than real gummy bears.

After ten minutes of rest, we went up to the third floor to a private massage room where Fatih gave me a half-hour message. It felt wonderful. I think the combination of the exfoliation and the massage shaved 1-2 seconds off my 50-yard lap pool time. I need all the help I can get.

I met Blythe out in front of the bath house where we were served more sweet tea and Turkish gummy bears. We agreed that it was well worth our time to get this relaxing and therapeutic Turkish bath.

Berk, the concierge, recommended a restaurant with a rooftop terrace for dinner. It was far enough away that the hotel provided a buggy ride for us. We were greeted as we entered by name and shown into the elevator that took us up to the fifth floor. We were greeted again as the elevator door opens, again by name, and shown to our corner table with great views of the Bosporus and Asian Turkey on the other side. It was comfortably cool with a light breeze.

The waiter went over the entire menu for us describing all the courses and making several recommendations. Blythe and I shared a tangy appetizer of shrimp and vegetables. A basket of pita bread with olive oil and Kalamata olive paste was also brought to our table. I could have been sated with just the pita and olive paste. Blythe had some scallops and I had grilled octopus. We split a flan for desert.

This was the view of the Bosporus and Asian Turkey from our table.

After dinner the waiter called for the buggy to come collect us for the ride back to the hotel. It was a good start to our brief stay in Istanbul. Tomorrow we have a busy schedule with a tour of the usual Istanbul tourist sites.

January 20, 2025

Going Home

We got up with the alarm at 7:30 and quickly got ready and checked out of the hotel. Our Uber driver was at the pick up across the street with fifteen minuets. It took about forty-five minutes to drive to Heathrow. We were already checked in so we only had to get baggage tags and drop them, go through immigration and the security and voila we were in. I had 25 pounds in cash i wanted to unload so we bought a couple of paperbacks (buy one and get the other at half price). I still had just over 4 pounds left so bought some digestive cookies for Blythe. We found the lounge after a long walk and settled in for the wait until we could board at 12:30. We grabbed something for breakfast and found a reasonably comfortable place to read while we waited.

January 19, 2025

Happy Birthday, Blythe

We went out into the chilly gray day as it has been nearly every day and walked down to the Wimbledon Underground station.

This the street in the village of Wimbledon near our B & B.

We were surprised to see these two horse riders riding down the street in front of our B & B this morning.

This is a pretty floral shop near our B & B. We saw several floral shops today.

Thankfully most of the way to the station was all downhill. We walked past some posh homes. Wimbledon is a very quaint village. We never did see the Wimbledon tennis stadium.

This is the kind of wall with wrought iron fence that inspired our courtyard wall at our house in Lafayette.

Our destination was the Royal Observatory in Greenwich. We had to take the Underground to the Embankment on the District line. We do not have to buy tickets anymore. We just had to badge in using Apple Pay on our iPhones. From there we thought we only had to take the Jubilee line to Greenwich. We had to exit the station to get to the Jubilee line and badge out. When we badged in again at the Waterloo station we were told that the Jubilee line was closed for the day. We badged out and decided to take an Uber to Greenwich. Again, we had to stay near the WiFi at the Starbucks until the Uber got near. Once we get too far away from the WiFi we loose the connection and run the risk of missing our Uber driver since we cannot track without Internet service. We found him and piled in for the rather long ride to Greenwich.

Even though it was only about 35° it felt much colder. We had a bit of a walk to get to the Royal Observatory where it cost £24 each to get in. It was worth it.

Blythe at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich.

The temperature inside was little better and we were always cold. Even though we have seen the Harrison clocks before, I was eager to see them again and this was the main reason for coming here. In the Octagon room were heard a brief history of the effort in the 17th Century to accurately determine longitude. It was very important for naval navigation. Latitude is easy to determine by measuring the angular elevation of the Polaris (North Star) but measuring longitude requires a very accurate chronometer that was also portable. Most clocks of the period used pendulums, which would not work on a moving ship. John Harrison made four versions of his clocks all of which were both accurate and portable. He won a £20,000 prize for his efforts.

The H1 clock.

This is the H4 clock and the most portable.

This is a 24-hour clock outside the Royal Observatory that confirmed my clock was accurate.

Dava Sibel wrote a good book describing the history of accurately determining longitude and the efforts by John Harrison to build four clocks, H1, H2, H3, and H4 that were both accurate and portable. It is not a long book but well worth the read.

When we had seen all we wanted at the Royal Observatory we stayed near the observatory to access their WiFi. I whistled up an Uber car and was told it would be there in 15 minutes. I took a screen shot of the pick up location because as soon we left the Observatory we lost the WiFi connection. We looked in vain for the Uber driver for 30 minutes and never saw him. So…we ended up having to eat the £28 (~$35) fare. We then walked down the hill to Greenwich to the Cutty Sark ship where we thought we would be able to find the Uber driver. We used the WiFi in the Cutty Sark museum, but again, as soon as we left the museum, we lost the WiFi connection. Fortunately, we knew the color of the car and the license number. Waiting two minutes Mohammad drove up in his White Kia and we climbed in. We wanted to go to Trafalgar Square. From there I know how to get to the Sherlock Holmes pub where we wanted to have a late lunch. Mohammad took us right to the pub and let us out.

The Sherlock Holmes pub just down from Trafalgar Square. This is the third time I have eaten here.

This is a museum in the Sherlock Holmes pub depicting what his home of B Baker street might have looked like.

We were seated in the upstairs room where we were last time we ate here. The first time I was here was in the early 90s when Dad and I came here for a drink. Since we have gotten fish and chips on several occasions on this trip, we got a bacon cheese burger instead.

Now on familiar ground, we walked to the Embankment Underground station, badged in with our iPhones and rode the District line all the way back to Wimbledon. Since the way back was all up hill, we decided to Uber it back to the B & B. We were both tired from the long day.

I checked in and got our boarding passes on my iPhone so we are ready to go home. We will Uber it out to Heathrow tomorrow morning for our 1:35 p.m departure to Chicago. Even though we have had a great time here in London and on the Continent, really enjoyed the concert and our time in Paris and Amsterdam, we are looking forward to coming home. We get back to Lafayette late tomorrow evening. See you all soon…